For Season 6 of the BBL, the coaches have been sorted into two different leagues based on their level of experience. In the American League (aka the Backyard League) can be found the longer-time veterans of the league, those who already have played two seasons or more in the BBL, plus the most successful new coach from last season. Each of these coaches has previously played successful seasons and knows how to draft a successful team, which will make the AL more competitive than the average league, and each of its divisions a tough one. But perhaps no division will be as tough as the AL East, dubbed the “Division of Doom” as three of the top four coaches of last season run teams in this division, along with one of the dominant coaches from days of yore.

Boston Red Sox

Coach Profile: gmchappe has been a force to be reckoned with in every season that he has played – he has coached six different teams for part or all of a season, and the only one of those to fail to make the playoffs did so via tiebreaker. His debut in Season 2 was also his most successful appearance, as he took over a struggling Astros team and led them all the way to winning the Backyard World Series and becoming the league’s second champion. He has made it to the World Series twice since then, and is tied for the most World Series appearances by any coach in the BBL – the only season where he failed to make it with any team was Season 4, where he had to drop out midway through the season due to external concerns. Whatever the ruleset or cirumstance, Chappe has proven that he was what it takes to get it done.

Team Analysis: The Red Sox seem to have been built with speed at their core this season, headlined by four players of 9 or 10 speed and hitting that mostly has less power than contact, and boasting only three players with speed ratings under 7, and only one under 6. To punctuate that solid speed, his two players with running of 6 both boast strong power bats to help drive the rest of the team in. While those two players and first-round pick Pete Wheeler are the only three players on the team with batting ratings of 8 or higher, and this offense doesn’t look like the most intimidating one possible, on the whole it seems to have been solidly put together and should frequently get the job done. The biggest concern is Michiko Adachi, who as a last-round pick doesn’t have a great bat or any speed.

But while the team’s offense appears solid, the defense seems weaker and could potentially prove a problem for the team. For one, there are no true defensive powerhouses on the team, and nobody with the potential to shut down opposing offenses on their own. The arm strength on this team is also unremarkable, with only four stronger arms and three weaker arms. Hits to far left or right field, out of Wheeler’s range, could be good for opposition to get extra bases, as those outfielders have two of the weakest arms on the team, and this is also one of the few teams in the AL that does not have a catcher with a strong arm – we haven’t tested Lara Nunez on the field, but a 3 rating generally indicates a sub-par catcher, and in a league where strong catchers have been a major focus, that could prove to be problematic. At least the Red Sox shouldn’t have to worry too much about errors – only two players have fielding ratings below 7.

Still, while all of these are potential causes for concern and prevent this from being a really strong defense, none of them seem to be a fatal weakness. Perhaps the issue with the greatest potential to become that lies in the Red Sox’s utter lack of pitching depth. They have one ace, Earl Abbot, but once he has tired and can no longer pitch, there is nobody else, with no other player on the team having a pitching rating higher than 5. If Abbot gives out when Chappe is playing, then he could have a hard time closing the game on the opposing team, and as an AI team, the Red Sox have the potential to crumble once Abbot has been worn down. Pitching rarely wins or loses games on its own, but it could prove to be an Achilles’ heel in this case.

Prediction: Second place. I really like the pattern for offense that this team has put together, and Chappe has a proven history of being a strong contender. Some teams last season proved that a rock-solid defense isn’t necessary to be a strong contender.

Players to watch: One of the league’s elite sluggers, Zena Fromme is in the perfect setup to rack up a lot of RBI and eclipse her total from last season, and could well be a cornerstone of this team’s offense. First-round pick Pete Wheeler also has a lot to live up to, and coach gmchappe expects a lot of value from him. And certainly, all eyes will be on the team’s sole pitcher, Earl Abbot, to see if he can bear the responsibility or will crumple beneath it.

Philadelphia Athletics

Coach Profile: Nick Foles (formerly known as Nick Foles Is My Dad) joined the league in Season 4, where he coached the Mighty Wombats through a solid but unremarkable season and eventually won the Tier 2 championship. He showed that he could compete with the rest of them when he won the Winterball short season’s championship, and went on to coach Season 5’s Athletics to be one of the most dominant teams in the Lulu League, ultimately winning the World Series to claim the title of reigning co-champion. Now he’s back to defend that title.

Team Analysis: This is another team with solid speed, if not one with as many extra-fast players as the Red Sox. Only two players on the team have running ratings below 7, and those two grade out at a workable 5. Most of the team is just the average mark of 7, however, and at first glance, that would appear to be a problem, since the nominal batting ratings on the team aren’t so impressive – two 10s and 3 8s, but then four players with batting of 5 or below, the fastest of which runs at 8 speed. The key to this team’s offense comes from the fact that many of these hitters have more pop in their bats than the ratings might suggest. Players like Amanda Hellerman and Carlos Beltran can easily hit the ball into the outfield despite having just 5 batting, and Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, and Dawn Cozart’s 8-ratings all have legitimate home run potential. As a result, this is a very solid offense, with solid bats and solid running. The real question will be if solid is good enough to punch through the defenses in this league and score a lot of runs.

On defense, as well, this team is solid, and not one that opponents will be happy to face. The left half of the field in particular is very nasty, with Hellerman defending the mound with her reach, Jeter and Garciaparra covering neighboring positions at short and third to completely control that part of the infield, and Beltran a bit further out in center field as a good anchor for the outfield. The right half isn’t so intimidating, but there still aren’t any really weak fielders on this team, and while it’s not the same defensive force as Foles and the A’s fielded last time in their championship season, it’s going to be a solid one and not one to crumble too easily.

