Goutfish Facing Pressure Over Final Two Weeks

The Lake Merced Goutfish have faced more than their fair share of challenges this season with significant injuries to Fernando Tatis, Jr., Ozzie Albies, Anthony DeSclafani, Freddy Peralta and Brandon Crawford from their Opening Day Roster.

Knowing the strength of their roster overall, the Goutfish Front Office looked to quickly patch up a leaky catcher situation, acquiring 2021's fifth ranked backstop Yasmani Grandal and outfielder Kyle Lewis from the St. Joseph Jokers. The price tag was a 2023 1st Round Pick with an assumption it would be stuck as a late round selection.

When the club sat just 200 back of the RDBL lead in early June, they swung for the fences with their acquisition of Walker Buehler (3R/$5) from the Asti Grape Stompers. Buehler would last just 6 1/3 innings over two starts before going down with a forearm strain that would end his RDBL Regular Season. The price for Buehler's -14.0 points -- baseball's top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez and a 2023 3rd Round Pick.

With Tatis' return from injury continues to drag on, GM Ryan Atkinson and the Goutfish Front Office were staring at a 125.0 point deficit for the final Wild Card spot on July 17th and contemplated a fire sale. A note went out to contenders of a "scorched earth scenario" according to sources, with virtually the entire roster up for grabs.

A RDBL-high 254.0 point short week following the All-Star Break changed everything, serving as a potential turning point in the future of the Goutfish Franchise. Pushing the deficit down to just 42.0 points at the end of Period 16, Atkinson pushed all in with a late night acquisition of Blake Snell and Chris Bassitt from the Cloverdale Clovers, surrendering Alek Thomas and a 2023 5th Round Pick.

Atkinson continued to push their chips to the middle just four days later, completing a blockbuster deal with the Lunatic Fringe to land DJ LeMahieu and Francisco Lindor. The price included the club's top prospect Noelvi Marte and a 2023 2nd Round Pick.

The moves paid off with Snell (0.94 ERA over his last 5 starts), Bassit and Lindor (leading baseball in average in the 2nd Half) helping lead the way into Period 19 when the news turned grim for the Goutfish. Tatis would not be making his long anticipated return from the IL, instead being suspended for the remainder of 2022 and 30+ games of 2023 for a positive PED test. The star would be assured to play in just 130 games through the first two plus seasons of his Rookie contract.

Additionally, a hand injury to fellow star shortstop Tim Anderson would sideline him for 4-6 weeks, ending his Regular Season alongside Buehler, Tatis and Albies.

Period 20 starts Monday with 14 days of play remaining in the RDBL Regular Season and 31.5 points separating the Goutfish from the 6th Place Burlingame Blue Ducks. As defending Champions of the RDBL, most would figure success in 2022 would be gravy on top of a record-breaking campaign last year. But with Francisco Alvarez and Noelvi Marte out the door, as well as a 7th place finish resulting in the first overall pick being surrendered to the St. Joseph Jokers, the pressure has never been higher for Atkinson's club.

Around the RDBL

- The Cloverdale Clovers keyed in on right-hander Andrew Painter (Minors) as part of their blockbuster July deal with the Alamo Short Stacks. Painter continued his dominance which was highlighted by seven shutout innings Saturday which led to his promotion to Double-A on Sunday. Painter, who was pitching high school ball a little over a year ago, has been brilliant at two minor-league levels, pitching to a 1.19 ERA in 17 starts. He has struck out 14.1 batters per nine and walked 2.7. In 81 1/3 professional innings, Painter has allowed just 46 hits and 10 earned runs while racking up 130 strikeouts and walking just 23.

- Good news has been few and far between for the Idaho Taters this season but they did receive this nugget over the weekend. Mike Soroka will bring a rehab assignment on Tuesday with High-A Rome as he makes his return from a twice ruptured right Achilles which has included three surgeries. Soroka posted a 2.68 ERA in 29 starts as an All-Star in 2019 while finishing as the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up and sixth in the Cy Young balloting.

