1 (2)- Little Rock Mockingbirds (51-24)- The team from Arkansas just keeps on rollin' and Mockingbirds tickets are nearly as tough to get as Razorbacks football. Ray Winder Field seems to be electric every game, with opponents being subjected to the fans obnoxiously chanting, 'We will, we will MOCK YOU!' After two excellent seasons in Tennesse, in which he flew largely under the radar, Pedro Castillo (11-4, 2.51 ERA) has been making national headlines this season with his dominance on a team that has been the best in baseball so far. If Pepe Sosa hasn't won the Cy Young (again) already, you could make a very compelling argument that Castillo is the front runner for the award going into the All Star break.
2- (12)- Richmond Rebellion (47-28)- Since many figured the Rebellion would sleep-walk their way to another division title this season, maybe the players did too. Maybe they were a bit complacent to start the season. They seem to have woken up now though. Maybe when it became clear how good Little Rock could be, they realized they were going to have to battle for this season's NL South crown. Since the last power rankings, the Rebellion have been the second hottest team in the league (along with Little Rock) with both teams boasting a 27-12 record in that time. The Rebellion have the early season front runner for NL MVP, and its not Ted Westmoreland. Luis Delgado (.315 AVG, 16 HR, 50 RBI) is having a stellar offensive season, currently leading the NL in hits and doubles and 4th in OPS.
3- (5)- Philadelphia Stomp (46-29)- The Stomp are on pace to top the AL during this regular season. And, as usual, its the pitching leading the way. Both Quilvio Lee and Jimmie Pulido can make a case for the AL Cy Young in the early going. The two are a combined 19-5 with a 2.57 ERA. But they aren't the ones who have the fans talking this season. Dominant pitching is great, but chicks did the long ball. And Jim Andrews, one of the most established offensive players in the AL, is having the best season of his career. Jimmy is hitting .341 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI, and leading the AL in OPS at 1.031.
4- (9)- Salem Volcanoes (46-29)- The duo of Hernandez and Delgado certainly grabbed the pre-season baseball news in the Pacific Northwest. Delgado stumbled mightily out of the starting blocks, but has certainly started to turn things around recently. He is averaging 6+ innings in his last 6 starts with a 3-1 record and a 3.89 ERA. Lost in the early headlines of Hernandez's dominance and Delgado's struggles is journeyman reliever Terry Cook. Cook has been bouncing up and down from the Show to AAA the last four seasons, and was never very impressive at the big league level. After a full season at AAA last year, Cook seems to have figured it out. He'll be repping the AL All Stars this season with his 2.00 ERA and his AL leading 22 saves in 23 chances. Many experts are worried that he's fool's gold though, and point to his suspect 1.44 WHIP. Time will tell if he regresses to his former self.
5- (11)- Charlotte Dukies (46-29)- The Dukies continue to win in their own way, with defense and a deep, balanced roster. The Dukies squad possess no true superstar, though 3B Lou Beech and CF Chad Brown have that potential, and 37-year old starting pitcher Harold Paquette was a superstar in seasons' past. This team plays very sound baseball, quietly and consistently winning. This squad boasts the 4th best ERA in the AL and a very good 42/26 '+/-' play ratio.
6- (10)- Atlanta Soda Poppers (43-32)- The Poppers have gone a very solid 23-16 since the last power rankings and slowly climbed up the ladder. Backstop Roger Bigbie has developed into the face of this team, and is the centerpiece of the lineup. Bigbie is on pace for his 3rd All Star appearance and having the best season of his career with a .322 AVG, 19 HR and 43 RBI. With father time slowly catching up to future HoFer Matt Wolf, Bigbie may have surpassed him as the most dangerous offensive catcher in the NL.
7- (7)- Vancouver Tragedy Twins (43-32)- While the Stomp boast a seemingly endless pipeline of international pitchers, the Twins seem to always have a domestically developed SP ready to have a breakout season. This year's model is Abraham Walker. Walker, now in his 3rd big league season, is poised to appear in his first All Star game with a solid 9-2 season and a 2.34 ERA. The Twins have been steady all season and are now tied with the scuffling Gray Stockings for the 2nd NL Bye.
8- (8)- New Orleans Jazz (43-32)- The Jazz have easily been one of the most consistent teams this regular season, going 22-14 in the first Power Rankings and 21-18 since. They are currently in second place in the NL South and right in the thick of the division's three team race. Randal Bryant has really turned it on since his early struggles. In his last 28 games, he is hitting .320 with 4 home runs and an OPS of .830. He has also stolen 15 bases without getting caught and has been outstanding in the field with only a single error and 2 '+' plays.
9- (4)- Chicago Gray Stockings (43-32)- Since the first power rankings the Sox have gone 20-19. Will this team now regress to its level of talent on paper? Or will the veteran laden squad pull itself together and continue to defy the 'experts'? It looks like the Gray Sox will only have a single representative in this season's All Star contest. Veteran journeyman Theodore McInerney, at 32 years young, has been a huge lift to the squad and will make his career's only AS appearance so far. In his 15 starts, he is averaging over 6 innings per outing with a 10-3 record the second lowest ERA in the NL (behind only Pepe Sosa) at 2.09. If the season were to end today, he would be on the Cy Young ballot.
