1. Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence

The Jags have a chance at a really bright future. Lawrence is one of the best prospects of all time. Don’t overthink this pick.

1. Jets: Justin Fields

I like Sam Darnold and I think he can be a quality QB in this league, however, when a new coach comes in you let him pick his guy and Fields has tremendous talent.

1. Dolphins: Penei Sewell

Tua wasn’t great, and I think the Dolphins take a swing at Deshaun Watson. However if no trade transpires it would make sense to bolster the line and add a player who many are calling a generational talent.

1. Atlanta Falcons: Zach Wilson

The Falcons have a lot of pieces, however this isn’t a championship winning roster. Wilson is electric and he would do well to develop for a year before taking Matt Ryan’s job.

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Jamar Chase

While DeVonta Smith is a fantastic player, Chase is still the top WR in this class. Chase/Higgins/Boyd could be an elite trio for the Bengals. It’s also a strong draft for tackles so I see them pairing someone with Jonah Williams (who had a strong year) with their 2nd round pick.

1. Philadelphia Eagles: Devonta Smith

The Eagles need a receiver, Wentz looks to be out and giving Jalen Hurts weapons for next year is a priority.

1. Detroit Lions: Jaylen Waddle

The definition of a deep threat, Waddle has elite speed and can be a Tyreek Hill type of player for the Lions who will need to replace Kenny Golladay.

1. Carolina Panthers: Trey Lance

I wish we had seen Lance build off his fantastic 2019 season where he didn’t throw a pick. Lance can throw the football all over the field and has a high level understanding of the game. Panthers can let him develop with Bridgewater starting next season.

1. Denver Broncos: Micah Parsons

The Broncos go BPA at this point adding a blue chip talent to their defense. Parsons has everything he needs to be an elite linebacker in the NFL.

1. Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Farley

Farley asserted himself as the best corner in this class. The Cowboys defense was awful and they desperately need help at CB.

1. New York Giants: Gregory Rousseau

The best edge defender in this class, pairing Rousseau with Leonard Williams (who I believe will be re-signed creates a dynamic pass rushing duo.

1. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Surtain

This is an easy pick, with several notable fee agents the niners bolster their CB room. I don’t love Surtain,but he is a talented player at a position of need.

1. LA Chargers: Rashawn Slater

Slater is a talented player and the second best tackle in this class. Look for the Chargers to address the line after Herbert was sacked 32 times in 2020.

1. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw

Another tackle off the board for a Vikings teak that needs help in the trenches. I like Wyatt Davis for the Vikings but OT is more important than IOL.

1. New England Patriots: Mac Jones

New England needs to address the quarterback situation, Mac is talented and has no major flaws in his game, the epitome of a game manager.

1. Arizona Cardinals: Kyle Pitts

The Cardinals get lucky with Pitts falling, he’s the BPA available and pairing him with Deandre Hopkins will offer some serious mismatches.

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Kwity Paye

The Raiders need help all over their D-line, Paye is the top player available at a position of need. I like Paye, and I don’t think he slips this far but I wasn’t sure where to mock him.

1. Miami Dolphins: Rashod Bateman

After going with Sewell at 3, the Dolphins add the best receiver on the board to their offense. Look for this team to take huge strides in 2021.

1. Washington Football Team: Samuel Cosmi

This is a really strong tackle class which helps the Football Team who have a need at the position. Washington needs to figure out quarterback because the rest of the offense is falling into place.

1. Chicago Bears: Wyatt Davis

David Montgomery has shown he’s the RB of the future in Chicago. The interior offensive line did not open up holes for him. Davis goes a long way towards solving the problem.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Jaycee Horn

The Colts are a QB away from contending. They add another piece to their already strong defense and address their quarterback situation through free agency or trade.

1. Tennessee Titans: Zaven Collins

The Titans have a strong offense, however they desperately need to improve their pass rush. Collins is massive and can play all over the field.

1. New York Jets: Jayson Oweh

Oweh is an absurd physical specimen. He comes in and immediately bolsters the pass rush and run defense for the Jets.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers: Teven Jenkins

Jenkins was a man among boys in college, the Steelers were an excellent team that was hindered by their terrible rushing offense. Adding a physical tackle and a RB later in the draft works to solve that problem.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Alijah Vera-Tucker

The Jaguars have to invest in their offensive line. Tucker can play both tackle and guard, and has the athleticism to block downfield.

1. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

JOK is an incredible player and athlete who will step in and become the Browns “Lamar stopper”.

1. Baltimore Raven: Kadarius Toney

The Ravens must improve their passing attack. They’ve lost in the playoffs in two consecutive years because of their reliance on running the ball. Toney is an explosive YAC monster who compliments Marquise Brown very well.

1. New Orleans Saints: Nick Bolton

Bolton is a tackling machine and leader at MLB. His leadership and ability to make big plays helps the Saints improve their already strong defense.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Christian Barmore

The Bucs have a lot of free agents in 2021, especially on defense. Barmore was exceptional in the CFB championship and is the best defensive tackle in the country.

1. Buffalo Bills: Azeri Ojulari

The Bills need to fix their pass rush, no player registered more than 5 sacks in 2020. Ojulari is a phenomenal DE and the best speed rusher in the class.

1. Green Bay Packers: Asante Samuel Jr

Samuel is a talented corner who allowed a 46.2 passer rating this year. Him an Jaire Alexander would be a shutdown duo for years to come.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Rondale Moore

With Sammy Watkins assumedly out, the 5’9 Moore steps in as a tackle breaking machine. With Hill, Kelce, and Moore, the Chiefs don’t miss a step.

1st Round
1. Jacksonville - Trevor Lawrence (QB)
The clear choice
2. Houston Texans (Sam Darnold, 1.02, Giant’s 2021 5th and the Seahawk’s 2022 1st pick for Deshaun Watson) – Zach Wilson (QB)
The Texans acquire future draft capital and enter a rebuild. They have a top pick this draft, and 2 first next year – enough to make a new team and start to erase the errors of BoB. The Jets get their QB of the future. The Texans get Darnold and see if he can produce outside of a Gase offense, but select Zach Wilson as the QB of the future. This will give the Texans a chance to let Wilson get acclimated to the NFL before being thrown into the fire. The Texans also likely decline Darnold’s 5th year option, because he will either be irrelevant by then, or will be good enough to sign to another team for significant money and give a comp pick.
The Jets get a franchise QB while still having a first this year and next year, their future is immediately very bright. The Texans might demand more compensation, but they have a new GM and if Deshaun refuses to play, they may have to settle for a ‘mere’ 2 1st round picks.
3. Miami – Penei Sewell (LT)
A franchise left tackle. While Miami may not need him as much as Cincinnati does, their line isn’t nearly stellar enough to pass on his talent.
4. Detroit (from Atlanta for 1.07 and 2.41 for 1.04) – Justin Fields (QB)
Detroit trades up to get Stafford’s replacement. Atlanta gives Matt Ryan more time.
5. Cincinnati – Micah Parsons (LB)
Parsons has sideline to sideline speed and should be a Pro Bowler quickly at a Cinci position of need. The Bengals OLine has been poor, but it needs more than just 1st round picks being thrown at it. The Bengals can address it later in the draft.
6. Philadelphia – Ja’Marr Chase (WR)
Although it is unclear who Philly’s QB will be, who ever it is will need to have more weapons available to them. Ja’Marr Chase is the best player available here, and fits Philly’s needs. While Zach Wilson and Trey Lance are still available, the Eagles give Wentz and Hurts another go at things with a better supporting cast and different HC before they completely move on.
7. Atlanta – Kwity Paye (DE)
Atlanta’s weakest position group might be their EDGEs, and despite trading back they still get the best one off the board. I personally like Rousseau better tho...
8. Carolina - Trey Lance (QB)
Carolina gets a QB of the future, who will be able to take reps behind their current QB of Teddy Bridgewater while he quickly grows a starter. Lance’s biggest flaw as a prospect is his inexperience with an NFL offense. NDSU’s offense is designed runs against slower LBs and deep balls to open receivers. Lance’s ability to dominate in the FCS is clear, but he needs to learn when to throw a check down before he will be ready for the NFL, and sitting behind Teddy will let him do that. Lance’s athleticism as a runner and capability as a thrower make him a more appealing pick to the Panthers here.
9. Denver – Caleb Farley (CB)
Farley has asserted himself as the best CB in the draft. He can be another piece in a Fangio defense that becomes one of the best in the league. They only need their offensive weapons to play to their potential…
10. Dallas – Patrick Surtain II (CB)
The Cowboys have holes to fix on their much maligned defense from last year, in addition to their offensive line issues. However, the Dallas offense looked acceptable when they had Dak, while their defense did not. They take the next off the board, and hope the Dak can return to form next year.
11. NY Giants – Jaylen Waddle (WR)
The Giants need an elite receiving option and get a number one receiving option. He has the route running skills and ball skills to play on the outside, and the size to be durable. When both Waddle and Smith where heathy at Bama, Waddle actually had more production.
12. San Francisco – Jaycee Horn (CB)
SF will likely be losing Richard Sherman, and Jaycee Horn has all the skills necessary to be a shutdown corner, although he may have some hiccups on the way.
13. LA Chargers – Rashawn Slater (OL)
The Chargers clearly need to improve all over their offensive line, as all 3 positions were rated in the bottom 2 by PFF. Slater has the versatility to move all around the offensive line, and the ability to match. His demonstrated ability against NFL prospects such as Chase Young in college is very enticing and leads the Chargers to select him above fellow prospect Christian Darrisaw
14. Minnesota – Gregory Rousseau (EDGE)
Minnesota’s defensive line struggled without Danielle Hunter. With Rousseau and Hunter back, the DLine may actually become a strong suit.
15. Lions (trade from New England for Matthew Stafford) – DeVonta Smith (WR)
The Lions, in their trade for Stafford, get the last of the big 3 stud receivers. New England effectively drafts Matt Stafford with their first round pick, and hopes to fill the smaller holes on offense and defense in the later
16. Arizona – Kyle Pitts (TE)
The Cardinals get a second option for Kyler to throw to. Pitts is a great fit for the Cardinals because they run 12 personnel the 3rd most often in the NFL and 10 Personnel the most in the NFL, but don’t have a passing option like Pitts on their roster (not like there are many options like Pitts on any roster). Pitts falls to the Cardinals and helps Klif put together a lightning fast scoring machine.
17. Indianapolis (trade from Las Vegas 1.17 for 1.21 and 4.118) – Christian Darrisaw (OT)
Indy selects their next franchise left tackle to compliment Quinton Nelson after the retirement of Anthony Castonzo.
18. Miami – Azeez Ojulari (EDGE)
Ojulari is a good DE prospect who gets to the QB at a very efficient rate. The Dolphins have already invested in their secondary, but you need a pass rush too the get the benefit of it.
19. Washington – Alijah Vera-Tucker (OT)
The Football Team would like to take a QB here, but Mac Jones and Trask are major reaches. Honestly I don’t really know what Washington takes here, but you can never have enough O Line depth. They take Alijah Vera-Tucker, who can play at tackle and guard, and hope that Jones or Trask is available in the 2nd.

