2018 CFOD Playoff Race Mid-Season Review IF THE PLAYOFFS WERE HELD TODAY - Mantle Division - Angry Candy (57-31) Koufax Division - Pig's Eye Pirates (52-33) Ruth Division - California Coneheads (52-34) Young Division - Rocklin Thunder (53-1) MK Conference Wildcard - Mechan Syndicate (50-36) RY Conference Wildcard - Olympia Rainiers (45-40) #1 League Wildcard - Minneapolis Malice (47-39) #2 League Wildcard - Springfield 'Topes (45-40) IN THE WILDCARD PLAYOFF HUNT: Paxtang Pitbulls (44-41) - 1 game behind Seattle Moshers (44-41) - 1 game behind San Diego Termites (45-43) - 1 1/2 games behind Lakeview Zeros (44-44) - 2 1/2 games behind Cincinnati Rock (44-44) - 2 1/2 games behind Fightin' Oglethorpes of Georgia (43-44) - 3 games behind Park City Climbers (42-44) - 3 1/2 games behind Brookfield Brouhaha (41-43) - 3 1/2 games behind *************************************** Mantle Division - 1st - Angry Candy (57-31) - Currently sporting the league's best record, the Angry Candy are well positioned for the playoffs. Rookie Max Muncy is hitting .286 with 27 home runs, 63 runs scored and 60 RBI. Anthony Rendon is hitting .323 with 16 home runs, 59 runs scored and 55 RBI, while Mitch Haniger has 16 home runs, 64 runs scored and 45 RBI. Andrew Benintendi is hitting .304 with 50 runs scored. The Candy's 482 runs scored is league best. German Marquez is 9-5 with a 3.01 ERA, and Carlos Carrasco has gone 11-3 with a 3.58 ERA. Saves have been spread around, with Collin McHugh saving 9 games and Taylor Rogers 7. 2nd - Mechan Syndicate (50-36) - Mookie Betts has been good as usual, hitting .337 with 14 home runs, 69 runs scored and 61 RBI. Mallex Smith has been a nice surprise, hitting .327 with 33 stolen bases and 66 runs scored. Mike Moustakas has driven in lots of runs, hitting 18 home runs with 59 RBI. The rest of the lineup has underperformed, giving them a league average offense. A few mid-season acquistions could boost their fortunes. Zack Greinke has gone 9-5 with a 2.99 ERA as the clear staff ace. Saves have been spread around, with TJ McFarland leading the way with 7. Despite the holes in the lineup the Syndicate are holding onto the Conference Wildcard spot in a tough conference. 3rd - Springfield 'Topes (45-40) - Springfield has been punching above their weight so far in 2018, led by the bat of Eugenio Suarez (27 home runs, 59 runs scored, 56 RBI). Yasiel Puig's having a good year, hitting 22 home runs with 51 runs scored and 65 RBI. Joey "3 true outcomes king" Gallo may only be hitting .215, but has 26 home runs and 57 RBI to show for it. And Joey Wendle has a .361 on base average with 15 stolen bases and 58 runs scored. Pitching has been somewhat of a struggle, posting a below average ERA of 4.37. No starter has over 5 wins, and no reliever has over 5 saves. 4th - Fightin' Oglethorpes of Georgia (43-44) - Currently out of the playoffs, the Fightin' Oglethorpes are a win streak away from a playoff spot. Jesus Aguilar has hit 18 home runs with 55 RBI, and Lorenzo Cain has a .374 on base average with 45 runs scored and 27 stolen bases. A few more hitters and their season would go a lot easier. Aaron Nola has been solid, going 9-2 with a 2.40 ERA. Tony Watson has saved 13 games with a 3.29 ERA. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: San Francisco Organization, Arlington Arthropods *************************************** Koufax Division - 1st - Pig's Eye Pirates (52-33) - After a year off, the Pirates are back on top of the division. Christian Yelich is having an MVP season, hitting .314 with 24 home runs, 12 stolen bases, 75 runs scored and 61 RBI. Jose Altuve is hitting .294 with 19 stolen bases and 64 runs scored, while Evan Gattis has smacked 20 home runs with 54 RBI. Andrelton Simmons has 49 runs scored while providing solid defense at short. Jacob deGrom is having a Cy Young year, posting a 1.86 ERA and a 11-4 record. Kyle Freeland has won 7 games, and Blake Parker has asved 14 games. 