Activation of the Year: Alek Manoah, Ducks

Awarded the 2021 Pitching Prospect of the Year, Burlingame Blue Ducks right-hander Alek Manoah backed up his breakout season with an even better one in 2022 and captured the RDBL Activation of the Year.

Manoah was exceptional in the RDBL Regular Season, posting a 2.60 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in the American League East while finishing 6th in Pitcher scoring over those first 22 weeks. Pairing with Aaron Nola, Tony Gonsolin and Framber Valdez, the foursome all ranked in the top 12 in RDBL Regular Season scoring helping lead the Ducks to a 5th Place finish and Wild Card.

Manoah has separated himself from his primary competition for the award (Shane McClanahan and Dylan Cease) with a dominant Playoff run heading into the final 9 days of the schedule. He currently ranks second in pitching scoring for the playoffs, just 2.0 points behind Zac Gallen while posting a 1.03 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over a league-high 35.0 innings.

Manoah is currently slotted for two starts for the remainder of the season, though his final scheduled start is on the last day of the season which could be scratched if the game doesn't have ramifications for the Blue Jays.

Honorable Mention: Shane McClanahan (Hops), Dylan Cease (Goutfish), Yordan Alvarez (Goutfish), Logan Gilbert (Stacks), Cal Quantrill (Devils), Willy Adames (Fish)

Players to Watch Down the Stretch for RDBL Playoffs

With 10 days remaining in the RDBL Playoffs, here are the players to watch for each RDBL Playoff Franchise with the 2022 League Championship set to be decided next Wednesday.

Alamo Short Stacks: OF Mookie Betts

Betts went 3-for-26 for -1.0 points in Period 25 and is hitting just .202/.276/.425 in the RDBL Playoffs. Betts was arguably the highest profile addition across any RDBL Roster before the Trade Deadline and will be a key factor down the stretch as the Short Stacks try and capture their first RDBL Championship in Franchise History.

Spokane Fightin' Fish: Catching Duo

The Fightin' Fish couldn't have asked for more from their catching combo of Danny Jansen and Cal Raleigh who are slugging .548 and .633 respectively in the RDBL Playoffs with a combined . With Ketal Marte (.202/.280/.382), Trey Mancini (.167/.302/.306) and Christian Yelich (.211/.324/.311) among those struggling in the Playoffs, the Fish might need another strong week from their backstops to jump over the Stacks and hold off the Ducks.

Burlingame Blue Ducks: RHP Bryce Elder

With Andrew Heaney scuffling, the Ducks will turn to waiver claim Bryce Elder for a pair of Period 26 starts. Elder has been stellar over his last three starts, allowing just two earned runs in 18 2/3 innings while punching out 22. The rookie is scheduled for starts against the Nationals and Mets this week.

Maltese Falcons: Four Two Start Pitchers

The Falcons rough start to the 2022 Playoffs might have sunk their chances as their recent hot streak might be too little, too late. But GM Gary Falzon and Assistant GM Erik Nielsen will certainly play their way through the final out and have loaded up four 2-start pitchers for Period 26. Chase Anderson, Zack Wheeler, Kevin Gausman and Kyle Bradish will try and mount a major comeback over the next week with Anderson and Gausman set for starts on a slow Monday across the rest of the RDBL.

Meinert Hops: LHP Shane McClanahan

The Hops can still make a late run at a third place finish but will need more from their ace Shane McClanahan who has dealt with shoulder woes that have limited him to just 14.0 innings in the Playoffs with a 5.79 ERA. Even if things don't pan out for the Playoffs, it would be a welcome sight to see McClanahan return to form heading into 2023.

Mission Viejo Maulers: OF Aaron Judge

While the ship has sailed on the Maulers contention for the Playoffs, Aaron Judge is poised to break the RDBL Record for Most Points in a full season and RDBL Playoffs. Just how far he can put those records out of reach will certainly be something to watch as he's likely to shatter both marks.

Looking Ahead: Lunatic Fringe

Things were looking up for GM Tony Guglielmi and the Lunatic Fringe through two months as the club was firmly in contention with the league's top pitcher and a solid offense. They aggressively landed Freddie Freeman and George Springer on June 9th, but their inability to find consistency in the rotation behind Sandy Alcantara ultimately sunk them.

