The seventh and final match in the first cycle of the 2025 season is complete. Each team is left to evaluate where they stand in terms of contention. Are the Possums, with their 6-1 start, a legitimate title threat?  Have the Armadillos rebounded and returned to form?  Can the Kraken of PhoeGnomes find the consistency they need to win?

Every team has questions. Are the Wolf Spiders really at the bottom of the league table? What’s going on with the Goofballs? How have the Hares endured despite so many injuries? Can the Sluggers make a run? All of these questions must be answered, but only time will tell what the final outcome will be.

RK Possums (5-1) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (2-4)

The week’s biggest winner was the Possums. Rick’s team relied on an offensive surge to outlast the Skyline Sluggers. Rick led the league in runs, home runs, RBI, and OPS. Manny Machado, Willson Contreras, and Francisco Lindor all had OPS over 1.100.  Lindor had 3 home runs and 3 steals. However, the best player on the field was Freddie Freeman.  He dominated the week with 3 home runs, 12 RBI, and an astonishing 1.500 OPS.

The Sluggers actually put up a good fight on offense. They were second in home runs, RBI, and SLG.  This was driving by Shohei Ohtani posting a 1.390 OPS with 4 home runs and 10 RBI. This was a case where Charlie caught the wrong team on a hot week – he would have easily won at least 3 offensive categories against any other team. However, versus the Possums, the tally was 0-4-1 before pitching.

Neither team distinguished itself on the mound. The Sluggers had the worst ERA and WHIP in the league.  The Possums were a shade better and led the league in IP. Matthew Boyd had two nice starts for 12.0 IP with 15 strikeouts. This was enough for Rick to sweep all five categories and claim a strong 9-1 win. The victory leaves Rick in sole possession of first place with only one loss in the first cycle.

LK Armadillos (4-2) vs. CP Kraken (3-1-2)

The defending champs entered the week in second place, facing their most bitter rivals, the Kraken. Chris’s squad has suffered from inconsistency all year, and this week was no different. After posting numbers at the top of the league on offense last week, the Kraken were next to last in OPS and last in runs. Oddly enough, the team posted a good home run and RBI total, and won both categories. Juan Soto and Aaron Judge each had a trio of home runs and posted OPS totals over 1.00. However, no other regular was above 0.750. The Armadillos were middle of the road on offense. Their only standout category was steals. Miakel Garcia has 3, Wyatt Langford 2 (in just 4 Abs), and four other players had one. Gunnar Henderson had 2 home runs, and this was enough for Larry to win three categories two.

The battle would be decided on pitching, and neither team could predict how this would go. Both teams have weeks of outstanding pitching but often descend into chaos and rely on numbers over quality. These World War I style battles of attrition can frustrate and overwhelm opponents, but come with casualties in the form of bloated ERAs and gruesome WHIPs. This week was different, with the Armadillos posting quite strong numbers. No category was good enough to lead the league, but they were solid across the board. Tarik Skubal was the highlight with 7.0 IP and 12 strikeouts. Cristopher Sanchez also had a nice 6.0 IP start with 0 ER and just 1 hit allowed. The Kraken didn’t have anyone implode, but the starters failed to throw enough innings to challenge in counting stats. The team’s ERA was middling, and this was a recipe for and Armadillos win.

The loss is a bitter one for the Kraken, who sometimes look like the best team in the league, and other times fail to live up to the hype. Chris will need to find a way to stabilize his performances to compete for the title, but there’s no doubt the talent is there. The Armadillos have righted the ship after a slow start. The rest of the league should take notice, as no one wants to allow the Armadillos to snowball to a massive lead again this year.

JK Hares (2-4) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (2-4)

On the subject of rivals, the Hares brought their ugly style of play to take on the Goofballs. Neither team has impressed this year, but they always put up a spirited fight, especially against each other. As expected, the Hares relied on speed and pitching to win. The squad was tied for first in steals, led by Trea Turner and Jackson Chourio with 3 each. George Springer and Eugenio Suarez each had 2 home runs. The Goofballs matched this total with a big 3 home run week from Kyle Schwarber. The Hares won runs easily thanks to Turner and Springer and held a 3-1-1 lead.

On pitching, the Hares produced one of the most shocking and bizarre weeks in the history of the league. Underpinning it all was an epic meltdown by Ryan Pressly. He “pitched” 0.0 innings, gave up 8 earned runs, allowed 5 hits, 1 walk, and failed to retire a batter. This resulted in the infamous “INF” ERA. In almost any other circumstance, this would doom the Hares for the week. However, this was not the case. The rest of the team rallied behind two incredible starts each from Tony Gonsolin and Zack Wheeler. They combined for 4 starts, 24.0 IP, 29 strikeouts, and just 4 earned runs. Jhoan Duran added 3 saves. In a shocking twist, this was enough for the Hares to win ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts.

The Goofballs didn’t have a bad week. They threw a respectable number of innings and recorded good strikeout totals without any big meltdowns. This was just a case of running up against a hot staff. If you remove the unemployed Pressly’s outing, the Hares would have easily led the league in ERA and WHIP. The win keeps the Hares at the top of the second division, and the Goofballs one slot below looking for answers.

KK Wolf Spiders (1-4-1) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (3-2-1)

The week’s final match featured the best pitching in the league by a wide margin. Both teams would have led the league in ERA and WHIP, and it wasn’t particularly close. Kyle enjoyed a big week from Nathan Eovaldi who threw 13.0 IP and 14 strikeouts over two strong starts. The PhoeGnomes countered with yet another brilliant week from Cole Ragans. In just 10.0 IP, he recorded 19 strikeouts. Pablo Lopez had 17 in 11.0 IP.  Other pitchers didn’t record gaudy strikeout totals, but did limit the runs and hits allowed. Heather won 3-2, but it was incredibly close.

The offensive struggle was even closer. Both teams posted shameful home runs totals. The two teams combined for fewer home runs than any single team in the league. The only real highlight for the PhoeGnomes was Bobby Witt Jr.’s 5 steal rampage. Kyle equaled this total across a smattering of players. The Wolf Spiders just couldn’t get any offense going and had the worst OPS in the league. The PhoeGnomes won with the rare 5-4-1 line, and the match could have easily ended up in a tie if things broke a bit differently.

Next Week

Week 8 begins a new cycle, and the biggest matchup is the Kraken versus the league-leading Possums. This is the kind of match-up the Possums must win if they are to be true contenders for the title. On the flip-side, the Kraken have to put together a winning streak at some point if they want the coveted trophy. The PhoeGnomes and Hares meet in an intriguing match of unpredictable teams. The Sluggers and Goofballs face each other in a battle to get things moving in the right direction. Finally, the Armadillos meet the Wolf Spiders. This would have been a dream match just a couple of seasons ago, but now the tide has turned. Kyle would love to upset his rival and put more pressure on the defending champions.