[ArquimedezPozo]

Before I dive into Cycle 12, I want to do a recap of the 2039 season, which I was in the middle of when I stopped updates to the previous thread. I'll go Division by Division here.

D1 East - Regular Season
Division 1 was a multi-team dogfight in both Conferences. In the East, the early season belonged to the Brooklyn Dodgers and eventual D1 MVP Carson Prince. Brooklyn held the top spot as late as June 14, with the Chicago Whales as their prime competition, while the preseason favorite New York Giants scuffled out of the gate. But by late June, the Giants had surged, taking over the top spot while Brooklyn held, a few games back, neck and neck with Chicago.

Through July and August, the three teams were rarely separated by more than three games, with Chicago spending stretches of those months in a tie with NY for the top spot, even overtaking New York briefly in August. But by mid-September, the Giants had built a four game lead, punctuated by a brilliant D1 debut season from ace Willie Rodriguez. Rodriguez - author of the greatest D4 pitching season ever with the Cincinnati Tigers in 2035 - didn't disappoint on the Federation's biggest stage, claiming the Pitcher of the Year trophy while setting a D1 all-time WHIP mark (0.91) and coming within nine K's of Jason Blanche's 2038 all-time NABF single season strikeout mark of 337.

The Whales faded fast in September, while the Tampa Tarpons, who had spent the first half with a sub-.500 record, surged forward to end in third place, seven games out. Brooklyn, the 2038 D1 East titleholders, ended four games back, while Chicago finished an even 77-77, ten games out. The Giants, meanwhile, held their lead and clinched in the season's final week, ending at 87-67.

D1 West - Regular Season
The West was an even closer race, with four teams holding first place for significant portions of the season. The Monterrey Industriales hadn't been on most observers' radars early in the year, but jumped out to an early lead behind a balanced offense and a top-two pitching staff anchored by the game's best bullpen.

Still, the Industriales fell back in the middle months as the Los Angeles Angels moved into first. The Angels, who had spent much of the middle part of the 2030s near the bottom of the standings, emerged with a young core built around slugging 1B Jon Segura and eventual Rookie of the Year Brian Weisman providing support for a surprisingly good rotation. By the end of July, the Angels looked to be running away with it, five games up on both the Industriales and the defending 2038 D1 Champion El Paso Sun Kings.

In August, though, the Angels scuffled, and both El Paso and Monterrey took advantage. Monterrey 2B Chase Maze blew up that month, on the way to a 41 home run season, while 2038 MVP Brian Castrovinci finally regained his mojo for the Sun Kings after a disappointing start. Heading into September, the three teams were separated by a single game.

El Paso pulled ahead in September's early days, but by mid-month it was the Industriales atop the standings, just as it had been in April and May. But their victory wasn't assured until the season's final day, as they held off El Paso and finished just a single game up with their first D1 West title since 2024.

D1 Championship
The drama of the regular season vanished in the championship, as the Giants romped all over Monterrey, denying the Industriales their first D1 crown (they won two D2 titles during their relegation in the mid-2010s). Game 1 was a 13 inning gem featuring a pitching duel between Willie Rodriguez and Raul Orduno, ending with a dramatic bases-clearing double by pinch hitter Jose Avila to give New York a 5-2 win. The next two games were blowouts, with the Giants scoring 11 in each while Monterrey managed just a single run, in Game 3. Game 4 was a classic, as New York held off a late-game comeback in the 8th to down the Industriales 4-3 and take their fifth D1 Championship. RF Alex Parga, who hit .389/.500/.944 with three homers in the series, was named MVP.

2039 Awards
MVP: Carson Prince, 1B, BRO: .303/.383/.644, 1.026 OPS, 5.7 WAR, 54 HR, 100 R, 113 RBI
Prince was chasing the D1 home run title all year, but couldn't quite surpass Francisco Carreno, settling for a tie with the decades-old record at 54. Prince led D1 in Slugging and homers for the third consecutive season and seems to be cementing a legacy as one of the great first basemen in NABF history.

Pitcher of the Year: Willie Rodriguez, SP, NYG: 15-10, 2.59 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 8.5 WAR, 328 K in 246.2 IP
Though some were unsure of how well Rodriguez would adapt with a shift from D4 to D1 competition, he settled those doubts decisively with one of the greatest pitching seasons in D1 history. Rodriguez set a Division record with a 0.91 WHIP and his 8.5 WAR and 328 K's were second only to Jason Blanche's D1 record marks from 2038.

Rookie of the Year: Brian Weisman, CF, LAA: .301/.350/.542, .892 OPS, 31 HR, 69 R, 87 RBI, 6 WAR
Weisman had one of the best rookie seasons in NABF history, nearly winning the MVP with a 6 WAR, .892 OPS season that powered the Angels into contention throughout the season. Weisman, just 22 in 2039, is perhaps the most exciting young player in the game.

Reliever of the Year: Carlos Mendez, CL, MRY: 41 Saves, 1.62 ERA, 87 K in 66.2 IP, 3.2 WAR
Mendez won his second straight Reliever of the Year unanimously, leading D1 in saves as the anchor of the game’s best bullpen. He improved his command considerably while maintaining an impressive 11.7 K/9 on his way to the award.