A Very Darrelly Dynasty League

[z3r0s]

A fantastic roster. If by "years to come" you mean 4 years or less I would agree.

 

I would consider 4 years to be a pretty serious run in fantasy baseball.

[Spanky99]

A fantastic roster. If by "years to come" you mean 4 years or less I would agree. In 4 years Trout, Judge, Muncy, Alonso, and Marte will be a good ways down the back side of the aging curve. I'd be looking to move 2 and preferably 3 of those guys before the end of 2026.

 

Shut up, Jim.

[Jimcanuck]

Shut up, Jim.

 

what did i do other than express my opinion in a free country?

[Stangstag]

I think that roster might be my finest work. Thanks for the write-up, z3r0s.

 

Good luck this year, Stangstag. Now go win the whole damn thing.

 

I’ll do my best. Already made a few trades, felt I had a wealth of starting pitching and wanted to start looking to the future.

 

Definitely need to do more about the bullpen, Saves/Holds are lacking.

 

Excited for the draft to see who I can nab with #10

[Stangstag]

A fantastic roster. If by "years to come" you mean 4 years or less I would agree. In 4 years Trout, Judge, Muncy, Alonso, and Marte will be a good ways down the back side of the aging curve. I'd be looking to move 2 and preferably 3 of those guys before the end of 2026.

 

Make an offer!

[z3r0s]

Owner: Jaysblue

 

 

2024 Season;

 

The Ten Cent Beer Night (TCBN) organization had a great season in 2024, finishing 6th overall and nabbing yet another playoff spot. The underlying number suggest he may have overperformed a bit, with a combined rank of 8th overall, but the team managed to parlay solid numbers in many categories into enough wins to get the job done. Strangely enough, they were roasted in their own division to a tune of 26-42-2 in their back yard.

 

On the offensive side of the ball, the TCBN’s were close to league average in the majority of categories. The notable exceptions were OBP and SB where they surged to a top 5 finish. The package was good enough for an 11th overall rank with the bats.

 

Things were a similarly competitive across the board on the pitching side, with a bit better performances in most categories. It was good enough for a 9th overall ranking for the staff, with the brightest spots being in HLDs and Ks.

 

Final Standing; 6th

Batting Stats; 11th

Pitching Stats; 9th

Combined; 8th

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

 

Catcher

- Joey Bart

- Ivan Herrera

- Hunter Goodman

 

TCBN got surprisingly good performances from his catching core with both Bart and Herrera made the most of unexpected opportunities and playing quite well. Unfortunately both of these players have unclear roles going into 2025 that will see both of them be in competition for playing time, and both have warts in their underlying numbers.

 

Verdict

; Catcher may be a weakness in 2025.

 

First Base

- Freddie Freeman

- Pavin Smith

 

The ageless wonder Freddie Freeman has continued to be one of the very best hitters in the league, ranking as the 39th best hitter in 2024. Hitting in the uber-talented Dodgers lineup will continue to help his counting stats. His understudy Pavin Smith had a great year, albeit in a small sample size, offering some good depth if he can secure playing time in the desert.

 

Verdict

; First Base will be a strength in 2025.

 

Second Base

- Richie Palacios

 

With changing positional eligibility the TCBN organization has been left a bit thin at second, with Palacios being the only player eligible at the position. While he managed a roughly average wRC+ last year, an improvement at this position is surely in order

 

Verdict

; Second base will be a weakness in 2025.

 

Third Base

- Jazz Chisholm

- Ryan McMahon

- Vark Vientos

- Oswald Peraza

 

The depth that TCBN’s lost at second was vacuumed up at third and they now have glut of options at the hot corner. Chisholm thrived back on the dirt in New York and finished the year as the 5th rank at the position and 19th ranked hitter overall. McMahon and Vientos are both viable at third as well, finishing around the 20th rank for 3-baggers with some upside to their profiles.

 

Verdict

; Third Base will be a strength in 2025.

 

Shortstop

- Xavier Edwards

- JP Crawford

 

Crawford had a very difficult 2024 with stats down across the board. Xavier Edwards hit well, but did not play enough to amass a high positional ranking. But there is optimism for both players heading into 2025. Edwards will look to leverage his contact-driven approach to similar success for a full year, and Crawford is only a year removed from an excellent campaign.

 

Verdict

; Shortstop will be an average position in 2025.

 

Outfield

- Christian Yelich

- Nick Castellanos

- Starling Marte

- Jazz Chisholm

- Pavin Smith

 

The outfield in the TCBN’s is full of familiar names with cloudy futures. Yelich was hitting like his old self before being lost for the season with yet another back injury. Castellanos had another good - not great season, which may be his new normal going forward. And Marte may be reaching the end of his rope at age 36. None of this group however have CF eligibility. Luckily Chishom maintains his CF eligibility in 2025 and the TCBN’s have the luxury of lining him up in the OF, even if he would be more valuable at third base.

 

Verdict

; Outfield should be average to above average in 2025, depending on the health of Yelich.

 

Utility

- Marcel Ozuna

 

Not many teams carry at UTIL only player on their team, which restricts the versatility of your roster. But for a hitter like Ozuna it’s easy to see why the TCBN’s accommodate him. Ozuna had another fantastic year with great power and excellent counting & ratio stats, and seems to have a few more very productive years in the tank.

 

Verdict

; Utility will be a strength in 2025.

 

 

Offense Overall

;

The offense for the TCBN organization has the talent to remain an average offense in 2025, so long as they address a few dead spots in the lineup. The average age of the lineup marches on into the 30’s, and one has to wonder how long it will stay competitive. But I don’t see the collapse coming in 2025.

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

- Tanner Bibee

- Erick Fedde

- Tyler Anderson

- Charlie Morton

- Bryan Woo

- Jordan Hicks

- Bowden Francis

- Max Scherzer

- Robbie Ray

- Jacob Degrom

 

This is one of the most interesting staff’s in the league. It’s full of former Cy Young winners and interesting young starters. If you racked up points for your players peak talent, this rotation would be hard to beat! But in the

real

fantasy world, this is a staff dogged by injury and age concerns. Bibee had a great follow-up to his breakout 2023, and Woo was otherworldly when he was able to take the bump. Fedde was a solid contributor in his return to the MLB, and Bowden Francis had a shockingly good end to his season. It’s really anyone’s guess how this staff will look in 2025, but it certainly has a lot of bullets in the chamber.

 

Verdict

; Starting Pitching may be a strength in 2025.

 

Relief Pitching

- Jeff Hoffman

- Fernando Cruz

- Reed Garrett

- Kevin Kelly

- Alexis Diaz

- Edwin Uceta

- Calvin Faucher

- Felix Bautista

 

The TCBN franchise got solid performances from some fairly unheralded names in 2024, placing 3 relievers in the top 40 of the rankings. The bullpen was more average than great and is in need of a top-teir stopper to be the 'tide to raise all ships'. Luckily for them, they should have just that in the return of Felix Bautista in 2025. Even with this addition, it feels like this group is a good arm away from being a shut-down group.

 

Verdict

; Relief Pitching will be average to above average in 2025.

 

Pitching Overall

;

Health will be the name of the game for this staff going into 2025. They have potential and the pedigree to be a scary staff, but it’s more than fair to wonder if that health is a realistic possibility. It’s certainly a staff that’s worth riding into battle with and seeing how the chips fall.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Bubba Chandler (15)

- Edgar Quero (59)

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - none

 

Verdict

; This farm system has been used up over the course of a long stretch of competitive baseball at the major league level. Bubba Chandler’s resurgence is a huge boost to the system. It’s also nice when your prospect performers match an area of need on your MLB roster, like Edgar Quero has done for a thin catcher depth chart. Overall the farm is an area of weakness in 2025, and depleted draft capital will not help the situation in draft this spring.

 

 

Activity;

The TCBN organization is one of the most active teams on the free agent stage, consistently tinkering with the margins on the roster. They are not afraid of making a big splash in the trade market either, having dealt and acquired top level players throughout the 2024 season. This activity is certainly a strength going into 2025.

 

 

Conclusion;

The TCBN organization is one of the longest tenured competitive teams in the DDL. The roster is aging, and trending towards more average than great, but this is still a dangerous roster. I think it’s fair to expect them to continue this into 2025. When the rebuild does become unavoidable, it looks like it will be built upon some very intriguing young arms. I expect the TCBN’s to be above average in 2025.

[jaysblue]

Owner: Jaysblue

 

 

2024 Season;

 

The Ten Cent Beer Night (TCBN) organization had a great season in 2024, finishing 6th overall and nabbing yet another playoff spot. The underlying number suggest he may have overperformed a bit, with a combined rank of 8th overall, but the team managed to parlay solid numbers in many categories into enough wins to get the job done. Strangely enough, they were roasted in their own division to a tune of 26-42-2 in their back yard.

 

On the offensive side of the ball, the TCBN’s were close to league average in the majority of categories. The notable exceptions were OBP and SB where they surged to a top 5 finish. The package was good enough for an 11th overall rank with the bats.

