NL Tertiary Division
Teams that left the division: PHI+
Teams that joined the division: ARI-
Miami Marlins:
2032 Review:
MIA won 79 games last year, their most since 2028. As usual they ranked well in run prevention, but struggled with offensive production.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: MIA lost 2B/SS Lugo and fringe players RP Dunn and CF Huertas to FA.
Players Acquired: MIA made some big acquisitions through FA as well, signing SP Norris, C Webb, RP Yanez, and RP Garcia.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: CF McDowell has the potential to be a perennial all-star and even MVP candidate in CF for MIA. His development should be key to watch for this team.
Pitcher to Watch: SP Sjodin had an impressive rookie season with a 2.91 ERA before regressing the last 2 years. MIA would like to see him closer to his rookie self which he still has the talent to do.
Expectation: MIA has a dangerous rotation and what should be a respectable BP, the question is whether they can score enough runs. They have a lot of top prospect, high talent hitters that need to take a step forward like 1B Rocha, LF Knapp, and CF McDowell. If they can do that this team might be sneaky good. MIA is a team on the rise and 2033 will go a long way to legitimizing that. If everything breaks right they may compete for the division or a final WC spot.
Pittsburgh Pirates:
2032 Review:
PIT finished their fifth consecutive season under 71 wins after 3 straight 100 win seasons, and the last 2 have been 96 losses each, although their pythagorean record was 6 games better. While the offense was above average their pitching was near bottom of the league.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: PIT lost a couple notable players to FA in LF Caballero, 2B Carrion, SP Magrisi, SP Cool, C Pineda, and traded away 1B Uriostegui.
Players Acquired: PIT did acquire a couple solid pitchers in Paulino and Rivas along with C Deemer, and signed CF Frank.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: 2B Graham has the potential to cement himself on a young unestablished team. Would not be surprised to see him maybe reach an all-star game or two in his peak.
Pitcher to Watch: SP Rivas struggled in CLE over 2 full seasons, accumulating a 4.79 FIP. However he has the potential to be closer to a #3-4 starter on a good team, PIT will give him the chance to prove himself.
Expectation: PIT has improved their pitching over last year, but the offense could take a step back with the loss of Caballero and his .889 OPS. However they do have a few young players who could fill in that gap. I see some marginal improvement on last year as this team continues to acquire talent. Mid 70s in wins feels like a realistic outcome with an even season being the target.
Cincinnati Reds:
2032 Review:
CIN hasn’t had a winning record since 2013 and have not even reached 64 wins 5 of the last 7 seasons. They lost 99 games last year ranking bottom 4 in the league in both pitching and hitting.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: SS Suarez, C Amaya, LF Lora, and SP Prieto were all lost in FA. Unfortunately that was their most valuable pitcher last year and 3/10 positive hitting contributors.
Players Acquired: CIN signed 3 major contracts, 2B Cobos, CF Corrall, and RP Espino who oddly enough got taken in the Rule 5 draft.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: 2B Cobb had a breakout 2032 season putting up 4 WAR and a .763 OPS. In his 32 year old season he will try to replicate those numbers or even prove he belongs in the ML.
Pitcher to Watch: #36 ranked prospect in baseball Williams is near ML ready, he should make an impact in the league in a meaningful way in 2033.
Expectation: Although this team did make some splash signings, it is not near enough to put them into contention. Unfortunately it looks like another long season for CIN fans as they wait for young talent to come up.
New York Mets:
2032 Review:
NYM had their 4th straight losing season, winning 78 games last year, and were league average runs scored and ERA.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: SP Zoll, RP Pacheco, C Webb, 1B Nakamo, and CF Pache all hit FA.
Players Acquired: The only significant acquisitions were signing CF Calva and trading for 2B Espinoza.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: OF Schneider has a chance to put up MVP numbers if he can tap into his full ability. He will be a player to watch in his 2nd full season and could easily slide into the middle of a solid Mets lineup.
Pitcher to Watch: This is less a specific starter, and more about who will step up. They have two top starters in Carrillo and Thompson, and four back-end guys in Parets, Watts, Guajardo, and Carrasco (AAA). Which of those back four will step up and provide that #3 starter the Mets need?
Expectation: A lot of Mets stars struggled in their first year in NY in 2032 - SP Carrillo, SP Thompson, and 3B Welker. If those 3 can provide close to their career production, and young guys like 2B Espinoza and RF Schneider take a step forward, this could be a dangerous Mets team. They are probably the safest pick to win the division, and could be a difficult out in the playoffs.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
2032 Review:
ARI has lost 88+ games for 9 of the past 11 seasons, losing 104 last year. Their 5.68 team ERA was by far the worst in baseball, and their offense was below average as well.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: ARI let a few guys hit FA in 3B Nova, 2B Sangare, and CF Miller, but notably they traded away 2B Camacho and SP Layne Jr.
Players Acquired: The only ML acquisitions were C Rothenberg and SP McMahon.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: #9 prospect Juan Andia will start the year in AAA, and while ARI does have some young OFs that could be decent, Andia should be in the big leagues making his mark by the end of the year.
Pitcher to Watch: SP Chesney will start the year in AAA, but he is not too far from being ML ready. He is looking to be the only knuckleballer in the big leagues, with a killer knuckleball/splitter/changeup arsenal.
Expectation: ARI is clearly in a rebuilding phase, that being said they already have some interesting young players at the big leagues, especially in the OF. They won’t contend this year, and maybe not even next year, but there is a future for this team.
Summary: MIA & NYM are the two teams pushing to contend this season, and will very likely end up top of the division. PIT should be mildly competitive and maybe stays in contention with some lucky breaks. And CIN & ARI should round out the bottom of the division this year. But there is a lot of young talent in this division, and some of these teams could be trouble for years to come.
For the GMs of the NL Tertiary Division:
What was your biggest perceived weakness in the offseason, and what did you do to fix it?
What is your record prediction for your team this season?
Who is the most underrated player on your club?
What needs to happen for you to consider 2033 a successful season?
Who wins the NL Tertiary division this year?