CarterHud

      A year ago, everyone was talking about how bad the Christian Yelich trade was for the Marlins after Yelich won MVP. Even if Yelich never came close to an MVP win again, the trade would still be a steal for the Brewers. But, that is not the case. Yelich\’s 2019 was at least just as good as his 2018 season. An injury at the end of the year limited Yelich to just 130 games, and likely the back-to-back MVPs, as Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers scooped the award up, with Yelich left as the runner-up. The Brewers as a team, had a rough offseason, with numerous valuable players walking out the door. It will be hard for them to recover in 2020.

       Offseason additions: OF Avisail Garcia, C Omar Narvaez, 1B Justin Smoak, IF Luis Urias, IF Ryon Healy, LHP Eric Lauer, RHP Josh Lindblom, LHP Brett Anderson, IF Jedd Gyorko, UT Brock Holt, 1B Logan Morrison, RHP David Phelps, IF Jace Peterson, RHP Shelby Miller.

        Offseason subtractions: C Yasmani Grandal, IF Mike Moustakas, RHP Zach Davies, LHP Drew Pomeranz, LHP Gio Gonzalez, RHP Chase Anderson, RHP Junior Guerra, RHP Matt Albers, 1B Eric Thames, OF Trent Grisham, IF Travis Shaw, IF Hernan Perez, IF Tyler Saladino, 1B Tyler Austin, RHP Jeremy Jeffress, RHP Jimmy Nelson, RHP Jordan Lyles, RHP Jacob Barnes, RHP Alex Wilson, RHP Taylor Williams

       Rotation
The major question with the Brewers is their rotation. It was a big problem last year, and they lost Zach Davies, Gio Gonzalez, Chase Anderson and Jimmy Nelson in the offseason. They also released Jhoulys Chacin, their Opening Day starter, midseason. Brandon Woodruff figures to be the ace. Woodruff made 22 starts, a career high, with an 11-3 record, a 3.62 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 121.2 innings. Woodruff\’s fastball averaged 96.3 mph, and allowed an average exit velocity of 85.6 miles per hour. Eric Lauer, a first rounder in 2016 from the Padres, was acquired in a deal that saw Davies leave in the offseason. In 149.2 innings, Lauer struck out 138 with a 4.45 ERA. Eighty-seven of those strikeouts were with his fastball. Adrian Houser, unfortunately known for throwing-up, will transition to a sole starting position. In 35 games (18 starts), Houser had a 3.72 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 111.1 innings. Houser had an xERA of 3.43, in the 84th percentile among pitchers. The Brewers signed Josh Lindblom to be in the rotation. Lindblom has a 4.10 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 147 innings over his MLB career. Lindblom has spent four of the last five seasons in the KBO. Last year, he had a 2.50 ERA with 189 strikeouts in 194.2 innings, and a 20-3 record. Brett Anderson, an 11-year veteran, signed with the Brewers, who will be Anderson\’s sixth team. Anderson had a 3.89 ERA in 31 starts for the A\’s last year, but only 90 strikeouts in 176 innings, for a 12.1% K rate, a percentage in which some batters have a better walk rate than. Lanky left-hander Brent Suter is in competition for a rotation spot after returning late last year from Tommy John surgery. Suter, who throws one of the slowest fastballs in baseball, allowed one run in 18.1 innings (0.49 ERA) last season. He has a career exit velocity against of 83.6 mph. However, Suter might be best in a bullpen role.

       Bullpen
If the Brewers can limit Josh Hader\’s workload, he can consistently be the top reliever in baseball. Hader pitched in 75.2 innings last year, with 37 saves and 138 strikeouts. His ability to pitch multiple innings and strike out an unbelievable amount of guys makes him so valuable. Hader had an xBA of just .155. With the loss of Junior Guerra, Matt Albers and Jeremy Jeffress in the bullpen, the Brewers will need Corey Knebel to return to his old form quickly. Knebel was a top reliever in baseball in 2017, with a 1.78 ERA, 39 saves and 126 strikeouts in 76 innings. He regressed in 2018 to a 3.58 ERA before missing 2019 with Tommy John surgery. He could take over the closing role, but it is wise to start him as a set-up man. Lefty Alex Claudio pitched in a league-high 83 games last year. For the first time, he was used as a one-out guy, pitching in only 62 innings, striking out 44. He allowed an average exit velocity of 84.8 miles per hour. Fringe starter Freddy Peralta struck out 115 batters in 85 innings, but had a weak 5.29 ERA. Peralta\’s fastball (2454) has a slightly higher spin rate (in rpm) than his curveball (2424). Corbin Burnes, who tried out for the rotation after a great job in relief in 2018, was awful in 2019, with an 8.82 ERA in 49 innings. He did strike out 70 batters. For the Cubs and Blue Jays last year, David Phelps had a 3.41 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. He employs a cutter with a good spin rate of 2411 rpm. Ray Black, acquired midseason from the Giants, struck out 18 batters in 16 innings with a 5.06 ERA last year. He had 45 Ks in 28.2 AAA innings. Black\’s fastball is deadly, averaging 98.2 mph with a 2612 rpm spin rate. Devin Williams made his MLB debut in 2019, striking out 14 batters in 13.2 innings with a 3.95 ERA. MLB Pipeline ranks Williams as Milwaukee\’s 13th best prospect. Mike Morin has played for five different teams since the start of 2017, and the Brewers could be his sixth. Last year for the Twins and Phillies, Morin had a 4.62 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 50.2 innings. Morin\’s specialty is his slow change-up, averaging 72.6 miles per hour, with a slugging against of .200. Jake Faria, a former Rays starter, had a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings for the Rays last year before being traded to the Brewers for Jesus Aguilar. Faria struggled in Milwaukee, allowing 11 earned runs in 8.2 innings. He struck out 82 batters in 67.1 AAA innings.

       Catchers
With Yasmani Grandal leaving for the White Sox, the Brewers needed a new catcher. They acquired Omar Narvaez, who used to be on the White Sox, from Seattle. Now 28, Narvaez hit 22 home runs with a .278 average and .813 OPS last year. Manny Pina, slated to play in his 5th season with Milwaukee, hit seven home runs with a .724 OPS last year. Pina is a good pitch framer and is quick to throw to second base.

       Infielders
With corner infielders Eric Thames, Jesus Aguilar, Mike Moustakas and Travis Shaw all gone, the Brewers are relying on their new acquisitions. Justin Smoak is one of them, signing a one year, $5 million deal with an option for 2021. With a 23.5 ft/s sprint speed, Smoak is one of baseball\’s slowest players. He hit 22 home runs with a .748 OPS. Smoak was an all-star in 2017, hitting 38 home runs. Top prospect Keston Hiura debuted in 2019, and was very good, hitting 19 home runs with a .303 average and a .938 OPS. Hiura had a strikeout issue, K\’ing 30.7% of the time. Luis Urias, acquired from San Diego, has the chance to take over shortstop from Orlando Arcia. Urias hit .223 in 71 games last year, and was pushed out by Fernando Tatis Jr., plus the acquisition of Jurickson Profar. Urias was once a top-100 prospect in Major League Baseball. Arcia hit 15 home runs last year, but still had an awful .633 OPS. Jedd Gyorko will take over at third. A three time 20 home run hitter, Gyorko played in just 62 games last year, with an awful .498 OPS. He hit .262 with a .762 OPS in 2018. Utility infielder Brock Holt, the only player in postseason history with a cycle, comes to Milwaukee after being a fan favorite in Boston. Holt had a .297 average with a .771 OPS last year. Eric Sogard returns to Milwaukee, where he spent 2017 and 2018. Sogard had a career year last year in Toronto and Tampa Bay, with 13 home runs and a .290 average, plus an .810 OPS.

