On The Lookout: Hops Have Eyes on More Than Wild Card

10 Days remain in the Roger Dorn Baseball League Regular Season with races continuing to be white-hot up and down the standings. The Alamo Short Stacks enter Friday with a 170.0 point lead as they look to be the first Franchise in RDBL History to win the Regular Season twice.

Here's what we are on the lookout for on Friday:

Hops Looking to Chase Down Maulers, Fish

The Meinert Hops suddenly find themselves just 45.0 points behind the Mission Viejo Maulers and 54.5 points behind the Spokane Fightin' Fish with Shane McClanahan (vs. KC) and Cole Irvin (vs. SEA) scheduled Friday. The Fish do have five remaining starting pitchers set for action this weekend with the Maulers set for three remaining starts setting up a potential wave of changes in the standings over the next three days.

McClanahan has been a bit more mortal in recent weeks, posting just 9.0 combined points over his last three starts but still holds a 2.28 ERA on the year.

Fish, Maulers Separated by 10.0 Points

The Maulers badly want their first Division Title in Team History and will look to jump back over the Fightin' Fish on Friday with Tyler Anderson (vs.MIA) scheduled to start. The clubs are looking to secure a $200 3rd Place Bonus along with a $50 Division Title bonus in cash earnings.

Critical Starts for Bassitt, Snell

The Lake Merced Goutfish have 10 days to chase down the Burlingame Blue Ducks for the final Wild Card spot, currently trailing them by 98.0 points. They will hand the ball to Chris Bassitt (@PHI) and Blake Snell (vs.WSH) Friday with the Ducks countering with Aaron Nola (vs.NYM).

Snell has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball with a 0.94 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over his last five starts.

Crats, Heads and Fringe Fight for 2nd Reserve Draft Position

The Las Vegas Aristocrats are currently positioned to select 2nd in the 2023 Reserve Draft but the Honolulu Hammerheads and Lunatic Fringe remain within 100 points with 10 days to go. The Heads would surrender their first and second round picks to the Spokane Fightin' Fish and Asti Grape Stompers, but position would still help in later rounds.

Looking Ahead: Honolulu Hammerheads

Health was always going to be the key to the 2022 Honolulu Hammerheads season. When you employ Jacob deGrom, Chris Sale and Byron Buxton, there's no bigger storyline to follow. The results were unfortunately not what GM Ross Horiuchi hoped for. Buxton avoided lengthy absences, but while his power shined, his on-base percentage dipped to .293 which limited his overall production.

The Heads maneuvered around several other injuries, forcing their way back into the Wild Card picture in early July with the return of Sale. A dominant start in Tampa Bay had Horiuchi focused on buying, but Sale would last just one more inning as a line drive broke his finger and ended his season in New York the following start.

The club's biggest hurdle was the $66 investment in deGrom which resulted in zero starts and points as the right-hander's shoulder injury in Spring Training lingered and sidelined him until late July when he was dealt to the Alamo Short Stacks in a blockbuster move before his season debut.

A young nucleus remains with substantial cap space to produce another contender in 2023 with rumors already circling of a potential reunion with deGrom to lead the club's rotation. Though a change in Athletic Trainers might be in store before the start of next season.

Catching

For a club that held the rights to Salvador Perez, Willson Contreras and Tyler Stephenson last off-season, currently starting the combo of Jason Delay and Seby Zavala should give an indication of how things went injury-wise for the Heads this season. With Perez and Contreras traded away, Stephenson will step into the lead role after an injury-plagued season prevented a breakout. While on the field, Stephenson slashed .319/.372/.482 and looks the part of a Top-5 backstop entering 2023 provided he has a clean bill of health on his surgically repaired shoulder.

The club is hopeful deadline acquisition Ivan Herrera can play his way into an Opening Day spot while Drew Romo is likely to be making a push for a promotion to Colorado late next summer.

Infield

Austin Riley has been one of the biggest breakouts in baseball, solidifying his surprise 2021 season and taking the turn into stardom as one of the game's top sluggers. He will anchor the infield alongside fellow superstar and deadline acquisition Paul Goldschmidt who currently ranks second in hitter scoring on the season.

The star duo will be joined by multi-positional threat Jurickson Profar and Harold Ramirez (.328/.349/.409) while Jose Iglesias (.311/.349/.409) could get a long look, especially if he continues to call Coors Field home.

Outfield

The $74 combined investment in Jesse Winker (.227/.343/.363) and Bryan Reynolds (dealt to Hops) is unlikely to produce a 2023 Keeper, leaving deadline acquisition Seiya Suzuki (1/$22) as the lead outfielder.

The clock is ticking on 2022 activation Alex Kirilloff who has showed glimmers of serious upside, but is fresh off his second consecutive season-ending wrist surgery. With a 2017 Tommy John surgery on his resume as well, Kirilloff will need to shake off the injury concerns to take the next step in 2023.

Jarren Duran (Minors) has logged 181 big league at-bats this season with mixed results (.221/.281/.370), but is a likely activation if he's handed the starting center field job in Boston to start 2023.

