Post by Sha-Le Unique on Mar 15, 2014 20:07:27 GMT -5
With the AL being thoroughly covered last season, it's time to move on to the NL. We start with the NL East, which includes two teams currently in this league (one of which will be relocated in about a decade) and three eventual expansion teams that will come into this league at different times. Here we go!
Atlanta/Milwaukee Braves
By the time Steve most likely makes his FPR choices, the Braves will have been in Atlanta for a long time. The Braves haven't been the most successful team of all time in reality, but they've certainly had quite a few talented superstars over the years.
1. SP John Smoltz
Draft Class: 1985
Ratings: G/B/B/B/B, B duration, B relief duration, Loyal
As great as his two former teammates below him were, John Smoltz is the best rated player available for Steve to reserve. Smoltz may have been the third wheel in the amazing Braves rotation through the 1990s, but was as good as any pitcher at the time. He won the 1996 NL Cy Young Award and transitioned to a very successful closer from 2001-2004. In 2002, he set a then-record of 55 saves, which was broken by Francisco Rodriguez in 2008.
Steve should really consider taking Smoltz if Chris ends up making his ratings this good. It will be a difficult decision for Steve to make once we get to the 1980s. But he definitely couldn't go wrong with reserving Smoltz in 1985. The big question though is will he be patient enough to do so with another great Braves pitcher available in 1984?
2. SP Greg Maddux
Draft Class: 1984
Ratings: G/G/B/B/A, A duration, A defensive range, A craftiness, Loyal
Recent real life Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Greg Maddux was arguably one of, if not the best pitcher in baseball during the 1990s, as well one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He was a control artist and was by far the craftiest pitcher I've ever seen in my lifetime. I remember in 1998, when I first started to really follow baseball (keep in mind I was only 7 years old at the time), I watched Maddux defeat my Mets and I was shocked that he didn't throw hard yet figured out ways to get outs and limit damage. It was amazing. And as much as I despised the Braves while growing up, it was certainly fun to watch Maddux pitch.
That being said, Steve will have a very tough decision to make. The only clear advantage Smoltz has over Maddux is the strikeouts. So will Steve reserve Maddux right away in 1984? Or will he be a bit more patient and wait another season for Smoltz? Or will he end up selecting both over another particular Braves star?
3. 3B Larry "Chipper" Jones
Draft Class: 1990
Ratings: G/G/F/B/B/A, C speed, B steals, D range @ 3B, E range @ LF, A @ Taunting, Loyal
Chipper Jones spent his entire career with the Braves and became one of the greatest third basemen of all time. The switch-hitting Jones could hit for average and power, stole some bases early in his career and was a great offensive leader for the Braves during their amazing run atop the NL East from 1991-2005.
This should be an easy choice for Steve, thanks to good in hits and brilliant in both home runs and walks, all of which are more than deserving for Jones. However, the presence of both Smoltz and Maddux could certainly play a role here. Jones spent the majority of his time at third base, but spent all of 2001 and 2002 as a left fielder. This should certainly be taken into consideration and he should be able to play left field from the start as well.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Glavine, Phil Niekro, Dale Murphy, Terry Pendleton, Fred McGriff, Andruw Jones, Brian McCann, Craig Kimbrel
Florida/Miami Marlins
1. RF Gary Sheffield
Draft Class: 1986
Ratings: G/G/F/G/B/G, C speed, B steals, D range @ RF, D range @ LF, C range @ 3B
In his 22-year career, Gary Sheffield spent time with eight different teams. And although he didn't have all his best years with the Marlins, he spent more time there than with any other team which makes him eligible to be reserved as a Marlin. Sheffield started off as a shortstop and third baseman before transitioning to the outfield once he arrived with the then-expansion Marlins in 1993.
How exactly this will work for the Marlins by then will be very fascinating to see. Sheffield was drafted in 1986, but the Marlins will not be eligible to make any draft picks at all until 1991. So could Sheffield get reserved this early by the Marlins and be on another team until 1991? Or how exactly would this unique situation play out? Would Sheffield possibly become eligible as a Dodger, whom he spent the second most seasons of his career with?
