The updated standings can be found here.
I don't think there's much that went on over the course of the last week. The season is still but a pup. Slowly, teams are getting sucked to the top or the bottom of the standings, hovering toward their rightful places.
I'll be brief this week since I have things to do.
But let's focus in on a team. Starting from the top of the current standings, we've already looked at Funky Cold Gardena, so let's dig deeper on I got Matsui!.
Side note: It's odd that I'm 3 for 3 in chronicling the teams that are highest in the standings, and also the team I am facing for that given week. I think I found the answer though. It's because everyone plays me after Dave, and so they come off a fresh whooping of Bats Hit Crazy and propel themselves toward the top of the league and then get to play me.
I got Matsui! (or IGM) is one of two teams that has zero categories of undefeatedness or total defeatedness (I am the other).
Observe here.
That said, don't sleep on them as a totally unremarkable team. Offensively, they're the best power squad in the league. Miggy Cab Cab, Joey Vee, and Tulo, all help shore up HR and OPS matchups. Respectively, I have Riley ranked 2nd and 1st in those categories for the rest of the season. The Achilles heel on offense? You guessed it; the opposite of power is speed. Runs and SBs are lagging behind, but all in all, they've got a slightly above average offense going forward.
Pitching is a different story. A lot of extremes here. Home of the 2nd lowest Wins projected for the rest of the year, the 2nd lowest Losses for the rest of the year (which is good, remember), and predictably it's because they have a bevvy of closers. Saves galore. This approach yields few Ks, but all in all he's shored up a slightly below average, if not average pitching staff. It's not as extreme as Outfield Fly Rule (thought it is better), but it's surely a new age hybrid of the Less-Starters-More-Closers strategy. So far they're winning pitching categories at a 60% clip, and I'm thinking that will shrink down to earth in the near future.
They're projected to slide in to a playoff spot, but will need to keep the momentum going to feel safe about it anytime soon.