Opening day this weekend of March 22/23 for Division 1 Baseball,
Baseball TV France has asked many questions for this new championship:
Who pulled off the big move?
There have been many transfers between French clubs this winter. More than usual, it seems to us, but that’s just an impression. In any case, in this mercaball, a few clubs have made a big splash. Here’s a small selection of the 5 best transfers
1) Jacob Defries Rouen to Montpellier.
This is what you call a game changer. Defries dominated last season with his .362 average, 14 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 18 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. If his defense is a bit less convincing, his offensive potential more than makes up for this small issue. The Barracudas have equipped themselves with a top-tier offensive weapon, which will give their line-up an undeniable boost.
2) Kevin Canelon Montpellier to La Rochelle
While they gained a first-rate bat, the Barracudas let the heart and soul of their rotation slip away. Since his arrival in 2019, he has established himself as the best (or one of the two best) pitchers in the championship. For the Boucaniers, his talent and experience will bring a lot. The grumpy ones point out that last season, for the first time, batters had an average above .200 against him and his strikeout rate per game dropped below 9. A small decline, no doubt, but he will still be largely dominant this season.
3) Yorfrank Lopez Montigny to Sénart
Speaking of dominant pitcher… He was briefly linked to Draci Brno this winter, and that says a lot about his image in Europe. He has been dominating opposing batters since 2018, not to mention that he is also very comfortable at the plate. With Lopez on the mound, the Templiers will be able to win every time. He pitched a bit less last season (62 IP against an average of 108.2 IP in his previous four seasons), but he has always been present in crucial moments, such as in the European Cup. He will give Sénart the wins they lacked last season.
4) Dorian Bouniol Sénart to Montpellier
He is one of the solid hopes of French baseball in the infield. He only made a quick round trip between the south and the north, and his return will solidify the Barracudas’ infield, while bringing interesting depth to the line-up. True, like others, he won’t play the entire season in France, but when he is there, very likely for important appointments like the European Cup or the Challenge, he will contribute to making the Barracudas one of the very solid candidates for the title.
5) Kenny Esposito Toulouse to Rouen
We didn’t see this one coming, but Rouen, which finds itself short of pitchers with the departures of Moulin and Mercadier, had to find solutions to strengthen its French pitching. The Huskies have set their sights on the former Montpellier and Toulouse player, who plays in a league in California, the coaching staff having spotted a lot of promise in his mechanics and motivations. Having an additional ‘JFL pitcher’ never hurts, and the French champions thus have an additional weapon in their arsenal.
And also… Jordan Ouanyou who moves from Sénart to Savigny and Tristan Laufenbuchler who leaves the Templiers for the Boucaniers: two very promising young players, who will no doubt be able to progress and have more playing time in their new environment.
Which ‘import player’ will make the difference?
It’s never easy to estimate the part that foreign players will play in the teams. Even if they come from prestigious leagues, even if they have interesting statistics in university ranks, there are always questions to ask about their integration into a new environment, their mindset, their motivation. And a failed or half-hearted foreign recruitment can cost a season. We still dare to a top-5 of the new foreigners (excluding those we have already seen in France) who could mark the season with their mark, knowing that it is still difficult to know which players will really be present and therefore to find information about them.
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Austin Roccaforte (Rouen). Those who saw him in action in the two friendly matches that the Huskies played against the powerful Neptunus of Rotterdam were won over by his very good defensive qualities and his impressive speed on the bases. With him, there’s no doubt, there will be a show, and he fits perfectly into the Rouennais’ game plan, which consists of putting a lot of pressure on the opposing defenses.
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Edward Paredes (Metz). The former Yankee organization player (5 seasons in the minor leagues from 2016 to 2021) is coming off two interesting seasons in Italy, with Codogno and New Rimini, for a record of 7-10 and an ERA of 3.77. But what stands out is his strikeouts: 214 in 140.2 innings pitched, the guy knows how to make them swing and miss. Small downside, the level of the Italian championship has been diluted for a few seasons, with 30 teams in Serie A and that Parades has not really faced the Italian bigwigs. But it remains that he should be spectacular and bring a lot to the Cometz mound.
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Luis Gonzalez (Béziers). He will have a heavy responsibility, that of carrying on his shoulders a Biterroise rotation that lacks experience at the highest level. Fortunately, his shoulders are solid. A long career in various Latin American organizations, at a very high level of play, has given him a real background. He has settled in the Argentine League for two seasons with the ‘Popeyes’ of Santa Alta. What a beautiful nickname for a team! He has known a certain success there, with a 2.42 ERA, 144K in 101.1 innings, proof that he knows how to pitch. His globetrotter career and his vision of the game will be a precious asset for Béziers.
