Hardball Stitches Reporter: March 2025

S1 Franchise Wins

Jack Torrance - contributing reporter

Ah, wins—a simple little word, yet the lifeblood of every franchise from the bright lights of the big leagues to the forgotten outposts of the minors, where dreams flicker like a candle in the wind. Some organizations stack victories like firewood, methodically building a legacy that stretches across generations. Others scrape and claw, forever chasing a glory that always seems just beyond their reach. But when you step back—zoom out to see the full picture—every win, every loss, every last grinding inning tells a story. So, let’s take a long, hard look at the tally marks etched into the history of each club, from their crown jewel to the depths of their farm system, and see just who’s been building an empire… and who’s been trapped in the cold, bitter cycle of futility.

Boston - 471-343
Tucson - 470-344
Tacoma - 462-352
Scottsdale & Buffalo - 456-458
Charlotte - 452-362

Low A and above all finish top of their division

Syracuse - 447-367
Chicago - 443-371
Texas - 441-373
Trenton - 432-382
New York - 421-393
New Orleans & Cincinnati - 415-399

Cincy - Low A and above all finish top of their division

Nashville - 405-409
Fargo - 402-412
Vancouver - 401-413
Mexico City - 399-415
Baltimore - 397-417
Salt Lake City - 392-422
Cleveland - 388-426
Montgomery & Philadelphia - 387-427
Durham & Colorado Springs - 383-431
San Antonio & Indianapolis - 382-432
St Louis - 377-437
Los Angeles - 373-441
Helena - 358-456
Fresno - 355- 459
Scranton - 348-466
Arizona - 344-470

S1 - Final 4 Series - Playoff Implicatins

Richard Castle - contributing reporter

Ten Series. That's all that's left between now and the postseason, and for some teams, that means a chance to cement their legacy. For others? A chance to crash and burn spectacularly. That's all that separates teams from glory, heartbreak, or the cold, unforgiving void of elimination. Some are clinging to postseason hopes by their fingernails, while others are fighting for seeding, home-field advantage, or just the satisfaction of crushing someone else's dream.

But not all roads to the playoffs are paved equally. Some teams have a smooth ride, coasting into October with a schedule softer than a pitcher throwing 80 mph fastballs. Others? Their path looks more like an uphill battle in a hurricane, against teams that want nothing more than to send them packing.

Today, we break down the final 4 series, analyzing who's got the toughest road ahead, who might sneak in with a favorable schedule, and who's about to run straight into a buzzsaw. Will the favorites hold the line, or are we about to witness some last-minute, edge-of-your-seat chaos?

Buckle up - it's going to be a wild finish.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

NORTH

Syracuse - With 34 games to play, they hold a 17 game lead on the division and should be coasting at this point not only for the division but the #1 seed in the AL. Unless their owner pushes the team to set a Wins record, I fully expect players to rest up and rotations to be adjusted. But resting players now and having a first round bye, will they hit a cold streak in the Divisional Round?

@Arizon, @Salt Lake City, @Fargo, Tacoma
Combined record: 258-254

Tacoma - Looking at the Wildcard but might be an uphill battle with SLC and Syracuse games. If Syracuse is resting players, I'm a little less worried for the last series. But as it stands, they are a single game up on Boston/Baltimore for Wildcard 2 and trail New Orleans by 2 games for Wildcard 1. The difference could be when you have to go through Syracuse to make the World Series.

@Salt Lake City, @Philadelphia, New York, @Syracuse
Combined record: 269-243

EAST

Boston - Second to last series of the year is against Baltimore, that could change EVERYTHING for both teams. Winner could take the division with the loser missing the playoffs. Right now they are tied for the division so the last 34 games will determine it all! Luckily it appears Boston has the easiest final four series of the playoff hopeful. But plenty can change in the six series before then.

Vancouver, @Montgomery, @Baltimore, Cleveland
Combined record: 240-272

Baltimore - Before the Boston series even matters, Baltimore has to get through New Orleans first. LA shouldn't give them any issues and while you hope to sweep against Philly, they might surprise you late in the season too.

Los Angeles, @New Orleans, Boston, Philadelphia
Combined record: 248-264

SOUTH

Texas - Texas holds a 2 game lead over NO Voodoo and lines up similar to Boston in the comparison, with the tougher schedule; but still needs to pull out the Ws for the division crown. Loser likely takes Wildcard 1.

@Cleveland, Fargo, @New Orleans, @Durham
Combined record: 250-262

New Orleans - Similar setup to Baltimore's schedule, they face off against each other right before the true division battle happens with Texas.

Philadelphia, Baltimore, Texas, @Montgomery
Combined record: 264-248

WEST

Salt Lake City - No issues with the division, where they own a 12 game lead over Arizona; but some tough series against playoff hopefuls in Tacoma and Syracuse. They trail Texas by 2 games for the #2 seed and first round bye. Do they push the team for it in hopes to rest the players later? Though they need to be careful, as they lead Boston/Baltimore by only a game for the #3 seed.

Tacoma, Syracuse, @Arizona, Vancouver
Combined record: 271-241

Current Playoff Seeding

1 Syracuse
4 Boston/Baltimore v 5 New Orleans
3 Salt Lake City v 6 Tacoma
2 Texas

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NORTH

Trenton - Sights are set on the #1 slot, but looks guaranteed for a first round bye. The team was looking like a sure bet for the top seed but they went just 3-7 combined in the series against Fresno (x2) and Scottsdale. Thankfully the competition weakens for the two of the final three series.

San Antonio, @Nashville, Chicago, Helena
Combined record: 236-276

Buffalo - Clear favorite for Wildcard 1 as they are 12 games behind Trenton even with their recent slip ups, which leans up for a Divisional round against the #1 seed. And they have a 5 game cushion on the Wildcard 1 spot. That likely creates a tougher path to the World Series. Change out SA and Nashville for Fresno and Scranton in their schedule comparison to Trenton. I fully expect them to have the wildcard secured and rest players for their first round matchup in their series against Chicago.

