Who’s Hot?

EFL Standings for 2016

Haviland:  W 3, L 2;  26  – 16.

Old Detroit:  W 3, L 2; 25 – 19.

Pittsburgh W 4, L 1; 32 – 19.  The EFL’s  third hottest team is riding its star, in his last year: Mike Trout is hitting .412, .565, .882 this month.  Did I say this is his last year as an Allegheny?  I was in error: it’s Trout’s last month in Pittsburgh! (Hurrah!)  Although we should remember the Alleghenys will have matching rights on Trout in next spring’s free agent draft. The A’s will be able to start the bidding at 4 years, $29,750,000 per year, but the rest of us would have to start at a cool $30,000,000 per year.  Or a little less if you’re willing to risk 5 years.

Portland: W 3, L 2; 21 – 19.

Canberra: W 4, L 1;  54 – 25.  The EFL’s HOTTEST TEAM — look at all those runs scored in just 5 games! — just keeps hopping.  Bryce Harper is “leading” the tea with his Edgar-Martinez-class .912 OPS… ninth-best on the team, after Chris Carter (1.500), Chris Davis (1.418), Logan Forsythe (1.288), Jose Abreu (1.219), Jason Kipnis (.1008), Austin Barnes (1.000  — albeit in 2 plate appearances), Billy Hamilton (.990), and Jonathan Lucroy (.919).

Peshastin :  W 2, L 3; 29 – 26.

Flint Hill: W 4, L 1; 38 – 25.  The EFL’s second-hottest team is riding its first round pick.  Byron Buxton is hitting .455, .478, 1.000 so far this month.  Joc Pederson is his sidekick (.333, .467, .833).  Those two players are in their last months, too — the last month of their first and second years, respectively.  Fortunately for the rest of us, their breakthroughs come too late for the Tornados to win this year, but look at it this way: this is the rest of the league’s last month to ignore the Tornados.

Kaline: W 1, L 4;  21 – 29. The EFL’s coldest team would be riding two unlikely hitting heroes (Chris Owings, 1.356 OPS and Jonathan Villar, 1.280 OPS) except the entire franchise is being swamped right now by lackluster performances from stars (eg. Kris Bryant’s September .482 OPS; Michael Saunders .429; and Dexter Fowler’s .393… which is only .393 higher than the September mark being compiled by Kyle Schwarber this year.   On the other hand, Ichiro hit the first pinch-hit homer of his career for the Drive recently, another milestone in his ALl-Star career.

Cottage: W 3, L 3; 24 – 25.  The EFL’s most middling team this month is getting its biggest lift from a surprising source: Yasiel Puig’s  .429, .556, .857 line so far this month.  On the other hand, Jonathan Schoop is going 1 for 20 so far in September with one HBP to pad his OBP all the way up to .095.

D.C.:  W 3, L 2; 31 – 25.  With 89 losses already, it’s looking like the Balk are destined to reach the 100 – loss mark before the season is over. Still, Balk fans can enjoy watching their franchise cornerstone, Corey Seager, who is cruising along this month batting .389, .450 , .611.