RFF Power Rankings: Week 2

We’re back for more power rankings after the second week of the season. Some changes at the bottom, but the two teams at the top did nothing but solidify their spots.

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	THE SKINNY
1	Harwich Mariners	9-2	The Mariners are one game behind Orleans heading into tonight’s match-up with the Firebirds, but statistically, they’ve been really impressive. This time last week, it was a quick start. Now, after hitting 13 home runs in the last five games, it’s looking like Harwich may be the most powerful team we’ve seen on the Cape in quite some time. Harwich also leads the league in slugging and on-base percentage while ranking second in batting average. On the mound, the Mariners rank second in team ERA and second in strikeouts. That makes for a pretty complete team.
2	Orleans Firebirds	10-1	Orleans was in this spot last week because it had a penchant for winning close games. The winning has continued in the last seven days, but the close games haven’t. The Firebirds have blown people away, winning their last five by a combined score of 43-15. The Firebirds lead the league in ERA and have upped their batting average to .252, .54 points higher than last week. Their bullpen has been lights-out, having allowed nine earned runs in 54.1 innings for an ERA of 1.50.
3	Falmouth Commodores	6-5	The Commodores didn’t have a great week, losing three in a row at one point and getting crushed by Orleans 14-0. But the Commodores still look like the best team in the West, and statistically, they’re in the ballpark of the league’s best. Falmouth ranks third in batting average and second in home runs. On the pitching side, they rank fifth in ERA.
4	Chatham Anglers	6-4	Y-D still has the better statistical profile, but Chatham gets the nod here because it now owns a pair of 9-2 victories over the Red Sox. The Anglers had one of those victories in week one and pulled off the same feat in week two. Chatham now ranks fourth in team ERA. The offense has lagged behind with a .225 team average, but the Anglers still managed to score nine runs twice in their last four games.
5	Y-D Red Sox	5-6	Despite a 2-3 week, the Red Sox almost held onto the fourth spot. They’ve pitched and hit as well as anybody in the league and two of the three losses this week were to the Harwich buzzsaw. The Red Sox lead the league in batting average and rank third in ERA. It seems like they just haven’t put everything together yet.
6	Cotuit Kettleers	5-6	It’s hard to separate Cotuit and Wareham right now so they stay in sixth and seventh for the second week in a row. Both went 2-3 this week and are no 5-6 on the year. Cotuit has been in the middle of the pack in both average and ERA. Its three losses this week were to the top three teams in these rankings.
7	Wareham Gatemen	5-6	The Gatemen may be trending in the right direction after a 9-1 last night, but the two nights before, Wareham lost by a combined scored of 19-1. Pitching has still been an issue, as the team ERA is over five. The offense has shown potential, with the Gatemen ranking fourth in the league in hits.
8	Brewster Whitecaps	5-6	Brewster had a rough start to the week but has since won three in a row. The team ERA is the worst in the league, but the offense is coming around. And the Whitecaps are still the only team that’s beaten Orleans.
9	Bourne Braves	2-8	The Braves have still hung around in most of their games, but they went 0-4 for the week, finishing it with a 9-1 loss to Wareham. Bourne has the second-lowest team batting average in the league and the third-highest ERA.
10	Hyannis Harbor Hawks	1-10	The Harbor Hawks got into the win column this week but still haven’t hit their stride. The offense continues to struggle, with the lowest batting average in the league. On the bright side, Hyannis pushed first-place Orleans to 14 innings last night.