{"id":167,"date":"2018-01-14T21:28:01","date_gmt":"2018-01-15T03:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/?p=167"},"modified":"2020-04-02T19:27:17","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T00:27:17","slug":"2030-3l-preivew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/2018\/01\/14\/2030-3l-preivew\/","title":{"rendered":"2030 3L Preivew"},"content":{"rendered":"

The season is getting ready to start, and everyone is getting hyped about their team.\u00a0 not everyone can do well though, and this preview is here to remind you what that can look like.\u00a0 Every team has a .gif that previews what things will look like if things don’t work out how they hope it will.\u00a0 Have a fun and great season everyone!<\/p>\n

Montana<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One GM described this as the most YOLO team that ever existed.\u00a0 I don\u2019t 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.\u00a0 Not just a little salary either, but enough to balloon their payroll to $200 million.\u00a0 They have a $70 million budget, which for those that are adept at math seems like a really bad thing.\u00a0 However, they also got teams to send them well over $100 million in cash, so maybe things won\u2019t go awful?\u00a0 The team is stacked, but there is no room for error, as if they don\u2019t 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\u2019t secure first and have to go into the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Las Vegas<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Las Vegas has been in the 3L so long that they need a new mascot.\u00a0 Cart man is my submission for that new mascot.\u00a0 He\u2019s seen some things.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 This Vegas team has dealt with so many injuries, so many underperformances and yet just keeps coming back for more.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Can they win the in playoffs?\u00a0 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.\u00a0 (I know I think they are going to the SL as the playoff winner)<\/p>\n

Toledo<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They are a young kid who is just trying to impress everyone.\u00a0 They have some great young players too, but sometimes when young people get a bit to cocky they fall and fall hard.\u00a0 The kid above learned what happens when you become too comfortable trying to impress people.\u00a0 If there is one group of players who will rack themselves it\u2019s going to be the starting pitchers and when your starting pitchers fall down from getting too cocky it\u2019s pretty hard for your team to overcome that, no matter how impressive your outfield and other offensive stars are.\u00a0 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\u2019s going to hurt their pride quite a bit.<\/p>\n

Greenville<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Everything was going so well for them.\u00a0 They made it out of the battle that is the 3L and had high hopes going into the SL.\u00a0 Then the wave of life caught up to them and through them in the air like a rag doll.\u00a0 As a result, they find themselves back in the 3L trying to collect themselves before they drown.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Waiting a year to really go after it though doesn\u2019t seem like a bad choice, as they are also young and have a lot of money to make moves. \u00a0Expect a great battle with Toledo next year.<\/p>\n

Oakland<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There was a time that Oakland was in the PL and looked like a promising team.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Now they find themselves in the 3L, $60 million in debt and wondering where they are going to go from here.\u00a0 Luckily, they should have enough to make the playoffs one more year in the 3L which will make a bit of that money back.\u00a0 The time are going to get dark for them soon, but they are going to ride the ship until the very last second.<\/p>\n

Detroit<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You need to keep your eye on everything around you if you want to stay at the most competitive levels of this game.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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<\/sup> or 11th<\/sup> place.<\/p>\n

Buckhead<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 They still have a lot of holes and many years of missed IFA and FA classes to make up for.\u00a0 This team will challenge for the playoffs this year, but it\u2019s going to be a bit too much to ask for them to full turn it around this year.\u00a0 Watch out next year though, they have some players that are going to really impress. The bar just isn\u2019t strong enough this year though.<\/p>\n

New Orleans<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They are trying to instill the trust back in their fans.\u00a0 They made some big moves in the offseason and added some smart pieces.\u00a0 They bolstered an outfield that was horrendous last year.\u00a0 They got some starting pitching to replace everyone they traded away last year.\u00a0 However, they are just trying to do a bit too much.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 It\u2019s not hopeless, because they are close, but close doesn\u2019t make it not painless for everyone involved.<\/p>\n

Kingston Township<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Kingston Township has never been able to get over the small hurdle of getting out of the 3L.\u00a0 Every year they try to clear the low chain, but every year they fall short.\u00a0 There has been some very, very close near misses, but time and time again they do in fact fall short.\u00a0 After trading their franchise player over the offseason, the step back should be pretty noticeable for them.\u00a0 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\u2019s going to be a long season for a team that is going to be stuck in the 3L once again.<\/p>\n

Seattle<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sometimes you watch something, and you know it can only end one way.\u00a0 Maybe for just a second you try to convince yourself it won\u2019t end badly, but in reality, you know it\u2019s going to go poorly.\u00a0 That\u2019s what happened with Seattle.\u00a0 Their GM has likely the coolest job of anyone around, but their team suffers, because he can\u2019t find the time needed to stay competitive.\u00a0 It\u2019s a pretty good trade, but it was never going to end any other way.\u00a0 You just can\u2019t balance everything at one time.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Chicago<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 A new GM might prove to pay off in the future, but right now, even a new GM can\u2019t change their fortunes.\u00a0 Another top pick is likely coming their way to add to their collection of 3 of the past 4 number 1 picks.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Houston<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When you get to the top you are supposed to celebrate like you\u2019re at the top right?\u00a0 Well, Houston did celebrate and now they find themselves in exactly the opposite situation.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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\u2019s not right now.\u00a0 They should win more than 11 games though, so at least they have that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The season is getting ready to start, and everyone is getting hyped about their team.\u00a0 not everyone can do well though, and this preview is here to remind you what that can look like.\u00a0 Every team has a .gif that previews what things will look like if things don’t work out how they hope it\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-pander"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":368,"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167\/revisions\/368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usba14.us\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}