The North American Baseball Federation (Promotion/Relegation) - the first 30 years and beyond

[ArquimedezPozo]

Game 1: Saints Defeat Sounds, 5-3 in Nashville
Rookie Jerry Dudek wasn’t intimidated by Nashville or their crowd, allowing two in the second on a Mike Lepe double, but otherwise shutting Nashville down over seven, striking out a batter per inning in the effort. The Saints got to Orozco, however, putting up two in the first on a Dan Silvey double, taking the lead on an RBI single by Joe Sessa, and finishing it off with the eventual game-winner, a two run bomb by Kevin Walker in the seventh. Nashville got one back in the 8th when Ivan Castillo homered, but it wasn’t enough, and the underdogs take Game 1.

Game 2: Sounds (1) Defeat Saints (1), 15-6 in Nashville
After Game 1’s surprising Saints win, this looks a little more like what many expected from this series: an absolute devastation of Salt Lake pitching by Nashville. The Sounds did all their damage with three five-run innings, in the second, third, and seventh, chasing starter Ricardo Raygoza in the second after the first of Jonathan Cosner’s two homers of the night, a three run blast. Ivan Castillo and Mike Lepe also homered for the Sounds. St. Paul blew up in the last two frames, putting six runs across in a four run seventh and two run top of the eighth, but they were too far gone at that point for it to matter, as Matthew Boyd kept them largely helpless to that point, allowing just three hits over his first six and ending with five runs allowed on eight hits and 11 strikeouts. Still, St. Paul is happy to be bringing a split series back home to St. Paul.

Game 3: Sounds (2) Defeat Saints (1), 5-3 (10 innings) in St. Paul
Our first extra innings contest of October ended in a 5-3 Nashville victory courtesy of RF Eric Cano. After early runs in the first and second for Nashville, Joe Sessa doubled to score a run in the 4th; he was answered by a Bobby Cook RBI single in the fifth to make it 3-1 Nashville. But John Giordano ran into more trouble after the Sounds missed a scoring opportunity in the 6th, allowing a run to score on an error, a double, and an RBI groundout to make it 3-2. Some smallball tied it in the seventh, as Sam Tracy walked and stole second, went to third on a single by Dave Caputo, and scored on a sac fly by Kevin Walker. Isaiah Phelps came in for the eighth and almost lost it, but kept the score even, bringing the game to the tenth. McNayr exited in favor of Pat Pipkin in the ninth, and Pipkin - back out for the tenth - lost it when Bobby Cook doubled, Mike Lepe took a walk, and Eric Cano roped a double into the gap in right-center to score two. In his third inning of work, Phelps sat St. Paul down 1-2-3 for the win.

Game 4: Sounds (3) defeat Saints (1), 10-7 in St. Paul
The Sounds survived an up-and-down contest and a crazy 11th inning - the second 11 inning game of the day and the second extra-innings contest in a row in this series - to take a 3-1 lead over St. Paul. Nashville sent two-way 3B/SP Scott Glendenning to the mound, and despite a subpar season he began well after shaking off early wildness that resulted in a run. Ivan Castillo and Jonathan Cosner - both of whom have been excellent in this series - hit back to back doubles to score two and take the lead in the 3rd, and CF Mel Irving drove in Jason Wilson on a single in the 5th to make it 3-1 Nashville. But in the bottom of the inning, Glendenning walked Steve Mershon and watched his third pitch to Dan Silvey sail over the wall in right center, tying it up. St. Paul doubled their score in the sixth, when Mershon hit a bases-clearing double, but Nashville got all three back the next inning when Mike Lepe returned the favor. So the game entered the tenth tied 6-6, and it entered the 11th the same way. RP Eric Thomas got a couple outs surrounding a walk to Cosner, but then the wheels came off. Andy Feldman walked, and Eric Cano again proved the extra-inning hero when his single gave Nashville a 7-6 lead. Lepe drove in the eighth run with another base hit, and a walk to Miguel Navarro loaded them up for Ron Maloney, who delivered the killing blow: a two run single to drive the score up to 10-6. In the bottom of the inning, St. Paul tried their own two out rally, as Kevin Fitzpatrick doubled to score Kevin Bankston, but Kevin Walker (there are a lot of Kevins!) struck out to end the inning and the game as Nashville took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Game 5: Sounds (4) Defeat Saints (1), 6-3 in St. Paul
The Saints’ improbable run came to an end tonight as the Nashville Sounds shook off years of disappointment to win their fifth title. 3B Mike Lepe was named series MVP after a .476/.542/.905, 2 homer, 10 RBI series.

St. Paul drew first blood with a pair of singles and a Kevin Fitapatrick sac fly, but the damage could have been worse were it not for Miguel Navarro’s strong throw to nab Fitzpatrick during a steal attempt a batter later. On the next pitch, Steve Mershon doubled and would certainly have scored Fitzpatrick; as it was, Dan Silvey struck out to end the threat. Nashville answered back in the second, taking the lead for good as Mel Irving drove in one with a triple, then scored a second when Eric Cano drove him home against rookie starter Jerry Dudek. Cosner took Dudek deep in the third for his third homer of the series, and Mike Lepe hit his own solo shot - his second - against Dudek in the 6th to make it 4-1 Nashville. St. Paul closed the gap with a two run bottom of the sixth against Orozco, though, as the Nashville ace loaded the bases on a hit and two walks before serving up a two run double to Mershon. With men on second and third, Orozco reached back and found something, striking out Silvey, getting Sam Tracy on a shallow liner to left that Cook snared, and finally putting away Joe Sessa on a lazy fly to right. That was as close as St. Paul got, as a Mel Irving homer in the 8th and an Ivan Castillo RBI single in the ninth put the game out of reach. Nashville didn’t allow a baserunner after the sixth, and Joe Sessa made the final out on a ground ball to 2B Jason Wilson, who tossed it to Cosner before throwing his glove into the air in glee as his teammates streamed into the center of the diamond.

Congratulations to the Nashville Sounds, 2038 Champions of Division 3!

[ArquimedezPozo]

Note: I'm posting these in the order in which they finish, as I go through day by day.

Game 1: Giants Defeat Sun Kings, 7-5 in New York
It looked early on like an El Paso romp when, after trading runs in the first, El Paso dropped four on New York, with a Jesus Hernandez double, a Brian Castrovinci single, and a two run single off the bat of Max Kepler bringing the runs in. But New York dug in during the middle innings, chasing Matthews after a Jose Cruz two run jack with no one out in the 6th gave New York a lead they wouldn’t lose. Matt Wood added a solo shot in the 7th to make it 7-5, and though the Sun Kings had runners in scoring position in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th, they couldn’t convert. New York takes a one game lead at home in this one.

Game 2: Sun Kings (1) Defeat Giants (1), 7-3 in New York
El Paso will take this series back to the border all tied up, after jumping out to a quick lead against New York and not relinquishing it. Joe Rison opened the game with a homer off New York starter Brian Sawyer, and Brian Castrovinci added a two run shot as part of a three run third to give the Sun Kings a 4-0 lead. New York closed the gap with an Alex Parga homer in the 4th and a two-run blast by Fitts in the 5th, but that would be all they’d get off Melvin Trejo, as El Paso struck for three more in the 8th on a walk, two hits, and a critical error by Mike Burcham at short.

Game 3: Giants (2) Defeat Sun Kings (1), 6-2 in El Paso
The Giants broke up a pitcher’s duel with a pair of two run innings in the sixth and seventh to win Game 3 by a score of 6-2. Idar Olsen and Matt Wood were the offensive stars for New York. The Giants scored in the first on an error by 3B Chad Leahey, but John Belhumeur kept them quiet for five innings after that while El Paso put up two runs - an RBI sac fly in the bottom of the first by Leahey, making up for the top of the inning, and another sac fly by Ralph Carter in the third. But in the 6th, with Roberto Estrada on second after a leadoff double, Matt Wood hit his second homer of the series to give New York the lead. The next inning it was 3B Charlie Kelley with the two run blast off reliever Jesus Baufa. Idar Olsen added the dagger in the 8th with a solo shot to complete the scoring 6-2; the win went to Josh Dent, who went 6 allowing two runs on four hits and striking out nine.

Game 4: Sun Kings (2) Defeat Giants (2), 5-3 in El Paso
Matt Wood is having a hell of a series, but his efforts today were for naught as El Paso tied it up with a 5-3 home win. Jeff Meissner was excellent, scattering three hits over seven, though he walked four; still, he allowed just two runners to advance past first all night as he kept the dangerous Giants lineup off balance while his teammates landed punch after punch. The Kings put up a run in the third on a comedy of errors: a hit, an error, and two hit batsmen to drive in Chad Leahey. Carter homered to open the 5th, making it 2-0, and two more came in during a long sixth inning as Carter and Kepler each drove in runs on consecutive base hits. El Paso completed their scoring in the bottom of the seventh when Joe Rison doubled in Tom Knighton, making it 5-0. Meissner departed after seven and things almost turned completely, though, as Miguel Merlos came in and immediately gave up a single and a walk. That brought in closer Adrian Myers, who went eight pitches deep into a Matt Wood at bat before the catcher smacked his third home run of the series to cut the score to 5-3. Myers pulled it together after that, getting three quick outs to end the eighth and then striking out the side in the 9th to end it.

Game 5: Sun Kings (3) Defeat Giants (2), 12-6 in El Paso
This series has been a feast for fans of the long-ball so far, and no game more so than this one, in which the Giants and Sun Kings combined for seven to push the series total to 19. Matt Wood didn’t hit a homer in the first, but he did keep his hot series going with an RBI single to put New York out to an early 1-0 lead. That was erased almost instantly, though, in a five run El Paso first against Jon Sayre, who has had a miserable series thus far. After a Chad Leahey double and a walk to Castrovinci, Ralph Carter singled scoring one before Mike Kepler reminded everyone that he, not Wood, is the NABF’s only MVP catcher by drilling a 1-2 changeup from Sayre out over the left field wall and into the stands. Chris Beardsley added a solo shot two batters later and the Sun Kings were up 5-1 before the second inning began. They raised that to 7-1 on an Eduardo Garcia two run blast scoring Kepler in the 3rd, before Alex Parge struck back in the top of the fourth with a two run shot of his own. Roberto Estrada brought New York closer with a solo shot in the 5th, and then New York scored some runs the old-fashioned way, with Charlie Kelley singling to set up a Burcham RBI triple and an Estrada RBI groundout. By the middle of the seventh, New York had come all the way back to knock at the door with a score of 7-6. That’s as close as it got, though: a Kepler solo shot - his second of the game and the series - made it 8-6, and Brian Castrovinci’s two run blast capped a four run 8th that made it 12-6. Adrian Myers closed it out, bringing El Paso a win away from their seventh championship. They’ll have to get it on the road, though, as we’re headed back to New York.

Game 6: Sun Kings (4) Defeat Giants (2), 11-4 in New York
El Paso is the King of Division 1 once again, winning its sixth title, the most in D1 history. Brian Castrovinci won the series MVP on the strength of his .409/.533/1.000, four HR, 12 RBI performance.

El Paso didn’t make this one dramatic. Melvin Trejo was far from perfect, but he kept New York to a manageable four runs over 6 ⅔ while letting his offense do the lifting. And lift they did. Joe Rison tripled to lead off the game, and came in on a Castrovinci sacrifice fly. It was the star 24 year old 1B who drove in all three El Paso runs in the third, too, on his third homer of the series: a line shot that just cleared the fence in right, scoring Rison and Chad Leahey. New York put together a rally in the bottom of the fifth, as a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded scored one, a Roberto Estrada doubled scored another, and a single by Andrew Fitts scored a third. But Fitts and Estrada were stranded at the end of the inning, and New York never threatened again. Ralph Carter slammed a two-run shot in the top of the sixth to make it 6-3 El Paso, and in the seventh they added four more, as Tom Knighton and Jesus Hernandez opened the inning with back to back singles to put men on first and third ahead of Joe Rison’s fielder’s choice that scored Knighton. Rison stole second off reliever Jon Sayre, called in as a last ditch measure, but Sayre didn’t have it, walking Leahey to put men on first and second. That brought up Castrovinci, and for the second time in the game the phenom put one in the seats - a moonshot that cleared absolutely everything in deep left center, 484 feet. The stadium was gloomy and quiet as he rounded the bases, as New York faced a 10-3 deficit in the 7th: it may as well have been 100-3. They tried to get something going in the bottom of the inning, as Phil Gerlach tripled and Estrada brought him in with a single to make it 10-4but after a walk to Fitts Trejo was pulled, and Matt Wood flied meekly to left against Robby LaTray to end the inning. LaTray set the Giants down in order in the eighth as well, before El Paso landed one more blow, scoring their eleventh on a single, two walks, and a fielder’s choice. Phil Gerlach singled with two down in the ninth, but it was a grain of sand against a mountain, and when LaTray got Estrada swinging past a cutter, the lights finally went out on New York as the Sun Kings came together on the diamond to celebrate their victory.

Congratulations to the El Paso Sun Kings, 2038 Champions of Division 1!

[ArquimedezPozo]

Game 1: Mounties Defeat Terrapins, 6-4 in Vancouver
Danny Tanon was solid against a tough Baltimore offense, holding them scoreless through seven before they started to do damage late. By then, though, Vancouver hard already scored six times, including a two run homer in the first from Leo Rodriguez that put the Terrapins on an early defensive. Tony Hines hit a solo shot in the 4th, and Steve Kelley added a third shot in the 6th for two more. Baltimore LF Pat Miller finally broke the seal against Tanon in the eighth with a three run bomb that drove him from the game, and that brought in Matt Greene, who allowed a run but otherwise kept Baltimore down for two full to get the save.

Game 2: Terrapins (1) Defeat Mounties (1), 5-1 in Vancouver
After a quiet game 1, Omar Juarez made his presence felt early in this one. After a Daniel Reid single and a walk to Wayne Richard, Juarez hammered a 1-2 hanging knuckle curve from Buxkemper way out to left to give the Terrapins a lead they’d never lose. Nick Green plated two more with a bases-loaded double in the sixth that scored Richard and Juarez. John Witherspoon homered for the Mounties in the inning’s bottom half, but that was the only blemish on Victor Plascenscia’s outstanding outing, going 7 with six strikeouts, allowing two walks and five hits. Baltimore comes home with a split series.

Game 3: Mounties (2) Defeat Terrapins (1) 13-4 in Baltimore
Balls were flying out at Terrapin Park tonight, with a total of seven homers accounting for fifteen of the game’s 17 runs. Once again, Leo Rodriguez homered in the first - a three run shot that opened a big night for Vancouver. He added a solo shot in the third. As Mat Riddle set the Terrapins down in inning after inning, Vancouver heaped it on with a five run fifth featuring RBI singles from Tony Hines and Steve Kelly (the only non-HR RBI of the night) and a three run bomb from Greg Cousino. Four more runs came in during the sixth, when John Witherspoon and Kelly both hit two run shots. At that point it was 13-0, and though Baltimore got into the game a bit with a two run homer from Juarez in the eighth and another from Wayne Richard in the ninth, they weren’t digging out of that hole.

