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04/29/2052
The big showdown between Syracuse and New Orleans actually went to the Snappers as they took three out of four, but at the end of the week the Voodoo take over the top spot. The winner of the week though was the Windy City Blues, who gave us the unicorn by going 7-0. The Blues went from 3-10 to 10-10 in one week...now that's a turnaround! Other big weeks were Maine and Cali who each went 6-1, while Denver and Pawtucket went 5-1. Lots of happy fan bases it looks like around the league. On the flip side Carolina went 0-7, while Phoenix and Seattle went 1-6. Some not so happy fan bases either we suspect.
Power Rankings
1) New Orleans Voodoo (129.0, +)
2) Washington Bats (122.0, ++)
3) Denver Bulls (121.7, ++)
4) Pawtucket Patriots (120.7, ++)
5) Syracuse Snappers (116.7, --)
6) Philadelphia Freedom (109.0, +)
7) Pittsburgh Millers (106.0, --)
8) Maine Guides (102.0, ++)
9) Dallas Drillers (101.0, --)
10) Windy City Blues (101.0, ++)
11) Baltimore Bulldogs (97.0, ++)
12) Toronto Canadians (95.0, +)
13) California Kodiaks (88.0, ++)
14) Batavia Muckdogs (85.0, -)
15) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (82.3, --)
16) Los Angeles Dinos (80.0, -)
17) Indianapolis Clowns (78.0, +)
18) Montreal Exports (78.0, --)
19) Phoenix Roadrunners (72.8, --)
20) Hartford Whalers (71.0, -)
21) New York Cyclones (67.8, --)
22) Seattle Pilots (50.0, --)
23) Wilmington Wildcats (49.8, -)
24) Carolina Tobs (36.4, --)
Performance of the Week
P Trevon Pearson - One of the good young pitcher in the game, Pearson continues to show his value...this time with a no-hitter against Santo Domingo on April 24th. Over the course of the nine innings he allowed no hits, struck out six, and walked only two as the Canadians won 6-0. Originally drafted in the fourth round by Pawtucket he was traded to Toronto in the Rowan Diaz deal in 2045. He debuted for Toronto in 2047 and has been a staple of the rotation ever since.
Prospect of the Week
P Ken 'Abnormal' Burns - The Rum Runners have the top farm system in the league thanks in part to the 19 year old Burns. Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2050 draft he's turned into the 24th ranked prospect in the league and is currently in A ball. There in three starts he's 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA, 18 K, and only 5 BB. He has a curveball, changeup, and cutter...and can hit 101 on the gun. Not too shabby to say the least.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Have you heard about Parker Lee of the Washington Bats? Well he leads the league in RBI's and we might be saying that for the next decade. The 21 year old was a second round pick in 2048 and dominated the minor leagues before getting called up last season. He's already smashed nine home runs, second in the league, and he's on pace to hit 73. We doubt he will get there, but this is the same kid that hit 49 HR and had 104 RBI in a single Rookie League season back in 2049.
2. Usually we have a few teams that start out hot but this season it just appears to be New Orleans. The Voodoo are the only team in the league with a winning percentage higher than .650 as they sit at 14-6 and lead the Lager by the three games. The rest of the divisions are just kind of muddled together. Over in the 'Brutal Bock' we have Denver at 12-7, then Windy City at 10-10 and everyone else below them with a sub .500 record. The great thing is that 23 of the 24 teams still have a shot at the playoffs! Sorry Carolina.
3. Philly has all-time HR leader Robert 'Stretch' Jesse starting in the outfield, the first time he's started at a position since 2039 when he played for Toronto. So far in 12 games at left he's only committed one error but has a ZR of -.5. We don't see that getting much better for the 38 year old. There's a reason he is a 12x All-Star and 3x Stout Slugger, and it wasn't his prowess in the field. It appears to be affecting his hitting as well, as Jessee has struggled to get going this season. In 18 total games he's hitting .211 with 1 HR and only 6 RBI.
4. The Blues were helped to the 'unicorn' week when catcher Justin Wyatt turned in the #3 hitting performance of the season on April 27th against Carolina. He smacked three home runs (all solo shots), and scored four times in an 8-1 victory. The 25 year old is one of, if not the top young catcher in the league. He's now hitting .400 with 5 HR and 7 RBI in only 12 games. He has the same pedigree as Parker Lee, where he hit lots of home runs in the minors, and the Blues are hoping that continues to translate to the BLB. Well so far so good.
5. What's on tap? This week we get a couple battles of two vs one that both begin on April 29th. First up is Washington at Philly. The Bats lead the Freedom by a game as they have gone 7-3 over their last 10. They are also ranked first or second in many offensive and pitching team rankings. So overall just another year in Washington. The Freedom meanwhile are trying to put together a winning season after winning 67 and 62 games the last two seasons. They were quite busy in free agency, so lets see exactly how far Pat 'Melody' Nunes and Robert 'Stretch' Jessee can take them. The second match-up is Dallas at New Orleans. The Drillers trail the Voodoo by three games in the Lager and are trying to figure out what do without Seth 'Icebox' Cobb, who was lost for four months earlier this month. So far they seem to be humming along. The Voodoo though are one of the most consistent teams in the league. They've been to the playoffs 12 out of the last 14 seasons, including winning the Brew in 2045.
Stat of the Week
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