Kyoto Bushido
Kyoto got off to their annual hot start, but they've managed to maintain first place a lot longer that in previous seasons. Still, the team has been struggling, going from the best record in the WL in June to a slim 2.5 game lead over Taipei for the division lead. The offense is rock solid, 2nd in the league in HR and in the top half in most other categories. There's an outside chance the team finished with four 30+ HR players. The pitching staff is anchored by Jordan Auerbach, but many of the complimentary parts were pulled off the scrap heap, and though they showed some surprising numbers early, their true colors are coming through. The notable exception is Charlie Gibson, who at 6-2, 3.49 has managed to make up for the disappointing rookie season for Tomakazu Kaise.
Taipei Tai Fong
It's been an up and down season for Dylan Goforth's team, with injuries being the main culprit for the inconsistent play. The team is leading the wild card race and is competing for the division, but no single player really stands out when you look over the stat sheet. Some of the starting pitching (Fetter, Myers, Ruettiger) has been good, and the bullpen has been better than most, but no one on this staff will be competing for any awards. Likewise, the offense has no real holes, but no superstars either. Rookie Mook Jockster leads the team in HR and is second in RBI, proving to be a nice compliment to the other young hitters on the team (Kakazu, Iwata). The question moving forward is whether this team has any hope of taking down the Knights in the WLCS....
Chiang-Mai Kwaan
After a terrible start, Kwaan GM Ben Royer decided to put his entire team on the trading block. He unloaded proven commodities like Trevor Bayne, Eddie Degerman and Delmon Young for prospects, and then the funniest thing happened; the team started winning. Now the team sits a game over .500 and 2 games out of the wild card. Did the team turn it around because of the trades or despite them? We'll never know, but what we can be certain of is that Thurman Murman has been an absolute beast this season. The top half of the batting order have all been exceptional, in fact, and the team has crept up to 8th in runs scored. The pitching has been the problem with nine different players getting starts. Chiang-Mai was one of a handful of teams who quickly promoted nearly all of their 2021 draft class in hopes of creating a spark. Blake Korg (2-0, 2.75) has been the most successful of those call-ups.
Osaka Ronin
When you play in a band box, you live and die by the home run. Osaka has always hit a ton, but they also give up a ton. At 7 games under .500 at home, it's safe to say that the team isn't ideally built for Domo-Kun Field. The usual suspects are pounding out the long balls (Brown, Peppers, Parker), but not even career win leader CC Sabathia can conquer the dimensions of SLB's version of Coors Field. Ricardo Romero and rookie Michael Casper have managed to do alright, but the pen is a nightmare. If there's one GM who is counting the days until the reboot, it's Tom Hey....
Showing posts with label Midseason. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Midseason. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
2021 Mid-Season Reports - Euro
London Knights
Hot, hot, hot. This team is smoking right now and look completely unstoppable. They've scored the most runs in SLB and are second in team ERA, and they've only looked really good in the past 3 weeks or so. They've screamed past Kyoto for best record in the WL thanks to the ridiculous numbers posted by Diego Clemente, Holden McNeil and Warren McFadden. Six of the lineup's regular batters are hitting over .300, and the team just runs and runs, leading the league in triples and stolen bases. The pitching staff has been extremely healthy, with just five starters getting starts (18 each, as it turns out), and the bullpen has been among the best in the league. No one in the Euro is catching this team.
Scotland Rebels
The Rebels are tied for the fewest runs scored in the league but are in second place. Normally you'd say, "hey, nice work", but in the Euro, second place means you're 18 games back and 14 under .500. Takuya Sakamoto and Darin Ford are the only hitters to really show up this season, while a whopping 20 different pitchers have toed the rubber so far. Some of the starting staff have actually been pretty decent, with a surprisingly good year from perennial punching bag Larry Brush. It's not enough to offset "King" Felix's 1-8 record or a bullpen full of 5.00-9.00 ERA's. OUCH.
