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07/24/2045
In the short All-Star week only Dallas and Montreal were perfect as they both posted a 3-0 record. The Drillers have now won nine in a row, are in a three-way tie for second in the Lager, and have assumed the throne in the Power Rankings. Montreal is also involved in the three-way that includes Santo Domingo as the Lager has become by far the most powerful division in the league. The Drillers and Exports victims this week...Toronto and Indy. Some team leaders: Dallas scored 22 runs and hit an amazing 13 HR's (next closest 4), Seattle swiped seven bases, the Drillers didn't allow a single run, and opponents hit .143 against Phoenix and struck out 30 times.
Power Rankings
1) Dallas Drillers (122.7, ++)
2) New Orleans Voodoo (118.5, o)
3) Pawtucket Patriots (115.8, -)
4) Washington Bats (115.5, -)
5) California Kodiaks (112.1, o)
6) Montreal Exports (110.3, ++)
7) Carolina Tobs (107.6, o)
8) Phoenix Roadrunners (107.0, o)
9) Seattle Pilots (102.8, --)
10) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (102.3, -)
11) Los Angeles Dinos (100.7, o)
12) Pittsburgh Millers (100.7, o)
13) New York Knights (89.3, o)
14) Denver Bulls (79.5, o)
15) Syracuse Snappers (79.5, +)
16) Baltimore Bulldogs (79.3, -)
17) Wilmington Clowns (79.2, o)
18) Hartford Whalers (72.4, o)
19) Philadelphia Freedom (69.8, +)
20) Windy City Blues (65.9, o)
21) Indianapolis Racers (58.9, -)
22) Maine Guides (57.4, +)
23) Toronto Canadians (55.8, -)
24) Batavia Red Jackets (53.7, o)
Performance of the Week
P Christian Vines - The best pitcher in baseball has struggled as of late with nagging injuries and a down Syracuse year, but still managed to turn in the sixth best pitcher outing on July 18th. Against Maine he went the entire game while allowing no runs, two hits, and striking out eight. Both hits were in the bottom of the first and it looked like another rough outing, but thanks to outfielder Brooks Collins gunning down Hayden 'Deuce' Cooper at the plate no runs scored. Vines didn't allow anyone on base again until the 8th when he walked Lew Bonilla, who was thrown out on a fielders choice the next at bat. On the season Vines is now 6-2 with a 0.95 ERA and 0.76 WHIP.
Prospect of the Week
P Kris Elliott - He was discovered by Pawtucket scouts out of the British Virgin Islands in 2043 and came into the league as the 91st overall prospect. He was traded a year later to Toronto in the Will Harper deal, and has now shot up to the 5th overall prospect. This season in the Rookie League he's 7-4 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 14 starts. He can hit 99 on the radar, throws three pitches, has great stamina, and scouts think he has the makeup of a future ace
Game of the Week
| Jul 21, 2045: Box Score | Game Log | Season Series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The DL tried to rally in the 8th when Elias Shelton hit a double that scored Ben Clewley and Sean Sayers, but the Import answered right back when J.D. 'Hurricane' Rice hit a triple that scored Brian Wallace and Meeks. Down 8-3 in the top of the 9th, Drillers Ryan Hubbard hit a home run on the first pitch of the inning off of Satchel 'Crayon' Ramirez, but then 'Crayon' got Preston 'Cowboy' Capps to fly out, and Robert 'Stretch' Jessee to strike out. The Domestic stayed alive with two singles in a row, and a wild pitch brought Clewley home, but Julius Castanos hit a line drive to center which was caught by Wallace to end the game.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Hats off to Tom 'Tarantula' Kastner who recorded his 500th career save. Picked by Hartford in the second round of the 2027 draft he played seven season with the Whalers before becoming a free agent and signing a huge contract with Denver in 2037. He played seven full seasons for the Bulls before being traded to Phoenix last month. The 35 year old won the DL Last Call twice and has been named to three All-Star games. He's currently 10th all-time in saves, and the only active player with more saves is Windy City's 41 year old Tom Jensen who has 516.
2. In other All-Star news SDR shortstop Jaden Feldmann was able to knock off Voodoo shortstop Colby 'Mirror' Hullinger 16-15 in the final round of the Home Run Derby. Feldmann was a first round pick back in 2039 and is in his third full season with the Rum Runners, who he currently leads with 26 home runs. 'Mirror' meanwhile already has 30 home runs, 24 stolen bases, is hitting .292 and has compiled a 5.9 WAR. To say he's a probable lock for the Stout Slugger at the All-Star break isn't even as shocking as it should be.
3. The final bit of All-Star news this year is the Future Stars game. Played before the BLB All-Star game the Domestic won 7-3 as Toronto's James Reed was named MVP after hitting a 3-run home run in the 3rd to give the DL the lead, a lead they never relinquished.
