S54 World Series Predictions

Richard Castle - contributing reporter

After 4 seasons of being a top 1 or 2 team in the NL, the New Orleans Old Fashioneds finally find themselves in the World Series against the dreaded, evil, and defending champions Atlanta Expos; who are playing in their 3rd World Series in 4 years. Over the last two seasons, the Expos are 18-2; over the last 4 seasons they are 35-13. But if anyone is going to beat the Expos this year, it's the NOOFs. In this year's playoffs, the Expos have outscored their opponents 44-12 while the NOOFs are 59-38 in two more games; having to face the power bats of Hartford in the NLDS. 

Editor note: Considering all the lineup changes it's hard to do a straight position battle comparison, so I kept mostly to RHP + DH lineups for positions. 

DH: Nomar Rodgers (Atl) slight edge over James Kondou (NO) - Kondou has struggled as a back-up player all season but the original NOOF fans are excited to see him in the lineup again. He was a 20hr/30sb, .288 hitter the previous 4 years as the starting 1B until the trade of Keith Halter moved him to the backup role. Rodgers is a 25-30 HR, adding no stolen bases and averages all over the place. Even though he hit .239 this season, we'll still give the edge to Rodgers who has seen regular at-bats all season. If Kondou comes out swinging, this might be a wash. 

C: Gregorio Cordero (NO) over Chuck Herndon (Atl) - With the Expos Crain on the DL this season, Herndon is filling in behind the plate. Both catchers are tied and considered the best pitch callers in the league; which should help their amazing pitching staff. Cordero has had a career year and if it continues into the playoffs, expect some big things from the younger catcher. 

1B: Keith Halter (NO) over Wil Johnston (Atl) - Due to Crain being out we see a shift of Rodgers to DH, Herndon to C; leaving Johnston to man 1B. Defensively he'll beat out Halter because he's typically a 3B but his bat is no Halter; who hit 50 HR, 141 RBI, and a .308 AVG. 

2B: Matty Moss (Atl) small edge over Javier Quevedo (NO) - This is the toughest position battle of them all, as both players are on the MVP ballot this season. As discussed in the award post, Quevedo has seen better seasons before; but I'll take Moss over Quevedo every time. Strangely enough, both seem to be struggling in the playoffs. The one that's able to get things going might be what it takes for their team to win the series. 

3B: Josh Hunt (NO) over Vince Saarloos (Atl) - Don't rest on Saarloos's 25/20/.292 season but Hunt saw career highs across the board, and had a 41/35/.278 season himself. Those are huge numbers for someone hitting in the 5-6 hole of the lineup. 

SS: Jimmie Navarro (Atl) slight edge over Max Hernandez (NO). The two had identical averages while Hernandez offered a slight edge on OBP; Navarro clearly has the power advantage, 30 HRs to 12 for the NL SS. For discussion sake, errors are equal (slightly favoring Hernandez), but Max offers more Plus Plays. Since we are in league where chicks dig the long balls, we'll go with Navarro on this one. A glove doesn't get you into the Hall. 

LF: Juancito Martin (NO) slight edge over TJ Christenson (Atl) - Another MVP caliber season for Martin that saw him with a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove; we are days away from finding out if he wins back to back MVPs. What started as a down year for Christenson seemed to turn out above average minus the batting average. He still added his 30ish HRs and 35ish SBs. 

CF: Yan Ozuna (NO) is a wash with Adam 'Batman' West (Atl) - Batman shifts from SS to CF with success this season but isn't quite the defensive player Ozuna is. For a slight drop (barely noticeable unless you are a super villan - .007), West adds 3 more HRs and nearly double the stolen bases. We are calling this a tie as surely the added defense makes up for slightly more power/speed. Interesting to note, Ozuna exactly lead the two in RBIs. 

RF: Johnnie Daniels (Atl) slight edge over Douglas Laxton (NO) - This is closer than people think. Player A: 37 HR, 118 RBI, 8 SB, .298 AVG. Player B: 37 HR, 105 RBI, 11 BS, .298 AVG.  The latter with 3 extra stolen bases but 13 less RBI is Gold Glove winner Daniels. He's a bit underrated if you ask me and was likely just outside the top 5 in the AL for MVP so didn't quite make the ballot. Laxton had a great season as well, likely sitting just outside the NL top 5 himself; but with a near tie at the plate, the winner goes with the better field and that is Daniels. 

vPitchers: Atlanta over New Orleans Adding in a new "battle" this season because it should be noted that Atlanta's hitters fair MUCH better against right handed pitchers and unfortunately for the NOOFs their staff this season is dominated by righties with only Bonilla likely to see major team on the mount. Their two lefty relievers will watch from the bench, not even from the bullpen in most cases. 

The position count is New Orleans' 4 and Atlanta's 4, a bit closer for Atlanta from last season's favorite over the Buffalo bats. Though Atlanta did end up sweeping the NL Champs last year. In a best of 7 series, these bats could really go either way, they are all that close of a matchup. Now let's take a quick look at the pitching.  

SP: Allen Street, JC Wall, Damaso Ethier (Atl) slight edge over Bennie Swann, Louis Combs, Rico Bonilla (NO) - Hard to find comps to each pitching staff but most of these guys have been in the Cy Young award discussions the last couple of seasons. If not for a season ending injury, we'd see William Thompson still on this list except he'd be playing for New Orleans this season. The Expo faithful were looking to both cheer and boo him when he visited the stadium he once called home. Consider how the NOOF starters have been pitching in this year's playoffs, the edge is much bigger but maybe the extra rest since both team's sweep to make the World Series will be good for them. Street has made great strides this season as previously documented by the blog, but Wall was just league average this season; so it could really go either way considering the bats they are facing this series. 

RP: Zephyr Gross, Ossie Crow, Steve Etherton (Atl) slight edge over Danys Solis, Troy Houston, and Yao-Hsun Higashioka (NO) - This is likely one of the weaker bullpens for the NOOFs over recent seasons, and both bullpens include a 7th/8th inning guy who could be closing for most every other team in the league. Gross and Solis will play the LRA role with a spot start if needed around game 4-5 depending on how rested the main starters are.  

Closer: Ronnie Andrews (NO) slight edge over Stephen Ramirez (Atl) - The four time Fireman of the Year and his 172 ERA+/3.81 FIP edges out Ramirez.'s 109 ERA+/4.25 FIP. But both are VERY similar pitchers. If either player comes in, it's likely game over. There's a chance if the bats get going we might not see either of these pitchers either. 

