Central Division – the 10 Greatest Baseball Teams

The 1984 Tigers' line-up is the best ever against left-handed pitchers with Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, Barbaro Garbey and Larry Herndon destroying lefties. However, I started them with their toughest possible opponent in the 1906 Cubs Mordecai Brown (26-6, 1.04 righty) who managed to strand 10 tigers including Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker 5 times. Despite Kirk Gibson gunning one runner out at home the Evers to Tinker to Chance defense held up for a 1-0 win.

1. Detroit Tigers, 1984, I rank this team the best to come out of my "Central" on the strength of how dominant they showed they were with a 35-5 start to the season that let them cruise, and thus not rack up the stats and run deferential I they would have if they had to fight all year to make the playoffs. By the time K. Gibson blasted Goose Gossage's pitch into the upper level to clinch a 4-1 World Series win it was clear this team was an all-time great, as A. Trammell took MVP on a loaded team. Of course, fans could choose to include instead C. Gehringer's 1935 champs or D. McLain's 1968 champs - both of whom put up even better run differentials - but the overall record and eye test make this team the best Tigers' squad and best out of my "Central" region ever.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates, 1902, H.Wagner's 1902 Pirates may have been the greatest to ever come out of my "Central," as they went 103-36 - unfortunately just before the World Series was invented. There 5.5 to 3.1 average score projects a 76% winning percentage, the best except for the 1906 Cubs, who then lost the World Series. You could also choose K. Cuyler's 1925 squad or Willie Stargell's 1971 squad that both won World Series 4 games to 3.
3. Cleveland Indians, 1948, L.Boudreau's last Indians World Series champs actually came in 2nd to the New York Yankees when I played off all 40 teams and averaging winning games 5.4 to 3.6 is the most dominant mark ever, and six years later the Indians put up what is still the best winning percentage since 1910 before falling in the World Series. The heartbreaking loss for Albert Belle's 1995 team and Corey Kluber's team last year are two of the most dominant teams ever not to win a title.
4. Chicago Cubs, 1907, O.Overall's Cubs followed up the disappointment of losing the 1906 World Series after the best record and run differential ever with a 1907 World Series sweep. I will actually use the 1906 advanced cards that were already produced. These actually are the stronger cards since that team had the greatest run differential in history - so while I try to go for actually championship years like 1907, the 1906 has the best chance to beat the Tigers and others.
5. Chicago White Sox, 1917, E.Cicotte's squad put together one of the great champions ever just two years before the Black Sox scandal. While M. Buerhle's 2005 World Series title was a great scrappy win, it honestly featured two of the weakest World Series teams in history.
6. Minnesota Twins, 1965, Z.Versalles Twins team that lost to the Dodgers in seven games is actually stronger than the teams that pulled off surprising World Series wins in 1987 and 1991. The Twins lost only because Sandy Koufax pitched The Twins scored 18 runs in the 34 innings Sandy Koufax was NOT on the mound - but Koufax had an 0.38 ERA in his three starts. You could try your hand with Frank Viola's team - the only team to win a World Series despite being outscored during the regular season as a very marginal, but clutch team in a very weak division.
7. Kansas City Royals, 1977, G.Brett's Hall of Fame dominance made this the best overall Royals team ever, though you could certainly choose to play the 2015 World Series' champs led by L. Cain instead.
8. Milwaukee Braves, 1957, H.Aaron's one World Series champion before the Braves headed to Atlanta and he went on to become the Home Run King makes this the best team from Milwaukee, by a hair.
9. Milwaukee Brewers, 1982, R.Yount did enough to give the Brewers the World Series in the all-time power vs. speed (Cardinals) series - and if Rollie Fingers was not injured one must suspect this team would have also pulled out the exciting World Series. However, I need to give the 1957 Milwaukee Braves the edge because they did have a better overall record (0.617 to 0.586) in addition to pulling off the World Series.
10. Kansas City Athletics, 1958, B.Cerv led the Kansas City Athletics their one decent team in between the great years in Philadelphia and Oakland. They did not play .500 even in this, their best year, thus ranking last in my "Central" region but rounding out a 10-team all-time division.

NL All-Star Considerations

The main NL season is being played in Montana, with 8 teams competing and 7 teams relegated for this season. The following are the records and best performers in that gae:

Chicago          11-4
Milwaukee      10-5
St. Louis          9-6
Washington     7-8
Colorado         7-8
Los Angeles     6-9
New York        6-9
Arizona           6-9


Top Performers: David Peralta, Arz (19-39 .487) DJ LaMahieu, Col (19-47 .404) Matt Carpenter, Stl 5 HR Gerardo Parra, Col 11 RBI Anthony Rendon, Wsh 11 RBI Jose Martinez, Stl 11 Runs Scored Kyle Hendricks, Chi (3-0, 2.45) Who is not: Bryce Harper, Wsh (3-34, 0 HR, 0 RBI) Stephen Strasburg, Wsh (0-3, 4.75)

Here are the NL players who have the most MVP points just in the games played with the AL. Nine points are awarded each game to three players, in any combination (a dominant player can get a max of 5, leaving either 3 for the 2nd best star and 1 for the 3rd best star, or it can be 5-2-2, 3-3-3, 4-3-2 etc). The bolded players are ones playing for teams NOT playing with the eight teams above.

