2018 Season Roundup: Fasano Don't Dance

Steady Nick Markakis finally made his first all-star game.

FINAL POINTS: 4539.8

FINISH: 1st

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 12-6

PLAYOFFS: First round: lost to Pitch You Blockhead 416-404.8

MVP: Nick Markakis (425.5 points). The undrafted outfielder had a career year despite cooling off after making his first all-star team. He finished with 13 homers, 41 doubles, 87 RBIs, 73 runs and 67 walks while playing every game for the surprising Braves.

CY YOUNG: Jacob deGrom (468) had one of the most amazing and unique seasons in baseball history. He struck out 269 and allowed 41 earned runs in 217 innings, which would make you think he won 18-20 games, right? Well, he's a Met, so he went 10-9. He may still win the real Cy Young, but holy crap, Mets.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Ronald Acuna Jr. (335.5) was a late draft pick and started the season in the minor leagues. So the fact that he was the team's second-leading hitter is both good and bad. The rookie star had 26 homers, 25 doubles, 15 steals and 77 runs in 102 games and looks like he'll be a stud for years to come.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: deGrom (2nd), Acuna Jr. (11th).

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Nearly every pick aside from those two, really. Seven of the eight hitters drafted to be starters for this team were benched, suspended or hurt by the end of the year. Stephen Strasburg (1st) was good the few times he was on the mound, Robbie Ray (3rd) was only good after being cut. It was a brutally bad draft with two superstars in it.

OVERALL: Because of the terrible draft, it took the commissioners' team a while to get going. The team used 33 (!) different hitters trying to find the right combination. Free agent pickups like Markakis, Brian Anderson and Johan Camargo eventually bolstered the offense, and young Jack Flaherty was a welcome addition to the rotation. FDD cruised through the summer before running into the PYB juggernaut in the playoffs, but still capture the overall points title. The commissioners will draft 10th in the 2019 FBLG draft.

2018 Season Roundup: Project Mayhem

No wonder Aaron Nola is so hard to hit!

FINAL POINTS: 4449.2

FINISH: 2nd

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 9-9

PLAYOFFS: First round: lost to Arbitration Losers 394.5-354.5

MVP: Nolan Arenado (473 points) had a Nolan Arenado season, which is the highest of praise. 37 homers, 38 doubles, 109 RBIs, 103 runs and 72 walks while playing 154 games is a pretty great return on your top draft pick.

CY YOUNG: Aaron Nola (447.3) had his star turn and became a legitimate ace. Nola went 17-6 with 224 strikeouts in 212.1 innings, nearly doubling the point total of any other PM pitcher. Nola will be one of the first pitchers off the board next season after lasting until the end of the second round this year.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Bill picked up Juan Soto (318.5) when the 19-year-old came up in the spring, and all he got out of him was 18 homers, 22 doubles, 60 RBIs, 70 runs and 73 walks, making him the fourth-highest scoring hitter on the team.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Arenado (1st), Nola (2nd).

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Eric Thames (6th) never really got much chance to start on the suddenly loaded Brewers offense. Dinelson Lamet (5) is a Padres pitcher, so of course he was hurt all year, as was non-Padre Jimmy Nelson (9).

OVERALL: Once Soto became part of the offense and Arenado heated up, Bill's hitting was strong down the stretch. But what made the difference this year was the pitching. Nola stepped up as an ace, Jameson Taillon was a solid No. 2, and Zack Wheeler and Kyle Freeland pitched well later in the season to solidify the rotation. On the downside, Bill did use four different Reds pitchers this year... can anyone even NAME four different Reds pitchers? A big season for Project Mayhem, which will draft 9th in the 2019 FBLG draft.

2018 Season Roundup: Pitch You Blockhead

Miles Mikolas might be in the Mumford and Sons cover band with Daniel Murphy and Charlie Culberson.

FINAL POINTS: 4426.2

FINISH: 3rd

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 7-11

PLAYOFFS: First round: beat Fasano Don't Dance 416-404.8; semifinals: lost to Misfits 398-378.7.

MVP: Charlie Blackmon (483 points). The hirsute slugger heated up in the summer (never mind August, in which he hit .226) and finished with a great stat line, if a bit down for him: 28 homers, 31 doubles, 118 runs, 12 stolen bases.

CY YOUNG: Miles Mikolas (334) returned from baseball exile to go an astonishing 16-4, striking out 137 in 187 innings for the Cardinals. And he did it with a terrific mustache. Scott drafted a team with terrific hair, is what we're saying.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Besides Mikolas, we'll go with the late-season dominance of German Marquez, who struck out 92 in 68 innings for Scott while notching 5 wins. Marquez looks like a fairly high draft pick next season, given that he's only 23 and had a 6.2 strikeout:walk ratio after the all-star break.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Mikolas (13th round), Mike Foltynewicz (14th).

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Daniel Murphy (4th) never really got healthy, and Scott dropped him before he heated up briefly late in the season.

OVERALL: Scott's team scuffled through the regular season, but the late emergence of Marquez coupled with the bats getting hot over the summer propelled PYB into the semifinals and third in the points standings. Steady performances from Anthonys Rizzo and Rendon helped keep the boat afloat, plus Ian Desmond and Yasmani Grandal were better than anticipated. A good season for the Blockheads, who will draft 8th in the 2019 FBLG Draft.

2018 Season Roundup: The Misfits

Will u rate this bowtie, @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/AAf5HrfJ26

— Cut4 (@Cut4) October 16, 2018

FINAL POINTS: 4314

FINISH: 4th

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 10-8

PLAYOFFS: First round: beat Stable Geniuses 378.2-310.8; semifinals: beat Pitch You Blockhead 398-378.7; championship: beat BodySuit Man 359-288.5.

