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(AP)
Washington gets back on top after a 4-2 week while Montreal drops to #7 after going 2-5. The big week though belonged to New Orleans who went 6-0 and are now tied with Pittsburgh and Maine for the 3rd best record in the Domestic. On the flip side LAD went 0-7 and are now 4.5 games back from the last wild card spot in the Import. Some team leaders this week: Syracuse hit 15 HR's, Baltimore stole 12 bases, Washington had a 2.00 ERA and allowed only 12 runs, and Phoenix had an OPS of 1.018.
Power Rankings
1) Washington Bats (121.6, +)
2) Hartford Whalers (121.5, +)
3) New Orleans Dukes (113.1, ++)
4) Philadelphia Freedom (108.2, o)
5) Denver BC (108.0, o)
6) New York Knights (107.3, +)
7) Montreal Exports (106.2, --)
8) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (101.2, -)
9) Seattle Pilots (101.1, ++)
10) Pittsburgh Millers (98.1, --)
11) Maine Guides (96.1, +)
12) Windy City Blues (95.0, ++)
13) Batavia Red Jackets (89.0, -)
14) Miami Sharks (88.0, o)
15) Indianapolis Racers (85.7, ++)
16) Wilmington Wildcats (80.8, o)
17) Phoenix Roadrunners (78.5, ++)
18) Los Angeles Dinos (69.9, --)
19) Syracuse Snappers (69.6, ++)
20) Baltimore Bulldogs (68.5, +)
21) Carolina Tobs (67.9, --)
22) Pawtucket Patriots (65.5, +)
23) Toronto Canadians (58.0, --)
24) California Kodiaks (57.7, -)
Legend of the Week
LF Jamie O'Hearn - July 9th, 2031 is a date that will live in BLB history. In the 7th inning of the Denver BC at Los Angeles Dino's game Jamie O'Hearn came up to bat with a runner on first and history waiting in the wings. On a 2-1 pitch by Wes Perry he turned on it and sent it 352 feet and over the wall. As fans scrambled for the ball, O'Hearn ran around the bases as TV networks around the nation zoomed in on him and the fans stood on their feet and cheered. The home run record by Dani Alvarez that had stood for almost 30 years was no more. With 573 home runs Jamie O'Hearn is now the most prolific home run hitter in the history of the BLB.
Performance of the Week
RF Zachary Schumacher - The 24 year old put up a game score of 127, 17 points higher than Johnny Swope who is now in 2nd place, against Indianapolis on July 8th. He had four hits, three of which were home runs, and drove in nine during a 14-5 victory. On the season Schumacher is hitting .311 with 21 HR's, 61 RBI's, and a 3.0 WAR.
Injury of the Week
P Dave Martinez - The oft injured Martinez was called up to Seattle and didn't even have time to get his new picture in the media guide before getting injured on July 10th. After winning the College World Series with LSU in 2026 he was drafted by the Pilots in 2027 but tore his UCL in 2028 and missed 14 months. He recovered and played well enough to move up to AAA by 2029 and finally made it to the BLB this season. In the nine games he played he had a 2.87 ERA and 1.40 WHIP.
Prospect of the Week
2B Wolde-Selassie Gahiji - The 22 year old discovery out of Ghanaian by Denver was traded to Philly in 2029 and got called up to AA this season. So far he's hitting .356 with 2 HR's and 9 RBI's in 13 games. He is already considered a captain of the team and his manager said "teammates express nothing but respect for Wolde-Selassie" in a recent interview.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Another bench clearing brawl mauled the BLB again this past week. On July 7th Syracuse and Maine were in the bottom of the 3rd. Newly acquired Syracuse catcher Jaime Bushnell cracked a solo shot over the fence and Dave Wagner came up next to bat. Maine pitcher Dave Short beaned Wagner with the first pitch and the battle of the Dave's was on. Short was suspended six games and Wagner was suspended four.
2. The streak continues for Denver BC pitcher Manabu Hamada. He's now has won 17 consecutive games and hasn't had a loss in 26 straight starts. He's 11-0 on the year with a 2.20 ERA and 3.6 WAR. The BC now have the top three highest WAR pitchers in the Import, with Hamada, Pang Shuai (3.4) and Jacob Stokes (3.4 WAR). They are also the top three for a pitching Triple Crown but will probably all keep each other from winning it.
3. Has there ever been a fielder as good as New York's Dave Davis? Drafted with the 9th overall pick in 2022 he has spent his entire career in the NY organization and has played in the BLB the last eight seasons. He leads the entire BLB in ZR with a +10.9 at SS but is equally as good a fielder at 2nd or 3rd. His career ZR at SS is +38.1 while it's an even better +67.6 at 2nd. He's also one of the fastest players in the league and has stolen 51, 45, 52, and 43 bases the last four years.
4. International Amateur Free Agency is here and teams are spending their fans hard earned dollars already. Washington this week put up an astounding $15 million on two players in hopes they turn into stars, Gib Ngotho from South Africa and Aden Grant from Jamaica. The last IAFA they signed was Justin 'Ant' Babbage from England. Projected to a be a star centerfielder he missed most of 2030 with post-concussion syndrome and has now been out for several months with a broken leg. Is it wise to spend so much money to secure the rights of a 16 or 17 year old in hopes they become a future star down the road...only time will tell.
5. Five of the six playoff teams seem to be settled in the Import for good now. Washington, Philly, New York, Denver, and Seattle are all now either 99.9% or 100% predicted to make the postseason. The fun part will be to see who comes out on top between Batavia, Windy City, and LA.
Stat of the Week
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| Most Consecutive Seasons With A .300 Batting Average (Top 25 Players, Minimum 3.1 PA/TmG) |
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