Monday, December 29, 2014

Season 17 Power Rankings #1

Season 17 is under way, and it's time to check in with the power rankings!  And we have a #1!  Breaking a streak of six consecutive #1 rankings for Oklahoma City, Buffalo is off to a red hot 31-9 start and claims the top spot.  Their offense is killing it so far, and their pitching is excellent.  Congrats to Buffalo on taking the top spot!  OKC comes in at #2 with a solid start, and New Britain rounds out the top 3 with an equally solid start.  Here are the complete rankings!


Team  W L PREV    Comments
1 Buffalo  31 9 4 Take over the top spot with hot start, offense is crushing
2 Oklahoma City 27 13 1 Incredibly solid as always, just a smidge behind Buffalo
3 New Britain  26 14 5 Out of the gates strong, good numbers across the board
4 Seattle 28 12 11 Very good start, the offense is surprisingly good so far
5 Tucson 25 15 3 Great offense, the pitching has been middle of the pack 
6 Detroit 24 16 6 Great pitching, but their offense is slow out of the gate
7 Atlanta 25 15 7 Excellent start, although the offensive numbers are low
8 Little Rock  22 18 9 Pretty good start, the numbers are strong, yet not elite
9 Rochester 22 18 14 Fantastic numbers again, underperforming on wins 
10 Syracuse 24 16 17 Pretty well balanced at this point, we'll see if it continues
11 Honolulu 22 18 15 Pitching below average so far, but very nice offense
12 Tampa Bay 21 19 10 Not a blazing start for defending champs, but they're good
13 Salt Lake City 21 19 12 Great pitching so far, but can the offense produce more?
14 Toronto 21 19 16 Not a bad start for them, numbers are middle of the road
15 Oakland 20 20 22 Offense is killing it, but the pitching staff has struggled
16 Pawtucket  19 21 13 Slow start for them, pitching has definitely been an issue
17 Chicago  19 21 19 Coming on a bit, numbers look good, especially offense
18 Burlington 20 20 25 Top pitching staff so far, but not much on offense yet 
19 Louisville 20 20 30 Nice jump for them, thanks to solid pitching thus far
20 Nashville  19 21 8 Average numbers so far, they have potential for better play
21 Charlotte 19 21 26 Doing ok so far, although the pitching is a bit below average
22 St. Louis 17 23 2 Rough start sends them free falling in the first rankings
23 Florida 17 23 18 Pitching has been rocked, and offense is below average
24 San Francisco 15 25 23 Above average offense, but pitching is not getting it done
25 Scranton 18 22 24 Bats are there as always, but pitching has been awful
26 Cleveland 16 24 27 Have had pitching issues, but offense hasn't been bad
27 New Orleans 16 24 31 Another team with good offense, but horrible pitching
28 Memphis  15 25 28 Pitching is decent, but offense is off to a horrid start
29 San Juan 14 26 21 The offense just hasn't come together yet for this team
30 Vancouver 13 27 32 Bad pitching and little offense to speak of to this point
31 Richmond 12 28 20 Very little offense, and pitching his been hit quite a bit
32 Helena 12 28 29 Their pitching has been rocked, but offense is not bad

Monday, December 15, 2014

Season 17 Preseason Power Rankings

OK, so we're a few games into the season actually, but I did not use teams' starts as a factor, so I still consider these the preseason rankings.  Sorry for the delay!   Oklahoma City looks reloaded and ready to roll again, so they take the top spot.  St. Louis comes in at #2, with Tucson, Buffalo and New Britain following.  It will be interesting to see how it looks after the first 40 games, good luck everyone, here are the rankings!



