On The Lookout: Goutfish on the Brink of Second RDBL Title

The 10th Roger Dorn Baseball League season comes to a close on Sunday as the Lake Merced Goutfish look to become the second Franchise to claim multiple League Championships. Here's the breakout of what we are watching with all games set for a 12pm PST start.

Historic Playoff Pitching Performance?

The Lake Merced Goutfish enter Sunday with a 2.58 Team ERA in the Playoffs, a mark that would break the RDBL Record set by the Alamo Short Stacks in 2022 (2.68 ERA). George Kirby (vs. TEX) will make the final start for the club this season as he looks to add to a 447.0 point breakout season in his 2R/$3 season.

Fightin' Fish Reload Rotation for Final Day

The Spokane Fightin' Fish were dealt a tough blow as expected two-start pitchers Zack Wheeler, Braxton Garrett and Aaron Nola were all scratched from their second start in the final Period. That has left GM Michael Tirabassi scrambling this week, initially slotting in 2023 breakout Mitch Keller who joined the group as being shutdown for the season and not making his expected start.

That leaves Chase Anderson (vs. MIN) and Jose Urena (vs. SD) as the last bit of hope for Tirabassi who enters the day in 2nd Place, trailing the leading Lake Merced Goutfish by 66.5 points.

Fringe Look for Miracle from Giolito, Bradish

The Fringe sit 121.5 points out of 1st place and will send Lucas Giolito (@ DET) and Kyle Bradish (vs. BOS) to the mound to close their season. It has been a case of too little, too late for GM Tony Guglielmi's squad who leads the RDBL in scoring over the last 13 days but put themselves in too large of a hole to start the RDBL Playoffs.

Maulers Stew on Rodon Start

Mission Viejo Maulers GM Chris Ferraro is without a starting pitcher option on the final day of the RDBL Playoffs, instead staring at Carlos Rodon's -46.0 outing earlier this week as they look to hold onto a Top-3 finish today. Playoff Activation Nolan Jones continues to be a big story for the Maulers, adding 28.5 points this Period to an already impressive Rookie campaign.

State of the Franchise: Meinert Hops

Franchise History Page

President of Baseball Operations: Garrett Shelley

Headquarters: Concord, CA

Seasons: 10

Cash Finishes: 2

Lifetime Earnings: $300

Top Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, 516.0 (2023)

Top Pitcher: Corey Kluber, 517.0 (2018)

2023 Season

The Meinert Hops had one of the more frustrating ends to a RDBL Regular Season in League History, but GM Garrett Shelley is poised to move forward after two of the most successful seasons in Franchise History. After losing bellcows Shane McClanahan and Shohei Ohtani to Tommy John Surgery, the Hops were notified on the final day of the Regular Season that an accounting error on Ohtani's pitching points left the club 34.0 points short in the Standings.

The Hops took the blame for missing the points, pushing the league to keep the standings as is which ultimately led to their frustrating 7th Place finish. The consolation prize is the top overall pick in the 2024 Reserve Draft as Shelley looks to jumpstart a Farm System that was largely dormant in 2023.

2024 Pending Free Agents

OF Luis Robert, IF Thairo Estrada, C Jonah Heim, C Willson Contreras, IF/OF Andrew Vaughn, IF Jake Cronenworth, RHP/U Shohei Ohtani (Injured), LHP Shane McClanahan (Injured)

Current Projected Keeper Roster Ranked by Value

1. RHP Zac Gallen (3/$15)

2. RHP Logan Webb (2/$38)

3. RHP Corbin Burnes (2/$73)

4. OF Michael Harris (2R/$3)

5. SS J.P. Crawford (2/$1)

6. IF C.J. Abrams (2$/3)

7. OF Bryan Reynolds (3/$36)

8. IF Jorge Polanco (2/$9)

9. IF Jake Burger (2FA/$5)

10. RP Alexis Diaz (2/$8)

11 LHP Logan T. Allen (2FA/$5)

12. *OF Joey Wiemer (1R/$1)

13. *OF Henry Davis (1R/$1)

With Shohei Ohtani's $88 set to roll off due to Tommy John Surgery, GM Garrett Shelley is facing an interesting dilemma as Corbin Burnes (2/$73) could suddenly emerge as an option after looking to a lock to be dropped at mid-season. The Hops still have plenty of firepower to build another contender in 2024 behind aces Zac Gallen and Logan Webb while the continue ascent of Michael Harris and C.J. Abrams will give the Front Office some much needed cap relief.