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Scott Bellina (Rouen). Another true globetrotter, whose traces can be found in Hawaii, Australia, Germany, Japan. Despite his small size, he throws hard, clocked up to 96 mph, and his performances on the side of Mainz confirm these figures, notably in the playoffs against the future champion (2.25 ERA in 16 innings). He will have the heavy task of making Joshua Vincent, undefeated in the championship, forgotten. He should succeed.
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Moïses Nunez (Savigny). It is very rare to see such a young player try his luck abroad. We will therefore follow with great interest this 18-year-old Venezuelan catcher, whom Acuna will surely take under his wing. He participated in the last U23 World Championships, with starts against Taiwan and Japan, so he is among the very best players of a very strong country. Maybe he can cause a real surprise.
And the JFL?
It is more than likely that, as always, it will be the JFL pitching that makes the difference. Last season, three of the four semi-finalists (Rouen, 2.76; Montpellier 3.17; Savigny 3.75) had the 3 best JFL pitchers’ ERAs, and the fourth in this chapter, Metz (4.12), would have taken the last place in the top 4 without a mistake on the regulations. We will therefore take a look at the 5 best JFL rotations. Saying that the champion is probably there.
1) Savigny (Amoros, Chevet, Coste, Hassed, Neyraud). There is quality and quantity in the Lions’ bullpen. Gédéon Coste has just come off a remarkable season, number 2 in innings pitched, Amoros has been solid when he was in action. It’s a top-tier duo, surrounded by promising young arms. A very interesting bullpen to follow.
2) Montpellier (Andrades, Couvreur, Deleau, Polit). Much depends on the health of Ben Couvreur. Let’s hope his arm has returned to its best level, and with him, Montpellier can count on a dominant pitcher. Polit made an excellent comeback, very effective (2.91 ERA). Andrades’ experience and Deleau’s youth bring depth.
3) Rouen (Esposito, Laval Quesney, Prioul). Few teams, perhaps none, could recover from the loss of such important pitchers as Mercadier and Moulin. Of course, the Rouen mound will be less strong without these two arms, but Prioul remains a more than sure value and Laval-Quesney will be entrusted with responsibilities to which they seem ready to face. Esposito will bring interesting depth.
4) La Rochelle (Esteban, Perroi, Hernous). The Esteban of the first part of the season really strongly impressed and we feel a great potential in Perrois, who could surprise this season.
5) Sénart (Brelle, Monbeig, Nayral). A breath ahead of Metz and, we choose Toulouse – Béziers seems a bit behind – the Templiers for the beautiful performances of Brelle last year, who should gain in power and especially for the presence of Mathis Nayral, who was the best pitcher in the championship during the few weeks he spent in France.
6) Toulouse (Laot, Duquennoy). Young but above all solid.
So, what’s going to happen?
It seems that the season will be played out in a heavyweight duel between Rouen and Montpellier. That’s good, the two teams will have three grounds for confrontation, the Championship, the Challenge, and the European Cup. A fight in three rounds, therefore, which risks reaching a very high level of game quality and suspense. Why these two teams? The Huskies are always there, and there is no reason why they should not be there anymore. Their roster is stacked, the veterans set the example and ambitious youngsters are making their way. The Barracudas have made an interesting recruitment, they too rely on a more than solid group of veterans, and the arrival of a tough coach will solidify the whole.
But nothing is easier to refute than predictions. The outsiders are not ready to say that everything is written. Savigny, to start with, always well placed. The finalist relies on a practically unchanged core, and therefore what was achieved in 2024 can quite easily be repeated in 2025. La Rochelle has strong ambitions, has the roster to at least reach the semi-finals, and if everything falls into place on the side of the Boucaniers, one can even dream of a first final.
This therefore draws the portrait of the top 4. But here too, nothing is written in advance. There is talent at all positions in Toulouse, which is coming off two consecutive semi-finals and therefore knows how to win. Sénart will be able to rely on its vengeful Cougars to raise a team that is worth more than a play-off spot to avoid relegation. Metz still counts on several very high-level players and hopes to see its youngsters progress. Béziers is in a winning dynamic for several seasons, and that is mentally very important before facing a higher level.
For now, everyone is on an equal footing, everyone can believe in it. That’s the beauty of the opening. So, it’s your turn to make your predictions. We look forward to your comments.
