07/06/2048
Toronto maintains their hold on the PR as they go 6-1, tied for the best week in the league next to...Pittsburgh? Yes those lovable Millers actually did something good and are now 43-42 and in solid position of fourth place in the Ale. Their playoff odds sit at 33%, but without a true power bat they are 10th in the Domestic in home runs and 9th in run scores. More than likely their playoff streak appearance will come to an end this season. Also having good weeks were Pawtucket and LAD who each went 5-2. The Patriots lead the Ale by a game over Maine, while the Dinos hold a two-game lead over the Kodiaks in the Bock. On the other side of life Carolina and Syracuse each went 1-6. Some weeks you are the bat, some weeks you are the ball.
Power Rankings
1) Toronto Canadians (117.2, o)
2) Los Angeles Dinos (111.6, ++)
3) Pawtucket Patriots (104.6, +)
4) Pittsburgh Millers (104.1, ++)
5) Maine Guides (103.3, -)
6) Dallas Drillers (100.8, --)
7) California Kodiaks (100.4, -)
8) Windy City Blues (97.3, ++)
9) New Orleans Voodoo (96.0, ++)
10) New York Cyclones (95.4, -)
11) Philadelphia Freedom (94.2, -)
12) Montreal Exports (93.8, --)
13) Wilmington Clowns (93.6, --)
14) Washington Bats (92.0, -)
15) Denver Bulls (89.7, ++)
16) Phoenix Roadrunners (86.9, +)
17) Baltimore Bulldogs (84.9, +)
18) Batavia Red Jackets (81.6, --)
19) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (80.6, +)
20) Carolina Tobs (70.4, --)
21) Indianapolis Racers (70.0, +)
22) Seattle Pilots (69.7, +)
23) Syracuse Snappers (68.5, --)
24) Hartford Whalers (48.4, o)
Performance of the Week
P Jason 'Cracker' Davidson - Only one player broke into the top performances of the season, and it was 'Cracker' who turned in the 18th best pitching performance of the season. On July 3rd against Carolina he went eight innings, allowed only one hit, and struck out 10 as LAD won easily 7-0. The 34 year old former first round pick is now 7-6 with a 3.67 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 108 ERA+.
Prospect of the Week
P Jannero Peter - We mentioned the 20 year old a few weeks ago when he was in A ball. The 7th round pick drafted by Baltimore back in 2045 was recently moved up to AA and in two starts he's 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA, 13 K's, and four walks. He throws four pitches, can hit 101 on the gun, and could end up in AAA by the end of the season. What a steal.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Clowns 36 year old Erwijn 'Moriarity' de Jong went cycling this past week, only the third times it's been done this season around the league. The game did go 15 innings though, so we'll have to put an asterisk by this one. In seven at bats he got the home run on the last pitch of the game, when he walked it off with a 2-run shot off Rum Runners reliever Scott Adams. In other 'Moriarity' news he's up to five stolen bases on the season, giving him 669 for his career. In a world where Richie 'Powder' van Luik doesn't exist it would be quite the story, as he's now only eight away from passing Jerry 'Juiced' Daly. Sadly for de Jong the 32 year old 'Powder' has 26 stolen bases this season and already has a 138 steal lead over Daly.
2. Toronto not only won the week but they won the month of June. Their 21-7 record was the best in the league and gave them a four game lead over Montreal in the Lager. They are now 4-1 in July and currently have five players on the 'hot' list. Team wise California only allowed 81 runs (Indy 173), Philly scored 149 runs (Bal 94) and hit 42 HRs (NO 18), and Dallas stole 50 bases (Syr 7).
3. It appears that Seattle has finally given in to the baseball 'gods' and decided to sell it off. They once again lead the league with a -4 PYT as the bounces continue to just not go their way. What can this team offer in terms of trade bait...plenty. Starter Kelani Encinia is 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last three starts, Richie 'Powder' van Luik has found his stroke after starting off the season hitting .185, and LF Reid 'Ramrod' Cole is a 4x All-Star who helped lead Windy City to the 2041 title. Throw in a handful of other solid offensive and defensive players and the phones are going to be busy in Seattle.
4. Millers starter Cordarius Gomez and Cyclones slugger Melchior Werth are on Triple Crown watch as we head into the middle of summer. Gomez currently leads the Domestic in wins, K's, and ERA as he's posted a 10-2 record with a 2.02 ERA and 140 K's. Werth is first in the Import in home runs (24) and RBI (63) and fourth in average (.327). Unfortunately for him he has quite a hill to climb as Blues first basemen Seth Donna leads the Import with a .391 average. Last season he hit .301, and the year before .298, so we expect him to cool down a little. How much though only remains to be seen, and would it be enough for Werth to catch up to him. Werth won the Stout Slugger in 2046, didn't win in 2047 when he had a better season (thanks to Preston Capps), and looks to be on pace to win again. So at least he has that going for him.
5. What's on tap? We're on to interleague and we have two great match-ups. The first is Pawtucket at LAD, the second is California at Toronto. In the Patriots at Dinos we get to see two first place teams square off in a potential Brewmasters preview. Pawtucket is an even .500 on the road, while LAD is 29-17 at home. The Dinos are 8-2 over their last 10, and are first in the Import in hits, average, OBP and second in runs scored. Pawtucket meanwhile is first in the Domestic in ERA, first in home runs allowed, and second in runs allowed. If the Dinos throw Johnathon 'El' Dorado and Jason 'Cracker' Davidson we think they'll take the series. The second match-up is another potential Brew preview as we have the Kodiaks and their 13 year playoff streak against the Canadians and their 'we're back' tour. California is the best team in the league when it comes to pitching, but their hitting continues to lack as they are 11th in runs scored. Toronto is meanwhile a middle of the pack pitching team, but their offense is at or near the tops in the league. We think Toronto continues to stay hot and takes this one.
Stat of the Week
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Largest Improvement in Team Wins (Top 25 Teams) |
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