1) LIGHTNING (8-1 – Hold at #1) – Another dominant performance from the Lightning. Their 2nd series swept in 3 weeks, and they got their 5th & 6th shutouts on this young season. They have won their last 9 straight games against the Night Owls dating back to last season. The Lightning got out of the gates fast last year as well, starting 11-1. Go up against the Vaderz, in what could be an eventual championship match up on Saturday.
2) VADERZ (6-3 – Hold at #2) – Vaderz looked good in their series versus the Ones, taking all 3 games to run their winning streak to 4 games. As their bats were just too much for the Ones to overcome, and if PLW veteran Jason Walker is going to hit 2 HR and collect a hard-fought win in final game of the series, the Vaderz may have just what it takes to become the first repeat champion in PLW history. A big early season matchup against the #1 Lightning should be a good one to watch.
3) SANDVIPERS (6-3 – Hold at #3) – This week saw the Sandvipers reach deep into the roster as only 6 players were available for the series against an also undermanned Snappers team. The offense was solid putting up 23 runs in the 3-game series, but the pitching was the story! Only allowing 1 run and holding the Snappers to only 9 hits in the entire series. If the pitching can continue to improve, the offense is as good as any in the PLW and the Sandvipers will continue to stalk the top of the rankings. Vipers add Austin Bull from the Ones for a 2nd round pick, to bolster that bottom of the batting order.
4) BOMBERS (4-4 – Hold at #4) – Bombers took in on the chin this week, but held in the rankings, mainly because no other teams could claim to move them from the #4 spot. Able to hold on to win Game 1 with a 4-run 1st inning, but were held scoreless for 10 innings, not scoring again until the 6th inning of Game 2. And then were held scoreless for 5 more innings after scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning of Game 3. Offense sputtered against the reigning champs, who’s pitching staff is pretty good. Bombers look to bounce back on Saturday night against the #3 Sandvipers.
5) LEGENDS (5-4 – Up 2 Spots from #7) – Legends have won the 1st game in every series this season and have managed to have a winning record after 3 weeks for only the 2nd time in 6 seasons. And surprisingly it has been the pitching that is leading the way, 2nd in the league with a team ERA of 2.72, tied for the least number of walks allowed with 24. The defense has been solid, Manager Brad Ogden is waiting for the offense to come around. Normally one of the top offensive teams is at the bottom of almost all offensive categories.
6) CAJUNS (3-6 – Up 2 Spots from #8) – Cajun Nation, you can exhale now. A big series win over the Bombers, and it was led by their skipper Andrew Ledet as his bat came around in this series, and he used his 9 innings on the mound to help orchestrate a series win, without Cy Young Award winner Ryan Ruesch. The pitching and defense were the calling cards last season and have remained solid, it the offense can build on this success look for some more series wins from the reigning Champs.
7) SNAPPERS (3-5 – Down 2 Spots from #5) – This was a tough week for the Snappers, getting swept by their rival Sandvipers will sting for the week. No Bryner was felt in the lineup, on the mound, but also his quiet confidence. The rookies came down to earth a little bit and the offense struggled to put runners on base all series. I expect a rebound in Week 4 as they will face the Night Owls. The team is too good to be in the bottom half of the table for long.
8) NIGHT OWLS (4-5 – Down 2 Spots from #6) – This team just ran into a buzzsaw this past weekend, getting outscored by the Lightning 29-1! The offense struggled against the Lightning pitching, but then again, every team has so far this season. I believe this team is going to be in the mix all season, the team’s chemistry is a lot better than seasons past. They are a young team, and ups and downs will be part of the process. They will look to rebound against the Snappers this week.
9) PHARAOHS (3-6 – Hold at #9) – Another week another “bad” split for the Pharaohs, they outhit the Legends in 2 of the 3 games but have not been able to get that key hit. Pitching and defense have gotten better each week, but unless this team can find a way to score without hitting homeruns (46 hits on the season, 16 homeruns) and get on base more often (.283 OBP, Last). It will be a long season for the Pharaohs.
10) ONES (2-7 – Hold at #10) – Being swept in back-to-back series is not what the Ones had in mind coming out of Week 3. Especially with James Stein making the drive down from Utah to play against their biggest rival the Vaderz. The record does not show it, but if you have been watching you have seen that this team has been in a lot of games, 1-3 in 1-Run games. Trading Austin Bull to the Vipers for a 2nd round pick will give the rookies more playing time. Ones look to get a series win on Sunday morning against the Legends.
