After a wild third week, the Dirt Mountain League has a clear front runner! The Wolf Spiders secured their place at the top of the league with a close win over the Legion. The PhoeGnomes suffered their first loss of the year after a massive performace from the Skyline Sluggers. Both the Armadillos and Hares defeated their rivals to improve to 2-1.

KK Wolf Spiders (2-0) vs. CP Legion (0-2)

The Wolf Spiders showed why they are the defending champs with a close win over the Legion. Kyle relied on strong pitching to sweep all five pitching categories with the best stats in the league. Chris wasn’t able to offer much resistance, but the Legion did manage respectable IP and K totals. What makes Kyle’s pitching even more impressive is that his eight starts came from eight different starters!

The Legion fared better on offense led by a standout week from Nico Hoerner. However, Chris needed to win steals to secure a tie. Despite having seven players with a steal, the Legion were unable to match the Wolf Spiders’ total of 9. Of those 9 steals, 5 belonged to Ronald Acuna Jr.

The win leaves the Wolf Spiders alone in first place, but the poor overall offensive showing means there is still room for improvement. Several teams could have beaten the Wolf Spiders this week, so Kyle can’t remain complacent at the top. The Legion must find some pitching help if they want to begin the journey out of last place.

CM Skyling Sluggers (0-2) vs. HP PhoeGnomes (2-0)

After two tough weeks to start the year, the Skyline Sluggers rallied to give the PhoeGnomes their first taste of defeat this year. Charlie led the league in runs an dRBI, and was second in home runs. Hunter Renfroe had a great week with three homers, and Heather couldn’t compete in any category.

The Sluggers also had excellent pitching, led by Jacob deGrom’s two starts with 16 strikeouts over 10 IP. The team’s stats would have been even better without a blowup from reliever AJ Minter. Kevin Gausman’s struggles doomed any hope Heather had for a tie.

This match revealed that the Skyline Sluggers are no longer a doormat team, and that they intend to compete this season. Charlie’s team is vastly improved, and will be a threat to anyone. With better luck in Week #01, they could be 2-1. The PhoeGnomes were an early season pick to contend for the title, so Heather has to hope this week was an aberration. They should be fine, but the week might serve as a wake-up call for any overconfident players.

JK Hares (1-1) vs. KG Capital City Goofballs (1-1)

After a dismal offensive week, the Hares rebounded to bludgeon the Goofballs. A slew of un-drafted pickups powered the Hares to the league lead in home runs. Max Muncy contribted five for the week along with 9 RBI, a steal, and a 1.815 OPS. After shaming himself in Week #02, Mike Trout rebounded to contribute 4 home runs and a 1.318 OPS. The Goofballs were able to take steals, but the team failed to mount a further challenge on offense.

Neither team excelled on the pitching side, but the Goofballs were worse in critical rate stats. Four players gave up 5 or more earned runs for the week. The Hares had similar numbers, but more in the 3-4 earned run range. This gave the team enough quality to win the rate stats and secure the week.

The Hares normally rely on pitching to win, so it was a nice break to have a good offensive performance. They improve to 2-1, but know that they are a long way from competing from the title. The Goofballs fall to 1-2, and (as usual) need pitching help to compete. However, Kevin often makes shrewd pickups, and will definitely work to improve the team.

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

The week’s final match saw the Armadillos defeat their bitter rival, the Possums. The matchup was quite close, and both teams had great pitching performances. The Armaidllos were able to win the rate stats, while the Possums held the advantage in K and IP. Larry led the league in saves, and took a 3-2 lead.

On offense, the Possums tried to rally and had decent numbers. Adolis Garcia had a monster week with 8 runs scored, 4 home runs, and 14 RBI! However, the rest of the team couldn’t match his effort. The Armadillos countered with James Outman’s big week with 4 home runs. J.T. Realmuto had three steals, and the Armadillos cruised to a 4-1 category win, conceding only runs to the Possums.

Like the PhoeGnomes, the Possums will need to look for more offense to get back to 0.500. Perhaps the return of Fernando Tatis Jr will provide some needed inspiration. The Armadillos took care of business, and will be dangerous if they can continue to find solid pitching.

Player of the Week

This week’s player of the week is a tie between Adolis Garcia and Max Muncy! Both players put up absolutely monster numbers, especially since they are not considered superstars.

The pair combined for 15 hits, 9 HR, 21 RBI, 11 walks, and an OPS of ~1750. Congratulations to both players for putting up such insane numbers for their teams!