- The St. Joseph Jokers could have a potential logjam at catcher with Joey Bart starting to emerge as a potential factor for 2023. Bart had two more hits Sunday and has posted a .296 average since being recalled on July 6th. The run has included multi-hit games in four of his last six appearances though he has walked just four times in that span. The Jokers also hold the MJ Melendez and Gabriel Moreno under Minor League contracts.

- Mt. Diablo Devils right-hander James Kaprielian has posted nine consecutive positive starts while lowering his ERA from 6.32 to 4.38 over that span. In line for a pair of starts in Period 20, Kaprielian will continue to pitch with eyes on a 2023 activation for GM Jason Watson.

- Asti Grape Stompers pitching prospect Mick Abel (Minors) joined Andrew Painter with a promotion to Double-A Sunday. Abel has a 4.01 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 103 strikeouts in 85 1/3 this season. He joins Grapes prospect Kyle Harrison as another high-end pitching prospect at Double-A with ETAs likely for 2024 with continued health.

- The Honolulu Hammerheads might have something for 2023 in right-hander Brandon Pfaadt who continued his hot run at Triple-A since an August 2nd promotion. Pfaadt allowed just one run and one hit over six innings with 10 strikeouts and now has 166 punchouts over 124 1/3 innings this season across two levels. His statcast results might be even more intriguing for Pfaadt as the spin rate on his fastball and slider would have ranked 5th and 6th in the big leagues, with only Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes and Joe Musgrove appearing above him on both lists.

- It is too little, too late for Lance Lynn, but the veteran Lunatic Fringe right-hander has found his footing with a 3.34 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 34:2 K:BB ratio over his last 29 2/3 innings since the All-Star Break.

- The Las Vegas Aristocrats addition of Alec Bohm for Justin Turner was questioned by some at the time of the deal, but it looks like a boon for the 'Crats. Bohm has been exceptional since a rough April and has slashed .349/.380/.477 over the last 28 days while hitting .357 since June 24th.

State Farm Weekly Recap: Period 19

The final two periods are shaping up to be the most competitive Regular Season finish in RDBL History as seven teams remain locked into a race for just six Playoff spots. The race for the Masters Division Title is a virtual lock entering Period 20 with the Spokane Fightin' Fish holding a 4.0 point edge of the Mission Viejo Maulers who are seeking their first Division Title in Franchise History.

The final two Wild Card spots remain separated by just 79.5 points with the Meinert Hops, Burlingame Blue Ducks and Lake Merced Goutfish moving up and down the standings over the last few weeks.

Here's a recap of how things shook out in Period 19.

State Farm Team of the Week: Meinert Hops, 414.5 Points

82-277, 277 AB, 9 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 36 RBI, 36 R, 2 SB, 23 BB, 3 CS, 6 HP, 4 SF

61.2 INN, 43 HA, 15 BBI, 51 K, 13 ER, 5 W, 3 L

After posting just 265.0 points in Period 18, the Hops stormed back in Period 19 with a RDBL-high 414.5 points while moving back into 4th Place while pushing within striking distance of the Mission Viejo Maulers (65.5 back) and Spokane Fightin' Fish (69.5 back). Even without Mike Trout, who appears to be getting closer to his return, the Hops got major contributions up and down the roster led by Zac Gallen (71.0, more on him later), Shohei Ohtani (44.5 combined), Logan Webb (36.0), Cole Irvin (33.0) and Randal Grichuk (23.0).

Grichuk highlighted the savvy pickups of GM Garrett Shelley who received a combined 84.0 from recent acquisitions Grichuk, Bryan Reynolds, Thairo Estrada and Amed Rosario.

The pressure is hardy off the Hops with two periods to go with the Burlingame Blue Ducks and Lake Merced Goutfish still hot on their heels as they look to earn their first Playoff berth in Franchise History.

Pitcher of the Week: Zac Gallen, Hops, 71.0 Points

14.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 14 K, 3 BB, 2 W

Zac Gallen continued his emergence as a co-ace of the Meinert Hops with 14 scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies in Period 19. The right-hander lowered his season ERA to 2.94 with a 0.99 WHIP and is now on pace for a 534.0 point season at just $15. Gallen has been a key contributor to the Hops 3.04 Team ERA which would currently set a RDBL Record which was set by the St. Joseph Jokers in 2018 at 3.15.

