MBL POWER RANKINGS - 3/29/2015

As we approach Opening Day in the 2015 Major League Baseball season, the Millennium League has reached the one-third mark in the 2001 campaign.  The standings are taking shape.  Teams are making deals to either solidify or improve their current standing, or they're moving valuable assets with an eye on the future.  The rankings see the New York Rippers reclaiming the top spot, followed by their division rival, the Boston Beaneaters.  The Expansion League's top team, the Baltimore Stouts, move up to third, their highest ranking to date.  And despite having the league's worst overall record and a negative run differential of 251 runs, the Cleveland Rock 'N Rollers have finally moved out of the bottom spot in the rankings.  They move ahead of division rival Cincinnati, who fall into the cellar position.

RNK	+/-	TEAM	BAT	PIT	FLD	PCT	rDiff	PYTH	xW	xL	LUCK
1	1	New York Rippers	10	2	4	0.697	101	0.669	44	22	2
2	3	Boston Beaneaters	2	8	16	0.667	107	0.654	41	22	1
3	3	Baltimore Stouts	1	7	22	0.698	107	0.651	41	22	3
4	0	Washington Tribe	5	5	17	0.621	100	0.647	43	23	(2)
5	(4)	Oakland Osprey	7	4	15	0.606	97	0.648	43	23	(3)
6	(3)	Detroit Buckeyes	3	12	3	0.603	55	0.578	36	27	2
7	0	Atlanta Stonecutters	6	14	1	0.576	44	0.564	37	29	1
8	5	Houston Buffaloes	8	9	14	0.591	43	0.563	37	29	2
9	0	Seattle Lightning	13	6	9	0.561	50	0.579	38	28	(1)
10	7	Los Angeles Diablos	4	18	6	0.409	6	0.508	34	32	(7)
11	0	Minnesota Millers	21	1	11	0.561	42	0.574	38	28	(1)
12	(4)	San Francisco Quakers	18	3	13	0.515	25	0.542	36	30	(2)
13	(3)	Colorado Briar Jumpers	15	10	10	0.492	17	0.527	33	30	(2)
14	6	San Diego Vipers	17	11	7	0.439	(31)	0.456	30	36	(1)
15	(1)	Arizona Apaches	16	17	5	0.485	(28)	0.459	30	36	2
16	(4)	Miami Panthers	12	13	18	0.439	0	0.500	33	33	(4)
17	(2)	Milwaukee Phantoms	19	20	2	0.429	(47)	0.428	27	36	0
18	0	Pittsburgh Crawfords	11	16	20	0.439	(45)	0.439	29	37	0
19	(3)	St. Louis Sliders	14	15	24	0.485	(35)	0.451	30	36	2
20	1	Washington Senators	9	24	23	0.455	(31)	0.460	30	36	(0)
21	(2)	New York Bombers	20	19	21	0.394	(68)	0.399	26	40	(0)
22	0	Brooklyn Broken Arrow Bums	23	21	12	0.318	(129)	0.316	21	45	0
23	1	Cleveland Rock 'N Rollers	24	22	8	0.206	(251)	0.199	13	50	0
24	(1)	Cincinnati Red Stockings	22	23	19	0.318	(129)	0.328	22	44	(1)

GLOSSARY

RNK - Overall Power Ranking +/- - Difference between this ranking and the team's last ranking BAT - Batting Rank

PIT - Pitching Rank

FLD - Fielding Rank

PCT - Actual Win Percentage rDIFF - Run Differential

PYTH - Expected Win Percentage xW - Expected Wins xL - Expected Losses

LUCK - Difference between actual wins and expected wins

OBSERVATIONS:

• The LOS ANGELAS DIABLOS continue to be unlucky.  Their current record sits at 27-39 despite outscoring their opposition by six runs.  Their expected win/loss record comes out to 34-32.  They grade out as the 4th best batting team and 6th best team defensively.  Overall, the Diablos improved seven spots since the last rankings and come in at #10 overall.
• Unfortunately for the Diablos, they play in the same division as the luckiest team in the league, the BALTIMORE STOUTS.  Owners of the MBL's top overall record at 44-19, Baltimore theoretically have won three more games than they deserved to based on their run differential.
• The only team to rate in the top-10 in all three graded categories is our top team in the rankings, the NEW YORK RIPPERS, who rank 10th in batting, 2nd in pitching and 4th in fielding.   The Go Go Rippers lead the league in stolen bases by a large margin with 115 swipes.  The team hasn't been ranked any lower than 2nd in the overall rankings since the beginning of the season.  A well balanced team just waiting for their manager to muck things up (sorry Bill).
• The CLEVELAND ROCK 'N ROLLERS have somehow managed to move ahead of both the CINCINNATI RED STOCKINGS and the WASHINGTON SENATORS in the pitching rankings despite ranking dead last in both ERA and WHIP.  The reason - save percentage.  While Cleveland has only converted six of nine opportunities, it's a better percentage than both Cincinnati and Washington.  The Red Stocking have blown 11 saves in 27 chances.  And while that's bad enough, it pales in comparison the the Senators who have blown 13 of 24 opportunities.  Worse yet, the NEW YORK BOMBERS, who have blown 19 games already in only 32 chances.
• Teams are not running against the MINNESOTA MILLERS.  Regardless of who's behind the plate, opposing teams have only attempted to steal against a Minnesota catcher 13 times in 66 games.  Seven of those 13 have been gunned down.  By comparison, the ST LOUIS SLIDERS have had 83 attempts to steal against them, with 70 of those being successful.  That's a paltry .157 caught stealing percentage, worst in the league.
• The ATLANTA STONECUTTERS check in again as the 7th overall team in the rankings.  A big reason why is their team defense.  Atlanta leads the league in fielding percentage and is second in caught stealing percentage. 
• The second biggest mover up the rankings behind only Los Angelas is the SAN DIEGO VIPERS.  They moved up six spots from 20th to 14th.  Unfortunately, the move hasn't translated to a move up in the standings as the Vipers still bring up the rear in the Expansion League's Pacific Division with a 29-37 record.
• Leading that division is the OAKLAND OSPREY, who occupied the top spot in the ranking last time out.  They have dropped four spots into the 5th position this time around.