Four teams were considered for the top spot in the second edition of the power rankings, and you could make a case for or against all of them. The Kettleers held pretty steady after a great first week and seem to have the fewest chinks in the armor.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | THE SKINNY | |
| 1 |  |
Cotuit Kettleers | The Kettleers checked in at No. 2 on this list last week, behind only Chatham. With the Anglers hitting the skids, Cotuit edges its way to the top. It wasn’t a great week for the Kettleers, who went 2-3 – and lost to both Harwich and Chatham – but they beat Hyannis and continued to flash the steady play they’ve shown all season. They rank second in the league in hitting and have the fifth-best team ERA. Mike Ford continues to rake, high-upside outfielder Rhett Wiseman is heating up and two Cotuit starters have ERA’s under one. | |
| 2 |  |
Harwich Mariners | The Mariners were in the meat of the curve last week but promptly went 5-1 and jumped to the top of the East division standings. They lead the league in ERA and their starting pitching has been tremendous. The only thing keeping them from the top of the rankings is a consistent offense. Despite having the league’s leading hitter in Aaron Barbosa, the Mariners are hitting only .226, ninth in the league. With the bats they have in the fold, though, there’s nowhere to go but up. | |
| 3 |  |
Chatham Anglers | This time last week, Chatham was 6-1 and riding high. A 1-3-1 week has dropped them back to the pack, but the Anglers did finish the week better than they started it. After a 1-0 loss and a 6-1 loss, they lost in the late-innings to Orleans, beat Cotuit and tied Y-D. With Andrew McGee at the top of the rotation and the offense looking pretty consistent, I think the Anglers are poised to stay in the top half of the league all summer. | |
| 4 |  |
Hyannis Harbor Hawks | The Harbor Hawks were way down the list last week after a couple of brutal games, but they’ve since caught fire, winning five of six and sprinting to the best record in the league. The knock is that they’re not hitting that well – their .218 average is worst in the league – and they’re winning by the skin of their teeth. Six of eight wins have been by one run. The flip side of that is the Harbor Hawks might just be the kind of team that finds a way to win more often than not. | |
| 5 |  |
Falmouth Commodores | The Commodores were hot this week, too, going 4-1 to jump into third place in the West. Their only loss on the week was to division-leading Hyannis. As was the case last week, you can easily envision the Commodores being higher on this list, based on their numbers. Rhys Hoskins is probably the early MVP favorite and the pitching staff leads the league in strikeouts. | |
| 6 |  |
Orleans Firebirds | The Firebirds went 3-3 in week one and 3-3 again in week two, so it’s hard to put them anywhere but right in the middle. Orleans leads the league in home runs, and the middle of the order has been dynamic. Pitching has been a little more up-and-down, with the Firebirds holding a 3.51 team ERA. | |
| 7 |  |
Bourne Braves | Bourne has been very streaky thus far, following up a five-game winning streak with a three-game losing skid. The pitching staff has been great, with the league’s second-best ERA, and there’s potential for it to get better with the starting rotation looking as deep as any in the league. The Braves still need more production from the offense, though. They have just 13 extra-base hits. | |
| 8 |  |
Y-D Red Sox | Y-D leads the league in hitting, but pitching has been a pretty serious struggle. The Red Sox have a league-worst 5.85 ERA and gave up a combined 40 runs in one three-game stretch this week. They do have an ace in Erick Fedde, but until the rest of the staff settles in, it’s going to be an adventure. The Red Sox can certainly hit, though, with recent addition D.J. Stewart buttressing an already strong lineup. | |
| 9 |  |
Brewster Whitecaps | The Whitecaps have had their struggles, but a slugfest win over Y-D and a victory over Wareham push them out of the basement. They’ve shown the ability to score some runs. | |
| 10 |  |
Wareham Gatemen | It’s been a very tough go for the reigning champs, who are struggling to keep their heads above water while waiting for some reinforcements. The Gatemen went 1-5 for the second straight week and have the league’s worst record. The pitching staff ranks eighth in ERA. On the offensive side, the Gatemen have a better team batting average than two teams but continue to show very little pop. The Gatemen have only seven extra-base hits in 12 games. |