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NEWS AND UPDATES

2023 Bolin League Prviews

Classic Division

Previous Winners
2022- Toronto Blue Jays (Bridget Bolin)
2021- Cincinnati Reds (Billy Link)
2020- Minnesota Twins (Alycia Link)
2019- Cincinnati Reds (Billy Link)

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 Cincinnati Reds- Billy Link (0-2)
2 Texas Rangers- Tawfiq Ali (3-2)
3 Minnesota Twins- Alycia Link (3-3)
4 Toronto Blue Jays- Bridget Bolin (3-1)
5 St. Louis Browns- Bob Bolin (3-6)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Eugenio Suarez (CIN)
2 Bo Bichette (TOR)
3 Josh Jung (TEX)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Kevin Gausman (TOR)
2 Collin McHugh (SLB)
3 Anthony DeSclafani (CIN)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Sam Huff C (TEX)
2 Ezequiel Duran 3B (TEX)
3 N/A

Explorer Division

Previous Winners
2022- Boston Braves (Colin McGowan)
2021- Brooklyn Dodgers (Patrick Carmichael)
2020- Kansas City Athletics (Marc Zustin)
2019- Kansas City Athletics (Marc Zustin)

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 Kansas City Athletics- Marc Zustin (1-1)
2 New York Mets- Sean Carmichael (0-0)
3 Philadelphia Athletics- Brian Mangol (0-2)
4 Boston Braves- Colin McGowan (1-1)
5 Brooklyn Dodgers- Patrick Carmichael (0-0)
6 Chicago White Sox- Marty Bach (1-1)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Marcus Semien (KCA)
2 Mike Yazstremski (BRK)
3 Xander Bogaerts (PHA)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Zack Wheeler (NYM)
2 Adam Wainwright (BBR)
3 Gavin Williams (KCA)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Gavin Williams SP (KCA)
2 Mark Vientos 3B (NYM)
3 N/A

Fanatic Division

Previous Winners
2022- Milwaukee Brewers (Bobby Bolin)
2021- Oakland Athletics (Ryan Bolin)
2020- Montreal Expos (Brandon Harris) *Was West Division
2019- Oakland Athletics (Ryan Bolin) *Was Military Division

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 Milwaukee Brewers- Bobby Bolin (8-2)
2 Cleveland Guardians- Dane Chester (0-0)
3 New York Yankees- Eddie Jansen (0-0)
4 Kansas City Monarchs- Chris Davis (0-0)
5 Colorado Rockies- Megan Bolin (0-0)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Yan Gomes (CLE)
2 Willy Adames (MIL)
3 Aaron Judge (NYY)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Brandon Woodruff (MIL)
2 Mike Clevinger (CLE)
3 Luis Severino (NYY)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Oswaldo Peraza SS (NYY)
2 Tyler Freeman SS (CLE)
3 Ezequiel Tovar SS (COL)

Hurricane Division

Previous Winners
2022- None
2021- None
2020- St. Louis Cardinals (Devin Cunningham)
2019- Philadelphia Phillies (Austin Rose)

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 St. Louis Cardinals- Devin Cunningham (0-0)
2 Philadelphia Phillies- Austin Rose (0-0)
3 Los Angeles Angels- Alex Bierut (0-0)
4 Milwaukee Braves- Danny Cunningham (0-0)
5 Kansas City Royals- Scott Lemin (0-0)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Mike Trout (STL)
2 Joey Votto (LAA)
3 Rhys Hoskins (PHI)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Noah Syndergaard (STL)
2 Aaron Nola (PHI)
3 Shohei Ohtani (LAA)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Maikel Garcia DH (KCR)
2 Dalton Guthrie LF (PHI)
3 Samad Taylor 2B (KCR)

Municipal Division

Previous Winners
2022- Detroit Tigers (Brian Bolin)
2021- None
2020- Oakland Athletics (Ryan Bolin)
2019- None

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 Oakland Athletics- Ryan Bolin (3-1)
2 Detroit Tigers- Brian Bolin (3-2)
3 Seattle Pilots- Carter Stewart (0-3)
4 Baltimore Orioles- Kodi Simon (0-0)
5 Chicago Cubs- Kati Simon (0-0)
6 Pittsburgh Pirates- Brandon Gearo (0-0)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Josh Donaldson (OAK)
2 Spencer Torkelson (DET)
3 Paul DeJong (OAK)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Shane Bieber (OAK)
2 Casey Mize (DET)
3 Yu Darvish (SEP)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Yusniel Diaz OF (BAL)
2 Nick Gonzales 2B (PIT)
3 Ryan Bannon 3B (BAL)

Patriot Division

Previous Winners
2022- None
2021- Washington Nationals (Adam Delgarbino)
2020- Washington Senators (Joe Yurik)
2019- Washington Nationals (Adam Delgarbino)

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 Washington Nationals- Adam Delgarbino (0-0)
2 Washington Senators- Joe Yurik (0-0)
3 Tampa Bay Rays- Jake Cantrell (0-0)
4 Seattle Mariners- Ryan Sopko (0-0)
5 Boston Red Sox- Steven Bacher (0-0)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Yandy Diaz (TBR)
2 Joey Gallo (WAS)
3 Juan Soto (WSH)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Joey Lucchesi (WSH)
2 Charlie Morton (TBR)
3 Walker Buehler (SEA)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Curtis Mead 3B (TBR)
2 Logan O’Hoppe C (SEA)
3 Ronaldo Hernandez C (BOS)

Titan Division

Previous Winners
2022- Miami Marlins (Dave Jones)
2021- Atlanta Braves (Tony Hopkins)
2020- Miami Marlins (Dave Jones)
2019- None

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 Miami Marlins- Dave Jones (2-1)
2 Atlanta Braves- Tony Hopkins (0-0)
3 Montreal Expos- Brandon Harris (0-0)
4 New York Giants- Frankie Ciacchi (0-0)
5 Arizona Diamondbacks- Nick Castenir (0-0)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Ronald Acuna (ATL)
2 Anthony Rizzo (MIA)
3 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (MON)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Clayton Kershaw (MIA)
2 Mike Soroka (ATL)
3 Nate Pearson (MON)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Corbin Carroll OF (ARI)
2 Emmanuel Rivera 1B (ARI)
3 Buddy Kennedy 3B (ARI)

Zebra Division

Previous Winners
2022- San Diego Padres (Adam Noga)
2021- Los Angeles Dodgers (Cody Dingess)
2020- Milwaukee Brewers (Bobby Bolin)
2019- Milwaukee Brewers (Bobby Bolin)

Projected Results (Last Year’s Record)
1 San Diego Padres- Adam Noga (3-1)
2 Cleveland Buckeyes- RJ Walgate (1-4)
3 Los Angeles Dodgers- Cody Dingess (0-4)
4 San Francisco Giants- Allison Noga (1-1)
5 Houston Astros- Scottie Ruessman (0-0)

Top 3 Hitters
1 Ha-Seong Kim (SDP)
2 Willson Contreras (CLB)
3 JD Martinez (LAD)

Top 3 Pitchers
1 Chris Paddack (SDP)
2 Jose Berrios (CLB)
3 Kenta Maeda (LAD)

Top 3 Rookies
1 Peyton Burdick RF (CLB)
2 Casey Schmitt DH (SFG)
3 N/A



2022 Bolin League Previews


Classic Division

Name Origin- Made up of some of the longest tenured teams in the league

Cincinnati Reds (Billy Link)
Minnesota Twins (Alycia Link)
St. Louis Browns (Bob Bolin)
Texas Rangers (Tawfiq Ali)
Toronto Blue Jays (Bridget Bolin)

Predicted Champion- Cincinnati Reds
Division MVP- SS Bo Bichette (TOR)
Best Pitcher- Anthony DeSclafani (CIN)
Rookies to Watch- 2B Jose Miranda (MIN), LF Bubba Thompson (TEX), 2B Otto Lopez (TOR)

Explorer Division

Name Origin- All owners have a connection to the Hudson Explorers

Boston Braves (Collin McGowan)
Brooklyn Dodgers (Patrick Carmichael)
Chicago White Sox (Marty Bach)
Kansas City Athletics (Marc Zustin)
New York Mets (Sean Carmichael)
Philadelphia Athletics (Brian Mangol)

Predicted Champion- Kansas City Athletics
Division MVP- DH Marcus Semien (KCA)
Best Pitcher- Zack Wheeler (NYM)
Rookies to Watch- CF Seiya Suzuki (BBR), 3B Mark Vientos (NYM), LF Jaylen Palmer (NYM)

Fanatic Division

Name Origin- They care either way too much or not enough

Cleveland Guardians (Dane Chester)
Colorado Rockies (Megan Bolin)
Milwaukee Brewers (Bobby Bolin)
New York Giants (Frankie Ciacchi)
Oakland Athletics (Ryan Bolin)

Predicted Champion- Milwaukee Brewers
Division MVP- SS Corey Seager (NYG)
Best Pitcher- Shane Bieber (OAK)
Rookies to Watch- LF Ryan Vilade (COL), 3B Colton Welker (COL), C MJ Melendez (NYG)

Hurricane Division

Name Origin- All owners have a connection to the Northern Ohio Hurricanes

Kansas City Monarchs (Kevin Lemin)
Kansas City Royals (Scott Lemin)
Los Angeles Angels (Alex Bierut)
Milwaukee Braves (Danny Cunningham)
Philadelphia Phillies (Austin Rose)
St. Louis Cardinals (Devin Cunningham)

Predicted Champion- St. Louis Cardinals
Division MVP- P Shohei Otani (LAA)
Best Pitcher- Aaron Nola (PHI)
Rookies to Watch- SS Bobby Witt Jr. (KCR), 2B Maikel Garcia (KCR), RF Matt Vierling (PHI)

Municipal Division

Name Origin- All owners have a connection to the actual city of Cleveland

Baltimore Orioles (Kodi Simon)
Chicago Cubs (Kati Simon)
Detroit Tigers (Brian Bolin)
Pittsburgh Pirates (Brandon Gearo)
Seattle Pilots (Carter Stewart)

Predicted Champion- Detroit Tigers
Division MVP- SS Carter Kieboom (SEP)
Best Pitcher- Casey Mize (DET)
Rookies to Watch- RF Brennan Davis (CHC), 3B Spencer Torkelson (DET), 2B Kody Clemens (DET), 2B Diego Castillo (PIT)

Patriot Division

Name Origin- All owners have a connection to the Valley Forge Patriots

Boston Red Sox (Tom Otter)
Seattle Mariners (Ryan Sopko)
Tampa Bay Rays (Jake Cantrell)
Washington Nationals (Adam Delgarbino)
Washington Senators (Joe Yurik)

Predicted Champion- Tampa Bay Rays
Division MVP- RF Austin Meadows (WAS)
Best Pitcher- Joey Lucchesi (WSH)
Rookies to Watch- 2B Jeter Downs (BOS), DH Ronaldo Hernandez (BOS)

Titan Division

Name Origin- All owners have some connection to either the Berea-Midpark Titans or the Southwestern Conference

Arizona Diamondbacks (Nick Castenir)
Atlanta Braves (Tony Hopkins)
Miami Marlins (Dave Jones)
Montreal Expos (Brandon Harris)
New York Yankees (Noah Mehrle)

Predicted Champion- Montreal Expos
Division MVP- DH Vladimir Guerrero JR. (MON)
Best Pitcher- Clayton Kershaw (MIA)
Rookies to Watch- 3B Drew Ellis (ARI), SS Oswaldo Peraza (NYY), LF Estevan Florial (NYY)

Zebra Division

Name Origin- Many of the owners have a connection to officiating

Cleveland Buckeyes (Kerry Kemp)
Houston Astros (Scottie Ruessman)
Los Angeles Dodgers (Cody Dingess)
San Diego Padres (Adam Noga)
San Francisco Giants (Allison Noga)

Predicted Champion- San Diego Padres
Division MVP- Ha-Seong Kim (SDP)
Best Pitcher- Kenta Maeda (LAD)
Rookies to Watch- 2B, Miguel Vargas (LAD), DH Heliot Ramos (SFG)

Playoff Predictions

Division Winners
Cincinnati Reds
Kansas City Athletics
Milwaukee Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals
Detroit Tigers
Tampa Bay Rays
Montreal Expos
San Diego Padres

Wild Card Teams
Miami Marlins
Oakland Athletics
Washington Nationals
Washington Senators
Milwaukee Braves
Los Angeles Dodgers
Toronto Blue Jays
Brooklyn Dodgers

1 MIL def 16 TOR
2 MON def 15 BRK
3 MIA def 14 MBR
4 OAK def 13 DET
5 SDP def 12 CIN
6 STL def 11 LAD
7 KCA def 10 WSH
9 WAS def 8 TBR

1 MIL def 9 WAS
2 MON def 7 KCA
6 STL def 3 MIA
4 OAK def 5 SDP

4 OAK def 1 MIL
6 STL def 2 MON

6 STL def 4 OAK

Predicted Champion- St. Louis Cardinals
Predicted MVP- DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (MON)
Predicted Cy Young- Shane Bieber (OAK)
Predicted Rookie of the Year- SS Bobby Witt Jr. (KCR)


2021 Bolin League Previews

March 17, 2021

CLASSIC DIVISION

Cincinnati Reds
Owner- Billy Link (13th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 19
Key Additions- 3B Jonathan India, SS Jose Garcia, C Tyler Stephenson
Last Year- 4-2, made playoffs
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The three biggest difficulties the Reds face are not being able to throw strikes, too many swings and misses, and taking too many strikes. They play their best when they are being aggressive and throwing strikes. The Reds are a team that can beat anyone on any given day.

Minnesota Twins
Owner- Alycia Link (14th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 23
Key Additions- OF Brent Rooker, OF Jake Cave
Last Year- 4-1, made playoffs
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- 2020 was the best year for the Twins since Alycia Link took over the team in 2008. Their strength of schedule cost them a bit as they lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Twins have raw power at the plate but their contact could be better. Their pitching lacks depth and speed but Randy Dobnak looks to change things up in 2021.

St. Louis Browns
Owner- Bob Bolin (7th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 32
Key Additions- C James McCann
Last Year- 4-7, made playoffs
History- No Final Four Appearances, 3 Time Runner Up for Bob Bolin (Rangers)
How They Win- The Browns employ one of the most unique strategies in the game, including tantalizing pitching and a very patient offense. Their goal is to throw off the opponent and get in their head. The Browns psychological warfare style of the game has won them some games that they were not favored in.

Texas Rangers
Owner- Tawfiq Ali (2nd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 37
Key Additions- 3B Josh Jung, C Sam Huff, 1B Sherten Apostel
Last Year- 1-5
History- 3 Time Runner Up (under Bob Bolin)
How They Win- The Rangers bring in an inexperienced but athletically raw team that is still in the process of learning the game. Texas hitters can bash the ball a long way but still struggle to make contact. They are looking to Lance Lynn to take a big step on the mound this year to put them in contention.

Toronto Blue Jays
Owner- Bridget Bolin (25th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 31
Key Additions- C Alejandro Kirk
Last Year- 3-4, made playoffs
History- 1999 League Champions
How They Win- The Blue Jays are a team that can sneak up and beat better competition. They have a balanced attack, including a pitching staff with a good sinker-slider combination, an offense with some power, and some of the most experienced management in the league.

Projected Order of Finish
1 Cincinnati Reds
2 Minnesota Twins
3 Toronto Blue Jays
4 St. Louis Browns
5 Texas Rangers

Best Hitter- Eugenio Suarez (CIN)
Best Pitcher- Collin McHugh (SLB)
Best Defender- Isiah Kiner-Falefa (TEX)


March 16, 2021

EXPLORER DIVISION

Boston Braves
Owner- Colin McGowan (3rd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 27
Key Additions- OF Rusney Castillo, SS Adeiny Hechavarria, OF Eric Thames
Last Year- 2-2, qualified for playoffs
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Braves rely on their patience at the plate to win games. They have one of the most balanced offenses in the league between right and left handed hitters. Their pitching has shown improvement since Colin McGowan took over the team and will look to be even better in 2021.

Brooklyn Dodgers
Owner- Patrick Carmichael (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 29
Key Additions- 2B Luis Arraez, OF Mike Yazstremski, 1B Brandon Belt
Last Year- 0-0 (under Dustin Nelson)
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- A new philosophy will be in play for the 2021 Brooklyn Dodgers, an organization that has not yet found its rightful place in the league. Patrick Carmichael will hope to change the culture in Brooklyn with a strong offense and tough left handed starter Patrick Corbin.

Chicago White Sox
Owner- Marty Bach (2nd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 38
Key Additions- IF Tim Beckham, OF Micker Adolfo
Last Year- 0-4
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The White Sox bring much experience to the field but still have not put everything together. The franchise has been on hard times since the founding of the league but have their best chance of competing under Marty Bach.

Kansas City Athletics
Owner- Marc Zustin (3rd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 6
Key Additions- C Ryan Jeffers, 3B Isaac Paredes
Last Year- 2-0, defeated Browns in playoffs
History- 1 Final Four Appearance (2019)
How They Win- The Athletics bring pure athleticism to the table and win using that. They can win games multiple ways and have a winning attitude. Their pitching can be extraordinary at times but sometimes will have a down game. The offense is strong and has significant power.

New York Mets
Owner- Sean Carmichael (3rd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 11
Key Additions- OF Kevin Pillar, OF Jose Martines, OF Albert Almora Jr.
Last Year- 2-1, made playoffs
History- 1 Final Four Appearance (2014 under Steven Wilson)
How They Win- The pitching mound is the most comfortable place on the field for the Mets, especially hurler Seth Lugo. Lugo possesses a unique and difficult to hit set of pitches. The Mets offense, although maybe overlooked, is also formidable.

Philadelphia Athletics
Owner- Biran Mongol (3rd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 26
Key Additions- 3B Miguel Sano, OF Avisail Garcia
Last Year- 1-2
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- Brian Mangol has given an identity to the Philadelphia Athletics. They are a sneaky talented team that has yet to see the results they deserve. 2021 could be the year the A’s put everything together and make a run at the Explorer Division.

Projected Order of Finish
1 Kansas City Athletics
2 New York Mets
3 Philadelphia Athletics
4 Boston Braves
5 Brooklyn Dodgers
6 Chicago White Sox

Best Hitter- Javy Baez (KCA)
Best Pitcher- Seth Lugo (NYM)
Best Defender- Harrison Bader (KCA)


March 15, 2021

FANATIC DIVISION

Cleveland Indians
Owner- Dane Chester (12th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 15
Key Additions- IF Amed Rosario, OF Daniel Johnson
Last Year- 0-0
History- No Final Four Appearance
How They Win- Mike Clevinger has a very heavy sinker that forces many ground balls and the Indians rely on that strong pitching to win games. They also bring a strong offense to the plate, led by future hall of fame catcher Yan Gomes.

Colorado Rockies
Owner- Megan Bolin (6th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 42
Key Additions- OF Ryan Vilade
Last Year- 0-1
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Rockies best chance of getting in the win column is by throwing strikes. Their pitching has been very inconsistent over the years while their offense tries to keep them in games. Colorado is a good contact team but lacks the home run power.

Milwaukee Brewers
Owner- Bobby Bolin (25th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 5
Key Additions- OF Tyrone Taylor, OF Jackie Bradley Jr., 3B Travis Shaw
Last Year- 14-10 (defeated Mets and Senators in playoffs)
History- 2 Time League Champion (1998, 2016)
How They Win- Coming off a lackluster regular season, the Brewers really need to focus on improving their pitching. They gave up runs in droves last year and the offense did not perform well when needed. Milwaukee still can hit with any team in the league and could bounce back this year.

New York Giants
Owner- Frankie Ciacchi (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 16
Key Additions- OF Alex Verdugo, SS Corey Seager, DH Kyle Schwarber
Last Year- 0-0 (under John Mandula)
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Giants could be a complete team, albeit somewhat rusty. They will throw up some of the biggest power bats from the left side of the plate. How their pitching plays out will probably define how the season goes.

Oakland Athletics
Owner- Ryan Bolin (13th year with team)
Preseason Ranking- 2
Key Additions- None
Last Year- 20-4, Defeated Yankees and Marlins in playoffs
History- 2019 League Champion
How They Win- Pitching is the name of the game for the Oakland Athletics. They have developed into the most efficient pitching team in the league. Their offense has also improved over the past couple seasons, increasing power and contact. The A’s are as formidable of a team that exists in the league.

Projected Order of Finish
1 Oakland Athletics
2 Milwaukee Brewers
3 New York Giants
4 Cleveland Indians
5 Colorado Rockies

Best Hitter- Corey Seager (NYG)
Best Pitcher- Shane Bieber (OAK)
Best Defender- Lorenzo Cain (MIL)


March 14, 2021

HURRICANE DIVISION
Kansas City Monarchs
Owner- Kevin Lemin (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 21
Key Additions- 3B Maikel Franco, CF Lane Thomas, SS Jose Iglesias
Last Year- Expansion Team
History- Expansion Team
How They Win- Athleticism will not be lacking for the expansion Kansas City Monarchs. They are a team looking to make a splash right out of the gate and compete to win the Hurricane Division. They come in with natural rivals and a good idea what to expect.

Kansas City Royals
Owner- Scott Lemin (1st year with team)
Preseason Ranking- 17
Key Additions- OF Michael Taylor, 3B Kelvin Gutierrez
Last Year- 0-3 under Dave May
History- 2018 Final Four (Dave May)
How They Win- People will have a tough time recognizing the Kansas City Royals in 2021. Scott Lemin will bring a whole new style of play to the field, making the team more athletic with a more dynamic offense. It remains to be seen how well the Royals will adjust to a new pitching philosophy.

Los Angeles Angels
Owner- Alex Bierut (10th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 12
Key Additions- OF Nomar Mazara
Last Year- 1-0
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Angels can win in multiple styles, but it seems their preference in the recent past has been to slug their way to victory. Shohei Ohtani has a formidable arsenal on the mound and the Angels demonstrate an above average offense.