@Fresno, @Scranton, Helena, @Chicago
Combined record: 238-274

Chicago - Might be 3rd in their division, which they trail by 19; but fighting for Wildcard 2 and trail Fresno by just 2 games. Due to their final two series, it's going to be a tough one. Their window might hinge on Trenton and Buffalo resting players to set playoff rosters, allowing the Northsiders a chance to squeak out some victories. Their first two series could not only shape the NL West but also the Wildcard 2 race. Every series will have playoff implications! So far they have the hardest path of any playoff hopeful team, having to face potential playoff teams in their final three series.

@Tucscon, @Fresno, @Trenton, Buffalo
Combined record: 293-219

EAST

St. Louis - Fighting Trenton for the #1 slot, and what looks like the tougher schedule, though they've had more recent success than the Thunderbolts. 34 games remain and they have a commanding 24 game lead on the division. It's gravy from here. Do they rest players or go all in? How much jockeying for position happens, knowing Buffalo is almost a sure fire Wildcard 1 (#5 team).

Scottsdale, @Mexico City, @Cincinnati, @Indianapolis
Combined record: 243-269

SOUTH

Charlotte - By far the easiest schedule in all of Hardball Stitches, with three of the easiest teams. With a small lead on the division, 5 games, it wouldn't take much to secure while being able to adjust the rotation for the First Round. Though knowing Buffalo is Wildcard 1, a few wins with the NL West having tough schedules - they could take over the #3 slot and match up with Wildcard 2 instead.

Scranton, Cincinnati, Nashville, @Mexico City
Combined record: 193-319

San Antonio - Will they be able to pick up the 5 games on the current division champ, Charlotte or 4 games on the current Wildcard 2 Fresno team? The schedule likely helps but that's still six series away, and Trenton isn't going to be an easy one either. Definitely feels like an uphill better and considering the schedule of Charlotte I think their better chance is the Wildcard.

@Trenton, @Tucson, @Mexico City, Nashville
Combined record: 257-55

WEST

Scottsdale - Holds a 5 games lead on the division. For any other team, 4 road games to end the season would be nerve wrecking but the team has played better on the road than at home this season. The St Louis matchup could be a look ahead to a possible playoff matchup, and ending the season with Fresno means any 3 game lead could vanish like a fart in the wind. Keep an eye on the West.

@St. Louis, @Indianapolis, @Colorado Springs, @Fresno
Combined record: 273-239

Fresno - Likely have the hardest schedule of the three NL West teams, but they hold a 2 game lead on Wildcard 2 and have an easier schedule than Chicago. That final series against Scottsdale is looking pretty HUGE!

Buffalo, Chicago, @Tucson, Scottsdale
Combined record: 279-233

Tucson - They have the easiest schedule of the NL West teams, considering Fresno plays Scottsdale in the final series of the year, I could see a situation where the two teams beat up on each other enough that Tucson sweeps Colorado Springs and claims the division. But will that be enough to make up the current 10 games they are behind the division or 5 games they are behind the Wildcard? Might be too little too late for them to catch up.

Chicago, San Antonio, Fresno, Colorado Springs
Combined record: 253-259

Current Playoff Seeding

1 St Louis
4 Charlotte v 5 Buffalo
3 Scottsdale v 6 Fresno
2 Trenton

Redeem time after falling to those two teams in recent series?

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

AMERICAN LEAGUE

First round

#5 New Orleans over #4 Boston
#3 Salt Lake City over #6 Tacoma

Division Series

#1 Syracuse over #5 New Orleans
#2 Texas over #3 Salt Lake City

League Championship

#1 Syracuse over #2 Texas

NATIONAL LEAGUE

First Round

#5 Buffalo over #4 Charlotte
#3 Scottsdale over #6 Fresno (biased much? yeah)

Division Series

#1 St Louis over #5 Buffalo
#3 Scottsdale over #2 Trenton

League Championship

#1 St Louis over #3 Scottsdale

WORLD SERIES

AL #1 Syracuse over NL #1 St Louis in an exciting 7 game series.

S1 Rule 4 Draft By The Numbers

Amy Amanda 'Triple A' Allen - contributing reporter

EDITOR NOTE - For those of you that were in Cobbfather with me, I'm doing the draft recaps a little different. Instead of giving away free scouting with projections or comps, I'm just going to cover a recap of the draft with some facts. A bit more boring I know, apologize. I still plan to run the On The Clock series that looks back at drafts from 10 seasons prior to see how teams did and who they should have selected in a perfect world.

The dust has settled, the picks are in, and our first Rule 4 Draft is officially in the books. While the debate over who should have gone where will rage on, let's take a step back and focus on what we do know - cold, hard facts.

831 players drafted

519 player signed with their team

120 High School players

First 3 players drafted were from High School.

399 College

201 Junior College players
198 College players

30 players included a spring invite
1 player included an ML deal.

#47 pick - Chili Underwood (Colorado Springs)

2 top 16 picks didn't sign - both will receive Type D picks we assume

Type D picks are not part of the lottery.

#5 3B Carlos Mercado (Baltimore)

Becomes pick #6.

