Ullamaliztli (A different ball game)

[jasg224]

1938 Offseason Recap

There weren't too many offseason moves this time around, but we did see a couple big moves as Mérida have accepted their fate and got rid of several big players. Meanwhile, San Luis get even stronger as the club gets ready to defend their title.

But before all that, let's go over some rule changes:
- Minimum salaries doubled to $1,000 dollars per season
- The league now allows clubs to charge up to $1.5 dollars per ticket
- Clubs have agreed to one week preparations prior to the beginning of the season to get players warmed up
- Rosters have expanded to 22 players, allowing for two more relief pitchers
- This last move is in preparation of a longer schedule when the league expands next season

Speaking of expansion, the league is happy announce the expansion teams that will be joining the league for the 1940 season:
Cardenales de Monterrey
Monterrey is the largest Mexican city without a club and will be happy to root for the new club, named after the Northern Cardinal bird*. Steel magnate Evaristo Treviño has pledged $300,000 dollars towards running the club.

*This is also a reference to the Mexican music group, Los Cardenales de Nuevo León which were founded in Monterrey in 1982. Of course the group didn't exist in 1939, but the species is a relatively common and striking bird of the region apt for a ball game team name (See: St. Louis Cardinals).

Tuzos de Aguascalientes
Another northern city is set to join the league! Aguascalientes had a population boom thanks to the railway industry before the revolution but has recently slowed down, it's a relatively big city with a very "quiet town" feel. The Tuzos (Gophers) are set to begin play in this city that still is the hub for mining transport coming from San Luis, Zacatecas and other cities. Aguascalients will be one of the richest clubs around, being owned by the National Railways of Mexico.

More information coming in the 1939 offseason!

Now, onto the offseason moves:

Águilas de México filled their vacant management spot by signing 45 year-old José Castro out of the Jalisco amateur leagues. He's been a manager for 5 years and champion for 3 of those, leading the Eagles to believe his winning pedigree can translate to the pro level. Tampico also signed a new manager in Félix Leyva, an inexperienced former pitcher from Veracruz. He's got a bit of an anger issue but will get along with the veterans on the roster and hopefully make Tampico a better team.

In the first signing of the offseason, León signed the Yucatán amateur league MVP Ehécatl Cocom. The 27 year-old is an aggressive hitter with a nice swing and an above average glove at second base. León will be hoping he'll prove to be an MVP type player at this level too.

Tampico traded righty Francisco Barajas (2.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.7 K% last year) to San Luis, getting prospect Oziel Rojas (35/65, yet to debut) and 3B Eduardo Arreola (36 G, .425/.465/.550 last year).

Mérida begin the clearance by trading 1937 Tlatoani Celestino de la Rosa (.287/.353/.372 last year) to Puebla, getting 3B Omar de Jesús (34 G, .350/.391/.417 last year) and recently-signed RF David Ramos (35/50).

The Howlers follow it up by trading 1B Santiago Salas (.254/.324/.354 last year) for León's 19 year-old SS Jorge Cabrera (20/45).

San Luis get rid of backup SS Amado Almaraz (22 G, .278/.350/.306 last year), in exchange of León RHP Luis Cruz (3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.9 K%) and SS José Beas (20/45).

Mérida continue to strengthen San Luis by sending C José Trujillo (2x Defender Award, .293/.338/.330 last year). San Luis gave up veteran CF Guillermo Aceves (.283/.305/.379) and young C Guillermo Meraz (20/50).

Puebla's LF Héctor Ramírez signs the first ever contract extension: $7,680 over 3 years.

San Luis get a new backup shortstop by sending C José López (71 G, .274/.306/.361) to Jaguares for José Colindres (26 G, .266/.373/.281).

Tampico reinforce their bullpen by trading for Jaguares RHP Melvin Ramírez (34.2 IP, 0.52 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 10.8 K%), sending 2B Alejandro López (20/45) and 1B Joaquín González (12 G, .214/.214/.214). González has played for the Jaguars before, but was traded to Tampico before the 1938 season.

The capital city clubs make a trade as the Eagles send the 1938 Moyaomamachtiani Award recipient, Eulalio Garza (2.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10.2 K%) to the Jaguars along with C Jesús Serrano (Career: 9 G, .214/.233/.214) for LHP Andrés Amaya (2.14 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8.9 K%). Serrano is another player who had already played for Jaguares, also being traded before the 1938 season.

San Luis run into the "problem" of having too many starting pitchers, and choose to do away with RHP César Plascencia (2.60 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 12 K%). The two-time champion will arrive in Tampico, while Belizean 2B Joe Hercules (40/40) and young reliever Joel Rodríguez (45/65) will depart.

Tampico also sign 25 year-old Carlos Torres from the Cajeme, Sonora municipal team. Torres has an above average bat, being able to hit for average and power. Aside from that, he's just plain unathletic and will struggle on the field, which begs the question: will his bat be enough to overcome very lousy defense?

The Obsidians improve on their bullpen with the new roster spots available and get León's Santiago Herrera (55/55), sending prospects 2B Jesús Flores (20/40) and C Luis García (9 G, .160/.192/.160 in 1937).

If you can believe it, San Luis get stronger by getting Jaguares star RF Salvador Velázquez (.298/.372/.371) for prospects 3B Raúl Martínez (20/45) and reliever Joel Rodríguez (mentioned above). The Tunas cement themselves as the best team in the league with dangerous hitters at every spot except perhaps 1B and SS, although Rogelio Herrán has won two Temanahui awards which more than make up for having "just" an average bat.

In the final trade before preseason, Tampico traded RF Ulises Dueñas (.266/.317/.336) and 2B Mario Vicente (20/40) to Jaguares de México for C Alfredo Hernández (1936 Temanahui, .225/.271/.250 last year).

Águilas go for the best available amateur player, 2B Juan Garnica from nearby Naucalpan, Estado de México. He has an elite bat, though at 1.69 m tall it won't surprise anyone if he doesn't hit a lot of home runs. His glove is also one of the best, but a lack of arm strength will limit him to second base. If he performs to expectations, Garnica can become one of the best in the league almost immediately.
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So, with that, the season is almost ready to begin. Next time up, we'll go over the predictions for next season and any impact signings/trades made in March.

