Folks I am writing this from the friendly confines of a beach cottage in cape cod. I am on vacation, so apologies if the analysis is not as deep. Just got back from the beach and the High Noon was flowing and the football was being tossed.

The important thing to note is that there were a lot of upsets this week. Four of the five matchups resulted in upsets. We have a new team in first place, despite that team losing unexpectedly. Also with the extended matchup there are new season bests set, and one season worst.

Four weeks of regulation left. Moves have to be made.

WEEK FOURTEEN: July 3 – July 16

Mike ended week 14 with the most hits of anyone. Rafael Devers and Ronald Acuna Jr. each had 11 hits, which is a solid week, but they were outdone by Cody Bellinger who had 16 hits in 37 player appearances. Steven Kwan was just one hit behind him with 15 base knocks, and Xander Boegarts had a dozen of his own. Overall Mike had six players with 10 or more hits. Speaking for myself, I had four players with double-digit hits, led by Christian Yelich who had 15. Elly De La Cruz continued to do his thing with 14 hits as well.

In terms of runs scored, Kenney has to be making a shrine to Bellinger who scored 13 times. 13 fucking times! He had five home runs himself, but god damn man he is improving his trade value immensely. Kenney’s next highest was Devers who scored seven times. I repeat…13 fucking times! Yelich scored 10 times for me, and De La Cruz crossed the plate seven times, but the depth of Kenney gave him the nod in this category. He had six players score five or more runs.

Kenney had the most home runs this week with 23, but he could have eased up and I never really would have had a shot. Bellinger had five home runs to lead all players in our matchup and Devers and Issac Parades each chipped in three. Every player Kenney played but one (thank you Andrew Benintendi) had at least one home run. Kenney nearly doubled me up because I only had 12. I guess shout out to Yelich who had three round trippers.

I stuck disgusting elephant taint in the runs batted in category so lets just give a quick thanks to Yelich for his nine RBIs and Cedric Mullins contributing in seven RBI. Turning our attention to Michael, he had seven players record five RBIs or more. CODY FUCKING BELLINGER HAD 12 RUNS BATTED IN. THE MAN WAS UNCONSCIOUS. Bogaerts drove home eight for San Diego and Devers pushed across seven for Boston.

If I can take any solace from this matchup it is that I had De La Cruz in my lineup when he stole three bases on two pitches and set social media ablaze. He finished this extended matchup with seven stolen bases, which is more than half my team total. Telich chipped in three bags and then there were some stragglers that ended up at 13 total. Kenney, who is used to dominating this category this season, fell two stolen bases short. Acuna Jr. had four and Starling Marte had a pair, but otherwise it was one-offs for people. 

Michael Kenney’s team likes to get on base. They liked it extra this past matchup. All but one of his players that had at least 20 at-bats had an on base percentage of .350 or higher. Again Bellinger led the way with a .488 clip. He was that much better than Acuna Jr. who had a .405 OBP. Even Benintendi chipped in with a .500 OBP in his limited time in the lineup. For me I have to curse out Elias Cruz who went 3-for-25 and had an OBP of .185. Then there is Jonathan India who had a .227 OBP in 40 at-bats. Again it is Yelich who led the way for me with a .413 clip. Technically Ian Happ had a .417 OBP, but he went 3-for-17 with seven walks. Pretty good, but I didn’t play him more because he was going against the Red Sox.

I would like to ask Kevin Guasman what he was doing during the All-Star Break where he couldn’t make his first start back. I was chasing strikeouts and I knew I had a shot on Saturday because he was scheduled to throw. But then he didn’t. I had James Paxton go only three innings and Braxton Garrett go 4.2 innings. What could have been a great comeback faltered. Julio Urias was excellent for Kenney with 15 strikeouts over 12 innings against the Pirates and the Mets. Zach Efflin had 14 Ks in 12 innings and Mitch Keller of Pittsburgh chipped in with 11 punch outs.

I don’t really know how I won this category…but I somehow did? Corbin Burnes got me a pair of wins and pitched very well for them. The shocking developments are that Andrew Heaney, Garrett and Paxton all got wins despite all having a 5.87 ERA or higher. I will take it. I will take anything that I can get. Julio Urias had two wins, Efflin had one, and Tajuan Walker had one as well. Keller probably deserved a win, but he didn’t get there.

Only two saves for Kenney this week is pretty shocking. It is only his third loss in the category this season. Rasiel Iglesias had two saves for the Braves. Evan Phillips tossed 2.1 innings but didn’t get any saves but can be happy with allowing zero runs. I had six saves, four coming from Camilo Doval who has just become a work horse for the Giants. Will Smith was big later in the matchup getting two saves, one in extended effort.

