23 SIDEARM REVIEW: #5 SAN DIEGO FRIARS

                                     FRIARS: AL CENTRAL POWERHOUSE 

FRONT OFFICE 

Ryan Robish has 6 years in the league with 2 playoff appearances but no trip to the World Series.  Could this be the year the Friars go all the way ???

ROTATION 

Cobb 665
Mahle 693
Archer 708
Flexen 724
Evoladi 754
Woodford 611 (I)

BULLPEN

Fairbanks 393
De. Williams 472
D. Hudson 511
Raley 542
Lu. Garcia 617
Eflin 681
Ja. Foley 697

LINEUP

Nola c 649
Goldschmidt 1b 981
Berti 2b 662
Bichette ss 802
Chapman 3b 757
Canha of 770
Nootbaar of 788
Tucker of 808

BENCH

Duran of 645
Kelly c 617
O. Miller inf 652
Straw of 564
A. Thomas of 619
M. Zunino c 499


ANALYSIS 

Any of the top 5 ranked teams have legitimate shots at a World Series championship and the Friars are no exception.  Their rotation seems like it has evolved into pray we can go 5 innings and send in the bullpen.  It would be a different story if Woodford was not injured and Evoaldi did not regress in MLB 22 but the Friars have an excellent bullpen which leads one to compare the Friars to the Tampa Bay Rays.  Fairbanks, Devin Williams, Raley and Dakota Hudson are absolute studs so the only issue is how many innings can the starters use up so Robish does not wear out his bullpen.

Any team with Goldschmidt, Bichette and Tucker in the lineup is dangerous.  Chapman, Canha and Nootbaar are solid additions to the lineup.  Duran, Straw and Alex Thomas provide excellent speed and defense while Zunino offers sporadic power off the bench.  

The numbers say the Friars coast to an AL East title and will enter the tournament of randomness with everything you need to go all the way except for starting pitching. The question is can Robish get his starters to eat enough innings until the offense grabs a lead and the bullpen shuts down the opposition.