[Dukie98]

Frontier League: After starting 25-25, the Buffalo Fighting Elk stampeded into the postseason with 102 wins, winning the Northeast Division by 17 games over Pittsburgh. First baseman Orlando Cepeda led a balanced offense, hitting .288 with a team-high 28 homers, 91 RBI's, and 27 steals, while left fielder Preston Wilson blossomed, hitting 22 homers, driving in 88 runs, and stealing 18 bases. Once again, a deep pitching staff led baseball, surrendering just 480 runs. Remarkably, Jim McGlothlin was the only starting pitcher with double-digit victories, going 13-5 with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Tom Henke led a deep and talented bullpen, going 10-1 with 34 saves, a 1.72 ERA, and a 0.76 WHIP, while setup man Chris Devenski also won 10 games and sported a 1.51 ERA. The Pittsburgh Golden Gorillas were in playoff contention for most of the season, as star left fielder Sherry Magee hit .315, scored a league-high 121 runs, ripped 27 homers, drove in 90 runs, and stole 80 bases, while ace Smoky Joe Wood went 23-9 with a 2.40 ERA and 290 strikeouts.

The upstart Toronto Predators edged the Detroit Purple Gang for the Great Lake Division title, winning seven of their last eight games to force a one-game playoff, as both teams tied with 92 wins, and Toronto slugger George "High Pockets" Kelly singled in the division-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Kelly carried a mediocre offense, hitting.319 with 35 homers and 106 RBI's. Tex Carleton led a deep pitching staff, going 17-14 with a 2.77 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 251 strikeouts, while stopper Hugh Canavan went 13-4 with 39 saves and a microscopic 1.34 ERA. Detroit was led offensively by slugging outfielders Reggie Smith and Mel Hall, who combined for 53 homers and 196 RBI's, while their pitching staff survived the loss of Cy Young Award winner Dave Righetti in spring training, as Justin Verlander turned in his typical 17-9 season with a 2.56 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.

The Kansas City Mad Hatters barely cracked a sweat, jumping out to a 10-1 start on their way to the Great Plains Division title with 101 wins. Todd Helton led their league-leading offense, hitting .317 with 20 homers and 103 RBI's, while corner outfielders Bobby Bonds and Moises Alou drove in 98 runs apiece. Jose Rosado led a solid, if unspectacular pitching staff, going 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. The St. Louis Pilots returned to the postseason after a dreadful 2024 season by winning 91 games, despite drop-offs in production from stars Francisco Lindor, Jack Clark, and Gabby Hartnett. But DJ Lemahieu hit .323, leading the league with 211 hits, and scored 99 runs. Ace John Montefusco had a brilliant season, going 18-9 with a 2.11 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.

The 104-win Vancouver Viceroys featured the most balanced squad in the league, ranking second in the league in runs scored and third in runs allowed. First baseman Gil Hodges hit .290 with 29 homers and 107 RBI's, while third baseman Gary Gaetti ripped 27 homers and drove in 91 runs before suffering a season-ending injury around Labor Day. Starters Chris Young, Bill Gogolewski, and Bob Osborn each won 15+ games, while closer Bill Donovan had 44 saves and a 1.47 ERA. The 91-win Seattle Whales played better than their record reflected, as left fielder Heinie Manush hit .344 with a league-high 47 doubles, 17 homers, 89 RBI's, and 31 steals, while southpaw Dontrelle Willis went 21-6 with a 2.22 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. The 88-win Calgary Cattle Rustlers took the final playoff slot, as first baseman Kevin Millar hit .291 with 24 homers and 88 RBI's. Willard Nixon went just 11-8, but sported a 2.43 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.

Continental League: The 102-win Jacksonville Gulls seized their fifth straight playoff spot, as Bryce Harper hit .312 with 27 homers and 100 RBI's, while left fielder Larry Herndon hit .308 with 18 homers and 118 RBI's. Andy Sonnanstine led the league's best pitching staff, going 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA, while Dizzy Trout and Ray Sadecki won 16 games apiece. The Hartford Huskies won 95 games, as outfielders Jay Bruce and Gorman Thomas bopped 35 and 30 homers, respectively, with each topping the 100-RBI milestone. Angel Miranda and Oswaldo Peraza won 18 games apiece. The 94-win Charlotte Aviators made their 13th consecutive playoff appearance. Shortstop Trevor Story led baseball with 41 round-trippers and 112 RBI's, while Kevin Mitchell hit .271 with 27 homers and 116 RBI's. Free agent signee Roger Clemens went 17-6 with a 2.69 ERA, while Larry Jaster matched him, going 16-4 with a 2.67 ERA.

The Nashville Blues rallied from a dreadful 8-19 start to win 95 games, narrowly pulling out the Southeast Division title by winning their last ten games of the season. Slugger Greg Luzinski hit .278 with 26 homers and 88 RBI's, while Brian Jordan launched 21 homers, drove in 81 runs, and stole 18 bases. Nashville's deep pitching staff, led by 18-game winners Dave Ferris and Freddie Fitzsimmons, made the difference. The New Orleans Crawfish made the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, as shortstop Jean Segura posted an MVP-caliber season, hitting a league-leading .346 with 232 hits, 131 runs scored, 19 homers, 79 RBI's, and 93 steals. Free agent signee Lou Gehrig rebounded from a slow start to hit .281 with 25 homers and 107 RBI's, while Kevin Reimer popped 26 homers and drove in 108 runs. Heinie Berger led the pitching staff with a 19-8 record despite a middling 3.66 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.

The Austin Mustangs opened up a double-digit lead by the All-Star break in a mediocre Texas Division, ultimately topping second-place Dallas by 13 games with 96 wins. DH Jake Daubert had a strong all-around season, hitting .322 with 16 homers and 105 RBI's, while CJ Cron hit .280 with 27 round-trippers and 96 RBI's. Austin's pitching staff was decimated down the stretch, as Brad Bergesen (18-2 with a 3.30 ERA) tore his UCL in August, only to be followed weeks later by veteran Pete Donahue's (13-8, 2.48 ERA) rotator cuff tear, while 16-win rookie Jim Bagby went down in September with elbow inflammation. They joined ageless second-year reliever Satchel Paige on the disabled list, as Paige suffered a shoulder injury in May.

After a one-year absence from the playoffs, the Los Angeles Kangaroos returned to form with a vengeance, improving by 28 games to win the Southwest Division with 104 wins. Gary Matthews, Sr. led the way, hitting .345 with 33 homers, 122 RBI's, and 33 steals. Chili Davis and Rhys Hoskins each topped 30 homers and 100 RBI's. Southpaw Brett Anderson went 14-7 with a 2.51 ERA, becoming the first pitcher in league history to reach 250 wins, while Bruce Hurst went 14--10 with a 2.93 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and 203 strikeouts. The Las Vegas Aces, a perennial bridesmaid, finished in second place for the 8th time in 9 years with 95 wins. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval hit .284 with 18 homers and 95 RBI's, and first baseman Jason Thompson smacked 17 homers and drove in 97 runs. Chris Van Cuyk led a deep pitching staff which ranked in the top three in the league in runs allowed, going 14-11 with a 2.73 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP, while closer Joel Zumaya had 11 wins, 35 saves, and a 2.81 ERA.