The season reached its half-way point this week, and the battle for the championship is a fierce one. There are four teams in the mix, and a shocking upset gave hope to everyone chasing the Armadillos. The Possums took partial advantage and are now tied for the league lead. The Hares and Kraken are just behind those two. This week’s bizarre results show why this season has been so variable, with any team seemingly able to win on a given week.

JK Hares (6-5) vs. LK Armadillos (8-2-1)

The Hares shocked the world with a dominant victory over the defending champs. The win is the first for the Hares versus the Armadillos since week #18 of the 2023 season. After a weak effort against the Kraken, the Hares rebounded with a big week on both sides of the board. They led the league in home runs and were second in runs and RBI. Elly De La Cruz was unstoppable with 4 home runs, 8 runs, 7RBI, 1 steal, and a 1.500 OPS. Eugenio Suarez, Jackson Chourio, and Gleyber Torres added 2 home runs each, and OPS values over 0.950. This was more than enough to sweep four offensive categories with relative ease.

The Hares’ pitching was great as well. The team obliterated the rest of the league in terms of strikeouts. Zack Wheeler picked up 16 in 12.0 IP, but Spencer Strider and Framber Valdez were even better. They struck out 13 and 12 over 6.0 and 5.0 IP respectively. Valdez has been incredible in his last few starts and will be relied upon after Hares’ superstar Corbin Burnes was lost for two seasons for Tommy John surgery. The Armadillos were able to win saves, but the rest of the staff couldn’t hold up.

The Hares won by a wide margin and pulled to within 1.5 games of the league leaders. The Armadillos follow up their tie to the PhoeGnomes with a loss, and while it’s not time to panic yet, there is surely some tension in the locker room. The team can take solace that no other team has put together a consistent hot streak recently and everyone appears to be treading water with injuries and volatile play.

RK Possums (8-3) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (4-5-2)

The team best poised to take direct advantage of the Armadillos’ defeat was the Possums. Rick could take the outright lead with a win but had to settle for a tie against the PhoeGnomes. How did this happen? The main issue was a weird lack of home runs for the Possums, despite a strong power week overall. Rick led the league in runs, RBI, and OPS, but had only 7 home runs. Josh Naylor and Willson Contreras each had a pair of home runs, but other players weren’t as solid. For example, Manny Machado led the team with 10 RBI, but somehow didn’t have a home run, and scored only 3 runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a 1.212 OPS over 21 at-bats, but also lacked a homer. This gave Heather the category, and with a tie in steals, Rick only earned a 3-1-1 lead.

Heather had the better week on the pitching side. She led the league in ERA and WHIP and was second in strikeouts. Chris Sale and Yusei Kikuchi were the difference makers. Sale had a vintage 11 strikeout, 7,0 IP and 1 ER outing. Kikuchi allowed 3 runs over 5.2 IP, but did add 10 strikeouts. The Possums were doomed by a rough week from Robert Suarez, and a strange pair of starts from Matthew Boyd.  He went 12.0 IP but had only 3 strikeouts. By contrast, Framber Valdez and Spencer Strider threw fewer IP, but had 25 strikeouts compared to Boyd’s 3.

The rare 4-4-2 tie allowed Rick to move into a tie for first place. However, opportunities to gain ground on the Armadillos are rare, and the team is probably frustrated they did not take the outright lead. For Heather’ s part, she can take pride that she tied both top two teams in the league. With a bit more luck, perhaps these ties will eventually become wins.

CM Skyline Sluggers (3-7-1) vs. CP Kraken (6-2-3)

The Kraken were another team that seemed likely to take advantage of the Armadillos’ stumble. Unfortunately for Chris the Skyline Sluggers had other plans. Charlie’s revamped pitching staff led the way. While not at the top of the league, the team’s rate stats and IP and save totals were enough to easily win four categories. Walker Buehler was strong in 7.0 IP with 7 strikeouts. Zach Eflin, Luis Severino, and Will Warren also had serviceable starts and did no harm (though not striking out too many). This was more than enough after the Kraken staff self-immolated. Every pitcher Chris put in the lineup allowed  at least 1 earned run (including relievers). Griffin Canning imploded with a whopping 10 earned runs in 9.2 IP. Nick Lodolo was even worse on a per-inning basis with 6 earned runs in just 3.1 IP. The Kraken somehow still won strikeouts but the damage was done. Charlie led 4-1.

Both teams were solid on offense, especially in the home run department. Ian Happ contributed 3 for the Sluggers and Chris enjoyed a trio from Aaron Judge.  Will Castro was an unlikely star for Charlie with a 1.197 OPS and a home run. Shohei Ohtani has a monstrous 1.416 OPS, and this was enough to hold the category. The Kraken had strong runs and steals totals, but they couldn’t match the Sluggers’ power. Charlie cruised to a win, and Chris is left to ponder the missed opportunity to make it a three-way tie for first place.

KG Capital City Goofballs (3-7-1) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (1-8-2)

The week’s final match saw the Wolf Spiders take on the Goofballs. While neither team is a title contender this year, both teams have enormous pride and try their best every week. This week it was the Wolf Spiders who came out on top thanks to a vintage pitching performance. David Peterson was incredible with a complete game shutout with 6 strikeouts. Joe Ryan and Merrill Kelly were also good in shorter efforts.

On offense, Ronald Acuna Jr added 3 home runs and a steal to form the base of a solid week for Kyle. His ridiculous 1.789 OPS led the league by a wide margin! Brandon Nimmo had a solid 0.918 OPS to shore up the rate stats even further. Kevin had good home run power with 8 different players recording at least one. However, only CJ Abrams had an OPS over 1.000 (with 1.104). The team also struggled to pick up steals, and Kyle picked up a nice 6-3-1 win, his second of the year.

Next Week

The second half of the season opens with a series of interesting battles. The most critical is the Hares versus Possums. Jeff’s team is inconsistent, but if they are on, they will cause trouble for even the best teams. Rick needs to pick up a win, and maintain his hold on first place. The Armadillos face the same, against the Skyline Sluggers. Charlie’s team has been hot of late, and could present a problem if their pitching holds up. Meanwhile ,the Kraken will try to get back on track against the Wolf Spiders. Finally, the PhoeGnomes and Capital City Goofballs will meet. This match is critical for the standings in the bottom half of the league, with possible draft pick implications.

