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Half Way Recap

We have reached the All-Star break so I decided to do a quick recap of first half happenings.

Overall (and to no one's surprise I'm sure) Ankeny is leading the league at 63-28.  Their .692 winning percentage puts them a little short of last seasons historic 122 win team, but a 110+ win season is still in sight.  Unlike last season in which they boasted a rotation full of Cy Young contenders, this year the ACL's are bludgeoning their opposition with offense.  Led by MVP frontrunner, Mookie Betts, the ACL offense is leading the league in runs scores, walks, home runs, OBP, Slugging%, and OPS.  In fact they are so far outdistancing every other offense in the league, they have scored 73 runs more than the second best scoring offense.  On the pitching side, Chicago paces the league with a shut down bullpen and ace, Stephen Strasburg.  The Rum Runners have allowed the least amount of runs to the tune of a 3.61 ERA, and are among the league leaders in WHIP, OPS against, strikeouts, and Component ERA.

Scully
The most competitive division through the first half saw the upstart Bako Bums run out to an early lead as large as five games before Phoenix reeled them in.  Phoenix leads the division by one game over Bako currently with the Moonstruck Boos . . . . uhhh, Blues lurking five games behind.  AZ and Scurvy sit right around .500 and either could jump squarely into the playoff picture with the rosters both teams boast.

Uecker
The Pittsburgh Honey Badgers lead the Uecker with defending conference champion Grants Pass two games behind after rebounding from a slow start.  Mother Lode was contending early until hitting a prolonged slump and Rolla has hung around the fringes as well.  All four teams could rise to the division title with a move or two and a strong second half, but with the strength of the Scully within the conference a playoff berth from the Uecker will more than likely have to be by way of a division title. 

Caray
Detroit has been the second best team in the league through most of the first half, unfortunately for them they are also the second best team in their division.  The Maniax did capitalize on a long win streak to lead the division at one point and the team sits firmly in championship contention with a strong lineup and pitching staff.  The Lakeview Rougarou are in wildcard contention, while Hawaiian has rebounded form a slow start to the fringes of playoff contention.

Harwell
Brooklyn and Motor City ran out early, but Chicago has built steadily, reeled in the two front runners, and the Rum Runners currently lead the division by one game over Brooklyn.  Ann Arbor has had a frustrating season, sitting seven games under .500 despite a positive run differential.  Windy City is looking to build for 2022.




MVP Race
Early on Ankeny's Mookie Betts tried to run away with the award, but others have risen to contention as we end the first half.  Betts (.329, 28 HR, 77 runs, 96 RBI, 1.038 OPS) leads the league in average, hits, OBP, runs, and RBI and still has to be considered the front runner.  Lakeview's Cody Bellinger (.306, 31 HR, 82 RBI, 56 XBH, 1.035 OPS) rose to contention on the strength of a scorching hot two weeks in May.  Other contenders include Brooklyn's Christian Yelich (.317, 18 HR, 59 runs, .976 OPS), Detroit's Mike Trout (27 HR, 14 SB, .961 OPS, 73 runs, 68 RBI), Bako's Pete Alonso (.290, 37 HR, 66 runs, 80 RBI, 1.009 OPS), and Ankeny's Michael Conforto (.296, 26 HR, 58 runs, 72 RBI, 1.040 OPS).

Cy Young
The Cy Young is wide open as we reach the half way point.  Any one of a dozen or more pitchers could ride a strong second half to the award.  Justin Verlander and Zach Greinke each have 12 wins and just 2 losses; Verlander leads in ERA at 2.37 with Hyun-Jin Ryu, Justin Bieber, Stephen Strasburg, Chris Sale, and Max Scherzer all also under a 3.00 ERA; Ryu leads in WHIP at 0.89 followed closely by Sale, Gerrit Cole, Jack Flaherty, Verlander, Bieber, and Scherzer; Verlander holds a slim lead over Cole in strikeouts with Sale, Strasburg, Scherzer and Flaherty also among the league leaders.  Throw in strong first halves from Clayton Kershaw, Lucas Giolito, Robbie Ray, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Glasnow, and it's anyone's guess what the voting will look like at the end of the season.
Brendt Crews
Bako Bums


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Re: Half Way Recap

Reply #1
Well done!
Rod
Scurvy Dogs