The North American Baseball Federation (Promotion/Relegation) - the first 30 years and beyond

[ArquimedezPozo]

As the calendar flips to June, what’s notable about the standings is hw little has changed at the top, despite dramatic movement lower in each of the eight conferences. Let’s recap:

Division 1 East

The New York Giants ended April with six straight victories, and kept it rolling into May. They opened the month reeling off nine straight to total 15 in a row, and at the end of play on May 10 they stood six games up on the second place Tarpons and 7 on the third place Athletics. While they didn’t go undefeated the rest of the way in May, they were 12-7 the rest of the way, making for a 21-7 May. They have maintained a lead of about five games over Tampa, exclusively through the best offense in all of the NABF. With 279 runs already, the Giants have averaged 6.1 a game, putting them on pace to become the first team in Federation history with over 900 runs in a season.

That offensive production has come from unlikely spots, as Matt Wood and Mike Burcham have had, if not subpar, at least less impressive offensive campaigns, with the catcher hitting .267/.372/.473 with 8 homers, while Burcham is at .270/.337/.362. Instead, the team has been led by 2B Andrew Fitts, enjoying a career year at age 29 as he hits .302/.411/.581, and rookie CF Idar Olsen, who had long been seen as a glove-first prospect but who has blossomed over the past two years into a legitimate power threat. The Giants offense is so deep right now that among those in the starting lineup only Burcham - whose trajectory has long pointed toward the Hall of Fame - has an OPS under .800. If you want to find a hole for the Giants, it’s not hard though: they’ve allowed more runs than all but two D1 teams, and ace signing Jon Sayre continues to be a complete bust, at 4-4 with a 6.35 ERA and 109 FIP-. The Giants have the best run differential in the East, but have been playing about 5 games ahead of their expected record, so unless their pitching improves this does seem like a race that could easily tighten, rather than widen.

In second place are the Tampa Tarpons, who are the only other D1 East Team with a better-than-even run differential. The Tarpons, who were a close second to Brooklyn last year, largely held steady in the offseason, instead focusing on developing a few younger players such as LF Justin Paul (.362/.395/.474 with a homer in his rookie campaign). Veteran T.J. Carcone is enjoying a bounce-back campaign after last year, and has moved into second place all-time in triples, now just 10 behind all-time leader Mike Mitchell; that’s a record that could easily fall by the end of this season. While Tampa does have the third most runs in D1 to this point, they are severely lacking in power - they’ve hit just 26 homers on the season, easily the least in the Division. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Tampa go after a power bat at the deadline, though they could likely use another starter as well, as their rotation has been in the middle of the pack. Drew Robinson has been solid thus far, and better than his 3.64 ERA would indicate, while Carlos Diaz is experiencing something of a breakout season. But the rest of the rotation has struggled, and a bullpen that has been quite good could start feeling the strain soon.

Beyond New York and Tampa, it would take major shifts for anyone else to begin to compete in the D1 East. The Dodgers have played almost entirely even ball at 23-23, having scored 193 runs and given up 192. Carson Prince has not gotten back to his MVP level yet, having slipped in May after a blistering start. Young RF Dane Best, though, is making some noise, and was named the D1 Batter of the Month after hitting .302/.372/.676 with 12 homers, bringing his season total to 16 - tied for second in the Division and on a 54 homer pace. Jason Blanche has been good but unlucky, with a 2.92 ERA and 72 FIP-, but a 3-6 record.

Taking up the rear in the Conference are Philadelphia at 22-24, Chicago at 19-27, and Toronto at just 15-31. The best early news for Philadelphia came late in the month when they announced a 6 year, $85.2 million extension for ace Pedro Luna, who is once again a contender for the Pitcher of the Year. Chicago, meanwhile, had the opposite, as franchise CF Kyle DuBell tore a shoulder labrum and will miss a significant portion of the season. Toronto, meanwhile, has struggled on both sides of the ball; while Benni Phillips is having a much stronger season than his 2037, the lineup around him has been disappointing, and the bullpen atrocious.

Division 1 West

The West has developed into a three-team contest, and all three spent time in first over the month. The Seattle Steelheads came out of their impressive April strong, going 5-2 over the month’s first week-plus, but have fallen since - 8-13 to close out May. Hector Razo has been perhaps the best starter in D1 thus far, going 6-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 68 FIP- while striking out over 30% of the batters he’s faced and walking an outrageous 2.2%. Young hitters Matt Galante, Adam Haney, and Mike Hood have all been excellent, though the latter has cooled since his extraordinary April start. Catcher phenom Roger Alvarado has also struggled a bit in acclimating to the Majors, but continues to hit for power and provide outstanding defense.

The El Paso Sun Kings finished April in 4th place, but dominated the first half of the month, going 12-3 over the first 15 games, including a stretch of seven in a row. That run put them into a tie for first on May 15, taking over alone the next day. Brian Castrivinci, the Sun Kings 24 year old 1B, continued to impress, hitting .302/.385/.632 for the month with eight homers to solidify his spot as an early MVP favorite. Joe Rison and Eduardo Garcia have both also been strong, especially over the month’s first half while El Paso made their climb. That reign, though, was short-lived: El Paso regressed in the second half of the month, going 5-8 and losing six in a row. El Paso clung to first until the very end of the month, though, as Seattle faded as quickly as they did.

The team that ultimately supplanted the Sun Kings in first was the Los Angeles Angels, who had begun the month a game behind Seattle but lost five straight to open May. Combined with what Seattle and El Paso were doing, along with some solid play by Monterrey, Los Angeles wound up in 4th by May 8. At that point, though, they began winning: 17-5 over the last few weeks, including a nine game win streak that will continue into June. Two-way phenom Jaheim Johnson has been the difference-maker, as he has been the team’s best hitter and has contributed three excellent starts as a pitcher. Johnson, a second baseman, has hit .326/.402/.556 with five homers and a 166 wRC+, with 2 WAR already on the young season from the plate; he has also gone 2-0 with a 3.32 FIP and 14 Ks in 17 innings. He has contributed to an outstanding Angels rotation, though it’s one that has been wracked by injury: Bobby Hardy is out for the season with Tommy John surgery, while Kenny Trent is on the shelf until at least late June with an elbow strain. But Kazuo Imai, Alex Turner, Doug Kluz, and May’s Pitcher of the Month Tom Martinez have all been anchors for what is still the best rotation in D1, while Johnson, C Danny Cadavid (a stellar pickup, hitting .289/.386/.537 with good defense), 1B Hyun-woo Park, and young LF Jon Segura give them run support.

Below that top three is Monterrey, who spent much of April and May hovering in second or third place but has dropped to an even 23-23, six games back. Greg Allen and Chase Maze have been the only bright spots in an offense that has crumbled, with SS Tyler Duncan taking a huge step backward in his age 25 season. The pitching staff has been quite good, behind only LA in runs allowed at rotation ERA, but it is full of guys who are having career years to this point, and there’s likely to be some regression there. Tijuana, similarly, has a struggling offense, despite an exceptional start by 3B Randy Wright (.331/.391/.649, on pace to shatter his career best in every offensive category) and free agent acquisition Aaron Felton, who - while showing signs of age - is still putting up a 144 OPS+ largely from the DH spot. But aside from closer Ed Coffer, the pitching staff has been abysmal, with a rotation ERA of 5.45 and the second most runs allowed in D1. They’re topped in that category only by the dismantled Denver Bears, who conducted a firesale in the offseason and are now headed for a potentially historically bad season at 13-33, already 16 games out of first. 1B Donvan Bryant leads D1 in homers and is on pace for an outstanding season, but he’s working mostly alone.

D1 Batter of the Month: Dane Best, 1B, Brooklyn - .304/.372/.676, 12 HR, 26 RBI
D1 Pitcher of the Month: Tom Martinez, SP, Los Angeles - 5-0, 2.58 ERA, 43 Ks
D1 Rookie of the Month: Idar Olsen, CF, New York - .318/.371/.682, 8 HR, 13 2B

Division 2 East

When May began, the D2 East was deadlocked between Detroit and Montreal, with matching 10-8 records. Since that time, the teams have gone in dramatically different directions.

Detroit has maintained its position at the top of the Conference, though a surge in the middle of the month by Baltimore briefly pushed them into second place. But a 19-8 record on the month has put them two games up heading into June at 29-17 with an offense led by Ali Brown and Victor Ortiz, who overcame tougher starts to the year. Brown hit .266/.373/.521 with 7 homers in May, one of the better runs of any player in the Conference. Ortiz was nearly as good, hitting .244/.342/.525 with 8 homers, ending the month on a high note with a 8/24, 3 HR week. Zack Root has been one of the best free agent acquisitions in the NABF so far, going 6-3 with a 2.29 ERA that included a late April no-hitter; in his last start in May he stifled Kansas City with a complete game three-hitter. 25 year old Chad Little has been extraordinary, at 4-0 with a 1.63 ERA and 2.56 FIP, without allowing a single homer. Detroit holds a narrow two game lead over Baltimore entering June.

Montreal, meanwhile, has dropped like a stone, with a May that was Detroit’s mirror image: 8-19, falling to 17-29, 12 games back of first. Bubba Fread had looked revived in April, but has suffered a concerning drop in production in May, with a 4.61 ERA and nearly matching 4.58 FIP that has baffled Fread and club officials. Beyond Fread, the pitching has been middle of the road, but the offense has been terrible: Montreal is in the bottom two or three in virtually every offensive category as their aging lineup struggles to produce. Among their regulars, only Jarrod Vega and Josh Hinthorne had an OPS+ over league average in May.

The Baltimore Terrapins, meanwhile, continue to threaten Detroit’s position. They spent much of May either in first or within a game of it, as 2B Omar Juarez continues to batter the Division in an early D2 MVP bid: Juarez was named Batter of the Month after cracking 7 homers with a .435 OBP to spark Baltimore’s second best offense. Young CF Wayne Richard also had an outstanding May, hitting .307/.408/.636 with 8 homers, while Pat Miller has also done well. Baltimore has allowed the second fewest run total in the Division as well, due in large part to a solid rotation and an exceptional bullpen led by closer Nick Casselman and lefty Arturo Ruiz. Baltimore has the best run differential in the Division, and looks to be a contender again after some rebuild years.

Boston, too, has had a good May, going 17-11 to lift them to a .500 record six back of Detroit in third place. SS Ramon Santiago continues to have a strong season at the plate, and hit .305/.371/.516 in May. Last year’s home run champ Russ Mesaros hit ten in the month to reclaim the top spot in D2, while aging 1B Shawn Burge has been great as a bench bat. Boston’s rotation continues to need work, though they were at least keeping pace over May. New Orleans, too, sits in third with a 23-23 record and an offense that has some significant strengths (especially with Robert Zemeno and Kyle Hickenbottom) but also some major holes, including the one left by future Hall of Fame CF Mike MacArtney, now in part-time duty as he seeks hit #3,000. MacArtney was shelved mid-month with a back strain, though he should return in early June. And while the bullpen has done well, much of that has been in mop-up duty as Zephyrs starters have a collective losing record and 4.47 ERA (though much of that can be attributed to Tyler Wilson, who has gone 1-8 with an 8.01 ERA and is on the verge of losing his rotation spot). The Ottawa Champions, meanwhile, are just 19-27 with a lopsided team that has scored more runs than any D2 team, but has allowed even more - 248, far and away the worst number in the Division.

Division 2 West

The Vancouver Mounties have built the largest Conference lead of any team, with a 30-16 record, six games up on second place Houston. Vancouver has scored more runs than any other team, and allowed fewer, and are actually underperforming their run differential by two games. !B John Witherspoon and LF Tony Hines have the second and third highest OPS in D2, respectively, and Witherspoon and 3B Leo Rodriguez are second and third in homers. And while their starters have probably punched a little higher than their weight so far, the Vancouver bullpen has been fantastic, the best in D2 by every available measure. At 19-9 on the month, Vancouver only lost a single series, to Sacramento, with both losses coming in extra innings. Incredibly, they lost only a single game by more than two runs all month. John Witherspoon in particular has made himself an early MVP candidate in the running with Omar Juarez, as he hits .329/.405/.636 with 15 homers, on pace for 50 and a 9.6 season WAR.

The only other team above .500 in the West is Houston, which clings to a 24-22 record despite being outscored on the season. Houston is solidly middle-of-the pack offensively, with DH Bill Tucker, 1B Doug Frey, and C Justice Slaton all enjoying strong offensive seasons in a top-heavy lineup. Slaton, a fine defensive catcher, has had a breakout season so far at age 26, one of a crowd of excellent younger catchers that has emerged in recent seasons. Houston’s 2036 and 2037 suggested they might be a team on the rise, but their pitching has betrayed them this year, with only SP David Olson enjoying an above average season.

Sacramento sits a game behind Houston, a much better showing so far than their last place finish in 2037. Sacramento ranks 8th in runs scored, but have had strong contributions from several unexpected sources, most notably young 2B Jonathan Lomison, whose offseason hitting work has resulted in a huge increase in overall production and power.Lomison is now among the league’s offensive leaders, with a .331/.396/.546 line and seven homers while playing a strong defensive 2B. Josh Argo continues to lead the way for Sacramento’s pitchers, his 3-2 record hiding a 2.60 ERA, a 71 FIP-, and a 1.9 WAR, on pace for his second best ever. May was Sacramento’s second straight month of exactly .500 ball, going 14 and 14.

Kansas City, too, has an even record of 23-23, having gone 13-15 over May despite the continued excellence of ace Rhett Frew. Frew, a Pitcher of the Year contender, is now 6-3 with a 2.68 ERA, and has struck out 30.6 % of the batters he’s faced. The young Aussie import is getting more and more confident in his filthy stuff, leaning on his slider as a strikeout pitch with outstanding results. And just as Frew won April’s Pitcher of the Month, teammate Steve Shelton has won May’s, with a 5-1 record and a 2.08 ERA. The rotation and bullpen behind them, though, have been among the worst in the Division, with a 4.13 FIP (11th of 12). The offense has similarly been quiet, though rookie CF Dustin Gooding, who made his debut at the start of May, won Rookie of the Month with a .311/.364/.525 line and three homers.

Taking up the rear in the West are two teams that have disappointed in the early going. San Diego was seen as a possible contender before the season, with some fear that a trade of Tommy Boles would negatively impact their rotation. But the rotation has been a strength, and San Diego has the second best rotation ERA and best FIP of any team in D2. The issue once again for San Diego is the offense, which ranks last in wOBA, OPS, OBP, and overall runs scored. Frank Hernandez, for whom Boles was dealt, has just a 119 wRC+ - above average, but not enough to justify the trade. And of San Diego’s starting lineup, only DH Ian Farmer has a higher figure, hitting .250/.339/.466.

But it’s the Cats, who were last year’s Division Champions, who currently sit in last place at 17-29. Ft. Worth has been the most universally underperforming team in D2, ranking last or next to last in almost every category, from offensive to defensive to pitching. While Joseph Kovacs, last year’s Championship Series MVP, has hit well, SS Yukinobu Hasegawa has seen a slight regression from 2037’s Rookie of the Year campaign. 2B Scott Dohman has been slightly above average at the plate, and every other hitter in the lineup has fallen short even of that. Both the starting rotation and the bullpen are at or near the top of the Division in runs allowed, while even the defense ranks poorly - 11th in both Defensive Efficiency and Zone Rating, where they are at a lowly -12.4.

D2 Batter of the Month: Omar Juarez, 2B, Baltimore - .371/.435/.660, 7 HR, 21 RBI
D2 Pitcher of the Month: Steve Shelton, SP, Kansas City - 5-1, 2.08 ERA, 50 Ks
D2 Rookie of the Month: Dustin Gooding, CF, Kansas City - .311/.364/.535, 3 HR, 13 RBI

Division 3 East

The Nashville Sounds have the best record in the NABF at 33-13, and after a few years of great records with nothing to show for it they enter June with a commanding six game lead on the rest of the D3 East. The Division’s most potent offense features only one regular - defensive-minded catcher Miguel Navarro - with a below-average wRC+ or OPS+, while 1B Jonathan Cosner, as well as platooning DHs Tristan Burns and Francisco Bermea, all have OPSs over .850. CF Mel Irving, now in his age 35 season, has provided above average offense and continues to perform brilliantly in the field. And while Nashville’s rotation has been solid, its bullpen has excelled, with closer Isaiah Phelps taking the May Pitcher of the Month.