The Trade Deadline and Farm System look poised to help a pitching staff that ranked 9th in scoring while work will remain for an offense that produced a league-low .306 on base percentage in 2022.

Catching

The Fringe looked like they could return both Travis d'Arnaud (2/$7) and Waiver Claim Jose Trevino (2FA/$5), though Trevino's production has fallen off following an All-Star Game nod in the American League. While d'Arnaud has been quite fragile throughout his career, he enters Period 26 ranked 8th in scoring at the position at a solid $7 value.

Infield

The infield is likely to see significant turnover following 2022 with Ryan Mountcastle (3R/$5) and Jazz Chisholm (2R/$3) the only locks to return. Guglielmi will face a difficult call on Jeremy Pena (2/$9) who showed flashes of strong production in 2022 wrapped around injuries that limited him to 129 entering the final week of the season.

Outfield

Much like the infield, the Fringe outfield could see similar turnover heading into 2023. JD Martinez (3/$24) continues to see his production fall off and enters the final week of the season with just 12 home runs in 130 games and is set to lose his OF eligibility after DH'ing all season. Joc Pederson (2D/$5) looked like a potential value at Keeper but has been a flop in the second half following an All-Star game bid mid-season. That leaves Brandon Marsh with a potential spot as an activation after his surprising trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, though his current production (.244/.292/.377) could leave him in the Minors for an additional year. Kyle Lewis (2/$10) will be a wild card to follow as tension continues to build between the outfielder and the Mariners Front Office that could make him a trade candidate this Winter.

Pitching Staff

The strength of the Fringe roster will be in their starting staff while their depth at the position should give Guglielmi some potential trade options that they can use to upgrade their offense. The group is led by potential RDBL Pitcher of the Year Sandy Alcantara (3R/$5). He will have plenty of help next season as RDBL Pitching Prospect of the Year Triston McKenzie (Minors) will be set for his long awaited activation after a near 600 point season in 2022 while trade deadline addition Lance McCullers (2/$1) has been exceptional since returning from injury with a 2.38 ERA.

With the top three locked in for just $7 combined, Guglielmi will have more options to play with. Lucas Giolito (3R/$5) has had a forgettable season but posted 450+ point seasons in 2019 and 2021, giving him some trade value at just $5. Michael Wacha (2FA/$5) has been stellar with a 2.70 ERA over 120 innings for the Red Sox. Taijuan Walker (2D/$5) has been similarly productive with 341.0 points entering his final pair of starts for 2022.

Outside of McKenzie, the Fringe Farm System has more on the way as Reid Detmers (3.88 ERA) stands out as the most ready among a group of Josiah Gray and Clarke Schmidt while the one to watch will be Grayson Rodriguez who held the claim of the best pitching prospect in baseball for much of the season.

Farm System

While many Farm Systems have turned their focus to hitting prospects, the Fringe have doubled down in their investments on the mound. That focus looks ready to pay off in 2023 as McKenzie is arguably the top activation for next season while Reid Detmers, Josiah Gray, Clarke Schmidt and Brandon Marsh all have stable roles that could lead to their activation as well.

The prize of the group is Grayson Rodriguez who could make a push for an Opening Day rotation spot for the emerging Baltimore Orioles.

At the plate, Noelvi Marte, Harry Ford and Brayan Rocchio are all serious hitting prospects to watch though they are accompanied by longer ETA's for activation.

Current 2023 Clovers Projected Keepers

*With 2023 Contract Status, Ranked by Value

1 RHP Sandy Alcantara (3R/$5)

2. RHP Triston McKenzie (1R/$1)

3. RHP Lance McCullers (2/$1)

4. 2B Jazz Chisholm (2R/$3)

5. LHP Reid Detmers (1R/$1)

6. IF Ryan Mountcastle (3R/$5)

7. RHP Michael Wacha (2FA/$5)

8. C Travis d'Arnaud (2/$7)

9. SS Jeremy Pena (2/$9)

10. OF Brandon Marsh (1R/$1)

11. U JD Martinez (3/$24)

2023 Draft Picks Moves

Trade Away 4th Round Pick to Goutfish (Lindor)

Acquired 2nd Round Pick from Goutfish (Lindor)