I also want to use this space to talk a bit about the internationalization of the game at this point. With several Central American stars, like San Luis' Carlos Renderos, in the league right now, clubs have began investing in sending scouts who sign the best young talent coming out of these countries. To no surprise, 86% of the players right now are Mexican but that leaves an impressive 14% foreigners:
1. Guatemala - 15 players - Best player: Puebla CF Mario Simental (40/40)
1. El Salvador - 15 players - Best player: San Luis 3B Carlos Renderos (1937 RoY, 1938 3B Teyaotlani, Career .273/.328/.332, 5.1 WAR good for 35th all-time)
2. Belize - 6 players - Best player: Tampico RHP Arthur Barclay (Career 30.1 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 12.2 K%)
3. Honduras - 4 players - Best player: Unsigned 3B Victor Bravo (45/45)
4. USA - 1 player - San Luis LF Mortimer Caruso (20/40)
4. Argentina - 1 player - Guadalajara RHP Osvaldo Marquez (20/40)

Perhaps some of these countries will institute pro leagues of their own, and with the Panamerican Games being created in 1951, perhaps the ball game will be one of the main events in this universe. Either way, thanks for reading!

[jasg224]

After all the moves and before the 1939 Preparation Week, experts have come out with their 1939 Season Predictions, let's take a look:



Unsurprisingly and unanimously, Tunas de San Luis are the favorites to win it all for the third time in a row. They have a fearful lineup, but experts have highlighted 2B Max Braud (1938: .266/.352/.316), LF Salvador Velázquez (1938: .298/.372/.371) and Carlos Renderos (1938: .266/.324/.327). Meanwhile, their rotation is once again expected to be the best in the league: Francisco Barajas (1938: 2.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.7 K%), Luis Cruz (1938: 3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.9 K%) and Francisco Camacho (1938: 1.53 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 12.9 K%) are expected to compete for the Atlatl Award.

Puebla are expected to be the closest competitors for the title once again, with reigning Tlatoani 2B Fernando del Toro (1938: .318/.394/.447) and RF Celestino de la Rosa (1938: .287/.353/.372) expected to be top players. Their rotation is also expected to be alright, especially Antonio Aguilar (1938: 2.80 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 7 K%) and Victor Villarroel (1938: 1.85 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 17.6 K%). León are also expected to keep it close, though still a distance away. 1B Francisco Escamilla (1938: .307/.336/.406), RF Andrés Suárez (1938: .252/.336/.310) and LHP Jonathan Estrada (1938: 2.73 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 13.4 K%) are expected to lead the charge.

The rest of the teams are truly far away, according to the experts, and they might be right if we consider last year. However, with The Great Free Agency looming this offseason, the players on these (and all) clubs will have to prove themselves in order to negotiate come July. Here are some other top players from clubs outside the top 3:
Águilas LF Luis García - 1938: .308/.340/.357
Mérida LF Edwin Esparza - 1938: .311/.353/.394
Tampico RF Carlos Torres - Rookie
Guadalajara RHP Faustino Campos - 1938: 2.71 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9.9 K%
Águilas RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 1938: 3.11 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11.7 K%

Next update we'll go over the April results. Thanks for reading!

[jasg224]

Opening month has come and gone once again, so let's take a look at the results after April 1939:



Not surprisingly, San Luis is at the top of the table once again. Current Atlatl Award winner and Thrower of the Month for April, Roberto Mestre, has been even better for them so far and is currently on a 14 scoreless inning streak as well as a 19 game quality start streak. Max "El Emperador" Braud, who also plays for San Luis, won the Hitter of the Month. Also without surprise, León and Puebla are chasing San Luis but haven't found consistency to begin the season. The season has only begun, so let's hope for some exciting ball games the rest of the way!



In other news, San Luis' Luis Cruz pitched the league's 2nd no-hitter! In what was the first start of his season, as well as his first start with San Luis, Cruz held Jaguares de México to a total of zero hits and zero runs. With an ample arsenal that includes 6 pitches, Cruz kept hitters on their toes all game. Only two Jaguars managed to get on base: Efraín Armenta in the 1st and José López in the 5th, both were walked. Despite only striking out 5 players, it was an easy day for the defense as Cruz got a lot of weak groundballs, the hardest of them coming from Antonio Sánchez, but star shortstop Rogelio Herrán easily disposed of it. Cruz has taken to San Luis and is on pace for a successful first season in the City of the Three Cultures.

As usual, here's the breakdown:

Tunas de San Luis
There's not much that can be said about the best team in the league that hasn't been said before, their rotation has been excellent and is 1st in runs allowed while their reinforced lineup is 2nd in runs scored. Their pitching has been immaculate and their hitting is as solid as usual, I dare to say that if they keep this pace up, it might be their easiest title win to date.

Best hitters:
2B Max Braud - .341/.413/.439, 5 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB, Hitter of the Month
RF Salvador Velázquez - .310/.376/.452, 5 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB
3B Carlos Renderos - .333/.378/.405, 2 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 5-1, 0.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.5 K%, Pitcher of the Month
RHP Francisco Barajas - 4-0, 1.54 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13.3 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 1-2, 2.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 10.6 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 4-1, 2.37 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 10.6 K%

Flechas de León
Pitching is carrying León into second place, as they are also second in runs allowed. Hitting hasn't been good at all and the Arrows are 7th in runs scored. Outfield stars Andrés Suárez and Victor Barrios are having even worse seasons than last year, but lucky for them, players like Ehecatl Cocom, Juan Negrete and Francisco Escamilla are picking up the slack just enough to keep the team in contention.

Best hitters:
1B Francisco Escamilla - .313/.365/.463, 4 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB
CF Juan Negrete - .310/.368/.437, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 7 SB
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .308/.357/.354, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Juan González - 5-1, 1.04 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 17.9 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 4-2, 1.69 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.2 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 2-2, 2.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 11.7 K%
LHP Adalberto Dondiego - 0-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9.2 K%

Serpientes de Puebla
Puebla's offense has been the best in the league by far, leading all categories but stolen bases. Their run prevention is above average overall even if their ERAs are not the best. Finding consistency in pitching will be key if Puebla are to mount a serious title challenge.

