Best AL Team
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Durham fans may cry foul, but the St. Louis Archies were the best team in the AL this year by far. PECOTA had St. Louis at an expected winning percentage of .642 given their run differential which would have put the Archies at 104 wins. Instead St. Louis clocked in with 100 wins and a solid .617 winning percentage; good enough for an AL North pennant. St. Louis was led by Cy Young candidate Jacob Wilkerson and MVP candidate Darwin Floyd for one of the more balanced offensive/pitching squads in the league.
Best NL Team
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In a run away contest, Vancouver wins as the strongest team in the NL. It isn't just about the 116 wins (though that was certainly impressive), nor was it about the fact they played in a tough division (three teams with winning records). It was the "shock and awe" campaign they waged. Vancouver scored the second most runs in the NL (893) and allowed the least runs (566) for a whopping 327 run differential. This was due to a cast of stars that included Josh Clancy, Gene Gaetti, Fernando Rodriguez, Rey James and Adam Jorgensen who gelled together to form something special. Should Vancouver win it all, they will go down as the greatest team in Dream League history.
Most Disappointing AL Team
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How does a team go from 83-79 to 50-112? Ask the Rays who saw their record drop by an astounding 33 games in one season. Turmoil in the front office had some bearing (General Manager sidekicker will be stepping down), but it still doesn't excuse the horrible mismanagement of the pitching staff or the bullpen. Expect Pitching Coach Damian Andrews to be gone after three seasons in Tampa.
Most Disappointing NL Team
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That noise you heard was everyone in Buffalo breathing a sigh of relief.
Charlotte, who everyone outside of Alabama considered the favorites in the NL South, went from 86-76 to 76-86 this year. It's been a slippery slope in Charlotte the last few seasons as the Knights have seen their record decline every year since the Dream League's inception. It will be up to another management team to fix the problem as Charlotte General Manager dspahlinger was fired the day the regular season ended. Improving the lineup will be priority one in the offseason--the hitting in Charlotte was terrible with no player hitting more than 20 home runs on the squad.
Most Surprising AL Team
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Improving by 20 wins between Season 3 and Season 4, the Tucson Torros check in as the AL's most surprising squad. Their tussle with Colorado for the AL West went down to the last two days. Harry Tarraga and Steve Bennett headed up a lineup that saw five players hit 35 home runs or more. The team is no fluke and should compete for the division again next season with their youth and balanced lineup.
Most Surprising NL Team
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Where did these guys come from? When Montgomery General Manager rootgargle boldly predicted a division title at a press conference during Spring Training it made national headlines. Other General Managers questioned rootgargle's sanity, the most vocal being sergei1991 of Vancouver. Little did he, or anybody else, know that rootgargle would deliver the goods. Nicknamed "Mini-Gillick" by the press (after Pat Gillick of the Blue Jays/Mariners/Phillies) for his ability to tinker through trades, acquisitions and waivers, rootgargle went out and built a division winning squad. His moves included the shrewd acquisitions of Neil Clyburn and Jacob Torres in deadline deals.
MVP AL
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Floyd deserves his his second MVP trophy after leading the Archies to a 100-62 record and the AL North title. Floyd popped 62 home runs and drove in 170 while batting .318. Proving his versatility he stole 21 bases. Detractors of Floyd will speak about his glove (27 errors), and while he may not be the slickest fielder in the game, the kind of production he brings while facing the rigors of playing shortstop every day are astounding. Floyd may be the most underappreciated guy in the Dream League today, and if he wins he'll go down as the only multiple MVP winner besides Nick Black, something that cannot be ignored.
MVP NL
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This is an open and shut case. Rodriguez could be a unanamous selection this year by the voters. Rodriguez tore the cover off the ball this year to the tune of 68 home runs and 179 RBI. His batting average hovered around .300 all season (.296). He played solid defense commiting only one error all season. Most importantly, the Vancouver Mountain Lions posted a Dream League record 116 regular season wins. Rodriguez's presence in the middle of the lineup was a huge factor.
