Every Thursday, the Braves Blog will (as objectively as possible) rank the leagues teams. The criteria is a combination of team statistics, overall record, and how the team has done in the past week in particular. Think of the general rule as follows: Which team would you want your team to play the least right now (no. 1) to the team that would be the most appealing to play.
NOTE: Because Thursday is typically a scheduled off day for the CCBL, that is when the week is considered to begin for the power rankings.
1. Hyannis (9-2, first in Western)
The Hyannis "Don't Call us Mets" Harbor Hawks maintain the top spot in the power rankings after a 5-1 week where the squad has expanded its lead over the second best team in the west (under .500 Wareham) to eight points. Since losing to Harwich in the first game of a doubleheader on June 19, the Harbor Hawks have amassed a four game winning streak thanks to giving up just 5 runs while plating 20 of their own. SS Eric Stamets and OF Dan Gulbransen have both been mainstays in the lineup on offense, hitting .326 and .324 respectively.
2. Harwich (7-4, first in Eastern according to points)
A versatile team in the way it wins games, the Mariners showed they have a bevy of options when it comes to deciding factors. 4-1 last week, there was a blowout win (6-1 against Cotuit), a close pitcher's duel (2-1 against Falmouth), and most impressively an 8-5 road victory at Hyannis. Harwich's bullpen is arguably the best in the league, with seven active non-starting pitchers that haven't given up an earned run. And all of those hurlers have seen at least an inning of action this season. A pick-up in offense will be needed to maintain results, since Harwich is still third-to-last in the league with a .210 batting average.
3. Orleans (6-3-1, second in Eastern according to points)
Last week, the Firebirds had played just four games and had a small sample size with which to judge the team. This week, the eastern-most side of the CCBL has started to show some mettle, rattling off four straight wins including a doubleheader sweep of Cotuit, before a disappointing loss to Brewster ended the week. Any Firebirds victory is likely due to pitching, with a league-best 1.54 ERA. Unlike Harwich though, it's the starters making moves. No one that has started for Orleans this year has an ERA above 2.35, and the team has given up just 14 earned runs in its first 10 games.
4. Wareham (5-6, second in Western)
Second in the Western division, easily the weaker of the two, the Gatemen get high marks for faring well in inter-divisional play. 5-3 against the Eastern Division, it's intra-division play that seems to disturb Wareham. The Gatemen also are gaining early accolades, as pitcher Luke Farrell earned CCBL Pitcher of the Week for his complete game, 5 strikeout victory against Brewster on June 12. Farrell maintained his form in his start this week against YD on June 19, going another 7.0 innings and giving up just 3 hits while earning the win. Expect a big week from the Gatemen too, as they only have one game against a team above them in the power rankings.
5. Brewster (5-5-1, tied for third in Eastern)
The Whitecaps continue to underachieve when looking at the team's offensive numbers. Three of the league's top seven hitters (according to average) are Whitecaps. Two of the league's RBI leaders are Whitecaps. The team's 44 runs this year are tied for most in the league. So obviously, it's not the offense that's broken. Yet the team's pitching also has the best batting average against (under .200) and is middle of the league in ERA. Always an underrated factor, timing of runs seems to be the problem. In the team's five games last week (a 2-2-1 seven days) the Whitecaps didn't score after the sixth inning in any of the matchups. It's the only explanation for a team that statistically should be around .600 or higher.
6. Chatam (4-6-1, fifth in Western)
Ironically, being in last place in one division doesn't mean you're bad. The Anglers would be tied for the third in the Eastern division, so in the scope of the league, this is a fairly decent "last place" team. 2-3 last week, the only inexcusable loss was against Bourne, since the team was swept in a doubleheader by the early class-of-the-CCBL Hyannis. Chatam doesn't have any absolute studs yet at the plate, but plenty of consistent, over-.250 hitters. C Dane Phillips and IF Alex Calbick had great weeks, with 7 and 5 RBI respectively, and Calbick hitting .417 in his last 12 at bats.
7. Falmouth (3-8, fifth in Western)
Starting 0-7, the team's 3-1 record in the last four is pretty impressive. In particular, the 8-2 victory at Harwich in a seven inning game — it was part of a doubleheader — seemed to change the Commodore's mojo. If the team wants to win as it's done the past week, it will rely on pitching. All the team's wins have come with opponents held to three runs or less. The staff is tied for the fewest walks in the league (24) and has second most strikeouts in the league (91). The eventual arrival of lefty hurler Kent Emanuel from North Carolina will even further the team's ascension back to contention, if he can maintain his impressive form from Omaha.
8. Yarmouth-Dennis (5-5-1, tied for third in Eastern)
The team that started the year with tons of promise at 4-1-1 had a terrible week with only one win, a one-run victory in a doubleheader against Wareham. Clutch seems to be absent in the dual-town squad, with three of the four losses last week coming by just a run. YD has average team numbers in both ERA and batting average — sixth in the league in both categories — but needs one side of the ball to step up if they want some wins. The team showed grit against Chatam, coming back to tie the game after being down 9-3, but with no elite offensive players yet, the final piece of a comeback — and maybe a winning team — could still be missing.
9. Bourne (3-6-1, fourth in Western)
A non-mover in the power rankings, Bourne did earn its first home victory and tie over the past seven days, but has lost its last two matchups. The 3-2 defeat at Falmouth on Tuesday was especially winnable, but the shaky bullpen reared it's head and gave up the deciding run in the seventh inning. Bourne didn't get shut out this week, erasing some concerns after not scoring in its first three games of the season. But the lineup is top heavy. Outfielder Travis Jankowski was the offensive player of the week, recording 5 RBI through 8 hits in the last five games, but was one of very few bright spots in the lineup that's still second to last in the league with a .198 team batting average.
10. Cotuit (4-6-1, third in Western)
With so many teams grabbing critical early-season wins, there had to be a victim. For the week of June 16th, that was the Kettleers. The team is 1-4 in its last five games, including a doubleheader sweep — always a morale sucker — and a 10-4 loss at home to the Eastern's last place team Chatam. These results are in spite of the efforts of Victor Roache, the offensive player of the week for the league in Week 1. Already a feared hitter, Roache is tied for second in the league in RBI with 9, and has both of his team's home runs this season. His .394 batting average, also second in the league, isn't too bad either.
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