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05/01/2062
Goodness it's already May as the Bats continue to dominate the BLB with a ridiculous .842 winning percentage. This past week they went 5-1 to push their record out to a Stout and league leading 16-3. There were a few teams though that did one better, as Indy, Wilmington, and New York all went 6-1. Throw in LAD, Dallas, and Phoenix who all went 5-2 and there were a lot of happy fans. Some not so happy fan bases were Batavia, Pawtucket, California, and Seattle who all went 1-6. Yikes! That's three playoff teams, including the defending champs, who got pummeled. Mama always said there would be weeks like this.
Power Rankings
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Washington Bats (161.6, +)
2) New York Cyclones (138.6, ++)
3) Phoenix Roadrunners (120.0, ++)
4) Toronto Canadians (114.7, +)
5) Baltimore Bulldogs (114.0, ++)
6) New Orleans Voodoo (114.0, --)
7) Maine Guides (112.7, -)
8) Wilmington Wildcats (108.0, ++)
9) Windy City Blues (107.0, --)
10) Montreal Exports (105.0, --)
11) Los Angeles Dinos (102.0, ++)
12) Indianapolis Clowns (99.0, ++)
13) Hartford Whalers (98.0, -)
14) Syracuse Snappers (75.0, --)
15) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (74.8, o)
16) Carolina Tobs (73.0, ++)
17) Pawtucket Patriots (67.8, --)
18) Dallas Drillers (65.0, ++)
19) Pittsburgh Millers (64.0, +)
20) Denver Bulls (62.3, -)
21) California Kodiaks (60.3, --)
22) Philadelphia Freedom (57.0, +)
23) Batavia Muckdogs (47.0, --)
24) Seattle Pilots (26.0, -)
Performance of the Week
P Torren Orji - In a strange career he was discovered out of the Ivory Coast by SDR back in 2043. He played for the Rum Runners from 2051 to 2053, before being sent down to AAA for the next four full seasons. He then got signed by California and got 14 starts with the Kodiaks in 2058 before being released at the end of the season. He was signed by Maine, but granted free agency in May and didn't play the rest of the year. Picked up by Pittsburgh in 2060, he's now been a three year starter for the pitching starved Millers. On April 28th against his old team the Rum Runners he got a little revenge as Orji turned in the #1 performance of the season when he went 8.1 innings, allowed only one hit, walked none, and stuck out 12. The Millers won 5-0 and he is now 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA on the season.
Prospect of the Week
C Lucas Sharrock - The potential of this HS junior is off the charts as scouts think his ability to put the bat on the ball, and then drive said ball over the fence, is top of the line. He also has a better than average arm and the ability to impact games behind the plate as a catcher. After hitting .337 and then .349 in his first two seasons, he only hit .286 this season with six home runs and 20 RBI in 31 games. He is as raw as they come, but he will definitely be worth a higher round pick in the upcoming draft for some team who wants to gamble.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Frank 'Slugger' Memmi continues to show the Kodiaks how wrong they were as he took home the April Batter of the Month. The 33 year old hit .397/.468/.735 with 6 HR, 17 RBI and a 1.203 OPS. He's on pace to put up a 13.6 WAR, which if he does anything close to that we might need to keep an eye on the California GM. We know he can't keep up this torrid production, but he's been a blessing for the first place Guides and his $6.05m salary has been easy on the books. Next season he's projected to earn $12.1m in arbitration and even that would be considered a deal at this point.
2. When you think of 'Stoppers' you have to think of Eric Hendrix for the Bats. Drafted by Dallas in the 2049 draft he was traded to Carolina where he pitched for seven seasons. He signed with Montreal for three years, helped them win the 2060 Brewmasters, then opted out. Hendrix was then signed by Washington. Last season he appeared in 67 games for them, pitched 152.2 innings, and posted a 2.65 ERA and 145 ERA+. This season he's already appeared in nine games, is 5-0 with two saves, has a 1.16 ERA, and just won the Pitcher of the Month for the Import. When the 6'7 righty, who can hit 101 mph on the gun, comes out of the bullpen it appears only good things are happening for the Bats.
3. New Orleans is trying to rebound after last seasons debacle of an ending. After taking a three game Lager lead into the final week, they lost all three games of their series while the Exports won all three of theirs. They then lost to the Exports in game 163 and had to settle for the Wild Card, where they lost to Toronto in five games. This season they are 13-7 and lead the Lager by a half game, while also sporting the best farm system in the league. Their 188 points is 66 points higher than second place Pittsburgh, and they have five pitchers ranked in the top sixty (3, 34, 35, 49, 60). They are consistently one of the best run organizations in the league. From 2038 to 2058 they went to the playoffs 17 times, while also winning the 2045 Brew.
4. Here we go again for Seattle fans. After starting the season out rough last year, they ended up turning it around and making the playoffs. This season they said 'hold by beer' as they are 4-16 and now have the worst record in the league. The main problem is they can't hit. They are last in the Import in nearly every offensive category. Check that, they are last in the league in nearly every offensive category. Their batting average of .201 is 59 points behind the league average, while their OBP of .251 is 67 points below the league average. The good news is they pulled it off last season. The better news is there is only one direction to go this season, and it's up. Since 2022 this team has missed the playoffs a grand total of three times, the last being in 2048. How they've been this good this long is only a mystery that Washington has seemed to solve. If anyone can turn this season around, it's them.
5. What's on tap? How about some match-ups that feature the one and two's of the divisions. This week we get to see Windy City (second in the Bock) travel to Washington (first in the Stout), and New Orleans (first in the Lager) travel to Hartford (second in the Ale). We also get to see if the 7-13 Kodiaks (2-8 on the road) can turn it around against the 13-7 Roadrunners. Streak wise Wilmington has won five straight, while Baltimore has won four in a row. Individual wise Keon Pryor has a 14 game hitting streak as his now .400 average is tops in the league.
Stat of the Week
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| Most 20 HR/20 SB Seasons (Top 25 Players) |
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