Gators slugging their way to the top
Through the first four blocks of the season, Aaron Judge has a whopping 39 home runs and 94 RBIs for the Gators. And he ranks a distant second on the squad in both categories. DH Brent Rooker--the 77th pick in the 2024 draft, after being out of the league for two years because he sucked too much to be rostered--has blasted 52 homers and driven in 125 runs through 108 games. That's a dinger every 8.02 at-bats.
In all, the Goldenrod lineup boasts eight players in double figures in home runs, including 1B Matt Olson (28) and OF Joc Pederson (26), and has left the yard 240 times. That is some serious pop. While a friendly home park helps lift those numbers, the Gators have clubbed 110 homers on the road, so their muscle travels well.
At 78-30 (.722), the Gators are sitting on a comfy 16-game lead heading into August, and could clinch the division well before Labor Day. A year ago at this juncture, Goldenrod was 76-32, two games back of its 2025 pace. Following a second-round playoff exit, manager John Lamanna will certainly not be satisfied with a dominant regular season.
Play ball
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Scrub a dub
The fifth annual scrub draft is complete. From Austin Barnes to Ross Stripling, pitching staffs and benches were rounded out in what has become a beloved (loathed?) league tradition. Click here to see the full list. And here is the list of complete losers who didn't get taken.
If you're feeling nostalgic, here's a look back on the first four scrub drafts:
Skenes kicks off 2025 draft
Pirates phenom Paul Skenes can add MMDA No. 1 pick to his honors list, after the Cape Cod Breakers called his name to kick off the 2025 draft. He was followed by a pair of Jacksons, as outfielders Chourio and Merrill went next to the Whiskey Jacks and Vikings, respectively. Coming into draft day, that trio was viewed as the likely top three picks in some order.
With the fourth pick, the New Orleans Wild Hogs took Dodgers righthander Yoshinobu Yamamoto from a deep pool of about half a dozen contenders for next man up. Gone in quick procession were hitters Jackson Holliday, Junior Caminero, Wyatt Langford, and James Wood, followed by three promising starting pitchers in Jackson Jobe, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Jared Jones.
The draft class, while loaded with top-end talent, was not as deep as 2024 and 2023, which stands out as an almost generationally stacked draft. The changing roster rules and norms in MLB seem to be providing more rookies with lots of at-bats as some incentives for manipulating service time to stave off arbitration have been eliminated. On the other hand, with just two additional roster spots open in September, there are fewer late season callups. Then again, if Strat is handing out cards to pitchers with a handful of innings to their name (Jobe, Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez, who went to the Hooded Crows in the sixth round), maybe that won't be much of a factor going forward.
We will be conducting a scrub draft from the chaff that remains. Participation is optional. More to come soon.
2025 draft order set
With the MMDA World Series all wrapped up (congrats again, Bret!), the 2025 draft order is now set. Having won the draft lottery, the Cape Cod Breakers will kick things off. And thanks to the deal they completed with the Bluejays back in February for Xander Bogaerts, they will also be picking 5th overall, giving them two of the top five selections. The Vikings (3rd and 7th), Whiskey Jacks (2nd and 9th), and Vipers (6th and 10th) will also be picking twice in the first 10 picks.
For a complete listing, see the draft order. And here is the list of eligible players.
Mustangs defend their title
Last year, they were longshots. This year, they entered October with a crown to defend. Despite opening as the 7-seed, the Murrieta Mustangs were no easy out. They exploded for eight or more runs five times in their first-round series against the No. 2 Drivers, outmuscling Death Valley in seven games.
In the Championship Series, the 'stangs were again pushed to seven games in a back-and-forth matchup against division rival Northwest. After falling behind three games to two, Murrieta rallied to take the last two against the Stars to return to the MMDA World Series. The finals were delayed slightly while Little Rock skipper Mike Renick was on a scouting trip in Europe, prepping for the 2025 draft. True to form, the battle lasted the full seven games, with the Mustangs rallying to once more win the final two games to capture the flag.
Yordan Alvarez hit .383 with 10 homers and 19 RBIs in 21 games to pace the Murrieta offense, though he had plenty of help, as the team slashed .287/.357/.525 over three series. Must be nice having run support like that. Congrats, Bret!
Round 1
- Mustangs 4, Drivers 3
- Gators 4, Hooded Crows 2
- Scorpions 4, Huskies 2
- Stars 4, Lions 3
Round 2
- Mustangs 4, Stars 3
- Scorpions 4, Gators 3
World Series
Gators running away with it
Four blocks in, the Goldenrod Gators are the class of the league. With a 76-32 record, they are 12 games better than the next best club, the Death Valley Drivers, and own a 15-game lead over the Williamsport Crosscutters in the Fidrych Division. First baseman Matt Olson and outfielder Aaron Judge are leading the offensive attack with 40 and 34 homers, respectively. Olson's 112 RBIs are a staggering 28 better than the next closest batter, Shohei Ohtani. George Kirby is the class of the rotation with an 11-2 record and a 3.34 ERA through 22 starts, though he doesn't own the best record on the team. That honor belongs to southpaw Cole Ragans, who has gone 14-1 working exclusively out of the bullpen.
After Elly, draft turns unpredictable
The 2024 draft will go down in the books as one of the most unpredictable affairs in recent league memory. While Elly de la Cruz emerged as the likely No. 1 overall pick when he exploded onto the scene by hitting .325/.363/.524 in his first 30 games, his .191/.272/.355 second half hardly cemented his place. In the end, his awe-inspiring exit velocities and dazzling tools won out, and the Flying Dutchmen popped him with the first pick.
And then things got crazy, as the Vikings opted for card value at No. 2, selecting 26-year-old Dodger outfielder James Outman, shrugging off his 31.9% strikeout rate and betting on a repeat of his 23-HR rookie performance.
Next up came three more infielders, with shortstop Anthony Volpe, second baseman Zack Gelof, and third baseman Royce Lewis going with picks 3-5. Righthander Tanner Bibee, who posted a strong rookie campaign, was the top pitcher taken at No. 6, and the only hurler chosen in the first eight picks before top young arms Eury Perez, Grayson Rodriguez, and Bobby Miller went back-to-back-to-back to begin evening out the ratio. In total, six pitchers were selected in the first round, all starters. Another seven went in the second, including six in a row from picks 27-32.
For a complete rundown, see the draft results.
Good health to all: League votes out injuries
Over the years, we have voted on proposals to eliminate injuries during either the regular season or the playoffs on numerous occasions. The idea never had enough support to pass--until now. With two-thirds of the league in favor, the proposal to eliminate injuries passed. Also passing, a proposal to require relief pitcher to face a minimum of three batters or complete the inning in which they entered the game, a rule adopted by MLB a few years back.
The league wasn't just rubber-stamping everything, however, as a vast majority of managers voted against a proposal to add computer-only cards to the draft pool. And we had a clarification approved in a three-way rule proposal about when starting pitchers could be pulled from a game, with two-thirds of those voting choosing to allow managers to pull a starter whenever they want, regardless of game situation and score.
These changes mark the first time a rule proposal has passed since 2019. The Constitution has been updated to reflect the changes.