Power Rankings

It's been awhile since our last full day of games, but what a crazy Sunday it was. Teams that were in first place in their divisions (including tied for first) coming into this week were only 3-6 on Sunday. Teams that were in second place went 6-1. That's why right now we have 8 teams who can make an argument for being one of the best in the league. You can actually expand that list if you include Team Randell who are 6-2 in their last 8 games and Team Schefkind who have gone seven games in a row without losing a game by more than one run. They are remarkably on a four game streak of playing in one-run games. Experience in these pressure cooking matchups may prove very beneficial come playoff time. Speaking of one run games, this week's Power Rankings leader, Team Carlin, has played in 10 one-run games this year. That has to be a Marlboro Softball record.

I'll do a full playoff preview after Sunday's games, but for now here are the latest power rankings. Once again, the first one is based on the formula I've started to use. The second one is based on my opinion.

Team Rankings (Formula)

1. Carlin (6) 140.25
2. Pollock (1) 134.25
3. Peragine (4) 130.5
4. Goldfarb (5) 128.25
5. Sarcona (2) 127.5
6. Granese (8) 114
7. Younger (3) 101.5
8. Spiegel (10) 79.5
9. Schefkind (9) 77.75
10. Beilis (7) 69.25
11. Harris (11) 67.25
12. Wallman (12) 59.75
13. Feldman (15) 42.25
14. Randell (14) 37.5
15. Lapine (13) 32.5
16. Applebaum (16) 18

Since this is the first year I created a formula, I realize some kind of tweaking needs to be done. The most glaring example is Team Randell's placement. Because they had such a horrible first half of the season, even their great stretch over the past 8 games isn't enough to move them past the 14th spot. Here's how the rankings look based on my own personal judgment, the way the rankings were done for the majority of the season:

1. Carlin
2. Pollock
3. Peragine
4. Sarcona
5. Goldfarb
6. Younger
7. Spiegel
8. Granese
9. Schefkind
10. Randell
11. Beilis
12. Harris
13. Wallman
14. Feldman
15. Lapine
16. Applebaum

Power Rankings

I'm going to do two power rankings every week. The "official" rankings will be based on the formula I started using last week. The other will be based on my own judgment that I've been using for most of the season. The problem with a formula based ranking is that it does not take into account special game situations like key players missing games. Certain teams will be missing important players for the rest of the season, so their formula based rankings will take a beating. However, I can take that into consideration when doing my own list.

Like I mentioned last week, there's a chance the formula could be improved with some tweaking but for the most part I think it's a good indication of where teams are in relation to each other. I'm also going to list the total score for each team. Based on the point values, the highest a team could score is 160, the lowest is 10. If two teams are tied, the team with the overall best record will get the tie breaker. Here's a quick reminder how the system works:

I ranked each team in four categories. Each category carries a percentage of the overall score based on its importance:

Overall Record -35%
Overall Run Differential-35%
Second Half Record-15%
Second Half Run Differential-15%

I think second half performance is very important, but I also kept it mind that the last 11 games of the season are also factored into the "Overall" categories as well. For example, at the end of the season a team's second half record will really account for 22.5% of the formula (15% for "Second Half Record" and half of the 35% for Overall Record). I think this is a good balance to use. For each category the top team received 160 points, second best received 150 points, third received 140 points, etc. Multiply the points earned in that category by the percentage of the category and that's how many points a team earned for that part of the formula.

Even though the only games we had since the last power rankings were this past Wednesday Night, there still was movement on the list. I wonder how much the results are going to change after all the doubleheaders this week. It should be an exciting Softball Sunday!

Power Rankings Based on Formula:

1. Pollock (1) 150
2. Sarcona (3) 130.25
3. Younger (4) 129
4. Peragine (5) 126.5
5. Goldfarb (2) 123.5
6. Carlin (6) 110.5
7. Beilis (7) 108
8. Granese (8) 88.75
9. Schefkind (9) 79.5
10. Spiegel (10) 65.5
11. Harris (11) 65.5
12. Wallman (13) 56.75
13. Lapine (12) 48
14. Randell (14) 31.5
15. Feldman (15) 28.75
16. Applebaum(16) 18



And here are my own personal rankings:

