Braeland’s unofficial National Holiday – Opening Day – has finally arrived. But as the teams settle on their final rosters and embark on their 14th season, it’s time to look at the results of the recent Coconut Leagues held from August 28 to September 28.
Towards the end, I’ve posted the various player and team rankings, and several career leaderboards.
Eastern League Results
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For the second straight year, the Wellington Athletics finished on top of the Eastern League standings with 20 victories. But also, for the second straight year, they are predicted to be a player in the East during the regular season. Still, the race is projected to be tight, with only 15 games separating first from last place; with perhaps as many as five teams in a serious hunt for a playoff spot.
In perusing both the Eastern and Western League project top performances, what struck is the fact that at least six ‘top’ pitchers are predicted to lose 20 or more games this season, with 11 more projected to lose either 18 or 19 games. I’m not sure what to make of that but perhaps it means things will be very volatile in the ULB this year.
With that said, a couple of young pitchers are projected to make an impact this season.
24-year old RHP
Logan Belsey (19-26, 4.11 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 4.44 FIP – 58/80) was drafted 4th overall by the Queensland Eagles back in 1948-49 and will be entering his third season in the ULB. The Eagles have anointed him as their No. 1 starter for this season and is already rated as the fourth-best pitching in the entire United Leagues. It will be interesting to see how he fares on a team that is expected to finish near the bottom of the standings. Belsey is a groundball pitcher who led the Eastern League in strikeouts last season (150) and is considered an extremely hard worker.
As for 24-year old RHP
Magtanggol Jaojoco (26-13, 30 SV, 3.77 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 3.67 FIP – 54/65), he enters the Stratford Barons’ rotation this season in the No. 3 spot. Jaojoco was drafted 6th overall back in 1945-46 and is currently rated 19th overall among pitchers. The Barons are banking on him playing a key role in their quest for a return to the playoffs this season.
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Western League Results
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The Balmoral Giants came out on top in the West with a 21-9 record, the best in all the Coconut Leagues. They are also projecting to finish in the first division. What makes this surprising is the lack of real impact players on their roster and the paucity of talent in their farm system, the worst in the United Leagues.
Another young pitcher appears for the first time on the Top Pitchers projection list. 24-year old LHP
Larry Kovnats (23-23, 4.20 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 4.43 FIP – 52/73) was drafted 3rd overall in 1948-49 and has now been installed as the Hespeler Stars’ top starter. Kovnats is a strikeout artist that led the United Leagues last season in strikeouts (157) and K/9 IP (5.8). Like his counterpart Logan Belsey in the East, Kovnats is a groundball pitcher who is known for his work ethic.
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Uniform Update
The Downie Chiefs and Stratford Barons have updated their logos and uniforms for the 1950-51 season.
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To round out the snapshot of the United Leagues, here are the top players and pitchers and top 20 prospects as updated on Opening Day. Also included are the latest leaderboards for a slew of offensive and pitching categories.
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Leaderboards
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