Game 4: Terrapins (2) Defeat Mounties (2), 4-3 in Baltimore
Baltimore got a dramatic walk-off win in front of a raucous crowd tonight in a game that featured one wild seventh inning in between a lot of good pitching. At first it looked like we might be watching a different kind of history, as Lowe carried a no-hitter through the fifth despite a walk, an error, and a wild pitch, and though he gave up a single and a walk in the sixth he kept the Terrapins off the scoreboard. Baltimore’s Billy Smith allowed yet another homer to Leo Rodriguez in the second - his fourth of the series, and first of two in the game - but was otherwise just as good through six. Rodriguez decided a one run lead wasn’t enough, though, so Vancouver’s new October superman homered again, a two run blast that put his club up 3-0 and gave him five homers in four games. But Danny Lowe’s magic slipped in the bottom of the seventh: Nick Green homered to lead off the inning, and after a single by Elio Mespel Josh Harms added another big fly to even the game at three apiece. That’s where it stayed, now a battle of the closers as Baltimore’s Eric Cool and Vancouver’s Matt Greene shut things down. In the tenth, Eric Cool worked around a single from Mike Vizzini while Greene did the same to a single and a walk. Baltimore pulled Cool before the 11th began, putting in SP Nick Casselman, the club’s fifth starter, relegated to the pen for the series. The Baltimore fans were real quiet as Casselman faced Rodriguez, but there was no third homer of the game: instead the slugger went down on strikes, as did Tony Hines after him to end the inning. Vancouver sent Matt Greene back out, though, and that proved a mistake: Baltimore 1B Mauricio Fiscal hit a 1-0 fastball just over the left field fence to win Game 4 in a walk-off.

Game 5: Terrapins (3) Defeat Mounties (2), 5-2 in Baltimore
The series heads back to Vancouver without a safety net for the Mounties, who must win two of two at Scotiabank Field to survive. Baltimore knocked Danny Tanon around in this one, as Howard Rodriquez cruised to victory. After both teams scored a run early (Vancouver’s in the first on a Witherspoon sac fly and Baltimore’s in the second on a Steve Kelly homer), the pitchers kept things settled for a couple innings. But Baltimore did damage in the 5th. After a one out HBP to Elio Mespel, Keith Howard put him on second with a single, and Josh Harms brought him home with another. With two men on, Daniel Reid hit a two out triple to make it 4-1, and Wayne Richard singled Reid home bringing the score to 5-1. Rodriquez lasted until the seventh, when he was pulled after two singles opened the inning. Justin Wiggins was able to put out the fire, though Leo Rodriguez hit his sixth homer to open the 8th against Nick Casselman. The Baltimore starter recovered to get the last six outs without incident, though, and the Terrapins won their third game of the series, on the verge of their first title since 2030, and what would be their ninth overall, the most in the NABF.

Game 6: Mounties (3) Defeat Terrapins (3), 7-6 in Vancouver
Under pressure, Vancouver delivered in a see-saw game that saw the lead change four times, with Vancouver barely avoiding a fifth. In the process, Leo Rodriguez may have entered immortal status. After a top of the fourth Baltimore run courtesy of a Wayne Richard solo shot off Rich Buxkemper, John Witherspoon singled to bring Rodriguez to the plate. The 3B had already hit six homers in the series, but this time missed - he hit a triple instead, to bring home the tying run. He was stranded at third, however, so that tie lasted two more innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Victor Plascecia gave the Mounties their opening, walking Sonny Scoggins and Colin Hannigan. Witherspoon grounded to second, and Juarez got the ball over to nab Hannigan, but the SS Harms couldn’t get the return through off, putting runners at the corners for - who else - Leo Rodriguez. Making up for his earlier triple, this time Rodriguez did blast a homer, the seventh of his series. That shot gave Vancouver a 4-1 lead. Buxkempoer gave up two straight singles to open the 7th, and then was replaced by Steve Weiss. But the lefty was wild, walking Harms to laid the bases. He got Devon Johnson on a soft shallow fly that didn’t advance anyone, but facing Danny Reid he uncorked a wild pitch to score Baltimore’s second run. For the 8th, Vancouver brought in Greene, but the record-setting closer had been shaky in the series and continued that trend. Pat Miller hit a one-out double, and Nick Green walked behind him, as did Elio Mespel to load the bases. Keith Howard finished the job, singling to score two and tie it up; Greene wriggled out despite another walk to reload the bases, though, and the game went into the bottom of the 8th knotted at 4. Eric Cool came in for Baltimore, and got Hannigan to fly out before giving up a double to Witherspoon. Finally giving in, the Terrapins walked Rodriguez intentionally, but Tony Hines followed with a single to load the bases, and Kelly added another to make it 5-4. Two batters later, Greg Cousino knocked in two with another base hit to make it 7-4. But the Mounties kept Greene in the ballgame, and Baltimore made them pay: First Omar Juarez and then Nick Green hit solo homers to tighten the score to 7-6. Finally, Greene was lifted in favor of lefty Franklin Romero, who got LH Elio Mespel to strike out and close the Mounties’ third win, knotting the series and bringing it to Game 7.

Game 7: Mounties (4) Defeat Terrapins (3), 4-3 in Vancouver
Thirteen seasons ago, the Vancouver Mounties were an out away from a championship against the juggernaut Baltimore Terrapins when Mel Irving blasted a devastating go-ahead, walk-off homer to snatch victory away. It took more than a decade, but the Mounties have gotten their revenge, walking off against those same Terrapins, aided by the heroics of the greatest Championship Series performance in NABF history: Leo Rodriguez’s unbelievable .393/.433/1.321, 8 HR, 15 RBI demolition, which earned him the easiest series MVP you’ll ever see.

Baltimore jumped out to a lead against Mat Riddle, as Wayne Richard and Omar Juarez went back-to-back with two outs in the first, and Danny Reid hit into an RBI fielder’s choice with the bases loaded in the second. But he got Richard on a fly out and Juarez on a ground ball to end the 2nd, and didn’t allow another baserunner for the rest of the game - before being lifted after the 8th, Riddle set down 20 Terrapins in a row. His offense was slow to take advantage, but put a run on the board in the 5th when Steve Kelly tripled to bring home Tony Hines, and then a second when Sonny Scoggins homered in the 6th. Randy Putnam was on, however, and didn’t allow them much after that. Franklin Romero came in for Vancouver in the ninth and pitched around an Elio Mespel double, bringing the game into the bottom of the ninth, the last chance for the home team.

Eric Cool came in for the save, in a series that was not kind to closers: Cool’s ERA finished at 5.82 for series, while Greene’s was an ugly 8.10. But at least at first, Cool looked like he had it under control, getting the dangerous Witherspoon to ground it weakly back to the mound for a quick 1-3 out. That, of course, brought Leo Rodriguez to the plate. Rodriguez took a low splitter, then fouled a challenge fastball from Cool straight back. He watched another fastball tail outside, and popped the fifth offering into the third base stands, out of play to even the count at 2. But then, of course, Cool threw a pitch Rodriguez was waiting for: a splitter that was just up enough for Rodriguez to golf. He got every single piece of it, sending it screaming almost 400 feet into the night over the left field stands. He watched it go as the crowd rose, and he circled the bases as they chanted his name - Leo! Leo! Leo! Echoed through the night. The Mounties had life: it was 3-3.

A shaken Cool gave up a single to Tony Hines, and grooved one that Steve Kelly just missed, sending it to the wall but into the glove of Mespel in right. Matt Frerichs dumped the second pitch he saw into shallow right, though, bringing Hines all the way to third. Not one of the 40,025 fans in attendance had sat down since Rodriguez’s homer, and they never would again: Chris Porter, who had replaced Greg Cousino in the 7th, roped an 0-1 pitch on a line between third and short as Hines raced home into a throng. Fireworks sounded as the Terrapins walked off the field, giving way to a massive celebration: for the first time in 30 years, the Mounties were champions again.

Congratulations to the Vancouver Mounties, 2038 Champions of Division 2!

[ArquimedezPozo]

MVP: Brian Castrovinci, 1B, El Paso Sun Kings
A clear, unanimous choice - Castrovinci announced himself as the next big star of the NABF this year with a massive campaign, nearly winning the Triple Crown while hitting 43 homers and driving in 115 runs in his first full season at age 24. He was easily the driving force behind El Paso’s championship season, and even won the Championship Series MVP. The sky is the limit for him.

Pitcher of the Year: Matt O’Brien, SP, Brooklyn Dodgers
Though it was his teammate Blanche who ultimately set the single season strikeout mark, O’Brien was actually ahead of him on that leaderboard at the time of his season-ending injury in late August. O’Brien had a remarkable breakout season in 2038, which would have been even greater had he remained healthy. Despite setting the all-time NABF strikeout mark as well as the D1 single-season WAR mark and leading the Division in FIP, Jason Blanche somehow got just a single first place vote.

Rookie of the Year: Roger Alvarado, C, Seattle Steelheads
Another clear choice. Alvarado has announced himself as the successor to D1’s great catchers Matt Wood and Mike Kepler, with a season that eclipsed them both. Not only did Alvarado burst onto the scene with 32 homers - a rookie catcher record - but he also took home a Gold Glove in his first season.

Reliever of the Year: Carlos Mendez, CL, Monterrey Industriales
Mendez saved 40 for a club that hovered around the .500 mark all season, striking out 31.3% of his batters while using his outstanding fastball/circle change combo to keep the ball on the ground.

Silver Sluggers:
C - Matt Wood, NYG
1B - Brian Castrovinci, ELP
2B - Andrew Fitts, NYG
3B - Josiah Morgan, PHA
SS - Matt Galante, SEA
LF - Dane Best, BRO
CF - Benni Phillips, TOR
RF - Mike Hood, SEA
DH: Clemens Young, DEN

Gold Gloves:
P - Rob Cady, PHA
C - Roger Alvarado, SEA
1B - Carson Prince, BRO
2B - Seth LaBarr, TIJ
3B - Perry Copenhaver, CHI
SS - Mike Burcham, NYG
LF - Jason Burditt, MRY
CF - Joel Gamble, MRY
RF - Mike Hood, SEA

Batting Leaders
Batting Title - Aaron Soucy, TMP: .337
Home Run Title - Donovan Bryant, DEN; Brian Castrovinci, ELP; Carson Prince, BRO: 43
RBI Title - Brian Castrovinci, ELP: 115
Stolen Base Title - Joe Rison, ELP: 44
On Base Percentage Title - Brian Castrovinci, ELP: .443
WAR Title - Brian Castrovinci, ELP: 8.3

Pitching Leaders
Wins Title - Jeff Baltimore, SEA; Doug Kluz, LAA: 20
Strikeouts Title - Jason Blanche, BRO: 337*^
ERA Title - Matt O’Brien, BRO: 2.18
FIP Title - Jason Blanche, BRO: 2.42
Saves Title - Carlos Mendez, MRY: 40
WAR Title - Jason Blanche, BRO: 8.8*

*represents Division record
^represents all-time NABF record

[ArquimedezPozo]

MVP: Omar Juarez, 2B, Baltimore Terrapins
Juarez had a career year at age 32, and was the biggest reason why the Terrapins took the top spot in the East this year. Had they won the Championship, he may very well have been named series MVP as well.

Pitcher of the Year: Rich Buxkemper, SP, Vancouver Mounties
Buxkemper completed one of the most improbable seasons in recent memory, winning a championship and his first Pitcher of the Year award after spending an entire career in relative anonymity.

Rookie of the Year: Jesse Moeller, CF, Ft. Worth Cats
Moeller was one of Ft. Worth’s few bright spots this season, hitting .295/.366/.602 with 29 homers in only 104 games at age 21. He has the tools to be a star, and was one of the reasons Ft. Worth started to gain ground in the second half.

Reliever of the Year: Matt Greene, Vancouver Mounties
Who else could it be but Greene, who set the all-time NABF saves record with 52 on the final day of the season? His Championship Series record was worse, but he came out with a ring and his name in the record books.

Silver Sluggers:
C - Justice Slaton, HOU
1B - John Witherspoon, VAN
2B - Omar Juarez, BAL
3B - Leo Rodriguez, VAN
SS - Ramon Santiago, BOS
LF - Victor Ortiz, DET
CF - Jesse Moeller, FTW
RF - Randy Foti, SAC
DH - Danny Dautel, SAC

Gold Gloves:
P - Zack Root, DET
C - Sean McDaniel, SDP
1B - Paul Ratner, BOS
2B - Dustin Jennings, BOS
3B - Leo Rodriguez, VAN
SS - Vince Green, KCM
LF - Victor Ortiz, DET
CF - Sonny Scoggins, VAN
RF - Randy Foti, SAC

Batting Leaders:
Batting Title - Omar Juarez, BAL: .330
Home Run Title - Robert Zermeno, NOL: 40
RBI Title - Leo Rodriguez, VAN: 121
Stolen Base Title - Bill Vernon, HOU: 35
On Base Percentage Title - Omar Juarez, BAL: .411
WAR Title - Omar Juarez, BAL: 7.6

Pitching Leaders:
Wins Title - Randy Putnam, BAL: 17
Strikeouts Title - David Olson, HOU: 307
ERA Title - Rich Buxkemper, VAN: 2.67
Saves Title - Matt Greene, VAN: 52 *^
WAR Title - Randy Putnam, BAL, Josh Argo, SAC: 6.1

*represents Division record
^represents all-time NABF record

[ArquimedezPozo]

MVP: Ralph Keough, 1B, Salt Lake Gulls
Keough was the most important hitter in the best offense in D3,leading the Division in doubles, Total Bases, RBI, OPS, wOBA, and WAR. He hit 39 homers and nearly led his club to the Championship Series, falling just short of the Saints.

Pitcher of the Year: Paul Herrin, SP, Miami Amigos
What is there left to say about Herrin, who has seemingly secured the title of best pitcher of his generation? This is his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year award, something only Oliver Chase has accomplished before.

Rookie of the Year: Masahiro Nakanishi, SP, Austin Pioneers
Nakanishi, 28, was spectacular in his rookie year after signing out of Japan in the offseason, winning Rookie of the Month for April, May, June, August, and September, leading D3 with 20 wins, and pitching a no-hitter on August 26 against Memphis.

Reliever of the Year: Isaiah Phelps, CL, Nashville Sounds
The 35 year old Phelps won his second straight Reliever of the Year Award, leading D3 with 48 saves while putting up 2.7 WAR with a 1.13 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and a 68 FIP-. He threw five scoreless innings striking out five in the Championship Series.