There are two causes of concern, however. One is behind the plate – Amir Khan is quite possibly the worst catcher in the entire AL, and his presence behind the plate will allow a lot of opposing runners to steal bases with impunity. The other is on the mound – while Hellerman is one of the best pitchers in the league, the A’s otherwise have almost as little pitching depth as the Red Sox, with only average Garciaparra as a decent backup choice, and the rest of the team all pitching at ratings of 5 or below. Hellerman and Garciaparra should allow Foles to get through his games with little trouble, but the AI team might struggle more once they’re worked through.

Prediction: Third place. Foles has himself a decent team here, but they’re not the lockdown defense that last season’s A’s had, and they’ll be up against some tough competition.

Players to watch: Achmed and Amir Khan are playing together for the third season in a row, and look to be the team’s resident sluggers. They should be two of the players rocking the opposing defenses the hardest. Ace pitcher Amanda Hellerman hopes to be the team’s lynchpin on defense, and if she fails, then the team’s fortunes could take a drastic turn for the worse.

Minnesota Monsters

Coach profile: Since joining the league in Season 4, Aesnop has garnered a reputation as the most prolific trader in the league, swinging deals early and often every draft season. But he’s also earned a reputation as a top-tier regular season coach, producing the league’s only 14-0 season in his debut and going 12-2 and 8-4 in the dual leagues in Season 5. He’s earned a playoff spot with every team he’s fielded, but thus far has struggled to succeed in the playoffs themselves, and has not yet sent a team to the Backyard World Series. But he is a force to be feared in the regular season, and even in this stacked division is a threat to blow the others out of the water.

Team analysis: There is a clear focus to be seen when looking through the Monsters’ roster, and that is running. Every player on the team has a running rating between 7 and 9, with five of the nine players as a speedy 9. That’s going to allow this team to get all over the place quickly. Running is the most important stat in the game due to its dual utility in both offense and defense, and the Monsters will benefit in both categories from their strong speed. The concern for this team’s offense comes instead from its lack of strong hitting. Five of the nine players have batting ratings of 5 or lower, and Francis Blewer looks to be the only true slugger on the team. A capable opposing infield has the potential to stifle the Monsters’ offensive if they can’t sneak hits to where the fielders aren’t. Still, especially at their home park of Tin Can Alley, the Monsters have the potential to go off for some huge scores.

On defense, they also look to be solid. The team doesn’t have as many cannon-quality arms as we’re used to seeing from Aesnop’s squad, but their arm strength is still decent, with five of nine players having stronger arms than average and only one having a weaker 2-rated arm. Their speed will help them to cover the entire field effectively, they have the cannon arm of Scotty Roth behind the plate to eliminate most base-stealing by the opposition, and their pitching situation is decent if not especially great. While there is some potential concern for errors given that nobody on the team has a fielding rating higher than 7, on the whole, the Monsters appear to be a formidable squad, and their defense will be hard enough to poke holes in that even if they have a hard time finding gaps at the plate, they shouldn’t have too hard of a time beating out their opponents’ totals.

Prediction: First place. This will be another Aesnop team that gives opposing coaches headaches, and he will ride out to dominance again.

Players to watch: Despite his mediocre pitching rating, scouts report that Tom Glass is leading the team in home runs during preseason games, and during his pitching stints has been virtually flawless. Francis Blewer also promises to be a top defender in addition to being projected to be the team’s best slugger. And while her ratings are less impressive than most of the team’s, Jody Palmer shouldn’t be counted out, as she’s a threat on defense and so far has proven excellent at getting on base for the team.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Coach profile: One of the original coaches in the BBL, Yurya saw great regular-season success during the early seasons of the league, as his signature Green Monsters were often a force to be feared, although things always would go south for them come the playoffs. Recently, however, his teams have struggled more in the league, and Season 3 was the last time he finished a season with a winning record. He’ll be looking to return to dominance this season, but is in a division where doing so will be difficult.

Team Analysis: As with the other teams in this division, the D’Backs have a definite propensity towards solid speed in their player composition – five players have 8 speed or higher, with only three running slower than 7. Like the Monsters, this team will be playing at a pavement park, and they’re clearly hoping to take advantage of that with the offense they’ve put together. Their hitting is more spotty, though – there are four players with batting ratings of 5 or lower, and while four of the others are genuinely solid to strong hitters, Jocinda Smith’s questionable 10 rating also props the overall batting up to be higher than it might actually deserve to be. This team’s offense is decent, but it’s questionable how well they will do at preserving rallies through the weaker part of the lineup.

For the most part, the D’Backs have a solid defense as well. The majority of the team has strong arms, only one player has a particularly weak arm, and the dependable Pamela Kirkos anchors behind the plate. But with only three players on the team having a fielding rating of 7 or better, errors could prove to be a significant concern, and while the outfield is fast and should snap up most fly balls hit, those that land could be a source for concern, as the weakest arms on the team are to be found out there, including Stuart Sullivan’s 1-rated arm. The team also doesn’t have great pitching depth – two pitchers rated as a 7 are the best to be found on the team, with the rest all rated at 6 or lower. With likely no true ace on the team, the D’Backs could have some trouble holding opposing teams down. This lack of a pitching ace resembles the concern for the team in the other categories – a lack of really clear strengths.

Prediction: Fourth place. I just can’t see the secret ingredient that will give this team success, and they’re in a very tough division.

Players to Watch: Stuart Sullivan’s elite speed will make him a good contributor in the outfield, but in a format where only Line Drive and Power swings are allowed, his hitting makes him not quite as reliable as he otherwise might be, and a potential cause for concern. On the other hand, Stan Olafson ought to be a mainstay of the D’Backs defense. If he struggles, the entire team could. Newer acquisition Sheila Basante now is at the core of the team’s outfield, and how well she performs there will reflect how good that outfield can be expected to be.