Ireland Invaders
The Invaders were the big story all last season, with a lineup full of rookie sluggers dominating the league and breaking records. So what happens when the entire lineup has a sophomore slump? You're seeing it. 2020 league MVP (and RHOY) Kainalu Chmolak "leads" the offense with his 16 HR and 49 RBI, but is batting just .250. Complete power outages for Collett, Izumigawa and Murphy. The four main members of the pitching rotation have been good enough but have suffered from brutal run support, and none of the young farm hands have stepped up to stop the bleeding in the bullpen.
Paris Pimpernels
The winningest team in SLB history is on the brink of finishing in last place for two seasons in a row, a feat that was unthinkable not long ago. Gone is the lineup full of Hall of Famers, gone is a pitching rotation anchored by Jerome Williams. What we're left with are some pretty good hitters surrounded by chaff, and a pitching staff that can't get anyone out. The team has skewed towards heavy hitting, and the Pimps' haven't been able to keep up. There are some decent looking young hitters (Mike Cooley, etc.), but will they be enough to turn this team around for the final season in 2022?
Hot, hot, hot. This team is smoking right now and look completely unstoppable. They've scored the most runs in SLB and are second in team ERA, and they've only looked really good in the past 3 weeks or so. They've screamed past Kyoto for best record in the WL thanks to the ridiculous numbers posted by Diego Clemente, Holden McNeil and Warren McFadden. Six of the lineup's regular batters are hitting over .300, and the team just runs and runs, leading the league in triples and stolen bases. The pitching staff has been extremely healthy, with just five starters getting starts (18 each, as it turns out), and the bullpen has been among the best in the league. No one in the Euro is catching this team.
Scotland Rebels
The Rebels are tied for the fewest runs scored in the league but are in second place. Normally you'd say, "hey, nice work", but in the Euro, second place means you're 18 games back and 14 under .500. Takuya Sakamoto and Darin Ford are the only hitters to really show up this season, while a whopping 20 different pitchers have toed the rubber so far. Some of the starting staff have actually been pretty decent, with a surprisingly good year from perennial punching bag Larry Brush. It's not enough to offset "King" Felix's 1-8 record or a bullpen full of 5.00-9.00 ERA's. OUCH.
Ireland Invaders
The Invaders were the big story all last season, with a lineup full of rookie sluggers dominating the league and breaking records. So what happens when the entire lineup has a sophomore slump? You're seeing it. 2020 league MVP (and RHOY) Kainalu Chmolak "leads" the offense with his 16 HR and 49 RBI, but is batting just .250. Complete power outages for Collett, Izumigawa and Murphy. The four main members of the pitching rotation have been good enough but have suffered from brutal run support, and none of the young farm hands have stepped up to stop the bleeding in the bullpen.
Paris Pimpernels
The winningest team in SLB history is on the brink of finishing in last place for two seasons in a row, a feat that was unthinkable not long ago. Gone is the lineup full of Hall of Famers, gone is a pitching rotation anchored by Jerome Williams. What we're left with are some pretty good hitters surrounded by chaff, and a pitching staff that can't get anyone out. The team has skewed towards heavy hitting, and the Pimps' haven't been able to keep up. There are some decent looking young hitters (Mike Cooley, etc.), but will they be enough to turn this team around for the final season in 2022?
2021 Mid-Season Reports - South
Atlanta Flyers
The defending SLB champs started off a bit slow, but have started to pull away from a mostly mediocre South Division. GM Jim Masters, who has probably triggered fewer trades than anyone in SLB, took advantage of Chiang-Mai's early season fire sale to land Trevor Bayne, who leads the team in batting and steals. Darren Lemming is having a solid season, and CF Eliot Hayes has come out of nowhere with some ridiculous numbers. Homer Bailey's ERA is over a full run above his career numbers, but the dude just wins (10-1). Eddie Degerman (another part of that trade) has been very good, and Rene Delmas has suddenly stepped up as a front of the rotation starter. The bullpen is a hot mess....
