Change of Season
League sees turnarounds early on
Maybe it was the influx of players in the amateur draft. Maybe it's development. Maybe it's maturation and the gelling process simply taking longer for some teams than others.
Whatever the reasons, the early 2019 season has seem some changing fortunes in the ABL.
We begin with the Alabama Slammers, who finished last in the Eastern League South in 2018 with a 73-87 record, 14 games off the pace.
The Slammers wrapped up April with an 18-10 mark, leading the defending ABL champion Memphis Sounds by 3 1/2 games.
While the expectation was that first round pick Albert Pujols could pay immediate dividends, the second overall pick in this year's draft has struggled, batting .220 with 4 homers and 10 RBI.
But a healthy Duke Snider (.303-6-22) - coming off a season in which a host of nagging injuries limited him to 100 games - and a dramatically improved Greg Maddux (2-1, 2.82) have certainly helped.
But leading the charge so far has been Larry Walker (.376-6-21), whose 1.7 WAR over the season's first month almost matches his 1.9 full-season mark for 2018.
The Chicago Hitmen and Boston Riders were relegated to playing spoiler last season, though the Hitmen's September run almost proved successful. But, at least through April this season, they are leading the way in the Eastern League North, at 17-11 and 17-12, respectively.
Chicago's attack has been incredibly balanced, and they already have nine players with double-digit RBIs. Mickey Mantle, whose first campaign was strong by any measure, seems to be poised to break through to another level this season, his 1.066 April OPS serving notice of this to the league.
In Boston, the story is pitching, as the Riders lead the Eastern League in pitching, both from their starters and the bullpen. First-round pick Satchel Paige is already paying dividends, going 3-1 with a 2.44 ERA on the month, forming a stellar 1-2 punch with the reigning Eastern League Outstanding Pitcher Brad Radke (3-2, 3.72).
Not all turnarounds have been positive though. The defending Western League champion Phoenix Scorpions are struggling, posting an 8-21 month in April, already 13 1/2 behind the Los Angeles Lightning, who have flown out of the gate to a 20-6 start.
Outstanding Pitcher winner CC Sabathia (3-1, 3.30) has backup with draft pick Ron Guidry (3-0, 3.32) and a resurgent AJ Burnett (3-0, 1.40), who crafted the only no-hitter in ABL history en route to a solid (15-11, 3.80) 2018 campaign.
Phoenix is getting nothing from the bottom half of their order, and batting champion Frank Chance has started cold, batting only .241 through the season's opening month.