2022 Gemini In-Depth Look

With the 2022 World Series now complete, let’s continue our in-depth look at all 12 signs in the Fantasy Astrology Baseball League. Gemini had some of the best pitchers in the league, but their offensive attack was so inept, that they ended up at the very bottom of the FABL standings. While I’ll continue to use fantasy points to evaluate players, this year, I’ll frame my offensive analysis through the lens of a projected batting order.

Leadoff hitter Cesar Hernandez has been a second baseman for the vast majority of his career, but the Nationals gave him 10 games in left field in 2022. That’s enough for me to justify him playing there on a very outfield-weak Gemini squad, but even if we were playing by positional eligibility rules, Hernandez would still make the starting lineup as the DH. First baseman Yuli Gurriel fell just short of 1,200 fantasy points on the year, and yet he still finished second among Gemini batters. He spent some time batting second for the Astros, before rookie Jeremy Pena’s emergence, so that’s where he’ll bat for the Siblings. Gemini’s top batter is Bobby Witt Jr., a former top prospect who should get some Rookie of the Year consideration. But in a rookie class with Julio Rodriguez and Adley Rutschman, I can’t see Witt finishing above third place.

For the 4th and 5th spots in the batting order, we have a pair of ACTUAL siblings who were born on the same date (but three years apart). They also have extremely similar positional profiles: Luis Urias qualified for all three non-first base infield spots for the Brewers, while Ramon Urias played third and second for the Orioles, winning the Gold Glove award at the hot corner. Considering Witt can play either third base or shortstop, this is going to be a pretty fluid situation. And there are two more third base options who had down or lost seasons: Yoan Moncada slots in as the DH, while Anthony Rendon missed basically the entire year due to injury.

Based on Harrison Bader’s postseason performance with the Yankees, he could be an option to bat leadoff. But since the fleet-footed centerfielder bat mostly in the bottom third of the order during the regular season, that’s where he’ll hit for Gemini. Christian Arroyo is primarily an infielder, but I put him in right field based on his 17 games there in 2022. As far as actual qualified (at least 20 games) non-center field outfield options, Jake Fraley leads the pack, after taking over as the Reds cleanup hitter when Joey Votto was lost to injury. There’s also Avisail Garcia, who struggled in the first year of his big contract with the Marlins, and a pair of Dickersons, although Corey and Alex are unrelated. Jorge Alfaro was the backup catcher for the Padres, but he’ll be pressed into starting duties for the Twins, perhaps with some help from James McCann and Ryan Jeffers.

It's not often that a team has the consensus best pitcher in baseball on their roster, but still ends up in last place. However, it makes a little more sense when you see that Jacob deGrom only made 11 starts on the year due to injuries. But deGrom was just one of four legitimate aces on this staff, joining Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, the one-two punch on the [NL… hopefully WORLD] Champion Phillies, and Shane Bieber, the 2020 Cy Young Award winner. While Jose Berrios and Freddy Peralta have flashed ace-like stuff in the past, each had down seasons in 2022 (the latter due to injury and the former due to an unexpected dropoff. Considering deGrom’s injury, that leaves the four and five spots in the rotation for real-life Twins rookie Joe Ryan, and Peralta’s Brewers teammate Eric Lauer, the only lefty on the starting staff.

Not only did Craig Kimbrel have the most saves among Gemini relievers in 2022, but he also leads all active MLB players with 394! But despite that career arc, he was unceremoniously left off the Dodgers’ playoff roster in a series where their bullpen imploded… I am once again asking Andrew Friedman to go with your gut! Actually, in terms of fantasy points, Kimbrel was only number three on Gemini, falling behind Paul Sewald, the Mariners closer, and rookie Felix Bautista, who took over ninth inning duties in Baltimore after breakout closer Jorge Lopez was traded. It’s also worth mentioning Matt Moore, a former starter, who reinvented himself as a left-handed weapon out of the Rangers pen.