MVP: Christian Yelich (560 points). Who better than the presumed league MVP? Yelich was a monster all season, putting up 36 homers, 34 doubles, 109 RBIs, 118 runs, 21 steals and hitting for the cycle twice. This despite missing two weeks with an injury.

CY YOUNG: Top overall pick Clayton Kershaw (292.3) overcame injuries to go 9-5 with 151 strikeouts in 158.1 innings to lead this motely staff.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Trevor Story (477.5) would have led many other teams in hitting points, as the young shortstop put it all together in a 36-homer, 41-double, 27-steal season.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Yelich (2nd), Story (7th), Wade Davis (13th).

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Evan Longoria (5th) only played 111 games and wasn't great even when he played. Taijuan Walker (6th) pitched a grand total of 13 innings for Reid.

OVERALL: In addition to Yelich and Story, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Gregory Polanco had big years as the Misfits were carried by their offense. Midseason pickup Max Muncy blasted 20 of his homers for Reid's squad as the Misfits blasted 185 homers in total. The pitching was just good enough and the old man cruised through the playoffs to capture the crown. The Misfits will draft 7th in the 2019 FBLG Draft.

2018 Season Roundup: Arbitration Losers

Looking a little like David Wells there, isn't he?

FINAL POINTS: 4253

FINISH: 5th

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 12-6

PLAYOFFS: First round: beat Project Mayhem 394.5-354.5; semifinals: lost to BodySuit Man 394.2-319.8.

MVP: Bryce Harper (473 points). The batting average didn't impress, but 34 homers, 99 RBIs, 130 walks and 103 runs added up for the Losers. Note: this is three straight teams who have had a National as their top scorer, and yet I don't recall the Nationals in the playoffs this year. Weird.

CY YOUNG: Jon Lester (335.7) won 18 games for the Cubbies, with 149 strikeouts in 181.2 innings. And he whined about every single pitch that wasn't called a strike... must've learned that from John Lackey.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Corey Dickerson lost a bit of the power stroke he used to have (13 homers), but had 34 doubles and 63 runs for the often-anemic Pirates offense.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Matt Carpenter (10th round) put up 437 points after a terrible start. JT Realmuto (9th) was great after returning from injury.

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Corey Seager (2nd) got hurt early and missed most of the season. Johnny Cueto (6th) did something similar.

OVERALL: A strong draft and a ton of pitching wins got Tim off to a hot start, and he tied for the lead league with 12 wins in the regular season. But injuries were an issue all season, as a huge chunk of his team missed major time and the replacements weren't enough to keep him near the top of the standings at the end. The Losers will draft 6th in the 2019 FBLG Draft.

2018 Season Roundup: Stable Geniuses

Stay off Twitter, Trea.

FINAL POINTS: 4236

FINISH: 6th

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 9-9

PLAYOFFS: First round: lost to Misfits 378.2-310.8

MVP: Trea Turner (457.5 points). Matt's first-round pick delivered as hoped, playing 162 games while racking up 19 homers, 73 RBIs, 34 steals and 102 runs.

CY YOUNG: Twenty-four (24!) pitchers made this roster at one point or another, and only one (1!) scored more than 135.3 points for Matt. So, by default, this slot goes to Sean Newcomb (231.3), who went 11-8 with 122 strikeouts in 133.1 innings. Seriously, this list is one of the funniest/saddest lists of pitchers ever. I'm sorry you can't all enjoy it with me.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Jesus Aguilar was undrafted but ended up making a huge impact on the lineup, swatting 23 bombs in 92 games for SG.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Turner (1st), Odubel Herrera (13th).

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Carlos Martinez (3rd) and Luke Weaver (7th) both disappointed for the Cardinals. Cody Bellinger (2nd) was fine but probably not second-round quality.

OVERALL: Matt's bunch hung around the top of the leaderboard all year before crashing the last 6 weeks.  The offense was consistently good but the pitching gave up the ghost down the stretch, and then the offense phoned it in too. Stable Geniuses used all 40 of their waiver moves this season, mostly on pitchers - will they continue this strategy in 2019, when they will draft fifth?

OK, SCREW IT: Here's all the SG pitchers, ranked by innings thrown for SG: Sean Newcomb, Tanner Roark, Tyler Anderson, Dereck Rodriguez, Ross Stripling, Carlos Martinez, Jhoulys Chacin, Brad Boxberger, Matt Harvey, Zach Wheeler, Chris Stratton, Caleb Smith, Luke Weaver, Nick Pivetta, Vince Velaquez, Junior Guerra, Kyle Freeland, Derek Holland, Brent Suter, Kenley Jansen, Joe Musgrove, Wade Miley, Max Fried and Hyun-Jin Ryu. There's like 27 different Brewers in there.

2018 Season Roundup: Fresh Fish

The league's leading scorer missed the playoffs, because LOL Nats.

FINAL POINTS: 4113.7

FINISH: 7th

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 10-8

PLAYOFFS: First round: lost to BodySuit Man 305-285.

MVP: Javier Baez (471.5 points). The free-swingingest free-swinger there is did it all this year, smacking 34 homers, 40 doubles, 111 RBIs and scoring 101 runs while walking just 29 times.

CY YOUNG: Not a tough call here, with the league's leading scorer (by a significant margin) being Max Scherzer (527.7). Mad Max went 18-7 with exactly 300 strikeouts in 220.2 innings.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Apparently Scooter Gennett is a superstar now? Dude had 125 singles, 30 doubles, 23 homers, 92 RBIs and 86 runs for a mostly potent Reds offense.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Baez (7th round), Gennett (9th), Patrick Corbin (10th).