Savannah Sabers
The Sabers have had some hot streaks (they held first place for awhile), but injuries and some untimely losing streaks have sunk them to .500. Some of the best hitters (Johnson, Szucs) can't stay off the DL, and long time staff ace Phillip Humber hasn't been the dominator the team has needed to stop long losing streaks. Overall, the offense has been pretty solid, with contributions from some no-name types like Wally Scott and Conor Hudnall. The problem lies in the pitching, particularly a bullpen that has lost 18 games. Humber has been okay, but rookie Holden Whitley has struggled while Don Allison has been just okay.
San Juan Senadores
The Senadores went from contending for a division title to fighting to stay out of the cellar in a pretty short amount of time. There have been a few injuries, but the truth is that the offense just hasn't played up to it's potential. The lackluster hitting has been exposed further by a pretty terrible pitching staff. The only bright spots have been journeyman veteran Jeff Niemann and rookie reliever JR Boyle. Just about everyone else has been a gigantic pile of FAIL.
Baltimore Panthers
What, you actually thought they'd be perennial playoff contenders after one good season (2019)? That season seemed to prove the saying "a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut," as the Baltimore slumped to last place in 2020 and is right there again this year. There are still good players here, mostly home grown (Putnam, Cepeda, Jackson), but GM Jose Guttierez has failed to build upon the foundation of youth. The pitching is brutal, and no one on the offense projects to more than 80ish RBI. Diego Clemente already has nearly 100. Oh the irony.
The defending SLB champs started off a bit slow, but have started to pull away from a mostly mediocre South Division. GM Jim Masters, who has probably triggered fewer trades than anyone in SLB, took advantage of Chiang-Mai's early season fire sale to land Trevor Bayne, who leads the team in batting and steals. Darren Lemming is having a solid season, and CF Eliot Hayes has come out of nowhere with some ridiculous numbers. Homer Bailey's ERA is over a full run above his career numbers, but the dude just wins (10-1). Eddie Degerman (another part of that trade) has been very good, and Rene Delmas has suddenly stepped up as a front of the rotation starter. The bullpen is a hot mess....
Savannah Sabers
The Sabers have had some hot streaks (they held first place for awhile), but injuries and some untimely losing streaks have sunk them to .500. Some of the best hitters (Johnson, Szucs) can't stay off the DL, and long time staff ace Phillip Humber hasn't been the dominator the team has needed to stop long losing streaks. Overall, the offense has been pretty solid, with contributions from some no-name types like Wally Scott and Conor Hudnall. The problem lies in the pitching, particularly a bullpen that has lost 18 games. Humber has been okay, but rookie Holden Whitley has struggled while Don Allison has been just okay.
San Juan Senadores
The Senadores went from contending for a division title to fighting to stay out of the cellar in a pretty short amount of time. There have been a few injuries, but the truth is that the offense just hasn't played up to it's potential. The lackluster hitting has been exposed further by a pretty terrible pitching staff. The only bright spots have been journeyman veteran Jeff Niemann and rookie reliever JR Boyle. Just about everyone else has been a gigantic pile of FAIL.
Baltimore Panthers
What, you actually thought they'd be perennial playoff contenders after one good season (2019)? That season seemed to prove the saying "a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut," as the Baltimore slumped to last place in 2020 and is right there again this year. There are still good players here, mostly home grown (Putnam, Cepeda, Jackson), but GM Jose Guttierez has failed to build upon the foundation of youth. The pitching is brutal, and no one on the offense projects to more than 80ish RBI. Diego Clemente already has nearly 100. Oh the irony.