Next Week

Week #04 offers several promising match-ups. The Legion are absolutely desperate for a win versus the hot Skyline Sluggers. The Armadillos will try to keep winning against the Hares.

The Goofballs will look to bounce-back against the PhoeGnomes in an intriguing match-up that will tell us a lot about where each team stands in the fight for the title. Finally, the Possums will look to hand the Wolf Spiders their first loss of the year.

After the first two weeks of the season, two teams stand undefeated. The defending champion Wolf Spiders and PhoeGnomes are alone at the top of the league.

Four teams are off to 1-1 starts, including the Hares, Armadillos, Possums, and Goofballs.

Two teams are at the bottom with 0-2 records – the Skyline Sluggers and Legion. However, both teams have reason for optimism as they were close in each of their defeats.

Early Category Leaders

There are clear learders in several categories to start the year. The PhoeGnomes, Wolf Spiders, and Armadills have over 92 runs each after just two weeks. By comparison, the Hares lag behind iwth just 67.

The Possums have the most home runs, beating the PhoeGnomes by three with 30 total. They are also tied for the lead with the PhoeGnomes in RBI with 97. As expected, the Armadillos lead the league in steals with 25 and the Hares are last with just 7.

OPS, our best measure of overall offensive performance, varies wildly across the league. The PhoeGnomes are far above the rest of the league at 0.9013. The Hares are in last place with a dismal 0.6379.

On the pitching side, the Hares are faring better. They are close to the league lead in stikeounts, ERA, and WHIP. The Wolf Spiders are near the top as well in all pitching categories expcept for saves. Heather leads that category as well with 10. The Goofballs and Skyline Sluggers lag far behind with just 3 each.

The msot notable theme is that outside of the PhoeGnomes and Wolf Spiders, not team feels complete. The Legion have decent offensive totals, but their pitching is behind only the Skyline Sluggers to start the year. Charlie’s team also has acceptable offensive totals, but poor pitching ratios. However, there is a silver lining for Charlie as the team has great strikeout numbers, especially with the fewest IP in the league.

Other teams in the middle of the pack need to address shortcomings on at least one side of the ledger to remain competitive with the elite teams. The Possums, Armadillos, and Goofballs are all viable contenders if they can add hitting or pitching respectively.

Players of the Week

The Player of the Week for Week #02 is Ronald Acuna! The Wolf Spiders’ superstar lifted Kyle to a win instead of a loss or tie.

Acuna managed an 12/25 hit total with 2 steals, 6 RBI and runs, and a homer. He proudced an incredible 1.232 OPS for the week.

Without Acuna’s standout performance, The Skyline Sluggers would have won steals and probably OPS, which would have been more than enough to flip the week to his side.

The Goat of the Week on offense was the Hare’s Mike Trout. The former superstar managed to go just 4/23 ith no home runs and only 3 runs and RBI.

On the pitching side, the Wolf Spiders were able to overcome a deplorable week from Sandy Alcantara, who gave up 13 earned runs in just 10.0 IP.

Week #03 Preview

The most interesting matchup for Week #03 is the Legion versus the Wolf Spiders. Chris is desperate for a win, and to complete his quest to win the title after an 0-2 start. He has the benefit of facing Kyle’s team a week after the Wolf Spider’s best pitchers each threw two games a piece. This means Kyle will have to rely on his lower-tier starters for counting stats. This might give the Legion the opportunity they need.

Another good match is between the Possums and Armadillos. These two teams have a lone history of rivalry, and both would prefer to be 2-1.

Elsewhere the PhoeGnomes face the Skyline Sluggers. While this match appears to favor Heather, Charlie’s squad has improved and is eager for a win. Finally, the Hares face the Goofballs, in a match that always brings strategy to play.

This page will host all trades involving future considerations for the 2023 season (and beyond)!

