updated power rankings

1.       Applebaum(1)- Sometimes a team scores so many runs, it doesn’t matter how average they are defensively; they’re going to win a lot of games. In 2010 Lapine won the championship ranked first in offense but 10^th in runs against. In 2011 Team Pollock won it all ranked first in offense but just 13^th in runs against. This is what we’re looking at with Applebaum this year.

2.       Jacoby (6)- They’re the opposite of team Applebaum in that it’s their incredible defense that makes them an elite team despite an average offense. That being said, the big surprise to me is that their offensive output has been as respectable as it’s been. Ranked 9^th in Runs Scored average, Team Jacoby doesn’t need to be an offensive juggernaut to compete for another title.  

3.       Carlin (5)- A lot is said about the power combo of Goldstein/Cytryn, but they are also the only team that has four games of giving up six or fewer runs (and it’s been the last four consecutively). The future missed Cytryn games will eventually obscure this team’s true regular season potential; however, this could be the first time since 2006 that Carlin wins it all.

4.       Feldman (3)- They’re here due to inactivity. Just as good as the teams above

5.       Randell (4)- It’s hard ranking a 5-1 team who has been so impressive only #5, but some team had to draw the short stick. If there’s one Achilles heel it’s an inconsistent offense. Still they’re part of a top 5 that to me has started separated themselves slightly from the rest of the pack.

6.       Beilis (2)- Maybe this is too big a drop for a team who lost because they were without their pitcher, but when the other teams in the power rankings have been this strong, then this is what happens. I don’t expect them to give up 19 runs again, but the lack of offense remains a concern.

7.       Mamone (NR)- Because of their late start to the season promptly followed by two losses, Team Mamone has flew under the radar. Since then, however, they have won three in a row, two of which by at least 13 runs. Their defense has stabilized and now is among the best in the league while the offense has already had three games producing 12 or more runs. It may have taken a month, but it looks like Team Mamone is back on track.

8.       Marrone(8)- Did not play last week so not much to sa. Their matchup against Mamone this week might be a battle to stay in the top 8.

Wednesday Night Predictions

Wallman vs. Jacoby:

First off, it’s a shame Todd has to sit out the rest of the season. Good luck and I hope you’re 100% for next season. The silver lining fo Team Wallman is that Scott Seidenberg is an even replacement for a high third round pick. He’s especially dangerous on Union Hill, but only if Team Jacoby pitches to him. I think we’ll only see a Seidenberg bomb if there’s nobody on base. Team Jacoby is on a roll similar to the one they were on last year. There’s something special about going after back to back championships with many returning players from the original winning team. The hot streak will continue tonight.

Prediction: Jacoby

Randell vs. Lapine:

Before the season started I felt Lapine would go through an initial rough stretch before finding its groove. This is what often happens when you draft a team full of rookies. True to form, Lapine started out 1-3 before Sunday’s victory over Goldfarb. Could this be the start of a dominant stretch? Not quite yet. A team who has had a few shaky defensive games so far has to get used to playing under the Wednesday night lights. All us outfielders know that seeing the ball Wednesday night isn’t the same as Sunday morning. On the other side of the diamond is a team that is clicking on all cylinders. While Lapine’s “youth”movement will prosper in the long term, I feel tonight they’ll come up short.

Prediction: Randell

Week 6 Power Rankings

The league is wide open. Applebaum gets the honor this week, Beilis could have easily claimed the top spot. Meanwhile one false move has last week's top team falling back to #5. It seems that this always happens early in the season, but I have a feeling we're looking at a year where there isn't going to be one team that is consistently considered the best team in the league. More than any other year I can remember, the title for #1 is up for grabs.

1. Applebaum (2)- Last week I said Applebaum would most likely be the next #1 team if Carlin falters, so I’m a man of my word. Applebaum’s reign at the top could largely depend on tonight’s marquee Wednesday night showdown with the Younger.

2. Beilis(6)- An 11-run Municipal “explosion” has temporarily  quelled my concerns about an inconsistent offense. Overall, I think Beilis could have one of the most well-balanced teams in the league.

3. Feldman (3) - Last Wednesday’s game helps rebuilt this team’s reputation, but look for Feldman to drop in next week’s power rankings due to inactivity. While other teams prove their elite status, Feldman will need to win their spot near the top of this list again.

4. Randell (8) - As it was pointed out to me, Randell’s one loss came when they were severely short-handed. They took care of business with a double-header sweep, but I’d like to see them beat another high quality team before moving them up the list.

5. Carlin (1) - It’s a testament to how wide open this league is right now that one loss can drop Carlin from #1 to #5. I thought a Union Hill matchup against Jacoby was going to be a great chance for them to retain their top dog status, but obviously I was proven wrong. With missed games being a potential season long issue, Carlin’s overall record might not reflect what this team is capable of doing.

6. Jacoby (7) - I still think their offense will be what prevents them from a repeat, but what an incredible defense. I’ve written before that the “Defense wins championships” mantra hasn’t exactly proven true in our league over the past few years, but defense WILL keep you in the hunt.

7.  Younger (NR)- I didn’t think this team would start clicking until Pat returned, but it looks like they’re already coming together. The owners of the best run differential in the league will only improve as the season moves forward.

8.  Marrone (4)- Call this drop in the ranking another result of the abundance of good teams this year. At 4-2, Marrone has withstood missed games from key players. It’ll be tough for them to stay in the top half if these challenges continue considering there are several teams ready to make the leap.

