NL POWER RANKINGS WEEK 7

1. New York Burros
Last Week: 1
Record: 91-41 (14-6)
Expected Win %: .688
Skinny: 10 season of 90+ wins shows the dominance of this team in the NL. Should rack in their 8th straight 100+ win season as well this year.

2. Burlington Ballbusters-
Last Week: 4
Record: 82-50 (14-6)
Expected Win %: .629
The Skinny: Victor Vega and Chris Sears have to be one of the best 1-2 punch middle relief corps in the National league. Vega has 1.80 ERA, Sears checks in with a 1.38 ERA.

3. Cincinnati Bowties -
Last Week: 5
Record: 80-52 (12-8)
Expected Win %: .621
The Skinny: Brent Sheets has set career highs for RBI, HR, Runs, and BAVG so far. He is set the single season Cincinnati record for HR’s and should get both RBI and runs this season as well.

4. San Diego Surf -
Last Week: 2
Record: 79-53 (9-11)
Expected Win %: .595
The Skinny: 16-20 in 1 run games illustrates the teams whoa with late inning hitting and pitching. Missing component for this team’s success might be clutch hitting and pitching.

5. Texas Outlaws-
Last Week: 3
Record: 80-52 (10-10)
Expected Win %: .565
The Skinny: Friday at the park is Hawk Powell Day. Every fan under 12 gets a commemorative Hawk Powell Bat. (Hawk is top 100 in almost all statistical categories)

6. Cheyenne Marmots-
Last Week: 6
Records: 72-53 (9-11)
Expected Win %: .595
the Skinny: MARMOTS INTENTIONALLY WALK NO ONE!

7. Atlanta Braves-
Last Week: 8
Record: 73-59 (11-9)
Expected Win %: .533
THE SKINNY: SP Jack Sanders’s days became numbered as his ERA soared over 6 and his walk total nearly equaled his strike out total. See you next season maybe.

8. Colorado Springs Organizational Filler-
Last Week: 7
Record: 69-63 (8-12)
Expected Win %: .584
The Skinny: SP/LR Alan Palmer has been a complete bust so far for Colorado Springs. With 2 years and over 10M still on his contract he is going to be difficult to move with his career numbers.

9. Richmond Revolution-
Last Week: 10
Record: 65-67 (11-9)
Expected Win %: .511
The Skinny: could finish the season with 2 30/30 guys Alfonso Julio and Theo Smyth.

10. Philadelphia Balboas-
Last Week: 9
Record: 57-55 (11-9)
Expected Win %: .563
The Skinny: 3 players with over 30 home runs and no one with more than 90 rbi. Very telling

11. Florida Marlins -
Last Week: 12
Record: 60-72 (11-9)
Expected Win %: .450
The Skinny: They have drawn the least walks in Major League Baseball history. The top guy here has 34 walks so far this season.

12. Houston Labs -
Last Week: 11
Record: 55-77 (9-11)
Expected Win %: .466
The Skinny: Team is running on low batteries and their sluggish performance is shining through. Many key players are playing tired and need to rest so get back into ideal playing situations.

13. Milwaukee Blues -
Last Week: 14
Record: 49-83 (9-11)
Expected Win %: .366
The Skinny: The fastest guy on the team Arthur Worthington has only 6 stolen bases. Might be time to give him the go light a little more.

14. Rochester Raging Reverends-
Last Week: 13
Record: 46-86 (7-13)
Expected Win %: .402
The Skinny: Rochester’s 24 quality starts are almost a ¼ of league leader New York.15.

Minnesota Maulers
Last Week: 15
Record: 43-89 (7-13)
Expected Win %: .326
The Skinny: if everyone else looses all their games they sneak into the playoffs. Okay they are playing for next year.