Silver Sluggers:
C - Kevin Armstrong, MIA
1B - Ralph Keough, SLC
2B - Justin McCann, CLE
3B - Judah Avila, CLE
SS - Ivan Castillo, NSH
LF - Bobby Cook, NSH
CF - Mel Irving, NSH
RF - Ricky Ponce, CMB
DH - Sam Stanton, ATL

Gold Gloves:
P - Dylan Powers, MIA
C - Miguel Navarro, NSH
1B - Justin Holland, CLG
2B - Josh Sellers, NSH
3B - Corey Schofield, MEM
SS - Ben Wilson, CLE
LF - Jim Tyndall, SFS
CF - Mel Irving, NSH (record 12th in CF)
RF - David Miller, CLG

Batting Leaders:
Batting Title - Jonathan Cosner, NSH: .329
Home Run Title - Ricky Ponce, CMB: 48
RBI Title - Ralph Keough, SLC; Ricky Ponce, CMB: 128
Stolen Base Title - Chris Griebe, SLC: 42
On Base Percentage Title - Bobby Cook, NSH: .392
WAR Title - Ralph Keough, SLC: 6.8

Pitching Leaders:
Wins Title - Masahiro Nakanishi, AUS: 20
Strikeouts Title - Jim Mayer, ATL: 286
ERA Title - Andres Orozco, NSH: 2.54
Saves Title - Isaiah Phelps, NSH: 48
WAR Title - Paul Herrin, MIA: 8.0

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MVP: Jason McCollum, 1B, Charlotte Hornets
McCollum was a bit of a surprise pick over Phoenix’s Matt Armstrong, but a good one: the Charlotte slugger hit 42 homers to lead D4 this year (the next highest total was 29), with a .297/.361/.542 line and a 3.9 WAR. McCollum was at his best as Charlotte nearly overtook Pittsburgh for the D4 East lead in late August.

Pitcher of the Year: Chris Spry, SP, Washington Senators
Spry quietly put together a great season, winning 15 with a D4 best 2.36 ERA and 0.99 WHIP to go along with a 2.73 FIP. The southpaw allowed only 8 homers in over 240 innings of work, a 0.3 HR/9.

Rookie of the Year: Ron Fazzio, RF, Washington Senators
Fazzio won the award over St. Louis SS Brian DeVilbiss with a .297/.358/.457 line, knocking 41 doubles in his age 24 season, his first in the bigs.

Reliever of the Year: Xavier Mayes, CL, St. Louis Browns
Bob Paul got a lot of press this season, and had an incredible year, so it may have been something of a surprise to see Mayes win this unanimously. But D4 voters saw how automatic he was for the Browns, with 43 saves, 91 Ks, and a 1.28 ERA in 70 innings.

Silver Sluggers:
C - Josh Killion, LVG
1B - Jason McCollum, CHR
2B - Matt Armstrong, PHX
3B - Jesse Basile, LVG
SS - Brian DeVibliss, STL
LF - Ernesto Gonzales, CHR
CF - Brandon Murell, PHX
RF - Randy Ahern, ALB
DH - Phil Holdredge, HAV

Gold Gloves:
P - Aaron Cottrell, IND
C - Miguel Garibay, CIN
1B - Jim Zaro, CIN
2B - Jesus Rivas, SAM
3B - John Davis, MIL
SS - Brian DeVibliss, STL
LF - Doug Jagger, PIT
CF - Josh Parsons, MIL
RF - Mauricio Lopez, STL

Batting Leaders:
Batting Title - Ernesto Gonzales, CHR: .344
Home Run Title - Jason McCollum, CHR: 42
RBI Title - Jason McCollum, CHR: 124
Stolen Base Title - Danny Aviles, LVG: 34
On Base Percentage Title - Juan de Santiago, STL: .388
WAR Title - Matt Armstrong, PHX: 6.0

Pitching Leaders:
Wins Title - Mario Caudillo, SAM; Dale Milewski, STL: 18
Strikeouts Title - Nate Mefford, IND: 294*
ERA Title - Corey Spry, WAS: 2.36
Saves Title - Xavier Mayes, STL: 43
WAR Title - Willie Rodriguez, CIN: 7.1

*represents Division record

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The NABF Promotion/Relegation system uses three-year cycles rather than annual promotion or relegation. 2038 was the second year of Cycle 11; promotion and relegation will be determined following the 2039 season, using the P/R Formula detailed below in the Notes at the bottom of this post. What follows here is a rundown of where teams stand right now.

Division 1 East
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a near lock for relegation after Cycle 11, though should Toronto have a .500 season or better, and either the Athletics or Whales completely fall apart, it is possible for them to avoid that fate. However, with two straight last place finishes in the Cycle’s first two years, it will be difficult.

Relegation Standings
Toronto Maple Leafs: -2.22
Philadelphia Athletics: -0.39
Chicago Whales: -0.28

Division 1 West
There are really only two teams in the running for relegation from the West, and they are our two most recent last place finishers: the Denver Bears, who finished with a Conference-worst .416 Win% in 2037 and in fifth with an even worse .409 percentage in 2038, and Tijuana, which finished in third in 2037, one game above .500, but fell precipitously in 2038 to finish last for the first time in their history, with a .396 winning percentage. Whoever finishes below the other in 2039 will be relegated.

Relegation Standings
Denver Bears: -1.81
Tijuana Potros: -1.56

Division 2 East
The Stars, Terrapins, and Bees have been the top three in different orders in both of the first two seasons of this cycle, but the Stars and Pins have finished first, and the Bees haven’t, so they have the inside track. This is really anyone’s Conference though, as neither the Stars nor the Pins won their Championship Series - if the Bees win the Conference next season, they have just as good a shot as the other two.

The same is largely true of relegation in the East, as Montreal and New Orleans have taken the last place finishes, with Ottawa rounding out the bottom three in both seasons. If either Montreal or New Orleans repeat in last place, they’ll head down; if Ottawa sinks, it could be them instead, but it;ll be much closer.

Promotion Standings
Detroit Stars: 1.55
Baltimore Terrapins: 1.50
Boston Bees: 0.64

Relegation Standings
New Orleans Zephyrs: -1.53
Montreal Expos: -1.47
Ottawa Champions: -0.33

Division 2 West
It is exceedingly unlikely at this point for anyone but Vancouver to be promoted; they likely would have clinched were it not for Ft. Worth’s rise out of last place late in the 2038 season. Should Ft. Worth become a juggernaut and take the Division Championship again in 2039, they could take it, but it’s hard to see how it happens otherwise without a total collapse from Vancouver.

Similarly, courtesy of a last place finish and a bad record in 2037 - along with a big improvement for Sacramento in 2038 - Kansas City is the favorite for relegation here. It’s certainly possible for Sacramento or San Diego, or - if everything happens perfectly - Houston to fall to the bottom here, but Kansas City doesn’t have a lot of help on the horizon, or the resources to go get it, so expect a poor showing and relegation from them after 2039.

Promotion Standings
Vancouver Mounties: 2.41
Ft. Worth Cats: 1.27

Relegation Standings
Kansas City Monarchs: -1.99
Sacramento Solons: -0.96
San Diego Padres: -0.49

Division 3 East:
With their 2038 Championship, Nashville has the inside track on promotion. Miami’s score remains high on the strength of their outstanding 2037, but they tumbled a ways from that in 2038 while Nashville won 95 games. If those roles reverse and Miami storms through the East again, or even if they squeak into the top spot and win a championship, they could easily earn promotion, though. No other team in the East has any real shot.

As for relegation, it’s Columbus’s to lose after a last place finish this year and a fifth place finish the year before. Atlanta’s strong 2038 has pulled them over a point above Columbus, while Cleveland has had two straight losing seasons but has stayed away from last. If either of them collapses and Columbus has a rebound season, this might change, but as of now Columbus is on the hook.

Promotion Standings
Nashville Sounds: 2.63
Miami Amigos: 1.94

Relegation Standings
Columbus Red Birds: -1.43
Atlanta Crackers: -0.41
Cleveland Spiders: -0.39

Division 3 West:
This has been such a weird conference over the last two seasons that it’s almost impossible to predict. The Seals were a flawed champion, but they were a champion nonetheless, which gives them a leg up; still, they fell below .500 this season and could easily do so again next. St. Paul, meanwhile, probably should have been a sub-.500 team this year but overperformed dramatically; if they revert next year then it’s wide open. That leaves the Gulls, who have probably been the next team in the West this cycle, but who have nothing to show for it. This is anyone’s race, but if the 2039 champion comes out of the East it may be hard to overcome San Francisco’s championship boost.

Relegation is a little easier, though not much. Austin was a better team in 2038, nearly getting to .500 with a third place finish. That their worse season came in the less-weighted first year of the cycle will help them. Calgary, meanwhile, was bad in 2037 and worse in 2038, and seems like a clear favorite for the “prize”. Portland has been a consistently mediocre team, with two seasons in the .440 range for winning percentage, but a collapse could put them in line.

Promotion Standings
San Francisco Seals: 1.41
St. Paul Saints: 1.06
Salt Lake Gulls: 0.20

Relegation Standings
Calgary Outlaws: -2.07
Austin Pioneers: -1.40
Portland Beavers: -0.64

Division 4 East
Indianapolis had such a wide sweep between their year 1 (.610, 1st place, D4 Champs) and year 2 (.468, 4th place) that it’s hard to know what to do with them. That championship gives them wiggle room, and there’s no obvious choice to blast through a division where the best team had a +18 run differential and everyone else was negative. So, the Clowns could find themselves with one winning season and the promotion. If the Crawfords or Tigers win the Conference and a Championship, they’ve got a far better shot of moving up.

Promotion Standings
Indianapolis Clowns: 1.43
Pittsburgh Crawfords: 0.85
Cincinnati Tigers: 0.02

Division 4 West
As close to a clinch as we have this year. The Firebirds have won both Conference titles and a Championship, and it would take an epic collapse AND a strong season from either San Antonio or St. Louis to come close.

Promotion Standings
Phoenix Firebirds: 2.90
San Antonio Missions: 0.56
St. Louis Browns: 0.52

NOTES
The Promotion/Relegation, or P/R Score, is derived as described below:
0.5 points are awarded for a Division Championship (DC).
0.75 point are awarded for a Conference Title (CT).
0.75 points are deducted for a Last Place Finish (LP).
A Cycle Score (CS) is derived with a weighted average of winning percentages that counts the first season once (⅙ of the total), the second season twice (⅓) and the final season three times (½), subtracts .5 in order to equalize it to a .500 record, and multiplies it by 12 to prioritize winning percentage in the formula.
These scores are added together in order to calculate the P/R.
The formula is expressed as: (CS[S1+(2*S2)+(3*S3)]+(DC/2)+(CT*.75)-(LP*.75)).

While it is impossible to be promoted from Division 1, or relegated from Division 4, the Federation does keep track of a franchise’s historical P/R Count, a number of times a team has been promoted or relegated. This includes teams that would have been promoted from D1 or relegated from D4 had a recipient league existed. Those standings are not reflected below.

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11/20: Donovan Bryant traded to Pittsburgh for minor leaguers
The Pittsburgh Crawfords, buyers? Who thought we’d ever see that, and yet the club just solved one of its biggest problems - power - by trading for the final year of someone who hit 43 homers in D1 last season. Bryant is in his prime, but his contract runs out after 2039. Pittsburgh is banking on him giving them enough to win a weak D4 West and move up into D3, their original Division. They gave up a few decent MiL arms, though only one, Steve Greiss, who is projected as anything more than a replacement level guy; Greiss could be a solid bullpen arm for the Bears.

11/23: RF Alex Rivera, 33 (PHX) - Signed by Philadelphia Athletics, 5 years, $41.5 mil
Philadelphia dumped a bunch of players at the deadline last year, but is now spending mid-range money on a 33 year old RF who had a great ⅔ of a season last year, missing the rest with injury. It doesn’t seem to make a ton of sense, unless they’re just trying to avoid relegation, but that doesn’t square with a firesale in July.

11/23: CL Xavier Mayes, 32 (STL) - signed by Sacramento Solons, 3 years, $17.7 mil
Mayes won Reliever of the Year in 2038 with a stellar campaign for St. Louis, and has cashed in, with a three-year deal with the Solons. Mayes will be an upgrade over departing closer Devon Owens. Sacramento already had a deep pen, and Mayes make it that much better.

11/23: SP Ian Weaver, 34 (MEM) - Signed by Ft. Worth Cats, 4 years, $44.8 mil
Ft. Worth thinks they can complete a quick rebuild here, on the strength of young players like Jesse Moeller, and adding a frontline starter like Weaver should help them move up in the D2 West. With Vancouver facing some changes, the Conference could be up for grabs, and Ft. Worth was a champion just two seasons ago; this is a great move.

11/23: SP Willie Rodriguez, 30 (CIN) - Signed by New York Giants, 6 years, $85 mil
Now HERE’s a big splash. Rodriguez is second only to Razo as the big starting pitching value on the market, and New York - which had and will have a booming offense, but which struggled with pitching this year - will now have a devastating 1-2 punch in Rodriguez and John Sayre. This one move makes them an overwhelming favorite to repeat in the D1 East.

11/24: 1B John Witherspoon, 34 (VAN) - Signed by Monterrey Industriales, 4 years, $41.8 mil
Witherspoon serves as some insurance if Greg Allen departs, but should ring warning bells for Monterrey’s two 1B/DH candidates, 24 year olds Nelson Abad and Wade Zook, who were both disappointing this season. This will certainly be Witherspoon’s last major contract, as he cashes in on his big power numbers; Monterrey should be at least a little concerned about age and reversion catching up here.

11/24: Chris Griebe traded to St. Louis for minor leaguers
St. Louis just acquired a major piece of last year’s D3 best offense: LF Chris Griebe, who has led D3 in steals for five straight seasons and hit .303/.360/.489 with 20 homers for Salt Lake last year. In return, they get a solid CF prospect with good defensive potential (though more likely at one of the corners long-term), which opens up room for prospect Bob Shea. St. Louis, meanwhile, gets one of the game’s best leadoff guys, someone who can table set for an offense that lacked a spark last year.

WINTER MEETINGS BEGIN

11/25: 2B Dustin Jennings, 35 (BOS) - Signed by Baltimore Terrapins, 3 years, $33 mil
The Terrapins just robbed Boston of their starting 2B as Jennings, who was a one year rental for Boston, will come to the Conference rival as a shortstop. That gives Baltimore an excellent up-the-middle combo in Jennings and MVP Omar Juarez, and likely also provides insurance in case Juarez needs to shift to first down the line. Jennings is a strong defender, but his offense has been slipping, and at his age it’s not clear whether it will come back, so this deal has been met with some skepticism as well.

11/25: Corey Spry traded to Baltimore Terrapins for minor leaguers
This is a stunning deal, and an absolutely devastating one for Washington, who appear to have been fleeced here. Spry is an excellent second-tier pitcher who won an admittedly out of nowhere Pitcher of the Year in D4 this year and projects to at least make for a solid #2 in D2. In exchange, Washington got two mid-range pitching prospects. Spry might qualify for free agency this year, but it’s hard to believe Washington couldn’t have gotten better for a defending Pitcher of the Year. This makes Baltimore, meanwhile, even more of a favorite to repeat and rejoin Division 1.