To date, each NL team only played twice, and with the ace and 4th best starting pitcher, but the St. Louis Cardinals have played four games. The other 14 teams will all play a second 2-game series with the DH spot used.

2nd	Star	MVP pts	Details of game(s) getting stars
Ozuna	StL	11	HR and 2b (4), 4 of 5, double (3), 4 hits, 2B (2)walk, homer (2)
Avila	Ari	5	def gem, 2 homers
C. Martinez Stl	StL	5	lost no hitter 2 outs in 8th
Castillo	Cin	5	complete game shutout
Cespades	NYM	5	HR, 2b, 2 w, 3 run
Chacin	Mil	5	7 ip 2r
Contreras	ChiC	5	HR,3 of 4, w, 2 rbi, 2 ru
Desmond	Col	5	inside-the-park GS Homer, 3-run homer
Molina	StL	5	4 of 5, 3-run homer
Rizzo	ChiC	5	3 of 3, 2w, 2b, 3 rbi
Arrieta	Ari	4	6.2 ip, 1 run
Barnhart	Cin	4	TA cs Trout, 2b, 1b
Deitrich	Mia	4	3 of 4, w, 3 runs
Greinke	Ari	4	8 ip 2 runs
Harrison	Pit	4	2 homers
Hiriano	Ari	4	save, perfect 9th Gattis, Springer, Bregman (3 pt), 3 ip, 0 r (1 pt)
Incarte	Atl	4	3 straight 1b, SB
McCutcheon	SF	4	3 of 4, HR, 3 rbi, 2 r
Reed	Mil	4	3.2 ip 0
Santana	Phi	4	2 of 3, homer, def gem
Sotu...	Was	4	3 of 4, double
Bour	Mia	3	2b, hr, 4 rbi
Conforte	NYM	3	HR, 2b
Freese	Pit	3	3 of 4, 2b, walk (2 pt)pinch hit 2b (1 pt)
Gross	Mil	3	2-run HR, 1b
Gyorka	StL	3	1b, 2 def gems, threw Fowler out 5-2, then clutch DP on Olson next batter
Herrera	Phi	3	3 of 5, diving catch
Heyward	ChiC	3	3 of 4, 2b, 3 rbi
Ianetta	Col	3	3 of 4, HR
Kershaw	LAD	3	shutout into 9th
Murphy	Was	3	3b, 2 of 3, 2 r
Schebler	Cin	3	3 hits
Scherzer	Was	3	8 ip 1
Votto	Cin	3	3 of 4, 2 doubles
Doolittle	Was	2	2 ip, 0 r Win, Extra
Gardner	Phi	2	diving catch save 2 runs
Hand	SD	2	1.1 ip perfect
Harper	Was	2	2 of 4, 2b, 2 r
J. Martinez StL	StL	2	4 hits, HR
McCann	Atl	2	2 doubles, 2 w, 2 run
Urena	Mia	2	8 ip 3 run
Anderson	Mil	1	7 ip 2 run
Beckham	Mil	1	HR, 1b
Bellinger	LAD	1	HR, 1b, SF
Bruce	NYM	1	3 hits, homer
Grandal	LAD	1	3-run homer
Hiriano	Ari	1	3 ip, 0 r
Parra	Col	1	4 of 5, 2b
Posey	SF	1	3 hits, double
Store	Col	1	HR, 1b

Statis-Pro All-Star Selections Finalized - All-Star result and composite box

NL Wins All-Star Series two games to one with two cliffhanger wins

Game 1 (NL 4, AL 3) – As soon as Clayton Kershaw was gone, Carlos Correa’s homer and Gary Sanchez rbi as part of a 2 of 3 days gave the NL a 2-1 lead and a 7-3 edge in hits through three innings that held up into the 7^th inning.

However, a 2-run homer by the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo and solo shot by the Rockies Trevor Story rallied the NL in the 7^th and 8^th to take a dramatic 4-2 lead with Corey Knebel striking out the side in between for the win and the Cubs Brandon Morrow pitching through an error, walk and hit in the 9^th for a dramatic opening game win.

Game 2 (NL 2, AL 1 in 12 innings) Brandon Morrow appeared ready to wrap up a Game 2 shutout when the NLs great defense (3b Arenado throwing a runner out at home, and Molina throwing Trout out stealing) was replaced with a dropped line drive at first base by Posey and a rare bobbled pitch by Molina to let a runner get to third who then scored an unearned run to force extra innings.

However, Herrera doubled in the top of the 12^th and Parra’s sac fly to right clinched the series with a 2-1 12^th inning run once Hendricks worked the 11^th and 12^th for a win as he induced Judge to ground into a double play to end the 11^th and Altuve to strikeout to end the game.