Regardless of where he ends up, Sheffield should definitely be considered. His career home run average of 32 could very well turn into a brilliant rating, but will be good at the very least. Sheffield will be able to play three positions from the start and should be able to steal some bases as well. He is the clear #1 choice for Stutter or whoever the future Marlins GM ends up being...that is if the Marlins will be able to somehow reserve him in advance. Again, I'm very interested to see how Chris will go about this potential conundrum.
2. SS Hanley Ramirez
Draft Class: 2000
Ratings: G/B/A/A/G/A, A speed, B steals, D range @ SS, E range @ 3B, Loyal
If Sheffield will not be allowed to be reserved by the Marlins, Hanley Ramirez will then become the clear #1 choice. Early in his career, Ramirez established himself as one of the most elite shortstops around and gave the Marlins a superstar to build a team around. Unfortunately for them, no real success of any kind occurred while Ramirez was around and he eventually got traded to the Dodgers in 2012. Nonetheless, he is still one of, if not the greatest Marlin of all time at this point.
Ramirez should be a very good hitter, a top base stealer, and should draw a good number of walks as well. If he gets a home runs increase, he could turn into a consistent 30/30 threat. Definitely someone the future Marlins GM should reserve without hesitation.
3. SP Josh Johnson
Draft Class: 2002
Ratings: G/G/B/G/B, B duration
Although he has unfortunately battled a lot of injuries throughout his career thus far, Josh Johnson was still one of the best pitchers the Marlins have ever had. He should be a very solid starter if the Marlins choose to reserve him. He might be injury prone, but hopefully, Johnson will stay healthy more here than he has in reality.
Honorable Mentions: Luis Castillo, Juan Pierre, Mike Lowell, Cliff Floyd, Dontrelle Willis, Jeff Conine
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
1. RF Vladimir Guerrero
Draft Class: 1993
Ratings: B/G/F/B/A/G, C speed, B steals, C range, A throwing arm
This is quite an obvious choice for the future Expos GM. You just don't pass up on hitters with brilliant in both hits and home runs. Vladimir Guerrero was one of the best hitters in the game in the late 1990s and throughout most of the 2000s. Before landing a big payday with the Angels, Guerrero came to fame with the Expos from 1996-2003. He established himself as a great pure hitter, an elite slugger, and had a cannon of an arm in right field. But yeah, it's pretty much guaranteed he will be an Expo.
2. CF/RF Andre Dawson
Draft Class: 1975
Ratings: G/G/G/G/F/G, C speed, B steals, A range @ both CF and RF
Andre Dawson was by far one of the Expos' biggest starts in their history and was an elite outfielder throughout his career. The "Hawk" slammed 438 career home runs and won eight Gold Glove Awards as well. Dawson should turn into a very good overall player and is someone the Expos should definitely look to reserve.
3. LF Tim Raines
Draft Class: 1977
Ratings: G/A/G/F/B/B, A speed, A steals, C range
While Rickey Henderson dominated the 1980s and 1990s at stolen bases within the AL, Tim Raines was arguably his NL counterpart at the time. Raines currently has the fifth most career stolen bases of all time and had a very good career stealing success percentage at 84.7%. Raines was a good hitter too and won an NL batting title in 1986. He has come up short in the real life Baseball Hall of Fame voting, but he might eventually get in one day. And he certainly the numbers to qualify.
With Guerrero being a clear-cut choice for a reservation, it will be interesting to see who the future Expos GM decides between longtime teammates Dawson and Raines.
Honorable Mentions: Gary Carter, Moises Alou, Jeff Fassero, Jose Vidro, Ryan Zimmerman
New York Mets
1. C Mike Piazza
Draft Class: 1988
Ratings: B/A/P/B/A/G, D speed, E steals, B range @ C, E range @ 1B, Loyal
Any hitter with brilliant hits and home runs should turn into an awesome hitter. But a catcher with brilliant hits and home runs? That just does not happen all the time. Mike Piazza was that good at the plate and is clearly the greatest offensive catcher in baseball history. Furthermore, he was the player I idolized while growing up and will always be my favorite player ever. Thus, it is pretty much set in stone I will reserve him in 1988. A catcher with those ratings cannot be passed up or even second guessed. The goal will be to see him hit 500+ home runs all as a Met. That I cannot wait to see!
