This is a special report on the draft written by Larry!  Thanks for writing this up.  It’s detailed and I think the analysis is great!

 

Observations on the 2017 Dirt Mountain League Draft

To me, this year’s draft was one of the most unusual the league has ever had.  It seemed that there was no clear consensus on who the top few picks would be.  Certainly, I don’t believe any of us had a good idea of who the top eight would be, much less in what order the top eight might be drafted.  And to further complicate our planning, there were several trades of top picks – even the trade of a first rounder during the draft.

So, given all that, it is no wonder that there seemed to be some surprises among the selections.  I’ll give you some of my observations and opinions — keeping in mind that all of us value players differently, all of us have personal favorites that we probably overpay for, and all our teams have different needs and are in different stages of competitiveness.  Let’s take a closer look at some of the picks.

 

CM – Happy Hollidays

First three picks:  Carlos Martinez – Justin Turner – Michael Fulmer

Coming off a last place finish of his inherited squad, CM appeared to decide to try to improve quickly as he went for several veteran players who could offer immediate help.  With the first full set of draft picks he has had, Chris passed on young talent in the first two rounds and went for more immediate help.  In addition, he landed Brad Miller with a #6 pick and got Todd Frazier with his #7.  He fortified his SS position with Aledmys Diaz, showing good patience to wait until round 9 to select a Cardinal who had a strong showing in 2016.

CM then wisely took a flyer in rounds 11-13, taking Y. Puig, Y. Tomas, and C. Kelly – a couple of underachievers who could still be stars and the Cards catcher of the future.  Kendrys Morales in round 25 could be a steal.  Lance Lynn is high risk, high reward at #4.  Chris might could have gotten Carlos Martinez a round later (?), but he went after one of the most solid starters available, and didn’t take a chance on losing him.  A strong performance by the Hollidays who thankfully drafted their namesake back onto the team.

 

KK – Thunderwolves

First three picks:  Julio Teheran – Nomar Mazara – Dansby Swanson

KK had traded his first two picks, so his opening choice was actually a supplemental pick at the end of round 2 (awarded because of the death of two outstanding pitchers on the Wolves – Jose Fernandez and Yordano Ventura (RIP – they will be missed).  Kyle followed with a #3 pick of Neftali Feliz and #4 Eric Hosmer.

Dee Gordon could be good pick at #5 if he can get on base and stay in the lineup.  KK also added a couple of good SP options in Harvey and Stroman, and made a pick for the future in Jorge Alfaro (an ex-Rangers farm hand) who Kyle hopes will turn into a solid catcher for the Phillies.

Feliz might be a bit of a reach as early as he went, but with the shortage of closers available, Kyle deemed the risk worth taking.  KK had a nice draft especially considering he didn’t have his top two picks.

 

HP – Phoegnomes

First three picks:  Julio Urias – Lucas Giolito – Aaron Judge

HP was aggressive – making a last minute deal with the Lannisters to deal J. Abreu for Jeff’s #1 pick.  She then landed uber prospect Julio Urias.  She went young with her next three picks as well.  Jose Peraza at #4 adds a real speed dimension, and he should have more consistent playing time now that Brandon Phillips was finally shuffled off to the Braves.

Heather chose more youngsters at 7, 9, and 10 taking Josh Bell, Orlando Arcia, and Domingo Santiago.

Jerad Eickhoff could be a real find at #24.  He made several quality starts last year and could a solid mid-rotation type for years to come.  Heather’s riskiest pick may have come at #3 where the jury is out on Aaron Judge – superstar – solid starter – or bust?  HP obviously believes in him and may well have been justified in spending the number three.   A very solid draft except for not shoring up her bullpen depth.  But if HP hits on Urias, Giolito, and Judge – her draft will be a very memorable one.

 

KG – Goofballs

First three picks:  Trevor Story – A.J. Pollock – Nelson Cruz

Wow – what a start.  KG followed his top three with Kevin Gausman. Jackie Bradley, David Robertson, and Carlos Santana – all very solid picks – most of whom filled needs on his team.  Story was a natural pick, and if he can pick up where he left off last year, KG will be very pleased.  Pollock, despite some injury concerns, should rebound nicely.  And Cruz probably has another good year left.