Game 3 (AL 5, NL 2) Gary Sanchez was moved in front of Adrian Beltre in the lineup for Game 3 – and belted a homer-hitting after Yankees teammate Aaron Judge to spark the AL to salvage a game. Justin Verlander pitched three scoreless innings, and Mike Moustakas came off the bench to drive in two more runs for a 5-0 lead.

The NL did get to Ranger Alex Claudio to cut the lead to 5-2, but the Indians-Red Sox combo of Andrew Miller and Craig Kimbrel was once again shut down to get the Hold and the Save to salvage the final of the three games and actually give the AL the better run differential.

While the NL won the series on two cliffhangers, the AL not only had a 9-8 edge in run differential in the three-game series and destroyed the NL in the futures game 7-2 as Ohtani went three shut out innings for the win. Tampa’s Field hit two homers for 5 RBIs, and the Yankees Austin had two runs and doubles on a three of four day, and the White Sox Palka added a single and an RBI triple.

Here is the composite box for the All-Star Games:

Pos	All-Start Line-Up	Team	AB	H	HR	RBI	R		Notes
CF	George Springer	Hou	7	1	0	0	0
SS	Carlos Correa	Hou	7	2	1	1	1
DH	Mike Trout	LA	7	1	0	0	1
RF	Aaron Judge	NY	8	2	0	0	1
3B	Adrian Beltre	Tex	5	1	0	0	0
C	Gary Sanchez	NY	7	3	1	2	1		Gm 3 HR in win
2B	Robinson Cano	Sea	5	1	0	0	0
1B	Edwin Encarnacion	Cle	6	3	0	0	1
LF	Andrew Benintendi	Bos	5	1	0	0	0
Pos	Reserves	Team	AB	H	HR	RBI	R		Notes
2B	Jose Altuve	Hou	7	1	0	0	0
SS	Jeimer Candelario	Det	2	0	0	0	0
C	Wellington Castillo	Chi	6	2	0	0	1
RF	Shin-Soo Choo	Tex	4	1	0	1	0
CF	Delino DeShields	Tex	1	0	0	0	0
CF	Dustin Fowler	Oak	1	0	0	0	0
RF	Avisail Garcia	Chi	4	0	0	0	0
1B	John Hicks	Det	2	1	0	0	0
CF	Kevin Kiermaier	TB	6	0	0	0	1
3B	Francisco Lindor	Cle	1	0	0	0	0
3B-SS	Manny Machado	Bal	5	1	0	0	1
C	Russell Martin	Tor	0	0	0	0	0
1B	Joe Mauer	Min	4	0	0	1	0
LF	Whit Merrifield	KC	3	0	0	0	0
SS	Mike Moustakas	KC	3	1	0	2	1		2 RBI in Gm 3 win
P-DH	Shohei Ohtani	LA	1	0	0	0	0
2B	Dustin Pedroia	Bos	0	0	0	0	0
	Pitchers		IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
Gm 1	Corey Kluber	Cle	2	3	1	1	0	2
Gm 2	Shohei Ohtani	LAA	3	2	1	1	1	7
Gm 3	Justin Verlander	Hou	3	2	0	0	1	1	Gm 3 win
	Alex Claudio	Tex	4	7	4	4	0	6	Gm 1 loss
	Dallas Keuchel	Hou	3	1	0	0	0	4
	Craig Kimbrel	Bos	3	1	0	0	0	4	Gm 3 save
	Mike Leake	Sea	3	4	1	1	0	2	Gm 2 loss
	Andrew Miller	Cle	4	3	1	1	2	6	Gm 3 hold
	Chris Sale	Bos	4	2	0	0	1	4
Pos	AL All-Star Line-up	Team	AB	H	HR	RBI	R		Notes
RF	Gerardo Parra	Col	5	6	0	1	1		Gm 2 GW SF in 12th
2B	DJ LaMahieu	Col	4	5	0	0	0
DH	Joey Votto	Cin	7	2	1	1	1		Gm 2 HR
1B	Cody Bellinger	LA	5	1	0	1	0
3B	Nolan Arenado	Col	11	1	0	0	0
CF	Michael Conforto	NY	4	1	0	0	0
SS	Corey Seager	LA	5	0	0	0	0
LF	David Peralta	Arz	5	0	0	0	0
C	Yadier Molina	Stl	8	0	0	0	0
Pos	Reserves	Team	AB	H	HR	RBI	R		Notes
2B-3B-1B	Matt Carpenter	Stl	0	0	0	0	0
1B	Freddie Freeman	Atl	3	1	0	0	0
2B	Scooter Gennett	Cin	7	1	0	0	0
CF	Odubel Herrera	Phl	2	1	0	0	1		12th in 2b, GW R Gm 2
CF	Ender Inciarte	Atl	4	1	0	0	0
CF	Andrew McCutchen	SF	7	0	0	0	0
CF	AJ Pollock	Arz	5	1	0	0	1
C	Buster Posey	SF	6	3	0	2	0		last 2 RBIs, rally short
1B	Anthony Rizzo	Chi	2	1	1	2	1
SS	Trevor Story	Col	5	3	1	1	2
1B	Ryan Zimmerman	Was	4	3	0	0	1
Started	AL Pitchers	Team	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	Notes
Gm 1	Clayton Kershaw	LA	2	4	0	0	0	1
Gm 2	Chase Anderson	Mil	3	1	0	0	0	1
Gm 3	Carlos Martinez	Stl	3	2	1	1	1	4	Gm 3 Loss
	Jake Arrieta	Phl	2	4	1	0	0	4
	Luis Castillo	Cin	1	3	0	0	0	0
	Josh Hader	Mil	1	1	0	0	0	1
	Brad Hand	SD	2	0	0	0	0	2
	Kyle Hendricks	Chi	2	1	0	0	0	2	Gm 2 W, 11th-12th
	Yoshihisa Hirano	Arz	3	0	0	0	2	4
	Raisel Iglesias	Cin	2	0	0	0	1	1
	Corey Knebel	Mil	2	0	0	0	0	5	Gm 2 Win
	Brandon Morrow	Chi	3	3	2	0	1	5	Gm 2 Save
	Hector Neris	Phl	1	3	3	3	1	1	G3 collapse
	Jose Urena	Mia	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Felipe Vazquez	Pit	3	1	0	0	0	2

