Tweet
04/25/2061
The Roadrunners keep on running over the opposition as they go 6-1 on the week. With a sweep of Denver, and taking three of four against Batavia, they are now 16-4 on the season and continue to have the best record in baseball. Other top weeks were LAD and Pawtucket who each went 5-1. Pawtucket is a surprising 14-5 while LAD moves to 9-10 as they try and right the ship. On the other side of life New Orleans and Cali went 1-6. The Kodiaks are 7-12 while the Voodoo are 7-13, as it appears both proud franchises are teetering towards a second straight frustrating season.
Power Rankings
1) Phoenix Roadrunners (154.0, o)
2) Pawtucket Patriots (138.6, ++)
3) Baltimore Bulldogs (120.0, ++)
4) Washington Bats (120.0, -)
5) Syracuse Snappers (109.2, ++)
6) Montreal Exports (107.2, ++)
7) New York Cyclones (105.2, --)
8) Toronto Canadians (103.0, --)
9) Denver Bulls (100.0, -)
10) Carolina Tobs (98.0, ++)
11) Pittsburgh Millers (93.0, ++)
12) Dallas Drillers (91.0, +)
13) Indianapolis Clowns (89.0, +)
14) Los Angeles Dinos (88.3, ++)
15) Windy City Blues (86.0, --)
16) Wilmington Wildcats (78.3, --)
17) Seattle Pilots (78.0, --)
18) Batavia Muckdogs (71.8, +)
19) Philadelphia Freedom (69.0, --)
20) California Kodiaks (63.3, --)
21) Hartford Whalers (60.0, ++)
22) New Orleans Voodoo (49.0, --)
23) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (47.0, -)
24) Maine Guides (42.0, -)
Performance of the Week
1B Rob Detling - Detling hit six home runs in five games, went 0-4 on April 19th, then blasted three home runs the next day in a 13-2 victory over Seattle. Our favorite stat is that he's already 19 games in the season and still on pace to hit 94 home runs and drive in 174 runs. Signed by the Dinos last season after spending the first seven years in New York, he has turned into a terror at the plate. Last season he crushed 44 home runs, a career high, and as we mentioned this year he's looking to surpass that. We can't remember a hot start like this in a long, long time.
Prospect of the Week
C Rayshaun Chen - The 2x high school All-Star had a career slash line of .306/.367/.512 with 23 HR, and 89 RBI, all while throwing out 53.6% of attempted base thieves. He won't be 18 for another few months but scouts think he's a potential top flight starter both behind the plate on offense and on defense. Draft exports have him as a potential mid to late first round pick in the upcoming draft.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. The Wildcats have struggled but rookie sensation Marquis Alagna has not. Signed this off-season out of Italy, Alagna debuted as the #9 prospect in the league and went straight to the BLB. So far in 17 games he's hitting .300/.391/.483 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 SB, and a +1.5 ZR in left field. All though there were several offers, Alagna's agent told reporters after the big signing that nobody beat the seventy-two million guaranteed in the first two years like the Wildcats put on the table. Now between him, Shayne 'Wasp' Hall, and Evan Yanko there isn't a better defensive outfield in the league. Did we also mention Hall is 21, Alagna is 23, and Yanko is 24. The scary thing is they are all projected to get even better as they enter their prime in a few seasons. Wilmington maybe be struggling now, but there are brighter days ahead.
2. After last week, Phoenix now has a +50 run differential, are 12-1 at The Birdnest, and continue to lead the league in home runs while trailing only Baltimore in stolen bases. They are also second in attendance, second in percentage of their stadium filled, second in merchandise revenue, and first in gate revenue. True they've had a lot of home games, but the times are a changing in the desert. With having the top record in the league, and the stands filled almost to the brim, expect those ticket prices to continue to rise. One financial advisor told us recently that if teams are over 90% to capacity and not charging full price ($20), you're just losing money. As mama always said, "strike while the iron is hot."
3. Maine has completely fallen off the cliff as they are 5-15 and 112 power ranking points below Phoenix. In the Domestic they are last in runs allowed, ERA, and starters ERA, while also being 11th in hits, average, and OBP. That's a bad combination. They started out slow last season as well, and ended up 88-74 and in the playoffs. Can they rebound once again? Looking at their roster we 100% believe so. On the offensive side 3x All-Star Jarrett Shaneyfelt is hitting .184, team leader Jarrett Vazquez is hitting .183, while rookie catcher Jayson Hart is hitting .182. On the pitching side only starter Dave Hunt has an ERA under 5.00. It's a long season but if you are giving up 12% of the way into it, then you are just a quitter. And mama always said, "quitters never win, and winners never quit."
4. New York suffered a blow this week when Alexander Charter went down with a hamstring injury. The 24 year old was the first overall pick of the 2054 draft, and was playing the best baseball of his young career this season. Last year he hit .222 and the word 'bust' started to get thrown around. This season though he was hitting .259/.380/.431 while playing second base, short stop, and left field, as he's one of the few players in the league that can play any position in the field at a high level. The injury happened April 21st against LAD, and of all times while playing defense. After a routine 6-3 ground out in the third, Charter came up hobbling. He was replaced by Kaniel Martinez as Charter gingerly walked into the dugout then to the clubhouse. An MRI later showed a severe strain which will sideline him at least six weeks.
5. What's on tap? This week we get two great match-ups that happen to be rematches of last years Championship Series. First Montreal travels to Toronto for a three-game series starting today. Then on April 28th Phoenix heads to Baltimore for a big four-game series. For those that don't recall (sorry fans of Toronto and Baltimore), last season Montreal barely got by Toronto in a series that went all seven games. All though the final score of game seven was 11-1, the champions went down swinging. Meanwhile the Roadrunners swept the Bulldogs out of the playoffs, before then getting themselves swept by the juggernaut Exports. Streak wise Pawtucket, Hartford, and Carolina have all won four straight, New Orleans has lost six straight, and Dane Jennings (PIT) currently has a 26 game hitting streak.
Stat of the Week
.
| Longest Losing Streak To Finish a Season (Top 25 Teams) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|