S12 Power Rankings - Part Deux

1 (4) – Philadelphia Starz (33-17, 2^nd in AL North)

      Pitching: 5

      Batting: 2

      Fielding: 11

Making the move up to the top spot in this week’s power rankings thanks to a current 8-game win streak is the Philadelphia Starz.  They have been impressive both pitching and hitting and they are leading what is currently the best division in the league, claiming three of this week’s top four spots.  Keep an eye on Eddie Hayes, who has stolen 26 bases this year without getting caught, leaving him only 4 short of 500.

2 (7) – St. Louis Archies (35-15, 1^st in AL North)

      Pitching: 11

      Batting: 1

      Fielding: 18

St. Louis is also playing extremely well lately, winning eight of their last ten.   Statistically the best hitting team in the league, the Archies are hitting .296 overall.  S10 ROY Dennis Lo continues to have a great start to his career.

3 (1) – Seattle Thunderbirds (29-21, 2^nd in NL West)

       Pitching: 1

       Batting: 12

       Fielding: 4

4 (NR) – Scranton Miners (27-23, 3^rd in AL North)

      Pitching: 13

      Batting: 6

      Fielding: 1

It cannot please anyone to see the six-time World Series champs slowly creeping up the power rankings.  After a horrible start, Scranton is right back in the AL North mix, led by superb fielding and the 6^th-best hitting squad league-wide.  C Dave Allen leads the league in hitting, in addition to being one of the best defensive catchers out there, and Goose Holmes may be on his way to another Gold Glove at SS.

5 (NR) – El Paso Group W Bench (32-18, 1^st in NL South)

      Pitching: 2

      Batting: 17

      Fielding: 16

Much of El Paso’s success this year can be attributed to the pitching combination of Jolbert Morales and Richard Franco, who lead the league with nine wins each.  They could use the hitting to pick-up a bit, but El Paso will be tough to push out of the NL South’s top spot.

6 (6) – New York Brokers (32-18, 1^st in NL East)

     Pitching: 3

     Batting: 8

     Fielding: 21

Apparently the most consistent team in the league, New York is the only team to stay at their original position in the power rankings.  The pitching and batting are there, but the 21^st-ranked fielding team may need to figure something out on that front to keep up this pace.  S3 Cy Young winner Benito Beltran is certainly doing his part, having the best year of his career at 39 years-old.

7 (10) – Houston Oilers (31-19, 1^st in AL South)

      Pitching: 8

      Batting: 18

      Fielding: 7

8 (2) – Salem Slugs (30-20, 1^st in NL West)

       Pitching: 7

       Batting: 10

       Fielding: 14

9 (NR) – San Juan Streakin' Ricans (27-23, 2^nd in NL East)

      Pitching: 14

      Batting: 13

      Fielding: 6

10 (9) – Vancouver Redlegs (31-19, 1^st in AL West)

        Pitching: 26

        Batting: 12

        Fielding: 13

Dropping Out:  Texas Fresh (28-22), Sioux Falls Soufflé (25-25), San Diego Friars (25-25)