Week 4 power rankings

By Evan Blair, Operations Intern

The Potomac League is heading into its final two weeks, as July comes to its midpoint. There are great events and baseball ahead as SYA and CYA Little League Night is on the 17th, 80’s Night is on the 19th, and Hot Rods and Home Runs is on the 22nd. Make sure to check out the “Special Events'' page for more information.

 
On the baseball side, the league is heating up. The standings are tightening, teams are starting to feel pressure, and the playoffs are looming. We have seen the Bunt Cakes win more games, the Hot Wings are seemingly coming together, while a few teams are faltering. With that, let’s look at the week's power rankings.

 

#7 Gators

I’ll admit it – I was wrong. The Gators are not going to be the champion, nor will they finish with the top seed at the end of the season. 

 
#6 Hot Wings

The Hot Wings have shown signs of improvement, but still have the worst record in the league. They won 3 out of 4 games this past week, and the 3 wins came against the Chili Dogs, Red Foxes, and Rough Riders. Their only loss was a 7-0 shutout against the Gators. Again, the Hot Wings have shown signs of improvement, but not enough to make a major jump in the power rankings this week. However, with the Hot Wings heating up, the league should be on red alert.
 

#5 Red Foxes

This was a tough placement, but it had to happen. Although the league saw what the Red Foxes best pitching is capable of with a combined no-hitter on Saturday, it was not all sunshine and rainbows for the Foxes this week. The Red Foxes have sobered up from their week 1 unbeaten streak, and do not seem anywhere near the team they were in that first week of play. Dominick Proctor is arguably the best player in the league, but the question is – can he put the team on his back down the stretch?
 

#4 Yard Dogs

The Yard Dogs are a phenomenal team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Sitting at 4th in the standings, they also will sit at 4th in power rankings. Why? The Yard Dogs are a solid team. They never ride too high, never too low. Coached by Carson Carroll, the team is going to steal a lot of bases, which they have done well. Another thing they have done well is not strike out, which is a big key to success in any baseball league.
 

#3 Bunt Cakes

The Bunt Cakes went .500 this week and in my book that’s another good week for the pink pinstripes. Coach Ferrick and his team had a killer loss to the Chili Dogs, being walked off in the bottom of the 7th on Saturday, but hung in there. Marcus LeClair has the league’s best batting average at .462, the Cakes’ ERA is consistently getting better, and the team as a whole is playing better baseball. It is fun to watch the Bunt Cakes play – they are young, play with a lot of emotion, and care about winning in this league, which will go a long way at the end of the season.
 

#2 Rough Riders

Although the Rough Riders did not have a stellar week, they still sit at 2 on the rankings because of their consistency in all facets of the game. Their pitching, led by Ryan Dudak and Cole Snead, seems to be impenetrable, and their hitting doesn’t show signs of slowing down. With the best run differential in the league, the Rough Riders are a tough opponent, and may be the scariest team to face in the league.
 

#1 Chili Dogs

The Chili Dogs will not move from the number 1 spot, but it was not an easy choice this week. Going 2-1 from 7/10 – 7/15, the Chili Dogs maintained their number 1 spot in the rankings, but had a nailbiter of a game on Saturday afternoon and were shutout by the Hot Wings earlier in the week. The Chili Dogs are great, but not unbeatable. A longer week next week will be a test for them. If their pitching staff other than Estridge, Charneco and Gjormand can step up, they will be in an excellent spot. All in all, the Chili Dogs remain number 1, because of their superpowered offense and talented roster all around.

---