Harwich is back on top in the latest edition of the RFF Power Rankings, but Y-D and Cotuit are hot on the heels of the defending champion Mariners.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | THE SKINNY | |
| 1 |  |
Harwich Mariners | It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Mariners, who finally hit a losing streak two weeks ago and have apparently lost stars Austin Wilson and Grant Gordon for the summer. Despite all that, the Mariners went 4-1 this past week and reasserted all the strengths that had them in the top spot until last week. Harwich hit nine home runs and scored 35 runs in five games. On the other side, the starting pitching — which had struggled in the losing streak — was back on track as the Mariners got at least five strong innings from all their starters. As far as the rankings go, it didn’t hurt that Y-D cooled off. | |
| 2 |  |
Y-D Red Sox | From No. 1 last week, the Red Sox drop to No. 2 and are just barely holding off Cotuit. Y-D went 3-4 this week after a 4-0 stretch the week before. Still, the Red Sox did a lot of the same good things they’ve been doing all year. They scored 42 runs in the seven games, but just happened to lose two of them by one run. The other edge Y-D has on Cotuit is starting pitching. The Red Sox got five solid starts, including a complete-game shutout from Andrew Thurman. | |
| 3 |  |
Cotuit Kettleers | Nobody had a better week than the Kettleers, who went 5-0 and seized complete control of the West. They’re now up by five games, having won 12 of their last 14. Cotuit now ranks second in the league in hitting and second in on-base percentage. As mentioned above, though, the one concern is starting pitching. In the five wins, only one starter went five innings. The bullpen was outstanding, with a 1.12 ERA on the week, but that unit will have to carry a lot of the weight if this keeps up. | |
| 4 |  |
Orleans Firebirds | The Firebirds are still treading water a bit, going 3-4 for the week, but as long as the pitching holds up and the bats don’t go ice cold, that kind of week is probably going to be the baseline from here on out. In other words, Orleans looks solid. The Firebirds lead the league in ERA. On the other side, they’ve scored the fifth-most runs despite a .250 batting average. | |
| 5 |  |
Wareham Gatemen | Pitching struggles have kept the Gatemen from putting it all together this season. I wouldn’t say the struggles are behind them quite yet, but the Gatemen arms did enough this week to make me vault them up from seventh. While they allowed six runs in their two losses, the Gatemen got solid performances all around in three wins, giving up a total of eight earned runs in those games. The offense continues to be dangerous, with Mott Hyde catching fire and the middle of the order still mashing. | |
| 6 |  |
Chatham Anglers | After a 4-1 week, Chatham slipped back down and went 2-5 this past week, which included a four-game skid. Though I’m still not entirely sure how they keep their heads above water, the Anglers salvaged two wins, are still at .500 and they have a better record than six teams in the league. The team’s 3.67 ERA — second-best in the league — certainly helps the cause. | |
| 7 |  |
Falmouth Commodores | The Commodores went 0-5 for the week and have lost eight in a row. When you look more closely at their schedule, you realize they just can’t catch a break. They got two great pitching performances from Trey Masek and John Simms — but they were going up against Sean Manaea and Andrew Thurman, and Falmouth lost both those games. Two of the other losses were by a single run. The Commodores have struggled with the bats, but they still rank third in the league in ERA. Somewhere in there is the team that was second in these rankings not too long ago. | |
| 8 |  |
Hyannis Harbor Hawks | Hyannis has been in the nine or 10 spot all summer, but a 4-2 week and some more good pitching has them moving up. Sean Manaea was dominant again while making two starts on the week, and Jeff Hoffman and David Garner were solid again. I like the offense more and more, with Dominic Jose and Brett Michael Doran heating up. | |
| 9 |  |
Bourne Braves | Bourne also moves up a spot thanks to a 4-2 week that included a four-game winning streak. While the pitching is still a concern, the Braves got some solid performances. And you just can’t count out an offense that features Colin Moran and Mason Robbins. | |
| 10 |  |
Brewster Whitecaps | Brewster went 1-4 on the week and has fallen eight points out of the last playoff spot. The Whitecaps hit well but they don’t have the most productive offense. On the other side, the team ERA has ballooned to a league-worst 4.92. |
They may be ranked eighth but I wouldn’t want to draw Hyannis in the playoffs.
Yep. If you face Manaea, you’re pretty much in a one-game hole right off the bat.