1. Pollock
2. Younger
3. Goldfarb
4. Sarcona
5. Peragine
6. Carlin
7. Granese
8. Beilis
9. Spiegel
10. Harris
11. Schefkind
12. Wallman
13. Lapine
14. Randell
15. Feldman
16. Applebaum

Power Rankings

I made a little change when working on this week's power rankings. Instead of glancing at record, recent performance, I set up an easy formula to eliminate as much subjective thought as possible. Of course it's tough to eliminate it completely since I'm the one determining what to put in the formula. I ranked teams in different categories as if this were a rotisserie fantasy baseball league and assigned percentages for each category. The breakdown is:

Overall Record- 35%
Overall Run Differential- 35%
Second Half Record- 15%
Second Half Run Differential- 15%

I think this is a system that could be tinkered with forever. It's always debatable what kind of categories to include and what weight should be given to each. I wanted something that gives emphasis to how a team has played recently but does not ignore the whole season. If I put a ton of value on recent play then the rankings would fluctuate too much. The main goal was to come up with a formula where the end results pretty much align with what should be expected but also provide some insight that would have been missed if this power ranking was conducted just by glancing at the records. Another goal was to defeat the boredom of having nothing to do at my part-time job. I feel this was a huge success on both counts. I mentioned it in my previous post, but by far the change that stands out the most is how much Team Schefkind moved up. It has become clear that their 2-9 start was a product of bad luck. The system isn't perfect but I'm going to try using it for the remainder of the regular season. I also have some additional formulas in mind for a special playoffs preview at the end of the season. But until then, here are the latest rankings:

1. Pollock(1)
2. Goldfarb(2)
3. Sarcona(3)
4. Younger(4)
5. Peragine(6)
6. Carlin(5)
7. Beilis(9)
8. Granese(7)
9. Schefkind(15)
10. Spiegel(8)
11. Harris(12)
12. Lapine(11)
13. Wallman(10)
14. Randell(14)
15. Feldman(13)
16. Applebaum(16)

Power Rankings

Mini version of the power rankings this week. The most interesting thing happening in the AL is the surging Team Randell. Up until recently it seemed a forgone conclusion that they'd have to play the #1 seed in the playoffs but their three game winning streak has brought them back to civilization and only one spot away from the 7th seed. While Team Pollock has a pretty comfortable hold on the top spot in the AL, things are a lot more interesting at the top of the NL. Goldfarb, Younger, and Sarcona are separated by only one game for the honor of playing Team Applebaum in the first round of the playoffs. Seeing that every other team in the NL can pose a great threat, grabbing that #1 seed is big deal.

1. Pollock(1)
2. Goldfarb(2)
3. Sarcona(3)
4. Younger(4)
5. Carlin(7)
6. Peragine(5)
7. Granese(8)
8. Spiegel(6)
9. Beilis(12)
10. Wallman(13)
11. Lapine(9)
12. Harris(10)
13. Feldman(11)
14. Randell(16)
15. Schefkind(14)
16. Applebaum(15)

Power Rankings

Over the course of the month there seems to be a magnetic pull towards .500. Great teams who were cruising April through May hit a rough patch while cold teams are finally getting back on track. As a result it's become very hard to tell which teams look like they're in great shape as we head towards the playoffs. Earlier this month I divided my power rankings into 5 groups. The "elite" group remains pretty much in tact with only Sarcona added to the mix. The lines the separate the next three groups, however, have essentially evaporated. Teams Spiegel, Harris, Granese, Beilis, Peragine, Carlin, Lapine, Feldman, and Wallman are separated by a two games or less! That means with a little bit of luck, the 13th best team in the league can easily become the 5th best team in just three games. With so many teams on equal footing, seeding does not really matter once it gets past the #1 and #2 seeds. It only becomes important for choosing the fields to play on, not for who the opponent will be.

Here are the latest rankings:

1. Pollock(3)
2. Goldfarb(1)
3. Sarcona(2)
4. Younger(4)
5. Peragine(8)
6. Spiegel(5)
7. Carlin(7)
8. Granese(6)
9. Lapine(12)
10. Harris(10)
11. Feldman(13)
12. Beilis(9)
13. Wallman(11)
14. Schefkind(14)
15. Applebaum(15)
16. Randell(16)

Power Rankings

1. Goldfarb (1)
Their hold on the top spot is not as strong as it was a few weeks ago, but they remain the best team all around. Although they're a team that was thought of as being light on offense, they have the second highest slugging percentage in the league.

