The Pikes, battered and batterless as they are, are in the playoffs, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The Pikes clinched the division title last week and must have already been looking forward to a week off and the upcoming series against Greenville, because their attention certainly wasn't on their final week of regular season play. During that span, they posted a paltry 1-5 record and scored 6 runs in 6 games.
This will be the Pikes 5th playoff appearance. They've only advanced to the second round once. If they don't start hitting the ball, it'll stay that way.
GM Carter is please overall with the performance of the Pikes. Picked by many to finish behind Fresno and Pocatello, the Pikes and their rival, the Panthers, surprised the league by grabbing two playoff spots out of the West. The team was able to tie last year's franchise best 102 wins, but not all of those wins were created equal and not every player's contribution was the same.
Therefore, we present our end of season awards for 2028:
Team MVP: SP Albert Lebel
GM Carter paid Lebel "quit the league" money in the off-season, but if we were to judge the $203million/9 year deal based solely on this year's production, he's worth every dollar. Lebel posted the lowest ERA of his career at 1.26 and a WAR of 10+ for only the second time. His walk rate continues to creep higher, which along with his declining stamina will ultimately be his demise, but for now, he's still one of the best pitchers in the league and the unquestionable CL Cy Young for this year.
Batter of the Year: CF Roberto Lozano
Only 23 years of age and already the best bat in a not very good Pikes lineup. His .296/.328/.797 wasn't the highest WAR or OPS on the team but he was one of the most consistent. Plus I wanted to give him the award as an acknowledgement of how good I am a drafting, given that he was our 1st rounder from 2025.
Pitcher of the Year: SP Antonio Rijo
What? Not Lebel? Nope - because according to idiots in this league, you can't be the best pitcher AND win MVP. So instead, we're going with Rijo. "Truckstop" as he's known, had another great year: 2.46 ERA, 200+ IP, 5+ WAR. He's spent 9 years in the Pikes system and we're going to miss him (and his mutton chops) tremendously when he leaves for FA this off season.
Fielder of the Year: LF Manuel Rico
As a 4th OF and prone to injuries, Rico only played in 100 games but he still managed to put up the team best Zone Rating of 9.18. Couple that with a .762 OPS, and you've got a pretty solid option whose absence may cost the Pikes in round 1 against Greenville.
Shitter of the bed: 2B Antonio Hernandez
So, so many great candidates, but if I had to pick one, the guy who ate up a roster spot for me, can't play his position well, and managed to hit .040 points lower than last year's average would take the crown.
Top Prospect: SP Matt McGrath
McGrath was actually the player that we had tried to draft, but somehow fucked up and had to have Josh and Dave fix for me in the third round - seems to have happened a lot this season. He wasn't a highly touted spec, but he's continued his success in the rookie league posting a 1.58 ERA and 61/7 K/BB ratio.
Sincerely,
GM Carter
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