After that blockbuster start, things seemed to calm down a bit.  But Kevin went young at #15 and got Berrios who may be much better that he shown thus far.  And Matt Bush at 23 was a great pick (if he should become a closer).  Elvis Andrus at #12 might have been a reach, but he should be a capable fill in unless Story is re-injured.  A very strong draft, that I am rating second overall.

 

LK – Armadillos

First three picks:  Edwin Diaz – Alex Bregman – Jameson Taillon

I will let you guys make up your own minds about my draft.  But I did want to point my biggest reach – that of Alex Reyes at #5.  He may not pitch until halfway through 2019, so I will have to be patient!  And he may not make it back to his elite level.  But I was afraid Chris M. or somebody else would take him soon, so I pulled the trigger.  Time will tell if it was worth it.

 

RK – Possums

Top three picks:  Andrew Benintendi – Carlos Gonzalez – Sueng-hwan Oh

Rick was busy on draft trade making several deals with an eye to next year’s draft.  When the dust cleared, RK had trade away his own 2018 #4 pick, but added CP’s 2018 #3, #4, #5, and #6 picks.  This sets Rick up well for 2018, but definitely weakened his current draft as he lost some early spots that could have proved valuable.

He did add Tyler Glasnow at #8 as a potential SP and then rolled the dice on Cody Bellinger at #9.  Bellinger is highly touted in the Dodgers system, but will be unfreezeable.  RK added a badly needed catcher in Russell Martin in round 12.  Jedd Gyorko was an excellent pick at 13 since he has eligibility at 2B-3B-SS.  Carlos Gomez could be serviceable as a 15 rounder

Rick then went for several young players hoping to catch some magic — Hunter Renfroe, M. Margot, Reynaldo Lopez, etc.  He closed a decent, but depleted draft, with old pal (and ancient mariner), Curtis Granderson.

RK certainly loaded up for next year, but it remains to be seen if this will hurt his chances to win this season.

CP – Legion

First three picks:  Yoan Moncada – Willson Contreras –  David Dahl

Again, wow – what a start.  All three of those guys were first round picks that CP had accumulated.  Seeing Chris with that many early picks is unprecedented.  And he picked up Lance McCullers with his #2.  Obviously, that is quite a haul in the first two rounds.  A potential superstar in Moncada and easily the best catching prospect in Contreras, plus a good young Rockies OF.  And McCullers is loaded with potential as well.

CP and RK continued the Legion’s trade fest with some in-draft deals.  CP picked up some extra picks this year, while Rick stock piled some 2018 picks.  However, CP’s lower round picks were less stellar.  He, himself wondered if Robbie Ray was a reach at #5 and Longoria with a second #5 might be considered a bit of reach also.  However, Bedrosian at #7 and Greg Bird at #10 could be nice picks.

Drew Smyly was solid at 14, although we both vowed never to have him on our teams again after some past serious meltdowns (LOL).  And, of course, the Legion went too far in taking Dirt Mountain’s perennial jinx, Matt Wieters!  But the Legion picked up loads of talent – well done!  A third place ranking for the Legion who were nosed out by the Goofballs.

 

JK – Lannisters – the reigning Dirt Mountain Champions

First three picks:  Gerrit Cole – Kenta Maeda – Kelvin Herrera

JK gave up his #1 and picked up a 1B in Jose Abreu in a deal with the Phoegnomes which filled his biggest need.  With his only hole filled, Jeff went to work on fleshing out his pitching staff with three strong picks (especially Herrera at #3).  He drafted Justin Upton at #5 and then went on a roll with Vince Velasquez, Blake Snell, Marcell Ozuna, and Rich Hill at 7-10.

He stole Michael Brantley at #12 – great pick – and continued with Joe Ross, A.J. Reed, Neil Walker, Didi Gregorius, and Jorge Soler – all capable backups who will blend well into the Lannisters bench.  He even snatched Alex Cobb with a #23.  JK’s only reach may have been in the bullpen which is understandable since there is so little overall depth there.  Sam Dyson at #6 seems a bit high – but who am I to question the back to back champions?

