The season is getting ready to start, and everyone is getting hyped about their team. not everyone can do well though, and this preview is here to remind you what that can look like. Every team has a .gif that previews what things will look like if things don’t work out how they hope it will. Have a fun and great season everyone!
Montana
One GM described this as the most YOLO team that ever existed. I don’t think a better description could exist. Not only did they make a lot of trades (expected), acquire talent (not shocking), but they also took on salary. Not just a little salary either, but enough to balloon their payroll to $200 million. They have a $70 million budget, which for those that are adept at math seems like a really bad thing. However, they also got teams to send them well over $100 million in cash, so maybe things won’t go awful? The team is stacked, but there is no room for error, as if they don’t get promoted they are sunk. If they have injuries, they have no room to go acquire more talents. Going into the season, they are the odds on favorite, but be prepared for fireworks if they don’t secure first and have to go into the playoffs.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas has been in the 3L so long that they need a new mascot. Cart man is my submission for that new mascot. He’s seen some things. He probably thought one day he would be the guy who would do it all, but being beat down time and time again has left him scarred and battered. This Vegas team has dealt with so many injuries, so many underperformances and yet just keeps coming back for more. They have one of the best players in the 3L, but their weak spots, namely that bullpen, is likely going to be what keeps them from capturing first again. Can they win the in playoffs? Recent history says no, but maybe we can finally clean Cart Man up a bit get him a new set of clothes for the SL next year. (I know I think they are going to the SL as the playoff winner)
Toledo
They are a young kid who is just trying to impress everyone. They have some great young players too, but sometimes when young people get a bit to cocky they fall and fall hard. The kid above learned what happens when you become too comfortable trying to impress people. If there is one group of players who will rack themselves it’s going to be the starting pitchers and when your starting pitchers fall down from getting too cocky it’s pretty hard for your team to overcome that, no matter how impressive your outfield and other offensive stars are. This is a team I would look to actually get on that last pillar next year, but they are likely just going to fall a bit short this year and it’s going to hurt their pride quite a bit.
Greenville
Everything was going so well for them. They made it out of the battle that is the 3L and had high hopes going into the SL. Then the wave of life caught up to them and through them in the air like a rag doll. As a result, they find themselves back in the 3L trying to collect themselves before they drown. I think their pitching is going to help them stay afloat, but they did lose an important piece for the season during spring training and the teams ahead of them are very good. Waiting a year to really go after it though doesn’t seem like a bad choice, as they are also young and have a lot of money to make moves. Expect a great battle with Toledo next year.
Oakland
There was a time that Oakland was in the PL and looked like a promising team. They were just cruising along and then all of a sudden, they signed a mammoth contract that went south, OOTP took some huge bites out of their players and the ship started to sink really fast. Now they find themselves in the 3L, $60 million in debt and wondering where they are going to go from here. Luckily, they should have enough to make the playoffs one more year in the 3L which will make a bit of that money back. The time are going to get dark for them soon, but they are going to ride the ship until the very last second.
Detroit
You need to keep your eye on everything around you if you want to stay at the most competitive levels of this game. Not only did Detroit not keep a close on eye things, but they completely let the barge drive itself which has led them down the 3L with limited talent and even less money. The ship is going to keep trying to go forward though, because with no one at the helm to steer it, there is no other way for it to go. If a new owner takes over soon though, the future of this team could look much different and they could find themselves down in 10th or 11th place.
Buckhead
Before the end of last year, the barge example would have been a good description here too, but since getting OOTP on his work laptop, the export rate is way up in Buckhead, and the future looks much brighter. They still have a lot of holes and many years of missed IFA and FA classes to make up for. This team will challenge for the playoffs this year, but it’s going to be a bit too much to ask for them to full turn it around this year. Watch out next year though, they have some players that are going to really impress. The bar just isn’t strong enough this year though.
New Orleans
They are trying to instill the trust back in their fans. They made some big moves in the offseason and added some smart pieces. They bolstered an outfield that was horrendous last year. They got some starting pitching to replace everyone they traded away last year. However, they are just trying to do a bit too much. When they try to land the final kick, they are going to fall well short and are going to have to wait for another year of smart moves and big singings to get where they need to. It’s not hopeless, because they are close, but close doesn’t make it not painless for everyone involved.
Kingston Township
Kingston Township has never been able to get over the small hurdle of getting out of the 3L. Every year they try to clear the low chain, but every year they fall short. There has been some very, very close near misses, but time and time again they do in fact fall short. After trading their franchise player over the offseason, the step back should be pretty noticeable for them. It was something they needed to do, and they got useful pieces for the future, but without that bona fide ace that can win them games once every 5 days, it’s going to be a long season for a team that is going to be stuck in the 3L once again.
Seattle
Sometimes you watch something, and you know it can only end one way. Maybe for just a second you try to convince yourself it won’t end badly, but in reality, you know it’s going to go poorly. That’s what happened with Seattle. Their GM has likely the coolest job of anyone around, but their team suffers, because he can’t find the time needed to stay competitive. It’s a pretty good trade, but it was never going to end any other way. You just can’t balance everything at one time. With the 3L getting more competitive and GMs caring more than ever, the fan is going to keep smacking them until work slows down for Mau.
Chicago
With so many top picks, you would think that they would be able to break through the ice and get into the playoffs again, but alas, here Baby Chicago is just bouncing off the ice not even making a dent. A new GM might prove to pay off in the future, but right now, even a new GM can’t change their fortunes. Another top pick is likely coming their way to add to their collection of 3 of the past 4 number 1 picks. Check back in a few years and see if they are finally breaking through the ice or are just bouncing off again and again on repeat.
Houston
When you get to the top you are supposed to celebrate like you’re at the top right? Well, Houston did celebrate and now they find themselves in exactly the opposite situation. The whiffed draft picks, the underperformances from older players and the bad gambles caused everyone to fall over themselves in having the worst possible years they could. They are building up a strong minor league system though and a few more years of signing international free agents and waiting for bad contracts to end could change the way we view this team, but that’s not right now. They should win more than 11 games though, so at least they have that.