1. Chicago - Sam Cosmi (OT)

Chicago looks to improve their offensive line and selects the 6-7 tackle out of Texas. He has the room to fill out and become an absolute bruiser in both the run and pass game.
21. Las Vegas(trade from Indianapolis 1.17 for 1.21 and 4.118) – Jayson Oweh (EDGE)
The Raiders need help on their OLine. Oweh is yet NFL ready, but he is an absurd prospect. Nonetheless, his wild build will allow the DC in Vegas to get creative. I realize this is a reach, but I think he is the perfect type of freak athlete Gruden and the Raiders would select.
22. Tennessee – Carlos Besham Jr. (EDGE)
The Titans defense needs to be better getting after the passer. Besham has a very high motor to get after the QB, and is the type of player that can really bolster a defense in my opinion.
23. NY Jets via SEA – Wyatt Davis (OG)
The Jets have their QB of the future in Deshaun Watson. Wyatt Davis, along with Mekhi Becton and their other signings will make their offensive line a force as well, in both the pass and running game. An elite QB + elite OLine play should get the Jets most of the way to a great offense, but the Jets will quickly need to get weapons for the run game and the pass game too
24. Pittsburgh – Creed Humphry (C)
Creed Humphry becomes the replacement for longtime center Maurkice Pouncey. While Pouncey has not retired yet (and this assumes he will), the Steelers have clearly been affected by subpar OLine play. The offense never had a run game and relies on quick passes, which failed them down the stretch. The solution is more than just drafting a new HB, it requires an overhaul of the offensive line. Humphry is the first center of the board.
25. Jacksonville via LAR – Christian Barmore (DT)
Having selected Trevor Lawrence, Urban Meyer knows the next step to winning is domination in the trenches. Barmore proved his ability to get to the QB in the National Championship against some of the same Buckeyes that Urban himself recruited. Although Barmore still has questions about his game, namely his ability to help in the run game, his ability to get to the QB is rare and gets him picked in the first round.
26. Cleveland – Zavon Collins (LB/EDGE)
Collins is an athletic freak and his college tape is something else. The Browns are enthused to get a linebacker who can both cover and rush the passer to anchor a poor defense. The Browns will also need to address the DE position because of the Achilles injury to Olivier Vernon. Almost certainly this will be a job for Free Agency, because I don’t see any EDGEs left that will be able to immediately produce, and the Browns are in their championship window with cap money to spend. Look for them to be in play for Leonard Williams or Trey Hendrickson (or whatever other DEs can be found in free agency or trade).
27. Baltimore – Rashod Bateman (WR)
Lamar Jackson gets a large target to throw to, and the offense can finally be the balanced threat that they clearly would like to be.
28. New Orleans – Rodarius Williams (CB)
NO defense is already very formidable, they take a good coverage CB to play across Lattimore.
29. Tampa Bay – Shaun Wade (CB)
Wade played out of position most of the year, but is a very talented nickel corner who can play anywhere in the secondary, as well as help out the run defense. With the return of Vita Vea, and the drafting of Shaun Wade, it becomes very difficult to run against the Bucs, and the Bucs play in shootouts that Bruce Arians loves to win.
30. Buffalo – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB)
Buffalo tries to fill a hole in their defense with BPA Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out of Notre Dame.
31. Green Bay – Najee Harris (HB)
Green Bay is likely losing Aaron Jones. How do they respond? By possibly upgrading at the position. Najee Harris is a beast at breaking tackles, and can catch balls like a wide receiver, making him dangerous with
32. Kansas City – Rashad Weaver (EDGE)
Kansas City’s DEs are the worst graded DEs in the NFL. Rashad Weaver has the talent to have gone earlier, but his battles with injury make his stock volatile. With that being said, he has the talent to make this group improve, as the Chiefs hope Frank Clark plays like the player he was Seattle.
Second Round
33. Jacksonville – Alex Leatherwood (OT)
34. NY Jets – Rondale Moore (WR)
The Jets’ offense adds Deshaun Watson, Rondale Moore, and Wyatt Davis. Their defense will need work, but the NFL runs through offense, and this should be the best offense New York has seen in awhile, and is set for the long haul.
35. Atlanta – Paulson Adebo (CB)
I love Adebo as a prospect, and feel he would go much higher if didn’t opt out and played his senior year. The Falcons get a high end athlete, though he has to improve his coverage to avoid getting burned.
36. Miami via HOU – Joseph Ossai (LB)
Joseph Ossai is probably the best defensive player on the board, and the Dolphins continue to add talent.
37. Philadelphia – Tyson Campbell (CB)
38. Cincinnati – Jalen Mayfield (OT)
Mayfield likely slots into the RT position, which is what he played in college. The AFC North is deadly for tackles, especially RT, having a slate of Myles Garrett, TJ Watt, and Matt Judon. Mayfield has his faults, but he was able to handle Chase Young in college.
39. Carolina – Jevon Holland (S)
40. Denver - Landon Dickerson (C)
41. Atlanta – Travis Ettienne (HB)
42. NY Giants – Trevon Moehrig (S)
43. San Francisco – Mac Jones (QB)
44. Dallas – Dylan Moses (LB)
45. Jacksonville via Minnesota – Patrick Jones (EDGE)
46. New England – Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR)
47. LA Chargers – Walker Little (OT)
48. Las Vegas – Marvin Wilson (DT)
49. Arizona – Joe Tyron (LB/EDGE)
50. Miami – Baron Browning (LB)
51. Washington – Kyle Trask (QB)
52. Chicago – Asante Samuel Jr. (CB)
53. Tennessee – Jaelan Phillips (EDGE)
Tennessee goes for 2 EDGEs, but pass rush seemed to be a major issue, and you can never enough DLine players.
54. Indianapolis – Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR)
55. Pittsburgh – Monty Rice (ILB)
Steelers were killed by injuries at MLB, Rice will be able to help there while providing help in pass rush on occasion.
56. Seattle – Ronnie Perkins (EDGE)
57. LA Rams – Nick Bolton (LB)
58. Tampa Bay – Daviyon Nixon (DT)
59. Baltimore – Josh Myers (C)
60. Cleveland - Dayo Odeyingbo (EDGE)
61. New Orleans – Jay Tufele (NT)
62. Buffalo – Eric Stokes (CB)
63. Green Bay – Pete Werner (LB)
64. Kansas City – Jordan Smith (LB)
​
edited: a typo with Ettienne and gave Jacksonville Min's pick from a trade