Hitter of the Week: 3B Alex Bregman, Maulers, 36.5 Points

9-for-19, 4 HR, 2B, 6 BB

Bregman has been a monster since being acquired from the Idaho Taters, going 16-for-40 with seven home runs while posting 53.0 points in just 40 at-bats. While Josh Jung, the return from Bregman, has looked strong over the last week in his rehab, GM Chris Ferraro can rest easy with Bregman leading the way in their pursuit of their first Division Title in Franchise History.

Prospect of the Week: SS Jordan Lawlar, Grapes

Over the last 10 days, Lawlar has gone 13-for-28 with a pair of home runs and a pair of doubles while adding eight walks in a dominant stretch where he has posted 1.400 OPS. Lawlar has already reached High-A at 20 years old after being the 6th overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021 and looks to be on the fast track to potential stardom in the desert.

Life Insurance Player of the Week: St. Joseph Jokers

Things looked like they had bottomed out for the Jokers in Period 18 when the club posted a RDBL-low 114.0 points, but GM Rick Steen's club followed it up with a season record low 90.0 points in Period 19 which was capped off by -10.0 points on Sunday. The club managed just 40 hits in 174 at-bats while allowing 26 earned runs in 40.0 innings.

Biggest RDBL Busts of 2022

With two periods remaining in the Roger Dorn Baseball League Regular Season, here's a look at the biggest busts of the 2022 season. From big money Free Agents to activations that didn't pan out, 2022 was filled with promising players that fell well short of expectations on Draft Day.

Here are two players from every RDBL Franchise that didn't reach their projections this season.

Alamo Short Stacks

OF Jarred Kelenic (1R/$1), RHP Nick Pivetta (1FA/$5)

The Stacks aggressively activated Kelenic for the 2021 Playoffs, locking in his Opening Day spot on the Active Roster for 2022. It's hard to imagine things going much worse for the outfielder as he compiled just 17.5 points with a .154/.224/.327 slash line when he was in the lineup for the Stacks. A demotion to Triple-A led to his availability in July as Kelenic was a late addition to a blockbuster trade with the Cloverdale Clovers.

Part of that blockbuster deal included the Stacks acquiring right-hander Nick Pivetta who held a 3.23 ERA at the time of the trade. Pivetta would make a pair of starts in the Stacks lineup, posting -35.0 points while posting four negative starts in six starts overall. He was released by the Stacks entering Period 19 despite an additional season of control at $5.

Asti Grape Stompers

OF Franmil Reyes (1/$23), LHP Trevor Rogers (2FA/$5)

A 436.5 point projection led to the Grapes $23 investment in Franmil Reyes following his 30 home run season in 2021. Reyes never found his footing on the Grapes, slashing just .216/.256/.372 with just nine home runs in 231 at-bats before being released by GM Terry Shelley.

On the pitching front, Trevor Rogers was expected to be a key piece of the starting rotation, a group that was viewed as one of the league's best coming into the season. Rogers struggled from the get-go, posting a 6.22 ERA and 1.60 WHIP over 59 1/3 innings helping sink the Grapes out of Playoff contention.

Burlingame Blue Ducks

IF/OF Kris Bryant (2/$24), RHP Jack Flaherty (1/$1)

A series of injuries, most recently to his foot, has limited Bryant to just 160 at-bats this season. When he has been in the lineup Bryant has been a force with a .306/.376/.475 line but it's been so infrequent that GM Ryan Walsh was forced to overhaul much of his lineup while depleting his Farm System to help make up for his absence.

It's hard to call Flaherty a bust given his $1 investment, but the Ducks were certainly hoping for more eight innings and a 5.62 ERA this season. The right-hander continues to build back up with hopes of a September return, but it's unlikely he will see the Ducks Active Roster again this season due to the risk he's shown when on the mound.