Should Nashville stumble, however, it would give both the Atlanta Crackers and Miami Amigos an opening. Atlanta, at 27-19, would be in first place in a handful of Conferences in the NABF. While Sam Stanton isn’t quite at 2037 levels, his 2038 has been a very productive one, as he has hit .301/.413/.561 with 11 homers, a 170 wRC+, and a .419 wOBA. RF Jeremy Figone, who two years ago had looked like a major piece of Atlanta’s future, took a step back in 2037 but has recovered with a .335/.373/.607 line and 11 homers in 2038. And even Atlanta’s veterans are experiencing quality seasons, from C Milt Weber to 3B Jason Edwards, who hit 7 homers with a .938 OPS in May. But it’s really Atlanta’s pitching that has kept them in the race, with former Padre Tommy Boles adjusting to D3 brilliantly at 4-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 3.57 FIP to lead a rotation with the best ERA in the Division.

And while Atlanta’s rotation tops the Division, Miami’s overall staff has allowed the fewest runs, has the best FIP and WAR, and has struck out the most batters. We have to talk about what Paul Herrin is doing first, because it’s stunning: though he has certainly benefited from good bounces, he is entering June with a 0.97 ERA, which would of course be the lowest in NABF history if he could somehow continue it. His peripherals are outstanding, though not quite that outstanding, with a 2.47 FIP that’s second only to Austin’s Chris Parker (who will likely miss the rest of the season on the IL). He’s had a quality start in all nine of his starts this year. Dylan Powers has been nearly as good, with a 2.60 ERA and 3.49 FIP as Miami’s reliable #2 starter. Todd Bennett has struggled, and Brett Calderon has been effectively league average, but with Herrin and Powers at the front of the rotation the Amigos are a hard team to beat. The bullpen, led by volatile closer Pedro Llopiz, makes it even tougher: no relief corps has been more effective. Their offense has been spotty, but generally good enough, with good contributions from CF Corey Stoute and veteran LF John Correia.

After Miami, Memphis is clinging to a 24-22 record in fourth place - an essentially mediocre team with two bright stars in starter Ian Weaver and the reborn David Washington, who at age 40 is suddenly having one of the best seasons of his long career. For Columbus, the 23-23 record is likely inflated, as Columbus has been outscored by a decent margin thus far; Ricky Ponce, May’s Batter of the Month, has been keeping them afloat thus far. And Cleveland, the only team that has been in D3 during its entire existence, is seeing that title threatened as it sits in last place at 19-27 despite John Feist’s D3 best .373 BA and Chris Colburn’s .932 OPS.

Division 3 West

The D3 West is shaping up to be a fascinating and vexing division. Five of its six teams are within a game of first place, with only the miserable Calgary Outlaws well out of it already. The problem is that the best record - shared by Salt Lake and Portland - is 23-23; no team in the conference is entering June with a winning record. In fact, of the six D3 West teams only Salt Lake has scored more runs than it’s allowed, by 5; everyone else is underwater.

Salt Lake has been one of D3’s best offenses - second in runs scored, first in OBP, OPS, wOBA, 2nd in WAR. While Nate Madden has cooled some after his torrid April, he was still excellent in May, hitting ,291/.357/.570 with six homers. The Gulls want more from Paul Geisler, still far below where he was in 2037, but scoring runs has not been their problem: preventing them has. While Jose Fernandez and Jose Valdez have had successful starts, the rest of the rotation has made the offense scramble for any one of those runs, as the rotation collectively holds a 4.87 ERA. But the bullpen is actually worse, with a 4.90 ERA and a .345 Opponent’s OBP. There’s been an element of luck to it, as the pen has only allowed 14 homers and has a 55.7% GO rate and .324 BABIP, and closer Jaylen Levy has been very good, but it’s a major area of concern for a club that desperately needs pitching.

Portland, which is tied for first with an identical 23-23 record, is in the other boat: a pitching staff that has held its own (though a much higher FIP suggests they’re due for a regression) and an offense that ranks dead last in D3 in runs, and second to last in OBP. Their best regular position player has been 1B Phil Davis, who has improved in May but still has a batting line of just .257/.311/.493 and is Portland’s only regular hitter with an OPS over .800. Portland has some good young hitters in SS Ozzie Rosales and LF Ed Pless, but they’re still developing. In the meantime, Portland’s pitching has produced results much better than their peripherals, which suggests the Beavers will struggle to hold on to their share of first place as the season goes on.

Just below Salt Lake and Portland are three clubs tied at 22-24, a game back: San Francisco, Austin, and St. Paul.

The defending champion Seals had a decent offseason, picking up a promising starter in Ryan Roland and some pen help. But Roland has failed to live up to his 2037, at 4-5 with a 6.34 ERA and 4.92 FIP as his walk rate has exploded up to nearly one out of every ten batters he faces. That’s contributed to San Francisco’s rotation woes, as Jason Riddle is the only starter who could be described as above replacement level. The offense hasn’t covered itself in glory either; Jim Tyndall is carrying the load here while the aging Josh Henry has cooled from a hot April and the rest toil at or below league average in both OPS and wRC.

Austin, meanwhile, is looking at a tough last several months as they just lost ace Chris Parker to a torn muscle in his back, which will likely shelve him until 2039. Parker had been Paul Herrin’s only real competition in the early race for Pitcher of the Year, and without him the rotation rests more squarely on young rookie pitcher Masahiro Nakanishi. Nakanishi has been a revelation since his signing out of Japan, with a FIP- of 65 and an excellent 7.1 K/BB ratio, but he can’t carry the load by himself. Like much of the rest of the West, Austin’s hitters have been terrible, as the club ranks 11th in runs scored, OPS, and wOBA, and tenth in homers (though they’ve been good on the basepaths). Austin’s failure to sign closer Pedro Llopiz also looms large, as he has excelled for Miami while Austin’s pen has struggled.

The St. Paul Saints have regressed offensively since last year’s strong showing, though the pitching staff has rather surprisingly held its own considering the Saints basically didn’t add anyone. In fact, the St. Paul staff has the third best FIP in D3, as JohnMcNayr has taken a big step forward in the rotation. Their biggest offseason addition, closer Pat Pipkin, has been unsteady out of the gate, but the rest of the pen has performed ably behind him. No, the biggest issue for St. Paul has been the offense. 1B Kevin Walker, who looked like an emerging star in 2037, has floundered in his age 25 season, hitting for less power and dropping his OBP by over 30 points. Young LF Steve Mershon has just been moved into the starting lineup after hitting well from the bench, and perhaps he’ll give this team a jolt, but beyond the two of them no regular in the lineup has been above average at the plate, with four of them holding a negative WAR.

That just leaves Calgary - ironically the best offense in D3 West, but a team that has allowed 287 runs to this point, by far the highest of any team in the Federation. Their best starter, Ken Esser, has been barely above average with a 4.40 ERA and 3.49 FIP, while the club has two starters with FIPs above 5. And once they’re gone, the bullpen has been even worse, giving up 87 runs in just over 94 innings of work.

D3 Batter of the Month: Ricky Ponce, RF, Columbus - .304/.393/.765, 12 HR, 30 RBI
D3 Pitcher of the Month: Isaiah Phelps, CL, Nashville - 9 SV, 2.16 ERA, 15 K
D3 Rookie of the Month: Masahiro Nakanishi, SP, Austin - 4-1, 3.06 ERA, 43 K

Division 4 East

Indianapolis, which won its long-awaited third championship in 2037 with the best pitching staff in the Division, remains the team to beat in the East. Ironically, though, it has not been the pitching that’s gotten them there this year. In large part, that’s been due to the struggles of ace Aaron Cottrell, who won both the D4 MVP and Pitcher of the Year last season. Cotrell is at 4-3, but his 4.17 ERA is above league average. He’s had terrible luck with a .364 BABIP, and his FIP - while still worse than in 2037 - is a better than average 3.14, but no matter how you look at things he’s regressed in his age 28 season. Nate Mefford has filled that gap, though his May has been worse than his brilliant start. Mefford is now on the verge of breaking Malcolm Bush’s all-time NABF career strikeout record of 3.473; after his 10 strikeout performance against Cincinnati on May 30, Mefford has 3,459, and is two - maybe even one - start away from the title.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis’s offense - weak in 2037 - has been its strength. 1B Justin Wilson is experiencing a breakout season, hitting .361/.422/.548 with 22 doubles, an incredible 74 double pace (which would shatter the all-time record of 61 set all the way back in 2011 by Monterrey’s Jesse Hewitt). The Zachs - Weaver and McKinley - continue to provide solid production, and while aging Art Degon has had health struggles over the past few seasons (including missing much of the start of the season with a fractured foot) he has performed well in limited time. The result is the third most runs in the Division, with a well-rounded attack. Indianapolis is the only team in the D4 East that has scored more runs than it has allowed so far in 2038.

Charlotte continues to nip at Indianapolis’s heels at 24-22, but that number hides a team that has been outscored by 20 runs already on the season. Ernesto Gonzales has cooled - his .408 BA at the end of April is now just .319 after a tough .241/.323/.356 May -and the rest of the offense has been middling. The pitching staff has been awful, and has allowed 202 runs, the most in D4, despite the strong start of Jo Meeks and an excellent relief season from closer Dalton Nicholson. Mashiro Kawasaki, despite a great year for D2 Houston in 2037, has fallen apart against D4 competition, while Brandon Mimms has an ERA over 7. And there’s no hope coming from the minors: their best pitching prospect above single A is John Payne, who has had a 4.98 ERA in 34 innings and is currently on the IL. It’s hard to see this team continue to contend, but they’ve hung in thus far.

The Pittsburgh Crawfords have had a good May, starting on an 0-3 run before treading water for a while, until the last week when they ripped off five straight. They finish May at 15-11 and in second place with an even 23-23 record. 22 year old SP Joel Ortiz has been a real weapon out of the bullpen, and has just moved into the starting rotation, though many observers see him as a likelier reliever long term. Still, he has three plus pitches, and if his control were to improve he could be a strong long-term option. The rest of the pitching staff has hovered in the middle of the Division, with a 3.49 staff FIP. Pittsburgh’s offense continues to struggle, though, with only Manny Rodriguez providing much in the way of production.

The Senators have had some standout performances in May, with SP Corey Spry winning Pitcher of the Month at the head of a rotation that ranks 4th in ERA in D4. But that’s where the optimism ends for the Washington pitching staff, as despite that strong showing the club is 11th in runs against, with a bullpen that has blown several games for the club. Despite that, and despite a relatively anemic offense beyond rookie RF Ray Fazzio (May’s Rookie of the Month with a .362/.402/.574 line), the 22-24 Washington squad is outperforming its expected W/L record by a couple games.

Bringing up the rear are the Cincinnati Tigers and the Havana Sugar Kings. Cincinnati’s only saving graces have been starter Willie Rodriguez, with a 73 FIP- and an ERA around 3, and closer Tom Thorpe, who is putting together a Reliever of the Year-quality season. Jim Bray has been solid offensively, though his production has been BA-heavy, with a .329 average but getting on base at just a .345 clip with a .497 SLG. Havana’s pitching has been largely a mirage, with the second-worst FIP in D4 despite allowing only 174 runs; combined with a Division-worst offense, Havana’s last place season is likely to get worse, not better.

Division 4 West

The Phoenix Firebirds come into June with an increasingly commanding lead in the D4 West. The Birds were 19-9 in May, including a six game streak to open the month. Phoenix has been the best team in the Division by a wide margin, scoring an average of five runs a game while allowing 3.3, the best in both categories. Their 54 homers also lead D4, though they don’t have a single player with more than seven individually; instead, they have six regulars with five or more, including 1B Tony Guerrero, who has been the club’s best overall hitter at .306/.355/.517 with a 155 wRC+. SS Alfredo Vega has also been strong at the plate and in the field, while DH Fred Levang and RF Sun Shiu have given Phoenix a tough heart of the order. Meanwhile, Phoenix has put together a rather extraordinary rotation out of some no-name parts. Second year starter Kerry Chumley has taken huge strides and has pitched like an ace in the early going, with Rodrogi Cardoso and Roberto Cabrera right there with him. Dustin Gaba and former Calgary Outlaw Steve Hennessy are the best 4-5 guys in the Division, helping give Phoenix’s starters the best ERA and collective FIP in D4. But while veteran closer Bob Paul, reacquired in the offseason, has been genuinely outstanding with 13 saves, a 1.43 ERA, and a 48 FIP- while striking out a third of his batters, the rest of the bullpen has been a major weakness that we should see Phoenix start to address in the next couple months.

The southwest desert also plays host to three of the four teams who are gathered at 24-22, five games back from Phoenix. Albuquerque is the best of that group, with a +28 run differential, though they slipped in May with a 13-15 record that included a three game drubbing by Phoenix where they were outscored 22-5. They are where they are in large part because of May’s Batter of the Month Randy Ahern, who has exploded since coming to Albuquerque from D2 Houston, hitting .381/.404/.575 with more power than he’s ever shown. Between Ahern and young CF Sam Tracy (.350/.387/.583), Albuquerque has pulled into second overall in runs scored. The pitching, however, has not been as effective, with only Jamie Petrino having anything that could be called a good year. The bullpen as a whole has been better, but with a few (most notably Danny Larson) who seem due for big reversions.

The Vegas 51s are also at 24-22, and have been a pretty middle-of-the pack club, with a 15-13 May after an even April. CF Lee Bergstrom has been the team’s leading hitter, with a .307/.347/.529 line, but he, Jake Shirvani, and Jesse Basile have been the club’s only really productive batters and have been counterbalanced by some black holes in 2B Dustin Ward, defensive whiz SS Kevin Wassink, and especially RF Pat Kisiel, who sits at .201/.238/.305 despite having the club’s third most plate appearances. San Antonio’s 24-22 record, meanwhile, is a slight underperformance given their run differential, and the club ranks 4th in both runs scored and runs allowed, though they lack genuine standouts in either the rotation or the regular lineup. This can also describe the St. Louis Browns, the final 24-22 club, though St. Louis just lost their best starter Hideaki Ito to a labrum tear, so things may begin going downhill there.

That leaves us with the Brewers, who have endured at this point over a decade of total futility and are headed toward their eighth last place finish in ten years. It’s hard to know where to start with Milawukee, whose fans have remained remarkably loyal despite the team’s struggles. There’s not a ton of improvement on the horizon; though they’ve graduated some younger players into regular roles of late, they lack any real hitters in the group, having pursued a pitching and defense strategy. It’s possible this will begin to reap dividends - they have some outstanding gloves, and young developing pitchers who have been fairly good to this point. But the complete lack of offense has hurt them, as has a bullpen that has been an almost unmitigated disaster.

D4 Batter of the Month: Randy Ahern, RF, Albuquerque - .393/.414/.598, 3 HR, 12 RBI
D4 Pitcher of the Month: Corey Spry, SP, Washington - 5-1, 2.00 ERA, 39 Ks
D4 Rookie of the Month: Ron Fazzio, RF, Washington - .362/.402/.574, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 11 2B

[ArquimedezPozo]

A Rison to Believe: The Sun Kings Walk It Off Against Tampa

At just 26, El Paso’s Joe Rison has emerged as his team’s most important player, and he showed it tonight with a walk-off hit to down the Tampa Tarpons and put El Paso into a tie for second in the D1 West, two behind the Los Angeles Angels.

Longtime El Paso starter John Belheumer, who provided El Paso with its biggest highlight of the season with his May no-hitter against Brooklyn, worked around two walks and a double over his first four innings, striking out six. But Tampa’s young Nick Anderson matched Belheumer, walking four but not allowing a hit over the same span.

The fifth inning broke the duel. In the top of the inning, Belheumer issued his third walk, to light-hitting SS Willie Soto. Catcher Bill Wheeler singled on a slow seeing-eye grounder into right, and Soto took advantage, winding up on third with no one out. That proved crucial, as he was able to score on Seth LaBarr’s double play, giving Tampa its first run.

El Paso struck back fast in the bottom of the inning, with Eduardo Garcia lacing a double down the LF line on the first pitch he saw from Anderson. Jesus Hernandez hit a slow roller that Clawson took himself, but it got Garcia to third so that he could score on Tom Knighton’s groundout. It looked almost like a mirror of Tampa’s 5th until C Clint Rose hammered a ball into the Sun Deck in right field, 404 feet away, to make it 2-1 Kings.