2023-07-31

RK Luis Castille
~ for ~
KK Lourdes Gurriel Jr
KK 2023 #03 Pick (Becomes #2 if Kyle wins the title)

2023-02-06

KG Luis Robert
KG 2023 #06 Pick
~ for ~
RK Ozzie Albies
RK 2023 #12 Pick

2023-02-06

LK Paul Goldschmidt
LK Jacob deGrom
LK Brandon Woodruff
~ for ~
CM 2023 #01 Pick
CM 2023 #03 Pick
CM JD Martinez

2022-04-23
LK Mackenzie Gore
LK PTBNL (Pending Injury Return)
~for~
CP Adalberto Mondesi

2022-04-20
HP Yordan Alvarez
~for~
CP Rhys Hoskins
CP Seiya Suzuki
CP 2023 Round #01 Pick

2021-02-27
RK Yu Darvish
~for~
LK Patrick Corbin
LK 2021 Round #06 Pick
LK 2021 Round #10 Pick
LK 2021 Round #13 Pick

2020-03-08
CP 2020 Round #03
CP 2020 Round #05
CP 2020 Round #07
– for –
LK 2020 Round #02 (final pick)
LK 2020 Round #06

2020-03-08
CP 2021 Round #01
– for –
KG 2020 #Round 02

2020-03-08
JK 2020 Round #16
– for –
RK Conditional Trade

2020-03-08
HP 2020 Round #01 (#3 overall)
HP 2020 Round #13
– for –
LK Alex Bregman
LK 2020 Round #02 (original pick)
LK 2020 Round #08
LK 2021 Round #03
LK 2021 Round #09

2020-03-06

KG 2020 Round #01 (#5 overall)
KG 2020 Round #04 (#28 overall)
– for –
HP 2020 Round #02 (#10 overall)
HP 2020 Round #03 (#18 overall)

2020-03-02
KK 2020 Round #02 Pick
– for –
LK 2020 Round #06 Pick
LK 2020 Round #11 Pick
LK 2020 Round #13 Pick
LK 2020 Round #16 Pick

2020-02-24
KG 2020 Round #01 Pick (#3 overall)
– for –
HP 2020 Round #01 Pick (#5 overall)
HP 2020 Round #12 Pick

The final week of the 2019 season saw the championship come down to two matches.  The Lannisters could claim the title with a win or tie over the Thunderwolves.  The Possums still had hope and could win with a victory over the Legion and a Lannisters’ loss.  Third place also hung in the balance with the Armadillos looking to pass the Legion with a victory over the Lasershow.

It was fitting that the season came down to a final weekend with the title on the line between the Possums and Lannisters.  Last year, the two teams would have shared the title if not for Craig Kimbrel’s remarkable non-save, three-strikeout outing that delivered the title to the Armadillos.  Both teams had a chance to vanquish the ghost of last year and finish a year-long mission to reclaim the title.

In the end, the Lannisters were able to defeat the Thunderwolves and seize the championship.  The Possums did what they needed to do and defeated the Legion, but again fell just a hair short of claiming the ultimate prize.  The Armadillos defeated the Lasershow to claim third place after the Legion’s loss to the Possums.  After a season of improved play, Sean’s team (like many others) felt the fatigue of the season.  This was evident in the PhoeGnomes / Goofballs battle that ended in a 4-4-2 tie.

RK Possums (14 – 8 – 2) vs.  CP Legion (13 – 9 – 2)

For the Possums to win the title, they needed to beat the Legion.  They were able to accomplish this goal despite some shaky hitting and a few pitching struggles.  Charlie Blackmon had two home runs and Shin-Soo Choo added two steals.  This was enough to win OBP and tie steals.  Chris had the edge on offense thanks to a huge week from Trea Turner (three home runs, one steal) and Jose Ramirez (three home runs, eight RBI).

The Possums had better pitching thanks to great pitching from Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.  The pair combined for 22 strikeouts in 12.0 IP.  The Legion failed to win any pitching categories with the exception of saves.  The end result was a microcosm of both teams’ seasons.  The Legion dominated on offense.  They led the league for the season in home runs and OBP.  They were second (just behind the Goofballs) in SLG.  However, their pitching continued to be a problem and the team couldn’t get reliable innings.  This led to a series of defeats against the Possums and Lannisters, the two teams with the league’s best and most consistent pitching.  The Possums led the league in strikeouts for the year and were near the top in all other pitching categories.  This consistency allowed the team to compete for the title all season, and almost take home the trophy.

JK Lannisters (15 – 8 – 1) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (10 – 11 – 3)

The Possums’ victory meant that the Lannisters needed to win or tie against the Thunderwolves to win the championship.  They were able to deliver a clutch performance in the season’s final week and claim the Dirt Mountain League’s top prize.  They did it with a combination of timely hitting and dominant pitching.  On offense, the team led the league for the week in OBP and SLG and were second in RBI and home runs.  Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Matt Chapman each had two home runs and totaled 13 RBI.  Trey Mancini added a grand slam, and role players like Tommy Edman contributed as well.

