League Analysis
Ocean Star
By Seattle Cyclones
Updated 7/6/21
League Favorites:
Ocean Star has a host of potential winners, headlined by the defending world series champions, the Yonkers Renegades. The Renegades have started the season off 14-4, despite facing other contenders such as the New Orleans Hot Rods and Anchorage Polarbears. Ocean Star also features 3 time WS champions, the 14-4 Baltimore Orioles. The O's are led by a top notch rotation and timely hitting that allows them to win 45+ games every season. Also in the hunt are the aforementioned Hot Rods, who have deployed a speed and defense approach (similar to the Renegades) that could propel them to the League Final.
North:
The North has a legitimate shot to be considered the best division in FB, with 4 perennial threats in the Hot Rods, Polarbears, Cyclones and Kansas City Royals0. The 16-2 Hot Rods are the favorites, possessing the best offense in the league. However, the Cyclones (14-4) have been the surprising #2, with a 5-1 record in extra inning games. The Polarbears (13-5) and Royals0 (13-5) have also been solid, and in a stacked Ocean Star, wins against other active teams (of which the Hot Rods have 6) could be a factor in the result.
South:
The South is also tight, with a solid race coming every season featuring the Corpus Christi Hooks (11-7), Atlanta Firebirds (12-6) and Mobile War Eagle (10-8). The Firebirds should be the favorite, as they have gone 4-2 lately (opposed to the Hooks 2-4) and have the better pitching, in a hitters league.
East:
The East should be a runaway (and already is) as the Orioles are 14-4, 9 games ahead of the 2nd place Thousand Oaks Oaks (6-12). However, there is a misnomer about one team in the division. The Washington American Aces (6-12) just returned from a short hiatus, and a quick rebuild 2 days ago has led to a 4-2 spurt, including a win over the Renegades.
West:
The West is a very balanced and deep division. The St. Johns Squid (15-3) are the favorites, with the experienced (14 division titles) Winnipeg Frost just behind at 11-7. However, the Squid have yet to show their chops vs. the big boys of OS, as they have faced just one team with 12 or more wins, and lost that to the Cyclones 3-2. The Sacramento Solons also lurk at 10-8, but it's tough to imagine the Squid dropping this division, despite their untested nature.
Northeast:
The Northeast is fun every season, with squads like the Yonkers Renegades (14-4), Manchester Maniacs (10-8), Calgary Fire Birds (10-8) and Springfield Royals (8-10) going head to head multiple times a season. The Renegades have to be the favorites to win this time around, but the Maniacs have won the division the last 2 seasons. A July 7th matchup between the 2 could give us some insight on the true favorite.
Northwest:
The Northwest is by far the worst division in OS, and their representative will more than likely be swept away by the 1 seed come July 21st. The Pembroke Pines Cedar Lumbers (9-9) are in the lead at the moment, followed by Imurxsto (8-10), and 3 teams tied at 7-11. One team to watch, however, is the Mayaguez Sureno Del Oeste. They sport the best run differential at +2, and despite being 7-11, are just 2 games back, easily in reach of the top spot.
Southeast:
The favorites to win the Southeast division are the Newark Lightning (12-5). Holding one of the better run differentials (+46) in the League and the 3rd best rotation (ERA of 3.53) the Lightning seem worlds ahead of the 2nd place Grand Prairie Lightning (11-7, -8 run diff). Despite all of this, the GPL are only 1 game back, and have won this division the last 3 seasons. Will their experience and management be able to pilot them to another win down the stretch?
Southwest:
While the Southwest is a weaker division in general, the favorite is the 3rd place Providence Franzes (9-9). Providence has won it in 2 of the last 3 seasons, and have managed to take home 9 wins despite holding one of the worst offenses in the league. The division is led by the Colorado Rockies (10-8) and Al Kuwhalik (10-8) but those teams are expected to fall off by the end of the season. Also lurking are the St. Louis Knights (8-10) who have the experience (15 division titles in 39 seasons) and team (+12 run diff) to make a run at the Southwest title.
Best Record
New Orleans Hot Rods (16-2)
St. Johns Squid (15-3)
Seattle Cyclones (14-4)
Yonkers Renegades (14-4)
Baltimore Orioles (14-4)
Team Average
New Orleans Hot Rods (.365)
Yonkers Renegades (.334)
St. Johns Squid (.329)
Kansas City Royals0 (.310)
Seattle Cyclones (.293)
Team ERA
Baltimore Orioles (2.35)
Seattle Cyclones (3.16)
Newark Lightning (3.53)
Providence Franzes (3.55)
Pembroke Pines Cedar Lumbers (3.57)
Team HRs
New Orleans Hot Rods (59)
Seattle Cyclones (56)
Kansas City Royals0 (49)
St. Johns Squid (46)
Atlanta Firebirds (45)
Yonkers Renegades (45)