BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, and GBRL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
23 September 2305
CBO Playoff SCA Association Preview
NCA Playoffs - #4 Egret Ninjas (64-56) vs #1 Roxbury Rad Sox (88-32)
Season Series
Roxbury 12, Egret 0
May 19-21 @ Rox: Rox 7-1, Rox 11-4, Rox 3-1
June 2-4 @ EGR: Rox 5-4, Rox 12-1, Rox 5-3
July 21-23 @Rox: Rox 12-1, Rox 6-5, Rox 9-8
August 25-27 @ EGR: Rox 10-3, Rox 5-4, Rox 14-5
Analysis
If any season series between playoff teams was ever more lopsided, we have yet to find it. Outside of playing Roxbury, Egret was 64-44 (.592) and yet Roxbury would have still finished 12 games ahead if they had never played once. However, they did play 12 times and the Rad Sox won every one of those games.
The Sox were not even as dominant this year as they were last year, yet here we are looking at the hands-on favorites to win it all again this season. The offense did not dominate any offensive category, but they did finish second in the SCA in most categories, including runs scored (690). All eight of their season starters hit 10 or more home runs, yet they still finished 5th in the SCA in homers (145); of course, that is partially because CF Ben Pawlak (.281/19/80) hit some of those for Fort Hagen. The top three for the Sox were 3B Donn Mattingley (.290/26/104), RF Young Goodman (.335/24/99), and 2B Chris Connexx (.298/18/67).
Pitching was also not as dominant as they have been in the past, but Roxbury finished 2nd in runs allowed (459), 3rd in Starters ERA (3.66), and 1st in Bullpen ERA (3.49). The top three starters were dominant: Nuke Laloosh (16-4, 2.47), College Luckyman (21-4, 2.60), and Whokill Poole (20-5, 3.46). Three dominant members of the bullpen are CL Andy Helium (41 SV, 1.60) who set the CBO saves record, RP Sheep Sanchez (3-0, 1.31), and RP Michael Thawt (4-3, 2.54).
Prediction
We would be mad to choose anything but a Rad Sox sweep. Egret could steal one, but we do not believe Roxbury will allow that to happen. Roxbury 3, Egret 0.
SCA Playoffs - #3 Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (77-43) vs #2 University Point Deathclaws (84-36)
Season Series
University Point 7, Jamaica Plain 5
June 9-11 @UP: UP 6-4, UP 5-4, JP 5-3
June 30-July 2 @JP: UP 3-1, UP 8-4, JP 9-8
September 1-3 @ UP: JP 4-3, UP 3-2, JP 4-3
September 8-10 @ JP: UP 3-0, UP 3-0, JP 5-3
Analysis
On the surface, this series appears it will be the best of the four. Both the Minutemen League champions University Point and ML runner-up Jamaica Plain are good, deep teams with two of the best units facing off in an exciting series.
For the Deathclaws, they were #1 in almost every offensive category including runs allowed (696) for nearly six runs a game and home runs (186). Four players hit a lot of those 186 home runs in probable Nuka Hitter of the Year 1B Barker Cocoa (.362/43/106), RF Tomas Jones (.329/36/118), CF Aesed Hayjen (.343/36/93/27 SB), and SS Austin Engill (.273/27/78).
The pitching could have been better and is part of the reason why the Claws did not earn the #1 seed in 2305 though the ML seemed to be the gamut of the top three teams and an improved Spectacle Island team. University Point was 4th in runs allowed (507), 4th in Starters ERA (3.71), and 5th in Bullpen ERA (4.40). The three starters are Phlip Wallace (13-5, 3.05), Tony Bertha (15-5, 3.26), and Wilson Beachball (10-6, 4.46). In the bullpen, CL Freedom Williams (40 SV, 2.88) fell just a save short of tying for the record. RPs John Walden (7-4, 3.82) and Chase Southie (7-3, 3.72) can help win tight games late.
Jamaica Plain and the Claws can almost flip their prowess where the Rockets were not as good on offense but have possibly the best starting four in baseball. On offense, they finished 4th in runs scored (597) with their best offensive categories being stolen bases (1st at 73) and base running (1st at 4.6). Two players that help to generate runs are LF Carney Cornseed (.288/38/97) and RF Damani Beebe (.261/35/93). 2B Bubb Islander (.290/3/43/38 SB) and CF Hid Matsumoto (.277/18/67/21 SB) can help generate runs when they get on base. The Rockets were just 7th in team batting average (.265), so they will need to find success against the University Point pitching.
The Red Rockets can help to neutralize the University Point hitting with a good pitching corp. They finished 3rd in runs allowed (467), 1st in Starters ERA (3.49), and 3rd in Bullpen ERA (4.23). The decision for the top two starters in the playoffs, Digger Vadim (12-7, 3.13) and Chris Teddybear (11-6, 2.98), makes sense. However, for the third starter in the playoffs, Manager Mark Sellsword made an interesting decision to go with Chris Deathclaw (10-14, 4.45) over Tim Fusion (14-4, 3.52). In the bullpen, Jamaica Plain got good service from CL Doug Dee El (39 SV, 3.60), RP T-Bone Heagy (7-2, 3.45), and RP Matt Demented (4-0, 2.78).
Prediction
As we mentioned above, we expect this game to be our top game in the semifinals, so we will also predict this one to go the distance with a slight edge to the Deathclaws to take Game 5 at home. University Point 3, Jamaica Plain 2.