RFF Power Rankings: Week 1

It’s early, but we’ve got to start somewhere. Without further adieu, here’s the first installment of the 2012 Right Field Fog Power Rankings.

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	THE SKINNY
1	Harwich Mariners	4-2	This is kind of a gut feeling pick. Statistically speaking, Harwich is in the middle of the pack, ranking fifth in team batting average and sixth in ERA. But in the standout stats, nobody’s been better. Phil Ervin has been the league’s most productive hitter and has powered an offense that leads the league in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS and is tied for the lead in extra-base hits. On the mound, Harwich leads the league in strikeouts and has the second-lowest opponents’ batting average. The team’s only losses have been to Orleans and Falmouth, the next two teams on this list.
2	Orleans Firebirds	5-1	The team that sits atop the actual standings is a pretty close second here, because you just can’t ignore a 5-1 start. The team’s first five games were all decided by one run, so there hasn’t been much separation, but the Firebirds have found a way to win nearly every time. Orleans has the league’s third-best ERA and a dominant closer in Trevor Gott. The team batting average is .198 though the Firebirds have shown a knack for getting the big hit.
3	Falmouth Commodores	4-2	Falmouth doesn’t have the eye-popping numbers of Harwich but has been more balanced overall thus far. The Commodores rank fourth in the league in batting average and second in ERA. They’ve won three in a row and have beaten three teams that look like contenders in the East.
4	Y-D Red Sox	3-3	The Red Sox lost to Chatham 9-2, but they get the edge in these rankings because they’ve been just as balanced as Falmouth. The Red Sox lead the league with a .280 batting average and they have six players hitting over .300. The pitching staff ranks fourth in the league with a 2.63 ERA and sits second in strikeouts.
5	Chatham Anglers	4-2	These last two spots really could have gone either way, and Chatham certainly has a case for fourth with its lopsided victory over the Red Sox. Overall, though, the Anglers are still trying to put everything together. While they rank fifth in ERA at 2.83, they’re hitting only .211. The upside for the Anglers is that there probably won’t be a huge amount of roster shuffling. They’ve got their squad.
6	Cotuit Kettleers	3-3	Cotuit has had an odd first week. The Kettleers lead the league in ERA and rank third in team batting average, yet they’ve been blown out by Wareham and have gotten two of their wins against winless Hyannis. There’s no doubting the pitching, but the offense — despite the high batting average — has only seven extra-base hits and ranks eighth in RBI.
7	Wareham Gatemen	3-3	If the Gatemen can get their pitching in order, they may shoot up these rankings. The team ranks second in the league in batting average, first in runs by a wide margin and second in OPS. The pitching has had its struggles, with the Gatemen sporting a league-worst 4.99 ERA.
8	Bourne Braves	2-4	Bourne has had a rough go of it, but outside of an 11-3 loss to Falmouth, the Braves have been in every game. Their overall pitching numbers should improve, because right now, the Braves have given up the fewest hits in the league while allowing the third-most runs. That can’t keep up. The offense needs to get going.
9	Brewster Whitecaps	2-4	The Whitecaps rank ninth in ERA but they’ve hit the ball fairly well. They out-slugged a slugging Wareham team 13-9 and have also beaten first place Orleans. They’ve gotten three strong starts on the mound but haven’t been consistent there.
10	Hyannis Harbor Hawks	0-6	The best team in last year’s regular season has gotten off to a rough start this year, but I think the Harbor Hawks are better than the first week’s results would indicate. While their offense has struggled to a .188 batting average and 10 runs, both the lowest in the league, their pitching has been good enough to win. It just hasn’t happened yet. The team has lost three one-run games and a pair of two-run games.