2022 CFOD Playoff Race Mid-Season Review IF THE PLAYOFFS WERE HELD TODAY - Mantle Division - Angry Candy (52-36) Koufax Division - Lakeview Zeros (56-32) Ruth Division - Olympia Rainiers (54-31) Young Division - Seattle Moshers (56-29) MK Conference Wildcard - Pig's Eye Pirates (52-33) RY Conference Wildcard - Dallas SuperSquad (54-31) (Currently losing 4-6 to Olympia in tiebreaker) #1 League Wildcard - Cincinnati Rock (53-35) #2 League Wildcard - Trisolaris Droplets (50-38) IN THE WILDCARD PLAYOFF HUNT: Arlington Arthropods (50-38) - 0 games behind (currently losing tiebreaker to Trisolaris 2-6) Mechan Syndicate (47-39) - 2 games behind Slam Diego Termites (48-40) - 2 games behind Miami Mangos (43-42) - 5 1/2 games behind *************************************** Mantle Division - 1st - Angry Candy (52-36) - The Angry Candy are a run-scoring machine, leading the league in runs scored at the break. Jeff McNeil is hitting .342 with 56 runs scored and 9 stolen bases. Josh Bell is hitting .282 with 10 home runs, 47 runs scored and 56 RBI. Brandon Nimmo has 52 runs scored, and Max Muncy has scored 45 runs despite hitting .198. Brandon Marsh is hitting .313 with 48 RBI. Tony Gonsolin is 10-2 with a 2.29 ERA, and Ryan Pressly has saved 12 games with a 3.24 ERA. The rest of the pitching staff remains capable, with a league average 3.73 team ERA. The Angry Candy may be leading the division at the moment, but they'll have to maintain their performance in the 2nd half, as they are just 2 games out from missing the playoffs. 2nd - Arlington Arthropods (50-38, 2 games behind) - Last year's world series team is back and contending. Mike Trout is having a great bounce back year, hitting .332 with 26 home runs, 54 runs scored and 59 RBI. Alex Bregman has 17 home runs and 53 runs scored, while Randy Arozarena has 52 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. Shohei Ohtani has 13 home runs, 40 runs scored and 35 RBI. Ohtani is also 6-4 with a 2.79 ERA, and Luis Castillo is 6-4 with a 3.32 ERA. Evan Phillips has saved 15 games with a 1.29 ERA. The team ERA of 3.34 keeps them competitive, so a strong second half (or motivating a .167-hitting Byron Buxton) could vault them to the Mantle division title and/or a playoff spot. 3rd - Mechan Syndicate (47-39, 4 games behind) - Mookie Betts is having the usually great season for the Syndicate, smacking 22 home runs with 53 runs scored and 57 RBI. Gavin Lux has an .342 on base average and 49 runs scored, and Ryan Mountcastle has hit 11 home runs with 47 RBI. Corbin Burnes is in the hunt for the Cy Young award this season, going 9-3 with a 2.02 ERA at the break. Carlos Rodon is 8-5 with a 3.32 ERA. James Karinchak has been a reliable closer, saving 11 games with a 2.59 ERA. The team ERA is an above average 3.46. The Syndicate are only 2 games out of the playoffs at the moment - a splash in the trade market might improve their post-season hopes. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: San Francisco Organization, Port Huron Hubris, Georgia Fightin' Oglethorpes *************************************** Koufax Division - 1st - Lakeview Zeros (56-32) - Lakeview is certainly in a different position than they were last year, when they did poorly enough to get the #1 overall pick. That pick, Julio Rodriguez, has helped the Zeros to the best record in the MK Conference at the break. Rodriguez is hitting .323 with 17 home runs, 15 stolen bases, 49 runs scored and 61 RBI. Trea Turner is hitting .291 with 61 runs scored and 16 stolen bases, and Brandon Drury has 23 home runs, 50 runs scored and 64 RBI. Trevor Story has hit 19 home runs with 46 RBI, and Vinnie Pasquantino is hitting .276 with 13 home runs and 43 runs scored. Brandon