2059 Portland Lumberjacks Preview

[Krathan]

Portland Lumberjacks 2059 Preview

Portland entered the league in 2040 and the upcoming season will be the 20th in franchise history. The Lumberjacks have had 5 consecutive losing seasons and it has been 6 years since they made the postseason. General manager Chris Wilson has made some big changes this offseason in an attempt to turn the franchise around and start winning games again.

Last season, Portland scored the second fewest runs in the Frick League, averaging 3.8 per game. Their .298 OBP was worst in the league. Portland allowed the second most runs last season, averaging 5 per game. These stats demonstrate that Wilson had a lot of work to do in order to make this team a contender.

Key Departures:

Pedro “Dragon” Rosales has been a fixture in centerfield the last three seasons but opted out of the remainder of his contract. He has turned that into a long offseason and an uncertain future as he remains a free agent late in Spring Training. He has put up 8.4 WAR over the last three years, meaning that his production will definitely need to be replaced.

The other players who will not be returning couldn’t really be considered big losses. In fact, with how poorly Jim Ashford played last year, even a replacement level player would be a noticeable improvement.

Key Additions:

This is a big and impressive list. Like John Hammond when building Jurassic Park, Chris Wislon spared no expense in adding to his team.

Sammy “Bumper” McNeill is a huge upgrade at shortstop for this team. Last season, Portland started Cernunnos Haberknuckle ast short 70 times. He put up -1.4 WAR. McNeill posted 2.8 WAR playing for Charm City and San Fernando. If McNeill can stay healthy, he is capable of providing even more value.

Veteran Bill Morely was signed to take over in center field. Morley is an excellent defender coming off of a down year in Long Beach. Having posted 3.1 WAR in 2057, it’s hard to say for sure whether his down year is an indication of his age catching up to him or just a matter of having spent a season in Long Beach.

Top prospect Mynorli “Old Man” Gaajlimitz is an exciting rookie who looks primed to take over the DH duties in Portland. He has put up 7.3 WAR in just 216 minor league games since being drafted in 2057. His .394 Spring batting average suggests that he will be able to make the jump from AA to the BBA this year and have an immediate impact.

Rich Dares is a bit of a mystery. He plays solid defense all around the infield and may get starts against LHP at 2B this season. Will he be the 2 WAR player he was in Charlotte two years ago, the -0.9 WAR player he was in Bikini and Long Beach last year, or something in-between?

Alaric Wullenweber will turn 39 during the upcoming season but he is coming off of a season in which he put up 3.5 WAR with a 10-12 record and an ERA of 4.56. He will also provide experience, leadership to the Portland staff.

Juan Marroquin is another veteran pitcher joining the staff. Last year, Marroquin spent time with both Jacksonville and Charlotte, combining for a 10-9 record with a 3.90 ERA. While he is not the leader that Wullenweber is, Marroquin will be a clear upgrade on the mound for the Lumberjacks.

Key Returning Players:

Alvin Conley had a fantastic rookie season, putting up 3.1 WAR and starting 161 games. He will again be a fixture in the lineup.

Allan “Buddy” Ueker will once again be the primary catcher for the ballclub. He has tremendous tools defensively and looks like he should be capable of taking a step forward offensively as well. His 68 wRC+ was unimpressive, but his scout ratings indicate that he should be able to make more of an impact at the plate.

Hideaki “Asshat” Ohayashi has enticing tools that haven’t yet turned into exciting production. He needs to take a step forward.

Edward “Mutt” Roundfield hit 23 home runs for Portland last season. He also had a ZR of -10.7 at second base. His bat makes him valuable. He needs to figure out his defense, especially with Gaajlimitz se to DH.

Strengths:

There are quite a few good players on this team. There is a good mix of veterans and young players. If a couple of the youngsters can take a step forward and if those veterans can perform to their abilities, this team could be a lot of fun to watch. I think the team will score quite a few more runs than they did last year. I also think the starting rotation will give up less runs than a year ago.

Weaknesses:

McNeill has had trouble with injuries lately. If he can’t stay on the field, that will really hurt this team. The older players need to prove they’re still capable of producing at a high level. If Morley, Marroquin and Wullenweber struggle, then the team will be in trouble. All of that said, the bullpen is the biggest area of weakness for the 2059 Lumberjacks. A group that wasn’t great last year hasn’t really improved much. I worry that the team will lose a lot of games late.

Outlook:

I believe this year’s Portland Lumberjacks will be considerably better than the last few years. I think enough guys will do what they need to do in order to make this team interesting and relevant through a large chunk of the season. When all is said and done, I don’t think they will quite get to .500, but I do think they will improve by about 16 games over last season. I am predicting a 78-84 final record for the 2059 Lumberjacks.

[trmmilwwi]

Man this team will be awesome to watch. Uecker, Asshat, Wullenweber, Gaajlimitz, Bumper. Probably the most exciting team in the league. Reminds me of Calgary a few years back.

[Krathan]

I actually think there’s a decent chance that Portland outperforms my prediction but I think everything has to go right for that to happen. I’m rooting for an above .500 finish.

[Dington]

Chris is rolling the dice! Love to see it. If the vets stay healthy, this team will be right around that .500 mark. Big IF, though. Regardless, lot of young talent in Portland.

[BaseClogger]

Pacific gets tougher. Me and Valencia might be in for a long year.

[Knucklehead254]

Pacific gets tougher. Me and Valencia might be in for a long year.

At least I’m out of the way for this year

[BaseClogger]

Pacific gets tougher. Me and Valencia might be in for a long year.

At least I’m out of the way for this year

I’m not buying it until you trade Hinkle.

[RonCo]

Pacific gets tougher. Me and Valencia might be in for a long year.

At least I’m out of the way for this year

I’m not buying it until you trade Hinkle.

I'm just not buying it at all.

[7teen]

Great preview Nathan. Sorry late to reading and posting but I think you hit some nails on the head.

I think this team can be a team that hovers around .500 and maybe if things fall right contend for a wild card. But a team that could also flame out and things not go right and finish 71-91. I have a lot of things to watch and right about that that'll make it a fun season!

[BaseClogger]

At a minimum I think you’ve guaranteed your days of losing 95+ are over.