Best hitters:
2B Fernando del Toro - .317/.378/.416, 5 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI
3B Daniel Rivera - .236/.421/.361, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
CF Jorge Ramírez - .297/.340/.374, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 9 SB

Rotation:
LHP José García - 2-3, 2.14 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.4 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 3-3, 2.12 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.6 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 3-1, 2.14 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 18.9 K%
RHP Rafael Sianez - 1-0, 3.65 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 9.3 K%

Jaguares de México
The Jaguars have been below average on all fronts, with new signing Eulalio Garza the biggest highlight on the team. Their all-new bullpen has been lights out, though improvements to the current rotation will be key for competing.

Best hitters:
3B Rico Santistevan - .296/.387/.358, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
RF Ulises Dueñas - .300/.362/.367, 1 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB
C José López - .281/.329/.375, 2 2B, 2 3B, 5 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 3-1, 1.12 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 19.4 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 3-2, 2.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 7 K%
RHP David Garza - 1-3, 4.34 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 8.5 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 1-3, 4.31 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 6.3 K%

Aulladores de Mérida
Despite early pessimism, the Monkeys find themselves in the middle of the pack. They are slightly above average in several categories, but will need to kick into a higher gear if they want more out of this season.

Best hitters:
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .300/.356/.450, 6 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
RF Edwin Esparza - .329/.386/.408, 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
C Roberto Cruz - .274/.338/.306, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 2-3, 2.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 14.9 K%
LHP Roberto García - 1-4, 4.10 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.9 K%
RHP David Venegas - 2-2, 5.16 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 9.3 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 3-1, 3.41 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 10.6 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara
Once contenders, Guadalajara now find themselves near the bottom of the table. Their pitching has imploded, and they are last in runs allowed with only Carlos Casillas having a noteworthy season. On the hitting side, they're 3rd in runs scored and Ricardo Solorio seems to be another early candidate for the batting title.

Best hitters:
SS Ricardo Solorio - .361/.376/.470, 7 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI
LF Oscar Valladolid - .303/.343/.379, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB
3B Oscar Torres - .264/.329/.361, 4 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Jacinto Santos - 2-4, 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 15.4 K%
LHP Carlos Casillas - 3-0, 1.55 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 10.1 K%
RHP Faustino Campos - 1-3, 3.26 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 14.4 K%
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 1-1, 4.70 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 12 K%

Águilas de México
Despite average pitching, the Eagles' offense is the worst in almost every rubric. With free agency coming, it seems like their best strategy is to just play out this season and then invest in the offseason.

Best hitters:
C José Canto - .243/.303/.314, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
RF Luis García - .257/.297/.300, 1 HR, 5 RBI
3B David Herrera - .239/.280/.307, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 0-3, 2.40 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 11.6 K%
LHP Andrés Amaya - 2-2, 1.53 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 8.8 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 3-3, 1.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.5 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 0-2, 2.59 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 13.5 K%

Jaibas de Tampico
The northeastern club find themselves in the middle of another terrible season. They can dream about getting some big signings this offseason, but with the smallest budget and market that might not be possible and the losing seasons could go on indefinitely.

Best hitters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .303/.376/.461, 3 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB
2B Mario Abeyta - .246/.329/.308, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB
RF Carlos Torres - .277/.309/.323, 3 2B, 6 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 2-2, 2.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 16.9 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 0-5, 5.01 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 10.7 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 2-2, 3.00 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 9.7 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 1-2, 3.76 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 8.8 K%

[jasg224]

May 1939 Report: The season is more than halfway done and it's a 2.5 horse race at this stage. Let's check it out!



León have led the league since May 17th, when they were 26-9 (San Luis were 25-9). Come the end of the month, the race is still tight as both teams have been on fire. Going into the final stretch, León have a slight pitching edge but of course San Luis will fight tooth-and-nail to hold on their title.

Here's the team-by-team (Player stats are from May only):

Flechas de León - 1st (+1), 20-5 in May
It was an excellent month for the Emeralds, who managed to win all but 5 games (2 vs GDL, 2 vs JAG, 1 vs SNL). I do believe they set the record winning streak at 15 games. Over the course of the month, they've become the best pitching team in the league, dropping their starters' ERA to 1.73, while maintaining an above average offense who's now 3rd in the league. They even improved this area on the 30th, trading for Ezequiel Anguiano, giving up 2B Baldomero Ceballos and #4 prospect 3B Pedro Ayala. If they carry their hot streak into June then the championship is pretty much theirs.

Best hitters:
CF Juan Negrete - .346/.409/.413, 3 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, 15 SB
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .310/.337/.417, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
3B Gustavo Ruiz - .290/.304/.370, 2 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Juan González - 3-1, 1.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 9.7 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 6-0, 0.78 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 12.3 K%, Pitcher of the Month
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 3-2, 1.51 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 11.9 K%
RHP Ezequiel Anguiano - 1-3, 2.70 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12 K% (With Águilas de México)

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (-1), 17-8 in May
San Luis drop into second, though really it's not too much their fault as León was just too hot to handle. However, they did have a 3-6 stretch through the middle of the month against the other teams in the top 4. At the end of the month, the Tunas traded for Guadalajara reliever Roberto Olmos, sending them 1B Ambrosio Conor and RHP Félix García. San Luis is still the 2nd best offense and the 2nd best at preventing runs, so the race for the title is most certainly on!

Best hitters:
C José Trujillo - .356/.385/.437, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI
2B Max Braud - .327/.386/.394, 4 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 4 SB
SS Rogelio Herrán - .321/.352/.369, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 3 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 1-1, 1.09 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 11.3 K%
RHP Francisco Barajas - 4-2, 2.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 9.7 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 4-2, 3.94 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 9.7 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 2-2, 1.72 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 14.6 K%

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (NC), 15-11 in May
The most powerful lineup in the league remain as dark horses in the 1939 title race, which paired with a 3rd best pitching staff make for a potential surprise candidate going into June. Becoming more consistent, specially in close games (currently 8-9), can turn this team into real contenders. To help them, they got Faustino Campos from the Obsidians in exchange of #14 prospect 3B Roberto León.

