State Farm Weekly Recap: Grapes Making Late Push for Playoffs

Just 14 days remain in the 2024 Roger Dorn Baseball League Regular Season as the battle for the six coveted Playoff spots has never been hotter. The East Bay Division looks as but wrapped up as the Alamo Short Stacks are closing in on their fifth Division Title, eighth Cash Finish and potentially third Regular Season Title, all RDBL Record marks.

The Peninsula Division is hotly contested between the Lake Merced Goutfish and Maltese Falcons with the clubs separated by just 10.5 points entering play Monday. The Masters Division is also up in the air with the Spokane Fightin' Fish currently holding 48.0 point margin on the Honolulu Hammerheads who are looking to clinch their third Playoff berth in Franchise History.

Team of the Week: Asti Grape Stompers, 399.0 Points

97-324, 324 AB, 18 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 56 RBI, 47 R, 10 SB, 31 BB, 2 CS, HP, 2 SF46 INN, 37 HA, 11 BBI, 40 K, 14 ER, W, 2 L, 4 S, 4 HB, 4 HD

The Grapes filled up the stat sheet in Period 21, leading the with 252.0 hitting points while slashing .299/.360/.500 in addition to a strong 2.74 ERA on the mound over 46.0 innings.  It was certainly a group effort on offense with seven different hitters posting 20 or more points over the Period while Framber Valdez’s 39.0 point effort drove the pitching staff.  The Grapes enter Period 22 160.5 points out of the final Wild Card spot with two weeks remaining.

Hitter of the Week: OF Yordan Alvarez (Goutfish), 44.5 Points

9-for-21, 2B, 5 HR, 7 BB

The countdown for Yordan Alvarez’s contract expiration is on across the RDBL with the Lake Merced Goutfish in pursuit of a second consecutive Championship while under the league’s best contract.  Alvarez mashed yet again in Period 21 with six extra base hits while pacing the RDBL with 44.5 points.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Albert Suarez (Oppo Tacos), 55.0 Points

11 2/3 IP, 6 HA, 0 ER, 11 K, 3 BB

Suarez rode a pair of strong starts in Period 21 to lower his season ERA to 3.39, filling in for the injured Grayson Rodriguez in the Orioles rotation.  The Tacos posted a respectable 284.0 points as they look to get out of the cellar before the end of the RDBL Regular Season. 

Prospect of the Week: OF Jackson Merrill (Fringe), 40.0 Points

10-for-24, 4 HR, 2B, 3B, 3 BB

Merrill has flown under the radar in 2024, only recently emerging as a true threat to Paul Skenes for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.  The shortstop turned outfielder is slashing .291/.323/.483 playing his Rookie campaign at just 21 years old and looks to have an outstanding future ahead for the Fringe.

Life Insurance Player of the Week: RHP Hayden Birdsong (Fringe) -34.0 Points

6 1/3 IP, 10 H, 12 ER

Things were looking up for the San Francisco Giants young right-hander before hitting a large speedbump in Period 21.  With the Fringe closing in on Playoff contention entering the Period, Birdsong was part of a club rotation that posted a 6.86 ERA and 1.70 WHIP for just 7.0 pitching points in the Period.

State Farm Weekly Recap: Stacks Surge Into RDBL Lead

Three Periods remain in a thrilling 2024 Roger Dorn Baseball League season with nine teams realistically in view of a Playoff spot. The Regular Season Title is down to three Franchises, with the Alamo Short Stacks seeking their third, Lake Merced Goutfish seeking their second and Maltese Falcons seeking their first Regular Season pennant.

Here's the latest over the last week of play around the Roger Dorn Baseball League.

Team of the Week: Alamo Short Stacks, 342.0 Points

87-292, 292 AB, 20 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 37 RBI, 58 R, 8 SB, 36 BB, CS, 3 HP

52.2 INN, 51 HA, 10 BBI, 58 K, 30 ER, 3 W, 6 L, 2 S, HB

The Stacks have leveraged the league's top pitching staff into a Division lead, but it was the offense in Period 21 that pushed the club to the top of the RDBL Standings. The group slashed .298/.381/.545 with a league-high 16 home runs and 20 doubles. While they produced a rough 5.13 ERA on the mound, it came with a league-high 52 2/3 innings pitched over the Period.