11/25: SS Matt Galante, 29 (SEA) - re-signed by Seattle Steelheads, 7 years, $88.7 mil
The richest contract handed out yet this offseason goes to Galante, who declined an extension last offseason and cashed in on a career year. Galante is beloved in Seattle, and ownership decided to invest in his all-around skill: Galante is good at everything, though maybe not great at anything. This contract might hurt by the end of it, but he’s a franchise guy and the move is understandable.

11/26: RF Greg Allen, 30 (MRY) - signed by Seattle Steelheads for 5 years, $60.5 mil
Add Allen to a lineup that already features Mike Hood, Roger Alvarado, Frank Gonzales, and Adam Haney, and hang on for a wild ride. Allen had a career year last year, and Seattle is banking that it was for real. If it was, that would give Seattle another major power threat, though it’s worth noting that now their three biggest hitters - Allen, Alvarado, and Hood - all hit from the left side.

11/26: SP Jose Fernandez, 37 (SLC) - signed by Seattle Steelheads for 3 years, $20.7 mil
In addition to adding Allen, Seattle is building out a rotation behind Jeff Baltimore (and Razo, if he re-signs). Fernandez is getting up there, but had a solid year for Salt Lake and should be able to give Seattle some solid innings in support of a booming offense.

11/26: 1B Jon Clawson, 36 (TMP) - signed by Philadelphia Athletics for 2 years, $17 mil
Clawson is an interesting pickup for Philly on relatively small money. His best days as a hitter are behind him, and he’s likely a full-time DH at this point, but he’s got a great batting eye and some pop. It’s notable that Tampa, his hometown team, didn’t make as much of an effort to re-sign him though.

11/28: SP Chris Schwinger, 34 (FTW) - signed by Cincinnati Tigers for 4 years, $27.6 mil
He’s far from a replacement for Willie Rodriguez, but Schwinger should help fill the hole the ace left somewhat, especially with a move down to D4. Schwinger has a great arsenal with five good pitches (including a nasty curveball) and he keeps the ball on the ground. It’s a good pickup to keep Cincinnati in the race without breaking the bank.

WINTER MEETINGS END

Free Agents Still Available:
SP Hector Razo, 34, Seattle Steelheads
SP Mat Riddle, 31, Vancouver Mounties
LF Tony Hines, 30, Vancouver Mounties
CF Corey Stoute, 29, Miami Amigos
CL Pat Pipkin, 33, St. Paul Saints
SP Rich Buxkemper, Vancouver Mounties
CL Bob Paul, 40, Phoenix Firebirds
1B Nate Madden, 37, Salt Lake Gulls
RF Aaron Felton, 37, Tijuana Potros

[ArquimedezPozo]

12/1: Corey Stoute, 29 (MIA) - signed by Kansas City Monarchs, 5 years, $39.8 mil
This is not a bad signing for Kansas City, as Stoute provides solid defense, speed, and a good veteran presence to go along with a bat that fairly recently produced an MVP season. Stoute hasn’t been the same player since that incredible 2035 year, but maybe some scenery change will do something for him. Kansas City certainly needs the help to avoid relegation.

12/2: CL Kevin Polgar traded by Chicago to Detroit for 2B prospect Nate Strey
This is a trade that could work out for both clubs, as Detroit gains a needed back-end bullpen solution and Chicago gains a strong 21 year old 2B prospect who has good projections on contact and power, though he lacks patience. He has decent speed and is a good fielder at second, and could be a useful piece for Chicago heading into Cycle 12. Maybe an overpay by Detroit, but an understandable one as it addresses a big weakness.

12/5: RF Aaron Felton, 37 (TIJ) - signed by Detroit Stars, 2 years, $25 mil
Felton, who will have an interesting Hall of Fame case when he’s eligible, is almost certainly not going to be worth what Detroit is paying him here, especially not after a miserable year in Tijuana. Even a bounce-back probably wouldn’t get him there. But Detroit does get a bat with some significant pop left in it, and a batter who can get on base - a .337 OBP despite a .232 average in 2038. Felton seems like a good DH candidate, and could see his production rise: Tijuana insisted on playing the aging Felton in right much of his time there.

12/5: RP Makoto Morimoto traded by Cleveland to Toronto for 1B prospect Danny Mattson
Toronto gets a good bullpen arm in Morimoto, but gives up a solid 1B prospect here, despite being a year away from relegation. Cleveland is the clear winner here, walking away with Mattson, who has good contact and power projections, though he’s a free-swinger.

12/11: SP Yusuke Kondo, 29 (Int) - signed by Sacramento Solons for 5 years, $43.6 mil
Sacramento has been quiet this offseason, despite a solid 81-73 record in 2038 that could serve as a springboard for them going into Cycle 12. Kondo is a good signing - a #2 starter upside for reasonable money and a contract short enough to not outlast its welcome if he performs close to as expected.

12/13: SP Eddie Cruz traded by Charlotte to Sacramento for 1B prospect John Johnson, one other minor leaguer
Another move to bolster the Sacramento rotation comes at a slightly steeper cost, as Johnson grades out as an above average 1B. Still, Cruz is a good get for Sacramento: a three-pitch starter with good command and the ability to strike people out. He had a tough year in Charlotte last year, but Sacramento believes they can get him back to his earlier level, when he was a 2+ WAR pitcher for Phoenix.

12/14: CL Bob Paul, 40 (PHX) - signed by New York Giants, 2 years, $13.4 mil
Signing a reliever to a big-money deal is risky, and signing a 40 year old (41 next season) is risky, and New York just did both. But the pitcher in question is Bob Paul, who has seemed more or less ageless, and when healthy he brings a lot to the table. He did miss some time to injury last season, but for most of the year he was automatic, and likely would have taken home his fifth Reliever of the Year had he gone the distance. The second year of the deal is vesting, in case those injuries persist.

12/16: CF Kyle DuBell, 36 (CHI) - signed by Miami Amigos, 3 years, $15.9 mil
Here’s an interesting deal: former MVP DuBell missed most of last season to injury. This is a great low-money gamble by Miami on a potential comeback star, and a good opportunity for DuBell to re-establish himself on a contending team.

12/17: 1B Nate Madden, 37 (SLC) - signed by Tampa Tarpons, 3 years, $34.3 mil
Tampa is replacing one aging 1B (Jon Clawson) with another in Madden. The former Gull was on the way to a truly great season before losing the last month-plus to injury; if he can recapture that form in Tampa, he can help the Tarpons be a factor in the D1 East this year.

12/20: 2B Chris McLaughlin, 35 (KCM) - signed by Boston Bees, 3 years, $37.5 mil
This feels like a panic move from a club that lost a solid contributor in Dustin Jennings. McLaughlin is a decent player, but his defense won’t hold on forever and that’s where he has most of his value. He’s been an above average run producer over the last few years, with a 115 wRC+, but he’s also missed a lot of time to injury, and at his age that’s likely only going to get worse.

12/20: 1B Paul Geisler traded from Salt Lake to Denver for SP Edgar Troche, minor leaguer
Are the Gulls selling? It sure feels that way, as they’ve lost Madden to free agency, and traded Griebe and now Geisler. The 1B hit 27 homers for D3’s best offense, and will help Denver absorb the loss of Donovan Bryant. Troche, meanwhile, is an innings-eating workhorse who may benefit from a shift to D3 but likely won’t give Salt Lake a dramatic turnaround. This is a head scratcher for SLC.

12/25: C Dave Judge, 30 (DEN) - signed by Baltimore Terrapins, 7 years, $68.6 mil
Baltimore is shelling out a lot of money this offseason in an attempt to get back to Division 1. The Judge deal - which is really a six year contract with a team option for a seventh - doesn’t seem like the best use of their money though: Judge is a fine defensive catcher, and he’s tough on base-stealers. But he is at best a mediocre hitter, and has put up more than 1 WAR in a season only once in his entire career.

12/26: SP Rich Buxkemper, 35 (VAN) - signed by New York Giants, 3 years, $24.3 mil
This is a very short-money contract for a defending Pitcher of the Year, and Buxkemper was vocally unhappy about the offers he’d received for that reason. The fact remains, though, that an out of nowhere age 35 season, for a pitcher who had never come close to that level of production before, raises about a million red flags. The Giants will take a shot on him, though, in their quest to patch a broken pitching staff, and hope for the best.

12/26: CL Pat Pipkin, 33 (STP) - signed by Detroit Stars, 2 years, $16 mil
After a one year stint with St. Paul that saw him save 42 games, Pipkin will get a top-money deal with the contending Stars, further beefing up their bullpen after the addition of Kevin Polgar. Pipkin’s best years - including his incredible 2033, in which he led D2 in saves with 44 and put up 3.7 WAR from the bullpen - came with Detroit, so this is a return home for him.

12/27: LF Tony Hines, 30 (VAN) - signed by Salt Lake Gulls, 3 years, $18.6 mil
Another tough-to-fathom move by Salt Lake. After trading away two good offensive players and letting another leave via free agency, they sign Hines, who isn’t as good a player as any of the three they lost, and is a widely disliked personality to boot. It’s not much money overall, but why not hold on to Griebe or Madden instead?

12/28: C Ghi-Cheng Miao, 29 (Int) - signed by Pittsburgh Crawfords, 7 years, $32.96 mil
This is a real steal for Pittsburgh. Miao was an under the radar player, but there’s a lot to like here: he’s a solid defensive catcher who can command a game from behind the plate, he has decent pop, and he was considered a clubhouse leader in Taiwan. This is a long contract, but the AAV is just $3.4 a year.

12/31: SP Mat Riddle, 31 (VAN) - signed by Calgary Outlaws, 3 years, $16.5 mil
An odd signing, but one that maybe works for both parties in a strange way. Calgary is a strong candidate for relegation, and Riddle has an opt-out if the club is relegated. So, from Calgary's perspective, they've signed a solid starter for a manageable salary. If they're relegated, they save the money, and if he helps them avoid it, he's under control for two years of Cycle 12. For Riddle, it gives him an out if needed, but a bit of security.

Free Agents Still Available:
SP Hector Razo, 34, Seattle Steelheads

[ArquimedezPozo]

1/23: LF Chris Griebe Signs Extension with St. Louis Browns - 4 years, $25.5 mil
It’s a big step down for Griebe in terms of money - he’s on the last year of a deal that pays him $14.2 mil a year. But this will keep him paid until he’s 39, and gives St. Louis some flexibility as well, as it’s a tradeable contract and does not include a no-trade. It also gives a younger St. Louis club great veteran leadership: Griebe is one of the game’s most respected players.

2/5: SP Hector Razo, 35 (SEA) - signed by Ft. Worth Cats - 3 years, $40.2 mil
Nothing about this was expected, but the Cats have stunned everyone with a major move, adding the best pitcher on the market to a 3 year deal with a little over $13 million annually. Razo’s age was clearly a concern, but he was outstanding in D1 last year, so the fact that it took until February to sign him - and well below what he was asking - raises some questions. Still, Ft. Worth fans have to be thrilled at this offseason, as the club has added two frontline starters in Razo and Ian Weaver, and is well-positioned to make a run at the D2 West.

3/16: SP David Matthews Signs Extension with El Paso Sun Kings - 3 years, $25.2 mil
The Sun Kings have been very quiet this offseason, which is strange given the narrow margin by which they won the West last year. In a vacuum, locking up Matthews through his age 34 year is a good move - he was a reliable quality arm last season and can eat innings as well. But one wonders if this was the best use of that money, given some of their other challenges.

3/23: RP Joe Waybright traded from San Diego to Ottawa for minor leaguers, draft pick
Ottawa shored up its bullpen with a Spring Training swap to get journeyman reliever Joe Waybright. Waybright has been a 1+ WAR reliever for several years now, and most recently served as San Diego’s bullpen ace alongside closer Aaron Meadows.

4/6: SS Ivan Castillo Signs Extension with Nashville Sounds - 5 years, $63 mil
This is a huge deal for Nashville, which is investing in their franchise talent, future Hall of Fame shortstop Ivan Castillo. Castillo, who won back to back D4 MVP awards in 2032 and 2033, is a five tool player who has won four Gold Gloves, eight Silver Sluggers, and has been named to ten All-Star teams. While his offense has slipped a bit in recent years he is still an above average offensive producer at a weak offensive spot, and his defense and baserunning ability keep his value high. A lot of that could change over the next five years: Castillo is 33, after all. But this will allow him to spend the last major years of his career with the only team he’s ever played for.

4/9: SP John Belhumeur (ELP) to 60 Day IL, will miss season
This is a major setback for El Paso, which stood pat after its 2038 championship. Belhumeur was a league average hurler, but he ate innings and struck out batters, and showed flashes of greatness, including an early season no-hitter last year. His loss opens a big hole in El Paso’s rotation that for now at least will be filled by young SP Bryan Troxell who had a great age 24 season in AAA Juarez last year and was expected to be a bullpen piece and fill-in starter this year.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Division 1

Moving Up
The New York Giants - 95-59, 1st in the D1 East
The Giants were an offensive juggernaut last season, and won 95 games en route to the Championship Series, where they lost to El Paso in a six game slugfest. They addressed their biggest weakness - pitching - head on this offseason, adding three of the biggest pitchers on the market: future Hall of Fame closer Bob Paul, 2038 D2 Pitcher of the Year Rich Buxkemper, and ace SP Willie Rodriguez. All have question marks - Paul’s age, Buxkemper’s likely regression, Rodriguez’s transition to D1 competition - but taken as a whole they raise New York’s pitching level significantly. Alongside a John Sayre who is not likely to be beset with the kind of bad luck that defined his season last year, these three could help make New York an even more formidable opponent in 2039. Oh, and they’ll also get a full season of 1B prospect Luis Nazario

Seattle Steelheads - 83-71, 3rd in the D1 West
Seattle spent big in the offseason, with a payroll that now ranks fourth in D1, and they’re ready to make their move. They have a strong, young core built around RF Mike Hood, C Roger Alvarado, 1B Adam Haney, and CF Frank Gonzales. The re-signed Matt Galante long-term, and added RF Greg Allen to the mix. There is understandable concern about the departure of Hector Razo, however, and the effect that will have on the pitching staff. Still, this club will score runs aplenty, and in a D1 West that was otherwise quiet this offseason, that might be enough.

Moving Down
El Paso Sun Kings - 85-69, 1st in the D1 West
El Paso didn’t lose much in the offseason, but they also didn’t gain much, essentially standing pat. El Paso is likely at or near their spending limit right now, with the second highest payroll in D1 and a few larger contracts to aging players like Eduardo Garcia and Pat Templin, but they also have a need to lock up younger players - Joe Rison is heading toward free agency in the next couple years, and Brian Castrovinci’s clock is now ticking. They have some good young prospects on the horizon, but El Paso is a good pick for some regression this season, especially now that they’ve lost John Belhumeur for the year.