#7 SS Dion Wihelmsen (Indianapolis)

Becomes pick #9

312 did not sign

82 High School players
230 College players

114 Junior College players
116 College players

First Round (Including Comp = 63 picks)

27 of 29 HS signed
31 of 34 College signed
Total bonuses: $106.7M

7 players became Diamonds In The Rough

#445 - P Tommy Stites (St Louis)
#512 - P Angel Knight (Helena)
#558 - C Gonzalez Nieves (Salt Lake City)
#567 - SS Jhonny Gongora (Los Angeles)
#569 - P Jose Gallardo (Syracause)
#681 - P Skip Lewis (Montgomery)
#767 - P Herman Cummings (Tacoma)

Position Breakdown of those signed

250 signed of 392 drafted

90 high school, 302 college

Highest bonus: $3.8M - Timothy Lewis (Arizona) - #3 pick

43 signed of 65 drafted

16 high school, 49 college

Highest bonus: 4 players w/ $550k all in 2nd round

15 signed of 28 drafted

9 high school, 19 college

Highest bonus: $2.1M - Billy Brown $2.1M (Nashville) - #587 pick

36 signed of 54 drafted

13 high school, 41 college

Highest bonus: Marshall Hayes - $5.4M (Durham) - #13

49 signed of 68 drafted

22 high school, 46 college

Highest bonus: Peter Burns - $6.4M (Helena) - #1 pick

30 signed of 53 drafted

9 high school, 44 college

Highest bonus: Esmailyn Rodriguez - $1.1M (Tacoma) - #32 pick

Not to be mistaken for Pitcher Esmailyn Rodriguez (Montgomery) - #777 pick

25 signed of 44 drafted

11 high school, 33 college

Highest bonus: Trent Brocail - $2.5M (Philadelphia) - #17 pick

45 signed of 76 drafted

15 high school, 61 college

Highest bonus: Domingo Vega - $2.2M (Tucson) - #20 pick

26 signed of 51 drafted

17 high school, 34 college

Highest bonus: Antone Pacheco - $8.9M (New York)

Top 4 bonus money

#2 pick - RF Antone Pacheco - $8.9M (New York)
#1 pick - SS Peter Burns - $6.4M (Helena)
#13 pick - 2B Marshall Hayes - $5.4M (Durham)
#8 pick - SS Adam Dietrich - $4.7M (Scottsdale)
Best deal (% under slot) - 80% slot - #87 pick LF William Montgomery (LA) & #166 P Larry Montgomery (Indianapolis)

No relation!

Worst deal (% above slot) - 298% slot - #44 pick CF Norberto Plata (Tacoma)

Richest none 1st Round Pick - $2.6M - #287 pick (8th round) (Tacoma)
First Position Player Drafted - #1 pick - SS Peter Burns (Helena)
First Pitcher Drafted - #3 pick - SP Timothy Lewis (Arizona)
Mr Irrelevant who also signed - #831 pick - JD West (Tacoma)

But sadly is no longer is employed

How did teams draft in the early rounds

High Schools

Boston
Charlotte
Cincinnati
Fargo
Indianapolis
Mexico City
Scottsdale

Arizona
Baltimore
Colorado Springs
Durham
Los Angeles
Montgomery
Nashville
New York
Philadelphia
St Louis
Tacoma
Trenton
Tucson
Vancouver

College

Chicago
Buffalo
Cleveland
Fresno
Helena
New Orleans
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
Scranton
Syracuse
Texas

For those curious here's how that relates to the reverse waiver order. Obviously with our draft lottery things can (and will likely) change.

Cincinnati - HS
Scranton - College
Nashville - Mix
Los Angeles - Mix
New York - Mix
Colorado Springs - Mix
Cleveland - College
Vancouver - Mix
Fargo - HS
Helena - College
Philadelphia - Mix
Arizona - Mix
Mexico City - HS
Montgomery - Mix
San Antonio - College
Indianapolis - HS

Will be interesting to see how this one plays out after the lottery and which kind of prospects might slip in the draft. Or if these preferred prospect types even holds true for next season.

S1 Free Agent look back

Jessica Fletcher - contributing reporter

Greetings, dear readers! As the season continues to unfold and the race for the pennant heats up, I find myself reflecting on the flurry of the free-agent signings that took place earlier this year. Much like the twists in a well-spun mystery, some acquisitions have proven to be brilliant masterstrokes, while others have left fans questioning the motives behind them. Were these front-office decisions strokes of genius, or have a few teams been led astray by red herrings? Join me as we sift through the evidence, analyze the performances, and determine which signings have paid off - and which may have destined for the cold case files of Hardball Stitches history.

Arizona Canyon Kings

Melvin Ricarrdi - 2/$3.4M - Not a good start, the WHIP and ERA are horrendous for the set up man who has appeared in 1/3 of the CKs games.
Kazuo Shibata - 1/$1.7M - See Melvin with a worse WHIP but better ERA.
Hal Finley - 1/$1.15M - Holding his own defensively in CF but on the offensive front, he's well...offensive to hitting coaches everywhere. Only average slightly above his weight, with only a 60% success rate at stealing bases and limited power.

Baltimore IronBirds

Sparky Perez - 2/$4.0M - His WHIP is right there around Arizona's two pitchers, but the ERA is slightly better. He's also a .500 starting pitcher at the time of this review. For under $2M I'm calling this a win for a team that filled gaps elsewhere. .

Boston "Ace As If" Afflects

Jose Silverio - 3/$4M - His glove plays at 1B/COF but for some reason he's behind the plate even with that sub pitch calling ability. Sorry Afflects fans, Silverio is signed up for another 2 years. Similar to Finley, he's barely hitting above his weight but he's bringing some power and will finish the season above 25 HR without a doubt.
Glenallen Cepickky - 5/$37.5M - He's been about league average in WHIP and ERA, has a winning record through 25 starts and doesn't give up many free bases. Not sure about the 5 years but it's a solid signing for Boston given the lack of pitching avaialble.
John DeRosa - 1/$86k - Be thankful it's only a 1 year deal, that WHIP is above 2.00 and the ERA well above 10.00 - though he's only made 3 appearances. Guess there's not much to mop up in Boston these days.