Manager: ekoontz41 huge edge over minihouston - .523 vs .501 career winning percentage, because of the NOOFs 114-48 season, minihouston finally has a winning career record. ekoontz41 has a post reason record of 321-244 in 103 total seasons. Their head to head has ekoontz winning 4 games to 2; but that was a few seasons back. WIS has been a huge learning curve for minihouston and being the first time for them in the world series; the experience has to mean something. 

EDGE: New Orleans over Atlanta in 7. Just because the blog's home office is in New Orleans doesn't mean anything. This blog will not admit to being fans of the NOOFs as I, Richard Castle, am completely unbiased in my writing. That said....GO NOOFS!!!!

And the S54 award goes to....

 Jack Torrance - Contributing Reporter

And the Award goes to...

Continuing off last year's award season. You can generally find the runs, HRs, RBIs, and AVG listed on the website when voting but we'll cover a few of the player's advanced stats; including their Cash points (fantasy points - offense focused), weighted SBs (when relevant, attempted 15 or more), extra base hits, a player's wOBA (weighted on-base average), rc27 (runs created per 27 outs), and even a player's wRAA (weighed runs above average). All in the effort to see how each individual effected the games they played. Players in bold is our predicted winner.

MVP

We'll start off with the MVP race, listed by Skynet's favorites (ie. listed in order from website)

• AL - Kyle Crain (C/DH), who won the last two AL MVPs, suffered an early injury that kept him out all season, which left the door open for others to step up their game. 2B Matty Moss is the only name we've seen in years past as it seems mostly a fresh set of players becoming the stars of the AL. Not to be outdone is future....can we really say future if he's been an All-Star, Home Run Derby champ, and now in the running for AL MVP...(1B) Wei-Yin Wan of the Huntington Tropics. A name we are sure will be listed in this discussion for years to come. Houston Space Cowboys own, (1B/2B/LF) Carlos Soto is another name that often gets overlooked but finally given some dues. He's a major reason Houston was ranked #1 in the AL. (2B) Al Cerantes slips into the voting the last bit of the season, but good to see another familiar name. And finally (LF) Yoervis Colome of the New York Empire. Soto and Moss should get a few extra points for covering some of the tougher fielding positions, but this is a man's league and we value power here! 
• Wei-Yin Wan (1B) - Predicted Winner
• Cash points - 817
• xBH - 85
• wRAA - 39.9
• wOBA - .395
• RC27 - 12
• wSB - irrelevant 
• Case for: A great season by WYW that saw him help lead his team into the playoffs for the first time since S24 when they last won the division. I wonder what he could do as a #3 hitter rather than hitting lead off. His RC27 ranks #4 all time in a single season. His 817 Cash Points lead the league by a large margin. 
• Matty Moss (2B)
• Cash points - 608
• xBH - 68
• wRAA - 49
• wOBA - .412
• RC27 - 9.71
• wSB - 14
• Case for: The Expos saw the loss of the reigning AL MVP, Kyle Crain but Matty stepped up his game and continued to carry the team. Most productive player in terms of stolen bases, 99 steals in 102 attempts. Ranks #1 in the AL in wRAA. #2 in RC27 to WYW. His wOBA puts him in the excellent range and leads all other AL candidates. 
• Yoervis Colome (LF)
• Cash points - 542.5
• xBH - 82
• wRAA - 44.8
• wOBA - .396
• RC27 - 6.87
• wSB - 5
• Case for: Playing in the big market of New York, he'll likely get a couple of votes but he's second fiddle to at least one name in every category on this list. But that's not a dig, where others have holes in their game; Colome picks up in every category and advanced stat. He's behind WYW in power stats, behind Moss in Speed and wRAA; but he's ahead of the other in those stats as well. What's the saying, 'a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.' 
• Carlos Soto (1B/2B/LF)
• Cash points - 593
• xBH - 72
• wRAA - 43.8
• wOBA - .410
• RC27 - 8.15
• wSB - 4
• Case for: A fantastic season for Soto and surely him moving around the diamond helped his team secure the #1 seed in the AL. He's #2 in wOBA for the possible AL MVPs and middle of the road in most every other stat. Houston wouldn't be where they are without him, but is that the Most Valuable Player of the American League? 
• Al Cervantes (2B)
• Cash points - 568.8
• xBH - 74
• wRAA - 37.3
• wOBA - .385
• RC27 - 7.3
• wSB - 0
• Case for: Philly's final push for the season squeaked them into the playoffs. But I can't point to many other stats where Cervantes was the best. 
• NL - Admittedly two of the best, if not the best hitters this season were excluded likely to their in-season trade. Which makes no sense given they were traded from the NL to the NL. But alas, we are missing both S53 Co-MVP (1B) Keith Halter and (1B) Omar Gonzales were omitted from the voting ballot. Both were also snubbed from the All-Star game too. However a few other familiar names appear once again, including S53 Co-MVP (LF) Juancito Martin and (3B) Rip Bromberg. Both are similar players who are front of the lineup types. hitting well above .300; Martin offers more power and speed but Rip will always have the higher average. Not left off the ballot is Gonzales' teammate, (CF) Bonk Burnett and a power of Chicago Gunslingers in (2B) Shea Crowe and (3B) Jhonny Rijo. But once again no Tarraga, I guess who reign at the top of the NL is truly over. Sad day!
• Shea Crowe (2B) - Predicted Winner
• Cash points - 611
• xBH - 87
• wRAA - 61.6
• wOBA - .436
• RC27 - 8.92
• wSB - irrelevant 
• Case for: Leads in most every category and one of the big reasons Chicago overtook Hartford for the division and #2 seed. Second to only Omar Gonzales in HRs in the NL. Ranked behind Halter as well in RBI. Also ranked 5th in runs behind those two and the two NOOFs on the ballot. His .436 wOBA ranks behind only the NOOFs Douglas Laxton and Omar Gonzales for those with at least 350 ABs. 
• Bonk Burnett (CF)
• Cash points - 584
• xBH - 76
• wRAA - 52.6
• wOBA - .431
• RC27 - 8.38
• wSB - 1
• Case for: I think this is a two player race since neither Gonzales nor Halter are on the ballot this year. Part of the 50 HR club and major run producer for the highest scoring team in Cobbfather this year, the Hartford Rising Stars. His Cash Points rank behind 3 NOOFs (Laxton, Martin, and Halter), Omar Gonzales, and Shea Crowe. 
• Rip Bromberg (3B)
• Cash points - 534
• xBH - 67
• wRAA - 43.7
• wOBA - .398
• RC27 - 7.58
• wSB - 0
• Case for: Once again Rip lead the NL in average and hits; the Pittsburgh team is a VERY different team with Rip than it is without. Take him out of the lineup and Pittsburgh doesn't claim the division and might not even take the wildcard slot. That doesn't mean he was the best player in the NL, but does show how impactful he would be in any lineup. 
• Juancito Martin (LF)
• Cash points - 588.5
• xBH - 71
• wRAA - 42.1
• wOBA - .396
• RC27 - 7.38
• wSB - 6
• Case for: Reigning MVP who proved once again what he could do, though admittedly his stats slipped a bit from the year before. You often see MVP candidates with Silver Slugger awards, but Martin also secured a Gold Glove in LF as well. His Cash Points are second highest on the NL list, but mostly ranks just behind the power guys in most other categories. Surpassed 200 hits this season. 
• Javier Quevedo (2B) 
• Cash points - 497
• xBH - 64
• wRAA - 30.5
• wOBA - .378
• RC27 - 7.28
• wSB - 6
• Case for: Q as he's known to NOOF fans, should just be happy to be on this list; but makes me wonder if it was just a down year. He had a MUCH better S51 yet wasn't nominated that year. But he did set the table well for the NOOFs who had plenty of bats behind him. He lead the league in Triples and scored more runs than anyone else on this list. 

