Compiled by Doug Krippendorf
January, 2004
After winning but 53 games in 2001 and 69 in 2002, Caracas came out of nowhere last year to claim the Southern Division crown with a 98-64 record, eventually losing in the SJL finals to Harrisburg 4 games to 1. The Bears have a good mix of youngsters and vets led by Mark Buehrle, Matt Clement and Carlos Zambrano in the rotation and Klesko, Huff, Ordonez and young Miguel Cabrera on the field. The farm system has been weakened by the loss of highly rated prospects like Cabrera, Victor Martinez and K-Rod to the majors, but it still boasts several good-looking youngsters.
PITCHING
The Bears' pitching prospects are led by Travis Blackley, recently acquired from London along with Angel Guzman for Carlos Guillen and Cliff Politte. Although Blackley doesn�t throw hard he does win, posting a 17-3 record with a 2.61 ERA in AA. Guzman actually has better stuff but was injured for much of last year, tossing 90 innings at AA with a 2.81 ERA. Although obviously talented, both are in organizations that have deep pitching staffs that will be hard to crack. Injuries will dictate whether they will appear in the majors before September. Brad Nelson is closest to the majors and will probably see some time there this year albeit in the pen. Lefty John Lester was solid (3.65) in A ball. Young Manny Delcarmen only tossed 23 innings due to injury.
HITTING
Caracas GM Ron Young seems to have a penchant for toolsy players with a lot of upside. Consequently, the Bears have a lot of hitters whose numbers lag behind their potential. Alex Escobar, perhaps the poster child for tools goofs, smacked 24 homers at AAA but his .296 OBP leaves a lot to be desired. Cleveland will give him every chance to stick this year as he is out of options. Neither Jackson Melian nor David Espinosa appears to be panning out. Carlos Duran had a dreadful year at High A, posting a .580 OPS. SS Oscar Materano had a .625 OPS in A ball. The Bear�s most interesting hitting prospect is Jayson Nix, who showed great power as a 20-year-old by hitting 46 doubles and 21 homers. He also stole 24 bases, but hitters coming out of the California League often struggle in AA and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain that kind of production in the coming year. Recent acquisition Willin Aybar posted a .427 SLG in his second tour of the FSL and still shows promise if he can stick at 3rd. Light hitting Maicer Izturis made it to AAA last year and projects as a backup infielder. Scouts rave about Rudy Guillen, who held his own in A ball at 19. OF Josh Hamilton, still a riddle wrapped in a section 8, has had only 311 pro ABs in the last three years but he is still only 22 and will supposedly be back and healthy this spring. He is perhaps the most difficult prospect in the league to grade.
The Polar Bear�s first 5 or six prospects are very talented, but the organization contains a slew of players coming off poor years. GM Ron Young has some tough decisions to make in regards to how much time he gives these players to reach their ceilings.
Grades
Travis Blackley A- Angel Guzman B+ Jayson Nix B+ Brad Nelson B Josh Hamilton B- Rudy Guillen B- Manny Delcarmen C+ Willie Aybar C+ John Lester C+ Maicer Izturis C+ Alex Escobar C+ Eric Andrus C Luis Torres C Jose Salas C David Espinosa C Jackson Melian C Carlos Duran C Oscar Materano C
In a division where team records have fluctuated wildly from year to year, the Florida franchise has been a model of consistency, finishing above .500 and either second or third in the division four years in a row. The Panthers have made the playoffs each of the last two years, losing in the first round both times. Although they have a good mix of youngsters and vets, they are beginning to show their age at key positions.
PITCHING
The Panthers' strength is their pitching, most notably Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt. Throw in Esteban Loaiza�s breakout year and Hideo Nomo�s consistency even at 35 years old, and you have an exceptional, albeit thin, staff, especially if rookie Edwin Jackson steps right in to the fifth spot, as he may right out of spring training. Last year Jackson went 7-7, 3.70 at AA but his numbers were much better than his record. He also put up a 1.27 whip in 3 major league starts. Overall, he looks to have what it takes to be a front-of-the-rotation starter. There is not a lot of talent on the farm after Jackson, though. Manny Parra went 11-2, 2.73 in A ball, showing excellent control but is still has a long climb to the majors. Depraved osprey killer Jae- kuk Ryu dominated A ball (6-1, 1.75) but posted a 5.43 ERA in 11 AA starts. Recent acquisition Brett Evert seems to have stalled in AA. Duaner Sanchez pitched poorly in AAA and had a disturbingly low strike out rate for a potential closer. Both Wes Anderson and Geoff Goetz missed most or all of last to injury and are missing too much development time. Ryan Snare could see the majors as a reliever this season.