Buffalo Bomb Squad

Clarence Byrne - 1/$5.1M - Sometimes I have to remind myself that the league average is 1.40 WHIP with a 4.50 ERA. That said, Clarence hasn't been too far below average and filled a bullpen need for the Bomb Squad. At least he's hasn't blown up too much this season.

Charlotte Intimidators

Erv Bermudez - 3/$13.2M - Solid add as he's been roughly league average for the Intimidators. He doesn't give up many homers and strikes out a decent amount of bats.
Moises Arruebarrena - 2/$9.6M - He isn't just stealing money - he's got a higher WHIP than a bank robber. I'm curious how many of Bermudez's games he's blown late in the game.
Santiago Merced - 2/$7.2M - At least he's been better than Arruebarrena, but that's not saying much.
Bob Kelly - 1/$2.6M - of course the cheap short contract is the player who works out. Kelly has a 1.01 WHIP and 2.60 ERA has a SuB through 27 games.
Dee Washington - League Min - He was released by Helena two days before the above guys signed, but Charlotte snatched him up - though the numbers still haven't been great.

Chicago Northsiders

Sandy Caruso - 2/$9.2M - A very respectable 1.30 WHIP, 4.24 ERA out of the pen for the Nortsiders, pitching in 43 games so far and 74 innings. He limits home runs and walks, with a K per inning pitched.
Ehire Arruebarrena - 1/$795k - Serving as a backup and hitting well for the small sample size.

Cincinnati Redlegs

Marty Ruth - 1/$445k & Junior Ryu - 1/$360k - These guys are very similar, 1.60 WHIP, 5.50 ERA. Both strike out a batter roughly ever inning pitched but also give up a lot of hits and walks while limiting home runs. If the goal is to save money to spend elsewhere, mission accomplished.

Cleveland Guardians

Paul Fukudome - 5/$24.5M w/ mutual - Just 25 years old so age shouldn't be a problem but the control is another thing. Better control and he would have gotten A LOT more money this off season. 1.58 WHIP, 5.13 ERA in 20 starts.
Curt Dunn - 5/$30M w/ mutual - a plus RF defender, hitting near .280. Not great on the base paths but continues to steal and hits in the 2 hole.
Wes Adams - 5/$25M w/ mutual - serving as a LRB but one of the more productive members of the pitching staff with a 1.38 WHIP, 4.07 ERA.
Kevin Bulger - 5/$21M - Better pitch calling catcher than many have behind the plate, hitting .245+ with double digits HR, though he also has more K than Hits.
Marvin Craddock - 3/$3.3M w/ mutual - A roster filler for $1.1M isn't awful even if he has a 1.67 WHIP and 5.00 ERA. Though wait another day or two and he probably would have signed a 1 year deal for until $800k.
Trent Cressend - 3/$8.2M w/ mutual - You'd think his mutual option would almost be guaranteed to be declined with that 2.12 WHIP and 7.62 ERA but...okay yeah, it will be declined unless he goes for a sub 1.0 whip and sub 3.50 era next year.
Javier Nieves - 5/$77M w/ mutual - Even with his best pitch being a 70 grade, I expected better numbers from him through 20 starts - 1.37 WHIP, 4.44 ERA.
Edward Westbrook - 2/$4.8M - It's Season 1 Baby seems the appropriate comment here. 1.79 WHIP, 6.75 ERA as a SuB. On the bright side has a K per inning pitched.

Colorado Springs Ranchers

Dennis Chang - 1/$3.2M - One of the best things about this guy is his 1 year contract. He'll be forget about next year and his 1.60+ WHIP / 6.60+ ERA
Santos Beltran - 2/$9.6M - Gotta regret this one, 1.83 WHIP, 6.67 ERA through 25 starts with a 3-9 record.
Ronnier Gilliam - 1/$480k - One of the servicable pitchers on the staff with a 1.47 WHIP, 4.35 ERA but like some older men he has an issue lasting an entire inning.
Roger Cowart - 1/$375k - You get what you pay for? 2.08 WHIP, 5.91 ERA through 45 innings out of the bullpen. Every inning he pitches you get 1 K, 1 BB, and 1 Hit on average.
Tony DeRosa - 1/$820k - signed late to save some money but not hitting well weighing in at 200 lbs and hitting below .215 with almost as many K as he has Hits + Runs.

Durham Corgis

Charlie Miller - 1/$4M - Roster filler because arms were limited this season. 1.60+ WHIP, 6.00 ERA as a back of the rotation arm.
Armando Ceda - 5/$63M - Has successfully closed out 33 of 40 games this season with a 1.35 WHIP and 4.14 ERA. Thankfully his contract drops for seasons 3, 4, & 5 but still remains above $10M. That's a lot for a closer with control issues.
Shae Grossman - 5/$79.9M - Similar to Ceda's contract it drops as the seasons go on. But at nearly $16M per season, you'd expect better than an 8-10 record through 25 starts. I think next season he'll hit a groove and really turns this out for the Corgis.

Fargo Mud Dogs

Jim Rhodes - 1/$365k - Hard to argue with the cost but that 7.00+ ERA has to hurt deep in the Mud but he's only pitched in barely 31 innings so this season so he really hasn't hurt the team much if you think about it.

Fresno Romans

None - Quite a bit was filled from within. Seeing them fight for the division title shows they were set up quite well entering the season.

Helena Highlanders

Steve Garneau - 1/$2.8M - Hasn't logged many innings but they've been productive as the rest of the freshly inked pitchers have.
Dylan Wagner - 2/$9.2M - Solid league average production on a good cost. 1.35 WHIP, 4.30 ERA.
Clayton Ryal - 2/$5.8M - Not sure how the guy continues to do it but this contract is fantastic for the 1.22 WIP and 3.73 ERA he's produced over 25 starts. Might be the best value contract for this Free Agency period.
Earl Brinkley - 4/$26.6M - Middle of the rotation arm producing about league average results on a pretty decent $6.7M per contract. I'll call that a win for the Highlanders.
Wil Little - 3/$14.5M - Similar to Brinkley he's been about league average at the back of the rotation. If the team would have spent a little on bats, they likely would be in a better spot on the season.

