In order to put together this list, I'm taking into account several factors- last week's record, the quality of opponents, and recent performance beyond the last week as well. This is of course a fluid process, so teams will rise and fall each week.
Currently, there are seven teams hovering around .500 from spots three through 10. It made this weeks edition tough to determine.
1. Newport Gulls (10-2) 
1 (2)Newport took first place in the Southern Division with a 2-1 win over Mystic on Monday, their eighth straight win in a row. The pitching staff has allowed one run or fewer in seven of 12 games so far this year, good for a league best 2.01 ERA.
2. Mystic Schooners (10-4) 
1 (1)The Schooners incredible nine-game winning streak finally came to an end, and they've dropped three of four since then. All three losses were to divisional opponents, but Mystic is just a game out of first with the leagues second-best record and an elite pitching staff.
3. Valley Blue Sox (8-5) 4 (7)After hitting just .199 through their first seven games, Valley's bats have come alive. They hit .313 in a 4-2 stretch to push them into first place in the Northern Division by a half game. The Blue Sox have scored 42 runs during a four-game winning streak.
4. Ocean State Waves (7-6) 1 (5)It gets tough with seven teams hovering around .500, but the Waves are riding a three-game winning streak with wins over Laconia (5th) and Mystic (2nd). Tim Lynch is having an MVP-caliber season, slugging four home runs and hitting .348/.446/.717.
5. Laconia Muskrats (8-6) 2 (3)They've dropped two of three but have the league's second-best record over the last 10 games (7-3). Ace Timothy Viehoff is 3-0 and has yet to give up an earned run in 19 innings, with opposing batters hitting just .108 against him.
6. North Adams SteepleCats (8-6) - (6)Dakota Edwards' no-no on Saturday got all the attention, but the SteepleCats went 3-2 against Northern Division foes to pull into a tie for second. They are hitting just .200 as a team and hold a 4.04 ERA, so this recent run might not be sustainable.
7. Plymouth Pilgrims (6-6) 2 (9)The Pilgrims have only played 12 games and sit at .500, but this team should be on a lot of peoples radar. Four of their losses have come to the top two teams in these rankings. They've slugged a league-best 17 home runs, but a 4.49 ERA is a area of concern.
8. New Bedford Bay Sox (7-6) 2 (10)Despite hitting .205 over the last week, New Bedford has won three of four and are rising in the Southern Division standings. They've been boosted by a 2.19 staff ERA (1.53 in the last week) and if the hitters can come around, they'll rise even more.
9. Vermont Mountaineers (6-7) 5 (4)Giving up a big inning has plagued Vermont all season long, as they've dropped four of five, with each loss featuring an inning in which the opponent scored five-plus runs. They're looking to get back on track with a four-game homestand.
10. Sanford Mainers (6-7) 2 (8)The last week was a mediocre one, as the Mainers went 2-2 and didn't gain any ground. They're still in fourth, but have dropped two of three against Vermont so they currently don't have the tiebreaker. Shaine Hughes (.450) is just 18 points back in highest average.
11. Keene Swamp Bats (3-12) - (11)After winning just one game through their first nine games, Keene has gone 2-4 and sit four places out of a playoff spot. The Swamp Bats started slow last year, but nine games under .500 is a big hole to dig out of.
12. Danbury Westerners (1-13) - (12)Not much to say when you're 1-13 to open the season. New Bedford only won 11 games last year, but Danbury is only on pace for four, which would put them in the record books for all the wrong reasons. They have a 5.08 ERA (last) and are hitting .202 (2nd to last).
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