On pitching, Gerrit Cole was dominant again and struck out 14 in just 7.0 IP.  Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 in his final start, and Kenley Jansen added two saves.  The Thunderwolves did their best to keep the week close and started out hot with a two home run game from Jorge Alfaro.  They also enjoyed spectacular starts from Zack Greinke, Chase Anderson, and Lance Lynn.  However, the team couldn’t match the volume of the Lannisters’ pitching output and a desperation start from Adam Plutko turned sour and sealed the win for the Lannisters.  The Thunderwolves gave everything they had to try to pull the upset, but the Lannisters wouldn’t be denied.

Although this season did not come down to the final day, the end result was in fact determined by one pitching matchup.  If the Possums had defeated the Lannisters in Week 22, and all other results stayed the same, they would have won the title by ½ a game.  That week came down to a Sunday pitching battle that decided two categories which determined the outcome of the week.  The Lannisters won ERA and WHIP by small margins and won 5-3-2.  The Possums could have won by the same score with tiny adjustments to the week’s pitching totals.  On that Sunday, Gerrit Cole started for the Lannisters versus Max Scherzer for the Possums.  Scherzer was excellent with 6.0 IP, one earned run, nine strikeouts, and just two hits and walks.  However, Cole was slightly better with 8.0 IP, 15 strikeouts, one earned run, and just one hit.  This was enough for the Lannisters to win the week and, indirectly, the title.  Cole’s dominant presence throughout the season made him the team’s unquestionable MVP and the only reason the title wasn’t decided among the Possums, Legion, and Armadillos.

The win erases the disappointment from last season for the Lannisters, who claimed their fifth title since 2013.  There are currently five players on the Lannisters’ roster who were also present on the 2013 title winner:  Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Stephen Strasburg, and Kenley Jansen.  These five players have formed a remarkable core for the title winners.  The team has endured challenges from all sides over the last seven years and have found a way to compete despite drafting at the bottom nearly every season.

LK Armadillos (11 – 8 – 5) vs.  SM Lasershow (5 – 19 – 0)

The Armadillos were able to end their season with a strong victory and capture third place.  The team led the league in home runs and RBI for the week, and posted the best ERA, WHIP, and quality start numbers as well.  Alex Bregman had two home runs and seven walks along with three home runs from Pete Alonso and Jorge Soler.  No pitcher allowed more than two earned runs for the week and Jack Flaherty ended the year with an 11 strikeout start.  The Armadillos were able to leapfrog the Legion and claim the bronze medal for the season.  The finish is impressive considering the team’s injury problems.  The championship follow-up saw the losses of Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, and others.  The strong finish is attributable to solid depth and talent up and down the roster.

Final Notes

Despite the Lannisters’ strength, the 2019 season proved to be the most competitive to date.  Seven teams were in contention into the last third of the season.  Two of the Lannisters’ losses this year were to the Lasershow.  The league’s top teams including the Armadillos, Possums, and Legion, were all in contention with just three weeks left to play.  Either the Legion or Possums could have won the title with just a little bit more luck.

Lower-ranked teams like the Lasershow and Thunderwolves continued to make strides and progress with the addition of strong young players.  Sean was near the top of the league in SLG despite a lack of home runs.  If he can find more power, the team could be a more consistent week-to-week threat.  The Thunderwolves tied for the league lead in saves and posted good pitching overall.  If the PhoeGnomes showed more consistency, they could easily contend with the other top-tier teams.

With so many teams in contention, the 2020 season should be outstanding.  Thank you for being part of the league this year.  Now it’s time to begin the offseason, where every team can start to build for the future and to pursue the title next year!

JK Lannisters (14 – 8 – 1) vs.  CP Legion (13 – 8 – 2)

The week’s most important matchup paired the Lannisters and Legion.  If the Lannisters won, they would continue to lead the league, control their own fate, and eliminate the Legion.  If the Legion won, they would take the lead going into a huge matchup with the Possums.  The Lannisters were able to earn the win with a strong all-around performance that was the best in the league.  The team led the league in home runs, RBI, OBP, and SLG.  They were second in ERA, WHIP, and quality starts.  On offense, three players led the way.  Nelson Cruz had three home runs and nine RBI.  Trey Mancini had two home runs and 10 RBI.  Eloy Jimenez had two home runs and six RBI in part-time duty.  Bryce Harper mirrored these stats.  The Legion had good home run totals, but failed to gain much traction for the week.