Belheumer had to work hard in the sixth, starting with a nine pitch AB to Justin Paul that finally ended with a strikeout. Paul Lechter singled and stole second, but Clawson flew to center for out number two. Another long plate appearance followed as Juan Bonson fouled off five pitches. The last foul should have ended the inning, but Rose botched it giving Tampa’s young 3B life; Belheumer’s next pitch was wide, putting men on second and third for Aaron Soucy. Soucy, too, worked a full count, but this time Belheumer got his man, striking out his eighth and final batter and keeping his team’s lead intact.

Anderson walked two more in the sixth, giving him six on the night, but a double play erased the first while the second was left stranded when Chris Beardsley flew to center.

El Paso relief ace Jason Bodnar came out in place of Belheumer in the 7th, and would have had a 1-2-3 inning but for an error by Rison in left; he got out of it two pitches later with a groundout. Anderson had to work harder in his half of the inning to escape scoreless, but he did, striking out Rison with runners on first and third.

So heading into inning eight, the game remained tight, at 2-1 El Paso. But things went south for Bodnar quickly. Justin Paul swung at the first pitch and lined it to right center for a single, though he was replaced at first by Paul Lechter after a fielder’s choice. In the end, that switch didn’t matter as Jon Clawson smashed a ball out to right center, 415 feet, to give Tampa a late 3-2 lead. Bodnar recovered the K Bonson and Soucy, but the damage was done, and El Paso had little time to recover.

Chad Leahey struck out leading off the bottom of the eighth against Anderson, but when El Paso superstar Brian Castrovinci lined a single into left Tampa manager Vince Lorek had seen enough, pulling the youngster in favor of Steve Neldon. Nelson got out two, a fly ball after a seven pitch AB to Kevin Kersey. But Beardsley, who flew out to end the sixth, hit this one more on the nose: it got over CF T.J. Carcone’s head and rolled to the wall, giving Beardsley a double and scoring the tying run. The inning ended there, but the game was now knotted at 3 going into the ninth.

Bodnar didn’t give Tampa a shot in the frame, needing nine pitches to retire Julio Landin, Wheeler, and LaBarr in two groundouts and a popup, sending it back to the El Paso side for a chance at a walk-off. Lorek replaced Neldon with lefty closer Billy Walters, but Walters walked Jesus Hernandez to open things up. He got Knighton swinging, but Clint Rose came through again, shooting a line drive into left. The ball was hit so hard that Hernandez froze a bit, and didn’t recover in time to score, so Rison came up instead with runners on second and third. He delivered when it counted, hitting a scorching ball through the 5-6 hole as Hernandez scampered home with the winning run and the El Paso crowd cheered wildly at the spectacle.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Mefford Becomes Strikeout King as Clowns Lose Late

With all time Indianapolis great Malcolm Bush watching from the front row owners’ box, Nate Mefford stared down Jonathan Hanbury. It was the second inning of a 0-0 ballgame; Mefford had struck out the side in the first, but allowed a leadoff double to Jimmy Thomas to lead off the next frame. Hanbury took strike one, then fouled off a Mefford fastball on the outside corner at the knees. The crowd roared in anticipation, then groaned as Hanbury laid off a splitter, a low ball one. Mefford settled, reared back, and hurled a fastball, at the letters. Hanbury cut, but there was no way he could catch up to it, off balance after two low. The scoreboard flashed, the crowd erupted. The all-time NABF record had been Malcolm Bush’s for well over a decade. Now it was shared.

Mefford paused, and tipped his cap to the Indianapolis crowd. But they settled quickly, because that was just a warm-up to the pitch they really wanted.

Andres Murillo made Mefford work for it. He took two to start - a fastball wide, and a splitter that fell out of the zone. But Mefford slid a fastball over the outside corner for strike one, then got Murillo to swing through another split. Mefford turned back to the heater, then, with two high hard ones that Murillo managed to get a piece of. To that point, Mefford had gotten what he needed off his fastball and his splitter, not once over six batters throwing the pitch that had made him an all-time great, so maybe it came as a surprise to Murillo as he uncorked his swing, only to flail at the best changeup in the majors. Nate Mefford’s 3,3474th strikeout victim watched as the scoreboard flashed again, as fireworks went up over Anthem Stadium. The Big Tent, as fans called it, was filled to capacity as Clowns fans witnessed Bush come on to the field to shake Mefford’s hand and give him a ball with the number 3,473 crossed out, and 3,474 beneath it.

Once the ceremony had concluded, the game could resume. Mefford collected himself, and gathered the first non-strikeout out of his day, a flyball from Roberto Martinez that ended the second. He walked off to another ovation, but the crowd’s attention now turned to the ballgame itself: the Clowns had dropped to a tie for second with the Senators in the D4 East, a game back of the Hornets. They needed this one.

So did Albuquerque. A 2-5 start to June had dropped them to last place on the 6th following a 13-0 drubbing at the hands of San Antonio. But they took two of three from Phoenix, and now sat at 28-27, tied with Milwaukee and St. Louis, five games back. Amidst Mefford’s record-setting first two innings, Dukes starter Brad Heyer had set down three in a row in the first; now, after a long, interrupted second, he went back to work striking out two of his own and allowing just a single.

Mefford hit batter Randy Ahern to open the third, but got through the rest easily with two more K’s and a groundout. Heyer began his half well with a strikeout of Gardner, but Indy’s #9 hitter, catcher Ryan Laier, roped a double to right, taking third on a Justin Wilson groundout to second. That left it to Zach Weaver with two outs, and the veteran 3B came through with a laser beam into left for a run-scoring single. Heyer got Zach McKinley to end it, but the Clowns and Mefford had an early lead.

The Dukes answered with a double of their own in the top of the fourth, a one out liner down the left field line off the bat of Jimmy Thomas. But Mefford stranded him there to keep the Dukes off the board; he did the same in the 5th, setting down three batters on a groundout and two Ks. Heyer matched him in the bottom of the inning - a fly out and two Ks of his own, to send it to the sixth with the Clowns up 1-0.

The Dukes came out swinging against Mefford in the sixth. Mike Jordan recovered from an 0-2 count to rocket a double off the RF wall to open the frame. Jason Taylor singled into center. Despite his mediocre speed, Jordan had gotten a good jump and got the go-ahead sign from the 3B coach, but the throw from Jake Sprague in center was a perfect one, one hopping to Laier who got the tag down in time, killing the rally and securing the first out. A grounder and a strikeout - Mefford’s 11th of the game - put Albuquerque away.

Indianapolis added a second run in the bottom of the inning on a walk and a single by the Zachs, and a deep sac fly by Cody Lehr. Though Zach McKinley reached third he was stranded there; still, a 2-0 lead seemed like a lot headed into the seventh against Mefford.

But Albuquerque rallied. A one out walk by Murillo, who had been a historic out earlier, set it up. Carl Faux doubled to put men on second and third, and a Randy Ahern groundout got the Dukes on the board. Then D.J. Moskowitz drilled a ball to right that hit just at the base of the wall and sprung away from McKinley, scoring Faux and allowing the speedy Moskowitz to slide into third with a triple. Mike Jordan singled to score Moskowitz, and the Dukes finished their half of the 7th suddenly in command of the game.

Indy came back in the bottom of the inning, with back to back doubles at the bottom of the lineup, from Gardner and Laier that drove Heyer from the game. Mefford,seeking a win in his historic game, set the Dukes down in the eighth despite a single, giving Indianapolis a shot in the eighth; they took it, as Coy Lehr led off with a walk, and scored after stealing second, getting singled to third, and coming in on Jake Sprague’s sac fly. 4-3 Clowns, with just the ninth to go.

But Albuquerque refused to die, and was granted new life when Mefford - spent after eight innings - was pulled for the closer Tom Newell. Newell got Faux on strikes, but Randy Ahern, Albuquerque’s hottest hitter, doubled. Newell hit SS Travis Winder to put the go-ahead run on, but got Jordan on strikes for the second out, then worked Jason Tayor to a 1-2 count.

Just when it looked like the Clowns might take it, Taylor grounded a ball deep into the 5-6 hole. Jason Gardner gloved it, but there was no chance to get any runner. Bases loaded. Chris Trauth had come in the previous inning as a defensive replacement, though, and was now Albuquerque’s last shot. He came through, with a bloop single that seemed to hang forever. With two outs, the runners had been off on contact, and as the Clowns frantically came together to field it, the throw was off-line, and the go-ahead run crossed. 5-4 Dukes.

T.J. Pena came on for the bottom of the inning, but there was no drama to be had by then. Laier K’d, and Justin Wilson grounded out. Zach Weaver drew a 2-2 count, but in this game that had been defined by the K, it seemed only fitting it would end with one. Pena froze the 3B on changeup, and the Dukes won 5-4.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Baldwin Does It All, Cycling and Walking Off to Win it for Toronto

Six days ago, few Toronto Maple Leafs fans had ever heard of Danny Baldwin; after all, he was still a member of the New Orleans Zephyrs six days ago, and had never played for another team. Even his June 14 trade, in which Toronto flipped a low-level 2B, barely registered for Leafs fans. But today, after a performance for the ages, they may never forget him.

The start for Toronto went to SP Nate Thorne, who entered with a 3-7 record and a 3.65 ERA that was something of a mirage, given a 5.39 FIP and 133 FIP-. It didn’t take Philadelphia’s lineup long to get to him, with a pair of rookies doing damage: 2B/SP Jarrod Taylor, in just his second game in the bigs, doubled and moved to third on Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Mitchell’s single. He scored on a fielder’s choice, giving the Athletics an early 1-0 lead.
In addition to batting second for the A’s, Taylor also had the start, and did well, setting Toronto down in order on a pop up and two flyouts. Thorne matched him there, with two Ks and a groundout to first for a 1-2-3 second. The next two frames passed just as easily.

In the bottom of the third, though, Toronto’s #7 hitter became the Leafs first baserunner of the day. Danny Baldwin had been traded from the New Orleans organization on the 14th, and in 14 at bats since had collected just a single hit. But on a 2-1 pitch from Taylor, he connected, lofting a ball into left, over the head of Carlos Ponce. The 31 year old Baldwin had 14 career homers to his name, so Ponce had been playing him shallow, and the ball was able to skip up against the wall and roll a bit before Ponce got there. When he finally collected it and sent it back to the infield, Baldwin was sliding headfirst into third with a triple. A Jim David grounder scored him, tying things at 1.

The top of the fourth passed without incident, and Taylro got two quick outs in the bottom of the inning before Jim Yoder walked on four straight. RF Barry Miller drilled the first pitch of his AB into deep center, over Mitchell, for another triple - this one scoring a run rather than setting one up. 2-1 Toronto.

Thorne and Taylor remained locked at 2-1 until the 6th inning. In the top half, Thorne escaped a jam, as a walk to Josiah Morgan and a throwing error by catcher Mike Vizzini put men on second and third, but Thorne dropped Pedro Guzman and Frank Barnes on consecutive strikeouts to get out of it with the lead.

Taylor got two outs to start the bottom half, but then Danny Baldwin - already 1-1 with a triple and an HBP - stepped to the plate and drilled a 1-1 pitch just far enough, clearing the right field fence toward center field for a solo homer to give Toronto a 3-1 lead.

After Francisco Ojeda reached on an error and advanced to second on a groundout in the top of the 7th, Thorne was pulled in favor of John Clowers, who got Toronto out of it to preserve the 3-1 score; Taylor, too, had to pitch out of a jam after he allowed a single to Eddie Santana and hit Jon Moore with two outs. Benni Phillips put a charge into one that off that bat looked like it might extend Toronto’s lead further, but it died in the wind and settled into RF Spence’s glove for the final out. So, the game turned to the eighth, with Toronto up 3-1.

With one out, Matt Spence fouled off three tough pitches in order to work a seven pitch walk. The next batter, Carlos Ponce, had struggled terribly through the first two months of the season, entering the night batting .148/.220/.265, but he’d homered in consecutive games with a couple hits in each. He kept those streaks alive, driving a 1-1 pitch 405 feet and well back into Toronto’s second deck for a two run, game tying homer that gave Philadelphia new life.

The next inning and a half were fraught with near misses for both clubs. In the bottom of the eighth, a Danny Baldwin double and a Jim Davis walk were squandered when Mike Vizzini flew out harmlessly to center. In the top of the ninth, Brett Reed led off with a walk for the A’s, and went to third on a double with one out. That led to the game’s strangest play, as Mike Mitchell tried to check a swing and instead rolled a ball up the third base line. Andres Arenas, on in relief, bounded towards it and gloved it, looking Baldwin back to third. But he failed to account for Mitchell’s speed, and took too long to whirl for the throw to first. Though it was a good one, Mitchell beat it to load the bases with one down. A battle between Arenas and Josiah Morgan, though, ended in a dramatic strikeout on a questionable pitch on the lower outside corner for out #2. Matt Spence’s strikeout was more clear cut, as the outfielder swung through a 1-2 knuckle curve to get Philly out of it alive.

Philly righthander Ryan Ratliff came on for the ninth. With 24 Ks in 15 innings on the season, Ratiff had become manager Jason Cafarella’s go-to relief ace, and at first it looked like that decision had been the right one as Ratliff dropped Eddie Santana on four pitches, the last one an unhittable slider that Santana didn’t hit. But then Chris Herry doubled, and with the lefty power hitter Jon Moore on his way up, Cafarella turned to lefty Dennis Seaman. Seaman got Moore on strikes, and put Benni Phillips on to try to deal with lefty Jim Yoder. But John Whitworth sent right handed backup catcher Zach Breland up instead, and the patient pinch hitter worked a five pitch walk to load the bases. Barry Miller came up, and took ball one, but on ball two he laid into one hard. For a minute it looked like a game winner, but he had pulled it just a bit too much, and it passed by to the left of the LF foul pole for a long strike. Breland fouled the next straight back, but then froze on a fastball on the outside corner for an inning ending K. The game was headed to extras.

Yoshihiko Kawaguchi came in for Arenas, but immediately gave up a single to Carlos Ponce, then advanced him on a wild pitch. A walk put runners on first and second, but two fly outs and a K ended that threat as well, and Toronto survived the inning. The bottom of the tenth was nearly as tense, as Toronto tried a little small ball - a Baldwin walk gave way to a sac bunt and a sac fly to put him on third. But Eddie Santana grounded out to third, and the game went to 11.

A Mike Mitchell single gave Philly some hope in the top of the 11th, but Breland gunned him down trying to steal, with a Josiah Morgan strikeout ending it for the A’s. That brought Toronto up for the 11th, and the Leafs got things going out of the gate as Chris Herry smacked a leadoff single. Jon Moore followed with the same, putting runners on first and second; an out later, Breland loaded them up with a base hit of his own. Barry Miller struck out, though, and up cane Danny Baldwin, with two down and the bases loaded, needing a single for the cycle and the ballgame.

Baldwin had never in his life faced a moment like this, he later told a Toronto Observer reporter, not even in Little League. He took ball one, a sinker that dropped below the knees. He took strike one, too - a fastball that nicked the outside corner at the knees. Seaman busted the lefty 2B in with a fastball on the next pitch, but Baldwin swung. It caught the bat up the handle, splintering it. The bat skittered forward between the pitcher and the 1B line, but the ball floated over the head of the first baseman, dropping into shallow right as Herry came in to score. Baldwin had just finished the game of his life, giving the last-place Toronto Maple Leafs the most satisfying win of their young season.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Brewers Continue Hot June, Douse Firebirds Again To Complete Sweep

You can’t call Milwaukee a contender just yet, but it’s been quite a turnaround since the end of May for the Brew Crew. After play on May 31, Milwaukee was last in the D4 West, seven games back at 22-24. But after a 16-8 June so far - including a sweep of first place Phoenix - Milwaukee is now just three games back, tied with St. Louis at 38-32 and behind Phoenix and San Antonio with matching 41-29 records.

Roberto Cabrera, part of Phoenix’s strong first-half rotation, got the nod for the Birds tonight, while the Brewers sent Italian Georgs Occhena to the hill to try and close out the series. After a quick first in which Occhena allowed a single but induced a double play, Milwaukee got something going against Cabrera. A John Davis walk was followed by a sharp single though the 2B hole, and Davis scooted to third, from where he scored two batters later on a single from Jake Stansell.

