No one can hide from the impact of climate change. It's science.
Not even in the JLB where the storms keep getting stronger and stronger as the League gets hotter and hotter, and right now, we may be looking at one of the hottest lineups to ever take the field in the JLB.
The Topton Tornadoes are officially pushing EF-5 status with sustained wins around 250.
Also happy about that considering Tommy handed me my worst loss last year at 18-4-0.
That will certainly be a score he sees in his favor again this year — I have no doubts on that.
Hard not to start with the AL MVP, Arson. ... er, I mean, Aaron Judge, who blasted 62 homers and drove in 131 runs and scored 133 runs last year. Essentially, he produced the number of homers, RBIs and runs you'd hope to get from two fantasy starters.
There's so much value in having a guy like that, and if he can duplicate that, Topton is in a good spot because it's not like he needs the double-up at one position to make up for a lack of production elsewhere.
He has major power and run production coming from Pete Alonso at 1B, Vlad Guerrero, Jr., at DH and eventually Fernando Tatis, Jr., at SS or RF, when his suspension is over.
Those four players alone are projected to account for 155 homers and 417 RBIs. That's more than half of what is needed to compete for the JLB lead based on prior years.
They also have the capability to put up seasons like Judge did a year ago so my goodness are we all in a lot of trouble if more than one fulfills that "double-up" status.
At any rate, good luck trying to beat Tommy on offense. Try. Why even try? Is there really anyone who can beat him?
"Ideally, no one!" Tommy said. "These guys have been really streaky in the past so we're hoping to be a little more consistent and most importantly stay healthy. As long as they keep grinding and putting up numbers they're capable of I think it will be a fun season."
Fun. He's being modest.
I really don't think fun describes the destructive path these bats will make through the JLB, especially when it hits that trailer park, Big Choo Estates.
Add in young star keepers Wander Franco, Josh Jung, Ozzie Albies and Keibert Ruiz, along with great draft picks in Andrew Benintendi, Yandy Diaz and Whit Merrifield, and there is a level of excitement that has never hit Topton since joining the JLB four years ago.
"Definitely happy with how our draft went there this year," Tommy said. "There seemed to be a lot of great picks being made but we still got a good number of our targets. I think we’ve plugged most of our holes and have really been able to complement the names we already had.
"I won't deny 2022 was a disappointment. But we cut our losses and went into the deadline last year with 2023 in mind and made our roster even stronger for the future. I think we are coming into 2023 stronger than any other season since I took over."
Part of that strength is bringing back a Cy Young winner and a Cy Young contender.
Sandy Alcantara was filthy a year ago, going 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA, 207 strikeouts and six complete games. Triston McKenzie was dominate in 30 starts as well, posting a 2.96 ERA with 190 strikeouts.
They will be the cornerstones of what could be a very good starting staff, but Topton does need some breaks to go his way.
The up-and-down career of Lucas Giolito hit the down point last year, so Tommy is hoping that see-saw is on its way up for 2023.
Tyler Glasnow's see-saw isn't about success level, but rather injury status, as he once again starts the year with a red flag.
Dustin May, who was part of Tommy's great July deadline moves, is back, along with Mike Soroka, so there is high hopes that they can return to the level of success they had before going down with long-term injuries.
If he can get past those question marks, he'll be well on his way to the top spot in the AL.
"When isn't pitching a question mark?" Tommy asked. "It is a long season, we are gonna manage our staff as best we can. We definitely think our aces are ready to go and compete with the best of them. Sandy is a work horse, hopefully going deep and getting lots of QS and even some CGs. I think we can get good numbers out of the guys we drafted, and when you combine that with the staff we already had I think we can go up against anyone in the league."
We all think that, too, Tommy.
Is it too early for the rest of us to declare a State of Emergency?
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