[Dukie98]

Frontier League: After five season of fluctuating between 76 and 87 wins, the Montreal Knights took a big leap forward and won the Northeast Division title, making their maiden postseason appearance with 94 wins. Despite lacking star power, they had the stingiest pitching staff in the league, surrendering just 518 runs all season. Righthander Joe Boehling went 18-9 with a stellar 2.29 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP, and Harry Harper went 16-8 with a 2.44 ERA and a matching 1.03 WHIP. Remarkably, three Knights pitchers (Bob Grim, Joe Benz, and Erv Kantlehner) each had double-digit wins and double-digit saves, and each sported a sub-3.00 ERA. Second baseman Ted Lepcio led the Knights offensively, hitting .292 with 26 homers and 99 RBIs. The Baltimore Robins rebounded from a lethargic first half to finish with 92 wins, led by outfielders Rick Monday, who hit .299 with 28 homers, 97 RBI, and 43 steals, and Leon Durham, who hit .307 with 30 homers, 106 RBI, and 39 steals. The Robins had a deadly 1-2 combo on the mound in Patrick Corbin, who went 16-6 with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP, and Paul Dean, who also sported a matching 1.93 ERA, and who went 15-2 with a 0.91 WHIP in an injury-shortened season. The defending champion Philadelphia Hawks won seven of their final eight games to clinch a wild card spot with 89 wins. Although their pitching staff took a step back, their offense was second in the league, as Cody Bellinger hit .282 with 35 homers,114 RBIs and 30 steals, and rightfielder Braggo Roth had a tremendous all-around season, hitting .343 with a .442 on-base percentage, as well as 19 homers, 96 RBI's, and 58 steals.

The London Werewolves won their third straight Great Lakes Division in dramatic fashion, winning 17 of their last 21 games, including their final seven games of the regular season to edge out the Toronto Predators, who had led the division for most of the season. Third baseman Matt Chapman led the Werewolves' league-best offense by ripping 35 homers and a league-high 129 RBI's, while first baseman Billy Herman led all of baseball with a .379 average. Cy Blanton anchored the pitching staff, going 17-7 with a 2.60 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and a stellar 243-58 strikeout/walk ratio. The Predators rode a strong pitching staff to their first playoff appearance, as Felix Hernandez went 19-8 with a 2.33 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP, while Todd Helton led the way offensively with a .345 average, 36 homers, and 106 RBI's.

The 96-win Kansas City Mad Hatters won the Great Plains division in dramatic fashion, winning 14 of their last 19, including the final four games of the season, to force a one-game playoff with the Chicago Mules. Kansas City then defeated the Mules 6-0 for the division title, as Billy Pierce threw a one-hit shutout in the playoff game. Second baseman George Grantham led the way, hitting .329 with a .414 on-base percentage, including 20 homers, 83 RBI's, 81 steals, and scored 114 runs. Pierce returned to form, going 20-5 with a 2.38 ERA, an 0.98 WHIP and 241 strikeouts. The Mules once again rode a dominant pitching staff to the postseason, as hard-luck Roger Clemens continued to dominated once again, to the tune of a 1.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 295 strikeouts, but posted only a 17-10 record. Rube Marquard went 21-10 with 2.73 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.

The San Francisco Longshoremen won their first division title with 96 wins. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki hit 26 homers and 88 RBI's. Righthander Ted Abernathy went 18-10 with a strong 2.26 ERA, despite a pedestrian 1.20 WHIP. Closer Brad Lidge posted 39 saves with a 2.28 ERA. Although the Vancouver Viceroys nearly matched San Francisco's hot start, winning their first eight games and starting off 26-11, they went into a tailspin down the stretch, dropping 13 of their final 19 games to finish out of the playoffs, despite a strong season from catcher Gary Alexander, who hit .307 with 24 homers and 89 RBI's.