To me this was the best draft by far – from top to bottom a stellar group – an almost flawless performance – on paper at least – that will make it even tougher for the rest of us to catch up with the Lannisters.

Thanks for a great draft everyone – it was great fun!  Bring on opening day!

To help get everyone excited for the season, here are some pictures of the Dirt Mountain Championship Trophy!  The winner of the 2017 season will have his or her name listed alongside the great champions of the past.

The winner will also get to keep the trophy until the next season!  Thanks to Larry who did a great job putting together the trophy.

This page will list all trades involving draft picks or other future considerations for the 2017 season.

2017-06-04
HP Aaron Judge
– for –
CP Marwin Gonzalez
CP George Springer
CP Wilson Contreras
CP Aaron Hicks
CP 2018 Round 01 Pick
CP 2019 Round 01 Pick

2017-02-25
RK 2017 Round 07 Pick
– for –
CP 2018 Round 06 Pick

2017-02-25
RK 2017 Round 05 Pick (Chris P’s original pick)
RK 2018 Round 04 Pick
– for –
CP 2018 Round 03 Pick
CP 2018 Round 05 Pick

2017-02-25
RK 2017 Round 05 Pick
– for –
CP 2018 Round 04 Pick

2017-02-08
LK Round 01 Pick (5th overall, owned by KK)
– for –
CP 2017 Round 03 Pick
RK 2017 Round 03 Pick (Owned by CP)

2017-02-08
KK 2017 Round 01 Pick (2nd pick in Round 01, owned by LK)
CP 2017 Round 07 Pick (Owned by LK)
CP 2017 Round 14 Pick (Owned by LK)
– for –
CP 2017 Round 01 Pick (7th pick in Round 01)
HP 2017 Round 05 Pick (Owned by CP)
LK 2017 Round 05 Pick (Owned by CP)
LK 2017 Round 08 Pick (Owned by CP)
CP 2017 Round 12 Pick
LK 2017 Round 15 Pick (Owned by CP)

Complicated trade of draft picks.  Chris gets Kyle’s Round 01 for other picks, with several swap-backs of previously traded rounds.

2017-02-04
KK 2017 Round 01 Pick
– for –
LK 2017 Round 01 Pick
LK 2017 Round 07 Pick
LK 2017 Round 19 Pick

Larry and Kyle swap first round picks and Kyle picks up two later picks as compensation.

2016 Year in Review

The 2016 season began with uncertainty.  Several teams made bold trades, others restocked in the draft, and one even had a new owner.  The Lannisters opened the winter as the favorite to repeat as champs.   Their main rival, the Legion, then traded several key players to the PhoeGnomes.  Many felt this made Heather the new favorite.

At the same time, the Armadillos hoped to rebound and return to contention.  The Possums and Thunderwolves were considered long shots, and needed good drafts to improve.  The Happy Hollidays were not considered a threat, but the Goofballs were on the rise.

As the season progressed, some predictions proved more accurate than others.  What factors contributed to the fortunes of each team?

Injuries

This season saw many injuries to key players.  Some teams were hit harder than others.  The Armadillos lose Clayton Kershaw for much of the year.  The Lannisters lost AJ Pollock for the season just after freezes were announced.  Kyle suffered the tragic death of Jose Fernandez.  The Goofballs faced a year with Kyle Schwarber.  Overall, injuries seemed to play a greater role in team success and failure this season.

Closers

Despite team’s best efforts, it was tough to find closers this season.  Every team had strong bullpen arms, but injuries and ineffectiveness caused constant shuffling.  The Legion and PhoeGnomes struggled to find saves while the Possums led the league by a wide margin.  However, no team suffered more than the Hollidays.  They had fewer than half the saves of the next closest team, the Legion.  With 24 closer slots and a limited number of relievers available, expect the bullpen to be a source of change going forward.

