VOLUME:LII ... 1 July 2026
LATEST NEWS
North of the border, on July 1st, 159 years ago, the Dominion of Canada was formed and it was 250 years ago, July 4th, that the United States was born with a declaration containing one of the greatest sentences ever written, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Enjoy the holidays.
The Wildcard bracket is now on the Standings page. No issues and all kinds of managers on vacations. One of them is Bob Fenili who is over in France riding his bike... I do like that with Darrell aboard, we have 11 managers playing on-line in one format or another. Even some face to face games..... Tarik Skubal (Atl) set a new RCMBA record of 20k's last month. He scattered 6 hits, walked 3 and picked up a 4-2 win. The game was played on-line.
HARWELL DIV:
Every team in this division had a 14-13 WL last month. The race for 2nd place has the other four teams only separated by 8 games. Albuquerque continues to hang onto their 7 game lead and they're +2 in home vs away wins. The Horsemen have a +65 run differential. San Luis Obispo holds second right now despite a hideous run diff of -110! The Stallions are +3 in home v away wins. Kentucky is third, 4 back of Stallions. The Blue Grass Boppers have a run diff of -9 and are -3 in home/away WL. Chesapeake is fourth, 1 game behind Kentucky. El Birdos are even in home/away wins and their run diff is -28. Atlanta is last 3 games behind Chesapeake. The Black Crackers are -5 in home/away wins and they're run diff is -38... In series play Albuquerque is 5-3-1h/6-3-0a, Atlanta 2-7-0h/2-4-3a, Chesapeake 2-7-0h/3-4-2a, Kentucky 3-5-1h/3-4-2a, San Luis Obispo 5-3-1h/3-6-0a... On-line marks are Albuquerque 32-26, Atlanta 28-39, Chesapeake 29-34, Kentucky 28-30, San Luis Obispo 26-23.
CARAY DIV:
Nothing has changed here. Still a three team, almost four team fight. Lake Forest the leader was 12-6 (5-4h) last month and is up by a game. The Timbers are 2 better on the road in wins and they have a +88 run differential. Rochester is the one hot on the Timbers trail after going 11-7 (4-5h) in June. The Robins run diff is +95 and they are +1 at home v away in wins. Two games behind them we find Syracuse who were 10-8 (4-5h) last month. The Blue are +1 at home v away wins and their run diff is +84. Philadelphia is fourth and 8 games out. The Quakers were 9-9 (5-4h) in June and they are +6 in wins over away wins with a run diff of -1. At the bottom is Laurel Highlands and long 21 games out and they posted a 7-11 (4-5h) in June. They are up a game in home wins with a dismal -91 in run diff... Series records here are Lake Forest 5-2-2h/6-3-0a, Laurel Highlands 3-5-1h/2-7-0a, Philly 6-3-0h/2-6-1a, Rochester 6-2-1h/6-3-0a, Syracuse 7-2-0h/4-3-2a... On-line it's Lake Forest 40-26, Laurel Highlands 14-25, Rochester 34-23, Syracuse 27-21.
ALLEN DIV:
Ottawa clings to a one game lead in this three team race after going 12-15 (8-5h) last month. The Fat Cats sport a +96 run differential and are +7 at home v away in wins. Bennett Run torrid on the road, is 2nd following their 14-13 (3-10h) June. The Boilermakers are +2 in run diff and dead even in home v away wins. In 3rd just three back is Burnsville who were 13-14 (6-7h) last month. The Blaze are also even up in home/away wins and their run diff is +60. Sarasota is 11 games out of first. The BucO's were 14-13 (6-7h) last month and are -2 in home/away wins with a -69 run diff. In the cellar Minnesota and after going 11-16 (5-8h) last month are now 22 games back. The Magicians have a league worst -146 run diff & they are +1 in home v away wins... Series records are Bennett Run 7-2-1h/6-4-0a, Burnsville 5-3-2h/4-4-2a, Minnesota 1-7-2h/1-8-1a, Ottawa 7-2-1h/4-5-1a, Sarasota 5-4-1h/5-5-0a... On-line it's Minnesota 9-14, Ottawa 15-21.
WILDCARD: 
The wildcard standings are now posted below the division standings. The Robins, Blue & B'makers have the three slots right now and it's close for who gets top billing. Burnsville just a couple out of it. Philly and San Luis Obispo are right there too. It's a long shot for Kentucky, Chesapeake, Sarasota and Atlanta. It's turn out lights time for Laurel Highlands and Minnesota.