2. SP Tom Seaver/SP Dwight Gooden
Draft Class: 1966/1982
Ratings (for both): G/G/B/G/B, A duration, Loyal
Why am I including both Seaver and Gooden here? First off, their talent and duration ratings will start off exactly the same. They also happen to be the top two greatest pitchers in Mets history. And I definitely want to be able to draft both in 1966 and 1982, respectively. Now of course, I'll be reserving Piazza in 1988. So how will I be able to make sure I draft both Seaver and Gooden? When I finally move to the Mets in their inaugural 1962 season, I plan on having a long and thorough rebuild (well not exactly a rebuild for what will be an expansion team) and that will include losing as many games as possible in 1965 to guarantee myself Seaver without using a reservation.
If my plan does not end up successfully, I will probably end up reserving Seaver and then try the same losing plan in 1981 to guarantee myself Gooden. Either way, I definitely plan on having both of these amazing pitchers for at least most of their careers. I would particularly like to see what Gooden's career could have become if he had not gotten so derailed by his cocaine addiction. He was at an historic Hall of Fame pace throughout the 1980s and he had the potential to be one of the greatest ever. I wanna make that amazing Hall of Fame career happen here. That would simply be awesome.
3. 3B David Wright
Draft Class: 2001
Ratings: G/B/F/G/G/A, C speed, B steals, B range, Loyal
With my sights clearly set on Piazza, Seaver and Gooden, this means a David Wright reservation will not be happening. It's okay though. I might just lose a lot in 2000 just to get him. We'll see if that ends up happening. Wright has been an elite third baseman for most of his career so far. He has been a very good hitter, has hit a good number of home runs and has been among the better base stealers as well. Defensively, he has two Gold Glove Awards under his belt and hopefully, there will be more to come. Whoever drafts him will have what should be a future superstar for their team.
Honorable Mentions: Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, Howard Johnson, Darryl Strawberry, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, John Franco, Edgardo Alfonzo, Al Leiter, Jose Reyes
Philadelphia Phillies
1. 3B Mike Schmidt
Draft Class: 1971
Ratings: A/A/A/B/B/F, B speed, C steals, A range, Loyal
Michael Jack Schmidt is widely considered the greatest all-around third baseman of all time. He was an elite slugger that hit 548 career home runs and he was also a superb defender with 10 Gold Glove Awards. Schmidt also had decent speed and was a great team leader throughout his career.
Despite the average in hits (which can easily be bumped up to good with points), Oren should definitely lock up Schmidt in 1971. Being that he's a real life Phillies fan, I can only imagine a Schmidt reservation will definitely happen.
2. SP Steve Carlton
Draft Class: 1963
Ratings: G/G/B/G/B, A duration, Loyal
Four-time NL Cy Young Award winner Steve Carlton is clearly one of, if not the greatest pitcher in Phillies history. I'm not sure if Oren will want to use both of his reservations by the early 1970s, but you can't go wrong with "Lefty". Carlton's ratings will be solid all-around and he will be an innings eater as well with the A duration.
3. 2B Chase Utley
Draft Class: 2000
Ratings: G/G/A/G/A/A, C speed, A steals, B range, Loyal
This one was a tough choice to make. One could make a case for Dick Allen to get reserved in 1960. Another case could be made for Curt Schilling in 1986. And then there's Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard more recently that could all be deserving as well. For all the bad teams the Phillies have had over the years, they've certainly had their fair share of All-Star studs.
But I'm gonna go with Chase Utley here, who I think has the best all-around ratings of any of these players. The good in hits and home runs, plus A in stealing is awesome. And this is for a second baseman, which will make Utley that much more valuable.
If Oren ends up going with Schmidt and Carlton for his reservations, he may not have enough points left for Utley or anyone else. It will be interesting to see what kind of approach Oren will take here. There is a good chance he will end up seeking out younger brother Alon's advice when the time comes. Having many solid options is a good problem to have, but some of these choices could take hours and hours of thinking to end up making decisions on.