Welcome to the special twenty-year review edition of the Alabama Slammers franchise report! We’ll highlight each MLB team in order of winning percentage, list the hall-of fame inductees, MVP winners, and Cy Young winners, then go over the top Slammers players. If there’s any player you’d like to know about that I don’t cover, just ask and I’ll let you know how they turned out.
Team Rankings by Winning Percentage
The method for choosing the best players from each team wasn’t scientific – I just tried to find the players that posted the highest WAR for each team during the past twenty-one years. So, anyone that played the majority of their career prior to 2020 is probably excluded, and longevity is valued over short periods of excellence. Also, I don’t have ratings screenshots for most of the players, but tried to include them where I could.
For the playoff appearances, keep in mind that we didn’t have a wildcard from 2021-2033.
1.) Alabama Slammers
20 Year Record – 2025-1215 (.625)
Playoff Appearances – 15
Division Championships – 15
World Series – 5
Best Pitcher – Gilles Palacios (2034 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Edgar Sanchez (2035 Ratings, Career Stats)
This is one of the best twenty-year runs in the history of baseball – and we started as an expansion team. I expect us to be even better the next twenty years.
2.) Atlanta Braves
21 Year Record – 1888-1514 (.555)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 5
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Pat Leveille (2031 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Ronald Acuna Jr. (2026 Ratings, Career Stats)
I really feel bad for the Braves getting stuck in a division with us. They were the second-best team in baseball for a long time and only have five playoff appearances to show for it.
3.) Los Angeles Dodgers
21 Year Record – 1837-1565 (.540)
Playoff Appearances – 7
Division Championships – 6
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Walker Buehler (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Cody Bellinger (Career Stats)
Despite having the third-best winning percentage the past twenty-one years, the Dodgers were a bit underwhelming. A team with their budget and talent level should’ve made the playoffs more than once every three seasons.
4.) Seattle Mariners
21 Year Record – 1813-1589 (.533)
Playoff Appearances – 8
Division Championships – 8
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Marco Gonzalez (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Cody Bellinger (Career Stats)
The Mariners signed Cody Bellinger to a 7/$196m deal prior to the 2025 season and it was the best move in their franchise’s history. He posted 47.8 WAR during his seven-year stay, won three MVPs, and brought them their first title in 2025.
5.) Toronto Blue Jays
21 Year Record – 1803-1509 (.530)
Playoff Appearances – 9
Division Championships – 7
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Jack Leiter (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Career Stats)
The Blue Jays were pretty consistent, winning less than 70 games only one time and having just five losing seasons.
6.) Washington Nationals
21 Year Record – 1803-1509 (.530)
Playoff Appearances – 10
Division Championships – 9
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Fabricio Tertilio (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Juan Soto (2024 Ratings, Career Stats)
The Nationals were one of the top franchises the past twenty-one years, and especially the last ten. They knocked a couple of our better teams out of the playoffs.
7.) Houston Astros
21 Year Record – 1797-1605 (.528)
Playoff Appearances – 8
Division Championships – 8
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Jose Corniell (2027 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Garrett Mitchell (Career Stats)
Unfortunately, the trashcan beaters weren’t one of the worst teams in baseball. Hopefully, that changes the next twenty years.
8.) Los Angeles Angels
21 Year Record – 1795-1607 (.527)
Playoff Appearances – 11
Division Championships – 10
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Mike Butler (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Mike Trout (Career Stats)
The Angels won a title two years after Trout retired – Sometimes life isn’t fair.
9.) Cleveland Indians
21 Year Record – 1787-1615 (.525)
Playoff Appearances – 9
Division Championships – 8
World Series – 2
Best Pitcher – Shane Bieber (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Francisco Lindor (Career Stats)
The Indians won two of the first three titles during the save but are still looking for their fifth overall championship.
10.) Boston Red Sox
21 Year Record – 1765-1637 (.519)
Playoff Appearances – 7
Division Championships – 6
World Series – 3
Best Pitcher – Rob McDowell (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Rafael Devers (Career Stats)
The Red Sox are probably the closest thing I have to a rival. They’ve won three of the past five World Series, with two of those wins coming against us.
11.) Colorado Rockies
21 Year Record – 1756-1646 (.516)
Playoff Appearances – 8
Division Championships – 8
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Steve Delaney (2035 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Eric Zuniga (2037 Ratings, Career Stats)
Steve Delaney might be the most talented fictional pitcher in the save, but he’s never won a Cy Young. He probably deserved one or two of the ones Gilles Palacios won.
12.) St. Louis Cardinals
21 Year Record – 1749-1653 (.514)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 1
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Jack Flaherty (2024 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Ivan Manso (2034 Ratings, Career Stats)
The Braves had the misfortune of spending thirteen years in a division with us, but the Cardinals have had to suffer through twenty. They slipped in a title during one of our two losing seasons.
13.) San Diego Padres
21 Year Record – 1748-1654 (.514)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 4
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Jesus Pilar (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Trent Grisham (Career Stats)
The Padres started off the 20’s hot but have turned into a middle of the road team since then. They haven’t made the playoffs in nine years.
14.) Detroit Tigers
21 Year Record – 1745-1657 (.513)
Playoff Appearances – 9
Division Championships – 9
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Matt Manning (2028 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Adrian Cuevas (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
The Tigers have slipped a bit recently, but they had a great run from 2026-2036, winning the division nine times and taking one World Series.
15.) Minnesota Twins
21 Year Record – 1725-1677 (.507)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 3
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Peter Parrell (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Joel Mogel (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
The Twins missed the playoffs for sixteen straight years, then made it five times in a row after losing Joel Mogel to free agency – go figure.
16.) New York Yankees
21 Year Record – 1723-1679 (.506)
Playoff Appearances – 4
Division Championships – 4
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Freddy Silguero (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Aaron Judge (Career Stats)
The Yankees are going to need to keep at this pace for about a hundred more years for me to catch them in total titles.
17.) Chicago Cubs
21 Year Record – 1702-1700 (.500)
Playoff Appearances – 4
Division Championships – 3
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Alex Velez (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Chris Mandell (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
The Cubs won the title in 2021 and have been about as average as possible since then.
18.) Mexico City Bandits
20 Year Record – 1607-1633 (.496)
Playoff Appearances – 1
Division Championships – 1
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Chad Perkins (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Alexis Perez (Career Stats)
The Bandits joined the league when we did and have had a tough time establishing themselves. Maybe they’ll fare better the next twenty years.
19.) Tampa Bay Rays
21 Year Record – 1684-1718 (.495)
Playoff Appearances – 8
Division Championships – 7
World Series – 1
Best Pitcher – Blake Snell (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Chris Peck (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Starting in 2020, the Rays made the playoffs six of seven years, then only qualified two of the next fourteen years. They won the World Series in 2023.
20.) Philadelphia Phillies
21 Year Record – 1665-1737 (.489)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 4
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Alek Jacob (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Bryce Harper (Career Stats)
There’s not a lot to say about the Phillies. They’ve had some good years, some bad ones, and nothing too memorable to talk about.
21.) Arizona Diamondbacks
21 Year Record – 1662-1740 (.489)
Playoff Appearances – 3
Division Championships – 3
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Steve Madden (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Daulton Varsho (Career Stats)
The Diamondbacks won their division from 2032-2034 but haven’t done much outside of that.
22.) Baltimore Orioles
21 Year Record – 1657-1745 (.487)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 5
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Joey Wentz (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Adley Rutschman (Career Stats)
The fact that Joey Wentz is the Orioles most accomplished pitcher says a lot about where they’re at as a franchise.
23.) Milwaukee Brewers
21 Year Record – 1656-1746 (.487)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 4
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Ze Carantonha (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Christian Yelich (Career Stats)
Ze Carantonha was robbed of a Cy Young in 2038 and would be a lock for the hall of fame if he could stay healthy.
24.) New York Mets
21 Year Record – 1639-1763 (.482)
Playoff Appearances – 5
Division Championships – 5
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Kyle Brnovich (2035 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Pete Alonso (2035 Ratings, Career Stats)
Interestingly, we faced off against both Brnovich and Alonso in the 2035 playoffs, but they were both playing for the Phillies.
25.) Kansas City Royals
21 Year Record – 1626-1776
Playoff Appearances – 1
Division Championships – 0
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Jeremy Hutchinson (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Alex Castro (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Times have been tough for the Royals – their only playoff appearance was as a wildcard in 2037.
26.) Cincinnati Reds
21 Year Record – 1601-1801 (.471)
Playoff Appearances –
Division Championships –
World Series –
Best Pitcher – Bobby Dibble (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Ben Bovain (2033 Ratings, Career Stats)
Things would have been different for the Reds without Ben Bovain. He led them to three of their four playoff appearances and their only World Series title the past twenty-one years.
27.) Chicago White Sox
21 Year Record – 1598-1804 (.470)
Playoff Appearances – 1
Division Championships – 1
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Lucas Giolito (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Ken Thompson (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
The White Sox have been better recently, but they were dismal for most of the save.
28.) Oakland Athletics
21 Year Record – 1595-1807 (.469)
Playoff Appearances – 0
Division Championships – 0
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Chris West (2031 Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Kyle Hannah (Career Stats)
The Athletics are the only non-expansion team to fail to reach the playoffs – Ouch.
29.) Texas Rangers
21 Year Record – 1583-1819
Playoff Appearances – 1
Division Championships – 0
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Daniel Reyna (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Angel Martinez (Career Stats)
The Rangers misery is only topped by the Athletics. They made the playoffs one time as a wildcard in 2034.
30.) San Francisco Giants
21 Year Record – 1561-1841 (.459)
Playoff Appearances – 3
Division Championships – 3
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Osiel Rodriguez (Career Stats)
Best Batter – Joey Bart (Career Stats)
The Giants have finished better than .500 one time in the past ten seasons, and that was last year with an 82-80 record.
31.) Miami Marlins
21 Year Record – 1555-1847 (.457)
Playoff Appearances – 1
Division Championships – 1
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Davis Sharpe (Career Stats)
Best Batter – JJ Bleday (Career Stats)
The Marlins made the playoffs in 2038, and it was their only appearance in franchise history that didn’t result in a championship.
32.) Hawaii Surf
7 Year Record – 500-634 (.441)
Playoff Appearances – 0
Division Championships – 0
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Jeff Janda (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Ben Bovain (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
All four of the newest expansion teams have had a tough time, but that isn’t too surprising.
33.) Pittsburgh Pirates
21 Year Record – 1493-1909 (.439)
Playoff Appearances – 1
Division Championships – 1
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Dan Heimbach (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Bill D’elia (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
The Pirates haven’t made the playoffs in nineteen years and have a worse winning percentage than three of the expansion teams – how embarrassing.
34.) New Orleans Jazz
7 Year Record – 494-640 (.436)
Playoff Appearances – 0
Division Championships – 0
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Tristan Dotson (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Jose Sanchez (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
35.) Montreal Expos
7 Year Record – 459-675 (.405)
Playoff Appearances – 0
Division Championships – 0
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Damiano Ricciardi (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Jim Philipps (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
36.) New Jersey Bats
7 Year Record – 451-683 (.398)
Playoff Appearances – 0
Division Championships – 0
World Series – 0
Best Pitcher – Branden Gray (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Best Batter – Josh Keyes (Current Ratings, Career Stats)
Hall of Fame Inductees Since 2021
2021 – Roger Clemens (9th Ballot, 76.8%), Barry Bonds (9th Ballot, 76.2%)
2022 – Alex Rodriguez (1st Ballot, 97.8%), David Ortiz (1st Ballot, 89.2%), Curt Schilling (10th Ballot, 83.8%)
2025 – CC Sabathia (1st Ballot, 75.1%)
2026 – Albert Pujols (1st Ballot, 99.1%), Adrian Beltre (3rd Ballot, 83.5%)
2027 – Justin Verlander (1st Ballot, 96.9%), Miguel Cabrera (1st Ballot, 96.9%), Max Scherzer (1st Ballot, 82.9%)
2028 – Zach Greinke (1st Ballot, 78.3%), Carlos Beltran (6th Ballot, 75.3%)
2029 – Clayton Kershaw (1st Ballot, 99.4%)
2030 – Ichiro Suzuki (6th Ballot, 77.7%), Robinson Cano (4th Ballot, 75.3%)
2031 – Francisco Rodriguez (9th Ballot, 77.1%)
2032 – Craig Kimbrel (1st Ballot, 84.1%)
2033 – Giancarlo Stanton (1st Ballot, 79.4%)
2034 – Nolan Arenado (3rd Ballot, 87.4%), Jose Altuve (3rd Ballot, 83.9%)
2036 – Jose Ramirez (1st Ballot, 91.6%)
2037 – Mike Trout (1st Ballot, 99.0%), Christian Yelich (1st Ballot, 96.3%)
2038 – Rafael Devers (1st Ballot, 83.3%)
2039 – Cody Bellinger (1st Ballot, 99.7%), Bryce Harper (1st Ballot, 94.9%), Ozzie Albies (1st Ballot, 94.3%), Gavin Lux (1st Ballot, 81.0%)
AL MVPs Since 2020
Gleyber Torres (2020), Brandon Lowe (2021), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2022, 2023, 2024, 2026), Cody Bellinger(2025, 2028, 2029), Fernando Tatis Jr. (2027, 2034), Gavin Lux (2030), Joel Mogel (2031, 2035), Chris Peck(2032), Brad Hoxie (2033), Jose Uribe (2036), Andy Hudson (2037), Steve Duclos (2038, 2039), Josh Keyes(2040)
Notes:
Cody Bellinger dominated the league, winning seven MVPs over ten seasons.
Four players won MVPs in both leagues: Gleyber Torres, Cody Bellinger, Gavin Lux, and Joel Mogel.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. might be the first player to win four MVPs and not get inducted into the hall of fame.
The Twins had three different players win MVPs: Joel Mogel, Andy Hudson, Steve Duclos
Andy Hudson is probably the biggest flash in the pan in the past twenty-one years. He’s a free agent at 27 years old and only demanding $3.4m AAV.
NL MVPs Since 2020
Cody Bellinger (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024), Shohei Ohtani (2023, 2027), Gavin Lux (2025), Ronald Acuna Jr.(2026), Gleyber Torres (2028), Max Cotier (2029), Ben Bovain (2030, 2031, 2033, 2034), Doug Bridges (2032), Noe Renteria (2035, 2038), Joel Mogel (2036), Eric Zuniga (2037), Edwin de la Torre (2039), Mike Alacron(2040)
Notes:
Ben Bovain is probably the best fictional batter in the save. I’d be shocked if he’s not a first ballot hall of famer.
I’m not sure if anyone other than Ohtani has won the Cy Young while playing strictly as a pitcher, then won the MVP while playing strictly as a batter. He had one of the most interesting careers ever and it’s too bad he won’t make the hall of fame.
AL Cy Young Winners Since 2020
Shohei Ohtani (2020), Aaron Civale (2021), Marco Gonzalez (2022), Blake Snell (2023), Matt Manning (2024), Jose Corniell (2025, 2033), Sandy Alcantara (2026), Zac Gallen (2027), Shane Bieber (2028), Spencer Jones(2029), Javy Guzman (2030), Nate Pearson (2031), Freddy Silguero (2032, 2034), Joe Fryer (2035), Eddie Navarro (2036), Chris Keever (2037), Peter Parrell (2038, 2039), Jorge Morones (2040)
Notes:
Javy Guzman definitely had the worst career of any of the AL Cy Young winners.
NL Cy Young Winners Since 2020
Jack Flaherty (2020), Walker Buehler (2021, 2022, 2023, 2026), Cory Abbott (2024), Dinelson Limet (2025), Drew Butcher (2027), Pat Dibartolo (2028, 2030), Osiel Rodriguez (2029), Joe Starkey (2031), Gilles Palacios(2032, 2033, 2035, 2037), Bob Camargo (2034), Andy Schaffer (2036), Mike Bentley (2038, 2039), Jonathan Magee (2040)
Notes:
The Slammers have ten of the last thirteen NL Cy Young winners.
Pat Dibartolo had the worst second half career of anyone on the list. He signed with the Yankees before the 2034 season and posted -3 WAR over four seasons, earning $104m over that span.
Top 5 Slammers Position Players by Total WAR
\Primary screenshots are from most recent season with team.*
1.) Edgar Sanchez (9 Seasons, 47.3 WAR)
I wouldn’t be surprised if Sanchez is still number one twenty years from now. I think he’s got another 4-5 good seasons in him.
2.) Ernesto Bernal (12 Seasons, 40.7 WAR)
Bernal is the Slammers franchise leader in most offensive categories. Unfortunately, I had to let him walk as a free agent four years ago but he’s still going strong (current ratings, career stats). With a few more good seasons, he might actually make the hall of fame.
3.) Willie Vega (8 Seasons, 36.2 WAR)
4.) Marco Vazquez (6 Seasons, 32.3 WAR)
Vazquez looks to have the best shot of supplanting Sanchez by the next time I do this list.
5.) Shohei Ohtani (6 Seasons, 29.1 WAR)
Ohtani might not hold many Slammers franchise records, but he’s the most important player in team history. He put the offense on his back and carried us to our first World Series.
Top 5 Slammers Position Players by Single Season WAR
1.) 2030 Fernando Tatis Jr. (9 WAR)
2.) 2039 Edwin de la Torre (8.2 WAR)
3.) 2023 Shohei Ohtani (7.8 WAR)
4.) 2033 Ernesto Bernal (7.6 WAR)
5.) 2040 Edwin de la Torre (7.4 WAR)
Top 5 Slammers Starting Pitchers by Total WAR
\Screenshots are from most recent season with team.*
1.) Gilles Palacios (13 Seasons, 60.6 WAR)
Palacios is the Slammers all-time leader in almost every pitching category, and I don’t see anyone with a chance of catching him anytime soon.
2.) Corey MacDonald (11 Seasons, 44.8 WAR)
3.) Andy Schaffer (8 Seasons, 29 WAR)
4.) Pat Dibartolo (7 Seasons, 25.6 WAR)
5.) Mike Bentley (5 Seasons, 25 WAR)
Top 5 Slammers Starting Pitchers by Single Season WAR
1.) 2038 Mike Bentley (7.8 WAR)
2.) 2034 Gilles Palacios (6.7 WAR)
3.) 2037 Gilles Palacios (6.3 WAR)
4.) 2033 Gilles Palacios (6.1 WAR)
4.) 2038 Corey MacDonald (6.1 WAR)
Top 5 Slammers Relievers by Total WAR
\Screenshots are from most recent season with team.*
1.) Tommy Noonan (11 Seasons, 32.2 WAR)
Noonan is second all-time in reliever WAR, only behind his teammate Jose Aguilar. Mariano Rivera is in third place but has pitched more than twice as many innings as Noonan. Unless the hall of fame voters hold his lack of saves against him, he should make it on the first ballot.
\I didn’t count relievers that spent more than a season as a starter*
2.) Jose Aguilar (6 Seasons, 12.9 WAR)
3.) Hee-joon Bang (3 Seasons, 10.3 WAR)
4.) Blake Taylor (7 Seasons, 9.7 WAR)
5.) Joe McKinney (6 Seasons, 7.7 WAR)
Top 5 Slammers Relievers by Single Season WAR
1.) 2033 Tommy Noonan (4.9 WAR)
2.) 2035 Tommy Noonan (4.6 WAR)
3.) 2034 Tommy Noonan (4.1 WAR)
4.) 2028 Hee-joon Bang (3.9 WAR)
4.) 2029 Hee Joon Bang (3.9 WAR)
Best Draft Picks by Round
I really thought I was doing a better job drafting but there aren’t as many late round success stories as I believed we had. Most of my good picks were in the first or second round. Hopefully, we draft better in the future.
\Screenshots are from most recent season with team.*
1.) Tommy Noonan (11 Seasons, 32.2 Total WAR)
2.) Corey MacDonald (11 Seasons, 44.8 Total WAR)
3.) Chris Overcash (3 Seasons, 6.4 Total WAR)
4.) Bobby Butler (3 Seasons, 7.0 Total WAR)
5.) Steve Flores (4 Seasons, 9.5 Total WAR)
6.) Brad Cole (2 Seasons, 5.1 Total WAR)
7.) Joe McKinney (6 Seasons, 7.7 Total WAR)
8.) Phil Steele (1 Season, 2.8 Total WAR)
12.) Andy Schaffer (8 Seasons, 29.0 Total WAR)
17.) Steve Hixson (6 Seasons, 5.4 Total WAR)
21.) Bobby McCallum (3 Seasons, 8.1 Total WAR)
32.) Joe Cope (4 Seasons, 4.9 Total WAR)
Top Five Trade Departures
\Listed seasons and WAR are after player was traded away.* Screenshots are career stats.
1.) Pat Leveille (14 Seasons, 41.9 WAR)
Leveille was the Braves best pitcher in the past twenty-one years but I got Willie Vega in return, so I think everyone wins here.
2.) Robby Teeter (9 Seasons, 39.8 WAR)
It’s a shame Teeter couldn’t have played his whole career at Coors – He was built for that place. I got Luis Godoy in return, but I never would’ve guessed Teeter would be this good for so long.
3.) Chris West (9 Seasons, 35.2 WAR)
West has had a really good career, but not as good as the guy I got in return – Edgar Sanchez.
4.) Edwin Mireles (5 Seasons, 24.1 WAR)
I probably gave up on Mireles too soon, but through dumb luck I got a better player in return – Mike Bentley. He was a reliever when I acquired him, but he developed an 80-grade changeup and became a two-time Cy Young winner.
5.) Andrew McGee (9 Seasons, 21.9 WAR)
I thought McGee was going to struggle with injuries, so went ahead and cashed out on him, but I was dead wrong. He won six consecutive gold gloves with the Indians.
\I didn’t include Tatis on the list because he was a rental in the last year of his deal and I was going to lose him to free agency either way.*
That wraps up the first twenty years with the Slammers! Thanks to everyone that’s kept up so far! Hopefully, I can find a way to make the next twenty years even more interesting. And as always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

We're only a week-and-a-half from the revelation of who gets into the Hall! So I gotta speed this up! Which I've said every single time it hasn't been crunch time but it hasn't happened quite as much as I'd like! We'll see how I do this time! Done with the exclamation points now. If you don't know what this is, the Hall of Fame ballot has a lot of people who qualify for it (10 years of MLB experience), but aren't on it because they were deemed not noteworthy enough. We look at the guys that weren't up to the Selection Committee's standards. You can find the ones that make that number up there so big at the bottom. Now to this dude named Cody.