Season 16

Team  W L   Comments
1 Oklahoma City 112 50 Bringing back another tremendous team yet again
2 St. Louis 98 64 Added stud SP Troncoso, so looking good again
3 Tucson 96 66 Excellent all-around team should be tough to beat
4 Buffalo  96 66 A perennial contender, always amongst best in pitching
5 New Britain  96 66 Very well balanced, and should be tough in the AL again
6 Detroit 97 65 Lost Orie, but should still be very good this season
7 Atlanta 82 80 Solid last year, and added some free agents 
8 Nashville  89 73 Landed our top FA Towers, so that is a plus for sure
9 Little Rock  91 71 Bringing back a solid team that should contend again
10 Tampa Bay 89 73 Defending champs, can Brock do it all for them again?
11 Seattle 91 71 Look to be bringing back pretty much the same team 
12 Salt Lake City 77 85 Very active in free agency, so we predict improvement
13 Pawtucket  97 65 Lost a couple of Type A FA's so we'll see what happens
14 Rochester 82 80 Always solid, is this the year they can break through?
15 Honolulu 86 76 Took a step back last season, but bounce back is possible
16 Toronto 89 73 Lost a few pitchers, but should still be pretty good
17 Syracuse 76 86 Added a few FA's, we'll see if the offense can improve
18 Florida 73 89 An up and coming team that has made steps forward
19 Chicago  71 91 Once again active in free agency, we'll see if they can climb
20 Richmond 77 85 We'll see what direction new ownership takes the team
21 San Juan 75 87 They're pitching staff was pretty good last season, actually
22 Oakland 75 87 They've got some decent bats, we'll see about the pitching
23 San Francisco 67 95 Pretty good on offense too, but can the arms improve?
24 Scranton 74 88 The ultimate offensive juggernaut, but pitching was bad
25 Burlington 77 85 Struggled offensively in their park, but have decent arms
26 Charlotte 67 95 New ownership here, we'll see what they can do
27 Cleveland 61 101 They seem to be making strides, but pitching an issue
28 Memphis  68 94 Offense was an issue for them, so we'll have to see
29 Helena 66 96 Former world series winner in rebuild mode it seems
30 Louisville 67 95 They've been rebuilding, so could see some callups soon
31 New Orleans 73 89 They lost some guys, as new owner makes their mark
32 Vancouver 57 105 They signed a few guys, so improvement is possible

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Season 17 Free Agency Preview

With the hot stove cranking in both real life MLB and Kenny Powers, let's see who made the list of the top 10 free agents of this offseason in Kenny Powers!

1. Marc Towers, 28, 3B
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .838 career OPS

Signed with Nashville - 5 years, $47.2 million

Towers tops this year's free agency rankings thanks to a solid combination of a great bat and outstanding fielding ability.  He's not quite shortstop caliber in the field, although if you're willing to live with a handful of errors, his bat would be a huge plus at that spot.  At any other spot in the field, he'd be a plus fielder.  He's got tremendous power, solid contact, decent splits, although his batting eye is pretty mediocre.  Still, he brings a lot to the table at the plate.

2. Jimmy Fox, 29, RF
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .902 career OPS

Signed with Oklahoma City - 5 years, $50.1 million

Fox is an outstanding bat with tremendous splits and an elite batting eye to go with very good contact and decent power.  He falls just behind Towers due to his fielding ability, he's got a right field type arm, but not a good enough glove to be successful at the hot corner.  Still, his bat is going to be a major plus in the lineup, regardless of where he plays in the field

3. Erubiel Troncoso, 32, SP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 3.83 career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 5 years, $70 million

Possible Destinations: Chicago, Kansas City, Scranton, Vancouver

Signed with St. Louis - 5 years, $66 million

Troncoso ranks as the top starting pitcher in this free agent class.  He's got very good control and splits and can easily throw 200 innings with his stamina, and also good velocity and ability to keep the ball down.  His pitch quality is one of the things that keep him from being truly elite, still he'd be a very good add to just about any rotation.

4. Dan Ohlendorf, 31, RP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 2.98 career ERA

Signed with Toronto - 2 years, $13.3 million

Ohlendorf is our choice for top reliever in this free agent class.  He has plus ratings across the board in control, velocity, RH split, and pitches.  He may be slightly vulnerable against lefties, but it's not a major concern.  He has the stamina and durability to approach 100 innings of elite quality relief pitching, which is why he lands at #4 on this season's rankings. 

