(Previous quarterly review: Q1, Q2, Q3)

Last year, the Navegadores de Naguabo did not qualify for the postseason. They finished 63-105, the fourth-worst record in Liga Betances, and nineteen wins behind the Soles de Luquillo, who would win the division banner with an 82-86 record, defeat the equally woebegone Eléctricos, and then dispense with the much, much better Cuervos and Palomas to . . . well, lose to Fajardo in six games.

This year, it's safe to say, things are different. The Navegadores, who headed into the season as a high-ceiling team, ended it with 121 wins. It's the best record in either league, edging out the Murciélagos by a win and the Quesiteros by four, and it means they should have a fairly easy path to the title the Navegadores, in some ways, have been seeking ever since their very first game. Corazón de León and La Gárgola couldn't bring them a championship, but perhaps this force of international weirdos will.

For this, our final review of the Navegadores, we're going to order them according to their season-final Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, a number that for the most part represents their total contributions to the Naguabo ballclub in 1902.

Without further ado: the Magnificent Eleven.

#27 Graham "Ham" Underwood (RP/1B/OF) (-0.37 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: English.
Bats: Left.
Throws: Left.
Height: 1.85 meters.
Weight: 73 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
162 AB, .222/.260/.253, 36 H / 1 2B / 2 3B, 24 R / 16 RsBI, 28 K / 9 BB, 37 / 54 SB (69%)
through 168 games (pitching):
20.1 IP, 2-1, 2 HLD, 4 SD / 1 MD, 3.10 ERA / 4.05 FIP / 0.98 WHIP, 10 K / 3 BB

The one thing we can undeniably say about Ham's rookie season—well, his rookie season in Puerto Rico, anyway—is that no one who had as few plate appearances as he did stole nearly as many bases. (Ex-Navegador Milans Ūdris is the closest, at 20 SB over 248 AB.) Beyond that, we can only say that, uh, WAR hates first basemen, left fielders, and relief pitchers in an era where armbarns are rather neglected.

If that makes you somewhat leery of Ham's prospects to stick on the roster long-term, we don't blame you, but we think Naguabo feels differently. He's currently a great 1B/LF/DH rotator, has a good chance to succeed Santiago permanently in left whenever Kalsakau decides to move on with his career, and he's come up big in several spots out of the armbarn, notching two wins and four shutdowns in very limited duty. We know for sure Ham's got the best moments of his career ahead of him.

#17 Pablo "Rodillón" Salmerón (C) (0.61 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: Cuban.
Bats: Left.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.86 meters.
Weight: 93 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
164 AB, .287/.322/.360, 47 H / 9 2B / 1 HR, 19 R / 29 RsBI, 30 K / 8 BB / 3 HsBP, 1 / 2 SB (50%)

If nothing else, Salmerón has this: his first professional home run, ever, was a walk-off grand slam. He ended his season as exactly what everyone expected: a bat-first catcher with a strong throwing arm and some of the slowest legs in LNP history. No one expected him to post an on-base percentage north of .300, or probably even a batting average north of .250, let alone the north-of-.400 mark he put up in October.

While he's unlikely to remain anything other than a backup/pinch-hitting option—the pitching is too key for this team to rely on a suspect backstop for the majority of games—his ability to tear the cover off the ball should only grow. Ham and Rodillón are the youngest special prospects. It's no shock they're still waiting in the wings.

#12 Wally "The Human Ripcord" Balk (3B) (1.05 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: Australian.
Bats: Right.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.69 meters.
Weight: 89 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
346 AB, .240/.298/.295, 83 H / 17 2B / 1 3B, 45 R / 37 RsBI, 46 K / 25 BB / 6 HsBP, 1/1 SB (100%)

Wally was mostly here for his defense, and on that count, he more than delivered; his hot-corner glove was one of the finest in the LNP. Unfortunately, his continued struggles at the plate got him demoted to platoon bat, with Welshman Trevor Glover taking over against northpaws—and if anything, that allowed the Human Ripcord to blossom into an incredibly productive option, allowing to log great slash lines in the last two months of the season.

