Playoff MVPs: Judge, Manoah Dominate 2022 Playoffs

Already with RDBL Awards in their pockets, Mission Viejo Maulers slugger Aaron Judge and Burlingame Blue Ducks ace Alek Manoah added 2022 Playoff Most Valuable Player Awards to their list of accomplishments to close the Award Season.

Judge, the 2022 RDBL Regular Season Hitter of the Year, took things to a whole new level in the Playoffs, setting a new RDBL Record with 177.5 points over the five week span. His mark broke Jose Ramirez's 2017 record of 148.5 which was also set as a Mauler. Judge, who ended up setting the American League record with 62 Home Runs and the RDBL Full Season points record with 652.5, slashed .385/.540/.817 with 13 home runs, eight doubles and 37 walks over the final five periods.

For the Ducks, Alek Manoah's trophy case continued to fill after winning the 2021 Pitching Prospect of the Year and 2022 Activation of the Year awards. Toronto's ace posted a 0.88 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, going a perfect 6-for-6 on quality starts while allowing just 23 hits in 41.0 innings. His 171.0 points led all pitchers over the RDBL Playoffs, ranking 6th all-time while he joined a select group of starting pitchers to cross the 600 point mark on the full season.

Manoah remains under contract with the Ducks through 2024 as one of the best values in the league.

Honorable Mention (Hitters): Mike Trout (Hops), Carlos Correa (Ducks), Freddie Freeman (Ducks), Steven Kwan

Honorable Mention (Pitchers): Zac Gallen (Hops), Shohei Ohtani (Hops), Shane Bieber (Fish), Brandon Woodruff (Stacks)

Trade of the Year: Jokers Steal Henderson

With the Mt. Diablo Devils showing signs of life in early May, GM Jason Watson was actively seeking help in the rotation. Fresh off 45.0 and 17.0 starts to lower his ERA to 4.03, Kyle Hendricks stood out as the best available arm on a market that was limited to the only seller in the league, the St. Joseph Jokers.

The clubs reached a deal on May 19th, sending Hendricks to the Devils for prospect Gunnar Henderson and a 2023 3rd Round Pick. Off to a hot start in the Minors, Henderson had entered the season mainly slotted in the middle of Top 100 lists across the industry.

A Minor League promotion and mid-season updates to prospect lists saw Henderson make the biggest jump of any young player in baseball, topping some lists to complete the season as the top young infielder in all of the Minors. Before being called up to Baltimore on Aug. 31, Henderson hit .297/.416/.531 with 19 homers and 22 stolen bases in 112 games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He was one of 111 players to get at least 500 plate appearances between the Minors’ two highest levels, and he finished in the top 10 in OBP, slugging, OPS and wRC+ (154).

He's now firmly in the Jokers 2023 plans as one of the top activation candidates in the RDBL, fresh off being named MLB Pipeline and Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year.

Henderson leads a young group of Jokers prospects that looks to be the next core of a contender for GM Rick Steen. Kyle Wright, Joey Bart, MJ Melendez, JJ Bleday, Trevor Larnach and Henderson all look primed to join the Active Roster coupled with nine selections in the Top 44 of the 2023 Reserve Draft.

Meanwhile, Hendricks would go on to make just eight starts for the Devils, posting a 5.67 ERA with 41.0 points before being shut down for the season with shoulder soreness and is expected to be released this off-season.

RDBL Preps to Celebrate 10th Season with Potential Rule Challenges to Mull

As we turn the page to the 2023 Season, the Roger Dorn Baseball League will celebrate its 10th Anniversary Season after a decade of success that has included the crowning of eight different champions in nine seasons the play. Established in 2013, the then Danville Aristocrats kicked off the league's inaugural season with the first RDBL Championship while the Spokane Fightin' Fish are the only Franchise with more than one title to their name.

To celebrate the league's run of success, the new "10" RDBL logo will be featured throughout the 2023 season as we as at the top of the RDBL website.

As they do annually, the Roger Dorn Baseball League Commissioner's Office will leverage the next two months to review the landscape of the league while working with the Ownership groups to make any improvements to the rulebook that would benefit the league.

Here is a review of the RDBL Off-Season Schedule as well as some potential rule changes that are currently being reviewed.

November 1st - RDBL Rosters Must be Trimmed to 40

Implemented at the conclusion of the 2021 season, the RDBL Commissioner's Office mandates that all club's can have a maximum of 40 players under contract by November 1st.

RDBL Transactions Frozen Until February 1st

While Front Offices can communicate and finalize details privately, all trades and player movement will be frozen from November 1st to February 1st. This "quiet period" led to significant condensed transactions in February and March last season as well as provided all clubs a shortened schedule to focus on the RDBL.

Monday, March 27th

The 2023 Roger Dorn Baseball League Draft is set for Monday, March 27th at 12:30pm PST.

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Three Rule Changes Being Discussed for the 2023 Season

The league made positive changes in the 2022 season, pushing the prospect activation date from Period 7 to Period 9, leading to a more aggressive approach to activations by many clubs.

Trades were also frozen from the Keeper Roster Deadline to the completion of Period 1 which was a big positive following the firesale of clubs during the 2021 Auction.

Lastly, the move to add a third season of control to big league players selected in the Reserve Draft was highly regarded by RDBL Front Offices with Miles Mikolas, Michael Conforto, Merrill Kelly and Patrick Sandoval standing out as some of the most likely candidates to see those options exercised in 2024.

With those tweaks in mind, here are three potential adjustments the Commissioner's Office is currently reviewing:

Trade Deadline Adjustment: There seemed to be consensus that the RDBL Trade Deadline was too early in the League Schedule. While we would deal with the repercussions of not matching up with the MLB Trade Deadline, the RDBL Commissioner's Office has proposed moving the deadline up two weeks prior to the MLB Deadline which will typically fall in mid July. The current setup has allowed clubs to ride the line of buying and selling as it falls too late in the RDBL Regular Season.

Addition of 1.0 Points for Holds: The RDBL Commissioner's Office has kept a close eye on player usage trends which have changed greatly over the last 10 seasons. The use and importance of high-leverage relievers and the shrinking pool of true full-time closers has created a potential need to add 1.0 points per hold, adding value to high-end setup men and to relievers on clubs that utilize more of a closer by committee approach. Much like catchers, the league maintains a view that there is a top-tier of closers that are worth a higher price which is evident by $20 and $15 bids to the top two available closers in the 2021 Auction.

FAAB System for Waivers Being Considered: The RDBL moved towards more Front Office control over the weekly roster when clubs were given access to make internal lineup changes two seasons ago. The Commissioner's Office is taking a deep review of the Waiver and Free Agent process with the potential of moving the entire process "online" through CBS while installing a Free Agent bidding system which would allow every club access to the top available talent weekly should they submit the highest bid. The move would also open up teams to more unlimited claims/drops per week.

While more details will be provided as options are reviewed, each club would be provided with a $100 Free Agent Budget which can be used throughout the season for weekly Sunday Waiver Claims. While sticking to the current 40-man roster limits, clubs could submit multiple claims which would be processed overnight Sunday with the highest bid earning the rights to players that received multiple bids.

Feedback over the current manual process and limitations of doing that work on Sunday night as opposed to submitting potential bids days in advance for the upcoming Sunday have led to the option gaining traction.