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We've reached the second half of the 21st century in the BLB, and we've got a return of the Metrics. Top mathematical minds from around the country have come together to devise a new formula, and are excited to share the results. Without further ado, or any explanation of methods, here are the results:
Editor's Note: The Metrics are strictly a mathematical interpretation of the current state of the league, and do not reflect the views of the editorial team. If you disagree, just know that you're going against cold, hard math. On to the numbers.
The Favorites:
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Two teams have separated themselves from the pack, and they both reside in the Stout Division. Sitting atop the Metrics are the Batavia Red Jackets, who after an aggressive rebuild for first half of the 2040s appear set to realize the fruits of that labor. Former top prospects now litter the roster and are ready to play starring roles, led by reigning IL Stout Slugger Julian Irwin. Meanwhile, their Stout rivals, the Washington Bats, look to stay on top of the standings despite a few notable departures from last season's 104 win team. The Metrics are particularly high on the Bats infield, as James "Turf" Goebel returns from the injured list at second base and the BLB's top rated player, Colby Hullinger, slides over the 3rd. On paper, this shapes up to be a titanic battle at the top of the division.
The (Two-Time) Defending Champs:
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A bit of disrespect for the champs from the "math"? The Dinos have won two Brews in a row and return everyone of note from last season, but sit 3rd here. They are, of course, led by the BLB's best pitcher in Dwan Tamarovsky, postseason hero Cole Socia and may soon have a 3rd ace if Tod Steffen is ready to go.
Likely Playoff Teams:
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The top four teams in the BLB are all in the Import League. The Metrics are high on the Kodiaks, particularly after the additions of Josiah Foust and Seth Cobb from Wilmington (more on the Clowns much later in the piece). Finally, we get our first DL team, though it may surprise some to see it's New Orleans projected to pace the lesser league in 2050. Per usual, the Voodoo boast one of the best pitching staffs in the league, and new signee Karson Blair adds some star power to the lineup. The Baltimore Bulldogs are perhaps the biggest riser in the league this offseason. Coming off a 90-loss season, the Bulldogs now have an embarrassment of riches in the rotation, with the late season acquisition of Nathan McKelvey and rising star Jannero Peter to go along with Kelani Encinia. They may not have the overall depth of talent as Batavia and Washington, but look to be a very dangerous team (particularly in the playoffs with the aces in the rotation).
Pawtucket and Toronto had perhaps the most interesting trade off the offseason which saw DL New Brew Dennis Daley move to Pawtucket while the face of the Patriots, Aubrey Albano heads north of the border. They're essentially tied in the Metrics and should both return to the postseason.
Pittsburgh, coming off a crushing loss in the Brew, slide to #10 in the Metrics after a disheartening offseason that leads the entire league in Total WAR that has walked out the door with barely any replacement.
Middle of the Pack - Fighting for the Wildcard?
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The Bulls may be the most expensive team in the league, but they're no shoo-in to make the playoffs in a difficult Import League according to the Metrics. They've got star power, but do they have enough depth in the rest of the roster to stay in the hunt for 162 games? At lucky #13 reside the Hartford Whalers, a surprise playoff team from last season. They've got some intriguing young talent ready to take the next step that should keep them competitive, and plenty more on the way to be excited about. The Racers - led by young talents Raymond Dixon, Max Klein and Sayon Castillo - appear to be on the rise, but need reinforcements elsewhere on the roster to truly be a contender. They're one to watch in 2050.
Not Terrible
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The five teams here in the 16-20 range have some nice pieces, but not enough (on paper) to make any real noise in 2050. Montreal looks to have perhaps their least talented roster in recent memory and their 11 season streak of making the playoffs appears to be in real jeopardy. The Rum Runners, as always, have been active this offseason as they've moved on from their marquee acquisitions from last offseason, but the Metrics don't believe their moves are enough to move back into contention. A trio of IL teams- Philadelphia, Phoenix and Carolina - all have some solid players, but also glaring deficiencies that leave them outside of the playoff picture on Opening Day.
Fighting for the #1 Pick
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Our last group appears to be well off the pace in 2050, based on the convoluted Metrics formulas. Windy City narrowly missed the playoffs in 2049, but has been quiet this offseason and the numbers think they're in for some regression. Wilmington looks to be in a rebuild with top players Foust and Cobb heading off to California. Does the formula adequately account for defense? The Guides hope it doesn't, but the Metrics don't like much about Maine outside of their glovework. The Snappers round out the field, and can only hope that some of their youngsters develop in what appears to be a difficult season to come.
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There you have it. The Metrics believe we've got a two horse race at the top of the league, with most of the true contenders residing in the Import League. Is the math correct? Did they get all of the decimal points in the right spot? Only time will tell. With the number of impactful players still available in free agency, it may all have been a waste of time to begin with, but the calculations are complete and the BLB is ready to play ball in 2050.
Editor's Note: The Metrics are strictly a mathematical interpretation of the current state of the league, and do not reflect the views of the editorial team. If you disagree, just know that you're going against cold, hard math. On to the numbers.
The Favorites:
| Team | Metric Score | BLB Rank |
| Batavia Red Jackets | 89.4 | 1 |
| Washington Bats | 89.1 | 2 |
Two teams have separated themselves from the pack, and they both reside in the Stout Division. Sitting atop the Metrics are the Batavia Red Jackets, who after an aggressive rebuild for first half of the 2040s appear set to realize the fruits of that labor. Former top prospects now litter the roster and are ready to play starring roles, led by reigning IL Stout Slugger Julian Irwin. Meanwhile, their Stout rivals, the Washington Bats, look to stay on top of the standings despite a few notable departures from last season's 104 win team. The Metrics are particularly high on the Bats infield, as James "Turf" Goebel returns from the injured list at second base and the BLB's top rated player, Colby Hullinger, slides over the 3rd. On paper, this shapes up to be a titanic battle at the top of the division.