5. Jack Thompson, 29, SP
Type B Free Agent
Key Stat: 3.58 career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 4 years, $40 million

Possible Destinations: Chicago, Scranton, Nashville, Tucson

Signed with Chicago - 5 years, $62 million

Thompson has several redeeming qualities, such as an elite pitch arsenal and control, excellent velocity, and good splits.  One weakness that prevents him from moving up in the rankings is that his durability/stamina combination put a ceiling on his innings somewhere around 175.   Still, those will be high quality innings, and if there is a good bullpen behind him, all the more better. 

6. Geovany Mateo, 34, RP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 3.57 career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 3 years, $26 million

Possible Destinations: Honolulu, Tampa Bay, Scranton, Vancouver

Signed with Little Rock - 3 years, $8.4 million

Mateo is another excellent reliever in this year's free agent class.  His control, effectiveness vs. RH and pitch arsenal are outstanding.  He is not quite as effective vs. lefties, and he tends to give up some fly balls.  The pros definitely outweigh the cons, however, and Mateo can provide 100 innings of quality relief help, which makes him a good signing.

7. Cory Orie, 33, SP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 3.57 career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 3 years, $25 million

Possible Destinations: Kansas City, Toronto, New Britain, Detroit

Signed with Salt Lake City - 5 years, $51 million

There are many positives to be said about Orie, and not many negatives.  He has outstanding ratings across the board, although if a weakness were to be noted, it would be that his effectiveness vs. RH is good, but not elite.  Also, his durability/stamina profile will limit his innings to around 175 max, similar to Thompson, and is four years older.  All that aside, he still has a few very good years left, so he'd be worth the add. 

8. Delanor Broadway, 33, SP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 4.26 career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 3 years, $21 million

Possible Destinations: Toronto, Nashville, Vancouver, San Juan

Signed with Atlanta - 3 years, $24 million

Broadway brings to the table a truly elite arsenal of pitches, excellent velocity and control, and he is very good against LH hitters.  His RH split is decent to mediocre, which seems to have limited his effectiveness throughout his career.  Given what's out there this offseason, he still wouldn't be a bad signing for a team that needed pitching help and missed out on the guys higher up on the list.

9. Blake Lofton, 34, RF
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .834 career OPS
Salary Over/Under: 2 years, $14 million

Possible Destinations: Buffalo, Honolulu, St. Louis, New Britain

Signed with Buffalo - 3 years, $18 million

Lofton has had an outstanding career, and although he's getting up there in age, he still has a few more excellent seasons left in him.    His elite batting eye and plus contact rating will keep him on base without many strikeouts.  He is very good against LHP, and still solid vs. RHP as well.  His power is above average, but not great, and he's pretty much only a RF, LF or 1B at this point, but he will still add a lot to a lineup for the next few seasons. 

10. Devon Milton, 32, 3B
Type B Free Agent
Key Stat: .832 career OPS
Salary Over/Under: 3 years, $20 million

Possible Destinations: Chicago, Syracuse, San Juan, Salt Lake City

Signed with Vancouver - 3 years, $20 million

Milton is a skilled hitter, with good splits and batting eye and excellent contact.  He has decent power where he could hit around 20 or so home runs and he is still a serviceable 3rd baseman.  A ratings drop this past season have to be a concern, but given that he is a type B free agent, it's probably worth the gamble that he can maintain his productivity for the next few seasons.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Season 16 Wrapup


Tampa takes the crown in Season 16!

Season 16 of Kenny Powers has concluded and after a most intriguing postseason, Tampa Bay has been crowned the World Series Champs!   In a stacked NL playoff bracket, it seemed likely that a #6 seed could make it through, but that's exactly what happened as Tampa Bay downed Buffalo, St. Louis and Tucson before defeating Pawtucket in a hard fought 7-game series.   Tampa Bay's success can be greatly attributed to Ellis Brock, who capped off a record breaking regular season with an impressive postseason that lead to a World Series ring.  This is Tampa Bay's and original owner (and world creator) dmurphy104's first title in Kenny Powers, after watching division rival Oklahoma City hoist the trophy five times.   Congrats!

