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05/29/2045
Pawtucket goes 5-1 and takes over the top spot in the Power Rankings. The Patriots haven't been to the playoffs since 2033, the longest streak in the BLB, but we think that dubious honor goes away this year. Another good week was had by the Bats from Washington who went 5-2. They now have a 4.5 game lead over Baltimore for the Stout lead. On the other side Hartford, Maine, Syracuse, and New York all went 2-5.
Power Rankings
1) Pawtucket Patriots (127.3, ++)
2) California Kodiaks (123.0, -)
3) Phoenix Roadrunners (120.4, +)
4) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (117.9, -)
5) New Orleans Voodoo (117.5, -)
6) Washington Bats (108.4, +)
7) Montreal Exports (104.7, -)
8) Wilmington Clowns (103.0, o)
9) Pittsburgh Millers (93.0, ++)
10) Seattle Pilots (92.0, -)
11) Carolina Tobs (88.0, ++)
12) Denver Bulls (87.3, ++)
13) Dallas Drillers (86.0, --)
14) Windy City Blues (85.2, +)
15) Hartford Whalers (83.0, --)
16) Indianapolis Racers (83.0, ++)
17) Baltimore Bulldogs (82.1, --)
18) Toronto Canadians (81.0, --)
19) Los Angeles Dinos (72.0, +)
20) Philadelphia Freedom (67.4, +)
21) New York Knights (67.0, --)
22) Syracuse Snappers (66.4, --)
23) Batavia Red Jackets (61.0, o)
24) Maine Guides (44.8, o)
Performance of the Week
P Christian Vines - On May 22nd against Wilmington the most dominant pitcher in baseball turned in the #1 performance of the season. In eight innings he allowed no runs, one hit, and struck out 14 as the Snappers cruised to a 3-0 victory. The lone hit actually happened on Vines first pitch of the day as Josiah Foust turned on the jets for an infield single. He was caught stealing second though and no Clowns made it on base again. Vines is now 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA and 0.83 WHIP.
Prospect of the Week
P Joshua Businelle - The round four pick in 2042 by Philadelphia was traded to Toronto in 2043 and has worked his way up to the #17 prospect in the league for the Canadians. In seven starts in A ball he is 4-0 with a 2.92 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He throws five pitches, can hit the high 90's on the gun, and has the stamina to throw complete games. At 23 years old he should be in AA or even AAA by the end of the season, so we're looking forward to seeing him face tougher competition.
Game of the Week
| May 24, 2045: Box Score | Game Log | Season Series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Five Things We Think We Think
1. First basemen Adrian Gramling hit for the cycle on May 22nd against New York, and in an even rarer feat he did it in order. He singled in the first, doubled in the third, hit at triple in the sixth, and hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. On the season the 24 year old former third round pick is hitting .290 with 12 HR's and 33 RBI's in 45 games.
2. Congrats to the Cotuit Kettlers for taking home the 2045 Cape Cup, their second in a row. They also went back to back in in 2041 and 2042. This season they actually finished 24-25 but went 6-1 in the playoffs to capture the title. In the NCAA the College World Series between the Oregon Ducks and Clemson Tigers is tied at 1-1 with the deciding game tomorrow.
3. The 'Brutal Bock' might be back as California is now 31-14 and Phoenix is 30-15. The Roadrunners have one less win than Domestic leading Pawtucket but in the Import they find themselves in the wildcard. The race between these two teams is going to be fun to watch. The Roadrunners have the better starting pitching staff, first in the IL in average, but California holds a big edge with their bullpen and closer. The Kodiaks are first in bullpen average, runs allowed, hits allowed, BABIP, walks, and strikeouts. Phoenix leads the season series 2-1, but we have nine more games between these two to enjoy.
4. Are the glory days of J.D. 'Hurricane' Rice over? Currently the 9x All-Star and 3x Stout Slugger winner is hitting .200/259/.388 with 9 HR's and 16 RBI's in 45 games. Last season he hit .274 with 34 HR's and 90 RBI's, the first time in his career he hit under .300 and his lowest home run total since his rookie season in 2035. He is currently #18 on the all-time home run list, and is projected to finish the season #12. He just turned 33 years old so if he plays another few seasons 550 isn't out of the question. For now though unless something changes Jamie O'Hearn's career record of 612 isn't in danger.
5. According to the playoff odds every team in the BLB still has a chance at the playoffs minus Maine in the DL and Batavia in the IL. With the draft coming up combined with the June 15th rule of allowing recent FA signees to be traded, we anticipate a lot of movement coming soon.
Stat of the Week
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| Most Consecutive 155 Strikeout Seasons (Top 25 Players) |
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