The Legion had a few bright spots on pitching like Yu Darvish, but the team failed to find sustained success.  The Lannisters got good starts from Stephen Strasburg, Luis Castillo, and Jacob deGrom.  Gerrit Cole again led the way with a ten-strikeout performance which gave him over 300 total for the season.  These performances allowed the Lannisters to dominate both offense and defense and win the week.  The Legion fought to the bitter end, but came up just short in the 2019 season.  They will now play for third place in their next match.  The Lannisters control their own fate, which will be discussed after the Possums / PhoeGnomes report.

HP PhoeGnomes (10 – 12 – 1) vs.  RK Possums (13 – 8 – 2)

After the Lannisters’ victory, the Possums had to win to keep their title hopes alive.  The PhoeGnomes were able to push them to the limit, but Rick managed to survive and stay in the race.  Both teams posted strong offensive stats and were near the top of the league in all categories.  Ten different Possums’ players had at least one home run.  Jonathan Villar was the best of the group with two home runs and three steals.  Ronald Acuna stayed hot with two home runs of his own.  The PhoeGnomes had a great week from George Springer who had three home runs and five RBI.  Brandon Nimmo also had three home runs.  The PhoeGnomes didn’t have the consistent home run power that the Possums showed, but did managed to win SLG while the Possums took all four other categories.

The PhoeGnomes were strong on pitching and won three categories.  Mike Foltynewicz had a great start, as did Mike Clevinger.  However, Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Yarbrough successful outings.  This gave the Possums a small window to capture WHIP.  Despite a bad outing for Trevor Bauer, Justin Verlander and Charlie Morton did enough to capture strikeouts.  The disastrous Yarbrough start allowed the Possums to keep control of WHIP and thus win the week.  The PhoeGnomes put up a solid effort and almost upset a top team for the second week in a row.

The win keeps the Possums’ hopes alive.  After all of the playoff discussion last week, there are now only two matches that matter.  The Lannisters will win the title if they defeat or tie the Thunderwolves.  The Possums can win the title only if they win and the Lannisters lose.  The Lannisters hold a 3-1 tiebreaker edge over the Possums, so any tie scenarios will not matter.  The Possums face the Legion, who will be looking to play spoiler after a disappointing loss to the Lannisters.  The Thunderwolves are sure to put up a strong fight as well.  The final week of the season often has unpredictable lineups and pitching matchups, so anything can still happen.

SM Lasershow (4 – 19 – 0) vs.  KG Capital City Goofballs (10 – 11 – 2)

While the Lasershow and Goofballs are both out of contention, Sean put up yet another outstanding week of stats to earn another victory.  They posted the best pitching stats in the league and had nice offensive numbers as well.  Eduardo Rodriguez had a great 10 strikeout start for the Lasershow and Marco Gonzalez and Zack Wheeler were also quite good.  The offense enjoyed huge weeks from Jeff McNeil and Mitch Moreland.  Each player had three home runs.  Yuli Gurriel and Willie Calhoun each added two more.  This was enough to overcome the Goofballs, who suffered a familiar series of pitching meltdowns that ultimately doomed the team.  The win continues to show the progress the Lasershow have made this season.

LK Armadillos (10 – 8 – 5) vs.  KK Thunderwolves (10 – 10 – 3)

The week’s final match saw the Armadillos continue to push for third place by defeating the Thunderwolves.  Larry’s team posted a strong all-around week.  Alex Bregman had three home runs, as did Pete Alonso.  Mark Canha added two more, and the team had eight total players contribute at least one home run.  The Thunderwolves had six players with home runs, but failed to gain a lot of traction despite starting a lot of different players and trying different matchups.  Kyle tried to rotate in players to get favorable match-ups but came up a little short. On pitching, James Paxton had a great start, but the rest of the team was more mediocre.  Lance Lynn didn’t have a great ERA or WHIP, but did contribute a monster 20 strikeouts in two starts.  The Armadillo shad better all-around numbers including a strong start from Patrick Corbin and a nice week from Alex Colome.  This was enough to earn the win for the week and stay in the third place hunt.

Next Week

Two matches dominate.  The most interesting is the Possums / Legion battle.  Chris needs to win to hold on to third place, while the Possums must win to have any chance of claiming the title.  The Lannisters play the Thunderwolves, and need to tie or win to clinch the title.  They will also win the title with a Possums loss or tie, regardless of their outcome with the Thunderwolves.  The Armadillos want to win third place, and face the Lasershow, who have proven to be a challenge especially late in the season.  Finally, the Goofballs and PhoeGnomes meet in a final match.