Cody Ross

Bill James Hall of Fame Monitor: 1
Career bWAR (12 years): 13.5
Stats: .262/.322/.445, 104 OPS+, 904 H, 132 HR,356 XBH, 508 RBI, 449 R
League Leading Stats: Double Plays as OF (4, 2007)
Awards: 2010 NLCS MVP, World Series Ring (2010)
Teams Played For: Tigers (2003), Dodgers (2005-06), Reds (2006), Marlins (2006-2010), Giants (2010-11), Red Sox (2012), Diamondbacks (2013-14), Athletics (2015)
Cody Ross could be one of the more irritating players to have on your team. One week he'd play like a superstar, the next week he wouldn't get a hit and drop a flyball. What he lacked in consistency, he made up for in longevity, managing to qualify for the Hall of Fame ballot. Didn't make it though, which is why he's here. How could someone who played so well (be it sparsely) and who took the nickname "Smiles" for his oh-so-charming grin get left off by the Selection Committee? Did they make a mistake?
What with being a high school All-American and pitching a five-inning perfect game one time, Cody Ross from Carlsbad wasn't a surprising pick for the Tigers in the 4th round of the 1999 draft. Even after going 31-for-142 in Rookie League for a .218 average, 15 of those 31 hits were for extra bases, so to the next level he went. Turns out he got better the higher level of competition he faced, going from a .706 OPS in Rookie ball in 1999 to a .753 OPS in single-A in 2000 to a .798 OPS in high-A in 2001 to a .859 OPS in double-A in 2002. No more perfect games thrown, though, because this was the early 2000s, and two-way players were the type of fantastical beast a grandparent might lull a child to sleep with stories about. After keeping the trend up in AAA in 2003, Ross got a call from the Detroit on July 4th. They wanted him to celebrate America's birthday with them in Kansas City. The Tigers had also won only 20 of the 84 games they'd played that season so things weren't going so great. Maybe Ross could help bring some much needed relief. Or he could ground out, reach on an error but not come around to score, then get hit by a pitch after which manager Alan Trammell subbed in a pinch-runner. And then he got to watch his team lose. Certainly a non-ideal way to start your career, but you just gotta keep at it and- oh you're back in the minors a week later. Hey, it's fine. Keep it up, and you'll get back in no time. That he did, coming up as soon as the rosters expanded, and once he was back, he proved he wanted to stay. In in his 20th ever plate appearance, in his 6th ever game, for his 4th ever hit, Cody Ross hit a grand slam off Cliff Lee. Sammy Sosa went almost 10 years before hitting his first slam, but it took Cody Ross just six games. Apparently the baseball gods didn't want him getting a big head after that, because just two plate appearances later in the same game, Ross tore his ACL trying to reach first on a sacrifice bunt turned E1. Bye bye majority of 2004. He still made it into 60 games with the AAA Las Vegas 51s, but was finished after that. "But wait a second," I hear you say, "surely you mean the Toledo Mud Hens, because they were Detroit's triple-A affiliate during that time, while the 51s were associated with the Dodgers." Remarkably observant, but that brings me to my next point. At the beginning of 2004, the Tigers decided that having bottom-5 pitching in the MLB was not how they wanted to continue (ignore the part where their offense was just as bad if not worse). As a result, Ross was shipped off to LA for relief arm Steve Colyer, and played for the 51s, hitting .273/.328/.538 with 14 homers. Not bad, not bad at all. Would it be enough to propel him into the majors next year?
After spending the first three months of the 2005 season in Nevada, Cody Ross got the call he'd been waiting for. Then, in 14 games between June 26th and July 10th, he... went 4-for-25 with one double and but a single RBI. Back to the minors it was. He'd finish his time in Vegas batting .267/.348/.509, but hadn't yet proved he wasn't like all the other AAAA hitters. He would get chance in spring training, and he took it, making the Opening Day roster, and even appeared in the first game of the season versus the Atlanta Braves, pinch-hitting for Derek Lowe. Flew out and stranded two but he was playing. His fifth game and second start of the season went a whole lot better. Facing the Pirates, in his 59th career plate appearance, Ross hit his second career grand slam. Barry Larkin needed 8991 plate appearances to get two grand slams, and Ross did it in less than 1/150th of the time. Seeing as how hitting home runs was fun, he decided to do it again the next inning, but fell a baserunner short of a slam this time. The Dodgers were so thankful for his contributions that they traded him just a week-and-a-half after that performance. Then again, their outfield already had Kenny Lofton, J.D. Drew, and these up-and-comers named Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, so that makes sense. And so Ross made his way across the country once again, this time to Cincinnati. The Reds watched him break his finger in his debut game, then assigned him to the AAA to rehab the injury. Called him back up once that was done, only to trade him to the Florida Marlins right after. Those Fish were in the middle of an... interesting season. Three days before they bought this guy with two grand slams in 30 career games, they had a record of 11-31. That was because owner Jeffrey Loria blasted all his best players off into oblivion for nickels and dimes on the dollar because he was mad at the city of Miami for not building him his own stadium, but that's another story. Ross would serve as their 4th outfield option for the rest of that season, making it into 91 games, more than quadrupling his career total up to that point. Sure, he'd bat .212/.284/.396 over that time, but don't ignore the 11 homers and 37 RBIs, including a 3-home-run, 7-RBI onslaught versus the 97-win Mets. Ignoring the part where he did that on 9/11 against a team from New York, it was the best offensive performance of the year. In case you misread that, a dude who didn't have a regular starting spot and was batting .228 at the time had the best offensive performance of the year in the MLB. That performance actually put the Marlins at a 73-71 record, only 2 games back of the NL Wild Card, and made them the first MLB team to claw back above .500 after being 20 games under in the same year. Even after they fell to 78-84 at the end of the season, the Marlins seemed like they were sticking with him. Mainly because he was cheap, but a performance like that didn't hurt. It seemed, after a long and winding road, that Cody Ross had finally found a team that wanted him.
The Marlins kept Cody Ross around for another three years, and unintentionally introduced the world to Dr. Cody and Mr. Ross. His 2006 season could be considered the genesis of the poorly-hitting and betrayal-minded Mr. Ross, but his 2007 season in Florida bore witness to the birth of his better half, Dr. Cody. Once his 12th game of the season was over, his average would never fall below .275 again, and at the year's conclusion, the Doctor would finish at a magnificent .335/.411/.653. The big dents in his MVP campaign were the fact he only played 66 games after missing just over 2 months of the season with a hamstring issue, and the fact the Marlins finished 71-91. The beginning of the next season saw another appearance from Mr. Ross, which resulted in a batting average of .209 in mid-June, despite the other side's best efforts including 10 home runs in May. Dr. Cody would overpower his nemesis for the next month, over which he batted .367 with 5 homers and 21 RBIs in 25 games. The two personalities would continue flip-flopping for a month each until the Toy Cannon (now that's a nickname) finished the year hitting .260/.316/.488 with 22 homers. Not bad for his first year as a regular member of the lineup. Man showed he deserved it too, putting up some real nice fielding numbers in the outfield, including a perfect fielding percentage in 101 games in center. The team was better this year too, going 84-77, though still not good enough for the playoffs. Over his next 271 games, Dr. Cody would bat .323/.375/.512 over 555 at-bats, and Mr. Ross would bat .201/.257/.352 over 458 at-bats. Add it all up, and during his time in a Marlins jersey, Dr. Cody and Mr. Ross combined to give Cody Ross a line of .265/.322/.465 with 80 home runs and a 104 OPS+. Thankfully for the team, the only half on-hand when it came to fielding was Dr. Cody, who contributed 2.4 dWAR with significant time spent in each outfield position. Never made the playoffs, unfortunately, since 87-75 didn't cut it in 2009. And yet, as with all good things, bad things, and in-between things, his time in Florida had to come to an end. Having been, for all intents and purposes, an above-average player for the past several years, Ross had been rewarded with several pay raises, from league minimum his first year all the way up to an expected salary of over $6 million at the end of 2010. The Marlins, who were rather stingy when it came to such extravagant contracts, put their 29-year-old outfielder, who already had 1.6 bWAR to his name that season, on waivers. It made more sense than that might imply, as Florida was out of contention by this point, and they had several younger outfielders to whom they wanted to give playing time. Names like Logan Morrison, Cameron Maybin, and Mike "I won't be Giancarlo for another couple years" Stanton were waiting in the wings, and while Cody Ross was good, he'd been more Mr. Ross than Dr. Cody as of late, and wasn't going to factor into the team's future plans. Thus, on August 22nd of 2010, The San Francisco Giants claimed a perfectly viable outfielder off waivers. Who would show up for them?
The San Francisco team that Ross joined was one that was on the fringes of playoff contention at 69-56, but had gone 9-11 over the past 20 games and were in desperate need of a spark. With an outfield core of Pat Burrell (eh), Aaron Rowand (could be better), Nate Schierholtz (uh oh), and Andres Torres (literally who?), someone like Cody Ross seemed like a premium pickup at a time like this. Particularly if, since he'd recently spent several weeks in a slump, Dr. Cody could show up for the end of the season. Unfortunately, the Giants got Mr. Ross, who went .195 over the next 20 he played. Even after the Doctor showed up to go 13-for-32 with 3 homers in the final 13 games of the season, that still only raised the team's average to .235 on the month, which was rather disappointing from a team that had maintained a monthly average above .260 four out of the five other times. Turns out, that was still good enough, because the Giants pitching went off in September. That month, the starting rotation allowed just a 2.36 ERA, spearheaded by Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, and Jonathan Sanchez, who went a combined 12-4 with ERAs of 1.94, 1.13, and 1.01, respectively. The bullpen, somehow, was even better, allowing a minuscule total of 9 runs, one of which was unearned, in 80 innings for a microscopic ERA of 0.90. Brian Wilson was a perfect 11-for-11 in save opportunities, and Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla combined for 12 holds across 24.1 innings, and together only allowed one run. Because of that unreal display, The Giants went 19-10 in September, just good enough to capture the NL West with a record of 92-70. They, and their new starting outfielder Cody Ross, were off to the NLDS.
SF would face the Atlanta Braves, who had ridden the bats of Chipper Jones, unlikely All-Star Omar Infante, and rookie Jason Heyward, and the arms of Tim Hudson, Jonny Venters, and Billy Wagner to a 91-71 record and the NL East crown. Chipper was out of commission for the Division Series, and they missed him dearly, especially in Game 1. Tim Lincecum pitched one of the best playoff games of the 21st century, going the full nine, only allowing 2 hits and 1 walk, and striking out fourteen. The final score was 1-0, with Dr. Cody's bat driving in Buster Posey for the only run. All four games of the series would be decided by one run, and the Toy Cannon fired off three RBIs, one in each game the Giants won. Talk about clutch hitting and surgical precision. On to the NLCS, where the Doctor would have to face another Doc, Roy Halladay. The only reason Lincecum's impeccable Game 1 wasn't the consensus best playoff pitching performance of this millennium is because it might not have been the best pitching performance of that week. The day before, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies threw the second playoff no-hitter in history against the Cincinnati Reds, facing only one more than the minimum after a borderline full count call didn't go his way. It was his second no-hitter of the year, having pitched a perfect game in May against the Florida Marlins. Hey, wait, who was batting 6th in that game? Why it was none other than Mr. Ross, who kicked off a stint as his worse half with that loss. This time, however, Halladay would have to contend with Dr. Cody. And this was a Dr. Cody who was hot off an NLDS where he certainly would have won the MVP if they gave those out. In the first game of the NLCS, after Halladay had faced the minimum through seven batters, Cody Ross stepped up to the plate, and took him deep for a solo home run. Then, two innings later, he did it again, for another solo shot. Those two runs would be critical in a game that eventually ended 4-3 in favor of the Giants. They also set the tone for how Dr. Cody would be slice and dice his way through the Championship Series. He'd go 5-for-18 for the rest of it, hitting 3 doubles and another home run along the way. He drove in 5 (three of whom were himself) and scored another to be responsible for 6 of the 19 runs from San Francisco in a close series. For his contributions, Ross was awarded the 2010 NLCS MVP, because that's what you get after notching a slugging percentage of .950 in a 6-game series. He cooled a bit for the World Series, going 4-for-17 with a double and a home run in a 5-game dispatch of the Texas Rangers to win his very own World Series ring. The Giants, clearly thankful to him for the concoctions he'd prescribed his opponents, gifted Ross a $6.3 million contract for one year. He was yet again a member of an outfield platoon, playing the majority of his games in left, and remaining as inconsistent as ever. When he was on, he hit .311/.444/.600. When he wasn't, he hit .204/.344/.307. Unfortunately for the Giants, Dr. Cody yielded a lot of time to Mr. Ross in 2011, leading to a rather disappointing finish of .240/.325/.405, his lowest batting average and slugging percentage in five years. San Francisco likewise reverted, going only 86-76, which wasn't even good enough for a wild card spot. Mr. Ross even did the unthinkable and showed up in the field, putting up a rather dismal -1.4 dWAR en route to a trip to free agency. Having just had the worst season of the past several years at the age of 30, one might expect Ross to quietly ride off into the sunset with his World Series ring and call it an a-okay career. However, Dr. Cody and Mr. Ross still had business to attend to.
In January of 2012, the Red Sox signed Cody Ross to a one-year, $3.5 million contract. His role was clear: outfield depth. You don't get signed to a team with 2011-MVP-runner-up Jacoby Ellsbury and superstar Carl Crawford on it and expect to be starting the most games on the team in the outfield. Then Cody Ross started the most games in the outfield for the 2012 Boston Red Sox. Injuries galore gutted that team, with Crawford and Ellsbury combining for just 105 games. Ross played more than that by himself, even after he missed a month with a broken foot. What's more is it seemed like Dr. Cody stuck around for the majority of the season, bouncing back to .267/.326/.481 with 22 homers and 81 RBIs. Good enough for a 115 OPS+, Ross' best score over a full season in his career. Pity it didn't translate to the rest of the Red Sox. With key contributors missing so much time (Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz even got in on the action), a starting pitcher crop that treated a 4.50 ERA as the floor, and heavy inconsistency in the bullpen, Boston followed up their missed-it-by-that-much 2011 season with a 69-93 showing. Ross, who wasn't a part of the future, was let go, and after he was named the 22nd best free agent available by MLB Trade Rumors, expected a big payday. That he got, with a 3-year, $26 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He'd be the highest paid outfielder on a roster with youngsters AJ Pollock, Gerardo Parra, and Adam Eaton on it. He'd ultimately disappoint given the contract, playing all of 177 games across two seasons, and hitting .268/.322/.378. Perhaps most startling was the fact he hit only 10 home runs for the Dbacks, a number he had cleared in every single season prior where he'd played more than 20 games. After they didn't like what they saw, Arizona pushed the cancel button in April of 2015, buying out the rest of his contract to release him. A league minimum offer from the Oakland A's was accepted, but after 9 games of going 2-for-22, he wound up released less than a month later. That would be the last we heard from Cody Ross, after he didn't get offered another contract for a year, and retired via a Twitter announcement. Glad this story had a better ending than that other story with a split personality. Wish I could remember what it was called.
Cody Ross was certainly an interesting player. He had such stark streaks so succinct and startling (try saying that five times fast). I don't think I've ever seen another player with so very defined lines as to whether they were on or off. All the other stuff was pretty neat too, from hitting two grand slams within his first twenty hits, to getting perfected by Halladay only to hit two dingers off him in the playoffs, to the stuff I didn't even cover. Like how he's probably a top five all-time batter who hits right-handed and throws left-handed, or that one time he hit three grand slams in 2009, or how he first wanted to ride bulls in the rodeo. He's quite an interesting specimen to grace the history of the MLB. Not Hall-of-Fame ballot-worthy, though. Playoff heroics and interesting aspects set aside, 904 career hits and nothing that could even be classified as "All-Star" levels of quality mean no ballot for you. Even then, certainly not a bad player to write about.
Ross visits the Hall in a Florida Marlins cap for his 502 hits, 80 home runs, and 297 RBIs with the team. He passes by someone who looks suspiciously similar in an Arizona Diamondbacks hat with what appears to be a devilish grin on his face.
Geez Louise there are 17 of these
#1: Randy Choate
#2: Kevin Gregg
#3: Dan Uggla
#4: Josh Hamilton
#5: Delmon Young
#6: Willie Bloomquist
#7: Grady Sizemore
#8: Kevin Correia
#9: David DeJesus
#10: Rafael Betancourt
#11: Clint Barmes
#12: Adam LaRoche
#13: Grant Balfour
#14: Randy Wolf
#15: Rafael Soriano
#16: Chris Denorfia
#17: Bruce Chen

