Dawsonville, GA – With a sour taste still lingering in the mouths of 9er fans after last season’s poor showing, the management of the club went into the Free Agent draft looking to plug some serious holes. Given the lack of pitching talent in the draft, team owner Gray Ulery focused on upgrading at first base, second base, and right field. Two picks and a trade later, and we have the opening day roster of the Dawsonville Highway 9ers.
C – Donnie Atkinson
Will this be the season that Atkinson lives up to his hype? We certainly hope so. Donnie hit .242 with 10 homers while platooning behind the plate. He get’s the starting nod again this season, and again it is his to lose.
1B – Adrian Gonzalez
Hit .297 last season with 27 home runs. Three reliable predictions have him posting similar numbers this year. The “upgrade” at first base is the move of Gonzalez from DH to the field. While Gonzalez will never win a gold glove, his offense is enough better than Casey Kotchman’s to offset any errors he may make.
2B – George Collins
Immediately after Collins was selected at the end of the first round of the Free Agent draft, Ulery was on the phone with Atlantic City owner Andrew Eismont about a trade. Collins hit .264 with 10 HR in 2016, but is projected as a .300 hitter with an OPS pushing .900.
3B – Nathan Nicholson
Another product of a trade with Atlantic City, Nicholson will start his third season in Dawsonville. Nathan led the 9ers last year in batting average, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS. Look for .285 with 25-30 HR.
SS – Snake Miller
One of St Charles’ biggest offensive threats last season, Miller logged a .291 average with 27 HR and 17 SB in 2016. Miller is a slight upgrade in defense at short, and is projected to hit right around .300 again this year with 30-34 HR.
LF – Steve Cozart
2015′s Rookie of the Year hopes to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore season in which he hit .276 with 11 home runs. He’s projected to see those 2015 numbers again, with an average close to .300 and 30+ HR. His speed makes him a threat on the basepath’s as well which could set up his teammates quite nicely.
CF – Louis Shears
Signed out of the Orlando organization, Shears is an slight upgrade at center. He didn’t play for Orlando last season, but his ability to make contact projects him out with an average in the .310 range. He’ll hit home runs just due to the number of times he’ll put the ball in play, and can even snag a base or two now and then.
RF – Brian Rike
Rike should make a serious run at rookie of the year contention. Projected as a .285 hitter with about 20 HR and good speed, Brian joins Steve Cozart the pair of young guns that will be the heart of the Dawsonville lineup for the next few years.
DH – Clint Barmes
Not expected to still be in Dawsonville this season, Barmes will get the chance to do what he does best – hit. By taking him out of the field, the team should save a few more opposing runs while maintaining his hitting production. Clint had an off year compared to 2014 and 2015, and is projected to bounce right back up to a .290 / 25 HR season in 2017.
Bench – C John Buck
The other half of last season’s catching platoon, ready to step in again if Atkinson doesn’t cut it. Won’t be a big threat offensively, but is much better at defense.
Bench – 1B Casey Kotchman
Still available as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement.
Bench – 2B Jeff Keppinger
Picked up out of the Memphis organization. Keppinger saw very little action last season. He projects out at .290 / 15 hr in a platoon situation, so he may see some playing time at 1B or 2B if needed.
Bench – CF Keiunta Span
At 33, he’s still the fastest guy on the team. Likely used as a pinch runner, and may get sent to AAA if the team decides to carry another pitcher.
Bench – RF Brian Anderson
Slightly below average season in 2016. Projections on him are all over the place (average between .211 and .291). He’s a fourth outfielder, available to spell any of the three starters as needed.
SP1 – David Tinsley
Missed 11 starts in 2016 due to injury, but sill posted the best ERA on the team. The new league rules that favor offense will likely hurt his stats, but he will still put up numbers better than league average.
SP2 – David Price
15-12 with a 3.94 ERA in 2016. Projections have him being average at best, but a nice strength increase and a much better changeup should help his stats quite a bit.
SP3 – John Maine
Came over in a deal with New England last season. Maine spent 2016 at AAA Chattanooga, but will be making his big league debut this year. He improved on all of his pitches and picked up a bunch of arm strength this spring.
SP4 – Chris Capuano
It was a disappointing rookie year in 2016 for Chris. 6-11, 5.38 is enough of an incentive to spend the offseason working hard. Because he’s not the hardest thrower out there, Capuano worked on perfecting his cut fastball and slider.
SP5 – Gregory Miller
Gregory quietly had a decent season for the 9ers in 2016. He started seven games and pitched in relief in 22 more. The loss of Jack Blair and Sap Pfeffer to Free Agency moves Miller into the starting rotation.
CL – Ryan Franklin
Some said that Franklin was called up too early. They may have been right, based on the stats he put up last season. This year, he boasts a much stronger arm and three greatly improved pitches. He might not be a lights-out closer, but he shouldn’t be a pushover either.
LR – Jack Ewoldt
Free Agent from Phoenix. No stats or projection, so we’re taking a shot on an aging veteran.
MR – Nich Schmidt / Jorge Collins
These two will either start working out, or they’ll bounce up and down between the bigs and AAA again this year.
SU – Yasuhiko Yabuta / Johnathan Mikrut
Yabuta continues to disappoint and Mikrut has a weak curve that could get him into trouble.
5 Keys to Winning
1. Spring needs to have been good to the pitching staff. Most of them project out at average or worse pitchers under the new league rules. Those predictions were done prior to spring training, so hopefully we’ll see some improvement (esp Price, Maine, and Franklin).
2. Someone needs to step up. The lineup projects out at solid from top to bottom. There are 8 hitters in the lineup capable of putting up .290 / 25 hr. Can a team that is “good” win against teams that have some big names and some nobodys.
3. Bullpen can’t blow too many. Bullpen ERA last year was a 6.20. There are a lot of question marks that could end up hurting the team in the long run.
4. Team Defense. Defensive upgrades at SS and in RF, downgrades at 2B and 1B. Which is more powerful? Does it have an impact on the pitchers?
5. Roster Moves. The hitters in this group are getting old. Can the ownership trade for some pitching that could push them over the top, or will some of the aging hitters find their way to other teams in contention.
Key Additions
2B George Collins (FA)
SS Snake Miller (FA)
CF Louis Shears (FA)
RF Brian Rike (Rookie)
Key Losses
P Jack Blair (FA)
P Sap Pfeffer (FA)