       Outfielders
Christian Yelich really should have two MVPs right now. Yelich hit 44 home runs with 30 stolen bases, plus a league leading .329 average, .429 OBP, .671 slugging and 1.100 OPS. Yelich lead the league in slugging percentage in 2018, with a .598 mark, which was completely topped. Yelich had an average exit velocity of 93.1 mph last year. Lorenzo Cain might be the best defensive outfielder in baseball. Cain had 14 outs above average in 2019, which is really good, although a step down from his 22 in 2018. Cain was a major letdown at the plate, with 11 home runs, 18 stolen bases and a .697 OPS. Ryan Braun is still going at age 36. Braun hit 22 home runs with 11 stolen bases, a .285 average and an .849 OPS. Braun is not a good defender, so a future move to first base is very likely. Avisail Garcia is also an awful defender, and will be a DH most of the time. Garcia had a career high 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases in Tampa Bay last year, while hitting .282 with a .796 OPS. Garcia has very underrated speed, with a 28.8 ft/s sprint speed in 2019. Fourth outfielder Ben Gamel hit seven home runs with a .710 OPS. He had two outs above average last year, and can play all three outfield positions.

       Projected Opening Day Lineup
CF Lorenzo Cain (R)
RF Christian Yelich (L)
LF Ryan Braun (R)
2B Keston Hiura (R)
DH Avisail Garcia (R)
1B Justin Smoak (S)
C Omar Narvaez (L)
3B Jedd Gyorko (R)
SS Luis Urias (R)

       Projected Rotation
Brandon Woodruff (R)
Eric Lauer (L)
Adrian Houser (R)
Josh Lindblom (R)
Brett Anderson (L)

       Projected Bullpen
Josh Hader (L)
Corey Knebel (R)
Alex Claudio (L)
Freddy Peralta (R)
Corbin Burnes (R)
Brett Suter (L)
Ray Black (R)
David Phelps (R)
Devin Williams (R)
Mike Morin (R)
Jake Faria (R)

       Projected Bench
C Manny Pina (R)
IF Orlando Arcia (R)
UT Brock Holt (L)
IF Eric Sogard (L)
OF Ben Gamel (L)

Baseball-Reference OOTP Simulator Stats
48-45 record, 2nd in NL Central
Most home runs: Christian Yelich (21)
Highest batting average: Christian Yelich (.316)
Highest OPS: Christian Yelich (.993)
Best ERA, starters: Freddy Peralta (3.36)
Best ERA relievers: Josh Hader (1.65)
Most innings pitched: Brandon Woodruff (102.2)
Most strikeouts: Freddy Peralta (128.0)
Best K/9: Josh Hader (17.4)

Record through 60 games, last five seasons
2019: 34-26
2018: 37-23
2017: 32-28
2016: 28-32
2015: 22-38

         Prediction
The Brewers had one of the worst offseasons in a long time. They lost many, many stars, and they didn\’t bring in much talent. Because of that, I think that the Brewers have fallen out of being the favorites for a playoff spot. The Reds have leap-frogged them, and while Milwaukee is still better than the Cubs, I am predicting a 3rd place finish, and a playoff miss.

From The Athletic

      The NL East was hyped up to be the best division in baseball entering 2019. Every team but one was a serious contender to win the division. That one exception was the Marlins. Miami was still in a rebuilding phase after their firesale prior to 2018 that saw them deal their entire outfield and infielder Dee Gordon, plus catcher JT Realmuto before last year. A year later, the Marlins are still the worst team in the division, but they might not be the worst in the National League anymore. They acquired some low cost veterans to hold down the fort while their young talent develops. It won\’t be the most entertaining season of Marlins baseball, but the trade deadline will see a lot of the new acquisitions go.

       Offseason additions: IF Jonathan Villar, 1B Jesus Aguilar, OF Corey Dickerson, C Francisco Cervelli, OF Matt Joyce, RHP Brandon Kintzler, RHP Yimi Garcia, LHP Stephen Tarpley, RHP Brad Boxberger, SHP Pat Venditte, OF Matt Kemp, UT Sean Rodriguez, IF Gosuke Katoh.

       Offseason subtractions: 2B Starlin Castro, OF Curtis Granderson, IF Neil Walker, IF Martin Prado, OF Austin Dean, C Bryan Holaday, OF Rosell Herrera, LHP Jarlin Garcia, RHP Tyler Kinley, LHP Wei-Yin Chen, RHP Austin Brice, LHP Brian Moran, RHP Hector Noesi.

       Rotation
The rotation won\’t see much changes from its 2019 form, as Nick Neidert and Sixto Sanchez are not ready yet to hold a spot. Sandy Alcantara was the Marlins only all-star in 2019, and was still technically a rookie. He lead the league with 14 losses, but had a 3.88 ERA with 151 strikeouts in 197.1 innings, with two complete game shutouts. He allowed 3.7 walks per nine innings, a lot but an improvement from his previous 14 career games. Alcantara allows soft contact, averaging an exit velocity of 86.7 mph. Caleb Smith had a great first half, but injuries derailed his season and finished with a 4.52 ERA with 168 strikeouts and 33 home runs allowed in 153.1 innings. Smith\’s fastball had an average against of .210, but allowed 20 home runs. Jose Urena was considered a closer, but will likely return to the rotation to start the year. In 24 games (13 starts), Urena made three saves in 84.2 innings with a 5.21 ERA. He throws hard but is not a strikeout guy. He only hit two batters after leading the league in that category in 2017 and 2018. Urena allowed hard contact, with a 90.1 mph average exit velocity. Pablo Lopez was limited to 21 starts by a shoulder injury. He struck out 95 batters in 111.1 innings. His 5.09 ERA was awful. Jordan Yamamoto was not bad in his 15 start debut. He struck out 82 batters in 78.2 innings with a 4.46 ERA. He allowed 36 walks, so that is a problem. Yamamoto had an xBA against of .230. Elieser Hernandez had a 9.3 K/9 in 21 games (15 starts), but had a 5.03 ERA. At 24, he is still young enough to go to AAA next year to improve. If he can make the team, Hernandez can limit hard contact, with an 85.9 mph average exit velocity.

