Round One: Northwest 4, Brooklyn 3

Game recaps from the Strat-generated box scores. In this Round One matchup, the No. 1 Northwest Stars (117-45) had home-field advantage versus the No. 8 Brooklyn Dodgers (85-77).

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Game One
Stars 6, Dodgers 3

Starters: Danny Duffy @ Jordan Zimmermann

The Northwest Stars bested the Brooklyn Dodgers by a 6 to 3 score at Star Dome.

Jordan Zimmermann (1-0) had a fairly solid outing. He surrendered 7 hits and 1 walk in 5 innings. Brooklyn had 12 hits in the game while Northwest had 6, but Northwest had the more timely hits. 

Zimmermann got help from Craig Kimbrel who was credited with his 1st save. Danny Duffy (0-1) was the losing pitcher. He allowed Northwest 6 runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Applying Ballpark Factors To MMDA Team Statistics

Customizing ballpark factors is one of the most difficult and agonizing decisions managers face each spring. Finding the most harmonious rate for single and home run frequency can add wins to a team's bottom line, but finding that perfect balance of offense and defense requires a deep understanding of player personnel—and also a lot of educated guesswork.

For years, I have endeavored to create ballpark factors for MMDA teams based on the statistical record, but until recently I had been stymied in my effort to find home/road splits. That changed when a fellow Strat obsessive pointed me to the line scores found within the League Stats menu.

With access to all teams' line scores, I summed all the runs a team scored and allowed at home, and then summed the same totals for each team on the road. Once I had those totals I could figure per-game rates by dividing by 81, and then compare those two rates to quantify the extent to which each MMDA park amplified or suppressed run production in a given season.

While I fully intend to apply this park-factor epiphany to the 2015 statistical record, I will do so only at the conclusion of the season, when teams have visited every park on their schedule and playing time has been fully distributed. Also, it takes some time to build the framework, so I only want to perform the calculations once per season.

However, this doesn't preclude me from revisiting the recent past and applying park factors to the 2014 data. From highest to lowest, here are the park factors I calculated for the 2014 season:

No	Team	Home R/G	Road R/G	Park Factor	Multiplier
1	Miami	8.86	7.99	111	1.055
2	Wilmington	9.33	8.68	108	1.038
3	Goldenrod	9.28	8.64	107	1.037
4	Death Valley	9.10	8.49	107	1.036
5	West Side	9.01	8.43	107	1.034
6	Elysian Fields	8.52	8.04	106	1.030
	Northeast	9.46	8.93	106	1.030
8	St. Louis	8.09	7.73	105	1.023
9	Brooklyn	10.17	9.79	104	1.020
10	Columbus	7.86	7.60	103	1.017
11	Rochester	8.42	8.22	102	1.012
12	Fighting Irish	9.05	8.95	101	1.006
13	Lake County	7.99	7.91	101	1.005
14	Jersey	8.51	8.51	100	1.000
15	Cape Cod	9.22	9.59	96	0.981
16	Rosehill	8.01	8.44	95	0.974
17	Mohawk Valley	7.83	8.47	92	0.962
18	California	8.40	9.65	87	0.935
19	Spokane	6.53	7.93	82	0.912
20	Northwest	6.75	8.40	80	0.902

A Crude Ranking Of The Eight Hardest-Hitting Lineups

By Matt Eddy

This piece does not attempt to rank the best collections of position players in the MMDA, because defensive proficiency is not considered. Nor does it single out the best rate performers (always handy for the playoffs) or account for a lineup's strength versus lefthanded starters.

Anthony Rendon's emergence fortifies a Dodgers lineup
that already had Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera

This simply measures the quality (runs created) and quantity (at-bats) of offense produced by each team's projected regulars around the diamond. In other words, we would expect these lineups in a neutral ballpark context and against a standard percentage of righthanded starters to score the most runs over 162 games.

To measure offensive quality, I identified the probable lineup regulars for each team, then ranked those regulars by projected runs created. Because this is a crude measure, I used a Roto-style scoring system, such that teams received points based on where their players ranked among the 20 MMDA regulars.

