2083 Season Preview: Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos:
2082 Record: 107-55
Record over the last five seasons: 480-330
Payroll: $78,018,572
Payroll Rank: 4th
Minor League Rank: 24th
First things first. Yes, that minor league rank does say 24th. The Broncos have the worst rated minor league system in the entire league. Currently, just
two Denver prospects crack the Top 100 list. Starting pitcher Christopher Hicks is rated the #72 prospect, while starting pitcher Thomas Fons is rated the
#83 prospect. This not a great position to be in, as it calls into question how long the Broncos will be able to keep up their current run of success. Given
the respective ages of Denver's core players, I would give this group about four more years of strong success. After that, all bets are off, as without a
significant influx of young talent into the organization, there is simply nothing in the pipeline. If guys like Asbel Fuentez, Ellis Bolling, Lee Chappel,
et al, can't be replaced sufficiently in the next couple years as they start to hit their late 30's, the Broncos could be in for some rough years. Now, onto
the roster:
Lee Chappel remains the starting catcher, of course. The 32 year old Chappel has a 1.014 career OPS and 272 career homeruns. He's also hit 60 doubles in two
straight seasons. Last year, he reached 100 walks for the second time in his career, drawing 102. Chappel's contract expires at the end of this season, so
the Broncos will definitely be looking to work something out, hopefully keeping him in Denver for several more years.
Backing up Chappel will be 34 year old Greg Lauritsen, signed to a 1 year deal this offseason. Lauritsen was originally an undrafted free agent signed by
Pittsburgh back in 2070. He reached the major leagues in 2075, and was the Pirates' backup catcher in '76. In 2077, he was traded to Rochester, and then,
the following year, traded to San Jose. He has since played for Grand Rapids and Sacramento. In 643 career at bats, he has just a .621 OPS. As a backup,
he's probably acceptable, but if Chappel was to get injured for any major length of time, the Broncos would surely look to acquire someone better than
Lauritsen to fill in.
Ellis Bolling heads into his age 34 season with 595 career doubles, 504 career homeruns, 1557 runs batted in, and 1358 runs scored. Bolling also has a .960
career OPS, driven primarily by his .609 career slugging percentage. Last year, Bolling belted 70 doubles and 44 homeruns, and collected 166 runs batted in,
despite missing three weeks near the end of the season with a fractured foot.
Jack Rumfelt will be a starter for the first time in his career this season. The 30 year old infielder has 354 career at bats, and has posted a .731 OPS. He
won't hit for any power, but he does have a respectable .352 on base percentage. Though he is a left-handed hitter, the Broncos are not expected to platoon
him at all.
27 year old Michael Phillips will be another first-time starter. Phillips will man the hot corner for Denver this year. In 262 career at bats, Phillips has
a .771 OPS, driven by a .393 on base percentage. In 160 at bats last season, Phillips got on base at a .403 clip.
Booker Romero remains the starter at shortstop, despite the fact that he hasn't been all that productive the last two seasons. Even with the benefit of
playing half of his games in an extreme hitter's park, Romero has managed OPS's of only .694 and .693. One item of note, especially in light of the
acquisition of the left-handed hitting infielder Adrian Mingo, is the fact that Romero had a .915 OPS in 101 at bats against lefties last year. If Romero
continues to struggle, don't be surprised if Mingo starts taking away playing time against right-handed pitchers.
Speaking of Mingo, the 30 year old infielder will handle the utility role, at least for now. Mingo has shown fairly good plate discipline in his career(75
walks with 556 at bats), but has generally been such a weak hitter that it hasn't mattered much. Mingo has only a .218 career batting average, which has
dragged what might otherwise have been a decent on base percentage down to a meager .311. Also, don't expect much power from Mingo, though he does have the
speed to leg out some triples. He has 10 in his career, and managed 4 in 190 at bats last season. He is also dangerous on the basepaths, with 21 stolen
bases last year and 33 in 2080.
Technically, 37 year old Ruben Diaz is considered an infielder also, as he has experience at 2B, 3B, and SS, but he is pretty poor at all three positions.