       Bullpen
Brandon Kintzler will likely be the one that moved Urena from closer back to starter. He only had one save last year, but had a 2.68 ERA in 57 innings with a 7.6 K/9, his highest since 2015. He has 49 saves in his career, with a career best 29 in 2017. Kintzler is good at limiting walks, with a 5.7% BB percentage. Ryan Stanek, acquired at the deadline from the Rays, can be an opener and a starter. He had a 3.40 ERA in 41 games before the trade, but struggled as a Marlin, with a 5.48 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. His struggles are due to an abnormally high 8.0 BB/9. Stanek\’s split finger struck out 39 batters with a .094 average against. Drew Steckenrider was in the mix for a closing role entering 2019. He allowed six home runs in his 15 games before going on the IL with elbow inflammation. He never got Tommy John surgery, but also never returned. He has a career K/9 of 11.2. Only one of Steckenrider\’s hits allowed was off of his curveball. The Marlins scooped up Yimi Garcia after the Dodgers non-tendered him. He had a 3.61 ERA with 66 Ks and a 0.866 WHIP in 62.1 innings. Garcia allowed hard contact just 27.3% of the time, and his main three pitches (fastball, curveball, slider) all had an average under .200. It will be hard for him to keep up with his very low 5.8 H/9 rate. Adam Conley was solid as a reliever in 2018, but was terrible last year, with a 6.53 ERA in 60.2 innings. He had a 1.731 WHIP and a 65 ERA+. Thanks to Conley\’s struggles, the team will want to carry another lefty in Stephen Tarpley. Acquired from the Yankees, Tarpley struck out 34 batters in 24.2 innings. Nothing else went right, as he had a 6.93 ERA with a 12.4 H/9 and 5.5 BB/9. His slider is a plus pitch, with a .175 xBA against. Rule 5 pick Sterling Sharp (not that one) will get a good chance to make the team. He had a 3.53 ERA in 58.2 innings in the Nats system. He had a 1.50 ERA in 24 games in the Arizona Fall League. Former Rays and D-Backs closer Brad Boxberger has a 3.59 ERA and 77 saves in his career. He was awful for the Royals last year, with a 5.40 ERA with 27 Ks in 26.2 innings. Still, Boxberger\’s average exit velocity against of 85.3 mph was his best since 2015. Jeff Brigham can lock down a spot. Brigham, who had a 4.46 ERA in 32 games last year, sports a fastball that averaged 96.6 mph last year. Nick Vincent, a non-roster addition, has a 3.32 ERA and a 9.1 K/9 in his eight year career. Last year was his worst season, due to his 5.58 ERA in 18 games with San Francisco. After being released and signed by the Phillies, Vincent improved, with a 1.93 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14 innings.

       Catchers
Right before the season, the Marlins traded away all-star catcher JT Realmuto to the Phillies. They got back Jorge Alfaro. He hit 18 home runs, with four stolen bases, hit .262 and had a decent .736 OPS for a catcher. With a 28.8 ft/s sprint speed, Alfaro is in the top ten percent of the league, and is one of the fastest catchers. Francisco Cervelli comes in as an experienced catcher. He hit 12 home runs with an .809 OPS in 2018. He had a .649 OPS for the Pirates and Braves last year. As 12-year veteran, Cervelli is one of the few Marlins with a World Series ring, coming with the Yankees in 2009.

       Infielders
The Marlins claimed Jesus Aguilar off of waivers from Tampa Bay after a disappointing 2019. He hit 12 home runs with a .714 OPS coming off a year with 35 home runs, an .890 OPS and an all-star appearance. In his career, Aguilar has an average exit velocity of 89.4 mph. Isan Diaz, a former top-100 prospect in MLB, hit .305 with 26 home runs and a .973 OPS at AAA. He did not fare well in the big leagues, with a .173 average, five home runs and a .566 OPS in 49 games. The second base job is his to lose. Jonathan Villar can play second base. Acquired from the Orioles, Villar can play all around the field, but will likely be the Opening Day center fielder. He played in all 162 games last year, with a .274 average, .792 OPS, 24 home runs and 40 stolen bases. There is no doubt that Villar can be a serviceable outfielder, but he has only played in 13 games at the position at the big league level, eight of them in center. Villar randomly had his worst defensive season ever last year, with -12 outs above average at second and short combined, after only having -1 OAA in 2018. The Marlins signed shortstop Miguel Rojas to a multi-year extension, something the team rarely does. He hit .284 last year with nine stolen bases and six outs above average. Rojas doesn\’t strike out often, with an 11.8 K% last year. Brian Anderson played a lot of third base and right field last year, but with Martin Prado gone, Anderson can focus on third. Maybe the best player on the team, Anderson hit 20 home runs with a career high .811 OPS last year. Anderson hit the ball hard 45.7% of the time. He is very underrated. Jon Berti can play the infield as well as the outfield. A 29 year old rookie, Berti stole 17 bases in 20 attempts, with six home runs and a .348 OBP. Berti is one of the league\’s fastest players, with a 29.8 ft/s sprint speed, putting himself in the top two percent of the league.

       Outfielders
The Marlins signed 2017 all-star Corey Dickerson to a two year deal. Dickerson hit just 12 home runs last year, his lowest since 2015. He played in just 78 games, but had a .304 average, the second best of his career. He played for both Pennsylvania teams last year, the Pirates and Phillies. Dickerson had a .627 slugging against fastballs. Right field will be a shared job between Garrett Cooper, Harold Ramirez and Matt Joyce. An above average fielder at first base as well, Cooper hit .281 with a .791 OPS and 15 home runs in 2019, his first full season. With the new DH rule, Cooper can play first while Aguilar is the DH. Cooper hit above .290 against both fastball and breaking balls in 2019. A 24 year old rookie, Harold Ramirez hit 11 home runs with a .276 average and .728 OPS in 2019. Ramirez has good speed, with a sprint speed of 28.9 ft/s. A former 25 home run hitter, Joyce hit seven last year, with a .295 average and an .858 OPS. He could platoon with Ramirez (he will be in the starting lineup below because the Marlins will likely face right-hander Aaron Nola on Opening Day). The final spot is between former top prospect Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra, although both can be on the roster for two weeks. In 15 MLB games, Sierra hit .350 with three stolen bases. Brinson played in 75 MLB games and more at AAA. He was awful, with a -2.2 bWAR. He hit no home runs, and had a .173 average and .457 OPS. The clock is ticking for the almost 26 year old to prove he is more than an AAA player. Both Sierra and Brinson are very fast. Sierra had an average sprint speed of 29.8 ft/s last year, just .3 ft/s ahead of Brinson.

       Projected Opening Day Lineup
CF Jonathan Villar (S)
3B Brian Anderson (R)
LF Corey Dickerson (L)
DH Jesus Aguilar (R)
C Jorge Alfaro (R)
RF Matt Joyce (L)
1B Garrett Cooper (R)
2B Isan Diaz (L)
SS Miguel Rojas (R)

       Projected Rotation
Sandy Alcantara (R)
Caleb Smith (L)
Jose Urena (R)
Jordan Yamamoto (R)
Pablo Lopez (R)

       Projected Bullpen
Brandon Kintzler, closer (R)
Yimi Garcia (R)
Drew Steckenrider (R)
Ryne Stanek (R)
Adam Conley (L)
Stephen Tarpley (L)
Brad Boxberger (R)
Sterling Sharp (R)
Nick Vincent (R)
Jeff Brigham (R)
Elieser Hernandez (R)

       Projected Bench
C Francisco Cervelli (R)
OF Harold Ramirez (R)
UT Jon Berti (R)
OF Lewis Brinson (R)
OF Magneuris Sierra (L)

Baseball-Reference OOTP Simulator Stats
35-57 record, 5th in NL East
Most home runs: Jesus Aguilar (11)
Highest batting average: Miguel Rojas (.305)
Highest OPS: Miguel Rojas (.804)
Best ERA, starters: Caleb Smith (3.02)
Best ERA, relievers: Ryne Stanek (3.90)
Most innings pitched: Caleb Smith (116.1)
Most strikeouts: Caleb Smith (120)
Best K/9: Drew Steckenrider (11.1)

Record through 60 games, last five seasons:
2019: 23-37
2018: 21-39
2017: 27-33
2016: 31-29
2015: 24-36

       Prediction:
The Marlins aren\’t good. They know that they aren\’t good. However, I have to hand it to them after they actually had a productive offseason. They got some very good veterans in Villar, Dickerson, Aguilar and Kintzler to make their roster competitive. When their core develops, they could be a decent team. However, that isn\’t going to happen soon, and the Marlins will finish 5th in the NL East once again, in 2020.