Offensive Fireworks

The league saw a spike in home runs this year.  Four teams had over 270 (JK, RK, LK, KG).  In the past, the Lannisters and Armadillos have been perennial home run leaders.  The Possums and Goofballs were more of a surprise.  The Lannisters led the league in four offensive categories (all by wide margins) and managed a SLG over 0.500 for the year.  Next in line were the Goofballs, followed closely by the Armadillos and Possums.  Heather led the league in steals, but saw her power tail off.

Pitching Heroics

Rick returned to contention behind his pitching staff.  The Possums led the league in four of the five pitching categories and finished second in the fifth.  His pitching was as dominant at the Lannister offense, and showed why he was in contention until the end.  The other surprise was the Legion, who continued to pile up strikeouts.  The Legion had a quantity-over-quality approach that worked some weeks and failed in others.  Overall, though, Chris P. did a good job putting together a staff from lesser names and staying in contention until the end.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately the Lannisters were victories after a season of staggering difficulty.  The young offensive core came through once again.  However, the Possums and Goofballs established themselves as contenders.  The Legion and Armadillos have deep, talented rosters.  The PhoeGnomes were a preseason favorite and can rally quickly if the players rebound.  Kyle had a good draft, but saw inconsistent performances from week to week.  Consistency could level out his team.  Even the Happy Hollidays have reason for some hope with new additions like Francisco Lindor.

Congratulations to the Lannisters on their third title!  The battle for 2017 begins with freezes.

The end of the 2016 season saw massive swings in the league’s all-time Elo ratings.  To start, here were the results from Week 25:

The Lannisters suffered an upset to the Happy Hollidays in a meaningless game.  Chris and Larry gained a handful of points, and the Possums ended the year on a positive note.  Of more interest is the year-over-year comparison.  The next table shows this season’s results compared to last year’s final numbers:

The Possums show a massive gain for 75 points from last year.  The Goofballs were close behind, gaining 63 points.  The Armadillos and Lannisters gained a few points.  Heather and Chris P. each lost a couple of points.  The biggest point losers on the season were the ThunderWolves and Happy Hollidays.  Kyle lost 33 points and Chris M. lost an incredible 117 points.

This chart shows the all-time rankings over time:

This chart shows how each team has fared over time.  The Legion fell from their league all-time highs and finished just below the Lannisters.  Jeff was able to capture the all-time lead from Chris by a slim margin.  The Possums show a nice upward trend this year, while the Goofballs shot up near the end of the season.  The Armadillos showed a steep decline in the second half.  Kyle fell off early but held ground for the end of the year.  The Happy Hollidays steep decline is also shown.

The most important thing to note is that the gap between the best teams and the  middle has closed.  The Legion no longer have the massive lead they build up in 2013.  The Lannisters are at a high level, but seem to have plateaued.  This is reasonable considering the team has won two straight titles and it’s hard to build many points from there.  The teams in the middle, with the exception of the Holidays, are grouped tightly in the middle.  With a winning run, any could challenge the leaders.

Lannisters Clinch Title; Armadillos and Goofballs Move Toward Silver; Thunderwolves Suffer Tragedy

JK Lannisters (15-7-1) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (12-11)

Despite numerous contenders, the Lannisters clinched their second consecutive title this week.  After a grueling season in which numerous players were injured or ineffective, Jeff’s squad found just enough pieces to secure one more victory.  A more thorough write-up about the championship itself will be posted after the season.  This week, the Lannisters defeated the PhoeGnomes with a combination of timely hitting and solid pitching.

Leading the way was the team’s maligned rotation.  Jon Lester again proved to be a stabilizing force.  Unlikely subs like Martin Perez and Bartolo Colon added solid efforts.  Kenley Jansen added two saves.  Wade Davis contributed a save and even scored a win.  This was enough to easy wins in ERA and WHIP, along with victories.  Heather had more strikeouts thanks to more innings pitched, but the 3-1-1 lead would prove to be too much to overcome.

On offense the teams were relatively even.  Nolan Arenado and Kendrys Morales had two home runs each for the PhoeGnomes.  Odubel Herrera and Eduardo Nunez had three steals each; Heather led the league in the category.  However, the Lannisters had a better OBP and more home runs and RBIs.  David Ortiz led the way with three home runs and eight RBI.  Mike Trout had seven RBI and eight walks.  This gave Jeff a lead in OBP, home runs, and RBI.  The totals were enough to secure three more categories and earn a 6-3-1 win.  After losses for the Legion and Possums, this was enough to give Jeff the title for the year.

