1- New Orleans (33-12)- The early surprise in the AL has to be the early dominance of the Jazz. They have been excelling with the bats and on the mound. The team is ranked 4th in the AL in team ERA and 3rd in the AL in runs scored. Masao Martin and Ozzie Kim have been a dominant pitching tandem so far, with a combined 11-2 record and an ERA of 2.35.
2- Kansas City T-Bones (29-16)- Ozzie Kim who? The T-Bones haven't seemed to miss a beat. Powered by Junior Chang, who is earning his $110M so far this season, with a slash line of .326/.416/.605. Nobody else on the team has an OPS of higher than .800 though. The team has really been stellar on defense. They are 2nd in the AL in double plays, and 1st in +/- with 27 + plays (most in the AL) to only 1 - play (fewest in the AL). Their catchers also throw out 34% of stealing attempts, good enough for 3rd in the AL.
3- Charlotte Legends- The Legends are off to an excellent start, though many think they'll come down to earth a bit as the teams expected win pct is 69 points lower that the team's actual win pct. Despite those numbers, the Legends are a very good team. The squad is above average in both pitching and scoring runs and is very clean in the field with the fewest errors in the AL.
4- Washington Generals (28-17)- Its official, the Generals have officially clinched a playoff berth. I'm pretty sure they've even already have their 'Season 26: NL East Champions' hats and T-Shirts on sale on the team website. Its not surprising that Washington is at the top of the NL. They've been there the last few seasons, and the team is talented. What is surprising is that the team is 2nd in the NL in team ERA at 3.67. The team's stars are mostly in the field with the pitchers having traditionally playing a supporting role on this team. Jason Riggan is having a breakout season. In his 9 starts he is 7-0 with a 1.35 ERA.
5- Monterrey Gringos (28-17)- The Gringos are a team with a lineup built around power, that plays in the rowdy Estadio Monterrey, a stadium that is a hitter paradise. With this in mind, their offensive numbers aren't at all surprising. The Gringos lead the AL in home runs, runs scored, OBP, SLG and OPS. Mexico's team is relevant once again, and the fans are showing up in droves making the Estadio one of the most difficult places to visit for opposing teams. Viva Los Gringos!
6- Little Rock Mockingbirds (27-18)- After tasting the champagne last season, the Mockingbirds seemed to open up Season 26 with a bit of a hangover. The team got off to a sluggish start, but seems to have righted the ship. Dustan Bailey and JP Romano have been the keys to the early season. They are currently tied for the NL lead in home runs and are hitting a combined .340 with 40 home runs and 96 RBI in 45 games.
7- Milwaukee Boys of Summer (27-18)- The Boys of Summer are having the best start to a season in Milwaukee six seasons. They lead the NL in runs scored, but not in the traditional high powered offense style. The team is 3rd in batting average, and 4th in OBP but leads the NL in doubles and in stolen bases. This team is exciting and fun to watch and the fan base has really embraced their new Boys. If the pitching can hold up at it current level, which is just above average in the NL, this team could have an excellent regular season.
8- Iowa City Badgers (26-19)- The seven-time defending AL North Champs find themselves in the toughest division battle in recent memory. Milwaukee is revitalized and relevant once again, and the Rockets are hovering around .500 and, with a nice little winning streak, could be right in the thick of it as well. The Badgers are very reliant on their pitching, and on Hipolito Matos. The team is 3rd in the NL in team ERA at 3.69, but the offense and the fielding are very average. If the Badgers could acquire a middle-of-the-order type of bat, it would go a long way to bringing this team into the elite of the NL.
9- Houston Buushwackers (25-20)- The Buushwackerz find themselves buried in 4th place in the brutal AL South. This squad though, despite its solid record, has all of the markers of a team that is over-performing. The team actually has a negative run differential. While the offense is very good (4th in the AL), the pitching is really struggling. The team ERA is a whopping 5.61, 2nd worst in the AL.
10- St. Louis Redbirds (25-20)- The Redbirds give the impression of a team that is simply on cruise control until the playoffs start. Like Washington, the Redbirds can already start marketing their 'Season 26: AL North Champions' gear, and playoff tickets are already on sale. The Redbirds have made it to the ALCS for three straight seasons, and are the reigning AL Champs. This is the season that the front office hopes that this incarnation of the Redbirds finally breaks through to hang another banner at Busch Stadium. Phil Leonard (8-1, 2.13 ERA) has the early season makings of winning Cy Young #4, and possibly cementing his bust in the HoF.
11- Philadelphia Stomp (25-20)- The Stomp find themselves in the unfamiliar position of missing the playoffs for the 3rd straight season, despite a solid record and a solid team. Normally, finishing 2nd in the AL East will get you into the playoffs with a Wild Card berth. This season may be different as the AL South looks to be sending 3 representatives into the postseason. As usual, the Stomp have one of the top pitching staffs in the AL, ranking 3rd in team ERA at 3.59. Quilvio Lee is off to his usual dominant start, currently 5-1 with a 2-24 ERA. It could be a two horse race for the AL Cy Young between Lee and Leonard.
12- Tampa Bay Bandits (24-21)- New ownership, new city, new team name. So far, so good. Though it'll be very tough for the Bandits to compete with the loaded Mockingbirds for the division, they are looking good to be right in the middle of the Wild Card hunt. It would only be the franchise's 2nd playoff appearance in 26 seasons. The team's pitching has been solid, with a 3.75 team ERA, good enough for 4th in the NL. Veteran Carter Maybin has established himself as the team ace and is having a stellar start to the season. He is 5-2, with a 2.19 ERA in 11 starts. He could earn himself his 4th All Star appearance at age 37 if continues to pitch that well.
13- Atlanta Soda Poppers (24-21)- As usual, the Poppers are solid, though not spectacular. They seem to be underachieving a bit, and with some luck, might be able to put pressure on the Mockingbirds for the division, though they are still a long shot to pull it out. They certainly don't seem to be missing Therman Olerud though. The Poppers lead the NL in team ERA at 3.66. They're doing it with a total team effort too. No single pitcher really stands out as the guy that is leading this staff.
14- Oakland Athletics (23-22)
15- Richmond Rebellion (23-22)
16- Vancouver Tragedy Twins (23-22)
17- Anaheim Pepper Pickers (23-22)
18- Honolulu Ohanu (22-26)
19- San Diego Wiley Coyotes (22-23)
20- Montreal Rockets (22-23)