Occhena escaped a jam in the second, getting a fly out and a fielders choice to end a bases loaded threat, and Milwaukee passed quietly against Cabrera in the bottom half. But in the bottom of the third, the Brewers made it 2-0 on a double by Bret Roberts, a single by Davis, and a sac fly by Palomino to make it 2-0.

Phoenix finally got up off the mat in the 4th, though, as 3B Dave Reyes legged out an infield hit and was rewarded when Phoenix’s best hitter, SS Alfredo Vega, launched his ninth homer, a 389 footer to right center that knotted the game at 2.

It stayed right there through the rest of the fourth, and through the fifth. But Phoenix struck again off Occhena in the 6th, as Andy Pearson led off with a solo shot that just cleared the fence in RF to give Phoenix the lead, and a shot at avoiding a sweep.

Milwaukee stifled those dreams fast, with a two run bottom of the inning. Palomino got this one going, working a nine-pitch walk and going to second on Jason Lee’s single. Palomino’s night came to an end there, replaced by pinch runner Nick Smith, who immediately took third on a sacrifice fly before the bases were loaded on a walk. Ken Green delivered the big blow, then, scorching a line drive past a diving Matt West at first and into right field for a hard single. Though it got to Alex Rivera quickly, Smith had already scored, and the RF’s throw was off line allowing Lee to cruise in for the go-ahead.

The eighth gave Milwaukee even more breathing room, as two walks set up a grounder which gave Milwaukee runners at second and third with two outs. LF Bert Roberts knocked his third hit of the night on the first pitch he saw from reliever Chris Mayles, scoring both runners to make it 6-3.

Phoenix gave the Brewers a scare in the ninth, with a leadoff Matt West homer, a two out double by pinch hitter Nate Wilson, and a walk that put the winning run at the plate in the person of Dave Reyes. Reyes, who had just arrived in Phoenix after being waived by Montreal earlier in the month, had already collected two hits for Phoenix on the game. He wouldn’t get a third, though, as he made weak contact with a sinker on a full count, rolling it to first, where Noah Simpson gloved it. He fed it to pitcher Nate Eliopoulos, and that was it - Milwaukee had swept the Firebirds, inching ever closer to the top of the standings.

[ArquimedezPozo]

As we reach the season’s midpoint, some races are clarifying, while others are getting even more complex and unexpected.

Division 1 East

You’d be forgiven if you did a double-take switching between the standings at the end of the first day of June and the start of the first day of July, because they’re identical. The Giants in first, as they have been all season, five games up on second place Tampa and ten games up on third place Brooklyn. At the start of June, Philadelphia was 12 games back with Chicago just behind at 14; today, Chicago is 12 games back with Philadelphia at 14. Toronto still stands in last, 19 games from first. A month of exciting play brought the Conference right back to where it started.

New York continues to score runs in droves, with 445 so far, still easily on pace to shatter the NABF all-time record. Andrew Fitts had his best power month of the year, with six homers to go along with a .261/.456/.511 line, behind only El Paso’s Castrovinci in OBP. Rookie Idar Olsen was solid in June, though somewhat cooler than he was last month, while 1B/DH Roberto Estrada has been as good as they come - .330/.414/.732 with 11 homers to bring his season line to .301/.376/.613 - in what would be a career year at age 35. The Giants’ achilles heel continues to be its rotation, though, where Jon Sayre is suffering through a very unlucky season: he holds a 3.74 FIP and 88 FIP-, but a .345 BABIP has contributed to his 5.35 ERA.

Tampa continues to hang around - they put up their own 16-12 June, though that includes a five game win streak against Toronto, Tijuana, and Monterrey to close it out. TJ Carcone is in the middle of an outstanding year, hitting .325/.360/.490 from the leadoff spot; he has collected 10 triples on the year, and seems likely to break Craig Vest’s all-time mark, just six away, this season. Tampa’s offensive attack has been built on contact and speed, but it’s been working for them: despite ranking last in D1 in homers and tenth in walks, Tampa has capitalized on dynamic seasons by Carcone, Aaron Soucy, and Justin Paul to score nearly five runs a game, third in the Division. They back that up with a rotation and bullpen that have ranked among the best in the Division; Tampa has the second best FIP and the most WAR of all D1 clubs, with Drew Robinson leading the way.

Brooklyn is above water because of only three players. SP Jason Blanche has reached another level of the atmosphere in June, twice tying the D1 records of 16 strikeouts in a single game, on June 1 against Tijuana and ten days later against El Paso, giving him 80 strikeouts in just 50 innings in June. Dane Best has continued to shine as well; the young Tampa native has already topped his career best in homers, and socked 8 this month to complement a .370/.447/.700 line. As good as Best has been though, Prince has been even better. Last year’s MVP is making a new push for the award, taking the Batter of the Month trophy by hitting .393/.463/.822 with 13 homers in 28 games in June. Take them away, and Brooklyn is mediocre at best; with them, there’s still a shot for the Dodgers to make noise in the second half.

Rounding out the Conference are Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Chicago is the only team in the D1 East to markedly improve in May, climbing into third and gaining ground on NY with an 18-10 mark led by Pitcher of the Month Armando Orozco and rookie 1B Trevor Snyder, who won the Rookie of the Month award and was the club’s best bat. Philadelphia has seen good production on the mound and at the plate from talented SS/SP Rob Cady, who flipped a switch as a hitter this month with 11 doubles, more than twice what he’d hit in the rest of the season to date. Toronto actually improved, going 15-13 over the month, but continues to allow over five runs a game.

Division 1 West

The D1 West has continued to be the most intriguing Conference race of the season, with four teams having made credible stands over the first few months of the season. While no one in the West had an incredible month, the team that’s stayed afloat the best has been El Paso. Favorites coming into the season, they’ve been driven by an obvious pick for first half MVP in Brian Castrovinci and a ruthless starting rotation that has thrown more innings, and allowed fewer runs, than any other in the conference. Castrovinci - 24 and in just his second season - has announced his presence with authority this year: on pace for a 9 WAR season, he is hitting .357/.467/.671 with a .471 wOBA, a 206 wRC+, 18 homers, and 21 doubles. Their 16-12 record over June was the best in the Conference overall.

Seattle clings to second, two games behind El Paso with a 40-34 record behind ace Hector Razo, sturdy #2 Jeff Baltimore, and Toshio Nimiya, who has been a reliable innings eater. The back of the staff has been problematic, though, with some instability that Seattle may try to address at the deadline. Seattle’s lineup has been productive and the club is in the top 4 in the Division in OBP, wOBA, WAR, homers, and OPS, but they rank just 7th overall in runs. Mike Hood (.291/.391/.558, 16 HR), would be a strong MVP pick in most seasons, but has to contend this year with Castrovinci.

Los Angeles has seen the biggest fade in June, having entered the month with a two game lead; they are now four back, with a brutal 8-20 month behind them. It included a 2-10 stretch to close it out, as Jaheim Johnson and Danny Cadavid have slumped considerably. The rotation has been hit hard by long-term injuries to Bobby Hardy and Nick Book, and the bullpen hasn’t offered much relief. Without a major addition it doesn’t look good for LA’s staff for the rest of the run.

Monterrey had been hanging around the top three all season, but missed a chance to make a move by going just 13-15 over the month. They now sit six games back, with three teams ahead of them and a 36-38 record. Chase Maze’s down season has been a concern, but only insofar as it has highlighted Monterrey’s extreme inability to score runs - the club is last or next to last in most major hitting categories, and 1B Greg Allen, their best hitter through May, has hit the skids in June. And while the bullpen has held up, they’re not protecting many leads from a subpar rotation.

The closest race in the West, then, is actually the race for last place - it’s neck and neck as Tijuana crashes and burns. The Potros were awful in June at 7-19, with an offense just barely better than Monterrey’s and a pitching staff that has crumbled, especially in the bullpen. Jayden Jarrett has been the only real rotation bright spot, with a 3.21 FIP and only 6 walks in 52 innings. If Tijuana continues on this path, they could notch the first last place finish in franchise history. They’re mirrored by Denver; the Bears broke even in June at 14-14, but that hides a dramatic turnaround as the club went 10-6 over the last three weeks to come close to pulling into fifth. Clemens Young and Donovan Bryant were both above average in June, but the real strength has come from stronger pitching from Edgar Troche and a much better bullpen.

D1 Batter of the Month: Carson Prince, 1B, Brooklyn - .393/.463/.822, 13 HR, 30 RBI
D1 Pitcher of the Month: Armando Orozco, SP, Chicago - 5-0, 2.44 ERA, 61 K
D1 Rookie of the Month: Trevor Snyder, 1B, Chicago - .305/.456/.463, 3 HR, 19 RBI

Division 2 East

The D2 East is turning into a two team race, between the Stars and Terrapins, both with 44-30 records and a lot of momentum.

The Stars, who have led the Conference for much of the season, eked out a 15-13 record in June but dropped two of three to Baltimore in the middle of the month. Ali Brown continued his subpar season - Detroit could really use a return to form from their star 3B, who is on pace for a 3.2 WAR, which would be his lowest total since his rookie season. The good news for Detroit, though, has been the continued success of its pitching staff, as Zack Root makes a case for Pitcher of the Year, at 10-5 with a 2.09 ERA and 75 FIP- in the middle of the best year of his career. In fact, led by Root and backed up by Chad Little and Sean Cooper, Detroit’s rotation has the best ERA in D2.

At 17-11, Baltimore had a better June record than Detroit, allowing them to make up the gap and enter July in a dead heat for first. While no one ballplayer can turn a mediocre team into a contender, Omar Juarez has come closest: it’s hard to see how anyone else could compete with the Terrapin 2B for MVP this year, as Juarez is eyeing a Triple Crown - .361 (1st), 19 HR (2nd), and 54 (t-2nd). This is the second straight Batter of the Month for him, as he slashed .361/.423/.711 with nine of his 19 homers, good for a .476 wOBA and 215 wRC+ on top of capable 2B defense. Astoundingly, 1B Mauricio Fiscal put up similar numbers, though in less time, hitting .311/.415/.733 with 6 homers in 20 games, while Wayne Richard, Devon Johnson, and Nick Green all contributed OPS+ of 150 or better. Add that to Baltimore’s strong rotation - Victor Plascencia is among the Terrapins who are putting together career years, while Randy Putnam seems to have regained in 2035 form - and you have a team that on paper looks like they could be the favorite.

Below them, the Boston Bees are sinking: six games back now, at 38-36 after a 15-13 month. A mid-June sweep by the lowly Expos didn’t help matters. Boston has seen production from Russ Mesaros, who is in position to repeat as HR champ this season, though he looks more and more like a one dimensional hitter (a .537 SLG against a .317 OBP). Adam Andersen has also helped contribute to a solid offensive attack. But while Boston’s rotation had been solid early on, it suffered in June, with the back half taking the worst of it while Dave Wyatt regressed.

The rest of the Conference has struggled in a variety of ways; Ottawa’s pitching staff has utterly collapsed, with a D2-worst 5.44 ERA as a rotation and a bullpen that has essentially no reliable arms and has had to turn to a rookie with a .540 ERA to close games (that Bill Phelps won the D2 Rookie of the Month for that performance is more a statement on D2 rookies than anything else). Outside of a sweep of the Bees and a better - if not great - season by Bubba Fread, Montreal has had little to celebrate; while they played to a .500 clip over June, they ended the month on a 2-8 run including a sweep by Houston. The Zephrs were even worse, ending an atrocious 7-21 June that included a six game losing streak in the middle and an ongoing 7 game losing streak that could stretch into July. The only thing keeping fans coming to the park for New Orleans is the slow chase of Mike MacArtney, now just six hits away from becoming only the second NABF player to reach 3,000.

Division 2 West

Of all the Conferences in the Federation, none feels more over than the D2 West, where Vancouver has now built a ten game lead with a 51-23 record. The Mounties proved the first month plus was no fluke, as they ripped through the competition to the tune of a 21-7 month, opening it with a convincing 5-1 stretch against Detroit and Baltimore. The month belonged especially to LF Tony Hines, whose OPS+ of 192 paced the team as he hit .351/.417/.564 with four homers. John Witherspoon, whose strong April and May made him look like an early MVP candidate, has slumped, but Leo Rodriguez filled that gap ably with five homers and six doubles over the month. SP Matt Riddle was especially hot in June, going 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA and matching FIP, plus an amazing 12.3 K/BB ratio. Closer Matt Greene, too, had a strong month, and was named Pitcher of the Month with 13 saves and a 0.53 ERA. Vancouver is on pace for 106 wins, which would be among the highest totals in the Federation’s history.

Though they’ll unfortunately be an afterthought if Vancouver continues to play as they’ve been playing, the Houston Buffaloes are in the middle of one of their best seasons in recent memory, at 41-33. A remarkable 12-game win streak that stretched over two full weeks in late June propelled the club to a 17-11 month as Bill Vernon hit .344 with a .475 OBP and Doug Frey drove in 21. Houston’s pen continues to be one of the best in the Division, though the rotation had a bit of a hard-luck month. It would take a lot to get Houston their second ever Conference title, but this iteration of the team has the skills to do it.

Sacramento is the only other D2 West club with a winning record heading into July, at 38-36. Sacramento’s on-base and speed offense has been middling, and though they are second in D2 in OBP, first in steals, and in the top five in WAR and wOBA they’ve scored only 310 runs so far. Josh Argo continues to be the powerhouse of the rotation and was easily the club’s best starter this month, with a 2.77 FIP and 2.61 ERA over 38 innings of work.

After Sacramento, the conference bottoms out fast. San Diego lost 8 in a row early in June against the Bees, Mounties, and Buffaloes on the way to a 10-18 month. The Padres have had a strong run of pitching, still leading D2 in FIP, but they were hit by some bad luck this month that saw the ERA fall in the rotation. The bullpen remains a team strength, though they’ve had some trouble at closer since moving Joe Waybright into the rotation and then back out. Kansas City, too, has seen setbacks: early in the season Rhett Frew looked like a breakout candidate, but he hit a rough patch in June, going 0-4 with a 6.09 ERA. Mike Paul is contending for the batting title, but with a relatively low OBP and no power, his ability to carry a lineup is small. And then there’s Ft. Worth, whose utter collapse from last year’s championship continued with a 13-15 June. Joseph Kovacs - and to a lesser extent Kevin Matthews and Jesse Moeller - provided some offense, but not enough: the Cats still rank 10th in D2 in runs scored and 11th in wOBA. Ald outside of Alvaro Cabello, the rotation has struggled, though the return of Chris Schwinger from a hamstring injury could help stabilize it.

D2 Batter of the Month: Omar Juarez, 2B, Baltimore - .361/.423/.711, 9 HR, 25 RBI
D2 Pitcher of the Month: Matt Greene, CL, Vancouver - 13 SV, 0.53 ERA, 23 K
D2 Rookie of the Month: Bill Phelps, CL, Ottawa - 6 SV, 5.40 ERA, 12 K

Division 3 East

While Nashville has held on to its lead in the East, things tightened in June as the Sounds went 15-13 - a solid showing but not what they needed in order to separate themselves from the field. The headliner for Nashville was clearly SP Andres Orozco, who won Pitcher of the Month honors going 6-0 with a 0.98 ERA. But there’s ample evidence that Orozco was the luckiest pitcher in the Division: a .212 BABIP and only 28 Ks in 48 innings added up to a 4.14 FIP. The bullpen, from closer Isaiah Phelps on down, has been outstanding however, which gives Nashville’s rotation a bit of room. The best news for the Sounds is that Bobby Cook has started to heat up again, though, after a difficult spring: the former MVP hit .253/.372/.589 and knocked 7 homers to drive the offense.

Miami, meanwhile, crept a bit closer with an 18-10 record that included a convincing sweep of Salt Lake and a tightly contested series win over Nashville in the closing days of the month. Paul Herrin continues to push toward another Pitcher of the Year, having already collected 4.2 WAR with that impossible 1.38 ERA; the FIP is still higher at 2.53, but that just doubles down on how good Herrin has been. Add to that a 28.5% K rate and a .59 groundout rate and you have another stellar season by Herrin, who can reasonably lay claim to the title of best pitcher of his generation at this point. As always, though, Miami’s pitching hasn’t been the problem. The team continues to struggle with run production, and could really use a power bat - look for the club to try to add a corner OF instead of relying on Bill Ainsworth in left any longer.