Cy Young

Next we have the Cy Young award. This time we'll be looking at a few advanced stats such as ERA+, FIP, Weighted Cash points to neutralize park factors. In the future, if we can figure out why our WAR numbers are so off, we'll include those as well. But for now we'll include K/BB and Quality Starts or Inherited Runners Scored as well. A reminder on ERA+, the average is 100 and anything above 100 indicates the pitcher performed better than average while below performed worse than average. Score of 150 would be 50% better than average. The FIP focuses solely on the events a pitcher has the most control over: K, BB, HBP, and HR. 

• AL - A lot of new names this season and finally the appearance of Roger Simon who was projected by this blog to be in this conversation for quite a few years. His teammate Fausto Cruz also makes the ballot. Atlanta's sole representative is Zephyr Gross, which seems a bit strange given their pitching strength over the last few seasons. Watching the playoffs from home is Colorado Springs' Arismendy Costilla and finally Housotn's Mitch Dillard, the Houston fans are glad to finally see him promoted to the majors, as he reaches the age 27 next season. 
• Mitch Dillard
• ERA+ - 165
• FIP - 3.36
• Cash - 484
• K/BB - 3.45
• QS% - 44%
• Case for: He put up fantastic strike out numbers, reaching the 200k plateau during his final appearance. Which is quite an amazing feat given he often only pitching 5 innings due to stamina concerns. His 165 ERA+ only trails Simon on this list, while his 3.36 FIP just slightly trails Cruz in nearly double the innings. His 484 Cash Points lead all pitchers on this list, though likely due to his high strikeout rate. 
• Arismendy Costilla
• ERA+ - 152
• FIP - 3.38
• Cash - 460
• K/BB - 2.45
• QS% - 70%
• Case for: Most Wins in the AL and threw 70% of his starts for at least 6 innings and under 3 runs; second to most in Quality Starts to his teammate Tony Lim. That's helping out your team! Second to only Mitch Dillard on this list in Cash Points. Out of the 5, Castilla walked the fewest per 9, though isn't known for his strikeouts. Gave up the fewest HR/9 compared to all others on this list. 
• Roger Simon 
• ERA+ - 168
• FIP - 3.51
• Cash - 455
• K/BB - 2.71
• QS% - 64%
• Case for: Just barely beats out Dillard in ERA+, but lead the AL in OAV, third in WHIP, and fourth in ERA. The three men who finished with a lower ERA are also on this ballot. 
• Zephyr Gross
• ERA+ - 121
• FIP - 3.81
• Cash - 423
• K/BB - 2.11
• QS - 69%
• Case for: He held his own but his ERA+ and FIP are lowest on this list. Gross picked up a lot of slack for the Expos, but think he's on the outside looking in for this year's award. 
• Fausto Cruz - Projected Winner
• ERA+ - 173
• FIP - 3.10
• Cash - 447
• K/BB - 2.95
• QS% - 33%
• Case for: Traded mid-season, he proved valuable to Huntington and helped get them into the playoffs. His ERA+ is top of the list, FIP the lowest, though somehow turned in the fewest quality starts. 
• NL - It was a close race last year, but Nigel White beat out Ronnie Andrews in his first year in the NL. After joining the NOOFs mid-season, S52 & S53 AL Cy Young winner William Thompson was having another quality year and was even still considered for the award many games after his injury. That's saying something that he wasn't even getting starts and was still considered to be on the ballot. In the end we have some interesting names once again. Alton Drew of the Chicago Gunslingers is a typical name you see on this list that can't see to get over the hump and win the award for himself. Bennie Swann of New Orleans makes another case for a Cy Young; he really seems to have stepped up his game playing in New Orleans, this being his 4th year on the team and 2nd time up for this award by season's end. Joining him is teammate Louis Combs who has seen similar success with the NOOFs. Lastly is Yamil Torres, teammate to Alton Drew in Chicago. 
• Nigel White
• ERA+ - 252
• FIP - 2.24
• Cash - 518
• K/BB - 4.48
• QS% - 61%
• Case for: White was...well White. Exactly what you'd expect from him. He threw the fewest innings from this list, but his ERA+ of 252 ranks up there with the best all time and well above any other pitcher both AL and NL this season. His FIP took a slight bump but still under 2.25. 
• Bennie Swann - Predicted Winner
• ERA+ - 197
• FIP - 3.25
• Cash - 517
• K/BB - 2.83
• QS% - 78%
• Case for: The NL leader in Wins, OAV, WHIP, and SLG; and should be noted second most innings pitched in the NL; so he stood the test of time this season as well. He produced more quality starts than any other NL pitcher, giving him team the best chance to win. Tied for first in lowest OBP with White. His ERA+ shows he was nearly 100% more valuable than the replacement pitcher and is second to only White. 
• Yamil Torres
• ERA+ - 139
• FIP - 3.31
• Cash - 412
• K/BB - 2.69
• QS% - 64%
• Case for: There's always one guy on the outside looking in and that's Torres this season. shouldn't discount the quality of his season, but he trails the others in most categories. Should still be exciting to see what he does in the playoffs this year. 
• Alton Drew
• ERA+ - 170
• FIP - 2.76
• Cash - 604
• K/BB - 3.67
• QS% - 76%
• Case for: His hat it held up the fact that he lead the league in strikeouts and innings pitched. He'd be the ace for the majority of other teams in Cobbfather. 
• Louis Combs
• ERA+ - 156
• FIP - 3.54
• Cash - 421
• K/BB - 2.44
• QS% - 73%
• Case for: Combs likely comes in a notch above Torres but it's close. The other three are the clear favorites to win. 

