Wednesday, July 1, 2015

NECBL Power Rankings: Schooners regain top spot

In last week's edition of the NECBL power rankings, Newport had taken over the top spot and were riding an eight-game winning streak. They've slowed down (and dropped five spots), and Mystic has overcome a four-game losing streak to bounce back and take the top spot again.

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.

1. Mystic Schooners (13-6)1 (2)
The first team to 13 wins, Mystic has beaten every team in the league at least once. After hitting a skid and dropping four straight, the Schooners have rebounded with a three-game win streak. They lead the league with a 2.64 ERA and rank fifth in average.

2. Valley Blue Sox (11-7) 1 (3)
After winning seven of their last 10, the Blue Sox have moved into a tie for first place with Laconia. Their bats cooled off the past week but they've won three of five and have been powered by a 2.81 staff ERA (2nd). Bryan Goosens is 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 25 innings.

3.  Ocean State Waves (10-7) 1 (4)
Ocean State, by Bill James' temperature stat, is the hottest team in the NECBL at 91°. They've gone 3-1 in the past week and sit two games back of Mystic. Their stats don't overwhelm you but they're 4-1 in one-run games and have tossed three shutouts.

4. Laconia Muskrats (12-8) 1 (5)
A two-game losing streak is a small bump for the Muskrats, who were coming off of a four straight wins. They have a 2.90 ERA, good for third, and also rank third with a .255 team batting average. Ace Tim Viehoff is 3-0 over four starts with a 0.36 ERA in 25 innings.

5. North Adams SteepleCats (11-8) 1 (6)
Another team that has heated up, North Adams has won back-to-back games and six of their last ten. They're hitting .298 over their last five games with a 2.51 ERA, and sit just a half game out of first having only played 17 games.

6. Newport Gulls (11-7)  5 (1)
Since their eight-game winning streak ended, Newport has lost five of six with the lone win coming in a doubleheader split with New Bedford. They still have a half-game lead in second place, but Ocean State is closing fast. They posted a 6.00 ERA over the last week.

7. Plymouth Pilgrims (8-8) - (7)
Rainouts have plagued the Pilgrims as they've played a league fewest 16 games, but they are still a dangerous team. They haven't lost to a team below .500, with three losses coming to Mystic. Pitching is an area of concern (4.33 ERA), but they've slugged 22 home runs.

8. Vermont Mountaineers (9-9) 1 (9)
The Mountaineers jumped up after winning three of their last five to get back to .500. They haven't been above .500 since June 17th, and errors still plague them (2nd with 38), but there are good signs. They are fifth in ERA (3.24) and have a league high 49 stolen bases.

9. New Bedford Bay Sox (9-9) 1 (8)
The Bay Sox sit at .500 after dropping three of their last five. They rank near the bottom in average (.226) but are fourth in team ERA (3.04). They're just 3-5 at home and have already been shut out four times, but Tyler Orris is a bright spot as he's hitting .364.

10. Sanford Mainers (8-9) - (10)
No movement for the defending Northern Division champs, as they've gone 2-3 over the past week and sit a half game out of a playoff spot. The Mainers, who led the league in average early, hit just .191 the past week.

11. Danbury Westerners (3-15) 1 (12)
They've gone 2-2 in the past week, hitting .303 as a team but the pitching isn't there yet. A 6.11 ERA is by far the worst mark in the league, and last week was no different (6.94). The playoffs are very unlikely, but if the pitching can come around they'll be decent.

12. Keene Swamp Bats (4-16)  1 (11)
Keene has played two more games then Danbury and has a better winning percentage, but things are looking down for the Swamp Bats. They've dropped four straight and are hitting a league-worst .204 while also sitting as the only team with a sub-.300 on base percentage.

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