Alaska Railroaders: The Outfielders and Batting Order

Previous posts (here and here) have outlined the idea behind the Alaska Railroaders – a fictional Major League Baseball team consisting of free agents (as of the start of the 2016 season). The team will carry four outfielders. Keep in mind that Garrett Jones and Ryan Doumit can also play in right field, which gives the roster some flexibility. 

Starting in left field for the Railroaders would be Grady Sizemore. Sizemore has struggled with a litany of injuries during his career, but in 2015 he served as a capable reserve outfielder for Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, hitting .257/.318/.429 between the clubs with six home runs. Due to the possibilities of creating platoons in the outfield, Sizemore would not be called upon to play more than 100 games and would see most of those starts come against right-handed pitching (against which he has a career slash of .281/.366/.492). If Sizemore can stay healthy in this reduced role, he could slash .260/.313/.393 with 9 home runs. If aggressive enough, he could also make a case for ten steals.

David DeJesus would be the primary center fielder. DeJesus is getting long in the tooth, but his last several seasons are all statistically similar (with an OPS generally in the low .700s). However, I suspect that the Railroaders would see his numbers dip from that mark. Seeing the field about as often as Sizemore, DeJesus is capable of .247/.303/.362, while hitting seven home runs and stealing a handful of bases.

Right field would belong to Alex Rios, who could move to left periodically to give Jones or Doumit a start in right field. Since 2013, Rios has not had an especially strong season. However, he does hit left-handed pitching well and is serviceable enough against right-handed pitchers to be used most games. Rios doesn’t walk much and his power numbers have been down the last few seasons. However, playing as a regular for the Railroaders would probably do him some good – if he stays healthy. Pencil him in for a .265/.305/.403 slash with ten home runs and at least ten steals.

The wildcard in the outfield is Ah-seop Son. Son, just as Jae-gyun Hwang , was posted at the end of 2015 and did not receive a bid. Technically, Hwang and Son, both coming from the same KBO team, could not simultaneously make the jump to the Major Leagues during the same year (both play for the Lotte Giants and, although both can be posted, the Lotte Giants can only accept a bid for one or the other within the same posting period). We will make an exception and say that, for whatever reason, the KBO changed the rule and have allowed both Hwang and Son to play for the Alaska Railroaders. Son hit .317/.406/.472 with the Lotte Giants in 2015, adding 13 home runs. At the very least, Son (who is currently hitting .304/.397/.433 with seven home runs for the Lotte Giants) is a left-handed bat off the bench. He should also help spell Sizemore and DeJesus, whereas Jones and Doumit could help Rios fill right field. Son is a legitimate threat on the bases and has a lifetime .321 batting average in the KBO. Son also walks a great deal and has flashed some power as well – he hit 18 home runs in 2014. By the end of the Alaska Railroaders’ hypothetical first season, Son may very well have more at bats than DeJesus or Sizemore, if only because Son is several years younger than either (offering greater endurance and durability). Logging 358 at bats, Son hits .279/.376/.397 with five home runs and fifteen steals. Son may very well have taken over in left field by June.

Batting Order vs Left-handed Pitcher: Sizmore, DeJesus, Rios, Hwang, Morse*, Uggla, Cabrera, Quintero, [Pitcher]. 

*Jones would see some starts at first against left-handed pitchers. 

Batting Order vs. Right-handed Pitcher: Sizmore, DeJesus, Hwang, Jones, Rios, Doumit^, Uggla, Cabrera, [Pitcher].

^Quintero would invariably have to play against right-handed pitching as well. On those occasions, he would bat eighth in the order, with Uggla and Cabrera sliding up one spot each.

Up next: the pitchers.

Author: joshuajscully

That’s my picture up there. I’m not totally sure why I look so angry. I may be thinking about how much I hated the Crypt Keeper as a child. I grew up faithfully watching reruns of The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt. Unfortunately, I missed the boat in terms of writing for either of those programs. I do consider both to have been wildly influential when I think back to my earliest thoughts about becoming an author and I’m grateful my parents let me watch those shows as a kid (although there were probably some nights early in my childhood my mother wished she hadn’t let me watch those shows). If you’re familiar with either program, then you know what genres are my focus. I thoroughly enjoy science fiction, suspense, the twist ending, and some horror or supernatural elements as well. Honestly, when I was a kid the Crypt Keeper scared the hell out of me. As an adult, I’ve really learned to embrace the puns. Historical fiction is a favorite of mine as well, and the root of that is shared with my profession. I am an educator by trade, and I teach American History. I consider some of the best writing I’ve ever done to be within the realm of historical fiction and I really enjoy saturating my mind in the research end of those projects. I would make the argument that storytelling is in my blood. Even my sister mulled, very briefly (about 45 minutes), launching a career as a screenwriter! My last name is one of those Irish (and, apparently, formally Manx) ones with a wonderfully researched history -“the story-teller’s descendant”. On of the first day of school each year, I do share that “my name is Mr. Scully, and that rhymes with Kelly”, just so I do not hear the myriad of mispronunciations on the first day. Several years ago, I started a blog similar to this one to highlight my middle years as a teacher. If that aspect of my life is of any interest to you at all, you can still find that blog online. During my summers, I really have time to pursue my writing projects and this blog will highlight some of that work. My first attempts to sit down and write extensively occurred when I was 15, but only a few years ago did I make setting time aside to write a priority. I’ve also benefited wildly over the years from many willing readers among my family and friends. The direction and feedback from those individuals has been invaluable. Outside the world of the written word, I am an educator, basketball coach, lecturer, and (very, very occasionally) a landscaper. I have only ever known Western Pennsylvania as my home. Although I love a good novel, I am absolutely unable to resist the power of the short story. The latter is really what I hope to be remembered for one day. View all posts by joshuajscully