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!

This Week

With the season entering the home stretch, a number of teams won in dominant fashion.  The Kraken routed the Wolf Spiders in the best showing in the league.  The Possums crushed the Hares despite both teams having horrific pitching.  The PhoeGnomes cruised against the Goofballs.  The only teams to keep it close were the Armadillos and Skyline Sluggers.  Charlie gave it his all to pull off the upset, but it wasn’t to be. 

CP Kraken (10-6-2) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (9-8-1)

The Kraken are a long-shot to win the title, but the continue to do their best to stay in contention.  This week they demolished the Wolf Spiders in spectacular fashion.  They posted the best overall week for the entire league.  Leading the way was Juan Soto with 4 home runs and an OPS of 1.370.  Just behind him was Aaron Judge with a pair of home runs and a 1.264 OPS of his own.  Brice Turang added 4 steals.  The Wolf Spiders couldn’t keep up, and managed just 1 steal for the week and hand no regular with an OPS over 0.800 with most players in the 0.600’s.

Chris’s dominance didn’t end with hitting.  He easily tallied the best pitching numbers for the week.  Blake Snell continued to rampage with two starts totally 13.1 IP.  He had 21 strikeouts and a 0.68 ERA.  Bryan Woo had a solid start, as did Cole Ragans.  Josh Hader remained a dependable source of saves.  Kyle had a nice start for Christopher Sanchez, who threw 9.0 iP and allowed just 1 earned run, but also struck out just 4.  Ultimately the Kraken won in style, and look to finish out the season and push the Armadillos.

RK Possums (9-9) vs. JK Hares (6-9-3)

The Possums enjoyed a dominant win over the Hares behind strong offense.  Rick tied for the league lead in home runs and runs, and won RBI outright.  Adolis Garcia was the standout with 3 home runs and 6 RBI.  In total 8 different players had at least one home run.  Jose Caballero added 3 steals.  James Wood led the team with 1.116 OPS.  The Hares struggled mightily with only Marcell Ozuna showing any signs of life.  Josh Bell embarrassed himself with a 0.481 OPS and a pathetic 3/22 hitting line.  Brent Rooker and Elly De La Cruz both struggled mightily as well.  The Hares were unable to mount any true challenge for the week.

Neither team distinguished itself on the pitching side but the Possums were able to do enough to win easily.  The Hares got one good start from Bryce Miller but other pitchers let the team down.  Corbin Burnes allowed 8 earned runs in just 4.0 IP.  This was nothing compared to the Possums’ nightmare start from Robbie Ray.  He pitched 0.2 IP and allowed 5 earned runs for a 67.50 ERA.  Seth Lugo, Tyler Mahle, and Sonny Gray also managed ERAs over 10.00 for the week.  However, the Possums were somehow able to post enough volume to win the non-rate stats because the Hares’ better starts were still short and lacked strikeouts.  The Possums cruised to a win, while the Hares fall back into a tie for 7^th place.

KG Capital City Goofballs (6-7-5) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (6-11-1)

The week’s final big winner was the PhoeGnomes.  Heather has struggled this year, but she was able to move ahead of the Hares thanks to a strong performance this week.  As usual, the effort was led by Bobby Witt Jr.  He had 3 home runs and a whopping 1.428 OPS.  Nolan Arenado and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each had a pair of home runs with solid OPS numbers.  The Goofballs were unable to challenge on offense, and suffered through a tough week across the board.  Rafael Devers and Spencer Steer each had 2 home runs and OPS’s above 1.000.  However, no other Goofball regular was able to reach this level.  The Goofballs won steals thanks to CJ Abrams and Steer, but Heather took the other four with ease.

The Goofballs were better on pitching but the PhoeGnomes were on another level, easily posting the best numbers in the league.  The only PhoeGnomes who allowed more than a single earned run was Tanner Houck and allowed…. 2.  Clayton Kershaw turned back the clock for two solid starts allowing 1 earned run in 11.2 IP.  Michael Wacha was great with 9 strikeouts and 0 earned runs in just 6.0 IP.  Andres Munoz allowed 1 earned run, and that was it.  Heather’s squad didn’t allow any other earned runs.  The ERA and WHIP totals are likely two of the best ever seen in the league.  When combined with Heather’s offense, the Goofballs didn’t stand a chance.  The win also moves Heather out of 7^th place with just four weeks left in the year.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-12-1) vs. LK Armadillos (13-2-3)

The week’s final match was also its closest.  The Armadillos can sense the finish line is close at hand, but Charlie tried his best to pull off the upset.  Neither team posted great numbers on either side, but they weren’t terrible either.  The Skyline Sluggers were led by Shohei Ohtani and William Contreras.  Each had 4 home runs, but Ohtani added a whopping 5 steals.  This gives Ohtani 39 home runs and 37 steals for the year.  While unlikely, it is possible that Ohtani could finish the year with 50 home runs and 50 steals.  The Armadillos’ best player was Gunnar Henderson who had 3 home runs.  Jose Ramirez added 4 steals, while Shea Langeliers and Michael Toglia had 1.560 and 1.227 OPS’s respectively (though in limited duty).  The Armadillos had more depth and took four categories.

Both sides had decent pitching, but nothing to compare to the Kraken or PhoeGnomes.  The Armadillos enjoyed a find start from JP Sears, who had 9 strikeouts over 7.2 IP with just 1 earned run.  Charlie  had an even better effort from Nestor Cortes who also turned in 7.0 IP and 9 strikeouts but with 0 earned runs.  Charlie had the edge in both strikeouts and IP, but was unable to flip ERA to secure the tie.  The Armadillos marched on, moving one week close to the elusive title.

Players of the Week

The players of the week go to Clayton Kershaw for turning back the clock and making a solid pair of starts when his team needed the boost.  The best offensive player has to be Shohei Ohtani, who is making the most of his offense-only season.

Next Week

With just 4 weeks left in the season, the Armadillos have only one team who can catch them, and they face them this week – the Kraken.  Chris must win if he wants to stay in the race.  In fact, Chris will essentially need to win out and have help to have a chance.  The Skyline Sluggers will face the Possums, who want to stay above 0.500.  The Goofballs will try to get on tack against the Hares, who need a win to stay out of the bottom of the league. Finally, the PhoeGnomes will look to continue their solid performance versus the Wolf Spiders.

