MMDA Power Rankings: Midseason Edition

Teams sorted by wins, then by run differential after 84 games. Note that this is not the official tie-breaking method for playoff seeding or draft order. This is an attempt to rank the league's best teams to this point.

Congratulations to the Northeast Huskies, who unseat Wilmington at the top of the charts thanks to a league-best +156 run differential. The Atlantic and Northeast divisions continue to be the most robust, with the top five teams in the rankings and with eight of 10 teams at .500 or better.

No	Team	W	L	Division	R/G	RA/G	Diff
1	Northeast	58	26	Northeast	5.60	3.74	+156
2	Wilmington	58	26	Atlantic	5.73	4.12	+135
3	Mohawk Valley	51	33	Atlantic	5.30	3.64	+139
4	Brooklyn	51	33	Atlantic	6.17	4.69	+124
5	West Side	47	37	Northeast	4.65	4.36	+25
6	Spokane	45	39	Pacific	4.12	3.77	+29
7	Northwest	44	40	Pacific	4.85	4.51	+28
8	Fighting	44	40	Northeast	4.48	4.27	+17
9	Jersey	43	41	Northeast	4.32	4.20	+10
10	St. Louis	43	41	Central	4.32	4.36	-3
11	Cape Cod	42	42	Northeast	4.29	4.23	+5
12	Goldenrod	42	42	Central	4.46	4.63	-14
13	Rosehill	41	43	Central	4.13	4.18	-4
14	Death Valley	39	45	Atlantic	4.30	5.05	-63
15	California	34	50	Pacific	4.14	4.73	-49
16	Columbus	34	50	Pacific	3.58	4.95	-115
17	Elysian Fields	33	51	Central	4.00	5.06	-89
18	Rochester	32	52	Atlantic	4.51	5.43	-77
19	Miami	30	54	Pacific	3.61	5.17	-131
20	Lake County	29	55	Central	3.98	5.44	-123

Top Run-Creation Teams (R/G)
Brooklyn (6.17)
Wilmington (5.73)
Northeast (5.60)
Mohawk Valley (5.30)
Northwest (4.85)

Top Run-Prevention Teams (RA/G)
Mohawk Valley (3.64)
Northeast (3.74)
Spokane (3.77)
Wilmington (4.12)
Rosehill (4.18)

Midseason Playoff Seeding
We have eight teams with 44 or more wins as our projected playoff field.

Bracket 1
No. 1 Wilmington (1)
No. 8 Northwest

No. 4 Mohawk Valley
No. 5 West Side

Bracket 2
No. 2 Northeast
No. 7 Fighting Irish (3)

No. 3 Brooklyn (2)
No. 6 Spokane

Notes on tie-breakers: (1) Wilmington wins the No. 1 seed based on a better  in-division record than Northeast—the two teams have not yet played; (2) Brooklyn wins the No. 3 seed based on a better head-to-head record versus Mohawk Valley; (3) Fighting Irish wins the No. 7 seed based on a better head-to-head record versus Northwest.

Midseason Awards
As selected by the Strat game engine.

MVP Award                             
M.Cabrera, Brooklyn
M.Trout, Brooklyn
D.Wright, Wilmington
R.Cano, Northeast
C.Headley, Mohawk Valley

Cy Young Award
C.Kershaw, Spokane
R.Dickey, Wilmington
J.Shields, Northeast
Y.Darvish, Mohawk Valley
C.Kimbrel, Northwest

First-Team All-Stars
CA—Y.Molina, Wilmington
1B—A.Pujols, Death Valley
2B—R.Cano, Northeast
3B—M.Cabrera, Brooklyn
SS—I.Desmond, Miami
LF—R.Braun, Goldenrod
CF—M.Trout, Brooklyn
RF—T.Hunter, Goldenrod
SP—C.Kershaw, Spokane
SP—J.Shields, Northeast
SP—Y.Darvish, Mohawk Valley
SP—D.Price, Mohawk Valley
SP—J.Weaver, St. Louis
SP—H.Kuroda, Columbus

Second-Team All-Stars
CA—B.Posey, Rosehill
1B—A.LaRoche, Mohawk Valley
2B—A.Hill, California
3B—A.Beltre, Rochester
SS—J.Rollins, West Side
LF—M.Prado, Rosehill
CF—A.McCutchen, Mohawk Valley
RF—G.Stanton, Fighting Irish
SP—R.Dickey, Wilmington
RP—C.Kimbrel, Northwest
SP—J.Verlander, Jersey
RP—R.Cook, Northwest
RP—F.Rodney, Wilmington
SP—J.Niese, Rosehill

MMDA Power Rankings: Block Two Edition

Here we present the second installment of the MMDA power rankings, with statistics through the first two months of the season. Teams sorted by wins, then by run differential. Note that this is not the official tie-breaking method for playoff seeding or draft order. This is an attempt to rank the league's best teams to this point.