Welcome back to year seven of the Alabama Slammers Franchise Report! Here are the links to the previous versions if you want to catch up (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).
We had a disappointing season last year, going 80-82 and finishing third in the division. The owner isn’t happywith my performance and I’m in the last year of my contract, so I need to win now. The problem is my budgethas been cut by $32m and I need to part with some of my best players. Hopefully, I can work some magic and retool our team enough to save my job while not completely sacrificing our future.
As with the previous versions, I’ll list the moves I made, the rationale behind those moves, the season results, and the future outlook.
Here are the salaries heading into the offseason.
\Unless stated otherwise, all players were re-signed to their one-year arbitration estimate*
Departures (non-trades):
Brandon Komar
Komar was going to be our best pitcher this year but suffered a 12-month setback during his torn labrum recovery. He was eligible to return during the playoffs but sent back to the minors. I wouldn’t be surprised if he never plays in the majors again.
Here are his ratings at the end of last season.
Ben Bowden
Bowden was good for us last season but wanted too much to re-sign. He signed a 2/$3.2m deal with the Rangers and ruptured his UCL in April. He looks like he’s done as a major league pitcher.
Ludwin Jimenez
Jimenez is a solid player but got pushed out due to better options. He has a good chance of being back in the majors next year.
Joey Lucchesi
I didn’t bring back Lucchesi because he thought he was a starting pitcher, even though he’s not. The giants paid him like a starter, and he performed like a reliever forced into a starting role.
Jack Walker
Walker got roughed up last year so was sent back down to AA. He performed moderately there and will probably remain in the minors next season.
Freddy Galvis
Galvis’s ratings have slipped below MLB standards so I decided to let him leave as a free agent. He didn’t sign with a team this season.
Jeison Guzman
I wanted to keep Guzman as a minor league depth piece, but he was out of options. The Giants claimed him on waivers, released him two days later, then he signed a minor league deal with the Marlins, was eventually placed on waivers again, and then claimed by the Mets. His journey around the league didn’t do him any favors and he looks done as a major league player.
Ke’Bryan Hayes
Hayes had a couple of good seasons for us, but I decided to go with other options. He signed a minor league deal with the Bandits and was decent.
Move #1:
Slammers Receive: Josh Sheppard, $300k Cash
Braves Receive: Jack Flaherty, Bruce Ledezma
So, I need to win this season to save my job, and the first thing I do is trade my best player to a division rival for a player that might help us in three years. If I get fired this will probably be the reason why, but I really need to clear some budget room and this is by far the best offer available. We lost $29m last year and the owner isn’t going to be happy if we do that again. Hopefully, Flaherty tears his rotator cuff in spring training.
Move #2:
Signed Christian Vazquez to a 2/$4m extension. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
Vazquez doesn’t really do anything on offense but he’s elite defensively. Maybe I’ll keep him around until he’s 40.
Move #3:
Slammers Receive: Connor Jones (40% retained), Robby Teeter, Sam Lauderdale
Angels Receive: Jose Paulino
Paulino was great last season but I’m betting on him falling off sooner than later. Also, if he has another good year, his arbitration estimate will get too high for my liking.
Jones is a dominant reliever and he’ll only cost me $3m a year for the next three seasons. I know his age makes him a risk for injury and regression, but his high character should get him through the rest of his contract.
Lauderdale is willing to accept a bullpen role and should be good as a long reliever. He can also make spot starts.
Teeter has some of the best batting potential I’ve ever seen. He looks like he could put up 8 WAR with just his bat. He’s also got great character and has performed well in the low minors. His defense and baserunning are awful, but I think I can work around those. He’ll make for an excellent replacement for Ohtani if I can’t re-sign him.
Move #4:
Slammers Receive: Ryan Castellani (5% retained)
Rockies Receive: Jesus Atencio
I’m once again in desperate need of starting pitching, so I’m taking a chance on Castellani. Hopefully he can be a league average pitcher outside of Coors.
Atencio is a career minor leaguer.
Move #5 (part 1, part 2, part 3):
Slammers Receive: $13.1m Cash
Slammers Lose: J.D. Brock, Scott Kobos, Nelson Gomez
I’m probably going to need cash for draft picks and an international amateur, so I went ahead and started selling prospects. Some of these guys are useful minor leaguers but they’re probably not going to play in the majors.
Move #6:
Slammers Receive: A.J. Puk (75% retained)
Dodgers Receive: Jesse Lepore
Puk is pretty old but still looks like he could be really good. Hopefully my defense will allow him to excel. He’ll cost us about $1m per year for the next two seasons.
Move #7:
Signed free agent Blake Taylor to a 3/$9m deal. The third year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
The last time Taylor played for us he was an all-star and one of the top relievers in the game. I’m hoping he gets back to form after spending two years in the Coors pitcher torture chamber.
Move #8:
Slammers Receive: Taylor Walls (60% retained)
Pirates Receive: Rio Britton, Andy Clayton, Sam Thompson
I needed another infielder after Hayes left in free agency and Walls was available on the trading block. He’s been pretty good the last couple of years and will cost a little under $4m a year for the next two seasons. Clayton is the only player I didn’t want to part with, but I think his odds of reaching the majors are slim.
Move #9:
Signed free agent Hee-Joon Bang to a 3/$22.5m contract.
This signing is directly tied to the next move. I’ll try to justify it below.
Move #10:
Slammers Receive: Clayton Andrews (10% retained), Hunter Mink
Mariners Receive: Jordan Alvarez
Alvarez is really good but he’s probably going to be really expensive his last two arbitration years. He’ll make $5m this season, $6.5m next season, then probably $10m+ the two years after that. I decided I’d rather lock in Bang at $7.5m for the next three years than play the arbitration game with Alvarez. Also, Bang is durable and better fits my system.
Andrews is a really good lefty reliever that will fill the middle relief spot vacated by Lucchesi and Fink will get a shot at the starting rotation. This seems like a great deal in the aggregate.
Final Financial Situation:
The owner dropped our budget another $2m at the start of the preseason, so we only have about $11m in available funds heading into the season. If I need a pitcher, I’ll spend the money on one of those over signing draft picks since we need to win now.
Here are the salaries heading into the season.
Move #11:
Slammers Receive: $1m Cash
Royals Receive: Luis Araujo
Here’s our annual “prospect for cash” trade. I don’t think I’ve given up anything of value in one of these yet.
Season Outlook:
I’d say we have about a 60% chance of making the playoffs. I probably could’ve done more to win now but would’ve had to give up too much. Even if I have a winning record this year, I’m probably not going to do enough to get a multi-year extension, so I need to plan for winning next season too.
The pitching is mediocre, the bullpen should be dominant, the offense should be better with a full season of Bernal, and the defense should be elite. We have a good amount of pitching depth in the minors, and a moderate amount of position player depth. Hopefully, we stay healthy and win more games than we lose.
Batters:
Primary Lineup vs. RHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues)*
3B – Nick Gordon
I moved Gordon back to the leadoff spot after a strong 2026 campaign, but he struggled and ended the year on the bench. He’s an upcoming free agent and probably won’t return.
LF – Jeisson Rosario
Rosario had a monster season. He had an OPS+ of 124 and won his first gold glove. I doubt he can keep up his .387 BABIP but he should be an above average player going forward.
He sent me a message in May saying he wanted an extension, so I asked and couldn’t believe how low his demands were. He wanted 3/$5.7m but I decided he deserved more and offered 3/$6m. He accepted and now I have one of the best value contracts in the game.
1B – Ernesto Bernal
I had high expectations for Bernal after his great rookie season, but he was pretty underwhelming. It looks like he had some bad luck with his .261 BABIP, so hopefully he bounces back next year. I need him to be good.
DH – Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani was amazing this year. He was the hitter of the month for May and June, was named an all-star starter, won the platinum stick award at DH, and was named MVP. He also made a really strong run at the triple crown.
He’s been our best player since the day he arrived and is the undisputed face of the franchise. I want to bring him back, but I don’t think I can afford his 7/$245m demand. I’m hoping I can get him for around 4/$120 in free agency, but I honestly have no clue how the AI teams will value him with his pitching ratings.
RF – Will Shirah
Shirah had another solid year but missed the last month of the season to injury. He’ll probably be back.
2B – Taylor Walls
Walls was a great acquisition. He ended up replacing Gordon in the leadoff spot and won his first gold glove at second base. He has one year remaining on his contract that I’ll have to pay about $4m of.
C – Christian Vazquez
It seems like whoever I name the starting catcher is bound to have a bad season and be replaced by the backup. Vazquez was really bad the first half of the year, missed four weeks to injury, was moved to the bench when he returned, then played better after that. I’ll bring him back as the number two catcher next season.
SS – Willie Vega
Vega continues to be excellent in the field. He had a zone rating of 28.4 and won his second straight gold glove. He’s improved offensively and I’m hoping he can be a league average hitter next year. I might look to lock him up long term so I’m not paying market value for a 7 WAR short stop in a few seasons.
CF – Franyel Baez
Baez has been a steady presence for us the last four seasons, providing excellent center field defense and competent offense. I should have a couple of in-house replacements ready by the time he hits free agency.
Bench
C – Drew Romo
Romo is the best defensive catcher in the game and had his best offensive season yet. He’ll be the starter next year.
IF – Marcelo Mayer
Mayer had one good year in 2025 but hasn’t done much since. He started off the season in the majors so I could keep my top prospect in AAA and then was sent down to AAA himself halfway through the year. An injury to Walls forced him back up the next day but he was sent back down when Walls returned and finished the year in AAA.
OF – Matt Hogan
Hogan had an amazing 2025 season, but I think that was a mirage. He’s been bad the last two seasons and probably won’t be back for a third. I’ll give one of my minor leaguers a shot at the fourth outfielder position.
Replacements
IF – Josh Epps
Epps was number one on my top prospects list last season and was ready to start the season in the majors, but I kept him in the minors to get another year of control. He was called up halfway through the season to replace Mayer as the utility infielder but was forced into a starting role when Walls went down to injury the next day. Epps played so well I had to leave him in the starting lineup when Walls returned, and he looks like he’ll be a top performer for many years to come.
C – Roberto Alvarez
Alvarez was called up for a few weeks when Vazquez was injured and was pretty bad. He’s out of options years so won’t return if someone picks him up on waivers.
OF – Christian Moore
Moore was forced up again this season due to injuries and was actually pretty good after a rough first few games. He was the starter the last couple weeks of the season and will be in consideration for a role next season.
OF – Tim Mehler
Mehler was called up when Hogan and Shirah were both injured, and my AA and AAA replacements were also injured. He’ll start next season at AA and hopefully improves his contact before getting called up again.
Pitchers:
Pitching Staff when Healthy
SP – Justin Steele
Steele wasn’t very good and couldn’t stay on the field due to injuries, so I shipped him off in June.
Move #12:
Slammers Receive: Mike Ruhs
Indians Receive: Justin Steele (100% retained)
This isn’t a great value trade, but it was better than the alternative of releasing Steele or letting him continue to play poorly. Ruhs should be a member of the bullpen sooner than later.
SP – Rawley Hector
Hector looks like he should be better but he’s just kind of average. The only problem I can find is he has a poor relationship with the bench coach. Hopefully, he’s better next season.
SP – Cooper Benson
Benson is a perfectly average starter and should be back next season.
SP – Ryan Castellani
Castellani was below average but healthy. I have him signed for one more year cheap, so he will return if better options don’t emerge.
SP – A.J. Puk
Puk was decent and should return. Maybe he’ll have a breakout season next year and get me a compensation pick.
CL – Hee-Joon Bang
Bang did about what I expected. He was an all-star, won pitcher of the month in July, and was voted the reliever of the year. He’ll be back next season.
SU – Connor Jones
Jones was dominant. He had an FIP of 2.52 and finished second in the reliever of the year voting. I have him under contract for two more seasons, so he will return.
