In 2012, the league included two six-teams divisions, corresponding to the positively and negatively charged signs. This time around, I made those two polarities into their own leagues by splitting each of them into two smaller three-team divisions corresponding to the four classical elements: the Air and Fire divisions belong in the Positive league while the Earth and Water divisions play in the Negative league. I also took the time to set a schedule for 2013 that features a much greater quantity of matchups within a team's division and league rather than the random schedule from last year. This attention to detail should hopefully result in more meaningful matchups as the season progresses.
There are also some new faces in new places this year, not because there was another purported shift in the Zodiacal landscape, but because your humble narrator wasn't as thorough when setting the rosters as he should have been to begin with. I won't bore you all with my process, but in the brief team-by-team analysis that follows, I will point out some of these changes and how they affect the dynamics of the league as a whole, as well as some other tidbits of useful information, such as the top ranked players on each team, key injuries that have made an impact, and some notable sleepers/busts. Since it's too early for the standings to tell us anything, I have ranked the teams based on my extremely unscientific power ranking system, whereby I added up the (not quite up to date) preseason rankings of each team's starting lineup (9 position players, 5 starting pitchers, and 2 relievers). I've also included some information provided by the ESPN fantasy client about the 2012 season: each team's regular season record and point differential (whatever that means). I am honored to start with a team that is very close to my heart, because it is my own astrological sign:
CANCER CRABS (2-2)2013 Rank: 1 (1,440 - remember, lower is better)
2012 Rank: 3 (12-8 record, +85.2 differential)
Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg is Cancer's highest overall ranked player at #24 (according to MLB.com). He is one of four players to be listed in the "cream of the crop" category by ESPN's fantasy pundits, along with 2B Ian Kinsler (one of the highest-profile aforementioned New Faces, as he's NOT actually a Gemini), C Yadier Molina, and RP Jason Motte (who could be headed for Tommy John surgery in the near future). This team has great depth at it's two strongest positions as 2B Brandon Phillips and C Miguel Montero are both listed in the ESPN "next best thing" category. Somewhat ironically, the team's current point leader (and two-time weekly matchup leader) Shin-Soo Choo was tabbed with the dreaded "thanks but no thanks" label by ESPN. I know he's not handling center field as well as the Reds had hoped, but his offensive performance has officially splattered egg all over the preseason rankers' faces.
Speaking of players on whom ESPN was down prior to the season, both SP2 CC Sabathia and SS Derek Jeter are listed in the "older but not necessarily wiser" section (is it a coincidence that they're also both Yankees?). Sabathia has been doing very well (he trails only CL Jim Johnson in pitching points), but Jeter is going to be out until at least the All-Star break after experiencing a setback while rehabbing his surgically repaired ankle. The third and last key injury is to Jeter's partner on the left side of the infield Aramis Ramirez who, along with SP3 Tim Hudson, was listed in the "steady as he goes" category, but at least they have "ready for a breakout" candidate Manny Machado to fill in. We'll see if this team has enough depth to overcome some key injuries, but my gut feeling is that they'll be able to contend all summer.
2013 Rank: 2 (1,566)
2012 Rank: 9 (6-13-1, -83.8)
I was surprised how poorly Virgo performed last year since they looked very good on paper, what with four of the top ten players. Even though they lost the top player (it was revealed that Matt Kemp is actually a Libra), they still look pretty good this year behind a "cream of the crop" trio of 1B Joey Votto and lefty starters David Price and Cliff Lee. But this team's two category leaders so far in 2013 are two "next best things" who are quickly proving that they deserve to be promoted: Justin Upton (with a historic 12 April HR) and Adam Wainwright (who has outperformed fellow category member Gio Gonzalez by leaps and bounds). In another egg on ESPN's face situation, Jacoby Ellsbury has outplayed his "older but not wiser" label as he's second only to Upton in offensive scoring. The best consensus sleeper on the team is Freddie Freeman, who had been doing well up until his DL stint, but he's stuck behind Votto and Paul Goldschmidt on the first base depth chart. This team also has a bright future, as Goldschmidt and Freeman lead a crop of seven (7!) players poised for a breakout, including SS's Elvis Andrus and Andrelton Simmons (one of whom might chase "next best thing" Ian Desmond out of the starting spot as early as this season).