In any event, he was brought in to be the designated hitter. Diaz has a .757 OPS in 2148 career at bats, which includes a .430 slugging percentage. In the
friendly confines of Denver, Diaz should be a fairly solid performer. This will be Diaz's second go-around with the Broncos. In 2070, he was acquired by the
Broncos from Atlanta for relief pitcher Huey Crawford, but saw little action in the big leagues that year, with only four at bats. The following year, he
saw significant action for Denver, collecting 379 at bats with an .823 OPS and 13 homeruns. In 2072, however, the Broncos dealt Diaz to Knoxville, and he's
been limited to part-time duty ever since. It'll be interesting to see how he handles regular playing time, especially given the fact that he isn't exactly
a spring chicken.
Alexis Vazquez now gives the Broncos three former Silver Slugger Award winners(the first two being Chappel and Bolling). The 34 year old Vazquez was
outstanding last year, batting .363 with 43 homeruns and a 162 runs batted in, and he set career highs in virtually every offensive category. He comes into
this season with an .871 career OPS and 242 homeruns.
Vazquez wasn't the only Bronco having a career year last year. Center-fielder Russell Thomas set a personal best with a .950 OPS last season, and both his
26 homeruns and .531 slugging percentage were the highest of his career. It's funny how things work out sometimes. Thomas was brought in prior to the 2081
season ostensibly to be the Broncos' leadoff hitter. Increasingly, however, he found himself hitting in the middle of the order, especially against right-
handed pitchers, and thus has driven in 219 runs the last two seasons. The 32 year old Thomas has an .876 career OPS, mainly because of his .355 career
batting average.
It was Asbel Fuentez who began to wrest the leadoff spot away from Thomas against right-handed pitchers the past two seasons, mainly because of his
tremendous ability to not only get on base, but to get into scoring position. The 35 year old Fuentez has been a great hitter for average, but he has also
been patient enough to draw around 70 walks per year. That allows him to put up on base percentages close to .420 year in and year out. But it's not just
about getting to first base. Fuentez has been one of the elite base-stealers of his generation. He enters this season with 654 career stolen bases, which
gives him an excellent chance to become just the seventh player to reach 700. Beyond even stolen bases however, Fuentez has also ripped 40 or more doubles
in five consecutive seasons, including a career high 54 last year. When you have a guy who can "get on and get over" so frequently, all by himself, you're
going to score a lot of runs.
Armando Navarro returns as a speedy and rangy reserve outfielder. The 33 year old Navarro has only a .658 career OPS in 694 at bats, but he has performed
very solidly for the Broncos the last two seasons. In 2081, he had an .804 OPS in 103 at bats, while last year, he had a .734 OPS in 163 at bats. He has
gone 19 of 22 stealing bases the last two seasons as well.
Marvin Lore is the Broncos' final position player. The 24 year old Lore batted .321 with an .821 OPS at AAA last year, but was only 2 for 12 in his first
taste of the big leagues. In addition to playing the outfield, Lore will likely see some time at first base as the backup to Bolling. Lore, drafted by
Denver in 2077, is one of only four position players on the Broncos to have been drafted by Denver. The other three are Vazquez, Bolling, and Chappel. In
all, nine Denver draft picks are on the 25-man roster.
Pitching:
Kenny Pillsbury is the unquestioned leader of the Broncos' rotation after he broke the franchise record for wins in a season that had stood for nearly 30
years. The 31 year old Pillsbury won 24 games last year, breaking the record of 23 that Wilfredo Arenas had set back in 2055. Pillsbury has a career record
of 94-41 in 166 major league games, with a 4.16 ERA.
Following Pillsbury in the rotation is the harder-throwing Ray Lockridge. Lockridge, also 31 years old, won 20 games for the second time in his career last
season. For his career, Lockridge is 138-79, with a 3.69 ERA.
To further confuse opposing hitters, the Broncos follow up Lockridge with the left-handed knuckleballer, Robert McNett. The 27 year old McNett completed his
third full season last year, and compiled a respectable 14-9 record with a 4.54 ERA. McNett has a career record of 49-31, and a 4.62 ERA.
Christopher Kirk has developed into a very dependable workhorse the last couple of seasons, posting a 4.68 ERA in 101 career starts. In addition, the 30 year old
Kirk has won 20 games in two straight seasons. For his career, Kirk is 57-32.
