There are just a few days left in Spring Training as I start this post (and they may be over by the time I finish it), and the Yankees are sputtering to a .500 record, as seems typical for ST. The Senators and Pirates are looking like they'll be the Spring Champions, which of course doesn't gain them anything. Before the season starts in earnest I figured I'd look at what's happened since the World Series ended and what I'm expecting (or kind-of expecting) in the simulated days to come!
The Yankees pulled off two big trades--we sent Toronto ace and late-season hero Cliff Bell and Virgil Barnes to the Browns in exchange for Lefty Grove, and sent Ralph Judd and Chili McDaniel to the Senators for Biz Mackey. Both of these were with an eye toward the future--Grove didn't pitch in the majors until 1925 and didn't become LEFTY GROVE until 1926 or 1927. Mackey was one of the premiere Negro League catchers of the late 20's and will hopefully step in when Santop starts feeling his age.
The biggest trade in general had Heavy Johnson heading from the Rustlers to the Reds in exchange for three players including occasional All-Star Ivey Wingo. The algorithm thinks the Spiders and Giants won the off-season, each improving by 4 wins, while it pegs the Orioles as the biggest losers, with a trade of Joe Boley to the Cardinals accounting for most of the damage. Nevertheless, it seems to me like Baltimore will be making a serious multi-year run for NL dominance soon, with Al Simmons, Kiki Cuyler, Mickey Cochrane, and Martin Dihigo in their lineup.
A quick look at the top performers of real-life 1923 shows why I'm thinking the Yankees are in position for a great year--the WAR leaders across all leagues were Ruth (on the Red Sox here), Luque (on the Yankees), Heilmann (Yankees), Speaker (Boston), and Rogan (Yankees). OPS+ leaders were Ruth, Heavy Johnson (Reds), Candy Jim Taylor (retired), Heilmann, and Mackey (Yankees). For pitching WAR it's Luque, Jimmy Ring (Giants), Urban Shocker (Athletics), Pennock (Yankees), and Howard Ehmke (retired). The top 3 pitchers in win probability added are all on the Yankees. The algorithm loves us. The only question, as usual is where everyone is going to play.
In other news, three new stadiums come into use this Opening Day--Parkway Field for the AAA (and perhaps someday MLB?) Louisville Colonels, Muehlebach Field for the Packers, and Yankee Stadium for the World Champs. The Packers' change takes them from a serious hitters' park to a slight pitchers' park that seriously diminishes home runs (no doubt to Smokey Joe Wood's dismay and Lefty Gervais' delight. Yankee Stadium, meanwhile, is a smidge less homer friendly than the Polo Grounds was, but it will actually boost batting average slightly (cue Cobb and Heilmann eyeing each other with grins).
I'll close with what the algorithm is expecting for the season, with screenshots below. It expects the Yankees to run away with the AL, flirting with the all-time wins record and strongly contrasting with the grind we had in 1922. It sees the Giants with a comfortable win in the NL for their first pennant since 1913. It sees Cobb hitting .390, Ruth hitting 41 home runs, and Cy Williams with 150+ RBI. It also imagines Eppa Rixey winning 30 games, which seems unlikely but I guess not impossible. It also sees Gehrig setting the NL record with Ballplayer Yuna (!!) of Buffalo also hitting 40+. I think Hornsby would be likely to win the NL batting crown with his .374. I guess we'll see!
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