Woodruff is 11-1 with a 2.23 ERA, and Max Scherzer is 11-1 with a 2.63 ERA. Closer Ron Marinaccio has saved 22 games with a 1.96 ERA, and Jovani Moran saved 9 games and won another 5 in relief with a 1.21 ERA before burning out for the regular season. With their team ERA of 3.06 and their many talented hitters in the lineup, Lakeview should be considered a favorite for a deep playoff run. 2nd - Pig's Eye Pirates (52-33, 2 1/2 games behind) - After a couple of seasons of rebuilding, the Pirates are back. Eugenio Suarez has been the big bat, hitting 25 home runs with 49 runs scored and 58 RBI. Nico Hoerner is hitting .299 with 37 runs scored. The offense has been strictly middle of the pack, but the pitching has been fantastic, posting a conference best 2.90 team ERA. Reid Detmers is 7-2 with a 1.80 ERA, and Martin Perez has won 5 games with a 2.82 ERA. Closer JP Feyereisen saved 17 games with a 0.85 ERA before burning out, and pitchers Joe Mantiply, Jason Adam, and Erik Swanson won a lot of games in relief, going a combined 13-1. The Pirates are sitting on the conference wildcard and should put up a fight in the playoffs. 3rd - Cincinnati Rock (53-35, 3 games behind) - Cincinnati is in the thick of it, holding on to a league wild-card spot and are within striking distance of the Koufax division lead. Freddie Freeman is hitting .323 with 15 home runs, 53 runs scored and 48 RBI, and Kyle Tucker is hitting .382 with 22 home runs, 50 runs scored and 64 RBI. Rafael Devers has scored 49 runs, and Andrew Benintendi has 45 runs scored. Starling Marte has driven in 46 runs and has 9 stolen bases. Gerrit Cole is 10-6 at the break, and German Marquez has won 7. Rafael Montero has saved 16 games, gone 3-0 in relief and has a microscopic 0.97 ERA. Relief has been a strong point, with Freddy Peralta, Carlos Estevez, Alex Vesia, Cody Morris and Hector Nerris all posting sub 3 ERA's to contribute to a strong 3.33 team ERA. 4th - Trisolaris Droplets (50-38, 6 games behind) - The rebuild is complete, and the Droplets currently are on pace to make their first playoffs since moving to Trisolaris. Brendan Donovan has scored 51 runs so far, and George Springer has hit 11 home runs with 46 runs scored and 44 RBI. Matt Chapman has smashed 18 home runs with 58 RBI. Garrett Whitlock went 10-2 with a 2.15 ERA before burning out, and Aaron Nola has won 7 games with a 2.47 ERA. Closer Raisel Iglesias has "somewhat" struggled, saving 10 games but posting a 3.66 ERA. Overall pitching has been very strong, with a team ERA of 3.00, 2nd best in the conference. But the Droplets will have their work cut out for them in the 2nd half, with 4 teams within 5 1/2 games, including one who has the same record but currently losing the tiebreaker. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: Somerville Sluggers, Chandler Killers *************************************** Ruth Division - 1st - Olympia Rainiers (54-31) - Last year's CFOD champions are poised to defend their crown, currently sharing the lead in the Ruth division. Yordan Alvarez is having an MVP year, hitting .370 with 38 home runs, 67 runs scored and 88 RBI. Corey Seager has 20 home runs and 52 RBI, and Juan Soto has a .370 on base average, 13 home runs and 54 runs scored. The Rainiers are smack dab in the middle on offense, and could likely bolster their chances with a trade or two for a hitter. Where they are not smack dab is on pitching, posting the league's best team ERA with 2.70. Julio Urias is 10-4 with a 2.29 ERA, Nestor Cortes is 8-1 with a 2.13 ERA, and Jose Quintana is 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA. Closer Collin McHugh has saved 19 games with a 2.97 ERA. The Rainiers have everything they need to be a force in the playoffs and have a chance to get even better via 2nd half trades. 