Pitching Staff

The Heads will have a reworked starting rotation as they look to replace deGrom, Carlos Rodon and Corbin Burnes. The group will be led by Chris Sale (1/$1) who will look for better luck on the injury front in 2023 after just five innings logged this season.

Deadline addition Pablo Lopez (1/$13) will slot in behind Sale as he looks to get back on track after a hot start to 2022. Lopez dominated through April, but owns a 4.55 ERA over his last 20 starts and 7.20 mark over his last six outings. A return to the form that made him the National League's Pitcher of the Month in April would be a welcome sight to end 2022 for the Heads.

The club will have a close eye on Kutter Crawford (4.17 ERA in 64.0 IP) and Jake Junis (3.53 ERA in 71.0) innings as potential options to round out their Keeper Roster while Paul Blackburn (8.94 ERA after the All-Star Break) likely pitched himself out of contention.

Ian Anderson (2R/$3) once looked like one of the more promising arms in the big leagues, but a 5.00 ERA earned him a demotion to Triple-A which leaves his future in Atlanta and Honolulu up in the air.

The Heads hold six pitchers in the Minor Leagues with Brandon Pfaadt likely serving as the closest to a potential activation. A breakout Spring Training could put him in the mix for Opening Day next season.

Farm System

The Heads made a push as a buyer in June and July, losing top prospects Michael Busch, Josh Lowe and their 1st Round Pick for 2023. Horiuchi was able to recoup some of the lost talent just before the deadline, adding Robert Hassell III and Quinn Priester from the Stacks with both fighting for the top prospect label in the club's system while Jace Jung (acquired from Hops) isn't far behind.

Catching looks like a strong suit for future Heads rosters as Drew Romo has been on the league's biggest risers in prospect circles while acquisition Ivan Herrera could have a significant big league role as soon as next season.

The Heads have a glut of pitching prospects behind Priester who stands tall above the others. On talent alone, Sam Bachman has the highest upside though he's been limited due to back injuries in his first full professional season. Brandon Pfaadt is internally loved in the Heads Front Office and will be one to watch over the remainder of this season and into Spring Training as he knocks on the big league door.

Current 2023 Heads Projected Keepers

*With 2023 Contract Status, Ranked by Value

1. 3B Austin Riley (3/$5)

2. 1B Paul Goldschmidt (3/$36)

3. C Tyler Stephenson (2R/$3)

4. LHP Chris Sale (2/$1)

5. RHP Pablo Lopez (2/$13)

6. OF/1B Alex Kirilloff (2R/$3)

7. OF Seiya Suzuki (2/$22)

8. 1B/OF Harold Ramirez (2FA/$5)

9. IF/OF Jurickson Profar (2D/$5)

10. RP Jason Adam (2FA/$5)

11. SS Jose Iglesias (2FA/$5)

12. OF Jarren Durran (1R/$1)

13. C Ivan Herrera (1R/$1)

2023 Draft Picks Moves

Dealt Away 1st Round Pick to Fightin' Fish

Acquired 4th Round Pick from Devils

Dealt Away 2nd Round Pick to Grapes

Acquired 2nd Round Pick from Stacks

2022 RDBL Breakouts

We covered the biggest busts in the 2022 season on Sunday and will even out the scale with the biggest breakouts for every RDBL Franchise over the last five months. From big money Keepers to mid-season Waiver Claims, every RDBL Front Office uncovered an asset that is shining brighter than expected while suddenly emerging as a key piece to future planning.

Here are the 2022 Breakouts across the RDBL:

Alamo Short Stacks

RHP Logan Gilbert (1R/$1)

Gilbert was hardly a lock for the 2022 Opening Day Roster after posting a 4.68 ERA through rollercoaster 2021 Rookie campaign. A strong Spring Training sealed his activation and he has rewarded the Stacks with a strong in-lineup 3.09 ERA while the club has worked around recent starts against the New York Yankees that have jumped his full season ERA. Gilbert remains under control with the Stacks through the 2024 season with the Stacks hopeful fellow 2021 1st Rounder Corbin Carroll can join him on the Active Roster next season.

Asti Grape Stompers

RP Ryan Helsley (1FA/$5)

While it's not great when your breakout player is a late inning reliever, Ryan Helsley has been electric this season while establishing himself as a surefire Keeper for 2023. The flame-throwing righty was named to the National League All-Star team and has posted a 0.76 ERA and 0.65 WHIP as a shutdown arm in the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen while earning 12 saves entering play Sunday.

Burlingame Blue Ducks

RHP Alek Manoah (1R/$1)

The expectations were high for Manoah entering the season, but the American League All-Star has clearly surpassed them with a 2.56 ERA and 1.02 WHIP entering Period 20. Manoah has been remarkably consistent, posting 17 quality starts in 22 chances with only a breakout season from Shane McClanahan potentially getting in his way of a Roger Dorn Baseball League Activation of the Year award.