No	Team	W	L	Division	R/G	RA/G	Diff
1	Wilmington	36	18	Atlantic	5.65	3.96	+91
2	Northeast	35	19	Northeast	5.65	3.78	+101
3	Spokane	35	19	Pacific	4.39	3.76	+34
4	Mohawk Valley	32	22	Atlantic	5.15	3.67	+80
5	Goldenrod	32	22	Central	4.46	4.11	+19
6	Brooklyn	30	24	Atlantic	5.91	4.96	+51
7	Northwest	29	25	Pacific	4.69	4.24	+24
8	West Side	29	25	Northeast	4.57	4.30	+15
9	Cape Cod	27	27	Northeast	4.57	4.39	+10
10	Jersey	27	27	Northeast	4.17	4.07	+5
11	Rosehill	27	27	Central	3.91	4.15	-13
12	St. Louis	26	28	Central	3.98	4.24	-14
13	Fighting	25	29	Northeast	4.26	4.65	-21
14	Death Valley	23	31	Atlantic	4.33	5.28	-51
15	California	22	32	Pacific	4.26	4.56	-16
16	Columbus	22	32	Pacific	3.46	4.94	-80
17	Elysian Fields	21	33	Central	4.13	4.78	-35
18	Rochester	21	33	Atlantic	4.81	5.48	-36
19	Lake County	21	33	Central	3.70	4.94	-67
20	Miami	20	34	Pacific	3.61	5.41	-97

Top Run-Creation Teams
Brooklyn, 5.91 R/G
Northeast, 5.65 R/G
Wilmington, 5.65 R/G

Top Run-Prevention Teams
Mohawk Valley, 3.67 RA/G
Spokane, 3.76 RA/G
Northeast, 3.78 RA/G

MMDA Power Rankings: Block One Edition

A sample of 30 games doesn't tell us much about the true quality of baseball teams—but who cares! Ranking teams is fun, and the conclusion of Block One is a good vantage point to take stock.

Here we present the first installment of the MMDA power rankings. Teams sorted by wins, then by run differential. Note that this is not the official tie-breaking method for playoff seeding or draft order. This is an attempt to rank the league's best teams to this point.

No	Team	W	L	Division	R/G	RA/G	Diff
1	Northeast	19	11	Northeast	5.53	3.60	+58
2	Spokane	19	11	Pacific	4.00	4.07	-2
3	Mohawk Valley	18	12	Atlantic	5.20	3.20	+60
4	Brooklyn	18	12	Atlantic	5.97	4.30	+50
5	West Side	18	12	Northeast	4.67	3.40	+38
6	Wilmington	18	12	Atlantic	5.20	4.00	+36
7	Fighting Irish	16	14	Northeast	4.83	4.50	+10
8	Jersey	16	14	Northeast	3.93	4.03	-3
9	Goldenrod	16	14	Central	4.53	4.80	-8
10	Rosehill	15	15	Central	3.43	4.30	-26
11	Rochester	14	16	Atlantic	4.43	4.17	+8
12	Cape Cod	14	16	Northeast	4.43	4.20	+7
13	Northwest	14	16	Pacific	4.40	4.87	-14
14	Death Valley	14	16	Atlantic	4.23	4.87	-19
15	Elysian Fields	13	17	Central	4.83	4.70	+4
16	Lake County	13	17	Central	3.50	4.70	-36
17	California	12	18	Pacific	4.20	5.03	-25
18	Columbus	12	18	Pacific	3.93	5.50	-47
19	Miami	11	19	Pacific	4.00	5.57	-47
20	St. Louis	10	20	Central	3.43	4.90	-44

Top Run-Creation Team: Brooklyn, 5.97 R/G. 
Top Run-Prevention Team: Mohawk Valley, 3.20 RA/G.

MVP AWARD
A.Pujols (DVD) 373
A.Beltre (ROC) 371
M.Trout (BRK) 217         
M.Cabrera (BRK) 137
C.Kershaw (SPO) 100

CY YOUNG AWARD
C.Kershaw (SPO) 114
J.Shields (HUS) 103
A.Wainwright (HUS) 46
H.Street (JER) 16
C.Kimbrel (NWS) 8

All-Time Mohawk Valley Team

The recent blockbuster trade of Curtis Granderson, Zack Greinke and Mark Teixeira signals the end of an era in Mohawk Valley franchise history. All three players were crucial components to five playoff teams between 2006 and ’12,

With those ties severed, Rickie Weeks and C.C. Sabathia now stand as the only links to the ’06 team, the first playoff entrant in club history. As a new chapter opens, the time is nigh to look back at a Mohawk Valley all-time team.

All statistics run through the 2012 season.