HITTING
Although Lowell, Renteria and Berkman are in their primes, the Panthers are showing their age at first (Palmiero) and second (Alomar). And while it can certainly hit, the outfield of Berkman, Lee and Hidalgo is weak defensively. But there should be just enough help down on the farm to allow the team to maintain its high caliber of play.
The offense component to the Panthers� farm system mirrors the pitching � one great prospect, one good prospect, and then not much else to get excited about. 2B Josh Barfield joins Jackson as a rare grade A duo, hitting .337/.530/.389 in the California league. The 22-year-old doubles machine will begin the season in AA and could get a September call up. It looks like he�ll be right on time to replace the aging Alomar in 2006. C Justin Huber, also just 22, hit quite well in the FSL but struggled in AA though he still showed decent power. He should be the long�term answer needed at catcher. Termel Sledge had a great year last year in the friendly confines of Edmonton, hitting .324 with 22 HRs, and was grievously ripped off by Montreal�s inability to give him at least a September call up. He is now 27 and has yet to have even a cup of coffee in the majors, but he should finally get a shot this year. That being said, it�s doubtful he will hit enough to be a regular corner outfielder in the majors, which may be why he failed an IOC steroid test over the winter. 25-year-old Marshall McDougal also looks like a potential back up who can hit a little and play all around the infield. Jake Gautreau has had medical problems but needs to step up and perform now. Brian Barden hit for average at AA and can supposedly pick it, but needs to develop a lot more power to reach the majors. Adam Morrisey has yet to hit AA pitching and is weak defensively. Ryan Raburn, coming back from injury, showed some power in the FSL and bears watching in AA this year. Luis Maza�s combination of no power and no speed all but dooms him to minor league oblivion.
GRADES
Josh Barfield A- Edwin Jackson A- Justin Huber B Manny Parra B Termel Sledge B- Jae-kuk Ryu C+ Brien Barden C+ Brett Evert C+ Duaner Sanchez C+ Ryan Snare C+ Marshall McDougal C+ Jake Gautreau C+ Ryan Raburn C+ Luis Maza C Adam Morrisey C Wes Anderson INC Geoff Goetz INC Eduardo Figueroa INC
The Clementes continued to improve in 2003, adding 16 wins to the previous year�s total to finish tied for fourth place with a 76-86 record. Fort Lauderdale contended for much of the season before tailing off late in the year, and they actually scored 25 more runs than they allowed, which makes their sub-.500 record puzzling. They lost more games when leading after 7 innings than any team in the SJL, perhaps due to a bullpen largely made up of Jose Mesa and pitcher AAA.
PITCHING
Fort Lauderdale�s 3.90 ERA was third best in the league due to the presence of Prior, Mulder, Brown and Moyer. The good news is GM Manny Rosario has addressed the lack of bullpen depth by adding Nen, Wickman and Wendell via the free agency. The bad news is free agents Brown and Kenny Rogers fled to New Orleans, Mulder is returning from surgery and Moyer just turned 41. And there isn�t much in the way of help down on the farm where Adam Wainwright, the franchise�s best pitching prospect, is also the closest to the majors. Last year Wainwright went 10-8 with a 3.37 ERA at AA and showed excellent control, but he is probably best served with a full season in AAA and may not see the majors until September. Jason Arnold dominated AA but struggled a bit at the AAA level. He may see time in the majors this year but he is looking more like a back of the rotation starter than an ace. One-time prospects Mario Ramos and Corwin Malone failed to fully recover from their disastrous regressions in 2002. Malone�s control has deserted him and Ramos generally gets lit up above AA. Jose Valdez posted a solid 11-7, 3.64 in A ball but his strikeouts were low, and J. D. Martin seems to have stalled in high A, surrendering 125 baserunners in just 86 innings.
