BSPN June Power Rankings + All Star Preview
BSPN Power Rankings and All Star/Presidental Cup Preview – June 19
All Stars Predictions*
*stats from June 12
Premier League All Star Predictions:
C: Efrain Quintanilla, Midwest Plainsmen | .365/.413/.494 | 3 HR | 24 RBI | -0.6 ZR
1B: Adam Borne, Dallas Devils | .322/.431/.622 | 15 HR | 44 RBI | +1.2 ZR
2B: Antonio Ramirez, Philadelphia Liberty | .324/.420/.551 | 7 HR | 27 RBI | -2.9 ZR
3B: Ernie Reeder, Chicago Gale | .310/.408/.586 | 14 HR | 40 RBI | +2.0 ZR
SS: Edwin Nadal, Detroit Motors | .321/.425/.505 | 9 HR | 33 RBI | +5.3 ZR
LF: Edgar Sanchez, Detroit Motors | .333/.414/.627 | 11 HR | 36 RBI | +7.2 ZR
CF: Mark Hawkins, Arizona Thunderbirds | .271/.312/.388 | 3 HR | 19 RBI | +13.2 ZR
RF: John Petcoff, Dallas Devils | .305/.363/.671 | 23 HR | 53 RBI | -2.2 ZR
DH: Kyle Kemerly, Chicago Gale | .321/.395/.565 | 11 HR| 42 RBI
SP: Keith Bush, Dallas Devils | 7-3 | 84.0 IP | 64 HA | 32 BB | 97 K
SP: Scott Golden, Detroit Motors | 6-4 | 82.1 IP | 59 HA | 30 BB | 64 K
SP: Neil Hinz, Great Lakes Monsters | 6-6 | 92.0 IP | 88 HA | 24 BB | 67 K
RP: Ivan Campos, Chicago Gale | 5-0 | 8 SV | 50 IP | 37 HA | 12 BB | 68 K
RP: Chris Demo, Arizona Thunderbirds | 7-2 | 8 SV | 58.2 IP | 55 HA | 19 BB | 72 K
RP: Shawn Martin, Midwest Plainsmen | 3-1 | 9 SV | 46.0 IP | 27 HA | 15 BB | 57 K
Silver League All Star Predictions
C: Jordan Olguin, Cincinnati Royals | .299/.379/.558 | 8 HR | 31 RBI | -0.5 ZR
1B: Chris Greenwell, Austin Outlaws | .322/.386/.659 | 19 HR | 60 RBI | -3.5 ZR
2B: Mike Becklin, Denver Wolves | .397/.52/.588 | 4 HR | 27 RBI | +1.9 ZR
3B: Kevin Rayos, Denver Wolves | .324/.393/.685 | 20 HR | 59 RBI | -1.8 ZR
SS: Bob Pisano, Denver Wolves | .296/.332/.439 | 5 HR | 23 RBI | +6.3 ZR
LF: Josh Johnson, Mexico City Chupacabras | .323/.379/.556 | 13 HR | 49 RBI | -0.4 ZR
CF: Ralph Radney, Salt Lake City Snappers | .381/.444/.563 | 4 HR | 27 RBI | -10.1 ZR
RF: Miguel Gallegos, Atlanta Swarm | .335/.390/.605 | 7 HR | 33 RBI | +4.6 ZR
DH: Shen Qi, Atlanta Swarm | .391/.465/.584 | 7 HR| 39 RBI
SP: Kyle Randolph, Cincinnati Royals | 8-3 | 99.1 IP | 90 HA | 22 BB | 80 K
SP: Mike Quinn, Atlanta Swarm | 5-4 | 81.1 IP | 66 HA | 14 BB | 72 K
SP: Brad Limbach, Cincinnati Royals | 6-2 | 92.0 IP | 96 HA | 15 BB | 74 K
RP: Jerry Werts, Cincinnati Royals | 5-2 | 15 SV | 63.1 IP | 44 HA | 11 BB | 57 K
RP: Chris Cote, Salt Lake City Snappers | 1-1 | 11 SV | 28.1 IP | 26 HA | 8 BB | 42 K
RP: Jesus Gaytan, Atlanta Swarm | 2-2 | 11 SV | 27.0 IP | 23 HA | 8 BB | 42 K
Bronze League All Star Predictions
C: Alejandro Pena, Miami Warriors | .348/.432/.539 | 6 HR | 34 RBI | -0.9 ZR
1B: Kurt Dominy, Boston Rogers | .337/.414/.591 | 11 HR | 41 RBI | -4.2 ZR
2B: David Aranda, Miami Warriors | .300/.372/.430 | 2 HR | 26 RBI | +3.3 ZR
3B: Jesse Robison, Houston Moondogs | .313/.368/.388 | 0 HR | 31 RBI | -0.4 ZR
SS: Joe Barton, Miami Warriors | .313/.362/.495 | 6 HR | 40 RBI | +7.3 ZR
LF: Chad Lynch, Miami Warriors | .325/.393/.629 | 15 HR | 41 RBI | -1.7 ZR
CF: Joe Sellers, Miami Warriors | .349/.434/.460 | 3 HR | 34 RBI | -4.3 ZR
RF: Ramiro Zaragosa | .374/.435/.529 | 1 HR | 24 RBI | +6.0 ZR
