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05/03/2038
(AP)
We take some time off and come back to a league where Hartford already has a 15.5 game lead over Syracuse...on May 3rd! Those Whalers are now 18-8 and sport the best record in the BLB after going 4-2 last week. The big winners of the week though were Washington and Indianapolis who each went 6-1. Those underdog Bats are now 18-9 and have taken a half game lead over Carolina in the Bock. Meanwhile the Racers are now 15-12 and are only one game back in a very crowded Lager that features Santo Domingo in last place. Other nice weeks were had by Toronto (5-1) and New York (5-2) while Syracuse went 0-6 and now falls to 2-23 on the season.
Power Rankings
1) Hartford Whalers (127.6, o)
2) Washington Bats (125.0, ++)
3) Carolina Tobs (118.7, +)
4) New York Knights (114.7, ++)
5) New Orleans Voodoo (112.0, --)
6) Batavia Red Jackets (109.0, --)
7) Toronto Canadians (108.8, ++)
8) Indianapolis Racers (105.0, ++)
9) Los Angeles Dinos (102.8, ++)
10) Montreal Exports (101.0, ++)
11) California Kodiaks (100.0, --)
12) Denver Bulls (99.0, --)
13) Seattle Pilots (93.9, --)
14) Phoenix Roadrunners (91.0, --)
15) Wilmington Clowns (86.4, +)
16) Pawtucket Patriots (85.7, +)
17) Miami Sharks (85.4, --)
18) Windy City Blues (78.0, --)
19) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (74.2, +)
20) Maine Guides (66.2, -)
21) Pittsburgh Millers (63.7, o)
22) Philadelphia Freedom (58.8, o)
23) Baltimore Bulldogs (48.5, o)
24) Syracuse Snappers (-2.6, o)
Performance of the Week
SS Jimmy Brabec - The 27 year old shortstop for the Red Jackets turned in the #2 hitting performance on the season against Seattle on April 29th. In five at bats he hit two home runs, drove in five, walked three times, and scored three times in a 8-2 Batavia victory. On the season the former 1st round pick in 2028 is hitting .244/.330/.500 with 6 HR's and 14 RBI's.
Injury of the Week
P Taelin Leanos - The 9th overall pick of the 2035 draft made his debut at the end of the last season where he went 2-2 with a 5.25 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in four starts. This year in six overall games and two starts he was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 0.75 WHIP before disaster struck on April 30th. After throwing three hit-less innings against the Freedom he was unable to return in the fourth due to elbow pain. An MRI showed a torn flexor tendon and he will miss the rest of the season. The 23 year old was already establishing himself as a leader in the clubhouse and was quickly surrounded by teammates trying to console him after the diagnosis.
Prospect of the Week
1B Damien 'Sugar Bear' Ashlock - One of the more interesting prospects in the upcoming draft is rated by many as the premiere power hitter of the class. In two seasons at Oregon he has hit 25 home runs, but his slash line of .187/.302/.441 isn't going to appease many managers. He has the ability to play in a corner outfield spot, and has the potential to be a leader on any ball club, but he needs a lot of coaching to get that eye up to major league standards.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Hats off this week to Chris Pineda and Javy 'Blur' Gudino who each hit their 300th career home run. Gudino was the 1st overall pick in the 2024 draft by Montreal while Pineda was the 3rd overall pick in the 2026 draft by New York. In 14 seasons 'Blur' is on his 5th BLB team, has appeared in nine All-Star games, and has won eight Designated Drivers at second base. In 11 seasons Pineda in on his 4th BLB team, has appeared in four All-Star games, and has won three Designated Drivers with two at short stop and one at third base.
2. Poor Syracuse. They started the season by losing five straight before winning a game against Montreal. They then lost nine straight before beating Pittsburgh. They have now lost nine straight again with an upcoming week that features Wilmington and Indianapolis. After setting the record last season for most losses in a season (126) and highest ERA of all-time (6.29) they might break both those marks again.
3. Rory Elia is still the #1 ranked player in the league but so far in 25 games he is hitting .186/.245/.431 with 7 HR's and 14 RBI's. A career .284 hitter he hit .296 last season and .322 the year before. He's still fielding as well as ever though as his +2.1 ZR in center is tied for 6th among CF's so we expect the slump of sorts to work its way out.
4. Indy and Pawtucket played one of the longest games in recent BLB times on May 1st when it took 19 innings for the Patriots to defeat the Racers 5-4. With a game time nearing seven hours it featured 14 pitchers and the majority of batters getting between seven and nine at bats. Indy looked to had won it in the 16th when a double by Mendel Rosario brought home two, but Pawtucket answered when Johnny Swope scored off a wild pitch and Erik Ward singled in R.J. Blewett to tie it once again. Finally in the bottom of the 19th Micah Smith hit a two out single to bring home Steven Crocetti and end the marathon.
5. A few first time match-ups this week that we are excited to tune into. Carolina travels to California, Washington travels to New York, and Indy hosts New Orleans.
Stat of the Week
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