Manager: Preston Wilson
Tenure: 2002-07.
Playoff Teams: Two.
Acquired: Drafted in 1999; inherited from previous regime.
Performance (for Mohawk Valley only): .245/.310/.465 in 2,535 PA (326 runs created).

Perhaps only Casey Stengel with the early-’60s Mets endured more bad baseball than Wilson did in the five seasons from 2000 through ’04. The center fielder played for clubs that lost an average of 118 games per season—and never fewer than 111. The nadir: 139 losses. That's not a typo—the Oklahoma City Cannon Dealers won 23 games and finished 81 games out of first place in 2000.

Those early Mohawk Valley clubs for which Wilson played featured a few worthwhile lineup fixtures—himself, third baseman Corey Koskie and left fielder Carlos Lee—but the secret to the Jive's poor showing in their inaugural ’02 campaign becomes apparent when you see the pitchers most responsible for the 5.77 team ERA: Bobby Jones, Brian Tollberg, Mac Suzuki, John Thomson, Paul Byrd, Dan Reichert, Danny Wright and Blake Stein. All made at least 10 starts.

Wilson occupies a unique position in Mohawk Valley franchise history as the only player inherited by the current front office who stuck around long enough to play for the first playoff team in ’06. For that he's earned the right to stand on the top step of the dugout and cuss at umpires.

Lions Welcome New Blood, Bid Fond Farewell To Franchise Icons Granderson, Greinke & Teixeira

Mohawk Valley beat reporters could sense an air of bewilderment in the Lions clubhouse as franchise icons Curtis Granderson, Zack Greinke and Mark Teixeira cleaned out their lockers as they prepared to meet their new employer halfway across the country.

The three distinguished veterans, plus the Lions' second-round pick in 2014, all belong to the St. Louis Maulers now, having been exchanged for center fielder Andrew McCutchen, first baseman Adam LaRoche and trade throw-in Javier Lopez, a lefty situational reliever. The transaction will take effect in time for Block 2 games in May.

Lions GM Matt Eddy acknowledged the difficult decision to part with three of the top talents in Mohawk Valley franchise history.

New Maulers righthander Zack Greinke

"Our rotation depth allowed us to make this trade," he said, referring to the starting-pitcher collective the local press corps had dubbed the $100,000 Rotation. "Trading Zack, Mark and Curtis hurts, but we knew our club's offense was deficient, and we feel that adding McCutchen and LaRoche makes it a little less so."

Following the trade, Derek Holland moves into the Lions rotation on a full-time basis, joining David Price, Yu Darvish, C.C. Sabathia and Stephen Strasburg.

Home Runs 'Go To Eleven' In Mohawk Valley

By Matt Eddy

UTICA, N.Y.—Their plans to co-occupy Citi Field this summer rebuffed, the Mohawk Valley Crimson Lions did the next best thing: they reconfigured Van Slyke Field to play just like the Mets' ballpark.

That means that singles will be scarce—a two factor for both righties and lefties—but that home runs will be somewhat common with a Spinal Tap-ian factor of 11 for both sides. The change in dimensions won't affect longball output at Van Slyke Field too much because the old yard played at 12 for lefties and nine for righties.

The frequency of singles, however, will be reduced dramatically, seeing as the previous dimensions played as a nine for lefties and a six for righties. For point of reference, the real-life Mets and their opponents hit .241 at Citi Field last year, compared with .258 away. That will be a harsh new reality for Lions batters, though club pitchers don't seem to mind the change.

"I prefer to be on the receiving end of one decisive death blow rather than succumb to one thousand paper cuts," Lions righty Yu Darvish said through an interpreter.

MMDA Unveils League Record Book

Spotty record keeping and lack of historical perspective are a thing of the past.

Following the unveiling of the playoff history archive last winter, the MMDA commissioner's office is pleased to announce the launch of a league record book that encompasses the past 11 seasons. There you can view top 10s for team categories such as runs scored and allowed, on-base average, ERA and home runs.

But wait—there's more.

Follow the link to the MMDA League Records Google doc and view top 10s for nearly 50 team categories, plus MMDA league averages and top 25s for those individual categories which are displayed on the statistics overview pages at mmdaoline.com.

Barry Bonds

The somewhat limited array of individual categories includes batting average, home runs, RBIs, wins, ERA and saves. This paints an incomplete picture, but at least now we know that the modern league leader for average is Albert Pujols (.409 in 2009). The leader for home runs and RBIs is Barry Bonds (82 and 180 in 2002).

Northwest's Craig Kimbrel set a modern league record for saves last season (56), but given MLB's downturn in run-scoring, might we see a pitcher challenge Roger Clemens' modern standard for ERA (1.91 in 2006)?

In the Google doc, users also will find headers for all teams batting and pitching. Feel free to paste the data into your own spreadsheet to conduct your own research.