With 14 games in the books, the Roger Dorn Baseball Season is off and rolling and so is the content on the site. The Mouth of the South made his return Thursday night in a series that should be fun to follow throughout the year and we are back with our second 3 Up, 3 Down of the week. In today's edition, we take a look at the standouts for Opening Day as well as the early issues that could spell trouble for RDBL Front Offices in 2021.
Enjoy the latest installment of 3 Up, 3 Down.
RHP Tyler Glasnow (2R/$3), Fightin' Fish
It opened my eyes when the Fightin' Fish coughed up an early 1st Round pick for Glasnow in their off-season deal with the Maltese Falcons. Glasnow certainly had the stuff to back up his high ceiling, but command issues continued to offer more of a mid-rotation outlook than an ace. A dominant Spring and Opening Day start have opened my eyes with Glasnow looking to be a foundational piece of GM Michael Tirabassi's club. From painting 99 mph fastballs to a 42% swinging strike rate on his slider, Glasnow looks primed for a major breakout in 2021.
Ducks Rotation
GM Ryan Walsh was in quite a pinch heading into Draft Day as they faced the decision of retaining a group that led them to the RDBL Title in 2019 but struggled through a rough 2020. So far, so good for the Ducks as Matthew Boyd pitched a gem on Thursday, Mike Minor's increased velocity has the club optimistic and Reserve Draft pick Framber Valdez looks set to return much sooner than expected.
Fringe Rotation
The Fringe were hoping for more from their Opening Day starters but it's clear GM Tony Guglielmi has a special staff for 2021. Sandy Alcantara looks perfectly suited for a top of the rotation role which was highlighted by a dominant start against the Rays while Lucas Giolito can wrestle with blockbuster addition Shane Bieber for the title of Fringe ace throughout the year. Coupled with a powerful offense, the Fringe should go toe to toe with the Lake Merced Goutfish for a Peninsula Division Title run this year.
Jokers Rotation
GM Rick Steen might have to be aggressive in the trade market early this season before things get away from him. Steen compiled a stout offense on Draft Day, one capable of leading the charge to a Wild Card run, but the pitching staff is lagging far behind. Through three appearances, the Jokers hold a 18.56 ERA and 3.56 WHIP. They will send Johnny Cueto and Nathan Eovaldi to the mound on Friday.
3B Josh Donaldson (Fringe)
Donaldson's body continues to betray him as the third baseman pulled up lame on a first inning double. He was removed from the game with hamstring tightness, which is better than his calf which has haunted him in recent years. The Fringe are holding out hope to avoid a lengthy absence with more details expected Friday.
Stacks Front Office
The Stacks lost patience with outfielder David Dahl who has battled injuries throughout his career. The club made the late decision to drop him from their Keeper List despite a cheap 2R/$3 contract. He was hitting just .220 at the time in Spring and playing sparingly. As soon as the move was made, Dahl went on a tear and finished with a .400 average and 1.000 OPS while putting an exclamation point on the Stacks poor decision with a 3-for-5 Opening Day. He has the look of a great value for the Hammerheads in 2021 at just $9.