The first week is in the books, and we had some great match-ups to start the year off. Let's take a look at the power rankings fat the end of Week 1. But first, a word on the rankings.
If you've seen these before, you know how they work. If not, here's how they're calculated. Each team is ranked in multiple categories from 1st to 10th in the league. Each team gets points (10 points for first, 9 for second, all the way down to 1 for 10th). Those points are totaled, and then the teams are ranked based on their total points in these categories. The categories: Overall Record (The team's actual record in the league), Total Points, Total Record (This is each team's record against every team in the league every week, so it's what this team's record would have been if they had played against all the other teams rather than just the one they played; this category tells you a lot about how lucky or unlucky a team may be), and Highlight Days (This is any day during the course of the season when a team scores 200 points or more).
So, with all of that said, here's the power rankings:
1. Profar Pro Good-
Randy Blum (37 points)
The highlight game of the week did not disappoint. Though the final score ended up looking like a blowout, this match-up was close throughout the week, with multiple points where the teams were actually tied. In the end, though, Randy rode a four-pitcher Sunday to put the nail in the coffin and get his first win of the season. In the process, he ended up leading the league in points as well. As always, Randy has a team to be concerned about playing.
2. A New Era-
Austin Drake (35 points)
Austin didn't need to do much to win this week. Andy had a very slow start, and Austin could cruised to victory basically from day one. But Austin proved that he is a team to watch out for as well, posting an 1100-point week and generally just having solid days throughout the week. This is a team to take very seriously.
3. Arlington Argyle Socks-
Brian Rossen (30.5 points)
Brian was actually in a relatively close match-up for most of the week. Of course, he was also one out away from nearly leading the league in points this week (Sorry for your missed perfection, buddy). As the Rangers go, so goes Brian. It was true last year, it's true so far this year. And this week, that worked out very well for BSR.
4. The Fresh "Prince"-
Scott Stepaniak (28.5 points)
If Andrew/Randy was the match-up of the week, Scott/Josh was certainly a close second, and this one certainly had the more exciting Sunday. It looked like Josh had finally pulled away on Saturday night, holding a roughly 100 point lead heading into Sunday. But then a rash of blowouts happened in the MLB, and Scott was able to capitalize, getting multiple home runs from a variety of positions. A rough outing for Jered Weaver kept him from reaching 1000 for the week, but he nevertheless was able to squeak out win #1. Scott still looks strong, and that should make for a good year.
5. Albuquerque Isotopes-
Joshua Blum (24 points)
What more can really be said? It was a disappointing Sunday, and it cost Josh the win, but this is pretty much what is to be expected from most of the Division 1 match-ups this season. Anytime there is a Scott/Josh/Randy/Andrew match-up, it's going to be one worth paying attention to, and this one certainly proved that it is important to watch until the very end.
6. Zimmerman Telegraph-
Shane Sandri (19 points)
Shane was in a battle this week, too, but he eventually managed to pull away from Kyle after going back-and-forth all week. This team is probably better than it looked this week, too, as the Ryan Zimmerman trade is likely going to be a benefit (Oh, and he also left about 100 points on the bench early the week, so those extra numbers will definitely help if he actually gets them in the lineup in the future).
7. The Bryce Is Right-
Andrew Blum (16 points)
Andrew takes a tough loss this week, and he also gets hurt with a poorly timed injury. Nevertheless, Andrew's going to be a team that's going to put up a fight every single week. And not every opponent is going to be as strong as Randy was this week. Expect plenty of wins to come.
8. LC Legend-
Kyle Trondle (14 points)
Kyle battled for most of the week, but Shane ended up pulling away when all was said and done. Kyle misses out on win #1, but it will come. He's got some strong pieces that will kick it into gear soon, and then he'll be someone to watch out for.
9. ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD-
Ervin Dermirasi (12 points)
Ervin also had a decent fight going for most of the week, but he ended slowly and it cost him a win. If his team gets healthy quickly, he'll probably be a touch match-up. If this season continues like last season did, then he's likely to spend most of his season around here.
10. No More Haren Addiction-
Andy Ashbaugh (8 points)
It must be the withdrawal that made Andy's poor week happen. No more Haren apparently means no more points, or at least it did this week. Hopefully his team kicks the habit soon and he becomes a team worth paying attention to. On the other hand, maybe he just needs one more hit to get him through...
Looking ahead to Week 2, we have some more exciting match-ups. In the game of the week, we have the #3
Arlington Argyle Socks taking on the #5
Albuquerque Isotopes. This one should provide a good bit of excitement throughout the week, and, with the aces all having gone Saturday and Sunday, we're going to see a match-up more dependent on depth and batting prowess. Will Brian get to 2-0, or will Josh get on the winning side quickly? It will be exciting to see.
Meanwhile, #4
The Fresh "Prince" takes on #7
The Bryce Is Right. Andrew and Scott should have a solid match for the week, and it's going to be fun to see if Scott continues his late week momentum, or if Andrew can overcome a key injury to get a win. We also get a match-up of #2
A New Era and #6
Zimmerman Telegraph. If Austin keeps up his early season pace, Shane might not have a chance. However, if Shane can capitalize on those bench points this week, this could be another game that comes down to Sunday afternoon.
The rest of the league provides a bit less intrigue, but some fun matches nonetheless. #8
LC Legend takes on #9
ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD in a game that will allow for some momentum for one of these teams further down the list. And, finally, #1
Profar Pro Good takes on #10
No More Haren Addiction. On paper, this one is a blowout. If Andy's team starts heating up, though, we could have something worth watching.
Overall, it should be a good week. Good luck to all!
