Power Rankings, Week 2

Week 2 of the Power Rankings sees a lot of shuffling, as expected. We have a new #1 and 5 teams making their debut in the rankings.

1. Vancouver Renegades (24-7)
Previous: 6 Change: +5 Last Week: 18-4
It's been an amazing week for the Renegades. After a somewhat slow start, they enjoyed an 8-game win streak and have an active 6-game win streak.


2. Montgomery Biscuits (21-9)
Previous: 1 Change: -1 Last Week: 14-7
Dethroned mainly because of Vancouver's surge, the Biscuits can still enjoy a position of power. The top of the rotation has been very impressive with SP Julio Batista and SP Russ Nelson both off to 5-1 starts.

3. Tucson Pilots (20-10)
Previous: 2 Change: -1 Last Week: 14-7
Though the AL West looks tougher than it's ever been, the Pilots remain the early pacers. Their 205 runs scored is tops in all of baseball, and SP Colby Cunningham (5-0) and SP Sam Swann (4-0) are loving the run support.

4. Baltimore Wild Rumpus (19-11)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 14-7
Their stingy pitching staff has allowed a paltry 88 runs in 30 games, which is 26 better than any other team. If it weren't for SP Rex Price, who is 0-3 with a 6.55 ERA, that number could be even lower--which is just scary.

5. Helena Caribou Barbies (18-12)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 13-7
Kudos to SP Bret Young, who threw 8 innings of a no-hitter against the New York Monarchs. Young is by far the early favorite for AL Cy Young, as he is 6-0 with 2 CG shutouts, a 0.73 WHIP and a 0.49 ERA. Those are not typos.


6. Minnesota Antichrists (19-12)
Previous: 3 Change: -3 Last Week: 12-9
Even with SP Dale Howe not quite his usual self (3-3, 4.06), the Antichrists have been able to stay afloat atop the NL North. Last year's Rookie of the Year, LF Matthew Payton, has not suffered any sort of sophomore slump, with numbers nearly identical to what he had a year ago.

7. Huntington Guyandottes (19-12)
Previous: 4 Change: -3 Last Week: 13-8
1B Ivan DeSoto is trying to end the AL MVP race as fast as possible. He's hitting .379 with 16 HRs and 46 RBI. It's early, but those kind of numbers have started some Triple Crown buzz about the slugger.


8. Ottawa Filibusters (18-12)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 13-8
The offense is nothing flashy, but the pitching has been strong enough to bring the Filibusters within a half game of the Antichrists. RP Bill Witte has pitched 20.1 brilliant innings resulting in a 0.87 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP.

9. Buffalo Bulldozers (16-14)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 12-9
With a team ERA of 5.09, it's anybody's guess as to how they sustained a winning record over the last week. Perhaps the secret is LF Esteban Merced, who is hitting .350 and has driven in 24 this season.

10. Chicago Gangsta' Chimps (16-15)
Previous: NR Change: N/A Last Week: 13-8
The Gangsta' Chimps seem to have recovered from a rocky start, and their trademark offense is in full swing. They've scored 202 runs, which is just 3 behind Tucson. LF Clarence Pratt (.374, 11 HR, 36 RBI) and 2B James Martin (.397, 11 HR, 34 RBI) are the reasons for the offensive success.

New Faces Around The League

A flurry of potentially key roster moves have been made within the past 24 hours, and in case you missed them, the Double Mendoza Blog is here to fill you in.

Helena Promotes A Trio
With 20 games in the books, the Helena Caribou Barbies promoted 3 prospects to their ML squad now that arbitration will be delayed for them. The headlining player now ready to make his ML debut is SP Chin-Hui Martin. Martin is a 20-year-old phenom who received a $27.4M signing bonus as an International Free Agent, the most expensive bonus ever at the time the deal was inked. But he is a worldbeater, to say the least. One AL GM said, "He could win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young both this season. But even if he doesn't, the future is bright for this kid." For a team 0.5 games back in the AL West, this is a significant move.

But the reinforcements don't stop there. The 2nd overall pick from the Season 2 draft, SP Trey Marshall has also received the call. Young himself at 21, Marshall may not be suited to start games yet. "He'll get his outs, but I don't think he's built the arm strength to go deep into ballgames," said one scout. This problem is likely to be exacerbated by Helena's attempts to run a 4-man rotation, at least temporarily. But when that rotation already features Pitcher of the Week, SP Bret Young, it is certain to become more fearsome with these two rookies joining it.

Lastly, SS Marty Crane is also on the cusp of making his ML debut after getting called up. Crane is a defensive specialist and should solidify the infield defense for the Caribou Barbies.

