Ahhh. That’s the beautiful sound of our final division preview. Soon, the crack of the bat will replace the clicky-clack of my keyboard. Baseball is nearly here, folks!
Is Mitch Lambert the best catcher in all of baseball? Newtown’s Russ Wakeford is definitely in that conversation, but I think Lambert is the best by far among the New Zealand teams. And being seven years younger, he’s got plenty of time to close the gap. Lambert is a switch-hitter with great power, and he won’t swing at anything an inch off the plate. He’s particularly strong from the left side -- right-handed pitchers, be warned.
Around him we’ve got 1B Solomon Walker. I was going to make a joke about his name, but he’s pretty much just average at drawing walks. He needs to be one extreme or the other for that to work. 2B Kaleb Walker and SS Albert Millican will be on base a bunch ahead of Lambert, and LF Cameron Green has plenty of pop in the bat.
Oleg Stuart heads up the rotation with an elite fastball, sinker, and cutter to work with. Closer Torrin Hanna is going to be a force to be reckoned with if the game’s on the line.
Also in the rotation: a guy named Rugby Butler. No comments on that.
And in the bullpen, you’ll find Sid Crowe. Extensive work is underway to determine if he has any relation to Russell.
OK, in the above preview I noted that Solomon Walker was deadly average at drawing a walk. Well, the Moonshots have a first baseman named Adam DINGER who’s awesome at hitting dingers (_quietly_: only if you put him up against some left-handed pitchers).
I’ll be honest -- for a team that named itself after not just a normal, boring home run but the biggest motherflipping home runs you’ve ever seen -- there is not a lot of power here. Especially if you start a right-handed pitcher against them. THAT’S THE MOST COMMON TYPE.
I want to glee over names like Archibald Huriwai and Iggy Ryder, but instead I’m just left with complete and utter disappointment.
Do better, Moonshots.
Fletcher Espley is the consensus best pitcher in New Zealand -- and it’s not close. The 24-year-old has a deep arsenal of pitches that’s going to leave opposing hitters looking silly. Every expert we asked picked Espley for Pitcher of the Year. His main weakness? Left-handed hitters -- he drops from “best in the country” to merely “top five.”
The other Viking pitchers? Best not to talk about them too much.
On the hitting side, this is a team built for speed, so expect them to rack up some decent stolen base numbers by year’s end. But will they get on base enough to take advantage? If they make the playoffs, how far can they ride Fletcher Espley?
Interestingly, quite a few experts expect the Vikings to go all the way.
LF Tane Reke is one of the few bright spots for the Penguins -- he’s got real pop in his bat and can fly around the bases. The problem? He’s only signed for one year. Can Otago convince him to stick around?
Most observers have the Penguins pegged near the bottom of the table. Their rotation is led by Alexander Naysmith, a control-focused arm who keeps the ball in the park but relies heavily on the defence behind him. The prospect pipeline doesn’t offer much hope either.
It’s going to be a long season down south -- unless Reke decides to carry the whole thing on his back.
This lineup is sneaky good. CF Dylan Fleming is the centrepiece -- a 22-year-old with the rare blend of power and patience. He’s a tough out, and the hitters around him aren’t far behind. 1B Everett Easton is a three-true-outcomes specialist who somehow finds himself in the leadoff spot. He won’t steal any bases, but he’ll get on base plenty.
The rotation is anchored by 23-year-old Aussie Mitchell Giuliani. The Suns believe he’s on track to become a legitimate ace -- and if he takes that next step this season, Tasman could surprise a few people.
The Bees have quietly built one of the most well-rounded rosters in the division. They play clean, efficient baseball -- good defence, solid pitching, and just enough pop to get it done.
CF Steve Chamberlain is the crown jewel of the outfield -- an elite defender with game-breaking speed. On the power side, RF Stu Avon might be the most dangerous pure slugger in the league.
The rotation is led by 26-year-old ace Sammy Gadfly, whose fastball/sinker/cutter mix keeps hitters guessing all day. Closer Liam Baldock racks up strikeouts in bunches, but don’t expect clean innings -- he’ll walk a few and make things interesting in the ninth.
They’re not flashy, but the Bees are built to win.