The (Two-Time) Defending Champs:
| Team | Metric Score | BLB Rank |
| Los Angeles Dinos | 76.3 | 3 |
A bit of disrespect for the champs from the "math"? The Dinos have won two Brews in a row and return everyone of note from last season, but sit 3rd here. They are, of course, led by the BLB's best pitcher in Dwan Tamarovsky, postseason hero Cole Socia and may soon have a 3rd ace if Tod Steffen is ready to go.
Likely Playoff Teams:
| Team | Metric Score | BLB Rank |
| California Kodiaks | 71.5 | 4 |
| New Orleans Voodoo | 69.4 | 5 |
| Baltimore Bulldogs | 68.9 | 6 |
| Pawtucket Patriots | 65.4 | 7 |
| Seattle Pilots | 65.3 | 8 |
| Toronto Canadians | 65.1 | 9 |
| Pittsburgh Millers | 63.9 | 10 |
The top four teams in the BLB are all in the Import League. The Metrics are high on the Kodiaks, particularly after the additions of Josiah Foust and Seth Cobb from Wilmington (more on the Clowns much later in the piece). Finally, we get our first DL team, though it may surprise some to see it's New Orleans projected to pace the lesser league in 2050. Per usual, the Voodoo boast one of the best pitching staffs in the league, and new signee Karson Blair adds some star power to the lineup. The Baltimore Bulldogs are perhaps the biggest riser in the league this offseason. Coming off a 90-loss season, the Bulldogs now have an embarrassment of riches in the rotation, with the late season acquisition of Nathan McKelvey and rising star Jannero Peter to go along with Kelani Encinia. They may not have the overall depth of talent as Batavia and Washington, but look to be a very dangerous team (particularly in the playoffs with the aces in the rotation).
Pawtucket and Toronto had perhaps the most interesting trade off the offseason which saw DL New Brew Dennis Daley move to Pawtucket while the face of the Patriots, Aubrey Albano heads north of the border. They're essentially tied in the Metrics and should both return to the postseason.
Pittsburgh, coming off a crushing loss in the Brew, slide to #10 in the Metrics after a disheartening offseason that leads the entire league in Total WAR that has walked out the door with barely any replacement.
Middle of the Pack - Fighting for the Wildcard?
| Team | Metric Score | BLB Rank |
| New York Cyclones | 60.9 | 11 |
| Denver Bulls | 54.5 | 12 |
| Hartford Whalers | 50.0 | 13 |
| Dallas Drillers | 49.8 | 14 |
| Indianapolis Racers | 46.7 | 15 |
The Bulls may be the most expensive team in the league, but they're no shoo-in to make the playoffs in a difficult Import League according to the Metrics. They've got star power, but do they have enough depth in the rest of the roster to stay in the hunt for 162 games? At lucky #13 reside the Hartford Whalers, a surprise playoff team from last season. They've got some intriguing young talent ready to take the next step that should keep them competitive, and plenty more on the way to be excited about. The Racers - led by young talents Raymond Dixon, Max Klein and Sayon Castillo - appear to be on the rise, but need reinforcements elsewhere on the roster to truly be a contender. They're one to watch in 2050.
Not Terrible
| Team | Metric Score | BLB Rank |
| Montreal Exports | 42.7 | 16 |
| Santo Domingo Rum Runners | 41.2 | 17 |
| Philadelphia Freedom | 39.7 | 18 |
| Phoenix Roadrunners | 38.1 | 19 |
| Carolina Tobs | 36.7 | 20 |
The five teams here in the 16-20 range have some nice pieces, but not enough (on paper) to make any real noise in 2050. Montreal looks to have perhaps their least talented roster in recent memory and their 11 season streak of making the playoffs appears to be in real jeopardy. The Rum Runners, as always, have been active this offseason as they've moved on from their marquee acquisitions from last offseason, but the Metrics don't believe their moves are enough to move back into contention. A trio of IL teams- Philadelphia, Phoenix and Carolina - all have some solid players, but also glaring deficiencies that leave them outside of the playoff picture on Opening Day.
Fighting for the #1 Pick
| Team | Metric Score | BLB Rank |
| Windy City Blues | 31.9 | 21 |
| Wilmington Clowns | 31.6 | 22 |
| Maine Guides | 31.5 | 23 |
| Syracuse Snappers | 26.6 | 24 |
Our last group appears to be well off the pace in 2050, based on the convoluted Metrics formulas. Windy City narrowly missed the playoffs in 2049, but has been quiet this offseason and the numbers think they're in for some regression. Wilmington looks to be in a rebuild with top players Foust and Cobb heading off to California. Does the formula adequately account for defense? The Guides hope it doesn't, but the Metrics don't like much about Maine outside of their glovework. The Snappers round out the field, and can only hope that some of their youngsters develop in what appears to be a difficult season to come.
----
There you have it. The Metrics believe we've got a two horse race at the top of the league, with most of the true contenders residing in the Import League. Is the math correct? Did they get all of the decimal points in the right spot? Only time will tell. With the number of impactful players still available in free agency, it may all have been a waste of time to begin with, but the calculations are complete and the BLB is ready to play ball in 2050.
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