2024 Week #18 League Update

This Week

The Armadillos got some unexpected help this week from the Hares and opened up a 3.5 game lead over the Legion.  The Goofballs and Wolf Spiders kept pace with their own victories as a wild week of baseball unfolded with many players changing teams in real baseball because of the MLB Trade Deadline.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-11-1) vs KK Wolf Spiders (8-8-1)

The Wolf Spiders won a close battle with the Sluggers to move back over .500 for the season.  The Skyline Sluggers didn’t live up to their name this week as hits were hard to come by.  K. Marte and A. Santander teamed up for 7 HR and 16 RBI.  However the rest of the lineup went south.  D. Fry and I. Paredes went 8 for 57.  Even Ohtani had a strange week at 3/21 but with 4 SB?  On the pitching side, Charlie Morton got out of his porch swing long enough throw six scoreless innings and draw shout outs from his senior bowling league mates.  However, Charlie’s team was not helped by his other starters who all had ERA’s north of 5.00.

The Spiders got 3 homers from Corey Seager and 9 RBI’s from the bats of J. Burger and R. Mountcastle.  Three of Kyle’s pitchers were very good – Glasnow, L. Castillo, and Z. Gallen.  And his bullpen gave him 4 saves – the best total of the week.  However, the team was plagued by short outings from all the other starters. This gave Charlie a chance at pulling out a win or tie since two categories ended up in a tie and there was a one K difference in SO.  But the Spiders held on to earn the victory.

RK Possums (8-9) vs KG Capital City Goofballs (6-6-5)

The Possums lost a tough one to the Goofballs.  Just one more un or an extra save could have tied the week (something the Goofballs are incredibly experienced with).  But alas, KG also got back over .500 with this close win.  Rick’s group was second in the league in HR with 14.  J. Chisholm had 4 homers and M. Machado 3.  Josh Naylor contributed 2 HR and 7 RBI’s.  The Possums pitching was led by S. Lugo (8 inn /1 run).  J. Ryan and T. Bibee had nice starts as well. 

The Goofballs hitting was…not very good. They had just 7 HR and 17 RBI’s (aluminum bats anyone?).  But they did manage to score 34 runs and win that stat.  R. Devers and R. Arozarena had decent weeks at the plate.  But the Goofballs pitching staff picked up the slack and absolutely dominated. They led the league in Saves and lapped all other teams in ERA and Whip by very wide margins!  B. Webb had a shutout with 6 K’s.  P. Lopez, F. Peralta, and J. Flaherty had solid starts also.  The week was close, but in the end the Possums played dead and Kevin’s squad pulled out a win.

LK Armadillos (12-2-3) vs HP PhoeGnomes (6-10-1)

The PhoeGnomes tried mightily to upset the Armadillos and send them scurrying into traffic.  HP got excellent hitting from B. Witt (9 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB, 1.096 OPS).  M. Garcia added 4 SB and 7 R).  V. Guerrero pounded 3 homers and drove in 8).  Heather’s pitching staff let her done a bit, however.  The Gnomes normally reliable staff didn’t come through this week.  Only two starters (Valdez and Wacha even made it to the sixth inning.  But HP did manage to win ERA and tie Saves.  And even though she was second in the league in Runs and SB, the Armadillos were first in those categories.

Larry’s team also led the league in HR and RBI and was second to CP in OPS.  LK juggled 29 players for the week and got HR from 9 of them.  J. Duran and X. Edwards combine for 7 SB.  J. Ramirez led the hitters with 5 HR, 11 RBI, and 2 SB.

The Armadillos pitching was weaker than it has been.  No starter gave up less than 3 runs.  Only one save was recorded.  The staff has been racked with injuries and poor performances of late.  Reinforcements are needed.

JK Hares (6-8-3) vs CP Kraken (9-6-2)

The Kraken led the league with a .970 OPS and won four offensive categories in this matchup.  Their one/two punch should win them some Olympic gold medals in boxing as the Judge/Soto duo terrorized the vaunted Hares pitching staff with 19 hits, 13 runs, 5 homers, and 11 RBIs. The duo of Matt’s (Olsen and Chapman chipped in 5 more HR as the Kraken pounded the ball.  On the pitching side, CP won Saves for the week.  Blake Snell made the start of his life with his complete game no-hitter.  And as Sunday’s games began, it appeared they were poised to win the week and keep pace with the hated Armadillos.  However, it turned out that Jeff had a whole dugout full of rabbit’s feet (ouch).  Paul Skenes made his second start of the week, but his time he was a mere mortal with a line of 5.1 inn and only 4 K’s.  This helped put CP 2 behind in K’s for the week.  That proved to be a turning point.  Jeff had looked dead in the water as the day began, but this gave him hope. 

Jeff’s pitching was strong as usual.  Cease, Singer, Burnes, and Kirby all had good starts.  H. Greene turned in a great start (6 one hit inn, no runs, 11 K).  But it was Z. Wheeler (rebounding from a horrible start on the first day of the week where he allowed 7 ER in 5 inn), who came through on Sunday with a clutch start of 8 shutout inn with 9 monster K’s. 

On offense, Jeff had decent output from B. Rooker and Marcell Ozuna, but they were clearly outclassed by the Kraken.  By Sunday the Hares only chance was the SB category.  In steps a player is 2 for 20 on the week with 0-0-0-0 stats.  But Elly De La Cruz gets on by a fielder’s choice and steals second…then, even more improbably he gets on by a HBP and is advanced to second on a groundout,  But then he proceeds to steal third base.  Those two steals flipped the category and the Hares earned a tie!  Wow.  A heart breaking outcome for the Kraken.

Player and Pitcher of the Week

Pitcher of the Week is Blake Snell for obvious reasons.  And there are Co-Players of the Week.  Jose Ramirez for his relatively un-noticed greatness much of the time.  He had an amazing week.  And the other winner is Elly De La Cruz for once again practically willing the Hares to an seemingly impossible tie.