DH: Andre Cullers, Miami Warriors | .331/.415/.581 | 9 HR| 42 RBI
SP: Seth Paddock, Miami Warriors | 5-1 | 83.0 IP | 56 HA | 13 BB | 88 K
SP: Chris Abbott, Miami Warriors | 3-5 | 90.0 IP | 71 HA | 15 BB | 76 K
SP: Jeremy England, Boston Rogers | 7-2 | 78.2 IP | 81 HA | 17 BB | 73 K
RP: Bob Brodeur, Houston Moondogs | 2-0 | 9 SV | 45.2 IP | 41 HA | 14 BB | 39 K
RP: Mike Vasquez, Bay Area Pandas | 3-3 | 6 SV | 42.0 IP | 32 HA | 13 BB | 43 K
RP: Reynaldo Lepe | 6-0 | 5 SV | 35.2 IP | 20 HA | 14 BB | 32 K |
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Premier League Power Rankings
1. Dallas Devils
W-L: 34-23 (.596) / Last 10: 3-7
Preseason Ranking: 2nd
Dallas is toe to toe with Detroit as the best hitting team in the PL, and they add the best Starting ERA behind superstar Keith Bush and newly acquired Chris House in a controversial trade that also sent star OF Jim Forristall to Dallas in exchange for prospects (which many have said was a steal for Dallas, but it will be a while before we know.) For now, Dallas is 12-14 after the trade, after starting the year 22-9. Chris House is a known clubhouse cancer, and BSPN wonders if that has had an effect on the team. Bush was on a strict pitch limit before the House trade, and has been unleashed on the PL, and lost three of those five starts, 2 being to the last place Liberty. That may make it seem like Bush has been struggling, but he leads the CBA with 122 strikeouts, while second place has just 91. He excited fans in a 2-0 complete game 2 hit shutout of bitter rivals Detroit, and struck out 14. Closer Jeremy Harbaugh has the 2nd most strikeouts in the CBA by a reliever at 81, but also leads all relievers in walks, with 35 in 67.2 IP. Another standout on the charts is OF John Petcoff, who has hit 23 home runs on the season, leading the CBA. The Devils have played Detroit five times this season, and lost 4 of them.
2. Detroit Motors
W-L: 33-24 (.579) / Last 10: 4-6
Preseason Ranking: 1st
The Detroit Motors started the season with high expectations of winning not only the Premier League, but also the Presidential Cup, and after a shocking pool play exit with a few key injuries has put the Motor’s expectations of winning the Premier League in jeopardy. Their top two starting pitchers outside of Scott Golden are both out long term, with Hector Tovar (who only had 6 starts on the season, playing a bullpen role, potentially because of early injury trouble) out until mid-July, and Alex Zepeda is also gone until next season, who tore his UCL in late April. Regular rotation member in 2022, 22 year old Randy Steckel has also been in a bullpen role for much of the season, with poor results, but he has been thrust back into the rotation as Detroit looks to stay near the top to keep a Tournament of Champions spot. Detroit’s star studded lineup has remained mostly injury free outside of a month long injury to OF Lorenzo Fuerte and as a team, they are hitting .286 and five players have 9 or more home runs. A recent 3 game series in Dallas saw Detroit win 2 of 3 in exciting fashion, but despite Steckel’s fine performance in the third game, the team could only register 2 hits against an on fire Keith Bush.