Milwaukee Braves
Owner- Danny Cunningham (4th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 13
Key Additions- 2B Nick Madrigal
Last Year- 0-2
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- One of the most athletic teams in the league, the Braves rely on that athleticism to win games. They have one of the best defenses in the league and their offense really has come around over the past few years. A solid lineup and decent pitching await opponents of Milwaukee.

Philadelphia Phillies
Owner- Austin Rose (9th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 9
Key Additions- SS CJ Chatham
Last Year- 0-0
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Phillies have established themselves as one of the most powerful offenses in the league. They show power to the alleys and make good contact. The pitching staff relies on high velocity and unique movement. The Phillies have struggled in the playoffs but can easily make the jump in 2021.

St. Louis Cardinals
Owner- Devin Cunningham (22nd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 3
Key Additions- SS Tim Anderson
Last Year- 3-2, League Runner Up
History- 2 Time League Champions
How They Win- The Cardinals have the best combination of power and pitching in the league. Their downfall is when there is too much swing and miss on offense and location can be a problem on the mound. St. Louis is a perennial contender for league titles.

Projected Order of Finish
1 St. Louis Cardinals
2 Philadelphia Phillies
3 Los Angeles Angels
4 Kansas City Royals
5 Milwaukee Braves
6 Kansas City Monarchs

Best Hitter- Mike Trout (STL)
Best Pitcher- Noah Syndergaard (STL)
Best Defender- Whit Merrifield (KCR)


March 13, 2021

MUNICIPAL DIVISION

Baltimore Orioles
Owner- Kodi Simon (12th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 33
Key Additions- SS Ramon Urias
Last Year- 0-0
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- At their best when they are making good contact, the Orioles need to get more consistent on the offensive side of the ball. Their pitching is usually able to keep them in games, so eliminating the swing and miss will be the key to them making noise.

Chicago Cubs
Owner- Kati Simon (4th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 39
Key Additions- OF Cameron Maybin, OF Steven Souza Jr., OF Jake Marisnick
Last Year- 0-0
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Cubs have built a solid foundation and are looking to take the next step to becoming a league contender. A small improvement in most facets of the game will go a long way to put the Cubs back on the map.

Detroit Tigers
Owner- Brian Bolin (6th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 25
Key Additions- SS Zack Short, OF Derek Hill, OF Robbie Grossman, SP Casey Mize
Last Year- 0-0
History- No Final Four Appearances (Brian Bolin 2 with Tampa Bay including league runner up)
How They Win- The Tigers will rely on their young arm phenom Casey Mize to carry them through the 2021 season. Detroit has always relied on stellar pitching and their offense is capable of coming through big time. Injuries have been and will continue to be an issue.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Owner- Brandon Gearo (2nd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 41
Key Additions- 1B Phillip Evans, OF Anthony Alford, OF Jared Oliva
Last Year- 0-0
History- 2015 League Champion (Doug Benzel)
How They Win- The Pirates are still trying to piece together all aspects of their game. They show flashes of brilliance, especially hitting the long ball, but the overall consistency needs to improve. They will need a spark from new starting pitcher Mitch Keller to contend.

Seattle Pilots
Owner- Carter Stewart (5th year with team)
Preseason Ranking- 34
Key Additions- None
Last Year- 1-4
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Pilots are a team on the rise. They have been competitive in their division over the past couple seasons and are still getting better. Their game still needs some improvement but they are getting closer to building an identity.

Projected Order of Finish
1 Detroit Tigers
2 Seattle Pilots
3 Baltimore Orioles
4 Chicago Cubs
5 Pittsburgh Pirates

Best Hitter- Sean Rodriguez (DET)
Best Pitcher- Casey Mize (DET)
Best Defender- Austin Hays (BAL)


March 12, 2021

PATRIOT DIVISION

Boston Red Sox
Owner- Tom Otter (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 35
Key Additions- IF Christian Arroyo
Last Year- 0-0 under Kevin Yurik
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Red Sox will be one of the more intriguing teams in the league this year. No owners know what to expect from international man of mystery Tom Otter. Expectations are that the offense will start ahead of the pitching and the rest remains to be seen.

Seattle Mariners
Owner- Ryan Sopko (23rd with team)
Preseason Ranking- 22
Key Additions- 3B Ty France, OF Daz Cameron
Last Year- 0-0
History- 2 Time League Champions
How They Win- The old school Mariners were a terrific combination of power, speed, pitching, and defense. They will still have those skills but it’s still unsure how they will pan out on the field. The Mariners could be a big time under the radar team to watch out for this year.

Tampa Bay Rays
Owner- Jake Cantrell (6th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 14
Key Additions- OF Randy Arozarena, IF Mike Brosseau, SP Charlie Morton
Last Year- 0-2
History- 2 Final Four Appearances (Brian Bolin)
How They Win- The Rays have one of the most consistent offenses in the league year after year. They have the pitching to keep them in games but it is the line drives and long balls that push them to victory. Tampa has been up and down over the last few years but still have the intangibles to make a difference.

Washington Nationals
Owner- Adam DelGarbino (6th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 10
Key Additions- Eddie Rosario, The “Strange” in Dee Strange-Gordon
Last Year- 4-6, qualified for playoffs
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Nationals used to be a slap hitting team that relied on pitchers who kept the ball down with pinpoint location. While the pitching strategy has remained the same, the Nats offense has climbed the ladder to be a significant force in the league.

Washington Senators
Owner- Joe Yurik (6th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 7
Key Additions- None
Last Year- 5-3, defeated Blue Jays in first round of playoffs
History- 2017 Final Four
How They Win- The Senators win with their offense, period. They have developed a strong approach at the plate and now use all parts of the field. Jacob deGrom has good movement on his pitches, but still can be wild. The Senators have grown into one of the top competitors in the league.

Projected Order of Finish
1 Washington Senators
2 Washington Nationals
3 Tampa Bay Rays
4 Boston Red Sox
5 Seattle Mariners

Best Hitter- Cody Bellinger (WAS)
Best Pitcher- Blake Snell (WSH)
Best Defender- Kevin Kiermaier (TBR)

March 11, 2021

TITAN DIVISION

Arizona Diamondbacks
Owner- Nick Castenir (20th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 24
Key Additions- 3B Josh Rojas
Last Year- 0-0
History- 2008 Final Four
How They Win- The Diamondbacks are best when the ball is flying out of the park. Arizona is a team that will win the slugfest if their pitching can do enough to get by. The Diamondbacks typically have had one of the better offenses in the league.

Atlanta Braves
Owner- Tony Hopkins (13th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 8
Key Additions- OF Marcell Ozuna
Last Year- 0-0
History- 5 Time League Champions (3 under Tony Hopkins)
How They Win- The Braves have always been one of the most athletic teams in the league and can win in many different ways. Atlanta has a potent offense and back it up with strong pitching. They typically play in higher scoring games.

Miami Marlins
Owner- Dave Jones (21st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 4
Key Additions- IF Jeff McNeil
Last Year- 1-3, defeated Reds in first round of playoffs
History- 6 Time League Champions
How They Win- The Marlins win with some of the most dominant pitching in the league. Although their offense is not as powerful as it used to be, Miami can still knock the ball out of the park with the best teams. 2021 is the year they hope will end their championship drought.

Montreal Expos
Owner- Brandon Harris (7th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 1
Key Additions- SP Nate Pearson, C Sean Murphy
Last Year- 1-1, won championship
History- 2020 League Champions, 4 Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The defending champion Expos have developed into one of the league’s dominant teams and a perennial championship contender. They use a combination of strong pitching and one of the best offenses in the league to wear out their opponents.

New York Yankees
Owner- Noah Mehrle (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 18
Key Additions- SP Deivi Garcia
Last Year- 1-1 under Scottie Ruessman
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Yankees will be facing a small learning curve under new ownership this year but should be able to develop into a strong pitching team. The offense will probably start the year ahead of the pitching and the Yankees have a lot of upside to make an impact.

Projected Order of Finish
1 Montreal Expos
2 Miami Marlins
3 New York Yankees
4 Atlanta Braves
5 Arizona Diamondbacks

Best Hitter- Mookie Betts (MON)
Best Pitcher- Clayton Kershaw (MIA)
Best Defender- Nolan Arenado (MON)

March 10, 2021

ZEBRA DIVISION

Cleveland Buckeyes
Owner- Kerry Kemp (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 30
Key Additions- C Willson Contreras, 1B Jesus Aguilar, OF Justin Upton
Last Year- Expansion Team, Kerry Kemp 0-3 with Houston Astros
History- Expansion Team, Kerry Kemp no Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The Buckeyes will be a balanced team that should be able to settle in as the season moves forward. The team has been working hard throughout the offseason and should be able to their advantage. They have a good mix of veterans and young players.

Houston Astros
Owner- Scottie Ruessman (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 36
Key Additions- IF Mike Moustakas, C Joey Bart, OF Nick Castellanos
Last Year- 0-3 under Kerry Kemp, Scottie Ruessman 1-1 with New York Yankees
History- 2009 Final Four (Mike Jones)
How They Win- The Astros will see an ownership change but the overall style will not be much different. They will rely on their offense to win games via the home run. The Astros will find success if pitcher Michael Lorenzen is able to perform at a high level.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Owner- Cody Dingess (4th with team)
Preseason Ranking- 20
Key Additions- OF DJ Peters
Last Year- 2-3, defeated Twins in first round of playoffs
History- 4 Final Four Appearances (Rich Kammer), Runner up in 2011
How They Win- The Dodgers go as starting pitcher Kenta Maeda goes. Last year, Maeda was slightly inconsistent, looking unhittable at times but also having some struggles late in the season. The Dodgers offense is still developing but also on the upswing.

San Diego Padres
Owner- Adam Noga (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 28
Key Additions- IF Ha-seong Kim, 3B Anthony Rendon
Last Year- 0-0 under Mike Rogers, Adam Noga won the Minor League tournament with Albuquerque Isotopes
History- 2014 Final Four (Austin Steinbrenner)
How They Win- The Padres will be a very fundamentally sound team under their new ownership. It will be a period of adjustment, especially early in the season, but the Padres will bring a very balanced attack to the table as they improve throughout the year.

San Francisco Giants
Owner- Allison Noga (1st with team)
Preseason Ranking- 40
Key Additions- 1B Darin Ruf, C Curt Casali
Last Year- 0-0 under Russell Lang
History- No Final Four Appearances
How They Win- The league will have much to find out about the 2021 version of the Giants. They look to be a team that will need to play small ball to get some victories but their pitching staff will tell the story as the season goes on.

Projected Order of Finish
1 Los Angeles Dodgers
2 Cleveland Buckeyes
3 San Diego Padres
4 Houston Astros
5 San Francisco Giants

Best Hitter- Fernando Tatis Jr. (SDP)
Best Pitcher- Kenta Maeda (LAD)
Best Defender- Trent Grisham (SDP)


2020 Playoff Previews

Overall Notes

-6 of the 8 matchups are between two teams who have never faced each other
-All four teams from the Final Four last year are returning to the playoffs
-----OAK (1), KCA (3), MIL (7), MIA (8)
-The New York Mets, Boston Braves, and New York Yankees are all making their first playoff appearance under their current owners
-The last team to repeat as champion was the 2014 Atlanta Braves under manager Tony Hopkins

16 New York Yankees at 1 Oakland Athletics

Advantages
Contact- OAK
Power- OAK
Pitching- OAK
Fast Pitching- OAK
Defense- OAK
Experience- OAK
Overall- OAK

Past Matchups
None

The defending champion Oakland Athletics look to be a big favorite in this matchup. This will be Oakland’s fourth time as the number one overall seed in the playoffs and the Yankees’ first ever playoff appearance under Scottie Ruessman. Oakland finished the season 20-4 and outscored their opponents by an average of 3.7 runs per game. New York finished the season at 1-1 with their win being over their biggest rival, the Houston Astros.

9 Cincinnati Reds at 8 Miami Marlins

Advantages
Contact- MIA
Power- MIA
Pitching- MIA
Fast Pitching- MIA
Defense- MIA
Experience- MIA
Overall- MIA

Past Matchups
2015 Playoffs First Round MIA 8 CIN 5

The Miami Marlins are the most decorated team in league history but have not won a championship since 2011. Miami was barely able to sneak into the playoffs on the last day with a walk off home run while Cincinnati finished with their highest end of season ranking (7) since Billy Link took over the team. Miami went 1-3 on the season with one of the highest strengths of schedule out of any team and Cincinnati finished 4-2 and second in the Classic Division based on a head to head tiebreaker.

13 Boston Braves at 4 St. Louis Cardinals

Advantages
Contact- STL
Power- STL
Pitching- STL
Fast Pitching- STL
Defense- STL
Experience- STL
Overall- STL

Past Matchups
None

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to win their third league championship and bring one of the most prolific offenses to the table. The Cardinals started the season 0-2 for the first time in more than a decade and the Braves are making their first ever playoff appearance under Colin McGowan. St. Louis finished the season 3-2 but ended on a three game winning streak while Boston finished 2-2 averaging a monstrous 10.25 runs per game.

12 Los Angeles Dodgers at 5 Minnesota Twins

Advantages
Contact- MIN
Power- LAD
Pitching- LAD
Fast Pitching- LAD
Defense- LAD
Experience- MIN
Overall- LAD

Past Matchups
None

This is one of the most intriguing first round matchups, as neither team has ever won a playoff game with their current owner. This is the first time the Minnesota Twins will host a postseason game in the past decade while the Dodgers are looking to return to the success they had under previous owner Rich Kammer. Minnesota had their best record under Alycia Link at 4-1, went undefeated and won the Classic Division, as the Dodgers also had their most successful season under Cody Dingess going 2-3 with one of those wins being against number one ranked and defending champion Oakland.

15 Toronto Blue Jays at 2 Washington Senators

Advantages
Contact- WAS
Power- WAS
Pitching- WAS
Fast Pitching- WAS
Defense- WAS
Experience- WAS
Overall- WAS

Past Matchups
2017 Playoffs First Round WAS 6 TOR 2

The Washington Senators are coming in with their highest playoff seed in franchise history. Washington is poised to make some big noise for the first time since going to the Final Four in 2017 and the Blue Jays, the only founding team that has remained with the same owner for the entire length of the league, are looking to win their first championship since 1999. The Senators wound up with a 5-3 record and won the Patriot Division while Toronto secured a 3-4 season, managing to score only 2.4 runs per game.

10 New York Mets at 7 Milwaukee Brewers

Advantages
Contact- Even
Power- MIL
Pitching- NYM
Fast Pitching- MIL
Defense- Even
Experience- MIL
Overall- Even

Past Matchups
None

This has the potential to be a really good game featuring the precision pitching of the New York Mets against the powerful offense of the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee has not lost their first playoff game since 2012, where they had two byes before losing in the third round, while the Mets are looking to be the second team to ever win the championship in their first year qualifying for the playoffs. The Brewers finished the season at 14-10 and gave up over ten runs a staggering nine times and New York ended up with a 2-1 record allowing 4.3 runs per game.

14 St. Louis Browns at 3 Kansas City Athletics

Advantages
Contact- KCA
Power- KCA
Pitching- Even
Fast Pitching- KCA
Defense- KCA
Experience- SLB
Overall- KCA

Past Matchups
None

The Kansas City Athletics are coming off a Final Four appearance and will start the playoffs out against the ageless St. Louis Browns in an all Missouri battle. Kansas City has won the Explorer Division both years of its existence and the Browns have multiple Classic Division championships, playing the third most games in the league over the past five years. The Athletics started strong and coasted to a 2-0 record, averaging ten runs in those two games, while St. Louis scored 45 runs with only two home runs in the regular season.

11 Washington Nationals at 6 Montreal Expos

Advantages
Contact- Even
Power- MON
Pitching- Even
Fast Pitching- Even
Defense- Even
Experience- Even
Overall- MON

Past Matchups
None

The Montreal Expos, even as a past champion, are currently flying under the radar in hopes of winning their second title but will need to get past the Washington Nationals, who are intent on getting to their first Final Four in team history. Montreal brings in a fundamentally sound squad with the ability to win games with their pitching and defense while the Nationals have significantly improved over the past few seasons and are a serious threat to any team they play. The Expos finished the season at 1-1, defeating the Milwaukee Brewers and losing to the Oakland Athletics, and Washington posted a 4-6 record, nearly tying for the Patriot Division lead on the last day of the season.

July 29, 2020

Miami Marlins News and Notes

The entire 2020 season for the Miami Marlins is riding on what will occur just over an hour from right now. The Marlins, under long time owner Dave Jones, are coming into the season’s final day needing at least one win to become postseason eligible. Jones summed it up perfectly on a conference call, "I need to get a win." And they will have to do that against the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers.

Miami has only had a small history against Ryan Bolin’s Oakland Athletics but it has not been a good one. Traditionally, the Marlins have made sure to only schedule high level competition. Oakland did not meet that criteria until only a few years ago, and even then the two teams had only met 3 times since 2015 before fatefully matching up in last year’s championship game. The Athletics prevailed in a fantastic finale last year and have beaten the Marlins four of the last five times they have played going back to that 2015 season, every matchup being decided by two runs or less.

The Marlins’ history with the Milwaukee Brewers and Bobby Bolin is quite the opposite. The teams typically match up multiple times throughout any given season, usually coming close to splitting the season series. That is one thing that really makes the 2020 season unique. The Marlins and Brewers game or games today will be their first time playing each other this season. Milwaukee has put together a very mediocre season, one of their worst in recent memory. Miami will certainly look to take advantage of that.

The road to the playoffs has turned into a much more difficult one than it should have been. Typically a shoo in, the Marlins now will have to beat one of those two teams, in what looks to be a tough day. The question becomes: Who are the Marlins this year? Miami is 0-2 this year. However, the two losses are to the Athletics and Devin Cunningham’s St. Louis Cardinals, a traditional league powerhouse. Neither of those are bad losses. But not getting a win today will mean the Marlins will miss out on the playoffs based on eligibility for the first time in their history in the league. The stakes are rather high. Miami is the most decorated franchise in league history, winning more championships than any other team. Since their last championship in 2011, however, each year has ended in bitter defeat. The last four playoff losses for the Marlins have come at the hands of either the Athletics or the Brewers.

Miami is looking today as a day for revenge. Revenge for losing the 2019 championship to Oakland, followed by another loss earlier this season. Revenge for Milwaukee knocking them out in their three previous postseason appearances. And revenge for not winning a title in the last nine years. The Marlins are still one of the best teams in the league and they are primed and ready to prove it.

July 27, 2020

Congratulations to Adam Noga and the Albuquerque Isotopes, who excelled in the Rookie League tournament to take home first place.

July 27, 2020

Breaking News: The Philadelphia Athletics may not be able to participate in the postseason. A tough luck 9 iron to a tree root has potentially ended Brian J. Mangol's playoff hopes. Stay tuned as we continue to update this story.

July 26, 2020

Breaking News: The Los Angeles Angels are opting out of the 2020 postseason due mainly to travel concerns. Owner Alex Bierut had to make the difficult decision, "I think it's best to give (the playoff spot) to someone else, I'm not sure when I'd be able to play again." The Angels finished the regular season 1-0 and we're projected as a middle seed in the bracket. The beneficiary of this decision looks to be either the New York Yankees or Philadelphia Athletics, two 1-1 bubble teams looking to get in. Both teams could make the playoffs if the Miami Marlins are not able to secure the Titan Division in the next three days. The Texas Rangers and Seattle Pilots are both playoff eligible but would need to take a huge step forward by Wednesday to have a serious chance to get in.

July 14, 2020

Tough news out of Milwaukee as the Braves look to be sidelined due to labrum issues. "2020 is what one would call an L," Danny Cunningham said. The Braves were 0-2 on the year before making the announcement. Cunningham shut down rumors that the injury had any impact on the season before vowing to come back with a vengeance next season.

May 31, 2020

Quick Hitters:

Municipal Division
If Ryan Bolin is upset about his Oakland Athletics not being ranked #1 in the first in season poll, he's hiding it well. "You win some, you lose some. But there is a long season ahead and the Athletics look strong," Bolin said after the rankings were released.

Classic Division
Nobody predicted the Twins would be leading the division at any point in the season, yet that is where they are right now. Minnesota still has a tough road ahead but they could not have put themselves in a better place.

Explorer Division
Marty Bach looks to be fielding a competitive team as his White Sox opened league play last week. The Explorer Division should provide plenty of excitement this season.

Patriot Division
It was the usual knock down drag out competition as the Nationals and Senators renewed their rivalry on Tuesday. Joe Yurik's Senators got out to a big lead but almost gave it up, holding on by the slimmest of margins. If that game was any indication of what is to come, this division will come down to the wire.

Zebra Division
Things were looking great for the Brewers to start out the season, until they hit a rough patch last week against both Washington teams. "They beat us up pretty good," Bobby Bolin explained. "We just need to stay in better shape and get back on the field. If we play our game, there's nothing to worry about. We're playing for a bit of revenge now."

Hurricane Division
The Cardinals are in uncharted territory, without a win and two games under .500. There's plenty of season remaining for the perennial powerhouse and the only place to go is up.

West Division
Athleticism has been on display as the Texas Rangers are bringing a new style of play into the league under owner Tawfiq Ali. The Rangers have skidded a little since an impressive debut but the raw talent looks to be there and this is a team that could go on a run.

March 18, 2020

Zebra Division


As division outlooks good, the Zebra Division may be the easiest one to predict from first to fifth place. The Milwaukee Brewers have been a perennial championship contender while the rest of the division lacks league experience. The New York Giants probably have the best chance at second place, while the Houston Astros will be looking to be the surprise team and jump over the Brewers and Giants. The New York Yankees may still be a year or two away from being a contender in the division while the Colorado Rockies, even though improved, project to bring up the back end of the division. No division will be as keep on keeping up with the rules of the game as the Zebra Division and they will look to hopefully get at least two teams into the postseason tournament.