10- (-)- Norfolk Whiskey Jacks (42-33)- For a team that was heralded as one of the AL's contenders during the preseason, has won 99 games or more in 7 straight seasons and is regarded as one of the elite franchises in the entire league over the last decade or so; the terrible start out of the gate was a real head-scratcher for both fans and management. They seem to have figured it out though as this is the hottest team since the last power rankings, and went from having one of the 10 worst records in SPL to one of the ten best going 25-14. Veteran Alex DeJesus has anchored the staff and in a position to make it onto his 3rd career All Star team. He is 9-2 with a very impressive 3.09 ERA.
11- (3)- Detroit Immortals (42-22)- The Immortals really fell off a cliff in the last 39 games with a 18-21 record. They are now trying to fend off a very good Redbirds team that is only a single game back. While the pitching and defense (fewest errors in the AL) has been good (2nd in the AL in fewest runs allowed), Detroit has hovered near the bottom of the AL in runs scored, currently averaging 4.65 per game. The biggest flaw with this team, as currently constructed, is it is sorely lacking in power. They are dead last in the AL in home runs and 14th in slugging. They are very reliant upon speed, currently with 91 stolen bases, 3rd in the AL. If this team were to make a move for a slugger, it could become even more dangerous.
12- (1)- San Diego Wiley Coyotes (41-34)- Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Coyotes have gone 16-23 since their red-hot start and are now in second place behind Vancouver and only two games ahead of a ascending Los Angeles squad. This team could very well struggle down the stretch. That is because its basically a four man team. There is, obviously, 'Best Pitcher in the History of Human Existence' Pepe Sosa. Then, in the lineup, is Darwin Crawford, Jeremi Henry and Danys Castilla. All of whom are excellent players, having excellent seasons. If you look at the team rankings in the NL, you'll see that San Diego is pretty average across the board, ranking middle of the pack in runs scored, runs allowed and fielding. After the four players mentioned above though, this team is simply not getting any serious production. In the field, the other 9 position players are hitting a combined .230 AVG, .290 OBP and .320 SLG with only 23 home runs and 151 RBI (with the single player high being 29). Some of that is a result of Petco Park, or so you'd think. Then why are the pitchers struggling? The other 12 arms on the team, not named Pepe, have been terrible. They are a combined 31-33 with a 5.08 ERA. If the role players don't significantly improve down the stretch, or there is a key injury, the Coyotes could struggle to get into the playoffs this season.
13- (17)- Jackson Swamp Hogs (41-34)- Since the first power rankings the Hogs have been very, very good with a 23-16 record. The squad has blended both older veterans and youthful players seamlessly into a cohesive locker room with a good vibe around the team. The issue for the Swamp Hogs this season, won't be the team itself, but that they find themselves in the brutal NL South. Despite a solid record, the Hogs are currently in 4th place. Likely future HoFer, Kelvim Whang, now in his 3rd season with the team, continues to be very good in his role in the bullpen. He is likely to earn his first All Star nod away from Pittsburgh, and the 6th of his career. Out of the pen, he is 11-3 with 5 saves and a 2.45 ERA in 69 innings. Bonus baby 2B Sherm Hansen, in his 3rd season, has broken out nicely and will also likely rep the Hogs in the AS game. Sherm is hitting .283 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI.
14- (13)- St. Louis Redbirds (41-34)- The Redbirds fans have been restless as one of SP's most storied franchises has now been absent from the playoffs for six seasons. Things are looking up though. There is a wave of highly talented young players that have been arriving at the ML level over the last few seasons including Ramiro Campos, Javier Lee and Edison Maradona. Catcher Morrie McNeil continues to make his name as a force in the AL (.286 AVG, 13 HR, 47 RBI) and will have the chance to perform on the national stage in the All Star game this season if things continue to go well. The team also has an established, veteran pitching rotation. Lonny Sanchez, after a terrible start to the season, has started to turn things around. He is 1-1 in his last 6 starts with a 3.00 ERA.
15- (14)- Anaheim Pepper Pickers (41-34)- Despite the team's steady performance this season and going 22-17 since the first power rankings, the Pepper Pickers find themselves five games behind 1st place Salem. This squad has been very tough to score against, ranking 3rd in the AL in fewest runs allowed. The offense has been average, right in the middle of the AL. If the squad can start scoring a few more runs, or maybe pick up a bat before the deadline, it will make it much easier to break into the playoffs in what looks to be a very crowded AL Wild Card picture.
16- (18)- Cleveland Lake Shores (40-35)
17- (6)- Monterrey Gringos (40-35)
18- (16)- Los Angeles White Sox (39-36)
19- (-)- Kansas City Krazies (38-37)
20- (-)- Iowa City Badgers (37-38)
Bounced Out:
Milwaukee Titans (15)
Baltimore Revolution (19)
Montreal Robinsons (20)