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Yu Darvish (2nd) made 8 mostly bad starts before getting hurt and missing the season.

OVERALL: Rick's squad got out of the gate fast behind twin aces Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin and a potent offense. But injuries and lack of depth caught up in the second half of the season, and ownership's new job and relocation didn't help. He'll look to get back at it in 2019, when he'll pick 4th in the FBLG Draft.

2018 Season Roundup: Clemente's Bucs

After hitting .144 and slugging .278 in May, Paul Goldschmidt went on a summer tear to finish with a typical strong stat line.

FINAL POINTS: 4041.5

FINISH: 8th

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 5-13

PLAYOFFS: n/a

MVP: Paul Goldschmidt (464 points). The perennial star got off to a horrible start this year, but finished with a typical year: 33 bombs, 35 doubles, 83 RBIs, 95 runs. The only thing he didn't do as much this year was run (7-11 on stolen base attempts).

CY YOUNG: Um, guess we'll go with Kyle Hendricks (284)? He went 12-8 and struck out 141 batters in 171 innings. Not exactly ace material.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Brandon Nimmo was the team's fourth-highest scoring hitter despite playing just 98 games. He had 15 homers, 24 doubles and 59 walks and looks like a valuable future hitter, despite his unfortunate Met-ness.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Cesar Hernandez (10th). Hernandez played 161 games and put up 376.5 points.

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Domingo Santana (6th) never played regularly for Milwaukee despite a 30-homer season in 2017. Kris Bryant (2nd) was good when he played, but missed a ton of time.

OVERALL: Our defending champions had a nice offense - boosted by trade deadline pickup Manny Machado, plus Goldschmidt, Rhys Hoskins and others - but never had any pitching. Hendricks and Jose Quintana underachieved, no other starters stepped up, and even Kenley Jansen was far more human than usual. Ray will pick third in the 2019 FBLG draft.

2018 Season Roundup: BodySuit Man

The best Syndergaard highlight was definitely him swinging and missing and still breaking his bat.

FINAL POINTS: 4020.9

FINISH: 9th

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 9-9

PLAYOFFS: First round: beat Fresh Fish 305-285; semifinals: beat Arbitration Losers 394.2-319.8; finals: lost to Misfits 359-2885. Finished second.

MVP: Ender Inciarte (371 points). What a weird year for Adam's offense, which had no power. Lead slugger Joey Votto had 12 homers and 108 walks. Inciarte did a little of everything, including 82 runs and 27 steals to be the team's leading scorer.

CY YOUNG: Noah Syndergaard (310.3). Again, not a standout scorer here, but Thor was 13-4 for a terrible Mets team, with 155 strikeouts in 154.1 innings.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Starlin Castro put up 331.5 points despite never playing a meaningful game. He wasn't great at any one thing, but he played 150 games and scored 73 runs.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Inciarte (10th round), Matt Kemp (16th). Of course, Kemp did his damage for other FBLG teams.

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: The oft-injured duo of Yoenis Cespedes (4th round) and Ryan Braun (9th). They were ok the few times they were healthy, at least. Fifth-rounder Luis Castillo scored just 3 points before getting cut loose, too.

OVERALL: Adam had a strange team this year, but got hot at the right time to reach the head-to-head finals. Hitting and pitching were both balanced, without a standout star, but also with a lot of trial and error to fill holes. Picks like Jon Gray and Willson Contreras weren't as good as expected, and injuries kept a lot of other guys out of the lineup. Adam will pick second in the 2019 FBLG draft.

2018 Season Roundup: The Rookies

MVP candidate Freddie Freeman was the Rookies' star.

FINAL POINTS: 3935.4

FINISH: 10th

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 7-11

PLAYOFFS: n/a

MVP: Freddie Freeman (489 points). The Braves slugger had a monster season, playing all 162 games and racking up 71 extra-base hits, 94 runs and 98 RBIs to finish as the third-highest scoring hitter in FBLG.

CY YOUNG: Zack Greinke (374.7). The old weirdo looked like an ace again, pitching over 200 innings and winning 15 games, falling one strikeout short of 200.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: Everyone thought Ozzie Albies would be good, but I don't know that people expected quite this rookie season: 24 homers, 40 doubles, 105 runs and 155 games played. Albies cooled off down the stretch but still looks like a star for years to come.

GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Albies (4th round), Eugenio Suarez (6th), David Peralta (13th). Peralta and Suarez both put up nearly 400 points.

LESS GREAT DRAFT PICKS: Orlando Arcia (7th), Dexter Fowler (10th), Jeff Samardzija (8th). Arcia managed a whopping 3.5 points before being cut. Fowler put up 74, and Samardzija threw 30.2 crappy innings before bowing out.

OVERALL: A rough season for Henry's bunch, which featured a handful of stars and a lot of mediocrity/injuries. Madison Bumgarner missed a bunch of time, Gio Gonzalez was up-and-down, and outside of the top four hitters, no one else did much of anything. The Rookies will draft first in the 2019 FBLG draft.

2018 Championship Roundup

Reid (center) with two of his childhood idols.

Congratulations to Reid and his band of Misfits for capturing the head-to-head championship! The final tally was 359-288.5 in the battle with BodySuit Man, so Adam takes second place.

We were of the understanding that this week just counted for the overall points total, but apparently it doesn't. We're learning new stuff every day (thanks, ESPN!). So our season is actually over and we can all just enjoy the playoff race this week.

We'll do some season wrapup stuff in the next couple weeks, and figure out season earnings. For now, here are the final season point totals and placements.