Completing the rotation is 30 year old George Buentello. Buentello, the fourth overall selection in the 2072 draft, appears to have finally established
himself in the big leagues after going 17-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 27 starts over the last two seasons. He'll probably never win a Cy Young Award, or even make
an All Star game, but he should provide the Broncos with a more than capable fifth starter for a few years. In 41 career starts, Buentello is 22-9 with a
4.72 ERA.
In the same way that Pillsbury has established himself as the leader of the rotation, James Virgen has taken the reins of the bullpen. Gifted with a blazing
fastball, Virgen has won 17 games out of the bullpen the last two years, while also picking up 27 saves. Last year, he had a career best 19 saves, and
posted a 66/10 K/BB in 82 2/3 innings pitched. He also has three straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00. For his career, Virgen has a 4.29 ERA in 613
games.
Complementing the 6'5" Virgen, is the diminutive left-hander, Ramon Gomez. Standing only 5'10", Gomez has mastered the art of making opposing hitters look
foolish. One of the best strikeout pitchers in the league, Gomez has 633 career K's in 595 1/3 innings pitched. Last year, he whiffed 60 batters in 54 1/3
innings. After two brilliant years as the Broncos' closer in 2079 and 2080, Gomez seemed to collapse in 2081; his ERA ballooned over 5.00 and he blew save
after save. He appeared to recover last year, posting a solid 3.15 ERA, but it is likely that his days as the Broncos' sole closer are over for good. Now,
manager John Wilkerson will play the matchups: if the starter can complete the game, he will(Pillsbury and Kirk combined for 19 complete games last year),
if Virgen is the better play, he'll get the call(19 saves last year), and if it is Gomez, well, he'll get a shot, too(11 saves last year). The 32 year old
Gomez has a 4.08 ERA in 433 career games, and has saved 113 games.
The remainder of the Broncos' bullpen has some question marks. 30 year old Fred Lemire has managed an ERA under 3.00 in 2 of the last 3 seasons. The year
that it wasn't, however, it was a whopping 8.48. Lemire has excellent stuff, and is able to make batters swing and miss frequently. However, he does have a
tendency to put the ball over the heart of the plate, gift-wrapping homeruns. He coughed up 7 homeruns in only 37 2/3 innings last year. It was even worse
in 2081, when he surrendered 14 longballs in 40 1/3 innings. Lemire has a 5.39 ERA in 76 career games.
25 year old Lyndon Gwinn has a nasty fastball that can make hitters look downright silly at times, but like Lemire, Gwinn often gets a little careless with
his location, leading to lots of homeruns. He got tagged for 12 homeruns in 46 innings last year. Gwinn has a 4.70 ERA in 36 career appearances.
Larry Waltz is one of the longest tenured players in the Denver organization. The 34 year old Waltz has been with the Broncos since he was drafted in the
fourth round in 2070. Only Alexis Vazquez(drafted in '69) and Ellis Bolling(drafted two rounds ahead of Waltz in '70) have been with the Broncos as long or
longer as Waltz. Of course, those two have been with the big club for much longer, as Waltz has spent most of his career toiling in the minor leagues, with
only occasional callups. However, a solid stint with the team in 2081 endeared him to the front office, and for the first time, he'll make the 25 man roster
out of spring training. Waltz has made 43 major league appearances, 26 of which have been starts. In those games, he has a 4.88 ERA. In '81, injuries forced
him into the rotation for a time, and in 24 games and 17 starts, he was 7-9 with a 4.07 ERA. He also tossed 4 complete games and a shutout. Waltz is also
known for having one of the most impressive debuts by a player. Way back in 2074, Waltz had completed his first season at AAA. It wasn't a very good season,
as he had a 5.43 ERA in 23 starts. Nevertheless, the Broncos gave him a September callup. He made his first career start against the Atlanta Braves on
October 3rd of that year. Waltz proceeded tossed a 1-hit shutout as Denver bombarded the Braves 12-0.
