BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, and GBRL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
18 May 2303
Feature Story: Defending Champs Clawing Way to the Top
There was little doubt that the talented defending champions, the University Point Deathclaws, was a talented bunch. What has been surprising is that they are pulling away from the rest of the Minutemen League early in the 2303 season. One major reason is their ability to score runs via the long ball.
The Lead: 53 HR
With their 53 home runs, the Deathclaws lead the CBO in home runs with the next best being Vault 81 with 47. Warwick is next with 44 and the NCA's most powerful team is Sunshine Tidings with 43.
The two leaders in jacking up the Claws' power numbers are their two biggest stars in RF Tomas Jones (.378/10/27) and 1B Barker Cocoa (.336/9/18). While he has struggled to hit well this season, SS Austin Engill (.202/8/14) has contributed to the home run totals. In fact, the 27 combined home runs for those three players is more than four teams' totals: Egret (19), Fort Hagen (23), Lexington (26), and Oberland (26).
University Point's starting eight have all hit at least three home runs, including eight-hitter CF Jukebox Luttrell who hit a career-low eight homers in 2302. His three home runs give him 120 for his career. LF Kory Richardson (.149/4/15) has had the poorest start to his career, much lower than what he produced in 2302 with .236/26/67. If his average and power bounces back, then the Claws will be in even better shape. Three backups have combined to hit eight more home runs in SS Chris Recore (.421/3/8), LF Bill Chaney (.316/2/6), and C Hope Scrapper (.462/2/5).
News and Notes: This year's hitter race for the Red Rocket Rookie Awards looks to be a great one with some exciting players making their debuts this season. The leaders in the NCA and SCA are RF Baktu DaWell (Sunshine Tidings) and 1B Homestay Lovetap (Warwick), respectively. DaWell has a .306/.410/.576 line with six homers, 15 RBI, and 19 runs. He leads the CBO rookies in batting average and OBP, and he leads the NCA rookies in those two categories, home runs, RBI, SLG, OPS, WAR, runs, total bases, extra-base hits, ISO, OPS+, WPA, and wOBA. Lovetap has a line of .287/.405/.653 with 11 home runs, 22 RBI, and 22 runs scored. He leads CBO rookies in home runs, RBI, SLG, OPS, WAR, runs, total bases, walks, extra-base hits, ISO, OPS+, WPA, and wOBA. Other rookies that have stood out so far include SS Father Franetzki (The Slog, .306, 12 RBI, 12 R, 2 SB), CF Camp Costello (The Slog, .256, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 1 SB), C Silvam Fourteen (The Slog, .233, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R), RF Chris Knickerbocker (Fort Hagen, .290, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 6 R), RF Cansit Kellogg (Abernathy, .316, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R), RF Rick Pickle (Egret, .252, 9 RBI, 9 R, 32 hits), and RF Gin Kwon (Warwick, .232, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 11 R). The only rookie pitcher in discussion for the Red Rocket Rookie Award is FHE's SP Taco Lavergne (4-2, 2.96, 8 GS, 4 QS, 48.2 IP, 25 BB, 25 K).
Analysis
University Point (#2) as featured above has taken its lone blemishes in May (back-to-back shutouts at the hands of #1 Roxbury) to win eight-straight games and move up a spot in the Power Rankings. Those two losses (8-0, 9-0) were followed by sweeps of Warwick (#24), Oberland (#20), and Quincy (#21), giving the Claws a 6-0 start in Minutemen League play.
Speaking of Roxbury, the Rad Sox have boosted themselves to the best record in the CBO at 25-7. Like the Deathclaws, the Sox have gone 8-2 in their last 10. After sweeping University Point, the Rad Sox won 2 of 3 over a hot Vault 81 (#7) team, swept the Mirelurks and then won 2 of 3 at the T-51s.
County Crossing is at #3 after having their first struggles in a 10-game stretch, going 5-5. The Bloodbugs, who still lead the Brotherhood League by 7 games over Nordhagen Beach (#6), was able to win only one series in their last four. County Crossing split with Abernathy (#15), lost 2 of 3 at home against the Party Boys, split with Sunshine Tidings, and then won 2 of 3 at The Slog (#22).
FHE remains at #4 with its Railroad League rival, the Diamond City Swatters taking up the 5th spot. For the Yao Guai, that 4-spot is thanks to a 7-3 stretch in their last 10. The Yao Guai swept Goodneighbor (#10), won 2 of 3 over Egret (#23), split at Jamaica Plain (#18), and then won 2 of 3 at the Ninjas.
