A relentless drive to conquer
We can never praise enough the resilience of the Lions. Without a proper home stadium, lacking the resources of other teams to strengthen their roster, they are always there. Year after year, they manage to be part of the D1 elite, occasionally sneaking into the finals. So, you can see the glass as half-empty, noting that it’s been 20 years since Savigny last won a title (the 2005 French Challenge, their last championship, dates back to 2004), but you can’t ignore that this team remains a D1 powerhouse, a force to be reckoned with.
There’s talk about recruitment struggles. With only two foreign players, Savigny is far from some of the stacked rosters. An experienced American, but with a relatively modest career, at shortstop, and a young Venezuelan behind the plate—it’s the bare minimum. But Savigny also bets on the future, and the arrival of Jordan Ouanyou, one of French baseball’s top prospects, is excellent news. Since they don’t recruit much, they focus on developing talent in-house, especially on the mound, which is why Nathan Chevet also joins the team. We also note the presence of Nolan Soliveres, who can’t be there regularly, and the possible return of Pierre-Emmanuel Planes, who was, after all, the best player of the 2022 championship.
That’s for the new faces. Because the core, talented and scrappy, remains the same, led by Ivan Acuna, still as powerful and dangerous as ever. A slight concern: last season was his least productive statistically. His batting average, on-base percentage, power numbers, and RBIs were all below his usual standards. But he’s still a feared hitter and a defensive machine behind the plate. Savigny will need Acuna at his best, as will the rest of the roster: can they keep up the pace? Orozco, perhaps last season’s best pitcher, Coste, who posted his career-best ERA, L.Amoros, now an excellent run producer, A.Amoros, a solid designated hitter… The veterans must perform and help the young guns progress. Because last year, the young Lions Rioux, Proust, and Neyraud started to roar, and they seem ready to continue their victorious learning curve.
There’s another big question mark, and it’s a significant one: Léo Jiminian, who went to shine in Japan. If he’s absent all season, it will be a huge blow for the Lions, as he was so effective last year. If he returns, Savigny will once again be among the top contenders. But even without him, the Lions are natural candidates for the top 4. They’re used to it, and they don’t want to lose that status.