Best hitters:
3B Daniel Rivera - .340/.484/.454, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, Hitter of the Month
1B Mario Morales - .338/.405/.426, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
2B Fernando del Toro - .294/.345/.385, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
RHP Faustino Campos - 2-3, 2.01 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 11.7 K% (With Guadalajara)
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 4-1, 2.26 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 7.9 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 5-0, 0.92 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 16.4 K%
LHP José García - 1-2, 1.60 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 9.1 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 4th (+1), 12-12 in May
It's fitting that the team in the middle of the table had a .500 record in May. Mérida are just an average team with a couple of stars at this point, they're 6th in runs scored and 4th in runs against.

Best hitters:
RF Edwin Esparza - .316/.343/.400, 5 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
2B Octavio Torres - .289/.333/.371, 5 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
CF Guillermo Aceves - .271/.314/.344, 5 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 3-2, 1.24 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 13.4 K%
LHP Roberto García - 1-2, 2.60 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 12.2 K%
RHP David Venegas - 3-3, 3.56 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 12.3 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 4-2, 2.18 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 10.2 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 5th (+1), 13-13 in May
Despite being the worst pitching team in the league, now even more so with the Campos trade, Guadalajara are another middle-of-the-road team. They are also 4th in runs scored but it seems like Solorio is no longer competing for the batting title.

Best hitters:
2B César Loaiza - .312/.385/.366, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB
3B Oscar Torres - .280/.316/.366, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB
1B Guillermo Villanueva - .267/.349/.320, 2 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 4-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 12.4 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 2-3, 2.47 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 12.4 K%
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 3-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 9.6 K%
RHP Mario Jiménez - Replaces Campos on roster

Jaibas de Tampico - 6th (+2), 11-14 in May
Tampico have slightly improved, which isn't all that surprising given the talent available on the roster. However, pitching seems to still be a concern as they're 7th in runs allowed.

Best hitters:
C Alfredo Hernández - .286/.345/.325, 3 2B, 9 RBI
LF Ricardo Palacios - .272/.352/.293, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 4 SB
CF Nicolás Zúñiga - .245/.298/.311, 1 2B, 3 3B, 6 RBI, 18 SB

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 2-1, 1.79 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 11.7 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 1-4, 4.83 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 10.1 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 3-3, 3.25 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 8.8 K%
RHP Zenón Sandoval - 1-2, 3.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.8 K%

Jaguares de México - 7th (-3), 7-17 in May
It was a terrible month for the Jaguars who fell all the way to the bottom of the table. They've turned into the 2nd worst offense while their pitching is slightly below average.

Best hitters:
2B Antonio Sánchez - .287/.319/.333, 5 2B, 5 RBI
LF Gregorio Pérez - .274/.324/.305, 3 2B, 5 RBI
C José López - .233/.233/.274, 3 2B, 3 RBI

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 2-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 10.5 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 0-2, 1.48 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 13.4 K%
LHP Luis Helguera - 1-1, 2.16 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 7.8 K%
RHP Pedro León - 5 G, 0 GS, 0-3, 7.27 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, 4.9 K%

Águilas de México - 8th (-1), 5-20 in May
It's no surprise that a team that struggles to allow runs can't win at home, on the road, extra inning games, close games, versus lefties, versus righties, or just in general. This team has won 3 series this season: 2-1 vs GDL and 2-1 vs TAM in April, and 2-1 vs JAG in May. Only 3 qualified players are hitting above .250, so the team is just hoping for the season to be over.

Best hitters:
LF Edwin Acosta - .289/.359/.337, 4 2B, 5 RBI
RF Luis García - .291/.315/.372, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI
2B Juan Garnica - .275/.302/.304, 3 2B, 5 RBI

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 0-5, 3.38 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.9 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 1-3, 2.83 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.4 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 1-4, 2.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 8.5 K%
RHP Raúl Romero - 16 G, 0 GS, 0-3, 4.67 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 9 K%
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So I found out something about the "Big Free Agency" I've been talking about. Even though I set the "Minimum years for FA" to 4, players will not become FAs after hitting 4 years but the season after (I think, at least that's what it looks like on all screens where this info might be displayed). If this is the case, we'll wait another year to expand and all that. This will give us an even 5 years of league history before expantion. As always, thanks for reading!

[JerryShoe]

I was poking around the forum and looked into this thread for no apparent reason and the first thing I see is the lead photo and I thought "hey, I just took that picture"...last week in Chichen Itza.

[jasg224]

Originally Posted by JerryShoe

I was poking around the forum and looked into this thread for no apparent reason and the first thing I see is the lead photo and I thought "hey, I just took that picture"...last week in Chichen Itza.

Haha I got mine from Google, hope you enjoyed visiting!

[jasg224]

The 1939 Season ends with a bang!

We went into the final day with Tunas de San Luis leading the race with a 57-26 record. Flechas de León are 2nd with a 56-27 record, so León needed a win against San Luis to force a tie at the top of the table. An early single by Carlos Renderos gave San Luis an early lead. However, a Juan Negrete leadoff homer tied the game. Then, Gustavo Ruiz hit a single to center to flip the score early in the game.

The Arrows managed to hang on to their lead until pitcher Luis Cruz came to bat in the 6th with two outs and a runner on second. His double made this a tied game once more, but León wouldn’t give up this easily. Once again with two outs, Ehécatl Cocom drove in Victor Albornoz to give the emerald squad the lead again.

In the 7th, a single from Francisco Escamilla gave the Flechas a run, while Ruiz got another RBI on a sac-fly. Then, Ezequiel Anguiano had no trouble closing out the 9th, meaning both teams finished with a 57-27 record. For the first time in history, the title would be decided by a single game!

León and San Luis put it all on the line at Estadio de la Plata, with star pitchers Roberto Mestre and Juan González taking the mound in what was sure to be a close game. As expected, the game was 0-0 going into the 9th. It was then that an error by León 3B Gustavo Ruiz and two singles in a row gave the title to San Luis.

San Luis are three time Ullamaliztli Champions!



The team managed by Jesús Grana will be happy to take home yet another trophy before The Big Free Agency*. They're set to lose 10 players, but they certainly have the budget and interest to keep a few or even sign better players. What's even better, they'll keep the likes of Roberto Mestre, Carlos Renderos and Jesús Rodríguez to build a squad around.