We are adding the NL Statis-Pro All-Stars atop the previously announced AL squad - and will play a best of 3 after a futures game:

NL All-Star Selections
Starters
C-Yadier Molina, Stl (this AL announced their decision not to steal or take any leads until he is replaced)
1B-Cody Bellinger, LA
2B-DJ LaMahieu, Col
SS-Corey Seager, LA
3B-Nolan Arenado, Col
LF-David Peralta, Arz
CF-Michael Conforto, NY
RF-Gerardo Parra, Col

Reserves
Matt Carpenter, Stl
AJ Pollock, Arz
Scooter Gennett, Cin
Joey Votto, Cin
Freddie Freeman, Atl
Ender Inciarte, Atl
Odubel Herrera, Phl
Andrew McCutchen, SF
Buster Posey, SF
Anthony Rizzo, Chi
Trevor Story, Col

Pitchers
Chase Anderson, Mil
Carlos Martinez, Stl
Clayton Kershaw, LA
Kyle Hendricks, Chi
Corey Knebel, Mil
Brandon Morrow, Chi
Yoshihisa Hirano, Arz
Josh Hader, Mil
Jake Arrieta, Phl
Luis Castillo, Cin
Raisel Iglesias, Cin
Jose Urena, Mia
Brad Hand, SD
Felipe Rivero, Pit
Hector Neris, Phl

The current standings.

Chicago       13-5
Milwaukee   12-6
Colorado     10-8
St. Louis       9-8
Washington  8-9
Los Angeles 7-10
Arizona       7-10
New York    7-11

Who's Hot (and headed to the All-Star Game)
No surprise that the leading offense produces the hottest bats.

In their last 18-games...(leading the league in hits)
Gerardo Parra (31-75,  .413, 3 HR, 15 RBI)
DJ LaMahieu  (31-79,  .392, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 18 R)
Power leader comes from the Mets only bright spot
Michael Conforto last 15 games, (.300, 7 HR, 15 RBI)

Who's Not
Bryce Harper, last 17 games, (10-63, .159, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
Yoenis Cespedes, last 17 games (1 HR, 5 RBI)

Who's Hot (Pitchers)
Last 5 starts
Carlos Martinez, Stl.  (4-0, 1.32)
Chase Anderson, Mil (4-0, 1.57)
Clayton Kershaw, LA (4-1, 2.19)
Kyle Hendricks, Chi  (5-0, 3.33)

Who's Not
Zach Wheeler, NY  (0-5, 5.46)
Hyun-jin Ryu, LA  (0-4, 6.33)


AL All-Stars

The Statis-Pro AL All-Star team is finalized, and the top three stars of each of the first 100 games played to date are tracked on this google doc. This link features my preview of the actual season for each division, based on the best new Statis-Pro player cards with hitting, fielding and the best clutch defensive players. Those new players fill the 2018 rosters alongside the 2017 cards of returning players on 2018 rosters in Statis-Pro games (free version to play your own here). Updated standings through 36 games at the bottom.