As Wally's plate discipline evolves, we expect him to be a bonā fidē threat out of the bottom third of the lineup, especially against lefties. That should make him a strong enough player to keep his glove on the field throughout the season, though he's the presumptive starter in 1903 regardless.

#0 Spike "Obusón" Stonehand (C) (2.22 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: Argentine.
Bats: Right.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.83 meters.
Weight: 121 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
438 AB, .263/.289/.336, 115 H / 16 2B / 2 3B / 4 HR, 43 R / 41 RsBI, 108 K / 14 BB / 5 HsBP, 2 / 4 SB (50%)

Like his backup, Spike has a lot of chase in his bat, though even we're somewhat afraid of a man who posts 100+ strikeouts in 1902. (He came in 7th in Betances, if you're wondering.) Unlike his backup, however, Spike is an undisputed field marshal. His leadership with the pitching team is probably the majority of the reason the Naves not only made it this far, but did it so dominantly, and his ability to pull off some unexpected hits now and again has been a welcome sight time and time again.

There's not much else today: as he develops into a low-contact, high-power hitter, we expect Spike to turn into a real problem for opposing pitchers who think the #9 spot is an easy out. His starting role, thanks to his skills behind the plate, is secure.

#11 Jacques "Ceinturion" Ceinture (DH/2B) (2.90 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: French.
Bats: Left.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.75 meters.
Weight: 86 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
638 AB, .306/.361/.378, 195 H / 20 2B / 10 3B / 2 HR, 82 R / 91 RsBI, 66 K / 46 BB / 10 HsBP, 90 / 135 SB (67%)

We'll say it one more time: if there's a bigger argument for the first/second half split in seasons, we don't know it. Jacques Ceinture's second half, in which he posted a .911 September OPS, felt like the legend of the phoenix. Sure, he eventually slowed down, but if you're capable of having a month like that, you'll stick on almost any team; no more need to get lucky. Not bad for a man who went around the world to secure his position in professional baseball.

For now, his most likely role remains designated hitter, as Shrdlu and Valdez have him blocked at his two main positions—but he's also likely to rotate in and out of the middle infield more often next year, as he hits the ball harder, fields it better, runs the bases faster, and in general is simply a stronger presence than the crop of backups the Naves have attracted.

#37 Vidal "Barbero" Santiago (LF/CF) (3.49 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: Puerto Rican.
Bats: Right.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.80 meters.
Weight: 87 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
576 AB, .299/.368/.366, 172 H / 23 2B / 2 3B / 4 HR, 81 R / 74 RsBI, 63 K / 61 BB / 3 HsBP, 6 / 10 SB (60%)

If Barbero only batted in the bottom thirds of games, he would be considered one of the best hitters in the entire Liga Nacional Puertorriqueña. We're fairly certain no one on this team picks up pitchers' tendencies better, which might explain why the Navegadores find ways to get to even the best hurlers in the game over the course of nine innings. While he could've certainly drawn a few more walks or hit a little harder here and there, we won't critique the plate approach of a man who can mash when it counts.

Vidal's left field defense is very underrated, and he's currently slotted to succeed Kalsakau in center. Whether that happens or not, after this season, it's safe to say his role with this club is secure in the long run. After that unfortunate 1901 he spent in Aguas Buenas, he's finally made the cut.

#16 Rob "The Grackle" / "The Nor'easter" Feaster (1B/3B) (4.6 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: American.
Bats: Left.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.78 meters.
Weight: 88 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
650 AB, .272/.339/.399, 177 H / 33 2B / 17 3B / 5 HR, 112 R / 90 RsBI, 66 K / 63 BB / 4 HsBP, 98 / 145 SB (68%)

Absolutely no one thought that the Grackle, who currently seems a lock to win Acutísimo at 1B in Betances, would be leading the club in home runs at the end of the season, but here we are. Whatever the Naves needed, Feaster did it: play first or third, bat out of almost any spot in the lineup, draw particularly demoralizing walks, steal bases with abandon when even Frank del Castillo couldn't advance by legitimate means.

Rob, currently, is an assured lock to hold down the cold corner for the Navegadores long term. His combination of a good hit tool, great plate discipline, and blazing speed will make him a dangerous hitter to face for years and years to come.