MR – Curtis Taylor
Taylor was really good and should be back. He has a few more years of team control.
MR – Andres Nunez
Nunez has been solid for five seasons with us and will be back for his last arbitration season.
MR – Blake Taylor
I was hoping Taylor would bounce back after getting away from Coors field and he did. He’ll be back for two more seasons at $3m per year.
MR – Clayton Andrews
Andrews struggled to start the year but came on strong late. He’ll be back for his last arbitration season.
MR – Corbin Clouse
Clouse has been a steady presence for six years but is about to enter free agency. I might bring him back if I can’t find a suitable lefty replacement.
LR – Sam Lauderdale
Lauderdale filled his role perfectly. He provided league average performance during garbage time innings. He’ll be back next season.
LR – Argenis Angulo
Angulo has improved significantly since last season. I wish he would have done this before his last arbitration season, but he didn’t, so I’m probably going to lose him as a free agent.
Replacements
SP – Hunter Mink
Mink filled in for Steele during his multiple IL stints early in the year, then replaced him full time when he was traded. He was my best pitcher the first half of the season, winning pitcher of the month in June and making the all-star team but fell off later in the year. He’ll be back next season.
SP – Seth Halvorsen
Halvorsen had to make a couple of emergency starts and got roughed up. He might return as a long reliever next season.
MR – Willie Rosas
Rosas had an interesting journey to the majors. He went from potential ace in 2022 to complete bust in 2023and has now become a top bullpen option. He was called up when rosters expanded and pitched really well. He’ll have a spot next season.
My only concern is he might expect to be a starter sooner than later and I don’t want him starting with that movement.
SP – Pat Dibartolo
Dibartolo was called up in early August as an injury replacement, sent back down at the end of the month, then called back up again when rosters expanded. He was part of the six-man rotation the last month of the season and pitched really well. I really needed a prankster, so he will definitely return.
Season Results:
We avoided the slow start from last season and played well the first half of the year, going 44-37 and remaining within three games of the division leading Marlins. The starting pitching was shaky, but the bullpen was lights out and Ohtani was playing like a golden god. He had an OPS+ over 200 and was on pace for 10.6 WAR at the halfway point.
We continued to play well the third quarter of the year but so did the Braves and Marlins. We were 68-54 and third in the division, 2 ½ games behind the leader. The Marlins slipped a bit late and the race came down to us and the Braves. We were one game back with 20 games remaining but couldn’t make up any ground and remained one back with seven games left. Our last two series of the year were against the Braves and Cardinals. We took three of four against the Braves to take the division lead for the first time all year, then swept the Cardinals to lock up the division. Considering what was on the line this season, this was a huge accomplishment.
We had some difficult decisions heading into the playoffs. Shirah was injured for two more days and not allowed on the playoff roster, and Mehler was called up too late to be eligible. I debated transferring Shirah to the 60-day IL to allow Mehler to play but decided to try my luck without a fourth outfielder so Shirah could come back the next round.
I had six solid starters heading into the playoffs and went with Mink, Dibartolo, Puk, and Benson for the rotation and moved Hector and Castellani to the bullpen. It was tough to leave out Hector, but it doesn’t really make sense to keep a five man rotation.
Our first-round opponent was the 90-72 Phillies, led by Eloy Jimenez. We started off the series great with a 7-0 victory and got seven shutout innings from Mink. Then they bounced back to win game two 9-3, then game three 5-0. Our offense was struggling but came to life in the last three games as we won those 13-6, 14-5, and 9-0. Vega was named series MVP and Shirah is now eligible to return for the next round.
Next up was the 102-60 Brewers, led by Luke Leto and Christian Yelich. They were loaded with talent and had the best record in the NL. We lost a tight one 3-4 in game one but evened the series with a 4-2 game two victory. Romo had four RBIs and Dibartolo gave us eight innings of two-run ball. We then took a 3-1 series lead behind two great pitching performances in games three and four. Mink gave us nine shutout innings in a 1-0 game three victory and Puk pitched six scorless in a 3-0 game four win. The Brewers weren’t ready to go home yet and won games five and six. They knocked out Benson and Dibartolo early in each game, winning them 5-2 and 7-1. Our postseason ace Mink started game seven and gave us six innings of three run work, which was enough for an 8-3 victory. Romo was named series MVP.
I wasn’t too surprised by the first-round victory but couldn’t believe we beat the Brewers. They were by far the superior team on paper. We’re playing with house money at this point and anything else is a bonus.
Our next opponent was the 105-57 Mariners. They had the best offense and defense in the league and a star-studded roster. The rotation was led by Jose Corniell, the lineup by Cody Bellinger, and the bullpen had five all-world relievers with Jordan Alvarez, Edwin Diaz, Josh Hader, Andres Munoz, and Gerardo Cuevas. This is the classic David vs. Goliath matchup.
We had a tough start the series. Corniell pitched nine innings and gave up one run in a 5-1 game one loss, Benson was roughed up early in a 7-0 game two defeat, then we were shutout again in a 2-0 game three loss. I had a feeling we’d have trouble scoring against them and we did. We avoided the sweep with a 6-2 game four victory, then won game five after an eighth inning rally and blown save by Cuevas. We were heading back to Seattle for game six and had momentum on our side. We knocked out McCullers in the first inning and took an easy victory, tying the series 3-3. Benson gave up 1 run over 7.2 innings.
So here we are, a team with a manager on the hotseat and just hoping to have a winning record, and we’re one game away from winning the World Series.
The pitching matchup for the final game was the rookie Dibartolo vs. Evan Taylor. We started off great with solo shots in the first and third from Rosario and Baez and a 2-0 lead, but they rallied back with a 3-run fourth to go up 3-2. Dibartolo settled down and pitched another 1.2 innings before Nunez took over in the sixth inning. Moore reached base on a two-out single in the top of the seventh, then advanced to second on an error on a pick-off attempt. Baez drove him in on a single, tying the game 3-3. There were a few close calls, but the score remained 3-3 at the end of nine. Angulo pitched 3 scoreless relief innings, with 2.2 of those coming in extra innings, and struck out five. He kept us alive until Taylor took over with one out in the twelfth and ended the inning. Their bullpen was thin due to knocking out their starters early in games five and six, so McCullers started the thirteenth despite getting rocked just the day before. Walls hit a one out solo shot, then Rosario and Bernal singled before they intentionally walked Ohtani to load the bases. It looked like we were about to blow it wide open, but Epps struck out and Romo flew out to retire the side. Taylor started the thirteenth and the Mariners had Dalbec, Walton, and Raleigh due up. Dalbec flew out to right, Walton struck out swinging, and Raleigh did the same. We closed out the inning, the game, and the World Series! Walls was named series MVP.
In just the seventh year of the franchise’s existence, we’ve won our first World Series! I tried to assemble a solid team at the beginning of the season but had no clue we’d be able to pull this off. We had to fight just to make the playoffs and then win six elimination games in the final two rounds. Hopefully, this is the first championship of many to come!
The playoff revenue was huge for our bottom line. We ended the regular season with a $9m deficit but were $19m in the green after winning the World Series. We also got a huge boost in fan interest, going from 66 to 98 by the end of the year.
The owner is good with my performance and gave me a three-year extension at the start of the offseason.
Here are the rest of the playoff results and MLB standings.
Top Prospects:
1.) John Edlich
I left Edlich off the list last year because I’ve been fooled too many times with international amateurs, but after a year in rookie ball I think he’s the real deal. He could be a 10 WAR pitcher if he reaches his full potential. It’s very tempting to see if he can reach that potential in my system, but there are some serious red flags. He suffered a torn rotator cuff at the end of the season, and he has low intelligence. The safe money is to trade him for something lower risk, but I might roll the dice since he has more potential than any pitcher in the game.
2.) Robby Teeter
Teeter makes my decision with Ohtani even more difficult. He’s an in-house replacement that looks like he can step into the majors and be a top-ten hitter from day one. His batting potential is so good it almost seems too good to be true. He can’t play in the field, but I don’t play Ohtani in the field either. The only thing Ohtani provides that Teeter doesn’t is good baserunning.
If I decide to bring Ohtani back I’ll have to trade Teeter. I can’t start two DHs, and it just doesn’t make sense to keep a talent like Teeter in the minors. I really have no clue what I’m going to do.
3.) Chad Arnold
I have pitching prospects with more potential, but Arnold is the safest bet to make the majors. His ratings are more actual than potential, he has high character, durable injury proneness, and has performed well at every level he’s played at. I’ll start him in AA next year.
4.) Josh Sheppard
Sheppard was the return in the Jack Flaherty trade, so he really needs to pan out. He didn’t do as well as I wanted this year, but I think a lot of that was bad luck. He had a BABIP of .365. He’s probably going to repeat A+, but I could move him up to AA if his control improves before next season.
5.) Sean Whiteman
Whiteman has filled out a bit since last year, but I was hoping for more progress. I’m also hoping his movement improves in the next year or two or he might not cut it in the majors. He’ll start next season at AA.
6.) Joey Hudson
Hudson doesn’t have the same potential as last season, but he could still be a very useful player. He didn’t perform as well as I wanted at A- but his ratings suggest he’s ready for A, so I’ll start him there next year.
7.) Andrew McGee
I think McGee has better offensive ratings than some of the guys on my major league roster. I’m not a fan of promoting teenagers out of the low minors but McGee has no business down there. He’ll begin next season at A.
8.) Chris West
I have a hoard of above average pitching prospects, so hopefully a few of them pan out and I have a good major league rotation in a few years. I’ll probably start West at A- next season due to his low control.
9.) Josh Langdon
Langdon has improved across the board since last season and should find himself in the majors in a few seasons if he stays healthy. He’ll repeat A- next year.
10.) Chris Ryan
Ryan has realized a lot of his potential since last season and looks just about ready for the majors. He’ll start the year at AA and could get called up as an injury replacement.
Honorable mentions:
Josh Berkner
Berkner had a great year in A+ and saw his ratings increase since last season. He got some nice experience at short stop this year and I’ll try to get him some time at left and right field next season. He looks like he’ll be an awesome utility player in a year or two.
Jesus Medina
I love relievers with this profile. He’s pretty much a top starter without the stamina. He pitched well in limited appearances but will probably repeat rookie ball.
Oscar Trevino
Trevino’s ratings are about the same as last year, but I still think he can be a useful utility player. I kind of forgot about the whole “left handers can’t play 2B, SS, or 3B”, so I force started him at third base and he did awful in the field. I’ll start him at A+ next year.
Joe McKinney
McKinney has improved tremendously since last season and looks like he’s only a year or two from the majors. He’ll start next season in A.
Josh Snellgrove
Snellgrove’s ratings have improved since last season and he finally broke through in rookie ball. He’ll start next season at A and I’m still hopeful his catcher ability improves some.
Promoted to MLB:
Josh Epps, Pat Dibartolo, Tim Mehler
Dropped from list:
Dan Gay
I had high hopes for Gay, but his ratings appear to have flamed out since last year. Low control seems to be the quickest way for a prospect to not make it. He’ll start next season at A+.
Mike Marrone
Marrone still looks like he’ll be a good hitter but not good enough to keep on the list. He’ll spend one more season in rookie ball.
Here are his ratings from last year.
Esteban Gutierrez
Gutierrez is the annual winner of the “international amateur free agent that loses all of his potential in two years” award. Here’s his 2026 ratings that I can look at like in the wolverine meme.
Future Outlook:
It’s hard not to be excited about a team that just won the World Series. We won it all and have the ability to bring back almost everyone. I have a really tough decision with Ohtani/Teeter but I think we’ll be fine no matter which way I decide.
The budget will be the same next season but should be significantly improved the year after that due to the increased fan interest. Here are the salaries heading into the offseason: (part 1, part 2).

