2015 Seattle Monarchs Preview

So, as the 2015 season dawns, the greatest franchise in SDMB OOTP history prepares to kick off another season. With nine division titles in the last ten years, and five Cecil Cups in the last six, the Seattle Monarchs truly reign supreme. But, can they keep their throne, or will the peasants rise up to overturn their enlightened rule?

Well, we'll see. I have gone into many of the past seasons confident that there was no better team in the league. I'm not so sure any more. Time, financial pressures, free agency, some trade missteps, and injuries have lessened the Monarchs' dominance. We're still strong, but for the first time in years, I wouldn't be surprised if someone else won the division. Although, I do expect the Monarchs to at the very least qualify for the playoffs.

It's been an offseason of huge changes. What remains to uplift Seattle's loyal and adoring fans?

Starting Pitching: Although Seattle bid adieu to Thomas Cohen, the rotation is the strength of the Monarchs this season. They have five very good to great starting pitchers. The ace is Ronald Placencia, who is 37-6 over the last two seasons and was a perfect 4-0 in the playoffs last season. Christopher Hester provides a second ace starter, with a lifetime ERA below 3.00 and a career winning percentage of .774. The Monarchs happily welcome back Chad Nelligan from his one-year exile in Los Angeles. The Chad was the Monarchs' ace for more than three years and his 28 wins in 2011 are still a league record. The Seattle front office thinks he can fill in for Cohen on the field and also help nurture the team's young pitchers. With young studs Joe Macaluso and Jimmy Matthias in the back end, the starting pitching could lead the Seattle back to the promised land.

Bullpen: The end of the bullpen, with mainstays Timothy Vallejo, Dalton Davis, and Merlin Bohon, remains strong. But, the very young middle relievers are a question mark, as Nathan Vargas posted an ERA north of six last season in his first and only 19.1 innings in the majors and Daryl Welburn has never thrown a major league pitch.

Starting Lineup: This is the area of greatest change. The two best hitters from last year's team, Dong Lutz and David Kerry, are gone and took 83 home runs and 262 RBI with them. It's unclear whether the Monarchs will be able to fill the void, especially with the career-ending injury to Paul "The Dragon" Guerrero, who management heavily counted on to fill the power shortage. But, there are still a number of excellent young hitters. The lineup will rise and fall with the continued development of catcher Alberto "Nitro" Granado (23 years old), third baseman Eugene Alustiza (25), and outfielder Armando "Rimfire" Cedeno (24). With Guerrero's injury, Cedeno will move to a corner outfield spot, better suiting his defensive abilities.

The Monarchs fans, excited as they are about this young trio, are especially happy to welcome back first baseman Greg Mudge, long-time face of the franchise. The hope is that Mudge is fully healed from off his injury last season and can provide some of the power lost in the departures of Lutz and Kerry. Speed demon Duane Gerhardt, fresh off a league record 102 steals, will set the table for the big boppers and double play partner Carmelo "The Gimp" Deleon provides his steady performance. Deleon has hit between .326 and .332 in six of his seven major league seasons.

Otherwise, a number of youngsters will have to step up for the Monarchs this season. Bill Bivens, who can play almost anywhere on the field, will look to build on his breakout season last year. Rookies Stephen Jackson and Roger Nichols will get their first chances at regular major league jobs.

Reserves: The Monarchs have depth behind the plate. Kareem King will back up Granado with prospect Richard Heitz in AAA awaiting his chance. Seattle also features two good young infielders on the major league bench in Richard "Dick" Bender and Paulin Reyes. Outfield depth is a little more spotty.

In all, the Monarchs remain very optimistic about their chance of defending their throne. But, the other teams in the league are catching up and nervous fans question whether this is the beginning of the end.