3. Midwest Plainsmen
W-L: 35-24 (.593) / Last 10: 6-4Preseason Ranking: 6th
Despite losing Stud SP Eric Maki for the entire season in his 2nd start of the preseason, the Plainsmen rotation has performed surprisingly well, with Angelo Alvarez nearly earning an All star spot in BSPN predictions. Bill Burns is 6-0 in 7 starts, despite just 22 strikeouts, he has only walked 8 batters in 46.2 innings. Closer Shawn Martin is playing exceptionally well, and will likely be named to the All star team. The Plainsmen offense is performing well, a notable exception being David Carvajal, who is hitting .261/.311/.339, down from .318/.360/.487 last season. Catcher Efrain Quintanilla is performing well above expectations, adding over 100 points to his batting average from last season, good for 2nd best in the PL of any position at .359/.405/.484 so far. Although the Plainsmen started slow, they have gone 25-12 since May started, but could be in trouble if they have any more injuries to starting pitching, or if their pitching falls back to Earth.
4. Chicago Gale
W-L: 34-25 (.576) / Last 10: 7-3
Preseason Ranking: 4th
The reigning champs started off the season slow, starting with a 13-14 record, but when Rory Blas returned to the lineup after missing nearly a month to knee problems, they went on a tear, winning 19 of 27 after Blas’s return and just got off an 11 game win streak, although they lost their next 3. The Gale’s pitching staff seems to be well prepared for PL hitting as Chicago has run a 4 man rotation all season, to great success, with a team ERA of #1 in the PL and the starters ranking at #2. Their rotation doesn’t feature any aces, with 0 complete games so far, but they haven’t needed to complete games, featuring the #1 ranked PL bullpen as well. The bullpen is headlined by Ivan Campos who has 73 strikeouts in 54 IP, and only 15 walks. Campos also has yet to blow a save or lose a game, a great asset for Chicago to have. Recent pickup Jesus “Melanoma” Rodriguez is expected to become the 2nd hand man to Campos and help lighten his load. Chicago could find themselves losing ground quickly if they lose one of their starters though, as they are very thin outside of their 4 man rotation. The Gale have scored just the 6th most runs in the league, and recently sent their first round pick to DC in exchange for a Jose Sanchez loan, one that will surely boost this offense and win them games now.
5. Arizona Thunderbirds
W-L: 31-26 (.544) / Last 10: 8-2Preseason Ranking: 5th
Arizona has put an end to the Tony Juarez SP experiment after a 2.1 IP, 8 ER outing in New York, and after 42 starts in the CBA, Juarez has just 6 wins and 26 losses to show for it. Star Closer Chris Demo is a shoo-in for the All star game, and has 8 wins and 9 saves along with 83 strikeouts in his 67.2 IP of relief. Rookie OF Mark Hawkins, who was drafted 7th overall, is hitting .256 after a slumping June, but hit .323 in 25 games in May, and also boasts a CBA leading +13.3 ZR in Center Field. The Birds have been hot, winning 8 of their last 10, including a 5-2 win in Dallas, and another test coming with 3 games vs Chicago (including a doubleheader) next week in the action packed week before the All Star and Presidential Cup break. The Birds catching fire have put them just 3 games out of the automatic promotion spot, and the Arizona Thunderbirds control their own destiny, as they are looking to continue their streak and head into their First Round Knockout game in Dallas confidently after a shaky 11-14 May that saw their best hitter Carlos Negrete miss 13 games.
6. Florida Giants
W-L: 29-28 (.509) / Last 10: 5-5Preseason Ranking: 3rd
The Giant’s were supposed to have one of the best pitching staffs in the CBA this year, and so far the starters rank 9th in the PL in ERA. Star SP Xavier Frade, who was traded for during the offseason, has not been the ace he was expected to be against the elite hitting that the PL has to offer. The bottom 3 pitchers on the rotation have combined for 68 walks and 79 strikeouts and 248 hits allowed in 186.2 IP, and haven’t been able to make the adjustment to PL hitting yet. Fortunately, the Giant’s bullpen has been much better, coming in with the 3rd best bullpen ERA in the PL behind the likes of Arturo Altamirano, Brian Bigham, and Neil Kack. Florida’s star batters have disappointed against PL pitching after having one of the best team batting averages last year. With Jonathan Broyles as one of only two batters with more than 100 PA at or above a .300 average (and Broyles is exactly at .300), this lineup has to give some more effort. Ramon Rangel is hitting just .256 after hitting .316 last season, and Florida surely wants to see more out of a guy that many scouts rate highly. The Giants have struggled recently, ending May on a 5-15 run, including getting shutout 5 games in a row, all at home, and have a real test coming up as they start a 7 game in 6 day week with a 3 game series in Dallas on the 19th, shortly followed by their Presidential Cup First Knockout Round appearance, at home vs Philadelphia, on June 28th.