The 10^th week of the season saw a few close match-ups, but in the end the favorites all prevailed. The top three teams in the league, including the Armadillos, Possums, and Kraken, all took care of business and kept pace with each other. The Hares won an ugly, ugly match against the Skyline Sluggers that featured bizarre performances and strategic maneuvers. The rest of the league is left searching for answers.

RK Possums (6-3) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (1-7-1)

Top honors this week go to the Possums, who pulled out a close battle with the Wolf Spiders. Both teams were near the top of the league in most pitching categories. The Wolf Spiders took both rate categories. Jacob deGrom showed strong form in two starts over 11.1 IP with 2.38 ERA. Robbie Ray continued a strong recent run with a great outing. However, Kyle’s pitchers did not put up huge innings totals. This in turn limited the teams strikeouts. The Possums tried to capitalize on IP, and would up winning the category by just one more out than Kyle. However, Rick’s crew was much better recording strikeouts and won the category in dominant fashion. Leading the way was Spencer Schwellenbach, who strike out 11 over just 6.1 IP with 0 earned runs. This left the two teams dead-even at 2-2-1.

The Possums were able to pull away thanks to a slightly better offensive showing than the Wolf Spiders. The two critical categories were homeruns, RBI, and runs. The two teams tied in runs, and Rick had one extra home run and 3 more RBI than Kyle. James Wood and Francisco Lindor were key, with 3 home runs each and 13 total RBI. Both had OPS north of 1.150. Wood also added two steals. Kyle had a nice two-homer week from Christian Yelich and Austin Riley. However, the rest of the squad didn’t add enough and Rick was able to win 4 of 5 categories. The Wolf Spiders were potentially just home run away from a tie. However, this week belonged to the Possums, and there is no denying that the team will contend going forward.

HP PhoeGnomes (4-4-1) vs. CP Kraken (4-2-3)

The week’s second bitter intra-family rivalry featured the Kraken and PhoeGnomes. Heather started the week strong with an excellent pitching performance. She led the league in strikeouts and WHIP by a huge margin. She also won ERA with ease. The main contributor was Garrett Crochet with 13.2 IP and an unfathomable 23 strikeouts. The Kraken were not competitive in any category other than saves. Jesus Luzardo humiliated himself, and the legacy of his ancestors with a brutal 3.1 IP, 12 ER start. Fortunately for the Luzardo line, another pitcher would actually commit a worse atrocity on the mound, and that war crime will be discuss later.

Much like the Possums, the Kraken were able to rally at the plate. Aaron Judge (who else?) had 3 home runs, but Junior Caminero topped him with 4 home runs and 13 RBI. Jeremy Pena and Juan Soto had 2 home runs each to add to the totals. This gave Chris a strong OPS and league lead in home runs. Heather had a great 3 home run week from Jose Altuve, but this wasn’t enough to challenge and Chris swept all of the hitting categories. This earned him a victory and also keeps pace with the Armadillos.

JK Hares (5-4) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (3-6)

Our third match-up featured the Hares versus the Sluggers, two unpredictable teams. The Hares managed a win despite abominable efforts from the Hares pitching staff. On the positive side for the Hares, Framber Valdez had a great complete game with 9 strikeouts. His teammates decided to flush this effort down the toilet. George Kirby allowed 6 earned runs in just 5.0 IP. Dylan Cease was also pedestrian. However, the worst of the worst was Brandon Pfaadt. He entered the game and did not record an out while allowing an abominable 8 earned runs. This is the second such start for the Hares this year, and management took noticed. Pfaadt was cut before the game was over, and Tony Gonsolin was also thrown overboard. This decimation, in the truest Roman meaning of the word, was cathartic, but the damage was done. The Sluggers started their full compliment of pitchers and easily won all categories except saves. Here, the Hares were able to take control thanks to a nice week from Ryan Helsley.

Both teams were evenly matched on offense. Elly De La Cruz had 2 home runs for the Hares, as did Jackson Chourio. He added 2 steals as well. This left the team in a good position, but the Skyline Sluggers were challenging in OPS. Shohei Ohtani was the focal point as usual, and he had an impressive 4 home runs and 1.226 OPS. However, going into the final day, Charlie needed production to challenge in other offensive categories. In an act of desperation, the Hares cleared their lineup and bet that the Sluggers wouldn’t be able to maintain their OPS. The strategy worked as the Sluggers dipped down below 0.800 OPS and this was just enough for the Hares to earn the win. Whether or not this more ruthless style of management will work long-term remains to be seen. For now the Hares remain in the first division, and the Sluggers are firming in the lower third of the league.

LK Armadillos (7-2) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (3-5-1)

The week’s final match also features the top overall performer, the Armadillos. Larry’s team wasn’t at the top of any offensive stat (except for steals). However, the were consistently excellent, and the numbers spelled disaster for the Goofballs. Cal Raleigh was the best of the best with a monstrous 6 home runs, 10 RBI, and a steal. Pete Alonso and Jose Ramirez also had 2 home runs. The most remarkable total was steals, where the team dominated the league with an incredible 18 total. Chandler Simpson and Pete Crow-Armstrong each had 5 steals, and either player alone would have beaten every other team in the league, save the Possums. When a team has this much power and utterly dominates a category to such a degree, it will be tough to defeat them.

Kevin tried his best to salvage a tie on pitching. Both teams ended up posting great stats. Sonny Gray and MacKenzie Gore combined for 2 scoreless starts. Gray in particular was notable with his 10 strikeouts. Sadly for Kevin, Ranger Suarez countered Gray with 10 strikeouts over two solid starts. Tarik Skubal was also strong in his scoreless start. Neither team had huge innings totals, but Larry’s team did enough to secure the win, including a 3 save week from Emmanuel Clase. For now the Armadillos remain in firm control of first place, but 3 teams are within 2 games, so anything can still happen.

Next Week

The action looks to be more even next week. The Kraken and Hares always have interesting contests, and Chris needs a win to keep pace. The Possums face the Goofballs in another interesting battle. The Armadillos face the struggling PhoeGnomes, who need to try to turn things around. Finally, two of the lowest teams meet with a chance to earn a much-needed win as the Sluggers take on the Wolf Spiders.

Week #09 of the season saw several close battles take place. The Armadillos were able to slip by the Possums and take over first place. The Hares took down the Wolf Spiders and moved into 4^th place for the first time in several season. The Sluggers earned a nice win over the PhoeGnomes, while the Kraken and Goofballs were unable to settle their differences.

