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TWIWBL 98.3: Year 3, Week 1 – Cum Posey Division

By

On August 18, 2026

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Portland Sea Dogs5-2.714—
Miami Cuban Giants4-3.5711
Chicago American Giants4-3.5711
Los Angeles Angels3-4.4292
San Francisco Sea Lions2-5.2863
Cum Posey Division | 8 April

Chicago American Giants

The American Giants swept San Francisco at home to close the week — 14-7, 8-5, 6-3 — and scored 50 runs in 7 games, the most in the division. An encouraging sign for a franchise at a crossroads this season.

Chino Smith did a lot of the damage: 2 homers at Detroit in an x-y win/loss, then 3 hits and a 2-run shot in the first game of the sweep.

Sam Streeter struck out 10 in 5 innings in the opening victory over the Sea Lions, and veteran soft-tosser Jamie Moyer has quietly been effective early, winning 2 out of the bullpen over the 1st week.

Miami Cuban Giants

Julio Rodríguez was injured running the bases on the 3rd and is on the disabled list — a serious blow, as the 20-year-old center fielder hit 42 homers with a 1.008 OPS last season. Mark Kotsay was recalled, and will see time in the OF with CF largely being patrolled by Yasiel Puig and Andy Pafko in JRod’s absence.

Portland Sea Dogs

Huston Street was signed as a FA and put to work immediately, working 2 scoreless innings in a 5-3 win over Baltimore. Harry Matuzak was optioned to AAA Seattle to make room for Street.

Walter Johnson struck out 10 over 6 innings in an 11-9 win at Los Angeles, with Bobby Murcer collecting 4 hits and 4 RBIs and Ken Griffey Jr hitting a 3-run homer.

San Francisco Sea Lions

Five losses in 6 games, and a sweep in Chicago to finish, leaves the Sea Lions last in the division at 2-5. Wait, what?

The bats have not been the problem. In the 14-7 loss that opened the sweep in Chicago, Jimmie Foxx hit 2 solo homers and Bobby Bonds had 3 hits and a 2-run shot. Bonds’ blast flew 459 ft, the longest home run struck in the division this week.

Aaron Heilman will miss about a week with a shoulder sprain, with the Sea Lions recalling Tim Hudson from his rehab stint to take Heilman’s place in the bullpen.

Year III Season Preview: Miami Cuban Giants

By

On August 6, 2026

In 2002 Season Previews, Team News

▌ State of the Franchise

team logo

Two years ago the Cuban Giants were the worst team in the league; last year they were in a playoff race into the final week and finished 80-83, 2nd in the Cum Posey Division, and nobody — inside the building or out — is entirely sure if this is progress or illusion.

Here is what isn’t in dispute. Miami hit an enormous number of home runs in the power-happy 2001 environment. José Canseco hit 68 of them, Jim Thome 59, Gary Sheffield and 20-year-old Julio Rodríguez 42 apiece, and 7 different men hit 28 or more. The lineup is young, deep and distributed — Iván Rodríguez won a Gold Glove behind the plate at 21, Alejandro Oms led the club at .308 at 22, Yasiel Puig slugged .658 in 100 games. So, unlike 2000 (when it was Canseco largely by himself), this is no longer a one-star team.

Still this is not an elite group the deeper you look. Canseco’s 68 homers amassed only 1.7 WAR, and — with one historically notable exception — the defense is not great.

So the season turns on the run prevention, and specifically on the rotation, which is José Méndez and then a lot of uncertainty. Méndez made 37 starts, threw 233 innings, struck out 201 and was worth 7.5 wins in a league whose average ERA was 5.38. Behind him: Jim Whitney, an All-AL Team pick acquired midseason and then pure projection and hope.

▌ 2001 Revisited

The bar a year ago was stunningly low: to no longer be considered one of the absolute worst teams in the league would be a nice start. They cleared it in the first month and spent the rest of the summer embarrassing the forecast.

The best case asked for Canseco to repeat and for someone — Molitor, Sheffield, Oms, “or even Puig” — to join him. What actually happened is that nearly everyone did (other than Molitor, who was moved for Pudge, sort of). Thome put up a 1.034 OPS. Sheffield hit 42. Puig hit 298/388/658. And J. Rodríguez, who came into camp with no realistic shot at the roster, took center field on Opening Day and hit 315/347/661 at 20.

The other half of that best case was a front of the rotation built from Camilo Pascual, Freddie Fitzsimmons and Méndez, with Cole Hamels joining them. Méndez delivered. Pascual made 5 starts and blew out a knee. Fitzsimmons was awful, Hamels only slightly better.

And one question got answered: we asked whether Eustaquio Pedroso and Martín Dihigo could carry the 2-way experiment far enough to justify it. Pedroso hit worse than anyone on the roster and abandoned the bat, but maintained the late-inning flexibility. Dihigo, who at 18 was arguably the worst-hitting regular in the league, climbed to 246/291/429 and stole 39 bases — still not a good hitter, and the most interesting player in the organization anyway largely due to his gold glove potential at a half-dozen positions.

▌ Key Changes

In: CC Sabathia (HOD)
Out: —

Opening Day Rookies: None

▌ Best Case for 2002

The bats hold and the arms arrive. Canseco and Thome do it again, J. Rodríguez proves 2001 wasn’t a fluke, Puig turns 100 good games into 150, and Iván Rodríguez adds the bat to the glove at 22.

Behind Méndez and Whitney, 2 of the question marks answer: Pascual comes back from the knee, Phenomenal Smith turns 5 starts of 1.98 ball into a season, and CC Sabathia — 179 innings for a bad House of David club — finds the form that made him worth acquiring. Hamels is the interesting one: a 6.18 ERA with 168 strikeouts and 2.3 WAR.

Do that and the squinting stops. This is a young roster with a real ace, and the difference between 80 wins and 90 seems attainable.

▌ Worst Case for 2002

The bats come back to earth. Canseco’s .705 slugging settles toward the middle, the outfield defense keeps leaking, and the same offense produces 15 fewer wins because the run environment normalized rather than because anyone got worse.

Meanwhile the rotation stays what it was. Pascual’s knee doesn’t hold, Sabathia pitches like he did last year (5-15, a 5.78, replacement level), Ramón Martínez gives back another 134 innings of 7.17, and the middle innings — already the org’s stated area of concern — go on being handed to whoever didn’t make the rotation.

▌ Key Questions

  • How much of 2001 was the ballpark? The honest answer is: some, and nobody knows how much. 7 men over 28 home runs is a real lineup or a park effect wearing a costume, and Miami will spend the summer finding out which. The tell to watch isn’t the homer totals — it’s the WAR underneath them, which last year said “good, not great.”
  • Is there a rotation behind Méndez/Whitney? He is a genuine ace and a workhorse, and Whitney may be similar. But the questions beyond that need to be answered.
  • Does the flexibility matter? Dihigo has started at 7 positions, Yount is a shortstop with an outfield move already being discussed, Sheffield isn’t really a third baseman at all, and the 2-way experiments seem amusing, but little more than that.

▌ Roster Evaluation

Tier = the player’s 2001 positional grade (S best → F worst; color coded S A B C D F). Bold names carry a substantive WBL track; italic names are pure projection — a hope, not a grade — with no qualifying track to anchor them.

