1 (1)- Pittsburgh Polar Bears (58-20)- The Polar Bear continue to be road warriors, with an astounding 31-8 road record, by far the best in the SPL. Flying under the radar, due to the Bears continued regular season domination of the NL, is Eugenio Estrella's under achieving season thus far. Perhaps he is feeling the pressure of the $110M contract he signed. Either way, he is currently on pace to have the worst season of his career, with career lows in AVG, OBP, SLG and SB%.
2 (3)- Baltimore Revolution (53-25)- For all of the talk during the offseason about the depth of the Revolution starting pitching, and Solano won't be relied upon as heavily this season as in season's past, Solano has been one of the team's top two pitchers. Billy Ray Howington (6-5, 6.12 ERA) has been downright terrible, while ace Tony Espinosa (6-2, 4.22 ERA) and offseason signing, $110M mad, Randy Meulens (5-5, 4.59 ERA) have both been up and down all season long. Meulens has also been plagued by shoulder issues and is currently on the DL. Its a good thing their lineup is loaded. Sammy Aquino (9-3, 2.63 ERA) and the immortal Damaso Solano (5-2, 3.26 ERA) have both anchored the pitching while the other guys figure it out.
3 (6)- Norfolk Whiskey Jacks (51-27)- For all of the excitement surrounding Matos as possibly the greatest pitcher the SPL has ever seen after he burst onto the league during Season 14, his wing man Phil Leonard has gotten the benefit of flying under the radar. Until this season. So far in the first half of season 17, Leaonard has been the best pitcher on the Jacks, and arguably in the AL. In his 16 starts, he is 10-3 with a 2.20 ERA.
4 (2)- Richmond Rebellion (51-27)- The Rebellion continue to hold their ground as the 2nd team in the NL. Their success is directly tied to the great team balance they have shown this season. Richmond is the highest scoring team in the NL, is 3rd in fewest runs allowed and ranks 1st in fewest '-' plays in the field.
5 (14)- Philadelphia Stomp (49-29)- Randy Meulens who? The Stomp have been one of the most dynamic teams in the AL all season. They are the 3rd highest scoring AL team and allow the 2nd fewest runs. Gary Scott has been the best pitcher in the AL in the first half going 11-2 with a 1.85 ERA. Phenom Quilvio Lee (8-3, 3.35 ERA) and RoY candidate Al Fransisco (11-1, 3.94 ERA) have combined with Scott to give the Stomp a very good trio at the top of the rotation.
6 (12)- Honolulu Rainbow Warriors (47-31)- The Warriors finally seem to have all of their pieces fitting together and have made themselves into a player in the AL this season. If things continue to go well, the franchise will win its first division title since the move to Hawaii after Season 8. The offense has been particularly impressive, ranking 1st in the AL in OBP and 3rd in home runs. The defense also leads the AL in fewest errors.
7 (4)- Milwaukee Titans (47-31)- The Titans seem to have it on cruise control, and are patiently waiting for the regular season grind to end, so they can defend their NL Pennant and hopefully get their chance at another WS title. Howard Gray is having the best season of his career in Wisconsin. He is hitting .293 with 20 HR and 54 RBI.
8 (5)- Vancouver Tragedy Twins (46-32)- The Twins are another of the SPL teams that have found success in team balance. The Twins are ranked 2nd in the NL in fewest runs allowed, 3rd in stolen bases and 4th in home runs. Benny Bonilla (10-2, 2.14 ERA) is having, by far, the best season of his career and, so far, is in the conversation for the NL Cy Young.
9 (13)- Cleveland Lake Shores (45-33)- The Lake Shores are currently leading in the yearly battle with division rival, Chicago, for second place in the NL East. They also have the league's longest winning streak at 6. Fan favorite, C Matt Wolf, is on his way to his 4th career All Star game. He is hitting .359 with 10 HR and 37 RBI. He also might be on his way to his 1st career gold glove award. He is throwing out 35% of stolen base attempts made against him. The Lake Shores are also ranked 1st in the NL in that same category, largely thanks to Wolf.
10 (10)- Scranton Wild (45-33)- The Wild are still leading their division, but its looking to be a two horse race in the AL North. The Wild will be trying to their first division title since moving to Scranton while the Redbirds will be looking to re-capture their rightful spot atop the division. The Wild are currently 2nd in the AL in home runs. Rafael Silva (.325 AVG, 22 HR, 58 RBI) is having the season of his dreams, and could be in the running for the AL MVP if he keeps up this pace.
11 (9)- Anaheim Hitmen (45-33)- The Hitmen find themselves in the unusual spot of not being atop the AL West. This team has led the AL in home runs for each of the last two seasons. This season, they are middle of the pack in that category. Clearly the team is missing departed sluggers Brian Okajima, Orber Martin and Geoffrey Purcell, all of whom are on pace for 25+ home runs with their new teams. Still, the Hitmen are in a good place, right in the mix for the Wild Card and only 2 games behind division leading Honolulu.
12 (7)- New Orleans Jazz (43-35)- The Jazz find themselves an easy 10 games ahead of the competition in the AL South. With the division seemingly in hand, they are focusing on playing solid ball so they can get to the next level in the post season. Veteran Rolondo Villareal (11-3, 3.53 ERA) is having a great season, and seems to be on the verge of being named to his first All Star squad.
13 (8)- St. Louis Redbirds (42-36)- The Redbirds are in a tight battle with Scranton as they try to reclaim their division crown. In the absence of other traditional big name Redbirds stars, Hick Zerbe has stepped into the role of team leader, and is been playing stellar. He is hitting .299 with 18 HR and 53 RBI.
14 (11)- Chicago Gray Stockings (42-36)- While the headlines in the Windy City this offseason may have been the signing of starting pitcher Esteban Hernandez (8-3, 3.94 ERA), it looks like that won't be the most impactful move made by the Gray Sox. Veteran Tony Benitez (.270 AVG, 13 HR, 35 RBI, 18 SB) signed a modest 2 year, $9.1M deal to play in Chicago. He is currently leads NL 3B in All Star voting, and has also been a fielding dynamo, clearly a natural at 3B despite not ever playing there in his ML career before. He has been the best fielding 3B in the league, ranking 1st in '+' plays with 12, 2nd in DP with 19 while only committing 3 errors.
15 (16)- Scottsdale Camels (39-39)- Despite the excellence of Pete Bradshaw (.310 AVG, 18 HR, 55 RBI) this season, the Camels find themselves 8 games behind 1st place and destined for another .500ish season. Unless this team really catches fire, they are unlikely to make into the postseason.
16 (17)- San Diego Wiley Coyotes (38-40)
17 (18)- Memphis Belles (36-42)
18 (-)- Atlanta Soda Poppers (35-44)
19 (-)- Los Angeles Sharks (35-44)
20 (-)- Trenton Jersey Trash (35-44)
Bounced Out:
(15)- Salem Blues (34-44)
(19)- Kansas City Krazies (35-43)
(20)- Jackson Runnin' Rebels (34-44)
