NL Champion Division
Teams that left the division: COL-, LAD-
Teams that joined the division: CHC+, PHI+
St Louis Cardinals:
2032 Review:
STL is coming off back-to-back championships and 108 regular season wins. They come into 2033 as the team to beat.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: STL lost a lot of production in FA including: 2B Lewis, LF Trammell, SP Rocker, 2B Mountcastle, and RP Romero which totals 13.2 WAR, in addition to depth pieces RP Marquez, CF Gramajo, and IF Espinoza.
Players Acquired: STL did manage to re-sign some of their FAs and also signed OF Acuna Jr, 2B Winn, and 1B Madrigal to replace some production lost along with 2 relievers – RP Tucker and RP Zamora. But it still totals a net loss of 10.6 WAR.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: 1B Wallace had a career low .757 OPS last year even though his BB% & K% and BABIP were all within career norms. STL will be hoping for a bounce back season and his HRs to jump back to the 35+ range.
Pitcher to Watch: Another player who should improve on his 2032 numbers is SP O’Banner who had a sophomore slump after a strong rookie year. STL will be looking for him to step up as their #2 starter.
Expectation: In one sense they lost a lot of production to FA that was not replaced, and yet they have some candidates to reasonably improve on their 2032 numbers. This is still a top team in the league, no doubt, but they will very likely fall short of the 108 wins last year, even while competing for the division.
Chicago Cubs:
2032 Review:
CHC are coming off a 2nd consecutive strong season earning a promotion to the Champion Division ranking above average in runs scored and average in ERA.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: CHC lost some big FAs in SP Breedy, 3B Tatis, and 1B Thaiss.
Players Acquired: Despite losing some big FAs, they improved their team with the additions, and were 1st in WAR added in baseball this offseason. They added: SP Meador, SS Lugo, 2B Garcia, 2B Gordon, LF Caballero, and Fridia.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: LF Eaves made his rookie debut last season putting up .855 OPS and 2.5 WAR. With his hit tool and raw talent he should easily eclipse that this year, could become a premier LF in the league.
Pitcher to Watch: SP Haviland is 124 games into his career and yet to establish himself as a reliable starter. It appears he will have another shot this year, but Woodard will be in AAA waiting if he yet again stumbles.
Expectation: This lineup has the potential to lead the league in runs scored this year if everyone hits like they can. The rotation is a little more questionable, especially with some injury concerns and not a lot of depth. The increased difficulty in schedule could have an effect, but I would not be surprised if this is another team that competes for a division title this year with big names at every position.
Philadelphia Phillies:
2032 Review:
PHI did something pretty special, jumping up not only one division, but both – all the way from the Tertiary Division to the Champion Division. This won 95 games in a 2nd straight 90 win season. They ranked 3rd in runs scored in a hitter friendly park, and average in team ERA.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: PHI lost SP Soriano, and some IF guys in SS Lux, 2B Cruz, and Winn, along with OFs Marsh and Nunn to FA.
Players Acquired: PHI signed some big names in 3B Tatis and C Miller to big contracts. They also signed several RP to sure up the BP in Miller, Pacheco, Halter, and Dunn.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: PHI signed SS Lindor coming off back-to-back MVPs last season, but he only started 50 games due to injury in 2032. Entering his age 39 season they need Lindor to play a full season and get back to at least all-star form.
Pitcher to Watch: SP Staine has struggled in his first 20 starts in the big leagues, but PHI needs someone to step up and be a top starter in this rotation, and he has the talent. He development will be key for PHI this season.
Expectation: While PHI can brag about jumping two divisions, life is going to hit hard going from a rebuilding team schedule to playing teams that are the top in the NL. PHI has a solid lineup, although they do employ a lot of older players which has caused injury issues in recent years. Their rotation should be average, but a lot depends on the young guns – Davalos and Staine. If PHI can stay healthy, and the rotation can come together, they definitely have the ability to make a run in the playoffs. But that is a lot of ifs, and I would not be surprised by a record closer to .500 in a tough division.
Atlanta Braves:
2032 Review:
ATL had their worst season since 2027 last year, winning only 83 games with an unusually average offense, and good, but not typically dominant pitching ERA.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: Coming off a lot of disappointing seasons, ATL let some big FAs go including: SS Nixon, CF Corrall, C Mack, C Cartaya, DH Fry, RP Garcia, and RP Espino.
Players Acquired: ATL did replace some production with some reputable FAs – SS Flores, 1B Trujillo, SP Yankowsky, C Michaels, and RP Pizana.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: It looks like CF Catanei will take over for Corrall as the next CF in ATL. He has big shoes to fill, but he should be a solid regular in his own right.
Pitcher to Watch: SP Halle had a respectable first full season in the big leagues with a 4.17 ERA, but he has to talent to be better and fill out a dominant rotation.
Expectation: This is a tough team to peg. On one hand they lost some real production, even if most of those players had disappointing seasons, and only won 83 games last year. One the other hand many of their players had down seasons last year and they have guys to fill the vacant spots that should be equal or better, in addition to bringing back the only rotation to hold a candle to SD. Mark me down for another 90+ win season and playoff berth.
San Francisco Giants:
2032 Review:
SF has won 86 games 7 out of the last 8 years, winning 88 last season. As per usual due to Oracle Park, they finished 2nd in team ERA and 2nd last in runs scored in the league.
Offseason Recap:
Players Lost: SF traded away SP Paulino, and let 1B Bregman, RP Halter, and C Rothenberg all hit FA.
Players Acquired: SF got SP Powers back hoping to replace some of Paulino’s production, and traded for 1B Bravo and 1B Casiano to cover Bregman’s vacancy.
Season Preview:
Position Player to Watch: LF Foster has been the one offensive player SF has relied on aside from Fabian, he is in a contract year and so it will be something to watch if SF pays him before FA and how much money he commands.
Pitcher to Watch: SP Powers had an impressive rookie season in SEA, before struggling in CLE. SF is hoping to get him back on track and big a key starter for them.
Expectation: I think SF will miss Paulino’s consistency, and I’m not sure they have done enough on offense to move the needle. With their pitching, the floor remains around .500, but I’m not sure the ceiling is much higher than 90 wins. Competing for a WC late in season seems reasonable.
Summary: I have a tough time parsing ATL and STL apart, they are both elite teams that will compete for the division, and have CHC just below them. I think SF and PHI are slightly beneath CHC yet, but really all these teams have the talent to make a playoff run if things break their way. As always, this will be a highly competitive division with 5 of the best teams in the league.
For the GMs of the NL Champion 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 Champion division this year?