RK Possums (6-2) vs. LK Armadillos (7-2)

The week’s biggest match-up had first place on the line. The Armadillos and Possums entered with identical records. The battle was a close one, but the Armadillos came out on top. The did it via their pitching. They led the league in ERA, IP, and strikeouts while finishing second in WHIP. Tarik Skubal was on fire Sunday, with a complete game, 2 hit, no walk shutout with 13 strikeouts. This put all categories except saves out of reach for the Possums.

Despite the heavy deficit from pitching, Rick was still in position to tie if his offense could come through. Although steals were out of reach, the Possums had a strong SLG. Taylor Ward was incredible with 3 home runs, 9 runs, and 12 RBI. Manny Machado and James Wood were also solid, with OPS values over 1.000. Unfortunately for the Possums, the Armadillos were just a little better in the counting stats. Pte Crow-Armstrong led the way with 2 home runs and 10 RBI. Six other players had at least one home run, and this was enough for the Armadillos to tie runs, win home runs by 1, and RBI by 3.

The loss is a tough one for the Possums, who fall back into second place. The Armadillos move into first, and are on a nice unbeaten streak. It remains to be seen whether or not they will run away with the title, but the Possums, Hares, Kraken, and others will need to perform better in the heart of the season to keep the defending champs in check.

KK Wolf Spiders (1-6-1) vs. JK Hares (4-4)

The inconsistent Hars met the Wolf Spiders, and Jeff was finally able to enter the first division after many years in the bottom tier. The Hars won thanks to strong offense, earning a clean sweep of five categories. Trea Turner put the team on his back with 3 home runs, 8 runs and RBI, and 4 steals. His OPS of 1.275 paired with Ryan O’Hearn’s 1.202 to help the team finish second in OPS and runs to the Goofballs. The Wolf Spiders struggled to get anything going, and the Hares were comfortable with a 5-0 sweep.

Kyle fared much better on pitching. For most of the week, ERA, WHIP, and saves were never in doubt. Robbie Ray was great, with 13.0 IP, 14 strikeouts, a 0.69 ERA, and 0.77 WHIP. However, other pitchers didn’t deliver quite the K/9 that Ray showed. This gave the Hares a narrow opening, and they took advantage. Despite having a mediocre ERA, Dylan Cease managed 14 strikeouts in 12 IP, and other Hares starters made the most of their opportunities. They couldn’t flip IP, but they did win strikeouts and ensure a win for the week. The loss is surely frustrating for the Wolf Spiders, because a similar stat line is often good enough for a win. The Hares are back above 0.500, despite being managed from London, Singapore, Thailand, Bali, Svalbard, and Norway at various points throughout the season.

CM Skyline Sluggers (2-6) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (4-3-1)

The Skyline Sluggers earned a victory against the PhoeGnomes, despite some peculiar stat lines. Neither team could manage much on offense, and would have lost the majority of categories to any other team in the league. However, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king and Charlie proved this with a 4-0-1 stat line. Anthony Santander had a nice OPS, while Shohei Ohtani had 2 home runs. Only three PhoeGnomes players had a home run, and this cost the team a near-sweep.

Heather was actually quite good on offense. Her squad had a nice ERA and were in the top of the league for most categories. Kodai Senga had two nice stats and 10 strikeouts. However, other starters struggled to record many strikeouts. The Sluggers only started four pitchers, and therefore lost ERA and WHIP by default. They were also dominated in IP and strikeouts, but did record 3 saves to the PhoeGnomes 2. This was enough to earn the narrow 5-4-1 win.

KG Capital City Goofballs (3-5) vs. CP Kraken (4-2-3)

The week’s final match was a wild contest that was, in many ways, the most interesting of the week. The Kraken and Goofballs each put up great numbers across the board. Kevin dominated on offense, posting the highest runs, home run, RBI, and OPS numbers by a wide margin. Logan O’Hoppe led the way with 4 home runs, and Seiya Suzuki added 3 more, with 10 RBI and 9 runs. Four regular players had OPS values over 1.000. The Kraken were also strong on offense, but they weren’t able to keep pace. Aason Judge and Matt Olson each had 3 home runs, but didn’t put up the massive RBI totals that Kevin’s stars posted. Kyle Tucker added a pair of home runs and steals. This gave Chris the win in steals, but his overall performance wasn’t quite able to match the Goofballs’.

Both squads had excellent pitching. Kevin led the league in ERA, but relied on a less-is-more approach that ceded IP and strikeouts. This mean that Chris had a path to a tie with strong saves and WHIP totals. The Kraken answered the call, with great starts from Jesus Luzardo, Chris Bassitt, and others. Luke Waver added 3 saves, and Chris was able to salvage a tie.

Next Week

There are several interesting battles next week.  The Kraken and Possums will look to bounce back against the struggling PhoeGnomes and Wolf Spiders respectively. The Armadillos face a tricky match against the Goofballs. Finally, the Hares will try to consolidate and pick up a win over the Skyline Sluggers.

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.

RK Possums:
Jacob DeGrom
~for~
KK Wolf Spiders:
Freddie Freeman
Note:
If either player goes on the 60-day DL, the former owner must give a 2026 Round #06 pick to the other.

The third week of the 2025 season brought even more surprises in an already chaotic season. The PhoeGnomes remain the only undefeated team in the league. The last two great champions – the Armadillos and Wolf Spiders – have only one win between them in six matches and are in the basement for now. The Goofballs, Hares, and Possums also have positive records and are right behind the PhoeGnomes. It’s still too early to count any team out, but the early results promise an exciting season.

KG Capital City Goofballs (1-1) vs. LK Armadillos (1-1)

The most shocking result of the week saw the Goofballs upset the Armadillos with stunning pitching performances on both sides. If you asked anyone in the league if the Armadillos could lose while posting a 1.99 ERA, 59 strikeouts, and 54.1 IP, most would say it would be an easy win as the team’s offense is incredible. This wasn’t the case this week, as Kevin produced an ERA that was even better, with a strong WHIP.

Kevin went with the less-is-more strategy with his pitchers and it paid off. Logan Webb and Jack Flaherty held their opponents scoreless, and Webb added 10 strikeouts in 7.0 IP with just 4 hits and no walks. The Goofballs’ bullpen was stellar, recording 3 saves and not allowing any runs.