 

Things were a similarly competitive across the board on the pitching side, with a bit better performances in most categories. It was good enough for a 9th overall ranking for the staff, with the brightest spots being in HLDs and Ks.

 

Final Standing; 6th

Batting Stats; 11th

Pitching Stats; 9th

Combined; 8th

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

 

Catcher

- Joey Bart

- Ivan Herrera

- Hunter Goodman

 

TCBN got surprisingly good performances from his catching core with both Bart and Herrera made the most of unexpected opportunities and playing quite well. Unfortunately both of these players have unclear roles going into 2025 that will see both of them be in competition for playing time, and both have warts in their underlying numbers.

 

Verdict

; Catcher may be a weakness in 2025.

 

First Base

- Freddie Freeman

- Pavin Smith

 

The ageless wonder Freddie Freeman has continued to be one of the very best hitters in the league, ranking as the 39th best hitter in 2024. Hitting in the uber-talented Dodgers lineup will continue to help his counting stats. His understudy Pavin Smith had a great year, albeit in a small sample size, offering some good depth if he can secure playing time in the desert.

 

Verdict

; First Base will be a strength in 2025.

 

Second Base

- Richie Palacios

 

With changing positional eligibility the TCBN organization has been left a bit thin at second, with Palacios being the only player eligible at the position. While he managed a roughly average wRC+ last year, an improvement at this position is surely in order

 

Verdict

; Second base will be a weakness in 2025.

 

Third Base

- Jazz Chisholm

- Ryan McMahon

- Vark Vientos

- Oswald Peraza

 

The depth that TCBN’s lost at second was vacuumed up at third and they now have glut of options at the hot corner. Chisholm thrived back on the dirt in New York and finished the year as the 5th rank at the position and 19th ranked hitter overall. McMahon and Vientos are both viable at third as well, finishing around the 20th rank for 3-baggers with some upside to their profiles.

 

Verdict

; Third Base will be a strength in 2025.

 

Shortstop

- Xavier Edwards

- JP Crawford

 

Crawford had a very difficult 2024 with stats down across the board. Xavier Edwards hit well, but did not play enough to amass a high positional ranking. But there is optimism for both players heading into 2025. Edwards will look to leverage his contact-driven approach to similar success for a full year, and Crawford is only a year removed from an excellent campaign.

 

Verdict

; Shortstop will be an average position in 2025.

 

Outfield

- Christian Yelich

- Nick Castellanos

- Starling Marte

- Jazz Chisholm

- Pavin Smith

 

The outfield in the TCBN’s is full of familiar names with cloudy futures. Yelich was hitting like his old self before being lost for the season with yet another back injury. Castellanos had another good - not great season, which may be his new normal going forward. And Marte may be reaching the end of his rope at age 36. None of this group however have CF eligibility. Luckily Chishom maintains his CF eligibility in 2025 and the TCBN’s have the luxury of lining him up in the OF, even if he would be more valuable at third base.

 

Verdict

; Outfield should be average to above average in 2025, depending on the health of Yelich.

 

Utility

- Marcel Ozuna

 

Not many teams carry at UTIL only player on their team, which restricts the versatility of your roster. But for a hitter like Ozuna it’s easy to see why the TCBN’s accommodate him. Ozuna had another fantastic year with great power and excellent counting & ratio stats, and seems to have a few more very productive years in the tank.

 

Verdict

; Utility will be a strength in 2025.

 

 

Offense Overall

;

The offense for the TCBN organization has the talent to remain an average offense in 2025, so long as they address a few dead spots in the lineup. The average age of the lineup marches on into the 30’s, and one has to wonder how long it will stay competitive. But I don’t see the collapse coming in 2025.

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

- Tanner Bibee

- Erick Fedde

- Tyler Anderson

- Charlie Morton

- Bryan Woo

- Jordan Hicks

- Bowden Francis

- Max Scherzer

- Robbie Ray

- Jacob Degrom

 

This is one of the most interesting staff’s in the league. It’s full of former Cy Young winners and interesting young starters. If you racked up points for your players peak talent, this rotation would be hard to beat! But in the

real

fantasy world, this is a staff dogged by injury and age concerns. Bibee had a great follow-up to his breakout 2023, and Woo was otherworldly when he was able to take the bump. Fedde was a solid contributor in his return to the MLB, and Bowden Francis had a shockingly good end to his season. It’s really anyone’s guess how this staff will look in 2025, but it certainly has a lot of bullets in the chamber.

 

Verdict

; Starting Pitching may be a strength in 2025.

 

Relief Pitching

- Jeff Hoffman

- Fernando Cruz

- Reed Garrett

- Kevin Kelly

- Alexis Diaz

- Edwin Uceta

- Calvin Faucher

- Felix Bautista

 

The TCBN franchise got solid performances from some fairly unheralded names in 2024, placing 3 relievers in the top 40 of the rankings. The bullpen was more average than great and is in need of a top-teir stopper to be the 'tide to raise all ships'. Luckily for them, they should have just that in the return of Felix Bautista in 2025. Even with this addition, it feels like this group is a good arm away from being a shut-down group.

 

Verdict

; Relief Pitching will be average to above average in 2025.

 

Pitching Overall

;

Health will be the name of the game for this staff going into 2025. They have potential and the pedigree to be a scary staff, but it’s more than fair to wonder if that health is a realistic possibility. It’s certainly a staff that’s worth riding into battle with and seeing how the chips fall.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Bubba Chandler (15)

- Edgar Quero (59)

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - none

 

Verdict

; This farm system has been used up over the course of a long stretch of competitive baseball at the major league level. Bubba Chandler’s resurgence is a huge boost to the system. It’s also nice when your prospect performers match an area of need on your MLB roster, like Edgar Quero has done for a thin catcher depth chart. Overall the farm is an area of weakness in 2025, and depleted draft capital will not help the situation in draft this spring.

 

 

Activity;

The TCBN organization is one of the most active teams on the free agent stage, consistently tinkering with the margins on the roster. They are not afraid of making a big splash in the trade market either, having dealt and acquired top level players throughout the 2024 season. This activity is certainly a strength going into 2025.

 

 

Conclusion;

The TCBN organization is one of the longest tenured competitive teams in the DDL. The roster is aging, and trending towards more average than great, but this is still a dangerous roster. I think it’s fair to expect them to continue this into 2025. When the rebuild does become unavoidable, it looks like it will be built upon some very intriguing young arms. I expect the TCBN’s to be above average in 2025.

 

Awesome write-up! Thank you!

 

Definitely need to address 2B and have been trying to acquire one early in the offseason.

 

I'm confident with Bart behind the plate. His OBP skills play well in these scoring settings and should be the Pirates No. 1 catcher heading into 2025.

 

Will utilize Jazz in CF with Vientos at 3B. Hope Yelich comes back healthy and like his old self. Hoping I could play Smith or Noel in the other OF spot. Both showed some promise in 2024. Smith kinda reminds me of Adam Lind haha. Casty is just there for HR's and RBI's and was an emergency trade last season when most of my OF was on the IL, but yeah hopefully I don't have to start him.

 

If my pitching can stay healthy, I think I built up a solid rotation. Bibee and Woo are nice young arms to have. Francis will be fun to watch in 2025. Hoping to get a full season of deGrom. Fedde and Morton might be boring, but they can provide innings and solid ratios. Hicks pitched well earlier in the season, so hopefully he can handle the workload of a starter in 2025. If Ray is healthy and returns to top form, hope he can be a solid contributor in K's. Matthew Liberatore could be a lottery arm. Looked good at times in 2024 and willing to roll the dice on him again.

 

Bullpen wise, I agree that adding another top closer would be icing on the cake. Was looking at Devin Williams from TCA at the trade deadline back in August but wasn't able to put anything together. Looking forward to seeing what Troy Taylor and Edwin Uceta can do over a full season.

 

My farm system and draft picks are awful haha. Really happy about Bubba Chandler's resurgence though.

[z3r0s]

Not to get into the OS while the playoffs are on, but I'm fix'n to be busy. Let's do it!

 

WANTS;

- Trade lottery ticket 2B's for lottery ticket SPs

- Trade CF/OF for another position

- Long term solution at 1B

- Trade my old men

 

THE PITCH(es);

 

The 2B thing -

I've got lucky with a few pickups at 2B and unlucky with the fact Holliday looks destined for 2b. Gonzales or Wagner have both been decent with some lottery ticket vibes. I'd like to trade those tickets for SP tickets.

 

The CF / OF thing -

I've got to many OF's, bully for me. Starting lineup next year is Acuna, Carroll, Wood. Leaving a range of blue-chip, lottery ticket, and role-players on the outside looking in. Guys like Crews, Mullins, Ruiz , De La Cruz on the outside looking in. Would like to trade 2-ish of them at least. Open to lots of ideas in terms of return here, commensurate to the caliber of player.

 

The 1B thing -

I got no real 1B. I'm willing to roll with Goldy and look for the dead-cat bounce, but a real solution will be needed at some point for me. No specific ideas here, but I'm in the market.