KG Capital City Goofballs (13-10) vs.  CM Happy Hollidays (2-20-1)

The Goofballs continued their push toward second place with a dominant victory over the Happy Hollidays.  Kevin set the stage for his victory with a dominant offensive showing.  He took all five categories and led the league in RBI and OBP.  Freddie Freeman and Maikel Franco continued to lead the way for the Goofballs.  They combined for five home runs and 15 RBI.  Yasmani Grandal added two homers and seven RBI in just seven at bats.  Freeman and Dexter Fowler had two steals each.  The Happy Hollidays didn’t have an answer, and Kevin built a 5-0 lead.

On pitching, Chris fared better.  He earned more victories and had a lower WHIP.  However, Kevin’s bullpen picked up five saves to go along with an excellent week from starter Joe Musgrove.  Chris had three starters go at least 6.0 innings and not allow any earned runs.   However, Anibal Sanchez was the lone problem for the Hollidays, and his rough start gave Kevin the edge in ERA.  Kevin also took strikeouts, and earned the win for the week.  He also moved into third place, just a half-game behind the Legion for second.

LK Armadillos (12-9-2) vs.  CP Legion (13-7-3)

The Armadillos are also looking for the silver medal, and moved into a three-way tie for third after a victory over the Legion.  The Armadillos fired on all cylinders this week, setting impressive marks on both offense and defense.  Gaby Sanchez paced the Armadillos’ offense with three home runs and eight RBI.  Mark Trumbo and Edwin Encarnacion had two homers each.  Giancarlo Stanton added a home run in limited playing time.  This gave Larry a large lead in home runs, RBI, OBP, and SLG.  The Legion were lifeless on offense, thanks to poor weeks from Jonathan Villar (2 for 19) and Jake Lamb (1 for 15).  The Legion had the lowest RBI, OBP, and SLG numbers in the league.  They did take steals, but the Armadillos maintained a 4-1 edge.

On pitching, the Armadillos also excelled.  They threw 79.1 innings and had a masterful 2.84 ERA.  Clayton Kershaw continued to shine, throwing 13.0 innings, striking out 13, and allowing a 0.54 WHIP.  In contrast, the Legion suffered a series of implosions from Kevin Gausman, Danny Duffy, and Ken Giles.  However, Giles, Roberto Osuna, and Cody Allen did lead the league in saves.  Unfortunately for the Legion, the Armadillos ended their title chances with a solid 7-3 victory.  Chris is likely disappointed with the loss, but can take solace in contending in a year when most thought he was rebuilding.  Yet again the Legion were in the championship race to the bitter end.  For the Armadillos, there is still a chance to compete for second place.

KK Thunderwolves (6-14-3) vs.  RK Possums (13-8-2)

The final match of the week saw the Thunderwolves overwhelm the Possums.  Kyle had the best offensive week of any team.  He led the league in home runs, steals, and SLG.  Nelson Cruz had four home runs and eight RBI.  In total, ten Thunderwolves had at least one homer.  Rick tried to counter with a nice three home runs week from Justin Upton, but it wasn’t enough.  Kyle earned the clean sweep.

On pitching, Kyle was less dominant but did enough to earn the victory.  He featured an epic eight inning, three hit, 12 strikeout game from Jose Fernandez. Sadly, the game would prove to be Fernandez’s last, as he died in a boating accident on Sunday morning.  The loss of Fernandez is a huge blow to the Thunderwolves, and the game of baseball as a whole.  Fernandez’s effort and love of the game were clearly visible whenever he pitched.  Kyle has lost an ace pitcher, and one of his best building blocks.  The game itself has lost a Hall of Fame talent and someone who, by all accounts, was a good person.  Kyle and the Thunderwolves will carry on without Fernandez, but the game itself will be diminished and less fun for everyone without being able to watch him compete.

