By Ian Martin
Every Thursday (or Friday before the games), the Braves Blog will (as objectively as possible) rank the league's 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 (no. 10).
Every Thursday (or Friday before the games), the Braves Blog will (as objectively as possible) rank the league's 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 (no. 10).
1. Bourne (19-12-2, second in West)
The Braves rocket to the top spot after another near-impeccable week. Still the league's hottest team, Bourne defeated both Hyannis and Brewster in the past seven days, putting up a cool 7 runs in both games. Even though the Harbor Hawks are still ahead of the Braves in the standings, the race has tightened immensely in the last two weeks, and at 8-2 over the last 10 games, Bourne's lineup is starting to hit. Garrett Cannizaro (Tulane) has been an unexpected source of offense during the last week, with his first two home runs of the year and six RBI in the last four games.
2. Hyannis (21-12-0, first in West)
Seemingly the only worry for the Harbor Hawks is the Bourne Braves. Hyannis is 5-2 in its last seven games not against Bourne, but the Braves have taken two during that period of time — and three straight against Hyannis overall — to exert some intra-divisional dominance. When the pitching is on, though, the Harbor Hawks are tough to defeat. The team's 2.96 ERA comes mainly from starters, and Scott Firth (Clemson) has been one of the CCBL's best aces, amassing a 3-0 record with a 0.82 ERA and 24 strikeouts in six starts this summer.
3. Brewster (17-13-4, first in East)
Last week it appeared Brewster was poised to take control of the league after a 7-2-1 stretch. But now the Whitecaps are skidding, having lost three straight to end Week 6, including an unexpected home upset at the hands of Chatham. It may just be a pre-All Star Break slump, since Brewster still has the most hits of any team in the CCBL (289) although somehow the squad has the fewest doubles in the league (34). Tony Bucciferro (Michigan State) has been an unheralded starter this season and is one of four players to have already started seven games in the league. His 1-3 record is baffling considering his 1.70 ERA and 7 BB in 42.1 innings of pitching on the Cape.
4. Wareham (18-16-0, third in West)
Arguably the hottest team in the league, the Gatemen are peaking at a crucial time of the year. Wareham has two separate three-game winning streaks since July 13, although the schedule has been somewhat kind for the off-Cape team over that period of time. Statistically, no aggregated team statistics are really outstanding, but individuals have been shining. Joshua Turley (Baylor) was the Pitcher of the Week for Week 5, a deserved honor for a player that has given up just 3 hits while recording 13 strikeouts in his last two starts, during which he averaged 6.0 innings pitched.
5. Harwich (17-14-1, second in East)
The Mariners, at least by my official determination — AKA my gut — are still better than the five teams below them in the rankings despite a 1-5-1 streak. Harwich has scored more than three runs just twice in those seven games, and not surprisingly it was in the win and the tie. Friday night's doubleheader against Orleans has massive implications in the East standings, and a sweep either way goes a long way in determining playoff seeding. Jabari Henry (Florida International) will be key in the final weeks, he's the team leader in RBI (15), home runs (4), and hits (28) despite an average that's, well, average (.264).
6. Falmouth (15-18-0, fourth in West)
The last week probably wouldn't be described as a success for the Commodores after a 3-3 seven-day record, but heading into the final third of the year it could be seen as encouraging. Falmouth is built on, around, and by its pitching. One of four teams in the league with a sub-three ERA (2.87), the pitchers had a newfound ally in a couple of recent games: Run support. Falmouth hung an unexpected 11 runs on not one, but two teams this week en route to blowout wins over Harwich and Cotuit. But don't expect the run-explosion to continue since Falmouth has the hardest schedule before the All-Star Break, with the team's next four games coming against each of the Power Rankings' top 4 teams.
7. Orleans (14-16-3, tied for third in East)
The Firebirds get the very close nod over the Red Sox after finally defeating YD 2-0 on Wednesday, the team's first win in four tries against the team's closest competition. The win hopefully gets the team some momentum, because, to
quote Wiz Khalifa (good Wiz Khalifa, not the recent mess), the team recently has been the "Definition of Cold; Ice; 30 below."3-7 in the last 10 games is not good, and it may be due to a lack of runners. Orleans' .304 on-base percentage is second lowest in the league, and the Firebirds haven't been able to move runners over with a league low 21 stolen bases.
8. Yarmouth-Dennis (14-17-3, tied for third in East)
If the season ended today, the Red Sox would be the last team in the playoffs, but still a threat for a run. The team is too inconsistent to rely upon, but it also gives them a dangerous feel heading into the last couple of weeks. YD is capable of scoring, as the team has three wins in the last 10 games in which the team scored at least 8 runs. And two of those wins came against quality teams in Bourne and Hyannis. But, in what probably is just as frustrating for the team as it is the analysts, the Sahwx will follow up an 8 run game with a 2-0 stinker of a loss to a seemingly inferior team (see: July 20 against Orleans). James Ramsey has been a statistician's angel this year with the team's best batting average (.309), the league's second best on-base percentage (.446), and a perfect fielding percentage through 199.2 innings played.
9. Cotuit (12-19-2, fifth in West)
The Kettleers are still stepping on Falmouth's playoff shadow, just four points behind with two weeks to go in the regular season. But any late push will require some pitching performances that have been rare this year in Cotuit. The team still hasn't recorded a shutout, and is one of two squads — the other being bottom barrel brother Chatham — which has a team ERA over 4. Over the last eight games, Cotuit has gone 2-6 while allowing at least 4 runs in five of the losses. In the batter's box, a Week 5 Player of the Week award for Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) comes as no surprise with his continued triple crown push.
10. Chatham (11-21-1, fifth in East)
Ryan Dunne is not walking through that door. Billy Brubaker is not walking through that door. I kid, I kid, enough jesting about the Anglers, who are already suffering through a poor season, currently eight points back of a playoff spot. The team does lead the league in home runs (20) — as well as strikeouts (327) — so it appears the strategy is all or nothing this summer. Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) is second in the league in RBI with 23, and had a trifecta — a term I just made up to mean three hits, three runs, and three RBI — in the team's 8-5 upset victory over Brewster on July 17.
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