2013 Rank: 3 (1,772)
2012 Rank: 4 (14-5-1, +91.9)
The second member of last year's final four has a very strong core of four "creams of the crop," but none of them have lived up to expectations. Albert Pujols started the season as the top ranked first baseman in the game, but he's been really struggling with planar fascitis. Cole Hamels led the 2012 team in pitching points, but he's winless in 5 starts this year. Victor Martinez is only ranked as elite because he still qualifies as a catcher, but J.P. Arencibia and A.J. Pierzynski have been outperforming him behind the plate. And the article that ranked Hanley Ramirez among the elite shortstops was obviously written before he injured himself playing in the WBC. "Next best thing" Edwin Encarnacion currently leads the team in offensive points, but he's just recently started to break out of his season-long slump.
Speaking of injuries, perhaps no team has been hit harder by them this season than Capricorn. They weathered the loss of Hanley with Erick Aybar until he too went on the DL. And no sooner did Brett Lawrie return to action than CF Michael Bourn went down leaving no viable backup. Ted Lilly just ended his DL stint, but they'll still be playing catch-upafter losing Jhoulys Chacin, who was rivaling pitching point leader Jon Lester at the time of his DL trip. They were the second best team last year in terms of point differential, but if their players can't stay healthy, I don't think they'll be able to hold off the competition.
2013 Rank: 4 (1,812)
2012 Rank: 2 (14-6, +225.3)
If I had to pick the most intimidating team in this league, I would probably have to go with Aries, at least offensively. This team has a whopping six elite players, including the 2012 MVPs of both leagues. (Interestingly enough, the Pisces team from last year had the 2011 Cy Youngs of both leagues in Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw.) This isn't a well-rounded team, but it's got depth in its strong spots, with two of the top three third baseman (AL MVP and offensive point leader Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Beltre) and three of the top six catchers (NL MVP Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, and Joe Mauer). The only issue is that this depth isn't totally usable, for while all of these catchers also qualify for 1B, so does DH Billy Butler, and he's the more valuable option. The middle infield is also solid with Starlin Castro at short, and a second base battle between Jason Kipnis and Aaron Hill (in which Kipnis just pulled ahead due to Hill's recent DL placement). Plus they've got Felix Hernandez celebrating his 100th career win. There were two apparent weaknesses prior to the season: pitching depth after King Felix and outfield depth after potential breakout candidate Jay Bruce. But rookie sensation Matt Harvey is leading the team in pitching points, Justin Masterson has twice led the team in weekly matchup points, and Chris Sale could also be ready for a breakout. And with surging Rockies Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer leading the outfield charge, those weaknesses are quickly falling away.
2013 Rank: 5 (1,918)
2012 Rank: 6 (10-10, -8.5)
Leos are supposed to be born competitors, and their team could be poised for a breakout year thanks to the emergence of 2012 rookies LF Mike Trout (one of two "creams of the crop" on this roster) and SP1 Yu Darvish (one of four stars marked as "on the verge of a breakout"). While Trout's fellow category member 2B Dustin Pedroia hasn't yet heated up, the best player in Darvish's category has been CF Adam Jones, who is currently leading the team in points by hitters. RF Jason Heyward, however, the top ranked player listed in this category, is currently on the DL with appendix issues. He leads a crop of injured players including 3B Alex Rodriguez (who wouldn't have been much of a factor even if he were healthy) and BOTH catchers, Wilson Ramos and Ryan Hanigan. Interestingly enough, the top performer on this team wasn't mentioned one way or the other by the ESPN fantasy gurus: SP Clay Buchholz leads the MLB in pitching points and is arguably the main reason for Boston's return to relevance this season. This team was the last team to lose a game and with some big emerging star power, I'd look for Leo to challenge for a spot in the playoffs.