The Armadillos performance was in many ways more impressive.  The team managed an ERA under 2.00 while starting the maximum 8 pitchers.  Seven of the eight threw at least 6 IP and 6 allowed 2 or fewer earned runs.  The bullpen equaled Kevin’s output, and the extra starts gave Larry easy wins in IP and strikeouts.  This gave the two teams a 2-2-1 stalemate before considering offense.

The Goofballs excelled further on this side of the ledger.  Kevin led the league in steals with 10, and was second on OPS and RBI. Bryce Harper, Brenton Doyle, and Kyle Schwarber each had 2 home runs.  Harper added 4 steals thanks to a healthy 7 walks.  CJ Abrams did well in limited playing time with 2 steals.  The Armadillos couldn’t seen to get anything going on offense.  The team managed a league-low 4 home runs. Jose Ramirez, last week’s hero, was abysmal with just a 0.348 OPS across 19 at-bats.  This simply wasn’t enough to keep pace, and the Goofballs won the battle this week.

The loss drops the Armadillos below 0.500.  I’m not sure when the last time this team was below 0.500, but it was a while back to be sure!  Some of this is early-season jitters, but anytime you have pitching as strong as either of these teams did, you would expect to win.  The Armadillos’ offense is still near the top in cumulative season stats, so this is probably just a blip that Kevin took advantage of.  For the Goofballs’ part, they have looked like a contender early.  If Kevin can somehow, someway field pitching like this with any consistency, he will be a sure frontrunner for the title.

KK Wolf Spiders (0-2) vs. RK Possums (1-1)

The week’s second shocking result saw the Possums take down the Wolf Spiders for their third straight loss.  The continued shocking start to the year came courtesy of the Possums.  Rick’s team overcame a strong Wolf Spider offensive showing by having just enough pitching to win.

Rick swept all five pitching categories.  Although the team’s stats were not close to the league lead in any category, they were consistently a step better than those of the Wolf Spiders.  Max Fried was excellent in 7.0 IP, allowing 0 earned runs and striking out 11.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto was also string in 6.0 IP, allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk along with 9 strikeouts.  Robert Suarez had 3 saves.  Kyle had serviceable outings from his staff, but it wasn’t enough to take any category, giving the Possums a solid 5-0 lead.

On offense, Kyle was stronger.  He led the league in OPS and was tied for first in runs with the Hares.  He was also second in home runs… to the Possums.  Jung Hoo lee led the way with 3 home runs and a 1.683 OPS.  Josh Jung also had a 1.200 OPS, and Spencer Torkelson had 3 home runs. Unfortunately for Kyle, this was equaled by Rick’s trio of James Wood, Mike Trout, and Fernando Tatis Jr.  The team had a handful of players record a steal, and this was enough to seal away the week.  Kyle won runs and OPS, but it wasn’t enough.  The Possums moved above 0.500 and Kyle suffered a crushing third consecutive loss.  The Wolf Spiders remain back-to-back champions but Kyle will need to find answers if the team wants to challenge for a title this season.

CP Kraken (1-1) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (2-0)

The Kraken-PhoeGnomes rivalry explored a new chapter that ended peacefully in a 5-5 draw.  Heather remains undefeated, but probably hoped for more.  The Kraken remain in the middle of the pack for now, but there are good signs of progress for Chris’s team.  To start, both squads had excellent pitching.  Heather led the league in WHIP and Chris was second. Heather was third in ERA behind the Armadillos and Goofballs.  She was also first in IP and strikeouts, and tied for first in saves. Cole Ragans stayed red hot, allowing just 2 earned runs in 13.2 IP and registering 21 strikeouts.  Logan Gilbert made his presence felt in 10.2 IP, striking out 14, and allowing just 2 earned runs. The Kraken countered with a strong showing of their own, with several pitchers allowing just 1 or 2 earned runs.  Unfortunately, these totals came in low-innings starts which put strikeouts out of reach.  This gave the PhoeGnomes a 4-1 edge.

On offense, the Kraken were able to turn things around somewhat.  Tyler Soderstrom had 2 home runs and Salvador Perez contributed 5 RBIs.  The team didn’t record many steals, though, and posted fairly pedestrian numbers.  It looked like things were primed for a PhoeGnomes victory, but the team couldn’t get anything going on offense.  Only the Sluggers had a worse OPS, and Heather was fortunate that Jose Altuve and Randy Arozarena each stole 2 bases and captured the category.  This gave Heather a tie, but with a slumping Kraken offense, she surely hoped for more.  For his part, Chris can breathe a sigh of relief that things were not worse than a tie.

CM Skyline Sluggers (1-1) vs. JK Hares (1-1)

The week’s final match saw the Hares bring down the Skyline Sluggers in a strange but close battle until the end.  Neither team posted outstanding numbers in any single category, but the Hares were near the middle of the pack in everything and managed some good pitching performances to seal the week.  Hunter Greene was an absolute monster with 15.2 IP and 15 strikeouts with 0 earned runs, 6 hits, a

nd 2 walks.  Michael King recorded two good starts and 10 strikeouts with just 3 earned runs.

Neither team was great on offense, but Charlie enjoyed a nice 3 home run, 10 RBI week from William Contreras.  The Hares posted a strong home run total thanks to Isaac Paredes’ 3 homer effort, along with 2 each from Carson Kelly and Jackson Chourio.  Chourio added 8 RBI and a steal in what Jeff hopes is the start of great things for the prized young outfielder.  On the other hand, Filey Greene and Jackson Holiday combined to go 0/28 in a humiliating display of ineptitude.  Still, this was not enough to drag down the rest of the team, and the Hares earned a 9-1 win that was much closer than the final score indicates.

Next Week

Week #04 promises more fireworks as the PhoeGnomes, who lead the league, face last year’s champs the Armadillos.  This will be a true test for whether or not Heather will be a competitor for the title this year.  The Possums and Goofballs meet in a battle of hot teams.  The Kraken and Hares offer contrasting styles that could go either way.  Finally, both the Wolf Spiders and Skyline Sluggers are desperate for a win, but it will have to come at the expense of one of those teams as they face off.

The second week of the 2025 season saw teams begin to settle into more consistent play.  Teams like the Possums, Goofballs, and Hares rose to the challenge, while early winners struggled to keep up their hot starts.  At the end of the week, only the PhoeGnomes managed to keep a perfect record intact.  Time will tell whether or not Heather’s team can contend, but the mixed results from the early leaders shows that any team can still win this year.