The final scoreboard

1. Fasano Don't Dance (4539.8 points, last week 1)

2. Project Mayhem (4449.2 points, last week 2)

3. Pitch You Blockhead (4426.2 points, last week 3) **H2H third

4. The Misfits (4314 points, last week 4) **H2H champ

5. Arbitration Losers (4253 points, last week 5)

6. Stable Geniuses (4236 points, last week 6)

7. Fresh Fish (4113.7 points, last week 7)

8. Clemente's Bucs (4041.5 points, last week 9)

9. BodySuit Man (4020.9 points, last week 8) **H2H 2nd

10. The Rookies (3935.4 points, last week 10)

Finals Week 2: Sunday Roundup

Hyun-Jin Ryu had 3 hits and scored 2 runs on Sunday. He also pitched pretty well against the Padres, which isn't hard.

Rich picked up Victor Robles,
and it paid off with a 10-point day.

STUDS: Matt Kemp (FF) was a triple short of a cycle, drove in 3 and scored twice. Travis Shaw (SG) homered, singled, drove in 2, scored twice and walked twice. Kyle Schwarber (SG) homered, doubled, drove in 2 and walked twice. Hyun-Jin Ryu (PM) got the win and struck out 8 in 6 shutout innings. Victor Robles (FDD) homered, tripled, drove in 3 and scored twice. Miles Mikolas (PYB) struck out 8 and allowed 2 runs in a 7-inning victory. Corey Knebel (PYB) struck out the side in 1 inning and got the win. Christian Yelich (M) homered, singled, drove in 3, scored twice, walked and stole a base. Kyle Hendricks (CB) struck out 5 and allowed 1 run in a 7.2-inning win.

DUDS: Scooter Gennett (FF) singled and erred. Maikel Franco (FF) singled, walked and erred.

Finals Week 2: Saturday Roundup

Goofy doofus Rich Hill is the only Dodgers pitcher with more than 8 wins this season. 

STUDS: Trevor Williams (R) struck out 7 and didn't allow a run in a 6-inning win. Trea Turner (SG) homered, doubled, walked, stole a base, scored twice and drove in 2. Rich Hill (PYB) struck out 7 and allowed 1 run in a 7-inning win. Mike Foltynewicz (PYB) lost his no-hitter but picked up a win in 7.1 innings while fanning 5 and allowing 2 runs.

DUDS: Marcell Ozuna (PM) and Nick Ahmed (AL) each went 0-fer with an error. Dansby Swanson (PYB) walked and was caught stealing. Matt Carpenter (AL) singled and scored, but he committed 2 errors. Jake Arrieta (BM) struck out 2 and allowed 4 runs in a 2-inning loss.

Finals Week 2: Friday Roundup

German Marquez is showing what Jacob deGrom would be doing with regular run support. 

STUDS: Jacob deGrom (FDD) struck out 8 and allowed 1 run in a 7-inning win. Tommy Pham (PM) tripled, singled, walked twice, drove in 2 and scored. German Marquez (PYB) fanned 11 and allowed 2 runs in a 7-inning win. Corey Dickerson (AL) homered, tripled and drove in 2.

DUD: Justin Turner (AL) is turning this into a regular deal. He committed 2 more errors, doubled and walked.

Finals Week 2: Thursday Roundup

Suck it, Cardinals fans.

STUDS: Tommy Pham (PM) tripled, singled twice, scored twice and drove in 2. Scooter Gennett (FF) homered, doubled and drove in 4. Max Scherzer (FF) struck out 13 and allowed 3 runs in a 7-inning no-decision.

DUDS: None.

Finals Week 2: Wednesday Roundup

It looks like Jesus Aguilar is watching a homer fly away, but he's actually planning his next trip to the Piggly Wiggly.

Laugh it up, fuzzball.

STUDS: Walker Buehler (M) continues to look like a future ace, allowing 0 earned runs and striking out 12 in a 6-inning no-decision. Robbie Ray (BM) continues to look like a jackass, pitching great in the last month of the season after 5 months of stinkers. He allowed 0 runs and struck out 8 in a 6-inning win. I hope his beard falls off. Zach Eflin (AL) struck out 9 in 5 shutout innings to earn the win. Tommy Pham (PM) had 2 solo homers and a single. Jesus Aguilar (SG) homered, singled and drove in 4. Chris Archer (CB) struck out 8 and allowed a run in a 7-inning win. Freddie Freeman (R) homered, singled twice, walked, stole a base and drove in 3.

DUDS: Justin Turner (AL) makes the list for the second consecutive day, walking and making an error. Cole Hamels (AL) allowed 7 runs and struck out 4 in a 6-inning loss. Cesar Hernandez (CB) walked and erred. Kris Bryant (CB) went 0-fer with an error.

Finals Week 2: Tuesday Roundup

We're 95% sure that ESPN credited Yadier Molina with Paul DeJong's big night.

STUDS: Paul DeJong (BM) homered, singled, scored twice and drove in 3. Stephen Strasburg (FDD) struck out 11 and allowed 2 runs in a 6-inning win.

DUDS: Only all-star third basemen allowed on this list today. Justin Turner (AL) singled and erred. Nolan Arenado (PM) went 0-fer and made 2 errors.

HE'S DONE THIS TWO STARTS IN A ROW:

Maybe Stephen Strasburg is doing this on purpose? https://t.co/RsvN4ojYsF pic.twitter.com/FYPnp9nsRL

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) September 19, 2018

Finals Week 2: Monday Roundup

Maybe the Reds should just start walking Christian Yelich.

