There is something about the calendar turning to August 1st that makes the MLB season feel as though it is in its waning moments. There are a little over 50 games left in the regular season. 50 games in which each team (EFL and MLB) gets to leave its mark. While some are already dreaming of the offseason and what their team may look like next year, others are fighting for an EFL title. It is certainly in the realm of possible (maybe even likely?) outcomes that an EFL team wins every single MLB division this season. How incredible would that be?
So how should we quantify these first few days of August? In the first 5 days of the month, every team played either 4 or 5 games. Every team won at least 2 of their games, making our early August league record 28-20, or a .583 winning percentage. If we were one team, we would be ranked in the top 5 teams in MLB. We would be second in the AL East, first in the AL Central, second in the AL West, first in the AL East, second in the AL Central, and third in the AL West.
Each team has particular hopes for these final two months of the season. While I won’t assume to know what all of those hopes might be, each of us has at least something we are hoping happens before the calendar turns to October. And while injuries certainly will play a role in what is yet to come (Anthony Rendon going down for the rest of the season is not what I had in mind, to be honest), the more pressing issue might the rising COVID cases and how those will impact our league (and more importantly, the overall health of those being diagnosed as positive cases from now…Randy Arozarena and Gary Sanchez are the latest to be placed on the COVID-IL) until the end of the season.
And so, though there are plenty of games left for exciting things to happen, it feels as though there is barely any time left for things to happen. In that way I suppose the EFL is simply a mirror being held up to our own faces, inviting us to realize that all of us have plenty of time and simultaneously not enough time, to do all we want to do, and a pandemic certainly only adds to more stress to the equation.
What can we do, then, with this knowledge? Simply be present in this moment. Relishing it for what it is, seeking to do what we can with what he have, knowing that though we cannot control the outcome of our existence, we can trust that in all things there is goodness to be found.
EFL Standings for 2021
| EFL | ||||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB | RS | RA |
| Old Detroit Wolverines | 76 | 33 | .699 | — | 619.1 | 405.6 |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes | 73 | 36 | .666 | 3.6 | 577.4 | 406.0 |
| D.C. Balk | 68 | 40 | .633 | 7.3 | 621.4 | 469.3 |
| Peshastin Pears | 68 | 41 | .627 | 7.9 | 539.3 | 419.8 |
| Kaline Drive | 66 | 43 | .609 | 9.8 | 571.0 | 457.3 |
| Haviland Dragons | 63 | 46 | .580 | 13 | 557.4 | 488.6 |
| Cottage Cheese | 60 | 49 | .549 | 16.3 | 632.8 | 586.1 |
| Canberra Kangaroos | 59 | 49 | .549 | 16.4 | 553.7 | 517.9 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 59 | 50 | .541 | 17.2 | 550.5 | 506.3 |
| Bellingham Cascades | 57 | 52 | .519 | 19.7 | 467.0 | 449.6 |
| Portland Rosebuds | 49 | 60 | .449 | 27.3 | 549.4 | 617.5 |
Old Detroit: W(2), L(2), 19-15; 196PA, 31IP
| AVG: 0.236 | OBP: 0.282 | SLG: 0.374 | OPS: 0.656 |
| ERA: 3.19 | WHIP: 1.194 |
The Wolverines were very quiet in between months, and it appears as though it didn’t hurt them. Though perhaps appearances are not quite what they seem. To be sure, the pitching was good over the first 5 days of the month. Eight different pitchers appeared, and over 31 innings gave up only 11 earned runs for a team ERA of 3.19. Only carrying 2.7 penalty innings (due to only 8 pitchers appearing) helped them get off to a strong start from the mound. If I asked you to guess who the best OD pitcher was in these first few days, it would take you a while to hit on the right player, I suppose. It wasn’t Walker Buehler not Jameson Taillon, both of whom followed up their July awards with solid outings. No, it was Ross Stripling who led the way, pitching 6 scoreless innings yesterday. If Stripling can continue to pitch like that, it won’t matter what the offense does – and let me tell you, the offense was not good. How bad were they? Well, the Wolverines are in dead last in the EFL this month in RC/G, and that might be problematic if it continues much longer. Austin RIley continued his hot hitting, going 7 for 18 with a home run, and JP Crawford also contributed 7 of his own hits, though in 20 at bats and with only a double, no home runs. Josh Bell added two home runs of his own, but the team’s OPS for the first 5 days of the month is .656 (not accounting for allocations). With only 19 runs scored in 4 games the pitchers have a lot of weight being placed on their shoulders. And weighted shoulders are not good for pitchers, one would think.
