[BirdWatcher]

Moonlight Graham League, East Division

the Montreal Royals: 64-66, 1st place, +2, RS: 11th, RA: 7th

Best position player: Chase Moeller, 1B, 27- .338/.389/.544, 5.2 WAR.

Best pitcher: Bobby Martinez, LHP, 27- 9-15, 3.86, 1.20 WHIP, 3.3 WAR.

On the rise: Eric Goerg, LHP, 25- 9-7, 3.56, 1.20 WHIP, 2.9 WAR.

In decline: Omar Trujillo, CF, 31- .156/.219/.230, -0.7 WAR (career 162-game average of 3.0 WAR).

Key September call-up: Josh Smithers, 3B, 27- 3.2 WAR at AAA with 18 homers and 26 stolen bases- should be starting 3B of future for Royals.

Out of commission: John Belch, SP, 29- 5-9, 4.60, 1.51 WHIP, 0.3 WAR- torn flexor tendon, out another 17-18 months.

Pennant race summary: The Montreal Royals could make history as the first expansion club to make the post-season in their first year in existence. Less positively, they have the chance to make history as the first team in WPK history to make the post-season with a losing record. Obviously this is the first year of divisional play and an expanded post-season, the first year of a round of playoffs prior to the Kinsella Classic Series. They are currently calculated to have just under a 52% chance to winning the MLG East. The Royals have a decent stable of pitching prospects who are not that far away from the big leagues, having selected a few older prospects in the expansion draft and then grabbing some more advanced collegiate arms in their first amateur draft. They do have a mix of younger position players and grizzled veterans and if they are going to continue to contend the next few years they will likely need to identify some younger potential positional starters. But then again, if the MGL East continues to be so weak they might not need to try that hard.

the Brooklyn Aces: 61-67, 2nd place, -2, RS: 10th, RA: 6th.

Best position player: Robert Marinko, 2B, 26- .290/.341/.462, 4.4 WAR.

Best pitcher: Jose Hernandes, RHP, 28- 12-11, 3.14, 1.33 WHIP, 4.4 WAR- a fan favorite and an Iron Man.

On the rise: Chris Caldwell, LF, 25- .306/.337/.475, 2.9 WAR.

In decline: Chris Blackmore, SS, 31- .235/.278/.320, -0.2 WAR- career 4 WAR per 162 game average.

Key September call-up: Armando Roca, C, 24- 3.5 WAR between AA clubs in Phoenix and Brooklyn organizations this year- excellent defense, average bat- possible future back-up catcher.

Out of commission: Danny Salvador, 1B, 32- .284/.382/.473, 3.7 WAR, fractured thumb- out 3 more weeks.
and Taylor Mannarino, RHP, 34- 10 games, none started, 5.96 ERA and 1.76 WHIP this season before suffering torn elbow ligament, out 7 months. Normally a pretty solid pitcher, was a 16 game winner with Seattle in 1975.

Pennant race summary: Ah, the ever under-achieving Aces. Having lost their pitching ace, Aaron McNally, in free agency, they still have a decent rotation, led by young Jose Hernandes and veteran swing-and-miss specialist Joel Travino. But their bullpen is weak (they lost their best young reliever, Edgar Cruz, in the expansion draft), their defense below average, and their offense anemic. With their farm system ranked 23rd out of 24, the future does not look bright in Brooklyn. This might be their last best chance for some time to get to the post-season. They are given about a 13% chance of doing so.

the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings: 61-68, 3rd place, -1, RS: 12th, RA: 5th.

Best position player: Justin Banks, 2B, 24- .323/.355/.448, 4.7 WAR
and Jaime Benjamin, RF, 29- .305/.371/.491, 4.6 WAR.

Best pitcher: Parker Rayfield, LHP, 30- 10-12, 3.38, 1.34 WHIP, 5.4 WAR.

On the rise: Frank Ortega, CF, 25- .300/.362/.459, 3.3 WAR- fragile but great hit tool and plus plus speed.

In decline: Kevin Reed, 3B, 33- .231/.277/.293, 0.3 WAR- career 3 WAR 162 game average, team leader.

Key September call-up: None

Out of commission: Steve Meehan, RHP, 26- 4-6, 3.57, 1.25 WHIP, 1.9 WAR, torn back muscle, out for 3 months, great potential but fragile.

Pennant race summary: The Diamond Kings look like a team with some of the pieces in place to build a core that can contend soon and their farm system is ranked the 5th best in the WPK, largely on the strength of what appears to be the best international scouting program in the game (current left fielder Xu-gang Chan was a scouting discovery out of Venezuela with Taiwanese ancestry, top prospect Antonio Briones is a shortstop out of Curacao- and he looks like a future great- and their 3rd best prospect is second baseman Edgar Lopez, also out of Venezuela). They are given a 17% chance of winning the division this year, but whether they do or not they look like one of the stronger teams in the MGL East going forward.


the Charlotte Sting: 61-69, 4th place, +3, RS: 9th, RA: 10th.


Best position player: Eddie Evans, LF, 27- .253/.333/.468, 4.3 WAR, started the season with St. Louis.