PosPlayers
CI. Rodríguez C · Hoiles
1BThome A · Adcock
2BDihigo C · Roberts
SSYount B
3BSheffield A · Branyan
LFOms C · Pafko
CFJ. Rodríguez A
RFPuig B
DHCanseco A
SPMéndez A · Whitney A · Smith · Pascual · Hamels F · Sabathia D
RPPapelbon C (CL) · Marte · Colomé · Pedroso · Wilson

Dihigo is 19 and the cells can’t hold him: he has started at 7 positions, plays a Gold Glove infield, stole 39 bases, and still hasn’t learned to hit. Jonathan Papelbon has the 9th inning, acquired at the deadline in a burst of playoff belief that cost the org a blue-chip arm in Josh Beckett — and Ricky Nolasco, who saved 26 games last year, opens this one at Triple-A trying to become a starter.

▌ Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerRF José Canseco1B Steve Balboni
Batting Eye1B Jim ThomeRF Carlos Morán
ContactSS Robin Yount2B Nellie Fox
Running Speed2B Martín DihigoCF Marquis Grissom
Base StealingSP Phenomenal SmithSS Bert Campaneris; RP Dan Collins
IF Defense2B Martín Dihigo2B Luis Castillo
OF DefenseRF Yasiel PuigCF Marquis Grissom
StuffRP Dámaso MarteRP Francis Martes
ControlSP Jim WhitneyRP Craig Lefferts
VelocityRP Jonathan PapelbonRP Tyler Clippard

▌ Best In The Minors

RankAgePosName
1 (44)21SPScott Olsen
2 (49)24LFJason Bay
3 (55)19CLPedro Martínez
4 (60)20SSJack Glasscock
5 (91)22CFJosé Cruz

Others: OF Carlos Morán, P Lefty George, OF Minnie Miñoso, IF Zoilo Versalles.

This system turns over as fast as the roster does: a year ago the list was headed by Josh Beckett and J. Rodríguez with Jon Matlack 3rd, and all 3 are gone — Beckett to Memphis, Rodríguez into the everyday center-field job, Matlack to the House of David for Sabathia.

What replaced them is arm-heavy and young: Scott Olsen, Jason Bay, and a 19-year-old Pedro Martínez making his A ball debut. Lefty George took the organizational Minor League Pitcher of the Year and Carlos Morán is the name the club talks about as Sheffield’s eventual replacement at third.

▌ Superlatives

MostLeast
AgeJoe Adcock, 40Ed Seward, 18
HeightCC Sabathia, 6’7″Phenomenal Smith, 5’6″
OPSCarlos Quentin, 1.082 (AA)Willie Kamm, .567 (AA)
HRJosé Canseco, 68Luis Castillo, 1 (AA)
SBCarlos Morán, 52 (AAA)–
WAR (bat)Bob Loane, 4.6 (AA)Cookie Rojas, −2.8
WDon Wilson, 13 (AA)–
SVJonathan Papelbon, 28–
ERAGary Gentry, 3.07 (AA)Ramón Martínez, 7.17
WAR (pit)José Méndez, 7.5CC Sabathia, −0.0

Stats across all levels, 2001 season. 200 PA / 75 IP minimum. Non-WBL levels tagged in parentheses.

TWIWBL 92.4: Off Season Review – Miami Cuban Giants

By

On April 24, 2026

In TWIWBL

80 - 83, .491 pct.
2nd in Cum Posey Division, 23.5 GB

Overall

This was a surprising season for Miami–most pundits thought they were several years away from contention, so being in the race for a playoff spot into the last week of the season was quite the shock.

It’s not even so clear how the Cuban Giants did it: turns out a lot of homeruns, some strikeout pitchers, and some solid defense will win a few games. Miami still finished under .500, so it’s not like they’re about to contend for the championship, but still … it was a significant step forward.

There are some pieces here, but unless the pitching staff comes around, the nearly .500 finish is probably the best predictor of the future. So some moves may be made.

What Went Right

José Canseco‘s power is a thing to behold, demonstrated by 68 homeruns and 124 RBIs this year. A few dozen more hits would move him into the truly elite outfielders, but even without that, his 1.062 OPS make him a franchise cornerstone.

That said, it’s not like Jim Thome or Yasiel Puig are far behind. Puig’s 298/388/658 performance occurred in 100 games, so there are still some questions about his ability to perform next season, but Thome looked every bit the star, finishing the year with a 1.034 OPS, 59 homeruns, and 122 RBIs.

Julio Rodríguez was a surprise starter coming out of Spring Training and he delivered in the biggest of ways: 315/347/661 with 42 homeruns.

Gary Sheffield has a shot at being an offensive force, with 42 homeruns in what the team hopes is a sign of things to come.

Iván Rodríguez is one of the best young catchers in the league, managing an .840 OPS with elite defense as a 21 year old.

Joe Adcock, Al Oliver, and Andy Pafko were all remarkably effective as part-time contributors. At 40, Adcock may be just about done, but Oliver and Pafko certainly factor into the Cuban Giants’ plans next season.

At only 21, Alejandro Oms led the team with a .308 average while playing spectacular defense.

Robin Yount had an OPS over .800 at SS, and is just entering his prime.

And then there’s Martín Dihigo. Perhaps the worst offensively performing regular in the league last season, Dihigo slugged a still-not-great 246/291/429, but the increase in power is a great sign for Miami. Add to that Dihigo’s ability to play Gold Glove level defense at virtually every position, and the Cuban Giants have a fairly unique talent.

José Méndez is establishing himself as a WBL ace. This year, he went 13-6 with a 4.53 ERA over 37 starts, so most definitely a workhorse, with a chance at elite status.

But Méndez may not be the best starter on the staff: that honor may go to midseason acquisition Jim Whitney, who finished the year with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over 200 innings.

Beyond that, though, the starters were not good. That’s not quite true–Hugh McQuillan was solid in 10 starts and Phenomenal Smith was, um, yes, that, in 5. But the rest … well, see below.

Ricky Nolasco was fine as the closer, finishing the year with 26 saves. The Cuban Giants obtained Jonathan Papelbon towards the end of the season, giving them excellent options at the end of the bullpen.

ALL STARS

José Canseco
Gary Sheffield
MAJOR AWARDS

José Méndez, All AL Team
Iván Rodríguez, AL C Gold Glove
Jim Thome, All AL Team
Jim Whitney, All AL Team
RECOGNITIONS

Martín Dihigo, AL 21 & Under Team
Kenshin Kawakami, AL All Rookie 2nd Team
José Méndez, AL Brock Rutherford Award 3rd Place; AL 25 & Under Team; AL 23 & Under Team
Alejandro Oms, AL 21 & Under Team
Andy Pafko, AL All Rookie Team
Jonathan Papelbon, All AL 3rd Team; AL Over 30 Team
Yasiel Puig, All AL 3rd Team
Iván Rodríguez, AL 23 & Under Team; AL 21 & Under Team
Julio Rodríguez, AL All Rookie 2nd Team
Jim Whitney, AL All Rookie Team; AL 25 & Under Team
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

José Canseco, MVP
José Méndez, Pitcher of the Year
Alejandro Oms, Heart & Soul
Yasiel Puig, Fan Favorite

Lefty George, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Bob Loane, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Cookie Rojas couldn’t get his OPS over .700, making him one of the weakest regulars in the league by WAR and likely moving him to a utility role next season.