ERA wasn’t a competition after day one. The aforementioned Doval allowed four earned runs in one inning on July 3rd, but he wasn’t alone. Smith allowed two runs in his one inning and Garrett of Miami went 5.2 innings with a 4.76 ERA. This was the first night, and it set the tone. I only had one pitcher with an ERA under 3.00. Shoutout Burnes for his 1.50 ERA in two starts. Guasman pitched one game and allowed two earned runs in six innings. Meanwhile Kenney had Urias toss a dozen innings to a 1.50 ERA. He had neither of his relievers allow a single run. Efflin and Keller had an ERA of 3.00

I am never good in WHIP. I have the second worst WHIP throughout the season, and I had the worst WHIP this week. Six of my pitchers had a WHIP over 1.00, with the worst of the bunch being Heaney at 1.92. Fucking christ man. Jon Gray, who was really good for a long time, has decided to not be any more as he had a 1.67 WHIP. But let’s get to Kenney who had Urias tossing allowing only four hits and two walks over 12 innings. Somehow Justin Verlander, who allowed seven hits and nine walks, had a lower WHIP than two of my pitchers. 

  • This one is tough. I’d love to go Rafael Devers because he helped the Red Sox get a series win against the Cubs, but Cody Bellinger had a better series for Chicago despite them losing the games. Then I look down at Kenney’s pitching and Bellinger’s former teammate Julio Urias who threw 12 quality innings allowing only two earned runs with 15 strikeouts.  I think I am going to lean on Urias for the MVP, but it is a flip off the coin.
  • For Kenney’s LVP, it is hard to take a look at his hitters and nitpick anyone from there. Nobody had an OBP below .300, and everyone who had over 12 at-bats in his lineup hit a home run. With that being said I think I’ll go Justin Verlander for his LVP. He tossed 11 innings and struck out eight. He did not record a win in either start and he had an ERA over four. Also Frank The Tank would appreciate me picking him.
  • Christian Yelich put on a show for me this week. He is my MVP. The Milwaukee Brewer outfielder had a team-best 15 hits, three home runs, 10 runs scored and nine runs driven in. He contributed three stolen bases and had an OBP of .413. He did most of his damage against the Cincinnati Reds, who have my lineup is made up of now.
  • I hate to make my LVP a Boston Red Sox player, but I have to. James Paxton was averaging over a strikeout per inning heading into this matchup, but over this two week stretch he had two starts where he threw a combined nine innings with only seven strikeouts and clocked in a 8.00 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. The bitterness comes because I only lost the strikeout category by three. 8-3-0 looks really bad, but 7-4-0 seems respectable. Also Paxton threw the only game the Red Sox lost against the Cubs, and a sweep would have been great.

MVP TRACKER: Albies (1), De La Cruz (2), Mullins (3), Goldschmidt (2), Soto (1), Steer (2), Verdugo (1), Walls (1), Yelich (1)
LVP TRACKER: Albies (1), Burnes (1), Casas (1), Gausman (1), Goldschmidt (1), Gore (1), Gray (1), Paxton (1), Peralta (1), Soto (1), Sale (1), St. Louis Cardinals (1), Walls (1), Wisdom (1)

WEEK FOURTEEN SCOREBOARD

  • Kenney sweeps the family affair this year taking this week’s matchup, 8-3-0. The margin of five was pretty well established before heading into the final weekend, so no stress off his back.
  • According to the stats, DiMaio should have won this week, 8-3-0. Vaghi politely told the analytics to fuck off because he came out with a 6-5 win. He split the season series with DiMaio.
  • A second upset, and an ever more decisive margin. Eric takes Michaud and stuffs him in a locker, 9-2-0. The leading league in home runs was trounced in that category as part of an uninspiring performance.
  • A third straight upset. Huntley was expected to win but again Bove stretches positive play out for two weeks and can bring home a 9-2-0 victory banner. It could have been worse if Huntley didn’t win the home run category by one.
  • A FOURTH straight upset, and maybe the most important of the week. Drakeley spoils a get-right game for Jack, 8-3-0. Eight saves for Billy is huge, Jack could not have seen that coming. And ZERO stolen bases for Jack in an extended matchup. Wowza.