 

The old man thing -

As much as I am hopeful about my roster, I'm not there yet. I can admit that. I'm 100% open to trading older players for 'futures'. Guys like Boyd, the aforementioned Goldy, Garcia, Cano, Scott, P-Johnson, Clev, etc. 'Futures' is a pretty loose term. I'm open to p-much anything, including incremental improvements for my team.

 

 

Still looking to deal an OF and a 2B. And of course willing to deal old me.

[z3r0s]

Owner: fearthedoc

 

2024 Season;

The wOBA the Hutt franchise endured a hard year in 2024, limping to a 17th overall finish, however the signs of a tidal shift are loud. The numbers under the hood suggested a more middle of the pack performance with a combined rank of 13th overall, and they performed quite admirably in their own neighborhood, finishing with a 26-24-6 record.

 

Hitting in the land of wOBA was characterized by fairly strong ratios, ranking 10th and 11th overall in SLG and OBP respectively, with lagging counting stats that saw many categories in the bottom quadrant of the rankings.

 

On the pitching side, the wOBA’s saw performances encroaching on the top half of the league in many categories, with only SV’s, which ranked dead last, landing in the bottom quadrant of the league.

 

Final Standing; 17

Batting Stats; 14

Pitching Stats; 12

Combined; 13

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

Catcher

- Mitch Garver

- Harry Ford

 

Garver had a tough year in 2024, posting his lowest wRC+ ever, with the exception of his injury shortened 2020. He still parlayed his trademark power to a 21st overall ranking at the position, and I would have to expect better days are ahead in 2025. He also seems to be cursed with the yo-yo trend, following good years with bad, so perhaps that means he is on the upswing! The wOBAs are also counting on having Harry Ford challenging the position in coming years, who is conveniently behind Garver on the Mariners depth chart. He may not be the first up in the case of injury however, leaving the position a bit thin for the upcoming season.

 

Verdict

; Catcher will be an average position for 2025.

 

First Base

- Andrew Vaughn

 

Vaughn has continued to be frustratingly average through four seasons of work with the Southsiders, particularly in the ratio stats. He ranked 24th overall at the position in 2024. He hasn’t shown the thump we anticipated when he was a prospect, and hitting in a poor lineup really hurts his chances to rack up counting stats. He is also the lone man on the 1st base depth chart. But on the plus side, he has proven durable so far in his young career.

 

Verdict

; First base will be a weakness in 2025.

 

Second Base

- Gavin Lux

- Josh Rojas

- Matt McLain

 

Lux and Rojas put up fairly uninspiring performances in 2024, and I think the upside has mostly faded on both players. Luckily for the wOBAs, the return of Matt McLain should cure their keystone woes for 2025, bringing a mix of pop and speed while hitting in a favorable ballpark and lineup. The aforementioned players do offer some good depth options at the position.

 

Verdict

; Second base will be a strength in 2025.

 

Third Base

- Josh Jung

- Josh Rojas

 

Jung had a rotten year in 2024, with injuries starting and stopping his season several times before untimely going under the knife to end his year. If he can put together some health, the potential is most certainly still there to be an excellent bat among some good hitters in Texas. The other Josh offers competent depth at the hot corner.

 

Verdict

; Third base should be average to above average in 2025.

 

Shortstop

- Bobby Witt Jr

- Matt McLain

- Jordan Lawlar

- Brady House

 

Bobby Witt is poised to be a top bat in the league for years to come, ranking as the 1st overall shortstop, and 3rd overall bat for 2024. An all categories contributor, he is a cornerstone asset. Having assets like McLain and Lawler behind him on the depth chart is truly enviable depth. What else is there to say? The six is well taken care of for the wOBAs.

 

Verdict

; Shortstop will be a fantastic position in 2025.

 

Outfield

- Jackson Chourio

- Riley Greene

- Sal Frelick

- Jarred Kelenic

- Jasson Dominguez

 

While Chourio had some early growing pains, he finished the year ranked as the 17th overall outfield, and he certainly looks poised to be a key contributor going forward. Beyond Jackson, this outfield has intriguing depth in Greene (25), Frelick (72), and Kelenic (89) who are all passable young OF’s with upside. The wOBAs also have Jasson Dominguez arriving in New York after having a great season in the upper minors. The combination of youth and upside here make for an interesting team on the grass.

 

Verdict

; Outfield will be an area of strength in 2025.

 

Offense Overall

;

The offense as a whole is young and has potential at many spots, with an especially strong MIF. The wOBA organization should focus on improving some weaker positions, while banking on young players making performance gains. It’s an offense that I feel should inch into the top half of the league as early as this year, with the possibility of much more going forward.

 

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

- Seth Lugo

- Bailey Ober

- Zach Eflin

- Grayson Rodriguez

- Nick Lodolo

- Kyle Harrison

- Joe Musgrove

- Trevor Rogers

- Cody Bradford

- Max Meyer

- Kumar Rocker

 

Seth Lugo had a monstrous year for the wOBAs, ranking as the 5th pitcher for 2024. Bailey Ober continued his quietly excellent run, ranking as the 23rd overall hurler. Beyond those two the staff was more mediocre with a disappointing season by GrayRod and Tommy John surgery for Musgrove clouding the future of the staff. They do however have intriguing arms like Max Meyer and Kumar Rocker as reinforcements on the way. The staff is missing an Ace (sorry Lugo), but has many names that most teams would love to be able to bet on.

 

Verdict

; The rotation will be slightly above average in 2025.

 

Relief Pitching

- Jeremiah Estrada

- Mitch Spence

- Tim Herrin

- Jacob Webb

- Dylan Floro

- Gregory Soto

- Adbert Alzolay

 

Estrada had a breakout in 2024, ranking as the 28th overall RP despite a lower leverage roll in the Padres pen. Herrin pitched well, but was stuck in a loogy-type role. The rest of the bullpen was fairly lackluster in 2024, with players lacking prominent rolls for accruing counting stats. .

 

Verdict

; The pen will be an area of weakness in 2025.

 

Pitching Overall

;

The pitching staff outperformed the offense in 2024, but overall I think it is behind the offense in terms of future potential. The wOBAs worked to address this through trades in 2024, and more work is probably needed going forward, particularly in the pen where improvements could be a big boost. Adding an Ace to the staff would certainly help stabilize the whole rotation. It does boast some intriguing names in the rotation that could turn it into a great staff if things break right.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Jordan Lawlar (9)

- Jasson Dominguez (14)

- Harry Ford (49)

- Kumar Rocker (58)

- Zach Veen (83)

- Brady House (84)

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - 4, 24, 44, 45

 

Verdict

; The wOBAs have top 100 prospects sprinkled all over the list, and critically most of them are close to the show. The farm will take a hit with many high profile graduations in 2025, but will be able to fill those with good draft picks in the first three rounds of a deep draft. The farm will be a strength in 2025.

 

 

Activity;

The wOBA organization was fairly active in 2024, making adds consistently and focusing on adding to the rotation with trades. He added his two best pitchers in 2024 via trade. The wOBAs should lean into activity as their rebuild moves into their contending window.

 

 

Conclusion;

The wOBA the Hutt organization has endured a fairly long tenured rebuilding phase, but appears poised to make some significant gains in 2025 and beyond. The roster is peppered with potential breakout candidates and the farm has talent knocking on the door. I expect 2025 to be a building year, where fearthedoc can focus on making improving moves while enjoying the emergence of his blossoming core. Knowing when to ‘push’ is a delicate decision, but the organization looks to be on the upswing.

[Fearthedoc]

Wow what an awesome writeup and in depth summary! Thanks for putting so much effort into that z3r0s - was a great read!

[z3r0s]

Owner: Abomination

Author: Stangstag

 

2024 Season;

 

Abomination finished the year 8th overall, though he was 1st place in his division. In the playoffs he managed to pull off a pretty big upset by knocking out the 1st place team, True Cardinals. However, the team wasn’t strong enough to pull off another upset and they were knocked out in the 2nd round by Saskatchewan 54s, the 2nd place team overall. Still a very respectable year for Abomination.

 

Abomination's hitting and pitching stats line up with his overall season standings.

 

For overall Batting, he finished 6th overall. A quick glance at the individual categories for hitting shows that Stolen Bases were a major weakness for Abom, finishing 18th overall in steals. He was exceptional in the Hits category however, managing to have the 3rd highest hit total.

 

On the pitching side, Abom finished 8th overall. Most individual stats ranked between 5th-10th with no major weaknesses. If we were to point a finger at the weakest categories, Abomination only ranked 11th in both ERA and OBP.

 

Final Standing; 8th

Batting Stats; 6th

Pitching Stats; 8th

Combined; 7th

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

 

Catcher

- Willson Contreras

- Connor Wong

 

Connor Wong put together a very strong season, finishing the year as the 10th best catcher under Fantrax’s scoring system. Willson Contreras was acquired just prior to the deadline, and ranked as 17th best catcher.

 

It's hard to determine how Wong will perform in 2025, but the addition of Contreras gives the C position for Abom a very high floor next year. Contreras looked stronger than ever with the bat in 2024. It's hard to see both Wong and Contreras getting significant playtime on Abom’s roster due to having 2 natural DH/UTs on the roster already. And Contreras could potentially lose C eligibility after the 2025 season depending on what the Cards decide to do with him.

