Prestige is on the Line in the Most Important Race Left of the 2017 Season

With only 15 games to play in the 2017 season we have a few intriguing races still to be played out.  As emotions are riding high, managers losing sleep and players with flailing nerves only the best will stand out and take over.  One race imparticular has a few new contenders.  Over the last couple seasons two teams have dominated this race, in fact for the last 3 years these teams have finished 1-2 in the race.  We want to congratulate Terrance and Terry for finally using that talent of draft's past to improve the team and leave the race for the #1 pick. (Although Terrance Knights are only 4 games up on the current #1 seed, we feel that is a big enough margin for him to stay out.)  We will highlight our top 3 contenders, break down the teams and see who has what it takes to secure BSA's worst record and the right to first pick in the 2018 amateur draft.

First off let's identify the Top 3 and they are according to record at this point:

Niagara Falls Frenzy 49-98

Irvine Gang Green 50-96

St. Charles Sheens 51-95

The Frenzy have 15 games left to play while the other two still have 16 games to go. Here's how the schedules break down:

NFF: 3 vs LAB, 3 @ IRV, 3 vs NYK, 3 @ORL, 3 vs CLV               

IRV: 1 @BAF, 3 @MAU, 3 vs NFF, 3 @LAB, 3 vs SNF, 3 vs LCC

SCS:  1 vs REN, 3 @SEA, 3 @KCY, 3 @POC, 3 vs TOR, 3 @GRN

NFF has the easiest schedule coming in with an average winning percentage of .472 while both IRV and SCS opponents are over the .500 mark at .515 for SCS and .525 for IRV.  St. Charles will also play the most games on the road with 12 of their final 16 games come away from home.  

Niagara Falls

After 74 wins last year and some good young players, NFF looked prime to compete, after disastrous April and May that was shot to hell.  It seems the young pitchers, both starters and relievers, were held back and a patch work rotation of veterans shouldered the load.  In fact at this point in the season the pitching staff has 9 members who are over the age of 30 years old, a staff that is dead last in almost every category in the NL.  The starting rotation features 4 starters who have lost over 14 games including former 16 game winner Allan Landry who has lost an impressive 18 of his 21 starts this season.

NFF seemed to have a leg up on the #1 pick up through August.  Pitching was terrible.  The veteran bats were terrible.  Former super spec and 2nd year man Bernardo Guzman was sub par, and then August hit.  The Frenzy had a winning record at 15-13.  Phillips and Guzman combined for 15 HR.  JJ's freaky bunch was winning.  They are currently 4-7 in September, Benny McCafferty is coming off a Player of the Week award and they have the easiest schedule remaining of my contenders.  While they have a bright future, what will the next 15 games bring?

Irvine Gang Green

First year owner Larry Rice knew he didn't have much to work with when he moved the franchise from El Paso to Irvine following former owner Michael Flaherty's jump to greener pastures taking over the San Fransisco franchise.  A new ballpark, much bigger than the bandbox this team was use to in El Paso created more of a pitching environment instead of the big offensive teams of the past.  What he did have is a young 21 year old ace in Etienne Garcia and a powerful ROY candidate in Alden Lindsey, after the it was murky.  After a terrible June, Irvine has seemed to be neck and neck with the Frenzy, and they also had a good month in August going 12-16 to keep pace with the "hot" Frenzy.  

The currently have the hardest remaining schedule, facing 7 games with playoff teams.  Unlike NFF they have called up a few top prospects.  Those include former 7th overall pick Jose Esparza and SP Ignacio Colon, who was the main piece in sending Jerry Burgess to Jersey Shore in 2015.  Irvine has been active on the waiver wire this year as well, probably most notably getting former Baffin closer Razor Ramon for free who has thrived as the closer since coming over.  Will Irvine play playoff spoiler and upset a few contenders or will they fall by the way side and slide into the #1 pick? Only time will tell.

St. Charles Sheens

This was a team who was just 81-81 two years ago. They finished 2nd to only division winner Seattle and a core of Fred Jones, Phil Lindsey and Dominque Marquis seemed to be set up for a good future.  Fast forward 2 years and this team is on the verge of 100 losses, Fred Jones fell apart, Lindsey is on the shelve with a long injury and has been a shell of his former self and the Sheens are looking toward a younger generation.  The interesting things about the Sheens in the race is they weren't even on the radar until a 7-23 August helped them gain an astronomical 9 games on Niagara Falls and put them right in thick of things.  

The Sheens late season schedule sees them have games with 1 for sure playoff team in Greenville, one playoff contender in Seattle and the under achieving yet still loaded Toronto team.  The Sheens have been good about keeping young talent and have a system littered with some very nice pieces to compete in the future.  Currently on their major league team are a trio of players they obtained in the Gillberto Montano trade that happened in 2014.  The speedy John Meldelson has done an adequate job filling in for the entire injured outfield.  While he might not be ready yet 15 steals and 34 extra base hits in 323 at bats isn't anything to sneeze at.  Top SP prospect 23 year old "Ratchet" Moreno was called up this month to fairly terrible results but the talent is there.  1B 22 year old Alfredo Rivera has broken out this year with 13 HR on way to a 22.5 VORP and currently hits clean up.  Will the trio help the team win games or just get that valuable experience for the future?  

All 3 are interesting teams who all have a shot at the prestigious prize.  Who will get it? Stay tuned.