Best pitcher: Justin Matthews, LHP, 25- 14-8, 4.01, 1.24 WHIP, 3.0 WAR, team captain but also fragile.

On the rise: Rich Allen, RHP, 24- 3-3, 4.95, 1.37 WHIP, 0.4 WAR- the #14 top prospect in the WPK, durable, a future rotation anchor.

In decline: Drew Johnson, 1B, 35- .269/.328/.454, -0.3 WAR in 443 PA. Still a dangerous power hitter, with 20 homers this season, but no speed, no defense, and has lost his starting job to former Brewer Richard Escamilla.

Key September call-up: None

Out of commission: David Freeman, RF, 23- .328/.378/.518, 4.1 WAR, torn flexor tendon, out 4-5 more months. Freeman is the actual best position player on the team, but not available the rest of this season.

Pennant race summary: The Sting are given a slightly over 9% chance of winning the division. And that might even be generous. Without their young star right fielder David Freeman the offense is mostly dismal (though Escamilla has provided some punch at clean-up), and although the pitching staff has some legitimate arms (closer Vinny Arreola is one of the best, former Brewer Justin Peacock is a proven veteran at the top of the rotation, though he is fragile) the defense doesn't do them any favors. The farm system is pretty good (9th), particularly stocked with pitching prospects. But for Sting fans the most likely refrain at this point is wait 'til next year.

the Baltimore Lords: 60-68, 5th place, -1, RS: 5th, RA: 8th.

Best position player: Robert Mustard, RF, 28- .350/.386/.557, 4.6 WAR- team leader, beloved, having a bounce-back season after a rather disappointing 1979.

Best pitcher: Sako Zakian, RHP, 29- 12-11, 3.20, 1.29 WHIP, 4.4 WAR. Durable and one of the best names in the game.

On the rise: Juan Beldevez, RHP, 27- 13-13, 3.99, 1.34 WHIP, 3.2 WAR- A durable arm and steadily improving with age, possesses great control.

In decline: Devin Schwisow, 1B, 33- .253/.337/.466, 1.4 WAR. The power hitting veteran has 21 bombs this season but that's about it. He's old, slow, fragile, and has a reputation for not caring. I wouldn't want him on my team.

Key September call-up: Jose Gandara, 3B, 24- 5.7 WAR at AAA this season, future starting third baseman, a leader with an excellent all-around hit tool (I would want this guy on my team!).

Out of commission: Matt Vaughan, RHP, 26- 4-6, 5.89, 1.65 WHIP, 0.1 WAR- shoulder inflammation, out 3 months- fragile.

Pennant race summary: Baltimore plays in a good hitter's park so it's not a surprise that they score a lot of runs year after year. They do have a few under-rated pitchers (see above) and their top prospect, 19-year old Julio Michelena is already at AA and looks like he could turn into a legitimate top of the rotation arm, but they need to play better defense to take advantage of this. Having potential future Hall of Famer Chris Tobin at shortstop doesn't help much. He remains one of the more feared hitters in the game but has a ZR of -21.5 this season. Baltimore is given about a 13% chance of winning the East this year.

the Detroit Falcons: 56-73, 6th place, -3, RS: 8th, RA: 9th.

Best position player: John Hemmah, CF, 25- .361/.440/.521, 6.6 WAR. Along with Denver's Antonio Acuna and Portland's Justin Ficklin, one of the top candidates for the MGL MVP award.

Best pitcher: Aaron McNally, RHP, 29- 14-9, 3.37, 1.28 WHIP, 5.1 WAR.

On the rise: Ryan Rystrom, RHP (CL), 24- 7-11, 25 saves, 3.58, 1.56 WHIP, 0.3 WAR. Rystrom has great potential but will need to develop a third pitch (he has a poor slider with no growth potential and a barely developed changeup with good potential, likely never to be reached) to be a member of the starting rotation. In the meantime he is the closer, a role he has handled not terribly for a young man still gaining experience.

In decline: Byron Whitehead, 1B, 29- .281/.291/.354, 0.9 WAR. A normally great hitter and always an excellent defender, perhaps just having an off year?

Key September call-up: Dave McGraw, LF, 23- mostly at A-ball this year but future potential with plus power, plus plus eye, and elite speed.

Out of commission: Matt Regan, RHP, 26- 7-12, 4.12, 1.38 WHIP, 3.7 WAR, torn labrum, out for 4 more months.

Pennant race summary: Oh, what a difference a year makes. Detroit, having risen from the depths of the MGL standings last year to become a contender, finds themselves back at the bottom once again in 1980. And this after having signed the top free agent starting pitcher- 3-time MGL Pitcher of the Year Aaron McNally- in the off-season, with top young pitching prospects Matt Regan and Ryan Rystrom in their second full seasons in the big leagues, young center fielder John Hemmah emerging as one of the best players in the game, and 27-year old Zach D'Amico one of the best catchers. In a weak division, the Falcons should have been a front-runner. But it was not to be. Perhaps 1981 will treat them better. With the now lowest ranked farm system in the game now is the time for this club. If not, their reputation as the worst team in the MGL might continue for years to come.

And finally, next up, the MGL West, the division of your Denver Brewers.