KG Capital City Goofballs (14-8-2) vs.  LK Armadillos (14-6-4)

After a tumultuous season that saw five teams in the title hunt until Week 24, a champion has been crowned.  The Lannisters overtook the Lasershow while the Goofballs ended the Armadillo’s dreams in the last week of the year.  Heading into Week 25, the Armadillos controlled their own fate.  If they won, they would claim the title.  Meanwhile, the Lannisters were heavy favorites against the Lasershow.  The Goofballs were still in play, but needed a Lannisters’ loss and a victory to claim the title.  A Lannister loss and Goofballs win would have caused a three-way tie.  However, given the Lannisters’ edge against the Lasershow, the Armadillos had the best chance to earn the trophy directly with a win.  However, the Lasershow crushed the Lannisters in Week 25 last year, so anything was possible.

The Armadillos were let down by a combination of poor performances and strange usage patterns.  The final week of the season sees pitchers throwing shortened games, players getting days off, and playoff positioning dictate bullpen usage.  Larry used eight starting pitchers but only one was able to throw more than 6.0 innings.  Four pitchers threw less than 5.0 innings.  Carlos Carrasco put on an heroic effort, striking out 14 and not allowing an earned run in 8.1 innings pitched.  His work was undone by nightmare outings from Zack Godley and Drew Pomeranz.  The pair allowed 10 earned runs in just 6.1 innings.  Kevin had an even worse pitcher – Luke Weaver.  He allowed an astounding 14 earned runs over 7.2 innings.  Neither team produced acceptable ERA or WHIP totals, but Kevin had a bit more consistency and a solid Blake Snell outing.  Each of Kevin’s pitchers threw a few more innings than their Armadillos’ counterparts.  This gave Kevin an edge in all five pitching categories.

Both teams’ starters for the final week show how unpredictable Week 25 can be.  The Armadillos tried to rely on their offense and they posted good home run, RBI, and SLG totals.  Six Armadillos players had SLG numbers over 0.550.  This secured three categories, but the Goofballs took OBP and steals.  This was more than enough to secure the victory for the week.  The win gave Kevin a shot at the title, and ended the Armadillos’ hopes of an outright championship.  The two teams ended up with equal records and tied in the head-to-head tiebreaker.  This meant that a Lannister loss would result in a shared title and a Lannister tie would cause a three-way deadlock.

SM Lasershow (2-19-3)  vs.  JK Lannisters (15-8-1)

Unfortunately for the Goofballs and Armadillos, the Lasershow were not able to recapture their magic from Week 25 last year.  Sean’s squad was overwhelmed on offense and pitching didn’t break well enough for the club to contend for the week.  A series of pitching meltdowns left the categories open to the Lannisters.  Rich Hill delivered a fine start and essentially secured the rate stats.  On offense, Marcell Ozuna had ten hits for the week and Mike Trout added four home runs.  Byron Buxton, Mookie Betts, and Justin Upton had two steals each.  This was more than enough for the Lannisters to win in a convincing week.

 

The win gave the Lannisters the title after a brutal season of competition.  Despite losing key stars for months at a time, the team’s depth proved to be too much.  Good in-season acquisitions like Byron Buxton and Wellington Castillo were paired with big years from draftees Upton and Ozuna.  The team found just enough pitching to get by, particularly with a great year from Stephen Strasburg.  The bullpen remained dominant and at least one pitcher out of Jon Lester, Rich Hill, and Jose Quintana would step up each week and give the team a chance to win.  Jose Abreu filled the years-long hole at first base, and reliable veterans like Buster Posey and Kenley Jansen offered great production.

The Lannisters win means the Armadillos and Goofballs tie for second place.  The two teams are even head-to-head, so both share the second place distinction.  Each team had chances against the Lannisters.  The Goofballs fell just short in Week 22, when Strasburg delivered two monster starts to save multiple categories and the victory.  The Armadillos managed a draw in Week 12 against the Lannisters but lost their other two match-ups by wider margins.  The Lannisters themselves left a victory on the bench in Week 23 against the Possums.  The margins of victory this season were the smallest ever.  The Lannisters managed to hang on to the championship, but only just barely.  The level of competition in the league continues to grow each season, and having five teams in the running to the very end shows that with a little bit better luck, it could be the Goofballs, Armadillos, Legion, or Possums at the top.

RK Possums (11-6-7) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (11-12-1)

The Possums and Thunderwolves ended their seasons on high notes.  Rick closed his campaign with a solid win against the PhoeGnomes.  After a great week to defeat the Lannisters, Heather’s team seemed to run out of gas.  Rick enjoyed great weeks from Josh Donaldson and Joey Gallo in route to a convincing victory.