Brooklyn Dodgers - 82-72, 2nd in D1 East
Brooklyn was very quiet this offseason as well, making no major moves at all. In fact, last year’s team is essentially intact and a year older - not a bad thing for a lineup that features a lot of young talent (Carson Prince is just 28!) but hardly ideal for a rotation whose two biggest pieces are on the wrong side of 30. Matt O’Brien is healthy again after his shortened Pitcher of the Year campaign, and Jason Blanche is ready to take another run after his record setting year, but apart from the Ks, Blanche was showing his age some last season, clearly slowing down toward the end of the year. This rotation is one injury away from disaster, and the inaction, in this case, is regression.

Dark Horse
Chicago Whales - 72-82, 4th in D1 East
Chicago has been reloading and rebuilding for a couple of years, and are now ready to compete with an exciting core of young players. 23 year olf 1B Trevor Snyder showed flashes of greatness last year, and is growing into his power - he’ll never be a home run champ, but he has an amazing batting eye and should be a 25-30 homer guy who hits for high average and is constantly on base. 24 year old LF Todd Hughes, too, looks like a star on the rise. The most exciting young player, though, is future ace Armando Orozco, just 25, who had a 4.8 WAR season last year and will likely be even better in this one. Chicago maybe isn’t as deep as they want to be, but they have a great young core to build around, and if a few things go right they could be in the thick of things.

MVP Prediction: It’s really hard to bet against one of either Carson Prince or Brian Castrovinci here, as their duel last year was something to watch. Both are young, complete hitters with power and prowess to spare. But let’s go out on a limb instead and predict Mike Hood, who has been nearly as good in Seattle and is primed for a big age 26 season as the biggest star in a loaded Seattle lineup.

Pitcher of the Year Prediction: Matt O’Brien is healthy again and could repeat, and the prospect of Willie Rodriguez joining D1 and getting New York run support is enticing, but Armando Orozco in Chicago is about to light the world on fire. He will challenge, and quite possibly win.

Rookie of the Year Prediction: There are stunningly few promising rookies on D1 rosters to start the season, so this year’s Rookie of the Year may not have even put on a major league uniform yet. There are some promising players knocking on the door: Seattle SS prospect Carlos Ibarra should see an early call-up, probably to play second, and will make noise. Similarly, LAA CF prospect Brian Weisman is ready; scouts rave about every aspect of his game except his patience. And Chicago’s SS prospect Robby Towne is about to add to their exciting young club. He’s probably not quite ready yet, but also keep your eye on Steve Polk, NYG pitching prospect: the Giants have bulked up on arms, but there’s still room for a new entry in that rotation, and Polk could be it.

Division 2

Moving Up
Ft. Worth Cats - 73-81, 4th in D2 West
The Cats have had a fascinating couple of seasons - after relegation brought them to Division 2 for the second time, they rebounded to win the 2037 D2 Championship over a superior Stars team. But to start 2038, they collapsed: at the All-Star Break they were in dead last in the Conference at 35-56. Things clicked in the back half of the season, however, and over those last two months the Cats were as good as anyone in the West, the Mounties included, going 34-20 in August and September to climb nearly to .500. Building on a strong young core including 2038 Rookie of the Year Jesse Moeller - a star in waiting - the Cats added two frontline starters in Ian Weaver and Hector Razo, stabilizing their rotation and bullpen. This is a club that has a shot in the Conference; if they seize it, they’ll be back in Division 1 next year.

Baltimore Terrapins - 88-66, 1st in D2 East
Baltimore won the East, and nearly the Championship, unexpectedly last season, but they’re not resting on those laurels. Baltimore spent big this offseason, prying Dustin Jennings from Boston to play shortstop and making a blockbuster deal with Washington for Corey Spry, who will join Randy Putnam in a strong rotation that will also feature CF Wayne Richard, trying his hand at starting pitching. Baltimore also added C Dave Judge, though that’s a questionable move. Still, the addition of Spry alone makes them better; adding Jennings might make them unbeatable.

Moving Down
Vancouver Mounties - 95-59, 1st in D2 West
The Mounties were a great team last year, but have lost a lot of the talent that made them. Rich Buxkemper, the out-of-nowhere Pitcher of the Year, is now in D1 with New York. 1B John Witherspoon, who led the team in homers, is in Monterrey. Mat Riddle signed with Calgary. Tony Hines went to Philly. Vancouver still boasts some strong players, including 3B Leo Rodriguez who had a fantastic season last year highlighted by a superhuman postseason performance, but it’s hard to ignore so many high profile departures.

Boston Bees - 86-68, 3rd in D2 East
The Bees didn’t get a ton worse overall, with the only big move a shift from the excellent Dustin Jennings at second to Chris McLaughlin, who is not quite Jennings’ defensive equal and doesn’t have close to his bat. But of course in a Conference where its two closest competitors, the Terrapins and Stars, both added, standing still is a loss. They have some promising young players - Paul Ratner, for example - but there’s not much more room for growth here, especially as their best prospects remain as much as a year away from contributing.

Dark Horse
Houston Buffaloes - 82-72, 2nd in D2 West
Houston didn’t get a lot of attention last year, but they finished second to Vancouver in the West, with an 82-72 record built on a fairly young and exciting team. Justice Slaton should be mentioned in the same breath as Roger Alvarado in terms of his promise - he could easily have won the Gold Glove at C last season, and his bat will play anywhere, with a good mix of contact, power, and patience. 2B/SS prospect Aaron Ferguson has made the big club but is rumored to be starting on the bench: expect him to supplant Jeff Schultz at short relatively fast. Bill Tucker and Doug Frey are complete bats in their prime. Bill Vernon gives speed, discipline, and gap power from the leadoff spot. Are they likely to finish in first? No. But there’s a world where they could, so don’t be surprised if they at least threaten.

MVP Prediction: Ft. Worth’s Jesse Moeller is going to be a star, but he’s just 21, so his MVP seasons are likely a couple of years away. Omar Juarez won the award last year, but it was a career year and he seems unlikely to repeat it. Leo Rodriguez is a legitimate threat in his age 28 season for sure, and is probably where the smart money is. Wayne Richard, though, could top him: Richard is a great fielder, an explosive hitter, and as complete a player as you’ll find in D2 - plus, he has convinced team brass to let him give pitching another go as well. In his age 26 season, he’s poised for a major breakout.

Pitcher of the Year Prediction: Josh Argo was the preseason pick last season, and then Rich Buxkemper emerged out of nowhere to take it, with Argo finishing in third. He will undoubtedly garner votes again this year, but there are new pitchers to contend with in D2 such as Hector Razo, Corey Spry, and Ian Weaver. Razo will be the popular pick, but keep an eye on Ian Weaver: he’s been quietly excellent for years, and will now be able to show off his stuff on a D2 stage.

Rookie of the Year Prediction: If Houston does the right thing and gives the shortstop position over to Aaron Ferguson early, he will run with it. Ferguson has every tool but power, and will be a solid defensive player who can get on base several ways - and once he’s on base, he can take another. If not, Montreal RP Malik Rowell, or Baltimore pitching prospect Randy Curry, could also be options.

Division 3

Moving Up
Miami Amigos - 88-66, 2nd in D3 East
There was shockingly little in terms of additions in D3 this offseason, so by process of elimination Miami, who didn’t lose anyone of consequence and added an intriguing rehab project in Kyle DuBell, are it. They will also see some improvement from younger players - keep an eye on SP Todd Bennett, who pitched well in a little more than half a season with Miami last year and should slot into a rotation headed by Paul Herrin and featuring Dylan Powers and Brett Calderon.

Calgary Outlaws - 58-96, 6th in D3 West
On some level… well, Calgary can’t get much worse, so they may as well improve. On another, they surprised a lot of people and signed former Vancouver starter Mat Riddle to a reasonable deal. Riddle was a good contributor to a championship club last year, and while he’s not likely to win many awards he will help Calgary. It’s hard to see this club escaping the basement, but if they do, Riddle will have been a factor.

Moving Down
Salt Lake Gulls - 80-74, 2nd in D3 West
Salt Lake came close last year almost entirely on the strength of a booming offense. But this offseason, they gutted that strength: while they held on to MVP Ralph Keough, they jettisoned much of his supporting cast, including LF Chris Griebe, 1B Paul Geisler, and DH Nate Madden. They gained a solid starter in Edgar Troche, but he’s far from enough to make up for that loss. To make matters worse, the Gulls tried to replace some of that production by signing Tony Hines, who has been called a clubhouse cancer and who is roundly disliked in Division 2. D3 West was a very hard conference to predict last year, but a slide by Salt Lake is a pretty good bet.

Memphis Blues - 78-76, 4th in D3 East
Memphis didn’t do much this offseason except say goodbye to longtime ace Ian Weaver, who signed with Ft. Worth in the offseason. Weaver has been the rock of the Memphis franchise since he came up in 2028, and the hole he leaves is a big one. Ron Ibach is left alone in the Memphis rotation now, and the rest of the club is not likely to be able to sustain a winning record this year.

Dark Horse
Atlanta Crackers - 87-67, 3rd in D3 East
It’s unclear if you can really call Atlanta a dark horse after finishing with 87 wins last year, but they ended on a sour note having closed in on Nashville close to the end of the season before a major fade, and they did finish dead last in 2037. Former MVP Sam Stanton had a “down” year last year, and a rebound would put a charge into the Crackers. Hiram Reznicek was the quietest 45 homer guy in the game, and Jeremy Figone can flat out rake. In fact, this lineup is stacked. The question will be the pitching: Ted Dodds now holds the Hits Allowed records in two different Divisions, and Ken Magda showed signs of decline last year. Jim Mayer was an outside Pitcher of the Year candidate, though, and Tommy Boles was solid as usual. Keep a close eye on young starter Eli Willim, penciled in to open the year in the rotation for the first time: lots of upside, though there are long term questions about whether he’ll be better served as a bullpen arm.

MVP Prediction: A bounce-back season feels in the cards for Sam Stanton, one of the only hitters for whom a 5 WAR, .288/.377/.520, 34 homer season could be seen as a disappointment. He’s too good a hitter to decline at 28. Ralph Keough could do it too, but he’s going to have a lot less protection in that Salt Lake Lineup.

Pitcher of the Year Prediction: It would be a dereliction of duty to predict anyone but Paul Herrin here, after he became just the second pitcher in Federation history to win four straight Pitcher of the Year Awards. The only other to do it? Oliver Chase, also in D3, for the Las Vegas 51s. Chase is the only pitcher to accomplish another feat Herrin will try to match this year - he’s the only pitcher with five POtYs.

Rookie of the Year Prediction: The inside track on this probably goes to San Francisco starter - and Oakland native - Jared Kraft, a lefty who is breaking camp in the Seals’ rotation. Kraft has a unique six-pitch arsenal, and has advanced ability with all six pitches, though his best are his slider and his knuckle curve. He will still have kinks to work out on a major league stage, and his control has been as yet spotty at times, but his ceiling is extremely high.

Division 4

Moving Up
Pittsburgh Crawfords - 81-73, 1st in D4 East
Pittsburgh went all-in this offseason, hoping to capitalize on their surprise first place finish in a weak Conference and catapult themselves into their first promotion. If they can take the Conference again, it’ll happen. To give them that chance, GM Danny Thomas was a buyer in the offseason for the first time anyone can remember. They traded for slugger Donovan Bryant from Denver, and signed an intriguing international FA catcher in Ghi-Cheng Miao. Joel Ortiz and Karunamaya Nema are now experienced postseason pitchers, and are still developing. Chris Scott will step into the rotation this year as well. Pittsburgh is as well positioned as anyone in the Federation’s weakest division, and a bold offseason could easily pay major dividends.

St. Louis Browns - 85-69, 2nd in D4 West
St. Louis added a bona-fide leadoff man in Chris Griebe this offseason, which should jumpstart an offense that struggled last year. As some younger players mature, St. Louis will have a shot at cracking a Conference that looks winnable, as Phoenix’s window may be closing.

Moving Down
Phoenix Firebirds - 89-65, 1st in D4 West
Phoenix didn’t exactly lose much, though seeing Bob Paul walk away a second time can’t feel good. Instead, there’s regression to be had - no one expects Matt Armstrong to have that kind of season again, and Brandon Murrell is starting to show his age. They lack a real slugger, and while they have some young arms who are going to continue to establish themselves, the Firebirds dynasty may come to a close this year, just in time for them to be promoted.

Washington Senators - 71-83, 5th in D4 East
Washington didn’t have much to lose, but they lost it when they traded Corey Spry to Baltimore for two mid-range prospects. The deal was panned almost immediately: Spry should have been signable for Washington, but even if not, one would think a better return would have been possible. Spry was the only real bright spot for the Senators, who may now collapse to the point of challenging Havana for last place.

Dark Horse
Indianapolis Clowns - 72-82, 4th in D4 East
This is a pick made more out of a lack of options than anything else, but one thing Indianapolis will always have is pitching, and when you have pitching anything is possible. Nate Mefford, the all-time strikeouts leader, is slowing, and Aaron Cottrell hasn’t looked the same since his MVP/POtY season in 2037. But the Clowns have young knuckleballer Greg Smith, and they have Mike Downing and Jason Stanfill and Eric Olson. If they can score a few runs, they’ll be a contender.

MVP Prediction: Donovan Bryant hit 43 homers against D1 pitching last season, and will now step to the plate in D4. He’s 29 and in his prime. No, he’d never come close to those power numbers before, but even if he declines a bit in power he’ll still provide massive value for Pittsburgh.

Pitcher of the Year Prediction: Corey Spry is gone, Nate Mefford is slowing down, and Aaron Cottrell fell on hard times last year. So here’s a bold prediction: this is the year we will see the torch passed to a new ace in Indianapolis: Greg Smith. Smith, a knuckleballer who can also throw a get-me-over splitter that is very tough on hitters who expect the knuckler, has strong control and great stuff. He was already outstanding last year, and will take a huge step forward in 2039.

Rookie of the Year Prediction: Albuquerque can’t stop talking about catching prospect Jonathan Ozbolt, who has good contact, power, and patience and is a solid if unspectacular defender behind the plate. As a bonus, he can run - good speed for a catcher, and good instincts on the basepaths. He’s just 23, and will be a fun player to watch. Keep an eye as well on Paul Bolden: his development for the Tigers made losing Willie Rodriguez a little easier to stomach.

[ArquimedezPozo]

We're underway! Here are updates from Week 1 in the NABF.

Division 1
In the East, Brooklyn’s starters have led the way with a collective 2.41 ERA while Carson Prince has battered opponents, winning the Player of the Week award. At 5-2, Brooklyn takes the top spot in the East in Week 1, a game up on Toronto and Chicago, while New York, Philly, and Tampa all sit at 3-4.

