I love this team.
There's a weird desperation around this lineup, like the Mets suddenly realized this DeGrom guy is pretty good and maybe we should put some talent around him, but they blew all their payroll money on a Ponzi scheme and had to settle for a bunch of prospects and aging veterans.
Alright that was mean. The Heaters are much more stable than the Mets.
While I wouldn't call any of the position players on this team Elite (with the possible exceptions of Mantonio Laevo and Hank Hart), this is an outstanding small ball lineup with a bunch of surprise players who are going to spend time in the All Star discussion. Not many options for hitting the cover off the ball but most of these guys can get on base and effectively move around them. They are going to find their living in stolen bases, turning double play balls into a fielders' choice, and the hit and run.
They also aren't breaking the bank with only one player (Raise Rufallo at 10.4 million) making over 10 million a year. That's good because the focus of this team's budget is on pitching and they've pretty effectively created a solid lineup on a shoestring budget. First here's the default lineup:
And for comparison, here's mine (non-DH):
1. Dion Bass (2B)
2. Raise Rufallo (CF)
3. Mantonio Laevo (1B) vs LHP/Hank Hart (SS) vs. RHP
4. Theodore Stiffner (3B)/Mantonion Laevo (1B) vs RHP
5. Hank Hart (SS) vs LHP/Theodore Stiffner (3B) vs RHP
6. Slapper Glute (LF)
7. Bubbles Garcia (RF)
8. Kobe Kingman (C)
9. Pitcher
Now let's take a look at each position and see how we arrived there.
Catcher: Kobe Kingman is your highest rated catcher with excellent contact stats, well above average defensive skills, and a strong arm for throwing out baserunners. While he's not known for power it can still go deep if he gets the barrel of the bat on it. At 7.3 million Kingman brings outstanding value to the franchise as a high OBP catcher with outstanding defensive attributes.
At backup you can either use Kimme Smoke or Slopper Glute. Smoke gives you solid offensive production and deceptive speed with good pitch blocking skills but an arm that is going to struggle against the faster baserunners, and you may be best served with Glute who plays a positions with good depth (LF) and is going to give you great offensive production and an absolute cannon of an arm. Even with suspect defense Glute is overall going to be a superior option at backup as long as his normal spot in LF is covered (it will be).
1st Base: Though his overall rating is low due to suspect fielding and baserunning, Mantonio Laevo is one of the best offensive players on this team with outstanding contact and power numbers, and at 4.9 million a year is an absolute steal. I've never been big on defense over at first and if you can get the offensive production, then stick whoever over there. The guy even hits from both sides of the plate for pete's sake.
He's one of the few true power hitters on this team and any mistakes over the plate are going to be sent into the stratosphere. On a team that's hurting for cap space like the Heaters Laevo is a guy they should do anything they can to hold onto.
In the event of injury or if you are playing cross conference and want to slot Laevo in at DH, Kimme Smoke or Volt Bolter are both adequate options to fill in at first. Smoke gives solid offensive numbers with decent defensive traits while Bolter is an outstanding defender but struggles at the plate with poor power and barely average contact, though he has a propensity to work counts and foul pitches off.
All that said, there are better uses for both Bolter and the DH position with this team.
2nd Base: Dion Bass is a solid player with above average defensive attributes and great small ball potential. With poor power ratings he isn't going to be hitting the cover off the ball but he has the speed to beat out well placed infield grounders and with that contact rating, is going to be hitting a lot of them. If he can work counts he could end up on base a lot and once he's there it's off to the races. He isn't the fastest runner on the team but with his potential to get on base he's probably the most offensively viable.
Backup is a bit tougher to decipher. Hank Hart can fill in for him but then you're out an all star shortstop. Maggie Rags has an outstanding defensive skillset and can play any position but her abysmal offense relegates her to defensive sub and emergency fill in for the time being. You can slide Hart in then do some roster wizardry involving Ted Stiffner and Buscha Digman but that is a huge defensive blow along with a small offensive downgrade. No matter how you twist it losing Bass for any amount of time could put this team in a tough position.