2nd - Dallas SuperSquad (54-31, 0 games behind) - Dallas was highly regarded in the pre-season, and they have not disappointed, sharing the Ruth division lead with the Rainiers at the all-star break. Xander Bogaerts is hitting .312 with 56 runs scored and 51 RBI, and Jose Ramirez has 16 home runs with 49 runs scored and 63 RBI. Jose Altuve is hitting .279 with 58 runs scored and 11 stolen bases, and Seiya Suzuki has 49 runs scored and 44 RBI. Lourdes Gurriel is has contributed 47 runs scored. Dylan Cease is 12-4 with a 1.82 ERA, Max Fried is 10-3 with a 2.49 ERA, and Jose Urquidy is 10-4 with a 3.38 ERA. Zac Gallen is 7-5 with a 3.31 ERA. Closer Anthony Bass has saved 22 games, won another 3 in relief and has a 1.42 ERA. Dallas is a lock for the playoffs and will be a formidable playoff opponent. 3rd - Slam Diego Termites (48-40, 7 1/2 games behind) - The Termites are barely out of the playoffs at the moment, and a win streak would put them into a wild-card spot. Ronald Acuna Jr is hitting .280 with 52 runs scored and 19 stolen bases, and Garrett Cooper has 35 runs scored in 59 234 at bats, and Joey Menesas is hitting .290 with 29 runs scored and 34 RBI. The rest of the hitters are platoon based, and the offense is solidly middle-of-the-pack. Justin Verlander is having a solid year, going 9-5 with a 2.49 ERA. Closer Cionel Perez has saved 11 games with a 1.84 ERA. The team's 3.68 ERA is slightly better than average. The team should have a nice 2nd half, but a hot streak and/or a few trades may be in order to make it to the post-season. 4th - Miami Mangos (43-42, 11 games behind) - 1B Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .309 with 13 home runs and 51 runs scored, and Bo Bichette has 12 home runs, 47 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. That's about it on offense, as the run production is a bit below average. The pitching is keeping the Mangos above .500, sporting a 3.38 team ERA. Jeffrey Springs is 7-3 with a 2.88 ERA. Miami's real strength is in their bullpen, with 6 relievers having ERAs below 3. Closer Paul Sewald has 17 saves and a 3.08 ERA. They're only 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot, so a strong 2nd half could see them nab a wild-card spot. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: Topeka MooseDogs, California Coneheads *************************************** Young Division - 1st - Seattle Moshers (56-29) - Seattle burst out of the gate and never looked back, sporting the league's best record at the break and effectively locked up the Young division title, leading by 16 1/2 games at the break. The Moshers are doing it with offense, leading the RY conference in runs scored. Hunter Renfroe has 25 home runs, 55 runs scored and 60 RBI, and Christian Walker has 20 home runs, 51 runs scored and 57 RBI. Rookie Cal Raleigh has smacked 24 home runs with 50 RBI, and longtime 3B Nolan Arenado has 14 home runs, 52 runs scored and 52 RBI. Andres Gimenez is hitting .311 with 62 runs scored and 21 stolen bases, and Steven Kwan is hitting .302 with 43 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Marco Gonzalez is 11-6, and early season acquisition Patrick Sandoval is 6-1 in 10 starts with a 2.60 ERA. Johnny Cueto is 6-2 with a 2.95 ERA. Closer Jordan Romano has 11 saves, a 3-1 record and a 1.13 ERA. The pitching staff is getting it done, posting a 2.95 team ERA, 2nd best in the conference. Seattle has positioned themselves to make a serious run in the playoffs this year. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: Park City Thunder, San Mateo Thunder, Brookfield Brouhaha, Tualatin Pioneers, San Francisco Piazza's