Starter	Position	2nd string	3rd string	4th	5th
Sanchez NY	2-C	Castillo Chi	Martin Tor
Encarnacion Cle	3-1b	Hicks Det	Mauer Min
Cano Sea	4-2b	Altuve Hou	Pedroia Bos
Beltre Tex	5-3b	Moustakas KC	Candelario Det
Correa Hou	6-ss	Lindor Cle	Machado Bal
Benintendi Bos	7-lf	Merrifield KC	(use a CF)
Springer Hou	8-cf	Trout LA	DeShields Tex	Fowler Oak	Kiermaier TB
Judge NY	9-rf	A Garcia Chi	Choo Tex
Kluber Cle	1-P-right	Ohtani LA	Kimbrel Bos (Closer)	Verlander Hou	Leake Sea
(None, all relief)	1-P-left	Sale Bos	Miller Cle (Set-up)	Keuchel Hou	Claudio TX
Ohtani LA, then pitch	10-DH

The Statis-Pro AL All-Star team is finalized. Keep in mind, we are playing the season using cards based on last year's stats (thus Tampa's awesome center fielder who also hit well last year has a very strong card and has done well in Statis-Pro play despite going through a terrible first half slump in the actual season). We also play the best players and ignore injuries or suspensions and based these selections on the limited 12-game stats in the game, and thus Seattle's Robinson Cano, who is actually serving an 80-game suspension, is selected first team for having better stats than the Astros Jose Altuve, who has a better card from last year.

The Astros, Yankees and Indians all have two starters. Keep in mind every team needs at least one of the 34 players, which threw a wrinkle into the selections when Steve Pearce appeared to be the Toronto Blue Jays rep until he was traded to the Red Sox - which worked out ok because Toronto's catch Russell Martin slid in as the 3rd team catcher after a solid season last year and strong start in Statis-Pro, even though like Kiermaier he has actually started out terribly this season.

One trick for managing the All-Star game with this team - Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani could either be the 2nd best right-handed pitcher on the team behind All-Star starter Corey Kluber (not counting Boston closer Craig Kimbrel), but he has also been the best Designated Hitter in the league. If he pitches AND hits then the AL loses the DH for the whole game. Because All-Star teams have a 34-man roster for just one game and can pinch hit every time the pitcher comes up, my plan is to have Kluber start and then let Ohtani pinch hit and come into pitch - using pinch hitters the rest of the game whenever the pitcher comes up since pitchers only pitch and inning or two in the All-Star game anyway.

Here are the standings to date. I was basing the All-Star selections on a system of picking the top three stars for each of the games played - which show up as 36 games because under my system each game counts as three games the winning team winning the "series" two games to one unless they win by at least five runs - in which case they are awarded a three games to none sweep. While a few teams still have a 2-game (worth 6 games) to play, I played until a point at which the 34-man roster would not change no matter what the results of the last few games. (Washington Nationals won 4 of 6 against the White Sox to push them behind the Indians (who face nearby Pittsburgh next) in the AL Central. This was the first interleague series played with the DH, and the other games listed below will be as well before the return to AL play.

AL Team	W	L	GB	Win%	New Opponent	IF playoffs today
Houston	25	11	0	0.694	Milwaukee	AL West Pennant
New York	23	13	-2	0.639	NY Mets	AL East Pennant
Boston	21	15	-4	0.583	Cincinnati	Wild Card host
Chicago	22	20	-6	0.523	Washington
Cleveland	20	16	-5	0.556	Pittsburgh	AL Central Pennant
Baltimore	20	16	-5	0.556	Chicago Cubs	Wild Card visitor
Seattle	19	17	-6	0.528	San Diego
Kansas City	17	19	-8	0.472	Atlanta
Oakland	16	20	-9	0.444	Colorado
Minnesota	14	22	-11	0.389	Philadelphia
Los Angeles	14	22	-11	0.389	Miami
Tampa Bay	14	22	-11	0.389	NL
Texas	14	22	-11	0.389	LA Dodgers
Toronto	13	23	-12	0.361	Arizona
Detroit	13	23	-12	0.361	San Francisco

Baseball Previews and Free Statis Pro Baseball Game to Manage Teams For Fun

Click here to read my six baseball breakdowns of the AL East, NL East and NL Central (already posted) and the AL Central, AL West and NL West (coming soon). Will Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw recover 100 percent and lead both Los Angeles teams to catch-up and make the playoffs?

Further breakdowns include the new Statis Pro player cards that indicate behind Ohtani, the New York Yankees have the second, third and 10th best new players this season (click here for top 20 and actual player cards). You can also click to see the best fielders and how they save runs, and even play the Statis Pro Board game for free to match-up these current or past teams here.

Cubs Wish List - Elite Pitcher to Replace Arrieta and Hold Off Improved Brewers in NL Central

If the Chicago Cubs pick up an elite starting pitcher or two to make up for losing Jake Arrieta, they could have the final piece to a return to the World Series two years after winning it all. The Cubs line-up is by far the best in the division, but the Milwaukee Brewers improved in the offseason and are good enough at everything else to contend, and the St. Louis Cardinals pitching gives them a chance if they can pull off trade or two.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a prototype average across-the-board, while the Cincinnati Reds are unfortunately weak in all aspects and unfortunately could part with one superstar.

Explanation of Ratings: We start by rating each team on a base 20 scale, with a 10-point scale for batting, 5-point scale for starting pitching, 3-point scale for relief pitching and 2-point scale for fielding. This was done by reviewing personnel and results to date and playing simulated games through Statis-Pro baseball (free version here), weighing pitching and batting stats by the team's home ballpark, reviewing which fielders on each team were nominated for a gold glove either of the past two seasons and evaluating all new players. We then assess the new players acquired and present the weaknesses that might be addressed by the July trade deadline. 

