After the 2016 season, SASL faced a conundrum. Super teams were forming at a rapid pace and the parity was slowly dissolving. In came the point rating system where all the active players were given a grade and each team had a certain amount of points to make their team. Similar to how the NFL hard salary cap system works where every team cannot go over a certain salary for the season.
This forced captains to make moves to enhance their teams chances of winning. They had to find bargains and maybe let go of players deemed ranked too high. Let’s take a look at some of the ratings we think are bargains and some that may be too high for the 2020 season. (This is just an authors opinion and does not reflect SASL views)
BACKDOOR SLIDERS:
Bargain: Matt Schreiber at 5. He is one of the better defending SS in the league. His defense alone could be worth the 5 rating. Matt has been ranked higher before and we fail to understand the lower rating this year
Overpriced: Najmul Hasan at 4. He had a career year last year with the bat. But he’s not very mobile and on defense he is below average. Some of the better 4’s include Billal Lateef, Faizan Niazi, Milan Patel etc.
BLACK MAMBAS:
Bargain: Arshad Naqvi at 2. We can go a bunch of different players, but we will go with Arshad Naqvi who has a rating of 2. 2019 was a career low year for Arshad while hitting about .400, but he has the softball IQ and resume to be ranked higher.
Overpriced: None.
DADBODS:
Bargain: Amar Aujla at 3. This dude is a up and comer. As a rookie last year, he hit .550 with an OPS of 1.4. Also provided very good defense at LCF. He could have easily been ranked a point or two higher.
Overpriced: None.
DOTHRAKIS:
Bargain: Pervez Khan at 4. Pervez’s biggest contribution is his ability to play almost every position on the field at an average or above average level. Extremely versatile and also bats about .480-.500 every year.
Overpriced: Hashim Naveed at 9. Always one of the highest rated players and deservedly so for his game changing speed/defense/offense. However, an offseason injury has him out of his SS position now and will has bat do enough to justify a top 5 ranking?
DYNASTY:
Bargain: Kunal Oak at 3. How does a guy hit .537 with a OPS of 1.4 get ranked only a 3? Kunal can also play a solid Outfield and Dynasty did well to pick this veteran up at a bargain price.
Overpriced: Ariel Arvelo at 6. Ariel is a good player who made the All Star team in 2019 after a career year. However he is a liability on defense and struggles against the top teams.
HIT SQUAD:
Bargain: Billal Lateef at 4. Billal can be the starting SS in most teams in the league and we wouldn’t bat an eye. He’s very smooth in the field with a bat that is coming around. He can be one of the better steals in the offseason.
Overpriced: Ramy Abdelhamid at 8. This is nitpicking as Ramy was the 2018 SASL MVP. But his 2019 wasn’t great and he looked a step slow in the outfield. At a 8, you want a guy that can carry you to wins and Ramy may have peaked a year or two ago.
MONSTARS:
Bargain: Sajeel Haque at 5. Sajeel has been hitting at top of championship winning teams and plays wonderful outfield defense for a long time. His speed and defense can change games and he has made it to many all star games.
Overpriced: None.
SHOOTER MCGAVINS:
Bargain: Nick Tamayo at 4. How did Nick go so under the radar? He batted .590 in 67 at bats and played gold glove Center field. He is rated at least 1-2 points lower than his ability and Shooters are very happy to have him at a 4.
Overpriced: Tom Kahl at 12. The second highest rated player in SASL. Yes he is a game changer on both sides of the ball. But does anyone deserve to take almost 25% of the cap space? I guess we will find out this year.
TSFE:
Bargain: Jason Gregory at 6. He was a crossover player who made it to both NL and AL All Star game. He also received votes for MVP in the AL. Not to mention back to back years of hitting .700+. He may not have the pure power numbers. But he is a foundation piece at a 6.
Overpriced: None.
THE NORTH:
Bargain: Steven Galante at 4. Steve in his first season had a very tough debut with The Mighty Ducks last year. He batted a paltry .333 and only .848 OPS. But his defense is stellar and he is capable of doubling those offensive production this year.
Overpriced: Anwar Sadat at 4. He batted under .500 for the first time last year and looks to be on the decline. He is also a non factor on defense but still can provide pitching when called on. But at a 4, we expect more, judging by some of the others ranked at 4’s.
THE ONES:
Bargain: Zabi Khosdal at 2. Zabi batted .577 in 32 at bats and played a solid outfield. At a 2 you don’t expect anyone batting over .500 much less provide solid defense. The Ones got a huge bargain in Zabi and he’s a good bench piece who can start when called on.
Overpriced: Denen Olson at 9. Let’s get this out the way: Denen is probably a top 5 hitter all time in SASL. But is he on the decline? Last year was the first year he batted under .600 and he had only 2 homers. At a 9, you expect to get someone that will anchor your team. Maybe it was only a down season. Let him prove otherwise.
TROOPERS:
Bargain: Kyle Bacchus at 5. Yes he only hit .507 last year. But watch him play and know that he just started a year or two ago in softball. Pretty soon, we suspect, this young SS will be a household name if he keeps improving at the rate he has. Troopers have a foundation piece in Kyle.
Overpriced: None.
