2013 Season Recap: Misfits

From phenom to ace to scrap heap and back to ace, Francisco Liriano
has had a roller coaster of a career. And he's still only 30.

Overview

Total points: 4,412 (3rd place)
Head-to-head record: 14-4 (1st place)
Postseason: Lost in semifinals, lost in third-place matchup

Draft

Best picks: Freddie Freeman (4th round), Carlos Beltran (5th round), Chase Utley (7th round), Marlon Byrd (16th round)

Worst picks: Bryce Harper (1st round), Roy Halladay (11th round)

Season highlights

Ace Adam Wainwright and waiver pickup Francisco Liriano led a solid rotation with a wide variety of contributors. ... After three-game losing streak early, team won final 11 weeks of the regular season to claim best record and top seed in the playoffs. ... Veteran-laden lineup (including Chase Utley, Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann) led the way, but faded a bit late in the year as injuries mounted. ... Bad luck in the postseason, as Misfits ran into red-hot Arbitration Losers and red-hot Pitch You Blockhead in the playoffs. ... Freddie Freeman had a monster year and looks poised to be a top pick next season. 

In a nutshell

The league's most consistent team on a week-to-week basis, the Misfits finally succumbed to injuries and were eliminated from the playoffs by the two hottest squads and also were edged for second in the points race by a mere 8 points. It was a great season for the perennial contenders, though, as the veteran lineup produced all season and Adam Wainwright pitched like a Cy Young candidate to lead the rotation. You can always count on two things from the Misfits: they'll draft a bunch of old guys and they'll be among the leaders all year. Look for more of the same next season.

2013 Season Recap: Testosteraun Braun

There weren't many golden sombreros for Paul Goldschmidt this year.
The big doofus from Delaware was one of the league's best hitters.

Overview

Total points: 4,328 (4th place)
Head-to-head record: 11-7 (3rd place)
Postseason: Lost in first round, 5-0 in consolation round, won consolation championship

Draft

Best picks: Hunter Pence (4th round), Jordan Zimmermann (5th round), Julio Teheran (7th round), Daniel Murphy (13th round)

Worst picks: Ryan Braun (1st round), Anthony Rizzo (6th round), Juan Francisco (10th round)

Season highlights

With Madison Bumgarner, Jordan Zimmermann and Julio Teheran, had one of strongest rotations in league. .. Four-game winning streak early in the season. ... After being dispatched by the eventual head-to-head champion Arbitration Losers in the first round of the playoffs, tore through the consolation round to capture the consolation title. ... Paul Goldschmidt and Hunter Pence finished among the league leaders in points, with Goldschmidt leading the team to first place in the first base scoring rankings.

In a nutshell

A great draft netted the team Braun, Pence, Goldschmidt, Bumgarner, Zimmermann, Teheran and Murphy and the team looked like a contender. But Braun's struggles, injury and suspension left a gaping hole in the outfield, the back end of the rotation and closer struggled and catcher was a black hole. Still, Testosteraun Braun had a strong squad that hung around the top of the leaderboard all year, ended the season on a hot streak and will look to carry over that momentum to next season.