Other Notes:

·         Team Mamone makes a huge jump on the overall rankings by winning both games in their double header. Beating Beilis this Sunday will certainly get them a prominent spot in the top 8.

·         With the exception of Lapine vs. Goldfarb, every game Sunday features a team in the top 8 vs. a team in the bottom 8. This could create even more havoc for the power rankings as some teams look to make major statements.

Wednesday Night Picks

Carlin vs. Beilis- On Facebook, I said I was predicting Beilis, but then I remember hearing Mike Vaccaro can’t play Wednesday night games. If this is the case, then the pendulum switches over back to Carlin. This is a big game for both clubs; Carlin is hoping to reassert themselves as a top team and Beilis is hoping to avoid another lackluster offensive performance.

Official pick: Beilis, if Vaccaro plays,  but Carlin if he doesn’t.

Applebaum vs. Younger- Team Younger is a time on the rise, and Applebaum is the current #1 team in the power rankings, so this should be a fun matchup. If Younger wins then it’s a sign that the rest of the league is in trouble since they’re not even at full strength yet. I think the #1 team, however, will take care of business tonight in a high scoring affair.

Official Pick: Applebaum

Quick Wednesday Night Preview

Marrone vs. Bykofsky:

According to Facebook, this is going to be a shorthanded affair on both sides., with both teams missing two of their top players. The edge has to go to Marrone who has done well so far this season when not at full strength.

Harris vs. Feldman:

As mentioned in my power rankings, Harris’s team has played better than what their 0-3 record indicates. Both teams here have something to prove. Feldman hasn’t been as dominating as I thought they’d be, and a loss here would do even more to remove the pre-season shine off their team. Team Harris has shown they can hang tough with a good club, and a win here could potentially lead to a winning season just like it did last year.In the end, I think we’ll get a good, close game with Feldman coming out on top.

Power Rankings for Week 5

I was tempted to begin the power rankings last week, but I decided to keep with tradition of beginning it right before the first Wednesday night game. This year there will be one major change to the rankings. Only the top 8 teams will be listed. I may add additional “bubbling under” notes for teams not part of the upper half. I might also think of some ways of tinkering with the format as the year goes on.

While doing my pre-season predictions I was struck by the lack of powerhouse teams. That’s why so many predictions hovered around .500 records. The fickleness at the top of the rankings became clear over the past week. Going into last week’s game there were three teams I felt had the best shot at the first #1 team of the season:  Beilis (Undefeated teams get the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise), Feldman (Pre-season pick would’ve had convincing case if they were 3-1 and Beilis had lost), and Jacoby (Basically last year’s squad off to another strong start). As we know, all three of these clubs lost and so the #1 spot will belong to a team that a week ago I probably would have had outside the top 3. This is what the rankings may be like until teams start breaking away from the pack.

The number in parenthesis represents the pre-season ranking for the given team. Have fun and let the debates begin.

1.       Carlin (2)- When there are so many teams who can make a claim for the top spot, it boils down to two criteria at this point. Who has shown the fewest red flags and who did I hold in the highest esteem before the season started. Carlin’s team may be vulnerable when the Cytryns are missing games, but they’ve shown more than any other team so far that they’re a long term threat.

2.       Applebaum (4)- In my notes-to-self last week, I had Applebaum closer to the middle of the pack due to the inordinate amount of runs they’ve given up this year. Giving up just three runs in a 4-3 victory goes a long way to convince me they may be the team to beat this year. I didn’t want to give them the top spot after just one good defensive game, but I think it’s likely that Applecaum is the next #1 if Carlin falters.

3.       Feldman (1)- I’m putting Team Feldman at this spot despite the fact that other teams have better records and despite the fact they haven’t put together a truly dominating game yet. My pre-season top pick benefits. . . .well, from being my pre-season top pick. 

4.       Marrone (15)- This is the first team on the list which I clearly did not think of much before the season. Marrone’s done a brilliant job of making it work despite missing key players. I’m not 100% sold yet(Each win has been by only two runs each), but if they can continue winning despite missing their top pick over the next few weeks then I’ll have to start buying into their success.

5.       Granese (14)- I knew I messed up this pre-season pick almost right away. This was even before the 24-6 shellacking they gave my team opening day. They’re only 2-2, but they own the highest run differential in the league. I’m curious to see how they’ll hold up against the elite competition. So far they’re 0-2 against teams on this top 8 list.

6.       Beilis (10)- Every year a team with a few rookies sneaks up on the league. It’ll be fun to see if it’s Team Beilis or Team Lapine that has a better season this year. #6 might seem like a low spot for a team that was one win away from 4-0.  However, the fact that they’ve already had two games this year in which they’ve scored two or fewer runs scares me a little.

7.       Jacoby (8)- Before the season started, I saw them as a 11-11 team and right now everything points to a season that can go either way. The epitome of this is the fact that three out of their first four games have been decided by just one run.

8.       Randell (11)- Their two wins have come against impressive teams, but their one loss was an ugly 10 run defeat. It might be too early to tell, but a double header against teams with a combined 1-5 record could help pad their early W-L total.

Bubbling Under:

·         They’re only 1-2 and I only ranked them 9^th in the pre-season rankings but Team Younger looks like they can be primed for a surge real soon.

·         Team Harris is the only winless team in the league, but that’s not indicative to how they’ve played. They’ve lost two “stomach punch” games in a row and their third loss came without some key players. Since Feldman hasn’t looked dominant early this year, I wouldn’t be shocked if Harris pulls a Wednesday night upset.


Editor's Note: My apologies for forgetting about Team Mamone, the other team who is also without a win this year.