FL WestÂ
Previous FL West Champion & CBL Championship Winner
Previous Record: 103-59
Prediction: 97- 65
X-Factor: I’ll be honest here, they are pretty damn solid all the way around. That being said I’ve seen based on my scout some significant drops in Hoffman and Fernandez. I’m sure they’ll still be fantastic but can the Three headed beast hold their dominance much longer? Plus I may be the only one but I don’t think Mitch Hart has a repeat year or Thatcher for that matter. I’m not hating although I’m sure Dancouver GM won’t love this preview of them. They are still fantastic I’m just not sure how much longer their top guns will reign supreme.
Previous Record: 84-78
Prediction: 88-74
X-Factor: Big Years for Smith, Acosta, Arvizu, and Tauretto. Young Guys with huge upside. If they can all be phenomal like they appear then SD will be damn good. Bullpen got some help with Bandilla back, but still a big question mark for me. That being said GM Tim is aware of this issue and I look for him to make a trade or two during the deadline to help reassure this issue.
Previously Calgary Mavericks
Previous Record: 81-81
Prediction: 72-90
X-Factors: New GM Mike is a legend in the CBL but he hasn’t had time to put his stamp on the team yet. I think the Mavericks now the sting have slowly been falling for a while now. Look for them to miss playoffs the first time in Franchise history. Players like Puig,Matsuda,Bryant, and Chapman control most of the teams budget and im not too optimistic about production from any of them. Mike will certainly retool and I believe he’ll get them back in shape fairly quickly.
Previous Record: 68-94
Prediction: 81-81
X-Factor: Great defense, Delgado, Touki, Alaniz if he didn’t die in the Dominican Republic or something; this team could be good. Touki has always been a huge question mark for me, very inconsistent. If he has a good year though I think this team will surprise many. I think the Millers will find themselves in playoffs this year, I tip my cap to the job GM Erik has done. Can Joey Gallo come back from his injury and lead the offense? Or are his days numbered? Questions on offense as real and concerning, but we’ll see if that keeps them from reaching my prediction.
Previous Record: 66-96
Prediction: 69-93
X-Factor: Gotta love this teams defense. Everyone contributes to playing flawless fundamental defense on this team, but the offense isn’t going to light any score boards up. Pitching will stay pretty consistent because of the teams focus on defense but I think ultimately their offense is too far behind to make a bigger splash. That being said GM Aces consistent “who’s dealing” has paid off in my mind. Taking on contracts for prospects has worked and I like the direction they are heading.