In one bizarre note, Josh Tomlin made a nice start for the Possums early in the week.  He was cut, and later had another good start for the Goofballs.  Tomlin was last seen in Week 23, in which he made a good start for the Lannisters against the Possums!  Tomlin somehow floated between three contenders and helped them all at the most critical part of the season.

The Possums end their season with a nice win and an interesting roster.  Rick was second in the league in total home runs and near the top in RBI and SLG.  He also had the second best ERA and strikeout numbers and top wins and WHIP in the league thanks to big years from Kluber, Verlander, and Scherzer.  Can more depth supplement this core and to make another run next year?

The PhoeGnomes finished a season in which the team’s talent just didn’t seem to translate from week to week.  There was early-season hype that the PhoeGnomes might be the team to beat after a series of offseason acquisitions.  However, Heather floated near the middle of the pack in most categories.  The team lacked consistency for whatever reason.  The core roster is strong, and will likely be refined in the offseason.

CP Legion (12-8-4) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (4-16-4)

The Thunderwolves upset the Legion in the last game of the week.  Kyle ends his year with a win and some nice stats from Yu Darvish and Aaron Nola.  Neither team had much to play for, and Chris ends the year in fifth place.  Kyle struggled to a disappointing seventh place finish.  The Legion are probably disappointed in their finish, but some around the league felt this was a rebuilding year for Chris.  He was in the mix up until the last week and has a younger team and fewer draft picks missing.  With great pitching stats, Chris needs to build more of a consistent offensive threat.

The Thunderwolves will need to do some reevaluation after this year, but the team did show flashes of strong play.  Kyle needs to improve across the board and add depth.  However, he was more competitive than his record indicated this season.  The Thunderwolves were not an automatic win and were a threat each week.  The Lasershow made some good roster decisions after the ownership transition.  Both Sean and Kyle can look toward the draft with the first two picks and plenty of needs.

Next Week

Now that the season is over, the Lannisters can celebrate a win in the most difficult, draining campaign the league has seen.  The team persevered through injuries, slumps, and disappointing performances.  New heroes emerged from week to week.  The Armadillos’ unexpected rise to the top was built on solid management.  The team overachieved all season despite injuries and trades that didn’t work out as planned.  They can take pride in coming just one win away from the title.

The Goofballs did more to improve their roster with quality players than any other team.  Kevin’s skillful management has transformed a bad team into a contender.  Despite coming up just short, the Goofballs will be a favorite entering next year.  The same can be said for the Legion and PhoeGnomes.  Both teams have enough talent to compete, and Chris was just a couple of small breaks away from being near the top.  The Thunderwolves and Lasershow struggled, but both had their strong moments.  Sean will work hard in the offseason and Kyle will seek answers as well.

Over the next few weeks, we will start prepping for the offseason.  With an additional three freezes (for a total of 18), feel free to pick up, drop, and trade players until the post season is over.  Eventually we will freeze rosters and start preparations for the draft.  Until then, thanks to everyone for another exciting season.  Now is the time to start building for next year as a whole new series of battles and drama begin.

LK Armadillos (13-6-4) vs. CP Legion (12-7-4)

The week’s biggest battle paired two teams fighting to stay alive and capture the title. The league’s most bitter rivalry played out with everything on the line. The Legion took advantage of a huge week from Aaron Judge. He had five home runs and nine RBIs. Francisco Lindor contributed three more homers, and Chris was second in the league in the category. The team also tied for the league lead in steals. With this much power, it seems like the Legion should have possessed the advantage. However, the Armadillos countered with a great week from Giancarlo Stanton. He hit five home runs and had 13 RBI, along with a 0.484 OBP. The Armadillos enjoyed success up and down the lineup and led the league in RBI and were second in SLG. This gave Larry a 3-2 advantage before pitching.
The Legion have the best ERA in the league on the season. Unfortunately, Chris’s arms let the team down at the worst possible time. Dylan Bundy, Robbie Ray, and Kenta Maeda imploded, and the Legion struggled to a 5.55 ERA. The team managed a few saves and wins, but the short outings cost Chris the chance to take strikeouts. WHIP was also out of reach. The Armadillos had the second best ERA in the league thanks to quality innings from Drew Pomeranz, J.A. Happ, and others. The week’s final totals were close, but the general feeling was that the Armadillos were always in control.
The win creates upheaval in the standings. The Armadillos are now in first place after the PhoeGnomes upset the Lannisters. If the Armadillos win their final match, they will claim the league title. The bitter loss means Chris is out of contention for the title. However, his ability to compete in what seemed to be a transition year should be applauded. This loss will also add a new chapter to the Armadillos/Legion rivalry for next year.

