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05/09/2061
Well there's a face we're quite accustomed to as the Bulldogs barely squeak by Washington to assume the PR throne. The Bats did have a leagues best 6-1 week, and won two of three of against Baltimore, but alas they fell just short. Someday things will turn around for the downtrodden franchise. The other top week was Syracuse who also went 6-1 that included a sweep of then Ale leader Pawtucket. The Snappers are the captain now as they hold a one game lead in the division. With a magic number of 130 we're gonna say they have a way to go. On the other side of life LAD had the sad unicorn as they went 0-7 and have now lost 10 straight games. From 12-10 to 12-20 is a big ditch to crawl back out of.
Power Rankings
1) Baltimore Bulldogs (138.1, +)
2) Washington Bats (137.1, +)
3) Syracuse Snappers (131.8, +)
4) Phoenix Roadrunners (122.5, o)
5) New York Cyclones (121.5, +)
6) Pawtucket Patriots (113.1, --)
7) Montreal Exports (109.9, +)
8) Toronto Canadians (105.6, +)
9) Denver Bulls (97.6, -)
10) Batavia Muckdogs (97.0, -)
11) Carolina Tobs (93.0, o)
12) New Orleans Voodoo (88.3, ++)
13) Pittsburgh Millers (88.3, ++)
14) Maine Guides (82.4, o)
15) Indianapolis Clowns (78.4, -)
16) Wilmington Wildcats (72.1, ++)
17) Dallas Drillers (70.4, +)
18) Windy City Blues (70.4, -)
19) Philadelphia Freedom (68.9, -)
20) California Kodiaks (65.5, +)
21) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (57.0, +)
22) Seattle Pilots (51.0, +)
23) Los Angeles Dinos (47.5, --)
24) Hartford Whalers (45.6, -)
Performance of the Week
Joel Bell - In the upcoming 'Age of the Catcher' we hope to see more of these, as the offensive production of the man behind the plate has fallen off for the last...well 20 years or so. Bell though had a banner day against Windy City on May 5th. During a 15-5 win he racked up four hits, drove in five, and scored three times. The 23 year old is in his second full season and is hitting .246/.343/.506 in 24 games played so far this year.
Prospect of the Week
1B Isaac Rampone - The 21 year old gives some hope to the struggling Rum Runners as scouts say "with his talent the lights of Rampone could be blinding." Wow, that's quite a statement to say the least. Drafted fourth overall last season he's hitting .513/.552/.910 with 8 HR and 25 RBI in just 22 Rookie League games this season. Sounds like the opposing RL pitchers have already been blinded.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. It's good to see Even Turner back, at least for the time. After putting up three mediocre seasons from 2058-2060, he's hitting .313 with 11 HR and 25 RBI in just 29 games this year. In fact he smashed five home runs just last week alone. When he won the Stout Slugger in 2056 he hit .332 with 28 HR and 100 RBI, and was marked as the next star of the league. Then in 2058 he missed over five weeks of the season due to various injuries and hit just .239 with 19 home runs. He never seemed to recover as last season was his worst yet. In that one he hit .242/.306/.432 and put up a 102 OPS+, his lowest since he was a rookie. He's only 27, and scouts still think he's an above average outfielder, so we're pulling for the comeback.
2. The Import so far is a tale of eight cities. It was the best of times for Washington, Baltimore, Phoenix, and New York. It was the worst of times for Seattle, Cali, LAD, and Philly. The first group all have at least 20 wins, the second group all have at least 20 losses. With Windy City and Denver on the climb now, and Batavia, Carolina, and Philly netting some high draft picks, it appears we're in for a slight changing of the guard.
3. Checking in pre-draft and California is ranked #1 on the Annual Top Systems report put out by OSA. With 204 prospect points they are 25 points higher than second place New Orleans, and a whopping 76 points higher than third place Montreal. Led by the #4 overall prospect in the land, Rory Elia Jr., it appears that it's only going to get better...by a lot. The Kodiaks have 14 extra picks (by our count) over the next two drafts, including 10 in the first three rounds. Who allowed this to happen? After making the playoffs from 2035 to 2055, they have struggled with 'just' two postseason appearances since. The rebuild appears to be in full swing. Time to see how the GM does in the draft and if California turns into the team of the late 2060's and beyond.
4. Some early leaders in the sabermetric stats department: Baltimore leads the league with a +5.18 wSB (PAW -4.48), Montreal has a +8.76 ZR (PHI -8.86), Pawtucket has a 3.45 FIP (SEA 4.54), Montreal has a wOBA of .354 (SDR .285), and Montreal has a total WAR of 12.97 (SDR 1.07).
5. What's on tap? How about a little interleague tango. Baltimore definitely will be feeling the love after hosting Pawtucket (21-11) early in the week, then traveling to Syracuse (22-10) after that. The Bulldogs are tied with the Bats for the best record in the league, and are first in the Import in runs scored, stolen bases, and starters ERA. They are second in runs allowed, trailing only Phoenix. They've also won five straight and are 8-2 over their last 10. We also get a 1v1 as Montreal travels to Phoenix. This will be their first meeting since the Exports swept the Birds in last years Brewmasters. Will there be a little payback coming at The Birdnest, or will the Roadrunners wilt under the hot desert sun.
Stat of the Week
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| Most Consecutive 25 HR Seasons To Start A Career (Top 25 Players) |
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