 

Verdict

; Catcher will be a strong position for Abomination in 2025

 

First Base

- Cody Bellinger

- Connor Wong

 

Already mentioned Connor Wong, so I will focus on Bellinger here since I believe he fits this roster best as a primary 1B.

 

Cody Bellinger had a much weaker season in 2024 compared to his resurgent season in 2023. However, the numbers haven’t regressed to his 2021-2022 period and are still good enough for him to rank as the 15th best 1B on Fantrax. He also maintains CF eligibility and is still under the age of 30 which makes him a valuable asset.

 

It's hard to determine what the performance will look like for Bellinger going forward, but Abomination should be able to get decent production from 1B with Wong serving as backup. More HR from the position would be desirable.

 

Verdict

; First base should be average for 2025

 

Second Base

- Brendan Rodgers

- Santiago Espinal

- Mookie Betts

 

Mookie Betts is obviously an amazing player, though I don’t think he gets any playtime at 2B since he’s the only SS on the roster. Still an excellent backup option.

 

Brendan Rodgers and Santiago Espinal are the 26th and 51st ranked 2B in the format. Either player would be a serviceable bench option but neither inspires much confidence as an everyday option for 2B.

 

Verdict

; 2B will be a weakness in 2025 (unless a new SS is acquired and Mookie is pushed to 2B)

 

Third Base

- Austin Riley

- Santiago Espinal

- Matt Vierling

 

Austin Riley is an absolute powerhouse at 3B, and although he had a down year in 2024 including an injury that kept him out several weeks, I'm willing to look past that. He ranked as the best 3B in 2023 and top 5 in 2022, I would expect similar production from him for 2025.

 

Matt Vierling also provides an adequate insurance option in case Riley suffers another injury and has to miss some time.

 

Verdict

; 3B should be strong in 2025

 

Shortstop

- Mookie Betts

 

It's Mookie Betts, what else is there to say? He missed several weeks due to injury in 2024 so his ranking is low. However in 2023 Fantrax had him ranked as a top 5 hitter overall, and I would still expect that going forward. Mookie is easily a top 20 player in Fantasy due to his combination of speed, power, and positional versatility. Oh and also he hits between Ohtani and Freeman so the counting stats will remain elite.

 

The only issue I see is that the roster currently has 0 SS options besides Mookie, so an injury would leave Abomination having to pick the waiver wire or make a desperate trade to find a replacement.

 

Verdict

; SS should be a position of strength in 2025

 

Outfield

- Heliot Ramos

- Cody Bellinger

- Wilyer Abreu

- Seiya Suzuki

- Matt Vierling

 

A few solid options here. Heliot Ramos had a massive breakout season in 2024. Projections don’t necessarily think he will repeat his success but he should still be an above-average CF. Wilyer Abreu put together a solid season. Seiya Suzuki had his best season so far in the MLB, ranking as the 22nd best OF even though he missed about a month due to injury. Matt Vierling and Cody Bellinger are great backup options.

 

Overall power is slightly lacking here, and it feels like the OF is missing that one “big bopper”. But overall still solid.

 

Verdict

; OF should be above-average for 2025

 

UT

- Joc Pederson

- Masataka Yoshida

 

Having 2 players as strict UT options isn’t ideal. Pederson’s stats for 2024 were excellent, though he was more of a platoon/bench player. Surprisingly, he posted a 151wRC+ in his role, good for being the 11th best hitter in all of baseball if you were to lower the threshold to 400 plate appearances. He’s not an ideal fantasy UT however due to the counting stats being on the lower end.

 

Yoshida only played 100 games due to injuries, and he’s a bit hard to gauge. He hasn’t hit for much power so far in his MLB career, which isn’t ideal if he’s a fulltime DH going forward.

 

A trade could be in order here before the start of the year, since rostering both guys would be a bit constraining.

 

Verdict

; UT should be average in 2025

 

 

Offense Overall

;

Overall I would expect the offense to be better in 2025 than it was previously. A full season of Austin Riley, Willson Contreras, and Cody Bellinger should do wonders for improving the results from 2024. My main concern here would be with the SS/2B situation. I think an addition at one of those spots (with Mookie covering the other) would really boost the floor of this offense. I also don’t like the lack of flexibility with the UT spot, with neither option being a superstar bat like Ohtani or Ozuna.

 

 

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

- Chris Sale

- Carlos Rodon

- Blake Snell

- Jon Gray

- Brady Singer

- Justin Verlander

- Lance McCullers

- James Paxton

 

Chris Sale had a monstrous season, and Rodon bounced back from his terrible injury-plagued 2023. They were ranked 2nd and 9th best SPs respectively on Fantrax for the 2024 season. Brady Singer was also solid, ranking 51st for SP on the year. Snell is another high-ceiling guy that put up good numbers but missed some time due to injuries. Paxton and Grey round out the rotation as solid back-end guys, with Paxton netting 9 wins in just 100 IP.

 

The real wildcards here are McCullers and the newly-acquired Verlander. If both those guys put up good numbers next year, this rotation would easily rise to the top as one of the best in the league.

 

Along with the two aforementioned wildcards, Sale and Rodon are major injury risks. Snell has pitched over 130 innings just ONCE since 2018. A lot could go wrong here, but if everyone is healthy this rotation will put up great numbers.

 

Verdict

; Starting pitching will be a strength in 2025

 

Relief Pitching

- David Robertson

- Jojo Romero

- Ryan Thompson

- Kyle Finnegan

- Kenley Jansen

- Colin Poche

- Drew Smyly

 

Though Luke Weaver was just dealt, this RP staff still looks solid. Kyle Finnegan notched 38 saves last year, good for 3rd in MLB. Kenley Jansen continues to look solid, and although he’s getting up there in age he still managed 27 saves. Robertson, Romero and Thompson are looking like a 3-headed dragon, all 3 guys are among the top 15 in holds (88 combined). They also all have ERAs in the low 3s and great K/BB numbers. The staff is rounded out with Colin Poche and Drew Smyly. I don’t dislike any of these pitchers Abomination has here. Looks like a very solid staff.

 

Verdict

; RP should be at least above-average in 2025

 

Pitching Overall

;

Overall, I really like the staff Abom has put together here. I think he addressed some weaknesses in the RP side during the season last year, and those moves should continue to help him in 2025. The performance of his pitching will hinge on the health of guys like Sale/Rodon/Snell, and whether or not McCullers and Verlander can bounce back.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

Sadly, there are no top 100 guys in the farm

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - 73?

 

Verdict

; I really don’t have anything good to say about the state of the farm here. It's somewhat of an…. abomination. There are no guys even bordering on being top 100 prospects, and I don’t think there is a single guy that has a FV higher than 40. The highest pick Abom has in the upcoming draft is in the 4th round. There’s a lot to worry about here, and I think Abom might want to think about trying to restock the farm even a little. I might even suggest a shotgun approach of amassing a bunch of cheap/late-round picks and hoping to hit big on one.

 

 

Activity;

Abomination has been very active with waiver claims, making several adds each week. He has also been active in trades, managing to acquire Cody Bellinger, David Robertson, Wilson Contreras, and Ryan Thompson during the 2024 season. Most recently, he traded Luke Weaver for Justin Verlander. It remains to be seen how that one will play out, but he definitely dealt from a position of strength. Selling high and buying low. Unfortunately, most of these trades came at the cost of decimating what was left of his farm system and draft picks.

 

 

Conclusion;

Lots to like about this team, and the roster is definitely looking stronger at the start of 2025 than it was at the start of last season. Full seasons of Bellinger and Contreras and a bounceback from Riley should boost the offense quite a bit. The pitching has some injury and age concerns, but if healthy will put up great numbers. I would argue that this is one of the stronger rosters in the league, though not exactly poised for long term success. The farm is absolutely barren and several key pitchers are closer to age 40 than 30. All in all, this roster should be competitive in 2025 and could easily do damage in the playoffs if the right guys get hot.

[z3r0s]

BIG props to our other author Stangstag, who will be tackling le Division Reuben. Thanks for the awesome write-up!

[BTS]

f*** team abom

[Spanky99]

f*** team abom

 

lol

[z3r0s]

Owner: z3r0s

Author; Stangstag

 

2024 Season;

 

(insert clever name) finished 16th overall and last in his division. I'm going to refer to him as z3r0s from here on out, since the team name is a bit weird to insert into the middle of a sentence.

 

z3r0s finished dead last in hitting, though the pitching fared a bit better being 13th overall. If we were looking for a bright spot, he actually ranked 3rd overall in Holds and 9th in ERA. Unfortunately on the hitting side, his highest ranked category was 9th place for stolen bases. Most of the hitting categories looked quite grim.

 

Final Standing; 16th

Batting Stats; 20th

Pitching Stats; 13th

Combined; 19th

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

 

Catcher

- Gary Sanchez

- Henry Davis

 

Gary Sanchez had a decent year, though most teams would be rostering him as a backup. As an everyday C, the numbers just don’t cut it in a 20-team league. Henry Davis tore up AAA but once again faced major struggles in the bigs. Probably not worth a roster spot in fantasy right now unless you believe he will put things together soon.