At 41-33, Atlanta is still a factor, still seven games back though they’ve been leapfrogged by Miami. And Sam Stanton is still a contender to repeat as MVP, on pace for a 7.1 WAR season despite spending most of his time at DH - .317/.419/.572 with 17 homers at mid-year. Jeremy Figone is also enjoying a big age 27 season, with 16 homers and a .315/.370/.563 line. Atlanta’s staff has been second only to Miami’s, with a deep, workmanlike rotation that doesn’t have a lot of big names but has kept numbers off the board as well as almost anyone.

Memphis continues to hang around, but at this point they’re 10 games back and in fourth, so it would take some extraordinary shifts to propel them into contention. They’ll also need some rotation help: as good as Ron Ibach and Ian Weaver have been, the back end has been shaky to say the least, and Memphis’ bullpen isn’t deep enough to handle that abuse. 1B Eric Olsen has been a revelation, though, and should set a career high in homers this season rather easily, with 21 already.

The Spiders and Red Birds trail the rest of the conference, at 17 and 18 back respectively. But for Chris Colburn, the Spiders would be in even worse shape than they are: in his age 26 season the Californian has broken out with a .352/.402/.514, 148 wRC+ season and is the only real offensive threat on a team that has scored fewer runs than any other in D3. And while Cleveland’s pitching staff hasn’t been bad, it has been uneven, and the good arms - Keith Capwell and Tom Dwyer in particular - haven’t been good enough to equalize the underperformers. And as for Columbus, very little has gone right for the Red Birds this year: their best hitter has been Ricky Ponce, but he’s cooled off as the weather has warmed, with a .190/.254/.295 line in June. Beyond him there’s very little to work with in Columbus’ lineup, while Paul Doss has been the only effective pitcher on the staff - and he’s 1-4 due to low support.

Division 3 West

The D3 West continues to shape up as the Federation’s most entertaining conference, with three teams within a game of first and five within five. The Salt Lake Gulls have spent all season slightly ahead of the field, and are the only D3 West club with a better than even run differential, but their competition has been playing above their heads to keep things close.

The Gulls are where they are because of a powerhouse offense that has scored nearly 400 runs to this point, led by veteran 1B Nate Madden and young Ralph Keough, a complete hitter with speed and solid defense who seems like a future-of-the-franchise type player. Keough, 26, has already equaled his 4.4 WAR total from last season, and leads D3 in homers with 24 (tied for first in the NABF with two other players). Keough has hit a remarkable .327/.382/.705, and took June’s D3 Player of the Month running away. The biggest weakness for Salt Lake is the pitching, which is solidly in the bottom fourth of the Division in all categories. That’s despite ace Jose Fernandez’s fine season; while the groundballer hasn’t notched many strikeouts, he’s been effective, keeping the ball on the ground and avoiding walks. Beyond him, few Gulls hurlers have had much success, though they’ve been bailed out by the offense more often than not.

At the start of June, there were four teams a game back of Salt Lake; today there are just two, Austin and St. Paul. The Pioneers are about as divided a team as you can have, ranking very highly in all run prevention categories (1st in Zone Rating, 2nd in Defensive Efficiency, 2nd in FIP, 2nd in pitching WAR, etc) but ranking 11th in runs scored in D3. The bad news for Austin is that the pitching has slid somewhat in June, the result of ace Chris Parker tearing a muscle in his back; he will be out for the rest of the season, exposing a lack of depth at the back end of Austin’s rotation. An offense whose best contributor is RF Danny Loaiza (.305/.383/.442) isn’t going to pull them out of that, but at least for now Austin remains a contender.

St. Paul, at 38-36 like Austin, remains a team without any real stars or outstanding performances. They are almost impressively mediocre this year, but though they have allowed 30 more runs than they’ve scored, good luck has kept them in the chase. After a strong May, Kevin Walker has cooled, to the tune of a .250/.294/.444 June line, and though C Jason Pace has picked things up, St. Paul still lacks a lineup deep enough to consistently hang large numbers on the scoreboard.

San Francisco and Portland are hanging around, though each has a losing record to this point. San Francisco, the defending champs, are only four games back but at 35-39 and having allowed 31 more runs than they’ve scored it would take some significant improvement for them to make a move. The offense has been a particular issue, with 1B Paul Williamson out for the year after suffering a massive concussion. Portland is a game further back but has a slightly better run differential despite having no starters who have a better-than-average FIP, and only a couple of relievers who have been effective.

That leaves us with Calgary, now a full ten games behind Portland and in last place. Calgary’s record is worse than its performance - in fact, St. Paul, San Francisco, Portland, and Calgary all have expected records of 34-40. But Calgary has lost the close ones, and with the worst bullpen (and pitching staff generally) in D3, it’s not hard to understand why. Calgary has done well scoring runs, and is in the top five in the division in most offensive categories, but they’re on pace to allow over 800 runs on the season, and potentially threaten Salt Lake’s 2033 D3 record of 852.

D3 Batter of the Month: Ralph Keough, 2B, Salt Lake - .351/.402/.802, 13 HR, 28 RBI
D3 Pitcher of the Month: Andres Orozco, SP, Nashville - 6-0, 0.98 ERA, 28 K
D3 Rookie of the Month: Mahahiro Nakanishi, SP, Austin - 3-1, 2.22 ERA, 54 K

Division 4 East

The D4 East has been the weakest division in the Federation this season, entering June with just one team above .500 and, incredibly, none that have a run differential that’s above water.

At 38-36, Charlotte is at the head of a crowd of teams vying for the top spot as June turns to July. The Hornets have been led by Ernesto Gonzales and June Batter of the Month Jason McCollum, who homered 11 times with a .324/.388/.637 line. But while the offense has produced, Charlotte’s pitching continues to struggle, as only Mashiro Kawasaki provided above average innings for Charlotte in June. The elbow injury to Eddie Cruz, who had been one of Charlotte’s better starters, certainly won’t help going forward. And while the bullpen was marginally better this month, it still has a long way to go to make up for other deficiencies.

Below Charlotte are four teams all of whom are within three games of first. The Washington Senators gained a bit of ground with a 15-13 month, led by their rookies: young pitcher Danny Dana has impressed in his first eight starts, winning Rookie of the Month, while RF Ron Fazzio put up a .370/.431/.565 line. For 36-38 Indianapolis, meanwhile, Nate Mefford’s new strikeout record was one of the few highlights of an 11-17 month. Mefford, who notched his 3,500th strikeout on the 27th, has continued to pitch well despite some bad batted ball luck, and Aaron Cottrell has shown signs of righting the ship, but the offense has been lackluster, with only 2B Ken Clemons really producing in June.

Cincinnati and Pittsburgh jointly occupy fourth place, with matching 35-39 records. For Cincinnati, the best development of the month was Willie Rodriguez showing signs of rediscovering his electric, ace-level stuff. Rodriguez struck out over 30% of the batters he faced this month, pulling his season average up a decent margin, while posting an 83 FIP-. CF Tony Ruelas also contributed, getting on base at a .419 clip over the month for a 157 OPS+ as Cincinnati made a move, going 17-11 in June. Watch out also for 3B Jim Bray, who is on pace for a record 73 doubles this year. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, lost ground with a 12-16 June, with only LF Manny Rodriguez providing highlights.

But nothing can compare to the horrible month suffered by the Havana Sugar Kings. Havana won only eight games in June, at one point losing 13 straight, getting outscored 36-79 in that stretch. Jason Holt and Adam McKinney were effective on the mound, but with the sole exception of LF Phil Holdredge Havana’s entire lineup was average or well below in both OPS+ and wRC+. Havana, now 25-49, is 13 back in the D4 East.

Division 4 West

At the start of June, Phoenix looked to be on its way to a Conference title, and they may still be, but they’ll have to get over San Antonio first. The Missions ripped through June at 19-9 to take over first place. The Missions are a generally balanced team, with a strong offense built on patience, contact, and speed. Ron Golden drove the offense: the Missions’ only real power threat clocked five homers, a full half of what he’s hit all season. DH Matthew Smith and 1B Justin Gulden were also productive, though one has to imagine San Antonio might be looking for another power bat as we head toward the deadline. The rotation has been shaky all year, but June saw some distinct improvement as SP Bill Lorentz went 6-0 with a 2.91 ERA and 2.71 FIP to win Pitcher of the Month honors in D4. Justin Henson and Eduardo Fernandez helped stabilize the pitching as well, while an ace bullpen kept things quiet late. While there are warning signs - San Antonio is playing above its run differential while Phoenix is playing way, way below - the Missions have a shot at just the third Conference title in franchise history.

But the Firebirds remain the class of the Division: they have the top offense, have allowed the fewest runs, and can claim the most efficient defense of any D4 club. Essentially all of Phoenix’s lineup was above average in June, with RF Alex Riviera and 2B Matt Armstrong leading the way. But Phoenix’s real strength still lies in its pitching - both the rotation and bullpen have been the best in the Division all season. 40 year old closer Bob Paul is in the middle of one of his best relief seasons, striking out almost a third of the batters he faced while walking just 2.6 - only four batters, all season, have received free passes from Paul. Phoenix has a far, far better run differential than San Antonio, but is playing 6 games below its expected record after a tough 13-15 June: of those 15 losses, over a third were decided by a single run.

Both St. Louis and Milwaukee made major moves this month to pull within three and four games respectively of San Antonio. St. Louis went 16-12 in June, powered by a tremendous month from hometown her Juan de Santiago: the pride of St. Louis may be having a career year after an 8 HR June with a .293/.375/.586 line not long after signing a four year contract extension that will keep him playing with the team he grew up watching. And Milwaukee stormed to an 18-10 record over the month, with Adam Bridges and Pete Morin pacing a strong rotation that’s second only to Phoenix’s in runs allowed, while improving on offense behind RF Jason Lee’s .310/.361/.621, 5 homer June.

That leaves Las Vegas and Albuquerque, tied for fifth with 36-38 records. Albuquerque’s summer took a big hit, though, when Randy Ahern suffered a sprained ankle in the 15th; that injury will keep him sidelined for another several weeks. Ahern had been the brightest spot for Albuquerque, leading the league in batting, OBP, SLG, WAR, and a bunch of other offensive categories, and without him it’s easy to see Albuquerque slipping further into August. Las Vegas, meanwhile, continues to flounder, with a 12-16 record that brought them below .500.

D4 Batter of the Month: Jason McCollum, 1B, Charlotte - .324/.388/.639, 11 HR, 37
D4 Pitcher of the Month: Bill Lorentz, SP, San Antonio - 6-0, 2.91 ERA, 35 K
D4 Rookie of the Month: Danny Dana, SP, Washington - 3-1, 2.62 ERA, 19 K

[ArquimedezPozo]

Saints Walk Off into First Place in Independence Day Nailbiter

The Saint Paul Saints have claimed a share of first place with a dramatic, come from behind walk off victory over Columbus before a crowd of 35,000 at Target Field.

The fireworks on this July 4 started late, as the first four innings passed quickly for both clubs. Saints lefthander John McNayr was sharp, getting through three without a hit, allowing a baserunner on a hit by pitch in the second and a walk in the fourth. Columbus starter Brad Moss ran into trouble in the first, loading the bases on two walks and an error, but got the last two batters to escape. He set the Saints down 1-2-3 in the second and third, and allowed a lone single in the fourth.

McNayr blinked first when 1B Warren Lachance roped a double into the left-center gap to lead off the fifth. Jose Rodriguez drilled what looked like an RBI single, but the 2B Fitzpatrick gloved it and threw out the Red Birds 3B. Still, it got Lachance to third, and he scored on a bloop single from Justin Cole to draw first blood. Another hit batsman and a single scored Cole to make it 2-0 Columbus.

That’s where it stayed until the seventh. Moss was outstanding over six, allowing just that one hit while striking out six. He opened the seventh with another K, but then got into his first bit of trouble: Enrique Morales booted a routine grounder at short, and a single from 3B Travis Levis put men on the corners. Moss protested when the manager Blake came to get him, but relented, handing the ball over to Willie Aleman out of the pen. He watched from the dugout as Aleman gave up a single to score Routt from third, but pumped his fist when Fitzpatrick went down on strikes to end the inning.

A leadoff double went nowhere for Columbus in the eighth, but St. Paul tied it in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Brian Rosenblum - hitting for RF Danny Silvey - walked. When Motoi Honda grounded a ball into right, Rosenblum went over to third, and an Oscar Cota single sent him home.

Columbus came back to life in the ninth, though, and plated a run after two straight singles that put Enrique Morales on third with one out. LF Julio Pacheco grounded a ball slowly to second, and it gave Morales enough time to scoot home with the go ahead run.

Now in a last-ditch ninth, St. Paul got going quick: Danny Wilson lined a single past the shortstop, and Steve Mershon drove a double into left. The catcher Wilson thought it was going to be caught and hung back for a moment; that hesitation, plus his speed, gave the 3B coach reason to hold him at third, but he scored on the next pitch as Kevin Fitzpartrick singled him in to tie it up, bringing the nervous crowd to its feet.

Kevin Walker came to the plate next, and with a runner at third and only one out in a now-tied game the crowd sensed the possibilities. Walker took ball 1 as Kevin Fitzpatrick tried to draw an errant throw with a steal of second, but Centeno’s throw, though late, was taken in by Morales. Walker took ball 2 next, a borderline pitch. The third offering, though, was a good one, and Walker drilled it to center, medium deep - it was clearly staying in the park, but with a runner on third the crowd rose as one anyway. Lyndon Pretlow caught it on the run as Wilson tagged and took off. Pretlow gunned it, and as Wilson barreled in, Centeno took it in off the hop. He whirled, and just got the tag down before Wilson’s foot crossed the plate - inning over, as the crowd deflated.

It only got worse for the home crowd in the 10th. Pat Pipkin relieved McNayr, and though he opened with a strikeout of Chris Bishop he then hit Ricky Ponce, who took second on a fielder’s choice. With two outs, the Red Birds sent switch hitter Fred Burdette up to hit, but St. Paul walked him to face light-hitting Justin Cole. This proved to be a mistake: Cole knocked a 1-0 pitch into the RF corner for a triple, scoring both runners. Morales grounded out, but the damage was done, and St. Paul needed a big inning to stay alive.

Josh Martinez came out of the pen for the Red Birds - a choice that Columbus fans likely second-guessed immediately, as the righthander has been one of the club’s worst pen arms since coming to the club at the start of the month. He proved them right fast, as he hit Honda with an 0-2 fastball, then gave up an RBI triple to Tony Cruz. Suddenly the Saints had a chance, with the tying run on third and on one out. Travis Levis tied the game up with a sac fly - no out at home this time - and the crowd stayed on its feet for the rest: a walk to Joe Sessa, a fly out by Steve Mershon, a Kevin Fitzpatrick single, a free pass to Kevin Walker. With the bases now loaded, and two down, Alfredo Martinez came to the plate. He took a strike on the outside corner - the crowd groaned all together - and then delivered: a sharp single that just eluded the glove of Enrique Morales and rolled into left as Honda crossed the plate arms raised, into a swarm of his teammates. An up and down game ended with an improbable comeback to put the Saints into a tie with Salt Lake for first place in the D3 West.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Blanche K’s 14, Closes in on Record as Brooklyn Downs Monterrey 6-2

For years, a mystery has surrounded Division 1: why, among teams at the highest level of competition in the Federation, are strikeout levels so low? The all-time single-season strikeout record, of course, belongs to Chicago’s Jarrod Scott, who dropped 333 batters in 2020, when the Whales were in D2. Nate Mefford’s D3 mark of 314 was set in 2029, and while Mefford is currently on pace to break the D4 record as well, it is currently held by Jon Sayre who K’d 278 last season with Phoenix. But in Division 1, the record is just 209. It was set by Jason Blanche in 2031. The second highest D1 total now also belongs to Blanche, at 206 - his current total, in July of this season. Blanche is likely one start away from blowing away his own single season strikeout record, and is on pace to do the same to Scott’s all-time mark: the Dodger ace is on pace for an astounding 378 strikeouts in 2038.