Rookie of the Year

And you can't forget our about Rookies. This one gets a little trickier as the list often mixes pitchers with hitters. But we'll do the best we can. 

• AL - Lots of fun names this year, including the AL Fireman of the Year Darby Hatcher. Along with fellow reliever Whit Benoit from Helena. The well traveled Robin Motte joints the list with two bats, 3B Woodie Yarnall and 1B Del 'Ellen' Allen.
• Woodie Yarnall (3B) - Predicted Winner
• Cash points - 495
• xBH - 67
• wRAA - 31.7
• wOBA - .385
• RC27 - 6.92
• wSB - 6
• Case for: He's not far off from MVP candidate (2B) Al Cervantes. He was one of 6 players in Cobbfather to record a 30 HR - 30 SB season; but also notched 30+ 2Bs as well. The big question will be how important is it that a player's team makes the playoffs in the comparison of Yarnall vs Hatcher for the Rookie award. Houston was making the playoffs no matter what, but Boston wouldn't have even been close without Yarnall this season. 
• Whit Benoit (RP)
• ERA+ - 176
• FIP - 4.27
• Cash - 240
• K/BB - 1.52
• IRS% - 26%
• Case for: Was a strong piece for the Hot Dogs in claiming their division. However he's clearly a step behind Hatcher, even if he appeared in twice as many innings as the saves leader. I'll expect good things out of him in the future. 
• Darby Hatcher (RP) 
• ERA+ - 263
• FIP - 2.77
• Cash - 273
• K/BB - 3.23
• IRS% - 0%
• Case for: AL leader in Saves, though oddly enough he only had 1 inherited runner all season and kept him on base. A superb ERA+ unmatched by nearly everyone in the AL. Stranded 87% of runners, and owns a FIP below 3.00. Did everything asked of him and helped Houston claim the #1 seed in the AL. 
• Robin Motte (SP)
• ERA+ - 117
• FIP - 3.72
• Cash - 322.5
• K/BB - 2.6
• QS% - 48%
• Case for: Motte is an interesting case in how he got to Seoul. He was waived by New Orleans to create roster space and claimed by Mexico City and then skipped over by every team in the Rule 5 until Seoul picked up him in the 2nd round at pick 57. His ERA+ notes he was 17% better than the average pitcher this season and ranks higher in Cash Points than the other two rookie pitchers; but that's mostly due to the system favoring starters over relievers. Won double digits this season for a rebuilding club. 
• Del Allen (1B)
• Cash points - 382.5
• xBH - 30
• wRAA - -8.3
• wOBA - .309
• RC27 - 4.64
• wSB - 8
• Case for: Not many Rookies come in and win a Gold Glove but Allen did just that for the Hot Dogs. His wOBA falls just under Below Average and his wRAA ended up in the negatives but he adds value in steals and defense. 
• NL - Another interesting group that will be fun to watch grow. reliever Nash Washington, Jeff Jones, and a few bats 3B Chili Lawton, LF Ernest Clements, and 1B Jason McGuiness. Interesting enough all but one of those guys are watching the playoffs from home. Jones follows teammate Mike Young in being nominated for the award. While McGuiness hopes to do what his teammate Emilio Molina couldn't do last year and take the trophy home for himself. 
• Nash Washington (RP)
• ERA+ - 117
• FIP - 3.95
• Cash - 204.5
• K/BB - 2.48
• IRS% - 15%
• Case for: Nearly 90 innings out the bullpen, with above average performance, though interesting enough his FIP is nearly a full run above his ERA. He stranded 85% of runners and only let 15% of inherited runners score. His numbers feel like they are all over the board. A near 4 FIP isn't great, but he seemed to produce and hold enough leads. 
• Jeff Jones (RP)
• ERA+ - 98
• FIP - 3.63
• Cash - 216
• K/BB - 2.08
• IRS% - 41%
• Case for: NL leader in Saves. But that's about where the stats stop. He stranded 75% of runners but also let an alarming 41% of inherited runners score. Given the 39 saves, he must have came in with quite a few 2-3 run leads. 
• Ernest Clements (LF)
• Cash points - 268
• xBH - 42
• wRAA - -8.7
• wOBA - .306
• RC27 - 3.91
• wSB - 4
• Case for: Hard to make a case for Clements, this spot on the ballot would likely have made more sense for Chris Martin (Mon) who had a near 20 wRAA or Yovani Franco (Buf) whose wRAA was near 25 would have made more sense. Both players have wOBAs in the 'great' range. 
• Chili Lawton (3B)
• Cash points - 249.5
• xBH - 35
• wRAA - 10.3
• wOBA - .349
• RC27 - 5.15
• wSB - 3
• Case for: Lawton provided solid defense at the hot corner which is likely why he's on this list compared to teammate Chris Martin mentioned above. Let's see how the voters value the glove. 
• Jason McGuiness (1B) - Projected Winner
• Cash points - 354
• xBH - 53
• wRAA - -1.9
• wOBA - .320
• RC27 - 4.67
• wSB - 7
• Case for: McGuiness was one of a few players who reached 20+ 2B (24), 20+ HR (22), and 20+ SB (43). With a few more games, he might have crossed the 100 R / 100 RBI threshold as well. Which is why I'm so surprised to see his negative value in wRAA but it likely has a lot to do with the number of strikeouts and limited walks. This might be a time where those advances stats just don't match up to what the player provides. 

