S6 Season Preview - AL

AL NORTH

Minnesota Lakes
Last season: 77-85, 4th Place
Payroll: $82.6M
Key Acquisitions: P Rudy Waters (FA-SD), P Jeffrey Powell (TRADE-PAW), RF Gregg Davis (TRADE-PAW)
Key Losses: RF Jerome Smalley (FA-Unsigned), LF Arthur Holmes (FA-Unsigned), P Toby Blasingame (TRADE-PAW)
Overall Grade: C+

Madison Wizards
Last season: 87-75, 3rd Place
Payroll: $67.1M
Key Acquisitions: P Vladimir Javier (FA-MIN), P Gregory Burch (FA-MIN)
Key Losses: NONE
Overall Grade: B

Trenton Jokers
Last season: 96-66, 1st Place / Division Champs
Payroll: $94.6M
Key Acquisitions: P Bob Tate (FA-SEA), P Terry Staley (FA-MNT), 3B Ralph Pratt (FA-STL), P Russell Lefebvre (FA-SD)
Key Losses: RF Johnnie Randall (FA-JAX), P Kid Stairs (FA-Unsigned), P David Wang (Injured-60 Day DL)
Overall Grade: A-

Syracuse Iriquois
Last season: 93-69, 2nd Place / WC
Payroll: $85.0M
Key Acquisitions: 3B Juan Ozuna (FA-ATL), RF Philip Little (FA-NY)
Key Losses: P Brendan Buss (FA-SFE)
Overall Grade: B+

DIVISION OUTLOOK: A top-flight division in the AL. Trenton has all the makings to repeat as Division Champs, but the loss of Wang will hurt a lot. Syracuse brings back virtually their entire team from last season, and they'll capitalize if Trenton struggles early. Madison could be a sleeper this year, led by superstar Del Guiterrez. Minnesota looks to stand pat, perhaps even sink a little.

AL NORTH PREDICTION: Trenton – Division Champs / Syracuse - WC


AL EAST

New York Nippers
Last season: 89-73, 1st Place / Division Champs
Payroll: $105.7M
Key Acquisitions: P Merv Hunter (FA-SFE), P Luis Esposito (FA-VAN), P Cameron McFeely (FA-SFE)
Key Losses: LF Buddy Perez (FA-Unsigned), P Sonny Spurgeon (FA-Unsigned), P Jimmie Colon (FA-SFE)
Overall Grade: A

Richmond Barking Spiders
Last season: 70-92, 4th Place
Payroll: $72.9M
Key Acquisitions: P Rob Jones (FA-MON), 2B Sidney Snow (TRADE-ROC)
Key Losses: 1B Jim Bailes (FA-MNT), CF Kazuhiro Zhang (TRADE-ROC), P Hick Quinn (TRADE-ROC)
Overall Grade: C

Pawtucket Bombers
Last season: 87-75, 2nd Place / WC
Payroll: $45.9M
Key Acquisitions: 3B Bill Hartgraves (FA-MEM), P Toby Blasingame (TRADE-MIN), P Todd Miller (TRADE-MON)
Key Losses: RF Gregg Davis (TRADE-MIN), P Jeffrey Powell (TRADE-MIN)
Overall Grade: B

Atlanta Convicks
Last season: 74-88, 3rd Place
Payroll: $86.7M
Key Acquisitions: 3B Pat Chen (FA-MNT), P Alan Flood (FA-MON)
Key Losses: NONE
Overall Grade: B-

DIVISION OUTLOOK: New York's FA signings of Merv Hunter and Luis Esposito catapaults the Nippers above and beyond everybody else in this division. One of the top 2 seeds in the AL is theirs to lose. Pawtucket got stud SP Toby Blasingame, but gave up a lot to get him. Atlanta did just enough to equal what they did last season. Richmond finds themselves in the basement, and perhaps rebuilding is in order.