Crackers Collect Casey
SP/RP Christian Casey is returning to the senior circuit via waivers. The Atlanta Crackers won the claim for the former Cy Young pitcher, and hope that his arrival will stabilize a starting rotation in need of a shot in the arm. Casey will take SP Arthur Kielty's spot in the rotation, who was 1-2 with a 4.79 ERA in 4 starts. Lots of Atlanta starters have trudged out of the gate, but critics say Casey is not the answer. With SP/RP Ray Waters already in the rotation (who has averaged 4.0 IP in 3 starts), the Crackers now have two starters who seem more suited to long relief. The Crackers are hoping to reproduce their success of a year ago, when they were the top NL Wild Card and won their opening playoff matchup against the Cincinnati Boomers, but have started just 9-11, 2.5 games back of the NL South leading Montgomery Biscuits.

B.C. Dransfeldt Finds 5th Team
LF B.C. Dransfeldt has played for one team, and one team only, every year of his major league career. Thanks to the Oklahoma City Kingfishers signing him to a new $495K, 1-year deal, that will remain true for at least another year. Dransfeldt's world tour has the NL West as its epicenter, but he has played for the Vancouver Mammoths, Toronto Talons, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Richmond Wild Rumpus in the past. He is a .283 career hitter, and the Kingfishers plan to use him as a pinch-hitting weapon off the bench, and also as a utility outfielder.

Casey Designated For Assignment

It's not every day a former Cy Young winner gets exposed to the Waiver Wire, but that is the news off the presses from Colorado Springs. RP Christian Casey, who was voted the National League's best pitcher from Season 2, has been designated for minor league assignment and is ripe for the taking.

Casey spent 3 years pitching for the Montreal Expos. During the first 2, he was as dominant as any starter in the National League. He posted an ERA under 3 and ate up more than 230 innings each year. But at the age of 34, his fastball lost some life, and his arm wore out earlier each outing. In Season 3, we went just 13-9 with a 4.40 ERA and pitched only 182 innings despite making 37 starts.

The Expos past on resigning their aging ace, but Casey found a home with the Anaheim Angels. He took the ball every 5 days, but posted a career-worst 7 wins against 10 losses. His prime obviously behind him, the new management in town (which also moved the team to Colorado Springs and renamed it the Millennium) hoped he could find a way to get his outs out of the bullpen this season. But in 3 outings, he has an unheard of WHIP of 3.55, and an ERA of 19.64. Thus the designation to the minors, to give him a chance to find his stuff either in AAA or for another team.

The Millennium will have to eat the majority of the $5.2M Casey is owed this season, but it is his last under contract. Casey himself offered the following perspective, "I'll find another home this season and I'm going to throw some effective innings. I still have an arm, and I think a lot of teams know that. All I want to do is prove to myself I can still do this."

Is the move premature on the part of Colorado Springs? 3.2 innings of work is a small sample size, and Casey could come back to hurt them if he lands in the wrong hands. But the NL West race is off to a competitive start, and management didn't have time to idle by while an aging pitcher worked out his mechanical issues.

The Week Ahead

Included below are all the Top 10 Matchups, as determined by the Power Rankings, over the next week of play. The date and cycle listed are the first game of the series.

Sept. 1 PM - #5 Cincinnati Boomers @ #3 Minnesota Antichrists, 4 games
Sept. 2 AM - #7 New York Monarchs @ #2 Tucson Pilots, 3 games
Sept. 2 PM2 - #5 Cincinnati Boomers @ #1 Montgomery Biscuits, 3 games
Sept. 2 PM2 - #9 Los Angeles Dodgers @ #3 Minnesota Antichrists, 3 games
Sept. 3 PM2 - #1 Montgomery Biscuits @ #9 Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games
Sept. 3 PM2 - #8 Memphis Blues @ #2 Tucson Pilots, 4 games
Sept. 5 AM - #9 Los Angeles Dodgers @ #5 Cincinnati Boomers, 3 games
Sept. 6 AM - #5 Cincinnati Boomers @ #6 Vancouver Renegades, 4 games
Sept. 6 PM - #8 Memphis Blues @ #10 Colorado Springs Millenium, 3 games

Toughest Schedule: #5 Cincinnati Boomers
Easiest Schedule: #4 Huntington Guyandottes

Power Rankings, Week 1

Every Sunday we will try and release a new issue of the Power Rankings: an assemblage of the Top 10 teams in the Double Mendoza Baseball League based purely on performance on the field. Though the season has just begun and Opening Week often features a lot of unique storylines, there is often no better barometer of how the division standings will shake out than to look at teams against their division-mates. As 2 such series are in the books for all teams, we can draw some early conclusions about this year's races.