The lefthanded Blanche allowed a leadoff double to Nelson Abad in the first, but Abad reached for third and git snuffed out there by CF Jose Vega’s perfect throw. Blanche dropped the next two batters on strikes, and the Dodgers took over in the bottom half, following a leadoff Noah Cavaliere single with a triple by Gary Murray and a single by Prince - the Dodgers put two on the board without recording an out. A Dane Best fly out marred the streak, but Jose Vega and Erminio Rizzo singled to load the bases. With two outs, Nate McHenry doubled, plating two. The Dodgers missed their chance to bat around in the first as C Craig Gordon grounded out, but they’d scored the only runs they’d need all game.

Blanche cut through Monterrey, striking out Chase Maze and retiring Greg Allen and Jim Robins in the second. He ran into trouble in the third as Tyler Duncan hit the first pitch he saw for a one out double; that was followed by a walk and a ball that got over Vega’s head for an RBI double by Abad (his second two-bagger of the game). A sac fly by Burditt scored a second run, and that was it for Monterrey in the inning.

Brooklyn plated another run in the 6th, after a strange two out rally that included a hit by pitch, a single, a walk, and a wild pitch with Carson Prince at the plate, but Brooklyn didn’t need it, because Monterrey wouldn’t score again.

Blanche allowed just two more hits the rest of the way - a 6th inning single by Cavaliere and an 8th inning double by Jim Robins - and walked one, while two batters reached via error. But these were spread out, and Blanche did his best to remove any other possibilities as he struck out batter after batter. He struck out the side in the 5th, and K’d two in two other innings. He completed the game, notching 14 strikeouts for his ninth win. The victory dropped his ERA to 2.44, with a nearly identical 2.43 FIP and 2.40 SIERA. And with 206 strikeouts, Blanche is now poised to crack an 18 year old record and finally put D1 strikeout totals on the map - the Federation will watch as he takes a shot at the all-time mark.

[ArquimedezPozo]

MacArtney 3,000! The Canadian Great Joins Exclusive Club in Front of Exuberant Montreal Crowd as Expos Win 2-4

New Orleans' Mike MacArtney may have been playing on the road, but as he stood before a roaring Montreal crowd just after twilight, his cap waving above his head, he couldn’t have felt more at home. The Ontario native has joined Bobby Usry - himself a former Zephyr - as the only two NABF players to ever reach the 3,000 hit milestone.

MacArtney’s hit, his only of the contest, came as part of a Zephyr rally which fell short in the eighth as Montreal claimed victory in the contest 4-2.

For the Zephyrs, now firmly entrenched in last place in the D2 East, the question of MacArtney’s hit was the closest thing to drama there was. His 2,999th and 2,998th had come of the previous two nights, but the aging CF had gone through prolonged slumps already this season so there remained a question. He flew out in the first as the Expos’ knuckleballer Joe Fuller worked around a Robert Zermeno single; Fuller then completed a 1-2-3 second before allowing another lone single to Edie Easter in the third.

The Expos got to New Orleans starter Wayne Acton early in the third, with a leadoff single from Grady Twaddle and another on its heels from Ed Marlow. A walk to Max Fuhrman loaded the bases, and Josh Hinthorne rapped a ball to second, scoring Twaddle on a fielder’s choice that nabbed Fuhrman at second. Another groundout scored Marlow to make it 2-0 Montreal.

MacArtney popped the ball to short to lead off another 1-2-3 inning for Fuller in the fifth, and Montreal went back to work, scoring two on a Twaddle triple to make it 4-0 Expos.

That’s where it would stand for several innings. Fuller’s knuckler was dancing, and he didn’t allow a hit in the 5th, 6th, or 7th, getting MacArtney on a grounder to first to end the sixth. For his part, Acton held Montreal scoreless as well, though he had to work around baserunners in all three innings. Though MacArtney would get another chance in the ballgame, it would possibly be his last.

The eighth began with a bang as Larry Troia drilled Acton’s first pitch deep over the wall in left center to finally put New Orleans on the board. As the sun set in Montreal, though, Edwin Belman popped up, and Bryan Payne flew out. When Jeremy Viele grounded the ball to short it looked like MacArtney would have to wait until the ninth, but the shortstop Marlow flubbed it, and Viele reached. He was neatly picked off by Fuller, but dove back in safely, and on the next pitch MacArtney roped a ball up the middle. It touched down in shallow center field as the scoreboard lit up and MacArtney’s fellow Canadians rose as one to shower their countryman with applause. The game paused for several minutes as the Federation commissioner presented MacArtney with a commemorative plaque.

When the game resumed, it looked like New Orleans might make a contest of it: Robert Sermeno singled to score Viele and move MacArtney to second. But the go-ahead run struck out, as Kyle Hickenbottom flailed at another Fuller knuckler to end the threat. Jimmy DeNardis relieved Fuller in the ninth, and though the Zephyrs threatened again putting runners on first and third with two down, Bryan Payne ended it with a floating liner right at RF Jarrod Vega, to give the Expos their 37th win of the season, and the Zephyrs their 52nd loss.

[catcherjul]

Very nice idea!! Would it be possible for you to upload it in the mod section? I think a lot of people would be interested to try it. Seems very nice to play

[ArquimedezPozo]

Originally Posted by catcherjul

Very nice idea!! Would it be possible for you to upload it in the mod section? I think a lot of people would be interested to try it. Seems very nice to play

I unfortunately didn't save this as a quickstart when I created it. I could make a copy, advance to the offseason, and create it at that point though - I'll look into it. Thanks!

[ArquimedezPozo]

Rosters and Box Scores for all four NABF All Star Games

[ArquimedezPozo]

Like an idiot, I failed to save after July 1, and had the kind of week where I let my computer shut itself down without saving at all. So everything since the June Update is wiped. I simmed up to where I was post-ASB, and since Mike MacArtney still got his 3,000th hit (though under different circumstances) I'm just going to leave the above up and go on from there. Also going to change my auto-save to daily...

[ArquimedezPozo]

I'm so irritated at myself right now - Jason Blanche had been in the middle of an incredible run in July, building a 12 game 10+ K streak that stretched back to May while basically being untouchable in the save that got lost. The new July saw him go five starts without a single 10K game, lose a couple, and actually fall behind a teammate in the single-season K chase. He was in the middle of what might have been the greatest pitching season in this history, and now who knows.

[ArquimedezPozo]

As a result of the lost save, the two games above were wiped out. Jason Blanche had been having an incredible month, but in the new run through it was more mundane and may cost him the all-time NABF K record; Mike MacArtney, meanwhile, did break the 3,000 hit plateau, and did so much much earlier, in a two hit game against the Padres on July 5. Some standings changes did occur, but they weren’t ones that I had referenced above, so no corrections are needed there.

Division 1 East

The biggest story in D1 East is the rise of the strikeout. K’s are up all over the Division, and it’s unclear why, but the effect has been especially pronounced in the East. Division 1 has always been a strangely low-strikeout division, so perhaps this is simply a long-overdue correction, but it’s certainly dramatic.

Coming into 2038, the single game strikeout record in D1 was 15, set by John Belhumeur in 2030; as of the end of July, there have been four additional 15 K games, three 16 K games, a 17 K game, and a new NABF record 18 K performance. It stands to reason, then, that the all-time single season D1 mark of 209, set by Jason Blanche in 2031, has also been eclipsed - more than once.

Entering the month, it was clear that the record would go, as Jason Blanche himself entered the July on a tear, just 28 away from #210. But teammate Matt O’Brien was on his own run, and was not far behind at 167. Blanche broke a seven game streak of double digit strikeout games with two straight 9 K outings on July 3 and July 9, then had Brooklyn fans holding their breath as he left a game against Toronto in the first with what turned out to be a mild blister. All of that gave O’Brien an opening, and he seized it. On July 10, O’Brien set down a startling 18 Industriales in front of a packed Ebbets crowd, setting the new single game record. He pulled ahead of Blanche in his next start. Then, finally, on July 23, Matt O’Brien eclipsed Blanche’s 2031 season with his 210th strikeout; he enters August as the all-time single season D1 record holder with 224, though Blanche is just behind him. So too, suddenly, is Seattle’s Jeff Baltimore with 212. All three are potentially in position to threaten Jarrod Scott’s all-time NABF single season mark of 333. If any succeed, it would mean that the three great strikeout marks in NABF history - the single-game record, Scott’s single season record, and Malcolm Bush’s all-time career record - could fall in the same season.

But as exciting as things are in Brooklyn right now, New York’s lead isn’t going anywhere, as the Giants remain 10 games up on the division, 30 games over .500. The club went 16-10 over July, with the biggest highlight coming from free agent acquisition Jon Sayre, whose output finally began to match his peripherals. Sayre got off to a rough start but improved in June, and continued at an elite level in July: a 62 FIP- and 2.63 SIERA speak to that effectiveness. His turnaround, along with strong contributions by SP Josh Dent and a rapidly improving bullpen, have helped New York cover for a slight offensive dip: they’re now averaging 5.7 runs a game, no longer on pace for a record-shattering 900.

Brooklyn’s 16-10 run in July was fueled in part by the heroics of O’Brien and Blanche, but also by the joint batting heroics of Carson Prince (.295/.358/.600) and D1 HR leader Dane Best (.286/.369/.538). Though they’ve kept pace with New York, the month was good enough to sneak them into second place. That’s in part due to Tampa’s reversal of fortune, dropping 16 of 26 over the month despite strong offensive production. Tampa’s pitching ran into a brick wall this month, as the back end of the rotation was pulled apart time and time again; the Tarpons are now 54-46, just a game behind Brooklyn but trending in the wrong direction. Philadelphia and Chicago lag behind at 49-51, while Toronto sits 25 games back despite a resurgent season from CF Benni Phillips. Look for Philadelphia to drop, as they did some selling at the deadline, headlined by a trade that sent SP Ryan Ratliff to the Whales for a solid 1B prospect in Roger Agosto.

Division 1 West

This is shaping up to be the best race of them all, as the lead has shifted again and again between the Steelheads, Sun Kings, and Angels.

This was Seattle’s month, as the young club won 18 of 26 to seize first place away from El Paso. Hector Razo continues to build a case for the best pitcher outside Kings County NY, but the leading hurler on the squad in July was Jeff Baltimore, whose 6-0, 1.61 ERA month, in which he struck out 60 in just 43 innings, was enough to earn him Pitcher of the Month and propel him into the great strikeout race - and possibly the Pitcher of the Year discussion himself. Young catcher Roger Alvarado, who many picked as a likely D1 Rookie of the Year coming in, hit another level in July smacking ten homers with a staggering 1.246 OPS to win Rookie of the Month for the first time, and international signing Ki-chun Moon also began delivering on his promise with a .308/.336/.635 line and nine homers. Mike Hood, too, keeps quietly adding to a dark-horse MVP campaign. Seattle appears to be for real.

El Paso’s respectable 15-11 showing in July dropped them to second place, but in this wild Conference that hasn’t meant much yet. Brian Castrovinci continues to top MVP predictions in a massive breakout season, winning his second Batter of the Month with a .316/.427/.633, 8 homer stretch that has him competing for the Triple Crown. SP John Belhumeur has had a little of Brooklyn’s strikeout magic dust onto him as well, as his K rate has skyrocketed; he now has 159 on the season, already his career high.

The third contender in the conference, Los Angeles, held their own in July despite being hobbled by injury. The club has lost Bobby Hardy and Nick Book from their rotation, along with closer Nick Memic, but they remain four games out and a streak away from first. Monterrey, too, keeps hanging around at 7 back, with RF Greg Allen carrying a damaged offense. Monterrey has had injuries in its rotation as well, which has led to a backslide, and while the bullpen has been outstanding they haven’t had much to protect. Chase Maze has continued his tough year as well, which has taken a lot of wind from the sails.

Denver had been looking at a decent month until they lost nine straight coming out of the All-Star break; Donovan Bryant is just three behind the pace in the HR race, but Denver doesn’t have much more to cheer. That’s better than Tijuana can say, though: at 33-69, they’re the worst team in D1 and are hurtling toward their first-ever last place finish.

D1 Batter of the Month: Brian Castrovinci, 1B, El Paso - .316/.427/.633, 8 HR, 24 RBI
D1 Pitcher of the Month: Jeff Baltimore, SP, Seattle - 6-0, 1.61 ERA, 60 K
D1 Rookie of the Month: Roger Alvarado, C, Seattle - .343/.395/.851, 10 HR, 21 RBI

Division 2 East

Could we be witnessing the rise of a new Terrapins dynasty? Omar Juarez says yes, as he continues his amazing season. The superstar 2B had yet another outstanding month (though his worst of the season), hitting .350/.416/.660 with 7 homers to bring his season line to .357/.433/.660 with 26 homers, a .461 wOBA, and a 204 wRC+. Juarez’s 100.4 RC are far and away the most of any batter in D2, and he sure seems like a unanimous MVP pick right now. The deep Baltimore lineup has scored the most runs in D2, though the club did take a hit mid-month when young star CF Wayne Richard went down with a forearm injury that will keep him out for a few more weeks. And starter Randy Putnam may be putting up his best career year for Baltimore, in the running for what would be his second Pitcher of the Year.

Boston has also made a major move this month, gaining on everyone with a 17-9 run that included back-to-back series wins over Baltimore and Detroit. Russ Mesaros has become a fairly one-dimensional player, but that dimension is homers; the Bees are a little light on table-setters and on-base guys, though, and could improve in that department. And while Dave Wyatt and Jorge Ortiz have been holding the rotation up, Boston could certainly use another starter.

Detroit took the biggest fall of the Conference contenders, winning just ten games in July as the offense collapsed. Other than Ali Brown, who had a bounce-back month, few Stars did much with the bat; five of the starting nine had an OPS+ under 75 on the month, contributing to the woeful run scoring. Things are better in the rotation due largely to Zack Root, who continues to dominate in his first D2 season, but the bullpen has given up too many late wins for Detroit to handle.

That leaves Ottawa, New Orleans, and Montreal to fight for table scraps in the East. Robert Zermeno continues to produce, but he’s just about the only thing going right for the 43-59 Zephyrs now that the glow from Mike MacArtney’s 3,000th hit has faded. In Montreal, young
Jordan Burford has been sensational in the rotation while Bubba Fread has had a good if not great season, but instability throughout the rotation and bullpen have given the Expos middling results, made worse by the powerless offense.

Division 2 West

It’s looking increasingly like we can put a pin in this one, as Vancouver extended its lead in the Conference further: the Mounties have the best record in the NABF at 68-34, having won an even ⅔ of their games. They sit 13 games over the Buffaloes, with the three-headed monster of Tony Hines, John Witherspoon, and Leo Rodriguez scoring runs in front of a lock-down pitching staff that has admittedly benefited from some luck, but has been deeply effective nevertheless. Rich Buxkemper in particular has been a true surprise - after years as a relief arm or back-end rotation filler, the 35 year old veteran is now 10-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 86 FIP-, in the conversation for year end hardware.

After Vancouver is Houston, and after them not much. The Buffaloes are 55-47 behind the strong offensive production of Bill Tucker, and recent rotation adjustments (most notably removing Tyler Wilson and Dennis Herring from the rotation in favor of younger options such as Nate Blomdahl) show promise. Realistically, Houston can’t catch Vancouver without a major drop north of the border, but they’re holding their own.

Outside of the top two, the biggest story of July was a resurgent month from Kansas City ace Rhett Frew, whose abysmal June had fans worried. Frew righted the ship and then some in July, winning Pitcher of the Month honors and striking out an incredible 65 hitters in 45 innings - over 36% of batters faced. Frew has been the only positive for a struggling Kansas City club, which sits 25 games back in fifth place; above them are the Solons and Padres, and below lie only the sad Ft. Worth Cats, memories of their 2037 championship long faded.

D2 Batter of the Month: Roberto Zermeno, 1B, New Orleans - .340/.394/.760, 13 HR, 30 RBI
D2 Pitcher of the Month: Rhett Frew, SP, Kansas City - 3-1, 1.18 ERA, 65 K
D2 Rookie of the Month: Jordan Burford, SP, Montreal - 3-1, 0.74 ERA, 33 K

Division 3 East

For much of the season, Miami held the conference’s best run differential but remained on the outside looking in as Nashville kept afloat at the top. Things have righted themselves, however, as Nashville’s surge in July, going 18-8 while outscoring opponents 149-102, kept them atop the W/L leaderboard and brought them into the top spot in run differential as well at +111. They are still playing four games above their expected record, however, with a strong offense backed by a pitching staff that’s something of a mirage. No one exemplifies that better than Andres Orozco, whose 14-1 record and 1.78 ERA are tops in the Division despite a more pedestrian 3.73 FIP. Isaiah Phelps has been a guarantee at the back end of the pen, however: Phelps went the entirety of July without allowing a run and is riding a 25 inning, 22 game scoreless streak that stretches back into mid-June.