Now, let's take a look at some of the individual award winners!

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
American League - Sherman Dunston, San Francisco - .323 AVG 43 HR 118 RBI
Dunston is one of the premier hitters in all of Kenny Powers with elite power and splits and plus contact and batting eye.   He cashed in on his tremendous hitting skill set by taking the AL MVP award.  He also won a Silver Slugger award this season as well.  At just 25 years old, Dunston will surely rack up a slew of awards in what is sure to be a hall of fame caliber career.

National League - J.C. Ganzel, Honolulu - .313 AVG 61 HR 137 RBI
Ganzel took home his second MVP trophy, also having won it in Season 14, with a power season for the ages crushing 61 home runs.  Ganzel is also one of the elite hitting talents in all of Kenny Powers and will continue to make an impact for seasons to come, as he'll be 29 entering Season 17.  He also won a Silver Slugger award and made the All-Star team in Season 16.

CY YOUNG AWARD
American League - Ralph Moseley, Detroit - 27-3 2.48 ERA 219 K
Moseley was a pretty easy choice for AL Cy Young, given his win total was 2nd most in Kenny Powers history, to go along with the rest of his impressive numbers.  Moseley is one of the up and coming pitchers as he will be 25 going into next season.  He's officially arrived with his first Cy Young award, and has many great seasons ahead.  He also made the All-Star team in Season 16.

National League - Ellis Brock, Tampa Bay - 23-6 1.65 ERA 279 K
Brock was a no-brainer for NL Cy Young, as he had an epic season in which he broke into the top 5 single season marks in six different categories, including setting the all-time record for single season WHIP (0.84).  Brock also propelled his team to a World Series title with multiple dominant postseason performances putting him on par with real life counterpart Madison Bumgarner.  He'll be 27 going into next season, so he should be making headlines for seasons to come.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
American League - Emmanuel Moya, Florida - .261 AVG 17 HR 60 RBI 50 SB
National League - Sean Hollins, Indianapolis - .303 AVG 37 HR 97 RBI

That concludes the Season 16 Wrapup!  Thanks to everyone for a great season, and look forward to another great one after a hopefully quick rollover to Season 17.  Spread the word about Kenny Powers and send anyone interested my way!

Friday, October 24, 2014

Season 16 League Leaders

With the playoffs in full swing, it's a good time to reflect back on the regular season and look at the league leaders.   Let's get right into it!

OFFENSE
In the AL, Weldon Rando has not slowed down, stealing 108 bases, only getting caught once!  That's the 2nd most stolen bases in Kenny Powers history, and he now owns the top 5 highest season totals in stolen bases.  He also led the league in runs (134). Sherman Dunston led the league in OBP, SLG and OPS.  What an amazing hitter! Andy Minor had the third highest single season hits total in Kenny Powers history (224).

On the NL side, it was J.C. Ganzel who led the most major categories.  He had 61 home runs, coming in at 5th all-time, and also tied for the league lead in RBI, and led the league in hits and OPS.  Luis Navarro led the league in Runs and OBP, in leading Oklahoma City to the best record this season.

Here are the complete offensive leaders!

