[ArquimedezPozo]

Columbus fans probably broke into a sweat when they heard the news that star slugger Ricky Ponce, fresh off a 59 home run season that tied Steve Mauck’s D3 record, went down in the seventh inning of the first game of the season with a torn quadriceps. But the injury hasn’t stopped the Red Birds, who have followed up on their surprising finish last year with a 13-7 April, a half game above the Pittsburgh Crawfords in the standings. It’s been the pitching keeping them afloat so far, with D3’s best team ERA and two strong starts for 1-2 starters Marlon Alexander and Eric Kronburger. The offense is weak without Ponce, but the 26 year old should be back in the lineup by mid-May; if the pitching can hold, his return could jumpstart the team even further.

Pittsburgh has been, arguably, a bit better in the early going: they have the best run differential in the East at +22, with offensive production coming from unexpected players like 37 year old vet Manny Rodriguez, who is putting up a 157 OPS. That mark is fa higher than any in his career so far, so no one expects him to keep it up, but it has helped cover the gap until mainstays like Ghi-cheng Miao and Doug Jagger heat up. Young 1B Gary Murray has hit well in the first month too, hopefully a sign of a big year.

Below Pittsburgh, the Miami Amigos, Cleveland Spiders, and Atlanta Crackers are bunched within a game of each other. Miami and Cleveland are tied with 11-10 records; Miami, who dealt ace Paul Herrin to LA this offseason, has maintained its strong pitching tradition as Todd Bennett and Dylan Powers have been able to get the ball to otherworldly closer Pedro Llopiz. But Miami has scored just 70 runs, last in D3, with only Phil Beresford and Ryan Hayden giving them above average production. The Spiders have seen some bright spots in their rotation as well, with Malachi Moore leading the way. Steve Berg and Ryan Roland also each have ERAs below 3, though the back end has not been as impressive. But the Spiders haven’t gotten much going offensively, with much of their lineup hovering around average, along with their offense as a whole. And Atlanta has gotten a great start from RF Jeremy Figone, who has 7 homers and a 185 OPS, but Sam Stanton hasn’t hit up to his normally lofty standards yet. One glaring hole for Atlanta? The back end of their bullpen: while Xavier Mays is one of the best in the game, and Scott Gale and Jim Sloss give the Crackers a great setup team, it drops off fast from there. The Zephyrs round out the East, with a pitching staff that has gotten absolutely hammered in the early going, allowing 121 runs in their 21 games.

In the west, there’s a bit more separation. Salt Lake fans hope this year will make more sense than the last two, in which their Gulls finished a game out of first each year while playing below their expected record by several games. The Gulls have featured a booming offense for three years now, with nothing to show for it. They lead D3 in every major offensive category so far this season too, but at least as of now hold a game and a half lead in the West. What’s particularly impressive for the Gulls this year is that their most valuable hitter and their most valuable pitcher are both Rob Cady: the two-way SP/SS has long been a proactive hitter, but can now add a Pitcher of the Month award to his cabinet, as he’s won every start, going 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA.

The best hitter in D3, though, is playing first base for the second place Seals. Ian Farmer has been red hot since Game 1, and is hitting .320/.386/.733 with an NABF best nine homers and 1.4 WAR. The rest of the team hasn’t gotten much going, but Farmer has carried them this far. So have starters Jared Kraft and Jason Riddle, who are a combined 5-2 with an ERA in the high 1’s.

Sacramento, recently relegated from Division 2, has a 10-9 record that’s worse, probably, than where they should be: Sacramento’s offense has been one of the best in D3, and while the rotation hasn’t been able to get too deep into games thus far, the Division’s best bullpen has gotten them through. San Antonio, in their first ever taste of D3 competition, has struggled with the bat, but their underrated rotation led by Bill Lorentz and Pete Morin need only a little run support to get the team going. Austin and Portland sit tied at 9-13, sharing last place - neither has done much to distinguish themselves thus far.

D3 Batter of the Month: Ian Farmer, 1B, San Francisco Seals - .320/.386/.733, 9 HR, 19 RBI, 1.4 WAR
D3 Pitcher of the Month: Rob Cady, SP, Salt Lake Gulls - 5-0, 2.74, 28 K, 1.21 WHIP, 1 WAR (and 0.8 WAR as a hitter)
D3 Rookie of the Month: Chris Lilley, 1B, Austin Pioneers - .400/.471/.933, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 0.8 WAR (13 games)