LK Armadillos (1-0) vs. RK Possums (0-1)

The defending champions looked to keep their hot start going.  However, the Possums proved they were more than up to the task and captured the week thanks to a dominant pitching performance.

Spencer Schwellenbach was the best of the week for Rick with a beautiful 8.0 IP, 2 hit, 10 strikeout showing.  Tyler Mahle, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Matthew Boyd combined to throw 17.0 IP and not allow a single earned run.  Robert Suarez contributed 2 critical saves.  The Armadillos struggled with ERA for the entire week, with many starters throwing middling efforts.  This also limited the innings pitched, and thus strikeouts.  A poor showing from Larry’s bullpen gave the Possums a five-category sweep.

The Armadillos were much better on offense.  They were second in the league in home runs and OPS.  Veterans Pete Alonso and Jose Ramirez each had 3 home runs, and Alonso added a whopping 11 RBI.  The team collected 9 steals for the week, and seemed poised to dominate in all offensive categories.  The Possums struggled to get much going for a second straight week, but they did have one bright spot – a strong showing on the base paths. Manny Machado and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each had 3 steals.  Machado’s final steal on Sunday clinched a tie for the category and thus a win for the week.  The loss will sting for the Armadillos, who left three steals on the bench.  This now puts both teams at 1-1 records, and the Possums showed they are a threat to bring down the league leaders.  The Armadillos’ one vulnerability remains pitching, and the team will have to sort this out if they want to cruise to another title.

JK Hares (0-1) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (0-1)

After an atrocious start to the season, the Hares looked to rebound against the Wolf Spiders.  Like the Possums, the Hares responded to the challenge with arguably the league’s top overall performance.  The Hares enjoyed a rare sweep of all five offensive categories.  The surge came from two players – Riley Greene and Elly De La Cruz.  Cruz destroyed the Rangers with 2 home runs, 9 RBI, and 2 steals for the week.  Greene added 3 home runs, which paired nicely with 3 steals from Trea Turner and 2 shocking steals from J.T. Realmuto.

Both teams had quality pitching showings.  They tied for the league lead in strikeouts.  The Wolf Spiders tied for the lead in saves and IP.  The Hares were second in ERA, and both teams had great WHIPs.  There was a slight chance for a tie for the week thanks to the Hares suffering a bad Corbin Burnes start and a bullpen blow-up.   Fortunately for Jeff, Tyler Glasnow was equally bad, and Kyle settled for one too few strikeouts and a microscopically higher ERA.  This gave the Hares their first win of the season and continues the frustrating start for the Wolf Spiders.

KG Capital City Goofballs (0-1) vs. CP Kraken (1-0)

The Goofballs/Kraken match promised some offensive fireworks, but no one was prepared for the Goofballs’ explosion.  Kevin’s squad led the league in runs, home runs, RBI, and OPS.  They tied for second in steals.  The Kraken did their best to keep up.  Chris tied for second in runs and steals and was third in RBI.  It wasn’t enough to overcome the monstrous production the Goofballs mustered, though.  Four Goofballs had 3 home runs – Jackson Merrill, Seiya Suzuki, Corbin Carroll, and CJ Abrams. Nico Hoerner added an incredible 6 steals for the squad.  The Kraken got a nice week from Kyle Tucker with 3 home runs and 8 RBI.  Chris managed a good balance of steals up and down the lineup, but it was only good enough to tie the category.  This put Chris in a difficult position  before considering pitching stats.

The Kraken did their best to close the gap, but it wasn’t quite enough.  The team had a few decent starts, including a good effort from Nick Lodolo.  However, others let the team down with the type of 5.0 IP / 4ER starts that kill a team’s rate stats, but also torpedo their ability to get high strikeout and innings totals.   The Goofballs’ bullpen was able to record 3 total saves and tie the category, and secure the win.  The team’s “less is more” approach to starts gave them the nod in WHIP as well, and Kevin earned a solid win for the week.  This leaves both teams at even 1-1 records.  The battle also raises questions about each team’s ability to produce consistent results week-in and week-out.  Both squads can (and often do) put up massive stats in all categories.  If either team could do it consistently, they could challenge the Armadillos for the title.

HP PhoeGnomes (1-0) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (1-0)

The week’s final match saw the PhoeGnomes rise to be the only team with a 2-0 record to start the season.  Heather’s team didn’t put up the best numbers for the week, but they were able to do just enough to secure the victory.  The PhoeGnomes’ pitching was strong.  They were near the top of the league in strikeouts despite a modest IP total.  Logan Gilbert and Cole Ragans did the hard work here – each recorded 10 strikeouts in just 5.0 IP each! No other pitcher had a meltdown, and Heather won both ERA and WHIP.  Charlie took saves in a 4-0 no-contest.  He also win IP, but was not close in the rate stats.  This gave Heather a 3-2 lead.

Neither team thrived on offense, but Heather did enough to earn four categories and thus a win for the week.  They were led by Teoscar Hernandez, who had 3 home runs, 7 RBI, and 2 steals.  The Skyline Sluggers didn’t have any players with more than one home run, and the team generally failed to get into a groove for the week.  This led to Heather earning a victory for the week, and moving into first place on the season!

Next Week

Things start to get serious in Week #03.  The Goofballs hope to bring down the defending champion Armadillos.  Kevin’s squad showed up to play last week, and the Armadillos look slightly vulnerable.  Can Kevin bring down his nemesis?  The Kraken also face a strong test against the PhoeGnomes.  Despite better season totals, Chris finds himself down in the standings.  Can Heather keep up the pace?  The Possums also face off against the struggling Wolf Spiders.  Rick has to take advantage of the opportunity to challenge a stronger team that is struggling.  Finally, the Skyline Sluggers have to face off against the bizarre and unpredictable Hares.  No one knows what the Hares will do from one week to another, so Charlie will need to bring a strong attack to win.

The first week of the 2025 season is complete, and there are already epic performances, drama, and upsets happening.  If the first week is any indication, the season will be a fantastic battle for the coveted Dirt Mountain title.

RK Possums vs. CP Kraken

The week’s best performance came from the Kraken.  Their offense outpaced the rest of the league with ease.  They led the league in home runs, RBI, and OPS by a substantial margin.  Aaron Judge did most of the damage with four home runs and 11 RBI.  Kyle Tucker added two home runs of his own and 6 RBI.  The Possums enjoyed a three home run showing from Jazz Chisholm Jr, and the team tied for the league lead in steals.  They also were tied for second in runs.  Despite Chris’s power numbers, he held only a 3-2 advantage before accounting for pitching.

Here, the Possums were competitive and led the league in ERA.  However, Rick’s pitchers didn’t manage to throw enough innings to win the counting categories, and Chris was able to take saves and secure the win.  The lack of innings will prove to be a theme for the week with many teams, as MLB managers looked to ease their pitchers into the season.  For now the Kraken start the season with a win, and Rick will have to hope for better luck in his next contest.

KK Wolf Spiders vs. LK Armadillos

The Wolf Spiders and Armadillos met in a battle of former champions, and the Armadillos once again came out on top.  However, the victory was rather workmanlike, with low offensive totals on both sides.  Neither team could get much going, and combined for few home runs than the Kraken alone.  Mookie Betts was the only Armadillo with more than one home run, but it was enough for Larry to sweep the offensive side of the ledger.

The Armadillos enjoyed a league-leading WHIP, but the Wolf Spiders took saves.  Larry scored more innings and strikeouts, and also had better rate stats than Kyle’s squad.  However, like all the other teams, the pitching showing was distorted by the low inning counts.  This won’t be any consolation to Kyle, who struggled to get much going for the week on either side.  Both teams will try to improve next week.

CM Skyline Sluggers vs. KG Capital City Goofballs

The Skyline Sluggers celebrated the recent weeding of the manager with a nice win versus the Goofballs.  I doubt either manager would call the win pretty, but a win is a win nonetheless.  The sluggers relied on Cody Bellinger for a home run and 6 RBI.  Kyle Schwarber had 2 home runs for the Goofballs.  The teams tied in steals, and Kevin took OPS.  This was enough for a 3-1-1 lead, but pitching would turn ugly for both squads.

Neither team had an ERA or WHIP that was competitive with the rest of the league.  Both teams had ghastly figures of ERAs over 6.66 and WHIPS north of 1.30.  However, the Sluggers were the best of the worst, and also threw far more innings than the Goofballs despite the overall ineffectiveness of both sides.  This helped Charlie pull to a 4-1 lead in pitching, and secure the narrow 5-4-1 win.  This is a great start for the Sluggers, who hope to build some early momentum.

JK Hares vs. HP PhoeGnomes

The week’s final battle saw the PhoeGnomes defeat the Hares in a strange contest.  Neither team was able to field many innings but Heather’s team was far more effective,  Logan Gilbert was especially strong in his one outing, and threw 7.0 IP.  Normally this isn’t that great, but in a week as strange as this one, any solid outing is a success.

Heather also enjoyed a strong week on offense Jordan Westburg leading the way.  He had 3 home runs, and Teoscar Hernandez added 5 RBI.  The Hares struggled mightily with a horrific OPS and only 3 total home runs.  This put far too much pressure on a pitching staff that struggled to throw many innings with any level of effectiveness.  Jeff will need to look for answers on offense, or it will be a long season.

Next Week

After a strange start to the year, each team will try to find a more normal rhythm in Week #02.  The Possums and Armadillos will be an interesting match, with Rick needed to pick up a victory.  The Kraken and Goofballs will also be an interesting battle.  Both teams struggle with pitching, so anything can happen.  The PhoeGnomes and Skyline Sluggers pair up two teams with victories in week one.  Finally, the Wolf Spiders and Hares will do their best to get their first wins of the season.

2024 Week #25 Year End Update

The season has come to an and, and the official league title has returned to the Armadillos!  Larry’s squad clinched three weeks ago, leaving the end of the year with little drama at the top.  The only question left to answer is where the team stands in the league’s pantheon of legendary teams.  More on this in a moment!

Although the Armadillos were dominant to end the season, there were still other battles to fight.  Incredibly, only two other teams had winning records – the Kraken and Possums.  These two teams battled it out for second place over the final few weeks.  The Kraken pulled away and finished the season with a strong 15 win total and 0.667 winning percentage.  In the latter half of the season the Kraken were the only team with a chance to keep pace with the leaders.  They did an admirable job and finished just 2 wins behind the Armadillos.  Their silver medal finish was well-deserved.

The Possums started the year slow, but rallied and improved in the second half.  They emerged as the clear third-best team and in the league and took the bronze medal with an impressive 14 wins.

The two-time defending champions finished in 4^th place after enduring a horde of injuries.  This marks the end of their question to equal the Lannisters’ incredible three-peat from 2015-2017.  However, they remain only the second team to every win two consecutive championships.  In any dynasty league, it’s hard to stay on top forever, and the Wolf Spiders will look to rebuild going into next season.

The battle for 5^th place was close, with the Goofballs, Hares, and PhoeGnomes all in the mix.  Kevin ended up taking the highest place in the second division after an up-and-down year.  The Goofballs managed to tie every team save the PhoeGnomes.  This gave them a high finish, despite having the second-fewest wins in the league.

The Hares snuck by the PhoeGnomes to finish the year in 6^th place and a higher slot in the draft lottery.  Jeff’s team was bedeviled by injuries but did manage to find a few critical pieces.  The team continues to summon pitching talent seemingly on demand, and will remain focused on finding star offensive players.  A first or second draft slot would go a long way to achieving this end.

The PhoeGnomes ended the year in 7^th place, but actually had the 5^th most wins in the league.  Heather’s squad was also inconsistent this year, but did manage to clutch out a few wins against good opponents.  The team will need to rely on the pitchers acquired from the Kraken to make moves next year.

Finally, the Skyline Sluggers ended the season in 8^th place.  This comes as some of a surprise since Charlie’s team started the year on a hot streak.  However, once things cooled down, the team struggled to find consistent offensive and pitching performance on the same week.  However, the team did show solid improvement and pushed even the better teams to the brink on multiple occasions.  Shohei Ohtani’s unprecedented 50/50 year was an all-time standout showing from a player.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this an incredible season.  Although the outcome was never in doubt for seemingly the who last half of the year, everyone fought to the end and worked on improving their clubs.  Next season promises even more drama, shocking trades, and incredible performances.

Where do the Armadillos Rank?