WEEK TWELVE STATISTICS DEEP DIVE

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  • Bove won in the runs category for only the second time this season.
  • DiMaio may have lost home runs this week, but he has 11 wins this season in the hits, runs and home runs categories.
  • It is genuinely shocking that Jack List had zero stolen bases in an extended matchup. Not that it would have mattered because Billy had the most of anyone this week with 14, but still shocking.
  • Huntley has been a top dawg in the saves category all year, yet this extended week his team only got one save. That is an oddity. Bove appreciates it.
  • Vaghi is the first team to get to 10 category wins in the ERA column.
  • It is shocking that DiMaio has the worst record in WHIP at 3-11. He has the seventh ranked WHIP this season, so not great. But it is really the only weak spot on his team.
  • Kenney led the week’s matchup in hits for the first time in history and Huntley had the fewest amount of hits for the league-leading fifth time.
  • Eric and Bove now are tied for the most runs in a week with five times each.
  • Kenney led the week in home runs for the first time ever.
    • I will go fuck myself this week, huh? First time Kenney has led in hits and home runs? That doesn’t seem very fair.
  • For the first time ever, Jack List had the fewest stolen bases in a week (extended) with ZERO.
    • Just to pile onto the misery, Jack also had the lowest OBP of the week for the first time ever.
  • Michael Kenney is now tied with List and Michaud for having the best OBP in a specific week three times.
  • Vaghi is now tied with List having the most strikeouts in a weekly matchup four times.
    • Four players are now tied for having the worst strikeout week.
  • List now is the bench cleaner in the clubhouse having the fewest wins in a week five times.
  • Drakeley had the most amount of saves in a week for the first time ever Huntley had the fewest amount of saves in a week for the first time. Little bit of Freaky Friday happening.
  • I have had the worst ERA for a single week three times, now tying myself with Bove.
  • Eric and Kenney have had the best WHIP in a week three times this season.
  • New Bests For the Year Set This Week
    • Kenney had 114 hits this week
    • Kenney had 23 home runs this week
    • Vaghi had nine wins this week
    • Drakeley had eight saves this week
  • The only worst set this week was Jack List and his zero saves.
  • Michaud’s win streak ends at five and Jack List’s grows to four.

WEEK 15 MATCHUPS

  • Jack List has lost four straight and is reeling. Thankfully for him he can lick his chops facing me. The pitching categories here are going to be a bloodbath.
    • According to the season stats, Jack List should win this matchup, 8-3-0.
    • Jack took home a victory in week six against me, 7-3-1. He did not lose a hitting category and we tied in stolen bases.
  • Vaghi and Michaud are two of the hotter teams in the league. Vaghi has won two straight including a win over top-seeded DiMaio. Michaud had won four straight before losing to Eric last week.
    • According to the season stats, Michaud will win this one, 6-5-0. Really it is a toss up.
    • Vaghi and Michaud had a brutal, throw in the towel, both-teams-collapse, draw in their last matchup. A 4-4-3 decision which may be the closest matchup this season.
  • Kenney gets back into the playoff picture and now needs to face off against the betting hitting team in the league, DiMaio. As of today, this would be the first round playoff matchup.
    • According to the season stats, Mike DiMaio will emerge bruised, but victorious, 6-5-0.
    • DiMaio dispatched with Kenney in week six, 8-3-0. Kenney did have seven wins from his pitching staff, but nothing else clicked for team LPK.
  • Eric had a massive win last week against Michaud and Huntley was on the other end of the stick against Bove. Eric faces Huntley, Billy and myself before DiMaio in the final week, so he would like to kickstart a nice run here.
    • According to the season stats, Eric is going to win his second straight, 8-3-0.
    • Huntley pulled off an upset over Eric last time out, 5-4-2. These two tied in home runs and strikeouts, and Huntley took runs and stolen bases by one.
  • The only standings irrelevant game of the week. Billy and Bove are fighting each other for pride. Maybe Bove can talk himself into a push for the four seed, but it would take some heavy lifting.
    • According to the season stats, Drakeley is going to win his second straight, 6-5-0. It is basically Bove in the pitching categories and Billy in the hitting categories.
    • Billy Drakely and Bove were in the exact same position in the standings in week six and Billy took home a 6-5 victory to pin on his fridge.

OVERALL STANDINGS

  • We have a new team on top. DiMaio now holds the crown with a 1.5 lead over Jack List.
    • This is the first time Jack is not in first place since Week 6.
    • This is the first time DiMaio can call himself the best team in the league, records wise at least.
  • Eric vaulted himself from sixth place to third place following his 9-2 take down of Michaud.
    • Michaud, who was in the playoffs as of last week, now finds himself in sixth place.
  • Michael Kenney was in fifth place last week but his 8-3 win over myself puts himself in fourth place and the final playoff position.
  • Bove had a big week against Huntley and therefore he moves one spot ahead of him in the standings, now sitting in seventh.
  • Billy Drakely with the upset over list still resides in ninth, but he has created lots of room between himself, and I, for the last place spot.
CATEGORY LEADERS (Including Ties)
  • DiMaio: Hits, Runs, RBI (3)
  • List: Strikeouts, Saves, ERA (3)
  • Kenney: Stolen Bases, OBP (2)
  • Vaghi: Strikeouts, WHIP (2)
  • Eric: Wins (1)
  • Michaud: Home Runs (1)

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