2nd - Minneapolis Malice (47-39) - The Malice are currently playoff bound and are still contenders for the division title. JD Martinez is having a spectaular year, hitting .281 with 27 home runs, 57 runs scored and 83 RBI. Joey Votto has been getting walks and nothing else this year, but his .388 on base average has translated into 52 runs scored. Matt Duffy has 14 stolen bases and 51 runs scored, and Aaron Hicks has 16 home runs, 55 runs scored and 53 RBI. Blake Snell is having a breakout season, going 9-3 with a 2.48 ERA. Danny Duffy is 8-2 with a 4.01 ERA. Closer Sean Doolittle has been elite, saving 18 games with a miniscule 0.91 ERA. 3rd - Lakeview Zeros (44-44) - Not sure whether to contend or rebuild, Lakeview is doing a little of both. Freddie Freeman has hit 17 home runs with 64 runs scored and 41 RBI, and Trea Turner is hitting .287 with 14 stolen bases and 48 runs scored. Matt Carpenter is only hitting .194, but had 12 home runs, 45 runs scored and 49 RBI before being dealt at the break. Miles Mikolas leads the rotation in a big way, going 12-5 with a 2.42 ERA. Closer Roenis Elias saved 14 games with a 2.77 ERA before burning out for the season. 4th - Cincinnati Rock (44-44) - Unlike Lakeview, Cincinnati is all in (and will have the bat of Matt Carpenter for the 2nd half of the season). Giancarlo Stanton has been a "Rock", hitting .281 with 23 home runs, 53 runs scored and 58 RBI. Rookie Miguel Andujar is hitting .272 with 15 home runs, 45 runs scored and 54 RBI. Jose Urena has won 9 games with a 3.19 ERA, and Gerritt Cole has won 9 games with a 4.28 ERA. Wade Davis has saved 13 games with a 3.48 ERA. Perhaps they need a starter to push the ineffective Marco Gonzales out of the rotation, who is 1-8 with a 8.04 ERA. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: Somerville Sluggers, Walcott Walruses *************************************** Ruth Division - 1st - California Coneheads (52-34) - Last pick of the 2016 draft Scooter Gennett continues his comeback campaign, hitting .337 with 12 home runs, 65 runs scored, 68 RBI and All-Star MVP honors. Michael Brantley is hitting .341 with 13 home runs, 9 stolen bases and 54 runs scored. Justin Turner is hitting .312 with 58 RBI and Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .286 with 15 home runs and 69 runs scored. Their 450 runs scored is best in the conference. Mike Minor is 9-1 with a 2.90 ERA, and Trevor Williams is 10-4 with a 3.23 ERA. Cole Hamels is 9-2 with a 3.29 ERA, and James Paxton rounds out the playoff-ready rotation with 7 wins and a 4.02 ERA. Saves have been spread around, with Carl Edwards saving 10 (with a 4.55 ERA) and Shane Carle with 7. 2nd - Olympia Rainiers (45-40) - The Rainiers got off to a smashing start, leading the league in wins for quite some time before settling down to earth (and are still sitting on a Conference Wildcard). Javier Baez is hitting .306 with 21 home runs, 55 runs scored and 60 RBI, while Carlos Santana has turned back father time with a .293 average, 12 home runs, 51 runs scored and 54 RBI. Star rookie Juan Soto is hitting .283 with 14 home runs, 46 runs scored and 45 RBI. Matt Boyd is 8-4 with a 3.21 ERA, and Nick Pivetta is 8-6 with a 3.55 ERA. Joe Musgrove and Kyle Gibson have won 7 games each. Acquistiion Corey Knebel has been solid, saving 8 games with a 1.63 ERA. 3rd - Paxtang Pitbulls (44-41) - A game out of the playoffs at the moment, Paxtang is still very much in the running. The Pitbulls have one of the league's lowest batting averages (.223) but they make up for it in power (slugging of .421). Jose Ramirez has 22 home runs, 61 runs scored and 55 RBI, while Matt Chapman has 20 home runs and 51 RBI. Xander Bogaerts has scored 55 runs, while Andrew McCutchen has scored 45 runs and driven in 48. Jake Junis is 9-5 despite a 5.15 ERA. Closer Edwin Diaz has been stellar, saving 20 games with a 1.30 ERA at the break. Another starter and some batters who can make contact with the ball would help their post-season chances. 