 

Verdict

; Catcher is a weak position for this team, though good things could be coming with Sam Basallo and Kyle Teel.

 

First Base

- Paul Goldschmidt

- Jonathan Aranda

 

Goldy struggled this year, and his numbers have been trending in the wrong direction for 2 straight seasons now. Age may be catching up to him. Still, he wound up as the 10th best 1B by Fantrax rankings. I don’t think he should be a starting 1B on a competitive team, but as a backup he should provide value. Jonathan Aranda showed some promise this season in limited playing time. We need to see a full season from him to really determine his worth, not sure he has the power to be a valuable 1B.

 

Verdict

; 1B looks to be an average/weak position next year unless Goldschmidt can have a bounceback season.

 

Second Base

- Jackson Holliday

- Nick Gonzales

- Isaiah Kiner-Falefa

- Ronny Mauricio

- Will Wagner

 

Jackson Holliday is a potential superstar, though he struggled mightily at the MLB level. It will be interesting to see how he handles his struggles, since this is the first time he’s faced adversity at any level. Nick Gonzales and IKF put up decent seasons and should serve as good bench options. Will Wagner looked brilliant in his first handful of games, though it's hard to think he will maintain the same success over a full season.

 

Verdict

; 2B should be anywhere from average to above-average for this team next year, but it really all hinges on how well Jackson Holliday adjusts to major-league pitching.

 

Third Base

- Joey Ortiz

- Yoan Moncada

- Isaiah Kiner-Falefa

 

Ortiz looked pretty good in his first full season, though the power is a bit lacking. He managed to rank as the 22nd best 3B by fantrax point rankings. Moncada is a bit of an enigma. He looked good before missing the rest of the season due to injury, but the results the past couple seasons haven’t been good. Still, he’s a potential bounceback candidate. IKF had an overall decent year and he’s a good bench piece.

 

Verdict

; 3B should be average to below-average for 2025.

 

Shortstop

- Jacob Wilson

- Isaiah Kiner-Falefa

 

Jacob Wilson has been absolutely tearing up the minors, and he finally debuted late in 2024. He struggled, but I would still wager a guess he will put up strong numbers in 2025 playing in… Sacramento. IKF should serve as a strong bench piece.

 

Verdict

; SS should be average to above-average in 2025. Again, a lot of variance here relying on 2 rookies in Jacob Wilson and eventually Carson Williams.

 

Outfield

- Corbin Carroll

- Ronald Acuna Jr.

- James Wood

- Bryan De La Cruz

- Dylan Crews

- Esteury Ruiz

- Jerar Encarnacion

 

Ok, this outfield is sick. Tons of potential and huge upside. Caroll struggled terribly in 2024, though he still managed to provide value in HR and SB. We know what he’s capable of. Acuna missed most of the year due to injury. But again, we know what he’s capable of. James Wood looked good in his first half-season, and he has crazy power potential. Dylan Crews is a top 5 prospect who should get a full season in the bigs next year. I don’t even need to mention anyone else, this outfield is nasty and has the potential to be the best outfield in the league as soon as next season.

 

Verdict

; OF will be a strength in 2025, and potentially elite.

 

Offense Overall;

Overall, the offense doesn’t look great. But one thing it has going for it is youth and upside. Mainly in the Outfield. But there’s a lot of great names here, Jackson Holliday, James Wood, Dylan Crews, Jacob Wilson, and then some veterans in Goldschmidt, Acuna and Carroll. This offense suffered a lot of injuries and underperformance in 2024 and should definitely be better in 2025. The prospects waiting on the farm will have a lot to do with the offense being successful in 2025.

 

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

Matthew Boyd

Mitch Keller

Clarke Schmidt

Dustin May

Gavin Stone

Drew Thorpe

Austin Gomber

Mike Clevinger

 

This rotation didn’t throw many innings in 2024, but when they DID pitch they mostly looked good. Mitch Keller, Austin Gomber, and Gavin Stone are the only starters here that pitched over 100 innings. Keller had a great season. Stone looked excellent in his first full season in the majors. Gomber is a cromulent back-end piece. Boyd looked fantastic in his last few weeks of the season. This rotation should get a healthy boost from Dustin May next season. And maybe Drew Thorpe can turn things around.

 

Verdict

; SP will be average in 2025.

 

Relief Pitching

- Tanner Scott

- Yenier Cano

- Adrian Morejon

- John Schreiber

- Pierce Johnson

- Erik Swanson

- Yimi Garcia

- Lou Trivino

 

There’s a few really good arms here. Tanner Scott had a fantastic year, ranking as the 2nd best RP on fantrax, though there’s not many saves in the pen beyond him. Cano and Schrieber are great setup/holds guys. Morejon and Johnson are 2 more valuable arms to have. Yimi Garcia and Erik Swanson are 2 guys that could also put up good numbers in 2025, but neither is a sure thing.

 

Verdict

; (what does 2025 looks like)

 

Pitching Overall;

Overall, the pitching looks decent. Nothing to boast about, but there’s a few good pieces, a few young pieces, and a few returning from injury. The pitching should be comfortably average in 2025.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Dylan Crews (1)

- Cason Williams (4)

- Samuel Basallo (13)

- Noah Schultz (16)

- Kyle Teel (25)

- Andrew Painter (32)

- Caden Dana (68)

- AJ Smith-Shawver (97)

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - 1-5 (5), 2-5 (25), 2-17 (37)

 

Verdict

; Nasty. This is probably the best farm I've seen for any team in fantasy ball, and it definitely makes up for the poor performance of the main roster. This isn’t even including recent graduates such as Jackson Holliday and James Wood, who were both top 10 guys. There’s a few strong arms in here as well, and most of these guys are close to debuting either in 2025 or 2026. This farm should be pumping out top-quality talent in the very near future.

 

The farm is a major strength for 2025.

 

 

Activity;

z3r0s is extremely active on both the waiver wire and trade front. He picked up Will Wagner on the waiver wire towards the end of the year, an excellent addition. And he’s made a ton of trades to help bolster his farm. The biggest impact trade he made was selling Skenes and Gimenez for Acuna. Time will tell on that move. One excellent trade he made was selling high on Colton Cowser and acquiring Tanner Scott and Jacob Wilson.

 

 

Conclusion;

The main roster isn’t super strong, but the farm is probably the best in the league. This team will be very scary very soon, and could potentially hold several top 10 players at the same time. I am excited to follow the development of this team rising from the bottom to become a powerhouse in the near future.

[z3r0s]

Thanks for the awesome writeup Stang!

[z3r0s]

I hope ya'll are enjoying the Darrell Dynasty Dispatch so far. We'll be done the first half of the State of the Franchise articles by +/- the Christmas break.

 

There are still lots of topics that are sitting there waiting for an author, including some that won't be weekly. Things like divisional reviews, positional reviews, and I'm sure some other topics. I'd love to get some other authors on the team, so hit me up if you want to contribute!!

[z3r0s]

Owner: Carlos Danger

Author; Stangstag

 

 

2024 Season;

 

Pending Danger placed 15th overall in the 2024 season, barely beating out (insert clever name here) due to a tie-breaker. Fortunately for him (or unfortunately) he actually placed higher than his combined points total which was dead last in the league. Lots of room for improvement here for 2025.

 

Final Standing; 15th

Batting Stats; 16th

Pitching Stats; 19th

Combined; 20th

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

 

Catcher

- Dillon Dingler

 

Not much to say here (other than wow what a name). Dingler is not a roster-worthy catcher in this league, and the fact that he’s the #1 here is troubling. There are a handful of better options on the waiver wire right now.

 

Verdict

; Catcher will be a major weakness for 2025

 

First Base

- Jeimer Candelario

- Tyler Soderstrom

- Juan Yepez

 

Candelario did not have a good year after signing a sizable deal with the Reds. He’s not really close to starter material as a 1B, though his utility as a 3B gives him some value. He could also bounce back next year and be a decent piece. Soderstrom had a decent year though didn’t get much play time. Could be a piece to build on if he gets a full season of playtime, he is projected for around 25 homers. Juan Yepez is also in the same boat.

 

Verdict

; 1B will be below-average for 2025

 

Second Base

- Zack Gelof

- Nolan Gorman

- Willi Castro

 

Willi Castro had a pretty solid year, coming in at number 11 for 2B fantrax score, while Gelof was 18th overall. A pretty good tandem, though no flashy numbers immediately stick out. Gorman is also a great bench piece that managed to pop 19 homers and 50 RBI in only 350 plate appearances.

 

Verdict

; 2B will be above-average for 2025

 

Third Base

- Connor Norby

- Willi Castro

- Jeimer Candelario

 

Connor Norby is a very intriguing piece, though his numbers probably would look better with the Os. At least he has a clear path to everyday playtime in 2025. His value will ultimately rely on him developing enough power for the position, but he hit 9 homers in about 200 plate appearances which is a good start. Candelario could also be a great piece if he can bounce back next season. Willi Castro provides good insurance.