Indianapolis Speedsters

None - filled their roster in other moves

Los Angeles Labradors

Danny Beverlin - 1/$1.6M - The team started red hot, shown by their initial #9 Power Ranking but the teams has slide all the way down to #27 in the recent updates. As the only signing this offseason, this was definitely isn't helping the cause - near 2.00 WHIP and a 7.00+ ERA over 55 innings in 57 games.

Mexico City Luchadors

Xander Aceves - 2/111.2M pesos w/ mutual - another SuB putting up decently productive numbers.
Ernie Borchard - 2/119.2M pesos w/ mutual - can't imagine this option gets picked up. The guy weighs 183 and is hitting .200 on the season. Sure the team can find another player for LF - one of the easier positions to fill.
Leon McLaughlin - 3/357.5M pesos w/ mutual - Solid add on a pretty decent contract, but he's already showing some wear and tear, with that control dropping 4 points. That mutual option is no longer a sure thing. By the end of it he might be a 100% flyball pitcher.
Alex Nunez - 2/111.2M pesos - Part time bench filler = cerveza server to the starters.
Johnny Sauer - 1/19.9M pesos - SuB whose been league average and has even saved 7 of 11 games.

Montgomery Fightins

Ignacio Arendao - 2/$750k - one of the cheapest contracts you'll find given out this season, but you get what you pay for. Or don't get what you pay for in this case, he's only managed 16 innings so far this season.
Paul Luetge - 2/$2.4M - Everybody paid for pitching this year, pitching is awful in Year 1. $1.2M is a lot for a guy whose thrown 158 pitches in 10 innings of work this season.

Nashville Hot

Brandon Holmes - 1/$685k - Looking at league average outside of his record, 5-10.
Lloyd Lewis - 1/$845k - surprisingly productive for a team having a worst season ever.
Chaz Kendrick - 1/$425k - 1.49 WHIP, 5.22 ERA - in any other season I'd say demote him back to the minors, but Season 1? Keep it in rotation!
Ronnie Aldridge - 1/$815k - spared no expense this season on their FA signings, but overall they weren't decent.

New Orleans Voodoo

Anthony Crow - 3/$24M w/ team - The injury hurt a bit this season but he recovered a small amount; still a very usable starter for the team.
Kiki Ozuna - 4/$58M w/ mutual - Great add for the Voodoo and one of the reasons the team is in the position they are.
Nick Sefcik - 4/$16.4M w/ mutual - good costs for a reliever and great production out of the 28 yr old.
Gerald Simmons - 2/$5M w/ team - in hopes he repeats his .325+ avg performance this season, his option should be excepted.

New York Pizza Rats

Larry Wright - 5/$32M w/ mutual and no trade - traded to Syracuse. This isn't a trade review post, but as it stands now - NY lost this trade.
Angel Flande - 1/$780k - The WHIP is nice (never thought I'd type those words together before) but the ERA hurts as he's near 5.75.
Bob Woodward - 2/$7M - Currently at 12 HR, 17 SB on a .252 average so I guess he's getting the job done for a rebuilding team.
Sandy Pedroia - 1/$3.1M - solid add, hitting above .300 with 16 HR.
Howie Coleman - 1/$2.6M - Solid, he's looking to finish the season with 20 HR and a .275-.280 average.
Francisco Sardinas - 1/$1.5M - Belongs in the minors.
Ross Arnold - 1/$2.6M - Fills a great season 1 hole without damaging the team too much.
Yamid Rosado - Signed for league minimum but spent all of 7 mins on the team before being released. Are we sure this owner isn't a Sewer Rat himself?

Philadelphia Jawns

Marco Priddy - 1/$750k - I know it's only 3/4 million but ouch! 1.79 WHIP, 7.36 ERA over 33 innings in 41 games.
Jim Schofield - 1/$860k - doesn't offer a ton at the plate and not really a plus defender either. Oh and he offers next to nothing on the mound too.
Wei-Chung Ming - 1/$725k - only has 188 ABs this season but hitting above .285 when he does.

Salt Lake City Trappers

Tayron York - 3/$15M - Is this a SLC Trapper or Game of Thrones character? Slightly better than league average and has closed out 12 or 13 games. Solid piece to the Trappers bullpen.
Yoervis Salas - 2/$4M - Had 12 HR and 10 SB on a .240 average through 44 games but now on the shelf since with a hamstring tear that sucked that speed right out of him.
Louie Vizquel - 5/$70M - Big add for the Trappers and even though he's 9-10 through 24 games, that 1.05 WHIP and 3.66 ERA are top notch in the league. Solid move with the $10M bonus this year to save on costs over the next 4.

San Antonio Yo-Yo Bros Yo

Don Nishioka - 1/$1M - The team was looking like a contender up until the most recent power rankings. This starter has been slightly sub average, but he's a back of the rotation type that rests your frontline starters and likely is on the playoff roster just to keep the seat warm.

Scottsdale Sazeracs

Nate Gabriel - 2/$4.8M - Just a SuB but his numbers have been great. You have to question what happens if he's moved to a SuA role, does he drop off or continue the success? 1.10 WHIP, 2.82 ERA.

Scranton Paper Weights

*indicated signed by original owner - Jordan

*Delino Fernandez - 1/$1.8M - somehow found himself a starting gig.
*Alex Reinheimer - 1/$4.4M - You'd think he'd be getting a few more ABs at this cost, but only 183 of them with little to show for production.

St. Louis Archers

Grayson Ryan - 3/$17 w/ mutual - at the plate the numbers aren't great, but he's doing more than holding his own at Shortstop compared to many other at the same position in the majors.
Koji Katou - 5/$110 w/ player & no trade - Also known as a Super Max contract, he was chased by many but has the production been there? The time on the DL surely didn't help but for now through 57 games (missed 64 games) he has 22 HR with 10 SB on a .275 average.

Syracuse Firebirds

None - Let that soak in for a minute. Not a single FA add and the team is one of the top in the majors right now. Very similar team to Fresno in terms of quality at start of season.

Tacoma Armada

Bernie Julio - 1/$495k - Considering the cost and quality of pitching these days, this is a solid add. 1.57 WHIP / 4.28 ERA through 20 starts.
Dillon Rivera - 1/$327k - This one brings an aroma nobody can deny. Moving on.
Colt Fiore - 1/$505k - Is this one worse? Let's ignore but not forget these numbers are in a pitcher's park too.
York Baker - 1/$327k - league minimum contract warrants minimum production. In 60 innings he has a 1.80+ WHIP and a 6.35+ ERA.

Texas Toast

Sawyer Parker - 3/$21M w/ mutual - The only add this offseason for the playoff hopeful team though he's back of the rotation and might not see any innings come playoff time.

Trenton Thunderbolts

Chick Wood - 2/$8.9M - Doesn't offer much power, speed or high average but he's serviceable in a Year 1.
Malcom Colin - 4/$17.1M w/ mutual - These are the bullpen pieces that builds championships. Not too pricey and tons of production.
Alex Martin - 5/$57.5M w/ mutual & no trade - Don't imagine this guy moving anywhere, he's got 21 HR and 17 SB on a .286 AVG. I'll take it and even better than he's a plus defender at 3B.
Willie Brock - 1/$865k - The plate performance is awful, and while he's not a plus defender he's not a bad one either.
Jesus Alvarez - 2/$5.2M w/ mutual - A near .300 average with 10+ HR. Smart spending for one of the best teams in baseball.

Tucson Road Runners

Louie Gonzalez - 4/$20M - League average production this season, he's 6-9 with 6/10 saves.
Victor Holt - 1/$5M - Solid add, surprised he wasn't moved at the deadline since it's an expiring contract. Perhaps people think the numbers aren't true and he's due for a decline upon changing teams.
Rafael Ruiz - 2/$9.8M - Was traded and is currently on the DL for Helena. Great add for speed on the basepaths.
Gaby McKenry - 1/$5M - Limited production but it's just a one year contract. No harm done.

Vancouver Blue Heron

Darren Berge - 1/Monopoly money - Similar to a bunch of other similar bullpen pieces signed this offseason. OUCH.
Richard Woo - 5/Monopoly money - The real signing from Vancouver this season and he's been more than productive. Too bad he's wasting away in a wasted land, playing for people drunk on maple syrup.
Phil Wallace - 2/Monopoly money - Traded to back to the States to play in Scottsdale. You can't imagine the letters the team owner received from his family thanking for getting him out of that third world country and back home where he belongs.

Wallace was flipped with RP Jacque Miyakazi for prospects.

Dustan LaMarre - 2/Monopoly money - He's pitched in A+, AAA, and currently in the majors. Not great results but could be worse like Woo.
Robinson Wigginton - 2/Monopoly money - Above league average numbers paired with that 3-10 record.
Jose Moreno - 1/Monopoly money - He's really a Mountie disguised as a ball player.
Mark Ogawa - 1/Monopoly money - On a one year contract I'll take the .285+ average with 8 HR, 11 SB - though the 7 CS prove he really shouldn't be running much.

All these signings has me interested in what happen next season. Season 2 motto might just be: "No Idea: Let's Ride"

S1 - Updated Power Rankings

Richard Castle - contributing reporter

And just like that, we've reached the three-quarter mark of the season, where the contenders tighten their grip, the pretenders get exposed, and a few poor souls are desperately trying to rewrite their doomed endings.

This is it - our last power rankings of the season. No more time for redemption arcs, no more "we're just heating up" storylines. The teams at the top? They've earned their place. The teams at the bottom? Well, let's just say their season is looking more like a tragic noir than a feel-good sports flick.

As always, Skynet has done its cold, calculating work, breaking down who's rising like a hero in the final act and who's plummeting like a side character who should've seen the twist coming. We'll examine the biggest climbers, the steepest falls, and which teams are staring down an ending they'd rather not read.

The final chapter of the regular season is being written. Some teams will make history. Others will be forgotten. The only question is - who gets the storybook ending, and who's about to be cut from the script?

Best Record

81-38 - Trenton Thunderbolts (NL-N), St. Louis Archers (NL-E)

2nd Best

79-40 - Syracuse Firebirds (AL-N)

3rd Best

70-49 - Buffalo Bomb Squad (NL-N)

4th Best

69-50 - Texas Toast (AL-S)

5th Best

67-52 - Scottsdale Sazeracs (NL-W), New Orleans Voodoo (AL-S)

With 43 games left, the American League is serving up a little bit of everything - white-knuckle thrillers, heartbreaking tragedies, and yes, a few games that might as well come with a pillow and a bedtime story. In the AL North, the Syracuse Firebirds have built such a commanding lead, they've probably forgotten the names of the teams in their own division. A near 15-game cushion means they're basically on cruise control. But credit where it's due - the Tacoma Armada are still hanging tough in the Wild Card 2 spot. And as we know, once the playoffs hit, anything can happen. Over in the AL East, the Boston Afflects and Baltimore IronBirds are locked in a neck-and-neck brawl, but here's the kicker - the loser might miss the playoffs entirely. One will emerge victorious. The other? They could be left watching from home, drowning their sorrows in takeout and bad decisions. So basically a typical Canadian night. Down South, the Texas Toast and the New Orleans Voodoo are locked in a battle that's about way more than just bragging rights. The winner could land a coveted first-round bye, while the loser gets a lovely consolation prize - a possible date with Syracuse in the Divisional Round. That's like winning a free vacation...to a haunted house. And out West, the Salt Lake City Trapper are sitting on a comfortable near-10 game lead, but they're not just playing for the division title - they've got their eyes on a first-round bye of their own. A few key wins, and they could leapfrog the AL South frontrunners, skipping the chaos of the early rounds altogether. The state is set. The tension is building. And if history has taught us anything, it's that there's always one last plot twist waiting to shake everything up.