Jersey Slides to 12-14 July Record

A theme is occurring this season in Jersey and it isn't a position one.  We just finished the 4th month of the season and each month in succession has gotten worse than the last.  The most recent was an up and down  with a lot of struggling finishing with their first under .500 month of the season with a record at 12-14.  It included losing 3 of 4 at home to division mate Madison, being swept on the road at rival Greenvilleand losing 4 of their final 6 games of the month to Maui and Niagara Falls.  The only constant was the play of The Machine, Mikey Bryant, who put the team on his back.

Players of the Month
2B Mike Bryant: .364/.405/.673  8 HR, 29 RBI, 10 2B.  Bryant kept his onslaught of the league posting huge numbers on his way to his 2nd Player of the Month award for the CL this year.  In fact, Bryant loves hitting in July.  It is the 3rd year in a row he has won the July player of the month for the CL, that has to be a record.  He continues his record pace where he still has has his eyes set on setting league records for hits, RBI, total bases, WAR and VORP.


3B Alberto Perez: .337/.432/.459  33 hits, 12 2B, 18 BB.  Perez continues to be a solid contributor this season, most coming from the 2 hole in the Jersey lineup.  His 33 hits gives him 30+ hits in 3 of the 4 months this season and his average puts him top 5 in the CL in batting.  Not only that, he also knocked in the game winning run in this month's all star game. 

MR Jose Gomes: 3-1, 1 Sv, 1.02 ERA, 25K in 17.2 IP.  What a year or resurgence for Dog Pound.  He has given up 2 ER in his last 55 IP and is posting the best season of his career.  On pace for career highs in IP, W, and K Gomes was also selected to this year's all star game, the first of his career.

CL Jaime Saenz:  3 saves, 0.93 ERA, 9 K in 9.2IP.  Lack of wins kept his save numbers down but he was all business as usual giving up 1 run in his 9.2 IP for the month.  With Saenz and Gomes anchoring the back end of the pen, not many games slide out of Jersey's hands.  This marks the 6th year the two remained bullpen mates in the Jersey pen

Questions, Concerns, and Answers
The real question is, can it get worse?  If the trend follows August should be Jersey's worst month of the season, but let's hope that doesn't happen. As of August 1st, Jersey sits 2.5 games behind the Chicago Machine for the CL Wild Card lead.  A familiar position for Jersey, who has seemingly been in the hunt every year as of late.

Jersey fans got a nice surprise when super prospect and No. 1 prospect on OSA's Top 100 list, Jose Ramos was called up to start the game before the All Star game.  Ramos ended getting a no decision but baffled Madison hitters only giving up 4 hits in 8 IP, including 3 ER as well as striking out 3.  In 3 other starts Ramos would dazzle against Pocatello and Chicago, giving up 1 ER in 16 innings against the 2 before getting lit up against Niagara Falls for 6 ER in 5.1 IP.  If his stuff so far is any indication, he is here to stay.

While speaking of pitching, what is going on with Jerry Burgess?  In 4 starts in July he failed to get out of the 6th inning and twice not even able to finish 5 innings.  In those starts he had a combined 17 K to 16 BB.  He has never been known for his control, but it's never been this bad.  If this continues, and Ramos stays up, it might mean a bullpen assignment or a demotion to AAA for Burgess.

Jersey welcomed back Al Ryan this month, but only played in 2 games.  He should return to his OF position in the lineup against RHP thought.  Leon Foster finally came off the DL after his re-injury and will rehab probably till the 2nd week of August before coming back to the big club.  OF Jose Ortiz came off the DL with his strained back to play 3 games and to strain his oblique which will put him on the shelf for 6 more weeks.  This led to increased AB's for Taro Kino, who had his best 5 game stretch of his career piking up 4 multi hit games, including two 3 hit games, 6 xtra base hits, and 6 RBI.  He cooled down considerably towards the end of the month and was sent back to AAA to make room for Al Ryan.

With the addition of Warren Goyer, Albert Lopez was sent back to AAA where he will be the starter.  With Adam Morrow continuing to struggle and former 1st round pick Lawrence Schroeder still killing AAA pitching, might there be a swap in order this month? Also OF Fransisco Torres, still only 21, is posting an OBP north of .450 at AAA Tuscaloosa, while bringing speed and great defense thus far.  He could be a candidate to be called up as well.  Don't be surprised to see the Bags shake it up a bit to try and turn around the slump.

Minor Leaguers of the Month
So who had it going on in the Bags system for the month of July?  We will recognize 2 new players here or stepped it up.  Last month's winners were SP Jesus Zapata and SS Lawrence Schroeder.

Pitcher
SP Henry Malone (AAA) 4-0, 1.93 ERA, 25K, 1.44 WHIP.  Malone, 29 year old career minor leaguer, put together a great month, starting 3 games and pitching 5 others out of the bullpen.  This marks the 4th straight year he has won over 12 games for Tuscaloosa.  There is still hope for Malone to hold down a 4th or 5th spot in some rotation in the BSA.




Hitter
OF Fransisco Ibarra (AA) .367/.441/.688  10 HR, 41 RBI, 40 hits, 15 SB.  Ibarra, in his 4th year in the D-Bags organization, has also had THAT potential.  Always been ranked Top 5 potential for D-Bag batters, got off to a slow start and struggled in limited AB's in his first 2 seasons.  Last year we finally got a glimpse of the hype when he hit 13 HR in 332 AB, but a .223 batting average kept him off the radar.  This year before the season he was named the 26th best prospect by OSA.  He got off to a promising start before be sidelined with a hamstring strain for 6 months, but after he came back he has been amazing.  His 41 RBI for the month mark a team record (that we could find) at any level, and his 10 HR increased his career HR by almost 33% and put high hope in what "could be" a 1-2 OF punch of Dodd-Ibarra in the Jersey Shore OF. 

GO D-BAGS