Analysis
Goodneighbor is red hot, jumping them back into the top spot after a 5-0 week. It also places the Hancocks just one win behind Oberland for the top playoff spot. Should the two teams finish the season with the same record, Goodneighbor gets the nod for the #1 seed.
Some teams that needed a big week did not get it, most notably Diamond City which started the week with a five-game lead on FHE for the Railroad League lead but leaves it with just a one-game lead after an 0-5 week and a Yao Guai sweep. That drops the Swatters all the way to 16th in the Power Rankings. We will feature the Railroad League race below.
Fort Hagen and Abernathy end the week exactly where they started it, both going an unimpressive 2-3. The Silver Shroud did win the weekend series, which can be some momentum going into the final five games of the season.
What else? The Slog did the opposite of what we expected, losing all five this week as part of their current eight-game losing streak. That pushes them to #14, while Easy Town jumped up to #3 past Nordhagen Beach (#5).
A few teams are still technically alive for the playoffs but may be out no later than Wednesday, the last day of the month: The Slog, Starlight, Concord, Quincy, and University Point.
Power Rankings
Weekly Team Power Rankings: Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Goodneighbor Hancocks (137.8, +)
2) Oberland T-51s (134.6, -)
3) Easy Town Assaultrons (112.9, +)
4) Warwick Mirelurks (109.6, +)
5) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (108.1, -)
6) Quincy Gunners (98.4, -)
7) University Point Deathclaws (96.9, +)
8) Abernathy Adamantium (96.6, -)
9) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (96.6, +)
10) FHE Yao Guai (96.1, ++)
11) Concord Radstags (92.9, -)
12) Starlight Lady Killers (91.6, +)
13) Salem Witch Hats (88.9, +)
14) The Slog Ghouls (83.9, --)
15) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (81.1, ++)
16) Diamond City Swatters (78.9, --)
17) Finch Farm Four Leafs (77.9, +)
18) County Crossing Bloodbugs (76.4, ++)
19) Lexington Synths (75.1, +)
20) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (74.1, +)
21) Egret Ninjas (70.6, --)
22) Vault 81 Dwellers (70.1, --)
23) Atom Cats (60.9, o)
24) Roxbury Knuckle Punchers (43.9, o)
Fast Train to Nowhere and an EaRLy Playoff Exit
Playing for the right to meet either Oberland or Goodneighbor in the first round of the playoffs, the Railroad League wildcard race between Diamond City (52-51) and FHE (51-52) comes down to the last week. The Swatters have struggled suddenly, putting into question their moxy, while the Yao Guai have been surging towards that potential wildcard spot. For FHE, winning the wildcard spot would mark their return to the playoffs from 2296, while the Swatters had finished 5th and 6th in the league in their first two seasons.
Diamond City - 52-51
Remaining Schedule:
2 vs Jamaica Plain (2-0)
3 vs Roxbury (2-1)
Estimated remaining record: 4-1
Estimated final record: 56-52
Estimated place: 2nd
Analysis: If there was a better draw to have, we cannot find it. The Swatters should have been cruising to the wildcard, but here they are on a six-game losing streak. Should they find a way to put their losing streak behind them, Jamaica Plain and Roxbury are tonics to their troubles. The Swatters have split the season series with the Red Rockets so far, but they have won 8 of 9 against the Knuckle Punchers. We think they will have a 4-1 week, which guarantees at least a tie for the Railroad League wildcard slot.
FHE - 51-52
Remaining Schedule:
2 at Quincy (0-2)
3 at Vault 81 (3-0)
Estimated remaining record: 3-2
Estimated final record: 54-54
Estimated place: 3rd
Analysis: One series may make all the difference, though the Yao Guai may have more fight in them than the Minutemen League's Quincy Gunners. Still, Quincy is the better team and trying to earn their own playoff spot. Therefore, think of that mid-week series as a playoff series in its own right. Should the Yao Guai find a way to win that series, then they will have a much better chance. Diamond City is cold, so that could also play to FHE's advantage. In the end, though, we think Diamond City recovers and wins.