HITTING
In Blalock, Rollins, Young and Derrek Lee the Clementes have a good-looking young infield. And while it certainly could be argued that Lee�s presence made Justin Morneau expendable, that didn�t mean they had to virtually give away one of the best prospects in the minors. The loss of Morneau leaves Dallas McPherson as the organization�s only impact hitting prospect. McPherson posted an impressive 1.010 OPS in A ball and sustained that production at AA. He hit 30 doubles, 7 triples and 23 homers in just 394 ABs. He also drew a fair number of walks and showed the ability to steal some bases. And if he is moved off 3rd base, as some think he may, that will only help Ft. Lauderdale, who, with Blalock already at third, has greater needs in the outfield where Mike Restovich and Dave Krynzel are looking less and less like they�ll ever be starters in the majors. Restovich hit .275 and showed some power while repeating AAA, but he also struck out too much. The 25-year-old has to take a step forward this year to avoid the dreaded AAAA tag. Scouts rave about the speedy Krynzel but other than a stint in the hitter-friendly California league has not shown the ability to hit for either average or power. He had a total of 26 extra-base hits last year at AA while striking out 119 times, and although he stole 43 bases he was caught 21 times. Cody Ross has less tools but hit .287 and slugged .515 at AAA and should get a look this year. Abe Nunez (26) and Marcus Thames (26) have proven in the past they can hit but are getting old. Jason Werth (24) put up some ugly numbers at AAA and can�t be projected as a regular. Toolsy Ryan Langerhans could be a useful 4th outfielder someday soon. Young Wes Bankston (20) only hit .256 and struck out a third of the time down in A ball but still shows great power potential. SS Guillermo Reyes had a poor season in AA, posting a .554 OPS.
At the moment, the Clementes have only a couple of prospects that look like they will be starters in the majors, and, although they are very good, more production will be needed from the farm system if Fort Lauderdale wishes to take the next step and compete with deep teams like Caracas.
GRADES
Dallas McPherson A- Adam Wainwright B+ Cody Ross B Jason Arnold B Jose Valdez B- Mike Restovich C+ Dave Krynzel C+ Wes Bankston C+ Abe Nunez C+ Ryan Langerhans C+ Jason Werth C+ J.D. Martin C+ Corwin Malone C Mario Ramos C Guillermo Reyes C Marcus Thames C Elpidio Guzman C Nate Espy C-
How can a team that boasts ARod, IRod, Thome, Griffey, Alfonzo, Kearns, Baldelli and Aramis Ramirez finish under .500? Simple � suffer several key injuries and post the worst ERA in the league. But unlike their counterparts in the majors, the �Texas Rangers� of SJL have some good young pitchers that could turn the club�s fortunes around this year.
PITCHING
2003 was a disaster for the Whirlwind staff as they posted a 4.98 ERA, just nipping the Hexers for worst in the league. But this was not for lack of major league pitching. Indeed, pitcher AAA made few appearances for the Wind. The problem was that ace Barry Zito was traded away and Chris George, Brandon Duckworth, Scott Elarton, Matt Ginter, Justin Miller, Nick Neugebauer, Denny Stark, Paul Wilson and Dan Wright were either injured or pitched poorly or both. The good news is young Jake Peavy (23) and rookies Jerome Williams (22) and Jae Wong Seo pitched well, Brian Lawrence was solid, as always, and Livan Hernandez surprised by pitching better than he has in years. Rocky Biddle also turned in a solid year in relief.
Down on the farm lurks Bobby Jenks, who will arrive in the majors the moment he exhibits some control. He went 7-2 2.17 in the Texas League despite walking 51 in 83 innings with 103Ks. John VanBenschoten dominated 9 starts at high A but was less dominating after his promotion to AA. Still, it�s possible he could reach the majors in September. Seth McClung was rushed to the majors only to fall victim to TJ surgery and will miss much of 2004. Lefty Rob Henkel always pitches well when healthy and went 9-3 3.88 in 16 AA starts. Look for him to make the weak Tigers' staff in some capacity later this year.
HITTING
Kansas City�s starting lineup is pretty well set and the recent arrival of Kearns, Laynce Nix, Rocco Baldelli and Josh Phelps in the majors has left the farm�s cupboard somewhat bare. Jose Lopez (20) is perhaps the most exciting of what is left. As a 19-year-old he held his own in AA, hitting .258/403/303 and showing both power and speed. He rarely walked but also rarely struck out. Whether or not he can stick at SS will be the big question. James Loney was younger still, just 18 in the difficult FSL where he hit .276/400/337. He showed little power but obviously has a lot of time to develop it. Jason Stokes (22) struggled in the same league, mostly due to a nagging wrist injury. Still, his BB/K ratio was worrisome and his performance in the AFL horrendous. OF Shin Soo-Choo (21) seemed to stall in the California league. Tony Blanco (22) slugged .477 returning from a lost 2002 but may never again move back across the diamond to 3B, where he would have a lot more value.