Colorado Rockies- Megan Bolin
Key Additions- 2B Jason Kipnis, OF Yonathan Daza, SS Brendan Rodgers
Key Losses- SS Trevor Story (traded to SLB), DH Mark Reynolds (free agency), OF Raimel Tapia (released)
Style of Play- Deliberate
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- The Colorado Rockies have never made the Bolin League Playoffs. When Megan Lowes took over the team in 2016, one of the expectations in the Mile High City was to see a Rockies playoff team in the near future. And while that has not happened yet, following another non-contending season in 2019, Lowes has implemented a new workout plan for the team, hoping to see some success in 2020.
Looking Forward- One of the youngest lineups in the league will be on display when the Rockies take the field in 2020. These rookies and young veterans will help to change the tide for a Colorado team that has been steeped in mediocrity through most of their history in the Bolin League. It will be interesting to see if there are new steps taken with the team this season.
Strengths- Contact, short swing, endurance
Weaknesses- Pitching velocity, pitching accuracy, power

Milwaukee Brewers- Bobby Bolin
Key Additions- OF Avisail Garcia, 1B Justin Smoak
Key Losses- 3B Travis Shaw (free agency), 3B Mike Moustakas (free agency)
Style of Play- Efficient
2019 Record- 22-11 Ranked 5th (Lost in Final Four)
Year in Review- Coming off a championship in 2016, and being the runner up the following two seasons, expectations were high in Milwaukee last year. The Brewers were disappointed in their regular season and made an exit to the Miami Marlins in the playoff semifinals. Milwaukee had a good year offensively, as they put up ten runs or more on twelve separate occasions, but they also allowed more than ten runs seven different times, including giving up 20 runs to Oakland in July. The Brewers will hope to keep 2020 from being as streaky as they were in 2019.
Looking Forward- The expectation in Milwaukee has been championship or bust for a while now. The team has undergone some significant roster changes but still look to bring a contending roster onto the field. The Brewers score a lot of runs but also give up their fair share. 2020 will probably see a similar trend. Milwaukee is the heavy favorite to win the Zebra Division but will not discount the potential of division teams, specifically the New York Giants.
Strengths- Bad ball hitting, power, pitching repertoire
Weaknesses- Pitching consistency, discipline, streakiness

Houston Astros- Kerry Kemp
Key Additions- OF Myles Straw, OF Jack Mayfield, C Dustin Garneau
Key Losses- 1B Tyler White (traded to LAD), OF Jake Marisnick (free agency), C Max Stassi (traded to LAA)
Style of Play- Strategic
2019 Record- 1-3 Ranked 17th
Year in Review- Literally, Kerry Kemp had big shoes to fill taking over for Mike Jones. In the early 2000s, Mike Jones and the Houston Astros were one of the guiding forces of the Bolin League. Kemp inherited a team with a great roster that had been on a slight decline over the past few years. While Kemp’s first season, finishing 1-3 was an upgrade over the last few seasons under Jones, he has vowed to do better in 2020, especially within the division. The Astros’ sole win in 2019 came against their division rival, the New York Yankees. With the added experience, 2020 may be the season where the Astros kick it into high gear.
Looking Forward- The Astros bring in one of the more underrated offensive rosters in the league. The change of ownership and a year to grow accustomed to the league will both benefit Houston as they move forward both within the division and within the league. Houston will still measure its success with how they fair against their division rivals, especially the New York Yankees. This is a team to watch out for as they continue to gain the needed experience to compete in the Bolin League.
Strengths- Short swing, command, rules knowledge
Weaknesses- Contact, pitching repertoire, pitching velocity

New York Giants- John Mandula
Key Additions- 2B Adrian Sanchez, SS Yairo Munoz
Key Losses- IF Addison Russell (released), SS Troy Tulowitzki (retirement)
Style of Play- Smooth
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- The New York Giants have only had one owner since joining the Bolin League during the expansion year of 2016. John Mandula has had his ups and downs in charge of the team. While 2019 was a down year, the Giants do have a good team that is competitive when things are going the right way. New York has been a playoff quality team over the past few years and just need to take the next step to be a legitimate contender.
Looking Forward- Slotted second in the Zebra Division in most preseason polls, the Giants feel they have something to prove when they step on the field this spring and summer. They still have a quality lineup and some deceptive pitching that can keep opponents guessing. Even if they aren’t able to take home the division crown, they still have the ability to be a playoff team and show the league that they can be a power.
Strengths- Command, discipline, power
Weaknesses- Pitching repertoire, consistency, launch angle

New York Yankees- Scottie Ruessman
Key Additions- OF Nicholas Castellanos
Key Losses- C Austin Romine (free agency)
Style of Play- Passionate
2019 Record- 0-3 Ranked 24th
Year in Review- A common adage advises new Bolin League owners that it takes at least one year to adapt to the style of play that they will be competing against. The New York Yankees are hoping that adage is true because 2019 was a year that they definitely need to grow beyond. It was a tough season in the Bronx as the Yankees came up without a victory, with losses to Houston, Cleveland, and the Brewers, being outscored 29-1. That being said, Yankees owner Scottie Ruessman is passionate about bringing a winning team back to the Big Apple. The Yankees have had quite the roller coaster ride throughout the league, having some really bad years but also some really solid years, including nearly coming out of nowhere to win a championship in 2005 under Rick DiMichele. Things should get better for the Yankees in 2020.
Looking Forward- Before making a splash in the league as a whole, the Yankees will need to be competitive within the Zebra Division. They bring in a quality lineup that includes a lot of power, but also a lot of swing and miss. Their pitching staff looks to be improved from last year and should expect to give up less runs per game. They are looking especially hard at beating the Houston Astros, their natural rival, and surprising some teams in the league.
Strengths- Power, rules knowledge, energy
Weaknesses- Contact, command, pitching repertoire

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- Milwaukee Brewers
Most Improved- New York Giants
Shock the World- New York Yankees
Best Roster- Houston Astros
Division MVP- CF Lorenzo Cain (MIL)
Cy Young Candidate- Chris Sale (NYG)
Rookies to Watch- OF Yonathan Daza (COL), SS Brendan Rogers (COL)

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Milwaukee Brewers
2 New York Giants
3 Houston Astros
4 New York Yankees
5 Colorado Rockies

March 17, 2020

West Division


Unless the experts are exceptionally wrong in a lot of areas, the West Division looks to be the Montreal Expos’ to lose. The rest of the competition looks like it is a step below the Expos, even coming off a down year, but stranger things have happened. The Baltimore Orioles have more experience than any team in the division while the Chicago Cubs have some potential to succeed long term if they can find some early success to build on. The San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers both have competitive teams but are still unknown in the grand scope of the league. Montreal brings a powerful lineup to the plate backed by a good pitching staff and have the pedigree of being a past champion, so they fully expect to come out on top.

Baltimore Orioles- Kodi Simon
Key Additions- SS Jose Iglesias
Key Losses- OF Joey Rickard (free agency)
Style of Play- Aggressive
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- While the Orioles were pretty much sidelined in 2019, they are well represented in the Bolin League history books ever since Kodi Simon took over. The Orioles have been up and down, sometimes competitive, sometimes not. They are a team that needs a little bit more consistency on a year in, year out basis, but are a team that could compete if things work out right for them.
Looking Forward- Baltimore is an interesting case study in the Bolin League. They are a team that has had some success and some tough years. They have been on the forefront of teams in terms of physical workouts and their skills have improved over time. The Orioles will bring a young roster to the field in 2020 and will hope to compete in the West Division.
Strengths- Speed, hitting to all fields, bat speed
Weaknesses- Hitch in swing, contact, pitching location

Chicago Cubs- Kati Simon
Key Additions- IF Nico Hoerner, OF Steven Souza Jr.
Key Losses- IF Wilmer Flores (free agency), IF Tommy La Stella (free agency)
Style of Play- Small Ball
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- As storied as the Cubs franchise is, they have never really made a huge impact on the league. The ownership situation in the Windy City has been pretty rough since the inception of the team into the league in 2003 under Zach Ulman. Ulman stabilized the franchise but never really had any success on the field. Since 2007, the Cubs have been under the control of seven different owners with only one of them, JB Miller in 2011 making the playoffs. Kati Simon has now had a few years with the Cubbies and will hope to get the team on the right track.
Looking Forward- The scouting report on the Cubs is still incomplete as there is plenty to learn about their skill level and style of play. Chicago has some young players that could take the next step toward being solid contributors in 2020. There is definitely some skill on the team but the lack of league experience will be working against Chicago.
Strengths- Fundamentals, pitching consistency, contact
Weaknesses- Power, experience, pitching velocity

Montreal Expos- Brandon Harris
Key Additions- OF Jo Adell
Key Losses- OF Austin Jackson (free agency)
Style of Play- Constant Pressure
2019 Record- 1-3 Ranked 10th
Year in Review- Coming off a league championship in 2018 where they looked like a potential dynasty in the making, the Expos took a step back in 2019. Some legal issues, albeit good legal issues, led to more focus off the field than on the field, as the Expos finished with a 1-3 record and did not participate in the league playoffs. Some consolation can be taken in the fact that the Expos three losses came to only two teams, and both of those teams played in the championship game. Montreal’s sole win in 2019 also came against a Final Four team.
Looking Forward- 2020 will almost definitely be a bounce back season for one of the current best teams in the league. Montreal uses a huge offense and above average pitching to typically outslug their opponents, although they have been known to win low scoring, tight games as well. Rookie Jo Adell should prove to be an upgrade to one of the best lineups in the league. The Expos’ first four hitters may be unmatched by any roster in the league. Montreal will be a favorite to run away with the West Division and will most likely be a force in the 2020 playoffs.
Strengths- Contact, power, fundamentals
Weaknesses- Streaky, pitching repertoire, launch angle consistency

San Diego Padres- Mike Rogers
Key Additions- OF Trent Grisham, P Joey Lucchesi
Key Losses- OF Travis Jankoswki (released), P Eric Lauer (released)
Style of Play- Old School
2019 Record- 0-1 Ranked 23rd
Year in Review- Mike Rogers made his Bolin League debut with the San Diego Padres in 2019 after a good ownership run from Austin Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner helped put the Friars on the map along with Brian Letts in their first few seasons and Rogers will look to take the next step in San Diego.
Looking Forward- The Padres and their archrival, the Texas Rangers, will both be teams to watch out for. Although it is unknown whether these teams can compete at the same level as division opponents such as the Montreal Expos, both teams are outside shots to make the playoffs. The Padres have power from both sides of the plate and behind the left handed arm of Joey Lucchesi they are a team to keep an eye on in 2020.
Strengths- Past experience, pitching repertoire, contact
Weaknesses- Power, pitching velocity, consistency

Texas Rangers- Tom Rogers
Key Additions- OF Adolis Garcia, 3B Nick Solak, 1B Sam Travis
Key Losses- OF Delino DeShields (traded), OF Hunter Pence (free agency), 1B Patrick Wisdom (released)
Style of Play- Mysterious
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- Ever since Bob Bolin left the Lone Star state to take over the newly formed St. Louis Browns, the Texas Rangers organization has been in flux. They’ve seen three owners since the 2015 season and had little to no impact on the league in that time period. The franchise falls into the potentially capable hands of Tom Rogers, who will look to rebuild a team that used to be one of the staple organizations in the league.
Looking Forward- In terms of roster, the Rangers are many steps below the rest of the league. There is a mixture of rookie and veteran players, but the impact players are just not there. Rogers will have to do everything he can to get the most out of what he has in 2020 in order to give his team a chance to compete. The Rangers and Padres rivalry could possibly develop into one of the best in the league.
Strengths- Past experience, competitiveness, talent development
Weaknesses- League experience, knowledge of competition, modern game

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- Montreal Expos
Most Improved- Chicago Cubs
Shock the World- Baltimore Orioles
Best Roster- Montreal Expos
Division MVP- DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (MON)
Cy Young Candidate- Jake Arrieta (MON)
Rookies to Watch- OF Jo Adell (MON), 3B Nick Solak (TEX), IF Nico Hoerner (CHC), 1B Ryan Mountcastle (BAL), OF Ryan McKenna (BAL)

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Montreal Expos
2 San Diego Padres
3 Baltimore Orioles
4 Texas Rangers
5 Chicago Cubs

March 16, 2020

Titan Division


It looks to be a two team race in the Titan Division this year, with the Miami Marlins being the clear favorite to win the division. There are some very good teams that have contended for and won titles in the past, but this year most likely will go to the Marlins. The Atlanta Braves have the pedigree of a champion. The Seattle Mariners are also a past champion looking to relive the glory days. The Arizona Diamondbacks have talent to compete. The Cleveland Indians are the only other team, however, that appears to be in contention to win the Titan Division.

Arizona Diamondbacks- Nick Castenir
Key Additions- 2B Andy Young, OF Tim Locastro, OF Starling Marte
Key Losses- 2B Martin Prado (retirement), OF Steven Souza (free agency), OF Adam Jones (overseas)
Style of Play- Deliberate
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- It’s been a couple years since the Diamondbacks were contending against their archrivals, the Marlins and Braves, who have all been in the same division for many consecutive years. Nick Castenir is one of the longest tenured owners in the league and his Diamondbacks have been a stalwart of consistency and stability over those years.
Looking Forward- What impact the Diamondbacks will have on the league moving forward remains to be seen. Their roster has seen some turnover but they still are running out several veterans who can slug with the best teams in the league. The D-Backs have always relied on their offense to carry them and that does not look to change anytime soon.
Strengths- Power, fundamentals, pitching location
Weaknesses- Pitching repertoire, consistency, pitching velocity

Atlanta Braves- Tony Hopkins
Key Additions- OF Christian Pache
Key Losses- IF Jedd Gyorko (free agency)
Style of Play- Locked In
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- One of the most decorated franchises in the history of the Bolin League, no matter who has been running the team, the Atlanta Braves haven’t been in contention recently. The Braves, when going right, are right at the top of the league offensively, defensively, and on the mound. Their last championship came in 2014, the second of back to back titles, and the league has not heard much out of the heart of Georgia since then.
Looking Forward- The Braves definitely are one of the most talented teams in the league, but it remains to be seen whether they, or anyone in the Titan Division, will be able to compete with the Miami Marlins for a division championship or beyond.
Strengths- Bad ball hitting, power to all fields, pitching repertoire
Weaknesses- Chasing pitches, closing out games, pitching consistency

Cleveland Indians- Dane Chester
Key Additions- IF Cesar Hernandez, OF Delino DeShields, OF Domingo Santana
Key Losses- 2B Jason Kipnis (free agency), 1B Justin Bour (overseas), OF Jordan Luplow (released)
Style of Play- Methodical
2019 Record- 2-1 Ranked 4th
Year in Review- After a long layoff, the Cleveland Indians were able to pick up right where they left off as they finished above .500 in the standings in 2019. The Indians started with a huge victory over the New York Yankees and then the roles were reversed when they played the Oakland Athletics. A win over the Milwaukee Brewers in July sealed a good regular season for the Tribe, who had to unfortunately pull out of the playoffs due to travel restrictions.
Looking Forward- The Indians have a yearly MVP candidate in catcher Yan Gomes and a solid roster surrounding him. They are in a talent rich division and they will have to fight against the Miami Marlins, a very solid team, if they would like to win the division. The Indians are eager to come out in 2020 with something to prove and hopefully make a deep postseason run.
Strengths- Experience, pitching command, pitching differentiation
Weaknesses- Closing out games, inconsistent swing mechanics, plate discipline

Miami Marlins- Dave Jones
Key Additions- None
Key Losses- None
Style of Play- Smart and Strong
2019 Record- 4-1 Ranked 2nd (Lost in Championship Game)
Year in Review- After being knocked out of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Brewers for the third straight time in 2018, the Marlins were finally able to get over that hump last season. Miami and Milwaukee left all pitching at home and the Marlins were able to hammer the Brewers in the biggest slugfest in postseason history. They may have found a new rival as they lost to the Oakland Athletics in an intense championship game. The Marlins are in a championship drought currently and keep getting tantalizingly close to adding to their wall of titles, but they have lost a lot of big games over the year. Miami has finished strong in the regular season almost every year of their existence and have more championships than any team in the league. 2020 brings on the hope of keeping the dynasty alive.
Looking Forward- The Marlins bring a terrifying lineup to the plate on a daily basis and have one of the best pitching staffs in the entire league. Add on to that their championship pedigree and detailed knowledge of the game, and it adds up to one of the most formidable teams in the league. The Marlins are a heavy favorite to win the Titan Division and are one of the top contenders to the overall league championship as well.
Strengths- Baseball IQ, pitch sequencing, power
Weaknesses- Hanging pitches, outside corner discipline, opposite field power

Seattle Mariners- Ryan Sopko
Key Additions- 3B Patrick Wisdom, 1B Evan White, IF Tim Lopes
Key Losses- IF Tim Beckham (free agency), 1B Ryon Healy (free agency), OF Domingo Santana (free agency)
Style of Play- Speed and Power
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- The early to mid 2000s were the golden age of Mariners baseball in the Bolin League. Seattle fans have fallen on hard times over the past few years, and a lot of them have now turned their attention to the upstart Seattle Pilots. The Mariners haven’t had a successful season in quite a few years now, but still have the potential to make a splash in the Titan Division.
Looking Forward- Gone are the days of Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, and Jay Buhner. The Mariners have a young, inexperienced roster that definitely has the talent to succeed, even in a difficult division. It remains to be seen what strides this team can make moving forward.
Strengths- Athleticism, Power, Defense
Weaknesses- Pitching repertoire, consistency, swing plane

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- Miami Marlins
Most Improved- Cleveland Indians
Shock the World- Seattle Mariners
Best Roster- Miami Marlins
Division MVP- C Yan Gomes (CLE)
Cy Young Candidate- Clayton Kershaw (MIA)
Rookies to Watch- OF Christian Pache (ATL), 1B Evan White (SEA)

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Miami Marlins
2 Cleveland Indians
3 Atlanta Braves
4 Arizona Diamondbacks
5 Seattle Mariners

March 15, 2020

Patriot Division


Storylines are running rampant around the Patriot Division as the 2020 season quickly approaches. The Washington Senators seem to be at the center of all the storylines that are playing out. The Senators and Washington Nationals have by far the greatest cross town rivalry in the league, which has been going back and forth for the last few years. The Nationals got off to a hot start in 2019 while the Senators started off miserably. About halfway through the season the tides turned and the Senators finished the season hot while the Nationals really cooled down. Both teams were able to advance to the second round of the playoffs but were both also knocked out in that round. The Senators and Boston Red Sox also have one of the best sibling rivalries in the league. 2019 was a very bad season for the Red Sox and they will have revenge on their mind. The Tampa Bay Rays looked like an elite team in the league in 2019 but laid an egg in the postseason. The Brooklyn Dodgers still have yet to grow into what they are capable of but 2020 could be that opportunity. This will be one of the most balanced divisions in the league and will be up for grabs yet again this season.

Boston Red Sox- Kevin Yurik Jr.
Key Additions- OF Jose Peraza, OF Kevin Pillar, 1B Bobby Dalbec
Key Losses- OF Steve Pearce (released), IF Eduardo Nunez (free agency), OF Chris Young (retirement)
Style of Play- Athletic
2019 Record- 1-6 Ranked 18th (Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- It turned out to be a long season in Chowdertown as the Red Sox could never get anything going in 2019. Tough defeat after tough defeat plagued the Red Sox as they had their worst season in recent memory going 1-6. Just when they seemed to be on the brink of victory, the score never seemed to come up in their favor. Boston’s sole win came over the Washington Nationals after losing to three of the Final Four teams by a combined four runs. Boston’s regular season ended with a 17-1 loss and they made a quick exit in the playoffs losing to the Miami Marlins 14-0.
Looking Forward- The optimistic view of 2020 says that things could not be worse in 2020 than they were in 2019. The Red Sox have a solid roster, they are well coached, and have the physical tools needed to be a top team in the league and now just have to show it on the field. The Red Sox have shown in the past that they can beat any team in their division and coming in with the right attitude could make that a reality. The Red Sox could very well be a sleeper team to contend as soon as this season.
Strengths- Athleticism, defense, power
Weaknesses- Consistency, pitching location, pitching velocity

Brooklyn Dodgers- Dustin Nelson
Key Additions- OF Brian Goodwin, OF Justin Upton
Key Losses- OF Jake Smolinski (released), OF Curtis Granderson (retirement)
Style of Play- Deliberate
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- While a review of the 2019 Brooklyn Dodgers would not take a very long time to write, there is some history that may indicate what the future may look like for the Dodgers. Brooklyn has not had much success on the field the last few years but they do have some victories and a playoff appearance to get themselves going for the future. While the Dodgers offense and pitching both have plenty of room for improvement, their focus will definitely be on working on their pitching arsenal and mechanics during the remainder of the offseason.
Looking Forward- “Da Bums” have much in common with their division opponents and plenty of past history to look at when scouting out the competition. While the other four teams probably have a better chance to win the division, Brooklyn is not too far behind any of those teams and just needs a couple good breaks to go in their favor to really get things going in the right direction.
Strengths- Power, fundamentals, pitching location
Weaknesses- Contact, pitching velocity, pitching consistency

Tampa Bay Rays- Jake Cantrell
Key Additions- OF Jose Martinez
Key Losses- OF Avisail Garcia (free agency)
Style of Play- Fundamental
2019 Record- 3-0 Ranked 3rd (Lost in First Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- If only the regular season counted in 2019, the Tampa Bay Rays would have been living in luxury as one of three teams in the Bolin League to finish the regular season undefeated, but standing out as the team with the most win of those three. The Rays started the season with a good win over their division rival, the Washington Senators. Following that win, Tampa shocked the world by knocking off the top ranked Oakland Athletics, who had been on a historical win streak. They finished their regular season with a good win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Then the playoffs came, a time which Rays fans would like to forget. The Washington Senators must have vividly remembered the loss to Tampa Bay because they came out with an astonishing 15-1 win, quickly knocking the Rays out of the playoffs.
Looking Forward- Matt Duffy will be defending his title as league MVP and the Rays lineup looks to be one of the more dominant ones in the league. Tampa Bay will be hoping to hit on all cylinders this season just as they did a year ago. They look to compete at the top of the Patriot Division along with both Washingtons, and possibly the Red Sox and Brooklyn Dodgers. Tampa Bay is built as an offensive powerhouse with a high on base percentage and plenty of ability to hit the ball out of the park. The Rays are most susceptible to defeat by being beaten on the mound. Tampa Bay has an effective pitching staff but they have yet to develop the needed consistency in order to win a league championship. The Rays are not far off from being elite and are definitely a top tier team in the league.
Strengths- Contact, power, defense
Weaknesses- Pitching velocity, pitching repertoire, launch angle