TEAM STATS:
Lake Forest's 2.92 ERA is the only one under three with splits of 3.33 home/2.51 away. Not quite that good for Minnesota. Lake Forest is also tops with double digit complete games. Burnsville staff has posted 10 shutouts. Minnesota hurlers have coughed up 170 homers while the Timbers 100. Bennett Run is just shy of handing out 300 walks. Burnsville & Syracuse are the only ones with +800k. On the hitting side, only Ottawa, Rochester and Syracuse have +400. Both Bennett Run and Burnsville with over 700 hits. Ottawa batters have whiffed an astonishing 950 times already. Kentucky & Albuquerque with impressive hit by pitch numbers. Kentucky doesn't hit into many GiDPs. Rochester doesn't make a lot of errors while Albuquerque has made almost twice as many as the Robins. Ottawa may whiff a lot but when they hit it they have nearly at least 150 more total bases as anyone else and only Syracuse joins them with 300+ extra base hits. Just Burnsville and Bennett Run have put over 1000 runners on base. San Luis Obispo has just passed 800.
PLAYER STATS: 
Aaron Judge (Syr) nearly 50 points ahead in Batting Average and only two others are over 300. Freddie Freeman (Phi) and George Springer (Roc). Just one guy over 400 in OBP and that's Judge. Kyle Schwarber (Ken) & George Springer (Roc) are both over 600 in SLG and Aaron Judge (Syr) is over 700. Those same three are best in OPS with Judge & Springer over 1000 and Schwarber in just a hair off that. If you want to look at MVP this early and handing that to Judge, Schwarber is saying "Hold my beer". Schwarbs is top dog in homers about a dozen better than Judge in RBI. Cal Raleigh (Ott) might have a say in that too. He's 2nd in homers and ribbies. None of those guys have the most extra base hits. That one is lead by Michael Busch (Ott). Luis Arraez (Ben) well on his way to a 200 hit season. Bobby Witt (Syr) is up by one on Ceddanne Rafaela (Bur) in doubles. Jung Hoo Lee (Ken) has legged on more triples than anyone else. Ian Happ (Sar) is way out front in drawing walks. It's a dead heat for the steals lead for Corbin Carroll (Atl) & Juan Soto (Lak). It's not all glory being a stat leader. There's three Ottawa players in the top five for whiffs and Eugenio Suarez the most. Think Cody Bellinger (Lak) is struggling? He's hitting a league worst 142..... On the bump, Paul Skenes (Bur), Carlos Rodon (Che) and Garrett Crochet (Roc) are having quite the CY race. Skenes is top man in all three pitching triple crown stats. He and Rodon (Che) are the only pitchers with under two ERA's. Skenes one better than Crochet (Roc) in wins and he's wayyyy out in front of everyone in racking up k's. In WHIP Rodon is 002 better than Skenes with Crochet close. In the stat head area Tarik Skubal (Atl) trying to get in the discussion is best in K/9 as he and Skenes are in the 11's. Skenes has big lead in K/BB over Rodon. It's Rodon leading the H/9 board giving up less than 4 hits per 9 with Crochet & Skenes the next two. Carlos Estevez (Phi) is leading the closers in saves. Oh this isn't all fun and games for Colin Rea (Che) who has lost 11 of his 17 starts and jeez Will Warren (Syr) is getting hammered with a league worst almost six ERA.