The final roster spot is somewhat of a surprise to Broncos' fans. It was expected that 28 year old left-hander Robert Soto would fill out the bullpen. Soto
does have a 4.14 ERA in 147 career games. But it is not Soto that completes the roster. Instead, it is gigantic left-handed starting pitcher James Myatt
making the team. The 27 year old Myatt stands a towering 6'11", making him a very intimidating presence on the mound. In discussing the surprising decision,
Broncos' GM John Mounts said given the way Myatt has performed in the minor leagues in recent seasons, it was simply time for him to pitch in the majors.
"Whether it's as a reliever or a starter, we want him contributing. He has the ability." Although Myatt had a 3.09 ERA in 17 AAA starts last year, and
whiffed 171 batters in 116 2/3 innings, his major league numbers were not nearly as impressive. He made 8 starts for the Broncos, and posted a 6.91 ERA. He
also struck out only 28 batters in 43 innings. Myatt has a 7.07 ERA in 49 2/3 career innings pitched. Mounts said that, for now, Myatt would be a reliever,
but if there were injuries, he would be the firt choice to fill in. As well, Mounts mentioned that "if there was a favorable matchup," Myatt might also get
some spot starts.
Minor Leagues:
Thus far, I haven't focused much on Denver's minor league system, giving only passing mention to it from time to time. But in light of the fact that the
Broncos' minor leagues are now considered the worst in the league, it may be a good time to discuss the state of affairs, starting with Denver's top 10
prospects. Although the aforementioned Christopher Hicks and Thomas Fons are the two Broncos' prospects in the Top 100 list, they are not considered the
Broncos' two best prospects; rather, they rank 3rd and 6th, respectively. Ranked number one is, in fact, Marvin Lore, so his graduation to the majors will
further weaken Denver's minor leagues.
Ranking second on the list is 24 year old outfielder Thomas Vassallo. Vassallo can handle any of the outfield positions, but he is probably better suited to
one of the corners, as he has only adequate range. He does have a strong arm. Vassallo is a switch-hitter with some power potential, but his plate
discipline is fairly weak, as he swings at most everything, but has difficulty making contact. He's not a fast runner, but he picks his spots well and can
steal a fair number of bases. Originally drafted in the second round by New Jersey in 2077, Vassallo has developed slowly. This will be his first season
above A-ball. He hit .311 with an .821 OPS at single A last year, with 48 doubles, 14 homeruns, and 30 stolen bases. Given the ages of outfielders Alexis
Vazquez and Asbel Fuentez, the Broncos would benefit greatly from speedier development by Vassallo.
Christopher Hicks is the third ranked Denver prospect. Hicks is a 20 year old starting pitcher who was drafted in the second round in 2081. Hicks has solid
control and get a few strikeouts. He's very good at inducing groundballs, as well. After two solid campaigns at single A, the Broncos are debating whether
or not Hick is ready for AA. The only concern is that he actually performed worse in his second year; his ERA rose from 3.21 to 3.97 and his WHIP rose from
1.07 to 1.27. On the plus side, his strikeout rate jumped considerably.
Fourth on Denver's prospect list is shortstop Brooks Branco, the Bronco's first round pick in 2078. The 24 year old Branco isn't much defensively, but he's a
switch-hitter with a strong bat and patient approach at the plate. Last season, he got his first taste of AA ball, and rose to the challenge. In 225 at
bats, Branco had an .894 OPS. He hit 13 homeruns and had a .356 on base percentage. Branco runs well, but isn't much of a base-stealer.
Ranking fifth is this season's first round pick, first-baseman Henry Lewis, Jr. The 23 year old has a well-polished bat, with no real weaknesses. He will
begin his professional career at single A.
Starting pitcher Thomas Fons ranks sixth on Denver's list. The 24 year old Fons was the Broncos' first round pick last year. He spent most of last season
single A, compiling a 3.97 ERA in 20 starts. He also made a 2 start cup of coffee at AA and got hammered for 10 runs in 12 2/3 innings pitched. Fons also
missed significant time last year with injuries to his shoulder and triceps. Fons is a workhorse who induces a lot of groundballs. He doesn't throw hard,
and doesn't strike out many batters. He also needs to work harder on his control.