From Getty Images

       All eyes were on the Dodgers to start 2019, as they had come off of back-to-back World Series losses. Then, Cody Bellinger became an MVP winner, and Walker Buehler got better, plus Hyun-Jin Ryu had an ERA under 2.00 for most of the year. But, the Dodgers failed to even make into the fall classic, falling to the eventual champions, the Nationals, in the NLDS. The offseason started off with the loss of Ryu and no big acquisitions. However, they traded for former MVP winner Mookie Betts and former Cy Young winner David Price days before the start of camp. But, the Dodgers might have only traded for about 70-75 games of Betts (including postseason), and Price won\’t play in 2020. The trade that seemed perfect might have completely backfired, thanks to a certain virus.

       Offseason additions: OF Mookie Betts, LHP David Price, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Blake Treinen, RHP Jimmy Nelson, RHP Brusdar Graterol, OF Terrance Gore, RHP Edubray Ramos, RHP Zach McAllister.

Offseason subtractions: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, OF Alex Verdugo, RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Yimi Garcia, LHP Rich Hill, C Russell Martin, RHP JT Chargois, 3B David Freese, IF Jedd Gyorko.

       Rotation
The Dodgers will have Clayton Kershaw starting on Opening Day for the 9th time, barring injury or sickness. He didn\’t start on Opening Day last year because of the former reason. He made his 8th all-star team, but his 3.03 ERA was the worst of his career since he was a 20 year old rookie in 2008. He struck out 189 batters in 178.1 innings, so it is good to see his strikeout rate go back up after it was below 9.0 for the first time in awhile in 2018. His 1.043 WHIP was his highest since 2010. He allowed a career high 1.4 homers per nine. Kershaw has seen a big drop in fastball velocity over the years, down to an average of 90.3 mph last year. The Dodgers have another emerging ace in 25 year old Walker Buehler. Buehler was an all-star for the first time and received Cy Young votes after striking out 215 batters in 182.1 innings with a 3.26 ERA. He had a 1.0 HR/9, very low for 2019 standards. Buehler has a 2456 rpm spin rate on his fastball and a curveball spin rate of 2915. David Price opting out will really hurt the Dodgers, as their depth will need to show. Julio Urias is still only 23, but missed almost all of 2017 and 2018 after debuting in 2016 as a 19 year old. In 37 games (eight starts), Urias had a 2.49 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 79.2 innings, with a 0.8 HR/9. Urias\’ greatest skill is his ability to limit hard contact. Urias allowed an average exit velocity of just 83.2 mph, and when he did allow hard contact, it was only 24.9% of the time. Alex Wood returns to the Dodgers after allowing 23 earned runs in 35.2 games over seven starts with the Reds. He was successful in four seasons with the Dodgers, capping in 2017 with a 2.72 ERA and 16 wins. Wood\’s change-up, which was decent in 2018 and great in 2017, failed him, with a .600 slugging against. Jimmy Nelson missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 with injuries. He had a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts in 2017 with the Brewers. Interestingly, Nelson\’s slider saw an increase in rpm by 262 from 2017 to 2019. Price opting-out will give top pitching prospect Dustin May a chance at the rotation, fighting with Nelson. In 14 games (four starts), May had a 3.63 ERA in 34.2 innings with a 0.5 HR/9. The 23rd best prospect in all of baseball, May has a curveball with an rpm of over 3000. Another pitching prospect, Tony Gonsolin, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Dodgers\’ sixth best prospect in the system, will be helped by expanded rosters. He had a 2.93 ERA in 40 innings last year. His fastball has a very good rpm of 2456.

       Bullpen
The bullpen is a big question after closer Kenley Jansen had his worst season in 2019. It could be filled with lots of starters as well. Jansen had a career worst 3.71 ERA with 33 saves in 63 innings, striking out 80. Still, his 11.4 K/9 was the second worst of his career, only beating his 2018 mark. Jansen still allowed soft contact (84.6 mph average exit velocity), suggesting that his recent struggles could be a fluke. Pedro Baez has been very consistent for the Dodgers in his six season career. In 2019, He had a 3.10 ERA with 69 Ks in 69.2 innings. He has a career ERA of 3.03. Baez had career best .188 xBA last year. Joe Kelly was very inconsistent in his first season in L.A. He had a career high 10.9 K/9, but also had a 4.56 ERA in 51.1 innings. Kelly\’s sinker averages 98.3 mph. Swingman Ross Stripling was rumored to be in a deal that would send him and Joc Pederson to the Angels, but Halos owner Arte Moreno called it off after being annoyed with the length of the time taken for the Betts trade to be completed. In 32 games (15 starts), Stripling had a 3.47 ERA with 93 Ks in 90.2 innings. 46 of those strikeouts were with his curveball, a pitch that only allowed 18 hits all year. He has a 3.51 ERA in his four year career. Former A\’s closer Blake Treinen had a 0.78 ERA with 38 saves over 80.1 innings in 2018. Nothing went right for him last year, as he had a career high 4.91 ERA with 59 Ks in 58.1 innings. Treinen\’s sinker could be to blame, as Treinen saw the slugging against the pitch go up by 197 points. He comes in on a low risk, potentially high reward, one year deal. The last three spots on a 26-man roster are up for grabs with Nelson likely getting one and Gonsolin in on another. The team will likely carry only one of Adam Kolarek and Scott Alexander, but both to start. Both are lefties that will be hurt by the three batter minimum rule. In 28 games last year, Alexander had a 3.63 ERA in 17.1 innings. He is dependent on his sinker, throwing the pitch 88.8% of the time last year. The pitches he threw the other 11.2% did not allow a hit. After coming over at the deadline from Tampa Bay, Kolarek had a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 innings. The contact that Kolarek allows isn\’t good, as he had a great .329 xwOBACON last year. Both Kolarek and Alexander struck out nine batters with the Dodgers. Dylan Floro pitched in 50 games last year, with a 4.24 ERA. He had a 2.25 ERA in 64 innings in 2018. Caleb Ferguson struck out 54 batters over 44.2 innings with a 4.84 ERA. The lefty has a curveball with a 3023 rpm spin rate.

       Catchers
The Dodgers and their fans got jiggy with rookie catcher Will Smith. He hit 15 home runs in 54 games with a .907 OPS. Smith has good speed for a catcher, with a sprint speed of 27.6 ft/s. Even with Smith in the fold, the Dodgers will not trade top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz, who could debut in 2020. Austin Barnes was great in 2017, but has been awful at the plate since. In 75 games last year, Barnes hit .203 with a .633 OPS and five home runs. With a pop time to second of 2.09 seconds, Barnes isn\’t great at throwing runners out.

