Week 5 Power Rankings
The Standings are really heating up as the temperature rises and things move toward the All-Star break. Each team is finding their way past opponents from the other division and we've seen some interesting match-ups and teams like Sit On My Base suffer their first loss and Poker Night gaining their first victory. Week 2 of inter-league play looks to be another week full of promising games but the one I think we're all looking forward to the most is the matchup between Sit On My Base and Breaking Balls in what could be the game(s) of the year.
Green Bears vs Wiffle Ballers
Prediction: Split Series
At this phase of the season it's easy to see the development of certain patterns. One of those patterns I speak of is that the Green Bears seem to split a lot many of their matchups (3 of their 4 weeks). They have been hitting the ball a lot better in recent weeks and lead the league in home runs (12) and have one of the highest batting averages and on-base percentages in the league. The Wiffle Ballers on the other hand are struggling to hit the ball and are hitting .207 as a team. But that's not hard to believe in a division where Drew McClanahan, Josh Berletich, and Paul Hesson reign. Ronnie Canterbury said last week that the team "couldn't buy a hit." This may be instrumental in this matchup as Smith and Sowards will most likely be the only pitchers to take the mound for the remainder of the season in their drive to reach .500 or above. But don't count Steven Adkins out. He's pitching better than ever with a 2.16 ERA and a 4-4 record. His 55 Ks puts him only one strike out behind league leader Drew McClanahan. He's a safe bet for strikeout king this year. But he has almost as many walks (49) and the closest pitcher with that many is Austin Hanna with 34. I'm calling a split because I think Steven Adkins will find the strikezone enough and his defense is still more than capable of fielding. But unless this team finds their bat they could be looking to get swept.
Poker Night vs Wee Willy Wiffle
Prediction: WWW Sweep
Wee Willy Wiffle are struggling lately and have a 2-6 record. The only team with a worse winning percentage is Poker Night, who have only one win. Wee Willy Wiffle have played the top two teams in the league in the past two weeks (SOMB & Breaking Balls) and being swept both series. They are looking forward to this game for sure and Nick Kappra will be throwing as hard as he can so that his team can finally put another tally or two in the wins column. They really need it. Once a strong second place contender in the Jewel City division, the team has fallen on hard times and could use the boost. But the team still continues to struggle with hitting. If Richard Ball is present, I can safely say the team will easily sweep Poker Night but without him the team cannot bring baserunners home. I still feel that Kappra is one of the best pitchers in the league but without offense to secure the win, there can be no easy victories. Offensively, Poker Night and WWW are very similar. Their batting averages are withing .020 of one another but Poker Night's OBP AND SLG are higher. Sure, Poker Night strikes out more but they also walk more. This small fact could make a difference. Despite how it may sound, I don't think Poker Night is a whipping team, they have capable hitting and fielding but what is less celebrated is their pitching. Having played Poker Night recently and watched them here and there I can say that Michael Marcum and Austin Hanna are actually quite good pitchers (Hanna especially). Reason tells me Kappra's dominant pitching and excellent defense behind him is the game-changer for this series. But Poker Night won their last game last week and that could make them optimistic and that renewed spirit could make them a threat. But I wouldn't know for sure. After all, I'm an award-winning, former champion, hall of famer.
Honey Badgers vs Team BagTag
Prediction: Honey Badgers Sweep
Both of these teams have .500 record and are in second place in their divisions but that's where the similarities end. Team BagTag have the worst team batting average (.217) and have hit only 2 home runs and brought in 12 runs. Honey Badgers have the number four offense in the league and have phenomenal pitching and fielding to back it up. Josh Berletich reigns as one of the league's most dominant pitchers and, as a veteran, is perhaps the most effective captain in the league. He has assembled a remarkable team that will get even better when Jacob Fischer returns to town after the All-Star break. When Berletich is gassed, Paul Hesson has proven not only to be a dependable reliever but a great starting pitcher as well. Their offense is slightly unconventional. Arielle Hord is sort of the offensive captain and preaches patience at the plate and the result has been 45 walks for the team and Zach Reedy leading the league in that category. That has put a lot of runners on base and has made the difference between winning and losing when what could be solo home runs become 2 or 3 run home runs. Team BagTag are a difficult team to read and part of that is because they rarely get their entire roster to the field. Ryan Blatt and Gary Ball both have inconsistent attendance and both of them are dependable pitchers. Blatt has a lot of speed and movement on his pitches that could really become useful in a matchup like this but will he be there? Last week, BagTag swept Wiffle Ballers but considering those two teams share history, it's no surprise since they seem to have figured out how to beat them during Fall Ball. But even then they won both games 1-0. The Honey Badgers WILL score and if BagTag have hope of winning it will come down to outscoring them. Brian Ball and Zach Blatt have some experience on the mound and have had some success. Brandon Woolum made his season debut on the mound last week to much acclaim but will it be enough to over-power one of the most steady offenses in the league?
MATCH-UP OF THE WEEK:
Sit On My Base vs Breaking Balls
Prediction: Split Series
I have been looking forward to this series for a while now and I suspect that I'm not the only one. Surely, these two teams have to be excited to finally face one another. If last year is any indication, where the top two teams of the season ended up facing each other in the title game, then this could be a likely preview of the championship. Both of these teams have maintained commanding leads at the top of each division. Both franchises are offensive juggernauts with great fielding and mesmerizing pitching. Until last week, Sit On My Base was undefeated but lost by one run in one of their games against the Honey Badgers. But there's no shame in carrying a loss at this point as Breaking Balls days of being undefeated could be numbered. If anyone can take a bite out of this team it's Sit On My Base. They have a .397 team batting average with 11 home runs and 28 runs. Their explosive offense has been the recipe for their success all year long and their loss last week was in part due to them only have 3 players with Andrew Westcott absent. They will need all hands on deck to have a prayer of handing Breaking Balls their first loss. Breaking Balls have been handling business all year by simply out-pitching against some of the league's best: Steven Adkins, Josh Berletich, Paul Hesson, & Nick Kappra. Drew McClanahan has won Player of the Week twice this year and has pitched two perfect games and a no-hitter (don't forget he and Ryan Pritt went dutch on a shared no-hitter in week one). With Ryan Pritt in the bullpen the team is no short on pitching talent. Their offense is equally explosive with .344 average, 11 home runs and 28 runs. By those numbers the two teams seem virtually identical but the Breaking Balls walk more and strikeout less. This could be the defining difference that decides the series. I'm calling a split mainly because I want to see what happens if the Breaking Balls lose. Does that violate some scientific law? Will there be war? Famine? Drought? No one knows what will happen if they lose. It's time to break the scroll and see what happens. I would never be so bold as to say a sweep for SOMB because their roster is just too in-the-air. Breaking Balls will, at worst, split this series. Both games will probably be incredibly close but if this becomes the championship matchup for later this year, I want to see a split so we feel that anything could happen in the post-season.