Continental League: The 104-win Charlotte Aviators ran away with the Atlantic Division title. First baseman Joey Votto led the way, hitting .346 with 31 homers and 110 RBI's, while catcher Bill Freehan hit .308 with 28 homers and 108 RBI's. Steve Hargan anchored a deep pitching staff with an 18-6 record, a 2.39 ERA, and a 1.06 WHIP, while closer Manny Delcarmen had 37 saves and a 1.55 ERA. The 90-win Jacksonville Gulls had a breakout season, going 34-18 down the stretch, and they edged out the San Diego Zookeepers 6-5 in a one-game playoff for the final wild card playoff spot, Perennial MVP candidate Bryce Harper led the Gulls, hitting .336 with a .457 on-base percentage, including 26 homers and 95 RBIs, while catcher Milt May hit .282 with 20 homers and 83 RBI's.

The New Orleans Crawfish returned to the postseason with 98 wins, as leftfielder Rickey Henderson hit .332 with 24 homers, 127 RBI's, 107 runs scored, and 59 steals. Righthander Gary Nolan went 19-10 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP, and free agent acquisition Dave Stewart went 20-8. The Crawfish held off the 93-win Miami Flamingos, led by breakout star Brady Anderson, who hit .333 with 33 homers, 44 steals, and 117 RBI's, while catcher Jody Davis hit .314 with 29 homers and 106 RBI's.

The Houston Pythons won a gripping three-team pennant race in the Texas Division in dramatic fashion, pulling out the tiebreaker game against San Antonio on a walk-off homer by shortstop Bill Hall in the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 163. The Pythons were led by Kirby Puckett, who hit .317 and slugged .482, including 15 homers, and provided elite defense, as well as second baseman Paul Molitor, who hit .311 with 15 homers and scored 97 runs, and slugger Eric Thames, who ripped 37 homers and drove in 119 runs. Righthander Ken Reynolds went 20-5 with a 2.74 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. The San Antonio Marksmen led the division for most the division, finishing with 92 wins. Star centerfielder J.D. Drew hit .309 with 39 homers, 47 steals, and 126 RBI's. The Marksmen's league-best pitching staff was led by Lefty Williams, who went 23-7 with at 2.33 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP, and Matt Harvey, who sported an 18-13 record, a 2.66 ERA, and a 1.07 WHIP. The postseason mainstay El Paso Armadillos won 89 games, led by offseason acquisition Pete Rose, who hit .334 with a .405 on-base percentage, including 54 extra-base hits. Bob Friend paced the pitching staff with a 16-9 record, a 2.89 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP, while Jonny Venters (26 saves with a 1.59 ERA) and Deilin Betances (0.83 ERA) paced the league's best bullpen.

The dominant Los Angeles Kangaroos managed to improve on last year's 111-win juggernaut, as they won 120 games and clinched the division title before the end of August. Remarkably, shortstop Trevor Story -- selected at the end of the third round with the 148th overall pick -- immediately was tabbed the #1 prospect in baseball, and he did not disappoint, hitting .296 with 31 homers, 92 RBI's, 23 steals, and 113 runs scored. Left fielder Mike Davis had a stellar all-around season, hitting .305 with 76 extra-base hits, including 34 homers, 103 RBIs, 114 runs, and 71 steals. Brett Anderson went 26-6 with a 2.56 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, and the Kangaroos' other four starters (Mike Krukow, Ken Gables, Jimmy Anderson, and Jhoulys Chacin) won 18 games apiece. Closer Dick Radatz dominated out of the bullpen with 44 saves, a 1.36 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. Although the San Diego Zookeepers were well-positioned to return to the postseason for the first time since the inaugural 2011 season, they dropped 9 of their last 12 games, including their final four games of the season, to stumble into a one-game playoff with Jacksonville, which they dropped. San Diego was led by rookie rightfielder Paul Waner, who scored 101 runs after hitting .352 and slugging .480, and southpaw Dave Righetti, who went 19-8 with a 2.66 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP