Darin's Take

First Half Recap:

The North is more or less shaking out the way I predicted, with a close race for the top (and the bottom) spot in the division. Halifax's off season spending binge has landed them in first place so far, but with an underwhelming 49-41 record. Philly's offense is helping them keep pace, but then there's a huge drop off to Cleveland and Bedford, two team's that are battling to stay out of the cellar. Both teams are disappointing, as Cleveland has failed to build on a solid core of youth, while Bedford's offense just hates to hit. Bedford's trade of Prince Fielder indicates that they've packed it in for the year, and no one would be surprised if Cleveland followed suit and started shopping players like Justin Verlander. Philly has been a great offense, leading the league in team OBP and SLG and runs scored. Halifax has been right there in the runs department, and with a team ERA .70 lower than Philly, looks to have the inside track on the post season.

Biggest Surprises:

Before his recent injury, Philly catcher Frank Buhner was ripping it up in his rookie year. Staying with the Fever, Miggy Cabrera is having an MVP year; perhaps not a huge surprise for a guy with a .316 career average, but most thought that Hunting would be the main guy in Philly this year. 

Biggest Disappointments:

Prince Fielder just didn't do anything in Bedford and has been traded to the Panthers. His season and a half in Brooklyn were the poorest of his career. In Cleveland, lefty James Howell has fallen back to his miserable career line. Tough to complain much about the Halifax offense, but Kendry Morales got a huge paycheck from the Sailors and has really struggled.

Team on the Spot:

Philly is just two out of first place, but, at this point, doesn't look good for the wildcard. A terrible bullpen has the team's ERA over 5.00, and the team can only win so many 9-7 games. Help is out there, and GM Brian B should be aggressive about fixing his late inning mess.

First Half MVP:

Cabrera for sure. 1.099 OPS! If he stays healthy, it will be hard to argue against the Philly third baseman for League MVP honors.

Second Half Preview:

With all four teams having extremely similar records against the World League, it may come down to play within the American League that determines who makes it to the playoffs. Halifax's bullpen is amazing (Inferno - 1.01, Gatsby- 2.88), and their ability to hold late leads will probably get them to the playoffs. The Sailors need to improve at home (where they are 2 under .500) but are 10 over on the road. Philly simply must make a trade or two to strengthen the pitching staff. If Cleveland and Bedford are conceding the season, they should trade off some vets and align themselves for a high draft pick.

Prospect to Watch:

There are several promising young players waiting to crack the North Division in the near future. Cleveland has grown an impressive stable of hitters, including outfielders Tex Austin and Jack Horner, both of whom tore up AAA and Rookie League this season. The Dawgs have a pair of promising pitchers in Voorhees and Pearce, so the team is built for the future. Philly continues to draft well, producing the AAA Hitter of the Year in George Velarde. Not much cooking in Bedford, but Halifax has done well with the farm system as Frank Duke tore it open in Rookie ball and Kiko Brezovan had a great year in AAA.

Dylan's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*

Lars' Take

First Half Recap:

This division looks to be falling into what most pre-season analysts predicted.  The Sailors and Fever on top, well ahead of the Crunch and Dawgs.  Philly is scoring runs at a mad pace and have Halifax within striking distance, providing they don't suffer anymore significant injuries.  Halifax has had several players on the DL already and if they get through the second half without anymore bad luck, might be able to pull away.  Bedford is looking to be a seller at the All-Star break but Cleveland may keep Verlander and try to avoid another last place finish.   

Biggest Surprises:

The Philly offense.  A lot of players are smoking the ball this season and the Fever lead all of SLB is runs scored.  Only 1 regular, SS B Boo-Ya, is not in double digits for homeruns.  And how about Bedford 1B Prince Fielder managing just 12 HR and a .395 SLG?   

Biggest Disappointments:

Okay, Fielder might fit in here as well.  How about the slow start of new Halifax 1B Kendry Morales?  He's all the way up (yes, up) to a .763 OPS with 17 bombs but the Sailors were expecting more from this guy.  He'll have to get hot if Halifax has any shot of holding off Philly.

Team on the Spot:

Bedford had a .508 winning percentage going into this seaon.  They have 7 second-place finishes in SLB.  But after starting 39-52, the Crunch are in danger of finishing last (again) and losing even more salary cap space, turning the North into two "have" and "have-not" franchises. 