Washington Nationals- Adam DelGarbino
Key Additions- None
Key Losses- None
Style of Play- Pitchers duels
2019 Record- 6-7 Ranked 6th (Lost in 2nd Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- 2019 sure looked promising for a long time for the Nats. When May ended they were sitting high atop the Patriot Division with a 5-1 record, easily their best start of all time. Things took a quick turn to the south very quickly as they completely reversed their trend and ended the season one game under .500 at 6-7. A 4-2 division record was enough to lock down the Patriot Division and knock the cross town rival Senators off the division throne. The Nationals made the playoffs with their best seed ever as they knocked out the Seattle Pilots in the first round before losing to the upstart Kansas City Athletics in the second round.
Looking Forward- Steady improvement has been a staple of the Nationals under Adam DelGarbino. After their first season, it looked like it was going to be a rough stretch of several years. DelGarbino was able to get the most out of the players he had and continued to build up his roster and develop his team. What has come of that is a solid team built on good pitching and good defense that has really improved on offense. The Nationals could very well repeat as division champions but will have to do so in one of the strongest divisions in the league.
Strengths- Pitching location, contact, defense
Weaknesses- Power, offensive consistency, swing path

Washington Senators- Joe Yurik
Key Additions- SS Gavin Lux, C Stephen Vogt, OF Austin Meadows
Key Losses- OF Carlos Gonzalez (retirement), 1B Bobby Bradley (released), C Brian McCann (retirement)
Style of Play- Slugfests
2019 Record- 4-10 Ranked 11th (Lost in 2nd Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- Joe Yurik decided in June of last season to just throw the Senators’ record out the window into the trash and start again in the second half of the season. While the record books don’t really let that happen, the philosophy proved to work for the best as the Senators were able to go out and compete in the Patriot Division. While their 2-4 record in the division didn’t quite get the job done, Washington was able to take an 0-5 start and rebound it into a 4-10 finish. The Senators seemingly put everything together right before the playoffs started as they drilled the previously undefeated division rival Tampa Rays into submission in the first round by a score of 15-1. The Senators were then ousted from the playoffs by the eventual champion Oakland Athletics.
Looking Forward- Despite a tough 2019, the Senators have turned themselves into a perennial contender. Few owners know the game as well as Joe Yurik and he typically puts together one of the best offenses in the league on a yearly basis. The Senators will never have a dominant, shut down pitching staff but they are a team that can outslug their competition. They would like nothing better to retake the division crown from the Washington Nationals and reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs. The Nationals are not the only team standing in their way, however, as the Tampa Bay Rays are looking very good right now and the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Red Sox would also be glad to bring home a division championship.
Strengths- Power, bunting, baseball IQ
Weaknesses- Pitch velocity, pitch location, pitch repertoire

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- Washington Senators
Most Improved- Washington Nationals
Shock the World- Brooklyn Dodgers
Best Roster- Washington Senators
Division MVP- 1B Yandy Diaz (TBR)
Cy Young Candidate- Blake Snell (WSH)
Rookies to Watch- SS Gavin Lux (WAS), 1B Bobby Dalbec (BOS)

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Washington Senators
2 Tampa Bay Rays
3 Washington Nationals
4 Boston Red Sox
5 Brooklyn Dodgers

March 14, 2020

Municipal Division


After putting together one of the most dominant seasons in league history, it appears that the Oakland Athletics are the heavy favorites to win the Municipal Division. The team that looks to give them the toughest challenge will be the Detroit Tigers, although there are some serious injury concerns for the Tigers heading into the season. The bottom tier of the Municipal Division looks to be an up and coming group of teams. The San Francisco Giants are still waiting to make their mark on the league and the Pittsburgh Pirates are ripe for a fresh start under a new owner. The team to watch out for in this division is the Seattle Pilots, who are gaining skills and experience quickly. The Pilots probably will not be contending for a division championship this year, but they are a team that will be a contender in the near future.

Detroit Tigers- Brian Bolin
Key Additions- 1B CJ Cron, OF Mike Tauchman
Key Losses- SS Jordy Mercer (free agency), OF Nicholas Castellanos (free agency)
Style of Play- Mound Dominance
2019 Record- 1-1 Ranked 12th
Year in Review- Even after battling through an injury plagued season, the Detroit Tigers qualified for the 2019 playoffs. Due to similar injuries, the Tigers had to step away from the playoffs. Detroit was able to beat division their division rival, the St. Louis Browns, but lost to the Oakland Athletics in their regular season finale. Detroit showed some glimpses of what has made them a successful team in the past but they may be on the downhill path as a franchise under Brian Bolin.
Looking Forward- The Tigers still do a lot of things well, things that make them a formidable opponent against just about anyone in the league. When their pitchers are getting the ball over the plate, the Tigers can be unhittable, but they can also be wild on the mound. A healthy Tigers team projects to finish second in a top heavy division but they are a team to watch out for in the playoffs.
Strengths- Pitching movement, Pitching Velocity, Barrel Contact
Weaknesses- Overswinging, Bad Back, Command

Pittsburgh Pirates- Brandon Gearo
Key Additions- 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, OF Guillermo Heredia
Key Losses- CF Starling Marte (trade ARI), DH Kris Bryant (released), 1B CJ Cron (released)
Style of Play- Keep the Ball in Play
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked (Under Nick Chiorian)
Year in Review- The Pittsburgh Pirates did not play a game in 2019 and went through an offseason ownership change. Brandon Gearo will be taking over the Buccos after seven years with the Chicago White Sox. His White Sox went 0-2 last year with losses coming to the Seatle Pilots and the Oakland Athletics. The Pirates organization has been in flux ever since Doug Benzel’s 2015 team won the Bolin League Championship and the fans are looking to relive those glory days.
Looking Forward- There is a lot of work ahead of Brandon Gearo as he takes over the 2020 Pirates. Pittsburgh has faced quite a roster shakeup over the past couple years and they are now in the division with the reigning league champion, Oakland Athletics. They will be looking to rookie 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes to be the new face of the franchise and will look to compete over the next few seasons.
Strengths- Short Stroke, Launch Angle, Pitching command
Weaknesses- Pitching Velocity, Contact, Repertoire

Oakland Athletics- Ryan Bolin
Key Additions- P Shane Bieber, OF Chad Pinder
Key Losses- P Danny Salazar (released), OF Cesar Puello (released)
Style of Play- Pinpoint Precision
2019 Record- 28-4 Ranked 1st (Won Championship)
Year in Review- Coming off years of disappointing playoff losses, the Oakland Athletics were able to bring home the title in 2019. The A’s dominated the regular season with a 28-4 record including a record 17 game win streak to start the season. In the playoffs, the Athletics easily got by the Toronto Blue Jays, snuck past the Washington Senators, and barely squeaked by the upstart Kansas City Athletics to find themselves up against the most decorated team in league history, the Miami Marlins. In one of the best championship games in recent memory, the A’s were able to ride their pitching to 3-2 victory and put themselves atop the league.
Looking Forward- There is only one way to live up to winning a championship, and that would be to win back to back championships. That is the goal for the Athletics in 2020. They are a heavy favorite to win the Municipal Division and have as good a chance as any other team to win another championship. There will be plenty of quality contenders to take down the Athletics and with that target on their back, Oakland will have to come out strong every opportunity they get.
Strengths- Command, Contact, Pitch Repertoire
Weaknesses- Plate Discipline, Resilience, Defensive Consistency

San Francisco Giants- Russell Lang
Key Additions- IF Mauricio Dubon, OF Jaylin Davis
Key Losses- OF Mac Williamson (released), OF Connor Joe (released)
Style of Play- Balanced
2019 Record- 0-3 Ranked 26th
Year in Review- Rough starts have plagued several new owners to the league. The bounce back from these bad starts has seen mixed success. Russell Lang took over the San Francisco Giants very late last offseason and was never able to get the team going early in the season. San Francisco finished the season 0-3 with tough losses to Oakland, the Seattle Pilots, and the Milwaukee Braves. The Giants should have gained some valuable experience from those setbacks and will look to make the most of learning from last season.
Looking Forward- There are teams in the Municipal Division that are beatable for the Giants, although they will have to show some improvement in order to do it. For most new teams, the offense sorts itself out as time moves on but improvement on the mound is where wins come from. Seeing growth from Jeff Samardzija and the pitching staff will be the telltale sign of how competitive the Giants will be in 2020.
Strengths- Athleticism, Pitch movement, Speed
Weaknesses- Experience, Contact, Command

Seattle Pilots- Carter Stewart
Key Additions- SS Carter Kieboom, 1B Tyler Nevin, OF Monte Harrison
Key Losses- OF Adam Eaton (released), SS Dixon Machado (released), IF Rob Refsnyder (released)
Style of Play- Surprise Attack
2019 Record- 3-4 Ranked 16th (Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- One swing of the bat can be attributed to the optimism that is surrounding the Seattle Pilots as the 2020 season approaches. It was an 0-0 pitch from Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman in the bottom of the ninth inning of a scoreless game at Otter Park with the bases loaded. Jefry Marte took the Stroman offering opposite field right down the right field line and snuck it inside the pole for the game winning grand slam. The Pilots ended up winning three of the seven games they played, all of the wins very tightly contested. The Pilots made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, where they were eliminated by the Washington Nationals. The key takeaway for the Pilots was they were able to taste success and give themselves some momentum and some enthusiasm for the future.
Looking Forward- The Pilots still have some work to do to be considered a contender but they have put themselves on a good path. Oakland is still a heavy favorite to win the division and Detroit presents a tough challenge. After that, Seattle has the ability to beat anyone else in their division along with several teams from other divisions. They already have a strong rivalry with the Pittsburgh Pirates and have beaten the San Francisco Giants. 2020 should be another year of growth and honing skills for a team that is on the rise.
Strengths- Desire to improve, Contact, Plate discipline
Weaknesses- Command, Consistency, Velocity

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- Oakland Athletics
Most Improved- Seattle Pilots
Shock the World- Pittsburgh Pirates
Best Roster- Oakland Athletics
Division MVP- 3B Josh Donaldson (OAK)
Cy Young Candidate- Shane Bieber (OAK)
Rookies to Watch- SS Carter Kieboom (SEP), OF Monte Harrison (SEP), 1B Tyler Nevin (SEP), 3B Nolan Jones (SEP), 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (PIT), C Joey Bart (SFG),

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Oakland Athletics
2 Detroit Tigers
3 Seattle Pilots
4 Pittsburgh Pirates
5 San Francisco Giants

March 13, 2020

Hurricane Division


Question marks abound in the Hurricane Division, this year more than any other in recent memory. Will the St. Louis Cardinals be healthy and return to their dominant form? Will the Milwaukee Braves overcome a scary offseason and be able to come out of the gates with strength. Will the Los Angeles Dodgers be the team that they were in 2018, where they gained a lot of experience, the team in 2019 where they disappeared for much of the season, or a new team that has taken the next step? Will the Angels and Phillies remain as the same contenders they have been over the last several years? Depending on how these key issues play out, the Hurricane Division could either be the most competitive division in the league or a run away for whichever team can stay healthy and on the field.

Los Angeles Angels- Alex Bierut
Key Additions- OF Max Kepler
Key Losses- OF Lonnie Chisenhall (released)
Style of Play- Fundamentally Sound
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- The Angels were unable to get things going in the 2019 season due to several legitimate off field factors. The past few seasons saw constant improvement from the Halos as they jumped from being a middle of the road team to the verge of serious contention. 2020 could be a more stable season for the Angels and might be their chance to get on the big stage.
Looking Forward- Matchups tend to favor the Angels in several aspects. They have a left handed dominant lineup and a right handed dominant pitching staff that has taken big steps to get hitters out over the years. This could be a huge year for Shohei Ohtani, the league’s only two way player. The Angels added some depth over the winter and are poised to compete in a division that has the look of a powder keg.
Strengths- Pitching Movement, Contact, Solid Defense
Weaknesses- Right handed hitting, Launch angle, Control of fast pitch

Los Angeles Dodgers- Cody Dingess
Key Additions- C Will Smith, 1B Tyler White
Key Losses- 1B Jose Osuna (released), OF Trayce Thompson (released)
Style of Play- Balanced
2019 Record- 0-1 Ranked 22nd
Year in Review- Following an 0-1 start, it appeared that the Dodgers mailed things in early in 2019 as that was the record they finished with. That lone loss was a 6-0 shutout at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in late March. The Dodgers had come off a playoff season in 2018 and are hoping to get back to the dance in 2020.
Looking Forward- Most of the teams in the league have yet to face the Dodgers under owner Cody Dingess. The team brings a solid lineup to the plate but has some question marks on the pitching front. The Dodgers received a tough break being placed in the Hurricane Division with some perennial powers. There is a path to the postseason for the Dodgers but they will need some breaks to go in their favor.
Strengths- Power, Command, Plate coverage
Weaknesses- Pitch velocity, Contact, Strike zone discipline

Milwaukee Braves- Danny Cunningham
Key Additions- C Roberto Perez
Key Losses- C James McCann (free agency)
Style of Play- Speed
2019 Record- 1-4 Ranked 14th (Lost in 2nd Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- The Braves were able to make up for a miserable 2019 regular season by getting their first playoff win in franchise history. The sole regular season win came against the San Francisco Giants under a new owner. Milwaukee was competitive in three of their four losses and had a single blowout loss to the Washington Nationals. The postseason was a little kinder to the Braves as they defeated an underrated Cincinnati Reds bunch before falling to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Looking Forward- Building off a little playoff success, 2020 could be a better year for the Braves. After battling some serious illness throughout the winter, the Braves are anticipating being at full strength by Opening Day or at least very early in the season. The skill set is there for Milwaukee to become more competitive in a good division and all they really need to do is gain some consistency to become one of the sleeper teams in the league.
Strengths- Speed, Defense, Power to LF
Weaknesses- Using the whole field, pitching velocity, off speed pitches

Philadelphia Phillies- Austin Rose
Key Additions- 3B Alec Bohm, OF Adam Haseley
Key Losses- 3B Maikel Franco (free agency), OF Odubel Herrera (released)
Style of Play- Outscore the opponent
2019 Record- 1-1 Ranked 9th (Lost in 2nd Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- A late start to the season may have been a blessing in disguise for the Phillies as they looked very fresh late in the season, finishing with a 1-1 record, defeating the Milwaukee Braves and losing by a run to the dominant Oakland Athletics. Philly survived a scare in the first round of the playoffs as they almost got upset by the veteran St. Louis Browns. They ended up losing to the league runner up, the Miami Marlins, in the second round of the playoffs.
Looking Forward- All the makings of a championship team are present with the Philadelphia Phillies. To take home the trophy, they will need to stay healthy and consistent throughout the regular season and be ready to play their best come playoff time. They have had success in the past within their division and have the ability to beat any team in the league. Teams tend to think of the Phillies as a pitch first, hit second team, but they have actually turned into the exact opposite of that. The Phillies offense is one of the best in the league and their pitching staff can really step up when needed.
Strengths- Hitting Power, velocity, pitching acumen
Weaknesses- Arm soreness, streakiness, getting ahead of hitters

St. Louis Cardinals- Devin Cunningham
Key Additions- 3B Kris Bryant
Key Losses- 3B David Freese (retirement)
Style of Play- Power
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- Disappointment sifted through the Gateway Arch and all over the St. Louis metro area in 2019 as the Cardinals just could not get healthy enough to contend. The Cardinals were coming off several years of being the highest ranked team in both pitching and offense. Last season will look to serve as motivation for an extremely proud franchise that has some of the best talent the league has ever seen.
Looking Forward- Noah Syndergaard has won the Cy Young Award four of the last five years and his stuff is good enough to win several more. 2020 comes down to health for the Cardinals and if they can get on the field at full strength, they continue to be a legitimate title contender. They have one of the scariest lineups in the entire league, with nine hitters who can mash the ball all over the place. The Cardinals do not lose too often and will certainly stay as one of the best teams in the league when they are out on the field.
Strengths- Power, Pitch Arsenal, Velocity
Weaknesses- Command, Knees, Rust

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- St. Louis Cardinals
Most Improved- Milwaukee Braves
Shock the World- Los Angeles Dodgers
Best Roster- St. Louis Cardinals
Division MVP- SS Francisco Lindor (LAA)
Cy Young Candidate- Noah Syndergaard (STL)
Rookies to Watch- 3B Alec Bohm (PHI)

Predicted Order of Finish
1 St. Louis Cardinals
2 Philadelphia Phillies
3 Los Angeles Angels
4 Milwaukee Braves
5 Los Angeles Dodgers

March 12, 2020

Explorer Division


Fans of the Bolin League are really looking forward to watching the Explorer Division play out in 2020. There are some terrific built-in rivalries within the division between five teams that should all be competitive with each other. The division favorite is also the team that makes all those rivalries happen. The Kansas City Athletics won the division last year and hope to do it again in 2020. League sources have indicated that each of the four other teams wants nothing more than to dethrone last year’s division winner. The Boston Braves are looking to rebound from a rough rookie season while the Philadelphia Athletics are also hoping to turn their fortunes around. The Chicago White Sox and New York Mets have yet to see action under their new ownership and could also be contenders. Any team from this division has a chance to make a deep playoff run this August.

Boston Braves- Colin McGowan
Key Additions- CF Shogo Akiyama, OF Tyler O’Neill
Key Losses- DH Matt Adams (released), CF Jon Jay (released)
Style of Play- Balanced
2019 Record- 0-5 Ranked 21st
Year in Review- Typically for new teams, the first year in the league is an adjustment period and that’s the mindset the Boston Braves are taking this offseason. The Braves have been working on their game and their plate vision to improve after an 0-5 season that saw them lose a couple close games and also a couple by a wide margin. The Braves offense really struggled coming out of the gate but really improved the second half of the season.
Looking Forward- Optimism abounds throughout the Braves organization. They have put a good roster on the field and have given them all the tools to succeed. Now it is just about winning ballgames. The Braves play in a balanced division and there are wins to be had. The Braves are hoping their production will meet their expectations as the season goes on.
Strengths- Athleticism, Balanced lineup, Pitching location
Weaknesses- Pitching velocity, Experience, Contact rate

Chicago White Sox- Marty Bach
Key Additions- 1B Jose Abreu, 2B Nick Madrigal, OF Luis Robert
Key Losses- OF Carlos Gomez, C Welington Castillo
Style of Play- Unknown
2019 Record- 0-2 Ranked 25th (Under Brandon Gearo)
Year in Review- Marty Bach has always dreamed of being in charge of and making the decisions for the Chicago White Sox. This year will present him with that opportunity. He is taking over a White Sox team that has not performed well throughout most of its tenure in the league, so he will look to rebuild right off the bat. Under the previous regime, the Sox finished 0-2 last season and missed out on the playoffs. The expectations will be raised in 2020.
Looking Forward- The biggest advantage Marty Bach has could also be his greatest area of concern. Nobody in the league knows what to expect from his White Sox team, but he also doesn’t have any knowledge of the league that he is up against. The White Sox will enter a division that looks to show some parity that also includes some natural rivalries, especially the favorite to win the division, the Kansas City Athletics. Chicago should be able to improve after a tough season last year but the question will be exactly how much they will improve.
Strengths- Knowledge of team, Mental toughness, Novelty to league
Weaknesses- Year behind rest of division, Experience, Familiarity with stadiums

Kansas City Athletics- Marc Zustin
Key Additions- OF Ramon Laureano, 1B Matt Olson
Key Losses- OF Eloy Jimenez (released), 1B Jake Bauers (released)
Style of Play- High Energy
2019 Record- 2-0 Ranked 7th (Lost in Final Four)
Year in Review- Only the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015 have won a championship with a first year owner. The Kansas City Athletics hoped to be the second in 2019 but came just a bit short, losing to the eventual champion Oakland Athletics in the semifinals. Marc Zustin has a lot for his team to build on after a 2-0 regular season last year.
Looking Forward- Nobody is happier about the addition of the Chicago White Sox into the Explorer Division as much as Marc Zustin and the Kansas City Athletics, and that includes White Sox owner Marty Bach. The Athletics have laid a solid foundation to build upon and will not stop short of their goal of winning a league championship. They are the favorites to win the division but also know they will be playing with a large target on their back.
Strengths- Power, Aggressiveness, Mental Game
Weaknesses- Chasing pitches, Familiarity with much of competition, Pitch repertoire

New York Mets- Sean Carmichael
Key Additions- C Tomas Nido, OF Jake Marisnick
Key Losses- C Travis d’Arnaud (released), C Kevin Plawecki (released)
Style of Play- Dominant Pitching
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- The Mets first season in the league was an injury plagued one that really never got rolling. They will have to put 2019 behind them and look for 2020 to be their redemption season.
Looking Forward- Sean Carmichael is very unfamiliar to most of the teams in the league and will most likely use that to his advantage. Advanced scouting predicts the Mets to be a pitching heavy squad looking to shut down opponents’ offenses. The Explorer Division projects to be one of the more challenging divisions in the league this upcoming season and the Mets remain an unknown in the division.
Strengths- Moldable pitching style, Previous experience in other leagues, Changing speeds
Weaknesses- Experience, Offensive Consistency, Knowledge of competition

Philadelphia Athletics- Brian Mangol
Key Additions- 2B Jonathan Schoop, 1B Greg Bird
Key Losses- 2B Luis Urias (released), 1B Lucas Duda
Style of Play- Balanced
2019 Record- 1-2 Ranked 15th (Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- Philadelphia finished the year with a 1-2 record that could easily have been 3-0 or 0-3. All three games they played in were one run affairs and they were not able to overcome the slimmest of margins twice. Their losses were both to quality teams that finished in the Final Four of the league. The A’s have the flexibility to play in both high scoring and low scoring games based off their 2019 performance. They also were able to gain some playoff experience but lost in the first round to their arch nemesis, the Kansas City Athletics, another Final Four team.
Looking Forward- Hopes are high in the City of Brotherly Love as fans there have two quality teams to root for in the A’s and the Phillies. The A’s are in a difficult Explorer Division but have the ability to beat any of the teams in it, as they bring a cock-diesel lineup with a solid pitching rotation to the table. By the end of the 2020 season, the division teams are going to be very familiar with each other and that could prove to lead to some quality rivalry matchups.
Strengths- Power, Contact, Pitching command
Weaknesses- Baserunning, pitching arsenal, offensive consistency

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- Kansas City Athletics
Most Improved- Boston Braves
Shock the World- Chicago White Sox
Best Roster- Philadelphia Athletics
Division MVP- 2B Javy Baez (KCA)
Cy Young Candidate- Michael Wacha (NYM)
Rookies to Watch- OF Luis Robert (CWS), DH Zack Collins (CWS), 2B Nick Madrigal (CWS)

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Kansas City Athletics
2 Philadelphia Athletics
3 New York Mets
4 Boston Braves
5 Chicago White Sox

March 11, 2020

Classic Division

The Classic Division appears to be one of the most difficult divisions to predict for the 2020 season. All five teams can make a case to become the division winner come the end of July. The Cincinnati Reds will be considered a slight favorite at the beginning of the season after having a solid 2019 campaign. Injury concerns with the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Browns will have a significant impact on how those two teams fare throughout the year. The Toronto Blue Jays had a miserable 2019 campaign but also have the potential to be the comeback team of the season throughout the league. Also, it would not be surprising to see a breakout season from the Minnesota Twins, who have sat in the basement of the Classic Division for the last few seasons.