Flint Hill: W(3), L(1), 28-19; 224PA, 19.3IP
| AVG: 0.269 | OBP: 0.327 | SLG: 0.478 | OPS: 0.805 |
| ERA: 2.80 | WHIP: 1.036 |
The Tornadoes got off to a strong start this month, and well they should after a flurry of activity in the in-between days. There were a total of 15 players who either became Tornadoes or were traded away from the Tornadoes in between July 31st and August 4th. Some of those trades have already made a difference. Joe Musgrove tossed 6 innings, giving up only 1 run. Joey Gallo went 5 for 14 with 4 doubles and a moonshot home run. Eric Haase contributed 2 doubles of his own. In addition to the newcomers, Jared Kelenic 5 for 17 with 2 home runs and 4 walks, and Mookie finally returned to the lineup, going 5 for 14 with 3 home runs and 2 walks. The main thorn in the Tornadoes side after 5 days is that, due to pitching schedules, we have over 10 penalty innings we are carrying – only 5 pitchers have appeared in addition to nearly 5 replacement innings. So that sterling 2.80 ERA is actually 4.39 until some of those penalty innings can be replaced. The good news (well, not good for the Wolverines) is that the Tornadoes gained .3 games even with all those penalty innings adding up.
DC: W(4), L(1), 51-27; 180PA, 29IP
| AVG: 0.297 | OBP: 0.422 | SLG: 0.595 | OPS: 1.017 |
| ERA: 4.03 | WHIP: 1.172 |
The trade made by DC owner Rob Bohall, one that prioritized the future over the present, energized the Balk in profound ways. How, you ask? Well, the Balk are averaging over 10 runs scored per game in the 5 days of this month. 10! They did it by amassing some silly numbers: 44 hits, including 12 doubles, 1 triple, and 10 home runs; 32 walks – yes, that’s 5 walks a game – compared to only 32 strikeouts. Bryce Harper was 9 for 20 with 5 doubles, 2 home runs and 4 walks. Pete Alonso only got two hits in 5 days, but he did collect 6 walks to help the OBP. The pitching was not as strong as the hitting, though it didn’t matter too much as they went 4-1 in the first 5 games. While carrying 6 penalty innings at the moment, their team ERA was just north 4 runs per game. Dylan Cease did his part, going 6 scoreless innings, and his real life teammate Garrett Crochet added two more scoreless innings. But the six other pitchers have up 13 earned runs, which in addition to the penalty innings, contributed to their one loss. The Balk used their hot start to climb from 8.3 games behind to get within 7.3 games back one week into the month. That rate of progress could allow them to catch the top two teams in a matter of weeks!
Peshastin: W(2), L(3), 25-25; 179PA, 30.3IP
| AVG: 0.263 | OBP: 0.337 | SLG: 0.410 | OPS: 0.747 |
| ERA: 4.16 | WHIP: 1.518 |
The Pears, at one point in July, were contenders for the EFL crown. Sitting now 7.9 games back one week into August is certainly not a death knell, but it is a half game further back than they were just 5 days ago. So what happened? Ryan Mountcastle had a great start to the month, going 8 for 15 with three doubles and two home runs. Juan Soto went 4 for 16 with 6 walks AND 3 IBBs (told you he would be walked all the time now that all of his teammates were traded!). Jo Adell was called up and went 4 for 12 with 2 doubles in his first week. But the rest of the hitting wasn’t great, and coupled with an ERA north of 4, it certainly was not enough to push the needle towards more wins than losses. The Pear pitchers were interesting – 5 pitchers started and 5 of them relieved. With 10 pitchers appearing these first 5 days, they were not penalized. Of the 14 earned runs they staff allowed, 12 of them were given up by the starting 5 and only 2 of them by the relievers. That surely indicates that Phil needs to go to his bullpen sooner in games, right?
Kaline: W(2), L(2), 20-23; 216PA, 21IP
| AVG: 0.242 | OBP: 0.319 | SLG: 0.423 | OPS: 0.742 |
| ERA: 4.29 | WHIP: 1.381 |
The Drive did exactly what Tom wanted them to do, and if that isn’t the indication of a great team culture, I don’t know what is. How did the Drive end up being .500 in the first 5 days the month? Unsurprisingly they did it by being mediocre. Willy Adames and Hunter Renfroe both swatted two home runs, but Aaron Judge struck out 7 times. Aaron Judge and Jonathan Schoop each collected 6 hits in 5 days, but Michael Conforto, Wilson Contreras and Judge all grounded into double plays. What about the pitching? Max Fried went 6 scoreless innings, but Paolo Espino, as Ron pointed out, gave up 6 runs in 5 innings. Aaron Loup and Garrett Whitlock both pitched 2 scoreless innings, but Mark Melancon gave up 2 runs in one inning. And so the Drive players did exactly what was asked of them – to win some and to lose some, and I am certain that in doing so, they had a little fun, and now sit 9.8 games behind the Wolverines.
