There again seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel next season as a few players may make the Haymakers 2010 playoff push an interesting one.
Mark (Hamil) Reynolds: After hitting a respectable .278 with 21 homers as a part time player in 2009, Reynolds blasted 44 homers and stole 24 bases with a farm team in Arizona and should fill in nicely as the everyday middle of the order hitter for the Haymakers in 2010. His defense at 3B is a liability, so expect Reynolds to don his 1B glove or DH for most of the season.
Jason Bartlett: Picked up from New Jersey as a platoon/defensive replacement player; Bartlett did nicely in 2009 hitting .340 with 16 SB's for Troy but had a breakout season with the bat on the farm, hitting .320 with 30 SB's in an everyday role. He also grew into himself, hitting a record 14 homers, while never hitting more than 5 in any season. There is some question about his glove at SS for the long term, but expect to see Bartlett manning the gap for the Haymakers in 2010.
Andre Ethier: Ethier had sub-par season as the 2009 cleanup hitter in Troy, hitting only .260 with 14 homers and 66 RBI's, but he should rebound nicely as he finally flashed his potential with 31 homers and over 100 RBI's for the fall league team in LA. His lefty bat should be a nice complement to Reynolds right hand slugging ability.
Brandon Phillips: The excitement of having a gold glove secondbaseman with 30-30 potential was too impossible to hid at Troy's front office when they picked up Phillips in the blockbuster Matt Holliday trade. Although Phillips had his expected down season with the bat, hitting almost zero against righties, he still posted 18 homers, 60 RBI's, and stole 28 bases all while batting at the bottom of Troy's lineup. Not to mention the great gold-glove caliber defense. Expect more of the same from Phillips in 2010, albeit with a higher BA and a little more run production.
Hunter Pence: Although Pence started the 2009 season on the bench, playing requirements forced him into the OF for 107 games. He didn't impress with the bat as a corner outfielder for this league, but he is an above average defender with a superb arm. It's debatable whether or not he posses a bat strong enough for the NASBL, even though he is one of the GM's "Ken's guys". Expect him to man RF in 2010 as a 6th or 7th place hitter.
Billy Butler: Picked up from Illinois in the 2008 offseason for Aubrey Huff, Butler looks to be the star hitter he is expected to be. Only 23, Butler hit .301 with 51 doubles and 21 homeruns for the KC farm team and he is still getting better. He was also given a chance to play 1B everyday and did not embarrass himself, but it's still up in the air whether his glove is good enough to play there everyday. The future is bright here.
Those are some impressive players to look forward to for the 2010 season, but don't let us forget about the busts. 1st round pick Geovanny Soto turned out to be a major bust behind the plate and Rick Ankiel was drafted in the second round of the spring draft but may not make the team. Another one of "Ken's guys", Conor Jackson, may finally get the boot after a few sub-par seasons with the Haymakers and a myriad of injuries for 2010.
Here's a quick look at the expected 2010 lineup for the Haymakers:
Jason Bartlett, SS
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Billy Butler, 1B
Mark Reynolds, 3B
Andre Ethier, LF
Hunter Pence, RF
Cody Ross, CF
Elijah Dukes, DH(?)
Geovanny Soto, C
There are some holes here, but it's looking a lot better than last seasons opening day lineup.
Later a look at the 2010 pitching staff of the Haymakers.
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