16. OMAHA MILE HIGH CLUB -
Last Week: 16
Record: 36-96 (8-12)
Expected Win %: .238
The Skinny: 1st team statistically eliminated from the Playoffs in S10

NL POWER RANKINGS WEEK 6

1. New York Burros
Last Week: 1
Record: 77-35 (13-6)
Expected Win %: .678
Skinny: Bob Mann's 3^rd season seems to be his charm. He is on his way to 20 wins with a sub 3 ERA. And he is still not arbitration eligible.

2. San Diego Surf -
Last Week: 2
Record: 70-42 (11-8)
Expected Win %: .610
The Skinny: Overlooked for 6 seasons in the Minors, including by my team. Seop Wan could be the NL Rookie of the Year. He's 6^th in the league in run (86) and 3^rd in SB (44) and is batting .306

3. Texas Outlaws-
Last Week: 3
Record: 70-42 (11-8)
Expected Win %: .581
The Skinny: after a successful 4 year stint in San Diego, Clay Etherton seems to have lost his way. First in Anaheim and now in Texas. Texas needs him to regain his throw if they want to compete.
4. Burlington Ballbusters-
Last Week: 5
Record: 68-44 (11-8)
Expected Win %: .619
The Skinny: talk about a turnaround they are only 2 games from last season's win total (70) With 50 games to go I bet they make it.

5. Cincinnati Bowties -
Last Week: 4
Record: 68-44 (12-7)
Expected Win %: .614
The Skinny: top 2 strikeout guys in the NL pitch here with Alex Wang and Clarence Patrick with 10 SO leads over the next closest pitcher.

6. Cheyenne Marmots-
Last Week: 7
Record: 63-49 (13-6)
Expected Win %: .531
The Skinny: 1 more stolen base and Chris Durbin has 100 for the season. This is 3^rd straight 100 SB season. That would be some kind of record for Ryan.

7. Colorado Springs Organizational Filler-
Last Week: 6
Record: 61-51 (12-7)
Expected Win %: .584
The Skinny: his record doesn't show it but Hi Telgheder is pitching well enough to lead the league is many categories. He is also Arbitration Eligible; he is going to get expensive soon.

8. Atlanta Braves-
Last Week: 9
Record: 62-50 (10-9)
Expected Win %: .524
THE SKINNY: Eugene Walker is one huge reason this team continues to hang in there. His skills are not that of a SS, but as a dominant 3B though.

9. Philadelphia Balboas-
Last Week: 8
Record: 57-55 (9-10)
Expected Win %: .564
The Skinny: RP Orlando Martinez has pitched for 5 seasons has never started and has never thrown less than 100 innings. Pretty impressive reliever.

10. Richmond Revolution-
Last Week: 10
Record: 54-58 (12-7)
Expected Win %: .506
The Skinny: you know you have a good lineup when you can have power hitting DH Aaron Stone sit on your bench with 2 years left on a 3 year deal.

11. Houston Labs -
Last Week: 12
Record: 46-66 (8-11)
Expected Win %: .479
The Skinny: Calvin Coco has been unreal this season. As a rookie he is 7-3 with a 2.10 ERA on a team that is 20 games under .500. Pretty impressive.

12. Florida Marlins -
Last Week: 11
Record: 49-63 (7-12)
Expected Win %: .441
The Skinny: Chili Down's 11 negative plays lead the NL. More impressive is that he has done this in only 42 games. Note to Florida he might not be ready for 2B yet.

13. Rochester Raging Reverends-
Last Week: 15
Record: 39-73 (8-11)
Expected Win %: .402
The Skinny: David Bennett seems to have finally gotten use to the big city of Rochester. His batting average, HR, and RBI's are all up this season to close to career highs. He's still not a guy you want to build a team around.

14. Milwaukee Blues -
Last Week: 13
Record: 40-72 (7-12)
Expected Win %: .367
The Skinny: they need to go 32-18 to match last year's record. I don't see it happening.

15. Minnesota Maulers
Last Week: 14
Record: 36-76 (5-14)
Expected Win %: .310
The Skinny: The trade that brought them, William Stewart should be a good one, but right now Stewart is struggling at the plate batting 50 points lower and is being caught way more frequently when stealing.