Cash Points

The top 20 hitters players under the Cash system are:

1. 817 - Wei-Yin Wan (Hun)
2. 736 - Omar Gonzales (Tok/Har)
3. 659 - Keith Halter (CLB/NO)
4. 611 - Shea Crowe (Chi)
5. 608 - Matty Moss (Atl)
6. 594.5 - Douglas Laxton (NO)
7. 593 - Carlos Soto (Hou)
8. 588.5 - Juancito Martin (NO)
9. 584 - Bonk Burnett (Har)
10. 578.5 - Gregorio Cordero (NO)
11. 568.5 - Al Cervantes (Phi)
12. 556 - Damion Ni (Hun)
13. 543 - Jeremi Diaz (Hun)
14. 542.5 - Yoervis Colome (NY)
15. 539.5 - Vin Pirela (Phi)
16. 534 - Rip Bromberg (Pit)
17. 528 - Brad Vernon (VC)
18. 523.5 - Alex Perez (Mont)
19. 519 - Chuck Rupe (Phi)
20. 515 - Marlon Fowler (Hel)

And the bottom 10 hitters with at least 300 ABs are. It's generally filled with SSs who often but not always provide solid defense to make up for it. Let's see who we've got this year. One thing to note, no Garabez Belliard now that Hartford replaced him. And what a smart move, he was a killer of runs. 

1. 58 - Mark Durrington (Mon - SS)
1. -34.4 wRAA
2. 82.5 - Matty Doubront (Mil - SS) - AL Gold Glove winner
1. -30.2  wRAA
3. 103 - Stephen Donnels (Aug - SS)
1. -22.9  wRAA
4. 105 - Sal Judge (Aug - CF)
1. -17.1  wRAA
5. 107 - Willie Rios (Bos - SS)
1. -46.2  wRAA

The top 20 pitchers under the cash system are:

1. 604 - Alton Drew (Chi)
2. 518 - Nigel White (Har)
3. 517 - Bennie Swann (NO)
4. 484 - Mitch Dillard (Hou)
5. 476 - Jiovanni Poole (NY)
6. 463 - Tomas Benitez (Hel)
7. 462 - Tony Lim (CSP)
8. 460 - Arismendy Costilla (CSP)
9. 458 - Brian Fukudome (Pit)
10. 455 - Roger Simon (Hun)
11. 449 - Rico Bonillla (NO)
12. 447 - Fausto Cruz (Hun)
13. 444 - Joaquin Owen (Phi)
14. 438 - Koyie Ward (CSP)
15. 428 - Damaso Ethier (Atl)
16. 423 - Zephyr Gross (Atl)
17. 421 - Luis Combs (NO)
18. 417 - Tony Holdridge (Aus)
19. 412 - Avisail Mujica (Har)
20. 412 - Yamil Torres (Chi)

Six To Go!

Richard Castle - contributing reporter

Today's blog post is brought to you by the S55 #1 Overall draft pick. With just two series, 6 games; let's take another look at the games that matter most. Starting why everyone is here, the #1 pick. A pick that can change the face of a franchise...unless you're a hoser, I mean Canadian. 

• #1 Pick
• Columbus - the current favorite to "win"?!? Buffalo & Washington DC. With Buffalo in a race for the division, I'd expect them to go all out for each and every single win they can get. But DC is one of the worst pitching teams in the league, with a near 5.00 ERA; I think the top pick is there's to lose. One more L and they reach 100, then we celebrate!!!
• Dover (3 games back) - Minnesota & Milwaukee. Minnesota in their own division battle that matches Columbus' vs Buffalo. Their fate will come down to their series against Milwaukee and what Columbus does against DC. 
• Mexico City (3 games back) - Monterrey & Huntington - Both teams are fighting for the wildcard seeding, Skynet predicts they lose out and Vegas agrees. But will it be enough to claim the top pick?!?
• Santa Fe (4 games back) - WAYYYY outside chance. Requires SF to basically win out, and Columbus to sweep DC while at least taking 1 game against Buffalo just to tie. San Juan & New Orleans. The San Juan series will be the one to watch. The matchup against New Orleans is interesting, they've secured their first round bye and their players have mostly been well rested all year; so benching them would only be due to injury concern; but I could see the NOOFs letting Martin and Quevedo play as they make a push for the NL MVP; and Swann, Combs, and Bonilla pitch as they go for the NL Cy Young....but then again it's a major hitter's park and those could hurt their numbers. 

• NL as it stands today
• (1) New Orleans v -bye-
• (4) Pittsburgh v (5) Chicago
• (3) Oklahoma City v (6) Buffalo
• (2) Hartford v -bye-
• Tie breakers were assumed, using the waiver
• NL North 
• This is interesting because each team is 9-1 over the last team, with Chicago on a 6 game win streak. Each has also won over 100 games this season.
• Hartford @ Tacoma & Montreal @ Chicago
• Tacoma has the slightly better pitching but walks more batters; given the Hartford team is one of the most patient in the NL that should give them (Tacoma) troubles. I'll give the nod to Hartford for this series as their pitching should have no problems handling the Aroma hitting. I'd look for Hartford to set their pitching based on facing Chicago in the final series. 
• Chicago @ Hartford
• If this determines the division, winner takes home the division; loser faces off against the worst record of OKC and Pittsburgh/Buffalo division winner and has to go through New Orleans in the second round. I haven't looked at the rotations, but I'd expect Cy Young candidate Nigel White to pitch game 1 of this series, setting him up to get rest for a Game 1 playoff start. Alton Drew would likely be his opponent in a key match up, assuming he's rested and ready to go. 
• NL East
• Pittsburgh with a 2 game lead, but with an upcoming three games series, that could easily turn things around. Buffalo is slightly more tired, but not enough to change the outcome. 
• Pittsburgh @ Washington DC & Buffalo @ Columbus
• Buffalo has the advantage here, facing off against a team who is just a shadow of its self from the start of the season. In fact, I think they even ran a contest where the winning fan...out of the 4 at the game, got to pitch the 9th inning. Pittsburgh needs to win 2 here, if not a sweep to enter the last series up at least 2. 
• Buffalo @ Pittsburgh
•  This series could go either way, and will be fun to watch. Pittsburgh is a little tired and could decide to rest their bats; but claiming the division would be huge for them. A back and forth series could see OKC take over the #3 seed; which means this winner has to go through New Orleans if they can survive the loser of the NL North. If one team sweeps and OKC struggles a bit; we could see a rematch of this series in the first round of the playoffs. 
• NL West 
• Tokyo @ OKC followed by Portland @ OKC
• OKC has the playoffs, but these two series could determine if they have to go through New Orleans or the winner of the NL North. They are currently the 3 seed in the playoffs, and while the North winner will get a little rest, they are still in a battle for the division that should keep them playing through the rest of the season. 
• NL Wildcard
• NL North loser takes Wildcard 1 
• NL East loser takes Wildcard 2 and with a small chance could actually play the winner of the NL East. Currently OKC and Pittsburgh are tied, I believe OKC wins the tiebreaker. 