The Swatters moved up despite going only 4-6 in their last 10. Those include a split with the Cats (#13), losing 2 of 3 at home versus Oberland, splitting at the Gunners, and then losing 2 of 3 at the Dwellers.
Vault 81 (#7), Sunshine Tidings (#8), and Fort Hagen (#9) all made big leaps up, while Atom (#13), Abernathy (#15), and Finch Farm (#19) made the biggest drops.
Standings
Team vs Team
Power Rankings
Players of the Week
NCA
RF David Driftwood, Fort Hagen - 3/5 (.600), 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R (Don't know how one game played earns player of the week . . .)
LF Stu Gains, The Slog - 9/17 (.529), 3 HR, 6 RBI
SCA
2B Harry Byrd, Vault 81 - 14/19 (.737), 3 HR, 11 RBI, 9 R
1B Pistol Schmidt, FHE - 7/21 (.333), 6 HR, 9 RBI
Transactions
Monday, May 18th , 2303
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Signed free agent 2B Vincent Fearson to a minor league contract.
Sunday, May 17th , 2303
Warwick Mirelurks: Released RF Avisha Kelleher.
The Concord Radstags traded 19-year old minor league LF Three Richardson-Bethson and 21-year old minor league 3B Russ McGill to the Warwick Mirelurks, getting 27-year old minor league 2B Ryan Pondrose in return.
Saturday, May 16th , 2303
Quincy Gunners: Placed RF Baywatch Fischler on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/15/2303.
Friday, May 15th , 2303
Lexington Synths: Activated SS Barry Midday from the injured list.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed LF Justin Irwin.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released LF Justin Irwin.
The FHE Yao Guai traded 16-year old minor league 1B Scott Back and 23-year old minor league RHP Buzzy Darkweek to the Abernathy Adamantium, getting 25-year old 3B Joel Mutfruit, 31-year old 1B Steve Settler, 25-year old minor league RF Fernando Z, and 21-year old minor league 3B Coup Hertwig in return.
FHE Yao Guai: Released 1B Tony Caps.
Thursday, May 14th , 2303
Goodneighbor Hancocks: CL Matt Lambda returns from his rehab assignment.
Wednesday, May 13th , 2303
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released LF Greg Tunnels.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released RP Joe Karr.
County Crossing Bloodbugs: Signed RP Carlos McKeever.
County Crossing Bloodbugs: Released C Nick Lowe.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed C Kevin Morrison.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed 1B Max Severance.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released LF Coyote Evans.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released SP Curt Redcoats.
Tuesday, May 12th , 2303
Abernathy Adamantium: Activated RP Crazy Cameron Hurley from the injured list.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed LF Zackery Paxson.
The Sunshine Tidings Chemists traded 25-year old C Darth Horse and 33-year old 1B Frank Corsica to the County Crossing Bloodbugs, getting 21-year old minor league 2B Tut Campbell, 18-year old minor league 1B Eric Sandman, 24-year old minor league RHP Nick Potter, and 19-year old minor league RHP Dokk Strassi in return.
County Crossing Bloodbugs: Released 3B Er Temptation.
Monday, May 11th , 2303
Quincy Gunners: Activated RP Dave Arreola from the injured list.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Placed 2B Mark Miller on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/10/2303.
Starlight Lady Killers: Signed free agent CF Geminy Grasshopper to a minor league contract.
Sunday, May 10th , 2303
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Placed RF Baktu DaWell on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/09/2303.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed CF Brad Raben.
Saturday, May 9th , 2303
Salem Witch Hats: Placed 1B Antonio Toeclaw on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/08/2303.
Diamond City Swatters: Activated SP Sheng Kawolski from the restricted list.
Diamond City Swatters: Released RP Jon Thompson.
Oberland T-51s: Released 2B Jon Wendel.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed LF Coyote Evans.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released LF Zackery Paxson.
Friday, May 8th , 2303
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Released 3B Eric Dunn-Didd.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Activated RP Matt Lambda from the injured list.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Sent RP Matt Lambda to Triple A Cambridge for injury rehab.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed LF Chris Bullets.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released LF Eric Petzold.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released CF Geminy Grasshopper.
Thursday, May 7th , 2303
Vault 81 Dwellers: Activated SS Knud Bather from the injured list.
Abernathy Adamantium: Placed LF Joe Whiskey Hagen on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/06/2303.
Wednesday, May 6th , 2303
Salem Witch Hats: Activated SP Tony Bertha from the 60-day injured list.
Salem Witch Hats: Sent SP Tony Bertha to Triple A Fiddler's Green for injury rehab.
Tuesday, May 5th , 2303
Lexington Synths: Placed SS Barry Midday on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/04/2303.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Released LF Coyote Evans.