First Half MVP:

Miguel Cabrera.  He's been a monster, 28 homers and a 1.099 OPS.   

Second Half Preview:

Look for more of the same.  Halifax and Philly will battle it out for the top spot or the Wildcard.  Cleveland and Bedford will be sellers while trying to avoid the big hurt that is the salary cap hit. 

Prospect to Watch:

Former 1st round pick, 3B Marc Maddox of the Sailors, has 14 HR and an .889 OPS.  If he continues to hit, does it mean future all-star Evan Longoria will be on his way out?  Philly sophomore Andy Hunter makes his return after the break and he has a 1.095 OPS.  Just what the Fever lineup needs. 

Bill's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*

Darin's Take

First Half Recap:

The South is like the polar opposite of the North in terms of predictability. Sure, Baltimore is in last place, but no one, including GM Bill Gluvna, saw San Juan being in first. Overall, the division is 189-166, best of the four this year, and only Baltimore is under .500. What's interesting is that none of the teams is very good at home, but the top three are all very good on the road. San Juan has built a nice looking young offense around Bliss, Larkin, Miller and Musser while getting the best of reclamation projects like Carlos Hernandez on the pitching staff. Savannah has had to deal with injuries on both sides of the ball, but key players like Phillip Humber and Hee Seop Choi have kept them afloat. Atlanta's pitching has kept their heads above water after what is a worse than typical Flyer offensive output. Baltimore, well they're trying. There is promise in the farm system and with the young players, but right now, the talent just isn't enough.

Biggest Surprises:

San Juan's pitching. They aren't great, but the team is getting way more than expected out of Niemann, Perez and Hernandez. Rule 5 pickup Allen Martinez has hit very well for Baltimore, but what's with trading for Prince Fielder? The Panthers must think they're still in it.

Biggest Disappointments:

Savannah's Lance Broadway is putting up a fat 6.27 ERA for the Sabers, and the bullpen has regressed to the point of being completely unreliable. Atlanta's Vince Yenkel has been a rough spot in the rotation.

Team on the Spot:

I'm going to say Atlanta. The team is in a good position to make the playoffs, but probably needs to make a trade or two to push them past Savannah. Will the normally stingy Jim Masters get something done, or is he content to let things play out?

First Half MVP:

Phillip Humber is working on another Cy Young season for Savannah and has been the stopper that this inconsistent team has needed.

Second Half Preview:

At this rate, the wildcard for the AL will be coming from the South, leaving at least one good team out of the playoffs. The storylines in the second half will be, "Can San Juan's young offense keep up the pace through the stretch?", "Will Savannah ever be totally healthy?", "What can the Flyer's add to put them over the top?" and "Is Baltimore close enough to catch up?"

Prospect to Watch:

A lot to choose from here, as Atlanta always has a ton of good prospects. I'll go another route, however, and offer up Zach Putnam. Baltimore GM Jose Gutierrez was criticized for selecting the Michigan left-hander #1 overall in 2014, and after a rough go at it in 2015, Putnam really put it together this season. Extremely impressive numbers.

Dylan's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*

Lars' Take

First Half Recap:

What the heck?  San Juan crushed everyone en route to a 4.5 game lead in the South.  Weren't they supposed to be fighting off Baltimore for third place this year?  Savannah's in second, everyone thought they'd be in the top 2 but look who has fallen to third - and the Flyers will need playoff money to afford re-signing any of Homer Bailey, Mark Prior or Carlos Zambrano. 

Biggest Surprises:

No question that Senadores closer Edwin Jackson is playing way over his head. Even if he was good before (he wasn't), he'd still be playing over his head with a sub-two ERA and a league-leading 15 saves. Baltimore swung a deal last season to get Ricardo Romero and he's paid off - he's their number 3 starter and is 4-4 but with a nice 3.53 ERA.

Biggest Disappointments:

Lance Broadway was signed at 9 million per season for the next three seasons.  Do you think GM Rich Vohs is regretting that one?  The Sabers watched Broadway give up 28 bombs in just 17 starts, and his ERA is ballooning up over 6.  Yikes. 

Team on the Spot:

Has to be Atlanta.  Have we really seen the last of the Flyers taking the South title?  Last year's second place followed 5 straight years of Atlanta winning their division.  Are they just going to let upstart San Juan win it this year?  Have they lost their competitive zeal?  Become too complacent?  Not putting in the hard work?  Resting on their laurels? 