STUDS: Well, he did it again. Christian Yelich (M) helped Reid extend his lead in the championship finals with his second cycle of the season - both against the poor Reds. Yelich drove in 4 runs and posted a 23 for the day with the cycle bonus. Max Muncy (M) had a 3-run homer, 2 walks and 2 runs. Starlin Castro (BM) homered, doubled, walked and drove in 3. Anthony Rendon (PYB) homered, singled twice, scored twice and drove in 2. Michael Conforto (PYB) was a triple shy of the cycle and drove in 6. Hyun-Jin Ryu (PM) tossed a gem, striking out 5 in 7 shutout innings to beat the Rockies. Kyle Hendricks (CB) struck out 8 and allowed a run in an 8.2-inning win.

DUDS: Jon Gray (BM) came up real short for Adam in the finals, posting a minus-6 by allowing 6 runs and striking out 1 in a 2-inning loss. Mike Foltynewicz (PYB) struck out 2 and allowed 6 runs in a 4.2-inning loss. Eeeeeeugenio Suarez (R) brought back some fond memories by going 0-fer with 2 errors.

WE'RE NOT SURE, BUT THAT MIGHT BE BAD LOCATION:

Max Muncy pounded a first-pitch 87 MPH slider that hung in the zone, launching it 104 MPH off the bat. The Dodgers' lead extends to 6-0 with nobody out in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/WipdNqD1HB

— Positive Residual (@presidual) September 18, 2018

Finals Week 1: The Check Swing

Among the many other fun races to watch down the stretch, it's a pretty epic year for
Rookie of the Year between Ronald Acuna and Juan Soto.

We fully expect this year's champion owner to react like this...

Two weeks remain in this baseball season, if you can believe that.

After the first week of our finals matchup, Reid's Misfits have a 175.5-145.2 lead on Adam's BodySuit Man. It all comes down to this week in that matchup.

In the battle for overall lead, Fasano Don't Dance retains a ~100-point lead on Project Mayhem, with Pitch You Blockhead lurking ~40 points behind in third. The final money position looks like it's coming down to The Misfits and Arbitration Losers, currently separated by a single point. Stable Geniuses remain in striking distance, too.

The scoreboard

1. Fasano Don't Dance (4344.4 points, last week 1)

2. Project Mayhem (4249.5 points, last week 2)

3. Pitch You Blockhead (4205 points, last week 3)

4. The Misfits (4130.5 points, last week 4)

5. Arbitration Losers (4129.7 points, last week 5)

6. Stable Geniuses (4076.2 points, last week 6)

7. Fresh Fish (3950 points, last week 7)

8. BodySuit Man (3877.6 points, last week 8)

9. Clemente's Bucs (3870.2 points, last week 9)

10. The Rookies (3813.6 points, last week 10)

... and the loser to react like this.

Hitting leaders after Week 23

1. Christian Yelich (M) 471
2. Paul Goldschmidt (CB) 456
3. Trevor Story (M) 449.5
4. Freddie Freeman (R) 446
5. Bryce Harper (AL) 445

Pitching leaders after Week 23

1. Max Scherzer (FF) 489.7
2. Jacob deGrom (FDD) 426
3. Aaron Nola (PM) 407.7
4. Patrick Corbin (FF) 393
5. Zack Greinke (R) 352.3

Finals Week 1: Sunday Roundup

Since the all-star break, Trevor Williams is 6-2 with a 1.19 ERA and a 1.005 WHIP.

We're 75% convinced the Dbacks kept Brad Boxberger around just for this.

STUDS: Anthony Rendon (PYB) homered, singled twice, walked, scored twice and drove in 2. Corey Dickerson (AL) had 2 doubles, a single, 2 runs and an RBI. Bryce Harper (AL) homered, singled, walked twice, scored 3 runs and drove in 2. Jacob deGrom (FDD) - go figure - earned no-decision, allowing 3 runs and striking out 12 in 7 innings. Trevor Williams (R) kept rolling, striking out 7 in 6 shutout innings to earn the win.

HONORARY STUD: By not posting a negative number - he scored 2! - Brad Boxberger (SG) earns a spot here. Way to go, Brad!

DUDS: Addison Russell (PM) walked, scored, erred, and erred again. Sean Newcomb (SG) allowed 5 runs and struck out 3 in 3 innings to lose.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUP 
After week 1 of 2

• No. 4 The Misfits 175.5, No. 7 BodySuit Man 145.2

Finals Week 1: Saturday Roundup

Using Google Translate, we have learned that Yasiel Puig has been reported to Human Resources 5 times in less than 24 hours. Puig has posted 25 points in the past 2 games on the Fresh Fish's bench. On Saturday, he hit 3 homers and drove in 7.

More errors than hits,
if we're being honest.

STUDS: Cody Bellinger (SG) homered, singled twice, drove in 6, scored 3 runs and walked. Juan Soto (PM) singled, walked 3 times, stole 3 bases, drove in a run and scored twice. Jon Lester (AL) got the win and struck out 9 in 7 shutout innings.

DUDS: Zack Godley (FDD) walked everybody, struck out 1 and allowed 4 runs in a 3.2-inning loss. Steven Souza (BM) walked and erred. John Gant (BM) struck out 4 and allowed 6 runs in a 4.1-inning loss.

Finals Week 1: Friday Roundup

Walker Buehler apparently pitched on "Nonsensically Patterned Vest Night" at the ballpark.

We don't have a photo of the error Wil Myers committed
Friday, so this will have to do.

STUDS: Noah Syndergaard (BM) got the win and struck out 6 Red Sox in 7 shutout innings. Walker Buehler (M) was even better, earning a W and fanning 9 Cardinals in 8 shutout innings. Ronald Acuña (FDD) was a homer short of a cycle, tacked on a second single for good measure, scored twice and drove in 2. Rhys Hoskins (CB) hit a 2-run homer, singled and scored twice.