This Week

The PhoeGnomes and Possums do battle.  The Kraken will try to take out their frustration on the Silver Sluggers.  The Goofballs will take on the Wolf Spiders as they each try to gain some ground on the Armadillos.  And the Hares will try to maintain their magic touch for another week and beat the Armadillos (which would delight the rest of the league).

This Week

This week saw four teams rise to the moment and secure much-needed victories.  The Armadillos continued to roll with a strong showing versus the Goofballs.  The Kraken kept pace and delivered the best stats.  The Hares and Possums both secured wins to move up in the middle ranks of the standings.  With the season entering the home stretch, there is no margin for error.

CP Kraken (8-6-1) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (6-8-1)

The week’s best showing belonged to the Kraken.  Chris knows he must essentially win-out to have a shot at the title, and the team delivered.  Chris led the lgaue in OPS and home runs, and was second in runs and RBI.  Five players had a least 2 home runs, led by Juan Soto with 4.  He, along with Aaron Judge and Tyler O’Neill, all had OPS totals over 1.000.  Unfortunately for Heather, the PhoeGnomes couldn’t compete with the Kraken’s strong output.  Jurickson Profar had two home runs, but poor weeks from the likes of Brandon Nimmo dragged down the team’s OPS.  Adley Rutschman had a uncharacteristically tough week as well, and Chris was able to clear a 5-0 sweep.

The Kraken also delivered on the mound.  They had the third best showing in the league for a week with many solid pitching efforts.  Hunger Brown, Logan Gilbert, and Paul Skenes all had solid starts.  Skenes was the best of the bunch, allowing just 2 earned runs and stroking out 8.  However, one pitcher stood out from the rest of the pack.  Blake Snell had a 6.0 IP 0 earned run start with an almost unthinkable 15 strikeouts.  I’m not sure how this is even possible – Snell struck out 5 of every 6 batters he faced.  It’s simply an incredible effort, especially in just 6.0 IP.  This was more than enough for the Kraken to take 4 categories and cruise to a win for the week. 

KG Capital City Goofballs (5-5-5) vs. LK Armadillos (10-2-3)

The Armadillos have one goal – avoid a late-season swoon to reclaim the title.  Larry took care of business this week, posting dominant offensive numbers and one of the top two pitching performances in the league.  Tarik Skubal led the way with 14.0 IP and 14 strikeouts with just 3 earned runs.  Hayden Birdsong and Taj Bradley each had short but effective strts in which neither allowed an earned run.  Emmanuel Clase also recorded a solid 4 saves.  The team’s WHIP was a little high, and the Goofballs were able to secure IP as well.  This gave Larry a 3-2 lead in the match.

The Armadillos were hot on offense, led by Tyler Fitzgerald.  He had 3 home runs and an OPS of 1.126  He was joined in the 1.000 OPS club by Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler.  The team also piled up the steals.  Eight different players had at least one.  The squad also led the league in runs and were second in OPS and RBI.  Kevin deployed a more limited number of players, and managed to keep it close.  Kyle Schwarber had 3 home runs and Rafael Devers joined him with an OPS over 1.000.  However, the Armadillos complete performance was enough to overwhelm the Goofballs and earn the win.  Chris will need to look for help next week, as the Armadillos took care of business.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-9-1) vs. JK Hares (5-8-2)

The Hares were in a solid battle this week, and the outcome could be a huge factor for the final standings and draft pick situation.  Jeff deployed a strategy befitting the team’s name, and relied on steals and pitching to win the day.  The team had the best overall pitching performance in the league and were at the top in ERA and WHIP.  Hunter Greene was on fire with 14.0 IP and 12 strikeouts without and earned run.  Bryce Miller allowed just 3 earned runs in 13.1 IP and 11 strikeouts.  The bullpen struggled a bit, but overall the team put up dominant numbers that could have gone even higher on the counting stats if the situation demanded it.

The Skyline Sluggers were more competitive on offense.  Charlie had 5 players with at least 2 home runs.  Marcus Semien and Ketel Marte were excellent in limited at bats.  Bryan De La Cruz did his best to imitate his more famous namesake with 2 home runs and a steal.  However, the Hares were running wild, and their own De La Cruz willed the team to victory.  Elly had 1 home run, 7 steals, an an OPS of 1.105.  Cruz put the week away with a monster 4 steal game on Sunday.  This was enough for the narrow 5-4-1 win.  The Hares are now in sixth place and inching back to near 0.500.  This is a high water mark for a team that has struggled for much of the year.  The Skyline Sluggers have fallen after their hot start, and are in the middle of the scrum for better draft pick odds.

KK Wolf Spiders (7-7-1) vs. RK Possums (7-8)

Last but not least, the Possums rallied back to 0.500 with a winning effort against the Wolf Spiders.  Neither team had the best stats on offense of pitching, but the Possums were able to do enough.  Rick led the entire league in steals.  Eight players had at least one.  Francisco Lindor was also on fire, with 5 home runs, 10 RBI, 6 runs, and 2 steals.  His OPS was a big 1.171.  The Wolf Spiders struggled mightiy with just one steal and a horrible 3/23 week for Jonah Heim.

Both teams had rather mediocre pitching for the week.  Kyle got a nice start from Jon Gray, while Rick enjoyed a solid effort from Jameson Taillon.  This led to a muddy finish with both teams working to keep their ERA and WHIP under control.  Rick won the battle, and is now back to 0.500. 

The loss drops the Wolf Spiders to 5 games back from the Armadillos and likely ends their contention for the year. Let’s take a minute to appreciate the Wolf Spiders for their two years of dominant play and championship will.

Player and Pitcher of the Week

This week’s best pitcher has to go to Blake Snell and his monster 15 strikeout start. The position player of the week is going to Elly De La Cruz for willing the Hares to victory and pulling the team from out of the cellar with his 4 steal day!

Next Week

The season rumbles on next week. The Armadillos face the struggling PhoeGnomes, who need to find some answers to stay out of the basement. The Kraken face a tougher match against the Hares, who are doing everything they can to build for next year. The struggling Wolf Spiders and Skyline Sluggers meet in a battle where both teams need to right the ship. Finally, the Possums will try to rise above 0.500 against the Goofballs.