Next Week

With the title wrapped up, the Lannisters will take a victory lap against the Happy Hollidays, and enjoy Big Papi’s final games.  The congested race for second and third is still to be decided!  The Armadillos can move up with a win against the Goofballs.  Kevin needs the victory to possibly take second place.  Rick also needs a win to maintain his position.  He plays the PhoeGnomes.  Finally, the Legion meet the Thunderwolves.  Chris wants to hold onto second, while Kyle hopes to play spoiler last in the year.

Week 23 saw only the Lannisters lose points at the top of the Elo ratings.  Chris, Larry, Kevin, and Rick all gained ground.  The Goofballs are now in a tie with the Armadillos for third on the overall leader board.

The Lannnisters and Legion are big favorites along with the Goofballs, who have a massive 73% change to defeat the Hollidays.  Larry is the only team in the top half to be an underdog, since he plays the Legion.

Legion, Possums Stay Alive; Armadillos and Goofballs Win

RK Possums (12-8-2) vs.   JK Lannisters (15-6-1)

With only three weeks left, the Possums faced a must-win against the Lannisters.  If the Possums win out and the Lannisters lose at least two games and tie one, Rick can win the title by tie-breaker.  Knowing this, the Possums put everything they had into a match against a depleted Lannister squad.

Rick delivered the best offensive performance in the league for the week.  The Lannisters struggled all around, and only won steals.  Rick was led by Xander Bogaerts, Joey Votto, Khris Davis, and Charlie Blackmon.  All four players had two home runs each and totaled 19 RBI.  This gave Rick the league lead in SLG and home runs.  He finished second in RBI and third in OBP.  The Lannisters had okay home run numbers, but no OBP or SLG presence.  It was one of the team’s worst weeks of the year.

On pitching, things got worse for the leaders.  Almost all of the Lannisters’ opening day starters are injured.  As a result, they threw several sub-par starters into the mix and got terrible results.  The Lannisters had the worst ERA in the league (on a week when two other teams had 6.00+ numbers).  They also had the worst WHIP.  Rick, on the other hand, lapped the league in wins, saves, and ERA.  They were second in WHIP.  All of Rick’s starters were consistent.  Only Justin Verlander gave up zero runs for the week.  The rest of the staff all gave up four or fewer with the exception of Miguel Gonzalez.  Zach Britton continued to pile up saves, and A. J. Ramos added three of his own.  Overall, Possums won in dominant fashion and stayed alive for another week.  The Lannisters played poorly, but have two favorable matches to end the season.  They need only a win to clinch the title.  The Possums must now wait to see what happens between the Lannisters, PhoeGnomes, and Happy Hollidays.

CP Legion (12-7-3) vs.  CM Happy Hollidays (2-19-1)

The other team left in the hunt is the Legion.  Chris is a game back, but does not have a tie-breaker on the Lannisters.  This means he is essentially 1.5 games behind.  He had to defeat the Happy Hollidays to remain in contention.  They won, but it was an ugly week that happened to come against another struggling team. Chris had good counting numbers on offense and tied for the league lead in steals.  However, his OBP was surprisingly low and his SLG was not above 0.420.  Fortunately for the Legion, the Hollidays had one of the worst offensive weeks in league history.  They managed only ten RBI for the week on two home runs.  They also had the worst SLG by far, at 0.293.  If not for Matt Kemp’s ten hits, it would have been eve worse.  Francisco Lindor was ice gold, managed just two hits in 23 at-bats.  For the Legion, Trea Turner had three home runs and four steals.  These numbers won two categories on their own.

On pitching, both teams were terrible.  The Happy Hollidays “won” ERA with a 6.203 number.  Chris P. took WHIP, and piled up strikeouts.  Overall, The Legion won handily, but benefitted from playing a weak team on a cold week.  The win keeps Chris’s hopes alive.  He must continue to win and hope that the PhoeGnomes can stop the Lannisters.  This would for a tie going into the final week.  He will still need the Hollidays to win or tie against the Lannisters, but anything is possible on the last week when playing time is up in the air.