1. Montgomery Biscuits (7-2)
The early pacesetter of the Double Mendoza Baseball League in terms of trophies, the Biscuits look poised to infiltrate the nightmares of NL also-rans yet again this season. Rookie CF Lonny Radmanovich has announced his arrival to the big leagues with authority, hitting .407 with 6 HRs and 11 RBIs through the first 9 games. The Biscuits starting staff is as staunch as ever; they are a combined 7-0 thus far.

2. Tucson Pilots (6-3)
Yes they've only played 2 games at home to this point, but the Pilots team ERA of 2.74 is still turning heads. They have allowed the fewest runs of any AL team, and a lot of the thanks goes to SP Colby Cunningham who has jumped to a 2-0 start with a 1.29 ERA. The far-feared offense looks in tact still, as 8 different players have already gone deep. Their schedule may have been a bit soft out of the gate, but you can only beat who you play, and the Pilots have taken care of business in that regard.

3. Minnesota Antichrists (7-3)
The Antichrists have been lurking quietly in the NL North for a few seasons, and now they may have finally turned the corner. 2B Alex Gonzalez, who has already solidified himself as a star in this league, is tied for the most RBIs in all of baseball with Huntington's Ivan DeSoto at 17. A player to keep an eye on on this team is SP Dale Howe. In an effort to reward the acclaimed pitcher with a Cy Young award, GM DodgerBlue13 is getting him as many reps as he can: so far that's resulted in 3 starts and 17.2 innings of work.

4. Huntington Guyandottes (6-4)
Rewarded this spot mainly for their 3-to-1 series win over the always gritty Hartford Hartattacks, Huntington is hoping the series win is a launching pad towards dethroning the Hartattacks from their 4-year hold on the AL East crown. DeSoto's fast start has already been mentioned, but the pitching has been a little suspect. Their team ERA is 4.96, which is managable in the AL if their offense can keep up with it. So far, so good as 3 players are hitting better than .400, including newcomer 2B Danny Brunette, formerly of the Nashville Sounds.

5. Cincinnati Boomers (7-3)
The alternating of NL and AL teams here in the Rankings continues at 5, where the Boomers check in. SP Junior Posada has been a pleasant surprise, as he of the 4.50 career ERA has spun 2 gems, including a complete game shutout of the Toledo Mud Hens. Offensively, 10+ RBI contributions from RF Ben Mohler, 1B Sherman Seo, and LF Ed Parnell have led the way. After tasting the playoffs despite a losing record a year ago, these Boomers are experienced and hungry.

6. Vancouver Renegades (6-3)
A couple of lopsided losses are the only blemishes so far for the NL's 2nd best team from a year ago. The offense has yet to start churning at full speed, but when it catches up to the efforts the Renegades are getting from reigning Cy Young SP Jerome Guerrero and rookie RP Blaine Fife, watch out. Guerrero has a WHIP of just 1.00 and Fife has started his major league career with 8.1 scoreless innings thanks to an 8-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Impressive stuff from the 24-year-old.

7. New York Monarchs (5-4)
The record probably isn't where GM themojoking wants it, but the Monarchs are 2 games up on last year's division winner, Chicago, so not all is bad in the Bronx. 1B Rafael Canseco is the lone standout thus far, hitting .400 with 3 HRs and 11 RBIs, all 3 of which lead the team. LF Armando Romo and DH Charlie Freeman can't stay cold forever, as both are boneified sluggers.

8. Memphis Blues (5-4)
It's been very tough to handicap the AL South thus far, as the teams have been cannibalizing each other into mediocre records. Memphis still looks like the frontrunner though, despite the offseason noise from the Nashville Sounds and the respectable starts from the New Orleans Pelicans and Little Rock Lobsters. Memphis has yet to lose a series, and that's with 2-time Cy Young SP Rico Parra off to a 1-2 start, and an ERA near 5.

9. Los Angeles Dodgers (5-4)
The defending World Champions didn't make it easy on themselves a year ago, winning from the 6-seed. And so far this season, they aren't making it easy on themselves either. The offense has been anemic, scoring just 37 runs, good for 15th in the National League. SP Charles Martin and SP Wil Sele are carrying the team though, as they are responsible for all 5 Dodger wins. Sele's 0.95 WHIP has been most impressive, and the 26-year-old's ERA is an equally noteworthy 1.98.

10. Colorado Springs Millenium (6-4)
They've allowed more runs than any other team in the American League, but when a team takes 2 of 3 from both Tucson and Huntington, they deserve some acknowledgment. Their bullpen has been the true culprit in terms of the Millenium allowing 6.9 runs per game. But with veteran and former Cy Young winner RP Christian Casey in the fold, management is hoping things get better. SP Oswaldo Guerrero has forced the flimsy bullpen into a lot of action--in 2 starts, he's never lasted more than 2.2 innings.