 

Verdict

; 3B will be average to above-average in 2025

 

Shortstop

- Bryson Stott

- Luisangel Acuna

- Trey Sweeney

 

Bryson Stott was 20th overall for SS score by fantrax. His average and slugging dropped quite a bit from 2023 to 2024, but he still provided value with R-RBI-SB. Luisangel Acuna looked great in his 2-week stint in the majors, though it's hard to see him getting much playtime at SS with Lindor signed long term. He likely needs another season or two of adjusting to more difficult pitching.

 

Verdict

; SS will be average to below average for 2025

 

Outfield

- Brenton Doyle

- Colton Cowser

- Wenceel Perez

- Willi Castro

 

Brenton Doyle ranked 6th on fantrax as far as center fielders go for the 2024 season. A major breakout season for him, and we will see if he can keep it up. Colton Cowser also had an excellent first full season in the majors, ranking 46th overall for OF. He projects well for 2025 so it should be sustainable. Wenceel Perez is more of a bench piece, and Willi Castro provides some nice insurance/flexibility if needed. 1 more decent bat in the OF would be welcome.

 

Verdict

; OF will be below average for 2025

 

Offense Overall;

Overall, the offense is pretty underwhelming. There isn’t a starting catcher, the only positions that look somewhat formidable are 2B and 3B, and there is a lot of hope being placed in unproven rookies and veterans having bounceback seasons. Lots of room for improvement here across the board.

 

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

- Ben Lively

- JP Sears

- Josh Winckowski

- Tobias Myers

- Joey Estes

- Cade Povich

- Logan Allen

- Alec Marsh

 

Myers and Sears looked pretty good in 2024, though obviously neither is an ace on any roster. Still, a decent start to the rotation. Both guys ranked in the top 80ish spots for SPs on fantrax. Lively, Marsh and Winkowski are another set of decent arms in the next tier below. Cade Povich is someone to watch in 2025. Not much else to discuss here, a few lottery tickets. This staff really needs a bonafide ace or Ks guy to help anchor it. Otherwise it's solidly meh.

 

Verdict

; SP will be below average for 2025

 

Relief Pitching

- Josh Winckowski

 

After trading away Tanner Scott and Ryan Thompson before the deadline last year, Josh Winckowski remains as the only RP on the roster. Danger should look at picking up some arms on the waiver wire, because this isn’t even a fieldable bullpen at the moment.

 

Verdict

; RP looks extremely weak for 2025

 

Pitching Overall;

No superstars, nothing very shiny here. A lot of work needs to be done to the bullpen or else this staff might actually be worse than they were in 2024 and finish dead last.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Matt Shaw (22)

- Chase DeLauter (41)

- James Triantos (55)

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - 6, 86

 

The farm is nice, there are 3 very intriguing pieces there that should be graduating next year to provide some relief and boost the offense a bit. A couple other intriguing guys like Roby, Frasso, and Bloss to potentially help on the pitching side. Danger should be praying he hits big with that 6th pick, because the farm could be empty come this time next year.

 

Verdict

; The Farm will be a strength for 2025

 

 

Activity;

Danger went through an absolute firesale over the course of the 2024 season, pretty much selling and trading away anything not nailed to the floor. I see no less than 20 trades over the course of the year. Here’s a list of names he traded away:

- Shane Bieber

- Oneil Cruz

- Ozzie Albies

- Kodai Senga

- Jordan Walker

- Adolis Garcia

- Lourdes Gurriel

- Anthony Volpe

- Jonah Heim

- Ryan Thompson

- Tanner Scott

- Luke Raley

- Michael Wacha

- Tyler Rogers

- Tylor Megill

- Nick Castellanos

- Jonathan India

- Tony Gonsolin

- Jeremy Pena

- Matt Brash

And yes, there’s more I left out. A truly wild list of names.

He was not very active on the waiver wire, and seems to be fully embracing the tank.

 

 

Conclusion;

Overall, this team isn’t very hot. The offense should improve with some graduations from the farm in 2025, but it still won’t be enough. I think Danger went a bit too crazy with the firesale and doesn’t have a whole lot to show for it. However judging from the look of the bullpen, it looks like the tank is still on for 2025. And that may not be a bad thing, because it's hard to see this team competing next year.

[Jimcanuck]

Soderstrom is a guy to watch

[z3r0s]

Owner: Speedy

Author: Stangstag

 

 

2024 Season;

 

Speedy finished the year 12th overall, and that fell pretty much in line with their combined points total standing of 13th. Clearly better on the pitching side, ranking 11th overall vs the hitting which ranked 17th. For pitching, Speedy excelled in ERA (6th overall) and OBP (7th overall). He could definitely improve in the Ks department where they only ranked 16th. For hitting, Speedy's strongest category was SLG where they placed 7th overall.

 

Final Standing; 12th

Batting Stats; 17th

Pitching Stats; 11th

Combined; 13th

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

 

Catcher

- Jacob Stallings

 

Not much going on here. Stallings had a good season in 2024, but it was likely an outlier and he’ll be 35 going into next season. He’s also a backup. This roster could definitely use an everyday catcher.

 

Verdict

; Catcher will be weak in 2025

 

First Base

- Ryan Mountcastle

- DJ LeMahieu

 

Both these guys faced injuries in 2024, but I think it's a decent tandem. Mountastle projects well for 2025, but it's hard to know if LeMahieu has much left in the tank. A bit more power here would be welcome.

 

Verdict

; First Base will be below average for 2025

 

Second Base

- Jonathan India

 

Jonathan India was acquired mid-season, and proceeded to have a very solid year. He ranked as the 14th best 2B by Fantrax score rankings, and steamer projections think he will be even better next year. My main concern here is that the roster doesn’t have any suitable backup options.

 

Verdict

; Second Base will be average in 2025

 

Third Base

- Jose Miranda

- DJ LeMahieu

- Addison Barger

 

Miranda had a decent year, but really lacks the power you normally like to see at 3B. Addison Barger didn’t look good in his first stint in the majors, though he’s still young. It's possible he gets moved off the position starting next year. DJ LeMahieu looks old and not sure there’s much left there.

 

Verdict

; Third Base will be below-average in 2025

 

Shortstop

- Corey Seager

- Marco Luciano

 

Seager is still an excellent player, but unfortunately the SS position is stacked. He provides some much-needed thump in this lineup, though he severely lacks the SB you normally see from the position. Still one of the best hitters in the game at SS though. Marco Luciano is a decent backup if he gets the playtime, but I'd like to see a more solid option considering Seager’s injury history.

 

Verdict

; Shortstop will be above-average for 2025

 

Outfield

- Wyatt Langford

- Garrett Mitchell

- Tyler O’Neill

- George Springer

- Jo Adell

 

Wyatt Langford had a pretty damn good season for a guy who was only 22 years old and had less than 50 professional games under his belt coming into the season. Though he fell short of expectations, he was able to hold his own. He definitely still has the possibility to develop into a monster with the bat. Tyler O’neill had an excellent year though he missed a month or so due to injuries. Even if he regresses somewhat, he’s still a great bat. Similarly, Garrett Mitchell looked stellar last season though its doubtful if he can keep hitting at that level. Springer is a backup at this point, but he could have a bit of a bounceback year. Adell still hasn’t been able to put things together. Overall this outfield looks extremely solid.

 

Verdict

; Outfield will be above average in 2025

 

Offense Overall;

Overall, the offense is middling at best. Strong spots would be OF and SS, maybe 2B, but everything else can be improved upon. I think this offense will be better than they showed in 2024, though I wouldn’t bet on them being in the top 10 overall stats-wise.

 

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

- Jack Flaherty

- Shane Bieber

- Mackenzie Gore

- Justin Steele

- Zack Littell

- Rhett Lowder

- Tyler Holton

- Ryan Feltner

- Edward Cabrera

 

Flaherty had an excellent year, finishing his season with the Dodgers asa the 16th best SP by Fantrax ranking. Though its questionable if he will be able to repeat his success. Shane Bieber spent most of the year on the DL, undergoing tommy john surgery early in the season. He won't be available to start the season, but he should be a huge boost for this roster next year. Steele and Littell both had great years, and Gore was much-improved in his 2nd MLB season. Rhett Lowder is an exciting prospect that should get the opportunity to start full time next year.

Overall a very solid group of guys.

 

Verdict

; The rotation will be above average for 2025

 

Relief Pitching

- Orion Kerkering

- Tayler Scott

- Nate Pearson

- Danny Coulombe

- Tyler Holton

- Derek Law

- Hogan Harris

- Jorge Lopez

 

Kerkering, Coulombe, Holton, Law and Lopez are all pretty good arms, and should provide a good number of holds. Good ERA, good K numbers, K/BB, OBP, the only thing the pen is really lacking is saves. I think this pen desperately needs 1 big closer to round things out.