16. OMAHA MILE HIGH CLUB -
Last Week: 16
Record: 28-84 (5-14)
Expected Win %: .242
The Skinny: they need to go 35-15 to avoid their 1^st 100 loss season.

NL Power Rankings Week 5

1. New York Burros
Last Week: 1
Record: 64-29 (12-6)
Expected Win %: .685
Skinny: okay National Leaguet this is your chance. The Burros are down their Ace and anouther starter. Time to knock this team down a peg. Diaz and Ortiz are going to be a big downgrade. on the other side Bob mann is an incredible 9-1 at home with a 1.94 ERA

2. San Diego Surf -
Last Week: 3
Record: 59-34 (13-5)
Expected Win %: .626
The Skinny: their 40 triples are almost twice as many as the next closest NL team.

3. Texas Outlaws-
Last Week: 2
Record: 59-34 (11-7)
Expected Win %: .566
The Skinny: Talk about an aggressive run team. Texas not only leads the league in stolen bases but has been caught stealling more times than 5 NL teams have stolen bases this season.

4. Cincinnati Bowties -
Last Week: 5
Record: 56-37 (14-4)
Expected Win %: .618
The Skinny: extended their divisional lead to 10 games with a 8 game win streak and huge wins aginst their divison mates.

5. Burlington Ballbusters-
Last Week: 4
Record: 57-36 (11-7)
Expected Win %: .610
The Skinny: As a team Burlington Pitchers are giving up an average of less than 1 hit an inning. Pitching is carrying this team. The QUestion is how long will those old arm hold up.

6. Colorado Springs Organizational Filler-
Last Week: 7
Record: 49-44 (9-9)
Expected Win %: .570
The Skinny: Top power team in the NL has been struggling for 3 weeks now. They climb on spot only as a result of Atlanta's tough week. Other than Hi Telgheder someone needs to take the rock each week and show something consistantly, if this team expects to make the playoffs.

7. Cheyenne Marmots-
Last Week: 8
Record: 50-43 (11-7)
Expected Win %: .512
The Skinny: I still have not bought into Cheyenne, but each week they compete against teams I like better and each week they come out on top. Durbin is having a career year and could be MVP of the NL as he has had to carry this team while teammate Adrian Cassidy struggles to find his stroke.

8. Philadelphia Balboas-
Last Week: 9
Record: 48-45 (11-7)
Expected Win %: .579
The Skinny: should have no trouble staying above .500 the rest of the way. The Balboas' Reliver Babe Rose is a sparkling road warrior allowing a .204 BA on the road with a 1.85 era.

9. Atlanta Braves-
Last Week: 6
Record: 52-41 (8-10)
Expected Win %: .524
THE SKINNY: followed their best week, with one of their worst. Atlanta still has one of the best Bullpens in the NL allowing a league low 20 inherited runners to score out of 79.


10. Richmond Revolution-
Last Week: 10
Record: 42-51 (4-14)
Expected Win %: .489
The Skinny: as predicted I cursed them as they went through their toughest week of the season and knoicked their expected Win percentage under .500 for the 1st time all season. interesting note Louis Medina is 7-1 on the road with a 2.17 era, at home he's 1-7 with a 8.74 era. My guess is he's not a fan favorite.

11. Florida Marlins -
Last Week: 11
Record: 42-51 (6-12)
Expected Win %: .444
The Skinny: Another week another all-star is gone. Stan "the Man" mason packs his bags and heads to the AL. Florida is stocking its minors well for next time, but can we finally say they have given up on S10? Probably not.


12. Houston Labs -
Last Week: 12
Record: 38-55 (10-8)
Expected Win %: .507
The Skinny: Last weeks record is probably closer to how this team should be performing. With a long road ahead the team seems to be buckling down in hopes to overtake a wild card spot. As evident by the trade to get SS Preston Ward (7M) and Rod Sierra (6.9M)

13. Milwaukee Blues -
Last Week: 14
Record: 33-50 (8-10)
Expected Win %: .373
The Skinny: Milwaukee just needs 1 or 2 pitchers to step up and take control of a game. They have had no gamebreakers this season and as a result must be disappointed.

