This week's column will not be about FPS, but rather about the chances for MRLB teams to win it all this year. For those owners who think they are already out of it, keep in mind that over two thirds of the season has yet to be played. Some notes to keep in mind for the disenchanted:
- Klesko is on pace to steal 42 bases. Klesko WILL NOT steal 42 bases.
- Luis Gonzalez will stop hitting like Juan Gonzalez sometime soon.
- Ichiro is good, but not that good. .330? maybe. .380? no
- Aaron Sele will not finish the season 23-0.
- Sasaki will not save 62 games.
- Omar Daal is 6-0. OMAR DAAL IS 6-0!
- Rich Aurilia is hitting .363 with 8 HRs
- Doug Mientkiewicz (a career .274 hitting) is batting .362 with 9 HRs
- Reggie Sanders is on pace to hit 47 HRs and knock in 120 RBIs.
- sorry Reg, it ain't gonna happen
- Curtis Leskanic's WHIP this year: 1.108 3 yr average: 1.519
Does this mean that Firewire and the Badass Cowboys are destined for futility? Probably. But what about the middle of the pack? Does a team like Eggs or Redrum still have a shot at the big prize? Of course. There's plenty of time to make up ground in all categories. Let's take a closer look at the standings:
As you can see, in just one month, Eggs lost 21.5 points and dropped to 5th place, while Slim Shady gained 44.5 points and is now in 3rd place. There is still over two-thirds of the season left to play, giving most teams a legitimate chance to win with some smart moves and a little bit of luck.
Let's look at Eggs as an example. As of June 1st, Eggs has 53 points and is in 6th place. Stonecutters leads the way with 78 points overall, but it is safe to assume he will cool off slightly and that 75 or 76 points should be enough to win. That means Eggs needs to improve his team by about 22 points to have a chance to win. It seems insurmountable, but if we break down the points by category, he would need to gain:
- an extra 0.0041 to his batting average (+3)
- 4 more home runs (+2)
- 8 more RBIs (+3)
- 10 more runs scored (+2)
- 0.220 better ERA (+2)
- 28 more Ks (+3)
- 3 more saves (+2)
- 0.012 better WHIP (+3)
- 3 more wins (+2)
Granted, this task is not easy, especially when trying to gain ground in all categories, although he does have the option to sacrifice some SBs to gain power and RBIs because of his comfortable lead in the speed category. While not a walk through the park, none of these goals are unreachable with two-thirds of the season still to play.
In other words, don't give up yet, and if your name is Badass Cowboys or Firewire, don't forget, you can still win money for third!