After dominating for nearly the entire season, the only question left is this – where do the 2024 Armadillos (17-4-3, 0.771) rank in the pantheon of great champions?  Just how good were the Armadillos?

The best way to answer this question is to look at how the team fared across all categories for the season. 

To be in the conversation, a team needs to have won at least 17 or 18 games in their season as champion.  Anything less, while impressive, isn’t quite dominant enough to make the cut.  In addition, I’m limiting the pool to the 8-team era.  Therefore the 2013 Lannisters, who had 18 wins, will not count.

2023 Wolf Spiders (18-5-1, 0.771)

The first contender is last season’s champion, the Wolf Spiders!  Kyle’s team has a share of the all-time wins record with 18.  They also equaled the Armadillos’ winning percentage of 0.771.  In addition, they defeated the Armadillos themselves who had a whopping 17 wins.  This year’s Armadillos had one fewer loss than Kyle. 

If these two teams played head-to-head, it would be an interesting battle.  The Wolf Spiders won all five pitching categories last year cross the league, but this year’s Armadillos had the better offense.  Both teams had incredible hot streaks, and Kyle had an immortal run to win the title last year.  I would rank these two teams as equals.  Kyle relied on an historic season from Ronald Acuna Jr., and the Armadillos found diamonds in the rough.  Both methods led to stellar results.

2021 Capital City Goofballs (17-8, 0.680)

The 2021 Goofballs were a solid squad who ended every week with either a win or loss.  The squad faced hellacious competition from the Possums, Armadillos, and the Lannisters.  The Goofballs were able to fight off these challenges and win on the last week of the season.  The depth of competition was impressive, but the Lannisters actually had superior pitching on the season compared to the Goofballs.  Kevin had a slight edge on offense.  While this squad was certainly good, they aren’t quite up to the level of the 2024 Armadillos.

2018 Armadillos (18-6-1, 0.740)

Much like the 2021 Goofballs, the 2018 Armadillos were built on a sound offense.  They were at the top of the league in most categories.  However, the Possums and Lannisters won most pitching categories and also led the league in OBP and SLG>  The Possums were fierce competitors as well, with excellent pitching.  While the 18 wins were impressive, the season totals show that this team might have gotten a bit fortunate to build up such an impressive win total.  There’s no doubt they earned the title, but the win total might have been more realistic at around 16.  For this reason, the squad does not compare to this season’s Armadillos.

2015 Lannisters (17-7-1, 0.700)

The second title for the Lannisters came on the back of strong performances across the board.  Like other teams above, the Lannisters led every offensive category on the season save RBI.  However, the team’s pitching was more middle-of-the-road.  As with the other teams, this one wouldn’t quite build the resume that the Armadillos achieved. 

This concludes the list!  Other legendary teams have won the title, but none did so with the singular dominance of the 2024 Armadillos and 2023 Wolf Spiders.  On a pure statistical level, the Wolf Spiders have the edge due to their unorthodox strategy of dominating pitching.  However, they also were second overall across the board on offense.  This year’s Armadillos don’t have that level of statistical dominance; their showing is more of a strategic success. 

The Armadillos didn’t have the star performances that Kyle did, but undoubtedly did more with less week to week than any other team in history.  Their 309 moves were more than double the second-highest total from the Wolf Spiders (140 moves).  No name players contributed meaningful numbers without over-tinkering. 

So which team is the greatest of all time? This is difficult to say.  The 2023 Wolf Spiders had the better players.  However, one could argue that the great Lannister teams probably had the most talented rosters ever assembled.  But this raises another important point – Kyle faced the pressure week-after-week of being the defending champ and having every team take their best shot at beating them.  This was a demonstrable phenomenon for the Lannisters, and the Wolf Spiders faced it as well.  Having said that, the Armadillos dealt with this to some extent due to their early lead this year. 

I will phrase my opinion this way – the 2023 Wolf Spiders and late-2010’s Lannisters are the best teams to ever compete.  However, the 2024 Armadillos is by far the best managerial performance of all time.  The team, almost by sheer force of will, avenged their heartbreaking loss from last season and claimed another title.  Now they will face the inevitable challenge of trying to defend the title from a series of challengers in the 2025 season.

League Update

 The 22^nd week of the season saw an incredible series of battles that have likely decided the title for the season.  The Kraken fought to the bitter end but were outlasted by the Possums.  The Armadillos survived a spirited comeback from the Wolf Spiders.  The win clinches the title for the season’s top performer.  At the bottom of the standings, both the Hares and Skyline Sluggers earned solid victories to push for better draft position.

 CP Kraken (12-6-2) vs. RK Possums (11-9)

 The only team with a chance to catch the Armadillos was the Kraken.  Chris’s squad has refused to capitulate and was the only true challenger for the last several weeks.  The team relied on explosiveness and finally, after weeks of hanging on, they couldn’t quite muster the offense they needed to win.  The Possums also fought on, rallying through the mid-season to move into the league’s top 3.  Rick also refused to give up, and is now firmly in the top of the league table.

 Their effort this week was led by the offense.  Manny Machado had a huge week with 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and a 1.094 OPS.  Jazz Chisolm Jr. added 2 home runs and a 1.288 OPS.  He also had a strong 3 steals, which were matched by Bryson Stott.  The Kraken’s offense was carried by two players: Yordan Alvarez and Matt Olson.  The pair combined for 8 of the team’s 9 home runs.  They added 17 RBI and 15 runs.  Their OPS values were 1.650 and 1.220 respectively.  Their two-man effort wasn’t enough, and the Possums held a 4-0-1 lead.  The tie was in RBI, and Chris would have tied the week with just one more.

 On pitching the Kraken were  much better.  The team led the league in strikeouts and were third in ERA.  The Kraken had the best WHIP in the league.  Cole Ragans was outstanding with 9.0 IP and 14 strikeouts.  Sean Manea and Logan Gilbert were also great.  Ryan Helsley added two saves.  Sadly, Bailey Ober suffered an horrific start in which he allowed 9 ER in just 2.0 IP.  This was a brutal turn for the Kraken, because they were only able to tie the Possums in IP.  With saves also tied, there was no way for Chris to salvage the tie or win for the week.  Had Ober make it through one more batter, Chris would have again tied.  The same can be said for saves.  The week ended on a knife’s edge, and this time the Kraken were left out.  The Possums did enough on the mound to win, and ultimately end Chris’s dream of upending the Armadillos.