Honorable Mentions: Allen, Schilling, Rolen, Rollins, Howard, Greg Luzinski, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels
Up Next: The NL Central, featuring the Cubs, Reds, Astros, Pirates and Cardinals. Stay tuned!
Atlanta/Milwaukee Braves
By the time Steve most likely makes his FPR choices, the Braves will have been in Atlanta for a long time. The Braves haven't been the most successful team of all time in reality, but they've certainly had quite a few talented superstars over the years.
1. SP John Smoltz
Draft Class: 1985
Ratings: G/B/B/B/B, B duration, B relief duration, Loyal
As great as his two former teammates below him were, John Smoltz is the best rated player available for Steve to reserve. Smoltz may have been the third wheel in the amazing Braves rotation through the 1990s, but was as good as any pitcher at the time. He won the 1996 NL Cy Young Award and transitioned to a very successful closer from 2001-2004. In 2002, he set a then-record of 55 saves, which was broken by Francisco Rodriguez in 2008.
Steve should really consider taking Smoltz if Chris ends up making his ratings this good. It will be a difficult decision for Steve to make once we get to the 1980s. But he definitely couldn't go wrong with reserving Smoltz in 1985. The big question though is will he be patient enough to do so with another great Braves pitcher available in 1984?
2. SP Greg Maddux
Draft Class: 1984
Ratings: G/G/B/B/A, A duration, A defensive range, A craftiness, Loyal
Recent real life Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Greg Maddux was arguably one of, if not the best pitcher in baseball during the 1990s, as well one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He was a control artist and was by far the craftiest pitcher I've ever seen in my lifetime. I remember in 1998, when I first started to really follow baseball (keep in mind I was only 7 years old at the time), I watched Maddux defeat my Mets and I was shocked that he didn't throw hard yet figured out ways to get outs and limit damage. It was amazing. And as much as I despised the Braves while growing up, it was certainly fun to watch Maddux pitch.
That being said, Steve will have a very tough decision to make. The only clear advantage Smoltz has over Maddux is the strikeouts. So will Steve reserve Maddux right away in 1984? Or will he be a bit more patient and wait another season for Smoltz? Or will he end up selecting both over another particular Braves star?
3. 3B Larry "Chipper" Jones
Draft Class: 1990
Ratings: G/G/F/B/B/A, C speed, B steals, D range @ 3B, E range @ LF, A @ Taunting, Loyal
Chipper Jones spent his entire career with the Braves and became one of the greatest third basemen of all time. The switch-hitting Jones could hit for average and power, stole some bases early in his career and was a great offensive leader for the Braves during their amazing run atop the NL East from 1991-2005.
This should be an easy choice for Steve, thanks to good in hits and brilliant in both home runs and walks, all of which are more than deserving for Jones. However, the presence of both Smoltz and Maddux could certainly play a role here. Jones spent the majority of his time at third base, but spent all of 2001 and 2002 as a left fielder. This should certainly be taken into consideration and he should be able to play left field from the start as well.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Glavine, Phil Niekro, Dale Murphy, Terry Pendleton, Fred McGriff, Andruw Jones, Brian McCann, Craig Kimbrel
Florida/Miami Marlins
1. RF Gary Sheffield
Draft Class: 1986
Ratings: G/G/F/G/B/G, C speed, B steals, D range @ RF, D range @ LF, C range @ 3B
In his 22-year career, Gary Sheffield spent time with eight different teams. And although he didn't have all his best years with the Marlins, he spent more time there than with any other team which makes him eligible to be reserved as a Marlin. Sheffield started off as a shortstop and third baseman before transitioning to the outfield once he arrived with the then-expansion Marlins in 1993.
How exactly this will work for the Marlins by then will be very fascinating to see. Sheffield was drafted in 1986, but the Marlins will not be eligible to make any draft picks at all until 1991. So could Sheffield get reserved this early by the Marlins and be on another team until 1991? Or how exactly would this unique situation play out? Would Sheffield possibly become eligible as a Dodger, whom he spent the second most seasons of his career with?
Regardless of where he ends up, Sheffield should definitely be considered. His career home run average of 32 could very well turn into a brilliant rating, but will be good at the very least. Sheffield will be able to play three positions from the start and should be able to steal some bases as well. He is the clear #1 choice for Stutter or whoever the future Marlins GM ends up being...that is if the Marlins will be able to somehow reserve him in advance. Again, I'm very interested to see how Chris will go about this potential conundrum.