HP PhoeGnomes (12-10) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (12-10)

The Goofballs kept on winning with a close, odd victory over the PhoeGnomes.  Kevin only won four categories, but it was enough to stop Heather and move Kevin closer to third place.  Leading the way was… Everyone?  Kevin started 21 offensive players and only two of them did not have hits.  One of them, Brandon Belt, had three walks.  Only Brad Miller went 0-4.  However, all of these players left the team with a mediocre SLG and OBP.  Kevin won RBI and steals, and tied home runs.  Heather’s more concentrated approach yielded fewer counting stats but better rate performance.  Andrew McCutchen showed signs of life with three home runs and 10 RBI.  This gave the teams a 2-2-1 split before pitching.

Kevin threw more than twice as many innings as Heather.  This gave him a massive edge in all counting stats.  This was clear in strikeouts, where Kevin led the league.  However, Heather was able to counter the counting advantage with great performances in terms of wins and saves.  She tied Kevin in both categories.  Unfortunately, Kevin had a slightly lower WHIP thanks to a rough week for Zach Davies.  Kevin secured his fourth category and earned a bizarre 4-3-3 victory.  The win puts Kevin in fourth place and a game behind the Possums.  Kevin is clearly playing for a medal, and wants to claim a spot on the podium in just his second season.

KK Thunderwolves (6-13-3) vs.  LK Armadillos (11-9-2)

The final match of the week paired the Thunderwolves and Armadillos.  Larry looked to continue to win, while the Thunderwolves hoped to pick up some momentum as the season ends.  The Armadillos won a closely contested battle.  On offense, both teams were evenly matched.  Kyle had a better SLG and RBI total, while the Armadillos took steals and OBP by equal margins.  Home runs were tied.  Kyle enjoyed three home run week from Ryan Braun and the red-hot Hanley Ramirez.  Larry benefitted from Gaby Sanchez’s three homers, and seven individual home runs from different players.

Pitching was where the battle was decided.  After the 2-2-1 hitting split, Larry deployed Clayton Kershaw and Ervin Santana, both of whom had good weeks.  Kyle threw fewer innings and had a bad Yu Darvish start, which put ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts out of reach.  Kyle’s bullpen fell just short, and he lost saves.  This was just enough for Larry to take a narrow win.  Once again, Kyle has to be disappointed with his outcome despite a pretty good week.  The Armadillos are looking better, and hope to move past their injury woes.

Next Week

The most important match of the week is the Lannisters versus PhoeGnomes.  If Jeff wins, he will clinch the title.  Heather would love to upset the leaders.  Chris must defeat the Armadillos and Rick needs a win against Kyle to stay in the hunt.  The Armadillos and Legion are one of the league’s most bitter rivalries and Larry would love to inflict some damage on the Legion.  Rick will have to take out Kyle and hope the PhoeGnomes take care of business.  Finally, the Goofballs look to keep moving forward against the Hollidays.

There were a few Elo shifts this week.  Kevin gained a lot of points and is not almost in third place on the list.  Jeff lost a corresponding number of points, but is still in first.  Rick also moved back above 1,500 for his career.  Kyle also gained valuable points, as did the Legion.

This week, the Legion, Lannisters, and Armadillos are the biggest favorites.  Chris P. is a huge favorite, one of the biggest of the year, over the Hollidays.  The Goofballs are also at near-even odds against the PhoeGnomes.

Possums, Legion Stay Alive; Goofballs Continue to Surge; Thunderwolves Dominate

LK Armadillos (11-8-2) vs.  RK Possums (11-8-2)

With the season winding down, several teams remain in contention for the league title.  The Lannisters entered the week with a three game lead and three weeks left to play.  Chris was 3.0 games back, and Rick was 3.5 behind.  Though unlikely, there is still a chance for both teams to win the title.  However, both needed to win this week against their opponents.  Each responded with close wins in clutch situations.

The Possums relied on their pitchers to carry the week.  Rick led the league in strikeouts, wins, ERA, and WHIP.  He was second in saves.  Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber, Masahiro Tanaka, and Justin Verlander were stellar across eight starts.  These four had more strikeouts than every other team except the Legion and Thunderwolves.  They easily overcame the solid (but unspectacular) week from the Armadillos.