This Week

The long week for the All-Star break produced a slew of stellar offensive performances.  Some teams rose to the occasion with renewed intensity, while others faded under the pressure.  The big winners were the Hares and Kraken.  Chris remains the team with the best chance to derail the Armadillos.  The Hares are moving in the right direction to better position for the draft.  Meanwhile, other teams must look for answers as the season enters the home stretch.

JK Hares (4-8-2) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (7-6-1)

The week’s best showing belonged to the Hares.  They easily led the league in runs, RBI, and OPS.  They were second in home runs.  Leading the way were Trea Turner and Brent Rooker.  They combined for 9 home runs, 21 runs, 25 RBI, and 2 steals.  Marcell Ozuna added 5 home runs of his own.  Elly De La Cruz contributed 2 home runs and 5 steals.  These five players had OPS values well north of 1.000.  The Wolf Spiders didn’t have a bad week offensively, but they couldn’t keep pace.  The team had decent home run output from the likes of Freddie Freeman, Corey Seager, and Austin Riley.  However, they failed to put up the gaudy totals that could match the hares.  The team did manage to tie in steals, and this gave Kyle a small window on the pitching side.

The Wolf Spiders staff was solid, with few major implosions save Zac Gallen.  Kirby Yates had a strong 4 saves.  The Hares faced a disaster when four of their Saturday starters were not saved in the lineup properly by the ESPN site.  Despite a refresh and verification, the site somehow put the Hares’ quartet back on the bench.  This put the team in scramble mode on Sunday.  Thankfully for the Hares, fortune smiled on them for the week.  Random starters like Ben Lively, Aaron Civale, Andrew Heaney, and Dean Kremer did enough to post a 3.54 ERA over 28.0 IP.  This tipped the balance of IP by just 0.2 IP, and edged out a 2 strikeout advantage to flip the category. 

The Hares were able to hold on, and move out of last place for the first time this season. The Wolf Spiders put up a solid fight, but the loss probably ends their contention for a third consecutive championship.  However, Kyle will not give up until the bitter end, as long as there is still a mathematical chance to win.

CP Kraken (7-6-1) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (5-4-5)

The week’s second big winner was the Kraken.  Chris needed a win to keep pace with the Armadillos, and his team delivered.  The team’s pitching led the way, and shared the top numbers in the league with the PhoeGnomes.  Logan Gilbert led the way with two solid starts that totaled 14.2 IP with 16 strikeouts and a 1.84 ERA. Paul Skenes also had a great start with 11 strikeouts over just 7.0 IP.  The team had quality starts up and down the line.  As is so common for the Goofballs, their high-variance staff allowed too many earned runs to be competitive.  Jose Berrios struggled in a short start as did Freddy Peralta.  This created the vicious circle that ruins so many teams.  The earned runs limited innings.  The limited innings made it difficult to reduce ERA and WHIP.  These also limited strikeouts.  The overall outcome was a lack of competitive stats.

Kevin tried to counter on offense.  The team actually led the league in home runs, thanks to consistent performances from many players.  Randy Arozarena had 4, but then 7 other players had 2 home runs each.  However, like the Wolf Spiders, there wasn’t a lot of power on offer outside of the home runs.  The team lagged in OPS, and the Kraken took advantage.  Oneil Cruz had 2 home runs and 11 RBI, along with a 1.106 OPS.  Aaron Judge had 12 walks to go along with 3 home runs, and a 1.215 OPS.  Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle.  This was good enough to swing the OPS category, and keep the Kraken’s hopes alive for another week.

Chris is now the only team within 3 games of the Armadillos.  The two teams will meet one more time this season, so that means Chris must rely on the rest of the league to deliver the other 2 opportunities to gain ground.  With teams at the bottom jockeying for position, there will certainly be possible upsets.  The Kraken are determined to not let Larry run away with the title.

LK Armadillos (9-2-3) vs. RK Possums (7-7)

While not as flashy as the Hares or Kraken, the Armadillos put up solid numbers and defeated the Possums to remain 3.0 games ahead of the league.  While their stats were not as strong as the other winners, they were good enough to ensure a comfortable victory without too much drama.  The effort was led by the offense.  The Armadillos were second in RBI and OPS, and near the top in runs and home runs.  The names of the players who led the way are shocking – Rece Hinds and Alec Burleson.  The pair combined for 8 home runs, 24 RBI, and 13 runs.  They had a 1.414 and 1.220 OPS respectively.  These lesser-known players are keys to the Armadillos’ strategy.  Hinds was added via free agency on July 9.  Burleson has bounced between the Wolf Spiders and Armadillos all season.  He was most recently added to the Armadillos for the third time this season on July 8.  Without either of these players, the Armadillos might have lost the week.  Their commitment to finding matchups and value continues to pay off.

The Armadillos were acceptable when it comes to pitching, likely due to the Possums’ struggles.  Rick put up solid IP and strikeout numbers, but their rate stats were underwhelming.  Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray both struggled with ERAs over 5.00.  The Armadillos had rough weeks from Jake Irvin and Grayson Rodriguez.  However, the Armadillos limited the damage enough to win both rate categories and secure the win for the week.

HP PhoeGnomes (5-6-1) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (5-8-1)

The week’s final match saw the PhoeGnomes win with a solid pitching performance that was one of the best in the league.  Yiseu Kikuchi had a massive 13 strikeouts in just 7.1 IP.  Chris Sale and Framber Valdez totaled 29 strikeouts in just 23.0 IP.  They allowed only 7 earned runs.  Valdez has endured an up-and-down year, but he came through this week.  The Skyline Sluggers had a massive week from Shota Imanaga.  He threw 13.0 IP and had 16 strikeouts while allowing just 1 earned run.  This gave him a miniscule 0.69 ERA that was lower than his WHIP of 0.77.  The rest of the team was pretty solid as well.  Unfortunately for Charlie, he was up against too great a force from the PhoeGnomes.

Heather finished the job on offense.  Both teams were competitive here as well.  As usual, Bobby Witt Jr. was the team’s leader with 3 home runs, 1 steal, and 10 RBI.  The Sluggers had their own great week from Anthony Santander with 4 home runs and 9 RBI.  This led to a split-decision on offense and this was enough for Heather to take the week.  This loss drops the Sluggers into last place for the first time this season.  The Hares, PhoeGnomes, and Skyline Sluggers are all set to have quite a battle to reach the rank 6 slot (or higher) to have a higher slot in the draft lottery.  As noted before, this is good new for Chris, who needs help to potentially catch the Armadillos.