AL EAST PREDICTION: New York – Division Champs


AL SOUTH
Jackson Rebels
Last season: 67-95, 2nd Place
Payroll: $52.6M
Key Acquisitions: SS Kerry Allensworth (FA-SEA), P Victor Charles (FA-OKC), P Miller Greer (FA-OAK)
Key Losses: 3B Tom Owens (FA-Unsigned), 1B Kenneth Parent (FA-Unsigned), P Freddie Foster (TRADE-KC)
Overall Grade: C

Monterrey Ping the Rookies
Last season: 84-78, 1st Place / Division Champs
Payroll: $105.9M
Key Acquisitions: P Quilvio Escuela (FA-SFE), 1B Jim Bailes (FA-RIC)
Key Losses: 3B Pat Chen (FA-ATL), LF Will Biggio (RETIRED), P Terry Staley (FA-TRE)
Overall Grade: A-

Austin Bats
Last season: 62-100, 3rd Place
Payroll: $24.2M
Key Acquisitions: 2B Kirk Wise (TRADE-ARI), P Devon Payne (TRADE-ROC), CF Woodie Polcovich (TRADE-ROC)
Key Losses: 1B Piper Gardner (FA-PHI), RF Miguel Lima (TRADE-ARI), P Macbeth O'Malley (FA-Unsigned)
Overall Grade: B-

Memphis Rum Runners
Last season: 55-107, 4th Place
Payroll: $87.9M
Key Acquisitions: P Paul Meng (FA-MON), P Lucas Mancuso (TRADE-ROC)
Key Losses: 3B Bill Hartgraves (FA-PAW), P Dennis Parkinson (FA-SJ),
Overall Grade: C-

DIVISION OUTLOOK: We like Monterrey to repeat as division champs, but that's pretty much all we like. Jackson is a hair better than the rest. Austin and Memphis will slug it out for last place. Austin lost 100 last season, and that wasn't bad enough to get last. I kid you not.

AL SOUTH PREDICTION: Monterrey – Division Champs


AL WEST
Oklahoma City Redhawks
Last season: 85-77, 3rd Place
Payroll: $74.3M
Key Acquisitions: 3B Bob Wooten (FA-MAD), SS Robert Henley (TRADE-SAL), P Yuniesky Perez (TRADE-SAL)
Key Losses: 1B Alex Park (FA-JAX), 2B Tony Llanos (TRADE-STL), P Alfredo Martin (FA-ROC)
Overall Grade: B

Vancouver VooDoo
Last season: 80-82, 4th Place
Payroll: $106.4M
Key Acquisitions: CF Sam Bradshaw (FA-TRE), LF Lawrence Monahan (FA-MEM), P Zachrey Wainhouse (FA-PAW)
Key Losses: 1B Tomas Tarasco (FA-OKC),
Overall Grade: B

Salem Lights
Last season: 99-63, 1st Place / Division Champs / Defending AL Champs
Payroll: $31.9M
Key Acquisitions: CF Bart Collier (TRADE-OKC), P Jamie Mayne (TRADE-STL), 1B Geronimo Elcano (PROMOTED)
Key Losses: LF Giomar Mercado (TRADE-STL), P Yuniesky Perez (TRADE-OKC)
Overall Grade: A-

Las Vegas Vegan Vampires
Last season: 86-76, 2nd Place
Payroll: $51.4M
Key Acquisitions: NONE
Key Losses: NONE
Overall Grade: B

DIVISION OUTLOOK: Salem has to be somewhat irritated for losing a 2nd WS in a row, and they could take it out on the rest of the division. A team that could emerge is Vancouver, as they made great strides in the offseason. Both Las Vegas and Oklahoma City are solid teams, but in this tough division, one of these could find themselves in 4th place.

AL WEST PREDICTION: Salem - Division Champs / Vancouver - WC


AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS OUTLOOK: No team improved more in the AL than New York, and they should get the 1 seed. The 2 seed is a battle between Salem and Monterrey. I can see Vancouver making a splash and upsetting somebody, but when the dust settles, the Nippers find a way to the WS.

ALCS PREDICTION: New York over Salem, 7 games