The pitcher who has really set the pace in D3 is Paul Herrin, whose Amigos are at +81 in terms of run differential and only two games behind Nashville in expected W/L. The problem for Miami is that they are ten games behind Nashville in actual W/L, and in third place, despite Herrin’s continued brilliance. In between Nashville and Miami are the Atlanta Crackers and Sam Stanton, who is enjoying a good if not great year. Atlanta has a huge gap between their starters and bullpen, too - a deficiency they at least attempted to address by picking up RP Sergio Franco from Philly at the deadline.

Memphis has an even 50-50 record in large part due to Eric Olson and Ian Weaver; the Blues’ two major stars have kept an otherwise unremarkable team from sinking further. Olson has been among the Division’s most complete offensive players, hitting .312/.360/.583 with 28 homers, while Weaver - often overlooked in a division with other excellent starters - has become a dependable and high-quality workhorse, with 170 innings under his belt and an 87 FIP-. Cleveland and Columbus take up the rear, with Columbus in danger of risking relegation after a fifth place finish last year and a last place, .392 winning percentage to this point in 2038.

Division 3 West

D3W continues to confound, as the team with the clear advantage - the Salt Lake Gulls, with the Conference’s only positive run differential and a startlingly good offense - is still mired in second place. The Gulls suffered a major blow in the last week, as Nate Madden, who was on his way to an incredible career year at age 36, partially tore his labrum and will be out until at least mid-September. Madden had been hitting .349/.416/.627 with 22 homers at the time of the injury. Salt Lake still has Ralph Keough, who now takes over as a prime MVP candidate, but Madden’s loss will make it even harder for Salt Lake to convert its offensive excellence into success in the standings.

The current D3 West leader is St. Paul, eight games above .500 despite a 50-52 expected record. St. Paul was 16-10 over the month, led by Batter of the Month Alfredo Martinez and his .354/.394/.711, 11 homer month and by rookie starter Jerry Dudek, who seems to have already established himself as the team ace at age 23. Dudek took Rookie of the Month honors with 49 strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA over five starts and 38 innings in July. The rest of St. Paul’s roster hasn’t been playing at a championship pace, and it’s hard to see the club maintain this level the rest of the way, but they’ve built a four game lead while Salt Lake continues to flounder.

The last nail in Austin’s coffin likely got hammered in when ace Chris Parker went down in late May, but the Pioneers have hung around, and despite a losing record are still just 5 games out. Leadoff hitter Danny Loaiza has been doing his best to keep them in it, at .301/.368/.457 with a D3-best 16 steals, though his SB rate is a poor 64%. And Austin’s rotation remains solid with Masahiro Nakanishi stepping into the #1 slot and winning 12, but the back end has seen some instability. San Francisco, too, has stuck around and is tied with Austin for third place; by run differential, at least, the Seals have been the conference’s second best team, though their offensive attack leaves much to be desired.

Portland, meanwhile, had a brutal start to the month, going 5-12 before the All-Star break. But the rest did them good, and after dropping the first post-ASB game to Cleveland in a 7-0 shutout, the Beavers have ripped off eight straight wins, including a sweep of Salt Lake. The club remains well out of first with no meaningful offense and an overworked bullpen, but they should be able to stay out of the basement. That’s also due to the continued struggles in Calgary, whose 38-62 record is among the worst in the Federation.

D3 Batter of the Month: Alfredo Martinez, 1B, St. Paul - .354/.394/.781, 11 HR, 29 RBI
D3 Pitcher of the Month: Isaiah Phelps, CL, Nashville - 9 SV, 0.00 ERA, 20 K
D3 Rookie of the Month: Jerry Dudek, SP, St. Paul - 4-1, 2.35 ERA, 49 K

Division 4 East

The D4 East continues to be the weakest conference in the NABF this year, but something is stirring in Pittsburgh: the Crawfords have risen to the top of the standings with a 16-10 month that has put them a game up on both Washington and Columbus. Pittsburgh, rather famously, is the only NABF team that has never seen postseason play, and the excitement is palpable as PNC Park is suddenly at capacity nightly. Young 3B Nick Nissen has led the offense to its biggest month, hitting .360 with a .573 slug while Manny Rodriguez continues to excel. But the pitching has led for Pittsburgh, as Ryan Goldy, Karunamaya Nema, and SP/2B Gary Stophel have all pitched brilliantly for the Crawfords. This will be an exciting story to watch as the season’s last two months unfold.

Three clubs hang just behind Pittsburgh: the Senators and Hornets are both a game back, with 50-50 records. Washington has made some moves to try to take advantage in a weak conference, bulking up its rotation by getting Nate Ney from Philly’s firesale and groundballer Tyler Welsh from Sacramento. This has allowed the Senators to shift arms in their division-worst bullpen as well. And in Charlotte, after a down month Ernesto Gonzales roared back to hit an incredible .431 in July, adding 14 doubles and a .473 OBP; his .356 average would be third-best in D4 history if the season ended today, and another month like this could put him in position to threaten Bobby Usry’s NABF-best mark.

Indianapolis, however, continues to suffer through a disappointing season. Aaron Cottrell has been a shadow of his 2037 self, and sits at 6-10 with a 4.26 ERA that is the product of some regression and some bad luck - his .335 BABIP is high, but then he won a Pitcher of the Year and MVP last year with a .310. Jason Stanfill and Nate Mefford - now the all-time K leader with 3,551 and counting - have kept Indy in it, however, despite a typically weak Clowns offense.

Cincinnati’s pitching also remains its strength, with Willie Rodriguez ripping through June with a 52 FIP- while striking out 34% of the batters he faced. Rookie of the Month Jay Basinger has also seen some success. But Cincinnati has struggled to score runs all season, and nothing they did at the deadline will come close to addressing that issue.

And that leaves Havana, mired at 37-65, sixteen games out of first, with no hope on the horizon: OSA ranks Havana’s farm system as the worst in the Division.

Division 4 West

San Antonio, the only team that has never escaped D4, is now the team to beat in the West, and maybe in all of D4 itself - at 59-42, they have a better record than anyone else in the Division, and lead with 493 runs scored courtesy of a lineup that has seen above average production from nearly every position. LF Sukehiro Sakamoto had a stellar month to help keep San Antonio on top, while an improved rotation and the addition of RP Manny Saenz have given the club badly needed run prevention.

Milwaukee continues to hang around second place with the Division’s best pitching staff, top to bottom, though, and while they lag on offense D4 is not a heavy offense league - Milwaukee is absolutely a threat here, especially if Jamie Ibarra has turned a corner as he appeared to in July. Pete Morin is still the rock of the rotation, but this crew can pitch, and in a tight race that might get them over.

Tied at 55-45, the Firebirds and Browns are on the outside looking in, but are still very much alive. You could argue that Phoenix remains a favorite, as the club has a top two offense and the best staff FIP in the division, though they’ve underperformed. At just four games back, it wouldn’t take much to put them back on top, though, especially if young ace Kerry Chumley keeps pitching the way he did in July - 5-1, 2.23 ERA, and a 79 FIP-. Bob Paul has been unreal as well, putting up one of his three best relief seasons despite turning 40 before the season began. The offense keeps cranking, too, behind Pitcher of the Month Fred Levang, who hit .389/.511/.750 over 21 July games at DH. The Browns, by contrast, have been solid but unremarkable; it’s hard to imagine that they’ll end the season even with or ahead of Phoenix. The bullpen has been the biggest bright spot, as Xavier Mayes could be looking at a Reliever of the Year award with 28 saves, a K rate of over 33%, and an insane GB ratio of 65% to go along with his 37 FIP-.

That leaves Vegas and Albuquerque to, ahem, Duke it out over last place. The clubs enter August tied with 46-54 records.

D4 Batter of the Month: Fred Levang, 2B, Phoenix - .389/.511/.750, 5 HR, 21 R
D4 Pitcher of the Month: Kerry Chumley, SP, Phoenix - 5-1. 2.23 ERA, 39 K
D4 Rookie of the Month: Jay Basinger, SP, Cincinnati - 3-1, 1.41 ERA, 38 K

[ArquimedezPozo]

Carabello Sensational as Cats Down Padres 7-0 in San Diego

Alvaro Carabello always seems to save something special for San Diego. The last time he pitched in this park, he smothered the Padres in a complete game, 2 hit shutout. This time, it was a three-hitter, over 8 and a third. Either way, there’s something about that southern California breeze that Carabello loves.

The Cats did all their scoring between the third and the seventh in this one, mostly against Malachi Moore. Moore has had an otherwise strong season, but wildness killed him early here: the first Cats run came in the third as Moore allowed a single to leadoff hitter Aaron Hylton, then walked Russ Michael, Yukinobu Hasegawa, and Jesse Moeller to force in a run. Then in the fourth, he hit Joseph Kovacs and then gave up a two run bomb to David McNamara.

He didn’t walk or hit another batter for the rest of the game, but batters hit him: a single and a Moeller triple in the 5th made it 4-0 Ft. Worth, and another 2 run bomb - this one by Michael - made it 6-0 in the sixth. That ended Moore’s night, but the Cats had one more in them, as Kovach singled home Hasegawa, who doubled to lead off the inning, completing the scoring at 7-0.

That was far more than Carabello ever needed. The Curaçaoan dropped San Diego on seven pitches in the first, worked around a single in the second, and survived a hitless third with three marathon at bats. He got outs every which way early, but then picked up the strikeout pace late, striking out the side in the eighth and ending his night by getting Evan Page on a filthy 3-2 curve that fell over the plate as Page watched it go. On that high note, Jon Diaz came in to set the final two outs down on K’s and end an easy day at the beach for Ft. Worth.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Going Streaking: Hahn Shines as Pittsburgh Wins Tenth Straight, Pulls Six Games Up in Conference

Pittsburgh fans are pinching themselves right now, as their club - the woeful, never-ran Crawfords, the only team in the Federation to never win a Conference title - have won their tenth straight, blanking the West-leading Missions 3-0 in a possible D4 Championship preview.

Matt Hahn was spectacular here, going the distance in a complete game five-hit shutout over San Antonio in which he struck out twelve, a season high.

Hahn carried a no-hitter into the fourth, the only blemish an error in the second by Ricky Lopez that put Mission SS Alex Gonzalez on first. But other than that, Hahn was dealing, with six strikeouts over those first four innings.

The no-hit bid ended with a double by Morgan Teeple to open the fifth, but Hahn stranded him there; another baserunner was left at second in the sixth after a single and sac bunt. Hahn cut through Teeple, Gonzalez, and Ron Golden in the seventh with two Ks.

For the first six frames, Bill Lorentz stuck right with Hahn, allowing no runs on just two hits (including a two-out triple to Manny Rodriguez in the first) while striking out four. The Crawford bats opened up a bit in the seventh though, as Rodriguez singled to start the inning, and with one out RF Ben Floyd homered down the RF line to give Pittsburgh the only lead they’d need.

Not that the rest went smoothly for Hahn and Pittsburgh. In the eighth, two men reached when Gulden walked on four straight and Jesus Rivas singled to put men on first and second, but Hahn got Sakamoto on strikes to end the threat. Pittsburgh added another on back to back doubles by Bryan Knowles and Ricky Lopez, which came on consecutive pitches; Lopez’s - a rope that just touched down on the fair side of the line in right, was greeted with the biggest cheer of the night as it gave the hometown crew a 3-0 lead heading into the ninth.

It would be fair to question Gene Railsback’s decision to leave Hahn in for the ninth, with a ready Carlos Hernandez in the pen; Hernandez, after all, has been stellar this year, allowing just three (three!) earned runs, two of which came in the same game. But Hahn came out for the ninth and got a quick out before surrendering a single to Teeple. Railsback probably should have lifted him then, too, and certainly after Alex Gonzalez singled himself to bring the tying run to the plate. But the manager stuck with his ace, and Hahn delivered: Ron Golden looked at a fastball at the knees on the outside corner for strike three, and pinch hitter James Bordello swung at the first offering and lofted it high and easy to Knowles in center to secure Pittsburgh’s tenth straight victory.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Casselman Puts A Pin in Champions, Wins 2-1

The sellout crowd at Ottawa’s RCGT Ballpark saw an outstanding pitching performance from James Devanney go for naught today, as Nick Casselman and the Terrapins eked out a 2-1 victory for their 70th win of the season. The victory keeps Baltimore ahead of a surging Detroit club, while Ottawa remains firmly in the Conference’s vast middle.

Though the result was a tight pitcher’s duel, it looked at first like Baltimore was going to open things up. Jimmy Stroud led off with a triple, and Tony Posada drove him in with a sacrifice fly to put Baltimore ahead before Devanney had recorded his second out. But Devanney got likely MVP Omar Juarez to ground to short, and Nick Green popped to end it.

While Casselman put up zeros, Devanney ran into more trouble in the third. Another triple, this one by CF Jimmy Stroud, set up a two-out scoring chance. Posada delivered an RBI double into the right-center gap to make it 2-0 Baltimore.

Ottawa struck back in the fourth: Omar Arredondo singled with one out, bringing John Pickett to the plate. Pickett battled, running the count full and fouling a couple off before driving the eighth pitch from Casselman all the way to the wall. It one-hopped and took a strange bounce, squirting past Jimmy Stroud in center. Arredondo scored, and Pickett slid safely into third with a triple of his own, tying it up.

From that point forward, Casselman and Devanney worked through jams. The fifth was clean for both pitchers, but baserunners marred the next two - hits, walks, hit batsmen, error, even a wild pitch. In each case, though, the scoreboard remained the same.

Casselman was pulled with the lead after the seventh, replaced by Justin Wiggins, with the closer Eric Cool getting the night off. Wiggins nearly let the lead slip away in the eighth, as Paul Street singled into center then took second on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly from Noah Roberts put him on third with two down for Arredondo, again. The Ottawa 2B hit Wiggins’ 2-2 offering hard, a bullet to the right side. But Juarez slid, stabbed it, and tossed to first to save a run and end the threat.

Though Devanney finished the ninth without incident, Ottawa couldn’t get things going against Wiggins: Pickett walked, and went to second on a groundout, but stayed there as Danny Cervantes lifted a shallow fly to right that ended it.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Hornets Close In on Conference Lead With Wild Win In Albuquerque

The Charlotte Hornets are closing out August on a high note: with one game remaining before the calendar flips to September, the Hornets have won eight of their last ten to pull within two games of the struggling Crawfords. Sunday night’s game was the wildest of that stretch, as Charlotte and Albuquerque slugged each other all night, ending with a 14-9 Hornet victory in a game that featured three walks, five wild pitches, and a passed ball.

Charlotte struck first with a two-out rally that plated three. Ernesto Gonzales - 3-5 on the night to raise his D4-best average to .349 - singled with two down in the first. Jose Nunez followed up with another base hit, and Gonzales slid safely into third, coming home on a liner by Javier Hernandez that touched down in left for another single. Josh Elliott capped the inning with an epic at bat, fouling off the first three pitches he saw to go down 0-2, then taking three straight close ones from Renato Cantimori before fouling off three more in a full count. The tenth pitch was the one, though: a fastball that missed its spot and wound up right over the plate at the knees. Elliott drilled it on a line, down into the right field corner, and came in to second standing as two runs scored to give Charlotte an early 3-0 lead.

Albuquerque got one back in the second off Jaden Jorgensen, though the rally probably could have gone further. Tim Plante singled to lead off, and Jorgensen walked Travis Winder, then uncorked a wild one on the first pitch he threw to Stuart McKenzie, giving the Dukes a no-out, second and third scoring opportunity. McKenzie delivered a hit into left-center, but it was a shallow bloop and only Plante came around. Tommy Peterson flew out, but not deep enough to bring in the slow Winder. With light-hitting catcher Roger Heskett at the plate, McKenzie tried to take second but was cut down to end the inning.