Hitter of the Week: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (Stacks), 54.0 Points

15-28, 7 2B, 3 HR, 4 BB, CS, HBP

It was a red-hot week for the former RDBL Hitter of the Year Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. who exploded on Monday with 26.5 points in a doubleheader while producing 54.0 points on the week. Guerrero now ranks 7th in overall scoring while leading all first basemen.

Pitcher of the Week: Blake Snell (Goutfish), 51.0 Points

9.0 IP, 0 H, 11 K, 3 BB

What a ride it has been for Snell in 2024 as the left-hander was stuck between benchings and IL stints before ripping off 25, 40, 18, 30 and 51 point starts since returning from the IL in early July. Snell's run was capped by his no-hitter at Cincinnati Friday, lowering his season ERA to 4.29. He will look to continue his hot streak as the Goutfish pursue their second RDBL Regular Season Title over the next three weeks.

Life Insurance POTW: IF Ha-Seong Kim (Falcons), -5.0 Points

0-16, 2 BB

It was a shaky week for the Maltese Falcons as they coughed up their RDBL lead with just 236.0 points in Period 20. Ha-Seong Kim helped sink an offense that hit .224 in the Period with an 0-for-16 at the plate.

Prospect of the Week: Taj Bradley (Ducks)

2.71 ERA, 1.01 WHIP

While Paul Skenes, Travis Bazanna, Heliot Ramos, Jacob Wilson, Wyatt Langford and Dylan Crews, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle in a loaded Burlingame Blue Ducks Farm System. But few across all of baseball have been more impressive than Taj Bradley who ended his June 1st outing with a 5.81 ERA before ripping off ten consecutive positive starts including seven starts of 20+ with four of those going north of 30.

On The Lookout: Falcons Look for Strangle Hold on Lead

After a hiatus, On The Lookout is back on Wednesday with a heavy morning and afternoon schedule. The story of the season continues to be the powerhouse that is the Maltese Falcons who are in full control in the RDBL Standings with goals of extending that lead Wednesday.

Here's the latest around the RDBL:

Projected Starters for Wednesday, 5/1

Falcons: Wheeler (@ LAA), Lugo (@ TOR), Imanaga (@ NYM)

Aristocrats: Rea (vs. TB)

Stacks: N/A

Fringe: McKenzie (@ HOU)

Maulers: Eflin (@ MIL), Gil (@ BAL)

Hops: Burnes (vs. NYY)

Fish: Musgrove (vs. CIN)

Clovers: Ober (@ CHW), Verlander (vs. CLE)

Tacos: N/A

Grapes: N/A

Jokers: N/A

Devils: N/A

Goutfish: N/A

Hammerheads: Crawford (vs. SF), Sale (@ SEA)

Ducks: N/A

Falcons Look to Increase Lead

Despite pushes from the Nashville Aristocrats and Alamo Short Stacks, the Maltese Falcons continue to answer every jab with a counter-punch in recent days with the goal of a haymaker on Wednesday. GM Gary Falzon will send Zack Wheeler (@ LAA), Seth Lugo (@ TOR) and Shota Imanaga (@ NYM) to the mound with just one starter combined between the 'Crats and Stacks on the day. The Falcons hold a 2.64 ERA and 1.07 WHIP as a team, both ranked second in the RDBL entering play Wednesday.

Heads Look for Jumpstart

The Honolulu Hammerheads paced the RDBL in scoring in Period 3, confident the club was as talented as any in Franchise History under GM Ross Horiuchi. Since then, the club has posted a 4.71 ERA and 1.38 WHIP for a league-low 309.0 points on the mound which has sunk the team from 4th to 14th over the last 28 days. The club has shown some signs of life and is well-positioned Wednesday with a pair of favorable outings as Chris Sale takes on the Seattle Mariners and Kutter Crawford faces the San Francisco Giants.

Bohm On Tear for Fringe

The breakout season for Alec Bohm appears to be upon us as the third baseman leads all hitters in scoring over the last 21 days with a .432/.488/.730 line while posting 94.5 points for the fourth place Lunatic Fringe. Bohm has 23.5 more points than the next best player (Trea Turner) over the last 14 days, a sign of just how dominant of a stretch he has had.