2021 Mid-Season Reports - North
Halifax Sailors
The Sailors boast the best record in the league and a comfortable 8 game lead in the North Division. The normal formula of good pitching coupled with a solid lineup has put Halifax in line for its 5th straight division title. The team lost Rand McPherson and Andrew Miller in the off-season, but have gotten great contributions from Randall Graves (11-4) and "good enough" pitching from Brazelton and Carroll. The offense is lead by the bats of Archibald and Brezovan, but there has been production from every spot in the lineup this year. It's a team lacking stand out stars, but the team concept has made the Sailors the favorite out of the AL.
Cleveland Dawgs
Despite trailing Halifax by 8 games, the Dawgs lead the wild card race and have a real shot at their 2nd straight post-season appearance. It's a team of thumpers, with 7 players with 10+ homers. This is probably one of the best offensive infields in SLB, combining for 72 HR and 224 RBI. The biggest surprise is Matt Bush, a former #1 overall draftee who has never lived to his potential. Now, at age 31, he's finally showing the production the old Las Vegas Rounders thought they'd be getting 13 seasons ago. The starting rotation is pretty unremarkable here, but the bullpen has done surprisingly well.
Philly Fever
It's been a nice bounce-back season for the Fever, who finished 2020 with the worst record in SLB. Now they're just 1.5 games out of the wild card spot, thanks to an offense that ranks 4th in runs and 2nd in HR in SLB. Jay Bruce is having an MVP caliber season, with over 1/2 of his 140 hits going for extra bases (holy moley). Rookie catcher Calver Alkoa is slugging .764 with double digit HR's, but he can't stay healthy. On the pitching side, former Sailor hurler Rand McPherson is 9-1, 2.76 and squarely in the middle of the Cy Young race. The rest of the staff is not so hot, as the Fever rank 3rd worst in team ERA. Can they acquire another arm or two to push for the playoffs come October?
Bedford Crunch
It's the team that can't hit. Never has. Doesn't matter what stadium you put them in or what players you add to the lineup, but this team seems destined to not hit and not score runs. So it goes in 2021, as the Crunch rank dead last in team batting and are tied with Scotland for the fewest runs. The power has been decent, but team leader Alexander Avila has just 42 RBI to go with his 23 homers. Seems nearly impossible. Luke Hochevar has been good on the mound, as has youngster Si Miller (who leads the team with 9 wins), but too many other members of the staff have been bad.
The Sailors boast the best record in the league and a comfortable 8 game lead in the North Division. The normal formula of good pitching coupled with a solid lineup has put Halifax in line for its 5th straight division title. The team lost Rand McPherson and Andrew Miller in the off-season, but have gotten great contributions from Randall Graves (11-4) and "good enough" pitching from Brazelton and Carroll. The offense is lead by the bats of Archibald and Brezovan, but there has been production from every spot in the lineup this year. It's a team lacking stand out stars, but the team concept has made the Sailors the favorite out of the AL.
Cleveland Dawgs
Despite trailing Halifax by 8 games, the Dawgs lead the wild card race and have a real shot at their 2nd straight post-season appearance. It's a team of thumpers, with 7 players with 10+ homers. This is probably one of the best offensive infields in SLB, combining for 72 HR and 224 RBI. The biggest surprise is Matt Bush, a former #1 overall draftee who has never lived to his potential. Now, at age 31, he's finally showing the production the old Las Vegas Rounders thought they'd be getting 13 seasons ago. The starting rotation is pretty unremarkable here, but the bullpen has done surprisingly well.
Philly Fever
It's been a nice bounce-back season for the Fever, who finished 2020 with the worst record in SLB. Now they're just 1.5 games out of the wild card spot, thanks to an offense that ranks 4th in runs and 2nd in HR in SLB. Jay Bruce is having an MVP caliber season, with over 1/2 of his 140 hits going for extra bases (holy moley). Rookie catcher Calver Alkoa is slugging .764 with double digit HR's, but he can't stay healthy. On the pitching side, former Sailor hurler Rand McPherson is 9-1, 2.76 and squarely in the middle of the Cy Young race. The rest of the staff is not so hot, as the Fever rank 3rd worst in team ERA. Can they acquire another arm or two to push for the playoffs come October?