Cloverdale Clovers

RHP Miles Mikolas (1D/$5)

Don't Mikolas' implosion in Coors Field (10 ER in 2 2/3 IP) get in the way of what has been a breakout campaign for the right-hander. Mikolas entered that start against the Rockies with a 2.92 ERA and backed up his breakout following the disaster with eight strong innings against the Brewers on Sunday. He remains on pace for a 550+ season and should sit at or near the top of a crowded Clovers Keeper Roster rotation for 2023.

Honolulu Hammerheads

3B Austin Riley (2R/$3)

Riley put together a breakout year in 2021, posting 475.5 points with 33 home runs but was still overlooked as one of the stars in the game. That's no longer the case as Riley has backed up his 2021 season with an even better 2022. He currently leads all third baseman in scoring while ranking fourth overall, slashing .292/.357/.578 while on pace for 520+ points this season.

Idaho Taters

RHP Spencer Strider (1FA/$5)

It hasn't all been doom and gloom for the Idaho Taters who scooped up a big piece of their 2023 plans with Spencer Strider. The flame-throwing righty has posted a 3.11 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 24 appearances, 13 of which have come as a starter since his early season promotion. He's allowed just 60 hits over 89 2/3 innings while striking out an eye-popping 138.

Lake Merced Goutfish

C Alejandro Kirk (2/$1)

Kirk has been a monster from the jump this season providing exceptional value at his $1 contract, especially considering he was acquired from the Mission Viejo Maulers for 3rd and 6th Round picks while also receiving a 4th Round pick back. Kirk has slashed .299/.380/.450 and ranks third in catcher scoring entering Period 20 while serving as the starter behind the plate for the American League in the All-Star Game.

Las Vegas Aristocrats

3B Alec Bohm (2R/$3)

The arrow on Bohm wasn't exactly pointing up at the time of his acquisition before Draft Day as the Aristocrats Front Office was working to create as much cap space as possible to fit the $68 contract of Max Scherzer. Bohm looked like a bust through the early portion of the season but has been a monster since late June which included a 31 game span where he hit .393 and failed to record a hit in just three of those games.

Lunatic Fringe

RHP Sandy Alcantara (2R/$3)

It wasn't a stretch to view Alcantara as a Top-10 arm entering the 2022 season, but the dominant Marlins ace has far exceeded those expectations. Alcantara enters Period 20 leading the RDBL in pitcher scoring by 79.0 points with his 569.0 points already ranking 6th All-Time in Regular Season History. Alcantara is scheduled for three more starts before the Fringe are eliminated from the Playoffs with a chance to chase down Max Scherzer's 2018 record of 633.0 points in a RDBL Regular Season.

Maltese Falcons

LHP Nestor Cortes (1D/$5)

A surprising 2.90 ERA in 2021 put Nestor Cortes on the radar, but without much of a track record, he was released by the Asti Grape Stompers before the 2022 Draft. He made it through the Auction Draft and six rounds of the Reserve Draft before being selected 92nd Overall by the Maltese Falcons. The return has been exceptional as Cortes is on pace for 532.0 points entering play Monday with a 2.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a trip to the All-Star Game.

Meinert Hops

LHP Shane McClanahan (1R/$1)

The Hops are having a historic season on the mound with Rookie activation Shane McClanahan leading the way. The 25-year-old ace has posted a 2.28 ERA and 0.87 WHIP over 134 1/3 innings and is currently on pace for an eye-popping 667.0 points. With the Activation of the Year Award in his sights, McClanahan hopes to be starting RDBL Playoff games in Period 22 for the first time in Hops Franchise History.

Mission Viejo Maulers

OF Aaron Judge (2/$31)

Is it possible for someone with a 584.0 point season already under their belt to be a breakout player? If so, Aaron Judge is that player as the outfielder has taken his game to new heights in 2022. He has slashed .300/.398/.678 with 46 home runs, just four short of the RDBL Regular Season Record. The Maulers star is on pace for 646.0 points and will carry the load for the club's offense through 2023.

Mt. Diablo Devils

RHP Merrill Kelly (1D/$5)

There were glimmers of hope in Merrill Kelly's 265.0 point season in 2021, but he has taken a major step forward this season with a 2.95 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 137 1/3 innings. On pace for 540.0 points this season, Kelly looks to be a stable force in the rotation which will pair with a young and talented offense for GM Jason Watson in 2023.

Spokane Fightin' Fish

LHP Martin Perez (1FA/$5)

In a rotation that includes Gerrit Cole ($73) and Shane Bieber ($58), Martin Perez is the one that leads the Fightin' Fish in pitcher scoring entering Period 20. The veteran left-hander has posted a 2.79 ERA in a team-high 142.0 innings and will be under team control through 2023.

St. Joseph Jokers

SS Gunnar Henderson (Minors)

The Jokers might have completed the trade of the year by landing Gunnar Henderson from the Mt. Diablo Devils for Kyle Hendricks, a move that quickly soured on the side of the Devils. Henderson has emerged as one of the top prospects in all of baseball and looks like he could be a potential impact performer as soon as 2023 for GM Rick Steen.