Welcome back to year ten of the Alabama Slammers Franchise Report! Here are the links to the previous versions if you want to catch up (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029).
We had another good year last season, finishing 98-64. That was good enough for the second-best record in the league but only second in the division, so we missed out on the playoffs. Hopefully, we can maintain a similar record and make the playoffs this year.
As with the previous versions, I’ll list the moves I made, the rationale behind those moves, the season results, and the future outlook.
Here are the salaries heading into the offseason.
\Unless stated otherwise, all players were re-signed to their one-year arbitration estimate*
Departures (non-trades):
Edwin Aguirre
Aguirre is a good defender but can’t cut it at the plate in the majors. I doubt he gets called up again.
Franyel Baez
Baez gave us six good years, but I decided it was time to part ways. He signed a minor league deal with the Orioles and did well when he played, but I doubt he’ll ever get the opportunity to be a full-time starter again.
Will Shirah
Shirah had a $10m arbitration estimate and was coming off an injury plagued season, so I decided to let him walk. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers and ended up starting 138 games for them. He was decent but I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get another shot next year.
Hee-joon Bang
Bang was great during his three-year tenure with us, but I didn’t feel comfortable paying a 36-year-old as much as he wanted. He signed a 2/$24m deal with the Angels and played well, but not nearly as good as his previous two seasons.
David Bednar
I was scared off by Bednar’s age and regression, so let him leave as a free agent. He signed with the rival Braves and did well.
Corbin Clouse
Clouse was decent last year but I decided to let him leave as a free agent since he’s getting pretty old. He signed with San Diego and played well, but they put him on waivers, and he was claimed by Pittsburgh. I feel like he’s got to fall off a cliff sooner than later.
Blake Taylor
Taylor had too many injuries for my liking last season, so I decided to let him walk. He signed with Boston and was passable.
Move #1:
Signed free agent Chang-hyeok Kim to a 5/$30m contract. The fifth year is a team option with a $1m buyout.
I’m breaking a lot of my rules by signing Kim. He’s an old reliever with bad character, and I signed him to a long-term deal. If this doesn’t work out, I shouldn’t be too surprised. Hopefully, the other guys can keep him in line.
Move #2:
Signed free agent Ali Sanchez to a 2/$3m contract. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
Sanchez will take the backup catcher role. Hopefully, he doesn’t fall off a cliff midseason.
Final Financial Situation:
We have about $26m in budget room to start the year, so we shouldn’t have any issues signing draft picks and an international amateur.
Here are the salaries heading into the season.
Season Outlook:
We didn’t do much this offseason, but I don’t think we needed to. We had the second-best record in baseball last year and brought back most of the team. We have some young guys that are going to get a shot and hopefully some of them break out.
If we stay healthy, I think we’ll win 90+ games and compete for the division, and if we make the playoffs, I like our chances as much as anyone else.
If you read last year’s version, you might remember my top prospect Chris West. His ratings have continued to explode, and he looks ready for the majors. I’m very excited to see what a true ace can do with our defense, but I’m going to try to keep him in the minors the first month or two.
Batters:
Primary Lineup vs. RHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues)*
1B – Ernesto Bernal
I wish I would’ve put Bernal in the leadoff spot a few years ago, he’s been excellent here the last two seasons. He had his best season yet, making his first all-star team. He thinks he should be in the middle of the lineup, but he’s wrong. I guess my scout misevaluated his intelligence rating.
LF – Jeisson Rosario
Rosario has been with us since day one. He bounced back and forth between the majors and minors the first few years, but he’s been a solid starter the last six seasons. I’m tempted to re-sign him, but it’s probably time to give some of my young guys a shot.
3B – Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis came back with a vengeance this season. He was an all-star starter, won batter of the month in June, and won the platinum stick award at third base. He probably had the best season in franchise history, which is saying a lot since Ohtani won two MVPs, but he came up short of winning the award himself. He finished third behind Bovain and Torres.
Tatis has two years remaining on his deal and should be back.
DH – Robby Teeter
Teeter wasn’t as good as his first two seasons, but still had a really good year, making his third all-star team. His arbitration estimate is close to $12m and he had seven weeks of day-to-day injuries, so he might get moved in the next couple of seasons.
RF – Andrew McGee
I had a feeling McGee wasn’t going to last long in the league. He had durable injury proneness coming out of the draft, but quickly racked up leg injuries and saw his proneness drop to normal. He suffered a torn PCL in August and will be out until June of next year.
This is why you need to pay close attention to injury histories, instead of only relying on injury proneness ratings. Injury proneness is an average of their individual injury ratings, so it won’t tell you if a guy is highly susceptible in only one category.
I’ll trade him as soon as I can. Hopefully, he still has some value.
2B – Josh Epps
I’m starting to wonder if Epps is completely out of secret sauce. He’ll return due to his character and defense, but I’m not expecting anything offensively going forward. This is part of the reason I don’t like signing young guys to long-term deals.
C – Drew Romo
Romo continues to be excellent defensively and competent at the plate. He’s an upcoming free agent that wants 4/$52m to re-sign, so I’m going to let him enter free agency. I have a feeling I can get him for a much better price on the open market.
SS – Willie Vega
Vega had another great season but missed out on winning a fifth straight gold glove. His last arbitration estimate is close to $15m and I’ll probably bring him back since I don’t know where I can get a comparable replacement.
I’m not crazy about signing a guy without positive character attributes to a long -term deal, so he’ll probably leave as a free agent after next season. It’s tempting to go ahead and trade him now, but I’m perfectly fine getting a compensation pick. I trust in my ability to draft good players.
CF – Joey Hudson
Hudson is probably the best center fielder in our franchise’s ten-year history. He’ll be back next season.
Bench
C – Ali Sanchez
Sanchez provided exactly what I wanted in a backup catcher. I’ll pick up his team option for next season.
IF – Josh Berkner
I was hoping Berkner could improve to a league average hitter, but I’m fine what he provides. He plays five positions and has the prankster personality trait.
OF – Tim Mehler
Mehler can’t really hit but is an ace defender. He backed up all three outfield positions and saved a lot of runs.
Replacements
OF – Oscar Trevino
Trevino filled in for McGee for a few weeks in May and wasn’t very good. I’m not giving up on him though, he’ll get another chance if injuries arise next year.
IF – Manny Monzon
Monzon filled in for Epps when he missed five weeks. His defense was so good he had positive WAR while posting an OPS+ of 50. This might be my Vega replacement after next year.
OF – Mike Startzel
Startzel was drafted last season and started in the majors just a year later. He played well and will probably be the starter next season.
Pitchers:
Pitching Staff when Healthy
SP – Hunter Mink
Mink had another great year, leading the team in pitching WAR. I have two more years of team control, but his arbitration estimate is $13.1m and he’s getting close to 30 years old. I might go ahead and move him while his trade value is still high.
SP – Giles Palacios
Palacios had a great third season with us, starting the all-star game and finishing second in the Cy Young voting. If I’m going to extend one of my pitchers, he’ll probably be the one, but it depends what the rest of the financials looks like.
SP – Pat Dibartolo
Dibartolo is a really good pitcher, but probably the worst two-time Cy Young winner I’ve ever seen. He won the award this year despite being the third best pitcher on the team. He’s still really good though, and extremely popular, so he’ll be around for a while.
SP – Rawley Hector
Hector was passable this year but demoted to make room for my star pitching prospect. He might get another look next season if I move on from Mink.
SP – Sean Whiteman
Whiteman wasn’t as good as I wanted but I think he’ll be better in his second full season.
RP – Chris Ryan
Last year I was worried Ryan’s ratings would stall out, but he’s progressed nicely. His performance was slightly worse this season, although I’m not too worried. There’s a lot of variance with relief pitchers.
RP – Connor Jones
Jones had a good year, but his ratings have slipped and I’m going to decline his team option.
RP – Ludwin Jimenez
Jimenez was decent but I had a to make room to call up my phenom reliever, and he was the odd man out. He might be back next year.
RP – Mike Ruhs
Ruhs is really good and will be back for many years.
RP – Taylor Guilbeau
Guilbeau had a good year but his ratings started falling fast at the end of the season. I’m going to decline his team option.
RP – Sam Lauderdale
Lauderdale continues to be a steady presence in the bullpen and will return next year.
RP – Joe McKinney
McKinney played well and his ratings have improved since last season. I’m expecting big things from him next year.
RP – Chang-hyeok Kim
Year one of the Chang-hyeok Kim experiment was a success. He made the all-star team and won reliever of the year. I’m probably going to go ahead and move him though. His ratings have slipped slightly since his signing and I have a new guy that makes him redundant. Hopefully, I can get an asset for him, but I’ll settle for a salary dump.
RP – Cooper Benson
Benson was pushed out of the rotation due to better options but could return to a starting role next year. It’s always nice to have pitching depth like this.
Replacements
SP – Chris West
I kept West in the minors as long as I could then put him in the starting rotation in June. He did well for a 21-year-old rookie and should be even better next year.
SP – Josh Sheppard
It took a while, but the return from the Jack Flaherty trade finally made his major league debut. He made nine starts, posting an FIP of 3.16, and will be in the rotation next season.
RP – Corey MacDonald
I’m really not sure what to do with MacDonald. He worked as a starter in AA, winning the pitcher of the year award, then moved to the bullpen when called up and dominated as a reliever. I wouldn’t hesitate to put him in the rotation if his slider was rated above 45, but the lack of a third pitch and a questionable stamina/hold runners combo has me doubtful he can start.
RP – Tommy Noonan
If you don’t click on any other profile in this write up, click on this one. Noonan is unreal. He faced 48 batters and struck out 25 of them. If he continues at this rate, he’ll be the greatest reliever of all time.
Season Results:
We started the year strong, going 25-15 our first 40 games, and never let up. We clinched the division with fifteen games remaining and had a record of 106-56. This was our best team yet and I really liked our chances heading into the playoffs. We had four good starting pitchers, a dominant bullpen, and three elite batters.
Our first-round opponent was the 86-76 Giants, led by Jack Flaherty, Joey Bart, Luis Robert, and Danny Hoover. They had a solid team, but nowhere near as good as ours.
We started off the series strong, winning game one 8-2. Palacios struck out ten and gave up one earned over seven innings, and the offense came through with three homers. We were still rolling in game two, up 4-2 in the eighth, then our young stud reliever Macdonald gave up a two-run shot to tie the game 4-4, followed by our other hot-shot reliever Noonan giving up a go-ahead solo shot in the tenth. They held on to win game two 5-4. We looked to get back on track in game three, but the offense sputtered, and we lost 3-1. The offense continued to struggle, scoring two runs total the next two games, and they closed out the series.
We went from postseason favorites to knocked out 4-1 in the first round. Good times. Then, to add insult to injury, we were as many steps removed from the championship as possible.
Here are the rest of the playoff results and MLB standings.
On a positive note, my contract was extended for three years. I’m a long way removed from worrying about whether or not I’m going to be fired. I honestly didn’t even know my contract was expiring.
Top Prospects:
There are a lot of new faces this year since seven players from last season’s list were promoted to the majors. There are a couple of guys I don’t love at the bottom of the list but a great draft this year has restocked the talent at the top.
1.) Andy Schaffer
For the second year in a row, I’ve had a pitcher get a huge ratings boost and jump to the number one spot. Last season it was Chris West and this time it’s Andy Schaffer. The big difference between the two is that West was already a good prospect before jumping to number one, but Schaffer wasn’t even on my radar last season. When I made the rankings last year, I was going off Schaffer’s 5/19/2029 scouting report, which had him as a 20-potential player, but his ratings have exploded since then. His control and stuff have improved significantly, and he’s added a really good sinker. I had no clue he’d become this when I drafted him, I really just took a flier on his high movement. He’ll begin next season at A+.
2.) Edwin Mireles
Mireles might be my first successful international amateur free agent signing in five years. He had a solid season in rookie ball and his potential has held steady. His defensive ratings improved slightly and I’m hoping they can get even better. I’ll probably move him to A- next season.
3.) Dave Codes
Codes had a great year in rookie ball and looks like he’ll be a legitimate masher in a few seasons. He’ll start next year in A or A+.
4.) Chris Dearborn
The next three players on the list were all taken in this year’s draft and are a huge reason our minor league system is in such good shape. If Dearborn’s changeup develops, he’ll be a top starter, and I like his chances due to his high work ethic and durability.
He had an “impossible” signing bonus demand, so I was able to scoop him up in the fifth round. He agreed to sign for $10m.
5.) Eddie Copping
I don’t love Copping’s movement, but he had the best combination of character, durability, and talent on the board. He had a great season in rookie ball and will begin next year in A+.
6.) Bobby Butler
Butler had a solid season in rookie ball and will probably begin next season in A-. He has a good chance of becoming an MLB starter if he can stay healthy.
7.) Josh Snellgrove
Snellgrove had a good year in A+ and I’ll probably start him in AAA next season as the first injury replacement. His defense has rounded out since last year, but it looks like his talent might’ve capped out. Hopefully, he has something extra in the tank.
8.) Josh Boston
If Boston reaches his full potential, he’ll be a very useful player. Hopefully, his leadership improves at some point.
9.) Josh McBride
McBride really only has the potential to be a utility player, but there’s nothing wrong with that. He’ll start next season at AA, and I’ll start training him at different positions.
10.) Steve Flores
Flores doesn’t look to have enough hitting potential to survive in the majors, but his defense and character might get him there. He’ll start next season at A+.
Promoted to MLB:
Chris West, Josh Sheppard, Joey Hudson, Joe McKinney, Tommy Noonan, Corey MacDonald, Oscar Trevino
Dropped from list:
Josh Langdon
Langdon has developed nicely since last season but I’m out on him. I don’t trust fragile pitchers, so he’ll be traded.
Future Outlook:
It’s always disappointing when your 100+ win team gets knocked out in the first round, but the franchise is in a great position overall. We have lots of talent at every level of the organization, no bad contracts, and good fan interest/loyalty. I would love to win another championship, but I think we’re doing pretty good for a team that didn’t exist ten years ago.
The books are getting a bit tighter, so I’ll probably have to move a few of our key contributors, but I think we have enough minor league depth to keep rolling.
Here is the budget and salaries heading into the offseason.
Ten Year Review:
The transition from “scrappy expansion team trying to compete with the big boys” to “legitimate perennial contender” has been exciting. We’ve had multiple thrilling pennant races and an amazing World Series run. We started off with a team full of rookies and veteran castoffs, and no farm system, but now have talent up and down the organization. I’m very happy with where we’re at.
I was interested to see where our players and production have come from over the last ten years, so I decided to plot it out. Here’s the percentage of players by acquisition type and the percentage of total WAR by acquisition type. Unsurprisingly, we’ve relied less and less on expansion and rule 5 draft players and started filling out the team with draft picks. The bulk of our production still comes from players acquired in trades, but I’m hoping that changes over the next few years. I really hope we can develop that home grown superstar sooner than later.
I was also interested to see who the top players were for the first decade, so I ranked the top-five position players, starting pitchers, and relievers by total WAR and then by single season WAR. The rankings are below:
\Total WAR Player profiles are from the most recent season with team*
Top 5 Position Players by Total WAR
1.) Shohei Ohtani (6 Seasons, 29.9 WAR)
2.) Willie Vega (5 Seasons, 22.1 WAR)
3.) Jeisson Rosario (10 Seasons, 19 WAR)
4.) Nick Gordon (7 Seasons, 17.7 WAR)
5.) Ernesto Bernal (6 Seasons, 14.7 WAR)
Top 5 Position Player Seasons by WAR
1.) 2030 Fernando Tatis Jr. (9 WAR)
2.) 2023 Shohei Ohtani (8.2 WAR)
3.) 2027 Shohei Ohtani (6.6 WAR)
4.) 2022 Nolan Arenado (5.9 WAR)
5.) 2029 Willie Vega (5.7 WAR)
Top 5 Starting Pitchers by Total WAR
1.) Hunter Mink (4 Seasons, 16 WAR)
2.) Jack Flaherty (3 Seasons, 13.7 WAR)
2.) Jose Paulino (5 Seasons, 13.7 WAR)
4.) Pat Dibartolo (4 Seasons, 11.9 WAR)
5.) Justin Steele (7 Seasons, 11.4 WAR)
Top 5 Starting Pitcher Seasons by WAR
1.) 2024 Jack Flaherty (5.2 WAR)
2.) 2030 Hunter Mink (5 WAR)
3.) 2026 Jose Paulino (4.9 WAR)
4.) 2028 Hunter Mink (4.6 WAR)
4.) 2030 Gilles Palacios (4.6 WAR)
Top 5 Relievers by Total WAR
1.) Hee-joon Bang (3 Seasons, 10.1 WAR)
2.) Blake Taylor (7 Seasons, 9.6 WAR)
3.) Argenis Angulo (6 Seasons, 6 WAR)
4.) Jordan Alvarez (2 Seasons, 5.2 WAR)
5.) Connor Jones (5 Seasons, 5.2 WAR)
Top 5 Reliever Seasons by WAR
1.) 2028 Hee-joon Bang (3.9 WAR)
1.) 2029 Hee-joon Bang (3.9 WAR)
3.) 2026 Jordan Alvarez (3.4 WAR)
4.) 2030 Chang-hyeok Kim (2.9 WAR)
5.) 2025 Ben Bowden (2.8 WAR)