For example, the No. 1 center fielder, Mike Trout, bestowed one point to the Dodgers. The No. 2 first baseman, Miguel Cabrera, credited Brooklyn with two points, and so on down line. The lowest point total for any player is 20. I then summed those point totals for all nine lineup regulars to arrive at a ranking, and here it is. Remember that lower scores are best.

1. Brooklyn Dodgers (Pacific)
Total: 67.
C—Dioner Navarro (9). 1B—Miguel Cabrera (2). 2B—Neil Walker (5). 3B—Anthony Rendon (2). SS—Jimmy Rollins (11). LF—Rajai Davis (16). CF—Mike Trout (1). RF—Jon Jay (12). DH—Hanley Ramirez (9).

The Dodgers scored more than 100 additional runs than any MMDA team in 2014, and expect them to repeat as the league's top offense this season. Cabrera and Trout continue to rank among the elite players in the, while 2014 first-rounder Rendon has supplanted Ramirez as the club's third banana. Extra RH bats: Trevor Plouffe, Collin Cowgill.

Dodgers Adhere To Pre-Draft Plan

By Tim Ednoff

Coming off a solid 2014 and with minimal holes to fill, the Dodgers were able to go into the draft with the primary strategy of adding to the bullpen while also taking the best player available. The bullpen was an area of concern, for the Dodgers recently parted with Joaquin Benoit and Jordan Walden in order to buy low on Jay Bruce.

Jon Singleton has time to percolate on the Dodgers' farm

Round 1: No pick. Traded in 2014 to acquire Sergio Romo and Justin Masterson for a playoff run.

Round 2: Brad Boxberger. Was set to take Mike Fiers or Dallas Kuechel as they kept falling in order to upgrade the weakest part of my team (the rotation). Keuchel was selected the pick before. Ended up taking Boxberger here because of his current year card value and age. Still, if I were to do it over again I would have taken Matt Shoemaker here who got selected the pick after mine. A ton of right handed relievers still left on the board at this point.

Round 3: Jon Singleton. best prospect available in my eyes. Debated between Singleton, Vargas, Heaney and Jimmy Nelson here. Vargas and Nelson have shown more to date in the major leagues, but it is a bet on the athleticism and the tools. He's still just 24 years old and hit lefties very well as a rookie, though the 40% K rate and the makeup are big concerns. Thought the upside validated the risk here. No pressure to develop right away with Miguel Cabrera and Hanley Ramirez ahead of him at 1b and DH, respectively.

Round Two: Mohawk Valley 4, Brooklyn 1

Game recaps from the Strat-generated box scores. In this Round Two matchup, the No. 2 Brooklyn Dodgers (99-63) had home-field advantage versus the No. 6 Mohawk Valley Lions (87-75).

Game One
Lions 5, Dodgers 2

At Dodger Stadium the Mohawk Valley Lions outscored the Brooklyn Dodgers 5 to 2.

Yu Darvish (2-0) pitched a solid game. He went 6 and 1/3 innings allowing 7 hits and 2 walks. Overall Mohawk Valley out-hit Brooklyn 11 to 8.

Darvish got relief help from Koji Uehara who gained credit for his 2nd save. Justin Masterson (2-1) was the loser. He surrendered 3 runs in 5 innings and saw his ERA increase from 1.35 to 2.45.

Round One: Brooklyn 4, Death Valley 2

Game recaps from the Strat-generated box scores. In this Round One matchup, the No. 2 Brooklyn Dodgers (99-63) had home-field advantage versus the No. 7 Death Valley Drivers (86-76). 

Game One

Dodgers 4, Drivers 3

49,904 fans were treated to a fine game at Dodger Stadium as only one run separated the combatants at game's end. The Brooklyn Dodgers won by the slimmest of margins, 4 to 3.

Death Valley was unable to claim the lead after Brooklyn went ahead in the 6th inning plating an isolated run utilizing 2 base hits. Death Valley had a chance in the 9th but they came up short.

Justin Masterson (1-0) got the win allowing 2 runs in 6 and 1/3 innings. Masterson got help from Jason Grilli who earned his 1st save. Tyson Ross (0-1) was hit with the loss.

Jive, Dodgers swap closers

In a swap of closers, the Mohawk Valley Jive has traded Chris Perez and Jive 6 to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Joe Nathan.