2. Sarcona (2)
Just like last season, Sarcona's squad is getting hot around midway through the season. When the power rankings began on June 6th, they were 10th. Depending on how things play out this week, they could be first.

3. Pollock (4)
The team with the best looking set of brothers (I'm of course referring to the Lombardis) seems to be over a tough doubleheader loss from two weeks ago. The highest slugging team in the league is going to have to keep that up in order to secure the top spot in the AL.

4. Younger (5)

Like Team Pollock, Younger seems to be over a bad doubleheader from a few weeks ago. Interestingly enough, Younger is only 3-3 against the AL. That's second worst among NL teams.
5. Spiegel (3)

Spiegel's great season has hit a bit of a speed bump the past two weeks. Still, a team that only gives up 6 runs per game should be able to maintain a strong record going into the playoffs.

6. Granese (6)

Out of all the teams hovering around .500(and there are many), I can best picture Granese having something like a 13-9 record at the end of the regular season. Hopefully that hot streak starts next week and not this week.

7. Carlin (9)

If not for a 9th inning Pollock comeback, Team Carlin would be looking at a 9-5 record and a good shot at the AL best record. While this is still a possibility, this solid overall team will most likely have to settle for kings of the AL West. Come playoff time I think Carlin will be a tough matchup for anyone due to their strong defense.

8. Peragine (7)

This team can hit. Only two other teams have a better batting average and have scored more runs per game. Their +1.6 runs differential they have the second best in the AL.

9. Beilis (8)

The fact that Beilis is last in the AL West tells you how great that division is. They'd be looking at a 5 game winning streak if it weren't for a tough one run loss this Wednesday. It's amazing that a team this solid would only have the 6th seed if the playoffs started this week.

10. Harris (14)

They have a tough schedule ahead of them (Carlin, Peragine, Granese), but it looks like the team I thought had the 4th best team before the season started is showing signs of life. The aforementioned three game stretch will be a great indication of exactly where this team stands. If they win two out of three then watch out.

11. Wallman (10)

I'm still waiting for Team Wallman to show they're among the league's elite. Consistency is the problem. Here's how many runs they've scored over the past 7 games: 1,16,8,10,4,0,13.

12. Lapine (11)

Any team that scores 11 runs per game is going to be dangerous to play. Unfortunately any team that gives up 11 runs per game is going to be fun to play as well.

13. Feldman (12)
The team stats posted on the league's website show a team that would be incredibly good if they could only do one thing. Hit. They have 15 extra base hits all season while the second lowest total has more than twice as many. On the plus side, they've kept opponents to fewer than 10 runs for seven consecutive games which is tied with Sarcona for the longest current streak. Their defense will keep them close.

14. Schefkind (13)

Schefkind's runs scored vs. runs against suggest they should have a record better than 4-10. Personally, this team is the main reason why I want to have the best record in the AL. It's tough for a 2nd seed to have to play a team in the first round that has pretty good potential.

15. Applebaum (15)
16. Randell (16)

Both teams are in the same situations. You can get away with not scoring a ton of runs and still be .500 or better (Spiegel, Beilis) and you can get away with giving up a fair share of runs (Pollock, Peragine), but it's tough to win games if you're not scoring a lot of runs and are giving up a lot of runs. Great analysis I know.

Power Rankings

Power Rankings:
Last Week's rankings are in parentheses.

1. Goldfarb (1)
2. Sarcona (7)
3. Spiegel (2)
4. Pollock (3)
5. Younger (4)
6. Granese (5)
7. Peragine (10)
8. Beilis (9)
9. Carlin (6)
10. Wallman (11)
11. Lapine (12)
12. Feldman (8)
13. Schefkind (14)
14. Harris (13)
15. Applebaum (15)
16. Randell (16)

Power Rankings

This week's Power Rankings is divided into five categories. Last week's rankings are in parentheses:

The Elite- Teams who have shown they'll be one of the best teams by the end of the season. Although the playoffs are always unpredictable, these teams should easily win any first round matchup. Yeah, I know we're still far away from September, but it's always fun to look ahead.