Eustaquio Pedroso hit even worse than Rojas, eventually abandoning his role as a 2-way player.

Smoky Burgess, a key bat off the bench last year, slashed 226/304/315, and may have played himself to AAA.

Most of the starters were not good, with Cole Hamels and, notably, Ramón Martínez being especially weak despite a ton of opportunities. But Steven Wright, Freddie Fitzsimmons, and Camilo Pascual were all horrid in at least 5 starts (Pascual, it must be said, made only 5 starts before a severe knee injury sidelined him–he should be back in the Spring).

Barry Latman and Ed Brandt were pretty bad from the bullpen, and the rest of the contenders–most notably Pedroso and Braden Looper–barely any better. Middle relief is an area of strong concern going into next season.

Transactions

March

IF Paul Molitor, OF Vladimir Guerrero, C Alan Ashby & 2nd Round Pick to POR for C Iván Rodríguez, P Jon Matlack, OF Adolis García, OF Al Oliver, 1st Round Pick & 4th Round Pick.

A huge deal, but looks pretty good quite honestly. Pudge is a great young talent, Oliver was useful at the WBL this year, Matlack has a future, plus the 2 picks … yes, Guerrero looks like a franchise outfielder, but that’s a pretty good deal imo.

July

OF Ryan Braun, IF Richie Sexson & 7th Round Pick to BBB for P Jim Whitney, OF Andy Pafko, OF José Cruz & 2nd Round Pick.

Looks good. Sure Braun is a solid talent, but power hitting corner OFers, even at his level, are less rare than possible aces, which Whitney sure looks like. Add in Pafko and the pick, and I like this for Miami.

August

P Josh Beckett, OF Roy Thomas & 3rd Round Pick to MEM for P Jonathan Papelbon & 4th Round Pick

This one looks fine now, but I suspect Miami may regret it once Beckett (and perhaps Thomas) are in the WBL full time.

Positional Overview

C

Pudge has this locked up.

Smoky Burgess and Chris Hoiles will likely compete for the backup role in the Spring.

1B

As long as Jim Thome‘s power holds out, his low average is fine.

It’s not clear who backs him up–a lot of people can play first if needs be, and Joe Adcock, at 40, may not hold onto his roster spot. Steve Balboni probably has the most power in the system, but his swing has some pretty big holes in it as well.

This is a position where Minnie Miñoso, the eternal prospect, may contribute as well.

2B

This is Dihigo’s primary position, with Cookie Rojas looking good as his backup. But Rojas was so poor this system, the door is open for Bert Campaneris, Nellie Fox, or Tito Fuentes to make some noise in the Spring.

Clete Boyer is the same age as Dihigo, but is a more usual prospect, and at 19 is probably still in need of a season or 4 in the minors.

SS

Robin Yount all day. Zoilo Versalles has some talent, and Alexei Ramírez seems to have some strong defensive talent, but this is Yount for now.

3B

Another position that moved from unknown to settled, with Gary Sheffield likely to get a lot of play here. Sheffield isn’t great with the glove–and in fact may be better suited for an OF role–so Miami is looking at options, with Russell Branyan, Willie Kamm, and Kevin Kouzmanoff being the primary short term options.

Carlos Morán may be a year away, but he is the most likely choice for Sheffield’s eventual successor.

LF/RF

There are a lot of options here, but it looks like Alejandro Oms and Yasiel Puig will see most of the time, with José Canseco getting some games as well. But Al Oliver and Andy Pafko had excellent seasons, and Jason Bay and Minnie Miñoso are waiting in the wings.

CF

J-Rod just never stopped performing, and the job is now his. Oliver will play here, as will Pafko, and there is some talent in the system, most notably in the form of José Cardenal and Marquis Grissom.

DH

José Canseco most days, with most everyone else filling in occasionally.

SP

Jim Whitney and José Méndez are a great top 2 to build around, but there are a ton of question marks beyond them. The next 2 slots are likely to go to Phenomenal Smith and Camilo Pascual, with Smith yet to complete a full season and Pascual trying to come back from knee surgery.

And then we have Cole Hamels, who hasn’t done much over 2 seasons; Kenshin Kawakami, who pitched well before getting injured; Ramón Martínez, who is looking to bounce back from a horrible season; plus a handful of prospects (Jason Hammel, Ed Whitson, Lefty George, Hugh McQuillan, Freddie Fitzsimmons, and a few more).

RP

Papelbon becomes the closer, with Nolasco sliding into a setup role (with some even arguing he try his hand in the rotation). Braden Looper will help out here, as will whomever doesn’t make the rotation.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 2
2nd Round: 1
3rd Round: 0
4th Round: 3
5th Round: 0

Always nice to have the overall #1 pick. Given the state of pitching, look for Miami to lean towards Amos Rusie or Pedro Martinez, but the overall skill of Rod Carew and the sheer power of Jim Rice are both pretty enticing.

TWIWBL 88.5: Off Season Review – Birmingham Black Barons

By

On March 4, 2026

In Team News, TWIWBL

75 - 87, .463 pct.
5th in Marvin Miller Division, 10 GB

Overall

This was such a weird year for Birmingham. They were absolute horrid out of the gate, very strong from June through August, and then faded at the end. During all of that, they (once again) traded away an all star, found some surprising talent on their own roster, and scored way too few runs, despite hitting the ball out of the park with shocking regularity.

Once more it feels like the Black Barons are a couple strokes of luck away from either championship contention or being the worst team in the league. It all centers around making the offense more effective overall, and realizing some of the immense potential in their starting rotation.

What Went Right

Jim Pagliaroni exceeds all expectations, hitting for geometrically more power than anyone could have expected. His .958 OPS made him an elite catcher in the WBL. At 32, it may not last, but it was quite a shock, for sure.

Hank Aaron is right on the verge of superstardom, leading the team in HR (51) and RBI (105). He only drew 16 walks, emblematic of some of Birmingham’s team-wide struggles.

Two players brought in via trade excelled–or, more accurately, performed pretty much as expected. Paul Konerko and Ryan Braun each showed extraordinary power, and Konerko’s plate discipline is desperately needed in Birmingham.

At 23, Eddie Mathews’46 homeruns, 90 RBIs, 99 runs, and 80 walks sure seem like things that went right. But a .224 average and only 12 non-homerun extra base hits are not great.

Harley Young emerged as an excellent option at the back of the bullpen, finishing the year with 15 saves and a 2.29 ERA.

Akinori Otsuka, another trade acquisition, immediately steps into the setup role to get Young the ball.

Fred Fussell was excellent in limited work, laying claim to a role in the bullpen next year.

ALL STARS
Harley Young.
Jim Whitney was selected, but later traded.
MAJOR AWARDS

Ryan Braun, NL 2nd Team of the Year
Paul Konerko, NL Team of the Year
RECOGNITIONS

JP Arencibia, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Fred Fussell, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Albert Belle, NL Over 30 Team
Paul Konerko, NL Over 30 Team
Jim Pagliaroni, NL Over 30 Team
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Jim Pagliaroni, MVP
Harley Young, Pitcher of the Year
Hank Aaron, Heart & Soul
JP Arencibia, Fan Favorite

Gio González, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Melky Cabrera, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Despite decent speed and walk rate, Cupid Childs‘s offense was so weak, the Black Barons decided to move on, trading for Bobby Grich. Grich belongs here, too, as while the overall shape of his offense is very strong, the level of performance is distressingly low.

