Richard Castle - contributing reporter
"I know what you’re thinking—‘Castle, where have you been? Did you forget about us?’ Not at all. I was just giving the league a little time to spice things up—because let’s face it, power rankings are so much more interesting when teams are busy tripping over themselves, staging heroic comebacks, and rewriting the script in ways even I didn’t see coming."
"But now… now we return to the action. And trust me, the plot twists are worth the wait. We’ve got contenders free-falling, underdogs climbing like they just found rocket fuel, and more drama than a double homicide in a locked-room mystery. So buckle up, grab a snack, and let’s see who’s still in the hunt—and who’s about to be written out of this story altogether."
- Best Record
- St Louis Archers
- 2nd Best
- Trenton Thunderbolts
- 3rd Best
- Syracuse Firebirds
- 4th Best
- Texas Toast & Fargo Mud Dogs
- 5th Best
- Indianapolis Speedsters
The top four? Still holding strong—but not without a little game of musical chairs. Syracuse struts up from No. 3 to claim the crown, because why not add a little flair to dominance? Meanwhile, the Texas Toast pull off a Hollywood glow-up, leaping from No. 15 to No. 5, and Buffalo rockets from No. 25 to No. 7 like they’ve been hiding rocket fuel in the dugout. Tacoma, however, tumbles from No. 5 to No. 11, and Mexico City takes a slide from No. 8 to No. 13—proof that gravity works in baseball, too.
Chicago Northsiders? They’re the real mystery—climbing from No. 23 to No. 12 with one of the league’s weakest lineups but pitching so good it deserves its own Emmy. Scottsdale holds steady at No. 21 like a supporting character waiting for a rewrite, while Helena makes a dramatic jump from No. 31 to No. 23, proving that redemption arcs are alive and well. But not everyone gets a happy ending—Charlotte plummets from No. 13 to No. 26, and Los Angeles… well, someone has to be last. No. 32. Still can’t figure out how you struggle with pitching in a ballpark built for pitchers.
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.
.707 - Syracuse Firebirds (AL-N Champ)
.695 - St. Louis Archers (NL-E Champ)
.684 - Trenton Thunderbolts (NL-N Champ)
.633 - Fargo Mud Dogs (AL Wildcard 1)
.609 - Indianapolis Speedsters (NL Wildcard 1)
.604 - Boston 'Act As If' Afflects (AL-E Champ)
.576 - San Antonio Yo-Yo Bros Yo (NL-S Champ)
.569 - Mexico City Luchadors
.566 - Texas Toast (AL-S Champ)
.564 - Tacoma Armada
.559 - Fresno Romans (NL-W Champ)
.558 - Chicago Northsiders (NL Wildcard 2)
.545 - Montgomery Fightins
.540 - New Orleans Voodoo (AL Wildcard 2)
.539 - Buffalo Bomb Squad
.495 - Tucson Road Runners
.469 - Vancouver Blue Heron
.458 - Philadelphia Hooligans
.448 - Arizona Canyon Kings (AL-W Champ)
.428 - Charlotte Intimidators
.428 - Baltimore IronBirds
.428 - New York Pizza Rats
.418 - Salt Lake City Trappers
.417 - Rochester Mighty Flour Mills
.406 - Cincinnati Redlegs
.395 - Colorado Springs Ranchers
.392 - Los Angeles Labradors
.389 - Helena Highlanders
.383 - Nashville Hot
.381 - Durham Corgis
.378 - Scottsdale Sazeracs
.364 - Louisville Bourbon Chasers
The dreaded list
Team On Pace Wins Expect Win %
Everybody is above the threshold currently.
And just like that, we’ve reached the halfway mark—81 games down, 81 to go. The plot has thickened, the suspects are nervous, and the baseball gods are sharpening their red pens for edits no one asked for. Some teams look like bestsellers destined for a Hollywood ending, while others are clinging to their season like a paperback left out in the rain. But here’s the thing about a good mystery—you never know when the next twist will drop. One hot streak, one bad break, and the entire story changes. Buckle up, folks. The second half isn’t just a continuation—it’s the part where everything unravels… or finally comes together.