Although loaded with potential, all of Kansas City�s prospects are extremely young and few will be providing help in the majors soon. But Nix, Kearns, Baldelli, Aramis Ramirez, Antonio Perez and Felipe Lopez are young enough that the team can afford to wait for them to develop. And GM Nils Samuels has also collected an alarming amount of early round draft picks over the next few years which will allow the farm system to grow stronger.
GRADES
Bobby Jenks B+ John VBS B+ Jose Lopez B Rob Henkel B James Loney B Jason Stokes B Seth McClung B- Shin Soo-Choo C+ Sean Henn C+ Mike Bynum C Felix Sanchez C Tony Blanco C Mike Tonis C Mike Schultz C-
The Hurlers struggled in 2003, finishing with the worst record in the league. Still, it was a fifteen game improvement over the previous year, and it appears that New Orleans could be, like Caracas before them, on the fast track to contention. The acquisition of Kevin Brown and the reacquisition of Jason Giambi add two all-stars to a lineup that includes the intriguing D�Angelo Jimenez, Juan Gonzalez, Jose Guillen and the steady Brad Wilkerson. Brown joins a rotation that includes the resurrected Wilson Alvarez and Jeremi Gonzalez, and young studs Brett Myers and Jeremy Bonderman. Impressive rookie Rafael Soriano and Fernando Rodney bolster a bullpen anchored by John Smoltz. It�s not much of a stretch to say that the Hurlers could come out of nowhere and compete this year.
PITCHING
Despite the fact that Bonderman, Gobble, Myers, Soriano, Trey Hodges and John Patterson all lost their rookie status in 2003, the farm system is still loaded with pitching talent. Although Gavin Floyd and Chris Honel both returned to earth somewhat after awesome campaigns in 2002, both put up strong numbers in High A with Gavin posting a 3.00 ERA and Honel 3.15 and both are just 21 years old. Ryan Madson, 23, went 12-8 3.50 at AAA and should see some time in the majors this year. Dan Meyer, 23, cruised through stints at A and High A, compiling a 2.87 ERA between them. John Switzer, 23, also pitched well at AA. Reliever Fernando Rodney, 23, allowed only 22 hits and 13 walks in 41 innings while striking out 58 at AAA but gets killed every time he takes the mound in the majors. Dan Denham, Pat Strange and especially Mike Gosling all disappointed, but could bounce back. Dennis Tankersley turned in a solid AAA campaign.
FIELDERS (one Prince and a bunch of frogs)
Prince Fielder, at the age of 18, had such a dominant campaign in full season A ball that he has become one of the few �A� prospects in the Southern Division. Batting .313 with 27 homers and a .935 OPS, Fielder showed the ability to hit for both average and power and shower great strike zone judgement, walking 71 times to 80 strikeouts in 501 ABs. But aside from Fielder the Hurler�s system is fairly bereft of hitters. Tag Bozied did not fare well at AAA and must improve dramatically to get a shot at 1B in the majors. Infielders Tim Hummel and Brendan Harris also need to improve to become anything more than backups. Shaun Boyd was moved off second, and while he may stick at CF his bat is weak. Brad Hawpe still shows great power potential but will turn 25 this year and did not dominate at AA. OF Will Smith had a dreadful year and has yet to show the power or strike zone judgement to succeed even at AA.
The Hurlers should have enough hitting to compete in the Southern Division this year, so the lack of quality minor league hitters should not impact the team that much. The depth in quality pitching should enable Hurler�s GM Rod Rebuck to fill whatever holes appear while still leaving the farm well-stocked.
GRADES
Prince Fielder A Gavin Floyd B+ Kris Honel B+ Ryan Madsen B Dan Meyer B Fernando Rodney B Jon Switzer B- Dennis Tankersley C+ Tim Hummel C+ Brendan Harris C+ Brad Hawpe C+ Dan Denham C Mike Gosling C Brad Thomas C Shaun Boyd C Will Smith C Pat Strange C-
After the 2003 season new GM Nick Shosho took over a team in disarray � chock full of aging, expensive veterans and a farm system bankrupted by the irresponsible drafting of the old Leones GM, who conveniently left just as the piper had to be paid. In just a few short months Shosho has moved many of the older vets while adding pitchers Kris Benson and Adam Eaton, a slew of draft picks as well as eight quality prospects to the system.
