By Simon Currie
Yeah, I keep on changing the title format as well, shoot me…
1. Hanshin Tigers (1) 28-13-1 .683
Very strong hold on 1st place in CL. With setup man Jeff Williams back from injury, the invincible JFK relief trio (with Kubota, and closer and fireballer Fujikawa) is back together for the first time since opening day. This means that starters really only need to pitch 6 solid innings to give the team a chance to win. Combined this with Akahoshi, Arai, Toritani, and Kanemoto being 1, 2, 4, and 5 in the CL OBP rankings means that this team deserves its record and ranking.
2. Chunichi Dragons (2) 24-16-3 .600
Similar formula as the Tigers with solid pitching (2.79 team ERA good for 2nd after Hanshin’s 2.69) and hitters who get on base (Dragons have 5-10th place locked up in CL OBP rankings with Ibata, Woods, Morino, Wada, and Nakamura, respectively). The team’s Pythagorean expectations are similar to the Tigers, and its bullpen just as effective. So it shouldn’t be a surprise if the Dragons manage to narrow the 3.5 game gap with the Tigers during the upcoming 24 game (2 games each, home and away) interleague period.
3. Saitama Seibu Lions (3) 29-16-1 .644
This team can sure hit. It’s sluggers have launched 63 homers in 46 games, far outpacing the 2nd place teams which are the Dragons and Giants both with 45. The PL SLG leaderboard features G.G. Sato on top with .615, and Nakajima and Nakmura in 3rd and 9th. Hiram Bocachica’s been playing amazing since his short reconditioning stint down in 2-gun, he now sports 10 HR and 1.086 OPS in only 26 games. He really should replace Craig Brazell in the middle of the lineup, as this man has no plate discipline, walking only 7 times in 198 PA for a miserable .278 OBP. I reckon the league’s already figured out that you don’t have to throw strikes to him. Since he never displayed any plate discipline in Minor League Baseball, the chances of him suddenly developing this skill here is virtually unlikely, and it’ll likely be his downfall. (Bocachica’s still hitting 9th (!) and that’s a travesty.)
4. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (4) 22-23 .489
This team can score runs too, with its 203 runs only trailing explosive Seibu’s 229. With 166 RA, the team should have a winning record, as amazingly as that sounds for this recent expansion franchise.
5. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (7) 25-22 .532
Smoke and mirrors or a continuation of last year’s successful small ball? A 152 - 164 RS - RA has been helped by some offensive outbursts this month (finally).
6. Tokyo Yakult Swallows (6) 19-21 .475
Continues to play its near .500 ball, now with the crosstown rival Giants hot on their heels. Aaron Guiel’s continued troubles (his OPS is now down to .755) is worrisome as he’s the team’s lone pure power source. On the other hand, relievers Oshimoto (0 ER in 20 IP!), Matsuoka (0.56 ERA in 17.2 IP), and closer Lim (0.56 ERA and 12 saves in 16 IP) have been shutdown dominant. And starters led by Ishikawa (2.63 ERA in 61.2 IP) have been holding their own.
7. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants (10) 20-23-1 .465
As expected, the Evil Empire have finally started hitting, and winning a little more accordingly. The team’s ugly BA in the .230s have been brought up to .250 in the last few weeks, but it’s team OBP is still a CL worst .299. Expect the fight for 3rd and final playoff spot against the Swallows to continue, as this team’s not in same class with the Tigers and Dragons. Especially with regulars like Lee and Uehara missing.
8. Fukuoka Softbank Hawks (8) 23-25 .479
Continuing to plod along like this (similar to the Giants) with 191 - 210 RS - RA, the Hawks are currently fundamentally weaker than the Eagles.
9. Chiba Lotte Marines (5) 21-27 .438
The Marines are in a free fall, as Bobby V’s team has gone 4-13 since we last checked in. Probably not what the manager had in mind as he was featured in a student made documentary about him on ESPN.
10. Hiroshima Toyo Carp (9) 17-21-1 .447
Better pitching (3.35 ERA is 3rd in CL) than the Giants, but .364 SLG is worst in CL and the Carp play in an extreme hitter’s park!
11. Orix Buffaloes (11) 20-27 .426
The always injured greybeard slugger Kiyohara hit a homerun… in the minors. Nothing new here, move along.
12. Yokohama BayStars (12) 13-27-1 .325
Yay, the BayStars brought their winning percentage above .300!
I plan on alternating power rankings and a more sabermetric individual performance reviews every other week, unless work or real life puts up too much interference.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Korea Beat // May 20, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Woo hoo! Go Hanshin! My wife and parents in law, (casual) Tigers fans all, had a good chuckle yesterday when they learned of the existence of the Kia Tigers. I didn’t have the heart to tell them about the team in Detroit.
2 simon // May 20, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Haha, I’m actually hoping that one of these years we’re going to get an all Lions Asia Series (Konami Cup, or whatever). Seibu and Tong-Yi are doing their parts, but not Samsung, it seems like. But if Hanshin and Seibu meet in the Japan Series, I think the advantage goes to the Tigers due to their superior pitching and defense.
3 Barnetto // May 21, 2008 at 12:59 am
is g.g. sato the same g.g. sato that was in the phillies organization?
4 simon // May 21, 2008 at 10:16 am
Yup, the same guy.
5 Joel // May 21, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Hanshin is surprising me but Seibu shocks me. I hate to say it but I think they’re some room for the Giants to work their way up the standings and to the top of this Top 12. I don’t want it to happen…but I think it might.
6 simon // May 22, 2008 at 12:13 pm
The Lions are getting it done with the long ball and decent pitching, whereas the Tigers and Dragons persistently get on base and have excellent pitching. In a short series, I think the CL teams have the advantage here. As for the Giants, IF their injured and struggling stars return to form, they can climb the rankings and standings, but I think their team makeup (and in-game strategy, like trying to make slugger Ogasawara and Abe bunt, and fail) is basically 3rd in CL at best, despite all the money being thrown at them.
7 100years // May 22, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Simon, Do you think the Nippon Ham is noticably worse since the departure of Hillman? I’m only looking at box scores and it looks like the same deal different year. I have to think they’ll be back up there in the end. What do you mean by smoke and mirrors?
8 simon // May 23, 2008 at 2:57 am
I think the Fighters look to be about the same as last season. Stellar pitching and defense, but can’t get on base or hit for power. Even though the Fighters, Hanshin, and Arizona all ended up with winning records despite being outscored by their opponents last season, this is not a common occurrence. Then again, the Fighters are built for their extreme pitchers park home stadium, so maybe they can pull this off two years in a row (but then again their bats finally have seem to come alive this month, which can render this point moot..)
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