       Infielders
Max Muncy almost copied his surprise 2018 season, hitting exactly 35 home runs again. He finished exactly 15th in MVP voting once again, this time with an all-star appearance. However, his .889 OPS was a big drop-off from his .973 mark in 2018. Muncy walks a lot, with a 15.3% walk rate. Gavin Lux will be the biggest prospect to play in 2020, with Wander Franco years away. MLB Pipeline\’s 2nd best prospect in the league, Lux hit two home runs, stole two bases and had a .705 OPS in 20 MLB games late last year. He had a .347 average and 1.028 OPS in AA and AAA last year. Corey Seager is still the Dodgers shortstop, although I personally would shop him for a superstar like Francisco Lindor. He hit 19 home runs with 44 doubles last year, the latter tied for the league high. He had an .817 OPS which is good but a little underwhelming after his last full season of 2017. Seager is an underrated defender, with five outs above average last year. Justin Turner has only made one all-star team, but he is the heart and soul of the team. He hit 27 home runs with a .290 average and an .881 OPS in 135 games last year. He was even willing to change positions if the team could sign Anthony Rendon in free agency (they couldn\’t). Turner is not the fastest guy, but he can get on base (.372 OBP) and can play good defense (4 outs above average). Utility infielder Enrique \”Kike\” Hernandez can also play center field. He hit 17 home runs in 130 games, but he had a very low .715 OPS. In his rookie season, Matt Beaty hit nine home runs with five stolen bases and a .775 OPS. He can play first base and left field. Beaty hits the ball decently hard, with an average exit velocity of 89.4 mph. Edwin Rios, a corner infielder who debuted in 2019, hit four home runs with a .277 average and a 1.010 OPS in 28 games last year.

       Outfielders
While the addition of Betts is exciting, he is not even the Dodgers\’ best outfielder. Cody Bellinger won his first MVP, as well as a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, while hitting 47 home runs with 15 stolen bases, a .305 average and a 1.035 OPS, making him a bona fide superstar. Bellinger\’s expected batting average (.323) and slugging (.638) were even better than his actual numbers. For a guy that came into the league mostly as a first baseman, Bellinger is very surprisingly fast (28.8 ft/s sprint speed) and a great fielder (8 outs above average). Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, had a down year for his standards, with 29 home runs, 16 stolen bases (almost half of his 2018 total), a .295 average and .915 OPS. He won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove and third Silver Slugger in those four years. Betts still had a .311 xBA, better than his career average. The Dodgers will move either Betts or Bellinger, both right fielders, to center. Joc Pederson was insane at the Home Run Derby, and hit a career high 36 home runs while in Bellinger\’s shadow. His .249 average and .876 OPS were also career highs. Pederson had an average exit velocity of 90.9 mph. The DH rule in the National League will remove Pederson from the outfield, and prevent AJ Pollock from being the best and most expensive fourth outfielder in the league. Signed prior to 2019 to a four year, $55 million deal with an option, Pollock hit 15 home runs with five stolen bases and a .795 OPS last year. He has an .804 OPS in his career. Pollock had a career best average exit velocity of 90.5 mph. Chris Taylor can also play second base and shortstop. He hit 12 home runs with eight stolen bases and a .794 OPS last year. Contrary to Pollock, Taylor\’s exit velocity was at an all-time low, at 85.2 mph.

       Projected Opening Day Lineup
RF Mookie Betts (R)
LF Cody Bellinger (L)
1B Max Muncy (L)
3B Justin Turner (R)
DH Joc Pederson (L)
C Will Smith (R)
SS Corey Seager (L)
CF AJ Pollock (R)
2B Gavin Lux (L)

        Projected Rotation
Clayton Kershaw (L)
Walker Buehler (R)
Julio Urias (L)
Alex Wood (L)
Dustin May (R)

       Projected Bullpen
Kenley Jansen, closer (R)
Pedro Baez (R)
Joe Kelly (R)
Blake Treinen (R)
Ross Stripling (R)
Adam Kolarek (L)
Tony Gonsolin (R)
Scott Alexander (L)
Jimmy Nelson (R)
Dylan Floro (R)
Caleb Ferguson (L)

       Projected Bench
C Austin Barnes (R)
UT Kike Hernandez (R)
UT Chris Taylor (R)
1B/LF Matt Beaty (L)
1B/3B Edwin Rios (L)

Baseball-Reference OOTP Simulator Stats
70-23 record, 1st in NL West
Most home runs: Cody Bellinger (29)
Highest batting average: Cody Bellinger (.301)
Highest OPS: Cody Bellinger (1.050)
Best ERA, starters: Walker Buehler (2.16)
Best ERA, relievers: Kenley Jansen (1.73)
Most innings pitched: Clayton Kershaw (128.2)
Most strikeouts: Walker Buehler (160)
Best K/9: Caleb Ferguson (14.0)

Record through 60 games, last five seasons:
2019: 41-19
2018: 30-30
2017: 35-25
2016: 32-28
2015: 35-25

       Prediction
The Dodgers look even more stacked than before. While Price won\’t play, Betts is a very big addition to an already great lineup. The Dodgers still have a great farm system too, with guys like Smith, Lux, May and Gonsolin debuting in 2019 and looking for a bigger role in 2020. For the 8th year in a row, the Dodgers will win the NL West in 2020.

From Getty Images

       Every season is the same when it comes to the Angels. They have Mike Trout, the best player on the planet. They have Albert Pujols, one of the most overpaid players on the planet. They have multiple pitchers who are recovering from Tommy John surgery, and they don\’t have any decent starters. The Tommy John train almost already started, as Griffin Canning got a scare in Spring Training, but should be good to go. The Angels have a plethora of young pitchers, but they need to figure out who is good and who is not. Returning from Tommy John is Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, who will certainly be at the top of the rotation. The Angels went hard for former Astros ace Gerrit Cole in free agency, but got a pretty good consolation prize instead.

       Offseason additions: 3B Anthony Rendon, RHP Dylan Bundy, RHP Julio Teheran, C Jason Castro, RHP Matt Andriese, LHP Jose Quijada, RHP Mike Mayers, RHP Parker Markel, LHP Ryan Buchter, RHP Neil Ramirez.

       Offseason subtractions: OF Kole Calhoun, C Kevan Smith, 1B Justin Bour, IF Zack Cozart, RHP Luis Garcia, RHP Nick Tropeano.

       Rotation
The Angels traded away four prospects for Dylan Bundy. The 4th overall pick in 2011 struck out 162 batters in 161.2 innings, but he allowed 86 earned runs for a 4.79 ERA with the lowly Orioles. He allowed 29 home runs and 58 walks. Bundy has been consistent in that his innings pitched over the last three years are all within 10 innings, qualifying in all but 2019, when he missed the mark by just one out. Andrew Heaney struck out 118 batters in 95.1 innings for a 11.1 K/9. He had a 4.91 ERA, his worst in a full season (it was only his third \”full\” year). Heaney\’s sinker has a spin rate of 2524 rpm, just 21 rpm less than his curveball. Former Braves ace Julio Teheran was signed to a one year deal. He struck out 162 batters in 174.2 innings with a 3.81 ERA. He allowed just 7.6 hits per nine. Over the last five seasons, Teheran\’s fastball velocity has dropped, from 92.1 mph in 2015 to 89.7 mph last year. Griffin Canning had a decent debut. In 18 games (17 starts) he had a 4.58 ERA with 96 Ks in 90.1 innings. Canning\’s slider can hit the low 90s and had an xBA against of .209 last year. Shohei Ohtani will be a starter when he gains eligibility to be a two-way player. He only DH\’d last year due to Tommy John surgery. He had a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings in 2018. He hit 18 home runs with 12 stolen bases and an .848 OPS last year at the plate. Ohtani\’s fastball averaged 96.7 mph in 2018, and his average exit velocity at the plate was 92.8 mph. Ohtani is surprisingly fast, with a home plate to 1st base speed of 4.05 seconds. The Angels have young pitchers in Patrick Sandoval, Jaime Barria, Dillon Peters and Jose Suarez attempting to be a swingman. Due to his seniority, Felix Pena could be the one to make the team. Pena probably had the best year out of all of them last year, with a 4.58 ERA plus 101 strikeouts in 96.1 innings over 22 games (seven starts). Pena\’s slider had a 46.2% whiff rate. He would also follow openers in games. Barria\’s slider had a .255 slugging against in 2018, but that rose up to .511 in 2019. Because Ohtani will only pitch once a week, the Angels will have a six-man rotation. Sandoval, the team\’s sixth best prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has a weak fastball, with a .302 average against, but his off-speed and breaking balls were all successful. Sandoval struck out 42 batters in 39.1 innings last year. He was acquired in 2018 from Houston for Martin Maldonado.