2013 Rank: 6 (1,925)
2012 Rank: 1 (12-8, +16.7)
This team is the only one that can compete with Aries in in terms of pure intimidation factor, so it was fitting that these two squads faced off in the final matchup last year. I suppose it makes sense that players born during the heat of the playoff push would show the best promise for the game, but this team's talent level is just plain unfair, as they boast seven "creams of the crop" and a full half of the players in the top ten. The outfield depth was scary last year, and it only got better with the addition of Matt Kemp to fellow elites Carlos Gonzalez and Andrew McCutchen. And when one of them suffers through a slump or goes down with an injury, they have "next best thing" Jose Bautista and potential breakout stars Bryce Harper (offensive point leader) and Yoenis Cespedes (when/if he comes off the DL) waiting in the wings. Due to Toronto's lineup woes, Bautista is working on regaining eligibility at 3B, but that's a moot point since they have Evan Longoria and (injured) Ryan Zimmerman at the position. Need middle of the order power? How about Robinson Cano (offensive runner up) and Troy Tulowitzki as a double play combo? Even with two glaring weaknesses at first base and catcher (Michael Young and Kurt Suzuki are the best options here) this team has arguably the strongest and deepest offense in the league.
On paper, their mound presence is equally scary with elite starter Matt Cain backed by "next best things" Jered Weaver and Zack Greinke, but the former is struggling mightily so far and the latter two are on the shelf until further notice (along with "next best thing" closer Joel Hanrahan). Potential breakout candidate Kris Medlen and rookie phenom Shelby Miller (who currently leads the team in pitching points) are good people to plug up those SP gaps (they both have RP eligibility, but I'm a bit of a purist when relief pitchers are concerned), Kyle Lohse is "steady as he goes" and youngster Alex Cobb has been impressive so far. But as the 2012 Astrology playoffs proved, a hot offense alone is not enough to win a championship, and until the star power returns to the mound, I'd consider this team somewhat vulnerable.
2013 Rank: 7 (1,990)
2012 Rank: 8 (9-11, -10.9)
Despite a couple of superstars, this was a very mediocre team last year, and that outlook has only gotten gloomier since two of its biggest stars (Josh Hamilton and Matt Wieters) have jumped ship to Gemini. Their departures left offensive point leader Prince Fielder as the only "cream of the crop" talent, and with "next best thing" Adrian Gonzalez their next highest-ranked player, that sews up the DH spot as well. The only other second tier players on this list are 3B Chase Headley (who really left a hole when both he and backup David Freese started the season on the DL) and C Salvador Perez (who has had a disappointing start to the season after being a consensus sleeper pick). Meanwhile, the pitching staff has seen better days: names like Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter used to inspire fear in opposing lineups, but Carpenter's career is in jeopardy and Halladay is a shadow of his former self. It speaks volumes that the top pitching scorer on this team is a reliever, although to be fair Rafael Betancourt's Rockies are on an epic hot streak right now. But even if breakout candidates Lance Lynn (pitching point leader) and Jose Altuve strike it big, I don't see this team as competition for either Capricorn or Virgo.
2013 Rank: 8 (2,026)
2012 Rank: 11 (8-12, -41.3)
As mentioned above, no team has more pitching depth than Pisces. Steady as they go starters Yovani Gallardo and Anibal Sanchez complement both 2011 Cy Young winners (pitching point leader Kershaw and disappointing so far Verlander), and on the back end, there's three more "creams of the crop": Aroldis Chapman, Fernando Rodney, and J.J. Putz (also "next best thing" Sergio Romo). Chris Davis has impressed with his breakout start (he leads all hitters on this team by more than 150 points) and the offense got a little boost with the additions of Alex Rios and Josh Reddick (both late of Aquarius), but those gains were offset by injuries to Curtis Granderson, Brian McCann, and Dayan Viciedo. Paul Konerko and Wilin Rosario were both heavily talked about by the fantasy crowd, with each being ranked as both a sleeper and a bust by rival pundits. Despite a stellar pitching staff, I'm going to go out on a limb now and say there's no way this team contends in 2013.