*So, apparently this is happening: 69 players from all teams are becoming free agents after reaching exactly 4 years service at the end of the season. This includes 9 players rated 70+ which should make for a very interesting offseason. This also means I'm putting the expansion teams in this offseason to give them the chance to sign whoever they can (more info in a following post). There will be no expansion draft, just two new teams with randomly generated teams of players from their region, less market size than the established team but perhaps a bit more financial muscle (at least for Monterrey). Anyway, we'll talk more about this in a later post, for now let's keep talking about the season that just finished.

Here's the breakdown (players stats are season totals):

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (+1), 24-14 in the final stretch

It was an epic title win for San Luis! Now they'll be hoping to keep players like Max Braud, José Trujillo and Salvador Velázquez or find suitable replacements. Having increased their attendance by 116 thousand people since 1936 means the team has a nice money reserve to find new players. This was the most dominant season in history so far, leapfrogging Mérida's 1936 55-win season.

Best hitters:
2B Max Braud - .342/.408/.418, 13 2B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 7 SB, 111 H
C José Trujillo - .286/.351/.361, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 33 RBI
3B Carlos Renderos - .272/.323/.325, 11 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Roberto Mestre - 12-5, 1.12 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 11.9 K%
RHP Francisco Barajas - 13-4, 1.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.2 K%
LHP Francisco Camacho - 10-6, 2.53 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 11.5 K%
RHP Luis Cruz - 12-6, 2.41 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13.3 K%

Flechas de León - 2nd (-1), 23-16 in the final stretch
The club from Guanajuato fought bravely until the end, but it was a single run that decided their fate in the end. The team did improve greatly, winning 16 more games than last season, so we can probably expect them to field a very good team next season as well.

Best hitters:
CF Juan Negrete - .316/.368/.453, 24 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 39 SB
1B Francisco Escamilla - .304/.354/.399, 17 2B, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 2 SB
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .303/.340/.361, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB

Rotation:
RHP Juan González - 12-4, 1.76 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 12.7 K%
LHP Jonathan Estrada - 14-3, 1.54 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 14 K%
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 10-9, 2.07 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 14.9 K%
RHP Artemio Holguín - 1-0, 1.08 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 6.6 K%

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (NC), 22-15 in the final stretch
Another top half finish for Puebla and their best season to date. Perhaps they should have done better, with the best offense in the league and all, but they need pitching improvements, particularly in the bullpen. They are losing several key players, so perhaps we can expect a down season in 1940.

Best hitters:
3B Daniel Rivera - .289/.419/.408, 13 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI
2B Fernando del Toro - .293/.364/.373, 13 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 1 SB
CF Jorge Ramírez - .293/.339/.397, 12 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 25 SB

Rotation:
RHP Faustino Campos - 8-8, 2.10 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 13.1 K%
RHP Victor Villarroel - 13-2, 1.56 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 15.7 K%
RHP Antonio Aguilar - 9-7, 2.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.2 K%
LHP José García - 8-9, 2.32 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8.6 K%

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 4th (+1), 18-19 in the final stretch
The Obsidians had never lost more than 40 games, this year they lost 45. Their pitching was terrible and their hitting was mediocre, so unless they manage to keep the likes of Carlos Casillas and César Loaiza to build a squad around, don't expect much improvement for next season.

Best hitters:
2B César Loaiza - .295/.343/.386, 13 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 2 SB
3B Oscar Torres - .285/.331/.364, 12 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 3 SB
SS Ricardo Solorio - .289/.317/.351, 17 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI, 3 SB

Rotation:
LHP Carlos Casillas - 10-6, 2.67 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10 K%
RHP Jacinto Santos - 9-10, 3.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 13.4 K%
RHP Hermenegildo Lomas - 7-8, 3.32 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 9.9 K%
RHP Mario Jiménez - 3-5, 3-21 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.4 K%

Jaguares de México - 5th (+2), 22-17 in the final stretch
In contrast to their month of May, the Jaguars had a great finish that helped them jump up the table. This didn't stop them from having their worst season to date, losing 2 more games than in 1936, finishing in 5th place for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Best hitters:
LF Gregorio Pérez - .284/.330/.346, 14 2B, 2 HR, 30 RBI
3B Rico Santistevan - .271/.349/.322, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 1 SB
2B Antonio Sánchez - .275/.312/.350, 18 2B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 3 SB

Rotation:
RHP Eulalio Garza - 12-4, 2.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 14.4 K%
RHP Ángel Urquidi - 8-6, 1.92 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 8.3 K%
RHP David Garza - 1-7, 3.39 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.4 K%
RHP Pedro León - 1-6, 4.71 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 5.6 K%

Aulladores de Mérida - 6th (-2), 12-27 in the final stretch
The first champions get yet another bottom 3 finish, with each season worst than the last. What's even worse is they're set to lose star SS Antonio Monterrosa. Mérida fans might need even more patience next season.

Best hitters:
RF Edwin Esparza - .317/.364/.403, 19 2B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 4 SB
CF Guillermo Aceves - .246/.276/.329, 16 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 13 SB
3B Enrique Canul - .245/.293/.300, 4 2B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 2 SB

Rotation:
RHP Jesús Pérez - 8-9, 2.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 12.8 K%
LHP Roberto García - 5-12, 4.14 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 9.4 K%
RHP David Venegas - 8-11, 3.50 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 11.2 K%
RHP Felipe Martínez - 8-10, 3.45 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 10.7 K%

Jaibas de Tampico - 7th (-1), 15-23 in the final stretch
Tampico were a much improved team this time around, but it wasn't enough to get them out of the bottom of the table. Not losing any "important" players should allow them to improve even more in the offseason.

Best hitters:
LF Ricardo Palacios - .305/.363/.399, 8 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 15 SB
C Alfredo Hernández - .278/.318/.335, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 25 RBI
2B Mario Abeyta - .264/.311/.324, 7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 8 SB

Rotation:
RHP Israel Pastrana - 6-7, 2.22 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 13.9 K%
RHP César Plascencia - 4-15, 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 12.1 K%
LHP Miguel Zúñiga - 7-11, 3.14 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 10.5 K%
RHP Carlos Gomez - 2-1, 4.24 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 6.8 K%

Águilas de México - 8th (NC), 16-22 in the final stretch
Finally, we have a team completing not only their worst ever season but the worst ever season, one loss worst than the 1936 Tampico team. Despite the rotation and a handful other players doing pretty well, nothing seemed to go well for the Eagles this season.

