Welcome to our third attempt to rank the Valley League teams from strongest to…. not strongest.

Stats: Team record, runs scored-runs allowed, batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage, team ERA, walks/strikeouts and innings pitched, last week’s ranking, and then something about the team that seems important.

By the way, the entire league’s slashline so far is .241/.358/.336, and league ERA is 4.34.

Please remember that this is just one guy’s opinion. Feel free to disagree.

The Cream of the Crop

  1. Woodstock: 10-6, 95-61 (RS-RA), .251/.352/.328, 3.43, 62/126 in 139 IP, last week: #1. The Bandits stay at the top for another week. Miami’s Renzo Gonzalez has really given the Woodstock offense a boost since he arrived five games ago.
  2. Waynesboro: 11-7, 101-80, .263/.395/.390, 3.49, 73/160 in 149 IP, #5 last week. The week’s biggest riser, the Generals lead the entire league in runs scored and all three rate hitting stats- batting average, on-base, and slugging percentages. Is it whoever is yelling “BARRELS!” from the Waynesboro dugout? (Who is that guy, anyway?) Or just that the team has a deep lineup that will take a walk? The team will miss Victor Castillo, though.
  3. Harrisonburg: 10-7, 87-70, .223/.351/.332, 3.03, 70/102 in 143 IP, #2 last week. The Turks lead the league in team ERA by a huge margin, yet have interestingly struck out the fewest batters, too. Seaver King, besides having a plus-plus name, is really smooth and fun to watch at shortstop.
  4. Strasburg: 11-6, 90-77, .249/.364/.327, 3.80, 74/166 in 142 IP, #4 last week. Jonah Cox leads the league with 15 stolen bases, and Layton DeLoach has four wins in relief- 36% of the team’s wins.

The Middle

5. Charlottesville: 9-6, 89-83, .219/.348/.319, 5.08, 86/137 in 128 IP, #6 last week. Matthew Prevesk has given the lineup some juice, but the team as a whole could definitely slug more. Tyler McLoughlin has a win and two saves in relief.

6. New Market: 8-8, 93-82, .242/.367/.326, 4.48, 70/139 in 127 IP, last week #3. New Market falls three spots, but still has a positive run differential. Khi Holiday is second in the league in both stolen bases and runs scored, and fifth in walks (pictured- PC Michael Terndrup).

7. Winchester: 8-9, 77-75, .239/.348/.346, 3.83, 77/145 in 127 IP, last week #7. The Royals stay put, even after losing Will Marcy for a few games. According to one metric, Jake Cohen is the best pitcher in all of summer baseball!

8. Purcellville: 6-10, 84-96, .242/.352/.346, 4.21, 85/166 in 135 IP, last week #8. The starting triumvirate of Rocco Reid, Joe Vogatsky and Agyei Quinichett have a real chance to be the best in the league.

Work to Do

9. Covington: 5-10, 66-87, .242/.332/.331, 4.75, 79/121 in 127 IP, last week #9. Gavin Baird leads the league in batting average, and Matthew Pavelchak has definitely helped the offense.

10. Staunton: 6-11, 91-119, .240/.353/.326, 5.96, 113/136 in 139 IP, last week #11. Joe Delossantos is still the story here on offense (leads the league in home runs and RBIs, fourth in batting average), and Miles Hellums’s four straight scoreless outings in the bullpen is the story for the pitching.

11. Front Royal: 6-10, 73-116, .235/.366/.311, 5.87, 83/137 in 133 IP, last week #10. Trent Jeffcoat is hitting .313 and Jo Jo Jackson is at .393 with five extra base hits.