PLAYERS PAGE TWO:
There are six batters hitting over 300 and we know about Judge, Freeman and Springer so who else? It's Edgar Quero (Alb) 500 on a 1/2, Reese McGuire (Ott) 333 with 4/12 and Masyn Winn (Lak) 307 after 27/88. There are 7 batters hitting 000 and Victor Scott's (Che) 0 for 11 the worst. Not that Sal Stewart (Phi) at 057 on 35 ab's or Kyle Higashioka (Che) 059 on 34 ab's is impressive. Michael Busch (Ott) has scored 69 runs while is teammate Dylan Moore has yet to touch home in 13 games. Jacob Wilson (Ben) needs a better read. He's been thrown out 6 of 12 steal attempts but that hasn't happened to Gunnar Henderson (Sar) a perfect 20 for 20. Randy Arozarena (Bur) has been hit 19 times while Ian Happ (Sar) has never been after 406 plate apps. Fundies matter. Tyler Soderstrom (Min) has 7 sac flies and Xavier Edwards (Min) has 3 sac bunts. Pete Alonso (Roc) has hit into 13 GiDP's but not one time has than happened to Byron Buxton (Che) in 193 at bats. Dansby Swanson (Ott) may be an ss9 but that PRN 18 has grabbed him 19 times. Michael Busch (Ott) and Aaron Judge (Syr) have 214 total bases. Gavin Lux (Min) after 39 at bats has 0 extra base hits. Yainer Diaz (Syr) has 1 walk in 77 pa's..... Edwin Diaz (Lak) has a 0.58 WHIP (39.7ip/13h/10bb) and Griffin Jax (Min) is 2.17 (30.0ip/49h/16bb). Robbie Ray (SLO) has walked 53 in 106.0ip. Merrill Kelly (Roc) has been taken deep 27 times in 108.7ip. Paul Skenes (Bur) has pitched 137.0 innings. Three shutouts for Mitch Keller (Sar) & Ryan Pepiot (Ken) & Drew Rasmussen (Lak). Mitch Keller (Sar) has 5 complete games. Luke Weaver (Bur) has pitched in 59 games. Out of the 24 undefeated pitchers the best is Joey Cantillo (Lak) with a 6-0 record and from the 21 winless pitchers, Jordan Leasure (LHi)is 0-7. Kyle Finnegan (LHi) after 19.3ip has a 0.00 ERA and on the bad side, Griffin Jax (Min) is at 8.40 on 28 earned over 36 innings... Starting pitchers with Grade "A" › (Alb) Fried 3.22, Peralta 2.30 (Atl) Skubal 5.15 !!?!, (Bur) Skenes 1.51, (Che) Rodon 1.79, (Ken) Snell x, (Lak) Bubic 2.81,Yamamoto 3.14, (Ott) Eovaldi 1.85, Horton 4.09, (Phi) Brown 3.44, (Roc) Crochet 2.38, McLean x, Rogers 2.84, (Syr) Sanchez 2.84
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... IMPORTANT DATES ...
- July 29-31 - Trade Window
- October 1 - Playoffs
- February 6, 2027 (Sat) Next draft
THE SHOW
MLB halfway look at some things.
In the ALE I wonder how the Red Sox are this bad and then I remember they fired a really good manager Alex Cora because the players on the field stunk, traded away Raffy Devers for a rental (who opted out) and prospects that are performing very good, for other teams. Tampa Bay rocks on! The Yankees lead the ALE clubbing the usual homer barrage but they lead the entire American League in... steals!?! In the ALC, sure the Cleveland smoke & mirrors thing is up there but I sure didn't think the White Sox would be contending for a pennant while Kansas City rests in the cellar. In the ALW, of course the Angels suck but everyone else has a shot at that pennant and the Philly-KC-Oakland-Sacramento-Las Vegas A's are very much in the battle. In the NLE: The Braves were cruising but Philly is getting large in their mirrors. The Mets? What is the plan? Oh yeah, pay Bonilla $1,193,248.20 on July 1st until 2035 & pay Soto $62,275,000 in each of the next 15 years, and let Pete Alonso walk, while losing. The Marlins entire payroll of $78M has them 7 games better than the Mets. In the NLC, anyone who doubts Milwaukee isn't paying attention. You know the Pirates are still playing 500 ball? In the NLW, the Dodgers, duh! If you wonder about San Francisco chances, you see Devers ($250M thru 2033), Adames ($140M thru 2030) and Chapman ($100M thru 2030) being trade bait. Good night & good luck.. Because of the hideous interleague play crap, the AL is on pace for a minus 500 record... The ABS system overturn rate is around 53% which may be the reason the walk rate is up five points.
The latest in the tall, skinny hard throwers club, Jacob Misiorowski (Mlw) was the 26th pick in our last draft. I'm almost getting used to seeing Pete Alonso (Bal) in an Oriole uniform. We got a Schuemann, a Schneemann, a Schreiber, a Schneider, a Schanuel and a Schlittler. Otto Lopez (Mia) has one of the two best batting averages in all of baseball. Who knew? I'd say Nick Kurtz (A's) isn't having a sophomore slump. Yordan Alvarez (Hou) is back. Big Time back. Zach Neto (LAA) has whiffed 119 times in 320 at bats. Ozzie Albies isn't toast, is he? It seems the two year $34M contract to Munetaka Murakami (Csx) was a bargain. Anthony Kay (Csx) has hit 14 in 76 innings. Aaron Ashby (Mlw) is 11-1. Jeffrey Springs (A's) has given up 22 bombs in 88 innings. Jose Soriano (LAA) has walked 48 in 95 innings. There have been all of 6 complete game shutouts and 10 complete games this year. Will the Tigers deal Skubal or just wave bye in October?