Best hitters:
2B Juan Garnica - .293/.329/.346, 16 2B, 1 3B, 26 RBI, 1 SB
RF Luis García - .275/.306/.313, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI
3B David Herrera - .238/.291/.289, 10 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB

Rotation:
LHP Andrés Amaya - 4-10, 2.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 9.1 K%
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 12-9, 1.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.4 K%
LHP Leo Álvarez - 4-11, 3.62 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 11.1 K%
RHP Raúl Romero - 1-5, 4.46 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 9.3 K%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once again, we're showcasing the season's best retiree. This time it's:

RHP Roberto Olmos - Born 7/Feb/1903 in Atlixco, Puebla


Olmos pitched four seasons for the Obsidianas de Guadalajara, before being traded to San Luis in 1939. However, Olmos wouldn't pitch at all with a San Luis squad that eventually won it all. He decided to retire at 36 years of age.

1936 - 5 G, 5 GS, 37.2 IP, 1.67 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 4.8 K%, 5.5 BB%, 3.02 FIP, 6.06 SIERA, 0.3 WAR
1937 - 31 G, 14 GS, 2 SV, 128.2 IP, 2.10 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.8 K%, 4.8 BB%, 2.37 FIP, 4.82 SIERA, 2.1 WAR
1938 - 21 G, 21 GS, 154 IP, 1.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 10.5 K%, 4.6 BB%, 2.41 FIP, 4.94 SIERA, 2.7 WAR
1939 - 6 G, 2 GS, 16.2 IP, 4.86 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 9.2 K%, 10.5 BB%, 3.19 FIP, 5.93 SIERA, 0 WAR

Career - 63 G, 42 GS, 2 SV, 337 IP, 2.08 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 10.3 K%, 5.1 BB%, 2.50 FIP, 5.06 SIERA, 5.1 WAR

Roberto was never an ace, but he did have 2 good seasons with Guadalajara. He was a top 10 pitcher in 1937-38, probably what earned him the move to San Luis mid-1939. Olmos didn't play long enough to be considered for the Hall of Fame, but he was good enough to earn a mention here.

[jasg224]

With the season over, let's see who won the 1939 Awards!

Tlatoani Award


No players have won the Tlatoani award more than once, and this year was no different. After a breakout season on a championship winning squad, 2B Max Braud wins his first one. Let's take a look at why "El Emperador" became Tlatoani:

.342/.408/.418 - 1st in batting average, 2nd in OBP, 2nd in SLG
111 hits (tied 1st)
4 HR (6th)
.826 OPS (2nd)
6.3 WAR (2nd)

The batting title and league title weigh heavily in the decision to award the Tlatoani to the french-mexican. Braud had an excellent season, but he had some tough competition for the award.

Runners up were Puebla's 3B Daniel Rivera (.289/.419/.408) and León CF Juan Negrete (.316/.368/.453).

Atlatl Award


After pitching 6 scoreless innings in the title-winning game, Roberto Mestre becomes the first thrower to win multiple Atlatl Awards (consecutively, nonetheless):
1.12 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 11.9 K% - 1st in ERA and WHIP
12 wins (4th)
21 quality starts (1st)
8 shutouts (1st)
3.4 WAR (5th)

Mestre improves on last year, lowering his ERA by almost .20, his WHIP by .05 and increasing his K% by 1.4%. He adds a 3rd ring to his collection and is ready to go get the 4th with San Luis next year.

Runners up were Puebla's Victor Villarroel (1.56 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 15.7 K%) and Arrow Jonathan Estrada (1.54 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 14 K%).

Moyaomamachtiani Award


Out of 73 rookies, only two hitters and one pitcher qualified. But how to rank them? In the end, there was a player who was head and shoulders above the rest. Águilas 2B Juan Garnica is the 1939 newcomer of the year!

.293/.329/.346, making him 9th best in average
99 hits (5th)
16 doubles (6th)

Of course, Garnica led rookies in hits, doubles, RBI, WAR and Zone Rating.

Runners up were two León players: 2B Ehécatl Cocom (.303/.340/.361) and LHP Adalberto Dondiego (7-0, 2.60 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 10.5 K%).

Teyaotlani Award


P Eulalio Garza (JAG) - 1st, .305/.328/.339, 2 2B, 9 RBI
C José Trujillo (SNL) - 2nd, .286/.351/.361, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 33 RBI
1B Mario Morales (PUE) - 1st, .317/.399/.386, 12 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 31 RBI
2B Max Braud (SNL) - 1st, .342/.408/.418, 13 2B, 4 HR, 27 RBI
3B Daniel Rivera (PUE) - 2nd, .289/.419/.408, 13 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI
SS Ricardo Solorio (GDL) - 1st, .289/.317/.351, 17 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI
LF Ricardo Palacios (TAM) - 2nd, .305/.363/.399, 8 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI
CF Juan Negrete (LEO) - 1st, .316/.368/.453, 24 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 36 RBI
RF Edwin Esparza (MER) - 2nd, .317/.364/.403, 19 2B, 3 HR, 28 RBI

Temanahui Award


P José García (PUE) - 2nd
C José Trujillo (SNL) - 3rd
1B Mario Morales (PUE) - 1st
2B Antonio Sánchez (JAG) - 3rd
3B Carlos Renderos (SNL) - 1st
SS Rogelio Herran (SNL) - 3rd
LF Andrés Suárez (LEO) - 2nd
CF Juan Negrete (LEO) - 1st
RF Antonio Tapia (PUE) - 2nd

Next year, the league will have 40 more players in it. Will new stars emerge or will the same players keep hoarding awards?

[jasg224]

Finally, let's talk about the expansion teams!

Let's do it alphabetically, so first goes the Tuzos de Aguascalientes:



I tried out the AI's capability for this for the first time and it delivered quite nicely. I think it captured my idea of a miner gopher perfectly.

National Railways of Mexico have designated Ricardo Díaz as the bridge between the company and the club. He's been given a conservative budget to begin with, but it could easily turn into bigger bucks if the team does well. Díaz, together with sporting director Gerardo Lara and manager Cristóbal Segui will hope to compete for the title as soon as 1942.

They've brought along several players from the amateur leagues, hailing from Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Querétaro and Guanajuato. None of them are expected to be good, but of course the offseason is underway and the team is surely going to reinforce. They did, however, bring two players who could be their backbone in their inaugural season.

