League Update

Week #12 saw a number of close contests. With the season reaching the halfway point, it’s time for contending teams to step up. The Armadillos managed to hold a tie with a shocking Father’s Day performance. Mid-tier teams like the Goofballs and Kraken seized on the opportunity to gain ground with decisive wins of their own. Finally, the Possums remained hot, and took another step toward competitiveness.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-5) vs. CP Kraken (4-5-1)

The week’s biggest winner was the Kraken. Chris’s squad put up dominant pitching numbers and had enough offense to outlast the Skyline Sluggers. Charlie’s team put up a strong fight against their rival, but in the end fell short.

It’s not often that the Kraken can say that they leaned on their pitching. This week was a different story, though. Chris easily led the league in ERA and WHIP. Logan Gilbert was on fire, allowing just 8 hits in 14.2 IP. He also recorded 17 strikeouts. MacKenzie Gore recorded 10 in just 7.0 IP while allowing 1 ER. The Kraken had multiple starters record 6-7.0 IP starts with only a run or two allowed. This was a surprisingly consistent showing from most of the staff. New addition Ryan Helsley added 3 saves. This was enough to sweep all five categories.

On offense, the Skyline Sluggers fared better but it wasn’t enough. Charlie tied for the lead in home runs with 13, and also for steals with 10. Shohei Ohtani was the star with 4 home runs and a 1.340 OPS. Anthony Santader added three more of his own. The Kraken took advantage of Charlie’s relatively low runs totals. Juan Soto added 9 for the Kraken. Chris’s team had better depth in the lineup and also claimed OPS. This was enough to win the week. The Kraken are now back to 0.500 and look to be a possible threat to contend. If they can continue to get pitching like this, they will be a difficult matchup for anyone.

JK Hares (3-7) vs. LK Armadillos (7-1-2)

The Hares and Armadillos had a bizarre match-up that ended in a draw. The Hares dominated for most of the week, but the Armadillos had a massive offensive surge on Sunday to tie multiple categories and secure a draw for the week.

Both teams tied in home runs and RBI. Riley Greene had a massive week from the Hares with 3 home runs, 11 RBI, and a 1.098 OPS. Jeimer Candelairo was even better with 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and a 1.479 OPS. The Armadillos countered with Royce Lewis, who had 4 home runs, 9 runs, and 1.440 OPS. On Sunday alone, the Armadillos had 6 home runs, including 2 from Lewis, and 12 RBI. This miraculous output secured ties in many categories.

None of this would have mattered if the Hares had not had multiple pitching implosions on Sunday. Dylan Cease and Zack Wheeler allowed a combined 15 earned runs in just 8.0 IP. This cost the Hares ERA, and the limited output meant that IP were lost as well. The Hares went from a sure sweep of all 5 categories to only winning 3 and thus tying for the week. This result is a bitter one for the Hares, who seem to always have some mishap or calamity ruin potentially good weeks. The tie is better than a loss, though, and it does offer some support to mid-tier teams looking to make a move in the standings.

RK Possums (4-6) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (4-5-1)

The Possums managed to stay how against the PhoeGnomes. Rick’s team tied for the lead in home runs and won OPS outright. Jarren Duran was hot, with a 1.272 OPS despite not having a home run. Christian Walker was a monster with 4 home runs, 8 RBI, and a 1.227 OPS. Heather had a solid week in steals, but didn’t stand out in other categories. In fact, her 4 home runs is one of the lowest totals in the history of the league. Adley Rutschman had a rough 2/22 week, but the biggest dud was Jeremy Pena. He went 0/16 with no runs, 1 RBI, and 1 steal.

Neither team’s pitching staff distinguished itself, and both would lose to multiple categories to every other team in the league. Joe Ryan had a nice start for the PhoeGnomes, as did Sonny Gray for the Possums. Rick’s superior strikeout rates were enough to secure the category and pick up the win for the week. The victory keeps the Possums’ momentum alive. The loss hurt the PhoeGnomes, who remain in the middle of the pack.

KG Capital City Goofballs (3-4-3) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (6-3-1)

The week’s final battle saw the Goofballs trounce the Wolf Spiders. Kevin’s offense was strong and led the league in runs and was second in OPS. Corbin Carroll managed 8 runs and a steal. Kyle Schwarber had 3 home runs and a strong 1.298 OPS. The Wolf Spiders had a surprisingly good week from Steven Kwan, who had 13 hits and a 1.336 OPS despite no home runs. Neither team had many steals, and Keving held a 3-1-1 edge before pitching.

Both teams recorded middle of the pack results on the mound. However, considering the Goofball’s frequent pitching issues, this was an overall solid showing. Kevin won 4 categories thanks to consistent work from the staff. Most of his starters were in the 6.0 IP range with 2 or 3 earned runs. This was enough for a decent ERA and solid IP total. The Wolf Spiders struggled with just one or two slightly worse starts than Kevin, but this was enough to turn the two rate stats against him. Kevin had a smooth win, and also remains in the middle of the pack.

Player and Pitcher of the Week

This week’s best player has to be Royce Lewis, who singlehandedly salvaged a tie for the Armadillos on Sunday. The pitcher of the week will go to Logan Gilbert. There weren’t a lot of true pitching standouts this week, so his solid effort will earn him the nod.

Next Week

The second half of the fantasy season begins! The Possums will try to reach 0.500 against the struggling Hares. The Goofballs will try to do the same against the PhoeGnomes. The Wolf Spiders and Kraken meet in a pivotal battle. Chris must continue to win if he wants to catch the Armadillos, who started out much hotter than the Kraken. Finally, the Skyline Sluggers will take their shot at the league leaders. The Armadillos have suffered a setback with the Mookie Betts injury, so the rest o the team will need to step up.