1. Goldfarb (2)
2. Spiegel (3)
3. Pollock (1)
4. Younger (4)

The Almost Elite- I know, clever group name. In playoff terms, these are the teams who as of right now can go into the post season confident they can knock off an elite team in the second round. With half the season left, they can end up being an elite team, but it will take a hot streak.

5. Granese (6)
6. Carlin (5)
7. Sarcona (8)


The In Limbo- This is the most interesting group. A team in this category is one winning streak away from showing they're a dangerous squad, but they're one 3 game losing streak away from facing a disappointing season. It's fitting that since this is a league that encourages parity; more teams are in this group than any other.

8. Feldman (10)
9. Beilis (12)
10. Peragine (7)
11. Wallman (9)
12. Lapine (11)

The Very Deep Hole - I was originally only going to have four groups, but I created this one for two teams whose records hide the potential these teams still have. Maybe at this point in the season "you are what you are", but maybe these teams just have been unlucky and will find good fortune soon. If they don't get hot, they'll find themselves in the last group.

13. Harris (14)
14. Schefkind (13)

The Maybe Next Year Group- For whatever reasons, this is not the year for these teams. It's true anything can happen in the second half and the playoffs, but to quote the Ramones, it'll most likely be "second verse same as the first."

15. Applebaum (15)
16. Randell (16)

Power Rankings

Power Rankings:
Last week's rankings are in parenthesis.

1.Pollock (2)
Another tough game playing Team Goldfarb.
2.Goldfarb (3)
They will earn the top spot if they beat Team Pollock this Sunday.
3.Spiegel (4)
4.Younger (1)
This is a decent sized drop from last week's top spot but it's mostly due to the performances by the top three teams than anything else.
5.Carlin (6)
Two of their three losses have been by one run. A win this week will ensure they move to the top 4 next week.
6.Granese (7)
A pair of very tough games this week vs. Carlin and Spiegel.
7.Peragine (5)
8.Sarcona (10)
9.Wallman (8)
I keep expecting this team to take off and establish themselves as one of the league's elite. After this week's game they're playing two teams whose combined record is 14-5.
10.Feldman (12)
No team has gone through a bigger roster transformation than Team Feldman, and so far the results have been very positive.
11. Lapine (9)
Something tells me Team Lapine is going to start a nice winning streak very soon.
12. Beilis (11)
13. Schefkind (13)
A 2-7 record for a team who has only given up 4 runs than they've scored sounds like bad luck to me. The wins should come eventually.
14. Harris (14)
As much as I thought Team Goldfarb would struggle this year, I thought Team Harris would dominate. It's not too late for a turnaround, but I'm very close to admitting I may have been wrong.
15. Applebaum (15)
16. Randell (16)

Power Rankings

Power Rankings are based almost entirely on team record, runs scored/runs against, and recent performance. The number in parenthesis indicate last week's ranking.

1. Younger (1)
2. Pollock (2)
3. Goldfarb (4)
4. Spiegel (3)
5. Peragine (5)
6. Carlin (7)
7. Granese (9)
8. Wallman (6)
9. Lapine (8)
10. Sarcona (10)
11. Beilis (11)
12. Feldman (14)
13. Schefkind (12)
14. Harris (13)
15. Applebaum (15)
16. Randell (16)

Notes: Team Younger has the top spot until they lose again. Hopefully that will be this week to Team Pollock. Speaking of Team Pollock, the next two weeks are as tough as it gets playing Younger and Goldfarb.

Power Rankings 6/5/11

Every week I will post power rankings for our league. As of now, I plan on doing a separate ranking for the National and American League. I'm willing to change that if people would rather have a combined list. Like the team power rankings seen on ESPN and Sportline, a major component of where a team is placed will be based on overall record. However, a team's recent performance and overall runs scored/against will also factor into these rankings. In parenthesis I will put the previous week's ranking for the team. Since this is the first week, the number in parenthesis will be based on my pre-season projections.

6/6/11 update: I've decided to combine both leagues for the rankings:

Pre-Season Ranking in parenthesis.

1. Younger (6)
2. Pollock (5)
3. Spiegel (2)
4. Goldfarb (15)
5. Peragine (5)
6. Wallman (1)
7. Carlin (3)
8. Lapine (8)
9. Granese (13)
10. Sarcona (9)
11. Beilis (16)
12. Schefkind (10)
13. Harris (4)
14. Feldman (11)
15. Applebaum (14)
16. Randell (12)