Chicago (15.0 of 20) - While the three elite teams all appear to be in the AL in the Yankees, Astros and Red Sox, the Cubs are strong in all four areas that they could contend and match up pretty closely if they make the World Series. If the Cubs can get another top starter or two like Tyson Ross (SD) or Chris Archer (TB), they could truly be a contender.    

Batters (6.9 of 10) - The Cubs stayed pat with a strong line-up.    

Starters (3.6 of 5) - With the loss of Jake Arrieta to the Phillies, the Cubs might need to add Tyson Ross (SD) or Chris Archer (TB) before the trade deadline to truly have the elite rotation to potentially go all the way.  - The gamble assuming Tyler Chatwood would pitch well making the move from the altitude of Colorado to Wrigley, and the rotation is solid but not quite elite. If Yu Darvish comes back strong once off DL it will help as well.           

Relievers (2.0 of 3) - Adding Steve Cishek from Tampa Bay was a big addition to a pen that already included Brandon Morrow and can certainly shut an opponent down for at least a couple of innings.

Fielding (1.8 of 2) - Contender for the best fielders in baseball with Jason Heyward in RF, and Anthony Rizzo (1b), Ben Zobrist (2b) and Addison Russell (ss) all gold glove nominees.

Milwaukee (13.3 of 20) - On paper, the Brewers made substantial moves to improve the line-up, starting pitchers and relievers - and the great defensive improvement in the outfield helps make them a legit playoff contender. They may still need to add a battery like Cole Hamels and Jonathan Lucroy to beat out the Cubs in the end, but they are right there.

Batters (4.2 of 10) - The additions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich give the Brewers a strong first five hitters - through the line-up is still not as deep as other playoff contenders.     
    
Starters (4.5 of 5) - The pickup of Jhoulys Chacin rounds out what could be a fantastic starting rotation.           

Relievers (3.0 of 3) - The pickup of Albers from the Nationals was expected to make a great pen even stronger, but it's been the pickup of Jeremy Jeffres added to the already great pen that - if healthy and living up to its potential -  could make it the best in the majors.              Fielding 1.0 of 2. In addition to their great bats, the additions of Gold Glove nominees  Cain and Yelich transform the Brewers from a poor to a solid fielding team.

St. Louis (11.8 of 20) - The Cardinals are certainly solid, but with an average lineup and above average pitching and fielding, they still do not look like they have the overall talent to beat out the Cubs or even the Brewers.  

Batters (5.0 of 10) - The Cardinals appeared to be a bit below average until they won the rest of the Marlins' sweepstake by signing one of the top hitters in the game last year in Marcell Ozuna.      
    
Starters (2.1 of 3) - A solid rotation left in place.   Relievers (2.1 of 3) - Greg Holland coming from the Rockies seemed like a good bet but has not panned out yet - but this bullpen was and is still loaded.

Fielding (1.1 of 2) - The Marlins Marcell Ozuna is not only a huge addition in the line-up but adds another Gold Glove nominee in the outfield to join perhaps the most dominant defender in the game - catcher Yadier Molina.

Pittsburgh (9.7 of 20) - The Pirates are almost exactly average across-the-board, from their starting pitching to their pen, to their batters. The only spot they are below average is in the field, and that is partly because a great glove at third base is on the bench a good bit due to a great new bat.

Batters (5.1 of 10) - The big addition to the lineup is slugging third baseman Colin Moran, who along with former Tampa Bay outfielder Corey Dickerson makes the line-up above average.     
     
Starters (2.5 of 5) - The addition of Astro Joe Musgrove as a starter helps the rotation just a bit to make them almost exactly average.

(Relievers 1.5 of 3) - The addition of Kyle Click from the Giants is a nice addition but still leaves the pen just average overall.      

Fielding (0.6 of 2) - The only problem with Molin hitting so well is that he puts Gold Glove nominee David Freese on the bench for most games, leaving Starling Marte (LF) as the only nominee on the field.

Cincinnati (5.1 of 20) -  Scooter Gennett is providing a third big bat, but if he is traded away then the Reds could finish at the bottom as they are weak throughout except for strong fielding and one nice addition in the bullpen.  Batters (2.9 of 10) - If Scooter Gennett is traded it will take the Reds down to just a couple of big bats and not a lot of punch in many spots.         

Starters (1.2 of 5) Picking up Matt Harvey after his rough season with the Mets may be working out and Anthony James DeSclafani looks like an adequate starter - but the rotation is still a big weakness even prior to assuming Harvey is traded.          

Relievers (0.8 of 3) - Jared Hughes was a great pickup from the Brewers, but beyond him, the pen is suspect despite a couple of players having decent starts.    
     
