NECBL.com Smart Rankings July 27th

The weekly top five hitters/pitcher rankings have come out for July 27th, and Keene's JP Sportman takes the top hitting spot, while Sanford's Steven Rice holds the top pitching spot for the second straight week. 

Hitters 

1. JP Sportman, Keene Swamp Bats (Last Week: 2) When you look at the Keene Swamp Bats, and their complete turnaround from worst to first, their hitting stands out, and no one more than JP Sportman. The speedy outfielder has all the tools, as he leads the league in average with a .349 mark and has also hit 11 doubles to go with four home runs. Sportman's swiped 11 bases as well, and knocked in 28 runs to go with 23 runs scored. A probable finalist to win the Rick Ligi MVP award, he has been crucial for the Swamp Bats going 20-4 to salvage a season they started at 3-11. 

2. Ben Roberts, Newport Gulls (Last Week: 1) The Newport Gulls are 23-11 and sit atop the Eastern Division with solid pitching and just as good hitting. Leading the charge is outfielder Ben Roberts, the league leader in multiple categories, including runs scored and total bases. Roberts has a .321 average, and has scored 33 runs, a mark that is just 12 runs from the NECBL record, set last year. Roberts has also tied the record for doubles in a season with 16, and has plenty of games left to break it. He's also knocked in 24 runs and walked 19 times, as well as leading the league in extra base hits with 19. Another early pick for the MVP award, it may come down to Sportman v. Roberts in the NECBL championship as both Keene and Newport lead there divisions. 

3. Joe Torres, Laconia Muskrats (Last Week: 4) The fan favorite at the 2013 All-Star game in  Laconia, Joe Torres didn't get the start in the outfield but might have deserved it. The league leader in both stolen bases with 23 and walks with 28, Torres gets on frequently and is a danger on the base paths. A spark for the Muskrats offense, the 5-7 Torres is second in on base percentage with a .478 mark and has a .336 average as well.  

4. Caden Bailey, Ocean State Waves (Last Week: 3) Argaubly the most reliable player in the league, Ocean State's Caden Bailey leads the league in games played wiith 38 and is among the league leaders in various categories. Third in the league in at bats with 142, Bailey is also second in both hits with 44 and in runs with 29. The Waves sit just three games back of the Gulls, and a part of that is Bailey playing in every single game.  

5. Ryan Plourde, New Bedford Bay Sox (Last Week: Honorable Mention) The New Bedford Bay Sox are 16-21 and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot, but Ryan Plourde is doing everything he can to get them in again. A .439 on base percentage, 29 runs scored and 25 walks all put him near the top of the leaderboards. Plourde has been crucial for the Bay Sox and there offense, which ranks near the top of the league. New Bedford may have the worst team ERA in the league at 4.81, but they're hitting .259 as a team and pick up their pitching when it struggles. Plourde leads the way, hitting .303 with 15 RBIs. 

Pitchers 

1. Steven Rice, Sanford Mainers (Last Week: 1) Steven Rice returns to the top of the pitcher rankings for the second straight week, as he's been dominant out of the pen for the Mainers. The 5-7 closer from the University of Vanderbilt has posted great numbers, with a 4-1 record, five saves and a 0.82 ERA. Rice has also struck out 40 to just seven walks over 22 innings of work. 

2. Nathan Kirby, Keene Swamp Bats (Last Week: 3) The Keene Swamp Bats may be one of the best hitting team in the league, but that's not the only reason for their worst-to-first turnaround. The Swamp Bats have a 3.11 team ERA, third in the league, and Nathan Kirby leads the charge. 2-0 over six starts, Kirby's thrown 35 innings and struck out 53, as well as holding a 2.02 ERA. He's given up just 24 hits, and has walked 17. Kirby has slid up into second in this weeks rankings. 

3. Michael Burke, Holyoke Blue Sox (Last Week: Honorable Mention) The Holyoke Blue Sox recently hopped over the Saratoga Brigade into fourth place in the West, and in line for a playoff spot. The Blue Sox are lead by a 3.14 team ERA and Michael Burke is their ace. Burke, through seven starts, has thrown 56 innings and has a 3-0 record. Fifth in the league in strikeouts with 44, Burke has also thrown two complete games, one of which was a shutout. The league leader in innings pitched, he threw nine and a third innings back in June against North Adams. Later on, he struck out 13 against Sanford. One of the top pitchers in the league, Burke has leaped up to third on the rankings after earning a honorable mention last week. 

4. David Hickey, Vermont Mountaineers (Last Week: Unranked) John Miles (below) is viewed as the Mountaineers ace, but another pitcher has joined the fray on the Western Division's best pitching staff. David Hickey, senior lefty from Yale University is 1-0 over five starts. A 1.00 ERA, Hickey's thrown 27 innings and struck out 33 to just 3 walks, a 11:1 ratio. Hickey was unranked last week, but got everyones attention with a dominant performance in Saratoga. He went seven innings, gave up just on run (unearned) on three hits while striking out nine and walking none.  

5. John Miles, Vermont Mountaineers (Last Week: 2) Another Mountaineer rounds out the top five, with ace John Miles taking fifth. Miles has dropped to fifth from second last week as he was roughed in Holyoke on Wednesday, picking up his first loss. Regardless, Miles is still one of the best pitchers in the NECBL. A 3-1 record over five starts and 35 innings, Miles has a 1.29 ERA and has given up just 17 hits and 11 walks. Opponents are hitting just .136 against him, as well as .80 WHIP and a 2.73 strikeout to walk ratio.