First-baseman Tamiko Teika is the seventh rated prospect, and pretty much the only prospect on Denver's AAA squad. Teika was a second round pick by Tucson in
2079, but bounced to Memphis and Buffalo before being acquired by the Broncos last offseason in a trade. Teika is only 22 years old but has moved steadily
up the minor league ladder despite not having any standout skills. A left-handed hitter, Teika has, at times, hit for good average and shown occasional
power, but he can be streaky and inconsistent at times. He split last season between AA and AAA and batted .307 with a .782 OPS and 8 homeruns in 349 AAA at
bats.
Second-baseman Dale Churchill is the Broncos eighth rated prospect. The 24 year old Churchill is an excellent fielder at second, and can hold his own at
shortstop. As a hitter, he knows how to draw a walk and..... well, that's pretty much it. He has little power and doesn't make contact very often. He had a
solid season at AA last year, putting up a .776 OPS, with a .360 OBP. Churchill also runs very well, but is inconsistent with his base-stealing. He was
originally drafted in the second round in 2077 by Rochester. The Broncos acquired him in a trade in 2081.
The ninth rated prospect is 25 year old starting pitcher Travis Ripple. Ripple was the Broncos' second round pick in 2079. Ripple is coming back from an
injury that cost him virtually all of last season. On Opening Day last year, Ripple pitched 2 innings before being lost for the season with a torn ligament
in his elbow. Ripple is hard-throwing left-hander who racks up the strikeouts but who is still working on refining the other aspects of pitching. Ripple had
gotten his first look at AA in 2081, and whiffed 194 batters in 136 innings. However, he also had a 5.63 ERA.
23 year old Rafael Alvarez is considered the Broncos' 10th best prospect. Alvarez, a starting pitcher who was drafted in the third round last year, had a
respectable season in 2082. In 25 starts, he had a 4.62 ERA. He will start of A ball again to start this season.
Now for some prospects who didn't make the Top 10 list but may make an impact in the next couple of seasons:
25 year old starting pitcher Charles Yost. Yost throws hard but struggles with his control. He was solid at AA last year, with a 3.68 ERA in 22 starts, but
in 4 starts at AAA, he got hit very hard, with a 9.16 ERA. Yost might be acceptable as an emergency starter, but without significant improvement, that's his
ceiling.
23 year old catcher John Landon. Landon has only two years of experience, but already has a season and half at AA, where he's performed very respectably. He
batted .312 with a .705 OPS there last year. Landon doesn't project as a starter, but could make a viable backup catcher in the big leagues.
25 year old infielder Randall Naughton. Naughton spent six seasons toiling away for Grand Rapids' single A team, but was acquired in a minor trade by Denver
this offseason. Naughton potentially has very good plate discipline, and could make a useful utility infielder if his hitting ability improves even a
little bit more.
22 year old left-fielder Shane Lattimer. Lattimer, a left-handed hitter, could find his way onto a major league bench someday. He has a solid glove, and
after a couple of excellent seasons at single A, may have gotten his name noticed. A sixth round pick by Denver in 2079, Lattimer was awful his first two
seasons, but in the last two years he has put up OPS's of .862 and .868. He has no power, but he's a good contact hitter who can draw the occasional walk.
22 year old outfielder Arlie Raines. Raines is a terrific fielder in either left or center, with a plus arm to go with excellent range. After struggling in
his first professional season in 2079, he has performed very well since then, and last year, put up an .860 OPS at AA.
18 year old center-fielder Charles Curran. Denver's second round pick this season, Curran is a very raw, toolsy player. He's fast, covers a lot of ground in
the outfield, has a strong arm, and may have some power potential. I'd say he's a long way off from the majors, though.
And that's the Denver minor league system in a nutshell. There are a few other prospects, some who even decent potential, but nobody that really stands out.
And ultimately, that's sort of the frighening thing. There is really noone who currently looks like even a good major league regular. Vassallo, Branco, and
Hicks are probably the closest, but Vassallo isn't very well-developed given his age, and Hicks is a long, long way off. Even the next worst system in the
league, San Jose, has a number of very solid looking prospects. The Broncos really have nothing.
Of course, if you win a championship, concerns about the minor leagues tend to vanish for awhile....
And that's the 2083 preview. Next up.... Opening Day, 2083!