SS was weak all year, eventually devolving into a platoon between Herman Long and Troy Tulowitzki. An upgrade here would be quite a boon.

It’s not clear what to do with Curtis Granderson: 41 homers is good, but a .206 average is most certainly not and, when you think of it, 41 homers with a SLG below .500 is pretty worrisome.

Adrián González continues to be a disappointment, hitting just enough to keep squandering his opportunities. His platoon split was pretty profound, so that may be the solution here next season.

And then there’s the pitching. All the pitching.

We can start with Greg Maddux (10-14, 5.35) and Alejandro Peña (8-11, 5.59), who allowed 109 homeruns between them. Maddux has great stuff, but cannot seem to harness it and Peña looks little more than innings eater at this point.

Bruce Chen had 12 holds, but was rocked more often then not, posting a 6.85 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP.

Warren Spahn continues to be terrible in the WBL, posting an ERA over 8 across 56 innings.

Transactions

March

P Andy Pettitte, OF Mickey Rivers, 3rd Round Pick to NYY for OF Albert Belle, P Frank Viola, P Lefty Gomez, IF Jess Barbour.

A win for both teams, and a trade that still may work out for Birmingham: Belle has been as advertised, Gomez looks a mid-rotation WBL starter, and both Viola and Barbour hold promise.

OF Bill Buckner, OF Joe Rudi to MEM for OF David Justice, IF Ozzie Albies, 2nd Round Pick.

Who knows? Only Rudi has seen the WBL, but they all have some potential, although time is running out for the 32-year old Justice.

July

Birmingham still felt they had a shot at this point, and decided to make some noise, trading Whitney–a clear all-star having a great season–to try to bring their offense up a notch.

P Jim Whitney, OF Andy Pafko, OF José Cruz, 2nd Round Pick to MCG for OF Ryan Braun, IF Richie Sexson, 7th Round Pick.

Whitney is a rare gem on the mound, and ultimately Birmingham may regret this deal, especially with how well Pafko performed for Miami. But Braun is a great talent, and will only see more time as Belle and Konerko age.

August

And now, an even more desperate play for offense.

P Sam Streeter, IF Trea Turner, 5th Round Pick to CAG for P Akinori Otsuka, IF Paul Konerko, OF Lenny Dykstra, 3rd Round Pick.

Chicago was tanking at this point. Trade feels fine–Otskuka and Konerko’s present value for Turner’s future, and whatever the American Giants can get from Streeter.

C Gene Tenace, P Vic Wilis, 1st Round Pick to LAA for IF Bobby Grich, 3rd Round Pick.

This one came out of nowhere. Grich may be a solve at 2B for Birmingham for years to come, but the price was steep: Willis has a very live arm and a first round pick is a first round pick (Tenace is good, but was pretty blocked here, so his loss is more acceptable).

Positional Overview

C

An interesting challenge for Birmingham here. Pagliaroni clearly is the incumbent, and the fan base fell in love with Arencibia, who also can help out at 1B.

But Joe Torre slashed 282/362/584 at AAA as a 21 year old, and his WBL arrival has to be imminent.

Beyond that, only Earl Battey looks to have a WBL future at some point down the road.

1B

This will be Konerko for a while: his core skillset (power and walks) ages well.

If Adrián González doesn’t impress in Spring Training, look for young Nate Colbert to get a chance, although Colbert probably needs another year in the minors.

There’s some depth here: Frank McCormick, Hal Trosky, Ron Fairly, and Jake Beckley all have some WBL talent.

2B

We’ll see. The Black Barons traded Tom Herr, were shocked by how effective Cupid Childs was, then decided to move on, anointing Bobby Grich as their future. Grich does seem to be the real deal, even if his production this year was lower than hoped.

Ray Durham will get a chance in the Spring to be Grich’s backup.

Beyond that, there is some decent youth: Ozzie Albies, Marcus Giles, Jess Barbour, and Reddy Mack all have some talent and all are under 22.

SS

This is an issue throughout the system.

Right now, it looks like the platoon between Long and Tulowitzki will continue, with George McBride available at AAA if a purely defensive situation were desired.

3B

It’s still Eddie Mathews, and there is hope his overall offensive performance will nudge upwards.

If he falters, the most likely help would come from Pie Traynor.

LF/RF

This is set, with Braun in one corner and Aaron on the other.

Tommy Davis was spectacular in September, but the 23 year old would probably be better served by starting at AAA as opposed to warming the bench.

Gary Matthews is probably the best talent here, but he’s several years off.

CF

This is Granderson’s role for now, but there are rumors that Curt Flood may be given a strong look, and the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year, Melky Cabrera, is coming behind Flood.

DH

Albert Belle is going to see most of the time here, although there are emerging concerns about his bat speed.

SP

It’s probably one more year of hoping that Peña, Maddux, and Lefty Gomez can turn it around, with John Malarkey and Rube Melton the most likely to round out the rotation, although Warren Spahn and Bill Phyle will get looks in Spring Training as well.

There are some voices advocating that Peña move to the bullpen, which would open up another rotation spot.

There’s some likely help at AAA in Pretzels Getzien, Alex Malloy, and Charlie Morton, but the highest ceilings in the organization are probably teenager Steve Avery and Gio González at AA.

RP

Harley Young is the presumed closer, with Otsuka and Fussell assured of spots as well. As long as Chen doesn’t retire or totally bomb out in Spring Training, he should be there as well.

There’s a lot of moderately useful talent in the minors, but only Carlos Diaz and, perhaps, Steve Bedrosian, have arms that truly impress.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 0
2nd Round: 1
3rd Round: 2
4th Round: 1
5th Round: 0

This is not the year the system gets replenished. SS and 3B may be the areas of greatest need.

TWIWBL 88.3: Rookie Teams of the Year

By

On March 2, 2026

In TWIWBL

Two teams per league, with preference given to more playing time this year over future potential. No DH.

#WBL All Rookie First Team

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CTom Haller (BAL)Bill Dickey (PHI)
1BJimmie Foxx (SFS)Joe Harris (KCM)
2BCharlie Gehringer (DET)César Hernández (PHI)
SSCal Ripken Jr (BAL)Judy Johnson (HOM)
3BAndy Pafko (BBB/MCG)Chris Sabo (IND)
LFJuan Beníquez (DET)Adam Dunn (IND)
CFTurkey Stearnes (SFS)John Briggs (BRK)
RFAl Kaline (DET)George Foster (IND)
SPJim Whitney (BBB/MCG)
Bump Hadley (SFS)
Walter Ball (POR)		A. Rube Foster (KCM)
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK)
Fernando Valenzuela (BRK)
RPAndrew Miller (MEM)
Ross Reynolds (LAA)
Elmer Smith (LAA)		Eddie Guardado (KCM)
Karl Spooner (HOD)
Mike Kume (KCM)

Rookies are interesting.

We run the full gamut here, from the MVP possibilities of Turkey Stearnes to players who ended the year in the minors, or, like César Hernández, project as fringe players at best. Tom Haller, Juan Beníquez, and Joe Harris are all on the wrong side of 30.

The spread of talent makes some comparisons misleading: you would much rather be San Francisco with Jimmie Foxx, Stearnes, and Bump Hadley than Indianapolis with Chris Sabo, Adam Dunn, and George Foster.