Cincinnati Reds- Billy Link
Key Additions- OF Aristides Aquino, 2B Kyle Farmer, SS Alfredo Rodriguez
Key Losses- OF Peter Bourjos (released), 2B Jose Peraza (released), IF Zack Cozart (free agency)
Style of Play- Grind It Out
2019 Record- 4-2 Ranked 8th (Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- The Reds are hoping to build off their most successful season under Billy Link. The 2019 Reds built a solid 4-2 record and nearly won their first playoff game in franchise history.
Looking Forward- There is a hopeful sense of optimism in the Queen City as the Reds have all the makings of a team poised to win the Classic Division. Their battles with division foes St. Louis and Toronto will probably be the deciding factor this coming season.
Strengths- Pitching velocity, power to all fields, patient
Weaknesses- Off speed pitches, command of strike zone, contact

Kansas City Royals- Dave May
Key Additions- CF Bubba Starling, 3B Maikel Franco
Key Losses- SS Alcides Escober (released)
Style of Play- Dominant Pitching, Score enough runs
2019 Record- 0-0 Unranked
Year in Review- Injuries were the story surrounding the Royals in 2019 as they were never able to get out of the gate to begin the season. Looking Forward- Kansas City will be an interesting team to watch as 2020 progresses. 2019 aside, they have had success in recent years and the division is winnable for several teams. The Royals will need to stay on the field and healthy to have a shot this year, but will definitely be a contender if they are able to do that.
Strengths- Drop Curve, Strikeout pitch, Power to gaps
Weaknesses- Defensive Range, Secondary pitches, Health

Minnesota Twins- Alycia Link
Key Additions- OF Byron Buxton, SS Royce Lewis, UT Willians Astudillo
Key Losses- 2B Jonathan Schoop (free agency), 3B Trevor Plouffe (retirement)
Style of Play- Streaky
2019 Record- 1-0 Ranked 19th
Year in Review- The Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 in their only appearance of the season in late July. The offense looked promising and the Twins were able to build a potential foundation late in the season.
Looking Forward- Offseason training could prove to be Minnesota’s path to their first ever division title. This season will be their best chance ever to win the division as there are no clear contenders to run away with the race. Minnesota’s key will be their consistency throughout the year.
Strengths- Patient, Surprising power, Strong mental game
Weaknesses- Consistency of contact, Pitching velocity, command of strike zone

St. Louis Browns- Bob Bolin

Key Additions- SS Trea Turner, SS Trevor Story
Key Losses- 2B Ian Kinsler (retirement), 1B Jose Abreu (released)
Style of Play- Grind it Out
2019 Record- 4-9 Ranked 13th (Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- The Browns battled through injuries for the entirety of the year in 2019 and that led them to one of their worst seasons in recent memory in terms of overall record. St. Louis finished the season five games under .500 with their two best wins coming against the Reds and the Nationals.
Looking Forward- The Browns have always proven to be one of the most physically and mentally tough teams in the league and that will be put to the test this season. St. Louis looks as if there could be some injuries that will need to be overcome and their extremely veteran roster will need to perform at a high level without any decline in ability. The division is still winnable but there are four other teams in the Classic Division capable of beating out the Browns.
Strengths- Extreme patience, Get hitters to swing outside the zone, in-game adjustments
Weaknesses- Defensive range, hitting timing, injuries

Toronto Blue Jays- Bridget Bolin
Key Additions- 1B Rowdy Tellez, OF Jonathan Davis
Key Losses- 1B Justin Smoak (free agency), OF Kevin Pillar (released)
Style of Play- Control the Game
2019 Record- 1-7 Ranked 20th (Lost in 1st Round of Playoffs)
Year in Review- It was a rough year North of the Border and the Blue Jays had one of their worst records in recent memory in 2019. The Jays can say that three of their seven losses came by one run but in all they were disappointed by the final result. Toronto ended the season on a six game losing streak that included losing on a walk off grand slam, getting shut out twice, and nearly defeating the eventual champion Oakland Athletics.
Looking Forward- In order for 2020 to be successful, the Blue Jays will have to figure out how to win the close game. They have won plenty of division games throughout the years but have a hard time consistently winning against those teams. Many will be watching to see if Toronto truly is past their prime or if they can bounce back after a rough season.
Strengths- Sinker/slider combination, ability to hit to all fields, experience in league
Weaknesses- Pitching velocity, inconsistent contact, defense

Division Predictions
Team to Beat- Cincinnati Reds
Most Improved- Minnesota Twins
Shock the World- Toronto Blue Jays
Best Roster- St. Louis Browns
Division MVP- 3B Eugenio Suarez (CIN)
Cy Young Candidate- Collin McHugh (SLB)
Rookies to Watch- SS Royce Lewis (MIN), SS Alfredo Rodriguez (CIN)

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Cincinnati Reds
2 St. Louis Browns
3 Toronto Blue Jays
4 Kansas City Royals
5 Minnesota Twins


March 19, 2019

HURRICANE DIVISION

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Montreal Expos Brandon Harris @Bjharris27
2 St. Louis Cardinals Devin Cunningham @dt_cunningham
3 Philadelphia Phillies Austin Rose @heyRozay
4 Los Angeles Angels Alex Bierut @ALEXbierut14
5 Milwaukee Braves Danny Cunningham @dcham2224

Player of the Year Prediction
Noah Syndergaard (STL) has been lights out ever since the Cardinals picked him up and will continue his utter dominance this season.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (MON) is as close to a ‘can’t miss’ prospect as we have ever seen. The questions is whether he can live up to his father’s legendary status.

Surprise Team
In the strongest division in the league, no team would really shock us with a terrific season, but Milwaukee has the most to prove.

Division Preview
We have been trying to find the team in the league that would be most likely to echo young Alfred Delia’s infamous quote, “My name’s ‘Big Al’ and I hit dingers” and it looks like this is the division that could indeed be responsible. Could it be Danny Cunningham, aptly nicknamed “Dinger”, and his upstart Milwaukee Braves in their sophomore season together? The obvious solution would be Alex Beirut (Big Al?) and the Los Angeles Angels but the long ball isn’t necessarily his modus operandi. If long balls really are the answer, Devin Cunningham and the St. Louis Cardinals would be the logical choice. Austin Rose, who, contrary to all logic, has led his Philadelphia Phillies to become an offensive powerhouse, would also have something to say about that. The craziest part about this discussion is that we have not even mentioned the Montreal Expos yet. Does that team ring a bell? Yes, we are talking about the defending champion Montreal Expos led by Brandon Harris, who has been the league’s posterboy since last August.

FUN FACTS
Alex Bierut- Holds two hockey records: Most time in the penalty box and the only player to take his skate off and try to stab somebody
Danny Cunningham- Was one of the two best Danny Cunninghams to attend his high school
Devin Cunningham- Has already chose the name Abraham Willingham Cunningham for his eldest child (boy or girl)
Brandon Harris- Decided to become a lawyer after binge watching season 3 of Matlock
Austin Rose- Wears dark sunglasses and government replica earpiece wherever he goes


March 18, 2019

TITAN DIVISION

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Miami Marlins Dave Jones @david_jones1249
2 Atlanta Braves Tony Hopkins @Thop38
3 Cleveland Indians Dane Chester
4 Arizona Diamondbacks Nick Castenir @ncast45
5 Seattle Mariners Ryan Sopko @RSops1024

Player of the Year Prediction
First baseman Anthony Rizzo (MIA) will emerge as the new clubhouse and on-field team leader and back it up with the best stats in the division.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Not many people have heard of infielder Yu Chang (CLE) but by the end of the year everyone should know his name.

Surprise Team
Any team outside of Miami who actually is able to get a game in.

Division Preview
The Miami Marlins will walk into 2019 as heavy favorites in the Titan Division, but Dave Jones will be the first to say that the Marlins are not as concerned about the regular season as they are about avenging a couple difficult postseason losses. The Atlanta Braves are the biggest competition to the Marlins dynasty but will probably not be able to get the amount of total wins needed to come away with the division championship. Tony Hopkins still has the confidence needed to take the division and will constantly remind the division of his mid-2010s championship run. The league has not heard from the D-Backs, Mariners, and Indians for a few years and they will probably not factor into the mix this season. Nick Castenir, Ryan Sopko, and Dane Chester, the respective managers of these teams all have the track record to compete but have not had much recent impact.

FUN FACTS
Nick Castenir- Once received an award for being the “Most Fundamentally Sound Athlete of All Time” but vetoed a plan to have a statue of himself put outside Midpark High School
Dane Chester- Still believes NFL Head Coach is the greatest video game of all time
Tony Hopkins- Bears a striking resemblance to former MLB superstar Mike Aviles
Dave Jones- Played baseball through high school without ever learning how to bunt
Ryan Sopko- Idolizes Larvell Jones


March 17, 2019

PATRIOT DIVISION

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Washington Senators Joe Yurik @JYurik
2 Washington Nationals Adam Delgarbino @TheRealBino15
3 Boston Red Sox Kevin Yurik Jr. @KYurik_4
4 Tampa Bay Rays Jake Cantrell @JGotti17
5 Brooklyn Dodgers Dustin Nelson @dustin2fresh

Player of the Year Prediction
With a lot of potential players to choose from, we think Dee Gordon (WSH) will do even better than his MVP quality season from last year.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Yet another legacy rookie, second baseman Cavan Biggio (WAS) could make a huge impact on the league.

Surprise Team
Brooklyn shocks the world by winning at least two games, possibly more.

Division Preview
By far the most difficult division to predict will be the Patriot Division, which has many offseason stories to detail. There was an offseason arms race (and bats race) in the nation’s capital, while the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays also made a few quiet moves. Any of those four teams could walk away with this division and the automatic playoff berth that it carries. The Brooklyn Dodgers, under Dustin Nelson cannot be discounted, either, as they also have the ability to put together a winning streak. The Nationals are coming into 2019 with a chip on their shoulder. Adam Delgarbino ended up losing the division on the last day in 2018 and the bitterness has been weighing on him for the entire offseason. He is looking to catch Joe Yurik’s Senators and take the division from him for the first time, which Yurik is quick to point out whenever he gets the chance. The Red Sox and Rays also should not be overlooked in this division. Kevin Yurik Jr. has been knocking on the door for the past two years and this could be his chance to take control of the division. Jake Cantrell also has his Rays primed for a takeover but they may be slightly more of a long shot.

FUN FACTS
Jake Cantrell- Played for the San Antonio Spurs from 2002 to 2018
Adam Delgarbino- Is the world’s leading expert on product placement in commercial grocery chains
Dustin Nelson- Has become Ohio’s leading Oscars handicapper
Joe Yurik- Is a WWE season ticket holder
Kevin Yurik Jr.- Hopes to get a casting call to be a member of the Monstars in Space Jam 2


March 16, 2019

ZEBRA DIVISION

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Milwaukee Brewers Bobby Bolin @bolinleague
2 New York Giants John Mandula @JohnMandula
3 Houston Astros Kerry Kemp @kemp_kerry
4 New York Yankees Scottie Ruessman
5 Colorado Rockies Megan Bolin @MeganBolin18

Player of the Year Prediction
Lorenzo Cain (MIL) will continue to be the spark plug of a very potent Brewers offense.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Second baseman Garrett Hampson (COL) will get the chance to play a key role in a young Rockies lineup

Surprise Team
The Houston Astros come out of nowhere and are this year’s Cinderella story.

Division Preview
We would like to take this opportunity to honor Mike Jones, who controlled the Houston Astros from 2001 to 2018 and announced his retirement due to health concerns in 2019. Jones’ tenure with the Astros is one of the longest in league history. Kerry Kemp will be the one who is tasked with filling those big shoes (figuratively and literally) and he comes in as one of the league’s great unknowns. Kemp inherits a team with a championship quality roster, but also a team that has underachieved in the past. Scottie Ruessman is entering his second season with the New York Yankees, but the league still has not seen his team in action yet. Megan Lowes looks to improve her Rockies from last year and John Mandula’s New York Giants could play a part in this division. It looks like the Milwaukee Brewers will be the team to beat, but Bobby Bolin’s teams have been known to fade at the end of the regular season, which could put this division up for the taking.

FUN FACTS
Bobby Bolin- Brags about getting in a Twitter fight with Buster Olney about ESPN’s love affair with the New York Yankees
Megan Bolin- Plans to earn a college degree in every state
Kerry Kemp- Shakes down the thunder from the sky when he is not sending a volley cheer on high
John Mandula- Turned down the role of Darth Vader in his high school production of “Star Wars: The Musical”
Scottie Ruessman- Knows more about college baseball than Sheldon Cooper knows about string theory (and is better at Pictionary)


March 15, 2019

EXPLORER DIVISION

Predicted Order of Finish
1 New York Mets Sean Carmichael
2 Kansas City Athletics Marc Zustin @Zustin18
3 Pittsburgh Pirates Nick Chiorian
4 Boston Braves Colin McGowan
5 Philadelphia Athletics Brian Mangol @MangolsHistory

Player of the Year Prediction
We are going out on a limb and picking co-MVPs, pitcher Zack Wheeler (NYM), who has a never before seen legendary arsenal according to league sources, and young center fielder Harrison Bader (KCA), who is an up and coming potential star.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Son of the former big leaguer, Fernando Tatis Jr. (PHA) will surely excite Philly fans throughout the season.

Surprise Team
Probably the Pirates… or the Philadelphia A’s… or the Braves… honestly, any of them, really.

Division Preview
2019 will mark the first ever addition of an entire division of teams in league history, and the Explorer Division will bring a new level of personality and competition to the league. The division wild card is definitely Nick Chiorian’s squad, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who he claimed ownership of, despite some “nuanced and sophisticated” objections to the team. Colin McGowan’s Boston Braves and Brian Mangol’s Philadelphia Athletics both will have something to say about how the division plays out. The two favorites to win the division appear to be Sean Carmichael’s New York Mets and Marc Zustin’s Kansas City Athletics. When Zustin was asked about the chances of him winning the division he simply responded, “Boom!”

FUN FACTS
Sean Carmichael- Owns and has used a fake reindeer hoof on multiple occasions
Nick Chiorian- Still has not heard all the pronunciations of his last name
Brian Mangol- Looks down upon the handwriting of all mortals
Colin McGowan- Thinks all sports would be more fun if played on ice skates
Marc Zustin- Once watched 39 consecutive hours of NFL Draft reruns without sleeping


March 14, 2019

MUNICIPAL DIVISION

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Kansas City Royals Dave May @ezymuny1
2 Los Angeles Dodgers Cody Dingess
3 San Francisco Giants Billy Dingess
4 Texas Rangers Tom Rogers
5 San Diego Padres Mike Rogers

Player of the Year Prediction
AJ Pollock (LAD) was a huge offseason pickup for the Dodgers and could make a huge impact in an improving lineup.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Former Cardinals prospect Patrick Wisdom (TEX) will bring a power bat and defensive versatility to what looks to be a very good Rangers offense.

Surprise Team
Plenty of choices here: the Dodgers had a strong finish to the regular season, the Giants may have figured something out, we don’t know much about the Rangers or Padres, other than their confidence, and the Royals had a great year last year. Best chance to surprise: Dodgers.

Division Preview
Adjustments are the key for the Municipal Division. Two Dingesses, Billy Dingess of the Giants and Cody Dingess of the rival Dodgers, will be making second season adjustments after their inaugural campaigns in 2018. Both teams started to pick up the pace near the end of the season and will be much better prepared as the Spring of 2019 approaches. Tougher adjustments will come from another set of family members, Tom Rogers of the Texas Rangers and Mike Rogers of the San Diego Padres, as they both begin their first season at the helm. The team that currently resides at the top of the mountain is Dave May’s Kansas City Royals, coming of their best season in team history.

FUN FACTS
Billy Dingess- Bears no relation to a herd of native Australian canines
Cody Dingess- Once survived being run over by a monster truck (twice)
Dave May- Has never revealed his spaghetti sauce recipe and keeps it locked in an offshore bank lockbox
Mike Rogers- Is a candidate to become the Bolin League’s Chief Financial Officer
Tom Rogers- Is ready to bring some Old School to a modern league

March 13, 2019

CLASSIC DIVISION

Predicted Order of Finish
1 Detroit Tigers Brian Bolin
2 St. Louis Browns Bob Bolin
3 Toronto Blue Jays Bridget Bolin
4 Cincinnati Reds Billy Link @BillyLink6
5 Minnesota Twins Alycia Link @HowVeryAwkward

Player of the Year Prediction
There’s no reason that pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (DET) should not dominate this division. His only concern could be control issues but he has purely nasty stuff.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Catcher Danny Jansen (TOR) and infielder Bo Bichette (TOR) are both parts of a Blue Jays roster overhaul and are both poised to have intriguing rookie campaigns.

Surprise Team
We have been picking the Cincinnati Reds to be the surprise team in the league for several years, so why stop now?

Division Preview
The league’s oldest division looks to belong to the Detroit Tigers in 2019, with one big caveat. The Tigers faced health issues and injury concerns all of 2018, Brian Bolin’s most disappointing season ever. After much recuperation in the offseason, the Tigers are expecting to be back to full strength by Opening Day. Assuming the Tigers come out injury free, they likely won’t face much competition. Bob Bolin’s St. Louis Browns have faced a good deal of regression with an aging roster and some health issues of their own. The Toronto Blue Jays, under Bridget Bolin, are trying to recapture some of their past glory while the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins look to be leveling out. Alycia Link, the league’s female version of Mike Tyson, has a puncher’s chance to win a few games with her Twins. As always, Billy Link and the Reds could surprise some teams as well.

FUN FACTS
Brian Bolin- Quotes Jonathan Edwards whenever the opportunity presents itself
Bridget Bolin- Is in love with all dolphins except Flipper, who serves no porpoise in her life
Bob Bolin- Once voted for Millard Fillmore
Billy Link- Has not gotten a haircut since graduating from high school
Alycia Link- Plays the Rocky Theme Song to get pumped to go to class


March 12, 2019

MILITARY DIVISION PREVIEW

Predicated Order of Finish
1 Oakland Athletics Ryan Bolin @oaklandfanoco
2 Baltimore Orioles Kodi Simon @simonkodi1
3 Chicago Cubs Kati Simon
4 Chicago White Sox Brandon Gearo @brandon_gearo
5 Seattle Pilots Carter Stewart

Player of the Year Prediction
Josh Donaldson (OAK) had a down year last season but look for him to recapture his MVP level magic in 2019.

Rookie of the Year Prediction
Amongst many veterans, the Orioles will have several potential candidates, including highly rated third base prospect Ryan Mountcastle (BAL).

Surprise Team
Many still doubt the credibility of Oakland, so they still have the ability to prove people wrong, but we’ll pick the Pilots, who can only get better after a challenging debut season.

Division Preview
A sigh of relief. That was Ryan Bolin’s reaction to his new divisional assignment after a couple years dealing with heavyweights like the Brewers and Cardinals. His Athletics should be the clear favorites to lock up an automatic postseason position. The biggest competition for Oakland normally would come from the Baltimore Orioles, but this looks like it may be a lost season for Kodi Simon’s group. Kati Simon’s Cubs will probably fall into that same boat, which leaves Brandon Gearo’s Chicago White Sox and Carter Stewart’s Seattle Pilots with the task of trying to give the A’s some competition. It will be interesting to see the level of improvement that the Pilots make in their sophomore season under Stewart.

FUN FACTS
Ryan Bolin- Once debunked a molecular theory during a REM cycle
Brandon Gearo- Insists that saltines can be considered a full meal
Kati Simon- Is glad her first name is Kateri and not Tekakwitha
Kodi Simon- Favorite food is a hangaburger
Carter Stewart- Once thought “elemeno” was a letter of the alphabet


THE BOLIN LEAGUE’S TOP TEN RIVALRIES

From Various Reports



Sometimes going to the game means a nice relaxing evening watching two formidable foes respectfully compete to see who is better. However, every once in a while when you show up at the ballpark there is a different air in the stadium, one of hatred and relentless disdain between two teams that want nothing more than to pummel their adversary. These types of games are what keep fans coming to the park. The Bolin League has seen the rise of many rivalry games that have taken off over the past couple decades. Here is our ranking of the top ten of these rivalry games:

#10

Baltimore Orioles vs. Chicago Cubs (The Battle to Become Luke and Penny’s Favorite Parent)

Kodi and Kati Simon are a happy couple that just relocated their young family to the Hawaiian Islands and are living a beautiful, inspiring life. But when the Cubs and O’s face off on the ballfield, all the love is out the window.