PITCHING
The Renegades have added several top quality minor league arms, chief among them Scott Kazmir, who came over in the Tejada deal. The hard-throwing lefty allowed only 79 hits in 109 innings while striking out 145. Ervin Santana, acquired in the Maddux trade and who, like Kazmir, is only 20, went 10-2 2.53 in a hitters league and pitched well in a brief stint at AA. Denny Bautista has control issues but went 12-9 with a 3.40 ERA between A and AA. Brian Bullington dominated A ball as a polished college pitcher should, posting a 3.05 ERA in High A showing excellent control. Young lefty Felipe Liriano pitched only 9 innings due to shoulder woes but hits the high 90�s when healthy. Josh Karp, now 24, had a bad year at AA but scouts still like his stuff.
HITTING
Faced with a big hole at firstbase, Shosho was able to pick up Justin Morneau for a $10 song. Morneau reached the majors last year at the age of 22, and while he needs to work some on hitting major league pitching he brings the ability to hit for both average and power to the table. Last year he hit 22 HRs in just 344 minor league ABs. OF Jason Bay, who also arrived in the Maddux trade, showed both power and speed last year, posting a .951 OPS at AAA and .930 in 80 major league ABs. Switch-hitting Todd Linden was fairly punchless in AAA last year and needs to progress to avoid becoming anything more than a fourth OF. Bobby Hill, now 26, failed to hit for average or power and isn�t even stealing bases anymore. Jason Belcher hit well in the California League but no longer catches.
New GM Shosho has done a good job in the first phase of rebuilding. Indeed, the Renegades already look much better than did the expansion teams before their first season three years ago. But more work needs to be done, starting with the upcoming draft. Luckily, Shosho has been able to replace all of the picks that had been previously traded away and more.
GRADES
Scott Kazmir A- Ervin Santana A- Justin Morneau A- Jason Bay B+ Brian Bullington B Denny Bautista B Felipe Liriano B- Todd Linden B- Josh Karp C+ Jason Belcher C+ Bobby Hill C+ Jack Hannahan C Darnell MacDonald C Todd Sears C Daylon Holt C Mario Valenzuela C Rick Elder C- Cody Nowlin C-
The Sprockets have been remarkably consistent over the last four years, posting records of 70-92, 72-90, 74-88 and 74-88. The team is built around all-stars Albert Pujols and Jason Schmidt and Milton Bradley could join them if he stays healthy and out of jail. Bill Mueller, the AL batting champ, was a great pickup in last year�s draft. Aquilino Lopez was the only rookie to impact the team in 2003, becoming a solid setup man if not the closer in the pen.
PITCHERS
St. Louis boasts a solid, veteran pitching staff at the major league level which is good because there are few arms down on the farm. Colby Miller, 21, continued his slow but sure climb up the rungs of the minor league ladder by going 9-6, 2.71 in the FSL. He showed good control but his strikeouts were a bit low. His big test comes this year at AA. It took us a while to find Enger Veras - he is now known as Jose Veras and is a year older than previously thought (23). He pitched well at AA, though, sporting a 3.45 ERA and allowing 108 hits in 130 innings with 118Ks. 28 year-old Josh Kalinowski was apparently out of baseball last year and can no longer be considered a prospect while Leslie Brea aged some 6 years and found himself pitching in an Independent League.
INFIELDERS
Sprocket catchers Scott Heard, 22, and Nick Trzesniak, 23, posted nearly identical .675 OPS�s in the hitter-friendly California League. Neither currently projects to hit enough to make the majors. Switch-hitting Jason Botts, 23, hit well in High A but struggled in AA and has yet to show the power expected of a corner OF/1B. SS Andy Gonzalez, 22, posted a miserable .629 OPS in his first shot at full-season A ball. But a pair of young secondbasemen, Ruben Gotay, 21, and Alberto Callaspo, 20, give a much needed boost to the farm system. Gotay has some pop (31 doubles, 9 HRs) and showed good patience (60 BB) in High A. Callaspo hit .327/428/377 in A ball. SS Hanley Ramirez remains the jewel of the system despite a mildly disappointing season at Single A (.275/.403/.327). He hit 8 HRs and stole 36 bases but also had some disciplinary problems. Still, he has not yet turned 20 and has a lot of time to mature.