• AL as it stands today
• (1) Houston v -bye-
• (4) Helena v (5) Monterrey
• (3) Philadelphia v (6) Huntington
• (2) Atlanta v -bye-
• Tie breakers were assumed, using the waiver
• Appears Huntington may miss the playoffs due to a tiebreaker
• AL North
• Philly going 8-2 while Minny going 3-7 over the last 10 really shook things up in the division. Philly now sits with a 3 game lead. 
• Minnesota @ Dover & Milwaukee @ Philadelphia 
• Minnesota takes the slight edge with the easier team and the fact that Philly has struggled at home this season. But Milwaukee's 3-7 record over the last 10 likely improves Philly's chances. 
• Philadelphia @ Minnesota
• If both win the same games last series, Minny enters needing to sweep to make the playoffs and that's only if they own the tie breaker. A sweep would help that for sure. 
• AL West
• Helea has a 1 game lead on Colorado Springs entering their 3 game series. It's baseball, anything could happen!
• Colorado Springs @ Helena 
• Unlike the two NL divisions and the NL North; this division head to head is the series before the end of the season. 
• Helena @ Anaheim & Seoul @ Colorado Springs
• If Helena can survive the head to head matchup, they will have the easier end to the season. 
• AL Wildcard
• Boston @ New York & Mexico City @ Monterrey & Huntington @ Houston
• New York is playing for their lives, down 2 games for Wildcard 2. Boston is 4 games back and but I've seen magic happen before. Huntington has Houston but they are resting their starters for their first round bye, so not as tough as a matchup as one would think. 
• Atlanta @ New York & Houston @ Monterrey & Huntington @ Mexico City
• Normally I'd say Huntington has the easiest matchup, but the other two will surely be facing backups for Atlanta and Houston as they rest for the playoffs. But lucky for Huntington, Mexico City has been a bottom of the barrel team this season. Houston and Atlanta could however greatly effect who they see in the second round if their starters come to play. Are you playing Checkers....or Chess?
• I think Monterrey should feel good, but it's a toss up between Huntington and New York as the favorite for the #2 Wildcard slot.

On the Books!

 Jessica Fletcher - contributing reporter

This budget reports is brought to you by the number 7...as in 7yankee7 and 7jerry7, here is who has the most committed in future seasons. List in order of most future money committed. In the 'Most likely to propose to their girlfriend after 3 weeks' are the Philadelphia Harpers with just over $250M and at least $64M on the books for the next three seasons. No commitment issues there! On the flip side, the guys who will date their girls for 10 years and never think once about putting a ring on it, are the Helena Hot Dogs and Mexico City Staring Frogs; neither of whom have committed a single $1 to future seasons. Now if that doesn't say, I'm weighing my options; then I don't know what does. Santa Fe is an interesting case, they currently sit at the #3 overall pick next season but have the third most money tied up in current contracts. Should be interesting to see how they handle their pennies the next few years. 

S54 Final Leg

 Richard Castle - contributing reporter

We are in the final stretch of the season, just a couple of games over 30 remain. Let's look at some of the key matchups and magic numbers.

• NATIONAL LEAGUE
• The playoff teams appear to mostly be set, but their position within the playoffs has some wiggle room; with the loss of one of their main starters; even New Orleans place at the top now seems in question. The North is the closest race and could be the difference between a first round bye and home field advantage in the NLDS versus playing as the top Wildcard team. The loser of the NL North and East divisions will be the wildcard teams. Vancouver sits just far enough out of Wildcard #2, being 9 games out their fate really lives in how well Buffalo finishes. 
• NL North
• Hartford - They currently sit just a single game ahead of Chicago in the NL and the #2 seed in the NL. 
• Buffalo: 2/8 PM2 - 2/9 PM. Anytime you face another playoff team, you have to watch the series closely. 
• Oklahoma City: 2/14 PM - 2/15 AM. OKC might have their division unofficially secured, they could be resting players by this time or pushing for a first round bye. A win against Hartford could be huge in securing that.
• Chicago: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. Final series of the season, and this one could go every which way. It could determine the division title, first round bye, or even which wild card rating the loser gets. Depending on the second round bye positioning, both teams might be jockeying themselves for the playoffs and be less worried about the final series knowing they both make the playoffs. 
• Chicago - In a close fight for the division title and possible first round bye. They have the easiest route to the playoffs of all teams listed here, having to only deal with one playoff bound team; although it is the team they are fighting for the division and will be the last series of the season. At a game back from the division title, some have them pegged as the favorite. 
• Hartford: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. See above.
• NL East
• Pittsburgh - Another close division to watch, but it's looking like no matter who wins both will be playing in the first round. Pittsburgh held the lead most of the season, though their recent 4-6 over the past 10 has only been helped by Buffalo's recent 3-7 run. 
• New Orleans: 2/12 AM - 2/12 PM2. The Yinzers will need to keep up the Ws if they are going to hold off Buffalo.
• Buffalo: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. Just like the Hartford v Chicago matchup, there could be A LOT riding on this series. The Pitt locks up the division prior to this series, expect them to rest many of their starters; many of whom are starting to get a little worn outside of Rip and McMillan. 
• Buffalo - Buffalo appears to have the tougher schedule between the two for the division, we'll see if the experience can pull it off. It could all come down to the final series.
• Hartford: 2/8 PM2 - 2/9 PM. See above. 
• New Orleans: 2/9 PM2 - 2/10 PM2. Back to back series against the top two teams in the NL, though Buffalo has no issues handling the NOOFs; going 6-0 when playing them so far this season.  
• Pittsburgh: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. See above.
• NL South
• New Orleans - They have officially secured their 4th straight division title, but they have back to back to back series against playoff teams and now down Thompson who has been a main part of their 4 man rotation; things aren't looking great. Come roster expansion, I'd expect a bunch of call-ups even though their starters seem well rested; their owner doesn't want to risk another late season injury. 
• Buffalo: 2/9 PM2 - 2/10 PM2. To date Buffalo has swept both series they've played in. At this point, the NOOFs might be resting players but still one to watch. 
• OKC: 2/11 AM - 2/1 PM2 & 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. Neither team is expected to be at their full potential, but don't count out OKC during the playoffs. 
• Pittsburg: 2/12 AM - 2/12 PM2. Will be the third straight series against a playoff team.
• NL West
• Oklahoma City - sitting on a comfortable lead for the division and quietly making a push for the #2 slot and first round bye; winning these series could help push them for that extra rest; though after a tough run they are now 7 games out from the #2 spot. 
• New Orleans: 2/11 AM - 2/1 PM2 & 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. New Orleans may be resting players by this point, but winning the majority of the 7 games against the best record in the NL would still be huge. 
• Hartford: 2/14 PM - 2/15 AM. Hartford in the mist of division battle themselves, so I expect a tough matchup; if OKC deems the W is a need. 