#9

Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees (Come On, Blue!)

Two newcomers to the Bolin League scene, Kerry Kemp and Scottie Ruessman are both still finding out what life is like in the league. When it comes to the game on and off the field, these two could be quite the match for each other.

#8

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays (Nicola Mirotic’s Biggest Fan Contest)

Sure, this could be an even bigger rivalry on the hardwood, but anyone who has heard and seen what goes on between these two rivals, Kevin Yurik Jr. and Jake Cantrell, knows that they mean business when they face off. These two teams are about as equally matched as they come.

#7

San Diego Padres vs. Texas Rangers (Rogers Brawl)

Sibling rivalries are definitely the best and legend has it that Mike and Tom Rogers were two of the biggest rivals growing up. Look for this brotherly brawl to heat up on the field this season.

#6

Cincinnati Reds vs. Minnesota Twins (The Missing Link)

These two teams have been competing against each other for years, ever since Billy and Alycia Link joined the league. There have been beanball contests, physical altercations, and a lot of smack talk. All of this culminates in one of the league’s top rivalries.



#5

Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Bomber’s Memorial Trophy)

This would probably be higher on the list, but Bobby Bolin’s Brewers have not been able to compete well with Devin Cunningham’s Redbirds. There is still no love lost between these ancient rivals and a couple Brewers victories could really flare this one back up.

#4

Washington Nationals vs. Washington Senators (Battle for the Capital)

Two ideologically different styles of play with a lot of left-handedness define this rivalry between Joe Yurik and Adam Delgarbino. The Senators dominated the Nationals when these teams first entered the league but the series has become a lot more competitive over the last few years.

#3

Oakland Athletics vs. St. Louis Browns (Old School Clash)

Bob Bolin and Ryan Bolin have squared off in their season opener almost every year that both teams have been in the league. This game usually results in someone being grumpy for a very long time. There is no love lost on the field between these two rivals.

#2

Kansas City Athletics vs. Philadelphia Athletics (Your Momma Cup)

Marc Zustin and Brian Mangol have not even taken the field yet with their new teams and we can already tell this is going to be one of the greatest rivalries in the game. Pregame, midgame, and postgame insults will be indiscriminately hurled all over the place when these two teams match up.

#1

Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins (Sunshine Showdown)

Some of the greatest moments in league history have occurred when Dave Jones and Tony Hopkins face off and usually it’s on the league’s biggest stage. The Bolin League world comes to a standstill when these two teams duke it out, and it usually results in a walk off home run.

Playoff Predictions

We surveyed a group of experts who made these predictions for the 2018 Playoffs

First Round

1 St. Louis Cardinals defeat 16 San Francisco Giants
2 Miami Marlins defeat 15 Toronto Blue Jays
3 Los Angeles Angels defeat 14 Cincinnati Reds
13 Washington Nationals defeat 4 Boston Braves
5 Oakland Athletics defeat 12 Boston Red Sox
6 Milwaukee Brewers defeat 11 St. Louis Browns
7 Montreal Expos defeat 10 Washington Senators
8 Philadelphia Phillies defeat 9 Detroit Tigers

Second Round

1 St. Louis Cardinals defeat 8 Philadelphia Phillies
2 Miami Marlins defeat 7 Montreal Expos
3 Los Angeles Angels defeat 6 Milwaukee Brewers
5 Oakland Athletics defeat 13 Washington Nationals

Third Round

1 St. Louis Cardinals defeat 5 Oakland Athletics
2 Miami Marlins defeat 3 Los Angeles Angels

Championship

2 Miami Marlins defeat 1 St. Louis Cardinals


2018 Predictions

Dizzy Dean Record Moonlight Graham Record Pretzels Getzien Record Rip Sewell Record
Atlanta Braves 3-1 Boston Braves 5-3 St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 Montreal Expos 4-2
Miami Marlins 8-5 San Francisco Giants 3-3 Oakland Athletics 16-6 Philadelphia Phillies 5-3
Boston Red Sox 5-5 Kansas City Royals 2-2 Detroit Tigers 7-3 Cleveland Indians 3-2
Washington Senators 6-7 Los Angeles Dodgers 2-3 Milwaukee Brewers 14-8 Los Angeles Angels 6-5
Tampa Bay Rays 3-4 Toronto Blue Jays 5-9 Chicago Cubs 1-1 New York Giants 2-2
Arizona Diamondbacks 1-2 Cincinnati Reds 5-10 Colorado Rockies 1-1 Philadelphia Athletics 2-2
Washington Nationals 4-8 Minnesota Twins 3-10 Seattle Mariners 2-2 Pittsburgh Pirates 2-2
Brooklyn Dodgers 2-6 Seattle Pilots 0-4 St. Louis Browns 9-11 San Diego Padres 2-2
Houston Astros 1-3 Texas Rangers 0-2 Kansas City Athletics 1-2 New York Mets 1-1
New York Yankees 2-7 Chicago White Sox 0-0 Baltimore Orioles 0-0 Milwaukee Braves 4-6


Top MVP Candidates
Nolan Arenado- Montreal Expos
Cody Bellinger- Washington Nationals
Xander Bogaerts- Boston Red Sox
Ryan Braun- Milwaukee Brewers
Robinson Cano- Miami Marlins
Josh Donaldson- Oakland Athletics
Logan Morrison- Washington Senators
Shohei Otani- Los Angeles Angels
Sean Rodriguez- Detroit Tigers
Mike Trout- St. Louis Cardinals

Top Cy Young Candidates
Felix Hernandez- Seattle Mariners
Ian Kennedy- Kansas City Royals
Clayton Kershaw- Miami Marlins
Dallas Keuchel- Washington Nationals
Collin McHugh- St. Louis Browns
Shohei Ohtani- Los Angeles Angels
Danny Salazar- Oakland Athletics
Noah Syndergaard- St. Louis Cardinals
Julio Teheran- Atlanta Braves
Jordan Zimmermann- Detroit Tigers

Top Rookie of the Year Candidates
Ronald Acuna- Atlanta Braves
Jorge Alfaro- Philadelphia Phillies
Chance Sisco- Baltimore Orioles
Austin Hays- Baltimore Orioles
Scott Kingery- Philadelphia Phillies
Shohei Ohtani- Los Angeles Angels
Victor Robles- TBA
Amed Rosario- New York Mets
Nick Senzel- TBA
Gleyber Torres- New York Yankees

TOP TEN LISTS

Top Ten Pitching Teams

1. St. Louis Cardinals- Pure nastiness, wide variety
2. Oakland Athletics- Changing speeds, late movement
3. Atlanta Braves- Don't know which way the ball will break
4. Cleveland Indians- Ground balls all over the place
5. St. Louis Browns- Slow and frustrating
6. Washington Nationals- Pitch to contact, let hitters get themselves out
7. Los Angeles Angels- Massive movement, intelligent sequencing
8. Kansas City Royals- Now you see it, now you don't
9. Detroit Tigers- Scary late movement, many broken bats
10. Toronto Blue Jays- Working in and out, back and forth

Best Fast Pitch

1. Philadelphia Phillies Fastball- Straight but very fast
2. St. Louis Cardinals Slider- Really fast, nearly unhittable
3. Milwaukee Brewers Slider- Starts behind right handed hitters
4. Detroit Tigers Cutter- No chance for contact when it's thrown right
5. Houston Astros Fastball- Overpowering
6. Atlanta Braves Sinker- Can't hit it, can only try to avoid it
7. Los Angeles Angels Slider- Sweeping and hard to lay off
8. Kansas City Royals Curveball- Drops off the table
9. Cleveland Indians Sinker- Contact is possible, good contact is improbable
10. SLB Slurve- The ball actually goes up

Top Power Hitting Teams

1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Atlanta Braves
3. San Diego Padres
4. Washington Senators
5. Miami Marlins
6. Milwaukee Brewers
7. Philadelphia Phillies
8. Montreal Expos
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
10. Detroit Tigers

Top Contact Hitting Teams

1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Miami Marlins
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Montreal Expos
6. Los Angeles Angels
7. Cleveland Indians
8. Oakland Athletics
9. Milwaukee Brewers
10. San Diego Padres

Top Defensive Teams

1. San Diego Padres
2. Atlanta Braves
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Miami Marlins
5. Tampa Bay Rays
6. Boston Red Sox
7. Philadelphia Athletics
8. Washington Nationals
9. Montreal Expos
10. Los Angeles Angels

Top Ten Speed Teams

1. San Diego Padres
2. Atlanta Braves
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Boston Braves
5. Boston Red Sox
6. Philadelphia Athletics
7. Miami Marlins
8. Milwaukee Brewers
9. Baltimore Orioles
10. Oakland Athletics

Best Balance Between Right and Left Handed Hitters

1. Philadelphia Athletics
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Oakland Athletics
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Cleveland Indians
6. New York Giants
7. St. Louis Browns
8. St. Louis Cardinals
9. Atlanta Braves
10. Seattle Mariners

Best Bad Ball Hitting Teams

1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Texas Rangers
6. Philadelphia Athletics
7. Washington Senators
8. Boston Red Sox
9. Philadelphia Phillies
10. San Diego Padres

Most Patient Approaches

1. St. Louis Browns
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. St. Louis Cardinals
6. Cleveland Indians
7. Montreal Expos
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
9. Miami Marlins
10. Minnesota Twins

Teams Poised for a Breakout Season

1. Philadelphia Athletics
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Boston Braves
4. Washington Nationals
5. Milwaukee Braves
6. San Francisco Giants
7. Cincinnati Reds
8. Chicago Cubs
9. New York Yankees
10. Los Angeles Dodgers

Predicted Most Games Played

1. Oakland Athletics
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. St. Louis Browns
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Washington Senators
6. Washington Nationals
7. Miami Marlins
8. Toronto Blue Jays
9. Detroit Tigers
10. St. Louis Cardinals


2018 Bolin League Breakdown

In less than one week, the first pitch of the 2018 season will be thrown and the Bolin League will kick off its 21st season. Will we see the first repeat champion since 2014? Will this season set the record for games played or amount of teams playing at least one game? How will Otter Park play? This breakdown will hopefully answer those questions along with many other questions. The Bolin League consists of 40 teams broken into four divisions. This year’s divisions commemorate and honor famous baseball names: Pretzels Getzein, Moonlight Graham, Dizzy Dean, and Rip Sewell. Here are some previews, predictions, categorizations, and thoughts about all 40 teams.

The New Guys

As the season draws near, five teams are preparing to play the role of the league newcomer. Typically, it takes new owners a good amount of time to adjust to the league and learn what they have to do to establish a winning culture. This rule comes with some exceptions, however, most notably the 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates under Doug Benzel, who rode a late season hot streak all the way to a championship. Looking to follow in the Pirates’ footsteps will be a new and diverse group of teams that show a lot of potential. At the top of the list is the Milwaukee Braves, under owner Danny Cunningham, a former teammate of six other owners in the league. Cunningham should have the easiest adjustment because of his familiarity with the other owners in the league. He will inherit an athletic roster full of some young talent, including a defensive specialist at shortstop in Andrelton Simmons and some young contact hitters in Tommy Pham and Hernan Perez. One scout has mentioned that the Braves will be a very pull happy team and may have to make some early season adjustments.

The league will be welcoming a father/son duo in the 2018 season. Billy Dingess will be at the helm for the San Francisco Giants and his son, Cody Dingess, will be in charge of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants will feature one of the more balanced lineups in the league, featuring three right handed hitters, three left handed hitters, and three switch hitters. Billy Dingess is hoping this strategy, not used by many teams, will give his Giants an advantage. The Dodgers will be right hand dominant and are a relative unknown coming into the season. Cody Dingess should be able to take advantage of that as he learns what he will be up against throughout the year. The Giants look to have the better lineup on paper with Yoan Moncada, Brandon Belt, and Buster Posey securing the middle of the order but the Dodgers have some bats as well, including Kike Hernandez, Justin Turner, and Jose Osuna.

Scott Ruessman has finally come upon the opportunity to get into the Bolin League and was fortunate to find a good franchise to start with, the New York Yankees. Ruessman will inherit a lineup that shows a lot of young power with Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, Clint Frazier, and Aaron Judge. The question with the Yankees could be whether Luis Severino and the pitching staff can hold up against a league with a lot of offensive talent. Ruessman will bring a new style of play into the league, which could give him the possibility of surprise when he plays the tough competition he is likely to see.

While Carter Stewart was the owner of the Seattle Pilots last season, he never had the opportunity to get the franchise going. Stewart is an enthusiastic young owner that has many years to develop his team. The Pilots will come into the season without much talent outside of power hitting first baseman Jesus Aguilar and veteran righty Michael Wacha, but Stewart is confident he can develop his team into an eventual contender. The Pilots may not be competitive for a few years but they will be a team that gives good effort and will shows improvement each game.

The Travelers

The Bolin League has representation throughout the entire world. There are a few teams that have owners spanning from the southern United States all the way to the Middle East. While these teams will not be playing a full schedule, they still show a great contribution to the league and, in some cases, an even bigger contribution to their country. Tony Hopkins and his Atlanta Braves are a perennial contender and one of the most decorated teams in Bolin League history. The Braves may not be able to fight for a championship this season due to some travel restrictions but they will definitely have a huge impact on the league, just as they did last year, finishing 4-0. The Braves have a young nucleus that should break out into the same mold as past Atlanta teams. No team may have a 1-2-3 punch as powerful as the Braves do with Dansby Swanson, Byron Buxton, and Ronald Acuna. Add in the veteran presence of starting pitcher Julio Teheran, featuring one of the best sinker/slider combinations of anyone, and the Braves have one of the deepest rosters in the league. With the focus on deep lineups, none may be stronger than that of the Arizona Diamondbacks, under owner Nick Castenir, a newly married Florida resident. The D-Backs roster may be advancing in age, but any lineup featuring the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Paul Goldschmidt, AJ Pollock, and Mark Trumbo will produce a great output. The Diamondbacks have always been able to score runs but have had some issues with their pitching staff over the years. Carlos Carrasco hopes to solidify a rotation that once took advice from the wrapper of a game ball. Arizona should have the chance to play a solid schedule this season, depending on several factors. They are a team on the rise and a team that others may not want to run into on any given day.

Interestingly enough, in a Cleveland-centric league, the owner of the Cleveland Indians, Dane Chester, is also a resident of the Sunshine State. Chester is one of the most enthusiastic owners in the league and typically fields a nice team. This year’s version of the Indians includes some young talent mixed with some high profile veterans but is definitely based around Corey Kluber and one of the best pitching staffs. The Indians are hoping to get past a trend of blown saves that have cost them countless games over the years and 2018 looks like it could be the year to bring that streak to an end. MVP candidate Yan Gomes and power hitting first baseman Edwin Encarnacion anchor the middle of the Tribe’s lineup. The Indians’ offense has been improving a little every year since they entered the league. The Indians are now one of the top tier teams and will look to make 2018 a special season.

The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox may not be able to fulfill their 2018 schedules due to deployment issues. Kodi Simon and Brandon Gearo, the respective managers of each team, have been able to put together young rosters that will hopefully develop over the next few years to make these teams into contenders. The Orioles had a rough season in 2018, going 0-3, while the White Sox were unable to play any games. Baltimore is rostering two rookies this season, Austin Hays and Chance Sisco, to work alongside some other young players on team that will hopefully stay together and blossom in the near future. The White Sox have a few more veteran players and have kept their core together for a few years. Their window may be hitting soon, so it looks like next season may be the time for the ChiSox to step up.

The Old School

Some teams have been around so long and have played the same style for years and years. It’s typically pretty easy to make predictions as to how these teams will do and what to expect from them on a yearly basis. No team exemplifies the status of “old school” more than the St. Louis Browns and the institution that is Bob Bolin, their manager, affectionately known as the “Artful Codger” among Bolin League inner circles. The Browns tend to defy time as they have not really seen a regression period at any point since they helped found the league. The Browns will face a little roster turnover this season. Khris Davis, formerly of the Milwaukee Brewers, will take over for Matt Holliday in the outfield while Holliday moves to designated hitter. Charlie Blackmon will replace Lorenzo Cain in center field. The Browns play a unique game and make it difficult for new opponents to adjust to their style. St. Louis is projecting to finish around the .500 mark and should once again prove to be a tough out in the playoffs.

Bridget Bolin is one of two owners that have owned the same team for the entire history of the league dating back to its inception. While her teams have not had the same amount of success recently as they did at the beginning, Bolin is able to keep the Toronto Blue Jays in the mix. The Jays have made the playoffs almost every year since 1997, even winning the championship in 1999. Today’s Blue Jays do not have the same amount of firepower as that 1997 team and rely more on their pitching staff for victories. Marcus Stroman is one of the more underrated pitchers in the game. He’s able to mix up his style to keep hitters off balance and give the Blue Jays the chance to win in low scoring games. The Blue Jays look like they will have to compete in 2018 without their franchise power hitter, Jose Bautista. Their lineup is significantly less powerful without Bautista and they will have to lean on their contact hitting instead of their power. Players such as Kevin Pillar and Teoscar Hernandez will have to step up to give the Blue Jays a chance to increase their win total from 2017’s 3-7 mark. Over the years, especially the beginning years, the Blue Jays’ biggest rival has been whatever team was owned by manager Brian Bolin. His teams have been some of the most consistent teams since the league was founded. This will be Bolin’s third year as the head of the Detroit Tigers, where he has made the playoffs each year at the helm. The Tigers are a team that can compete with anyone in the league, especially when they are in good health. Detroit relies on pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, who has some of the best stuff in the league. When Zimmermann is in command he can be nearly unhittable, mainly when playing at Bolin Field. The Tigers finished 4-3 under Bolin in 2017 where they won in the first round of the playoffs then lost on a walk off grand slam to the Washington Senators. Assuming the Tigers are healthy in 2018, they will once again have a good chance to make a run in the playoffs. They typically are able to fair well against both right and left handed pitchers, have good power hitting, and rely heavily on a solid pitching staff.

On the subject of teams that rely heavily on their pitching staff, the Kansas City Royals have one of the better pitching staffs in the league. Ian Kennedy has possibly the best curveball in the league and will sometimes add in a sinking fastball to offset the hook. The Royals tend to be involved in low scoring games generally and look for the big hit to come through at a clutch moment. Second baseman Whit Merrifield, a rising star, will be one of the players looking to come through with those big hits. The Royals bring back shortstop Alcides Escobar, who along with catcher Salvador Perez will help solidify the top of the batting order. As is the case every year with the Royals, health could be the biggest factor in the outcome of their season. The Royals miss a lot of games with injuries, so they will look to complete 2018 in better health than the previous several years.

The previous four “Old School” teams mentioned fit into the category because of their long standing involvement in the league and the fact that they have become institutions among the other teams. That is not necessarily true for the fifth team in this category. Mike Davis, who previously was in charge of the Milwaukee Braves, now takes over at the helm of the New York Mets after Steven Wilson announced his retirement this offseason. Davis brings an old school attitude to the table but a new school way of thinking. He has turned the Mets into a left hand dominant pitching staff supported with a right hand dominant lineup. The Mets could prove to be one of the surprise pitching staffs in the league with ace Steven Matz. Their lineup is young and unproven and may not have the veteran leadership of David Wright to rely on as Wright still has yet to determine his future. Shortstop Amed Rosario looks to have all the makings of an offense force at the top of the lineup. The Mets have the ability to win a lot of games. We will see if it comes to fruition this season.

The Comebacks

No, this is not David Koechner spoof that mixes “Remember the Titans” with “Field of Dreams”. This is a group of teams who have taken some time away from the game that, when ready, have the ability to storm back and once again gain a position of dominance in the league. No team has been away longer than Ryan Sopko’s Seattle Mariners, a previous two time champion and perennial championship contender. The days of Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, and Ken Griffey Jr. are now over in Seattle and a new Mariners team will have the task of restoring the team to its glory years. The new version of the Mariners includes veteran right Felix Hernandez, the sinker ball pitcher who was always in contention for a Cy Young Award in his prime. The young nucleus for the Mariners is found on the offensive side of the ball. Mitch Haniger is the young stud in the lineup as he joins catcher Mike Zunino and former Brewers shortstop Jean Segura providing a formidable amount of clout up ahead. The Mariners still have the horses and we will see if they can make their comeback in 2018. Similar to the Mariners, the Houston Astros had a long hiatus prior to the 2016 season. The Astros made a couple brief appearances in 2016 but, after some injury issues, were not able to get back on the field in 2017. This year could be a different story for a team that probably has the most raw power of anyone in the league. Manager Mike Jones stocks up power in the lineup but also has a lot of swing and miss bats. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer could possibly the best opening three hitters in a lineup that the league sees. The Astros staff can be overpowering but sometimes lack consistency. In summation, the Astros can be a bit of a roller coaster but are one of those teams that can beat any team on any given day. 2018 could be their comeback year.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres have both had early success as Bolin League franchises. Doug Benzel is still the only owner to win a championship in his first season in the league, leading his Pirates to the ultimate prize in 2015. Austin Steinbrenner did not come home with the trophy but his San Diego Padres also made a fantastic run in 2014, all the way to the Final Four. The Pirates and Padres both have recently fallen off the radar but are poised to make 2018 a comeback season. The teams both feature a lot of clout in their batting order. The Pirates heart of the order includes the bats of Andrew McCutchen, Kris Bryant, and Starling Marte, while the Padres have Trea Turner, Javier Baez, and both Upton brothers scattered throughout their lineup. Of the two teams, Pittsburgh has a better pitching staff with ace Gerritt Cole and San Diego probably has a slight advantage when it comes to offense. There are some analysts that try to discredit both teams’ long playoff runs due to a diminished field of competition, but there is no doubt both teams earned what they received and are capable of repeating it in the future.