First Half MVP:

Darren Lemming of Atlanta has played in all 88 games and has 1.071 OPS with 18 steals.  He hasn't grounded into a doubleplay yet this season. Will the Flyers put him in the rotation next year - he could probably do that too. 

Second Half Preview:

I think healthy teams have an advantage.  The Senadores players have been remarkably healthy so far and both Savannah and Atlanta are worse off right now.  This could be over by the end of August unless GM's Vohs and Jim Masters make a play. 

Prospect to Watch:

Baltimore reliever Daniel Cortes, and the beating GM Jose Gutierrez will allow him to take.  The rookie has a 5.19 ERA and is used frequently by Manager Eric Chavez.  Will they let this kid regain his confidence in AAA?

Bill's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*

Darin's Take

First Half Recap:

London leads the way in a top-heavy Euro Division thanks to the play of three high-powered rookies. Diego Clemente, Warren McFadden and James McNulty have combined for 40 HR and 150 RBI, complimenting a resurgent TJ Mackey and the underrated Jim Russell. Paris has a rookie superstar of their own in Ryne Robinson, headlining what may be the most competitive ROY race in SLB history. Paris' pitching rotation all have ERA's under 4.00, impressive. Ireland's Sabathia and Beckett are brilliant, but not enough to overcome a very weak offense. Scotland's GM Carmelo Guarneri doesn't really know what to do with his team, as reports of the team buying and selling alternate daily.

Biggest Surprises:

Jered Weaver has finally put forth a good season after failing to live up to his potential for several seasons. It's surprising that London can have the success it's had with three rookies in the lineup. Other than that, nothing unexpected on the positive side thus far.

Biggest Disappointments:

Once again (broken record) Ireland's offense is struggling. Not only have the promising youngsters (Johnson, May, Hickey) failed to develop further but veterans like Sean Burroughs have completely crapped the bed. Drew Stubbs and his .197 batting average is killing the top of the Rebels batting order.

Team on the Spot:

Scotland needs to decide what they're doing here. Rebuilding? Mounting a comeback? With the trade deadline looming, decisions need to be made.

First Half MVP:

How can you not love Diego Clemente? Since his freshman year at USC he's been billed as "the next A-Rod," and though he never dazzled in college, he has been all-world for the Knights.

Second Half Preview:

Barring a major injury or blockbuster deal, I think the division will shake out pretty much as we see it. Scotland should pass Ireland, but otherwise, the team to beat is London. 

Prospect to Watch:

Paris has a pair of young hitters in Peltz and Clay who are going to do some damage in the not too distant future. Look out for these kids.

Dylan's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*

Lars' Take

First Half Recap:

London's in first, no surprise there.  They've got 4 starters with ERA's under 4 and a lineup full of power and speed.  I thought Scotland would have played better than this but GM Carmelo Guarneri has already started selling.  Paris has played their way into Wildcard contention and yes, Ireland isn't last.  One analyst thought the Invaders would lose over 100 games this season (ahem, me, cough). 

Biggest Surprises:

The Invaders have the second best ERA in SLB at the break.  Those guys deserve a medal ... because it won't be enough to win enough to be relevant in the second half with that offense.  Did anyone think Pimpernel 3B Spaz Dinkman would be hitting .345 with an 1.105 OPS?  What does Paris feed these guys, anyway? 

Biggest Disappointments:

Scotland's CF Drew Stubbs hit .286 and .285 the past two seasons but is struggling this season (wait - struggling isn't the word .... how about, sucking? Sucking it is.) with a .197 batting average.  He's now watching rookie Aaron Newman get his AB's - and he's hit .192 so far. 

Team on the Spot:

Paris has to be in this to win this.  They're tied with Kyoto for the Wildcard spot and have no pressure in their own division to worry about.  Will they do enough to return to the playoffs after missing last year's by one game? 

First Half MVP:

Co-MVP's, I think.  Ireland's CC Sabathia and Josh Beckett are making 27.25M and deserving it, eating 267 innings with 2.21 and 2.87 ERA's, respectively. 

Second Half Preview:

I don't see a race here.  London isn't going to be caught by Paris and just has to hope they avoid a catastrophic injury on their way to the playoffs.  Ireland and Scotland will be sellers at the deadline. 

Prospect to Watch:

London 3B Diego Clemente is fun to watch.  The rookie bats second for the Knights and has a .916 OPS along with his 22 SB's. 

Bill's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*

Darin's Take

First Half Recap:

After a topsy-turvy first six weeks, the Far East has settled in as expected. The Kwaan are destroying everyone (including 25 wins against the AL) thanks to an MVP caliber season from Thurman Murman and terrific starting pitching. Pitching has kept the Bushido's heads above water, and 47 first half doubles form rookie Ed See have helped as well. Osaka has become increasingly predictable, hitting a thousand HR's but pitching like crap. Taipei, well, what can you say? They brought in some veteran pitchers, but the kids have teaken steps backward.

Biggest Surprises:

Ed See is playing out of position for Kyoto, but he's hitting like mad. And, um....yeah.

Biggest Disappointments:

More injuries in Osaka have limited the team's strength, and lack of leadoff hitting has made for a lot of solo HR's. Taipei's Tom Maple and Dan Posedel have leveled off, leaving too much burden on Antonio Mule. Poor run support has hampered great years by Roy Oswalt and Hank Daniels.

Team on the Spot:

Kyoto has the best pitching in the league? How long can that last? Despite outscoring their opponents by about 60 runs so far, you just have the feeling that the team needs one more bat to make any noise in the second half.

First Half MVP:

Thurman Murman leads his team with 70+ RBI, impressive, especially from behind the plate. The Kwaan have leaned heavily on him to produce, and thus far, he hasn't disappointed.

Second Half Preview:

Looks like Chiang-Mai is going to run away with this thing, so it's up to Kyoto to try to keep up in the wildcard race. Osaka is a mess and Taipei doesn't like winning, so, if anything, it's a two team race. Most think the division race is already in the books.

Prospect to Watch:

Not to be a homer, but Jordan Auerbach on Kyoto is really lighting up all levels of minor league ball. His fastball tops out at 99mph, and if his pitches improve, he could be a very cheap replacement for Kelvim Escobar.

Dylan's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*

Lars' Take

First Half Recap:

Okay, this one is going a little more like I thought it would.  The Ronin have injury problems (gee, who knew?) and remember this?  "Osaka was 29-32 in one-run games last season and very well could be worse in that category this year."  They are 8-16 so far with 5 relievers putting up a 5.03 ERA or worse with the fewest number of saves in SLB.  Chiang-Mai is comfortably in front and has started printing playoff tickets. 

Biggest Surprises:

Barry Zito must love Thai food.  He's got a 3.21 ERA (4.23 career) as the 5th starter for the Kwaan.

Biggest Disappointments:

For his career?  How about Kwaan 2B Cap Jackson?  This guy has been a total bust and was hitting just .240 before breaking a vertebrae last week.  What a train wreck.  Bushido 2B Chase Utley is playing well below his career level and it looks like the 36 year-old might be done.  He's down to .277 with just 7 HR but enjoys cashing those checks - and he's due 4.25M next year as well.

Team on the Spot:

Chiang-Mai can run away with it and set records .... or will they start resting some regulars?  How confident is GM Ben Royer with a 6.5 game lead already?  Last season saw the Kwaan get hurt when regulars were playing with the season already decided. 

First Half MVP:

Kelvim Escobar is doing yeoman's work in pulling his Bushido squad into the playoff picture.  He doesn't always get the W, but he leads his team in IP, ERA and is stingy with his homeruns allowed (10) and walks (only 18).

Second Half Preview:

Another division that looks set.  Taipei would like to have their second, non-last, finish and the Osaka disaster might just let them.  Kyoto might have to trade for a bat or 3 to have a chance at any postseason success.

Prospect to Watch:

Osaka had rookie Dwight Schrute in the closer spot and he didn't last long.  But the demotion to a setup role isn't going to do any wonders for the Ronin 'pen either.  In his 27 IP, Schrute has a 7.43 ERA and almost as many walks (20) as strikeouts (22).  In just 25 appearances, this poor bastard has given up 10 bombs. 

Bill's Take

First Half Recap:

*

Biggest Surprises:

*

Biggest Disappointments:

*

Team on the Spot:

*

First Half MVP:

*

Second Half Preview:

*

Prospect to Watch:

*