7. Portland Axemen
W-L: 25-32 (.439) / Last 10: 5-5Preseason Ranking: 8th
After the baseball gods cursed Portland with a bevy of injuries in the Inaugural placement season, Portland perservered and still made it into the Premier League. This angered the gods, and Portland has been given double the punishment this year, instead of going for their batters, the gods have taken Portland’s entire pitching staff. Despite losing 4 starting pitchers and two of their top relievers, Portland keeps fighting, and are currently a half game out of the relegation zone, although they are 4 games back from any more security. Their pitching staff is good for dead last in the PL, with a team ERA approaching 6.00, and the Axemen rank in the bottom 3 of every pitching/defensive stat except for strikeouts, where they are 6th/10. On the other side, Portland’s bats have stayed healthy, and their very talented lineup is responsible for the 3rd most runs in the PL, and a top 3 offense in nearly every stat. This offense will have to keep working OT to get wins on the board.
8. Great Lakes Monsters
W-L: 24-32 (.429) / Last 10: 5-5Preseason Ranking: 7th
GM Corey Kern made a trade for CF Danny Pinger, who in his 18 games with the Monsters, is hitting .354/.455/.415. This is definitely a move designed to help the team stay in the Premier League and it paid off just 5 days later, when fellow top team batter Josh Verburg went down with a strained oblique. Verburg has been out for 3 weeks now, and may be looking at up to another week at least before he can play again. Great Lakes fans certainly hope that he will be back before the teams Presidential Cup First Knockout Round matchup at home vs a hot Brooklyn team that is dominating the Bronze League. This 10th ranked PL offense will need to step it up in Verburg’s absence, they are currently 4-8 without him, and 7-15 since Pinger joined the team.
9. New York Roar
W-L: 21-36 (.368) / Last 10: 3-7Preseason Ranking: 9th
The New York Roar are in a tight relegation battle with the other bottom 3 teams, and will be glad to get a nice boost from clear 2nd best hitter on the team, Logan Connell returning from the DL after breaking his foot while running the bases in mid May. Fellow member of the Super Friends, Eric Bohnert is hitting a poor .223 this season, down from .290 last season, and as a 22 year old ups and downs are expected, but it seems the tough PL pitching is giving him problems. The Roar’s starting rotation has stayed nearly injury free, with only one day to day injury for any of their 5 starters, and has performed good enough, combining for the 6th best starting ERA in the PL, but the bullpen has been the worst in the PL with a bullpen ERA of 6.47. Closer and clearly the best bullpen pitcher on the team, Jared DeMartino has been bad for New York fans, sporting 8 losses, with only 7 saves and 6 blown saves in 24 appearances. DeMartino was victim to one of the most unfortunate half innings in CBA history, but of his 23 runs allowed (in 34.1 IP) on the season, these are the only 4 he hasn’t earned.
Unfortunately they didn’t comeback and win this one
10. Philadelphia Liberty
W-L: 20-36 (.357) / Last 10: 4-6Preseason Ranking: 10th
The Liberty are a near lock to be relegated this season. Philadelphia has traded several veterans for prospects in the last few weeks, including Juan Salas, who was with the team for just under 2 months, before being shipped off for prospects. Its possible we see Philly’s ace, Robert “Big Bux” Buxton on a new team in 2 weeks. Philly ranks in the bottom 3 for most batting stats and has the 8th worst team ERA in the PL. Despite their regular season woes, Philadelphia fans still have a Presidential Cup First Knockout Round game to look forward to, in Florida against a Giants team that Philly has managed to take 3 of 4 from, all in Florida, this season.
Silver League Power Rankings
1. Cincinnati Royals
W-L: 43-14 (.754) / Last 10: 6-4Preseason Ranking: 3rd
If you told me at the start of the season that you could remove Heri Ortega from the Royals rotation, and that Brad Limbach would arguably be the 3rd best starter on the team, I would have called you crazy, but thats exactly what has happened this season. Star offseason signing Ortega was injured in his first CBA start, fittingly happening in a game vs Atlanta, and the rest of the rotation kicked it up a notch to compensate. Cincinnati’s starters have 36 quality starts between them and 37 year old closer Jerry Werts, who is in his last year of a 2 year loan from Detroit, has been worked like a dog, with 69.2 IP, but has kept up his stellar play throughout the season. The Royals will be without star OF Andy “King” Baca, who tore his meniscus, and will likely be out until the last month of the season. While there are only two starters hitting under .280, they both play stellar defense, and Baca’s injury has led to one of Cincinnati’s 2022 draft picks, Manny Gonzalez to an everyday role, where he has shown potential with a .298/.370/.412 line in 32 starts along with ++ defense.
