Blue Waves Season Preview

The Blue Waves are looking to make it back to the playoffs. With 4 of their top prospects making their ML debut in game 1, this team and their fans are excited to get the season started!

Here is how their team is going to look:

C- Luke McCartney - McCartney, a rookie, is really in there for his PC and defense. He has an 82 rating for power so he is going to hit some dingers, but the Blue Waves are sacrificing offense for defense with Luke, as they have enough offensive firepower to do so.

1b- Mac Booker - Booker, another rookie, is looking to vie for a shot at the Rookie of the Year award. He has excellent contact, power, and eye to go along with above average speed. He is more suited for left field but that position is going to be occupied so Booker may become a gold glover 1b.

2b- Yank McConnell - Much has been said about McConnell, and the Blue Waves hope he can live up to the great expectations this kid has. While his defense is less than desirable at 2b, the Blue Waves are hoping he can make up for it with his offense ala Jeff Kent. McConnell also has incredible speed (99 rating), which will help him turn those singles into possible doubles. If he can stay healthy, he should be expected to win the Rookie of the Year Award

SS- Evan Hollins - Evan was aquired in a trade last season and had a great Season 2 where he batted .314 with 24 HR's, 124 RBI's, and 35 SB's. His range is weak for a SS but his glove is great. The Blue Waves are expecting the same kind of production out of him as he is only 31 years old.

3b- Thom Reagan - Aquired in the Vince Morgan deal, Reagan is another Blue Wave who could win the Rookie of the Year award. He has above average power and splits, and will play average defense and 3b. His average batting eye may hurt him.

LF- Mike Peterson - Having played last season in CF, Mike is a bit disappointed he has to move to LF, his range is too weak to play CF but he should be a gold glover out in LF. Mike is a speedster who hit .288 with 95 SB's last season.

CF- Donald Lee - Lee is he 4th rookie on this team to make his debut, and he should be impressive. He has great power and batting eye,along with great speed. His only flaw, which is a big one, is his rating vs righties (35). The Blue Waves are hoping he can overcome this flaw with his power and speed. His glove is weak for a CF (70), but his range is great (93). If he doesnt work out defensively in CF you may see a switch between him and Peterson.

RF- Timothy Franco - Franco is the rock in this lineup, he has great contact, splits, and batting eye, and above average power. He hit .316 with a .394 OBP, 20 HR, and 111 RBI's last season and the Blue Waves are hoping he can improve on those numbers this year.

DH- Sal Ligtenberg - Sal is an above average player, in 600 AB's last season he hit .317, with a .390 OBP, and 28 HRs. He was the 1b last year but will be moved to DH as Booker is a better defender. The Blue Waves are execting the same production out of him.

Bench- Tony Randall (OF) - Great speed, and above average offensive numbers make him a great guy to fill in and start the occasional game without losing much. He was a starter on this team last year.Alan Baker (2b, OF) - Another guy who started last year that can rest the guys this year. He has struggled at the plate the previous 2 seasons despite having decent offensive ratingsCesar Martinez (3b, OF) - A great power guy who posts great OPSBen Jacobson (C) - A great defensive PC catcher.

Pitching Rotation:1. Jeff Rhodes - Can pitch a CG every now and then, not a true ace but will give you solid numbers over a year.2. Heath Carter - Similar to Rhodes in that he is not a great pitcher, but a solid one.3. Albert Castro - Aquired in the offseason, the Blue Waves are hoping he can develop into a future #2 pitcher and can have a solid first season in Anaheim.4. Nigel Sugawara - Making his ML debut this season, only has 3 pitches but his first pitch is rated 91, so the Blue Waves are hoping he can use that pitch alot to strikeout opposing batters.5. Jared Porter - Struggled last season in his rookie year but made decent improvements in the offseason. The Blue Waves are hoping he is one of the better #5 pitchers in the league.

Bullpen:Still being constructed. Clifton, Montero, and Worrell are the current Setup A's, while Beckett (a fireman of the year nominee the past 2 seasons), and Castillo will form the Setup B squad.

Closer:Chief Cunningham - While not having great ratings, he has above average ratings in almost every category. The Waves are expecting him to be a decent shutdown closer with the occasional hiccup.

Its pretty clear that the Waves are a young team. With 5 positional rookies and 1 rookie in the starting rotation the future looks bright. Pitching is going to be the weak point of this team so the Waves are hoping to outscore opponents and if they can get average pitching, they should be fine.

All that being said, they are expected to make the playoffs by their owner, and anything less will be considered a failure for a season.