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| Danbury All-Star outfielder Cody Acker slides into a tag. The Westerners are a league-worst 7-19. /Scott Mulin, DNT |
However, nothing compares to the final two weeks of the season, where teams are constantly shifting in the divisional standings as the playoff race heats up.
It seems like yesterday it was opening day, but now there are plenty of intriguing storylines to pay attention to over the rest of the summer.
Mighty Muskrats
Talented offensive teams are a thing in the past, as the last two years have seen a dramatic dip in scoring after the long ball season in 2012. However, Laconia's doing their best to bring it back.
The Muskrats have a league-high 153 runs, 16 more than the second place team in just one more game. Paired with a middle of the pack pitching staff, Laconia is leading the Northern Division by a pair of games and even as a first place team, they seem like a sleeping giant.
With a lineup headlined by five all-stars, the Muskrats have showed flashes of dominance. They've pieced together a pair of four-game winning streaks as well as a five-game stretch where they beat every other team in the Northern Division, but every team has hot streaks. They're six games above .500 and yet it seems with their roster, they were built not to struggle.
Laconia is hitting .279; that team average would be the best figure over a full season in the past three years. With James Davison in the final vote, six of the nine members of the Muskrats lineup could be recognized as the best of the best.
Featuring the best offense and one of the best pitchers in the league, Laconia is in a good position to make a drive deep into the postseason. A division title is far from a certainty, but the Muskrats are already 14-7 against Northern opponents.
Maddening Mountaineers
Sitting two games behind the Muskrats is Vermont, and 2015 has been a roller coaster ride. Manager Joe Brown has built a competitive team, but one that hasn't had the best of luck. By BaseRuns, Vermont has played .607 baseball, good for a 17-11 record that would make them the second-best team in baseball.
In reality, the Mountaineers are a frustrating 15-13 (.536), having traded wins and losses much of the summer. No other team in the league is more than two games below its BaseRuns-expected record.
Offensively, the Mountaineers have arguably the best middle infield in the league, with two all-stars and another in the final vote. Fourth in both team average and ERA, Vermont still has a quarter of the season with reinforcements are on the way, so it remains to be seen if they can make a fourth quarter surge and have momentum going into the playoffs.
Woeful Westerners
The championship appearance's in 2010 and 2012 couldn't seem farther away. Danbury is already seven games out of a playoff spot and is well on their way to a third consecutive losing season.
After losing long-time manager Jamie Shevchik before this season, the Westerners have built a roster that has struggled under first-year coach Ryan Smyth.
Danbury is tied for last in fielding (.946) and a league-worst 4.60 ERA that is 13 points higher then their mark last season, which was also last in the league. They're also not producing at the plate, with a .606 OPS that is just a point higher than last place Keene.
The Westerners have won two straight, but, unfortunately, there's not much ground they can make up in the talented Southern Division. Danbury is 5-12 against divisional foes and has fared even worse (2-7) against the North.
They're already 9 1-2 games back of first place Newport, but a sign of hope is a 5-5 record over their last 10 games.
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