OUTFIELDERS
The Sprockets have a bunch of intriguing outfield prospects but no can�t miss blue-chippers. Jonny Gomes, 23, struggled at AA, striking out 148 times in 442 ABs. He did smack 17 HRs and stole 23 bases in 25 attempts. He also destroyed the pitching in the AFL, posting a 1.146 OPS. Byron Gettis, 23, showed signs of finally harnessing his tools in AA, hitting .302/.473/.377 with 16 HRs and 15 SBs. At 26, Chin-Feng Chen is a bit old to be a prospect but he posted a solid .281/.530/.360 with 26 HRs at AAA Las Vegas. Still, the Dodgers don�t seem to see him as an option either at first or in the outfield. Jamal Strong, 25, hit .305 with a .390 OB% in AAA while stealing 26 of 37 bases. He only slugged .370 though, and one wonders how his lack of power will play in the majors. Matt Watson showed good strike zone judgement and some power in half a season in AAA and would be a major sleeper if he were not also 25. Gregor Blanco struggled somewhat in High A but showed speed and the ability to draw walks and is only 20.
The Sprockets have a handful of exciting young prospects in Ramirez, Callaspo, Gomes, Blanco and Gotay. The lack of pitching could be a problem as the major league staff gets older and more expensive.
GRADES
Hanley Ramirez B+ Alberto Callaspo B+ Jonny Gomes B Byron Gettis B- Jose Veras B- Colby Miller B- Ruben Gotay B- Jamal Strong B- Gregor Blanco C+ Matt Watson C+ Jason Botts C+ Chin-Feng Chen C+ Andy Gonzales C Nick Trzesniak C Scott Heard C
In one season the Carpetbaggers went from 110 wins and the best record in SJL to a mere 72 wins in 2003. But rebuilding is still not in GM Dan Skidmore- Hess�s plans. Since the season�s end he has reacquired Randy Johnson (40), signed 2B Jeff Kent (36), traded for Moises Alou (37), Brook Fordyce (33) as well as Billy Koch. They join a veteran club that includes Bonds (39), Jason Varitek (32), Robin Ventura (36), Alex Gonzalez (31). With this solid cast around Bonds, Savannah should again be an offensive juggernaut, but the pitching is thin and largely hinges on Johnson�s health and performance.
PITCHING PROSPECTS
Unfortunately, there are few, if any, pitching prospects on the Carpetbagger farm. Reliever Gary Majewski put up good numbers last year at AAA and should see time in the majors in 2004. David Gil has also been moved to relief but seems less likely to get the call. Zach Miner (22) didn�t pitch badly at High A (3.69 ERA) but his strikeouts were alarmingly low.
HITTING PROSPECTS
Savannah has a few more hitting prospects but little in the way of quality. 3B Jeff Baker� s first pro season was a success. He hit .289/.479/.377 in A ball after missing time with an injury. He showed decent power but struck out quite often (79 times in 263 ABs). IF Jason Bourgeois produced an .889 OPS in the Cal league, showing good speed and great strike zone judgement, but struggled mightily after his promotion to AA. Ditto for C Chris Snyder, whose .932 OPS receded to a paltry .626 at AA. C Shawn Riggans, known mostly for his defense, put up some pretty average numbers in Single A at the age of 22. SS Anderson Machado had perhaps the strangest stats of all; a .196 batting average but a .360 OBP thanks to 108 walks! He stole 49 bases but struck out 120 times in 428 ABs. �Theriot� must be French for �terrible,� as in .270 slugging % at AA.
Much like the Yankees, Savannah�s use of prospects to obtain major leaguers has left the system barren. But every year GM Skidmore-Hess does a good job of using the March draft to reload, despite never having picks in the first few rounds. Expect more of the same this year unless the �Baggers fall out of contention early.
GRADES
Gary Majewski B- Jeff Baker B- Jason Bourgeois B- Zach Minor C+ Chris Snyder C+ Shawn Riggans C+ David Gil C Anderson Machado C Casey Rogowski C Brennan King C Javier Guzman C Nick Green C Francis Gomez C Ryan Theriot C- Jerry Gil C-
Florida Panthers - Halladay & Oswalt should carry team to playoffs
Caracas Polar Bears - could still easily repeat, has more depth than most
Kansas City Whirlwind - if pitching comes around will be extremely tough
New Orleans Hurlers - should have hitting & possibly pitching to contend
Savannah Carperbaggers - will Dan's aging Johnson continue to perform?
Fort Lauderdale Clementes - expect a drop in pitching performance
St. Louis Sprockets - should match last season's numbers in tougher division
Raleigh Renegades - first year of rebuilding always tough