• AMERICAN LEAGUE
• Less set than the National League, with 9, potentially 10 teams still in the hunt. 
• AL North
• Philadelphia - Even after 130 games the division is all tied up, but playing playoff potential teams from 2/11 AM to 2/16 PM2; it will be an uphill battle to claim the division for the 5th time in 5 years. Loser likely watches the playoffs from home. 
• New York: 2/11 AM - 2/11 PM2. This series is likely more important to Philly as they fight for the division. 
• Houston: 2/12 AM - 2/12 PM2. The series before an off day, Philly will hope Houston is giving their players a little extra rest. 
• Colorado Springs: 2/14 PM - 2/15 PM. CS in their own division battle will likely be treating these as a must win. 
• Atlanta: 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. Luckily Atlanta has already started resting their players to keep them at 100% for the playoffs, and they've proven beatable over the last 15 games.. 
• Minnesota: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. These games will be huge if the division is still tight. 
• Minnesota - Still tied with Philly, their likely only chance at the playoffs is winning the division as they stand on the outside of the Wildcard looking up. 
• Monterrey: 2/12 AM - 2/12 PM2. Monterrey is pushing for a wildcard slot and won't be taking any series lightly. 
• Colorado Springs: 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. See above, it's cluster in the AL and most teams will be making pushes for make it. 
• Philadelphia: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. See above.
• AL East
• Atlanta - It's been a tough the last 15 or so games, but not many key series left as they've nearly secured a first round bye; but watch their matchup against Houston. With the way Houston is streaking, it could have some value to it and a potential look at the teams fighting for the AL Pennant. But we question if any stars from either team will see much time in the series. They've been resting players for awhile now to keep them both rested and injury free. 
• Houston: 2/14 PM - 2/15 PM.
• New York - Holding tight to yet another playoff appearance, and while they face the top two teams of the AL, both might be resting their stars; making their schedule a little bit easier. But for now they've slipped into a tie for the Wildcard lead with Monterrey and will need every win possible. 
• Philly: 2/11 AM - 2/11 PM2. If New York is going to hold on to the wild card slot, they will need to play well this series.
• Houston: 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. Should be a tough 4 game series, unless Houston is resting their starters. 
• Boston: 2/17 AM - 2/17 PM2. This could be a key matchup to determine the Wildcard. Potential that this series does more damage to both teams than it does help if things happen right in Philly or Minnesota. 
• Atlanta: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. What a way to end the season, against the #1 team who has a first round bye. Could be a good thing if their all-stars are all resting. 
• Boston - Don't sleep on Boston, they are just a game out from both Wildcard slots and playing in one of the, if not THE toughest divisions in the league. If they were in the AL West, they'd be in the lead but here they are; trailing Monterrey and New York for the wildcard slots. 
• Atlanta: 2/13 PM - 2/14 AM. Even resting starters, Atlanta is a tough matchup. 
• Monterrey: 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. This could be their chance to secure a Wildcard slot, but they will likely need to at least break even, 2-2 in this series. 
• New York: 2/17 AM - 2/17 PM2. Back to back series that could determine the Wildcard. 
• AL South
• Houston - Seems to have pulled away in the division and appears to be the clear #2 favorite, receiving a second round bye. There's hope in Houston they secure home field throughout but trail Atlanta by 6 games. 
• Philly: 2/12 AM - 2/12 PM2. Houston likely won't quite be ready to really start resting players, but things have changed for them in the last week as they start to separate themselves from Monterrey. 
• Atlanta: 2/14 PM - 2/15 PM. Always a fun matchup to see these two go at it. 
• New York: 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. Should be a tough 4 game series, but will Houston have pulled away by then?
• Monterrey: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. Likely more important to Monterrey than Houston.  
• Monterrey - If Monterrey can hold on, Houston having series against both New York and Atlanta could help them. 
• Boston: 2/15 PM2 - 2/16 PM2. Boston is hungry for a Wildcard slot and will give this series everything they got. 
• Houston: 2/18 AM - 2/18 PM2. Not likely fighting for the division but a series W will help in the Wildcard. They do have the easier schedule of the AL playoff teams. 
• AL West
• Helena - The Hot Dogs are now tied with Colorado Springs for the division lead but still plenty of games remaining. 
• New York: 2/8 PM2 - 2/9 PM. Going to be a tough matchup against this aging team.
• Houston: 2/9 PM2 - 2/10 PM2. Same as New York, just a much younger team.
• Colorado Springs: 2/17 PM - 2/17 PM2. Second to last series of the year, will be a tight one to watch and could have a HUGE effect on the division title.
• Colorado Springs - With a chance to miss the playoffs for a third straight year, 
• Atlanta: 2/9 PM2 - 2/10 PM2 & 2/12 PM - 2/13 AM. Two series against Atlanta, it's going to be an uphill climb for the division. 
• Philly: 2/14 PM - 2/15 PM. Another team that will be fighting for the playoffs, should be an interesting late series to keep an eye on.
• Helena: 2/17 PM - 2/17 PM2. See above.

And let's not forget about the chase for the better draft picks.