Players of the Week

The week’s best offensive player was Brent Rooker, who willed the Hares to victory over the Wolf Spiders.  The best pitcher has to be Logan Gilbert.  He delivered a pair of great starts when the Kraken needed him to step up.

Next Week

This week offers a few interesting matches.  The Armadillos play the Goofballs.  Kevin will fight to the bitter end, and this might be an upset if Kevin can get some better pitching.  The Kraken will face the PhoeGnomes, who are coming off a strong performance.  Heather fared well this week and her pitching could frustrate the Kraken.  The Wolf Spiders and Possums are paired off in a quality match.  The loser could be in danger of falling in to the bottom tier of teams.  Finally, the Hares and Skyline Sluggers meet in a battle that will have ramifications for the draft order.

League Update

With the season rapidly approaching the final stretch, Kyle faced a daunting task against the Armadillos.  With a number of teams in the middle of the pack desperate to contend, Kyle’s match was critical to their collective chances.  The Wolf Spiders rose up and showed why they are the defending two-time champions, if only for this week.  Meanwhile the Hares put up dominant numbers in a desperate bid to leave last place.  The Kraken scored a critical win, and the Goofballs and Sluggers fought to yet another tie.

KK Wolf Spiders (6-6-1) vs. LK Armadillos (9-1-3)

The week’s biggest winner was of course the Wolf Spiders.  Kyle needed to claim a win to have any hope of contention.  The squad responded with a solid week on both offense and pitching.  Kyle won four of five offensive categories, ceding only steals  He had the highest OPS in the league.  Five Wolf Spiders had OPS over 1.000 including Corey Seager, Jonah Heim, Freddie Freeman, Austin Rile, and Byron Buxton.  Buxton was especially impressive with a 1.302 SLG and a home run.  The Armadillos had five different players record a steal, and easily took the category.  However, they had a general slump, highlighted by Pete Alonso’s 5 for 25 effort.  Kyle easily won on the offensive side.

Pitching was much closer.  The Armadillos had good numbers especially from Ronaldo Lopez and Grayson Rodriguez.  They had 4 starts and allowed only 5 earned runs between them.  Tarik Skubal was strong as well.  This gave Larry the edge in ERA, strikeouts, and innings pitched.  However, Kyle stuck back with a win in WHIP thanks to Luis Castillo and Tyler Glasnow.  These starts didn’t have a lot of innings so the counting stats suffered a bit.  Neither team had a good bullpen showing, and this triggered a tie for the saves category.  The normally reliable Edwin Diaz blew a save late, and then cost the Armadillos a chance at a tie for the week.  The Wolf Spiders’ good fortune proved decisive this week, and paid back the Armadillos for several earlier unfortunate events.

The win gives a bit of life to the middle tier of teams in the league.  After close calls against the Hares and Kraken, the Armadillos finally got their second loss.  Could this be the first signs of vulnerability for the team this year?  The rest of the league will need to keep up the pressure to take advantage.

JK Hares (3-8-2) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (5-7-1)

On the other side of the standings, the Hares were determined to prove they don’t belong in the basement.  Jeff’s team has struggled this year, sometimes due to injuries, and other times due to bad luck.  This week, though, the team made a statement that they intend to move up in the league table. 

Trea Turner and Will Smith led the way with 4 home runs each.  Brent Rooker added 3 of his own and 2 steals.  Riley Greene had 2 more home runs and is proving to be a respectable threat in the outfield.  The four had OPS values well north of 1.200, with Rooker in particular standing out with a massive 1.510 number.  The PhoeGnomes were able to tie in RBI thanks to yet another massive week from Bobby Witt Jr.  Heather won RBI, but was not able to crack the other categories.

The Hares’ onslaught continued on the pitching side.  Craig Kimbrel recorded and impressive 4 saves.  Brady Singer had a nice spot start.  The rest of the staff was strong with high innings pitched and strikeout totals.  Although the PhoeGnomes won ERA, they were not able to compete in the other categories due to low innings pitched totals.  The Hares were able to cruise to a relatively smooth win. 

The victory does not lift the team out of last place, but it does give the Hares a little momentum going into the long All-Star Break week.  For Heather, the loss is yet another frustration in a season-long fight for dominance in the middle of the pack.

RK Possums (7-6) vs. CP Kraken (6-6-1)

The Possums and Kraken were the two biggest beneficiaries of the Wolf Spiders’ win over the Armadillos.  Both teams are contenders, despite the Kraken’s heart-breaking loss last week.  This time around, both were determined to gain ground via Kyle’s stunning win.

Both teams posted strong offensive stats behind a few key players.  The Possums’ standout was Christian Walker who had a massive 5 home run week, with 11 RBI an a 1.467 OPS.  The Kraken countered with 3 home runs for Yordan Alvarez and an eye-popping 1.486 OPS.  The Kraken had just a bit more depth and won OPS and runs, but the Possums were able to capture 3 other categories largely on the back of Walker.

The situation was reversed on the pitching side. Neither team had a great week, but the Kraken were a shade better when it mattered.  Bailey Ober had a nice start, and others who were less effective still compiled innings and strikeouts.  For example, Hunter Brown had two starts and allowed 7 earned runs, but he also managed 12.0 IP and 11 strikeouts.  The Possums suffered from some gopher-itis as no starter truly imploded but none were very effective either.  Not starter allowed more than 5 earned runs, but only 1 had an ERA below 3.00 for the week.  This gave Chris enough room to win 4 categories thanks to a good WHIP.  This gave him the narrow win.

The win leaves the Kraken 3 games behind the Armadillos, and the Possums 3.5 back.  Both teams will continue to need help, but the Kraken must breathe a sigh of relief to regain some ground after last week’s result.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-8) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (5-4-4)

The week’s final match saw the Goofballs and Skyline Sluggers battle to a draw in the most bizarre way possible.  The Goofballs won all offensive categories barring steals.  They led the league in home runs, RBI, and runs by a wide margin.  Brenton Doyle was an absolute monster, putting up a Judge-like 4 home runs, 1 steal, and a 1.886 OPS.  Nine total Goofballs had a home run.  Spencer Steer and Willson Contreras had 3 home runs each.