2. Denver Wolves
W-L: 38-19 (.667) / Last 10: 7-3
Preseason Ranking: 2nd
Despite losing OF Greg Pacheco, who was a key piece of the lineup last season, for the season in late May, the team is still hitting at the top of the SL rankings in almost every category. Superstar Mike Becklin will miss significant time after fracturing his thumb last week and is expected to be out at least a month. Dozer was hitting .397/.502/.588 on the season when he went down, so he will be sorely missed by this Denver lineup, although Kevin “Rake” Rayos is also doing very well on the season, with 20 home runs and 63 RBI to go with a .321 batting average. Denver’s great rotation is living up to expectations, with all 5 members performing very well, even converted reliever Francisco Pico, who is 8-1 in his 13 starts along with two complete games.
3. Atlanta Swarm
W-L: 32-20 (.615) / Last 10: 9-1Preseason Ranking: 1st
The Swarm started the season sluggish, coming in at 15-18 after 33 games, but since then the Swarm has been on a tear, winning 21 of their last 24 to make the leap to the promotion zone, although on the year they are a combined 2-9 against the top 2 teams, Cincinnati and Denver, and it will be hard when the offense doesn’t show up, as it does at times. Fortunately the Swarm’s batters seem to have found their pace again, with Shen Qi batting .384/.462/579, with only 15 strikeouts in 251 plate appearances and 18 stolen bases, he is looking like an MVP candidate. Josh Saso has also found his form in recent weeks, after starting the season slow. Superstar Ace Mike “Win” Quinn has been everything advertised, despite 4 losses, his offense only gave him 4 runs combined in those games, and he has lost 2 starts to minor injuries early in the game. Despite not having the best W-L, he has the 2nd best ERA and the best WHIP of any qualified starter in the PL/SL. Offseason arrival David McDaniel was to be the 2nd ace in this lineup, but has been giving up lots of home runs, already at 12 on the year through 13 starts compared to 15 last year in 33 starts. 22 year old SS Alex Castillo has a puzzling statline, he is hitting .353 at home, but .192 on the road.
4. Mexico City Chupacabras
W-L: 34-25 (.576) / Last 10: 5-5Preseason Ranking: 8th
It is testing time for the Mexico City Chupacabras. A top 5 SL pitching staff in most stats, as well as the #1 defense and least amount of hits allowed, has led the Chupacabras to a first half promotion battle with Atlanta and Denver. However, after starting the year hot, Mexico City has lost its top two starters, Brendon Six and Adam Kirby, out for 5 months and 1 month respectively. Having the best defense will help cushion the loss, but the Chupacabras lineup will have to start performing better, with a team average of .261 that ranks 7th of 10 in the SL. One reason that Mexico City can get past this hump is that one of their premier bats, Danny de La Paz has come back from a lengthy DL stint after straining an abdominal muscle, and is right back where he left off. 23 year old OF Josh Johnson has been hot this season, adding 100 points to his batting average, up to .313, and is 11 short of his home run total from last year in 100 less games so far. SS Andy Popour has also shown a solid improvement over last season, and the 22 year old adds great defense as well. Kevin Shaheen, however, has not shown improvement over last year, and the 25 year old Fan Fav has to prove he can hit better than .217, after hitting .277 a season ago, but has hit for .125 so far in 14 games in June.
5. Sacramento Golden Bears
W-L: 26-31 (.456) / Last 10: 5-5Preseason Ranking: 4th
The Sacramento Golden Bears have been struggling to hit the ball, ranking near the bottom in almost every hitting category, with a SL worst .238 team batting average. Superstar Jose “Buzzy” Rodriguez is the only player on the roster (regardless of PA) that is hitting better than .263 until star OF Victor “Vapor Lock” Delgado gets back from the DL, after aggravating a back injury that occured on the very last day of Spring Training. Delgado has been everything he was hyped to be after missing his entire first season, but is still out for 2 more weeks and he will have extra rest with the All Star and Presidential Cup Knockout Round starting soon. They started the season hot, ending May with a 12-10 record, but have gone 14-21 since, and have not scored 10 or more runs in over 2 months, since April 13th. SP Chase Lewis has looked like a true ace through 12 starts, with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP, giving him the best ERA and 2nd best WHIP in the SL.