Fielding (1.8 of 2) - For all their weaknesses, the Reds may have the best defense in baseball with 4 Gold Glove nominees in C Tucker Barnhart, 1b Joey Votto, LF Adam Duvall, and of course the amazing cf Billy Hamilton for whom contenders must be considering offers.

The 81 Clutch Defensive Players based on recent Gold Glove nominations

One part of the Statis-Pro game that was dated was the reliance merely on double plays to determine if a player was a clutch defensive player. While modern stats measure defensive Wins Above Replacement figures, on fielding I still rely on the gold glove votes by managers and coaches to determine which players get the highest mark - the Clutch Defense 4 that allows for diving catches that can save games.

The following is the scale I use:

CD1 (the lowest Clutch Defense Rating) is given to any player with a negative Rdrs/year (see Standard Fielding for the player at https://www.baseball-reference.com/).

CD2 (average Clutch Defense Rating) is given to any player with at least a 0 Rdrs/year rating.

CD3 (good Clutch Defense Rating) is given to any Pitcher or Catcher with at least a 5 Rdrs/yr, any infielder with at least a 7.5 Rdrs/yr rating, and any outfielder with at least a 10 Rdrs/yr rating.

CD4 (excellent Clutch Defense Rating) is given to any player who was nominated for a gold glove in the last two years (all 81 such players are listed by team below). If a player nominated, disregard the Rdrs/yr rating as this means the coaches and managers from the league view the player as one of the best 3 in his league at his position. The only other time I award a CD4 is if a new player, who has not yet had a chance to be voted on as a gold glove nominee, registers a Rdrs/yr rating of twice what they need to be a CD 3 (so 10 for C/P, 15 for Infielders and 20 for outfielders).

The CD1 player can never try for a clutch play in the game, but the following are the results for the other players when a Clutch Defense opportunity occurs with men on base, and below that are the 81 CD4 gold glove nominees.

CD1 = no play made		CD Clutch Defense	Chance for Great Play
Infielders result	CD2 on card	CD3 or 4 on Card but NOT on list below	On Gold Glove list below (treated as CD4)
Line out, lead runner doubled off base	11 to 21	11 to 42	11 to 56
Grounder, lead runner thrown out	22 to 32	43 to 55	57 to 78
No action, return to normal play	33 to 88	56 to 88	81 to 88
Outfielders only	CD2 on card	CD3 or 4 on Card but NOT on list below	On Gold Glove list below (treated as CD4)
Line out in gap, lead runner doubled off base	11 to 21	11 to 42	11 to 56
Line out, runners get back safely	22 to 32	43 to 55	57 to 78
No action, return to normal play	33 to 88	56 to 88	81 to 88
Catchers Only	CD2 on card	CD3 or 4 on Card but NOT on list below	On Gold Glove list below (treated as CD4)
Diving catch of pop up, lead runner doubled off base	11 to 32	11 to 55	11 to 78
No Action	33 to 88	56 to 88	81 to 88

TEAM	Gold Glove Nominee 2017 or 18	Position
Arizona	Paul Goldschmidt	First Base
Arizona	Zack Greinke	Pitcher
Atlanta	Ender Inciarte	Center Field
Atlanta	Nick Markakis	Right Field
Baltimore	Alex Cobb	Pitcher
Baltimore	Chris Davis	First Base
Baltimore	Colby Rasmus	Left Field
Baltimore	Manny Machado	Third Base
Boston	Chris Sale	Pitcher
Boston	Dustin Pedroia	Second Base
Boston	Jackie Bradley Jr.	Center Field
Boston	Mitch Moreland	First Base
Boston	Mookie Betts	Right Field
Chicago Cubs	Addison Russell	Shortstop
Chicago Cubs	Anthony Rizzo	First Base
Chicago Cubs	Ben Zobrist	Second Base
Chicago Cubs	Jason Heyward	Right Field
Cincinnati	Adam Duvall	Left Field
Cincinnati	Billy Hamilton	Center Field
Cincinnati	Joey Votto	First Base
Cincinnati	Tucker Barnhart	Catcher
Cleveland	Francisco Lindor	Shortstop
Cleveland	Jose Ramirez	Third Base
Cleveland	Yan Gomes	Catcher
Colorado	Carlos Gonzalez	Right Field
Colorado	DJ LeMahieu	Second Base
Colorado	Gerardo Parra	Left Field
Colorado	Nolan Arenado	Third Base
Detroit	Ian Kinsler	Second Base
Detroit	James McCann	Catcher
Detroit	Jose Iglesias	Shortstop
Free Agent	R.A. Dickey	Pitcher
Houston	Dallas Keuchel	Pitcher
Houston	George Springer	Right Field
Houston	Justin Verlander	Pitcher
Kansas City	Alex Gordon	Left Field
Kansas City	Salvador Perez	Catcher
LA Angels	Andrelton Simmons	Shortstop
LA Angels	Justin Upton	Left Field
LA Angels	Kole Calhoun	Right Field
LA Angels	Martin Maldonado	Catcher
LA Dodgers	Corey Seager	Shortstop
LA Dodgers	Justin Turner	Third Base
LA Dodgers	Yasiel Puig	Right Field
Milwaukee	Christian Yelich	Left Field
Milwaukee	Lorenzo Cain	Center Field
Milwaukee	Zach Davies	Pitcher
Minnesota	Brian Dozier	Second Base
Minnesota	Byron Buxton	Center Field
NY Yankees	Aaron Judge	Right Field
NY Yankees	Brett Gardner	Left Field
NY Yankees	Giancarlo Stanton	Right Field
Oakland	Jonathan Lucroy	Catcher
Philadelphia	Carlos Santana	First Base
Philadelphia	Jake Arrieta	Pitcher
Philadelphia	Odubel Herrera	Center Field
Pittsburgh	David Freese	Third Base
Pittsburgh	Starling Marte	Left Field
San Diego	Eric Hosmer	First Base
San Diego	Freddy Galvis	Shortstop
San Diego	Wil Myers	First Base
San Francisco	Brandon Crawford	Shortstop
San Francisco	Buster Posey	Catcher
San Francisco	Evan Longoria	Third Base
San Francisco	Joe Panik	Second Base
Seattle Seattle	Jean Segura Dee Gordon	Second Base Second Base
Seattle	Kyle Seager	Third Base
Seattle	Robinson Cano	Second Base
St. Louis	Adam Wainwright	Pitcher
St. Louis	Marcell Ozuna	Left Field
St. Louis	Yadier Molina	Catcher
Tampa Bay	Kevin Kiermaier	Center Field
Texas	Adrian Beltre	Third Base
Texas	Carlos Perez	Catcher
Texas	Elvis Andrus	Shortstop
Toronto	Kevin Pillar	Center Field
Toronto	Marcus Stroman	Pitcher
Washington	Adam Eaton	Right Field
Washington	Anthony Rendon	Third Base
Washington	Michael Taylor	Center Field