       Bullpen
The Angels found their closer in Hansel Robles. In his first full season with the club, Robles posted a career best 2.48 ERA in 71 games. He saved 23 games with 75 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. His walks per nine were down to a career low 2.0, as was his 0.7 HR/9. Robles\’ fastball averaged 97.2 mph, and his previous career high was 96.4 mph back in 2015. Ty Buttrey entered 2019 looking for the closer role. He had to settle as a set-up man. He struck out 84 batters in 72.1 innings with a 3.98 ERA. Buttrey throws hard, with an average fastball velocity just under Robles\’ at 97.1 mph, but that could lead to hard contact, as batters averaged a 90 mph exit velocity versus the right-hander. Keynan Middleton, who was the closer early in 2018 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, returned late to post a 1.17 ERA in 11 games. He has 85 strikeouts in 83.2 career innings. Unfortunately, Middleton\’s fastball dropped two miles an hour when he returned, down to an average of 94. Noe Ramirez had a 3.99 ERA, and struck out 79 in 67.2 innings, with a career low 2.7 BB/9. Ramirez gets a lot of vertical movement on his change-up, 7.7 inches more than average to be exact. Cam Bedrosian had a 3.23 ERA, the second best mark of his career. He struck out 64 batters in 61.1 innings, while allowing only seven hits per nine innings. Bedrosian throws his slider half of the time, and the pitch had an average against of just .194 last year. Justin Anderson has been a workhorse for the Angels the past two years, playing in 111 games. He has a career ERA of 4.75 with 127 strikeouts in 102.1 innings. Walks are Anderson\’s issue, as he has a career BB% of 15.7%. The Angels traded a top-30 prospect in Jeremy Beasley to the D-Backs for Matt Andriese. Andriese averaged about 1.1 innings per outing over 54 games last year, with 79 Ks and a 4.71 ERA. A former starter for the Rays, Andriese had a career best 3.75 xERA. Trusty lefty Ryan Buchter throws a curveball with an unusually low spin (2087 rpm), but the pitch works, allowing just three hits all season, and no extra-base hits. In his career, Buchter has never had a season with an ERA over 3.00, and he has 235 strikeouts in 214 innings for four different teams. The three batter minimum rule will likely hurt him. Luke Bard has an insane spin rate on his fastball, a league leading 2746 rpm. Taylor Cole, who can pitch multiple innings, can limit great contact, with a 3.2% barrel percentage.

       Catchers
The Angels signed former Astros and Twins catcher Jason Castro to a one year, $6.85 million deal. Castro had his best offensive season in a long time last year, hitting 13 home runs in 79 games with a .435 slugging percentage and .767 OPS. It was his best slugging and OPS since he was an all-star in 2013. Castro hit the ball hard, with a 91.5 mph average exit velocity. The backup is Castro\’s old Houston teammate in Max Stassi. A seven year veteran with only 183 MLB games, Stassi hit eight home runs in 88 games in 2018. He was terrible last year, with a .136 average and .378 OPS in 51 of those games. 20 of them were with the Angels, where he had a .071 average and .235 OPS, and did not record an extra base hit. Per Statcast, Stassi is in the 96th percentile in pitch framing among catchers.

        Infielders
Albert Pujols will be forced to play a lot of first base due to Ohtani. A first ballot Hall-of-Famer, Pujols will see his career average dip below .300 this year, a sad thing considering he did not hit under .300 in a season until he hit .299 in his 11th year. He hit 23 home runs with a .244 average and .734 OPS. A three time MVP, six time Silver Slugger, two time Gold Glover and 10 time all-star, Pujols has made one all-star team with no other awards since he joined the Angels in 2012. Pujols still doesn\’t strike out often, with a 12.5% K rate. Tommy La Stella was a surprise all-star, though an injury cost him his chance to play in the game, and it limited him to 80 games. He hit 16 home runs with a .295 average and .832 OPS. La Stella had a career high .482 xSLG. He can play third and first base, as well as second. David Fletcher was the starting third baseman, but he won\’t play much there due to a big free agent signing. He will be a super utility player. In 154 games last season, Fletcher hit .290 with six home runs and eight stolen bases. Fletcher does not strike out, with a whiff rate in the top 1% of the league. He also had a .302 xBA. Andrelton Simmons is still probably the best defender in the game, though Matt Chapman has a case. Simmons played in 103 games last year, hurting his case to win the Gold Glove. He has won four in his career. Simmons saved 12 defensive runs with 16 outs above average. At the plate, he had one of his worst seasons, with a .264 average and .673 OPS. Like Fletcher, Simmons does not strike out often, with an 8.5% career K rate. He hit seven home runs and swiped 10 bags. Anthony Rendon is the aforementioned big free agent signing. After finishing third in MVP voting, winning his second Silver Slugger and the World Series, the Angels gave Rendon $245 million over seven years. He had a career year at the plate in 2019, with 34 home runs, a league leading 126 RBIs and 44 doubles, plus a .319 average, .412 OBP and .598 slugging percentage for a 1.010 OPS. Rendon also had a .413 wOBA. Luis Rengifo was almost traded in the offseason. He played in 108 games last year with a .685 OPS. Rengifo is fast enough to be a pinch runner in extra-innings, with a 28 ft/s sprint speed. Matt Thaiss is in a battle with Regnifo for the final spots. The corner infielder hit eight home runs in 53 games last year, with a .714 OPS.

       Outfielders
What can you not say about Mike Trout that is positive. The best player in baseball signed a monster contract before the start of the season, and had another great year, winning his third MVP and 7th Silver Slugger. He hit a career high 45 home runs, with 11 stolen bases and a .291 average. He led the league in OBP (.438), Slugging Percentage (.645) and obviously OPS (1.083) in 134 games. He edged out Houston\’s Alex Bregman for the trophy. He also had a 185 OPS+, leading the league for the fifth consecutive time. Trout had an insanely high .669 xSLG and a 18.6 barrel percentage. His career OPS rounds up to exactly 1.000. He will soon receive another outfield buddy, with top prospect Jo Adell primed to debut this year. Adell, the 6th best prospect in baseball, hit .289 with an .834 OPS and 10 home runs with seven stolen bases in 76 games across High-A, AA and AAA. He would be best suited for AAA, but with no minor league season, he might as well start in the big leagues. Justin Upton, the first overall pick in 2005, had a terrible injury filled year. He played in just 63 games, hitting 12 homers. However, he had a .215 average and .724 OPS, and he is not a good fielder in left, with -5 outs above average. Upton was awful against off-speed pitches, with a .048 average against them. With Kole Calhoun off to Arizona, Brian Goodwin will hold the starting right field job unless Adell can beat him. Goodwin hit 17 home runs with seven stolen bases, a .262 average and .796 OPS in 136 games. He also had 5 outs above average. Goodwin will then take the job of Michael Hermosillo as the 4th outfielder. In 18 MLB games, Hermosillo hit no home runs with a .527 OPS. He had an .802 OPS in AAA.