Charlotte seized another opportunity in the third, as Gonzales once again got things moving with a base hit to right. He stole second while Javier Hernandez took his first pitch, but it didn’t end up mattering as the Charlotte catcher pounded the next one way out to left center for a two run homer, putting the Hornets up 5-1.

But Albuquerque struck back hard in the bottom of the inning. Randy Ahern singled, and with one out Dan Kelley took a walk after an eight pitch AB. Jason Taylor delivered, shooting a one-hop liner between SS Arnold and 3B Nunez; Ahern had read the ball perfectly and got a great jump, taking advantage of Gonzales’s weak arm to score as the throw was off the mark. Then the wheels really came off for Jorgensen, as Plante and Winder each doubled, part of the Dukes’ 8 double attack on the day. That made it 5-5, which is where the inning ended.

Both clubs took a break in a scoreless 4th, but in the 5th Nunez chased Cantimori with a solo shot to make it 6-5. The next inning, the dam broke wide open for Charlotte: a Rich Finley single and two straight walks loaded the bases, leading to a wild at-bat (literally) for Jose Nunez. A run came home when Albuquerque RP Alex Cervantes snapped a 55 foot curve that bounced wildly away from Heskett to advance everyone; a couple pitches later they pair got crossed up on signs and Heskett missed a fastball, tipping off his glove and rolling toward the 1B bag to advance the runners again for the second run of the inning.

After all that, Nunez walked in front of Javier Hernandez, who delivered once again: a drive that cleared the RF fence with room to spare, scoring three and giving Charlotte what proved to be an insurmountable 11-5 lead.

The Dukes tried: they scored one in the sixth on a Peterson double and Randy Ahern single, but Charlotte got it back on a solo shot by Arnold in the top of the 7th. An 8th inning RBI double by Ahern made it 12-7, but Charlotte answered back with a two run ninth. Albuquerque rallied for two in the bottom of the ninth but the deficit was too great, and Roger Heskett finally grounded into a fielder’s choice to put the game to bed.

With the victory, and Pittsburgh’s loss to Phoenix, the Hornets now stand two games back in the D4 East, while the loss keeps the Dukes right where they were: in last place, two games behind the 51s and in danger of relegation.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Division 1 East

Barring a catastrophe of almost unimaginable proportions, the New York Giants will win the Division 1 East for the first time in five seasons. They are 12 games up, and are scoring runs at a historic rate, threatening their own NABF record of 895 from the 2026 season; their best player, C Matt Wood, has gotten up off the mat and had an outrageously good August to win Batter of the Month; ace Jon Sayre is pitching like it; and while star SS Mike Burcham has landed on the IL, he’ll be back in time for the Championship series.

Given all of that, it’s understandable that the big story in the East remains the strikeout chase. The biggest development in the race is Matt O’Brien’s calf strain, suffered at the end of his last start on August 31; though he completed the game, he tweaked his leg on its final play as he came off the mound to try to field a slow roller. He will be out for two weeks, effectively taking him out of the contest. His teammate Blanche, meanwhile, is right on pace for the record: his 278 strikeouts are second only to O’Brien’s 289; with likely five starts remaining to get to 333, he would need to average about 11 a game, a rate slightly below his current season average. Seattle’s Jeff Baltimore is also in the running, at 271; either pitcher, or both, could reach the magic mark by season’s end.

The other race to watch in the East is the MVP race. All season, it looked like that title would belong to El Paso’s Brian Castrovinci, but over July and August Carson Prince has gone on a tear: the Brooklyn 1B is no a legitimate Triple Crown threat, leading with 38 homers, just two points back of Tampa’s Aaron Soucy with a .344 average, and three away from RBI co-leaders Castrovinci and Denver’s Clemens Young, who each have 95. In August, Prince hit .395/.436/.757 with 11 homers and 25 RBI. Between O’Brien, Blanche, Dane Best, and Prince, it must make Dodger fans scratch their heads to look at the standings, and the truth is they could be closer: the Giants are playing well over their expected record, while the Dodgers are slightly below. Regardless, they’re 12 games out with a New York Magic Number of 15, so while it may not be mathematically impossible, it’s close.

Toronto became the first team eliminated from postseason contention at the end of the month, but Philadelphia and Chicago should all follow soon, closing disappointing seasons. Chicago has some promise for the future - look no further than Rookie of the Month Trevor Snyder - but that future may be a couple years away; Philadelphia, meanwhile, completed a firesale at the end of July and looks to be headed toward a rebuild. Tampa held on a little better but at 16 games out they, too, are on the verge of an early exit.

Division 1 West

The West has been a see-saw all season, but in August it was El Paso that seems to have conclusively pulled away from the field. The West is far less settled than the East, but El Paso’s five game lead is a commanding one, and it would take a lot to turn it around. The Sun Kings were 16-12 in August despite a slumping Castrovinci, instead relying on CF Tom Knighton and RF Tyrone Love for their offense. The pitching was concerning in August, so that’s one thing to keep an eye on as we move into the season’s final month.

Waiting in the wings are Los Angeles, at five games back, and Seattle, at six. LA lost a little ground in August, going 15-13 despite the brilliance of Doug Kluz, who has inserted himself in the Pitcher of the Year conversation with a stellar August that won him Pitcher of the Month. Seattle, meanwhile, had a dreadful August: they began the month in first place, but won just 9 games and now sit six back. Any rotation that features Hector Razo and Jeff Baltimore is formidable, and the tag team of Mike Hood and Roger Alvarado can score runs, but Seattle is the least likely of the contenders to make a move.

With Monterrey hovering at .500, the only other point of interest in the West may be at the bottom of the standings, where Denver and Tijuana are battling over last place. If Denver falls, they will have a ticket stamped to Division 2 despite an outstanding power year by Donovan Bryant and a bounce-back from star Clemens Young. Young has an opt-out if Denver is relegated, but with one year left on his contract after 2039 it’s unclear if he’ll activate it; the Bears would no doubt rather not learn the answer to that question. For Tijuana, the stakes are different: they would risk relegation with a last-place finish, yes, but they would also be giving up bragging rights as the only NABF franchise that has never finished last, a point of pride owner Benito Garza has often brought up in interviews.

Division 1 Batter of the Month: Matt Wood, C, New York - .438/.540/.838, 8 HR, 29 RBI
Division 1 Pitcher of the Month: Doug Kluz, SP, Los Angeles - 4-1, 2.14 ERA, 41 K
Division 1 Rookie of the Month: Trevor Snyder, 1B, Chicago - .365/.479/.510, 3 HR, 19 RBI

Division 2 East

Don’t crown Baltimore just yet. The Terrapins opened up a good lead at the end of July, but both the Bees and the Stars chipped away in August. Baltimore didn’t have a bad month at 16-12, but Omar Juarez cooled off dramatically, a concerning sign for a team that has relied so heavily on his production. Elio Mespel and Nick Green have hit well, but Juarez has been the catalyst for this club all year: if he falters, they falter.

The Bees, meanwhile, won 18 games in August to pull within two of the Pins. 3B Cal Miller came alive in August, winning Batter of the Month with a .337/.443/.652 line while starters Paul Yates and Jorge Ortiz stepped up in the rotation. Boston’s bullpen has also been exceptional in August, making up for a mediocre first four months. And Detroit matched Boston at 18-10, including an eight game win streak with sweeps of Kansas City and Montreal, and a series win against Boston. The club is especially hopeful given the turnarounds of Ali Brown, who struggled all year, and Victor Ortiz, whose down July was a major factor in the team’s slide. With Detroit’s still excellent starting pitching, a renewed offensive attack could give them the boost they need to reclaim first before the season closes out.

The rest of the Conference, while not eliminated fully, is close; the first to go will likely be New Orleans, despite Robert Zermeno’s strong year. Next will be the Montreal Expos, and Pitcher of the Month Joe Fuller; Fuller’s disappointing season has contributed to Montreal’s slide, but team officials are buoyed by this month, and hopeful that earlier struggles were just a bump in the road for a promising young arm. Bubba Fread, too, performed well in August, though it certainly appears that his ace days may already be behind him. One bright spot has been his improved control: the four time Pitcher of the Year has walked just 4% of the batters he faced this year, well below his career average. Ottawa will likely go next, after a forgettable season defined by instability - of Ottawa’s starters, only James Devanney has pitched enough to qualify for the ERA title this season.

Division 2 West

The Mounties have the most insurmountable lead in the NABF entering September, at 15 games. That’s despite a mediocre August in which they went 15-13, including a sweep at the hands of the lowly Zephyrs. Despite that stumble, the Mounties have plenty of time to rest up before an almost inevitable championship appearance, the club’s first since 2026. The Mounties haven’t won a Championship since 2008, the second of their back-to-back wins to inaugurate Division 2.

With the rest of the Conference playing for scraps, there isn’t much left to decide. One to follow, though, may be Vancouver closer Matt Greene’s save numbers, though: at 44 through August, Greene is on pace to break the all-time NABF mark of 51, set by Matt Heitzman with Baltimore in 2026, a record which also happens to be the all-time D2 mark. With Vancouver likely economizing for the stretch run it’s unclear how many chances Greene will get, but he only needs seven, a mark he’s equalled or bettered in every month of the season thus far.

Another team to watch will be Ft. Worth. The Cats have scratched their way out of the cellar with a surprising 18-10 month, led by rookie CF sensation Jesse Moeller. The 21 year old is a star in the making, one of Ft. Worth’s promising young players. If he and the team do as well in September as they did in August, it may be a sign of a strong 2039.

Division 2 Batter of the Month: Cal Miller, 3B, Boston - .337/.443/.652, 7 HR, 29 RBI
Division 2 Pitcher of the Month: Joe Fuller, SP, Montreal - 4-1, 1.70 ERA, 68 K
Division 2 Rookie of the Month: Jesse Moeller, CF, Ft. Worth - .333/.383/.657, 8 HR, 22 RBI

Division 3 East

Are we witnessing a historic collapse? Closing out July, the Nashville Sounds were a comfortable ten games up on the rest of the D3 East, cruising toward another Conference title. An 11-17 month later, they are holding desperately to a two game lead as the Atlanta Crackers knock at the door. Atlanta has surged while the Sounds have slid: 19-9 in August behind an offense in which every single starter had an OPS+ above 130. Sam Stanton, Hiram Reznicek, and Matt Showalter all had seven homer months, while the top three in Atlanta’s rotation kept runs off the board better than they have all year. The bullpen remains a flashing red warning sign, though, and may mean the difference between a heroic comeback and yet another second-place Atlanta finish.

Miami, meanwhile, appears done. While their run prevention remains stellar and Paul Herrin is still the odds-on favorite to join Bubba Fread, Antonio Venegas, and Oliver Chase as the only four-time Pitcher of the Year winners, a combination of poor hitting and poor luck has doomed his club to a third place finish a year after nearly winning a D3 crown.

Memphis (65-63), Cleveland (59-69), and Columbus (55-73) round out the East; Columbus, who finished fifth ahead of only Atlanta last year, will become the odds-on relegation favorite if they stay in last.

Division 3 West

Against all odds, St. Paul remains on top in the West - they even gained a game in the standings over an August in which their lead held steady between two and four games. Coming into September they remain three games up on a Salt Lake team that is superior on paper, but not in reality. St. Paul is still well behind Salt Lake in expected W/L, but are playing eight games over that mark while Salt Lake is two below theirs. John McNayr has stepped fully into his role as St. Paul’s ace, going 6-0 with a 2.68 ERA this month with a 70 FIP-.

Salt Lake continues to score runs in bunches, though the loss of Nate Madden hurt. MVP candidate Ralph Keough has filled some of that void with a spectacular month, hitting .343/.387/.731 with nine homers, but it’s not enough to make up for Salt Lake’s growing list of problems. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around, and a three game lead is nothing in the grand scheme, but it’s not hard to look at St. Paul’s overperformance and Salt Lake’s underperformance as a trend rather than an outlier.

Austin, too, has played over their heads, but not by enough to make a difference. Despite the strong August of Rookie of the Year candidate Masahiro Nakanishi, who hurled a no-hitter against Memphis on August 26, Austin is five games back and slipping. The Seals and Beavers, too, have broken off their pursuit, and now sit 8 and 9 games back respectively. Meanwhile, it’s a matter of days before the Calgary Outlaws are eliminated fully, ending a miserable season.

Division 3 Batter of the Month: Ralph Keough, 1B, Salt Lake - .343/.387/.731, 9 HR, 29 RBI
Division 3 Pitcher of the Month: John McNayr, SP, St. Paul - 6-0, 2.68 ERA, 43 K
Division 3 Rookie of the Month: Masahiro Nakanishi, SP, Austin - 4-1, 2.97 ERA, 44 K

Division 4 East

In mid-August, Pittsburgh Crawford fans were feeling something largely alien to them: hope. Their club had won 15 of 17 stretching back into July, and had a heady eight game lead over Washington and Charlotte. But things went downhill fast after that: over the final thirteen August games, Pittsburgh won just three times. Simultaneously, Charlotte lit a match: the Hornets went 9-4 over that same stretch, and now sit just two games back. Charlotte remains a heavily flawed team, with a prodigious offense but the worst pitching and defense in the Division; this surge may be a mirage. But Pittsburgh has its own challenges, despite leading a weak D4 East in run differential: their bats have gotten even quieter than they’ve been all year.

If both Pittsburgh and Charlotte falter, there’s still a slim chance for either Indianapolis or Cincinnati. Both teams have strong pitching - the former led by Nate Mefford, Jason Stanfill, and an improving Aaron Cotrell, and the latter by ace Willie Rodriguez and Rookie of the Month Jay Basinger. But time is short if they want to make a move, and they won’t be able to do it unless both teams above them start losing more games. Washington, too, is still technically in it, though far more fates would have to align.

The one team that can be (almost) conclusively ruled out is Havana, twenty games out in the Federation’s weakest division. In the annals of bad Sugar King seasons, this one will rank toward the bottom, as the club may flirt with 100 losses for the first time in franchise history.

Division 4 West

A wild year in the D4 West is very, very far from over. There are four teams with legitimate shots coming into play on September 1.

Phoenix has to be the favorite: they have by far D4’s best run differential, and have saved their best ball for late in the season, ripping off a 17-11 August that included a crucial home sweep of San Antonio - a, exciting three game set in which two of the games were decided on walk-offs and the other by a single run. Matt Armstrong led the team’s offense, but the key contributor on this club may yet prove to be offseason acquisition Bob Paul, who at age 40 is doing things that elude most pitchers. He has struck out over 35% of the batters he’s faced - 93 overall - while walking only 11 all season. He has a 48 FIP- and 3.1 WAR as a reliever. He will almost without question win his fifth Reliever of the Year award, tying him for the most ever despite not becoming a reliever until age 31. Paul will be a certified first ballot Hall of Famer as soon as he’s eligible, and this season is the cherry on top of that career.

Despite all of that, the Firebirds still have to deal with the St. Louis Browns, who won 19 games in August to bolt up the standings, from fourth place to a tie for first. This has been, remarkably, a total team effort: few Browns have had exceptional months, or terrible ones. They have simply all hit their strides simultaneously, at the exact right moment. If the team that won games throughout August sticks around, they could easily be holding a trophy at the end.

San Antonio, who had been in control of the West for a couple of months, slipped at exactly the wrong moment. A 12-16 August has brought them to third place, two back from Phoenix and St. Louis, as everything seemed to go wrong at once. Power hitter Ron Golden went into a prolonged slump, while other dependable run producers saw declines in their numbers. Beyond starter Dave Lopez, the pitching failed on an epic scale as well, as every member of the rotation had a losing record and a below-average FIP and ERA in August.

Milwaukee matched San Antonio’s August, but can at least partially blame injuries, as Alex Palomino, John Richardson, Mike O’Neill Jr. (son of Hall of Fame Giants pitcher Mike O’Neill), and Jason Lee have all missed time.

Albuquerque and Las Vegas are still fighting it out for last place, but Albuquerque has slipped further than Vegas this month, and the Dukes are now a full fifteen games back.

Division 4 Batter of the Month: Matt Armstrong, 2B, Phoenix - .304/.443/.565, 5 HR, 19 RBI
Division 4 Pitcher of the Month: Bob Paul, CL, Phoenix - 6 SV, 6-1, 1.45 ERA, 26 K
Division 4 Rookie of the Month: Jay Basinger, SP, Cincinnati - 5-0, 2.58 ERA, 46 K