2. SS Hanley Ramirez
Draft Class: 2000
Ratings: G/B/A/A/G/A, A speed, B steals, D range @ SS, E range @ 3B, Loyal
If Sheffield will not be allowed to be reserved by the Marlins, Hanley Ramirez will then become the clear #1 choice. Early in his career, Ramirez established himself as one of the most elite shortstops around and gave the Marlins a superstar to build a team around. Unfortunately for them, no real success of any kind occurred while Ramirez was around and he eventually got traded to the Dodgers in 2012. Nonetheless, he is still one of, if not the greatest Marlin of all time at this point.
Ramirez should be a very good hitter, a top base stealer, and should draw a good number of walks as well. If he gets a home runs increase, he could turn into a consistent 30/30 threat. Definitely someone the future Marlins GM should reserve without hesitation.
3. SP Josh Johnson
Draft Class: 2002
Ratings: G/G/B/G/B, B duration
Although he has unfortunately battled a lot of injuries throughout his career thus far, Josh Johnson was still one of the best pitchers the Marlins have ever had. He should be a very solid starter if the Marlins choose to reserve him. He might be injury prone, but hopefully, Johnson will stay healthy more here than he has in reality.
Honorable Mentions: Luis Castillo, Juan Pierre, Mike Lowell, Cliff Floyd, Dontrelle Willis, Jeff Conine
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
1. RF Vladimir Guerrero
Draft Class: 1993
Ratings: B/G/F/B/A/G, C speed, B steals, C range, A throwing arm
This is quite an obvious choice for the future Expos GM. You just don't pass up on hitters with brilliant in both hits and home runs. Vladimir Guerrero was one of the best hitters in the game in the late 1990s and throughout most of the 2000s. Before landing a big payday with the Angels, Guerrero came to fame with the Expos from 1996-2003. He established himself as a great pure hitter, an elite slugger, and had a cannon of an arm in right field. But yeah, it's pretty much guaranteed he will be an Expo.
2. CF/RF Andre Dawson
Draft Class: 1975
Ratings: G/G/G/G/F/G, C speed, B steals, A range @ both CF and RF
Andre Dawson was by far one of the Expos' biggest starts in their history and was an elite outfielder throughout his career. The "Hawk" slammed 438 career home runs and won eight Gold Glove Awards as well. Dawson should turn into a very good overall player and is someone the Expos should definitely look to reserve.
3. LF Tim Raines
Draft Class: 1977
Ratings: G/A/G/F/B/B, A speed, A steals, C range
While Rickey Henderson dominated the 1980s and 1990s at stolen bases within the AL, Tim Raines was arguably his NL counterpart at the time. Raines currently has the fifth most career stolen bases of all time and had a very good career stealing success percentage at 84.7%. Raines was a good hitter too and won an NL batting title in 1986. He has come up short in the real life Baseball Hall of Fame voting, but he might eventually get in one day. And he certainly the numbers to qualify.
With Guerrero being a clear-cut choice for a reservation, it will be interesting to see who the future Expos GM decides between longtime teammates Dawson and Raines.
Honorable Mentions: Gary Carter, Moises Alou, Jeff Fassero, Jose Vidro, Ryan Zimmerman
New York Mets
1. C Mike Piazza
Draft Class: 1988
Ratings: B/A/P/B/A/G, D speed, E steals, B range @ C, E range @ 1B, Loyal
Any hitter with brilliant hits and home runs should turn into an awesome hitter. But a catcher with brilliant hits and home runs? That just does not happen all the time. Mike Piazza was that good at the plate and is clearly the greatest offensive catcher in baseball history. Furthermore, he was the player I idolized while growing up and will always be my favorite player ever. Thus, it is pretty much set in stone I will reserve him in 1988. A catcher with those ratings cannot be passed up or even second guessed. The goal will be to see him hit 500+ home runs all as a Met. That I cannot wait to see!