Welcome back to year thirteen of the Alabama Slammers Franchise Report! Here are the links to the previous versions if you want to catch up (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032).
Previous Season Highlights:
- Edgar Sanchez and Drew Romo win Gold Gloves
- Top four finishers in Cy Young voting
- Glen Alcorn wins Reliever of the Year
- Division Champs
- Second World Series title
- Amazing postseason from Luis Godoy
Start of Offseason:
As with the previous versions, I’ll list the moves I made, the rationale behind those moves, the season results, and the future outlook.
Here are the salaries heading into the offseason.
\Unless stated otherwise, all players were re-signed to their one-year arbitration estimate*
Departures (non-trades):
Ali Sanchez
Sanchez has been a great backup catcher during his two stops with us, but I think I have a guy in the minors ready to take over.
Josh Muntner
Muntner is a solid player but I have an excess of minor league outfielders and had to release someone.
Mike Startzel
Startzel was really good for us in 2031, then played sparingly in 2032 since I needed a right-handed bat, and now he’s stuck behind better options in the minors.
Move #1:
Signed Gilles Palacios to a 5/$100m extension.
Any time you can sign a 28-year-old Cy Young winner with iron man durability and high character to a 5/$100m deal, you’ve got to do it. This was a no brainer.
Move #2:
Hired a new trainer.
This one wasn’t by choice. I would’ve preferred to keep my legendary trainer that kept us to two total IL stints last year, but he retired, and I was forced to hire this guy. Hopefully, we don’t start racking up injuries.
Move #3:
Signed free agent Drew Romo to a 2/$5m deal. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
I’m worried Romo is going to fall off a cliff soon, but at this price, I’m willing to take a chance he doesn’t.
In-House Moves:
Danny Wells promoted from AA. He’ll fill the backup catcher role.
Justus Evans converted from pitcher to first baseman. He’ll serve as the primary DH vs. LHP.
Josh McBride promoted from AAA. He’ll start in right field vs. LHP and backup all three outfield spots vs. RHP.
We’re going from a 9- to an 8-man bullpen. Our entire rotation is returning and I’m taking the pitch count off of Palacios and Dibartolo. Palacios is an iron man and Dibartolo is an upcoming free agent that’s only injury was a 6-day day-to-day in 2026, so they should be fine. Nine guys was excess last year and would be even more so this season. We’ll adjust if one of our starters gets injured.
Final Financial Situation:
We have about $29m in available funds to start the year, so should be able to sign any draft picks and international amateur free agents we want. We’re upping the ticket prices to $45 since we sold out last year at $40.
Here are the salaries heading into the season.
Season Outlook:
For the first time ever, we made zero trades or new player free agent signings during the offseason. We won the title last year and had the ability to bring back everyone, so it seemed reasonable to keep the team intact. If we stay healthy, we should make another strong run at a championship.
Batters:
Primary Lineup vs. RHP and vs. LHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues, lineup vs. RHP shown below)*
DH – Jeff Hopper
I wish there was a way to have a heart-to-heart talk with some guys. Hopper had a monster year in the leadoff role, making his first all-star team, but is angry about not having a spot in the middle of the lineup. If he keeps playing at this rate, he’ll get a monster contract in a few years, but if he complains and tanks his performance he’ll get traded and fizzle out of the league. If I was him, I know which of those I’d rather do.
3B – Ernesto Bernal
When my scout discovered Bernal in 2022 I thought he had MVP potential, but I’d given up on that a few years ago. Then like a phoenix from the ashes, he made a serious run at it this year, finishing in third place. If not for missing 5 weeks to injury and this guy hitting 68 home runs, I think he would have won it. He made his fourth all-star team, won batter of the month in August, and won his first platinum stick award.
RF – Luis Godoy
Godoy had another good year, starting the all-star game and providing above average production despite a low BABIP. He’ll return for his last arbitration season then probably leave as a free agent.
LF – Marcus Flakes
Flakes had a solid year, but I think I need someone better in the four spot. I’ll look to upgrade in the offseason.
SS – Willie Vega
Vega’s ratings and production have continued to slip but I think he did enough to keep his contract movable. He has 4/$87m guaranteed after this year, so I’m just hoping to get off of him in a salary dump.
2B – Edgar Sanchez
Sanchez continues to improve, especially in the power department, and had his best offensive season yet. Then on defense he remained elite, winning his fourth straight gold glove. I’ll look to lock him up long term in the next year or two.
CF – Joey Hudson
I thought Hudson was going to be my guy long term, but he had a brutal season. He started the season on the IL and every time he came back and started rounding into form he’d get hurt again. I’ll bring him back next year but need to start looking for a long-term replacement.
1B – Jonathan Hines
I think the Jonathan Hines experiment is officially over. I love his defense and character, but I think I’m leaving too much on the table with his offense.
C – Drew Romo
Romo had another good year, winning his second straight gold glove. If he keeps producing like this, I’ll keep him around until he’s 40.
Bench
C – Danny Wells
I don’t think I could ask for much more from a backup catcher. Wells played great defense, was competent at the plate, and has high character.
IF – Justus Evans
Evans was pretty good considering he hadn’t played in the field in seven years. I’ll give him an expanded role next season and I think he’ll be even better.
IF – Manny Monzon
Monzon played really well as a backup and now thinks he should be a starter. I think he has a point and might give him that opportunity next year.
OF – Josh McBride
We’ve been shuffling through backup outfielders for three years now and I think I’ve finally found my guy. I’ll get him some more infield experience during spring training to provide more roster flexibility.
Replacements
OF – Caleb Gunther
Gunther filled in during Hudson’s three IL stints but got injured himself during one of them. He played much better than Hudson and deserves the starting role, but I’m going to keep him in the minors another year to maintain depth.
IF – Bob Crisp
Crisp filled in when Bernal was injured and didn’t completely stink up the joint. I don’t think he has the talent to be an everyday starter but could make the roster next year as a bench player.
OF – Edwin Mireles
Mireles was called up for three weeks when Godoy was injured. He’d been torching AA, so I decided why not give him a shot. He performed like a hall of famer during his brief stint, but I’ll probably give him another year in AAA to round out his skills. It’s nice having enough talent that I don’t have to rush guys to the majors anymore.
Pitchers:
Pitching Staff when Healthy
SP – Corey MacDonald
MacDonald continued to play like one of the top pitchers in the game, posting 4.9 WAR over 201 innings and throwing a 98 pitch no hitter on May 15th. I hope he plays his entire career with us.
SP – Gilles Palacios
Palacios had another excellent year, starting the all-star game and winning his second Cy Young. He has 4/$80m remaining on his deal.
SP – Andy Schaffer
Schaffer, Palacios, and MacDonald form a devastating trio at the top of the rotation. Schaffer continues to improve and led the league in wins at 22 years old.
SP – Pat Dibartolo
I took the pitch count off Dibartolo and it came back to bite me, as he suffered season ending shoulder inflammation on August 15th. Before the injury, he was on pace for a top five CY Young finish, making the all-star team and winning pitcher of the month in July. He’s the most accomplished pitcher in franchise history, but his ratings are starting to slip, so I’m going to let him walk as a free agent.
SP – Josh Sheppard
Sheppard is overshadowed by some of his teammates but he’s a very good pitcher in his own right. I might trade him if it helps me net another power hitter, but I’m perfectly content bringing him back.
RP – Chris Ryan
Ryan had a decent year. I could replace him with a more talented player, but I’ll keep him around for his sparkplug personality.
RP – Mike Ruhs
Ruhs is cheap and reliable, so he’ll be back.
RP – Alan McCarter
McCarter had his best year yet, posting and FIP of 2.19 and striking out 43.2% of the batters he faced. He’s the only prankster on the team, so he’ll definitely return.
RP – Danny Ibarra
Ibarra had his third straight terrific season and looks like he still has room to grow. He’ll be back next year.
RP – Joe McKinney
McKinney had a rough start to the year but bounced back and performed like the top reliever he is. I’ll be interested to see if he wants to start in the future.
RP – Glen Alcorn
Alcorn missed a few weeks to injury but played really well when healthy, making his first all-star team. Hopefully, he can continue to stay on the field.
RP – Tommy Noonan
Noonan finally did it, he hit the jackpot and went Super Saiyan. Just check out his stats, they’re insane. He won the reliever of the year by unanimous vote and was the top vote getting reliever for the all-star game.
RP – Jonathan Kelsey
Kelsey is overqualified as a reliever, but I don’t trust his movement as a full-time starter. He pitched well out of the bullpen and made his first all-star team.
Replacements
RP – Steve Bacon
Guys with Bacon’s ratings profile are usually fool’s gold. He’s a 65 overall, just like Joe McKinney, but isn’t half as good as him. He filled in when Alcorn was injured and was called up again when rosters expanded. I’ll trade him if I can, but he’ll probably just remain in the minors as depth.
SP – Eddie Copping
Copping was called up to replace Dibartolo and will continue to do so next year. It’s kind of eerie how similar their ratings are. Hopefully, Copping can win two Cy Youngs like the guy he’s replacing.
SP – Brad Graves
Graves was called up when rosters expanded and is another testament to how much depth we have throughout the system. He’s never made the top prospects list but is a perfectly capable major league pitcher. If I need to move Sheppard, he’ll move into the rotation full-time next season.
Season Results:
We had another romp through the regular season, winning 111 games and finishing first in the division. The Braves had a great year, but they were never really in contention.
Our pitching and defense continued to be the best in the league and the offense has really took off under our new bench coach. Our previous guy had a conventional approach, which was good enough for two World Series titles, but the new guy has really taken advantage of our stealing and baserunning ability with his smallball style. We led the league in steals and had the third most runs scored, which resulted in a run differential of +317. I had no clue how much we were leaving on the table before hiring him.
Speaking of new hires, I’m not very happy with our new trainer. We had way more injuries than usual and at one point had 1/3 of our starting lineup out for extended time. I’ll replace him as soon as someone better comes along.
We did go into the playoffs mostly healthy though. Dibartolo wasn’t available, but we still had four good starting pitchers and went with a playoff rotation of Palacios, MacDonald, Sheppard, and Schaffer.
The 82-80 Diamondbacks were our first-round opponent and everything about this screamed trap series. We had far superior talent, beat them eight out of nine times during the regular season, and their top pitcher wasn’t available until game three, but I’ve seen this type of team beat my type of team way too many times to not be worried.
Divisional Series Game 1, Slammers Win 1-0 – The Diamondbacks got a gem from Mario Ayala, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Palacios and Noonan combo. They combined to allow four hits and zero runs over nine innings. Converted pitcher Justus Evans scored the only run of the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth.
Divisional Series Game 2, Diamondbacks Win 4-3 – The Diamondbacks led throughout, chipping away at our pitching over the course of the game. Godoy hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth to bring it within one, but we couldn’t complete the comeback. Our offense needs to get going.
Divisional Series Game 3, Slammers Win 7-2 – The offense got back on track, led by Bernal with three RBIs. Sheppard gave up two runs over eight innings and Kelsey closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning.
Divisional Series Game 4, Slammers Win 4-2 (10) – The pitching did their usual thing with Schaffer giving us 6 innings of two-run ball, Noonan striking out six in 2.1 innings, and Alcorn closing out the game with 1.2 scoreless innings. McBride hit a go-ahead run scoring single in the top of the tenth.
Divisional Series Game 5, Diamondbacks Win 5-4 – Things got interesting late in this one, but we just couldn’t do enough to win. We’ll head back home for the last two games, so should be able to close out the series.
Divisional Series Game 6, Diamondbacks Win 3-0 – Our pitching did enough to win, but the offense betrayed us. Hopefully, we can figure things out game seven.
Divisional Series Game 7, Diamondbacks Win 3-2 – The offense betrayed us once again and the Diamondbacks stole the series. Flakes was particularly bad, only collecting two hits and failing to drive in a run over seven games.
Here are the rest of the playoff results and MLB standings.
Top Prospects:
This was the most difficult group of prospects I’ve ever had to rank. There’s no clear number one in the bunch, but every player in the top ten projects to be an above average MLB starter. We have so many good players that seven guys made the list as honorable mentions.
1.) Dan McIver
McIver was listed as a pitcher in this year’s draft, allowing me to scoop him up in the second round. Other than his defense, he’s the total package: great offense, baserunning, character, and durability. He had a good year in rookie ball and will probably begin next season in A-.
2.) Marco Vazquez
I think I’m getting better at identifying international amateur free agents. I signed Vazquez last year and he has all the makings of a great leadoff man. He’s still very young, so there’s a good chance his defense improves, but either way he’ll be a versatile and solid fielder.
3.) Chris Brown
Brown’s ratings have filled out nicely since last year, but I still think he needs another year in A-. He’ll begin there next season and I’m guessing he’ll rise quickly after that.
4.) Alex Rivera
Rivera bounced back in A+ this year but his offensive ratings have continued to slip. His defense and baserunning are elite, so I’m hoping he can improve at the plate to become the total package. As an added bonus, his personality was revealed as captain. He’ll begin next season in AA.
5.) Jose Gutierrez
I said last year that Gutierrez would be my catcher of the future if his catcher ability improved to 65, and it has. He had a good year in A and will begin next season in A+. I’m anticipating his major league debut in 2035 or 2036 and wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a 10-year starter.
6.) Chris Dearborn
I’m a bit down on Dearborn as compared to last year. His movement has regressed slightly, and three-pitch pitchers are a tricky breed in general, but I still like his chance of making the majors. He’ll start next year in AA.
7.) Bob Banks
Banks was a throw-in in the Tatis trade last year, but I think I might’ve acquired a real gem. He’s mashed the ball the last two seasons and his ratings are almost ready for the majors. He’ll begin next season in AAA.
8.) Julio Guerra
I’m not sure why Guerra didn’t make the list last year. He smashed rookie ball in 2032 and has the potential to play every position. He was decent in AA this season, so I’ll give him one more year there before looking to promote him as a super utility guy.
9.) Bobby Butler
Butler might’ve been number one the list if he had durable injury proneness but I’m never going to trust a pitcher without it. He performed well in AA and will probably begin next season in AAA.
10.) Bobby McCallum
McCallum’s potential is skyrocketing. When I selected him in the 21st round last year I was just taking a shot in the dark, but it looks like I’ve found a real steal. Hopefully, his potential continues to rise. He’ll begin next season in A-.
Honorable mentions:
Chris Larkin
Larkin’s ratings have continued to round out since last year and he looks like he’ll be major league ready sooner than later. He’ll start next season in AAA.
Steve Flores
If I move on from Vega, Flores will probably be the guy that fills his spot. He doesn’t do much offensively but should be the best short stop defender in baseball.
Joe Poffenberger
Poffenberger had a solid year in A+ and looks like he’ll be a solid major league catcher one day but he’s probably going to be blocked by the guy at number five on this list.
Jose Macias
This is just found money. I don’t expect anything from scouting discoveries, but Macias looks like he could be a dominant reliever in a year or two. I’ll give him another year at AA and hopefully he improves his control.
Omar Taborda
Taborda is pretty much the same player as last year, which isn’t a bad thing, but he’s just not good enough to justify playing over my current major leaguers. There’s a good chance he’s traded this offseason.
Ray Zaragoza
I moved Zaragoza to the bullpen, and he did terrible, but at least he stayed healthy this season. Hopefully, he has some trade value now.
Jorge Rocha
Rocha has the potential to be one of the best hitters in baseball and will lose all of that potential by the time he’s 19.
Promoted to MLB:
Eddie Copping, Edwin Mireles, Josh McBride
Dropped from list:
Luis Arguello
Arguello made the list last year due to his well-rounded skillset but needed to improve his movement. Instead, he went the opposite way and is now off the list.
Future Outlook:
It’s always frustrating to lose the way we did in the postseason, but I can’t be too mad about a team that won the World Series last year. We’re still in a great position going forward and should continue to compete for titles for many years to come.
Our fan loyalty increased to “very good” at the start of the offseason! This is very exciting news.
At the end of last season, I said I wanted to change the league structure, but I decided to hold off a year. We will be expanding and re-aligning divisions next season though. The four new teams are the New Orleans Jazz, New Jersey Bats, Montreal Expos, and Hawaii Surf. Here are the new divisions. I’ll go into more detail in the next write up.
Here is the budget and salaries going into the offseason.