Standings and Leaders
The four playoff teams in the American League are in control of their spots right now. The Phillies are hot, having won 11 of their last 13 games. The Dodgers and Yankees are still favored to meet in the World Series.
Power Rankings
Here are the current team power rankings:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) New York Yankees (129.8, o)
2) Los Angeles Dodgers (126.8, o)
3) Philadelphia Phillies (123.7, o)
4) Boston Red Sox (119.2, o)
5) Houston Astros (111.6, ++)
6) Minnesota Twins (106.5, o)
7) New York Mets (106.0, ++)
8) San Diego Padres (103.4, --)
9) St. Louis Cardinals (103.2, o)
10) Arizona Diamondbacks (95.7, o)
Cardinals Dashboard
The overall team stats rank about where you would expect for the fourth or fifth best team in the league. Kolten Wong leads the team in hitting because Crawford and Taveras don’t have enough at bats to qualify. Likewise, only two pitchers have enough innings with St. Louis for inclusion in the team ERA standings.
I am happy with the roster at this point, and I think we have enough to win the division and compete in the playoffs IF we stay healthy. We have endured our share of injuries in the first half of the season. Hopefully, we are due for a bit of luck in the second half.
Financial Report
Owner Bill Dewitt III is a happy man these days. He expected a winning record and a competitive team, and we have slightly exceeded that goal with a first-place club. The fans are happy also, with fan interest at 100. We are seventh in attendance and fifth in gate revenue, and we have 34 home games left compared to only 29 on the road. We have the #6 payroll, but we would drop to #7 without untradeable AAA DH Matt Snyder.
Cardinals Farm Report
Here are some notes on a few of our better prospects.
Gerald Thompson (#1) is 16-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 21 starts at Memphis. He has been spectacular in his last 10 starts, going 8-0 with a miniscule 1.52 ERA. He will likely be Pitcher of the Year in the Pacific Coast League. He should probably be in the St. Louis rotation right now, but Wacha and Rosenthal are pitching well and there is no reason to start the major league clock on him yet. He will be our fourth starter next season.
Merlin Mackey (#2) has taken over the closer role at Memphis since Darryl Chambers was promoted. Mackey is adjusting well, but probably still needs part of next season at AAA before advancing to the majors. He will be on the 40-man roster before December.
Andre Hicks (#5) continues to impress offensively with a .840 OPS (121 OPS+). He will make the decision to renew Kolten Wong pretty tough, but Wong has been one of our best players. He is versatile and exceptional on defense, so he could be our utility infielder of the future. Hicks will be added to the 40-man roster before December.
Josh Williams (#7) has adapted well to AAA (.263/.372/.453, 13 HR, 60 RBI in 908 games). He is learning to play first base, and already has some skill at third. I could keep him in AAA next season with Kyle Cooper starting at first base again next year. Williams will be added to the 40-man roster before December as well.