American League


Batting Average Bob Patterson Detroit .350
Home Runs Butch Borland Scranton 52
RBI Javier Sivilla Pawtucket 144
Stolen Bases Weldon Rando Toronto 108
Hits Andy Minor Kansas City 224
Runs Weldon Rando Toronto 134
OBP Sherman Dunston San Francisco .412
SLG Sherman Dunston San Francisco .591
OPS Sherman Dunston San Francisco 1.003




National League


Batting Average Morris Washington Rochester .328
Home Runs J.C. Ganzel Honolulu 61
RBI Shane Curtis Rochester 137

J.C. Ganzel Honolulu 137
Stolen Bases Howie Hooper Burlington 57
Hits J.C. Ganzel Honolulu 198
Runs Luis Navarro Oklahoma City 127
OBP Luis Navarro Oklahoma City .446
SLG Richie Lombard San Juan .655
OPS J.C. Ganzel Honolulu 1.024

PITCHING
In the AL, it was a tale of two pitchers. Matty Posada led the league in ERA, Strikeouts, WHIP and tied for the lead in Quality Starts and Complete Games.  Ralph Moseley led the league in Innings Pitched and Wins, and tied for the lead in Quality Starts and Complete Games.  His amazing 27 wins blew the field away, and is in fact the second most in Kenny Powers history!

In the NL, it was a one man show.  It was a truly epic season for Tampa Bay's Ellis Brock, winning the pitching triple crown (league lead in ERA, Wins and Strikeouts) and also led the league in WHIP, Innings Pitched and Quality Starts.  He set a new record for single season WHIP, ranked 2nd all time in ERA and Quality Starts, 3rd all-time in Strikeouts, 5th all-time in Innings Pitched, and tied for 5th all-time in Wins.  What a season.  Honorable mention goes to Jim Forbes of Burlington for leading the league in Complete Games and Shutouts.

Here are the complete pitching leaders!

American League


ERA Matty Posada Nashville 2.48
Wins Ralph Moseley Detroit 27
Strikeouts Matty Posada Nashville 240
Saves Douglas Schlereth Pawtucket 46
WHIP Matty Posada Nashville 1.02
Innings Pitched Ralph Moseley Detroit 257.2
Quality Starts Valerio Baez New Britain 25

Matty Posada Nashville 25

Ralph Moseley Detroit 25
Complete Games Matty Posada Nashville 7

Ralph Moseley Detroit 7
Shutouts Yamid Tapies Chicago 3

Ham Sampson Seattle 3




National League


ERA Ellis Brock Tampa Bay 1.65
Wins Ellis Brock Tampa Bay 23
Strikeouts Ellis Brock Tampa Bay 279
Saves David Silva Tampa Bay 44
WHIP Ellis Brock Tampa Bay 0.84
Innings Pitched Ellis Brock Tampa Bay 268.0
Quality Starts Ellis Brock Tampa Bay 33
Complete Games Jim Forbes Burlington 8
Shutouts Jim Forbes Burlington 3

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Season 16 Final Power Rankings

The regular season has come to an end in Season 16, and it's on to the playoffs, but before then we'll check in with the final power rankings of the season.  Oklahoma City takes the top spot, with an amazing regular season.  They look like a strong favorite to three-peat, but there are a glut of teams behind them capable of taking it all as well.  It's going to be an interesting postseason for sure, as no team will have an easy road.  Good luck to the playoff teams, here are the final rankings!