       Projected Opening Day Lineup
SS Andrelton Simmons (R)
CF Mike Trout (R)
3B Anthony Rendon (R)
DH Shohei Ohtani* (L)
LF Justin Upton (R)
RF Jo Adell (R)
2B Tommy La Stella (L)
1B Albert Pujols (R)
C Jason Castro (L)
*On non-starting days only

       Projected Rotation
Andrew Heaney (L)
Julio Teheran (R)
Shohei Ohtani (R)
Dylan Bundy (R)
Griffin Canning (R)
Felix Pena (R)

       Projected Bullpen
Hansel Robles, closer (R)
Ty Buttrey (R)
Cam Bedrosian (R)
Justin Anderson (R)
Keynan Middleton (R)
Noe Ramirez (R)
Matt Andriese (R)
Ryan Buchter (L)
Patrick Sandoval (L)
Luke Bard (R)
Taylor Cole (R)

       Projected Bench
C Max Stassi (R)
IF David Fletcher (R)
OF Brian Goodwin (L)
IF Matt Thaiss (L)
IF Luis Rengifo (S)

Baseball-Reference OOTP Simulator Stats:
52-40 record, 3rd in AL West
Most home runs: Mike Trout (27)
Highest batting average: Mike Trout (.285)
Highest OPS: Mike Trout (1.024)
Best ERA, starters: Andrew Heaney (3.33)
Best ERA, relievers: Ty Buttrey (2.30)
Most innings pitched: Andrew Heaney (127.0)
Most strikeouts: Shohei Ohtani (146)
Best K/9: Hansel Robles (11.8)

Record through 60 games, last five seasons:
2019: 29-31
2018: 32-28
2017: 29-31
2016: 26-34
2015: 30-30

       Prediction
The Angels have one of the best lineups in the league. Obviously Trout will make a difference, but now he has a lineup behind him. When the Angels traded for Justin Upton in 2017, a big factor was that he could back-up Trout in the lineup. While he hasn\’t been great at that, he is still there, with a superstar in Rendon in front of him, plus great hitters with big potential in Ohtani and Adell sprinkled in the mix. Throw in all-star Tommy La Stella and guys like Andrelton Simmons and David Fletcher who won\’t strike out and will play great defense, and you have a stellar lineup. The rotation isn\’t great, but the bullpen has the potential to be very, very good. With Joe Maddon at the helm, the Angels can finally get Mike Trout to the playoffs. I predict that the Angels will finish 2nd in the AL West, and finally get over the hump, and into the 2nd Wild Card spot.

       It was another progressive year for the Royals in 2019. The 2015 World Series champions have hit rock bottom. The picked second overall last June, going with high school infielder Bobby Witt Jr. The Royals have a fast team, with 43 base stealer Adalberto Mondesi Jr. Outfielder Jorge Soler also set the franchise record in home runs. The team has some decent players, but they need to build around their core better.

       Offseason additions: 3B Maikel Franco, RHP Chance Adams, RHP Greg Holland, RHP Trevor Rosenthal.

       Offseason subtractions: UT Cheslor Cuthbert, 1B Lucas Duda, RHP Brad Boxberger, RHP Wily Peralta, LHP Brian Flynn.

       Rotation
Former Rule-5 pick Brad Keller was great in his rookie season of 2018, with a 3.08 ERA. He regressed last year, but still had a respectable 4.19 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 165.1 innings. His 0.8 HR/9 and 8.4 H/9 were very solid compared to the average pitcher. However, his 3.8 BB/9 was high. Keller\’s slider had an average against of .194, but the pitch was hit hard, with an average of 90.2 mph off the bat. Danny Duffy has a career ERA of 3.98, but 2017 was his last season with an ERA under 4. He had a 4.34 ERA with 115 strikeouts in 130.2 innings. His 23 starts were his least since he made five in 2013. Duffy\’s 88.9 mph average exit velocity was his worst in the last five years. Jakob Junis had a career high 8.4 K/9, but he also had career worsts in ERA (5.24), BB/9 (3.0), H/9 (9.9) and WHIP (1.426). Junis\’ slider had a slugging against of .232. The Royals brought back their 2008 first round pick in Mike Montgomery, who had never played with the club prior to 2019. A World Series winning swingman, Montgomery made 13 starts with Kansas City, posting a 4.64 ERA with 51 Ks in 64 innings. Montgomery\’s xBA (.316) and xERA (6.91) were both in the bottom one percent of the league. The final spot is an open battle with an opener as a possibility. Glenn Sparkman made 23 starts last year, but posted a horrid 6.02 ERA. Sparkman had an average exit velocity against of 90.6 miles per hour. Oft-injured righty Jesse Hahn is back. He allowed seven runs in 4.2 innings late last year. The most starts he made in a season is 16, coming in his 3.35 ERA year of 2015. Out of his 107 pitches in 2019, none of them were his curveball, which in his last season of 2017, had a 3005 rpm spin rate. Chance Adams, once one of the top prospects in the Yankees system, was traded to the Royals after having a horrid 8.53 ERA in 25.1 innings. His slider has a great spin rate of 2986 rpm.

       Bullpen
Former starter Ian Kennedy emerged as an unlikely closer. Prior to 2019 he had made just two relief appearances, both coming with the Yankees from 2008-2009. He converted 30 saves last year, with a 3.41 ERA that was his best since 2011. His 10.4 K/9 was a career high. His 2.4 BB/9 rate was his best in a long time. Kennedy also saw a 2.5 miles per hour raise on his fastball from 2018 to 2019. Scott Barlow struck out 92 batters over 70.1 innings, allowing just six home runs with a 4.22 ERA. Barlow also walked 11.9 percent of batters. Lefty Tim Hill had a solid 3.63 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 39.2 innings. Lefties hit just .186 against him with a .465 OPS. Hill had a super-high 32.6% whiff rate on his fastball. Jorge Lopez had a rough year as a swingman. In 39 games (18 starts), Lopez had a 6.33 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 123.2 innings. He was hurt by the long ball, allowing 27 home runs. Lopez has three separate pitches (fastball, change-up, sinker) with an rpm under 2000. Greg Holland, a three time all-star and Kansas City\’s closer when they won the World Series, is back as a non-roster invitee. Holland saved 17 games for Arizona last year, with a 4.54 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. His 6.3 H/9 and .199 xBA might have been his most impressive stats last year. Jake Newberry had an encouraging season. He played in 27 games, posting a 3.77 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 31 innings, but allowed seven home runs. Newberry\’s slider had an average against of just .098. Kevin McCarthy had a 4.48 ERA in 56 games last season, but was great in 2018, pitching in 65 games with a 3.25 ERA. He is not a strikeout guy, with a 5.7 career K/9. McCarthy allowed barrels just 4.3% of the time. The Royals can go a lot of different ways for the final spots. Josh Staumont was a 25 year old rookie with a 3.72 ERA in 16 games last year. The team\’s 29th best prospect per MLB Pipeline, Staumont\’s fastball averaged 95.9 miles per hour. Randy Rosario is a lefty who posted a 4.40 ERA in 19 games for the Royals and Cubs last year. He did not allow a run in 3.2 innings in the KC portion. Rosario backed away from his fastball after it had a .513 slugging against in 2018. Trevor Rosenthal did not allow a run with nine Ks in five Spring Training innings. His 2019 was terrible. He allowed 23 earned runs in 15.1 innings (13.50 ERA) over 22 games for the Nats and Tigers. While he struck out 17 batters, he walked 26 batters and hit four of them. His 15.3 BB/9 has to be some sort of bad record. If he can get his control together, and judging by his no walks issued in Spring Training, he can, Rosenthal can be a dangerous relief option. Rosenthal\’s fastball averages 98 miles an hour, and only has an average exit velocity of 85.6 mph.