Rick was less successful on offense, but he was able to take steals and thus secure the week.  Once again the Armadillos had a good home run total but lagged in RBI, OBP, and SLG relative to the rest of the league.  The lack of steals cost the Armadillos the tie.  Rick keeps his hopes alive at 2.5 game back with two to play.  He has a final match against the Lannsiters and then will need help.

CP Legion (11-7-3) vs.  HP PhoeGnomes (12-9)

The Legion and PhoeGnomes had the closest match of the week.  Each team had standout categories, but the Legion managed to pick up the win and stay alive.  Chris relied on big saves and strikeout totals on the pitching side.  Cody Allen and Ken Giles were solid, and Jerad Eickhoff displayed dominant stuff over two starts.  Heather had a good counter in Zach Davies, who threw 14.0 innings and gave up just three earned runs.  Chris Sale was excellent as well, but didn’t get a win over two starts.  Chris took strikeouts and saves while heather took the rate stats.  The lack of a Sale victory cost Heather the tie for the week.

Both teams were evenly matched of offense.  Chris had more steals thanks to Trea Turner and Jonathan Villar.  The pair also had three home runs each.  Miguel Cabrera had two home runs, but it was Tuner and Villar that were the keys to the Legion attack.  They secured home runs, steals, and SLG.  Heather had a slightly higher OBP and better RBI count thanks to a three-home week from Chris Davis and an improved Kyle Seager.  However, Chris did enough to score the narrow win.  He is now two behind the Lannisters and need help to win the title.  The Legion and Possums remain the last two teams standing between the Lannisters and an impressive repeat.

KG Capital City Goofballs (11-10) vs.  JK Lannisters (15-5-1)

The Lannisters hoped to move closer to the title against the Goofballs, who refuse to roll-over late in the season.  With the win here, Kevin has defeated every team in the league and has shown why his squad is the most improved on the year.  Yoenis Cespedes and Brian Dozier led the Goofballs with seven home runs and sixteen RBIs.  They were joined by a monster week for Joc Pederson.  The Lannisters enjoyed goo production from Eric  Hosmer and Brian McCann, but it wasn’t enough.  They took OBP but Kevin won home runs and RBI with ease.  Slugging was closer, but Kevin pulled away here on Sunday as well thanks to Welington Castillo’s home run.

On pitching, the Lannisters’ injuries finally caught up with them.  Several starters were scratched and shuffled, leading to matchup problems and missed deadlines.  Kevin took advantage and piled up saves from Edwin Diaz and Dellin Betances.  The Lannisters had few answers and only took wins after Felix  Hernandez experienced a fluke win in a miserable outing against the Rangers.  Bizarrely, both teams tied in ERA for the week despite throwing 45.1 innings each.  The odd results added up to a Goofball victory.  Kevin is now in fifth place and two games over 0.500.  The Lannisters still need a win and a tie to clinch the title, but have three weeks left to play.

CM Happy Hollidays (2-18-1) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (5-13-3)

The week’s best offensive showing belonging to the Thunderwolves.  Kyle led the league in RBI, OBP, and SLG.  Adrian Beltre and Hanley Ramirez had three home runs each.  Five Thunderwolves’ players had at  least five RBIs.  Chris offered little competition, and Kyle took all offensive stats but steals.  Neither team had good pitching, but Kyle was able to get more out of his staff.  Kenta Maeda had a nice week, as did Chase Anderson and Jose Fernandez.  Kyle threw 26 more innings than Chris (who had another bad Cole Hamels start) and Kyle swept the pitching side.  The win didn’t affect the standings, but it was a nice showing for Kyle.

Next Week

With just three game left for each team, only the Possums and Legion can challenge the Lannisters.  Rick plays Jeff and must win to stay alive.  A Possums’ win will also help the Legion.  If Jeff wins, Chris must win.  If Jeff loses, Chris could possibly tie and still come out on top.  He faces the slumping Hollidays.  The Thunderwolves meet the Armadillos, and the PhoeGnomes battle the Goofballs.  Kevin is playing to win, while the Armadillos want to remain in the first division.