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| Domestic League All-Star Futures Game Selections announced: |
| SP Theodore Blume (PIT-R) - 4-5, 3.49 ERA, 49.0 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 12.3 K/9, 1.2 WAR |
| SP Kris Elliott (TOR-R) - 7-4, 3.75 ERA, 86.1 IP, 1.34 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 1.4 WAR |
| SP Logan Fleshman (MAI-R) - 0-9, 9.91 ERA, 46.1 IP, 2.33 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, -0.0 WAR |
| SP Drake Frykman (PAW-AA) - 2-7, 11 SV, 6.42 ERA, 54.2 IP, 1.79 WHIP, 5.4 K/9, -0.3 WAR |
| SP Tim Stover (HAR-R) - 2-2, 3.24 ERA, 50.0 IP, 1.52 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 0.5 WAR |
| SP Zack Timlin (PAW-AA) - 6-4, 2.96 ERA, 85.0 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 1.2 WAR |
| RP Phil Adams (MON-AAA) - 2-0, 3 SV, 1.64 ERA, 22.0 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 1.1 WAR |
| RP Cato Nakasone (HAR-A) - 3-2, 17 SV, 1.15 ERA, 39.0 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 0.9 WAR |
| CL Greg Padgett (NO-R) - 1-1, 3.14 ERA, 14.1 IP, 1.81 WHIP, 13.8 K/9, 0.3 WAR |
| CL Wilber Prickett (TOR-R) - 3-1, 15 SV, 1.55 ERA, 29.0 IP, 0.72 WHIP, 18.6 K/9, 1.8 WAR |
| C Xander Oakley (NO-AAA) - .333/.377/.478, 255 AB, 6 HR, 143 wRC+, 2.6 WAR |
| C Jonathan Schuster (PIT-R) - .192/.347/.342, 193 AB, 7 HR, 98 wRC+, 1.4 WAR |
| 1B Cort Budd (SYR-A) - .256/.367/.441, 238 AB, 7 HR, 2 SB, 127 wRC+, 1.5 WAR |
| 1B Mitch Marcinkowski (MAI-A) - .224/.347/.305, 259 AB, 2 HR, 89 wRC+, 0.9 WAR |
| 1B Dez Swanson (WIL-A) - .367/.435/.545, 264 AB, 9 HR, 1 SB, 177 wRC+, 3.9 WAR |
| 3B Trent Hori (MAI-R) - .224/.267/.349, 255 AB, 5 HR, 66 wRC+, 0.1 WAR |
| 3B Peyton Schranz (TOR-A) - .257/.340/.436, 296 AB, 9 HR, 5 SB, 124 wRC+, 2.0 WAR |
| SS James Reed (TOR-A) - .221/.293/.366, 303 AB, 9 HR, 1 SB, 88 wRC+, 2.4 WAR |
| CF Rick Anderson (DAL-R) - .200/.265/.280, 200 AB, 3 HR, 4 SB, 51 wRC+, -0.2 WAR |
| CF Reginald Botoman (DAL-R) - .189/.268/.306, 206 AB, 3 HR, 4 SB, 57 wRC+, -0.9 WAR |
| CF LaTrivis Chojnacki (IND-AAA) - .243/.315/.364, 272 AB, 7 HR, 20 SB, 85 wRC+, 0.6 WAR |
| CF Newton Laube (IND-AA) - .241/.303/.351, 282 AB, 3 HR, 9 SB, 88 wRC+, 0.9 WAR |
| CF Jarelle Maabade (SDR-R) - .296/.413/.402, 169 AB, 4 SB, 136 wRC+, 2.1 WAR |
| CF Martin Moorman (PIT-A) - .186/.262/.329, 301 AB, 9 HR, 10 SB, 66 wRC+, 0.7 WAR |
| CF Tommy Simpson (TOR-A) - .265/.368/.476, 294 AB, 13 HR, 24 SB, 141 wRC+, 3.4 WAR |
| RF Ahkello Rodriguez (NO-A) - .292/.429/.414, 295 AB, 2 HR, 1 SB, 145 wRC+, 2.3 WAR . |
| Import League All-Star Futures Game Selections announced: |
| SP Ryan Anderson (WAS-AAA) - 6-5, 2.45 ERA, 88.1 IP, 1.34 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 2.1 WAR |
| SP Payton Durst (BAT-R) - 2-3, 3.10 ERA, 66.2 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 1.1 WAR |
| SP Justin Martines (BAL-R) - 5-4, 4.77 ERA, 77.1 IP, 1.56 WHIP, 7.0 K/9, 0.3 WAR |
| SP Calvin Navratil (CAR-R) - 1-4, 3.44 ERA, 52.1 IP, 1.57 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 0.5 WAR |
| SP Joel Sawyer (BAT-A) - 4-4, 3.44 ERA, 65.1 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 1.1 WAR |
| SP JaQuan Wamugunda (PHI-A) - 3-3, 3.16 ERA, 68.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 1.6 WAR |
