Most Improved Team?
A Look Back at 2019:
The Ones had a hugely disappointing season in 2019. Coming off a surprising Finals appearance in 2018, they had bigger and better expectations in 2019. But they finished with an ugly 6-16 record, good for only the 7th seed in their division. They didn’t have any big wins all seasons against any of the top teams. There were no miracles in the playoffs either. They got promptly swept in the first round unceremoniously.
They finished with a -47 run differential over 22 games. An average offense coupled with a below average defense was a recipe for disaster. Captain and All Star Naeem Bhalli had another monster season. Raymond and Amby had good seasons as well. Other than those 3, most players had below career seasons it seemed like. Lots of their new additions didn’t pan out as hoped either.
Suffice to say, they were happy to turn the page on their 2019 season. Time for a fresh start?
A Look Ahead at 2020:
The amount of moves The Ones made are staggering. They announced Amby as their co-captain along with Naeem to start. Amby is quickly becoming one of the faces of The Ones and now is a prominent fixture as one of the captains.
Next, they are making a huge splash by adding two superstars in Denen and Rafael aka Yoba, who are formerly of the now defunct 516. They are easily two top 10 talents in the league and should be batting 3-4 in this revamped lineup. Most teams would have been satisfied there. They weren’t done yet. They went and added two solid stars in Saiful Ashraf and Waqas Ali. Both are rated 5’s and can start for any championship hopeful team. Saiful has been a stud for almost a decade in SASL now and always been one of the better outfield gloves and one of the best arms. Waqas can play anywhere in the infield and should start at Shortstop for The Ones.
These 4 additions along with couple others (Kevin Persaud, Shadesh) shore up any weakness. Their outfield should be very good in Yoba, Saiful, Sijo, Nas. Infield should be an offensive powerhouse in Denen, Amby, Naeem and Waqas. Their top 10 should be a nightmare for any pitcher to contend with. They did lose Ray as the notable loss.
Our Prediction:
Our prediction puts them as the most improved team in the league. They should take an enormous step forward. The talent is there more than ever. However, the new talents they added needs to mesh with existing players. We have seen too many teams adding superstars and it blows up in their face due to lack of chemistry. Our expectation is The Ones will make a huge improvement in the standings to around the 3-5 range. They have talent to make the finals but year 1 of this experiment we expect them to get to semifinals at most.
Best Players:
Denen has been a top 5 hitter in SASL for the better part of the last 6 years. He can hit with his eyes closed. Rafael is a 5 tool player who can play anywhere on the diamond including pitcher. Naeem has been an All Star and MVP candidate past couple of seasons and we see no reason why he should slow down.
Players To Watch For:
Waqas can break out this year if he can play a full season. All of his underlying stats are there except counting stats as his attendance has been spotty. Shadesh Baijnath has a sweet lefty swing. In his rookie season last year he had 4 home runs and 22 rbis. In this lineup he can really improve those numbers and we can see an immense step forward.
Hear It From The Captain: Naeem Bhalli
1. What do you enjoy most about your role as team captain?
—What I enjoy the most is being able lead the guys on and off the field and having success. A lot goes on a captains shoulders, from making the team roster, decision making on and off the field. So to have success gives me a sense of accomplishment.
2. Who do you think will be your toughest competition this season?
—I’m not sure about anyone’s full rosters. So I’ll base my answer off of what team I am familiar with. It’ll have to be Hit Squad, first off they won the championships twice within the last three years. I find out guys I tried recruiting Ramy and crew ended up joining up with them. Plus they have one of the best pitchers in SASL.
3. What do you think are your team’s strong points? Weak points?
—Strong points for our team, will be our offense, I don’t see any holes in it. Weakness: I would say it all goes back to attendance. We’ve had issues with it the last two years.
4. How do you see your teams season play out this season?
—I see our guys competing every game. I see us making the playoffs and going for that chip!