DUDS: San Diego "third baseman" Wil Myers (FF) walked and erred. Kris Bryant (CB) also walked and erred. Eugenio Suarez (R) singled, walked and erred.

Finals Week 1: Thursday Roundup

This blogger is counting down the minutes until he receives a text from Rich asking,
"WHY IS THERE A BEAVER PHOTO ON THE BLOG?" 

STUDS: Clayton Kershaw (M) struck out 9 and allowed 3 runs in a 6-inning win. In a doubleheader, former OSU legend Michael Conforto (PYB) homered, doubled, singled and drove in 4. Javier Baez (FF) and Manny Machado (CB) each were a triple short of a cycle, scored twice and drove in 3. Machado tacked on an error, though.

DUDS: Brad Boxberger (SG), who is lobbying to have this list renamed for him in 2019, allowed 1 run and recorded 1 out. That's not a good ratio, guys. Clay Buchholz (BM), who is made of glass and Scotch tape, failed to make his scheduled start because of a sore elbow.

The mighty Matz. #PitchersWhoRake pic.twitter.com/s54yzHRtVn

— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2018

Finals Week 1: Wednesday Roundup

HEY! WADE!

STUDS: HEY! WADE! Davis (M) struck out 2 and earned a vulture win in a scoreless inning. Josh Hader (BM) did him one better, striking out 3 in a scoreless inning to earn the win. DJ LeMahieu (AL) singled twice, scored twice and had a walkoff homer. Nolan Arenado (PM) homered, doubled twice and drove in 2. Zach Wheeler (PM) threw 8 shutout innings with 7 strikeouts for the easy win. Stephen Strasburg (FDD) struck out 9 and allowed a run in a 7-inning win.

DUDS: Scott Schebler (BM) walked and was caught stealing. Brian Anderson (FDD) singled and erred. Javier Baez (FF) walked, was caught stealing and made an error. Scooter Gennett (FF) singled and erred.

Finals Week 1: Tuesday Roundup

Preseason fantasy sleeper Luis Castillo hasn't been good this year, but is closing the season strong.

Is that two hits or one?

STUDS: Mike Foltynewicz (PYB) struck out 7 and allowed 1 run in a complete game win. Juan Soto (PM) had a terrific doubleheader, hitting 2 homers, a double, 2 singles and adding a walk, 3 runs and 4 RBIs. Rhys Hoskins (CB) had 2 doubles, a single, 2 walks, a run and an RBI. Jose Quintana (CB) struck out 7 in 6.2 shutout innings to earn the win. Luis Castillo (CB) struck out 9 and allowed a run in 6.1 innings for the win.

DUDS: None.

Finals Week 1: Monday Roundup

Your National League batting leader was a garbage platoon infielder just two years ago.

STUDS: Josh Hader (BM) struck out all 6 batters he faced in 2 innings of relief, and stayed off Twitter. German Marquez (PYB) kept rolling, striking out 11 and allowing 1 run in a 7-inning win. Sean Newcomb (SG) struck out 8 and allowed 1 run in a 6-inning win. Scooter Gennett (FF) had 4 singles, 3 RBIs and 2 runs. He currently lead the National League in batting average. Ozzie Albies (R) doubled, tripled, drove in 1 and scored twice.

DUDS: Steven Souza (BM) erred. Zach Godley (FDD) allowed 5 runs and struck out 4 in a 4-inning loss.

WEATHER DUDS: Nationals-Phillies and Mets-Marlins were rained out. Nats-Phils play a doubleheader Tuesday allegedly, and Marlins-Mets do the same Wednesday.

Semifinals Week 2: The Check Swing

Don't look behind you! It's Matt's pitching staff!

Well, the finals are upon us, and it's the fourth-seeded Misfits facing seventh-seeded BodySuit Man, just as we all expected. That's like.... an A's-Pirates World Series? I'd go for that. Think of all the yellow!

The season ends in 19 days, on September 30. The finals matchup goes this week and next, wrapping up on September 23. The last week, we're all just playing for glory and the final point total.

On the scoreboard, FDD extended its lead to 121 points on Project Mayhem. PYB is in third, with the Misfits hot on their tail. Arbitration Losers and Stable Geniuses are still in contention to finish in the top four.

Friends, your commissioners are busy and tired, so we're just going to point out some studs, some duds, and anything we find funny in this Check Swing.

The scoreboard

I love the smell of napalm on the baseball field.

1. Fasano Don't Dance (4176.6 points, last week 1): Won in the conso round. Young sluggers Ronald Acuna (51) and Johan Camargo (45) led the way, and Carlos Santana (29) finally showed some signs of life. Pitching went an amazing 2-1 in 10 starts, with Stephen Strasburg (34.7) and Jack Flahery (33) leading the way. Weather and births took away a few potential starts, but what can you do?

2. Project Mayhem (4057.2 points, last week 2): Won in the conso round. Tommy Pham (37.5) annoyed the racist part of the Cardinal fanbase by doing well in Tampa, and young Juan Soto (36.5) kept doing damage. Kyle Freeland (45) went 3-0 in 3 starts, and Aaron Nola (40.7) kept rolling. Closer Raisel Iglesias (8.7) managed a pair of losses. Brandon Crawford (-1) had 2 hits and 2 errors before getting cut.