JK Lannisters (15-7-1) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (10-12-1)

After a difficult week against the Possums, the Lannisters needed a win against the PhoeGnomes to stay in control of their own fate. The Lannisters’ pitching stepped up and posted solid numbers. The team led the league in strikeouts and saves by a wide margin. They were second in WHIP and third in wins. Unfortunately for Jeff, Heather’s team had the best ERA, WHIP, and wins totals. Heather earned three categories behind strong starts from Charlie Morton, Chris Sale, and Lucas Giolito.
Heather’s offense also picked up the slack. She led the league in home runs thanks to an explosion of power from many role players. Eleven different PhoeGnomes had at least one home run. Justin Bour was the best of the week with three homers and eight RBIs. The Lannisters had a nice week from Justin Upton, but injuries to almost half of the team’s starting lineup took its toll. Heather won four categories and captured the week. The Lannisters are now a half game behind the Armadillos for the lead.

KG Capital City Goofballs (13-8-2) vs. SM Lasershow (2-18-3)

The Goofballs managed to stay alive despite some miscues and scares. The Lannisters’ loss gave Kevin hope of capturing a share of the title. A.J. Pollock led the way with three home runs. Rhys Hoskins had seven RBI but with a low SLG. This was a trend for the Goofballs, who had a solid home run total but weak SLG figure. The Lasershow took advantage and won RBI and SLG. Rafael Devers had two home runs and an 0.800 SLG. Tommy Pham had two steals. This led to a 2-2-1 category split.
The Goofballs’ season rested on their pitching. Fortunately for Kevin, the team answered the call. No Goofballs starter lasted more than six innings, but none allowed more than three earned runs in a start. This was good for a solid ERA and win total. The Lasershow couldn’t take advantage. Despite a slight roster miscue, the Goofballs were able to hold out and stay alive. The implications for the standings will be discussed below.

KK Thunderwolves (4-16-3) vs. RK Possums (11-6-6)

The week’s final match saw Possums with a chance to stay alive. However, the Thunderwolves stepped up and ended Rick’s season by battling to a tie. The Possums had a good home run total but the team’s SLG and OBP were relatively low. The Thunderwolves took those categories and tied for the league lead in steals. Ryan Braun was the best player for the Thunderwolves, but Ian Kinsler slugged four home runs for the Possums. This prevented Kyle for earning a five category sweep.
On pitching, both teams did well. The Possums earned better counting stats thanks to two wins from Max Scherzer. Kyle had two good starts from Chase Anderson. Despite a good WHIP, the Possums lost the ERA battle thanks to horrible weeks from Masahiro Tanaka and Jeff Samardzjia. Kluber and Scherzer weren’t enough to pull out the win. The tie drops the Possums from title contention, and the team will finish somewhere between third and fifth. Despite losing out, the Possums have had a great season. Rick made several good moves during the season and the team is tied with the Armadillos for the fewest losses on the year. If Rick can convert some of his ties into wins, he will be back near the top again next year.

Next Week

The season ends with two matches that will decide everything. The Armadillos and Goofballs meet in the most important match of the season. If the Armadillos win, they win the championship. If the Goofballs win, they will move into a tie with the Armadillos. Then, attention shifts to the Lannisters, who close against the Lasershow. If the Goofballs win or tie, the Lannisters will claim the title with a victory outright or via tiebreaker over the Armadillos. If the Goofballs win and the Lannisters lose, the Armadillos and Goofballs will share the title since their tiebreaker would be even at 2-2.
If the Goofballs win and the Lannisters tie, then there is a three-way tie for first. The Lannisters hold a tiebreaker over the Armadillos, but not the Goofballs (the teams are 2-2). This means that Jeff would finish ahead of Larry in theory. However, since the Goofballs are tied with the Armadillos, it’s impossible to place Larry below Kevin, and thus the three way tie is unresolvable since Kevin is even with Jeff. If one team held a tiebreaker over both other teams it would be possible.
If the Armadillos and Lannsiters both win, the Lannisters will actually finish the season with more wins. This would be the first time in the history of the league that the team with the most wins did not win the championship. Everything will depend on the Armadillos/Goofballs matchup. Kevin has incentive, since he can possibly share the title. The Lannisters are in the unfamiliar position of needing help. The Armadillos can control their own fate, but with strange player usage in the last week, anything can happen. This is the closest finish in the history of the league, and everything is on the line!