In the West, LA and El Paso are duking it out for supremacy once again at 5-2, as LA RF Jon Segura and last year’s MVP Brian Castrovinci have driven their respective offenses; Monterrey is a game back with Jon Witherspoon (.476/.522/.810) laying waste so far to D1 pitching. Denver is at 3-4, Seattle is off to a slow 2-5 start, and Tijuana has won just a single game thus far.

Top Hitters:
Carson Prince, 1B, BRO: .400/.464/.960, 4 HR, 10 RBI - Player of the Week
Joe Rison, LF, ELP: .355/.382/.677, 2 HR, 7 R, 2 SB - 12 game hitting streak going back to last season
Trevor Snyder, 1B, CHI: .450/.556/.750, 2 HR, 6 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Willie Rodriguez, SP, NYG: 16 IP, 2.81 ERA, 2.22 FIP, 18 K - first two D1 starts
Armando Orozco, SP, CHI: 15 IP, 3.00 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 19 K
Pedro Luna, SP, PHA: 17.1 IP, 1.56 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 15 K

Division 2
After seven games, it's a three-way tie for first in the East with Ottawa, Montreal, and Boston sharing 5-2 records. Baltimore is in second at 4-3, but just got dealt a tough blow as star CF/SP Wayne Richard will miss four months with a compressed nerve, on the heels of winning Player of the Week. New Orleans (3-4) and Detroit (2-5) take up the rear.

Out west, another three way tie, this time at 4-3: Houston, San Diego, and Sacramento are the only teams with winning records in the West so far. Ft. Worth is at 3-4 despite an exceptional start from Jesse Moeller, whose OPS is up at 1.358, leading in the early going. Kansas City, too, is 4-3, while Vancouver has yet to win a game - 0-7 for the defending champs.

Top Hitters:
Wayne Richard, CF/SP, BAL: .529/.579/.1.059, 2 HR, 362 wRC+ in 5 games - Player of the Week
Jesse Moeller, CF, FTW: .375/.483/.875, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Paul Streets, RF, OTT: .333/.394/.700, 3 HR, 5 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Alex Ojinaga, SP, SDP: 15 IP, 2.40 ERA, 1.01 FIP, 24 K
Chris Yeadon, SP, MON: 12.2 IP, 1.42 ERA, 1.04 FIP, 21 K
Zack Root, SP, DET: 17 IP, 3.71 ERA, 3.11 FIP, 15 K

Division 3
In the East, Memphis, Atlanta, and Columbus are all 4-3 in the early going, with Nashville at 3-4. Cleveland and Miami round out the Conference at 2-5 apiece; Miami's Paul Herrin has been uncharacteristically shaky in the early going, losing his first two starts with a 7.98 ERA.

St. Paul has jumped out to an early 6-1 record in the West, with Austin a game behind led by Player of the Week Jeremy Almy, one of a few players with 4 homers over the week. Calgary has popped above .500 for now at 4-3, while Portland and Salt Lake are both a game below at 3-4. San Francisco, 2-5, takes up the rear after Week 1.

Top Hitters:
Jeremy Almy, LF, AUS: .500/.586/.1.083, 4 HR, 8 RBI - Player of the Week
Eddie Rhode, 2B, SFS: .500/.519/.731, 6 R
Eric Olsen, 1B, MIA: .333/.392/.792, 3 HR, 6 RBI

Top Pitchers:
John McNayr, SP, STP: 15 IP, 0.60 ERA, 1.10 FIP, 18 K
John Giordano, SP, NSH: 10 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.80 FIP, 11 K, 1 BB
Jim Mayer, SP, ATL: 17 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 12 K

Division 4
Charlotte is off to a hot start at 5-2 in the first week, and Jason McCollum hasn't missed a beat, already leading D4 with 12 RBI. Cincinnati and Washington are also above .500 at 4-3, while defending Eastern Conference champs Pittsburgh are 3-4. Havana and Indianapolis sit at 2-5, despite good pitching: Nate Mefford has gotten knocked around but other Indy starters have been outstanding.

In the West, a surprising early season surge from Las Vegas has them 6-1 with Tim Sicinski and C Josh Killion hitting well to open the season. San Antonio is at 5-2, while defending champ Phoenix has four wins. St. Louis and Albuquerque are at 3-4, with Albuquerque getting help from CF Jaquan Reich, who has been the hottest player in D4 to open the season, winning Player of the Week. Milwaukee, at 1-6, trails by five games already.

Top Hitters:
Jaquan Reich, CF, ALB: .500/.609/.1.278, 3 HR, 4 RBI - Player of the Week
Matt Armstrong, 2B, PHX: .370/.485/.963, 2 HR, 7 R
Mike Cole, CF, LVG: .346/.393/.577, 1 HR, 7 R

Top Pitchers:
Aaron Cottrell, SP, IND: 17 IP, 3.18 ERA, 2.60 FIP, 14 K
Joel Ortiz, SP, PIT: 17 IP, 3.18 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 19 K
Chad Mealey, SP, LVG: 15 IP, 3.00 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 15 K

[ArquimedezPozo]

What a Comeback! Giants Score Five in Bottom of Ninth to Beat Tampa

Tampa hit Rich Buxkemper hard in his first New York start, but it was the Giants with the last laugh as they walk off with a 10-7 win over Tampa in a see-saw contest. New York jumped out to a 2-0 start after a Mike Burcham leadoff double and an Estrada RBI single. Estrada went to second on the throw home, and took third on a groundout only to score on a wild pitch. But over the next two innings, Tampa would storm ahead on the strength of two Adrian St. Germain homers - a solo shot that represented Tampa’s scoring in the second, and a three run blast that completed a five run third. Buxkemper exited after the third, but Tampa added one more in the 4th on a solo homer by Dave Limones after battling Ruben Henandez to a nine-pitch AB.

The first half of the game belonged to Tampa, but the second half would go to the Giants. New York scored three in the bottom of the fourth on an Idar Olsen RBI double, a Jose Cruz RBI single, and a groundout. The bullpens settled things down after that, though, and entering the bottom of the ninth the score remained 7-5 Tarpons. Jason Bodnar came in, but he never escaped: the first two Giants, Jose Cruz and pinch-hitter Luis Nazario, hit back-to-back homers, then Burcham and Estrada strung together two base hits. That brought Andrew Fitts to the plate, and the Giants star roped the second pitch he saw into the right field stands for a walk-off three run blast.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Division 1
Toronto had a 4-2 week that ended with a statement sweep of El Paso as they rose to the top of the D1 East. That run has been driven in large part by starter Raul Roman, who is 3-0 in his three starts with a 1.59 ERA. Brooklyn, New York, and Chicago are all a game back of Toronto’s pace at 7-6, while Philly and Tampa are two back; no team has outscored or been outscored by more than ten runs in a very even Conference so far.

That’s less true in the West. LA and Monterrey ar both at 9-4, with LA putting on batting practice nightly: the Angels have scored 82 runs already in their 13 games, a rate of over 6.3 per game. That’s almost certainly unsustainable, but this is clearly a strong offense breaking out. Monterrey, meanwhile, has excelled everywhere: Chase Maze has rediscovered his power stroke with six homers, though he’s getting on base at a dreadful rate. Despite two of the best hitting performances so far in Brian Castrovinci and Player of the Week Eddie Rutter, El Paso and Denver are tied three games back at 6-7. Seattle continues to have a slow start at 5-8, while Tijuana is imploding - 2-11 after a franchise-first last place finish last year.

Player of the Week: Eddie Rutter, 2B, DEN: .435/.462/.739, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Top Hitters:
Zach Breland, C, TOR: .385/.467/.692, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Ryan Haymes, 3B, LAA: .471/.500/.765, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Adrian St. Germain, 1B, TMP: .474/522/.789, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Top Pitchers:
J.D. Matherne, SP, PHA: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.98 FIP, 12 K
John Hummel, SP, CHI: 16.1 IP, 2.76 ERA, 3.07 FIP, 13 K
Jon Sayre, SP, NYG: 9 IP, 1.00 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 14 K

League News

• In a huge blow to Brooklyn, SP Matt O’Brien suffered a season ending injury, fracturing his elbow on the first play of the game on Monday, April 18. The Brooklyn starter was primed for a huge year, and the injury depletes Brooklyn’s rotation, its biggest strength coming into the season.
• The El Paso Sun Kings and 2B Chris Beardsley have reached agreement on a four year contract extension that will keep him in the red and yellow through the 2043 season. The extension is worth $43.2 million, an average of $10.8 annually. Beardsley, 30, has been a 3 to 3.5 WAR player with strong defense and average offense over the last few seasons.
• The Monterrey Industriales have placed SP Ricky Sabatier on the 60 day DL with a UCL tear that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. Sabatier, 31, was 5-4 over 16 starts with a 4.22 ERA

Division 2
Boston is getting off to a hot start. The Bees have outscored opponents by 25 runs already in the early going, and are at 9-4, at the top of the Eastern Conference. Montreal and Baltimore are right on their heels, though Baltimore is still reeling from the loss of Wayne Richard, out for four months. Montreal is still awaiting the return of Bubba Fread, who was sidelined with elbow inflammation during Spring Training. At 7-6, Ottawa is the only other D2 East club above water, as the Zephyrs (5-8) and the Stars (4-9) take up the rear.

Houston is the pace-setter in the West after the season’s second week. DH Bill Tucker has been powering the offense while rookie SS Aaron Ferguson has hit well in his debut, at .312/.389/.521 in 12 games. San Diego is 7-6 and has basically been even in run differential, while Ft. Worth - 3-7 over its first ten - has won three in a row, headlined by two great pitching performances: an Ian Weaver complete game 4 hitter on Sunday, and Hector Razo’s first no-hitter, on Friday. Kansas City shares a 6-7 record with Ft. Worth, while Sacramento is at 5-8 and the Mounties continue to struggle in the early going at 4-9.

Player of the Week: Carlos Ybarra, LF, NOL: .321/.321/.964, 6 HR, 12 RBI

Top Hitters:
Bill Tucker, RF, HOU: .375/.423/.833, 3 HR, 10 RBI
Rick Wilde, C, BOS: .500/.545/.800, 1 HR, 7 R
David Caputo, 1B, SDP: .294/.538/.588, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Hector Razo, SP, FTW: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.33 FIP, 11 K, 0 HA (no-hitter)
Randy Putnam, SP, BAL: 8.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.40 FIP, 9 K
Max Cartmill, SP, SDP: 8.2 IP, 1.04 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 10 K

League News

• Hector Razo threw the season’s first no-hitter, blanking Sacramento almost exactly a year after Zack Root threw D2’s last no-no. RIt is the first no-hitter of Razo’s career.

Division 3
A surprising Columbus continues its worst-to-first early season, with a +20 run differential and an 8-5 record powered by HR leader Ricky Ponce. Four teams sit two games back at 6-7: Memphis, Nashville, Cleveland, and Miami, where Paul Herrin is now 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA and a concerning drop in K rate. Atlanta brings up the rear at 5-8, three games back.

After their surprising first place finish last year, many expected St. Paul to regress this year, but they’ve done anything but: the Saints are 10-3 with a D3-best +34 run differential driven by outstanding starting pitching from Jon McNayr and Felipe Esparza. Jerry Dudek will be out until early May. At 8-5, Austin has been crushing the ball and Masahiro Nakanishi is building on his stellar Rookie of the Year campaign with a 0.39 ERA through three starts. Calgary, Salt Lake, and San Francisco are at 6-7, while Portland trails at 5-8.

Player of the Week: Corey Schofield, 3B, MEM: .455/.520/.1.045, 3 HR, 6 RBI

Top Hitters:
Ricky Ponce, RF, CMB: .381/.440/.952, 3 HR, 6 RBI
Jerry Easter, RF, SLC: .421/.500/.895, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Jake Rackley, 2B, AUS: .474/.500/.789, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Masahiro Nakanishi, SP, AUS: 16.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.30 FIP, 15 K
Rob Cady, SP, SLC: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.08 FIP, 11 K
Cody Garrett, SP, MEM: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.30 FIP, 7 K, 2 HA

Division 4
Cincinnati and Washington have each won four straight, and top the division - Cincy at 9-4, Washington at 8-5. Cincinnati 2B Pat Grimes has been outstanding early, driving the Division’s best offense. Indianapolis is in third behind a resurgent Aaron Cottrell (2.89 FIP) and a devastatingly good Greg Smith, whose command of his knuckler has come into its own. Havana and Charlotte are both 6-7, while Pittsburgh is off to a slow beginning in a year where it needs to win, with a shot at its first promotion.

The biggest story in D4 so far though has been the Las Vegas 51s, who won 9 in a row before losing Sunday for only the second time this season; they have the NABF’s best record at 11-2, though they’re 6-1 in one run games and playing a couple games above their heads. San Antonio has the best expected record in the Conference - 9-4, which matches their actual record - led by the Division’s best starting rotation and the strong start of 3B Justin Gulden. There’s a gap between San Antonio and third place Phoenix, at 6-7. Albuquerque and St. Louis share 4-9 records, while Milwaukee has struggled at 3-10.

Player of the Week: Kevin Kersey, LF, MIL - .565/.593/.1.087, 3 HR, 11 RBI

Top Hitters:
Phil Holdredge, LF, HAV: .389/.522/.889, 3 HR, 6 RBI
Matt Armstrong, 2B, PHX: .400/.455/.750, 2 HR, 7 RBI
Jamie Parnell, SS, WAS: .476/.560/.667, 3 RBI, 4 R

Top Pitchers:
Chris Scott, SP, PIT: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 6 K
Bill Lorentz, SP, SAM: 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 8 K
Dan Arevalo, SP, STL: 7.1 IP, 2.45 ERA, 2.53 FIP, 12 K

[ArquimedezPozo]

So Long Solons: Razo Sends Sacramento Packing With First Career No-Hitter in 7-0 Cats Win

Hector Razo has arrived in Division 2: Ft. Worth’s new ace dropped a sterling no-hit, 11 strikeout performance on Sacramento as the Cats cruised to a 7-0 win.

Though Yusuke Konda looked sharper than Razo in the first, striking out three while Razo nearly allowed a hit in the first. In the second, though, Razo got through the second on an economical 8 pitches, and Ft. Worth struck its first blow, with a two run homer by DH Mike McGurkin. Lorenzo Tapia hit another two run bomb in the third to score Moeller, while Razo remained perfect the first time through Sacramento’s order. Gregg Gaddis broke up the perfect game, reaching on an error by Aaron Hylton in the 4th, but Razo set down the side otherwise. He was perfect in the fifth as well, and that’s when people started to really notice.