Haviland: W(2), L(2), 23-19; 165PA, 23IP
| AVG: 0.276 | OBP: 0.321 | SLG: 0.441 | OPS: 0.762 |
| ERA: 4.70 | WHIP: 1.304 |
The Dragons managed to outscore their opponents over the span of 4 games, and also tread water in the standings. The offensive stats from the team these first few days of August were not awful. As a team they averaged almost 6 runs a game, and also gave up almost 5 runs a game. To be fair, some of those runs were due to 8 penalty innings, but others were due to sub-par pitching. On the mound, the relievers (except for Alex Reyes) started the month on a good foot, giving up 2 runs in 7 innings pitched. Reyes, however, gave up 3 in his one inning, tanking the team ERA. The starters were a mixed bag. Tarik Skubal was awesome, giving up 0 runs in 5 innings pitched. Reiss Knehr was also pretty good, giving up 1 run in 3 innings pitched. But Jesus Luzardo and Spencer Howard, both traded in the MLB but not in EFL, gave up 3 runs apiece. On the hitting side, one batter stood tall above the rest, though he usually is crouching down low each game. JT Realmuto went 10 for 18 with 3 doubles, a home run, a stolen base and 2 walks. Amed Rosario went 7 for 20 with 3 doubles and 3 stolen bases and 2 walks. Brendan Rodgers added in 7 hits of his own, including two doubles. But the rest of the offense was piddly, and now the Dragons are fighting to stay above the Cheese and Kangaroos, currently leading them by 3 total games.
Cottage: W(3), L(1), 22-13; 190AB 38.7IP
| AVG: 0.269 | OBP: 0.342 | SLG: 0.443 | OPS: 0.785 |
| ERA: 2.79 | WHIP: 1.318 |
The Cheese began the month hot, letting the rest of the EFL know they mean business – this year and next. Their big splash at the monthly meeting was signing Robbie Ray, who rewarded Dave with a strong 6 innings and 2 earned runs. Another newcomer, Josiah Gray, tossed 5 innings giving up 1 run. Steven Matz was so impressed with the new guys, he was inspired to throw 6 scoreless innings of his own. Just like, the Cheese July ERA of 4.50 turned into an August ERA of 2.79. Randy Arozarena was the hottest hitter in the first week of August, going 7 for 11 with a double, triple and two home runs. Today? He was placed on the COVID-IL. New Mariner Abraham Toro has made all the complaining about the Graveman trade disappear, as he has continued to hit with the Mariners, beginning August with 8 hits in 18 at bats, including 2 doubles and a home run. The Cheese gained .6 games in the first week of the month. A good start.
Canberra: W(2), L(3), 29-42; 162PA, 25.4IP
| AVG: 0.287 | OBP: 0.364 | SLG: 0.448 | OPS: 0.812 |
| ERA: 7.44 | WHIP: 1.654 |
Perhaps the Canberra fans can be smoothed with knowing this one thing – next year is looking good? With the recent acquisition of Austin Meadows and Austin Martin (a top 50 MLB prospect), and the shedding of Mike Trout’s 25 million dollar contract, the Roos will be in good shape next year. But there is still two months left in this season, and they have some work to do. The hitting was decent, actually. The newly called-up Carter Kieboom went 8 for 18 with a double, 2 home runs and 3 walks. However, new Mets player Javy Baez went 3 for 21 with 8 strikeouts (also a home run). Kyle Tucker earned 5 walks, but that was one more than the number of hits he got, although he had as many stolen bases (2) as strikeouts. Four of the Roo pitchers threw well, while 4 of them did not. The four who threw well gave up only 3 runs in 13.7 innings. But the four did not do well? 18 runs in 10 innings. Ouch.
Pittsburgh: W(2), L(2), 20-16; 105PA, 48IP
| AVG: 0.298 | OBP: 0.352 | SLG: 0.404 | OPS: 0.757 |
| ERA: 3.94 | WHIP: 1.417 |
The Alleghenys had both the fewest plate appearances of any EFL team in the first 5 days of August, and the most innings pitched of any EFL team in the first 5 days of August. And in both cases, they were good numbers produced though not quite enough to give them more wins than losses in these opening August days. At the plate, both Dansby Swanson and Dominic Smith collected 7 hits, including a combined 3 doubles. Youngsters Andrew Vaughn and Trevor Larnach each earned 3 walks to help the cause. But Max Muncy didn’t get a hit and the team as a whole only hit one home run, hit by Andrew Vaughn. Bobby Dalbec and Max Muncy together went 1 for 16 with 11 strikeouts. On the mound there was both a league leading 48 innings and also an ERA that landed Pittsburgh in the top 3 in the EFL this month. They sent 12 pitchers to the mound in 4 games, and saw some good performances. Namely, the other Vladimir (Gutierrez) went 7 innings and gave up 1 run and Logan Webb went 6 innings giving up 2 runs.