#WBL All Rookie Second Team

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CAJ Pierzynski (LAA)Dick Dietz (NYG)
1BDavid Ortiz (MEM)JP Arencibia (BBB)
2BFrank Grant (HOD/SFS)Craig Reynolds (HOD)
SSDobie Moore (MEM)Jimmy Rollins (PHI)
3BFreddie Lindstrom (CAG)Josh Donaldson (OTT)
LFRocky Colavito (CAG)Elliott Maddox (NYY/HOU)
CFJulio Rodríguez (MCG)Charles Rogan (PHI)
RFIchiro Suzuki (LAA)Sam Thompson (OTT)
SPTony Brizzolara (NYY)
Tom Seaver (LAA)
Kenshin Kawakami (MCG)		Charles Rogan (PHI)
Ice Box Chamberlain (HOU)
Kyle Peterson (HOD)
RPFirpo Marberry (CLE)
Skel Roach (MEM)
Billy Hoeft (DET)		Brad Kilby (PHI)
Mike LaCoss (IND)
Fred Fussell (BBB)

Note Bullet Joe Rogan‘s well warranted appearance at 2 positions.

David Ortiz, Julio Rodríguez, Rogan, and Ice Box Chamberlain were the class of this group. Those 4, Frank Grant, Dobie Moore, Freddie Lindstrom, Ichiro Suzuki, and Tom Seaver are the most likely to be future stars–that’s a lot of potential over there in the American League.

TWIWBL 81.3: A Preliminary Look at the Rookies

By

On October 31, 2025

In TWIWBL

We’re going to do this by position group, ignoring league differences (although we will have a Rookie Team for each league in the offseason).

Only 6 players are officially full time (that is, they qualify for the batting stats): IF Jimmie Foxx, OFs Turkey Stearnes, John Briggs, Adam Dunn, and Ichiro Suzuki, and everywhere playing Charles Rogan. That group probably forms the core of the shortlist for the final Rookie of the Year Award: if you’re able to hold down a fulltime starting spot as a rookie in the WBL …

#C

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are no fulltime rookie catchers, although 2–Philadelphia’s Bill Dickey and the House of David’s Frank Chance–have seen more and more time as the season has worn on.

NameAgeTmLgOPS / WAROther
JP Arencibia30BBBNL.769 / -0.3166 PA, 15 HR, 29 RBI
Frank Chance24HODNL.658 / -0.2250 PA
Bill Dickey23PHINL.772 / 0.4159 PA, 23 RBI
Dick Dietz29NYGNL.937 / 0.794 PA
Tom Haller33BALAL.839 / 0.7127 PA
AJ Pierzynski28LAAAL.630 / -0.4191 PA, 9 HR

Really, that’s it. Chance has played about 3/4 of the time behind the plate, so the playing time is pretty consistent. So … Tom Haller (who is likely to not have a very long career, although he’ll be retained as the backup in Baltimore next season for sure) in the AL and Dickey in the NL.

#1B/3B

The corner IF spots are a bit rough, given the high end talent in the AL and the lack of presence in the NL.

NamePosAgeTmLgOPS / WAROther
Jimmie Foxx1B/3B21SFSAL.924 / 2.3510 PA, 44 HR, 82 RBI
Joe Harris1B36HOD/
KCM		NL.899 / 1.1429 PA
Eddie Murray1B22BALAL.857 / 0.279 PA
David Ortiz1B27MEMAL1.039 / 2.0293 PA, 30 HR, 62 RBI
Andy Pafko3B29BBB/
MCG		NL/
AL		.851 / 0.6260 PA
Chris Sabo3B29INDNL.780 / 0.2297 PA

Foxx’s being the only rookie infielder to qualify for the batting championship gives him the lead, despite Ortiz’ remarkable production. Foxx played a little more at 1B than 3B, but given the paucity of hot corner candidates, may get the recognition there, clearing the way for Ortiz.

Pafko played as much in RF as 3B, but we needed more 3B here. Harris is a nice feel-good story–nothing like a 36 year old rookie come good.

#2B/SS

2 of the best here–Cal Ripken, Jr. and Judy Johnson–played regularly elsewhere (including 3B), but logged the majority of their innings in the middle infield.

NamePosAgeTmLgOPS / WAROther
Royce ClaytonSS22SFSAL1.020 / 0/7100 PA
Charlie Gehringer2B25DETAL.798 / 0.3418 PA, 14 HR, 48 RBI
Frank Grant2B/SS22HOD/
SFS		NL/
AL		.754 / 1.1283 PA
Judy JohnsonSS18HOMNL.809 / 1.2240 PA
Dobie MooreSS20MEMAL.779 / 1.1378 PA
Cal Ripken, Jr.SS23BALAL.876 / 2.3370 PA, 22 HR, 62 RBI
Joe SewellSS23CLEAL.852 / 0.9133 PA

Interesting list, with Gehringer being the only truly full time player for the entire season, although both Moore and Ripken are close enough to count. The lack of talent at 2B and in the NL is striking.

#OF

Here we have the clear overall RoY from the field players, but there’s more to chew on here than Turkey. Sorry.

NamePosAgeTmLgOPS / WAROther
Juan BeníquezLF35DETAL.916 / 1.9400 PA
John BriggsCF21BRKNL.930 / 2.7448 PA
Kiki CuylerLF32PORAL.675 / -0.5305 PA
Adam DunnLF22INDNL.831 / 0.5502 PA
George FosterRF22INDNL.841 / 1.5432 PA
Al KalineRF21DETAL.919 / 2.1422 PA, 75 RBI
Elliott MaddoxOF21NYY/
HOU		AL/
NL		.766 / 0.2406 PA
Rick MondayCF24OTTNL1.019 / 1.6307 PA
Julio RodríguezCF20MCGAL1.024 / 1.8355 PA, 35 HR
Charles RoganCF27PHINL.964 / 3.0466 PA
Turkey StearnesCF22SFSAL1.134 / 6.0512 PA, 47 HR, 115 RBI
Ichiro SuzukiRF28LAAAL.698 / -0.5513 PA
Sam ThompsonRF27OTTNL.820 / -0.2362 PA

We’re not going to be too picky about positions here, going with Stearnes, Kaline, and J-Rod in the AL and Briggs, Rogan, and Foster in the NL; or perhaps Monday, if you want to recognize Rogan on the mound.

The surprises here are probably Briggs (who had an army of doubters, but is 2nd here in WAR) and Monday, whose offense just kept demanding more and more playing time. And mention has to be made of Beníquez–35 years old and a dominant year. He played 1B and 3B as well, so may see recognition there.

#SP

A dozen rookies made 10 or more starts; of those, a half-dozen are worth taking a closer look at.

NameAgeTmLgW-LERAIPWHIPFIPWAR
A. Rube Foster23KCMNL10-63.211850.993.725.1
Bump Hadley23SFSAL16-54.151691.224.074.3
Charles Rogan27PHINL11-94.411691.234.813.1
Fernando Valenzuela24BRKNL13-53.601481.024.323.1
Jim Whitney24BBB/
MCG		NL/
AL		8-63.791761.084.394.2
Joe Williams24BRKNL12-113.871881.243.696.0

Foster is the clear class of this group, but Smokey Joe is a very close 2nd. I would add Whitney and Valenzuela to the award list, giving Brooklyn 2 of the 4 slots.

