power rankings update

Return of the Power Rankings

Since the writing of the last power rankings, Wallman lost two in a row, Lapine also lost back to back games, and Pollock(gasp!) lost one of the three games they played. Now while some people think a loss should result in a complete upheaval of the rankings, it doesn’t quite work that way. That being said, there are plenty of teams making some rumblings that were dormant earlier in the season.

Once again we’re having a season where the difference between the top and bottom is minimal. Revisiting a stat I mentioned weeks ago, we only have 5 teams that are 2+ games above .500. The worst run differential is Jacoby’s -2.4, which would be the highest run differential for the lowest ranked team in that category this decade. In addition, Jacoby’s run differential is likely to only improve after their great trading deadline deal to acquire hitting machine, Joe Spoto.  

All this is to say that we can brace for a potential repeat of last year’s crazy playoffs where the low seeds reigned supreme. Team Harris, for example, would be playing in the play-in game if the season ended today, yet at the same time has a legitimate chance at a 10-12 record and owns the best runs scored average in the league, not exactly the expected credentials for a bottom feeder. 

The balance is a strength of the league, but at the same time there should be an advantage for the top teams other than field selection.In case you’re thinking, “Of course he’s saying this. He’s on a top ranked team”,  I’ve argued for this before the beginning of every season. The regular season is long and should mean something. I say, bring back the 1-0 series advantage for the top two teams in the first round. Before the play in game, the bottom teams were almost always easy exits. Now with the play-in games, the bottom two teams automatically have momentum and a spark from winning their one game playoff. It means something. 

Ok, time for this week’s rankings:

1. Pollock (1): Yes, the author of the power rankings happens to be on the team ranked #1. This #1 ranked team also happens to own the best record, one of the best runs against of the decade, and leads the runs differential category by a healthy margin. If there’s any negative right now, it’s that our offense has been a little flat, only averaging 5.7 runs in our last three games. Still, we’re 2-1 in that span.  Judging by a certain person’s repeated “Best Bets” posts on Facebook, we also might be underrated by some.

2. Bykofsky (6): It was only a matter a time of “when”. Bykofsky never has a bad team, and even though other teams grabbed the headlines before the draft Bykofsky is once again putting together a stellar regular season. I still think there are a few other teams that might be a little better, but the team deserves their high placement after winning 8 out of 9 games.

3. Lapine (2): I’ve been nothing but positive about this team, but here are two interesting stats. Lapine is 0-5 when scoring fewer than 10 runs and they’re only 5-5 when not playing on Union Hill. If any team needs to secure a top field choice, it’s Lapine.

4. Marrone (4): 9-3 in their last 12 games and features the second best runs against in the league. The question is will they hit enough in the big games come playoff time? A great defense will carry you through the regular season, but usually the team that wins the championship has a potent offense. Marrone is only ranked 16th in runs scored.

5. Ferrarese (5): Ferrarese’s club isn’t shy about the fact they’ve beaten some top quality opponents in Pollock, Lapine, and Wallman. The other side to that coin is they are only 6-7 against the rest of the league. They’re part of a seven team group separated by one game in the standings, and there’s enough to like to put them towards the top of the group. 

6. Wallman (3): I’m shocked Wallman is only 9-8. They have all the ingredients for a dominating team. A top pitcher inPolzer,. Strong defense up the middle with Wallman and Younger, home run threats in Saler and Ziolowski. They are one of only two teams to score 20+ runs three times this season, but the consistency just hasn’t been there yet.

7. Schefkind (7): They have a similarly talented team to the one that made the finals last year. They win and lose in bunches, so expect a win this Sunday if the pattern continues. 

8. Granese (9): They are 6-4 with Granese in the lineup, which isn’t dominating but a sign that their 8-8 record is a little deceiving. 

9. Applebaum (NR): In a choice between the two teams left with winning records(Lombardi being the other), I went with the team currently on a winning streak. Getting Gluck back will help as a division title is still within reach.