SS Yukinobu Hasegawa hit the Cats’ third two run shot in the bottom of the fifth and his teammates scored another on a series of singles, s with a low-pressure 7-0 score behind him, Razo came out for the sixth. The only real mistake of his night came on a four pitch walk to Randy Foti, and he cruised from there, striking out the side in a 1-2-3 seventh and striking out two more in a 1-2-3 eighth. The ninth started scarily for Ft. Worth, as Aaron Hylton - who had arguably saved the no-hitter before it began with a great play in the first - made his second error, allowing Curtis Shorter to reach to lead off. But Razo was unflappable: He struck out Randy Foti on a devastating changeup that buckled the hitter’s knees, and then got Gregg Gaddis on a sharp grounder to third. Danny Dautel stepped to the plate and offered at a first-pitch cutter; he didn’t get it squared up, and lifted it lightly to right, where it settled into Angelo Torres’ glove for the final out. Razo threw his arms in the air, then caught C Russ Michael, who leapt into his arms ahead of the pile - a great early moment for a young, hungry team, and a feather in the cap of one of the game’s most accomplished pitchers.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Division 1
Chicago rose to the top of the standings despite a 4-3 week, as New York, Brooklyn, and Toronto all struggled and now sit at 10-10. New York, with a lineup largely unchanged from last year’s near-record offense, is only sixth in the Division, with Matt Wood, Mike Burcham, Andrew Fitts, and Idar Olsen all scuffling. In Brooklyn, Jason Blanche is off to a strong start with a 2.12 ERA and 75 FIP-, though his K rate has come back down to earth a bit following 2038’s record-shattering season. Philadelphia and Tampa share last place at 8-12.

In the west, Monterrey continues to stick it out in the top spot, with the fewest runs allowed in D1 and a top 3 offense led by a strong start of the year from 22 year old 2B David McConnell. Chase Maze has rediscovered his power stroke and shared the Division lead with 7 homers, but has just a .225 OBP, with 12 hits and 4 walks in over 70 PA. Los Angeles is hot on Monterrey’s heels, and has the best run differential in the Division at +43. 26 year old 3B Ryan Haymes won player of the week in Week 2, and is hitting .442/.500/.750, while Nick Book - who missed all of 2038 with a torn rotator cuff, has come back strong so far. Seattle, El Paso, and Denver are all 10-10 in third, while Tijuana is at 6-14, potentially stabilizing after a terrible start.

Player of the Week: Ralph Carter, 1B, ELP: .407/.467/.889, 3 HR, 9 RBI

Top Hitters:
Corey Harrison, C, CHI: .444/.545/.722, 1 HR, 6 R
Mike Williams, 1B, DEN: .500/.500/.833, 8 2B, 7 RBI
Ki-chun Moon, LF, SEA: .350/.480/.750, 2 HR, 6 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Nick Anderson, SP, TMP: 13 IP, 2.77 ERA, 1.78 FIP, 16 K
Steve Smith, SP, MRY: 13 IP, 2.08 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 16 K
Karapagam Chandran, CL, SEA: 9 IP, 1.00 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 13 K, 2 SV

League News

• El Paso’s Joe Rison snapped a 20 game hit streak that stretched back into last season, going 0-4 in a 3-2 win over Tijuana. Rison is batting a strong .312/.360/.650 with three homers and six doubles on the season.
• Chicago RP Steve Weiss, who was off to a strong start in six innings so far this year, will miss the rest of the season after tearing an elbow ligament.

Monthly Awards

• Batter of the Month: Brooklyn’s Carson Prince resumed his near-MVP pace from 2038 with an outstanding month, hitting .329/.395/.685 with seven homers, putting up a full 1 WAR in just 19 games. Prince is a two-time MVP, won the Triple Crown in 2035, and was named 2037 D1 Championship Series MVP.
• Pitcher of the Month: Alex Gutierrez of the Chicago Whales has been outstanding this month, helping his team to a D1 East-best 11-9 record by going 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 3.25 FIP, striking out 26 in 30 innings of work.
• Rookie of the Month: Denver’s Mike Williams has stepped into the hole left by Donovan Bryant and thrived in his first month, hitting an extraordinary .417/.440/.708 with 1 homer and a D1-best 11 doubles.

Division 2
Montreal’s impressive start has kept them in the black this week, going 4-3 to take a share of first place at 12-8. Montreal has benefited from some level of luck - their rotation has lacked any consistent out-getters, while outside of Raul Gonzalez the offense has been lackluster. Baltimore has been performing better, also at 12-8 after a 4-3 week but with strong Aprils from Randy Putnam, Dustin Jennings, and SP Jalen Ainsworth. Boston sank to third after a 2-5 week. New Orleans is fourth at 8-11 despite the incredible April of Carlos Ybarra, who has already blasted 12 homers, while Ottawa and Detroit remain at the bottom of the Conference.

Houston keeps its spot atop the D2 West in Week 3, at 13-7. They’ve been powered by 1B Doug Frey and DH Bill Tucker; rookie Aaron Ferguson had a rough week but retains an OPS of .800 in the early going. San Diego is also hanging in at 12-8, after a 5-2 week that featured a sweep of Boston. The Padres have the best rotation in D2 right now behind Max Cartmill and Brice Ausmus. Ft. Worth is at 10-10, hurt by an injury to Joseph Kovach, who will be out for the year, while Jesse Moeller has slumped. Vancouver has surged out of the cellar with a 5-2 week, tying them with the Solons at 9-11, while Kansas City sits in last at 7-13.

Player of the Week: Carlos Ybarra, 1B, NOL: .500/.545/1.222, 4 HR, 8 RBI (2nd week in a row)

Top Hitters:
Colin Hannigan, 2B, VAN: .429/.538/.810, 2 HR, 5 R
Dustin Jennings, SS, BAL: .360/.407/.840, 4 HR, 9 RBI
Doug Frey, HOU: .417/.462/.583, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Saul Coffey, SP, HOU: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.72 FIP, 9K, 1 HA
Yusuke Kondo, SP, SAC: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.51 FIP, 8 K, 2 HA
Justin Anderson, SP, NOL: 15.1 IP, 1.17 ERA, 3.06 FIP. 12 K

League News

• A bad blow for Ft. Worth as an errant pitch by Sacramento’s Eddie Cruz broke 1B Joseph Kovach’s elbow on the 24th. Kovach was a key power source for Ft. Worth, with 30 homers in 2038. Lorenzo Tapia will slide over from third to take over first base, while Bobby Jones has been called up to fill in at the hot corner.
• Ottawa’s Sam Webb, one of the most accomplished defensive third basemen in NABF history, will retire at the end of the season, he announced. Webb has played for five teams over his career, most notably with Vancouver, and won nine Gold Gloves at third, the most by any 3B.
• Ottawa catcher Zach Snyder tore his PCL on April 29 and will not play again this season. Backup catcher Perry Wilson will step into the everyday role while Harry Schafer has been called up from AAA Iroquois Falls.

Monthly Awards

• Batter of the Month: Carlos Ybarra is off to an incredible start for the New Orleans Zephyrs, setting the NABF pace with 12 homers in his first 19 games while hitting .358/.397/.896. Ybarra, a ten year veteran with Cleveland and New Orleans, has never hit more than 26 homers in a single season; right now he’s on pace for 94.
• Pitcher of the Month: Montreal’s surprising April has come courtesy, in part, of Omari Williams. The veteran SP is off to a good start at 4-0, though his 4.62 FIP is concerning. It came to a bit of a surprise to some observers that this award didn’t go to either Detroit’s Zack Root or Ft. Worth’s Hector Razo or Ian Weaver - Weaver, amazingly, hasn’t issued a single walk in 27 innings of work.
• Rookie of the Month: Sacramento SP Yusuke Konda, 29, is in his first NABF season after coming over from Japan. He has started 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA, striking out 28 over 26 innings of work.

Division 3
Nashville has shot to the top of the D3 East with a 6-1 week that improves their record to 12-8. Mel Irving has been fantastic in the first few weeks, but it has been the strong rotation that has kept them going, allowing only a little more than two runs a game over the last 7 starts. Columbus has receded to 10-10, though still in second place, while the other four teams in the Conference - Memphis, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Miami - are all 9-11. The good news for Miami is that after three rough starts, Paul Herrin had a strong complete game outing striking out ten against San Francisco; getting him on the right track will help Miami recover from a less-than-ideal beginning. They’ve lost the last three, and they’ve been beset by injury, but they should get SPJerry Dudek back soon.

That St. Paul magic keeps going, as the Saints are 13-7, with John McNayr outstanding in the early going. Austin is a game back at 12-8, with Masahiro Nakanishi at 3-1 with a 1.15 ERA, though Jeremy Almy has started coming back to earth. A still-surprising Calgary is 11-9, while Portland and Salt Lake are tied at 9-11 and San Francisco lags behind at 8-12.

Player of the Week: John Feist, 1B, POR: .593/.621/.852, 1 HR, 5 R

Top Hitters:
Dave Quinonez, 3B, CLG: .500/.481/.962, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Ralph Keough, 1B, SLC: .500/.500/.958, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Scott Glendenning, 3B, NSH: .348/.375/.826, 3 HR, 8 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Ryan Roland, SP, CLE: 8 IP, 2.25 ERA, 0.07 FIP, 13 K
John McNayr, SP, STP: 8 IP, 1.12 ERA, 0.95 FIP, 11 K
Ken Madga, SP, ATL: 15.2 IP, 2.87 ERA, 2.95 FIP, 19 K

League News

• It was a scary moment for the Amigos, as RF Carlos Avalos went down in a heap after taking a Chris Flynn pitch to the face late in the game on the 26th against the Seals. Avalos, who was the MVP for Miami in their 20336 D4 Championship, was diagnosed with a fractured jaw, and will miss four weeks of time.

Monthly Awards

• Batter of the Month: To find a reason for the surprising turnaround of the Calgary Outlaws early in the season, look no further than their young 3B Dave Quinonez. Over the season’s first 19 games, Quininez hit .338/.378/.784 with a D3-best 8 homers and 19 RBI. Quinonez could be turning a developmental corner, and if so he will be a key player in a Calgary rebuild, especially if he can help them stay in D3.
• Pitcher of the Month: John McAdams is right behind Quinonez on the list of reasons Calgary is 11-9. The veteran righthander is 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA in four starts, with a 61 FIP-. After allowing 22 homers in 2038, McAdam has yet to allow one this season, and has dropped his walk ate in the early going.
• Rookie of the Month: Cleveland bullpen arm Matt Hamilton has had a great welcome to D3 after being taken from New York in this winter’s Rule 5 draft. He could eventually see time in the rotation with his fastball/sinker/splitter combo, but for now he is holding his own with 15 solid innings of relief so far.

Division 4
Charlotte and Cincinnati, for the moment at least, are the class of the D4 East. They’re both 12-8 with a +17 and +18 run differential, respectively. Charlotte’s Jason McCollum hasn’t quite gotten back to last year’s MVP level yet, and he had his season interrupted by a four game suspension following a brawl against Phoenix in late April. Ernesto Gonzles, too, has struggled: the 4x defending batting champion is hitting just .295. Cincinnati, meanwhile, has responded to losing Willie Rodriguez in the offseason by scoring more runs than any other team in D1. Washington is a game back at 11-9, though they’ve been outscored on the season. Pittsburgh was 4-3 over the week and may be coming around, as Joel Ortiz has had a couple good starts in a row while three additions - Chris Bishop, Donovan Bryant, and Gi-cheng Miao - all have four homers. Also at 9-11 are Havana and Indianapolis, where young knuckleballer Greg Smith is off to an exceptional start.

In the West, Las Vegas continues its reign of terror: the 51s were “just” 4-3 this week, bringing them to 15-5, two up on San Antonio. Young SP Chad Mealey continues to pitch well in the early going after a move to the rotation: he has struck out 34 in 31 innings and has a 2.30 ERA. Tim Sicinski has already clubbed 7 homers, while closer Ryan Monday has 11 saves in 11 games and has yet to give up an earned run. San Antonio’s strong rotation has kept them in the race at 13-7, led by starters Bill Lorentz and Justin Hensen, while Ron Golden and Justin Gulden lead on offense. 3B Kevin Fitzpatrick, who came over from St. Paul in the offseason, has been fantastic over the first three weeks for Albuquerque, who are four back at 11-9. It’s a long drop from there to the 7-13 Firebirds, while the Brewers and Browns are both 9 back already, at 6-14.

Player of the Week: Kevin Fitzpatrick, 3B, ALB: .500/.533/.857, 1 HR, 12 RBI, Cycle

Top Hitters:
Sukehiro Sakamoto, LF, SAM: .480/.536/.960, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Kevin Kersey, LF, MIL: .364/.440/.773, 3 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI
Alex Rodriguez, SS, CIN: .400/.419/.600, 1 HR, 6 R

Top Pitchers:
Joel Ortiz, SP, PIT: 8 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.15 FIP, 11 K, 2 HA
Chad Mealey, SP, LVG: 8.1 IP, 1.08 ERA, 1.73 FIP, 9 K
Nate Mefford, SP, IND: 8 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.78 FIP, 10 K

League News

• Phoenix starter Chris Carver and Charlotte 1B Jason McCollum were suspended for six and four games respectively after Carver hit McCollum in the top of the first inning, sparking a benches-clearing confrontation.
• Kevin Fitzpatrick is turning heads in his first year in Albuquerque. The third baseman was named Player of the Week and hit for the cycle on April 28 in a game against Washington, with two singles, a three-run homer in the 6th, and a two-run triple to finish it off in the 7th.

Monthly Awards

• Batter of the Month: Kevin Kersey’s first season in Milwaukee couldn’t be starting better. The former El Paso OF hit .403 with a.461 OBP, 10 homers, and 27 RBI in his first 18 games in brown and gold, including a three-homer game vs. Las Vegas on Opening Day.
• Pitcher of the Month: Washington’s Matt Haughton stepped into the role of staff ace with the departure of Chris Spry, and has responded brilliantly, opening the season 4-0 with a 1.57 ERA. His peripherals aren’t quite as strong, and his FIP is a respectable but not outstanding 3.56, but Washington fans are happy with April.
• Rookie of the Month: 24 year old SS Alex Rodriguez is finally getting his shot after a slow rise through the minors, and he’s not missing it. The multi-position speedster was seen as a glove-first base-stealing threat who could hit some, but he’s got a .380/.392/.592 line with 10 doubles and a homer already, good for a 168 OPS+ in his first Cincinnati season.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Punches, Baseballs Fly As Charlotte Holds Off Firebirds 8-7

This was a game that had everything, from late-inning drama to early dramatics, as Charlotte survived a critical ejection and held off a late Phoenix surge to win 8-7 and even their season record at 7-7.

After a quiet top of the first, the bottom of the inning got exciting quick. A four-pitch leadoff walk to Ernesto Gonzales brought 2B Josh Catalina to the plate, and Catalina drilled the second pitch he saw 426 feet to left center field. Catalina admired it, and under Carver’s gaze he jogged slowly around the bases before making what appeared to be a gesture at Carver after crossing the plate. Carver stared him all the way back into the dugout, but nothing else developed in that moment. That changed fast with the next pitch, which ran up into Jason McCollum’s ribs. McCollum, interpreting it as payback for Catalina, began yelling and walking out toward Carver. The Phoenix pitcher ran at him and the two exchanged blows before teammates and coaches arrived to pull them apart. It took several minutes to clear the field, during which McCollum and Carver were both ejected.