Ohtani, then Yankees Produce Best New Cards for Statis Pro Game

If you want to get the 2017 Statis Pro player cards on EBay below are free copies of the cards for new players who did not bat at least 50 times or pitch 20 innings last year. The following are the top 20 new players based on these cards;

1) Ohtani, P-DH LA Angels; 2) Torres, 2b NY Yankees; 3) Austin, 1b NY Yankees; 4) Kittredge, P Tampa Bay;5) Fowler, OF Oakland; 6) Moran, 3b Pittsburgh; 7) Villanueva, 3b San Diego; 8) Murphy, C Arizona; 9) Field, OF Tampa Bay; 10) Andujar, 3b NY Yankees; 12) Vogelback, 1b Seattle; 13) Jimenez, P Detroit. 14-20 (tie between 7 excellent short relievers) Arizona (Hirona), Atlanta (Carle and Winkler), Chicago Cubs (Dominiguez), Chicago White Sox (Fry), San Diego (Cimber) and San Francisco (Moronta).

Below we show the cards of all new players getting substantial playing time, based on the projections for their entire season. The formulas to calculate the batting, pitching and fielding will be maintained on this link.

We list the average batting card in the first row, on which a batter hits a home run if a Random Number is between 27-32 - actually four of 64 numbers since the numbers range from 11-88 on a base 8 system (no 9s or 0s). Ohtani for the Angels (34-38), and two Yankees (Torres 28-35 and Austin 24-32) have the best home run range.

Ohtani ranks 1st overall, because he is also the best pitcher on the new players, while Torres comes in second because his Speed rating (SP: A on a scale of AA-E) is an advantage over Austin.

While Ohtani most of the pitchers in the top 20 have a PB of 2-8, meaning they are in the top 15% of all pitchers based on ERA, Tampa Bay's Kittredge ranks 5th overall with a PB2-7 (meaning top 45% of all pitchers) but actually more valuable because he is a starting pitcher which typically has just a PB2-6 so he well above average for a starter and can face many more batters than the PB2-8 relievers in the leaders list who can usually only pitch an inning or so. (the best 5% of all pitchers have a PB of 2-9, while the worst have a PB of 2-5, and this number is used on a card flip or dice roll adding up to 2 to 12 to determine if the pitcher stays "in control" or leaves it outside the range to the hitter faced has a chance to drive the ball).

The A's Fowler comes in 5th even though his bat (28-33) is just above average and not quite as good as the batters behind him. This is because he is one of only a couple of players in baseball with a Speed (SP) AA, meaning he swipes bases at will. He is also one of the select players with a Clutch Defense (CD) of 4 (CD1 is below average, CD2 is average and CD3 is good, but CD4 is a player typically considered for a gold glove).

The other fielding component for all players is their Error (E) rating from E0 (which means they never make an error) to E10 (meaning they make an error at least 1 out of every 10 times a ball is hit to them.

With that as a basic explanation, below are the cards in the following order:
1. Sample pitching cards
2. Pitching cards for players on NL teams
3. Pitching cards for players on AL teams
4. Average batting cards
5. Batting cards for players on NL teams
6. Batting cards for players on AL teams