• There are 8 teams within 6 games from each other, with only 2 games separating the #3 pick from the #8 pick. I hate to say the T word, but there's going to be a lot of aggressive base running, AAAA players called up for "experience", and errors around the diamonds. Get ready for a wild ride!
• Columbus Corgis (47-83) - 8-31 since the All-star break. They are the odds on favorite to claim the #1 pick next season. 
• Dover Hazmats (49-81) - Series against Anaheim, Mexico City and a final series against Milwaukee will have a HUGE effect on the draft order next season. 
• Anaheim Diablos (51-79), Tacoma Aroma (51-79), & Santa Fe Surf Riders VIII (51-79) - all have a legit claim to the toughest schedule of the teams on this list. Though Anaheim plays more playoff teams than the other two; they just don't play as many teams on this list as the other two either. 
• Mexico City Staring Frogs (52-78) & Milwaukee Metronomes (52-78) - Milwaukee finishes 2 of their last 3 series against non-playoff teams where as Mexico City has teams who are in dog fights for their division or Wildcard. Should be interested to see how it shakes up. 
• Augusta Alcoholics (53-77) - Their 2 series against Seoul will likely be the deciding factor for their draft order; but games against nearly every AL playoff team helps. 

In The Lab Exposè - S54

Catherine Trammell - contributing reporter

Steroid use is running rampant throughout Cobbfather and the commissioners office has very little to say about it! We went undercover to Dr James Keggi's office and gained access to a few clubhouses around the league, with the most prominent being the Oklahoma City Barons and the defending World Champs, Atlanta Expos. And in the wake of the William Thompson injury, we are hearing rumors around the league about the NOOFs sending him to Oklahoma City to visit their 'lab'. 

• Oklahoma City
• Midre Benavente - If Midre wasn't the ace of the staff before seeing the "doctors" he definitely is now. Word has it, he's improved his stamina, 4 points on his control, 2 on each of his splits, and even the quality of his two primary pitches, a sinker and a slider. Those kind of improvements are almost underheard of for a 33 yr old. The sinker went from good to down right nasty!
• Nefi Sierra - The Nefi we all see today isn't the same as the one who played for Columbus at the start of the season. Since benefiting from OKC's "doctors", Nefi has seen two stints on the DL, each time recovering better than when he went down. By the ratings of our scouts, he's gone from an 82 at the start of the season to an 84! Though most of that growth has come in the field as he's getting to balls faster. His health and durability were said to improvement but maybe the OKC doctors were trying out a new serum because you ask "Hey Catherine, if his health improved why did he land on the DL a second time?" And I'd suggest the second stint was another ploy to try out a new batch of their power serum. Rumor has it, given their pitcher's park; the team is looking for ways to improve their power hitting.  
• Stretch Story - What Midre did as a starter, Story did as a reliever. This 29 yr old saw a 4 point bump in his control, 2 vL, 3 vR, and 2 bumps in all three of his pitches; putting his 4-seam above quite a few others in the league. Story saw a 4 point bump in his overall ratings by the Blog's scouts. The lab seems to work it's wonders!
• Rafael Rodriguez - Like Nefi, Rafael saw a big jump in his range, durability, and health. Unlike Neif, Rafael also saw a 4 point ratings bump in his speed. I'd expect a small uptick in his average since he's a tad bit tougher to throw out at first. 
• Pedro Puello - Yet another starter who comes back from the DL healthier than ever before! Pedro's increases were minimal but across the board. When a playoff team's SP1 and SP2 see these kind of increases when they shouldn't be improving, every medical person raises an eye brow. 
• Atlanta
• Alan Street - Atlanta liked what they saw so much like OKC with Sierra, they sent Street back to the labs for "tendinitis". The Expos are hoping for another 1-2 points in Control, Splits, and maybe even a little bit on the velocity. Going on the 60 day now, should have him back for the ALCS...assuming Expos put an end to their current losing streak. 
• Steve Etherton - Yet another pitcher who picked up control and splits, righties will have an even tougher time getting a base hit off him. And that velocity! The lab is working for Etherton!
• Chicago
• Eduardo Cespedes - EC may not be starting anymore, but the 33yr old is guaranteed $8.7M next season and has a $10.7M mutual option the follow season, so the Chicago owners are vested. Rumor has it, he was sent down to OKC for 'a second opinion' and like Puello and Benavente before him, saw increases across the board. 

Mr. Comissioner, the ball is in your court. Think of the kids who look up to these players! Soon American kids will be bottle fed steroids, think of the kids! Oh wait, he loves Canada more than America. BOO!!!!

S54 Updated Power Rankings

Richard Castle - contributing reporter

Here we are with another Skynet update and final update of the year. Atlanta's is costing, and even though they lost the winner of the last two AL MVPs, their hitting hasn't stopped producing. Houston holds strong at #3 with Hartford finally making their ascension to the top, taking the #2 and top NL team with their power bats favored over the NOOFs. Nigel White is having an amazing season, just unfortunately that he can't start every game. OKC's rankings are standing firm though the team is jiving much better these days with the second best record since the previous mid-season rankings update. 

Either people in Portland cannot read or they just don't care about the opinion of the blog; but with a lack of improving their bats, they've sunk from 2 games to 11 games behind OKC in the division race and are currently 10 games behind Buffalo for the Wildcard 2 slot. 

On the other side of the rankings, Milwaukee holds the bottom tightly and in a dog fight for the top overall pick in next year's draft as there are 7 teams within 1 game of each other. Lots of tie breakers going into effect this year. 

By record of the current playoff picture as of this writing:

• 88-30 Atlanta (AL-E) - 30-8 since last update
• 82-36 New Orleans (NL-S) - 26-12 since last update
• 78-40 Houston (AL-S) - 25-13 since last update
• 71-47 Hartford (NL-N) - 23-14 since last update
• 70-48 Pittsburgh (NL-E) - 20-17 since last update
• 69-49 Chicago (NL Wildcard 1) - 24-14 since last update
• 68-50 Oklahoma City (NL-W) - 26-11 since last update
• 68-50 New York (AL Wildcard 1) - 19-19 since last update
• 67-51 Monterrey (AL Wildcard 2) - 18-19 since last update
• 67-51 Buffalo (NL Wildcard 2) - 22-16 since last update
• 65-53 Philadelphia (AL-N) - 22-16 since last update
• 63-55 Boston - misses playoffs - trails Monterrey for Wildcard 2 by 4 games
• 61-57 Helena (AL-W) - 20-17 since last update

The NOOFs have taken a bit of a hit, but I'd still love to see the Swamp Series take place; Houston v New Orleans.

Good luck the rest of the way!