Bedford Crunch
It's the team that can't hit. Never has. Doesn't matter what stadium you put them in or what players you add to the lineup, but this team seems destined to not hit and not score runs. So it goes in 2021, as the Crunch rank dead last in team batting and are tied with Scotland for the fewest runs. The power has been decent, but team leader Alexander Avila has just 42 RBI to go with his 23 homers. Seems nearly impossible. Luke Hochevar has been good on the mound, as has youngster Si Miller (who leads the team with 9 wins), but too many other members of the staff have been bad.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Midseason Reports 2019
NORTH DIVISION
It's already a run away for SLB's best team, Halifax. The good news for Philly is that they're right in the thick of the AL Wildcard race. The bad news for Bedford and Cleveland is that they're about 1000 games out of first place and have no chance to do anything....unless the race for 3rd does something for you. So yeah, this thing is pretty much done.
Halifax has a ridiculous 3.40 team ERA, which is on pace to break the league record. There are three legit Cy Young contenders in the rotation, with Justin Verlander (11-1, 1.52) the favorite to win. The bullpen is bad outside of Gudex, but that hasn't seemed to be a problem so far. The offense is entirely mediocre, but they don't need to do much to win on most days. Philly has a better offense and a worse pitching staff, but stay competitive and are not far behind in the WC race. Evan Longoria is having a career year, while Jay Bruce continues to dominate. Will Hunting was out for a month, hampering the lineup. Bedford is bad on nearly every level, yet remain out of the basement. They're last in team average and runs and have the second worst team ERA. Cleveland has THE worst team ERA, which has been enough to keep them in last place. Some of the hitting has been great as a young nucleus (Austin, Hamman, Hillenbrand) continues to produce in the middle of the order. The pitching is off the charts bad, however, as the youth lag behind the hitters in adapting to the major league game.
SOUTH DIVISION
Not quite as big a blow out as the North, but Atlanta has a comfortable double digit lead in the division. The rest of the South is bunched up, all fighting for the Wild Card (or staying out of last, which aren't too far apart at this point). The offense is great, as Darren Lemming flirts with another Triple Crown and James Ewing puts up some crazy power numbers. The pitching is really hit or miss, with Homer Bailey (12-1, 1.97) a strong contender for Cy Young on the plus side, and Tucker and Krieger (both with ERA's north of 6.00) on the negative. The Flyers have a great bullpen - a rarity in this league. Just 6 games separate the WC leader from last place. Savannah had a great June and have taken the lead, riding the hot hitting of Cabrera/Leahy and the dominant starting rotation, headlined by Humber and Willis. Baltimore continues to build on their farm system, with hitters like Atwood and Vanderwal taking up the reins from Pujols, McPherson and Guerrero. Rookie Mike Wells has been a big surprise offensively. Putnam, Cepeda and DeVries have been good but inconsistent, and the bullpen is pretty spotty. San Juan is still in the hunt, but has suffered from low morale after team leader Floyd Larkin went down early in the year. Swirling rumors about Dennis Dennis Jr.'s future with the team have also served to destabilize a normally dominant lineup. The rotation is solid, with rookie Anthony Rodriguez putting up pretty good numbers.
EURO DIVISION
After London lead for most of the year, Scotland has "lucked" their way into first place at the break. The Rebels have scored just 3 more runs than they have allowed, but have managed to go 10 over .500 to this point. Will their record skew back to the numbers? The team lacks any one player that makes you say "Wow", though Matisse and King Felix have been good. London continues to hit the crap out of the ball, with all 8 regular hitters in double digits in HR and 6 slugging over .500. Free agent pickup Michael Pelfrey is putting up a career year (10-1, 3.07) while Bray and Gaudin continue to pitch well. Paris has disappointed thus far, though injuries to Jerome Williams and Ryne Robinson have taken a pair of All-Star players out of action. The team hits home runs, but outside of MVP candidate Choi, none seem to drive in many runs outside of the long ball. Dennis Tankersly is getting shelled in Paris, and the bullpen is an eyesore. Ireland was looking better there for awhile, but they've recently slumped back to 11 under .500. The starting rotation is really good, but the bullpen is atrocious and there isn't enough thump in the lineup.