#RP

There aren’t a ton of relievers who are impactful enough to really warrant discussion here, but there are some.

NameAgeTmLgW-LERASvHWHIP
Terry Forster22BRKNL1-23.562141.12
Eddie Guardado25KCMNL2-22.20191.00
Billy Hoeft19DETAL2-36.102101.50
Brad Kilby27PHINL3-36.202141.24
Firpo Marberry28CLEAL7-04.723111.34
Tug McGraw27HOUNL5-42.951251.20
Andrew Miller23MEMAL6-84.413111.33
Skel Roach28MEMAL2-14.313121.49

Marberry, McGraw, Forster, and Guardado look pretty solid.

TWIWBL 77.5: Cum Posey Division

By

On August 31, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
San Francisco Sea Lions75-42.641—
Miami Cuban Giants57-61.48318.5
Los Angeles Angels55-63.46620.5
Portland Sea Dogs55-64.46221
Chicago American Giants52-66.44123.5
Cum Posey Division | 12 August

#Chicago American Giants

More due to a lack of decent options, David Price was named as the American Giants’ fifth starter.

In what is most likely his final game with Chicago, trade target Paul Konerko hit 2 out as the American Giants came from behind to top Miami, 13-7.

Dick Allen hit 2 homers and the American Giants withstood a fierce comeback to edge Miami, 9-8.

#Los Angeles Angels

Doug Rader went deep twice, giving him 21 for the season, but the Angels fell to Baltimore, 6-5.

It looks like the Angels will close by committee for the rest of the season as they don’t really make a move to replace the departed Joe Nathan. They do bring newly obtained Vic Willis directly into the WBL bulllpen. Brian Giles and Freddie Patek were recalled from the minors, and John Lackey, AJ Pierzynski, Derrek Lee, and Jack Gleason were all demoted to AAA.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Eustaquio Pedroso heads to the DL for a couple of weeks with Ray Lamb being recalled from AAA to take his place, at least on the mound. Hugh McQuillan replaced Ramón Martínez in the rotation as the Cuban Giants try to find some solutions to their ongoing struggles at the back of their rotation.

Gary Sheffield and Jim Thome each hit 2 out of the park, and the Cuban Giants survived a horrible day from their bullpen to beat Detroit, 16-11. Cole Hamels, who improved to 10-9 on the year, left the game in the 7th with a 13-3 lead, and Miami held on for dear life from there.

Yasiel Puig and Andy Pafko repeated the feat, each going deep twice, but this time it wasn’t enough as Miami fell to Detroit, 11-5. Puig did it again the next day, reaching 20 on the season, as Miami felled the Wolverines, 10-1 behind an excellent start from José Méndez.

Thome did it again, going deep twice in a loss, as the Cuban Giants fell to Detroit, 8-6.

More of the same: 2 more for José Canseco, giving him 55 for the year, but another loss as Miami’s bullpen fell apart in a 13-7 loss to Chicago.

Dale Murray and Lamb were sent to AAA, clearing the way for newly acquired Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Adcock.

Another 2 for Canseco, another loss to Chicago, this one 9-8. With 57 on the year, Canseco temporarily took over the league lead in homers.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Kent Hrbek hit 2 out, but the Sea Dogs fell to the Spiders, 13-4. Paul Molitor repeated the dubious feat, hitting his 7th and 8th homeruns of the year as the Sea Dogs fell, 8-3 to Cleveland.

As the Sea Dogs try to figure out their future, they recalled Jim Golden and Dick Jones onto their pitching staff, and Hughie Jennings to share time at SS with Molitor. Jerry Koosman was named to the rotation staff, and the various trades Portland made will lead to significantly more playing time for Willie Randolph and perhaps Eddie Yost.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Dennis Eckersley was sent to AAA with the arrival of Joe Nathan in the Sea Lions’ bullpen.

Frank Grant will spend a couple weeks on the DL, with the Sea Lions recalling IF Wayne Gross from AAA.

TWIWBL 77.3: The Trade Market

By

On August 29, 2025

In TWIWBL

With the August trade deadline just around the corner, seemed to be a good time to take a look at the likely sellers and buyers, and some players that are likely to find new homes by the end of next week.

Some notes on these:

  • Needs reflect places where the minor league systems are thin on talent and the general shape of WBL level talent needed.
  • The second three bullets (Prospects, AAA Help, WBL Help) are possible players that could be available in the right context..

#BUYERS

These are teams looking to solidify their talent or make a push for the post-season. In a perfect world, they have some young talent to spare as well.

#Birmingham Black Barons

Yeah, they’re in 5th place, but they’re also only 4 games back, so there’s hope. The Black Barons have been ingenious at past deadlines, we’ll see if they can continue the trend.

Needs: IF, P, Minor League SS/3B

Prospects: OF Melky Cabrera, Curt Flood, Gary Matthews; IF Nate Colbert, Hal Trosky
AAA Help: P Tommy Bond; IF Pie Traynor
MLB Help: OF Bob Nieman

#Cleveland Spiders

Could use another SP, as well as a help in the middle infield–Chuck Knoblauch is skating along on last year’s performance, and there isn’t any depth to speak of at 2B/SS despite Steve Sax‘s excellent first 50 PA’s.

Needs: Minor League 2B/SS.

Prospects: OF Paul O’Neill, Kenny Lofton; IF Johnny Hodapp
AAA Help: P Chuck Porter, Claude Passeau; IF Bob Elliott, Brook Jacoby
MLB Help: IF Willie McCovey

#Homestead Grays

A Wild Card spot is likely for the Grays, who have a powerhouse offense and a desperate need for pitching. With some young talent blocked, they may be able to make some moves.

Needs: Bullpen is aging

Prospects: OF Max Carey, Paul Waner; IF Freddie Lindstrom
AAA Help: OF Starling Marte; IF Jeff Kent, P Brickyard Kennedy
MLB Help: OF Goose Goslin

#Houston Colt 45’s

Another team caught between a wild card chase and building for the future, the Colt 45’s would love to address their one ongoing need, which is a catcher to take over from the aging Jorge Posada, as some in the organization are not yet sold on Will Smith as the longterm solve behind the plate. There is a crunch at 1B/DH as well, as there really aren’t enough AB’s to go around for both Paul Goldschmidt and the recently demoted Andrés Galaragga.

Needs: Minor League C, SS.

Prospects: IF Bucky Dent, Travis Jackson, Wes Helms; OF César Cedeño, Hunter Pence, Shin-Soo Choo
AAA Help: P Mike Sirotka, Óscar Tuero; IF Carney Lansford, Aramis Ramírez, OF Gorman Thomas, Johnny Damon
MLB Help: Various bullpen pieces may be possible

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Another team riding the wild card roller coaster. The ABC’s are solid offensively, but struggle some behind their top end starters. There are some blocked players–perhaps most notably Jake Stenzel–so there are some pieces available.

