Welcome to our (my) fourth attempt to rank the Valley League teams! This is silly, of course, but it’s kind of fun, too. Please remember that this is just one guy’s opinion. Feel free to disagree.

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 .245/.355/.341, and league ERA is 4.36.

The Cream of the Crop

  1. Waynesboro: 16-7, 147-102 (RS-RA), .278/.403/.421, 3.63, 87/195 in 189 innings, #2 last week. The Generals take over the top spot. The team has won seven straight games and 10 of 11, and while the pitching is doing fine, even more than fine, the hitting is blowing away the rest of the league. The team leads the league in all three rate stats, runs, doubles, home runs… even stolen bases! Matt Cedarburg (Southern Miss), Joseph Sullivan (South Alabama), and TJ Clarkson (Utah) lead the offense, and Matt Ruiz (South Florida) was just named hitter of the week.
  2. Woodstock: 13-9, 121-81, .250/.340/.324, 3.22, 81/172 in 190 IP, #1. Renzo Gonzalez is on a current ten-game hitting streak, but it’s the pitching carrying this team. Stephen Pena (Eastfield) still hasn’t given up a run out of the bullpen, and Kelan Hoover (Garrett), Tyler Wilkinson (West Virginia Tech), Ryan Bradarich (Nova Southeastern), and Christian Gordon (State College of Florida) are one of the best rotations in the league.
  3. New Market: 14-10, 130-105, .233/.348/.311, 3.84, 95/198 in 190 IP, #6. Moving up three spots, New Market’s Bryce Fowler (Southern Mississippi) is doing a little bit of everything for his team, while Mason Moore (Kentucky) and Erik Johnson (Mt. Olive) lead the staff, which has not allowed a run in 26 straight innings (thanks Dennis).
  4. Strasburg: 14-9, 127-111, .247/.369/.328, 3.83, 104/227 in 195 IP, #4. With movement all around them, the Express stays put. Tommy Tavarez (Pitt) and Zane Denton (Tennessee) reshape the left side of the infield, and Layton DeLoach (St Johns River State) has a ridiculous five wins in eight relief appearances!

The Middle

5. Harrisonburg: 11-10, 109-94, .231/.353/.341, 3.33, 85/131 in 178 IP, #3. The Turks own the second best ERA in the league, and Seaver King (Wingate) continues to hit well and play a silky smooth shortstop.

6. Winchester: 10-11, 113-111, .262/.360/.397, 4.19, 95/173 BB/K in 161 IP, #7. Royals move up one spot, in no large part because Will Marcy (NC State) is hitting .413 with power. He also has an 11-game hitting streak. (He’s just short of at-bats to be eligible for the list of league leaders, but he’ll be there soon.)

7. Covington: 10-11, 97-104, .255/.342/.354, 4.09, 94/159 BB/K in 174 IP, #9. Gavin Baird (Eastern Kentucky) just keeps slashing line drives all over the field- he leads the league with a .393 batting average, and has a 17-game on-base streak.

8. Charlottesville: 10-9, 98-98, .220/.341/.311, 4.82, 107/173 BB/K in 161 IP, #5. Cole Wagner (Georgia) leads the offense; Tyler McLoughlin (Emory) has a win and two saves in his five appearances on the mound.

Work to Do

9. Purcellville: 8-14, 111-140, .247/.347/.341, 4.78, 108/209 BB/K in 183 IP, #8. Cullen Horowicz (Army) is tied for the league lead in home runs; the staff, led by Tyler Muscar (JMU), has many more strikeouts than innings.

10. Staunton: 7-16, 116-158, .236/.342/.317, 6.00, 139/176 BB/K in 186 IP, #10. Miles Hellums (San Jacinto) is one of the best relievers in the league.

11. Front Royal: 8-15, 111-176, .237/.358/.309, 6.33, 118/186 BB/K in 186 IP, #11. Really a toss-up between Staunton and Front Royal… Jack Cossa (Alvernia) and Bryce Fisher (UNC Asheville) lead the starting rotation. (Cossa grew up literally less than two miles from my childhood home, by the way.)