[StLee]

Analysis

Well, that was a quick two weeks to the 2298 season. Despite the expanded schedule, we are two weeks down but almost a tenth of the way through the schedule in the 22-week season.

Oberland finally fell, which we suppose is good for the league. They have been in first place in the entire CBO since Day 1, which is still the case with their 9-1 record. We here at Publick Occurrences thought the Minutemen League would humble the T-51s some, but it looks like they may just run over the league.

Despite their lack of success against Oberland, the Minutemen League is having a lot of success against the Railroad League. Only Atom is below .500 currently, and that's only because they dropped both games over the weekend to Diamond City, which is the only other Railroad League team with a winning record (7-3).

The same can be said of the Brotherhood League, which does not have a dominant interdivision foe to face. The BL has only one team below .500, the County Crossing Bloodbugs, who have dropped five straight after starting off 4-1. Despite their loss yesterday, Easy Town has been the creamed corn of the North Charles Association, racking up 8 wins in their first 9 games before dropping one to Lexington yesterday. Those eight wins came in succession after an opening-day loss to Abernathy.

In the Institute League, Fort Hagen has gotten off to a splendid start by going 7-3, followed closely only by the Adamantium. For the first eight games of the season, the Shroud led the CBO in runs scored, though they were surpassed by several teams after scoring only four this weekend in a series split with The Slog. That run production can be attributed to the first seven batters in the lineup batting a minimum of .324 thus far on the season. The Silver Shroud lead the NCA in runs (65), batting average (.342), OBP (.379), OPS (.905), WAR (2.7), and wOBA (.372). They don't hit a lot of home runs, but they do get a lot of hits.

The NCA's best pitching team so far has been The Slog. The Ghouls currently lead the NCA in runs allowed (38), Starters ERA (3.16), Defensive Efficiency (.720), and Zone Rating (+10.) and are only second in errors (5), FIP (4.53), and Pitching WAR (1.8). Starers are a combined 6-3, with the worst of the bunch being David Kiwi (1-2, 3.98), who gave up just three runs in yesterday's loss to Fort Hagen.

In the SCA, the T-51s are dominating just about every statistical category. They are second in runs scored (70), while far ahead in runs allowed (28). They are 1st in batting average (.348), OBP (.406), OPS (.918), Batting WAR (3.5), wOBA (.378), stolen bases (13), Starters ERA (2.25), and FIP (4.36). They are second in Base Running (+4.3), Bullpen ERA (3.46), Pitching WAR (1.9), Defensive Efficiency (.718), and Zone Rating (+4.1). It is safe to say that Oberland is the definitive favorite to repeat as champions. Easy City Downs betting lines have them at a 68% odds against the rest of the league.

Individually speaking, our current leaders in CBO awards for batters, pitchers, and rookies look like this:

Batting MVP: 3B Mike Van Noord, Jamaica Plain - .563/.650/1.000, 3 HR, 10 RBI; Runner up: LF Jarrett Metalbox, Warwick - .500/.522/.841, 3 HR, 12 RBI

Pitching MVP: SP Josh Dude, Finch Farm - 2-0, 1.06 ERA, 17.0 IP, 12 K; Runner up: SP Tommy Beach, Nordhagen Beach - 3-0, 2.08 ERA, 21.2 IP, 20 K

Relief Pitcher MVP: CL Bryan Punchline, Goodneighbor - 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6/6 save opportunities; Runner up: CL Aaron Still, Oberland - 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4/4 save opportunities

Rookie: CF Ben Pawlak, Fort Hagen - .371/.450/.686, 1 HR, 9 RBI; Runner up: SP Joey Dimes, Fort Hagen - 2-1, 3.74 ERA, 21.2 IP, 16 K