14. Minnesota Maulers
Last Week: 15
Record: 31-62 (7-11)
Expected Win %: .296
The Skinny: its hard to fathom that this team was in a playoff hunt at this time last season.

15. Rochester Raging Reverends-
Last Week: 13
Record: 31-62 (3-15)
Expected Win %: .296
The Skinny: Wheels have come off and frustration is setting in maybe. The Team has already sent top home run and RBI guy Fausto Guzman and his 5M salary to AAA to die.


16. OMAHA MILE HIGH CLUB -
Last Week: 16
Record: 23-70 (4-14)
Expected Win %: .244
The Skinny: leads the league in both runs allowed and in least runs scored as a team.

NL WEST S10 DRAFT RECAP

Colorado Springs Organizational Filler

Needs from the draft: CF, 1B, SP

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	14	Henry Hunter	CF	18	HS	---	---	If Hunter signs he will be the man. He might get exposed slightly at Center, but he was drafted for his other tools such as his plus power and speed. Could be an All-star in no time. This entire if he signs...
1	33	Santos Cedeno	RP	20	JC	MILB	$1,000K	2 pitch soft tossing reliever. He has the splits to be successful in the league, but he won't strike anyone out easy. I like him as a middle reliever.
2	54	Tyler Throneberry	SP	18	HS	MILB	$550K	Throneberry reminds me of Gus Takada. If he has half his career. Throneberry will be a hot commodity.
2	60	Benny Moreno	2B	18	HS	MILB	$950K	Power slugging left fielder. Benny will have much success as a result of his plus bat.
3	92	Jorge Cora	P	18	HS	---	---	NOT SCOUTED
4	124	Gene Flier	CF	22	COL	MILB	$350K	Better suited for 2nd, Flier's name fits him well, he has an average bat, but he will play because of his wheels.
5	156	Russell McRae	C	22	COL	MILB	$250K	Not often do you find a catcher who can call a game and hit this low in the draft. Good job Colorado, he won't throw anyone out but he has all the other tools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary: This team needs Hunter to sign; he is the perfect player to fit their needs in the outfield. He has all the tools needed to succeed. The pitching additions will serve the team well in the future and might have opened up a couple trade options. CSP is sitting pretty after this draft.

Grade: A

 

San Diego Surf

Needs from the draft: RP, SP, CF

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	23	Ivan Brock	SP	18	HS	MILB	$1,940K	Solid 4 pitch prospect with good control and solid stamina. He should fit perfectly in the Surfs Rotation or be prime trade bait for Cinci's 3 man-tandem rotation.
2	69	Erik Watkins	SS	18	HS	MILB	$550K	Plus power and speed and Erik will be good against left handers, but he will overall struggle at the plate and in the field. Moving him to 3B or the outfield might extend his value some. He is a classic grinder, but probably not an all star
3	101	Midre Santana	SP	19	JC	MILB	$425K	4A guy who has the control and 4 above average pitches but has mediocre splits and poor velocity.
4	133	Davey Jefferies	RP	19	JC	MILB	$350K	Solid yet unspectacular reliever. Davey does sport 2 plus pitches and decent control and splits, but a lowish durability and no velocity.
5	165	Willis Bass	SP	22	COL	MILB	$250K	Career minor leaguer

 

Summary: Got the pitching they needed last season, Brock will be a spectacular Pitcher and Jefferies could be a decent reliever. They didn't add a lot to their lineup, but did pick up a classic plug for the lineup.

