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2025 Regular Season
Eastern League Review
Boston followed up their excellent 2024 with an equally impressive campaign, winning the Atlantic division with a 92-70 record. The Pilgrims drew the crowds (over 4 million fans turned out to see them during the season) with their high-powered offense once again leading the way amassing 188 homeruns, featuring five players who hit at least 20 homeruns, LF Stephen Thomas (30), 1B Luis Miguel Estrada (28), RF Jared Guest (28), SS Joseph Davis (25) and CF Lucio Martinez (21). New York (87-75) finished as runners up, relying heavily on their pitching staff with Orlando Vicenteno (13-6, 2.94 ERA), David Gonzalez 13-7, 2.78 ERA) and Loren Neal 13-9, 2.87 ERA) all impressing while Philadelphia were a further game back with an 86-76 record. Washington had a disastrous season finishing with a franchise worst 59-103 record, the Generals conceded the most runs in the NABL (855) and were also the worst offensive team in the eastern league.
Chicago, led by star 3B Jose Munoz (.316, 42 HR, 125 RBI) and 22-year-old star-in-the-making 1B Matt Henderson (.377, 10 HR, 69 RBI) claimed their first division crown with a 91-71 record, nine games ahead of Cleveland (82-80) who had the eastern league’s second-best offense powered by SS Richie Rambeaux (.342, 39 HR, 111 RBI) and 1B Clarence Davis (.353, 29 HR, 103 RBI). Indianapolis struggled to a 78-win campaign which was their worst since their 80-win season in 2015 while in Detroit Keith Bennett found his second season in charge to be much harder than anticipated, as the team continued their exercise in futility slipping back to a 65-97 record and finishing bottom for the seventh year in a row. With ownership unwilling to spend (the Giants had the lowest payroll in the league by a wide margin in 2025) not much was likely to change in the near future.
In the Southeast division New Orleans held off Tampa Bay for the title, finishing with a 91-71 record four games ahead of the hurricanes. New Orleans leaned heavily on their outstanding team defense and strong pitching, with Kenny Law (16-7, 2.73 ERA) and Francisco Hernandez (13-4, 3.50) carrying the load to hold off a Tampa team that featured heavy hitters Juan Santos (.273, 50 HR, 128 RBI) and 1B Gabriel Mendez (.282, 30 HR, 119 RBI). Atlanta struggled to an 80-82 season and even a pitching staff boasting Vince Little (16-10, 2.89 ERA) and reigning pitcher of the year Larry De Meza (17-8, 2.99 ERA), couldn’t lift them higher, bringing up the rear was Miami who somewhat surprisingly with the second worst offense in the NABL holding them back, still managed to put together a 77-85 season, their best since 2020.
New York and Tampa Bay (87-75) finished the regular season locked in a tie for the wildcard spot, the one game eliminator pitted the EL #2 pitching staff (NY) against the EL #3 offense (TB). Tampa Bay came into the game aiming to lay to rest their bitter disappointment at missing out on the playoffs the previous year, but it was New York who came out on top 4-1 with the Senators pitching keeping the powerful Hurricanes offense at bay (Juan Santos and Gabriel Mendez combined for 339 Hits, 80 HR and 247 RBI’s during the season but were both held hitless during the game). Another disappointing end to a season for Tampa Bay.
Final Standings
Atlantic Division
Boston 92-70 *
New York 88-75 * (+)
Philadelphia 86-76
Washington 59-103
Central Division
Chicago 91-71 *
Cleveland 82-80
Indianapolis 78-84
Detroit 65-97
Southeast Division
New Orleans 91-71 *
Tampa Bay 87-76 (+)
Atlanta 80-82
Miami 77-85
Play-In Game
(+) New York Defeats Tampa Bay to claim EL Wildcard
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