       Catchers
Salvador Perez missed all of 2019 with an injury sustained in Spring Training that lead to Tommy John surgery. A five time Gold Glover and two time Silver Slugger, Perez hit 27 home runs with 80 RBIs in both 2017 and 2018. He had a weak .235 average and .713 OPS in 2018, but he still won the Silver Slugger at catcher. Before the injury, he was one of baseball\’s best catchers. Currently infected with COVID, Perez should recover. Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria are in a battle for the backup spot. Gallagher played in 45 games last year, three more than Viloria. Both have options, so that is not a factor. Gallagher is four years older with 28 more games of MLB experience. Gallagher had a .677 OPS compared to Viloria\’s .544.

      Infielders
Ryan O\’Hearn and Ryan McBroom are in a battle for first base. Both can make the team, but that would rule out a backup infielder, which the Royals don\’t necessarily need as Nicky Lopez, Hunter Dozier, Adalberto Mondesi and Whit Merrifield can all play multiple positions. O\’Hearn hit 14 home runs last year, but he also had a .195 average and a .650 OPS. He had a .950 OPS in 44 games in 2018. O\’Hearn hits the ball hard, with a career average exit velocity of 90.8 mph. McBroom debuted late last year, with six RBIs and a .293 average in 23 games (83 PAs). For AAA Scranton (Yankees system), McBroom hit .315 with a .976 OPS and 26 home runs. Nicky Lopez hit .353 with a .957 OPS in 31 AAA games, earning himself the second base job in the majors. He played in 103 MLB games, with a .240 average and .601 OPS with two home runs. He had three defensive runs saved at second base. Lopez fits the Royals mold, as a free-swinging hitter who doesn\’t strike out, or hit the ball hard, with good speed and defense. Adalberto Mondesi stole 43 bases, with a .263 average and a league leading 10 triples, tied with teammates Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier. He had a .715 OPS, 89 points lower than his 2018 mark. His 29.9 ft/s average sprint speed tied his 2018 number. The Royals gave inconsistent power hitter Maikel Franco $3 million to play third base. He hit 17 home runs last year. It was his first season without at least 20 home runs since his 80 game 2015 season. He had a .234 average and .705 OPS for the Phillies last season, both below his career average. Unlike other inconsistent power hitters, Franco doesn\’t strike out often, with a 14.3% K rate in 2019. He is a bad defender, with -7 outs above average at third base.

       Outfielders
The Royals\’ starting outfield will compose of two former starting infielders. Whit Merrifield led the league in hits and stolen bases in 2018, as well as stolen bases in 2017. He stole just 20 bases in 2019, getting caught a league leading 10 times. He led the league in hits again, with 206. Also, his 681 at-bats were the most in the league. Merrifield was always fast but never as fast as teammates and ex-teammates like Billy Hamilton, Adalberto Mondesi and Terrance Gore. He had a .302 average and a career high .811 OPS, making his first all-star team while making a transition from second base to right field to accommodate Lopez\’s arrival. He will move again, to center field. Hunter Dozier, a natural third baseman who can play first base and right field, broke out in 2019. He hit 26 home runs with 84 RBIs, a .279 average and an .870 OPS in 139 games. Dozier hit the ball harder than ever before, averaging 91.1 mph, and is surprisingly fast, with a 28.3 ft/s sprint speed. He made improvements defensively as well, going from -13 DRS in 2018 to -4 in 2019. Alex Gordon returns for his 14th season as a Royal. A seven time Gold Glover (winning them all in the last eight years), Gordon hit 13 home runs with a .266 average and .741 OPS. Gordon won the Gold Glove award despite having -5 outs above average. While he isn\’t the offensive player he once was, Gordon\’s average and OPS were his highest since 2015, when he was an all-star for the third time. The team will likely carry both Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips, both of whom are out of options. The 5th overall pick in 2011, Starling finally debuted in 2019, hitting four home runs with a .215 average and .572 OPS. Starling whiffed on 61.3% of breaking balls. Brett Phillips is a classic AAAA player. He has good AAA numbers, with 18 home runs, 22 stolen bases and an .883 OPS last year. He is not a good MLB player, with a career .203 average and .620 OPS. At age 26, 2020 might be Phillips\’ last chance to stay on an MLB roster. Jorge Soler finally had his big season, hitting a franchise record 48 home runs, which also led the league. He led the league in strikeouts too, with 178. He hit .265 with a career best .922 OPS. He is a terrible fielder, and with the Royals\’ plethora of outfielders, I\’d be surprised if he saw any fielding time in 2020. Soler had an average exit velocity of 92.6 mph, and an xSLG of .593.

       Projected Opening Day Lineup
CF Whit Merrfield (R)
SS Adalberto Mondesi (S)
DH Jorge Soler (R)
RF Hunter Dozier (R)
C Salvador Perez (R)
LF Alex Gordon (L)
3B Maikel Franco (R)
1B Ryan O\’Hearn (L)
2B Nicky Lopez (L)

       Projected Rotation
Brad Keller (R)
Danny Duffy (L)
Jakob Junis (R)
Mike Montgomery (L)
Jesse Hahn (R)

        Projected Bullpen
Ian Kennedy, closer (R)
Scott Barlow (R)
Tim Hill (L)
Jorge Lopez (R)
Greg Holland (R)
Jake Newberry (R)
Trevor Rosenthal (R)
Kevin McCarthy (R)
Randy Rosario (L)
Glenn Sparkman (R)
Chance Adams (R)
Josh Staumont (R)

       Projected Bench
C Cam Gallagher (R)
1B Ryan McBroom (R)
OF Brett Phillips (L)
OF Bubba Starling (R)

Baseball-Reference OOTP Simulator Stats:
34-57 Record, 4th in AL Central
Most home runs: Ryan O\’Hearn (13)
Highest batting average: Whit Merrifield (.316)
Highest OPS: Whit Merrifield (.815)
Best ERA, starters: Danny Duffy (5.24)
Best ERA, relievers: Richard Lovelady (2.04)
Most innings pitched: Danny Duffy (103.0)
Most strikeouts: Jakob Junis (72)
Best K/9: Trevor Rosenthal (14.9)

Record through 60 games, last five seasons:
2019: 19-41
2018: 21-39
2017: 26-34
2016: 30-30
2015: 35-25

       Prediction
The Royals are not a good team. While their lineup is much better than the lineup of the Orioles, Tigers and Marlins (the other three teams to lose at least 100 games last year), the pitching staff is terrible. They don\’t have a starter that would even be on a team like the Yankees, Astros, Dodgers or Nationals if healthy, and only Ian Kennedy could make those teams, but in a middle-relief role. That just shows how bad their rotation and bullpen is, and that will help them finish 4th in the AL Central once again, in 2020.