The biggest sleeping giant in the league could very well be a team that most people have not seen play at all. Those who have faced off against Vinnie Galizio would say that the Philadelphia Athletics have all the tools necessary to not only make the playoffs, but make a run in the playoffs as well. They have a balanced lineup that can perform well from both sides of the plate, stellar fundamentals, a good defensive team, and an adequate pitching staff, which may be the biggest question. The Athletics have demonstrated success but have not sustained it over the years mainly due to a lack of games played. Depending on their quantity of games, 2018 might be their breakout season.

The Cinderella Stories

While the Bolin League and the NCAA Basketball Tournament are completely separate entities, there are some similarities in their structures. Every few years, it seems there is a George Mason or Florida Gulf Coast that makes a huge run and gives themselves a chance to win a championship. While there are not a ton of very low seeds that perform similarly in the Bolin League, there are some teams that have the potential to eventually become that Cinderella team. These teams are typically ranked low at the beginning of seasons but they do all have some qualities that can give them an edge over their competition. Of all the teams that fit this category, the Cincinnati Reds are the team that is closest to having that breakthrough season. The Reds have shown glimpses of success over the past few years, which is a huge improvement over some of their past teams. They have the physical tools to contend but can use some work in a few other areas. The biggest question mark in Cincinnati is starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani. He throws hard but command has always seemed to be his issue. In order for the Red Stockings to really show marked improvement is for DeSclafani and the pitching staff to work hard in the offseason and reach that high potential that they have. The Reds offense is sporadic, featuring some power but also some swing and miss. They have had very limited turnover in their lineup throughout the years and will rely on the same faces to lead their team, including second baseman Brandon Phillips, first baseman Todd Frazier, catcher Devin Mesoraco, and right fielder Jay Bruce. Their rivalry with the Minnesota Twins will once again be renewed in 2018. The Twins have not had much success the past couple years but definitely have the talent to turn the tide quickly. Minnesota has sneaky power with improved offense but they still strike out way too much and, similar to the Reds, their biggest weakness tends to be their pitching staff. Phil Hughes will need to take several steps to add velocity and some offspeed pitches to really give the Twins a chance to be that breakthrough team as pitching typically tends to be the way teams win in this league. If Hughes is able to take those strides, the Twins offense may be able to be enough to win their first ever playoff game or games.

Megan Lowes and Kristina Stojanovic are still relatively new owners in the league and are still in the process of acclimating to the level of competition. The Colorado Rockies, managed by Lowes, and the Texas Rangers, managed by Stojanovic, are probably not ready to be called championship contenders quite yet but could potentially lead the league in showing improvement. The Rockies come in with a little more experience and are probably more adjusted to the pace of the league while the Rangers have gotten in on the action a little bit in the past two seasons. The Rockies will have to win with their bats, namely DJ LaMahieu, Trevor Story, and Mark Reynolds, because their pitching has not developed as well as the team would have liked. The Rangers are also deficient on the mound but their offense will be less reliant on power than the Rockies. The Rangers will focus on being a contact hitting team as both teams will have a goal of improvement in 2018.

The Chicago Cubs, very similar to the Philadelphia Athletics, provide a good amount of intrigue as the 2018 season approaches. The team will be under new ownership as Kati Simon moves over from the New York Yankees. Simon will bring a new philosophy to the North Side and there is a lot of optimism around Wrigleyville surrounding the Cubs. The Cubs have an athletic team that is lacking mainly in the department of experience. Once that experience builds up, there is a chance to see the Cubbies rocket up the standings. Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks will be the key to the Cubs success in 2018 as it appears the team will go as Hendricks goes. Their offense is still a little inconsistent and doesn’t feature the big name talent as some other teams. That being stated, however, the Cubs will be a thorn in the side of a lot of teams and should steadily grow throughout 2018.

Making a Push

These five teams will need to have a lot happen to win a championship but are five solid teams that have the ability to make the playoffs and very possibly win their respective first playoff game in franchise history. Of the five teams in this group the Washington Nationals have the most experience in the league and in the postseason. Their left handed heavy lineup that prides itself on line drives and contact hitting is enough to give some teams fits. The strength of the Nationals lies in their pitching staff, led by lefty starter Dallas Keuchel, who demonstrates excellent command of the strike zone and some decent out pitches. The Nationals offense is not as consistent as their pitching staff but show some signs of brilliance, especially from the young top of the order that consists of Tyler Naquin, Didi Gregorius, and Cody Bellinger. Washington had a bit of sophomore slump in Adam Delgarbino’s second year at the helm last season, finishing 3-8 and making a quick first round exit against the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals. They are a matchup team that is set on improving in the coming years. Delgarbino’s version of the Nationals made their appearance in 2016, which was the same year that Dustin Nelson started at the helm of the San Francisco Giants before transferring himself over to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nelson’s Dodgers finished 0-1 in 2017 but are projected to finish a lot better in 2018. While win total still may not be the number one goal for Brooklyn, they are hoping to improve in hopes of making the playoffs. They are very different than the Nationals in terms of approach. The Dodgers have mostly right handed hitters and a right handed starter in Trevor Bauer. They also rely more on power hitting than contact, which leads them to be a big swing and miss team. Defensively, Brooklyn will have its ups and downs but that should not be something that will harm them too much. Their lineup features some serious pop at the top, including shortstop Elvis Andrus, center fielder Marcell Ozuna, designated hitter Ian Desmond, and catcher Gary Sanchez. Those four can make a pitcher look very bad right out of the gate. However, due to high strikeout numbers, they can also get themselves off to a rough start. The Dodgers, as a team, understand the game very well and have the ability, physically and mentally, to become one of the better teams in the league. They are looking at 2018 as a time to prove it on the field.

John Mandula made his Bolin League debut in 2017, finishing the season 1-1 and qualifying for the playoffs. His New York Giants are one of two teams that have a left handed ace and a lineup comprised mainly of right handed hitters (the New York Mets being the other). Mandula seemed to jump right in to the fold as he led the Giants to some mild success in the middle of the season. They will return most of their roster, including pitcher Chris Sale and one of the more solid lineups in the league. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is in the center of the Giants offense and is joined by second baseman Addison Russell and third baseman Anthony Rendon, accounting for one of the best offensive infields. The Giants have the tools to put together a solid season and are definitely a team to watch out for as the playoffs roll around.

A team that is off the radar of a lot of league experts is Ben Tepper’s Boston Braves, who seemed to fall off the face of the earth in 2017. The 2016 Boston Braves started off with a historically bad run, only to redeem themselves and make the playoffs. Injuries cost them any chance to win in those playoffs. Many were excited to see what returned for the 2017 season but it only led to disappointment. The Braves seem to be re-energized heading into 2018 and look to pick up where they left off at the end of 2016. Boston has an energetic, athletic, young group of players that will be looking to round into shape this summer. Shortstop Starlin Castro will provide the veteran leadership needed to keep the young guys in improvement mode while ace Zack Greinke provides the spark the pitching staff will need to stay in games. The Braves are a team that could surprise some people, especially since they are projected to have a fairly easy schedule in 2018. A team with a very similar story to the Boston Braves is Tim Captain’s Kansas City Athletics. While it seems the Braves are trending up, however, it looks like the Athletics could be going in the opposite direction. Kansas City had a decent start to the 2016 season but never were able to gain any momentum going into the playoffs. Very similar to Boston, they had a big downturn in 2017 and there are a lot of questions left for 2018. They will face a lot more competition than Boston and it will be an uphill battle, but one that they can overcome. The Athletics live up to their name, as they have the size, speed, and potential to make noise in the Pretzels Getzein Division. Their roster is balanced between rookies and veterans who all need to step up. Their biggest challenge will be to get consistency, speed, and accuracy from right handed starter Johnny Cueto. The Athletics will approach 2018 hoping to be that surprise team and surmount some difficult hurdles to make that happen.

On the Cusp

As competition increases on a year by year basis, there are many teams that have a chance to make a hard push with the ultimate goal of winning a championship. The amount of teams in contention for the top prize seems to increase each year. This group of teams have shown they each have what it takes to make a run and be that new team that is constantly in the mix. The question becomes which team will take that next step in 2018? Sibling rivalries are something that have been around the league since its inception. The number of these family feuds has been on a steady increase over the past few years. Rivalries such as St. Louis/Milwaukee, Detroit/Toronto, and Minnesota/Cincinnati always provide fun and excitement to viewers. The newest of these sibling rivalries is quickly becoming one of the most intense. The Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators would probably both describe their contests as friendly but heated. Kevin Yurik Jr. has made the Red Sox a formidable team over the past two years and his brother Joe Yurik was able to reach the final four in 2017. The teams are built quite differently. The Red Sox lineup features mostly right handed hitters while the Senators lineup has mostly lefties. The Red Sox rely on athleticism and balance as the Senators tend to be more of a power hitting, offensively driven team. The key is that both teams have the ability to win games using their unique style. Boston was active in the offseason, acquiring outfield help in Carlos Gomez and JD Martinez, which will only enhance a dynamic young lineup that already features Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez, and Rafael Devers. The Red Sox finished 2017 at 3-5, which is a little underwhelming on the surface, but a closer examination shows that Boston was in almost every game they played. They suffered a few brutal late inning losses that could have really swung their record around. Washington was on the other end of some of those close games. They had a lot of ups and downs as they finished with a 6-6 record. There were some blowout victories, blowout losses, and a lot of closely contested games in there. They picked the right time to heat up as the playoffs approached and they became the only team in league history to win back to back playoff games on walk off grand slams. To add to that, they had the bases loaded in the bottom of the last inning in their semifinal loss to Milwaukee and gave themselves the opportunity for a never-to-be-matched-ever-again third consecutive see you later tater. They were able to exit 2017 on a high note and are going to try to keep the momentum going as the 2018 season quickly approaches. Like Boston, they made some moves on the hot stove, bringing in even more power in David Dahl and Logan Morrison. The Senators have one of the top offenses in the league and that will be their key to moving through the regular season and playoffs.

What was the only team in the Bolin League to finish ten games over .500 in 2017? It is also one of the few teams that has spent time as the top ranked team over the past three seasons. The regular season typically is very kind to the Oakland Athletics and manager Ryan Bolin. Their struggles typically come in the postseason, where they have not been able to make a splash since their Final Four appearance in 2015. The second round of the playoffs has been Oakland’s kryptonite recently, with respective losses to the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos. The A’s pitching staff is regarded as one of the best in the league. Danny Salazar features a devastating changeup and a lot of movement. Oakland’s offense can be inconsistent but when they are clicking they provide a formidable foe to any pitching staff. Josh Donaldson, Yoenis Cespedes, and Adrian Beltre are a veteran heart of the lineup and are surrounded by quality switch hitters Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. The Athletics play the game with a lot of emotion, which can be both a positive and a negative for them. If they can keep that emotion in check, look for the Oakland Athletics to have yet another strong season.

It has been six years since Alex Bierut joined the ranks of owners in the Bolin League. He has turned the Los Angeles Angels into a team to be reckoned with and one of the model franchises in the league. The Angels lineup has come a long way since 2012. Over the past few seasons the Angels have added more power into their offense and now have one of the better overall hitting teams out there. Michael Brantley, Joey Votto, and Kole Calhoun are the stabilizing force in the middle of the lineup. The Angels also feature the most intriguing addition of the offseason, Japanese import and two way player Shohei Ohtani, who will be the first player in the league under the modern rules to be in the batting order and on the mound in the same game. Ohtani will be one of the most scrutinized players in the history of the league but will also bring in tons of entertainment to Angels games this upcoming season. The Angels should have a rebound season after being sidelined for 2017 and will likely provide for some quality wins throughout the season, and potentially the postseason.

Back in the day, Jake Cantrell was a line drive hitter who had a knack for driving the ball up the middle. Today, he is instilling that same attitude in his Tampa Bay Rays. Cantrell’s methods appear to be working, as the Rays offense has been on a steady path of improvement over the last several years. Add to that a nice new set of throwback uniforms and things are really starting to look positive in St. Pete. Their next step will be to get Cantrell his first ever playoff win. The Rays have been in some close postseason games over the past couple years but that first victory still remains elusive. Tampa Bay’s lineup features more pop that Cantrell expected, with stalwart third baseman Evan Longoria leading the charge. Chris Archer and the Rays pitching staff is where the most improvement could be made. The Rays have the ability to be a postseason threat and as they continue to grow as a team, that may just come to fruition.

All In

A majority of the Bolin League’s champions reside in this final group of teams. Their pedigree speaks for itself. These are the teams that typically have the best winning percentages on a yearly basis, but more importantly, these are the teams that nobody wants to face when the postseason dawns. The St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, managed respectively by brothers Devin Cunningham and Bobby Bolin, are the two most recent champions. The Cardinals have been a model of consistency, making few roster changes over the last several years while the Brewers will be making a modest overhaul to their starting lineup in 2018. St. Louis will continue to run out possibly the best lineup in the league featuring stars such as Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Milwaukee is welcoming in a new duo in the outfield in Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich. The teams will also try to win in different ways. The Cardinals have one of the two best offenses in the league and their pitching staff has easily the nastiest movement in the league. The way to beat the Cards is through patience and mistake free games. Not getting to two strikes is also a plus. The Brewers do not have much patience but they do make up for it in contact ability and power. The Brew Crew will also win a lot of games by outthinking their opponents but will also lose games by outthinking themselves. The Miami Marlins would probably contest the notion that the Cardinals have the best lineup in the league. Anthony Rizzo, Robinson Cano, and Joe Mauer can make a strong argument for the Marlins. Add pitcher Clayton Kershaw to that mix and the Marlins are very dangerous. They are aging a little bit in their roster but they are still one of the top teams in the league and still have the most championships in league history, all under Dave Jones. The Marlins are possibly the smartest team in the league and combining that with their left handed pitchers and left handed pull hitters, they present a challenge that most other teams cannot compete with. They have a couple big holes to fill as the season approaches, trying to replace former MVP shortstop Jimmy Rollins and potentially having to replace outfielder Josh Hamilton. They should be in contention for another championship in 2018 after a shortened 2017 season but they will be facing some very strong competition. That competition may come from a team that the Marlins have never faced, the Montreal Expos, managed by Brandon Harris. The Expos have come on strong the past two seasons, making back to back Final Four appearances and establishing themselves as a one of the best teams in the league. Montreal has not yet taken the final step, winning the Bolin League title, but they are probably the proverbial “best team to have not won”, which they will look to end in 2018. Mookie Betts and Nolan Arenado are the main power in a very balanced lineup that prides itself on both consistency and power. Their pitching staff, featuring righty Jake Arrieta, has also made strides to figure out some of the best offenses in the league. The Expos are a smart team with a solid lineup, and an above average pitching staff and 2018 may just be their year.

Aaron Nola might have the highest velocity fastball in the entire Bolin League and definitely has some of the best stuff. It can be puzzling, many would say, that his team plays in some of the highest scoring games on a yearly basis. The Philadelphia Phillies, a team that was thought of two years ago as a team that would need to win in low scoring games have suddenly risen up to become one of the best offensive teams in the league. Manager Austin Rose, a pitching guru by nature, might not be able to explain how his lineup that features Tommy Joseph, Maikel Franco, and newly added Rhys Hoskins has developed into the power lineup that it is, but he definitely will accept the results. The Phillies were a middle of the road team when Rose took over but they took a major step forward in 2017, as they led the league in runs scored and made a good playoff push. The Phillies will step in to 2018 with a lot of confidence and many experts see them as a championship quality team.

Stay tuned to this page over the next few days to see our expert playoff predictions, along with MVP candidates, Rookie of the Year possibilities, CY Young contenders, and some fun top ten lists. It’s almost time for the 2018 season to begin!


2018 Bolin League Team Previews




Team St. Louis Cardinals
Date March 18, 2018
Owner Devin Cunningham
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 1
2017 Record 4-0, Playoffs, Final Four, Champion
Biggest Strength Offense
Biggest Weakness Pitching Accuracy
Projected MVP CF Mike Trout
Historical Quote “When I was playing I never wished I was doing anything else. I think being a professional athlete is the finest thing a man can do.” -Bob Gibson




Team Atlanta Braves
Date March 17, 2018
Owner Tony Hopkins
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 2
2017 Record 4-0
Biggest Strength Natural Ability
Biggest Weakness Chasing Pitches
Projected MVP LF Ronald Acuna
Historical Quote “I could probably throw harder if I wanted, but why? When they're in a jam, a lot of pitchers...try to throw harder. Me, I try to locate better.” -Greg Maddux




Team Milwaukee Brewers
Date March 16, 2018
Owner Bobby Bolin
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 3
2017 Record 17-11, Playoffs, Final Four, Runner Up
Biggest Strength Bad Ball Hitting
Biggest Weakness Patience
Projected MVP 3B Travis Shaw
Historical Quote “Baseball hasn't forgotten me. I go to a lot of Old Timers games and I haven't lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times.” -Bob Uecker




Team Miami Marlins
Date March 15, 2018
Owner Dave Jones
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 4
2017 Record 2-1
Biggest Strength Baseball IQ
Biggest Weakness Trees
Projected MVP 2B Robinson Cano
Historical Quote “This is what you dream for as a kid, getting this opportunity ... Sometimes you've got to pinch yourself.” -Cliff Floyd




Team Montreal Expos
Date March 14, 2018
Owner Brandon Harris
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 5
2017 Record 1-2
Biggest Strength Overall Balanced Attack
Biggest Weakness Streakiness
Projected MVP 3B Nolan Arenado
Historical Quote “I played all the sports as a young boy, but it was always baseball that I loved the most.” -Gary Carter




Team Cleveland Indians
Date March 13, 2018
Owner Dane Chester
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 6
2017 Record 2-1
Biggest Strength Pitching Variety
Biggest Weakness Short Season
Projected MVP P Corey Kluber
Historical Quote “I just reared back and let them go.” -Bob Feller




Team Detroit Tigers
Date March 12, 2018
Owner Brian Bolin
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 7
2017 Record 4-3, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Pitching Motion
Biggest Weakness Health
Projected MVP P Jordan Zimmermann
Historical Quote “Every great batter works on the theory that the pitcher is more afraid of him than he is of the pitcher.” -Ty Cobb




Team Philadelphia Phillies
Date March 11, 2018
Owner Austin Rose
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 8
2017 Record 3-3, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Pitching Velocity
Biggest Weakness Shoulder Soreness
Projected MVP DH Rhys Hoskins
Historical Quote “Philadelphia is the only city, where you can experience the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day.” -Mike Schmidt




Team Los Angeles Angels
Date March 10, 2018
Owner Alex Bierut
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 9
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Swing Timing
Biggest Weakness Hitting Ground Balls
Projected MVP P Shohei Ohtani
Historical Quote “Our goal is to have every catcher relate to every pitcher. I don't think there is anything getting in our way of using any catcher at any time.” -Mike Scioscia




Team Washington Senators
Date March 9, 2018
Owner Joe Yurik
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 10
2017 Record 6-6, Playoffs, Final Four
Biggest Strength Streaky Power
Biggest Weakness Fast Pitch
Projected MVP CF Bradley Zimmer
Historical Quote “If I were a batter and thought the pitcher really tried to bean me, I'd be inclined to wait for him outside the park with a baseball bat.” -Walter Johnson




Team Oakland Athletics
Date March 8, 2018
Owner Ryan Bolin
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 11
2017 Record 18-8, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Changeup
Biggest Weakness Comebacks
Projected MVP SS Franicsco Lindor
Historical Quote “I am the best in baseball.” -Reggie Jackson




Team Arizona Diamondbacks
Date March 7, 2018
Owner Nick Castenir
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 12
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Hitting Strength
Biggest Weakness Pitching Speed
Projected MVP 1B Paul Goldschmidt
Historical Quote “I went through baseball as ’a player to be named later.’” -Joe Garagiola




Team Pittsburgh Pirates
Date March 6, 2018
Owner Doug Benzel
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 13
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Pitching Acumen
Biggest Weakness Injury Potential
Projected MVP CF Andrew McCutchen
Historical Quote “Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth.” -Roberto Clemente




Team St. Louis Browns
Date March 5, 2018
Owner Bob Bolin
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 14
2017 Record 9-10
Biggest Strength Mind Games
Biggest Weakness Age
Projected MVP 2B Ian Kinsler
Historical Quote “There are only two seasons - winter and Baseball.” -Bill Veeck




Team San Diego Padres
Date March 4, 2018
Owner Austin Steinbrenner
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 15
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Defensive Coverage
Biggest Weakness Pitching Location
Projected MVP 1B Wil Myers
Historical Quote “Either you have the ability to hit or not. But I also think you have to work at it.” -Tony Gwynn




Team Boston Red Sox
Date March 3, 2018
Owner Kevin Yurik, Jr.
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 16
2017 Record 3-5, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Career Prime
Biggest Weakness Swing Plane
Projected MVP SS Xander Bogaerts
Historical Quote “If you don't think too good, don't think too much.” -Ted Williams




Team Tampa Bay Rays
Date March 2, 2018
Owner Jake Cantrell
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 17
2017 Record 1-1, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Line Drive Swing
Biggest Weakness Fast Pitching
Projected MVP 3B Evan Longoria
Historical Quote “A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.” -Wade Boggs




Team Washington Nationals
Date March 1, 2018
Owner Adam Delgarbino
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 18
2017 Record 3-8, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Pitching Accuracy
Biggest Weakness Power Hitting
Projected MVP 1B Cody Bellinger
Historical Quote “We know what we’re doing, we’re pretty damn good at it, we’ve been successful at it our whole career.” -Mike Rizzo




Team Seattle Mariners
Date February 28, 2018
Owner Ryan Sopko
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 19
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Historical Record
Biggest Weakness Golf Swing
Projected MVP RF Mitch Haniger
Historical Quote “As long as I have fun playing, the stats will take care of themselves.” -Ken Griffey, Jr.