RHP Primitivo Espinosa - 39 year old from El Marqués, Querétaro
At his age, Espinosa continues to work on his craft. Even though he can't throw hard anymore, he's very smart and knows how to locate all 6 of his pitches. He should adapt easily and be a steady arm in the Gophers' rotation.

CF Armando Vela - 38 year old from Zacatecas, Zacatecas
In line with the railroad theme, he's been known to have "an engine that never quits". And what an engine it is. His bat is merely average, but he has the speed to turn outs into hits and singles into doubles frequently. This speed will also help him in the outfield, were paired with his very safe hands (or glove in this case), he might be one of the best there is at his position.

These two will prove to be players to build around before the Tuzos' inaugural season.

Now let's talk about the Cardenales de Monterrey:



Another beautiful logo with the bird head in front of Monterrey's famous Cerro de la Silla.

The team owned by steel magnate Evaristo Treviño also hopes to compete by 1942. Treviño is willing to pour money into a winning team, but of course will be wary of his investment not being wasted which is why some have called him "demanding". Salvador Martínez and Juan Ramírez will run the game side of the club.

With a core of Nuevo León players, alongside others from Coahuila and Tampico, the club might need only a few new players before they compete. As is Aguascalientes' case, their best players are towards the veteran side of the spectrum although these players are even better.

2B Raúl Alvarado - 34 year old from Acuña, Coahuila
Alvarado is a very versatile fielder who can play both infield and outfield. As he's aged, he puts less balls in play. However, he is an extremely disciplined and strong hitter. He poses a threat to hit it out of the park when he gets a pitch he likes. If he manages to adapt, he should compete for hitting awards.

1B Leocadio Garza - 37 year old from Galeana, Nuevo León
"Primo" Garza is another very disciplined hitter with real power behind his swing. If he performs as expected, he's already the best first baseman in the league.

Overall, the talent on the Monterrey roster is better than the one in Aguascalientes' roster and they could be contenders as soon as this season.

Next time up, we'll go over the offseason moves. Thanks for reading!

[jasg224]

It was a very active offseason, with the first time players negotiate with different clubs to sign. We'll break it down team by team, instead of chronologically, to make it easier to list all the big moves.

Spoiler, top 5 highest paid players:
1. RHP Jacinto Santos - Jaguares de México - $4,100 for 2 years
2. 3B Daniel Rivera - Jaguares de México - $3,860 for 2 years (+1 vesting option)
3. RF Salvador Velázquez - Jaguares de México - $3,820 for 6 years (opt out after year 2, +1 team option)
4. CF Jorge Ramírez - Obsidianas de Guadalajara - $3,680 for 4 years (opt out after year 2, +1 player option)
5. SS Antonio Monterrosa - Serpientes de Puebla - $3,560 for 4 years

Now, let's take a look at the big moves each team made.

Tuzos de Aguascalientes - New Team
Lost:
RHP Rodrigo Parra (55/55 RP) - Traded to San Luis

Signed:
LF Roberto Hernández - .283/.324/.399, 1.1 WAR last year - Traded from San Luis

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 4th (39-45) last year
Lost:
RHP Jacinto Santos - 3.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.0 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
CF Raúl Pérez - .235/.276/.275, 2.8 WAR last year - Free Agent
LHP Carlos Casillas - 2.67 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
LF Oscar Valladolid - .275/.310/.312, 1.2 WAR - Traded to San Luis
SS Ricardo Solorio - .289/.317/.351, 1.1 WAR - Traded to Mérida

Signed:
CF Jorge Ramírez - .293/.339/.397, 4.0 WAR last year - FA from Puebla, $17k over 5 years
2B César Loaiza - .295/.343/.386, 2.0 WAR last year - Resigned, $15k over 5 years
RHP Pedro Avilla - 18 SV, 1.67 ERA, 2.9 WAR last year - Traded from León
C Roberto Cruz - .218/.271/.274, 1.4 WAR last year - Traded from Mérida
RHP Joel Rodríguez - 2 SV, 2.75 ERA, -0.2 WAR last year - Traded from Jaguares

Flechas de León - 2nd (57-28) last year
Lost:
1B Santiago Salas - .266/.344/.348, 4.0 WAR career - Retired
3B Gustavo Ruiz - .264/.301/.327, 3.0 WAR last year - Free Agent
C Victor Albornoz - .262/.351/.339, 2.6 WAR last year - Signed by San Luis
RHP Pedro Avilla - 18 SV, 1.67 ERA, 2.9 WAR last year - Traded to Guadalajara
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 2.07 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - Traded to Monterrey
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .303/.340/.361, 1.3 WAR last year - Traded to Tampico
SS Heraclio Rincón (25/50) - Traded to Mérida

Signed:
RHP Luis Cruz - 2.41 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.1 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $6.9k over 3 years
RF Andrés Suárez - .269/.373/.321, 2.8 WAR last year - Resigned, $8k over 3 years
C José Canto - .246/.296/.325, 2.2 WAR last year - FA from Águilas, $1.6k for a year
1B Mario Morales - .317/.399/.386, 3.3 WAR last year - Traded from Puebla
RF Edwin Esparza - .317/.364/.403, 2.5 WAR last year - Traded from Mérida
RHP Ramón Pérez (55/55 RP) - 27 y/o from Mexico City

Aulladores de Mérida - 6th (34-50) last year
Lost:
RHP Roberto García - 4.14 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.6 WAR last year - Signed by Águilas
3B Enrique Canul - .245/.293/.300, 2.5 WAR last year - Free Agent
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .267/.325/.350, 1.5 WAR last year - Signed by Puebla
RF Edwin Esparza - .317/.364/.403, 2.5 WAR last year - Traded to León
C Roberto Cruz - .218/.271/.274, 1.4 WAR last year - Traded to Guadalajara
CF José Contreras - .262/.280/.327, 1.2 WAR last year - Traded to Águilas
LF David Ramos (40/50) - Traded to Monterrey

Signed:
C José Trujillo - .286/.351/.361, 3.6 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $29.1k over 8 years
RHP Francisco Barajas - 1.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.8 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $21.6k over 6 years
LHP Andrés Amaya - 2.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.2 WAR last year - FA from Águilas, $2k for a year
SS Ricardo Solorio - .289/.317/.351, 1.1 WAR last year - Traded from Guadalajara
3B David Herrera - .238/.291/.289, 0.8 WAR last year - Traded from Águilas
SS Heraclio Rincón (25/50) - Traded from León