Grade: B-

 

Cheyenne Marmots

Needs from the draft: 3B, RP, SP

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	22	Brian Power	SP	18	HS	MILB	$2,040K	Marmots had a choice at their pick for either Power or Brock and opted for Power; both are very comparable rating wise, both have excellent pitch selection control and makeup. Power's selection leans more on his other tools higher velocity and a cool head. Only time will tell who was the better MLer.
2	68	Miguel Cairo	SS	18	HS	MILB	$2,790K	Defensively weaker SS, but he has good speed and base running ability. His bat is lacking in places, but he is a solid and unnoteworthy prospect.
3	100	Brandon Chapman	SP	20	JC	---	---	Mommy says he's worth 6M, I say HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
4	132	Richie Bagley	SP	18	HS	MILB	$350K	He might crack the Majors for a spell, but his average ratings will make his stay a short one. Poor control and below average splits trump the 2 solid pitches.
5	164	Buck Weems	RP	18	HS	MILB	$561K	I like this pick in the 5th round sure his control is lacking, but he has good splits and 4 useable pitches, a team could get away with him cheap in long reliever for a season no problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary: Still need a top line 3^rd baseman Cairo could be stopgap for awhile, but he's not the answer. Powers adds to a strengthening Rotation lineup, The Marmot farm system is in overall good shape.

Grade: B-

 

Omaha MILE HIGH CLUB

Needs from the draft: C, SP, 3B, RP

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	6	Jaret Redman	SP	18	HS	MILB	$3,540K	I have mixed feelings about Redman, he is good enough to be a 1st rounder, but might have been a reach with the 6th pick. He has 4 plus pitches excellent control and stamina and should have a great ML career, but I think he could have gone cheaper.
2	52	Benny Liriano	CF	20	JC	MILB	$550K	Solid hitting Outfielder, Probably suited for the corners he can hit both right and left hurlers. He is not going to blast many homeruns or hit for great average, but on a bright side he has good speed and solid base running
3	84	Derrek Gonzales	C	18	HS	MILB	$7,500K	Better suited for the AL, Gonzales has little value as a catcher; he could serve that role in a pinch, but not daily. His biggest asset is his bat. He is going to be a monster hitter.
4	116	Milton Savage	SP	18	HS	---	---	Career minor leaguer
5	148	Don Kennedy	1B	21	COL	---	---	Not going to light many rallies with his average ratings. He isn't going to hurt a team, he just will not offer much in offense or defense.

 

Summary: covered their catcher need and added 2 solid bats. The team is a long way from being able to field a solid team and looks better suited for the AL with its prospects. I would guess they could trade some of this talent and get the defensive pieces they need to compete.

Grade: B

 

NL SOUTH S10 DRAFT RECAP

Texas Outlaws

Needs from the draft: C, SP, 1B

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	21	Pablo Sosa	SP	21	COL	MILB	$2,130K	Excellent splits and 3 solid pitches make him a solid addition to any rotation. He will have control issues and walk more than his share of batters, but he should also strikeout a ton with his velocity.
1	45	Michael Wilkinson	RP	18	HS	MILB	$600K	Solid 2 pitch reliever. He should develop into a solid bullpen guy for Texas and provide those critical outs.
2	67	Louis McCormick	SS	21	COL	MILB	$550K	Quite average hitting and fielding SS, He is better off at 3B. On a bright note he does have good speed and base running
3	99	Carlos Perez	SP	21	COL	MILB	$425K	Career Minor Leaguer
4	131	Pablo Castro	RF	22	COL	MILB	$350K	Plus power on an overall weak hitter, he will not do much extremely well, but he will just fill a roster spot where ever he lands.
5	163	Andres Franco	2B	19	JC	MILB	$250K	Light hitting speed demon, he has no power but should steal many bases. He will not be an awesome hitter, but he should be able to get by with ML pitching.

 

Summary: only need that was not addressed was at catcher. This season's crop for catcher was not great so Texas elected to neglect their biggest need again. But they did strengthen an aging rotation and added a solid bullpen option. All and all it's just another brick in the wall.