| RP Cyril Castellon (CAL-A) - 4-1, 16 SV, 3.13 ERA, 31.2 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 15.3 K/9, 1.0 WAR |
| RP Dwan Tamarovsky (LAD-R) - 2-4, 13 SV, 6.08 ERA, 23.2 IP, 1.56 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, -0.6 WAR |
| CL Kyle Eckrote (LAD-AAA) - 0-4, 21 SV, 3.44 ERA, 34.0 IP, 1.29 WHIP, 12.2 K/9, 0.7 WAR |
| CL Kristofer Humberto (BAT-A) - 1-1, 9 SV, 2.42 ERA, 22.1 IP, 1.34 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 0.5 WAR |
| C Dave Root (DEN-R) - .299/.364/.386, 197 AB, 112 wRC+, 1.8 WAR |
| C Ian Seefeldt (BAT-R) - .209/.294/.297, 172 AB, 2 HR, 65 wRC+, 0.5 WAR |
| 3B Julian Irwin (BAT-AAA) - .225/.363/.417, 276 AB, 12 HR, 6 SB, 122 wRC+, 2.1 WAR |
| 3B Tyrek Schaaf (NYK-AA) - .304/.368/.578, 329 AB, 22 HR, 162 wRC+, 4.2 WAR |
| SS Tevin Hawkins (CAR-AAA) - .211/.280/.329, 213 AB, 5 HR, 2 SB, 72 wRC+, 0.5 WAR |
| SS Damone Iwata (SEA-A) - .196/.235/.311, 286 AB, 8 HR, 12 SB, 51 wRC+, -0.2 WAR |
| SS Maurice Johnson (CHI-AAA) - .261/.297/.336, 295 AB, 4 HR, 19 SB, 75 wRC+, 0.6 WAR |
| SS Devon Keen (BAT-A) - .244/.355/.416, 250 AB, 7 HR, 6 SB, 117 wRC+, 1.7 WAR |
| SS Shayne Redmond (PHO-AAA) - .170/.220/.263, 171 AB, 3 HR, 6 SB, 32 wRC+, -0.6 WAR |
| LF Henry Keane (CHI-R) - .280/.378/.415, 246 AB, 4 HR, 2 SB, 125 wRC+, 1.5 WAR |
| CF Abel Kazaz (WAS-AA) - .221/.321/.326, 307 AB, 2 HR, 15 SB, 85 wRC+, 1.5 WAR |
| CF Jackson Soto (NYK-R) - .264/.380/.507, 227 AB, 9 HR, 28 SB, 130 wRC+, 2.9 WAR |
| RF Tyson Dodd (BAL-R) - .296/.396/.473, 203 AB, 5 HR, 8 SB, 144 wRC+, 2.0 WAR |
| RF Zeke Lebron (BAT-A) - .220/.331/.414, 304 AB, 12 HR, 24 SB, 117 wRC+, 1.5 WAR |
| RF Jim Morales (DEN-A) - .289/.442/.437, 270 AB, 7 HR, 160 wRC+, 3.1 WAR |
| RF R.C. Sloan (WAS-R) - .257/.321/.376, 202 AB, 1 HR, 3 SB, 91 wRC+, 0.4 WAR |
4. As batting averages and home runs continue to trend downward, thanks in part to some superstar pitchers around the league, we currently don't have anyone close to hitting .400. On the Triple Crown watch though Montreal's Jaxson Neal is second in average, third in home runs, and first in RBI's. The only problem is his batting average is .316, and first place is Pawtuckets Aubrey 'Gypsy' Albano who is hitting .370, a number unheard of in these dark hitting times.
5. The second half kicks off with only a few playoff questions to ponder. In the DL can Wilmington and Syracuse push Pittsburgh for the final wildcard spot? In the IL can New York and Baltimore do the same to LAD and Seattle? The Clowns have always been a second half team, and play the Millers six more times before the season is over. Syracuse meanwhile has the greatest pitcher in the last decade, is -3 in PYT, and plays Pittsburgh nine more times this year. Baltimore meanwhile has JD Rice, who was awakened from his early season slumber. Since June 1st he's hitting .318 with 16 HR's and 42 RBI's. The rest of the team combined during that stretch has 32 home runs. Finally New York had winning months in May and June, and is 9-8 in July after their disastrous 5-14 April. We see no reason why they can't rebound even further. Maybe there will be some drama after all!
Stat of the Week
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| Unluckiest Teams Based on Pythagorean Record (Top 25 Teams) |
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