With a pinch runner at first for McCollum and a new pitcher, Robbie Bond, in for Carver, the inning ended quickly: Dylan Harris grounded into a double play and Javier Hernandez grounded to second. But the excitement still buzzed in the stands, even with Charlotte up 2-0.

Despite a couple of hits including a Matt Armstrong triple off Charlotte starter Jordan Servantez in the 4th, the 2-0 score held until the bottom of the 4th inning. With Bond still pitching, Dylan Harris singled, and went to third when Javier Hernandez doubled. A wild pitch scored Harris and put Hernandez on third, from where he scored a batter later on a Josh Elliott grounder to make it 4-0 Charlotte.

In the top of the fifth, though, Phoenix struck: Craig White singled in front of Antonio Vega, who worked a full count before launching a ball into left field that cleared the wall with plenty to spare. With the umpires on full alert, Vega tossed his bat and yelled toward his own dugout, but otherwise kept things civil as his team cut Charlotte’s lead in half.

But Charlotte came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the inning: Santos Cendejas, who had come into the game to pinch run for McCollum, singled and went to second on a wild pitch to Dylan Harris. Harris then singled putting the runner on third. Bond was lifted for Lamar Ferdinand, who did induce a ground ball from Javier Hernandez, but the run scored on the play to make it 5-2 Charlotte. A walk to Jose Nunez and a single by Elliott loaded them up. With the bases jammed, SS James Arnold hit a laser beam through the 5-6 hole and into left field, scoring two, and an Erik Donovan base hit added a fourth in the inning to make it 8-2 Charlotte.

Matt West homered for Phoenix in the 6th, though, and Phoenix added two more int the 7th when Phil Dollar singled with the bases loaded, and Brandon Murrell walked to score another. 8-5.

That’s where it stayed until the 9th inning. Dollar grounded out, but Murrell slashed a double over the head of Charlotte CF Elliott. Matt West popped it up, though, for the second out. That brought up Matt Armstrong, and the Phoenix 2B hit the game’s fourth - and final - homer to right center, scoring two and bringing the Firebirds within a run. Bryan Garcia bore down, though, and was able to get Dave Reyes swinging on a 2-2 slider to end it.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Division 1
The New York Giants greeted May with a 5-1 week, winning five straight against Denver and Seattle before getting run over by Carson Prince on Sunday. New York is now in the top spot in the East, and has reclaimed their spot atop the runs scored list. Their rotation has stabilized somewhat as Willie Rodriguez and Jon Sayre have started well, but Rich Buxkemper has been getting hammered, and is now 1-2 with a 7.48 ERA. Just behind New York is Toronto, at 14-12 with the best starter ERA in the Division: youngster Danny Mortimore has been fantastic behind Raul Roman’s hot start. Brooklyn and Chicago are tied at 13-13 as Carson Prince heats up for the Dodgers; Jason Blanche has also been outstanding, but the club is starting to feel Matt O’Brien’s absence, and are concerned about the arm of young CF Adam Slagle, who is having tests done after coming up in pain following a throw to nail a runner at home in the first inning of Sunday’s game. Slagle has been off to an amazing start and his loss would be another big one for Brooklyn. Tampa is in fifth at 12-14, while Philadelphia is in last after a 2-5 week.

The Monterrey Industriales continue to hold, albeit tentatively, to their lead in the West. They’re 17-9 and enjoying a strong run by their pitching staff, including a combined 26 scoreless innings from relievers Eduardo Lopez and Alexis Salinas, and closer Carlos Mendez. Los Angeles, though, is not far behind with a great rotation featuring Doug Kluz, Kenny Trent, and Nick Book, and a top three offense. Seattle and El Paso are tied for third, but El Paso should be getting ace David Matthews back soon after a brief shelving due to a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand. Denver and Tijuana share last place at 10-16, but went in very different directions this week: Denver lost six straight, while Tijuana was 4-2 including a couple of wins over Monterrey.

Player of the Week: Carson Prince, 1B, BRO: .421/.577/.1.105, 4 HR, 6 R

Top Hitters:
Ken Conroy, LF, TOR: .333/.360/.958, 4 HR, 10 RBI
Jason Burditt, LF, MRY: .474/.524/.947, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Alex Parga, RF, NYG: .320/.414/.800, 3 HR, 8 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Toshio Nimiya, SP, SEA: 16 IP, 0.56 ERA, 2.15 FIP, 17 K, 2 W
Rodrigo Cardoso, RP, ELP: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.97 FIP, 13 K, 3 HA, 1 W in spot start
Doug Kluz, SP, LAA: 9 IP, 2.00 ERA, 1.53 FIP, 12 K, 1 W

League News

• Toronto ace Raul Roman struck out 16 Potros in just seven innings of work against Tijuana, winning his fifth straight decision on May 5th. Roman has a 2.33 ERA and 45 strikeouts in just 39 innings of work so far this season.
• The rest of the New York Giants bats may be quiet for now, but Alex Parga’s is not: the veteran RF blasted three homers against Seattle today in a 9-5 win, bringing his 2039 total to 9 in the early going.

Division 2
Boston has pulled ahead in the East courtesy of a 5-1 week with outstanding production from SS Ramon Santiago, C Rick Wilde, and LF Rogelio Ventura. Bryan Murphy 3-hit Ottawa early in the week. Montreal has fallen back a bit and is now knotted with Baltimore for second at 15-11 apiece; the Expos are eagerly awaiting Bubba Fread’s season debut this week, while Baltimore’s rotation struggles have led to Eric Cool’s move to the rotation (with early success). Carlos Ybarra cooled off big-time this week, but New Orleans remains in 4th at an even 13-13, while Ottawa and Detroit once again share last place, despite the hot hitting of Aaron Felton, who signed on with Detroit this offseason.

A couple more weeks of this and we’ll have to take a hard look at whether the Houston Buffaloes - a team that has one only one Conference title in its history, way back in 2022 - is for real. They’re the only club in the Conference with a solid run differential, and have scored some runs, though the offense has cooled a bit this week. They could use some rotation help, though Saul Coffey and Edgardo Sanchez have both pitched well. The competition isn’t great so far, though, with the Padres a couple games back at 14-12 and the rest of the conference at or below .500. Keep an eye on Vancouver, which was 4-2 this week and 7-3 over its last ten; the Mounties have climbed to third place and a .500 record, while Sacramento has fallen to 12-14. Kansas City and Ft.Worth both sit at 10-16, with a disappointing Ft. Worth team having lost six straight to open May.

Player of the Week:: Sonny Scoggins, CF, VAN: .400/.455/.633, 1 HR, 4 2B, 6 RBI

Top Hitters:
Aaron Felton, RF, DET: .364/.440/.864, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R
Ramon Santiago, SS, BOS: .417/.417/.833, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Daniel Reid, 1B, BAL: .368/.400/.842: 3 HR, 6 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Eric Cool, SP, BAL: 7.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.84 FIP, 9 K, 1 W
Carlos Castillo, RP, VAN: 11 IP, 1.64 ERA, 2.39 FIP, 13 K
Bryan Murphy, SP, BOS: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2.52 FIP, 8 K, 1 W

League News

• The Montreal Expos outlasted Vancouver in the longest game played in the NABF this season, a 19 inning marathon that ended in a 3-1 Montreal victory. The teams scattered 27 hits, despite all four runs scoring via homer, including a two run game-winner by Montreal’s Carlos Ponce in the top of the 19th.
• The Solons signed 36-year old RP Ricky Call to a head-scratching one year $3.4 million deal, despite Call’s age and lack of effectiveness. Call is on his fourth organization in two seasons, and had pitched a total of 29 innings since 2037 when Sacramento picked him up.
• In the week’s saddest news, San Diego Padres long-time owner Kevin Cobb passed away at age 84 after a short illness. Cobb, who had owned the Padres since 1996 and led his club into the NABF, where he won six championships, is succeeded by his son, Kevin Cobb Jr., who has vowed to “stay deeply involved” and “make some changes around here.”

Division 3
Nashville looks to be running off with the Conference again this year, and has already built a four game lead after a 5-1 week, winning 10 of their last 11. Though they are in desperate need of a fifth starter, their 1-4 have all been excellent, and the offense has scored more runs than all but three other D3 clubs as Nashville has pulled four ahead in the conference. There are four clubs at 13-13, all four back. Columbus has been the best of these, playing two under their expected record with the best run differential in the conference, with Ricky Pince and Phil Osborne both hitting well; the Red Birds have also gotten unexpected production from starters Marion Alexander and Caleb Weatherspoon. Miami, also 13-13, has had a bit of a tougher go, with Paul Herrin continuing to struggle, though Ryan Lako and John Schaeffer have both been pitching well. Miami is second to last in homers in the Division, though, and could use additional offense. Cleveland has done well keeping opponents from scoring, but aren’t doing any better themselves, with an exactly even run differential, while Atlanta has been outscored by one. Memphis is the laggard here, at 10-16.

Out west, the Pioneers were 4-2 this week to leap into first, with the Saints falling from the top spot for the first time. Austin’s starters have been outstanding, led by 2038 Rookie of the Year Masahiro Nakanishi and backed by Matt Taylor, Tim Lank, and a rejuvenated Chris Parker, who missed most of last year to injury. St. Paul lost four of six last week to sink into second despite two outstanding outings by Edgar Troche - the club’s only victories. Salt Lake and Calgary each have 13-13 marks, while San Francisco and Portland are at 10-16 - the highlight for Portland this week was John Feist’s cycle, which has helped him maintain a Division-best .412 BA.

Player of the Week: Sam Stanton, DH, ATL: .500/.538/.917, 3 HR, 9 RBI

Top Hitters:
Josh Henry, RF, SFS: .389/.450/1.000, 3 HR, 5 R
Jeremy Almy, LF, AUS: .471/.654/.588, 4 R, 9 BB
Bobby Cook, RF, NSH: .300/.481/.800, 3 HR, 9 RBI

Top Pitchers:
Matt Taylor, SP, AUS: 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.93 FIP, 4 HA, 1 W
Felipe Esparza, SP, STP: 7.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 FIP, 13 K, 1 W
Edgar Troche, SP, SLC: 16 IP, 1.12 ERA, 2.36 FIP, 13 K, 2 W

League News

• Fresh off his Week 3 Player of the Week Award, John Feist evidently wants to prove he deserved it. The Portland 1B hit for the cycle at the Vaughn Street Ballpark May 5th, helping Portland win a narrow victory over the Crackers. His homer was a first inning solo shot, and was followed by a single, double, and triple in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th respectively. Feist is currently hitting .412.
• St. Paul catcher Marco Moreno hit more homers on May 5 than he did all season last year, launching three into the seats at home against Miami’s Ryan Lako. At 34, Moreno came in with just 15 homers in his career.

Division 4
Charlotte is hanging on to first place entering May, despite a 3-3 week that saw them allow 18 runs over two games to Indianapolis. Charlotte still has the Division’s best offense, with huge contributions from Javier Hernandez and CF Josh Elliott, but the pitching has been getting worse as the season goes on. Indianapolis made up some ground with a 5-1 week, tying a 2-4 Cincinnati for second place. Pittsburgh is starting to climb a bit after some standout performances this week; with a 13-13 record they’re suddenly within striking distance. The Senators and Sugar Kings lag behind, but not far: each are at 12-14, within three games of first.

The 51s are still well on top of the West, at 19-7 and three games up on the Missions. Las Vegas has continued to get unexpected great performances up and down the club, most notably from Tim Sicinski who has been mashing at a rate far greater than he’s ever hit before. San Antonio is creeping up, though, gaining a game on Vegas this week with a string of great pitching performances. Albuquerque is 14-12 and five games back, but it tails off from there: despite the great hitting of Ken Kersey, Milwaukee is 10-16, while Phoenix (9-17) and St. Louis (8-18) have yet to hit their stride.

Player of the Week: Bryan Knowles, CF, PIT: .464/.516/.679, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Top Hitters:
Ghi-cheng Miao, C, PIT: .364/.364/.864, 3 HR, 7 RBI
Javier Hernandez, C, CHR: .429/.435/.762, 2 HR, 8 R
Sukehiro Sakamoto, LF, SAM: .350/.435/.700, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R

Top Pitchers:
Pete Morin, SP, MIL: 17.2 IP, 1.02 ERA, 2.45 FIP, 21 K, 1 W
Matt Walker, SP, ALB, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.64 FIP, 11 K, 1 W
Alberto Arechiga, SP, HAV: 14 IP, 1.93 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 17 K

League News

• After a pitch from Albuquerque reliever Jonathan Maldonado, grazed Crawfords 1B Mark Butler, tempers flared, and when the dust settled both men found themselves suspended. Butler, who instigated the confrontation, will sit four games, while Maldonado is out of action for two.
• Tony Guerrero won’t be returning to the field of play until August, but at least now he knows what uniform he’ll be wearing when he does, as the Firebirds re-signed the 1B for the end of the 2039 season, paying him $1.3 million.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Feist Hits For Cycle, Portland Walks Off With Win Against Crackers

Portland and Atlanta have both struggled to get themselves off the ground this season, but if John Feist has anything to say about it, the Beavers are about to fly. The veteran 1B hit for the cycle against Atlanta tonight, keeping him team in the game until the wild final play. He got it started early, with a bottom of the first solo shot off Eli Willim, answering Sam Stanton’s own homer from the top of the frame. The game stayed 1-1 until the third, when Feist singled. He went to third on a Willie Lopez double, and scored a walk later when Willim unleashed a wild pitch to Gabe Perkins. Portland threatened again in the fifth, as Feist’s double put runners on second and third with nobody out, but Atlanta got out of the jam on a perfect throw from Atlanta RF Jeremy Figone to nab Franklin Mendez at the plate. Atlanta brought the score even in the 6th, though, as Leo Riojas doubled off Portland starter Eric Lohuis and came in on a Sam Stanton single with two out.

Fesit came to the plate in the seventh with a single, double, and homer, and proceeded to blast a ball that just missed going out, taking a bad bounce off the top lip of the pad on the right field wall and caroming away. The bad bounce allowed Feist to make it to third for the cycle, but denied Portland the lead. So the game went into the ninth tied at two, with both starters now departed.

Portland closer Brett Schwarzwelder worked around a single while striking out Atlanta’s top two, Hiram Reznicek and Sam Stanton, to keep the tie. Once again, though, John Feist was at the center of things in the bottom of the ninth: with one out, he drew a five pitch walk, and proceeded to steal second. Willie Lopez lofted a fly ball to center; it wasn’t particularly deep but Feist decided to challenge Marco Diaz’s arm. He chose well, as Diaz uncorked a wild throw that skipped past 3B Ronnie Sceviour while Feist jumped up from his slide and bolted home, crossing the plate to win a game he had dominated.