Needs: Minor League OF

Prospects: OF Jim Eisenreich, IF Pokey Reese, Sean Casey, Hal Morris
AAA Help: P Johnny Vandeer Meer; OF Jody Gerut, Dave Henderson, Ed Swartwood; IF Dan Driessen
MLB Help: OF Jake Stenzel, Bob Bescher, IF Ed Charles

#Kansas City Monarchs

This Monarchs team will make the playoffs a year or two ahead of schedule so the choice of how much to surrender for immediate success is a bit challenging. At some point, some of the positional logjams need to be sorted out (Albert Pujols, Dale Murphy, and Ducky Medwick; Willie McGee and Cool Papa Bell), but it’s not clear that now is that time.

Needs: Minor League C; WBL Offense

Prospects: OF Wade Johnston, Earl Averill; IF Keston Hiura, Pat Burrell
AAA Help: P Adam Wainwright, Jack Quinn; IF Ken Boyer, Andre Thornton; OF Merv Rettenmund, Jim King
MLB Help: P Matt Morris, Luke Hamlin

#New York Black Yankees

Once again the Black Yankees are trying to find the right piece to extend their postseason run. At some point, they’ll need to solve their post Derek Jeter needs at SS, but this is probably not that time.

Needs: Minor League OF; P; future SS.

Prospects: OF Rob Deer, Clyde Milan
AAA Help: OF Roger Maris; IF Tom Herr, Red Rolfe; P AJ Burnett
MLB Help: P Rheal Cormier, Red Ruffing, Waite Hoyt

#MEH

A mix of teams doing well enough not need anything (San Francisco) and those not willing to give up much because they like their current talent composition moving into Year 3. Never say never, as these teams do have some pieces, but they are far less motivated to get something done at the deadline.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

This team is just beginning to gel, but they could use some offense and they are one of the few franchises with arms to spare.

Needs: SS if unconvinced by Vern Stephens; Minor League 1B

Prospects: OF Matty Alou, Raúl Mondesi, Don Mueller; IF Sonny Jackson, Ken McMullen, Maury Wills; P Doc Newton, Zach Britton
MLB Help: IF Germany Smith, Dick Bertell
AAA Help: IF Jim Gentile, Eric Karros; C Kelly Shoppach; P Ron Perranoski

#Detroit Wolverines

They’re in an odd spot: on the one hand, they are likely to be in the wild card chase; on the other, this is a team well positioned for the future, and eager to cement that status. There are a lot of pieces that are over 30, but none–other than perhaps Oscar Gamble–are key cogs in the Wolverines’ machine.

Needs: Minor League 3B; IF, esp SS; P.

Prospects: IF Wander Franco
MLB Help: OF Oscar Gamble
AAA Help: OF Brady Clark, Wes Covington; IF Jimmy Collins; P Dennis Rasmussen

#Miami Cuban Giants

The Cuban Giants have an outside shot at a wildcard slot, but this is a team building for the future. As such, I would expect them to stand pat, or perhaps move some end of roster pieces for minor league depth.

Needs: Minor League OF, 3B, 1B; WBL P.

Prospects: OF Roy Thomas, Carlos Morán
MLB Help: P Sandy Consuegra, Kenshin Kawakami; OF Andy Pafko
AAA Help: IF Nellie Fox

#Ottawa Mounties

Even though the Mounties have a shot at the playoffs, this is a team trying to position itself for the future, which basically means begging everyone and anyone for pitching.

Needs: Minor League SS, 3B, C. SP.

Prospects: OF Warren Cromartie, Willie Upshaw, Willie Keeler, Leon Roberts
MLB Help: P Bryn Smith; IF Roy Sievers; OF Rick Monday
AAA Help: IF John Olerud; OF Terry Puhl, Bob Allison; C Emil Gross; P Chris Bosio

#Philadelphia Stars

The Stars are on the fringe of the playoffs, but really this is a team aiming at cementing and building around its emerging nucleus. As such, some of its useful veterans may be available; at the same time, Philadelphia would love to add some pitching and address its issues in the middle infield.

Needs: MI, P, WBL Offense.

Prospects: ???
MLB Help: OF Rico Carty; P Bob Howry, Robin Roberts, Pedro Feliciano; IF Art Fletcher, Ted Kluszewski
AAA Help: OF Bobby Abreu; IF Jung Ho Kang, Dolph Camilli, Cecil Cooper; C Sherm Lollar

#San Francisco Sea Lions

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That said, if an easy piece comes available, it’s unlikely the Sea Lions ignore the opportunity.

Needs: Minor League 1B

Prospects: OF Jules Thomas, Matt Holliday; IF Freddie Freeman; P Jair Jurrjens
MLB Help:
AAA Help: IF Dick Green, Denny Walling; OF Josh Reddick; P Rube Walberg

#Wandering House of David

Even the House of David isn’t convinced their playoff chances are real. Still … they might be. So it’s a bit of a quandary in terms of whether they should move some of their young talent or not. The challenge is the roster really doesn’t make a ton of sense: CF is overly crowded, 1B/DH as well, and there is an abundance of talent at 2B.

Needs: P

Prospects: OF Tony Conigliaro; IF Billy Herman
MLB Help: OF Jim Edmonds, George Gore; IF Mark McGwire, Richie Hebner
AAA Help: P Joaquín Andújar; IF Tom Hutton, Mark Grace; OF Tracy Jones

#SELLERS

Teams with either an excess of talent, or who have thrown in the towel on the season and have some veteran pieces that may be attractive.

#Baltimore Black Sox

Last year’s champs, this year’s dunces. Baltimore believes in its young core, a belief that may see them retain FA acquisition Gavvy Cravath, but even he may be had for the right price.

Needs: all P, Minor League OF.

MLB Help: IF Bobby Wallace, Dan McGann; P Buddy Groom, Connie Johnson, Joe Beggs
AAA Help: P Ken Johnson, Kevin Tapani, Christhian Martínez; OF Ken Griffey, Sr; IF Brian Roberts

#Chicago American Giants

The season cannot end soon enough. Chicago has talent to be a contender, but nothing has gone right for them this season. They are willing to blow up their pitching staff, from a how much worse could it be perspective.

Needs: Minor League OF, C; prime P

Prospects: IF Jorge Orta; OF Walter Davis, Lenny Dykstra
MLB Help: P Akinori Otsuka, Joe Lake, Mark Buehrle, Hoyt Wilhelm, David Price; IF Paul Konerko, Freddy Parent; OF Vernon Wells
AAA Help: OF Rocky Colavito, Magglio Ordóñez; C Michael McKenry

#Los Angeles Angels

It hasn’t been a bad year for the Angels, but they are still a player or three away. There is a lot of mound talent in the organization, but they could use some long term solutions at SS, 3B, and C.

Needs: Minor League OF, C, 2B; WBL Offense.

Prospects: OF Norm Miller
MLB Help: IF Eddie Joost
AAA Help: OF Elmer Valo; IF Mark Ellis; P Rich Hill

#Memphis Red Sox

There is hope in Beantown. Just not for this year. There also are some pieces that may hold attraction for contenders, most notably 1B Bill White (with the Red Sox happy to turn 1B over to David Ortiz) and closer Jonathan Papelbon. There is a lot of congestion at various positions that needs to clarify over time.

Needs: Minor League C, SS; SP; 2B/SS

Prospects: IF Dustin Pedroia, OF Joe Rudi, Dwight Evans, Lefty O’Doul, Candy Jim Taylor, P Jim Kaat
MLB Help: P Tommy de la Cruz, Jonathan Papelbon; IF Bill White, DJ LeMahieu, Iván De Jesús, Nomar Garciaparra
AAA Help: IF George Scott, Dustin Pedroia

#New York Gothams

With this season pretty much scrapped, the Gothams are looking to the future. Which puts them in an interesting spot, as they have a fair number of useful parts on the wrong side of 30. But it’s not a total fire sale, as the team isn’t that far away from competing.

