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09/06/2060
Maine, Pittsburgh, and Santo Domingo had the best weeks by going 5-1. The Guides have all but punched their second straight playoff appearance, the Rum Runners are now only a game out of the final Wildcard spot, and the Millers have already booked their postseason tickets to Cabo. On the other side of life Philly went 0-6 while Montreal went 1-5. The Freedom are doing all they can to catch Batavia for the worst record in the league (only one game back), while Montreal still has a 7.5 game lead in the Lager but wanted California to feel special by allowing a three-game sweep. Meanwhile the Roadrunners went 4-2, while Seattle went 3-3, and low and behold we have a new Power Rankings leader.
Power Rankings
1) Phoenix Roadrunners (122.3, +)
2) Seattle Pilots (115.1, -)
3) Baltimore Bulldogs (112.1, +)
4) Syracuse Snappers (105.7, o)
5) Maine Guides (103.7, +)
6) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (98.6, ++)
7) Montreal Exports (98.6, --)
8) Washington Bats (95.0, ++)
9) Dallas Drillers (94.9, +)
10) Toronto Canadians (92.9, --)
11) New York Cyclones (92.4, --)
12) Los Angeles Dinos (91.6, --)
13) Pittsburgh Millers (90.6, ++)
14) New Orleans Voodoo (88.6, --)
15) Wilmington Wildcats (88.4, -)
16) Indianapolis Clowns (87.9, +)
17) Windy City Blues (80.3, +)
18) Denver Bulls (80.2, --)
19) California Kodiaks (79.8, ++)
20) Pawtucket Patriots (77.2, --)
21) Hartford Whalers (75.4, -)
22) Batavia Muckdogs (68.8, +)
23) Carolina Tobs (66.0, --)
24) Philadelphia Freedom (56.1, -)
Performance of the Week
RF Justin Castiglioni - Another week in the BLB without a Top Performance, but the Bulldog outfielder did put on a show on September 4th against Syracuse. In five at bats he tallied up five hits that produced four RBI and two runs of his own, and in the process Baltimore won 9-5. He doubled in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, hit a three-run triple in the 5th, tripled in the 7th and hit an RBI single in the 9th. On the season he's hitting .282 with 4 HR, 42 RBI, and 48 SB while putting up a 3.0 WAR.
Prospect of the Week
CF Blade Richards - He's only a sophomore but is eligible for next years draft, and Blade has the potential to be able to do it all. Scouts think he can be an elite starting center fielder, who can hit for contact, steal bases, and play any outfield position at a DWI level. He's also shown glimpses of being able to play second or third without a problem as well. At just 18 years old he's very raw skill wise, but he managed to hit .259 with 6 HR, 22 RBI and 10 SB this past season.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Only one team reached 20 wins last month, your very own Seattle Pilots. With a 20-10 record they took over and maintained a lead in the super top-heavy Bock. The team with the best winning percentage though was Syracuse, who went 19-9. The Snappers built a seven game lead at the end of August and have a 97% chance of winning the division. Other top months were had by Montreal (18-11), Toronto (18-12), and Phoenix (17-11). On the other side of life Hartford went 9-20. On June 1st the Whalers were 32-22 and only 2.5 behind the Snappers. Since then they are 33 games under .500 for what reporters have labeled "a tailspin like no other." Some team leaders: Seattle scored 153 runs (NYC 92), Washington hit 34 home runs (PAW 15), Toronto swiped 60 bases (HAR 13), Washington allowed just 100 runs (PHI 158), and opponents hit .241 off of Syracuse (HAR .284).
2. Brandan Caldwell has had quite the few months for Maine. On June 17th he was 3-7 with a 5.87 ERA. He's now 10-7 with a 4.36 ERA, hasn't lost in 13 starts, and just won the Domestic Pitcher of the Month. In six August starts he went 5-0, posted 27 strikeouts, and sported a 3.21 ERA. For a team that started off the season by going 9-16 in April, the Guides now sit at 76-64 thanks in part to Caldwell's hot streak. Another big reason is rookie closer Mitch Colwell. Brought up at the end of April, the 23 year old is now 8-0 with 27 saves and a 1.04 ERA. There is a little bit of luck involved though considering four of his five blown saves have turned into a win. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, but make no mistake Caldwell is pretty darn good too.
3. Brian Wheat is putting up another Stout Slugger type year. The second year man is hitting .345/.409/.599 with 24 HR, 79 RBI, 39 SB and a +8.1 ZR in center field. His 7.5 WAR is second in the league to only Ashley Kappler of Syracuse, and his current 16 game hitting streak is tied for tops in the league. One thing Wheat isn't great at though is stealing bases. Yes he's swiped 39 of them, but he's also been thrown out a ridiculous 35 times. Scouts say his speed is blazing, as he often shows in the outfield, but his stealing instincts just aren't there. There is no team who likes to run like Toronto as their 290 stolen bases lead the league. Their 72.1% success rate though is 17th in the league, and most of that falls on Wheat's shoulders.
4. The Kodiaks may be in turmoil, but there minor league system is #1 in the league. With 174 prospect points, they have passed New Orleans who is sitting at 172, and Montreal who is at 161. Their top player is none other than Rory Elia Jr., who is the 5th best prospect in the land. At only 20 years old he struggled some this season in AA, but scouts still think the former first overall pick is a future elite second or third basemen. Considering his dad was a 10x All-Star, 2x Stout Slugger, and 2037 Brewmasters champion with Carolina, he has some big shoes to fill. Did we also mention the Kodiaks will be drafting in the top three next season, have five extra picks in the first five rounds of next years draft, and six in the first seven rounds the following year? With all that extra firepower it appears the rich are going to get a lot richer. As their GM once said, "I don't expect all the top picks to be superstars, just ours. I also don't expect all the mid-round picks to turn into superstars, once again just ours." Looks like their scouts better make sure those resumes are up to date.
5. What's on tap? How about Seattle at Phoenix for a big time three game series. The Pilots hold a half game lead over the Roadrunners in the Bock, and hold a slight 5-4 advantage this season so far. With just over 20 games remaining a sweep by either team could mean the difference between a first round bye, or a potential Wildcard disaster scenario. We also get to see New Orleans at Wilmington and Toronto at Dallas. Currently the Domestic Wildcard standings are Maine, Toronto, New Orleans, and Dallas that are in, with SDR and Wilmington right behind them. From Toronto to Wilmington though it's just a ridiculous three and a half game split...that's it. So when the manager gives the normal 'every game counts' speech, this time it's actually true.
Stat of the Week
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| Largest Difference Between Personal WinPct and Team WinPct (Top 25 Players, Current and Inaugural Seasons Ignored) |
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