With that level of offensive production, how did the Goofballs not win?  The pitching side of the equation was as atrocious as the offense was spectacular. Luis Severino allowed 7 earned runs in just 6.0 IP.  Jose Berrios allowed 9 in 11.0 IP.  However, this was all undone by Cade “Son of Maury” Povich.  The DNA results are in, and Cade…. you are NOT a quality pitcher.  Cade humiliated himself by allowed an unfathomable 8 earned runs in just 1.0 IP.  To make matters worse, this was against the Oakland A’s, one of the worst offenses in the league.  The outing doomed the Goofballs to one of the worst ERAs in league history and the two teams had to settle for a tie.

Players of the Week

The players of the week will be Brent Rooker for the Hares.  His performance wasn’t quite as good as a few others, but this contribution to the win cannot be denied.

The pitcher of the week will be a first – Cade Povich earns the “honor” but on behalf of the Skyline Sluggers, to whom he single-handedly gifted the tie!

Next Week

Next week is the long All-Star Break week which will span almost two weeks.  You are allowed to start up to 10 pitchers for the week!  The Kraken and Goofballs matchup is intriguing.  Both teams need a win, and with highly variable pitching staffs, both may set the wrong kind of records.  The Armadillos and Possums are another good match.  Rick must win to remain in contention.  The Wolf Spiders and Hares both have good momentum, and will be an intriguing match.  Finaly, the PhoeGnomes and Skyline Sluggers will try to return to form against each other.

League Update

The league took its first steps in the second half of the season, and there is concern that the result may already be wrapped up.  The Armadillos won yet another close match-up, this time against the Kraken.  Chris’s team was on the rise and considered the most likely threat to the Armadillos’ dominance.  However, Larry escaped with yet another close win, just as he did over the Hares.  The squad is now in first place by a whopping 3.5 games with only 10 weeks left to play.  To put this into context, the Hares are in last place, but only 3.0 games out of second place.  They worst team is closer to second than the second place team is to first.  The Goofballs and upstart Possums are the only teams within 3.5 games, and the Kraken and Wolf Spiders are 4.0 games back.  No other team has a realistic chance of contention, but the draft lottery is still in play.  There is plenty of competition, as teams like the Skyline Sluggers look to improve their draft standing.

CP Kraken (6-5-1) vs. LK Armadillos (8-1-3)

As mentioned at the beginning, the week’s most important match featured the Kraken and Armadillos.  The Kraken had been red-hot, but so were the Armadillos.  They met in Chris’s best chance to move closer to contention.  Unfortunately for the Kraken, they lost in heart-breaking fashion.  The battle was hotly contested on the pitching side. Both teams had strong performances, behind only the Hares and Possums.  Christopher Sanchez led the way for the Armadillos with a complete game shutout with 9 strikeouts, 3 hits, and 0 walks.  This dominant start offset duds from Rangers Suarez and Luis Gil.  Without this volume of innings and masterful WHIP and ERA quality, the team would have likely fallen.  In turn, Chris dominated saves with 4 from Ryan Helsley.  Hunter Brown, Paul Skenes, Logan Gilbert, and Bailey Ober all had good starts for the Kraken as well.  However, all four only threw just 6.0 inning each.  They piled up strikeouts, but the relative lack of innings pitched cost the team this category directly.  It also carried over a bit to ERA, as a few more innings here and there (assuming now more runs allowed) might have been enough to drop the rate stat low enough to turn the tide.  As it stood, The Kraken took 2 categories to the Armadillos 3.

On the surface, the Kraken might see this as a good outcome, given their massive offensive output.  Sadly, the team’s hitters picked the wrong week to go somewhat cold, and they lost or tied three categories by the tiniest margins.  As usual, Aaron Judge did his best to carry the team on his back.  He had 3 home runs, 6 runs, and an astonishing 12 RBI.  Juan Soto added 2 more home runs, and this was enough to secure the category (along with OPS).  However, the team fell just 1 run short of tying the category and the week.  Matt Olson struggled with just 1 RBI for the week in 26 at-bats.  The teams also tied in steals, and the Armadillos won RBI by a small gap.  Larry’s team was led by veteran Jose Ramirez.  He had 4 home runs, 9 RBI, 7 runs, and a steal.  Josh Lowe added 2 surprising steals.  Pete Alonso also had 1 home run, 4 RBI, and 1 steal in part-time duty.  Overall neither team had stats that would lead the league in any category, but all the numbers were respectable.  The Kraken’s last hope for a tie or win died when Jordan Westburg went 0-4 late on Sunday.

The loss is a bitter one for the Kraken, who saw their chance to enter the title pitcher swiped away.  The Armadillos snuck by yet another team.  After suffering a serious of misfortunes last year, it seems that luck is on the Armadillos’ side this year.  It remains to be seen if either the Goofballs or Possums can challenge the Armadillos, but both will need help from the rest of the league.

CM Skyline Sluggers (5-7) vs. RK Possums (6-6)

The week’s second biggest performer was the Possums squad.  Rick’s team emerged from the week a gave over 0.500, and suddenly in a tie for second place.  Rick’s rise has been slow but steady.  After a tough start, his team is now at the top of the tables, with no signs of slowing down.  The team’s best showing was on the mound.  Seth Lugo was masterful with 18 strikeouts over 12.0 IP and 0 earned runs.  He had a 0.75 WHIP.  The team was solid overall with no starter allowing more than 4 earned runs.  Their consistent performances resulted in a nice strikeout total and high innings pitched.  The Skyline Sluggers weren’t competitive despite not having any truly hideous performances.  They also got some welcome relief pitching with 2 saves from James McArthur and 3 from Tanner Scott to secure the category.  However, this still left Charlie with a 1-4 deficit.

