Northwest wins North American Division, Will face Santo Domingo in first round
SEATTLE, WASH; For the second straight year, the Northwest Emeralds (86-70) will be back in the hunt for the World Baseball Association championship. The second-youngest roster in the WBA held off the Mexico City Aztecs (75-81) with their young star shortstop Ramon Montes to win the North American Division by 11 games. At times, the pitching bailed out the young lineup. The Emerald's pitching staff, led by Michael Smith, finished second in the ABL in almost every pitching statistic. Smith posted a 4.5 WAR with a near-sub 3 ERA while offseason trade acquisition Gadiel bin Salman pitched his way to a 3.64 ERA and 3.3 WAR. While the team waits for former #1 overall pick Angelo Chavez to breakout, he posted a respectable 2.4 WAR at age 23, Ubadah bin Kardal once again showed grit and determination after being on the edge of not making the rotation out of the spring training. Kardal put up 3.50 ERA along with a 2.8 WAR while becoming a fan favorite for the Ems. The bullpen would become one of the most effective units in the league, with young live arms like Robinson Cordero and Gaustao Sardinheiro taking the ball in the most important situations and, more often that not, shutting the door.
Jason Himes once again proved to be one of the most consistent offensive players in the ABL. Himes posted career-high numbers in games played (156), HR (12), BB (126), K (54), SB (27), triple slash line (.313/.440/.881), and WAR (5.9). Not bad for a guy who won't even sniff MVP talks in a league dominated by Cheslav Zamorov and Carlos Vargas. However, it was not only Himes that paced the Emerald offense. In Roberto Parrina's first full stint in the big leagues, the outfielder showed massive power potential. In 153 games, Parrina hit .327 with 24 doubles, 35 home runs and a 4.7 WAR. Hector Velasquez continued to prove his high-average/on base skills with a .338 AVG and a 3 WAR. The Emeralds also called up top infield prospect Wagih Lacchelo in September in hopes of him being the starting shortstop in 2110.
The Emeralds are facing off against the Santo Domingo Palmchats, who are making their fifth consecutive trip to the postseason and have two championships under their belt. The matchup is your classic happy-go-lucky group of kids squaring off with a seasoned group of veterans. The Ems are undoubtably the underdog of the ABL making only their third postseason appearance ever after losing in the first round last season to the mighty Buenos Aires Dolphins. Is this the year that the Emeralds break out of their cribs and stun the WBA world? Or will the veteran-heavy Palmchats send them packing in the first round again?
Only time will tell.
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