Águilas de México - 8th (28-56) last year
Lost:
C José Canto - .246/.296/.325, 2.2 WAR last year - Signed by León
LHP Andrés Amaya - 2.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.2 WAR last year - Signed by Mérida
RHP Antonio Castañeda - 1.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 1.7 WAR last year - Free Agent
LHP Leo Álvarez - 3.62 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 1.1 WAR last year - Free Agent
3B David Herrera - .238/.291/.289, 0.8 WAR last year - Traded to Mérida
SS Rubén Riviera (20/50) - Traded to Guadalajara

Signed:
RHP Roberto García - 4.14 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.6 WAR last year - FA from Mérida, Minimum salary
RHP César Plascencia - 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 1.5 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, Minimum salary
CF José Contreras - .262/.280/.327, 1.2 WAR last year - Traded from Mérida

Jaguares de México - 5th (39-45) last year
Lost:
3B Rico Santistevan - .271/.349/.322, 3.8 WAR last year - Free Agent
SS Omar Morales - .249/.275/.277, 1.7 WAR last year - Free Agent
RF Ulises Dueñas - .252/.303/.322, 1.3 WAR last year - Free Agent
1B Efraín Armenta - .246/.344/.356, 1.2 WAR last year - Free Agent
C José López - .243/.279/.291, 1.0 WAR last year - Free Agent
LF Gregorio Pérez - .284/.330/.346, 1.7 WAR last year - Traded to Tampico
RHP Joel Rodríguez - 2 SV, 2.75 ERA, -0.2 WAR last year - Traded to Guadalajara
RHP Pedro León (25/65 RP) - Traded to Tampico
3B David Pizarro (35/50) - Traded to Guadalajara

Signed:
2B Antonio Sánchez - .275/.312/.350, 5.1 WAR last year - Resigned, $9.3k over 3 years
3B Daniel Rivera - .289/.419/.408, 4.8 WAR last year - FA from Puebla, $11.5k over 3 years
RF Salvador Velázquez - .278/.374/.370, 3.3 WAR last year - FA from San Luis, $25k over 7 years
RHP Jacinto Santos - 3.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.0 WAR last year - FA from Guadalajara, $8.2k over 2 years
LHP Carlos Casillas - 2.67 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - FA from Guadalajara, $23.6k over 7 years
LF Ricardo Palacios - .305/.363/.399, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded from Tampico
RHP Ramiro Silva - 11 SV, 2.52 ERA, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded from Tampico
1B Oziel Rojas (45/65) - Traded from Tampico

Cardenales de Monterrey - New Team
Lost: No players with 1.0 WAR or more, or 50+ overall rating

Signed:
LHP Alejandro Carranza - 2.07 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 2.4 WAR last year - Traded from León
LF David Ramos (40/50) - Traded from Mérida

Serpientes de Puebla - 3rd (49-35) last year
Lost:
3B Daniel Rivera - .289/.419/.408, 4.8 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
CF Jorge Ramírez - .293/.339/.397, 4.0 WAR last year - Signed by Guadalajara
2B Fernando del Toro - .293/.364/.373, 3.4 WAR last year - Free Agent
LF Celestino de la Rosa - .229/.334/.312, 2.2 WAR last year - Free Agent
SS Manuel Portillo - .233/.276/.295, 1.8 WAR last year - Free Agent
C Guillermo Mendez - .218/.318/.261, 1.2 WAR last year - Free Agent
RF Antonio Tapia - .257/.298/.317, 0.9 WAR last year - Free Agent
1B Mario Morales - .317/.399/.386, 3.3 WAR last year - Traded to León

Signed:
SS Antonio Monterrosa - .267/.325/.350, 1.5 WAR last year - FA from Mérida, $16k over 4 years

Tunas de San Luis - 1st (58-27) last year
Lost:
2B Max Braud - .342/.408/.418, 6.3 WAR last year - Free Agent
C José Trujillo - .286/.351/.361, 3.6 WAR last year - Signed by Mérida
RF Salvador Velázquez - .278/.374/.370, 3.3 WAR last year - Signed by Jaguares
RHP Luis Cruz - 2.41 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.1 WAR last year - Signed by León
RHP Francisco Barajas - 1.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.8 WAR last year - Signed by Mérida
LF Roberto Hernández - .283/.324/.399, 1.1 WAR last year - Traded to Aguascalientes
LHP Roberto Bañuelos - 2.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 0.1 WAR last year - Traded to León
RHP Rodrigo Parra (55/55 RP) - Traded to Tampico

Signed:
LHP Francisco Camacho - 2.53 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 2.7 WAR last year - Resigned, $11.9k over 4 years
C Victor Albornoz - .262/.351/.339, 2.6 WAR last year - FA from León, $26.7k over 8 years
LF Oscar Valladolid - .275/.310/.312, 1.2 WAR last year - Traded from Guadalajara
LF Julio Ortiz - .246/.303/.287, 0.4 WAR last year - Traded from Tampico

Jaibas de Tampico
Lost:
C Alfredo Hernández - .278/.318/.335, 2.0 WAR last year - Free Agent
RHP César Plascencia - 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 1.5 WAR last year - Signed by Águilas
LF Ricardo Palacios - .305/.363/.399, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded to Jaguares
RHP Ramiro Silva - 11 SV, 2.52 ERA, 2.1 WAR last year - Traded to Jaguares
LF Julio Ortiz - .246/.303/.287, 0.4 WAR last year - Traded to San Luis
2B Oziel Rojas (45/65) - Traded to Jaguares

Signed:
LF Gregorio Pérez - .284/.330/.346, 1.7 WAR last year - Traded from Jaguares
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .303/.340/.361, 1.3 WAR last year - Traded from León
RHP Pedro León (25/65 RP) - Traded from Jaguares
RHP Rodrigo Parra (55/55 RP) - Traded from San Luis
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As you can tell, there's been a lot of movement so far but there's still a handful of big free agents available. Next time up we'll go over the preseason predictions and I'll mention any movements that happen over this final preparation week.