4th - San Diego Termites (45-53) - Owners of the #1 draft pick this year, San Diego has bounced back nicely with the play of impact rookie Ronald Acuna. Acuna is hitting .270 with 16 home runs, 58 runs scored and 49 RBI. Nick Markakis is defying father time, hitting .324 with 55 runs scored and 50 RBI. Jean Segura has added 12 stolen bases and 51 runs scored. Justin Bour has smacked 12 home runs with 45 RBI. Michael Fiers has been their most effective starter, going 6-2 with a 3.80, but nobody on the staff will be competing for a Cy this year. Jared Hughes is a contender for Fireman of the Year, though, saving 15 games with a tiny 1.60 ERA at the break. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: Miami Mangos, Topeka MooseDogs *************************************** Young Division - 1st - Rocklin Thunder (53-31) - With the best record in the conference, Rocklin is aiming for home field advantage on their way to a World Series appearance. Aaron Judge has mashed, hitting 25 home runs with 55 runs scored and 54 RBI. Bryce Harper has hit 17 home runs with 55 runs scored and 48 RBI. Jed Lowrie has a .271 batting average with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. The hitting has been below average for a division leader, so some trades may be in order. What hasn't been below average is the pitching, which is on pace for a record low 2.84 team ERA. Chris Sale is 10-3 with a 2.46 ERA and an all-star game start. Walker Buehler is 9-4 with a 2.90 ERA, and Noah Syndergaard is 7-3 with a 3.38 ERA. Closer Seranthony Dominquez is one of the league's best closers, saving 19 games with a miniscule 1.20 ERA. 2nd - Seattle Moshers (44-41) - After strugging in the first quarter, the Moshers furiously rallied to put themselves within range of the Conference Wildcard at the break. Khris Davis is having a monster year, hitting 32 home runs with 52 runs scored and 73 RBI at the break. Nelson Cruz has hit 20 home runs with 51 runs scored, and Jurickson Profar is hitting .276 with 14 home runs and 58 runs scored. Chris Taylor is hitting .281 with 12 home runs and 50 runs scored. Trevor Bauer is 7-5 with a 3.17 ERA, and recent acquisition Mike Foltynewicz had a 3.44 ERA through 18 starts with the Mangos and Moshers. Closer Blake Treinen has saved 13 games with a 2.97 ERA. 3rd - Park City Climbers (42-44) - Currently out of the playoffs, Park City is a good run away from contending again. Enrique Hernandez has 16 home runs, 47 runs scored and 52 RBI, while Charlie Blackmon has 60 runs scored despite hitting just .220. Jameson Taillon is 7-4 with a 2.77 ERA. Closer Brandon Morrow has saved 13 games but with a rather high 4.74 ERA. 4th - Brookfield Brouhaha (41-43) - Brookfield is still hanging in there and could make the playoffs with a strong second half. Michael Conforto has been stellar, hitting .270 with 22 home runs, 58 runs scored and 60 RBI. The rest of the hitters .. not so much. Brad Keller is 7-4 with a 3.57 ERA, and Taylor Cole saved 11 games with a 1.60 ERA before burning out for the rest of the season. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: Tualatin Pioneers, San Francisco Piazza's