SS: Both on paper and in reality a major strength. Hank Hart is one of the best everyday players on this team and is on a very team friendly contract making 8.9 million. A left handed bat with good speed and offensive potential, he can also cover short with outstanding range and athleticism. He may be the best all around athlete on the team next to Raise Ruffalo. Even with average power hitting he's shown an ability to destroy right handed pitching.
In addition to starters like Dion Bass and Theodore Stiffner who can fill in at shortstop, you also have Buscha Digman off the bench. Digman is nowhere near the athlete Hart is but has outstanding defensive skills with extraordinary power. Unfortunately he struggles to hit for average, but if he's able to get hold of the ball it's going to get launched.
As always Maggie Rags is available as a gold glove caliber defensive replacement but don't expect to do any favors in the lineup just yet.
3rd Base: Starting at 3rd is Ted Stiffner, an aging veteran on a team friendly deal at 6.1 million who features some of the fastest baserunning in the game, just barely second to Volt Bolter. At 36 years old Stiffner's defense (never the strength of his game) has fallen off significantly but his power numbers are still well above average. Though the Heaters are not in a DH conference Stiffner would make an excellent DH candidate.
The best option at backup, just as at shortstop, is probably Buscha Digman, a right handed power bat capable of filling in at third with average defense but an excellent arm. Digman is a superb bench player who can defend the left side of the infield with excellent defense and offensive potential on a 4.1 million a year contract.
RF: Right field is a tough position for this team. On paper 24 year old Murky Nubswubbles is your only starting RF and, in spite of his terrible fielding he actually isn't a terrible option off the bench if you want to hold onto him as a developmental prospect. While the official lineup posted above uses Volt Bolter as the RF starter I would take the defensive hit of starting Bubbles Garcia as your everyday RF starter. He offers an average arm, below average defense, and average contact but surprsingly excellent power ratings offensively and is going to get on base more reliably than Bolter, who is going to be more useful off the bench as a defensive or pinch-running option late.
At back up slot in Bolter with solid defense and an excellent arm. It'll be an offensive step down but with his outstanding speed he can create havoc on the basepaths when he does manage to get on base and defensively though he has average glove skills he's going to be able to cover a massive area in right and rob a lot of extra base hits.
CF: Raise Rufallo is your starting center fielder and one of the best players on this team. Though a bit pricey at 10.4 million he's still right around league average for a top rated outfielder. A left handed bat that hits for average, he's fast enough to create stress on the bases and stretch extra base hits. Defensively he has gold glove talent with the speed to cover significant portions of the field, shoring up weaker defenders such as Garcia over at right. A 5 tool left hander, at only 26 Rufallo is only going to get better and will be a pillar on this team for years to come as long as they can hold on to him.
LF: Slapper Glute rounds out your outfield with outstanding contact ratings and a cannon for an arm. With above average speed he can get to most warning track balls and fire them in quick. He's going to get on base consistently and round them effectively. Though below average glove and power stats mean he may be overshadowed by Rufallo and Hart his cap hit is well below theirs at 8.5 million and with the ability to hit from either side of the plate, Glute looks like a tremendous value and a vital part of a championship effort.
Bench: No matter who you go with for starters this team has tremendous depth on the bench for situational hitting, running, or defensive replacements. Maggie Rags is a gold glove defender at any position besides catcher (and should be able to play that adequately as well) though she shouldn't be hitting anywhere above the 9 hole with abysmal offensive ratings, Volt Bolter can back up at 1st or any outfield position with solid defense and proven ability to work counts even if he hasn't translated that into average yet. He is also in the conversation for fastest baserunning in the league.
Buscha Digman gives great power and solid defensive measurables across the left side of the infield though he's going to struggle to make contact with tough pitches, and Murky Nubswubbles represents a potential future backup option in right field with solid power, speed, and a strong throwing arm. Smoke represents a good defensive backup at catcher with solid offensive production though with his arm he shouldn't be tapped as a future starter unless you're willing to invest in development.
If you decide to play Bolter in right over Garcia, then Garcia offers great offensive potential in late game situations which could be vital in a non-DH league. Personally I'd rather take consistent offensive output directly in the lineup but I understand the desire to have a good hitter in reserve. Without Garcia your best offensive substitution is Nubswubbles which is far from ideal.
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