The playoffs are upon us! Feel free to take a closer look at our rosters, transactions, and matchups by following these links: Legacy League, Prodigy League, Futures League. Likewise, if you’d like to read the previous weeks’ reviews, follow this link.
Legacy League
And then there were four. Nick Pollack and Rick Graham disposed of myself and Ian Post, advancing to the semi-finals, though Nick had to go through hell and high water in a 5-4-1 matchup to do so. On to the next one!
#3 The Bear and the Maiden Faria (Nick Pollack) vs. #2 OHMYGODITSAFIRE Sale (Alex Fast)
This is like the climax of an epic anime- two brothers have to square off in a battle to the death- but we get it a week early. Nick and Alex are the co-hosts of On the Corner, the co-hosts of First Pitch, and two of the most original Pitcher List writers. Only one may advance. Nick got off to the right start with another dominant outing from German Marquez- he gets one more start from Marquez before the week is out, not to mention finally getting Jacob deGrom after getting pushed back twice. Meanwhile, Alex gets Chris Sale back, but he’s expected to only go roughly three innings. Can the ratios do enough to help Alex overcome Czar Nicholas? Tears will be shed for whichever OG writer must fall.
#1 Smokin’ Zieg Zags (Max Posner) vs. #3 Choo That Snell (Rick Graham)
Max Posner’s team might as well be called the Waiver Wire All-Stars, as he has just seven healthy players whom he drafted- everyone else was a waiver wire pickup that carried his team to first place. A two start week from Justin Verlander could do wonders for the #1 seed here, but our resident closer expert is likely to have the ratios and saves on his side when its all said and done. With speed also on Rick’s side via Jose Peraza and Trea Turner, will Max be able to put up enough in the counting stats, Ws, and Ks departments to continue on to the finals?
Prodigy League
PLAYOFF UPDATE
First off, let’s give our congratulations to KV and Austin Bristow II, who will join the Pitcher List Legacy League next season, replacing Stephen Honovich and Ben Pernick.
FINAL-#3 DothRockies Horde (Austin Bristow II) vs. #1 Killer B’s (KV)
Austin and KV have already secured their spots in the Legacy League, as mentioned above, so now they play for something far more important- BRAGGING RIGHTS. Will KV cruise to the title, as he cruised to the #1 seed or will Austin, seasoned from his two previous playoff victories, rise to the top and steal victory from KV? I don’t make the schedules, but regardless of what happens, I’d like to see a rematch Week 1 next year. Best of luck to both competitors as they embark on their two-week finals matchup.
Futures League
The Futures League has a bit of an odd setup, where only the top 4 players made the playoffs and the teams will now take part in a 2-week semifinal, followed by a 2-week final, meaning they will be playing longer than the other two leagues.
Let’s take a look at the midway point in the semifinal matchups:
Semifinal 1: #1 Hans Molemen (Ben Chang) vs #4 Team Gorman (Brennan Gorman)
The number 1 seed is on the hot seat! Brennan, one of our two resident prospect gurus with Adam Garland, holds a slight edge, but many of these categories are in thick contention. It’s easy to imagine almost every category here being flipped by the end of the week. Can Brennan hold on and secure his spot in the Prodigy League or will he be forced to toil in the futures league for another season as Ben marches on in the quest to eventually join the Legacy League?
Semifinal 2: #3 House Acree (Tim Acree) vs #2 Acuna Moncada (Austin Perodeau)
The pitching categories are a bit more decided here than in the previous matchup, with Austin’s staff off to a great start with ratios, but behind a bit in the starters’ counting stats. Hitting stats, besides steals, are still VERY much in flux. Anything can happen over the course of this week. The Prodigy League sits and waits for a winner to emerge, so they can mark their new opponent for next year.