Henry Davis' loss of catcher eligibility is a real sting to the organization as he fell three starts short of earning the position for 2024. He's likely to join Joey Wiemer as the only Hops activations for Opening Day based on the current group.

Farm System

1. C Henry Davis (Pirates)

2. OF Joey Wiemer (Brewers)

3. RHP Chase Dollander (Rockies)

4. 3B Casey Schmitt (Giants)

5. OF Chase DeLauter (Indians)

6. 3B Jacob Berry (Marlins)

7. LHP Asa Lacy (Royals)

8. RHP Ty Madden (Tigers)

9. RHP Forrest Whitley (Astros)

10. OF Erick Pena (KC)

The Farm System largely underperformed in 2023 with only outfielder Chase DeLauter truly adding value through his performance this season. Henry Davis is the top prospect, at least until next March when the Hops are set to make the first overall selection.

Davis is likely to be joined by Joey Wiemer as 2024 Activations, leaving the Farm System largely barren after that. Jacob Berry, Asa Lacy, Forrest Whitley and Erick Pena could all be facing potential releases this Winter leaving GM Garrett Shelley with lots of prospect work to do next March.

Off-Season Questions

1. Who to target with the first overall pick?

For the first time in Franchise History, the Hops hold the top overall selection and will be staring at three likely candidates in Roman Anthony, Colt Keith and Cade Horton to add to a Farm System in dire need of some top end talent.

2. Is Burnes worth $73 for 2024?

Big salaries are hardly a concern for GM Garrett Shelley who retained Mike Trout for three full seasons at $71 and handed Shohei Ohtani the largest contract in RDBL History at $88. With two aces already in the rotation, the $73 might be better spent beefing up a lineup that lost a great deal of production in Free Agency.

3. A return to the Hops for Ohtani?

Ohtani's 2024 contract will be one the RDBL's biggest stories of the off-season when he's officially released from his 3/$88 contract. A return to the Hops is certainly an option, though plenty of suitors are likely even with Ohtani limited to just hitting next season.

Waiver Claim of the Year: Bryce Elder, Fightin' Fish

The Spokane Fightin' Fish have capitalized time and time again in leveraging their 17 Reserve spots by largely investing in starting pitching options with odds that one will hit big. That was just the case in 2023 as right-hander Bryce Elder's April 10th Waiver Claim turned into the 25th ranked pitcher in RDBL Regular Season scoring while helping lead the Fightin' Fish to their second Regular Season Title.

With the change to a bidding process in 2023, RDBL Front Offices were tasked with allocating their $100 in-season Free Agent budget as effectively as possible. Elder received a $7 blind bid from GM Michael Tirabassi which was matched by the Alamo Short Stacks. With the Fightin' Fish behind the Stacks in the standings at that time, Elder went to the Fish and didn't leave their Active Roster for the remainder of the year.

The burly right-hander produced a 3.39 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 143 1/3 innings, producing nine 20+ point starts in the RDBL Regular Season while ranking 25th among all starting pitchers in scoring.

Alongside Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and others, Elder helped the Fish to a tie for the most team pitching points in the RDBL in 2023, matching the Lake Merced Goutfish with 2,900.0. It was the first time the Fish have produced the top pitching staff in Team History.

Elder is the first Waiver Claim of the Year for the Fish in League History, joining Josh Donaldson (2013), Zach Britton/Josh Harrison (2014), Marco Estrada (2015), Danny Duffy/Jonathan Villar (2016), Alex Wood (2017), Kyle Freeland (2018), Bryan Reynolds (2019), Cedric Mullins (2021) and Spencer Strider (2022).