5. Louisville Sluggers (53-36) Last Rank: 7
The Sluggers are a balanced overall team currently sitting 3rd in runs and 6th in ERA, with the 2nd highest Exp. Win % in Hunter. Ownership has solved the bullpen woes that plagued it's team last season but early injures to the pitching staff has shown just how susceptible this team is to key pitching injuries. The battle for the Thunderdome and likely first round bye could come down to game 162.
4. Atlanta Cheesegrits (53-37) Last Rank: 5
I will admit I missed on the Cheesegrits….. I had put them 5th out of respect to for the defending champs but expected to be moving them back down to the 8-10 range in this update. The Champs are showing why they should not be doubted. Kevin Fujikawa has turned back to clock to support an already potent Cheesegrits offense. Plus Atlanta attendance has spiked even more than usual for a title defense due to the number of career milestones they have to celebrate for Fujikawa this year. Having already reached 3000 hits and 700HR and 800 SB all in this season. Oh yeah.... their pitching staff is very good as well. The callback to a joke I made in the first power ranks...….insert Ric Flair WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! here.
3. Scottsdale Dawgs(55-35) Last Rank: 6
The Dawgs have flipped flop offensive spots with Monterrey this season, last season's number 2 offense currently sits at top the league by 20 plus runs. This balanced lineup currently boasts 5 of the NL's top 20 players in runs created. Phillip Goodwin may slow in the 2nd half of the season as unsubstantiated rumors have him flying to Iowa on his off days to rip Baerga's face off water towers and pull his picture from wallets. In all seriousness Goodwin is posting an MVP caliber year but looks likely to run into the human embodiment of actual Cornpicker
2. Vancouver Lumberjacks (54-36) Last Rank: 10
After I posted the first rankings I got a message from timf saying that I had undervalued his team. I responded saying "Agreed, but only if the manager doesn't go on a mid seasons sabbatical like last season". This season the management hasn't fallen asleep at the wheel and instead has kept the hammer down. The biggest challenge that the Lumberjacks are going to face this season is that they play in Thunderdome Jr and the Dawgs aren't going to sit, roll-over or play dead (Dad jokes I got them). I see from the world chat that I have sent a few people down the Carlos Baerga rabbit hole...…. now I only recommend this if you can handle it, dig into the Lumberjacks top player Hector Peters but be careful as your will walk away confused and questioning everything you know about HBD
1. San Francisco Night Demons (53-37) Last Rank: 2
The more things change the more things stay the same. Let me harken back to the year 2013....it was a simpler time: legends Nelson Mandela and Paul Walker were both still alive, Breaking Bad was still on TV and we were in the Iron Man 3 portion of the MCU (foreshadowing). This also happened to be the last year that power rankings were done.... below are quotes from the year end power ranks for S26 and S27 about the Night Demons (ranked 1 both times).
"I might as well write this in permanent marker another year another top spot"
"I have a feeling at some point I'm going to end up with "1.San Fransisco" burned into my screen because I've typed it so many times."
Quotes by legendary & historic commissioner Jahu43
So much like Thanos at the end of End Game, I think Bjb sits behind his computer and states "I am inevitable", he's made the playoffs 46 of 47 seasons and has 8 titles. This years teams is once again high on talent and deep on pitching and leads the world in expected win %.
The biggest question will be if anyone gets to be Iron Man and upset the mad Titan (I guess spoiler alert but it's literally the biggest movie of all-time and came out months ago...….if I ruined it, I'm sorry but only the kind of sorry where you feel you have to apologize).
No comments:
Post a Comment