 Although the loss is a tough one for the Kraken, it is worth remembering that Chris has been the only one to keep pace with the Armadillos.  The rest of the season is likely a battle for second place, but the Kraken did their best to keep the race close and made some bold moves.  The Possums have also moved into the conversation for second place, which is a surprising and welcome outcome after a slow start to the season.

 LK Armadillos (14-3-3) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (9-10-1)

 The Kraken’s loss gave the Armadillos a chance to all but clinch this season’s championship.  The team responded with a strong showing against a game Wolf Spiders team.  Larry’s team got a boost from the pitching staff that led the league in ERA and tied for the lead in saves.  The Wolf Spiders were able to mount a challenge on offense, but fell just short of the upset. 

The Armadillos’ best pitcher was Spencer Arrighetti.  He did not allow an earned run in7.2 IP and added a huge 11 strikeouts.  Tarik Skubal also had a good start, throwing 8.0 IP with 8 strikeouts.  These long starts were crucial as they prevented Kyle from challenging in IP.  Kyle’s team struggled with short starts from Brandon Pfaadt, Zac Gallen, and Jon Gray.  However, none of these pitchers were a total disaster and each also recorded a good number of strikeouts.  This kept IP and especially strikeouts somewhat close.  Both teams had great weeks from their bullpens.  In the end the Armadillos were slightly more efficient and won 4 of 5 categories.

 On offense, the Wolf Spiders were better, but they didn’t have quite enough power to earn the tie or upset.  Freddie Freeman and Dylan Crews each had 2 home runs.  Alec Burleson and Corey Seager were also strong with OPS’s over 1.000.  Jackson Merrill and Josh Jung added 5 total steals, easily winning the category.  The Armadillos countered with a huge week from Lawrence Butler.  He had 4 home runs, and an astonishing 1.968 OPS for the week.  Jarren Duran added 3 home runs of his own.  The rest of the team struggled, but the strong home run totals were enough to win the category and the week.  Butler in particular was essential – without him, Kyle would have easily taken all five categories.

 The win also clinches the title for the Armadillos, who have had a run that is only matched by the 2013 Lannisters.  This year, the Armadillos were able to get the job done down the stretch.  Despite strong challenges from the Kraken and others, the team refused to lose their focus.  After last season’s strong start and shocking fade, the Armadillos remained resolute in their pursuit of the title in the offseason.  With a roster closing in on 300 moves, the team has made the most of every available opportunity.  This season will likely end as one of the best ever for the league, and show that the rest of the league has some catching up to do to be competitive.

 HP PhoeGnomes (8-11-1) vs. JK Hares (6-11-3)

 Lower in the standings,  the PhoeGnomes and Hares faced off in a battle for draft position.  Neither team has been great this year, but both squads have had their moments.  In this case, the Hares were able to emerge with the win, and step into 6^th place.  After several weeks of floundering, the team finally put together a complete performance.  Jeff’s team led the league in OPS, and runs, and were in the top half for RBI and home runs.  Brent Rooker was on the warpath again with 3 home runs and a 1.494 OPS.  Jake Cronenworth added a couple of steals and a0.941 OPS.  Nico Hoerner and Bryan Reynolds each were great in part-time duty.  The PhoeGnomes  had a great week from Bobby Witt Jr., who had 4 home runs and a 1.011 OPS.  Three players had 2 steals each, and Heather won the category.  However, the Hares were able to take the other 4 without too much worry.

 The Hares were decent on the pitching side, and the PhoeGnomes struggled.  This was a recipe for disaster for Heather, as Gavin Stone and Martin Perez suffered bad outings.  Aaron Nola had a short but solid start with 9 strikeouts in 6.0 IP.  The Hares relied on Zack Wheeler to record 13 strikeouts and just 2 earned runs spaced over 2 starts.  Despite low strikeout totals, the Hares’ staff avoided critical meltdowns. Heather also suffered from a missing bullpen and failed to record a save. This was enough for the Hares to earn a convincing, complete victory.  This moves the Hares up a slot in the standings, and increases their chance to have the first pick in the 2025 draft.  However, the PhoeGnomes are still tied with the Hares pre-tie-breakers, so the battle is still far from over.

 KG Capital City Goofballs (7-8-5) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (6-13-1)

 The week’s final match saw the Skyline Sluggers step up and deliver a nice win versus the Goofballs.  Charlie’s team led the league in home runs by a huge margin, and also paced the league in RBI.  Willy Adames had 5 home runs, 10 RBI, and a steal to go with a 1.150 OPS.  William Contreras and Shohei Ohtani each had 3 home runs, and Ohtani added 3 steals.  He is now 6 homers and 7 steals away form an almost-unthinkable 50/50 season.  The Goofballs had a match for Adames with Corbin Carroll’s 5 home run, 11 RBI, 1 steal, and 1.510 OPS week.  The monster performance was shadowed by Bryce Harper, who didn’t have a home run but did record a 1.101 OPS.  Sadly for Kevin, the rest of the team couldn’t keep pace and Charlie swept all 5 categories.

 On pitching neither side was great, but Charlie again did just enough to win.  Nathan Eovaldi was the standout with 10 strikeouts over 7.0 IP.  He allowed 0 earned runs and set the pace for the team.  Kevin had a nice two-start week from Jose Berrios who allowed just 2 earned runs and struck out 11 over 13.2 IP.  Freddy Peralta also had a nice start.  However, the team’s WHIP was slightly inflated and ultimately Kevin couldn’t manage a sweep for the tie.  This gave the Skyline Sluggers their first win in several weeks, which is always good for morale in the clubhouse.  Charlie is now 2.0 games behind both the Hares and PhoeGnomes, and there’s still plenty of time for him to climb out of the basement.

 Players of the Week

 The weeks best players have to be Lawrence Butler for the Armadillos and Cole Ragans for the Kraken.  Ragans’ strong start was exactly what the Kraken needed to try to stay close, and Butler delivered the home run category, and ultimately the league title, to the Armadillos. 

 Next Week

 With the title wrapped up, attention must now turn to other battles.  The Possums will try to keep their silver medal hopes alive against the Armadillos.  The Hares will do the same for 6^th place versus the Wolf Spiders.  The Kraken will play the Goofballs, and try to hold on to second.  Finally, the Skyline Sluggers and PhoeGnomes meet in a battle to stay out of last place!