FAR EAST DIVISION
For the 87th straight season, this division sucks. Taipei and Osaka are tied for first with .500 records, and a week ago all four teams were under the break even point. Despite all the talent in the division, every team has glaring issues. Osaka's offense is great (shocked?), but it's rookie Ben Parker leading the way. The Ronin have three rookies putting up great numbers, including Rule 5 pick Truck Chakeles. Parker, just one year out college, could be the first player to win ROY and MVP in the same season. While Osaka's pitching is still pretty bad, they have seen positive results from free agent signings Sabathia and Mahara. Taipei is lead by 35 year old Jose Reyes (WUT?) who somehow leads the team in HR and SLG. This is a pretty light hitting team overall, though there are some big bats waiting in AAA. Higuera and Fetter continue to impress, while FA addition Ubardo has lived up to his contract. Mid-season acquisition Scott Kazmir has done everything but win since coming from Bedford. Kyoto has been victim to horrible luck....again. They are +9 in run differential but sit at 9 games under .500. The Bushido seem to excel at winning in blowouts, but their piss poor pen has lost them a league leading 20 one-run games. Rookie Stan Ford leads the league with 30 HR, but he's not in the top 15 in RBI. Drew Stubbs has filled in very well for the injured Cray Boggs, making for an overcrowded OF. Outside of Jake Peavy, the rotation has been very good, but oh that bullpen. Chiang Mai has a good offense but abysmal pitching. Their best starter (Degerman) is hurt, while most of the pen are giving up runs in bunches.
MIDSEASON AWARDS
MVP: Darren Lemming
Cy Young: Justin Verlander
RHOY: Ben Parker
RPOY: Rene Delmas
MIDSEASON PREDICTIONS
NORTH: Halifax
SOUTH: Atlanta
EURO: London
FAR EAST: Osaka
WILDCARDS: Savannah, Scotland
WORLD SERIES: Atlanta over London
It's already a run away for SLB's best team, Halifax. The good news for Philly is that they're right in the thick of the AL Wildcard race. The bad news for Bedford and Cleveland is that they're about 1000 games out of first place and have no chance to do anything....unless the race for 3rd does something for you. So yeah, this thing is pretty much done.
Halifax has a ridiculous 3.40 team ERA, which is on pace to break the league record. There are three legit Cy Young contenders in the rotation, with Justin Verlander (11-1, 1.52) the favorite to win. The bullpen is bad outside of Gudex, but that hasn't seemed to be a problem so far. The offense is entirely mediocre, but they don't need to do much to win on most days. Philly has a better offense and a worse pitching staff, but stay competitive and are not far behind in the WC race. Evan Longoria is having a career year, while Jay Bruce continues to dominate. Will Hunting was out for a month, hampering the lineup. Bedford is bad on nearly every level, yet remain out of the basement. They're last in team average and runs and have the second worst team ERA. Cleveland has THE worst team ERA, which has been enough to keep them in last place. Some of the hitting has been great as a young nucleus (Austin, Hamman, Hillenbrand) continues to produce in the middle of the order. The pitching is off the charts bad, however, as the youth lag behind the hitters in adapting to the major league game.