Cloverdale Clovers

IF Jonathan Schoop (1/$8), RHP Huascar Ynoa (2FA/$5)

Don't expect to see Jonathan Schoop in a Cloverdale Clovers uniform again as the infielder has burned GM Chris Shelley twice now. Schoop was handed a $39 contract by Shelley in 2018 after posting 440.0 points the season before. Schoop flopped on the investment with just 256.0 points that season and was released. The Clovers gave him another chance in 2022 with an $8 investment but Schoop has been even worse, posting a .199 average in 377 at-bats with just 105.0 points on the season while in the lineup.

Ynoa was selected to round out of the Clovers Keeper List, a move Shelley certainly wants back. The righty lasted just two starts on the Braves roster, posting a 13.50 ERA and 2.55 WHIP with -28.0 points before being demoted to Triple-A where he was remained for the entire season.

Honolulu Hammerheads

IF/OF Dominic Smith (2R/$3), RHP Jacob deGrom (3/$66)

The Hammerheads were squeezed at catcher with Tyler Stephenson, Sal Perez and Willson Contreras entering Draft Day. GM Ross Horiuchi decided to part with Contreras for Dominic Smith who would post just 54 at-bats in the Heads Active Roster before being demoted to Triple-A and ultimately released by Horiuchi. Contreras, who would later be traded again to the Asti Grape Stompers, is currently the second ranked catcher.

While Smith was a disappointment on the field, ace Jacob deGrom was one off of it. A shoulder injury in Spring Training sidelined deGrom for over four months preventing the $66 investment from making a start as a Hammerhead in 2022. deGrom's upside did help bring back a strong trade package to help build up the projected core of the Heads 2023 roster.

Idaho Taters

IF Spencer Torkelson (1R/$1), OF Jo Adell (1R/$1), RHP Casey Mize (1R/$1)

The 2022 season was supposed to open up a window of contention for the Idaho Taters. Instead, GM Mike Friedrich is finishing the year with more questions than answers, especially with a trio of activations.

Spencer Torkelson was hyped as a can't miss hitting prospect but an aggressive promotion to the big leagues and Opening Day activation by the Taters resulted in a .211/.298/.312 line and a trip back to Triple-A. A similar fate came for Jo Adell who has hit just .211/.257/.359 over 128 at-bats in the Taters lineup which sandwiched his own trip back to Triple-A.

An elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery ended fellow activation Casey Mize's season, likely putting an end to his Rookie contract with the Taters.

Lake Merced Goutfish

SS/OF Fernando Tatis, Jr. (2R/$3), RHP Anthony DeSclafani (2FA/$5)

The Goutfish had their 2022 season rocked by the Spring Training announcement of Fernando Tatis, Jr.'s wrist injury with initial indications that he would miss three months. Things took a significant turn further downward as Tatis, five months removed from the wrist injury announcement, was suspended for PEDs which ends his 2022 season without an at-bat while also being set to miss 30+ games to start 2023.

On the mound, the Goutfish brought back 2021 standout Anthony DeSclafani who was a key to their first RDBL Championship. Things never got on track for the right-hander as he posted a 9.95 ERA and 2.05 WHIP with -45.0 points over five starts before having season-ending ankle surgery.

Lunatic Fringe

SS Javier Baez (2/$14), RHP Lucas Giolito (2R/$3), RHP Lance Lynn (1/$40)

A strong finish to the 2021 season in New York gave the Fringe hope that Javier Baez had altered his approach at the plate enough to get back to 350+ point season and prove to be worth the $14 contract he was retained for in 2022. That hasn't been the case as Baez has slashed .218/.258/.338 in 317 at-bats, producing just 118.5 points on the season entering play Sunday.

The flops on the mound proved to be the downfall of the Fringe as former ace Lucas Giolito has flopped to a 4.92 ERA and 1.49 WHIP while $40 investment Lance Lynn was sidelined for most of the season with a knee injury while sinking the club with a 7.50 ERA as late as 7/16 which forced GM Tony Guglielmi to sell.

Maltese Falcons

IF Brandon Lowe (1/$28), RP Mark Melancon (1/$3)

The market for Brandon Lowe was quite hot, leading to a $28 investment that hasn't panned out for the Falcons Front Office. Lowe has managed just a .216/.289/.405 line across 190 at-bats while dealing with multiple injuries and just 95.5 points while in the lineup.