 

Verdict

; The bullpen will be average for 2025

 

Pitching Overall;

Overall this group of pitchers looks good. They should be improved from 2024 thanks to the return of Bieber and the potential of Lowder, though it’s not certain Flaherty will continue pitching like a top of the rotation arm. The pen has some good arms but is severely lacking saves. Speedy should be looking to add a true closer to rack up SV.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Aidan Miller (26)

- Druw Jones (82)

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - 9, 29, 30

 

Verdict

; This farm only has 2 top 100 guys, but still has a good handful of mid-floor guys that got a taste of the majors like Amador, Luciano, and Hancock. Trading DeLauter definitely hurts the farm a ton. I like the strategy of keeping a stable of position players over pitching prospects, especially since the MLB rotation is pretty solid and fairly young. Aidan Miller should be an exciting player to follow. Druw Jones unfortunately hasn’t lived up to the hype of being a no.2 pick though he put together a much better season in A ball last year. Speedy should be able to add a few interesting guys with the 9/29/30 pick in this upcoming draft.

 

 

Activity;

Speedy made a few trades during the season, their biggest one being a deal to acquire Jonathan India, Garrett Mitchell, and Shane Bieber in exchange for Chase DeLauter and Nolan Gorman. Bieber should be a big boost for the rotation for 2025 and Mitchell and India could prove to be sneaky pickups. They also acquired George Springer and Orion Kerkering for Spencer Horwitz and Robert Stephenson in the offseason.

 

 

Conclusion;

Overall the team looks decent. I can’t get too excited about the offense aside from the outfield which looks pretty good. This team’s strength definitely lies with the pitching, and I think that will be the story for 2025. The pitching staff is solid enough to be competitive but I don’t think the offense is. It's hard for me to see this team finishing any higher than 10th overall without some additions to the offense.

[z3r0s]

Owner: Dr Dinger

Author: Stangstag

 

2024 Season;

 

The 2024 season didn’t turn out quite as well as 5YP likely hoped. He finished 10th overall which was actually good enough for 2nd in the division, narrowly missing a playoff spot. Many trades were made mid-season to offload players, and I have to wonder if it would have been better to hold and possibly nab a playoff spot. Nonetheless, this team seems to have a definite direction to rebuild. The Five Year Plan starts now.

 

Final Standing;

10th

Batting Stats; 9th

Pitching Stats; 15th

Combined; 10th

 

Roster Analysis;

 

Position Players;

 

Catcher

- Patrick Bailey

 

Bailey had a very successful 2nd season in the majors. He’s a defensive wizard, though unfortunately that doesn’t mean much in fantasy. He still provided value, grading out as the 18th most valuable catcher last season by Fantrax points rating. Unfortunately he’s just not a starting catcher on a playoff team.

 

Verdict

; Catcher will be weak in 2025

 

First Base

- Vladimir Guerrero Jr

- Spencer Torkelson

 

This is a great combo. Vlad had a major resurgence last year, to the tune of 165 wRC+ and 5.5 WAR, and graded as the top 1B on fantrax. He also played enough 3B to be eligible at the position, making him an extremely valuable player. Torkelson has been extremely underwhelming as a whole, but has shown some signs of life in short stints. He’s still young and worth rostering for a non-competitive team.

 

Verdict

; First Base will be a major strength in 2025

 

Second Base

- Leo Jimenez

- David Hamilton

- Brooks Baldwin

 

Jimenez held his own in his first MLB stint, though didn’t exactly look like a fantasy asset. Brooks Baldwin is similar. David Hamilton had some sneaky speed, stealing 33 bases. Not much else really inspiring about these 3 here.

 

Verdict

; Second Base will be very weak in 2025

 

Third Base

- Vladimir Guerrero Jr

- Ernie Clement

 

Vlad is obviously elite here, though he likely gets more playtime at 1B on this roster. Ernie Clement should be the primary 3B, and he had a decent year in 2024. He doesn’t really do anything special, but I think he’s perfectly serviceable as a bench piece.

 

Verdict

; Third Base will be below-average to average (depending on how many reps are given to Vlad)

 

Shortstop

- Leo Jimenez

- Ernie Clement

- David Hamilton

 

Again, this group is not exactly exciting. Probably all serviceable backups at best and not worth roster spots at worst.

 

Verdict

; Shorstop will be weak for 2025

 

Outfield

- Kerry Carpenter

- Daulton Varsho

- Heston Kjerstad

- Joey Loperfido

- Rece Hinds

- Kevin Alcantara

- Javier Sanoja

 

This outfield actually is a bit promising. Carpenter didn’t play a ton, but when he did he was excellent. Varsho had a decent year for a CF, though the power numbers have been trending down. Kjerstad had an okayish year, though the power numbers were extremely lacking. Hinds looked exciting in a small sample size. Loperfido has shown flashes of potential but looked pretty underwhelming overall. This outfield is fairly young, and I could see the power numbers shooting up next year. And that’s the main thing lacking here. Some SB would also be welcome.

 

Verdict

; Outfield will be weak for 2025

 

Offense Overall;

The offense overall doesn’t look too hot. It's kinda the Vlad show + scrubs, though there are a few guys like Kjerstad, Torkelson and Varsho that could provide value. A breakout from one of those guys is sorely needed for this offense to not drown completely.

 

Pitching

 

Starting Pitching

- Spencer Arrighetti

- Patrick Sandoval

- Alek Manoah

- DJ Herz

- Valente Bellozo

- Landon Knack

- Andre Pallante

- Cody Poteet

 

Spencer Arrighetti and DJ Herz are keepers, but the rest are pretty meh. No real exciting top-rotation potential arms in this group unfortunately. I like Pallante/Sandoval/Bellozo as depth but not as bulk guys without a true ace to support them. This doesn’t look like a competitive starting rotation.

 

Verdict

; The rotation will be weak for 2025.

 

Relief Pitching

- Ben Joyce

- Jairo Iriarte

- Garrett Cleavinger

- Gregory Santos

- Hunter Bigge

- Grant Holman

- Porter Hodge

- Kyle Nicolas

- Andrew Walters

 

Ben Joyce is absolutely electric, though he didn’t get many save opportunities last year. And unfortunately he plays for the Angels so that might hold true for 2025. Cleavinger was a useful arm, netting a good number of holds and Ks. Not much else to get excited about here. Porter Hodge and Gregory Santos are alright. Landon Knack could also slot in as a reliever next season.

 

Verdict

; The bullpen will be weak for 2025.

 

Pitching Overall;

Overall, the pitching aint great. There’s a couple decent arms, but unfortunately nobody with real ace upside. The staff desperately needs an ace and a fulltime closer.

 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Chase Dollander (20)

- Colt Emerson (27)

- Xavier Isaac (36)

- Colson Montgomery (37)

- Thomas White (46)

- Lazaro Montes (47)

 

Notable 2025 Draft picks - 13, 15, 31, 38

 

Now this is where things are starting to look up. 6 guys in the top 50 is definitely something to get excited about, and several of these guys should be arriving next season. A few of these guys like Dollander, Montgomery and Isaac could help this team immediately next year (but probably more for 2026). There’s quite a lot of upside here and 5YP should be able to bolster the farm even further with 2 picks in the first round and 2 in the 2nd.

 

Verdict

; The farm is a major strength for 2025

 

 

Activity;

5YP was pretty active on the trade market, making some big deals for some big name players. He acquired Verlander and Bellinger in exchange for Sandy Alcantara and a 1st rd before the start of the season, though it didn’t work out and by midseason 5YP was selling like a madman.

He offloaded:

Edwin Diaz

Ha-seong Kim

Justin Verlander

Marcel Ozuna

Carlos Correa

Michael King

Bellinger

Rafael Devers

Giancarlo Stanton

Lance Lynn

Charlie Morton

Framber Valdez

George Srpinger

Whew what a list. This team is clearly embracing a full rebuild, though I might have held onto some younger guys like Devers and King if it were me.

Some notable players acquired include:

Spencer Torkelson

Diego Cartaya

Alek Manoah

Orelvis Martinez

Heston Kjerstad

Colt Emerson

Spencer Arrighetti

 

 

Conclusion;

This team is clearly in full rebuild mode. I think there could be some improvements to the MLB roster with some shrewd waiver pickups, though it would most likely not be enough to make a meaningful difference. The farm looks great, and it should after all those trades made mid-season. Reinforcements should begin arriving late 2025/2026, and lets hope this doesn’t actually end up being a 5 year rebuild. I could see this team being competitive within the next couple years, but it largely hinges on the development and performance of top prospects. The 2025 draft will also be important for this roster.

[Laika]

It's over for dingaling

[z3r0s]

That's it for 2024 folks. We'll pick it up in 2025 with my run the Monte Cristo.

Thanks again for the great work Stang! Please like, comment, and subsc...errr and engage! Are we on the mark, or out of touch!

And feel free to jump onto the team and do something cool like an analysis of the strength of each position going into 2025! (or farm strengths, or division vs division strengths or whatever!)

[Spanky99]

That's it for 2024 folks. We'll pick it up in 2025 with my run the Monte Cristo.

Thanks again for the great work Stang! Please like, comment, and subsc...errr and engage! Are we on the mark, or out of touch!

And feel free to jump onto the team and do something cool like an analysis of the strength of each position going into 2025! (or farm strengths, or division vs division strengths or whatever!)