Cy Young AL
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Colorado right hander Cookie Cradle got a lot of press for pitching well in Coor's Field, but Wilkerson is our pick for the NL Cy Young Award. Wilkinson slowed down towards the end of the season (was 13-0 at one point) but his 18-3 record was still solid by anyone's standards. Add to this his league leading WHIP of 1.09 and the second best ERA (2.79) and you've got yourself a solid Cy Young resume.
Cy Young NL
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Tragically his season ended prematurely, but even without the benefit of a full season Josh Clancy is the right pick for the NL Cy Young Award. Clancy went 21-3 and posted a 3.13 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP, shaking his label of being "a great pitcher who can't win games". To say Vancouver will miss Clancy's leadership and ability to pitch well in pressure situations is an understatement.
Breakout AL Player
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A man that goes from a Rule 5 pickup to a 16 game winner in the same season, is the very definition of a "breakout player". Despite playing for a suspect San Antonio squad, Howell was great, going 16-5 with a 3.38 ERA and limiting opposing hitters to a .235 average. At age 22 expect Howell to get considerably better over the next two to three seasons--a scary prospect for opposing clubs.
Breakout NL Player
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Tony Yamada was once considered a top flight prospect until injuries robbed him of his ability to turn on pitches. Leading up to Season 4, Yamada had been on the DL on four seperate occassions seeing only 163 ML games in two season. Season 4 he put everything together and stayed healthy hitting 64 home runs and driving in 155 for the Fargo Tides.
Most Disappointing Player AL
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The "ace" whom ESPN claimed would lead the Florida Hurricane's to the NL East title didn't pitch like an ace for Florida. He was shipped to Atlanta in a blockbuster deal shortly before the trading deadline. Suprisingly he was even worse in Atlanta posting a 4.75 ERA and 1.29 WHIP after the deal. The poor performances got Taft booed each and every jog to the mound, as fans were reminded that they gave up the popular Brian Kojima to get him.
Most Disappointing Player NL
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Though Mantelban would pillage his former team by driving in ten runs in a three game series, Mantelban appeared just as disinterested and distracted in Tacoma as he was in New Orleans. His issues culminated in a midseason debacle against Vancouver (a team he was pushing to be traded to) when he made two errors in one inning, including one where he tried to catch an outfield fly with his cap. Rumors swirled that Mantelban was tanking on purpose. Whatever the case a .253 average and 11 home runs was not what Tacoma had in mind when they acquired him mid season. Mantelban has now seen his home run total dip each season he's been the Big Leagues.
Biggest Off The Field Distraction (AL)
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Though the arraingment has been set up after the playoffs, Sparks' incident caused quite a stir in a Durham clubhouse that was known for being professional and tight-knit. Sparks was busted for speeding, resisting arrest, and carrying a firearm illegally. Sparks has always been a bit of a combustable personality, but most incidents stayed out of the national spotlight. This particular incident, however, caused a lot of media scrutiny and the Bulls went into a stretch of .500 ball after the incident, nearly surrendering first place.
Biggest Off Field Distraction (NL)
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He wouldn't be Nick Black if he didn't drum up some contraversy. Black was involved in two major incidents this year, but only one was his doing. Black's decision to roam around on road trips with escorts from the "Bunny Ranch" caused tons of distractions and jealousy over preferential treatment. This jealous intensified when a report surfaced that he had been on-site, and potentially involved in the filming of several porn movies during Spring Training (he was allegedly absent due to the stomach flu). The other incident, and the one outside Black's direct control, was the "Nick Black Sweepstakes Part Duex" which deeply divided the locker room. General Manager ajf00529 offered up Nick Black on the trading block for the second time in as many seasons. Black's good friend Corey Purcell publically called out Hurricanes management which got him shipped off to Atlanta. Others, like veteran Al Leyritz thought Black was too much of a distraction and advocated a trade. The team's chemistry tanked, and ultimately Florida wound up seven games back of rival New York.
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