3. Pitch You Blockhead (3998.7 points, last week 3): Lost in the semifinals. Hitting studs were the guys you'd expect: Anthony Rendon (46.5), Charlie Blackmon (45) and Anthony Rizzo (44.5).  Billy Hamilton (8), Yasmani Grandal (7.5) and Wilmer Difo (12.5) didn't do much. German Marquez (34.7 without any decisons) and Rich Hill (34) led the pitching, while Miles Mikolas (5) and Alex Wood (7) didn't make much out of their lone starts.

Oh dear God.

4. The Misfits (3955 points, last week 5): Won to advance to the finals. Super-stud Christian Yelich had 71.5 points, including a cycle and 19 freaking RBIs. Trevor Story (49.5) kept raking. Max Muncy (16) and Yadi Molina (21) were the weak offensive links. All five pitchers scored between 20.3 and 26.3 points, which is incredible.

5. Arbitration Losers (3930 points, last week 6): Lost in the semifinals. Offense was good: DJ LeMahieu (45), Bryce Harper (40) and Justin Turner (40) were the chief studs. Pitching was a letdown, as Bud Norris (-5.3) took 2 losses and blew a save and Zach Eflin (6.3) notched 3 losses. In fact, the staff went 1-5, with only Jon Lester (24) earning a win.

6. Stable Geniuses (3920 points, last week 4): Lost in the conso round. The pitching numbers will make you sick: 44 runs in 50 innings, and an amazing 1-10 record. Matt Harvey (22) was the best of a bad lot, as Junior Guerra (-2.7), Tanner Roark (2), Brad Boxberger (1.3) and Sean Newcomb (2.3) were garbage. Boxberger had 3 saves... and 3 losses! The offensewas good but not nearly good enough to overcome that. Trea Turner (42.5) led the way, and Jose Peraza and Jesus Aguilar put up 27.5 apiece.

With the passing of a great mustache last week,
we're glad this one is still being celebrated. 

7. Fresh Fish (3874.5 points, last week 7): Lost in the conso round. Max Scherzer (44) was his usual self, and Patrick Corbin 942) kept rolling. The rest of the staff put up 18.3 points, though, which doesn't really help. Scooter Gennett (41) crushed everything, but Buster Posey (0) is done for the year, Matt Wieters (6) did nothing to replace him, and Wil Myers (15) and Matt Kemp (16.5) were sluggish sluggers.

8. BodySuit Man (3732.4 points, last week 9): Won to advance to the finals. Noah Syndergaard (43.7) was more Thor than he has been lately, and the Mets even got him a few runs. Robbie Ray (31.3) was obnoxiously good, and Clay Bucholz (29.3) continued his baffling success. No losses for the staff in 2 weeks, which is amazing. Balanced offense, led by Ender Inciarte (36), Joey Votto (33) and Scott Schebler (30).

9. Clemente's Bucs (3670.5 points, last week 10): Won in the conso round. Ray climbed out of the basement thanks to some solid hitting. Paul Goldschmidt (37), Manny Machado (33.5) and Rhys Hoskins (29.5) predictably led the way. The pitching was balanced: Luis Castillo (29.7), Jose Quintana (26.), Kyle Hendricks (24) and Kenley Jansen (20) all contributed, and only Chris Archer (9) and Luke Weaver (7) didn't do much.

10. The Rookies (3635.1 points, last week 8): Lost in the conso round. Henry's bunch fell into last place with the loss. Newcomer Amed Rosario (34) led the offense, with Freddie Freeman (30), Eugenio Suarez (29.5), Ozzie Albies (27.5) and Tucker Barnhart (27.5) continuing their good years. Trevor Williams (34.7) continued his post-All Star Break dominance, and Felipe "Vazquez" notched 4 saves.

Hitting leaders after Week 22

1. Christian Yelich (M) 455.5
2. Paul Goldschmidt (CB) 439.5
T3. Freddie Freeman (R) 438
T3. Trevor Story (M) 438
5. Javier Baez (FF) 429

Pitching leaders after Week 22

1. Max Scherzer (FF) 488.7
2. Aaron Nola (PM) 404.7
2. Jacob deGrom (FDD) 399
4. Patrick Corbin (FF) 382.7
5. Zack Greinke (R) 337.3

Semifinals Week 2: Sunday Roundup

If Charlie Blackmon keeps hitting like this, he'll never cut his hair, will he?

Semifinals - final scores

• No. 4 The Misfits 398, No. 8 Pitch You Blockhead! 378.7
• No. 7 BodySuit Man 394.2, No. 3 Arbitration Losers 319.8

The 2-week championship series starts today pitting Reid's Misfits against Adam's BodySuit Man.

Yeah, Brad, just squat right there and let it out.

STUDS: Charlie Blackmon (PYB) hit 2 solo homers and a double and scored 3 runs. Justin Turner (AL) had a homer, 2 doubles, a single, a walk, 2 runs and 2 RBIs. DJ LeMahieu (AL) doubled, tripled, drove in a run and scored twice. Ronald Acuna (FDD) tripled, homered, drove in 2, walked twice, scored 3 runs, stole a base and was caught stealing.

DUDS: Vince Velasquez (FF) struck out 4 and allowed 5 runs in a 4-inning loss. Raisel Iglesias (PM) allowed a run and took the loss... to the Padres, so it actually counts double. Brad Boxberger (SG) allowed 3 runs in 0.1 innings, blew the save, took the loss, and slapped your girlfriend.

Semifinals Week 2: Saturday Roundup

Matt Harvey is 7-6 with a 4.35 ERA for the Reds. That might not sound great, but you should see the rest of the Cincinnati pitching staff. 