6. Salt Lake City Snappers
W-L: 24-28 (.462) / Last 10: 4-6Preseason Ranking: 10th
11 games from a promotion spot but 3 games from a relegation spot, the Snappers control their own destiny as we approach the all star break. A CBA-worst defense has a solid rotation at an 5.86 Starter ERA, although their elite bullpen has still been elite, ranking 2nd in Bullpen ERA as a team. Ace Ricky Colon has struggled this year, with a 1.60 WHIP and a 5.11 ERA, but RP Chris Cote and Robert Mejia are playing like the best two relievers in the CBA, especially Cote, who has 46 strikeouts to 8 walks in 30.1 IP. Star CF Ralph Radney is having an MVP level season, hitting .366/.432/.536 with 13 stolen bases, but continues to struggle in center field. 19 year old SS Austin Owens has exceeded expectations in his debut CBA season, hitting .271/.376/.444 with 7 HR and a +4.0 ZR at SS, and 10 stolen bases. Owens can really do it all and if he can continue at this pace he is a likely candidate for the SL Rookie of the Year.
7. Austin Outlaws
W-L: 24-35 (.407) / Last 10: 3-7Preseason Ranking: 6th
The Austin Outlaws rank statwise as the 2nd worst SL rotation, and at a 5.78 team ERA, this team is getting blasted a lot of nights, and needs hitting to win games. Thats where the Outlaw’s great lineup comes in, in the top 3 of every SL batting statistic except drawing walks. Chris “Cracker” Greenwell, though he is serving a 7 game suspension currently for a brawl, is hitting nearly as good as he did last year, and has 19 HR on the season so far. A standout on this team is OF Jason Reginato, who batted for .253 last season along with 12 HR in 100 games, but so far this year is hitting .338/.402/.509 with 9 HR and 41 RBI in just 54 starts. This lineup is really young and still has room to develop, but their starters remain largely ineffective with all 5 starters having an ERA above 5 except Byron Juhl who is at 4.97, in part due to the 2nd worst defense in the SL.
8. Oklahoma Mammoths
W-L: 22-35 (.404) / Last 10: 2-8Preseason Ranking: 5th
The Oklahoma Mammoths head into this power rankings in the thick of the relegation battle, with a 4 man rotation that has not pitched great baseball thus far, especially expected Ace Matt Daniels, who is rocking a 5.66 ERA through 13 starts. The Mammoths lineup has been underwhelming, notable exceptions being star and MVP candidate Andy Mobley, as well as Buck Kucharski, who is hitting .380 and playing above average defense. If the rest of this lineup, especially Kyle Lopez and Julio Rodriguez, can get back into last season’s form, they should be able to escape a relegation series at the end of this season. 1B Brad Sayers has caught fire in the last few weeks, with 7 home runs in his last 10 games to bring him 1 behind the CBA lead in home runs. The Mammoths come off of a tough 1-4 week where they had to play Cincinnati and Atlanta and have another series against a top 4 team, Mexico City, to start this week off.
9. Indianapolis Hawks
W-L: 21-36 (.368) / Last 10: 3-7Preseason Ranking: 7th
Indianapolis has had one of the worst lineups in the SL this year, ranking dead last in most batting categories, and despite a pitching staff that hasn’t been as bad as predicted, the Hawks can’t produce enough runs most nights to get consistent wins. There is only 1 qualified player on the team hitting above .265, 35 year old Tony Escobedo. It will continue to be an uphill battle for the Hawks to not play a relegation series this season, although they have made a trade recently to get some potential hitting talent on the roster. LF Travis Boehme and 3B David Martinez were both acquired on end of season loans and are projected to start as both were hitting very well in Atlanta’s reserve team, and have debuted to a solid week, both hitting well.
10. Carolina Aces
W-L: 18-39 (.316) / Last 10: 6-4Preseason Ranking: 9th
An early season favorite to get relegated, Carolina officially entered Tank Mode last week, sending away 2nd best starter Tim Fuhrman and best 2 relievers Carlos Rodriguez and Dennis Jones away for prospects and cash. Coming in with bottom 3 rankings in all pitching stats except strikeouts (7th/10), and almost as bad rankings on the other side of the ball, the Aces are already in a 3 game hole for the worst record in the SL and have a tough schedule coming up, starting with a 3 game series vs Denver. In their 57 games played so far, the Aces rotation has combined for 21 quality starts, 4 of which come from players not on the team anymore. 2B Corey McPhail was also traded, and as the deadline approaches, we will likely see serviceable starters 3B Pat Stackhouse, SS Ryan Adams, and C/DH Judah Plato on the trading block, as this is a very old team.