SOUTH DIVISION
Not quite as big a blow out as the North, but Atlanta has a comfortable double digit lead in the division. The rest of the South is bunched up, all fighting for the Wild Card (or staying out of last, which aren't too far apart at this point). The offense is great, as Darren Lemming flirts with another Triple Crown and James Ewing puts up some crazy power numbers. The pitching is really hit or miss, with Homer Bailey (12-1, 1.97) a strong contender for Cy Young on the plus side, and Tucker and Krieger (both with ERA's north of 6.00) on the negative. The Flyers have a great bullpen - a rarity in this league. Just 6 games separate the WC leader from last place. Savannah had a great June and have taken the lead, riding the hot hitting of Cabrera/Leahy and the dominant starting rotation, headlined by Humber and Willis. Baltimore continues to build on their farm system, with hitters like Atwood and Vanderwal taking up the reins from Pujols, McPherson and Guerrero. Rookie Mike Wells has been a big surprise offensively. Putnam, Cepeda and DeVries have been good but inconsistent, and the bullpen is pretty spotty. San Juan is still in the hunt, but has suffered from low morale after team leader Floyd Larkin went down early in the year. Swirling rumors about Dennis Dennis Jr.'s future with the team have also served to destabilize a normally dominant lineup. The rotation is solid, with rookie Anthony Rodriguez putting up pretty good numbers.
EURO DIVISION
After London lead for most of the year, Scotland has "lucked" their way into first place at the break. The Rebels have scored just 3 more runs than they have allowed, but have managed to go 10 over .500 to this point. Will their record skew back to the numbers? The team lacks any one player that makes you say "Wow", though Matisse and King Felix have been good. London continues to hit the crap out of the ball, with all 8 regular hitters in double digits in HR and 6 slugging over .500. Free agent pickup Michael Pelfrey is putting up a career year (10-1, 3.07) while Bray and Gaudin continue to pitch well. Paris has disappointed thus far, though injuries to Jerome Williams and Ryne Robinson have taken a pair of All-Star players out of action. The team hits home runs, but outside of MVP candidate Choi, none seem to drive in many runs outside of the long ball. Dennis Tankersly is getting shelled in Paris, and the bullpen is an eyesore. Ireland was looking better there for awhile, but they've recently slumped back to 11 under .500. The starting rotation is really good, but the bullpen is atrocious and there isn't enough thump in the lineup.
FAR EAST DIVISION
For the 87th straight season, this division sucks. Taipei and Osaka are tied for first with .500 records, and a week ago all four teams were under the break even point. Despite all the talent in the division, every team has glaring issues. Osaka's offense is great (shocked?), but it's rookie Ben Parker leading the way. The Ronin have three rookies putting up great numbers, including Rule 5 pick Truck Chakeles. Parker, just one year out college, could be the first player to win ROY and MVP in the same season. While Osaka's pitching is still pretty bad, they have seen positive results from free agent signings Sabathia and Mahara. Taipei is lead by 35 year old Jose Reyes (WUT?) who somehow leads the team in HR and SLG. This is a pretty light hitting team overall, though there are some big bats waiting in AAA. Higuera and Fetter continue to impress, while FA addition Ubardo has lived up to his contract. Mid-season acquisition Scott Kazmir has done everything but win since coming from Bedford. Kyoto has been victim to horrible luck....again. They are +9 in run differential but sit at 9 games under .500. The Bushido seem to excel at winning in blowouts, but their piss poor pen has lost them a league leading 20 one-run games. Rookie Stan Ford leads the league with 30 HR, but he's not in the top 15 in RBI. Drew Stubbs has filled in very well for the injured Cray Boggs, making for an overcrowded OF. Outside of Jake Peavy, the rotation has been very good, but oh that bullpen. Chiang Mai has a good offense but abysmal pitching. Their best starter (Degerman) is hurt, while most of the pen are giving up runs in bunches.
MIDSEASON AWARDS
MVP: Darren Lemming
Cy Young: Justin Verlander
RHOY: Ben Parker
RPOY: Rene Delmas
MIDSEASON PREDICTIONS
NORTH: Halifax
SOUTH: Atlanta
EURO: London
FAR EAST: Osaka
WILDCARDS: Savannah, Scotland
WORLD SERIES: Atlanta over London
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