Bellingham: W(3), L(1), 23-14; 168PA, 44IP
| AVG: 0.304 | OBP: 0.331 | SLG: 0.563 | OPS: 0.895 |
| ERA: 3.07 | WHIP: 1.068 |
The Cascades nearly matched the Allegheny innings pitched number, putting up 44 of their own. And their innings were better than Pittsburgh’s, leaving the August chute in second place for team ERA on the month. Shane McClanahan and Kevin Gausman led the way, each tossing 6 innings and giving up 1 run, while collecting a total of 15 strikeouts between them. It’s too bad Michael Wacha and Tyler Mahle were not good (10 runs in 9 innings), because otherwise the pitching staff was nearly perfect to begin the month. The offense was led by ROY candidate Jonathan India, who had 7 hits, including 3 doubles and 2 home runs. Jorge Polanco, joining the Cascades at almost the last possible second, began his campaign with a bang, hitting three home runs in his first 17 at bats.
Portland: W(3), L(2), 25-21; 137PA, 43.9IP
| AVG: 0.273 | OBP: 0.358 | SLG: 0.380 | OPS: 0.738 |
| ERA: 3.69 | WHIP: 1.298 |
The Rosebuds had a good enough start to the week that they did not fall any further behind in the standings than where they finished the month of July. They were led on offense by Tyler O’Neill who went 7 for 13 with a double, and their new first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who went 5 for 14 with 2 doubles and a home run. But that was the only home run they hit in 137 plate appearances, to go with 12 walks and 4 HBPs. Bryse Wilson, Eric Lauer and Dylan Bundy led the on the mound, the three of them combining for 16.3 innings and only one earned run. Even though the Rosebuds are in last place in the EFL, there are currently 9 MLB teams whose record is either tied with or worse than the Rosebuds. That could mean an EFL team doesn’t get a pick until at least 5 other MLB teams get their pick next winter.
Combined MLB + EFL Standings for 2021
| AL East | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Old Detroit Wolverines | 76 | 33 | .699 | — |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes | 73 | 36 | .666 | 3.6 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 65 | 44 | .596 | 11.2 |
| Boston Red Sox | 64 | 46 | .582 | 12.7 |
| New York Yankees | 59 | 49 | .546 | 16.7 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 57 | 49 | .538 | 17.7 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 38 | 69 | .355 | 37.2 |
| NL East | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| D.C. Balk | 68 | 40 | .633 | — |
| Canberra Kangaroos | 59 | 49 | .549 | 9.1 |
| New York Mets | 56 | 52 | .519 | 12.4 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 56 | 53 | .514 | 12.9 |
| Atlanta Braves | 55 | 54 | .505 | 13.9 |
| Washington Nationals | 49 | 60 | .450 | 19.9 |
| Miami Marlins | 47 | 62 | .431 | 21.9 |
| AL Central | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Chicago White Sox | 63 | 46 | .578 | — |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 59 | 50 | .541 | 4.1 |
| Bellingham Cascades | 57 | 52 | .519 | 6.5 |
| Cleveland Indians | 52 | 54 | .491 | 9.5 |
| Detroit Tigers | 53 | 58 | .477 | 11 |
| Kansas City Royals | 47 | 60 | .439 | 15 |
| Minnesota Twins | 46 | 63 | .422 | 17 |
| NL Central | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 65 | 44 | .596 | — |
| Cottage Cheese | 60 | 49 | .549 | 5.1 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 58 | 51 | .532 | 7 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 53 | 55 | .491 | 11.5 |
| Chicago Cubs | 52 | 58 | .473 | 13.5 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 41 | 68 | .376 | 24 |
| AL West | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Kaline Drive | 66 | 43 | .609 | — |
| Houston Astros | 65 | 44 | .596 | 1.4 |
| Haviland Dragons | 63 | 46 | .580 | 3.2 |
| Oakland A’s | 61 | 48 | .560 | 5.4 |
| Seattle Mariners | 58 | 52 | .527 | 8.9 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 55 | 54 | .505 | 11.4 |
| Texas Rangers | 39 | 70 | .358 | 27.4 |
| NL West | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| San Francisco Giants | 69 | 40 | .633 | — |
| Peshastin Pears | 68 | 41 | .627 | 0.7 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 65 | 44 | .596 | 4 |
| San Diego Padres | 62 | 48 | .564 | 7.5 |
| Portland Rosebuds | 49 | 60 | .449 | 20.1 |
| Colorado Rockies | 48 | 61 | .440 | 21 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 34 | 76 | .309 | 35.5 |