Bronze League Power Rankings:
1. Miami Warriors
W-L: 38-19 (.667) / Last 10: 7-3Preseason Ranking: 10th
Miami was expected to have a bad rotation outside of 2nd overall pick Seth Paddock, who has been the best pitcher in the BL, and boasts a 0.94 WHIP thru 8 starts. However, the Warriors made a deal for Chris “Big House” Abbott and Andrew Brooks and they now have a deadly rotation against BL batting and this rotation will flourish. Miami also features the #1 lineup in the BL, with 7 of 9 starters hitting .300 or better. This lineup has combined for 70 home runs in 57 games, and the young lineup only has room to improve. 15th overall pick, catcher Alejandro Pena continues his hot pace, and is hitting .358/.440/.557 on the year with 7 home runs. Miami is looking like a lock to be promoted, especially after the new rotation has time to gel.
2. Brooklyn Bulldogs
W-L: 37-20 (.649) / Last 10: 6-4Preseason Ranking: 2nd
The Bulldogs are hitting on every cylinder, allowing the least runs, they have the 3rd best defense in the BL, and have the 2nd best team batting average as well. Brooklyn has rolled through the competition this year, thanks to SP’s Antonio Avila and Tim Keefer, who have combined for 18/24 quality starts against BL batting. Brooklyn’s bullpen also features great relievers, with 4 sporting a WHIP below 1.00 in 15+ IP each. As of now, they are near locks to be promoted, and are in a tight battle with Miami for automatic promotion. As for now, promotion is not as important as being confident heading into the Presidential Cup, where the Bulldogs will play in Great Lakes in the First Knockout Round during the break.
3. Boston Rogers
W-L: 33-26 (.559) / Last 10: 5-5Preseason Ranking: 3rd
An 8th ranked defense has the Roger’s great rotation giving up more runs than they should, and has kept Boston from being in that top two with Brooklyn and Miami, although there is plenty of season to come. Boston has scored the 2nd most runs in the BL, but questions about Boston’s lineup remain. Alex Garcia is rocking a .286 batting average through 59 games, along with 14 home runs, but BSPN scouts think that he is going to cool down. Jeremy England, Justin Marchi, and Tony Malone have all pitched like superstars, and the team’s starters have combined for 35 quality starts despite a .320 BABIP.
4. Iowa Predators
W-L: 28-29 (.491) / Last 10: 6-4Preseason Ranking: 1st
The Predators defense has been more than enough to allow their pitching staff to dominate BL batters, with starters ERA ranking at #1, along with defense of course, and the 2nd least runs allowed. They cannot win games without scoring the ball though, and the team is batting .259/.329/.387 with just 18 more runs scored than allowed. OF Ramiro Zaragosa has been the clear best hitter on the team, with a great .372/.435/.527 line against BL pitching, but only one other batter on the team has an OPS above .756: 2B Jose Lopez, who has knocked in 12 home runs this year. The Predators are a whopping 3-11 in one run games and could be in promotion territory had they had another top talent in the lineup. OF Winston Ordaz has disappointed this season, hitting just .239/.299/.387. If the batting improves on this team they definitely could be in promotion zone soon.
5. Houston Moondogs
W-L: 31-26 (.500) / Last 10: 7-3Preseason Ranking: 4th
Houston traded away its best two talents in SP Chris House and OF Jim Forristall, but their lineup is too good to be a tanking team against BL pitching, especially when they added Danny Crews on a season loan in that trade. As for now, the Moondogs are 5 games out of a promotion series spot, and depending on how the next few weeks go they might loan out players or call up other GMs to suit up for a promotion run. 2022 draft 9th overall pick Jesse Robison is hitting .305 so far in his rookie campaign. The Moondogs have won their last 7, and since their blockbuster trade that was vilified in the press, have won 18 of 26 since to boost them into promotion zone territory, just 1 game out of a promotion series if the season ended today.
