Now that Spring Training is complete, teams can turn their attention to the regular season, a 60-game affair among individual leagues over 20 weekends from April through mid-August.
For the 2296 season, Nate Howard revealed to the Commonwealth and the CBO the dynamic assaultron that played a central role in helping the Railroad escape annihilation in its early days. That assaultron is P.A.M., or the Predictive Analytic Machine.
P.A.M. is a master of predictive analysis. Running the numbers, here is what P.A.M. had to say about the 2296 season.
"I was, am, and will most likely be P.A.M. Predictive Analytic Machine. All systems fully functional. Baseball token recognized. I provide first order approximations of the behaviors of all residents of the region designated Commonwealth. Rephrasing. I predict the future.
Rephrasing. I also provide first order approximations of the results of baseball of the league designated CBO. Commonwealth Baseball Organization. Nate Howard has reprogrammed this unit's new primary goal. He calls it the B.P.M. Baseball Prediction Model.
Processes reaching maximum capacity. Output only. User must fill in own conclusions. Data sustained. Accuracy is expected to reach better than 80%. Results printed. Recharge in progress. End transmission."
P.A.M.'s predictions in pictures. Diamond City Radio's analysis of those predictions in text below.
BROTHERHOOD LEAGUE
They both approached team building like they wanted to be champions, and in this inaugural season of the Commonwealth Baseball Organization, a two-way battle for the Brotherhood League is expected to be the highlight of their division. Among all divisions in the CBO, the BL is expected to be the second best division race behind the Minutemen League.
Finch Farm and The Slog are predicted to tie for the division title, with East Boston Prep on their heels. County Crossing, Salem, and Nordhagen Beach are not expected to be in the running for the division. Should the Four Leafs and Ghouls tie for the division lead, the winner of the tiebreaker would be expected to get the fourth seed in the Commonwealth Series tournament. The loser of the tiebreaker game would then be predicted as the sixth seed.
Offense is expected to rule throughout the Commonwealth, with Finch Farm left fielder Danny Honeycutt expected to get the nod as the league MVP. Along with the batting title, the Four Leafs’ Matt Pageturner is predicted to the top pitcher.
INSTITUTE LEAGUE
The Institute League is not expected to be much of a contest in the CBO. The real story is who will be second for the league.
Sunshine Tidings, which is run by the determined timidity of Talia McGovern and the brute strength of team sponsor Small Bertha, looks to have built the best top to bottom line up in the entire CBO. Running away with the division would earn the Chemists the number one overall seed in the Commonwealth Series tournament.
The second place team, which is also a playoff team in the end, will be the real question. Abernathy is slightly favored over Concord and Lexington in what should be a tight race. Based on expectations, the second place team would get the seventh seed in the Commonwealth Series tournament.
Despite the Chemists’ expectations to take the division, it’s the Radstags who are expected to walk away with the top awards in the IL. Left fielder Dan Erb is expected to take the batting crown, while reliever Burt Oldshoe is expected to be the league’s most dominant pitcher. Sunshine Tidings’ Tony Bertha, whom the team traded for in February to join his sister’s team, is expected to be the top starting pitcher.
MINUTEMEN LEAGUE
Like the Brotherhood League, the Minutemen League is expected to be a tight race, in fact, the tightest. This race happens to be a three-team show, while the other three teams can wait until next year.
Goodneighbor and Warwick are expected to tie for the division crown, with Quincy falling just a game behind. In other words, who knows what will happen? If the ML does fall the way it is predicted, the tiebreaker would make the winner the third overall seed in the Commonwealth Series tournament, while the runner-up would be the fifth seed.
The Atom Cats, Jamaica Plain, and University Point are all expected to tie for last place, all acting as nothing more than spoilers for the other three teams.
The Hancocks’ first baseman Bryan Assman is expected to beat out the Treasures’ first baseman Cody Flatt for the Most Valuable Player. On the mound, Mike Grille of Warwick is expected to be the most dominant pitcher, while Manny McDuff of the Gunners is predicted as the best starter.
RAILROAD LEAGUE
The Railroad League is another league expected to have a runaway winner, with Oberland expected to take the well-preserved pie. Like Sunshine Tidings, the T-51s are well put together, having few obvious weaknesses throughout their lineup. By far, they are expected to be the top offense, expecting to average about a run an inning.
Behind the T-51s, the other five teams are expected to be in a tight race for second place and the expected eighth seed in the Commonwealth Series tournament. Shaw HS and Vault 81 are currently predicted to finish tied for second, with Diamond City and Fairline Hill Estates predicted to be tied for fourth. Egret is predicted to take up the rear.
Knuckle Punchers’ right fielder Damani Beebe is predicted to be the top player in the league. The Swatters’ Ricky Six Pack is expected to win the pitcher award, while the Yao Guai’s Bow Rome is expected to be the top starter.