In today’s update we ask “can Kangaroos march?”
What a dumb question!
I am not trying to be mean when I call the question “can kangaroos march? “dumb.” But come on. The answer is right there in the league’s public record (the Weekly Results Google sheet).
Here are the Kangaroos’ places in the standings, week by week, starting with Week 1, including cumulative adjusted winning percentage and games behind first:
WEEK. Pct. GB
- 6th, .367, 3.6
- 10th, .206, 7.3
- 11th, .291, 6.8
- 8th, .380, 7.1
- 8th, .416, 8.7
- 5th, .453, 8.0
- 6th, .473, 8.7
- 5th, .514, 6.8
- 6th, .488, 10.4
- 6th, .491, 12.6
- 6th, .525, 9.1
- 6th, .537, 9.7
- 5th, .557, 8.5
- 5th, .560, 8.8
- 5th, .568, 8.0
- 4th, .588, 4.4
- 4th, .600, 4.0 (NOW)
The ‘Roos rose from 11th place to 4th place. They improved their winning percentage for 6 weeks in a row, slipped back for one week, and then improved for 7 more weeks in a row and are on pace to add an 8th.. They have cut their distance from first place by over 8 games in 7 weeks. Their raw winning percentage this week is .986. Their adjusted winning percentage this week is .992. First place DC Balk can see the dust. Second place Old Detroit can smell them. Third place Salem can see the whites of their indomitable eyes. They are relentless, powerful, looming.
This week, Matt Brash’s 1 earned run allowed is the ONLY one allowed so far by a Kangaroo pitcher. The team ERA for the week is 0.42, so even though the offense has been sluggish (4.0 rc/g), the team’s raw winning percentage leads the league at .986. Their adjusted winning percentage is even higher (.992). And they are doing this without Julio Rodriguez, whose hand hurts for some reason after swatting more than 80 homers at the All-Star game.
Is anyone paying attention? I mean, the ‘Roos have passed 7 teams. They probably noticed it. But did they pay attention? Did they become alarmed? Did they DO anything?
The Seraphim seem to be loafing through their schedule. Their raw winning percentage this week is a mediocre 0.537. But the lowly, last-place Alleghenys are pounding them, leaving them gasping with a miniscule 0.83 weekiy winning percentage. Where’s the holy fire? The Alleghenys brought the fire yesterday, torching Robbie Ray for 6 earned runs in 3 innings pitched. Salem has slipped to 3rd place. If current trends continue, they will be overtaken by the Kangaroos before the week is over. And they’ll never see third place again — that beautiful Salem team, so patiently built to fly high, gone to waste.
The Dragons are trying to keep up — a little late; the ‘Roos blew by them last week. Haviland has a crisp 0.801 raw winning percentage this week, adjusted down to .714 because the Rosebuds are also having a good week (.616). But Haviland has lost 0.9 games to the Kangaroos in only 3 days.
The Drive are playing well, an adjusted winning percentage of .823 this week (2.5 – 0.5), gaining 2 games on the Tornados, their rivals this week. But they’ve lost another half of a game to the Kangaroos, now 6.5 games ahead.
Only two other EFL teams have raw winning percentages over .900 this week. One is the aforementioned last-place Alleghenys, who raw winning percentage is .928, trimmed to .917 by the slightly above .500 Seraphim. Barring a miracle, they will finally escape the cellar today after spending 12 straight weeks there. That’s because the poor Pears are playing the other team torching above .900: the Old Detroit Wolverines.
The W’s have a .950 raw winning percentage, thanks to a team ERA of 1.42 and big weeks by Austin Riley (1.492 OPS — happy Christopher Columbus week!) and … Eloy Jimenez! Back from the dead with a 1.326 OPS. And they’ve caught the Pears in a bad week (0.054 winning percentage), still reeling from Nathan Eovaldi’s big triple chulk in the 28 – 5 Boston blowout.
Also, Juan Soto is suffering a post Home Run Derby slump, currently 1 for 10 with 3 walks for a measly .408 OPS. That probably kills all the trade interest. I know I am re-thinking my offer of Jackie Bradley, Jr., who is mashing this week (4 for 12 with two homers, 1.167 OPS) and far better defense than Soto.