6. LA Chilis
W-L: 28-30 (.483) / Last 10: 4-6Preseason Ranking: 7th
The LA Chili’s pitching staff has disappointed greatly in this first half of BL play, from being projected to be one of the best rotations, to ranking dead last in the BL in almost every pitching category. The Chili’s tragically lost SP Dustin Easterling to a career ending Torn UCL, and he was performing relatively well this year in the BL. Their only SP with an ERA under 4.87 (and 3 of 5 are over 6.90 ERA) is Ryan Jeffrey, who is coming off a couple week DL stint and has been the ace of this pitching staff. The LA lineup has been much better though, ranking in as a top 5 offensive team across the board. 2B Edgar Sanchez is back after missing a month and has been a welcome addition, batting .336 so far, but DH Brendan Grimm has not shown the elite hitting that he showed off last season, currently batting .244 compared to .324 in 144 games last season. A 9th ranked defense will make it hard for the team to win games when the lineup doesnt show up, but Jeffrey will be back soon and the Chili’s could go on a run soon.
7. Bay Area Pandas
W-L: 21-36 (.368) / Last 10: 4-6Preseason Ranking: 6th
A 3rd ranked defense and the luxury of playing BL batters every night has the Pandas pitching staff performing above expectations, and although they aren’t striking batters out, they are keeping hits to a minimum. 4th overall pick from 2021, Tyler Shinkle continues his struggles in the CBA, with as many walks as strikeouts. The Pandas traded the rights to draft Scott Golden to Detroit on draft day, and instead opted to recieve three first round picks. Those picks were: 6th pick SP Jacob Sarnes, who is currently lighting up DEV-A ball and will be surely looking at a promotion soon. 14th pick SS Andy Rodriguez started the year in the Youth Academy, and although they have only played 13 games, he hasn’t looked great, with 18 strikeouts in 55 plate appearances. #1 overall 2021 draft pick, Mike Todoroff continues his struggles at the plate, hitting .253 so far in this season, although he does have a respectable 7 HR. and a healthy 23 walks. It will be interesting to see if Todoroff ever gets to pitch, as Danny Crews of Dallas, a very similar player, has been doing with moderate success. As for now I think this team is underperforming.
8. San Diego Skylarks
W-L: 26-31 (.481) / Last 10: 2-8Preseason Ranking: 5th
The Skylarks pitching staff has been more than enough to fool batters in the Bronze League, headlined by 3rd overall pick Harry Galbraith, who is showing ace potential in his rookie season, although he is still battling the same control issues he faced at FSU. San Diego made a nice trade for Luis “Auto” Guerra, the famed reliever who was taken in the 2nd round of the inaugural draft, but the 22 year old has struggled this season, with 13 walks and 16 earned runs in just 30.2 IP with San Diego. The Skylarks pitching staff ranks highly despite this, with a 2nd ranked team ERA, thanks to a good defense and the least amount of long shots given up in the BL. A big part of their winning comes from Offseason signing Melvin “Scrappy” Gonzalez, who signed for $7 million per year for 6 years. While this contract will be extremely expensive, so far Gonzalez is slashing .313/.362/.533 with 8 HR and playing above average defense. The Skylarks however, are in free fall after going 3-14 their last 17 games.
9. DC Eagles
W-L: 25-32 (.439) / Last 10: 4-6Preseason Ranking: 8th
The Eagles have struggled greatly this season, ranking in the bottom 3 of nearly every batting and pitching statistic. They lost SP Ben Perez for the season in just his second start after tearing an elbow ligament, and the Eagles have just loaned out star OF Jose Sanchez for the rest of the year, officially entering tank mode and we expect Jon “Moondog” Wagner to be loaned away as well as the Eagles look for the best draft pick possible. Starters Aaron Hannah has played well, but has control issues, walking nearly 5 per game. One bright spot in the Eagles lineup is rookie Justin “Campy” Cawley, who is hitting .309/.361/.423 on the season in 30 games and 13 stolen bases.
10. Wichita Weasels
W-L: 19-37 (.339) / Last 10: 3-7Preseason Ranking: 9th
The Weasels pitching staff has stayed healthy and ranks as 5th best team ERA, but a bottom 2 offense keeps them from winning games as they sit at the bottom of the Bronze League. SP Brent Green has been a borderline ace and Ragnvard Lannefors has been good as well, but the rest of the rotation has slacked. The lineup features 3 qualified starters hitting above .250, and everyone else on the team has shown a lack of skill at hitting the ball. IF Mike Leibson will be heading back to Atlanta after a poor half season loan where he hit .165/.264/.214. Aaron Agee and Mark Croft have been the teams best two hitters, but both are 35 years old.