2. SP Tom Seaver/SP Dwight Gooden
Draft Class: 1966/1982
Ratings (for both): G/G/B/G/B, A duration, Loyal
Why am I including both Seaver and Gooden here? First off, their talent and duration ratings will start off exactly the same. They also happen to be the top two greatest pitchers in Mets history. And I definitely want to be able to draft both in 1966 and 1982, respectively. Now of course, I'll be reserving Piazza in 1988. So how will I be able to make sure I draft both Seaver and Gooden? When I finally move to the Mets in their inaugural 1962 season, I plan on having a long and thorough rebuild (well not exactly a rebuild for what will be an expansion team) and that will include losing as many games as possible in 1965 to guarantee myself Seaver without using a reservation.
If my plan does not end up successfully, I will probably end up reserving Seaver and then try the same losing plan in 1981 to guarantee myself Gooden. Either way, I definitely plan on having both of these amazing pitchers for at least most of their careers. I would particularly like to see what Gooden's career could have become if he had not gotten so derailed by his cocaine addiction. He was at an historic Hall of Fame pace throughout the 1980s and he had the potential to be one of the greatest ever. I wanna make that amazing Hall of Fame career happen here. That would simply be awesome.
3. 3B David Wright
Draft Class: 2001
Ratings: G/B/F/G/G/A, C speed, B steals, B range, Loyal
With my sights clearly set on Piazza, Seaver and Gooden, this means a David Wright reservation will not be happening. It's okay though. I might just lose a lot in 2000 just to get him. We'll see if that ends up happening. Wright has been an elite third baseman for most of his career so far. He has been a very good hitter, has hit a good number of home runs and has been among the better base stealers as well. Defensively, he has two Gold Glove Awards under his belt and hopefully, there will be more to come. Whoever drafts him will have what should be a future superstar for their team.
Honorable Mentions: Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, Howard Johnson, Darryl Strawberry, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, John Franco, Edgardo Alfonzo, Al Leiter, Jose Reyes
Philadelphia Phillies
1. 3B Mike Schmidt
Draft Class: 1971
Ratings: A/A/A/B/B/F, B speed, C steals, A range, Loyal
Michael Jack Schmidt is widely considered the greatest all-around third baseman of all time. He was an elite slugger that hit 548 career home runs and he was also a superb defender with 10 Gold Glove Awards. Schmidt also had decent speed and was a great team leader throughout his career.
Despite the average in hits (which can easily be bumped up to good with points), Oren should definitely lock up Schmidt in 1971. Being that he's a real life Phillies fan, I can only imagine a Schmidt reservation will definitely happen.
2. SP Steve Carlton
Draft Class: 1963
Ratings: G/G/B/G/B, A duration, Loyal
Four-time NL Cy Young Award winner Steve Carlton is clearly one of, if not the greatest pitcher in Phillies history. I'm not sure if Oren will want to use both of his reservations by the early 1970s, but you can't go wrong with "Lefty". Carlton's ratings will be solid all-around and he will be an innings eater as well with the A duration.
3. 2B Chase Utley
Draft Class: 2000
Ratings: G/G/A/G/A/A, C speed, A steals, B range, Loyal
This one was a tough choice to make. One could make a case for Dick Allen to get reserved in 1960. Another case could be made for Curt Schilling in 1986. And then there's Scott Rolen, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard more recently that could all be deserving as well. For all the bad teams the Phillies have had over the years, they've certainly had their fair share of All-Star studs.
But I'm gonna go with Chase Utley here, who I think has the best all-around ratings of any of these players. The good in hits and home runs, plus A in stealing is awesome. And this is for a second baseman, which will make Utley that much more valuable.
If Oren ends up going with Schmidt and Carlton for his reservations, he may not have enough points left for Utley or anyone else. It will be interesting to see what kind of approach Oren will take here. There is a good chance he will end up seeking out younger brother Alon's advice when the time comes. Having many solid options is a good problem to have, but some of these choices could take hours and hours of thinking to end up making decisions on.
Honorable Mentions: Allen, Schilling, Rolen, Rollins, Howard, Greg Luzinski, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels
Up Next: The NL Central, featuring the Cubs, Reds, Astros, Pirates and Cardinals. Stay tuned!