 

Oh man... THE DIVISION MONTE *CARLO* CRISTO... 3 playoff spots...

 

I think I might've moved away from my rebuild to quick. I'm stuck in purgatory and not enough teams engage in trade. It's mind boggling.

 

Also, great job guys... I'm sure someone will rap, when they think their wronged, lol. I've enjoyed these writeups, no doubt.

[BTS]

It's going to be a long few years for TFYP

[Jimcanuck]

Oh man... THE DIVISION MONTE *CARLO* CRISTO... 3 playoff spots...

 

I think I might've moved away from my rebuild to quick. I'm stuck in purgatory and not enough teams engage in trade. It's mind boggling.

 

Also, great job guys... I'm sure someone will rap, when they think their wronged, lol. I've enjoyed these writeups, no doubt.

 

Problem is your love fest for Eloy as a building block.

[Spanky99]

Problem is your love fest for Eloy as a building block.

 

That guy suxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Dr. Dinger]

Fair and accurate write-up! I don’t regret my purge, if only because it needed to happen to keep me interested in staying in the league. I would maybe have held Devers for a better return, but I liked the idea of him going to Spanky to keep the contender pool more spicy. I’m very okay with a couple of bottom out years, I don’t think the rebuild will take as long as the haters do.

 

My prospect knowledge has improved exponentially since I initiated the teardown, and actually I think the bullpen is going to be better than expected, with Joyce and Hodge already emerging as elite young closers.

 

If Guerrero had started hitting earlier in the season, things could have gone very differently for me, but there’s no use in crying over spilt milk! If Jose Fernandez didn’t do coke I’d have multiple championships and probably have retired by now… c’est la vie!

[z3r0s]

State of the Franchise; Burrito Boyz

Owner: Havok24

 

2024 Season;

Havok’s Burrito Boyz struggled to a 14th overall finish for the 2024 season, slightly underperforming their combined team ranking of 12th overall. It was a tale of two sides of the ball this year for the Burrito Boyz. The bats did their part, ranking 8th overall in the offensive categories. They excelled especially in the ratio stats of OBP and SLG, ranking 4th and 6th overall respectively. The counting categories were solidly average. Unfortunately that’s where the good news stops as the Boyz ranked dead last in pitching with only one category placing above 17th overall, SV’s at 8th overall.  

Final Standing; 14th

Batting Stats; 8th

Pitching Stats; 20th

Combined; 12th

 

Roster Analysis;

Position Players;

Catcher

- Austin Wells

- Bo Naylor

- Endy Rodriguez

Austin Wells led this catching core and put together a serviceable season with average ratios and limited pop / speed, but benefitting from playing on a good club. It was good enough for an 18th overall ranking. He should have competition this year from both Bo Naylor and Endy Rodriguez, both of whom have solid upside and incentive to put down seasons behind them. 

Verdict; Catcher will be an average position in 2025.

First Base

- Bryce Harper

- Nolan Schanuel

- Dylan Moore

Bryce Harper put together yet another excellent offensive campaign, but at a new(ish) position for the superstar. He immediately became one of the most valuable first baggers in the league, ranking 3rd at the position along with 25th for hitters overall. More importantly, it was a mostly healthy season with 145 games played. Schanuel is a serviceable backup, despite his lack of power, and ranked 30th overall with improving pop. 

Verdict; First Base will be elite in 2025. 

Second Base

- Dylan Moore

- Brooks Lee

- Luis Rengifo

- Mauricio Dubon

The Burrito Boyz don’t have a ton of middle infielders who had stable roles in 2024. Dylan Moore had the best year in 2024 and he put together some stretches of really good ball, but he still ranked comfortably outside of ‘starter’ territory. Rengifo was hurt for much of the year, but actually put up some decent numbers when he was playing, offering some solid depth.

Verdict; Second Base will be a below average position in 2025.

Third Base

- Matt Chapman

- Royce Lewis

- Dylan Moore

- Brooks Lee

- Mauricio Dubon

Matt Chapman had a fantastic first season in the Bay, checking in as the 7th best at the hot corner, and a top 25 hitter overall. He wasn’t bothered by the Oracle Park weather, blasting his clockwork 27 HR’s, a total he has reached exactly in 3 of the last 4 seasons! Royce Lewis once again struggled to stay healthy and put up middling results when on the field. If he can stay on the field it could give the Boyz a two-headed monster at third as the talent is still tantalizing. 

Verdict; Third Base will be a position of strength for 2025.

Shortstop

- Dylan Moore

- Brooks Lee

Stop me if you’ve heard this before… The Burrito Boyz don’t have a ton of middle infielders who had stable roles in 2024. Dylan Moore had the best year in 2024 and he put together some stretches of really good ball, but he still ranked comfortably outside of ‘starter’ territory. The Burrito Boyz are of course banking on Brooks Lee securing a stable role for 2025. He struggled during his first cup of coffee, but the tools are evident and the minor league numbers back them up. 

Verdict; Shortstop may be either an above or below average area in 2025.

Outfield

- Byron Buxton

- Josh Lowe

- Lars Nootbar

- Mauricio Dubon

- Parker Meadows

The Burrito Boyz outfield didn’t have a strong year in 2024. Buxton made his return to the grass but once again struggled to stay on the field. Though he was productive when he played, a relief after a disastrous 2023. Josh Lowe had a poor season compared to expectations, and Nootbar struggled to live up to his preseason hype. There is talent here, but it was not on full display this year.

Verdict; The Outfield will be an average position in 2025.

UT

- Kyle Schwarber

Carrying a DH only player can be a burden to your flexibility. But when your DH mashes like this, nobody is going to feel sorry for you! Schwarber was the 13th best hitter in baseball this year, on the strength of his dinger and RBI production. His homer total was down a bit this year, but his ratios were up across the board. 

Verdict; Designated Hitter will be elite in 2025.

Offense Overall; 

This offense produced excellent results, leaning heavily on some elite performers who definitely have good years ahead of them. This was all in a season that saw several high ceiling talents have poor or injury marred years. I think it is reasonable to expect this group will be even better in 2025, creeping into the top quarter of the league.

 

Pitching

Starting Pitching

- Gerrit Cole

- Sean Manaea

- Jose Quintana

- Griffin Canning

- Michael Lorenzen

- Bobby Miller

- Alex Wood

- Kodai Senga

- Hurston Waldrep

Ace pitcher Gerrit Cole had a difficult year with health, but the results were there when he was able to take the ball. Sean Manaea did his best Ace impression in Cole’s stead, ranking as the 22nd overall SP, and a top 30 player overall. Beyond those two, things get less certain. Bobby Miller can’t be this bad… right? Kodai Senga looked good in limited late season action. Quintana had an admirable year and. Michael Lorenzen seemed to find a place in KC (oh and pitched a NO HITTER earlier in the year). There is some upside, but also uncertainty. There are also a lot of birthdays over 30 years ago, adding questions about the future of this group. There may be help on the way if Waldrep and Jobe can make the jump quickly.  

Verdict; Starting Pitching will be average in 2025.

Relief Pitching

- Clay Holmes

- Jalen Beeks

- Chad Green

- Scott Barlow

- Tommy Kahnle

- Ross Stripling

- Aaron Ashby

The demise of Clay Holmes has been greatly exaggerated in Yankee-land and he should have a great year across town with the Mets. Beyond that, the bullpen lacks many high upside arms. At the time of writing this review, four of the above are actually still free agents, and none of them are on the right side of 30. 

Verdict; The Bullpen will be an area of weakness in 2025.

Pitching Overall; 

I think any staff in the league would struggle if their top two projected pitchers have lost seasons. I don’t think this is a ‘worst in class’ pitching staff, but I also see a very difficult path to this becoming more than an average staff  in the next few seasons.
 

Farm Strength;

Top 100 Prospects

- Jackson Jobe (5)

- Cole Young (38)

- Daulton Rushing (39)

- Travis Sykora (79)

- Cam Collier (93)

Notable 2025 Draft picks - 7, 26, 27

Verdict; The Burrito Boyz have talent pepper in the Top 100 lists. Jackson Jobe is a stud and will be a big part of how successful the Boyz will be in 2025. Young is close enough that he might be an option to bolster the MIF in the next few years. General Manager Havok also has several draft picks in the stacked 2025, including 7th overall which should yield a significant asset with the available combination of draftee talent and international signings. The farm is a strength going into 2025.
 

Activity; Havok is moderately active on the waiver wire and trade fronts. He should probably lean into some additional activity to take advantage of what is a legitimate offensive group. 

 

Conclusion; 

I expect the Burrito Boyz to have better fortunes in 2025, finishing comfortably in the top half of the league. They undeformed slightly this past season, and can reasonably expect some bounce backs from many key players in both the rotation and lineup. However, if they do want to make a legitimate push for a playoff spot, I think the pitching staff needs to be improved to complement what is a legitimately dangerous offense. There is also a clock that looms over this team as they have several key pieces entering the evening of their careers. 

 

[L54]

Havok has a good team. Never understood why on his trade block he’s looking to get younger… trade some of your prospects for good pitchers!