Power 10 s8

Time as flown by since the last rankings and the contenders have separated themselves from the pretenders. So here are the power 10-the teams that are in the driving seat heading into the all-star break:


1) Florida Flippers- gig has his boys playing for a World Series trip . Goldy is again his regular dominate self but the difference this season is there isn't much of a let down through out the rest of the rotation as Michalak and Gibbons have combined to go 18-2 thus far. Throw in Campos and you have a foursome that can mow down any team. With pitching like that a halfway decent offense will take you far and the Flippers threesome of Steele,Robinson and Leach can mash with the best of them.

2)Sante Fe Ragin' Flames- the preseason flurry of trades have paid off for GM kevbo65 as they find themselves with the 2nd best record in the league. A balanced offense led by Camacho has become the #2 scoring franchise going. They have also become road warriors this season as they have yet to hit double digits in the loss column on the road. If the pitching can continue to hold them in games this team could be fighting for home field come season end.

3)Pittsburgh Piranha - Currently holding a comfortable 10 game cushion in the NL East-Braddavis has his boys pitching(#1 in Cowbell),Hitting(#5 in BA) and Fielding(tied for 5th). Offense has been led by Lowell but it is the consistency from top to bottom that has been the key. Pitching has also been key and the Piranha's foursome of Strong,Valdivia,Vega and Grahe could make an argument with the Flipper's foursome as the best in the NL

4) Vancouver Venom- Neck and neck with Santa fe for the top Al spot. I Thought after P.Ferguson left the offense would take a down turn. I was wrong as the bats have been spraying balls all over the field once again.
MVP candidate Guevara as once again got the ball rolling and his fellow snakes have followed suit. Throw in a top 10 pitching staff led by a revived Caballero and the Venom once again will try to insure the road to the Series leads through Vancouver.

5)St.Louis Shmoos-Last of the upper tier of teams in the NL. Pitching staff has been revitalized in St louis as they have risen from a cellar dweller in staff ERA to top 5. And though the offense is no longer tops in the league they still score enough to give the staff ample opportunities to win. With a comfortable 13 game lead in the west the Shmoos should sail into the all-star break with a fully rested staff.

6)Syracuse Demons- though the teams in the AL North continue to get better it is only second place they are fighting for as the Demons are once again flexing their muscles(and getting younger in the process) Led by a perennial top pitching staff and top offense the demons have proven year in and year out that they are the ones that scare people and not the other way around.

7)Kansas City Monarchs-Are looking up in the division for the first time in three seasons but it's not because of their play as they still boast a .600 winning percentage. Joaquin Beltran as led a potentially potent offense and with a staff that can keep the team in games this team still seems on track for it's regular run after the All-star game.

8)Ottawa O Faces- Though 10 back in the division they are currently the top Wild card entrant and the champs are due for a run. Chavez is pounding the ball and if he can learn to hit for average he will become one of the top forces in the league. Good young staff that will develop more as the season progress and could once again lead this team to a playoff berth. After that anything could happen.

9)Rochester Royals- the addition of Gagne this offseason has proven well worth it as he is pounding everything thrown his way most of which ends up in some fans lap. Pitching staff has struggled a bit so far but still time to get on track and the Royals should be sitting pretty come the All-star break.

10)Cleveland Steamers- This spot was a toss up between the division leading Taters and the suddenly hot Steamers. The fact that the Cleveland team has only lost once in the last two weeks(game time) pushed them over the top. Todzilla has continued is teams climb from the depths of despair and has now become a legit playoff contender. Led by a power tandem of Sanchez/Daniels and the pitching of Edgar Astacio the steamers are in prime position to at the very least claim a Wild Card spot come playoff time.