Team  W L PREV    Comments
1 Oklahoma City 112 50 1 Unbelievable season, will be tough to beat in playoffs
2 St. Louis 98 64 2 An excellent season for them, pitching staff looking good
3 Detroit 97 65 3 Looking like a strong contender in the AL for sure
4 New Britain  96 66 11 Another great stretch run, they're hot at the right time
5 Pawtucket  97 65 7 Right there with the other AL teams, very well balanced
6 Tucson 96 66 4 That they are a wild card shows how tough the NL is 
7 Buffalo  96 66 9 Excellent pitching led them to another great season
8 Little Rock  91 71 10 Definitely a sleeper in the AL playoffs, very nice numbers
9 Seattle 91 71 5 Not a great stretch run, but had division wrapped up
10 Tampa Bay 89 73 17 Late season surge got them into the playoffs
11 Honolulu 86 76 6 The pitching fell apart for them at the end, leaving them out
12 Nashville  89 73 14 Very nice season, just missed getting into the playoffs
13 Kansas City 82 80 18 Not a bad season at all, had a very nice run the last 40 
14 Toronto 89 73 8 Rough stretch run, but they have a very nice offense
15 Rochester 82 80 13 Didn't play well the last 40 games, still on the fringe
16 Burlington 77 85 20 They won their division, which was a step forward for them
17 Oakland 75 87 25 Looked good down the stretch, as the pitching was better
18 Salt Lake City 77 85 12 They fell apart some the last 40, but good offensive numbers
19 Indianapolis 77 85 22 Numbers aren't bad, so next season looks good for them
20 Syracuse 76 86 16 Excellent pitching numbers, but offense struggled some
21 San Juan 75 87 28 Winning record the last 40, with improved pitching stats
22 Richmond 73 89 26 Not a bad stretch run, offense looks pretty solid
23 Florida 73 89 19 Making strides, as pitching staff starts to take shape
24 Scranton 74 88 15 Pitching rocked the last 40, but still great offensive numbers
25 Chicago  71 91 21 Rough last 40 games, but the stats aren't horrible at all
26 Pittsburgh 67 95 27 Pitching was an issue, but they had a good offense
27 San Francisco 67 95 24 Did not perform well the last 40, despite good offense
28 Louisville 67 95 31 Over .500 the last 40 games, definitely a positive sign
29 Cleveland 61 101 29 Offense showed some potential but pitching not great
30 Memphis  68 94 23 Pretty rough last 40 games, but good pitching overall
31 Helena 66 96 30 Improved down the stretch with better pitching numbers
32 Vancouver 57 105 32 Wasn't able to recover from early season pitching issues

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Season 16 Power Rankings # 3

It's time to head down the home stretch of the regular season in Kenny Powers, but before we do it's time to check in with the power rankings to see how the races are stacking up.  At the top, Oklahoma City holds on to #1, posting the best record since the last rankings.  No sign of a drop off here.  St. Louis continued their positive momentum from the last rankings period, and jumped again up to #2.  The next handful of teams are extremely close and difficult to rank, but it was Detroit, Tucson and Seattle rounding out the top 5.  It's going to be an interesting stretch run for sure, good luck and here are the complete rankings!


Team  W L PREV    Comments
1 Oklahoma City 83 39 1 Still winning and had the best record since the last rankings
2 St. Louis 74 48 5 Still have momentum from a big 2nd quarter of the season
3 Detroit 72 50 6 Playing well and the pitching staff is coming into its own
4 Tucson 72 50 7 On a nice run, great offense, and pitching is good too 
5 Seattle 71 51 9 Pitching dropped off slightly, but offense has improved 
6 Honolulu 67 55 11 Best pitching staff in Kenny Powers, and offense is up too
7 Pawtucket  70 52 4 The offense dropped off some, but pitching was better
8 Toronto 71 51 13 Hot since the last rankings with numbers up all around
9 Buffalo  71 51 2 Excellent pitching, but offense is down since last rankings
10 Little Rock  68 54 3 Big decline in offense yielded mediocre results this period
11 New Britain  68 54 15 Pitching improved a lot, helping them get back in the fold
12 Salt Lake City 60 62 20 Pitching is improved, nice run since the last rankings 
13 Rochester 66 56 14 Offense is down, but they are still getting it done
14 Nashville  67 55 12 Number aren't great since halfway point, but haning in 
15 Scranton 63 59 8 Monster offense slowed down, and pitching is a bit rough
16 Syracuse 59 63 23 On a good run with significant improvement all around
17 Tampa Bay 64 58 10 Good pitching staff, but aren't getting much on offense at all
18 Kansas City 59 63 16 Pitching is up, but offense slowed down some, which hurt
19 Florida 55 67 25 Numbers up across the board, playing very well right now
20 Burlington 54 68 29 Major improvement and a very good record since midsesaon
21 Chicago  58 64 17 Numbers look better, but not win total, so tough luck here
22 Indianapolis 58 64 18 Offense fell off some, pitching was better but not great
23 Memphis  58 64 21 The offense is struggling here, the pitching seems all right
24 San Francisco 54 68 22 Still putting up nice offense, but pitching not quite there yet
25 Oakland 52 70 27 Very similar to San Fran, pitching hasn't taken the next step
26 Richmond 53 69 24 Not much offense here since the midway point of the season
27 Pittsburgh 50 72 28 Record not that bad since the halfway point, a good sign
28 San Juan 53 69 19 Rough going since last rankings, numbers down overall
29 Cleveland 45 77 26 Offense improved, but pitching has been rocked as of late
30 Helena 47 75 32 They showed some improvement, so rebuild is coming along
31 Louisville 46 76 31 They improved as well overall, good to see positive signs
32 Vancouver 44 78 30 The offense dropped off, so it's been rough going for them

