[BaseballGoodToMe]

Started a fictional players real teams league, simmed 2017 without a job to get a year in, started an expansion team for 2018.



2017 - Pirates beat Twins in World Series
Single season records established, .394 AVG, 240 hits, 67 home runs, 92 stolen bases


2018 - Charlotte Rebels and Maine Lobsters(yeah sounds like a minor league team but w/e) join league, pick up their bad pitchers and 2 to 3 decent hitters in expansion draft. Pirates beat Cubs in series.


My team the Rebels goes 60-102, posting an ERA of 5.08 and a batting average of .246. A few hitters establish themselves as standouts for the team;


Marco Fuentes(1B, 33 years old) non roster spring invitee after a .235 BA 10 HR season for the Angels, hits .297 with 16 HRs and 71 RBIs



Pablo Vasquez(3B, 27, LHB) 3rd round expansion pick, had unimpressive cup of coffee with Nationals in 2017, hits .278 with 11 HRs and 38 RBIs. The 2 form a rangy but error prone corner infield and an expansion team passable heart of the order by seasons end after I've shuffled everyone around, I figure they can drive in more runs with a legit leadoff man.


Matt Kimmey(DH, 40. LHB) My free agent "splash"($1.9m) for my first year, hits ,271 with 13 HRs and 43 RBIs. Takes a paycut($1.6m) for a 1 year extension by the end of the year.


David Ramirez(SS, 28, RHB) Rule 5 pick(I played alot of them my first year), team captain and an adequate defender whose weak arm makes him more suited to 2B, he hits .273 with 9 HRs, signs a $950k extension before arbitration.



Greg Thurlow(IF/OF, 24, SH) Another Rule 5, he hits .269 with 6 HRs and 36 RBIs in 105 games, 75 starts, showing an adequate glove and a sparkplug personality which seems to make him the perfect pinch hitter, including hitting a walk off solo shot to win a game against the Twins.


Vincent Rodriguez(RF, 29, RHB) One more Rule 5 pick, he hits .235 with 13 HRs and 58 RBIs, but his ability to draw a walk(lead team with 81, next highest being Kimmey with 69. Also struck out 129 times to lead team, ouch) and his cannon arm(lead Major League outfielders with 17 assists) endear him to the organization.


Pitching is expansion team level, but some players show promise;


Adam Higganbotham(28, RH RP) A late expansion pick, he posts a 2.47 ERA in 73.0 innings, striking out 6.5 and walking 3.8.


Angel Hurtado(26, RH RP) Coming from the middle of the draft, he posts a 3.38 ERA over 93.1 IP, striking out 6.0 but walking a whopping 5.0.



Mario Cassiano(23, LH SP) A spring training waiver claim, he starts 10 games and posts a 4.18 ERA, striking out 5.6 and walking 3.5 in 64.2 innings. The team expects the young groundballer to compete for a spot in the opening rotation next year and get better with experience.


And the crowing jewel of the otherwise dismal season;


#1 draft pick Jerrod Jacobo(21, RH SP) Rated 4.5 stars by OSA and 5 by the Rebels scouting staff, he rates a potential 5 for stuff and 4 for movement and control. In 9 starts and 47.0 innings pitched at AA, he posts a 3.83 ERA and does even better in 7 starts 44.0 innings pitched at AAA, going 3.07. He's not quite ready to dominate pro hitters yet, striking out 5.0 and walking 5.2 at AA, but improving to 6.1 and 3.1 at AAA.The team plans to keep him in AAA for all of 2019 for more seasoning.


The team goes into the offseason with hopes for improvement in 2019, will post that recap tomorrow.