1- St. Louis Redbirds (46-23)- After getting so close to winning the pennant last season, the young players on the Redbirds look determined to push this team into the Fall Classic. Edinson Maradona has been playing like the best player in the AL this season. Splitting time between 1B, LF and 3B he has yet to commit an error. He is also hitting .333 with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs to go with 7 steals.
2- Norfolk Whiskey Jacks (42-27)- As has become the custom, the Jacks are one of the top teams in the AL... during the regular season. This squad has nothing left to prove during this time of year, it the playoffs where the Jacks have unfinished business. This team has been scoring alot of runs, currently ranked 4th in the AL in runs scored. Veteran Fritz Shelley has returned to his All Star form of a few seasons ago, and earned himself some early season Cy Young discussion. In his 14 starts, he has thrown 83.2 innings with a 6-2 record and a 1.94 ERA.
3- Oakland Athletics (41-28)- After getting a taste of the postseason for the first time in well over a decade, the As are eager to continue the evolution of this team... win the division, and earned one of the NL's two highly coveted Wild Card Round Byes. So far, so good. The combination of the cavernous Colosseum and a solid staff have helped propel the As to the best team ERA in the SPL, at 3.19. Its been the youngster Evan King, in his second full season, that has taken on the role off staff ace. He is 7-1 in 14 starts with a 1.36 ERA.
4- Houston Buushwackerz (41-28)- The Buushwackers have been the biggest surprise of the early part of the season. In a hitter's park, they have the best team ERA in the AL. Dennis Moore and Odalis Owen have been a dynamic 1-2 punch. They are a combined 15-6 with a 3.06 ERA in 28 starts. If Houston can keep up this level of play, it'll make the battle for the AL byes even tougher.
5- Richmond Rebellion (40-29)- After a head-scratcher of a Season 23, the Rebellion look to have returned to the form that fans are more accustomed to seeing and are right back at the top of the NL as a result. Its been the pitching that has led the way, with a team ERA of 3.45. That is good enough to rank 2nd in the NL. Journeyman Ted Johnson has been a pleasant surprise. He is having the best season of his career thus far, and is 7-2 with a 2.90 ERA in his 12 starts.
6- Charlotte Dukies (40-29)- Its no surprise the Dukies have started so strong. They are ranked 3rd in the AL in runs scored and 3rd in team ERA. Veteran Darwin Crawford can make a very strong argument that if the season were to end today, he would win the MVP. He has 81 hits in 69 games; while hitting .321 with 19 home runs and 58 RBI. The team will also be getting reinforcements soon. Jimmy Donald, who was off to a fantastic start to the season before injuring his shoulder, is due to be coming off the 60-DL in about 2 weeks.
7- Kansas City T-Bones (40-29)- The top of the AL is going to be a battle this season, and there isn't much to seperate the very good teams from one another. The T-Bones have been an offensive machine this season, and their 3, 4, 5 hitters of Cone, Chang and Pimmentel have been especially tough. Chang is 2nd in the AL in AVG, Pimmentel is 3rd and Cone is 4th. Cone in particular is having a special season, and is the SPN's front runner for MVP at this point. He is hitting .335, with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs. He also has 33 steals, and hasn't been caught. He is currently on the shelf with a minor hamstring pull, but team doctors expect him to back on the field in about a week.
8- Vancouver Tragedy Twins (40-29)- Like Richmond, Vancouver is another team that had a very strange Season 23. After five consecutive 100 wins seasons, that included 2 NL Pennants and a WS title, the Twins sputtered to a 77-85 record. They seem to back on track now, on pace for 94 wins and a Wild Card berth. The pitching has been very good, with the team ERA ranked 4th in the NL. Its been Elijah Darling leading the way. Like his team, his Season 23 was the worst of his career, but he seems to have returned to form. He is 8-3 with a 2.87 ERA.
9- Scottsdale Camels (38-31)- With a squad so chalked full of accomplished veterans, its no surprise that the Camels have had a solid start to the season. With this squad, it'll be a question of staying power. What has been a surprise though, is just how good the offense has been, and Bruce Donovan in particular. The Camels are the highest scoring team in the AL right now, averaging over 5.75 runs per game. Donovan, after watching his production steadily decline over the last few seasons, seems to have found the fountain of youth. His .352 AVG leads the AL. He also has 16 home runs and is 3rd in the AL with 60 RBIs. He is certainly in the MVP discussion in the early part of the season.
10- Little Rock Mockingbirds (38-31)- Though the Mockingbirds are likely disappointed with their both their record, and inconsistent play in the early part of the season, there shouldn't be any reason for concern. This squad is still loaded. They have actually played better then their record indicates, ranking 4th in the NL in both runs scored and team ERA. That is with some key players getting off to slow starts. Once Orber Martin and Lonny Sanchez begin to play to their talent level, the Mockingbirds will start to climb these rankings very quickly.
11- Philadelphia Stomp (37-32)- Another team that is loaded, that has started the season off on the wrong foot. The Stomp have been inconsistent so far. Is it the constant barrage of questions regarding Lee's contract? Is it a World Series hangover? Or is the team just pacing itself, and waiting for the playoffs to start? Like the Mockingbirds, the Stomp have also played better than their record would indicate. They are ranked 4th in the AL in team ERA, and that's with Lee having a tough season (for him anyway) so far. They also rank 2nd in the AL in home runs. The Stomp will be fine, and back at the top of the AL soon enough. Move along, there's nothing to see here.
12- Iowa City Badgers (37-32)- There was certainly some eyebrow raising at the early standings in the NL North. Things seemed to have settled down now, and the standings reflect, more or less, how these team were expected to stack up before the season started. Iowa City is at the top of the division, but doesn't look to be contending for a bye. Alex Chen has been worth every penny so far in his first season in the Midwest. He has been flashing the leather and hitting .303 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs to go with his 10 steals. It'll be a tight race between Chen and Richmond's Luis Delgado to see who gets the #2 spot for 2B on the NL All Star squad.
13- New Orleans Jazz (37-32)- Though the Jazz have played fairly well this season, they have to be shocked to find this team in 3rd place. The AL South is giving the AL East a run for its money to see which division is tougher. The Jazz find themselves looking up at Charlotte and the surprisingly good Houston squad, with Monterrey only three games behind. Jose Hernandez really needs to give this team more offensively. He has been playing steady defense in CF, but his OPS of .576 simply isn't good enough.
14- Washington Generals (37-32)- The Generals have been a one sided team this season. They lead the NL in runs scored and rank 2nd in home runs. They also rank 13th in team ERA and 15th in quality starts. The back of the starting rotation, in particular, has been a train wreck. The front office has made it known that they are in the market for pitching and we'll see if the teams pulls the trigger on a deal to improve in this department. The highlight of the season thus far though has got to be young 2B Vernon Roberts. We're witnessing the blossoming of a superstar. He has been one of the best defensive 2B so far this season, and he is currently, hands down, the NL MVP. He is hitting .334, which is 2nd in the NL, to go with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. He also leads the NL in runs scored (67), hits (100), doubles (27) and extra base hits (40). He is also 3rd in the NL in stolen bases, with 26, and hasn't been thrown out yet. Quite a season so far for the 23 year old.
15- Atlanta Soda Poppers (35-34)
16- Montreal Robinsons (35-34)
17- Durham Swamp Hogs (34-35)
18- Monterrey Gringos (34-35)
19- Chicago Gray Stockings (32-37)
20- New York Mets (32-37)
21- San Diego Wiley Coyotes (32-37)
22- Milwaukee Titans (32-37)
23- Cleveland Lake Shores (32-37)