On offense, the Possums and Sluggers were both solid if unspectacular.  They tied with 10 home runs, but Rick’s team took the initiative in other categories.  Adolis Garcia and Manny Machado had 3 home runs each and totaled 10 RBI and a more-impressive 13 runs.  The Sluggers countered with another 3 home runs from a hot Shohei Ohtani, and 2 each from Ketel Marte and Luis Rengifo. Christian Yelich added 3 steals to secure the category for Charlie.  However, the Possums’ depth won the day, and the team marched to a clean 7-2-1 win.  The Possums remain the hottest team in the league.  Can they challenge the Armadillos? That’s asking a lot, but the potential is there.

HP PhoeGnomes (4-7-1) vs. KK Wolf Spiders (6-5-1)

The week’s most controversial match featured the PhoeGnomes and the Wolf Spiders.  Both teams posted the best offensive totals in the league, but the outcome on pitching has left everyone confused and unsure who actually won this battle.

Let’s start with the offense.  Both teams were productive, and near the top of the tables in every category.  Kyle eventually won RBI, steals, and OPS.  No Wolf Spider had more than 2 home runs, but 9 players had at least 1.  Isiah Kiner-Falefa made a shocking splash with 7 runs and 1 home run.  Byron Buxton had a great 1.462 OPS in partial duty.  Cedric Mullins added two home runs and a 1.257 OPS as well.  The PhoeGnomes won runs and home runs thanks in large part to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  He had a week to rival Aaron Judge two weeks ago with 4 home runs, 6 runs, 17 (yes, 17) RBI, and a 1.690 OPS.  He wasn’t a one-man show, and Brandon Nimmo added 2 home runs and a 1.202 OPS.  Jose Altuve’s 3 steals gave Heather the nod in this important category.  This gave her a 3-2 lead.

On pitching, everything went wild.  Let’s start with what’s known.  The Wolf Spiders had 8 starters, and they totaled 44.2 IP, 40 strikeouts, 0 saves, a 4.836 ERA, and 1.388 WHIP.  These are not spectacular numbers.  The PhoeGnomes easily posted better numbers, but they come with a caveat – the team started 10 pitchers!  This is problematic because it can shift all categories except saves.  Looking at Heather’s Sunday starters, they contributed 18 strikeouts and 11.1 IP.  This would not be enough to swing either category to the Wolf Spiders.  Kyle won ERA already.  Heather’s Sunday WHIP was higher than her week’s WHIP, so this category weas unaffected.  However, for the benefit of the double, we will award it to Kyle.  That would leave a 6-4 score.  Even if we look at Heather’s two best starts for the week, they would not shift either IP or strikeouts.

This leaves a situation were Heather’s extra starters did not affect the outcome.  Therefore, she will retain the win for the week, since this was an accident and first offense.  If the categories were closer, this might be a more difficult situation.  However, Kyle would lose the week even if we assign him WHIP without either K or IP also in his favor.  Since Heather is so far in the lead,  there is no clear evidence that this violation would have changed the result.  However, we would ask that the PhoeGnomes be careful in the future, as this kind of thing can cause absolute chaos if we have to reschedule match-ups to try to make it work.

KG Capital City Goofballs (5-4-3) vs. JK Hares (3-8-1)

The week’s final match saw the Goofballs and Hares limp to a tie.  Neither team could seem to must much offense.  Both teams were near the bottom in all categories with the exception of steals.  The Goofballs had 8, thanks in large part to 3 from CJ Abrams.  The Hares somehow won RBI, thanks to 5 from a nice week from Elly De La Cruz.  Bryce Harper stayed red-hot, and helped the Goofballs secure the other four categories.

The Hares were much better on pitching, and posted some of the top stats in the league.  They easily led the league in ERA and strikeouts (account for the PhoeGnomes violation) and were second in WHIP.  The Bassitt Hound had a nice week with 8 strikeouts and no earned runs.  However, no starter made it beyond 7.0 IP and the team struggled to win innings.  Kevin’s squad had a decent week, but were more durable and won the category.  This led to an unsatisfying tie for both sides.  The Hares want to break out of last place, while the Goofballs believe they can still contend.

Players of the Week

The players of the week are pretty clear – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was by far the best hitter in the league.  The pitcher of the week is going to be Seth Lugo – he led the Possums to victory and into second place.

Next Week

The third cycle rolls on with a few critical matches.  The Armadillos face the Wolf Spiders, and look to cement the doom of the defending champions.  Kyle will do everything he can to not drop out of the race.  The Possums and Kraken face off.  Rick wants to continue to show he can challenge the Armadillos, while the Kraken are desperate to stay alive.

The Goofballs face the Skyline Sluggers, and yet again, must win to keep pace.  Finally, the Hares and PhoeGnomes meet in a battle that is critically important for the draft lottery.

League Update

The 13th week of the season has come and gone. The season is now more than halfway over, and there is clear movement happening in the standings. The defending champion Wolf Spiders are struggling for the first time in several seasons. The Armadillos have taken advantage and have captured a strong lead in the standings. However, the Kraken and Goofballs have made aggressive trades to improve their teams, and the results are visible on the scoreboard. They have climbed above 0.500 and appear to be the only teams that can challenge the Armadillos if the Wolf Spiders continue to struggle. Meanwhile, the Possums have also clawed back to even while the Hares, PhoeGnomes, and Skyline Sluggers are struggling to pick up wins.

KG Capital City Goofballs (4-4-3) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (4-6-1)

The week’s most dominant club was the Goofballs. Kevin has suffered from up-and-down performances at times, but this week he put it all together. He led the league in OPS and posted strong offensive numbers across the board. Kevin dialled back his tendencies to use too many players in search of platoon advantages. His more compact lineup rewarded his restraint. Bryce Harper was the star of the week with a 1.405 OPS and 3 home runs. Kyle Schwarber wasn’t far behind with another 3, plus a 1.301 OPS. Corbin Carroll had two steals, and CJ Abrams had a hot week. Heather had a great week from journeyman Brandon Nimmo. He had 4 home runs and a great 1.361 OPS.

The Goofballs also shined on the mound. They posted the second-best ERA for the week and had the most strikeouts of any team. Logan Webb and Nick Lodolo were the stars with 4 starts between them. They totalled 24.2 IP and had 24 strikeouts. Luis Severino delivered a gem with a 6.0 IP, 10 strikeout, 0 ER, 3 hit effort. Preddy Peralta and Mitch Keller also didn’t allow a run in their two starts. If not for one bullpen mishap, the Goofballs’ stats would have been even stronger. The PhoeGnomes were doomed by Jonathan Cannon’s dreadful 1.0 IP, 7 hit, 5 ER “effort” that left him with a 45.00 ERA. Yusei Kikuchi was also terrible in his 2 starts, allowing 9 ER and an otherworldly 15 hits in just 6.0 IP.