The Falcons have managed to hit on just about every pitcher they bet on for the 2022 season, making the addition of Mark Melancon in Auction just a small blip on the radar. Melancon didn't last long, posting -3.0 total points over 11 1/3 innings with a 8.10 ERA before being released.

Meinert Hops

OF Willie Calhoun (3R/$5), 1B Seth Beer (1R/$1)

The Hops love affair with Willie Calhoun finally ended with the Texas Rangers having to DFA the outfielder before GM Garrett Shelley would finally move on. Calhoun, a $5 keeper for 2022, slashed just .136/.283/.273 for 15.5 points in 44 at-bats before being cut loose.

Activation Seth Beer started off hot, surprising many as a potential building block for the Hops. But Beer quickly skunked, finishing his time with a .200/.293/.275 line before being released.

The Hops pitching staff has amazing avoided any pitfalls with just 13 pitchers making an appearance on the Active Roster and posting a current record for Team ERA.

Mission Viejo Maulers

1B Frank Schwindel (1/$7), RHP Aaron Civale (2/$14)

The 400+ point projection for Frank Schwindel by CBS Sports seemed like a ticking time bomb on Draft Day with Mission Viejo Maulers GM Chris Ferraro picking it up for $7. While Schwindel's .238/.282/.376 line for $7 wasn't a season-breaker, the Maulers find themselves in a race for the division title where every point matters making their small investment a potentially impactful whiff.

Ferraro has been forced to cover up for the miss of retaining Aaron Civale for $14. The right-hander was frequently targeted by other Front Offices heading into Draft Day, but Ferraro stuck with him and he's been "rewarded" with a 6.94 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in the six starts he has been trusted to start on the Maulers Active Roster. His 23 1/3 innings of work in those outings resulted in -7.0 points on the season. A string of four consecutive positive starts could earn him another shot before the end of the season.

Mt. Diablo Devils

OF Eddie Rosario (1/$18), RP Jake McGee (2/$1)

Things got so bad for Eddie Rosario that eye surgery seemed to be the only option after an April start that saw him slashing .068/.163/.091, immediately leaving a dent in the Mt. Diablo Devils plan to contend for the Playoffs this season. While things have improved since his return, Rosario remains a lock to be released with just 45.0 points to date in 144 at-bats.

The Devils scooped up Jake McGee in a pre-Draft deal with the Alamo Short Stacks, keeping the closer who racked up 35 saves in 2021. He would go on to pitch just 5 2/3 innings for the Devils, posting 0.0 points before hitting the IL and being released by GM Jason Watson.

Spokane Fightin' Fish

3B Yoan Moncada (3R/$5), RP Craig Kimbrel (2/$1)

Yoan Moncada was expected to be a foundational piece of an infield that ranked among the league's best but a disastrous start and injuries has left him on his third RDBL club of the season. Moncada slashed just .143/.188/.220 with just 13 hits in 91 at-bats for the Fish before being dealt to the Honolulu Heads (a move that did net the Fightin' Fish a 1st Round Pick). Moncada was moved again to the Alamo Short Stacks where he's seen sporadic time in the lineup.

GM Michael Tirabassi can't be faulted for his $1 Keeper decision on Craig Kimbrel, but a 1.56 WHIP from your closer is hardly something you can be excited about even for that small of an investment. Kimbrel has added 19 saves (when in the Fish lineup) to a league-high 77 saves as a team, helping keep the Fish in the mix for the Masters Division Title. Just don't expect him to be back for the 2023 season despite the small price tag.

St. Joseph Jokers

C Yasmani Grandal (1/$19), RHP Vladimir Gutierrez (2R/$3)

The Jokers tried to shore up their catching spot with a $19 investment in Yasmani Grandal who was fresh off a 23 home run season while posting a dominant .420 OBP. Grandal never matched that production with the Jokers, slashing .155/.278/.206 before being traded to the Lake Merced Goutfish.

GM Rick Steen kept his faith in 2021 activation Vladimir Gutierrez, but things quickly were sidetracked as a 7.41 ERA and 1.94 WHIP over four starts led to his release and Tommy John surgery.