Over in the National League, the Trenton Thunderbolts and the St Louis Archers are locked in a battle for the best record in all of Hardball Stitches - which, let's be honest, is the baseball equivalent of a heavyweight title fight. Two teams enter, only one gets to wear the crown (metaphorically speaking..unless someone actually made a crown, in which case, I fully support that level of pettiness). In the NL North, we've got a situation eerily similar to the Syracuse/Tacoma dynamic - a dominant leader and a determined but hopelessly distant chaser. Buffalo Bomb Squad is giving it their best shot, but trailing Trenton by 11 games is less of a chase and more of a long, slow march toward second place. Then there's the NL East, where the St Louis Archers hold a 21-game lead over the rest of the division. Yes, you read that correctly - twenty-one. That's not a lead; that's a total demolition. Honestly, we'd just skip writing about this division entirely if it weren't for St Louis. The Speedsters, Redlegs, and Paper Weights (a name that has never felt more fitting) are basically just NPC's in the Archer's championship campaign. Down South, things are at least more dramatic. The Charlotte Intimidators have taken advantage of a recent San Antonio skid and now hold a six-game lead. Not insurmountable, but unless the Yo-Yo Bros Yo can string together some consistency, Charlotte's looking good. And finally, out West, we have actual tension - the Scottsdale Sazeracs and Fresno Romans are battling for the division, with Scottsdale clinging to a one-game lead. And before anyone counts Fresno out, let's not forget they just took 3 of 4 from Trenton - ON THE ROAD - which is the baseball equivalent of walking into a villain's lair and making it out alive. The loser of this West Coast showdown is still likely safe with Wild Card 2, unless NL North Chicago suddenly decides to wake up and make a run. But time is running out, and as we all know - every great thriller needs a twist before the final page.

Tucson Road Runners are our biggest free faller this update, going from ranked #10 both at the 1/4 and 1/2 mark; falling down to #19. Durham Corgis are close by, going from #11 at both previous updates to #17. Sadly the Los Angeles Labradors continue to drop, this time from 25 to 27. Our bottom three teams have rearranged orders but still can't move out of the bottom - with New York, Nashville, and Scranton bringing up the rear.

But for now, let's talk about expected wins - or, in other words, how teams SHOULD be playing. Are some squads punching above their weight class? Are others underperforming like a blockbuster flop? Time to separate reality from illusion.

.706 - Trenton Thunderbolts (NL-N Champ)

.697 - St. Louis Archers (NL-E Champ)
.642 - Syracuse Firebirds (AL-N Champ)

.637 - Buffalo Bomb Squad (NL Wildcard 1)

.618 - New Orleans Voodoo (AL Wildcard 1)

.567 - Fresno Romans (NL-Wildcard 2)
.563 - Texas Toast (AL-S Champ)
.555 - Salt Lake City Trappers (AL-W Champ)
.550 - Scottsdale Sazeracs (NL-W Champ)
.545 - Charlotte Intimidators (NL-S Champ)
.526 - Chicago Northsiders

.520 - Tucson Road Runners

.519 - Baltimore IronBirds

.518 - San Antonio Yo-Yo Bros Yo

.511 - Boston 'Act As If' Afflects (AL-E Champ)

.507 - Helena Highlanders
.498 - Vancouver Blue Heron

.492 - Tacoma Armada (AL Wildcard 2)

.487 - Mexico City Luchadors
.483 - Montgomery Fightins
.479 - Indianapolis Speedsters

.474 - Arizona Canyon Kings
.461 - Durham Corgis
.455 - Fargo Mud Dogs
.443 - Cleveland Guardians
.422 - Los Angeles Labradors

.421 - Philadelphia Jawns

.418 - Colorado Springs Ranchers
.378 - New York Pizza Rats

.367 - Cincinnati Redlegs
.317 - Nashville Hot

.286 - Scranton Paper Weights

What's a Power Ranking update without looking at the dreaded 55-win threshold? I'm proud to report our teams are looking positive with this update. Only one team, the Scranton Paper Weights are below the mark. But as you know, we've already replaced the owner and he's made a 6 game improvement. Almost there! Nice work on the Cincinnati Redlegs and Nashville Hot for their improvements as well. 1/4 of the season to go, keep it up!

Team On Pace Wins Expect Win %

Scranton Paper Weights 54 W 46 W

Finally let's stack the divisions against each other and find out which one truly brings the heat. The NL North duo top their AL counterparts. But surprisingly the AL South topped the AL North as well, but like I said; that's a tight division race.

269-207 - NL North
251-225 - AL South

245-231 - AL North
239-237 - NL West

231-245 - AL East

224-252 - AL West

223-253 - NL East

222-254 - NL South

S1 - Rule 5 Recap

Jack Torrance - contributing reporter

Ah, the Rule 5 Draft - a curious institution in this league of ours, teeming with hope, betrayal, and the ever-looming specter of opportunity. Imagine it: a room filled with suits and whispers, as teams scour the ranks for overlooked talent, like miners sifting for flecks of gold in the riverbed of mediocrity. It's a high-stakes game of chess where pawns can become kings, and kings can lose their thrones to a well-timed gamble. It's a crucible where the desperate and the daring collide, each dreaming of glory but ever haunted by the specter of failure. It's Year One Baby!

