1 (3)- Milwaukee Boys of Summer (67-31)- Not only the best record in SP, but had the most representation in the All Star game with 7 players. The Boys lead the NL in runs scored and are 4th in pitching. They also lead the league in run differential, which is always a good sign. With good health, and some breaks, this could be the year Milwaukee returns to the top of the league.
2 (4)- Washington Generals (63-35)- No longer an ascending team, but now a perennial playoff team, the Generals are ready to take the next step. The Generals are 6th in the NL in pitching and lead AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS while coming in 2nd in runs scored. Juan Arencibia is in the mix to win his 2nd MVP award. He is hitting .315 with 34 doubles, 28 home runs 77 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
3 (7)- Philadelphia Stomp (62-36)- The Stomp boast the best record in the AL despite Quilvio Lee having the worst season of his career and ending a streak of 8 straight seasons being named to the All Star squad. At 32, the question is... is Lee just having an 'off' year? Or is he in decline? My bet is that he'll bounce back in the 2nd half... and that the Stomp will be that much more dangerous.
4 (1)- Monterrey Gringos (61-37)- They haven't quite maintained their sizzling start to the season, but the Gringos are still in great shape. They boast the largest division lead in the AL and still lead in home runs and SLG, while 2nd in runs scored. Despite not being an especially rangy team, they are very clean in the field as well, tied for fewest errors.
5 (6)- Kansas City T-Bones (60-38)- The T-Bones may be, quietly, the most dangerous team in the AL. They lead their league in runs scored and their pitching is ranked 3rd. They also have the 2nd best +/- play ration in the AL and lead it in CS%. Plus they still have the best position player in the AL in Junior Chang.
6 (2)- Cleveland Lake Shores (59-39)- The Lake Shores are another team that cooled down after a scorching start. They have since been leapfrogged by Washington and find themselves in 2nd place. It'll be tough for them to catch the more talented Generals team, but they are in prime position to get in the playoffs via Wild Card.
7 (13)- Norfolk Whiskey Jacks (58-40)- The Jacks are only in 3rd place because of the brutal division they play in. They'd be in the playoffs if they started today. Other than the dynamic duos that are playing in Kansas City and Monterrey, Patsy Wilkerson has been the best hitter in the AL. At age 36, the Hall of Fame hopeful is having one of the best seasons of his career. The move to DH seems to have agreed with him, as he is hitting .324 with 21 doubles, 20 home runs, 66 RBI and 21 stolen bases. He was also named to his 7th career All Star squad.
8 (14)- San Diego Wiley Coyotes (58-40)- Currently one of the hottest teams in the league, the Coyotes are in the midst of an 18-9 streak. Pepe's continues to add to his resume as the best pitcher in league history. Its been the emergence, though, of Johnny Springer as one of the NL's top leadoff men that has launched the Coyotes. Springer was just named to his 2nd career All Star game and is hitting .306 with 66 runs scored and is leading the NL with 49 stolen bases.
9 (8)- Scranton Wild (56-42)- With the Redbirds really struggling lately and slipping below .500, the Wild find themselves primed to break St. Louis' streak of 5 division title crowns. That could be misleading though, as the Redbirds actually have a better run differential than the Wild. I think we're going to be in for a great finish in the AL North. Veteran Duffy Helling is having the best season of his career, leading the Wild to their solid start so far. he is hitting .275 with 17 doubles, 24 home runs, 64 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
10 (15)- Atlanta Soda Poppers (56-42)- Maybe the biggest surprise in the league has been the inconsistency of the back-to-back champion Mockingbirds. The Soda Poppers have taken advantage and are currently leading their division, with Little Rock trying to catch them. Despite their solid record, and current 1st place pedigree, Atlanta found themselves without a rep in this seasons' All Star game.
11 (12)- Los Angeles White Sox (55-43)- This Los Angeles franchise has really been frustrating its fans over the past few seasons. They've show flashes of putting it together. They look like they'll make the playoffs. And, other than Season 25, its been 'Oh so close, but no playoffs for you'... for twelve seasons. Is this the year? They're on pace for their highest win total in 14 seasons and are right in the hunt for the division. Or are they just tantalizing their fans once more?
12 (9)- Vancouver Tragedy Twins (54-44)- The Twins find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being on the bottom end of a tight, three-way battle for the NL West crown. Veteran Elijah Darling was named to his 3rd career All Star team and is having the best season of his career. He is 11-4 with a 2.15 ERA.
13 (5)- Salem Blues (53-45)- The Blues started the season like gang busters. They have fallen of recently though, and are 5-13 in their last 18. While still in 1st place, Anaheim and Honolulu are right on their tail, both within 3 games. Free agent signing Sherm Hansen has turned out to be an excellent acquisition. He was named to this season's All Star game and is hitting .313 with 24 doubles, 13 home runs and 55 RBI.
14 (17)- Anaheim Peppers (51-47)- The Peppers are hot on the heels of Salem, currently 10-5 in their last 15. The franchise is trying to win their first back-to-back division crown since Seasons 16-17. The Peppers have proven to be a well rounded team, without excelling in any particular area. Their fielding is above average, though the team is terrible at throwing out base stealers. The Peppers are league average offensively and ranked 6th in pitching.
15 (10)- Little Rock Mockingbirds (51-47)- What happened to the Mockingbirds? They simply aren't the same team that has dominated the NL over the past five seasons. Is the window closed? I seem to recall overeasy saying that he knew his team was getting long in the tooth and that is would start to fall off. This season, he is correct. Unless the Mockingbirds pull off a dominant 2nd half of the season, this team may not even make the playoffs. They currently sit 2nd place in their division and 4th place in the Wild Card. While this team has some key players who are losing the battle with Father Time, it isn't just the age that is hurting Little Rock. The three best players on the roster: Dustan Bailey, JP Romano and Pedro Castillo, all of whom are perennial All Stars, are having the worst seasons of their careers. If those three turn it around, don't be surprised to have the Mockingbirds sneak into the playoffs. Then the NL had better watch out. If not, it would be a devastating season for the back-to-back reigning champs to miss the playoffs entirely.
16 (-) - New Orleans Jazz (51-47)- The Jazz started the season off slowly, but have been turning it around and are 17-11 in their last 29 games. With a 10 game deficit to make up on the Gringos, the Jazz are realistically looking at trying to get into the playoffs via the Wild Card. 'Old Man' Victor Delgado earned his 8th career All Star nod, at age 39. Its the first time he's earned this honor while pitching in relief.
17 (18)- Honolulu Ohana (50-48)
18 (11)- St. Louis Redbirds (48-50)
19 (-) - Iowa City Badgers (47-51)
20 (19)- Richmond Rebellion (47-51)
Bounced Out:
Baltimore Revolution (16)
Tampa Bay Bandits (20)
