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The METRICS
The Favorite: Washington
What else is new? #1 in your heart, and #1 in the Metrics. The Washington Bats won 108 games in 2054, won the 2 Brews prior to that and return basically intact. The Metrics think DC’s lineup is head and shoulders above the pack, headlined by 4 of the Top 10 hitters in the league. All of the hitting is complemented by a rotation anchored by Reid Rothstein with Brock Bumbarger and Bailey Feder waiting in the bullpen to close it out.
#1 in the DL (and #2 overall): Santo Domingo
Somewhat a surprise at #2? The Rum Runners have gone 84-78 in each of the last 3 years, but appear to have the talent to exceed that number in 2055. Damon Casebier, the top overall pick just 2 seasons ago, appears set to be a star, while Ken Burns is back at the top of one of the league’s best rotations.
Nipping at their heels are the Wilmington Wildcats. A rising power since new management took over, Wilmington has perhaps the best young talent in the league - 2B Vince Cox, LF Carl Brinkley, SPs Rick Robertson and Zack Fleming are all under 25.
Checking in at #4 and 5 are last year’s Brewmasters Cup teams, Carolina and Pawtucket. The Patriots look like contenders, like always, with a balanced group that lacks some star power but has few real weaknesses. The Tobs are heavy on star power - #1 hitter Evan Turner and #1 pitcher Charlie Spence lead the way - and they added former Patriot Blake Visco to bolster the back end of their rotation.
The best of the best (by category):
Hitting - Washington Bats - Already mentioned, but the Metrics see the Bats’ bats battering opposing pitchers all season long. Washington led the BLB in runs scored in 2054, finishing 93 runs ahead of runner-up Dallas. Reigning Stout Slugger Julian Ludin leads things off, Andy Dillon got the nod for the 2055 award in the DK preview. Sandwiched between them in the lineup are Parker Lee and Neall Rabah, ranked 4th and 5th on the Top Players list.
Fielding - Los Angeles Dinos - LA dealt top players Neall Rabah and Dwan Tamarovsky mid-season in 2054 and have re-made themselves as the best defensive team in the BLB. Their trio up the middle - SS Mason Dvorak, 2B Cody Mancini and CF KJ Avery - are among the best of the best.
Starting Pitching - Seattle Pilots / Carolina Tobs - Too close to call in the race here. Carolina’s got the top arm in the league in Charlie Spence, added Martin Huffman midseason, signed Blake Visco to somehow be #4 in the rotation while being ranked in the Top 15 in the entire league. Seattle can match them arm for arm, despite losing two premium arms from their 2054 rotation. New faces Rajon Anderson Greg Suplee give them unmatched depth in their rotation anchored by Cayden Wittmeyer. In the offseason, it was out with the old (Kelani Encinia), and in with the.. Still old, I guess (Norm Aouita). With pitching like these two teams have, an ILCS rematch wouldn’t be a surprise.
Bullpen- Washington Bats- They led the league in bullpen ERA in 2054 and didn’t lose anyone from that group, and the Metrics still love the group, even with Henry Doerrer taking his 1.83 ERA to the rotation to start the season.
| TEAM | POINTS | RANK |
| Washington Bats | 85.1 | 1 |
| Santo Domingo Rum Runners | 81.9 | 2 |
| Wilmington Wildcats | 74.1 | 3 |
| Carolina Tobs | 72.8 | 4 |
| California Kodiaks | 69.2 | 5-T |
| Pawtucket Patriots | 69.2 | 5-T |
| New Orleans Voodoo | 65.8 | 7 |
| Seattle Pilots | 65.3 | 8 |
| New York Cyclones | 55 | 9 |
| Dallas Drillers | 54.9 | 10 |
| Baltimore Bulldogs | 54.2 | 11 |
| Pittsburgh Millers | 52.9 | 12-T |
| Los Angeles Dinos | 52.9 | 12-T |
| Syracuse Snappers | 43.6 | 14 |
| Hartford Whalers | 42.5 | 15 |
| Indianapolis Clowns | 41.3 | 16 |
| Phoenix Roadrunners | 40.4 | 17 |
| Windy City Blues | 39 | 18 |
| Denver Bulls | 35.9 | 19 |
| Maine Guides | 33.4 | 20 |
| Philadelphia Freedom | 32.1 | 21 |
| Toronto Canadians | 30.6 | 22 |
| Batavia Muckdogs | 25.3 | 23 |
| Montreal Exports | 15.6 | 24 |
The Favorite: Washington
What else is new? #1 in your heart, and #1 in the Metrics. The Washington Bats won 108 games in 2054, won the 2 Brews prior to that and return basically intact. The Metrics think DC’s lineup is head and shoulders above the pack, headlined by 4 of the Top 10 hitters in the league. All of the hitting is complemented by a rotation anchored by Reid Rothstein with Brock Bumbarger and Bailey Feder waiting in the bullpen to close it out.
#1 in the DL (and #2 overall): Santo Domingo
Somewhat a surprise at #2? The Rum Runners have gone 84-78 in each of the last 3 years, but appear to have the talent to exceed that number in 2055. Damon Casebier, the top overall pick just 2 seasons ago, appears set to be a star, while Ken Burns is back at the top of one of the league’s best rotations.
Nipping at their heels are the Wilmington Wildcats. A rising power since new management took over, Wilmington has perhaps the best young talent in the league - 2B Vince Cox, LF Carl Brinkley, SPs Rick Robertson and Zack Fleming are all under 25.
Checking in at #4 and 5 are last year’s Brewmasters Cup teams, Carolina and Pawtucket. The Patriots look like contenders, like always, with a balanced group that lacks some star power but has few real weaknesses. The Tobs are heavy on star power - #1 hitter Evan Turner and #1 pitcher Charlie Spence lead the way - and they added former Patriot Blake Visco to bolster the back end of their rotation.
The best of the best (by category):
Hitting - Washington Bats - Already mentioned, but the Metrics see the Bats’ bats battering opposing pitchers all season long. Washington led the BLB in runs scored in 2054, finishing 93 runs ahead of runner-up Dallas. Reigning Stout Slugger Julian Ludin leads things off, Andy Dillon got the nod for the 2055 award in the DK preview. Sandwiched between them in the lineup are Parker Lee and Neall Rabah, ranked 4th and 5th on the Top Players list.
Fielding - Los Angeles Dinos - LA dealt top players Neall Rabah and Dwan Tamarovsky mid-season in 2054 and have re-made themselves as the best defensive team in the BLB. Their trio up the middle - SS Mason Dvorak, 2B Cody Mancini and CF KJ Avery - are among the best of the best.
Starting Pitching - Seattle Pilots / Carolina Tobs - Too close to call in the race here. Carolina’s got the top arm in the league in Charlie Spence, added Martin Huffman midseason, signed Blake Visco to somehow be #4 in the rotation while being ranked in the Top 15 in the entire league. Seattle can match them arm for arm, despite losing two premium arms from their 2054 rotation. New faces Rajon Anderson Greg Suplee give them unmatched depth in their rotation anchored by Cayden Wittmeyer. In the offseason, it was out with the old (Kelani Encinia), and in with the.. Still old, I guess (Norm Aouita). With pitching like these two teams have, an ILCS rematch wouldn’t be a surprise.
Bullpen- Washington Bats- They led the league in bullpen ERA in 2054 and didn’t lose anyone from that group, and the Metrics still love the group, even with Henry Doerrer taking his 1.83 ERA to the rotation to start the season.
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