Team Boston Braves
Date February 27, 2018
Owner Ben Tepper
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 20
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Plate Coverage
Biggest Weakness Strength of Schedule
Projected MVP SS Starlin Castro
Historical Quote “I don't like to sound egotistical, but every time I stepped up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the pitcher.” -Rogers Hornsby




Team Philadelphia Athletics
Date February 26, 2018
Owner Vinnie Galizio
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 21
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Lineup Consistency
Biggest Weakness Travel Restrictions
Projected MVP RF Carlos Gonzalez
Historical Quote “No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball.” -Connie Mack




Team New York Giants
Date February 25, 2018
Owner John Mandula
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 22
2017 Record 1-1, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Softball Background
Biggest Weakness Time
Projected MVP 3B Anthony Rendon
Historical Quote “Anybody's best pitch is the one the batters ain't hitting that day.” -Christy Mathewson




Team Milwaukee Braves
Date February 24, 2018
Owner Danny Cunningham
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 23
2017 Record 0-0 (under Mike Davis)
Biggest Strength Pull Hitting
Biggest Weakness Opposite Field Power
Projected MVP RF Tommy Pham
Historical Quote “My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” -Hank Aaron




Team New York Mets
Date February 23, 2018
Owner Mike Davis
Division Rip Sewell
Rank 24
2017 Record 0-0 (under Steven Wilson)
Biggest Strength Natural Movement
Biggest Weakness Blitz Ball Experience
Projected MVP P Steven Matz
Historical Quote “God is living in New York, and he's a Mets fan.” -Tom Seaver




Team Houston Astros
Date February 22, 2018
Owner Mike Jones
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 25
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Natural Power
Biggest Weakness Time Off
Projected MVP SS Carlos Correa
Historical Quote “Either he got lucky, or we stink. Or he pitched well.” -Moises Alou




Team Baltimore Orioles
Date February 21, 2018
Owner Kodi Simon
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 26
2017 Record 0-3
Biggest Strength Constant Improvement
Biggest Weakness Pitching Consistency
Projected MVP SS Manny Machado
Historical Quote “I hate the cursed Oriole fundamentals... I've been doing them since 1964. I do them in my sleep. I hate spring training.” -Jim Palmer




Team Cincinnati Reds
Date February 20, 2018
Owner Billy Link
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 27
2017 Record 2-3, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Team Height
Biggest Weakness Pitching Mechanics
Projected MVP 3B Eugenio Suarez
Historical Quote “I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball.” -Pete Rose




Team Brooklyn Dodgers
Date February 19, 2018
Owner Dustin Nelson
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 28
2017 Record 0-1
Biggest Strength Baseball IQ
Biggest Weakness Contact
Projected MVP C Gary Sanchez
Historical Quote “There are only two kinds of managers. Winning managers and ex-managers.” -Gil Hodges




Team Kansas City Royals
Date February 18, 2018
Owner Dave May
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 29
2017 Record 1-0, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Curveball
Biggest Weakness Defensive Range
Projected MVP C Salvador Perez
Historical Quote “If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out.” -George Brett




Team Toronto Blue Jays
Date February 17, 2018
Owner Bridget Bolin
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 30
2017 Record 3-7, Playoffs
Biggest Strength Pitching Repertoire
Biggest Weakness Swing and Miss
Projected MVP CF Kevin Pillar
Historical Quote “A lot of people have the ability, but they don’t put forth the effort.” -Joe Carter




Team Kansas City Athletics
Date February 16, 2018
Owner Tim Captain
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 31
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Athleticism
Biggest Weakness Baseball Specific Knowledge
Projected MVP RF Matt Kemp
Historical Quote “If a manager of mine ever said someone was indispensable, I'd fire him.” -Charlie Finley




Team San Francisco Giants
Date February 15, 2018
Owner Billy Dingess
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 32
2017 Record 0-1 (under Larry Lowes)
Biggest Strength Lineup Balance
Biggest Weakness Injuries
Projected MVP C Brandon Belt
Historical Quote “Winning is a serious matter.” -Willie McCovey




Team Los Angeles Dodgers
Date February 14, 2018
Owner Cody Dingess
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 33
2017 Record 0-0 (under Ed Hansen)
Biggest Strength Preparedness
Biggest Weakness Scouting
Projected MVP 3B Justin Turner
Historical Quote “Baseball is like driving, it's the one who gets home safely that counts.” -Tommy LaSorda




Team New York Yankees
Date February 13, 2018
Owner Scott Ruessman
Division Dizzy Dean
Rank 34
2017 Record 0-2 (under Kati Simon)
Biggest Strength Rules Knowledge
Biggest Weakness League Knowledge
Projected MVP RF Aaron Judge
Historical Quote “I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee.” -Joe DiMaggio




Team Chicago Cubs
Date February 12, 2018
Owner Kati Simon
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 35
2017 Record 0-0 (under Meleah Hansen)
Biggest Strength Launch Angle
Biggest Weakness Pitching Control
Projected MVP CF Albert Almora Jr.
Historical Quote “Let’s play two!” -Ernie Banks




Team Minnesota Twins
Date February 11, 2018
Owner Alycia Link
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 36
2017 Record 1-6
Biggest Strength Left Field Power
Biggest Weakness Contact
Projected MVP 2B Brian Dozier
Historical Quote “It doesn't matter what your height is, it's what's in your heart.” -Kirby Puckett




Team Chicago White Sox
Date February 10, 2018
Owner Brandon Gearo
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 37
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Air Force Training
Biggest Weakness Secondary Pitches
Projected MVP 1B Jose Abreu
Historical Quote “I ain't afraid to tell the world that it don't take school stuff to help a fella play ball.” -Shoeless Joe Jackson




Team Colorado Rockies
Date February 9, 2018
Owner Megan Lowes
Division Pretzels Getzein
Rank 38
2017 Record 0-1
Biggest Strength Coordination
Biggest Weakness Pitching Velocity
Projected MVP SS Trevor Story
Historical Quote “They have a lot of good young players; they're doing a good thing in Colorado.” -Vinny Castilla




Team Texas Rangers
Date February 8, 2018
Owner Kristina Stojanovic
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 39
2017 Record 0-1
Biggest Strength Tomahawk Swings
Biggest Weakness Strike Zone Discipline
Projected MVP CF Delino DeShields Jr.
Historical Quote “It helps if the hitter thinks you're a little crazy.” -Nolan Ryan




Team Seattle Pilots
Date February 7, 2018
Owner Carter Stewart
Division Moonlight Graham
Rank 40
2017 Record 0-0
Biggest Strength Enthusiasm
Biggest Weakness Experience
Projected MVP 1B Jesus Aguilar
Historical Quote “Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?” -Jim Bouton


For Immediate Release

12/18/17

The Bolin League has acquired the rights to the former Ryan and Kyle Field, located within walking distance of Deckside Stadium. The new stadium will join Bolin Field, Deckside Stadium, and Ed Hansen Field as the main stadiums used by the league, which has been in operation since the late 1990s. "This is a remarkable day for our league and opens up some tremendous opportunities," said commissioner Bobby Bolin at a press conference early this morning. The stadium has seen diminishing action over the years, although a recent alumni game drew a very nice crowd. We had the opportunity to ask Bolin some more questions regarding the acquisition:

Will you use the current stadium or will it be a completely new one?

"The stadium is in great shape and we hope to use it this coming season. We will not be reconfiguring the field at all but may be making some slight modifications. We want to do our best to give it a modern feel but keep the tradition of those who played there in the past."

What will happen to the current stadiums?

"We plan to use our current stadiums in the same way we have used them in the past. We are hoping to balance out the traffic on Bolin Field and Deckside Stadium and get some increase on Ed Hansen Field (The Ed) and, of course, the new stadium."

Is the proximity to Deckside Stadium going to pose a problem?

"It should actually be beneficial to both stadiums. We plan to have multiple games going on at the same time, increasing the amount of teams able to play more games. The stadiums are virtually right next door to each other, making it very easy to travel between them."

What will the stadium be called?

"We have not decided on a permanent name, or even if there will be a new name at all. We are currently looking into sponsorships with local and national companies. We will also be asking for assistance from the other owners in the league."

What are some of the opportunities you spoke of earlier?

"The greatest opportunity with this new stadium is to use it in conjunction with Deckside Stadium to host multiple games at one time, increasing participation and activity in the league. The dimensions of the new stadium will be slightly larger than the other two Brook Park stadiums, making it a lot more fair to pitchers regarding the home run ball. It could have a similar effect to Coors Field in Denver, where we see a lot more extra base hits. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. This also gives us another venue to host playoff games, and maybe even championship games eventually."

The 2018 season will begin in March.



Rumors Running Rampant Regarding New Bolin League Stadium


12/17/17

BROOK PARK, OH- Speculation is abounding in Bolin League circles in response to a linked rumor that there will be a new stadium added to the list of Bolin League venues this upcoming season. According to those rumors, there will be an upcoming announcement sometime this week. There is no word whether this will be a completely new stadium or a remodel of an existing ballpark. Bolin League commissioner Bobby Bolin has been very quiet publicly on the issue. "We cannot comment on this situation at the present time," Bolin stated amidst a throng of reporters. "But look for some information in the near future." That hint likely means there is some substance to the talks. Ever since the closing of Wilson Field at Polar Pop Park, the Bolin League has been operating with a need for more venues.

Bolin Field was the original league stadium when play began in the late 1990s, although the stadium had been hosting similar events for many years before the formation of the Bolin League. As the league expanded, Deckside Stadium was designed to help take some of the load off Bolin Field. Expansion continued and a new southern stadium, the cavernous Cunningham Park was added to the mix. Cunningham Park may have been a little before it's time, however, and closed in 2005. Since then, new stadiums have come and gone, but none of them have lived up to the expectations laid down by the early emergence of Bolin Field and Deckside Stadium.

Until now, under the assumption these rumors come to fruition. According to the original report by the Bolin League Times, "Bolin League stadium expansion has been in the works for many months and it now appears to be just a matter of time."

The Brook Park Enquirer also headlined a potential new stadium, "The Bolin League is making a power play to become the predominant league in the nation. The Enquirer has learned that the Bolin League has a acquired a 97 acre lot in Brook Park in order to build a complex of dozens of stadiums."

After some research, there actually was never a 97 acre lot available in Brook Park city limits, but the key to these reports is that there is definitely something brewing for the Bolin League. Updates will be posted in the coming days.

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS


2016 Official Playoff Predictions
League MVP- Anthony Rizzo (MIA)
Cy Young- Jake Arrieta (MON)
Rookie of the Year- Dansby Swanson (FA)

1st Round
1 Miami Marlins defeat 16 Cincinnati Reds
2 St. Louis Cardinals defeat 15 Boston Braves
3 Montreal Expos defeat 14 Washington Senators
4 Detroit Tigers defeat 13 Arizona Diamondbacks
5 Atlanta Braves defeat 12 Philadelphia Phillies
6 Milwaukee Brewers defeat 11 St. Louis Browns
7 Pittsburgh Pirates defeat 10 Cleveland Indians
9 Los Angeles Angels defeat 8 Oakland Athletics

2nd Round
1 Miami Marlins defeat 9 Los Angeles Angels
2 St. Louis Cardinals defeat 7 Pittsburgh Pirates
3 Montreal Expos defeat 6 Milwaukee Brewers
5 Atlanta Braves defeat 4 Detroit Tigers

Semifinals
1 Miami Marlins defeat 5 Atlanta Braves
2 St. Louis Cardinals defeat 3 Montreal Expos

Championship
2 St. Louis Cardinals defeat 1 Miami Marlins


DIVISION PREVIEWS


Division North
Team to Beat Detroit Tigers
Surprise Team Boston Braves
Best Pitch Repertoire St. Louis Browns
Best Fast Pitch Detroit Tigers
Most Power Detroit Tigers
Best Contact St. Louis Browns
Best Defense Boston Braves
Fastest Baserunning Boston Braves
MVP Sean Rodriguez 1B Detroit Tigers

Division South
Team to Beat St. Louis Cardinals
Surprise Team Seattle Mariners
Best Pitch Repertoire Oakland Athletics
Best Fast Pitch St. Louis Cardinals
Most Power St. Louis Cardinals
Best Contact St. Louis Cardinals
Best Defense St. Louis Cardinals
Fastest Baserunning Seattle Mariners
MVP Mike Trout CF St. Louis Cardinals

Division East
Team to Beat Miami Marlins
Surprise Team Tampa Bay Rays
Best Pitch Repertoire Atlanta Braves
Best Fast Pitch Houston Astros
Most Power Miami Marlins
Best Contact Atlanta Braves
Best Defense Washington Nationals
Fastest Baserunning Boston Red Sox
MVP Bryron Buxton CF Atlanta Braves

Division West
Team to Beat Montreal Expos
Surprise Team Milwaukee Braves
Best Pitch Repertoire Los Angeles Angels
Best Fast Pitch Pittsburgh Pirates
Most Power San Diego Padres
Best Contact Cleveland Indians
Best Defense Philadelphia Athletics
Fastest Baserunning Philadelphia Athletics
MVP Mookie Betts RF Montreal Expos





Team Milwaukee Brewers
Date March 21, 2017
Owner Bobby Bolin



Rank 1
Predicted Record 15-9
Star Player C Jonathan Lucroy

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall A-
Pitching B+
Fast Pitch A
Defense A
Contact A-
Power A




Team Miami Marlins
Date March 20, 2017
Owner Dave Jones



Rank 2
Predicted Record 3-1
Star Player 1B Anthony Rizzo

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall A
Pitching A
Fast Pitch A-
Defense A
Contact A
Power A




Team St. Louis Cardinals
Date March 19, 2017
Owner Devin Cunningham



Rank 3
Predicted Record 12-4
Star Player CF Mike Trout

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall A
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch A
Defense A
Contact A-
Power A




Team Montreal Expos
Date March 19, 2017
Owner Brandon Harris



Rank 4
Predicted Record 7-4
Star Player 2B Mookie Betts

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall A-
Pitching B+
Fast Pitch A-
Defense A
Contact A
Power A-




Team Atlanta Braves
Date March 18, 2017
Owner Tony Hopkins



Rank 5
Predicted Record 3-1
Star Player CF Byron Buxton

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall A
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch A
Defense A
Contact A-
Power A




Team Pittsburgh Pirates
Date March 17, 2017
Owner Doug Benzel



Rank 6
Predicted Record 4-3
Star Player CF Andrew McCutchen

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall A-
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch A
Defense B+
Contact B+
Power A




Team Detroit Tigers
Date March 16, 2017
Owner Brian Bolin



Rank 7
Predicted Record 7-4
Star Player 1B Sean Rodriguez

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B+
Pitching A
Fast Pitch A
Defense B+
Contact B+
Power A-




Team Cleveland Indians
Date March 15, 2017
Owner Dane Chester



Rank 8
Predicted Record 3-2
Star Player 1B Edwin Encarnacion

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B+
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch B+
Defense B
Contact B+
Power B+




Team Los Angeles Angels
Date March 14, 2017
Owner Alex Bierut



Rank 9
Predicted Record 5-5
Star Player 1B Joey Votto

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B+
Pitching A
Fast Pitch B+
Defense B+
Contact A-
Power B+




Team Oakland Athletics
Date March 13, 2017
Owner Ryan Bolin



Rank 10
Predicted Record 10-11
Star Player 3B Josh Donaldson

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B+
Pitching A
Fast Pitch B+
Defense B
Contact B+
Power B-




Team San Diego Padres
Date March 12, 2017
Owner Austin Steinbrenner



Rank 11
Predicted Record 2-3
Star Player SS Trea Turner

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching C+
Fast Pitch C+
Defense A
Contact B
Power A




Team Philadelphia Phillies
Date March 12, 2017
Owner Austin Rose



Rank 12
Predicted Record 3-3
Star Player RF JD Martinez

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching B
Fast Pitch A
Defense B+
Contact B+
Power B+




Team Arizona Diamondbacks
Date March 11, 2017
Owner Nick Castenir



Rank 13
Predicted Record 1-1
Star Player 1B Paul Goldschmidt

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching B-
Fast Pitch B-
Defense B-
Contact B+
Power A-




Team New York Mets
Date March 10, 2017
Owner Steven Wilson



Rank 14
Predicted Record 2-3
Star Player C Travis d’Arnaud

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch B+
Defense B
Contact B+
Power B




Team St. Louis Browns
Date March 9, 2017
Owner Bob Bolin



Rank 15
Predicted Record 9-14
Star Player 2B Ian Kinsler

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch B
Defense D+
Contact B+
Power C+




Team Philadelphia Athletics
Date March 8, 2017
Owner Vinnie Galizio



Rank 16
Predicted Record 2-2
Star Player 1B Adrian Gonzalez

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching B-
Fast Pitch B-
Defense A-
Contact A-
Power B+




Team Washington Senators
Date March 7, 2017
Owner Joe Yurik



Rank 17
Predicted Record 7-5
Star Player SS Brandon Crawford

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching C
Fast Pitch C+
Defense B+
Contact B
Power A




Team Tampa Bay Rays
Date March 6, 2017
Owner Jake Cantrell



Rank 18
Predicted Record 3-3
Star Player 3B Evan Longoria

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching C+
Fast Pitch C
Defense A-
Contact A-
Power B+




Team Cincinnati Reds
Date March 5, 2017
Owner Billy Link



Rank 19
Predicted Record 8-13
Star Player 2B Brandon Phillips

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B-
Pitching C+
Fast Pitch B
Defense B-
Contact C
Power B-




Team Boston Braves
Date March 5, 2017
Owner Ben Tepper



Rank 20
Predicted Record 6-7
Star Player P Zack Greinke

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching C+
Fast Pitch B-
Defense B+
Contact B-
Power B-




Team Seattle Mariners
Date March 4, 2017
Owner Ryan Sopko



Rank 21
Predicted Record 2-1
Star Player P Felix Hernandez

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B+
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch A-
Defense B+
Contact B+
Power A-




Team Milwaukee Braves
Date March 3, 2017
Owner Mike Davis



Rank 22
Predicted Record 2-1
Star Player P Patrick Corbin

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B
Pitching A
Fast Pitch A
Defense B+
Contact B
Power B




Team New York Giants
Date March 2, 2017
Owner John Mandula



Rank 23
Predicted Record 1-1
Star Player P Chris Sale

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B-
Pitching B-
Fast Pitch B-
Defense B
Contact B-
Power B-




Team Washington Nationals
Date March 1, 2017
Owner Adam Delgarbino



Rank 24
Predicted Record 4-9
Star Player P Madison Bumgarner

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B-
Pitching B
Fast Pitch B-
Defense B
Contact B
Power C+




Team Baltimore Orioles
Date February 27, 2017
Owner Kodi Simon.



Rank 26
Predicted Record 2-2
Star Player 3B Manny Machado

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall C+
Pitching C
Fast Pitch C+
Defense B
Contact C
Power C




Team Boston Red Sox
Date February 26, 2017
Owner Kevin Yurik Jr.



Rank 27
Predicted Record 3-5
Star Player SS Xander Bogaerts

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B-
Pitching C
Fast Pitch C
Defense A-
Contact C+
Power C+




Team Kansas City Athletics
Date February 26, 2017
Owner Tim Captain



Rank 28
Predicted Record 2-5
Star Player DH Aaron Judge

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall C+
Pitching C+
Fast Pitch C-
Defense B+
Contact C+
Power B




Team Brooklyn Dodgers
Date February 25, 2017
Owner Dustin Nelson



Rank 29
Predicted Record 2-7
Star Player DH Ian Desmond

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall C+
Pitching B-
Fast Pitch C
Defense C
Contact C
Power B-




Team Kansas City Royals
Date February 24, 2017
Owner Dave May



Rank 30
Predicted Record 1-2
Star Player SS Alcides Escobar

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall B-
Pitching A-
Fast Pitch B+
Defense D+
Contact B-
Power B




Team Los Angeles Dodgers
Date February 23, 2017
Owner Ed Hansen



Rank 31
Predicted Record 1-1
Star Player 3B Justin Turner

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall C+
Pitching C
Fast Pitch C+
Defense C
Contact B-
Power B-




Team Toronto Blue Jays
Date February 22, 2017
Owner Bridget Bolin



Rank 32
Predicted Record 5-8
Star Player RF Jose Bautista

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall C
Pitching C+
Fast Pitch C-
Defense C
Contact C+
Power C+




Team San Francisco Giants
Date February 21, 2017
Owner Larry Lowes



Rank 33
Predicted Record 1-3
Star Player CF Hunter Pence

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall C-
Pitching C-
Fast Pitch D
Defense D+
Contact C
Power C+




Team Minnesota Twins
Date February 20, 2017
Owner Alycia Link



Rank 34
Predicted Record 2-6
Star Player 2B Brian Dozier

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall D+
Pitching D
Fast Pitch D-
Defense C-
Contact C-
Power C




Team Chicago White Sox
Date February 19, 2017
Owner Brandon Gearo



Rank 35
Predicted Record 2-4
Star Player DH Jose Abreu

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall D+
Pitching D
Fast Pitch D-
Defense C-
Contact C
Power C-




Team Texas Rangers
Date February 19, 2017
Owner Kristina Stojanovic



Rank 36
Predicted Record 1-2
Star Player P Yu Darvish

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall D
Pitching D-
Fast Pitch D-
Defense D
Contact C
Power C




Team Colorado Rockies
Date February 18, 2017
Owner Megan Lowes



Rank 37
Predicted Record 2-5
Star Player SS Trevor Story

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall D
Pitching D
Fast Pitch D-
Defense D+
Contact C
Power C-




Team New York Yankees
Date February 17, 2017
Owner Beverly Cunningham



Rank 38
Predicted Record 1-4
Star Player SS Starlin Castro

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall D-
Pitching D-
Fast Pitch D-
Defense D+
Contact C
Power C-




Team Chicago Cubs
Date February 16, 2017
Owner Meleah Hansen



Rank 39
Predicted Record 1-3
Star Player 2B Aaron Hill

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall D-
Pitching D-
Fast Pitch D-
Defense D
Contact C
Power D+




Team Seattle Pilots
Date February 15, 2017
Owner Carter Stewart



Rank 40
Predicted Record 0-9
Star Player OF Guillermo Heredia

Best Uniform


GRADES
Overall D-
Pitching D
Fast Pitch D-
Defense D+
Contact C-
Power D+