Grade: B

 

Florida Marlins

Needs from the draft: SS, C, SP

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	25	Cyrus Clements	2B	19	JC	---	---	Offensively he is a power hitting stub, who swings a killer bat. Defensively he is better suited for the Corner outfield or at 1B. Most likely he will never sign.
2	71	Vic Guillen	P	21	COL	---	---	Signing issues and he pretty much is a Career minor leaguer
3	103	Ryan Stoddard	SS	20	JC	MILB	$425K	Defense first speedster. He will struggle at the plate, but as a defensive sub or a pinch runner he might fashion a decent career.
4	135	Clay Mullins	P	18	HS	---	---	NOT SCOUTED
5	167	Raymond Henry	P	18	HS	MILB	$250K	If he's lucky he will get to AA

 

Summary: Painful draft in Florida. The top 2 guys most likely will not sign. Clements would be great if he did become a Marlin, but don't hold your breath. The only Value they got was in Stoddard, but he's not going to be an everyday guy.

Grade: D-

 

Houston Labs

Needs from the draft: 1B, RF, RP

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	10	Darron Walker	SP	18	HS	---	---	He's a SP who projects to great ratings across the board. 91 stamina, 75/80 splits, 84 velocity, 79 GB/FB, 87/76/53/63 pitches. 31 stamina, 97 health. The only issue is his control which only projects to a 43. He'll be a good #2 starter in the majors, and will be able to throw 110 pitches or so each time out... but he's only going to get through 6-7 innings in those 110 pitches because he's going to walk 4-5 guys each time out.
2	56	Tito Hicks	SP	19	JC	MILB	$500K	Might be a little weak against right handers, but he should make a decent career. 3 solid pitches and a good hook against left handers will drive his game.
3	88	Milt Relaford	SS	20	JC	MILB	$400K	Below average fielding shortstop with a decent bat. He is not going to last long in the majors but he might get a shot with someone desperate.
4	120	Alex Prokopec	SS	21	COL	MILB	$325K	Defensive liability at SS, but could play elsewhere on the field. Alex will not add enough offense to merit a shot in the ML.
5	152	Tomas Cruz	SP	18	HS	---	---	A bit wild and with only 2 average pitches he is not going to make the Bigs anytime soon. He would need a DITR to make him have any chance.

 

Summary: 2 good starting pitchers were landed; each though carries a large flaw in their games. The Labs failed to address their needs at 1B and Rf which are getting to a critical nature. This team has the starting pitching to hold it over. Maybe they can swing a trade and bring in the slugger they desperately need.

Grade: C

 

Richmond Revolution

Needs from the draft: SS, SP, CF

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	Back- ground	Contract	Bonus	Summary
1	12	Wilson Dolan	SP	18	HS	MILB	$2,970K	Solid 1st rounder with excellent control and stamina. He will struggle against left handed hitters but with 3 hot pitches and a decent changeup he might make a wave in the league. His biggest obstacle will be reaching those projections.
2	58	Wilfredo Cabeza	CF	19	JC	MILB	$550K	A pure singles hitter who will defend on his speed to get him on a big league roster. His hitting is extremely pedestrian, but he will put the ball in play almost every time
3	90	Ismael Furcal	RP	18	HS	MILB	$425K	A+ two pitch reliever will good control and splits. He will give up a lot of flyballs, but he should be the closer of the future in Richmond.
4	122	Ned Perez	RP	21	COL	---	---	Solid reliever, Ned isn't going to win many awards but he should to the job. It might not be pretty at times, but he should get it done. Some slight signability issues.
5	154	Haywood Baker	RP	20	JC	MILB	$250K	2 plus pitches and good control make him a decent closer candidate. His durability will not allow him to pitch a whole lot of inning back to back, but he could be limited to a decent reliever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary: slight reach in the 1^st round, but overall they covered their needs at Pitching and CF. They could still use a future SS, but all and all they should be satisfied with this draft and their haul.

Grade: B+