2013 Rank: 9 (2,039)
2012 Rank: 7 (10-10, +28.7)
If Pisces is all pitch and no hit, Scorpio is just the opposite... except that their hitting isn't that great either. Their lone "cream of the crop" is Ryan Braun, and while he is the elite of the elite (as long as he can avoid a seemingly inevitable suspension) no one player can carry a fantasy team. His supporting cast doesn't look bad on paper: Giancarlo Stanton is a borderline first round pick in most leagues, Mike Napoli can provide first base power from the catcher slot (he's leading the team in offensive production), and Asdrubal Cabrera has the potential to be one of the best shortstops in the game. But on the pitching side, sure breakout candidate Jason Grilli has really taken to the closer's role (he leads the MLB in saves and this team in pitching points), but R.A. Dickey's smoke and mirrors act has faltered in the AL East and he's the only starter ranked within the top 140. Let's just say it's looking like the Cancer Crabs might have a bit of an easy walk into the playoffs this year.
2013 Rank: 10 (2,197)
2012 Rank: 5 (9-11, -37.1)
I'm surprised this team did as well as it did last year, because when I look at it, I see David Wright (who, not surprisingly, leads the team in points) and a bunch of closers and nothing else. But there are seriously a lot of closers, four elites at the position: Jonathan Papelbon, Rafael Soriano, Tom Wilhelmsen, and a surgically repaired Mariano Rivera (also Joe Nathan, mistakenly listed as Scorpio last year) and potential future closer Bruce Rondon). Doesn't seem fair when there are signs out there who struggle to field even one ninth inning stopper. One wonders if I were to extend this project into years past if many of the most famous bullpen specialists throughout history also share this sign. The best starter on this team is the surprisingly refreshed Ervin Santana, and I don't blame him: who wouldn't prefer pitching anywhere but Anaheim? I know Mat Latos, Ian Kennedy, and James Sheilds are solid starters, and Jesus Montero hasn't lived up to his full potential, but an offense anchored by Nick Swisher and the aging Phillies middle infield is not gonna cut it at this level.
2013 Rank: 11 (2,321)
2012 Rank: 12 (5-15, -192.5)
These Twins were an even bigger disaster than the actual 2012 Twins, winning only a quarter of their matchups. However, no team has benefitted more from the rectification of my mistakes from last year to this than Gemini. Yes, they lost elite 2B Ian Kinsler to Cancer (that phrase sounds much worse than it its...), but they gained big time power threat Josh Hamilton and elite C Matt Wieters from Taurus. Add those to an offensive core that already included fantasy darling Ben Zobrist (the team's current leading hitter) and this team all of a sudden doesn't look quite as embarrassing. (It would look even less so were elite SS Jose Reyes not languishing on the 60-day DL with a severely sprained ankle.) But it's been a surprisingly effective pitching staff, led by point leader Matt Moore, Jordan Zimmermann, and closer Craig Kimbrel, that has gotten this team off to a .500 start.
2013 Rank: 12 (3,134)
2012 Rank: 10 (10-10, -73.5)
This team is so hopeless that they don't have a single elite player on their team and their lone "next best thing" (SP1 Johnny Cueto, coming off a career year) is on the DL. Of their two top "steady as he goes" guys, SP3 Hiroki Kuroda is a good bet to put up solid numbers, but C Carlos Ruiz is just now allowed to play again, on account of he was caught taking the speed. It's a good thing the ESPN staff agrees that fellow C Alex Avila could be ready for a breakout, along with corner infielder Todd Frazier. Two Tigers lead the team in points: CF Austin Jackson and SP2 Doug Fister. Notable sleepers include SP4 Jeff Samardzija (because everyone underrates the Cubs) and DH Lance Berkman (because he missed most of last year due to injury). Don't expect this team to finish with a winning record this year.
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