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9/15/2053
The defending champs continue to hold onto the top spot in the Power Rankings, even after an un-Batlike 5-2 week. At 96-51 they have the best record in the league, have clinched the division for the third straight season, and will coast the remaining few weeks to the playoffs. The top billing goes to the Los Angeles Dinos though. Once written off by even their own media, they've climbed out of their late summer doldrums to have a 77-69 record and a 100% chance of making the playoffs per Stats+. Not a bad turnaround. Other top weeks were Maine who went 5-1, while Wilmington, Toronto, New Orleans, California, and Hartford all went 5-2. Meanwhile it wasn't a good week for Pennsylvania as Pittsburgh and Philly both went 1-6.
Power Ranking
1) Washington Bats (128.6, o)
2) California Kodiaks (119.0, +)
3) New Orleans Voodoo (112.7, o)
4) Seattle Pilots (110.7, +)
5) Dallas Drillers (107.0, --)
6) Maine Guides (105.1, ++)
7) Los Angeles Dinos (104.9, ++)
8) Toronto Canadians (100.1, -)
9) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (96.2, -)
10) Hartford Whalers (92.7, ++)
11) Pittsburgh Millers (91.5, -)
12) Pawtucket Patriots (90.9, --)
13) Indianapolis Clowns (90.8, -)
14) Wilmington Wildcats (90.8, o)
15) Windy City Blues (84.6, ++)
16) Carolina Tobs (81.0, --)
17) Denver Bulls (80.8, o)
18) Baltimore Bulldogs (79.3, --)
19) Montreal Exports (73.9, -)
20) Batavia Muckdogs (69.0, o)
21) Syracuse Snappers (66.7, +)
22) Phoenix Roadrunners (64.0, o)
23) New York Cyclones (61.8, +)
24) Philadelphia Freedom (56.3, --)
Performance of the Week
LF Moses Thomas - The 23 year old was the fourth overall pick by SDR in the 2048 draft and is doing everything he can to lead the Rum Runners to the promised land (playoffs). This past week he turned in the 10th best hitting performance of the season against Syracuse when he had two home runs, five RBI, and scored three times in a 13-4 victory. On the season he's hitting .215 with 9 HR and 27 RBI in only 66 games. The best part for the Rum Runners is he still has some untapped potential according to the scouts.
Prospect of the Week
CF Justin Castiglioni -The 18 year old freshman hit .310/.424/.533 with 10 HR and 34 RBI in his first season with the Sooners. He won POTW in May, and was also named the Sweet 16 MVP when Oklahoma took out the Miami Hurricanes. Scouts love his speed and range, and think his ability at the plate will make him a top outfielder in the majors someday.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. The Maine Guides are now 28-12 over the past two months, have built a seven game lead in the Ale, and have a 98.2% chance of winning the division. Not bad for a team that went 11-14 in July and was three games under .500 on July 11th. In the constant roster shuffle of their veteran GM, they have seven pitchers on their current staff that have played in 10 games or less. The record of those pitchers...16-6. Talk about some veteran leadership there.
2. The Domestic wildcard race has become a mess mostly thanks to the Ale. Pittsburgh, Indy, and Toronto have 75 wins. Pawtucket has 74 wins. With Dallas/New Orleans (whoever loses the division race) and Santo Domingo basically locks, that means we have four teams competing for two spots. Pittsburgh, even after one of the biggest collapses we can recall, is the favorite for the three seed, while Pawtucket and Toronto are near dead even for the final spot. Indy though is sitting at 25%, and with the way things have gone this season it's really anyone's guess.
3. Congrats to New Orleans Voodoo second basemen Dennis Brantley who set the single season record for doubles. He hit his 66th to tie the record on September 12th against Pittsburgh, then broke the record the following night. In the bottom of the seventh against Garry Fanalua he smacked a 1-2 pitch down the left field line and waltzed into second. The game was stopped and the crowd of 37k+ gave him a standing ovation. The record was previously held by Enrique Ferreira, who set it in 2007 with Toronto at 32 years old in his final season.
4. The final Import wildcard spot, and eventual 2053 BLB champion, will more than likely have a losing record. Currently it's between Baltimore (70-76), Denver (68-78), and Windy City (67-79). The Bulldogs are favored at 77%, and could possibly go to a one-man rotation down the stretch with Jannero Peter. Obviously we are kidding, but we can't get over the season this kid is having. He did pick up another loss this past week, so unfortunately his record is now 19-2 with a 1.78 ERA and 232 ERA+. He is still 12 K's though behind LAD ace Dwan Tamarovsky for the pitching Triple Crown. When asked about it yesterday though he stated, "I could not care less. Going to the playoffs is the only thing that matters."
5. What's on tap? With two weeks and change left will the Domestic wildcard clear up? This week Pawtucket plays three at Pittsburgh, then three at home against Santo Domingo. They are 5-4 against the Millers this season, and 3-4 against the Rum Runners. Meanwhile Dallas travels to Toronto as the Canadians look to keep their playoff hopes alive. They are 2-7 against the Drillers so now would be a good time to reverse that trend. Streak wise LAD has won six straight, Washington five straight, Adrian Gramling (SEA) has hit safely in 16 straight games, and Collin 'Prince' Maloney (DAL) has a 15 game hitting streak.
Stat of the Week
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