This week in the franchise league
By Scott Brown
AL East
The Rays are still playing good ball and 8-4 over the past 2 weeks, they maintain a 5.5 game lead over
second place Toronto. Marte and Altuve are staying strong and leading the offense while Paxton and
Perez lead a strong pitching staff. Toronto is still within striking distance anchored by Boyd and
Thornton pitching wise but only playing .500 over the past 2 weeks, they will have their work cut out.
Baltimore, Boston and New York are out of the race
AL Central
This is a 4 team chase and looks like it will continue to do so. The Tribe has taken over the top spot as
they went 8-4 since this last publication. The Royals, Sox and Twins are right there and playing well.
This will be a fun division as the season unfolds.
AL West
It is a 2 team race as Seattle and Oakland have just 1.5 games separating them. The Angles have fallen
to 10 .5 games behind, with work to do, but I think they can battle back to get maybe make this 3 teams.
That said they will have to battle 2 of the best teams in the Majors right now. Jack London Square if full
of smoke as the A’s are on fire in the boxes batting a league best .291, 13 points better then the second
best Braves. Both teams are in the top 10 in pitching ERA as well and are dominating the league.
NL East
The Braves are running wild in the NL East having put 12.5 games between them and the fish in Miami.
The ATL is number in hitting and number 3 in pitching. Being led by Lemahieu, Brantley and Semien,
don’t look for this lead to get smaller.
NL Central
There is a little more clarity this write up here as St. Louis is maintaining their lead and 4 games ahead of
the Pirates. The top 4 teams, Cards, Buccos, Reds and Brewers are bunched up and all within 6 games.
The Reds had the best 2 weeks here winning 9 and losing just 4. This division continues to be a fun
league and if I were a betting man, I’m a degen ��, I would be betting on the Reds to make some sort of
push over the next month or so. They are being led by Donaldson with 24 big flies and Verlander with
an 8-3 record and a 2.74 ERA. Looking at who's hot in pitching, all 5 of the who's hot come from the NL
Central.
NL West
This is and will be a 2 team race out west. The Rockies have taken a 1 game lead over second place
Arizona. Despite playing a mile up Colorado is 6 th in the majors in pitching and maybe because of playing
a mile up, 7th in hitting. I for one am anxious to see what happens on the left coast over the next 4
weeks.
This writer is taking a vacation over the next 2 weeks so it is possible the next installment of the TFL
Write up is in 3 weeks.
Good luck to all
AL East
The Rays are still playing good ball and 8-4 over the past 2 weeks, they maintain a 5.5 game lead over
second place Toronto. Marte and Altuve are staying strong and leading the offense while Paxton and
Perez lead a strong pitching staff. Toronto is still within striking distance anchored by Boyd and
Thornton pitching wise but only playing .500 over the past 2 weeks, they will have their work cut out.
Baltimore, Boston and New York are out of the race
AL Central
This is a 4 team chase and looks like it will continue to do so. The Tribe has taken over the top spot as
they went 8-4 since this last publication. The Royals, Sox and Twins are right there and playing well.
This will be a fun division as the season unfolds.
AL West
It is a 2 team race as Seattle and Oakland have just 1.5 games separating them. The Angles have fallen
to 10 .5 games behind, with work to do, but I think they can battle back to get maybe make this 3 teams.
That said they will have to battle 2 of the best teams in the Majors right now. Jack London Square if full
of smoke as the A’s are on fire in the boxes batting a league best .291, 13 points better then the second
best Braves. Both teams are in the top 10 in pitching ERA as well and are dominating the league.
NL East
The Braves are running wild in the NL East having put 12.5 games between them and the fish in Miami.
The ATL is number in hitting and number 3 in pitching. Being led by Lemahieu, Brantley and Semien,
don’t look for this lead to get smaller.
NL Central
There is a little more clarity this write up here as St. Louis is maintaining their lead and 4 games ahead of
the Pirates. The top 4 teams, Cards, Buccos, Reds and Brewers are bunched up and all within 6 games.
The Reds had the best 2 weeks here winning 9 and losing just 4. This division continues to be a fun
league and if I were a betting man, I’m a degen ��, I would be betting on the Reds to make some sort of
push over the next month or so. They are being led by Donaldson with 24 big flies and Verlander with
an 8-3 record and a 2.74 ERA. Looking at who's hot in pitching, all 5 of the who's hot come from the NL
Central.
NL West
This is and will be a 2 team race out west. The Rockies have taken a 1 game lead over second place
Arizona. Despite playing a mile up Colorado is 6 th in the majors in pitching and maybe because of playing
a mile up, 7th in hitting. I for one am anxious to see what happens on the left coast over the next 4
weeks.
This writer is taking a vacation over the next 2 weeks so it is possible the next installment of the TFL
Write up is in 3 weeks.
Good luck to all