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Season 16 Power Rankings # 2

The regular season is half way over for Kenny Powers Season 16, which means it's time for another edition of the power rankings!  Oklahoma City is as strong as ever on top and is the team to beat once again.  Buffalo leads the challengers at #2, and behind them is a pack of teams looking to separate themselves from the rest of the competition.  It will be an interesting 2nd half of the season for sure.   Good luck, here are the complete rankings!


Team  W L PREV   Comments
1 Oklahoma City 56 25 1 As strong as ever, they are the team to beat once again
2 Buffalo  50 31 2 Numbers have been down the last 40, but still solid for sure
3 Little Rock  48 33 7 Cracked the top 3 with solid numbers across the board
4 Pawtucket  48 33 10 Getting it done with tremendous offense and decent pitching
5 St. Louis 48 33 17 Tied with OKC for best record the last 40, making a run 
6 Detroit 47 34 3 Bats cooled off some, but still looking like a contender 
7 Tucson 46 35 4 Offense is down as of late, resulting in a mediocre last 40 
8 Scranton 46 35 11 Offense is crushing it, pitching better, but still an unknown
9 Seattle 47 34 5 Pitching looking great, but it didn't lead to a big run yet 
10 Tampa Bay 45 36 16 Great pitching here is well, can they get enough offense? 
11 Honolulu 44 37 9 Improving with outstanding pitching, offense is not there yet
12 Nashville  46 35 6 Significant pitching improvement, but bats down some
13 Toronto 45 36 18 Very nice last 40, despite numbers being down overall 
14 Rochester 43 38 20 Hot since the last rankings, offense has been much better
15 New Britain  44 37 15 They're playing fairly well, and could inch their way up 
16 Kansas City 40 41 23 Great offensive team, and pitching has seen a nice bump 
17 Chicago  40 41 25 Over .500 since the last rankings, always a good sign 
18 Indianapolis 41 40 8 Struggled since last rankings, but still lead their division
19 San Juan 40 41 14 It hasn't been pretty for them the last 40, but hanging in
20 Salt Lake City 36 45 22 Record is a surprise, as their numbers are pretty good
21 Memphis  40 41 28 They're coming around some, as the pitching is fairly solid
22 San Francisco 38 43 19 Pitching took a step back, but getting some nice offense
23 Syracuse 36 45 24 Owner replaced recently, so this is a team in transition
24 Richmond 38 43 13 Offense couldn't keep up hot start, and pitching is struggling
25 Florida 30 51 29 Pitching is coming around, but the offense has not yet
26 Cleveland 33 48 12 Rough going the past 40, as numbers are significantly down
27 Oakland 34 47 21 Offense has been down, but pitching improved some 
28 Pittsburgh 31 50 26 Better pitching, but offensive production dropped signifcantly
29 Burlington 29 52 27 Pitching was roughed up, and in a tough park for offense
30 Vancouver 30 51 30 They've had issues with pitching fatigue, but offense is up
31 Louisville 29 52 32 Pretty good rebound from an awful start, so we'll see
32 Helena 28 53 31 It's rebuild mode for them, so it's all about the future for now