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Nuka News Update
Reporting on the NWL and APL
by Evan Guy
6 May 2318
Victory, Dark Expected to Rematch
The end of the Nuka World League is getting more and more real as we enter the -2 season, meaning that there are only two seasons left before the league is swallowed into the Greater Boston Rookie League.
Predicting this season, PAM thinks that both the Victory Cave Crickets and Dark Bloodworms will rematch from the 2317 season in the Nuka Series. The Bloodworms won last season's matchup, 4 games to 3.
In the North Bradberton Divisiom, the Cave Crivkets are expected to beat out Grape by seven games, while Wild and Quantum are expected to finish double digits games back.
The South Bradberton looks similar, with the Bloodworms favored by seven games over Quartz and both Orange and Cherry more than 10 games back.
On the CBO watch, there are a few players that appear to be on the map to get absorbed into the CBO. Players from the NWL will supposedly be a part of an "Expansion Draft" similar to the one the CBO held when it moved from 24 teams to 28. While no player is at the level of A-Train Gilmore, who was included in a special trade window to move to a CBO team, a few of the players named on the list of players to watch include the following who rate at AAA/CBO backup level:
CL Montavious Wall, Cherry, 25 - Could move to a CBO team, but considered to be the most-talented CBO-possible player in the NWL.
RP Snacks Arana, Victory, 25 - Relievers seem to be most plentiful in their ability. Arana only has Wall in his way to the CBO.
LF Lip Durocher, Victory, 25 - Durocher came to the NWL in the Gilmore trade, and he is likely to be a career AAA starter or CBO backup in the OF. he was originally an 8th round pick (2310) for Salem.
2B Bubba Shrimp, Wild, 26 - Shrimp could already be a utility man on a CBO team, taking up innings as a defensive replacement. Scouts have bee torn on him since he came to the Commonwealth from the American South nearly eight years ago. Atom signed him after a tryout but supposedly did it to "kill his waiver slot," meaning that any team (Wild) could claim him. As a player in the NWL, he may be one of the Five All-Time Greats.
CF Allen Capone, Victory, 25 - The Cave Crickets have a few CBO-worthy mid-20s players, and Capone fits that bill. Of course, Capone was also a part of the Gilmore trade, showing how Victory loaded up with AAA-level talent to send a legit star in Gilmore away. Capone was looking decent with the Egret Ninjas of the CBO before the trade, hitting .372 in 15 games in 2316.
Top Prospects
While the NWL does still exist, so does the Amusement Park League. Here are the top prospects entering 2318:
The season is about to start, so it's time to publish the annual BNN Top 100 Prospects list. This year, 26 year-old 1B Verne Nomean of the Orange Tourists is the #1 prospect overall.
Here is the top 10:
1) 1B Verne Nomean, 26, Orange Tourists
2) RF Boise Wells, 26, Orange Tourists
3) RHP Music Box Braggart, 21, Dark Bloodworms
4) RHP Atomshade Berkovic, 20, Quantum Nukalurks
5) SS Lookie Lou Quinberg, 22, Wild Gatorclaws
6) LF Stack McKnight, 26, Quantum Nukalurks
7) RHP Cruise Bruiser, 22, Cherry Ghoulrillas
8) 1B Veronce Vaultsworn, 26, Orange Tourists
9) LF Fant Bigfoot, 23, Quantum Nukalurks
10) RHP Winn Adami, 21, Orange Tourists
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Vim! View
News of the Vim! League and Its Affiliates
by Jimmy Gresham
Dalton Farm, Far Harbor Picked to Meet in Vim! Series
It's a new Vim! League season, and it is guaranteed to be the best season ever!
The Dalton Farm Fog Crawlers are predicted to make their fourth-straight and 10th-overall Vim! Series, facing the Far Harbor Ghoul Whales, who are seeking their 8th appearance and first since 2315 when they defeted the Fog Crawlers. Dalton Farm defeated Acadia in 2316 and Grand Hotel in 2317 for the last two championships.
At least one of Dalton Farm and the Ghoul Whales have been in the Vim! Series in 14 of the 17 seasons of the NWL. Only 2309 (Grand Hotel over Echo Lake), 2313 (Eden Meadows over Acadia), and 2314 (Acadia over National Park) have excluded both the Crawlers and Gwhales.
Expected top players are LF Castor Puzzlemaker of Echo Lake and SP Fick Aragvsky of Dalton Farm. Aragvsky was the 2317 Top Arm Award winner. Grand Hotel's John Swinton won the MVP Award in 2317. Puzzlemaker signed with Echo Lake after sitting out the 2317 season. He played briefly with Spectacle Island of the CBO in 2316.
There are not currently a lot of Vim! League players that receive the "AAA" scouting report. Looking at our list of players, only two players show up on the list as prospects: CL Putt Putt Ashburn of Far Harbor and Eden Meadows' 21-year-old RP Daryl Holden. Some players may matchup more at the AA level in scouting reports, like 2B Swinton, 21, last season's MVP. I believe that the best baseball is on Mount Desert Island, but those fancy scouts of the OSA disagree.
Top Prospects 2318
The season is about to start, so it's time to publish the annual BNN Top 100 Prospects list. This year, 25 year-old RHP Tram Reznicek of the Far Harbor Ghoul Whales is the #1 prospect overall.
Here is the top 10:
1) RHP Tram Reznicek, 25, Far Harbor Ghoul Whales
2) RHP Daryl Holden, 21, Eden Meadows Anglers
3) RHP Minny Mink, 22, Eden Meadows Anglers
4) RHP Rakel Majni, 23, Grand Hotel Atoms
5) RF Dud Berry, 21, Cranberry Island Hermit Crabs
6) RHP Gaius Mohlam, 23, Cranberry Island Hermit Crabs
7) SS Miguel Askew, 21, Echo Lake Harbormen
8) C Amir Ross, 21, Echo Lake Harbormen
9) 2B Andy Bursill, 23, Eden Meadows Anglers
10) CF Junkyard Bataille, 20, Acadia Acadians