#4 Etaoin "Tipógrafo" Shrdlu (2B) (5.54 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: American.
Bats: Left.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.72 meters.
Weight: 69 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
585 AB, .304/.356/.405, 178 H / 25 2B / 14 3B / 2 HR, 76 R / 82 RsBI, 61 K / 48 BB, 59 / 102 SB (58%)

If Shrdlu could've stopped running himself off the basepaths more often, he might be second on this list instead of fourth. A great all-around player who could reliably get on base and hit well enough into the deepest parts of the field, Shrdlu also provided elite defense at the keystone, to the point that it's basically him and Arroyo's Emanuel Toro facing off for the Acutísimo spot here. That package of tools made him one of the most sought-after players when he arrived in Puerto Rico.

There's no two ways about it: Shrdlu is sticking on this ballclub for a long time, and it'd be silly to expect the Naves to let him go. He provides too many things they need.

#2 Ted "Loony Balloony" Balloon (SP/2B) (+0.39 WPA)

Quick Facts

Nationality: American.
Bats: Right.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.68 meters.
Weight: 65 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
346.2 IP, 25 W / 10 L, 2.73 ERA / 2.94 FIP / 1.13 WHIP, 183 K / 78 BB / 10 HR / 32 HsBP

The only Navegador left from last season, Loony Balloony gave the Navegadores something they hadn't had in twenty years: a real #1 pitcher. While it's fair to say he struggled now and again—leading the league in wild pitches for a second year in a row and, this time, actually "winning" the hit-batsmen title—he noticeably improved on his promising 1901, becoming a reliable pitcher who could finish games, pick up strikeouts, and keep offenses off balance.

Ted is going absolutely nowhere. Beyond his pitching capabilities, which are likely to improve as he enters his thirties, he's also one of the oldest Navegadores. It's through his influence and calm personality that the Naves have braved the seas of the 1902 season, and he's the man who, more than anyone else on the roster, wants to win a title.

#56 Frank "Diablo Rojo" del Castillo (RF) (7.64 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: Mexican.
Bats: Right.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.77 meters.
Weight: 91 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
622 AB, .328/.393/.426, 204 H / 26 2B / 16 3B / 1 HR, 122 R / 69 RsBI (nice), 40 K / 63 BB / 8 HsBP, 138 / 192 SB (72%)

We're not sure what happened to Frank's baserunning in the last quarter of the season, when he suddenly became one of the most catchable human beings in the LNP despite still attempting steals with his usual aplomb. Worse, that loss of confidence appeared to hit him hard, making it harder for him to keep his swing clean and hit the ball properly, and his slash line suffered somewhat as a result. Luckily, by that point, he was such an incredible player that it didn't matter.

As the future wears on, there's only two questions for Frank: whether he wants to switch into center more often, and when exactly he intends to win an Ilustrísimo, especially because he'll be competing with . . .

#6 Benigno "Benji" Valdez (SS) (10.28 WAR)

Quick Facts

Nationality: Puerto Rican.
Bats: Left.
Throws: Right.
Height: 1.86 meters.
Weight: 101 kilograms.

Statline:

through 168 games:
597 AB, .315/.375/.417, 188 H / 30 2B / 14 3B / 1 HR, 105 R / 93 RsBI, 41 K / 51 BB / 11 HsBP, 109 / 167 SB (65%)

We're fairly certain Benji is the first man in history to lead both Cuba and Puerto Rico in Wins Above Replacement, and we know exactly how that happened: by being a perpetual on-base threat who also provided some of the most sparkling shortstop defense in the entire league, although it must be admitted that he got a little cocky with his glovework in September and October. Nonetheless, the fact that he's likely to win the Nobilísimo that his teammate Ceinture denied him in Cuba must be very exciting news indeed.

. . . did we stutter? The man was worth 10 wins to his ballclub and he's 24. There's absolutely no way he'll move out of the 6-spot, unless something truly disastrous happens, and wishing for that would be extremely uncouth.

It's time to see what these young men can do in the service of the team they've all come together to represent. Onward, and, hopefully, upward.

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