Needs: Minor League SS, C, 2B; SS

Prospects: OF Rick Manning
MLB Help: P Mike Norris, Juan Marichal, Troy Percival, Gaylord Perry; IF Joe Adcock, Larry Doyle, Terry Turner
AAA Help: OF Carl Furillo, Steve Kemp, Charlie Hamburg; IF George Kell; P Liván Hernández, Wei-Yin Chen, Tony Mullane, Guy Hecker

#Portland Sea Dogs

In some sense, the Sea Dogs did their selling already, both during the offseason and the all star break. But this year is still a wash for Portland, so anything they can do to help build for the future will be worthwhile.

Needs: 2B/SS, overall WBL Offense.

Prospects: ???
MLB Help: OF Kiki Cuyler, Harry Hooper; IF Gil Hodges; P Mark Melancon
AAA Help: IF Don Baylor, Rafael Palmeiro; OF Walt Bond, Jerald Clark

TWIWBL 75.4: Cum Posey Division

By

On July 6, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
San Francisco Sea Lions68-37.648—
Miami Cuban Giants51-54.48617
Los Angeles Angels48-57.45720
Chicago American Giants47-58.44821
Portland Sea Dogs47-58.44821
Cum Posey Division | 30 July

#Chicago American Giants

Tricky Nichols, who has struggled all year, finally revealed a possible cause, and will miss the rest of the season with shoulder inflammation. The American Giants hope to have him back for the Spring, and recalled Billy Loes from a rehab assignment to take Nichols’ roster spot.

#Miami Cuban Giants

José Canseco hit 2 out of the ballpark, leading the Cuban Giants to a 12-9 win over San Francisco.

But it doesn’t always work: Jim Thome, Andy Pafko, and Julio Rodríguez each hit 2 homeruns in a game the Cuban Giants’ bullpen blew as Miami fell to San Francisco, 9-8 in 10 innings.

Canseco continued his charge, hitting out 3 and reaching 50 on the year as Miami beat the Black Yankees, 7-3. It was the second time this season Canseco has walloped 3 homers in a single game.

Kenshin Kawakami will miss about 6 weeks with shoulder stiffness, warranting a trip to the DL and prompting the Cuban Giants to recall Dale Murray from AAA.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Kent Hrbek went deep twice and drove in 6 as the Sea Dogs topped Memphis, 10-5.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Watty Clark began a rehab assignment.

The Sea Lions tweaked their bench, sending down Gene Oliver and bringing back Brian Downing for another try as the backup catcher.

Turkey Stearnes went deep twice, giving the impressive rookie 32 on the year, but the Sea Lions fell to Miami, 12-9. Then it was Jimmie Foxx‘s turn, but his 2 homers were enough to carry San Francisco to a come-from-behind win over the Cuban Giants, 10-6. And then it was time for Jack Clark to hit 2 out, but this time the Sea Lions bullpen lost a late lead as San Francisco feel to Los Angeles, 10-9.

TWIWBL 72.4: The All Star Trades

By

On February 17, 2025

In TWIWBL

Welcome to the mid-season merry-go-round! These deals tend to be a little less desperate than those at the end of August, but we have some significant movement below for sure as teams make declarations about their intentions over the final months of the season.

Rogers Hornsby and Richie Sexson were traded for the 2nd time at the All-Star Break, each changing teams last season as well.

Baltimore sends John Wetteland & a 4th Round Pick to Portland for Mike Cuellar.

Wetteland’s struggles this year don’t eliminate his immense upside, and this trade reunites Cuellar with his historical team. It also reinforces Baltimore’s belief that the Black Sox are closer to competing than Portland may be.

Miami sends Ryan Braun, Richie Sexson & a 7th Round Pick to Birmingham for Jim Whitney, Andy Pafko, José Cruz, and a 2nd Round Pick.

This one is tricky. Miami is in the unfamiliar position of potentially competing for a playoff spot, and are in desperate need of pitching. Whitney is a first-time all-star, so he is being sold at what is most likely his peak value. Braun is clearly a force, but moving him allows Miami to clearly define roles for Jim Thome and Gary Sheffield and to expand playing time for Yasiel Puig and Al Oliver (Pafko’s acquisition is seen as relatively short-term, with his versatility aiding in the Cuban Giants’ playoff push). From Birmingham’s perspective, Braun immediately becomes a significant lineup addition, and Sexson has a much clearer road to the WBL with the Black Barons.

San Francisco sends John Beckwith & a 3rd Round Pick to the House of David for Frank Grant.

A straight up future talent deal. The Sea Lions think they have their 2B issue solved with this deal, and since Grant is already in the WBL, they had to throw in the pick. It’s not clear where Beckwith plays for the House of David–or when he arrives–but a bat like his will eventually not be denied.

Los Angeles sends Don Buford to the New York Gothams for Freddie Patek and a 2nd and a 5th Round Pick

LA is rebuilding, at least slightly, and Buford has struggled this year, while the Gothams need help both in LF and at 2B. Patek has a future, but the 22 draft picks are the meat of the deal.

Philadelphia sends Larry Jackson to the House of David for Jung Ho Kang, Luis Aparicio, and a 7th Round Pick.

The House of David wanted pitching; given how established in the WBL Jackson is, they would have to pay relatively dearly for it. Aparicio has a massive amount of upside at a position the Stars lack, the rest is to make it all acceptable.

Cleveland send Victor Martinez, Bill Drake, and a 1st Round Pick to Detroit for Ed Bailey and Claude Passeau.

Bailey started the all-star game, but at 37, may be close to done. With Detroit looking to the future and Cleveland trying to make a late push for the playoffs, the Wolverines got to essentially name their price: a C for the future, a strong SP prospect, and a pick seems about right.

Kansas City sent Heliodoro Hidalgo, Jimmy Key, and a 3rd Round Pick to the House of David for Joe Harris and Lee Smith.

The Monarchs addressed 2 significant needs as they try to make a 2nd half push, adding 2 players who were in consideration for the all star game. Both are well into their 30s, but still Kansas City’s price was steep, as Hidalgo is an excellent prospect and Key still has some life in his arm.

The Black Yankees sent Willie Randolph, Jake Peavy, Bill Monbouquette, and a 1st Round Pick to Portland for Rogers Hornsby and Pascual Pérez.

Trying to avoid a repeat of last-season’s collapse, the Black Yankees did the same thing, perhaps overpaying for an all-star 2B. This time, it’s Hornsby, who certainly seems less likely to fade than Tom Herr did last year. Portland was willing to include the immediate value of Pérez for Monbouquette and the currently injured Peavy. If he returns to his potential, this could be a steal for the Sea Dogs, who also get some insurance at 2B in the form of Randolph.

Indianapolis sent a 4th Round Pick to Homestead for Chris Sabo.

The ABC’s needed some depth at 3B. Shrug.

Brooklyn sends a 4th Round Pick to Memphis for Vern Stephens.

Stephens carries a hefty salary (which Memphis will help offset) and has been awful this year. But the Royal Giants are desperate for help at SS.

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