We'll focus on Round 1 only.

Helena - Darryl Sadler - Started Game 1 as the team's starting Catcher and hit in the 3 hole; though he did go 0-6 with 2 strike outs and 4 men left on. He also allowed 2 SBs, but hey there's only one way to go - up. And that's exactly what he did. Strange that he wasn't protected and at least traded for value from Tacoma, Sadler even made the Prospects watch post this off-season.
New York - Darby O'Grady - Immediately became the starting SS for the Pizza Rats but who said that's a good thing. The kid weighs 177 dry and 186 wet, he's hitting under .200 for the season, but he's a top 10 SS defensively and that's why he was drafted here.
Arizona - Clint Melker - To no surprise, another player selected - another starter. This one started in the five hole as Arizona's primary DH but has started seeing time at 1B against NL teams. He's been a solid contributor and still above average for most Rule 5 draftees.
Chicago - Shawn Smith - Not quite rated to play Short and shifted over to Third base, but only playing part time at the end of games to start the season. As Chicago has hit a hot streak as a team, Smith has started seeing starting time - do the two go hand in hand?
Baltimore - Sammy Little - Began the season as starting Centerfielder and lead off hitter and still hitting above .300. With some different bats behind him, he could have likely put up 100+ runs this season too.
Vancouver - Lyle Radlosky - Versus righties he's the #5 hitter but versus lefties, he's the #2 hitter starting; so he's seeing a mix of pitches and mix of times with people on base. For a #6 pick, this is success, getting enough of the job done on a non-competing team.
Indianapolis - Miguel Villafuerte - Starting catcher, and hitting well - at least well enough to get on base, doesn't have much power and the only speed he has is the letters printed on the front of his jersey.
Scottsdale - No pick. Hard to think such an early pick and they found nothing to help the ML roster. Let's count it, that's 7 players drafted before this position - all of them are starters. Scottsdale has the #8 pick in the upcoming draft and didn't make any huge free agent signings, so you know they can't be that good. 3/4 into the season they are leading the division, so maybe no pick was needed here.
New Orleans - Bill Schrenk - Our first pitcher drafted in the Rule 5 and pitching in relief for the Voodoo who do people. At time of this writing he's seen 37 games, 51 innings with a 1.43 WHIP and 5.65 ERA. So slightly above average, but he's a Rule 5, what else do you expect? Your not going to find any ace relievers here.
Montgomery - Fonzie Winn - Another reliever with similar numbers to the one drafted before him, worse WHIP better ERA in a lot more games but less innings.
Cincinnati - Tino Briggs - Another reliever selected in a similar situation, yet the worst of the three so far.
Nashville - Rube Robertson - Back to back to back ~~jacks~~ relievers. Pitching as a mop up these days and boy do these pitchers keep getting worse and worse. I'm afraid to look at the next one.
Durham - No pick. The team hit hard in FA, understandable that they didn't find much here.
Fargo - Ross Murphy - Starting to sound like a broken record, another reliever - another SuB quality pick. Slightly worse than league average, in a Season 1 he likely feels a void much easier than Free Agency.
Salt Lake City - No pick. Another team that was very active in FA.
Fresno - Juan Carlos Nunez - With not being have to resign Katou, the team had to shift gears and ended up drafting 6 Rounds in the Rule 5! Nunez has offered a power bat in Rightfield, who has already hit 25 HRs on the season and a respectable .275 average.
Philadelphia - Bruce LaPorta - Starting SS against righties and offering defensive sub late in game versus lefties. Doesn't offer much power or speed, and has struck out more times than he's had hits, but has covered time in CF as well.
San Antonio - Dennis Nomo - Starting CF against righties, whose hitting below .220 with limited speed and power. Not many plus plays defensively but isn't making errors either.
Cleveland - No pick. Considering how many Type A FAs they signed, this shouldn't be a surprise.
Tucson - Daryl Charles - The team lead the division much of the early season when he was a starter but now that he's shifted to the bullpen the team has been a bit on a slip; could that be the reason? He has a solid 1.05 WHIP and 2.46 ERA on the season. A bit surprised at these numbers, but this owner knows pitching.
Mexico City - No pick.
Scranton - No pick. Under new ownership, but I think it's safe to say they should have picked up something - even a rock would have been useful on their staff.
Colorado Springs - Junior Gonzales - Never saw a single ML inning, sent down to AAA where he's getting roughed up big time.
Los Angeles - Bridger Fisher - This is the team who gave up the most Rule 5 selections with 6. They grabbed one back in 3B Fisher; but nearly immediately offered him back. Hitting decently well with a slightly below .280 average, even if he strikes out a lot.
Boston - No pick.
Syracuse - Ron Smith - This pick has been huge, through 22 starts he's 11-5 with a 1.17 WHIP and 3.45 ERA. Many of the FA starting pitchers that signed this season aren't even doing that.
Charlotte - No pick.
Buffalo - Carlos Mendez - Selected at 11:18 pm and offered back at 11:47 pm. That's gotta hurt the ego, even with middle of the road patience like Mendez. Demoted to AAA where he is today.
Texas - Jerry Ashley - He's up there with the other bullpen pieces selected before him, and obviously the worst of them all; though some of that might be the home field he plays in.
St. Louis - Sandy Kuttler - Took a couple of days but he was offered back to Scranton who declined as he was demoted to AAA. Just a few days ago he was promoted and got his first ML at bat. Through 12 ABs, he's had 3 hits.
Trenton - No pick.
Tacoma - No pick. Interesting here, entering the off-season the team seemed favored for a successful season but with a few waiver drops to cut salary, not much activity in FA, and no Rule 5; some writers are wondering if this team just slipped to outside the top 5 teams. Only time will tell.