The win shows the path the Goofballs must be competitive. Much like the Kraken, they will be a threat if they continue to get strong pitching. Heather and the PhoeGnomes join the Hares in the lower depths of the standings.

LK Armadillos (7-1-3) vs. CM Skyline Sluggers (5-6)

The Armadillos and Skyline Sluggers met in a quality matchup. The Armadillos couldn’t dominate like the Goofballs, but they did get the job done when it was required. Unlike the Goofballs, Larry relied on a horde strategy, The Armadillos deployed a Zerg swarm of 22 batters and 10 pitchers. The results of this strategy were mixed. On offense, things worked well. The Armadillos led the league in every category save OPS, where they were second. Royce Lewis, Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson, and Brendan Donovan were all strong with OPS over 1.000. Donovan was especially productive with 3 home runs, 8 RBI, and a 1.381 OPS. Henderson added 4 valuable steals. The Sluggers tried to keep up, but the team couldn’t quite reach the same high totals as the Armadillos. Shohei Ohtani tried his best, with 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 8 runs, and a monster 1.650 OPS. He even had a steal. Anthony Santander had three home runs and 8 RBI of his own. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough, and the Armadillos swept the five offensive categories.

For pitching, the Sluggers were much better. Thy had great numbers and were in the top two or three in most categories. Max Scherzer returned strong and Tyler Anderson had a great start. Nestor Cortes added 13 strikeouts in a two-start week. The Armadillos didn’t have much luck with starters. Luis Gil outduelled Jonathan Cannon by throwing 1.1 IP. However, his 7 ER led to a 47.25 ERA, making it a split decision for which starter was the dog of the week. Carlos Rodon had a travesty of his own with 7 ER in just 3.2 IP. Larry couldn’t compete after these disasters, but was bailed out by the bullpen. Emmanuel Clase had 3 saves, and Mason Miller added two more. The Skyline Sluggers did not record a save, so they weren’t able to compete for the tie. The Armadillos picked up the ugly win and stay firmly in first place. The Sluggers had a decent showing but weren’t quite able to pull off the upset despite Ohtani’s massive effort.

KK Wolf Spiders (6-4-1) vs. CP Kraken (5-5-1)

The week’s most intriguing match on paper saw the Kraken continue their ascent up the standings at the expense of the Wolf Spiders. Chris’s team has been hot, and they may now be the biggest threat to the Armadillos. The Kraken followed the Goofballs’ blueprint and led with their pitching. The Kraken had a strong week on the mound and won four categories, two by small margins. Paul Skenes was the key for the Kraken. He had two starts with 13.0 IP, 15 strikeouts, and just 2 earned runs. Logan Gilbert was great as well. He had 0 earned runs and a 8.0 IP start with a 0.63 WHIP. Josh Hader and Ryan Helsley were critical as well, with 2 saves each. Chris also made good moves with his backup relieves and picked up 2 saves from part-timers. The Wolf Spiders weren’t far from the Kraken in IP and strikeouts. Tyler Glasnow had a great start with just 2 hits allowed in 7.0 IP. This was good for a 0.29 WHIP. Andrew Abbott had 10 strikeouts in his start. However, Jon Gray had two devastating outings and surrendered 9 earned runs. This ruined any chance at ERA.

Chris also got the job done on offense. He led the league in home runs, but had a surprisingly low OPS. The runs totals were also a bit of a disappointment. Tyler O’Neill was the best offensive player with 3 home runs. Aaron Judge added yet another pair, and his OPS deflated to a pedestrian 1.076 for this week. Kyle enjoyed a good week from Steven Kwan who had 7 runs. Alex Bregman also had a good week, albeit without a home run. The muddy offensive split was enough for Chris to earn the win for the week. The Wolf Spiders’ loss shows how big an impact the loss of Acuna was. His power and steal combination could singlehandedly win weeks on their own. Without their star, the Wolf Spiders reign may be coming to an end.

JK Hares (3-7-1) vs. RK Possums (5-6)

The week’s final match saw the Possums take on the Hares. The Possums have been improving, and they were able to keep their momentum in this battle. Rick’s team enjoyed a great week of pitching. They led the league in ERA, WHIP, and IP. Sonny Gray had two starts and allowed just 3 earned runs along with 12 strikeouts. Jared Jones had a great start as well, with 8 strikeouts in his effort. Joe Ryan and Erick Feddie were also solid. The Hares were pretty solid as well, with high strikeout totals. Hunter Greene had 9 in just 6.1 IP. Dylan Cease had a bizarre 10 strikeout, 4.2 IP exhibition in which he also allowed 4 earned runs. The Hares put up solid numbers, but the Possums were just on a different level.

On offense, the Hares had the second-highest home run total in the league. Bryan Reynolds had 3 and a 1.500 OPS. Jake Cronenworth and Jeimer Candelario had a pair each. The Hares subsequently took OPS. The Possums countered by putting up a huge runs total. Josh Naylor had 7, along with 8 RBI and 3 home runs. Seven other Possums players had a solo home run. The team managed five steals thanks to Francisco Lindor. This was enough to secure the category and the narrow 6-4 win. The Hares suffered another loss despite a decent performance. The Possums are now back above 0.500, but they will need to continue to improve to make a run.

Players of the Week

This week’s top pitcher was Luis Severino for his impressive showing. There are many candidates for top hitter, so the award will go to Shohei Ohtani’s excellent one-man performance.

Next Week

The season continues with one pivotal matchup. The Kraken face the Armadillos. If Chris wins, he will be just 2 games back in the standings. A loss might be too much to overcome with the resulting 4 game deficit. The Wolf Spiders and Goofballs have easier matchups, with the PhoeGnomes and Hares respectively. Finally, the Possums and Skyline Sluggers will battle in an important match for the middle tier of the standings.

League Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Player and Pitcher of the Week

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

Next Week

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