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

STUDS: In a doubleheader, Anthony Rendon (PYB) homered, doubled, singled, scored 3 runs and drove in 3. Bryce Harper (AL) homered, singled, stole a base, drove in 2, scored 3 runs and walked 5 times. Trea Turner (SG) posted a 9 with only 1 hit, which is quite impressive. He drove in 2, walked twice, stole 2 bases and scored 3 runs. Max Scherzer (FF) went the distance in a win, fanning 11 Cubs and allowing 3 runs. Kyle Freeland (PM) struck out 8 and allowed 1 run in a 6-inning victory. Matt Harvey (SG) threw it back to 2015, striking out 10 and allowing 2 runs in a 6-inning win. Of course, it was against the Padres, so... Cesar Hernandez (CB) singled 4 times, drove in 3 and stole a base.

DUDS: Zach Eflin (AL) allowed 6 runs and struck out 5 in a 3-inning loss. Bud Norris (AL) blew it again, allowing an unearned run and taking the loss while retiring only 1 batter. Daniel Murphy (FDD) did a terrible job of taking advantage of a doubleheader; he singled and erred. Paul Goldschmidt (CB) walked and erred.

Semifinals Week 2: Friday Roundup

This is Scott Schebler's conservative, two-strike approach.

Johan Camargo can make plays, chew gum AND look
stylish at the same time.

STUDS: Clayton Kershaw (M) struck out 7 and allowed 2 runs in a 6-inning win. Scott Schebler (BM) hit a grand slam, walked and scored twice. Josh Hader (BM) struck out 5 and got the win in 2 scoreless innings of relief. Patrick Corbin (FF) fanned 9 and allowed 1 run in a 6-inning win. Johan Camargo (FDD) homered, doubled twice, drove in 2 and scored twice. Marcell Ozuna (PM) hit a pair of solo homers. Aaron Nola (PM) struck out 8 and allowed 3 runs in a 7-inning win.

DUDS: Nolan Arenado (PM) walked once and erred. Travis Shaw (SG) walked twice and erred.

Semifinals Week 2: Thursday Roundup

The late Burt Reynolds never starred in a baseball movie, but we're certain that he'd have worn this hat in such a film.

STUD: Paul Goldschmidt (CB) was a triple short of a cycle and scored 3 runs.

DUD: Brad Boxberger (SG) recorded 2 outs and struck out 1, but he allowed 1 run and took the loss.

Semifinals Week 2: Wednesday Roundup

We're not always fans of the new "dingers and whiffs" version of baseball... but that's a damn fine dinger.

STUDS: Trevor Story (M) continued his MVP-type season, swatting 3 solo homers - including a 505-footer, the longest in baseball's Statcast era.. Jose Quintana (CB) earned the win, striking out 5 and allowing 2 runs in 6.2 innings.

DUDS: Yasmani Grandal (PYB) went 0-fer with an error. Johan Camargo (FDD) singled, walked and erred. Tanner Roark (SG) took the loss, allowing 6 runs and striking out 4 in 5 innings.

Semifinals Week 2: Tuesday Roundup

You may not have noticed, but German Marquez has been one of the game's best pitchers since the end of June.

BOOM right in the Hall of Fame.

STUDS: Yadier Molina (M) - the hardest name for us to put on the Studs list - homered, singled, walked, scored twice and drove in 4. Gregory Polanco (M) had a double, 2 singles, a steal, a run and 2 RBIs. Joe Musgrove (M) struck out 8 and allowed 2 runs in a 6.1-inning win. Asdrubal Cabrera (PYB) homered, doubled, walked and drove in 3. Rich Hill (PYB) struck out 8 and allowed 4 runs in a 6-inning win. German Marquez (PYB) struck out 11 and allowed 2 runs in a 6.2-inning no-decision. Jake Arrieta (BM) struck out 11 and allowed 4 runs in a 7.1-inning win. Robbie Ray (BM) - that two-timing bum - struck out 10 in 6.1 shutout innings to earn the win. JT Realmuto (AL) had 2 solo homers and 2 walks. Scooter Gennett (FF) and Marcell Ozuna (PM) each hit 2 solo homers. Cesar Hernandez (CB) tripled, singled, walked twice and drove in 3.

DUDS: None.

Semifinals Week 2: Monday Roundup

Hit a couple bombs off Madison Bumgarner, get your picture on the blog. It's a simple formula, really.

STUDS: Trevor Story (M) homered twice, drove in 5 runs and stole a base. Max Scherzer (FF) struck out 11 and allowed 3 runs in a 7-inning no-decision. Trevor Williams (R) struck out 4 in 6.2 shutout innings to beat the Reds.

DUDS: Oh, hello again, Bud Norris (AL). For the second day in a row, Bud the Dud blew it, this time allowing a game-tying 2-run homer and blowing the save. Kenta Maeda (FF) was similar, only it was a 3-run homer and the game was already tied. So just a loss and no blown save, hooray! Freddie Freeman (R) singled, walked and erred.

Semifinals Week 1: The Check Swing

Remember to celebrate your successes The Right Way.

In lieu of a mid-matchup Check Swing, we'll do a quick score update. First, the semifinals:

• No. 4 The Misfits 237.7, No. 8 Pitch You Blockhead 198.8
• No. 7 BodySuit Man 206.5, No. 3 Arbitration Losers 183.3

And the overall points race. PYB has jumped into third place and the Misfits went from 7th to 5th. FDD's overall lead remains right around 100 points, and they're the first ones over the 4,000-point mark.

The scoreboard

1. Fasano Don't Dance (4013.5 points, last week 1)

2. Project Mayhem (3910.7 points, last week 2)

3. Pitch You Blockhead (3818.8 points, last week 4)

4. Stable Geniuses (3798 points, last week 3)

5. The Misfits (3794.7 points, last week 7)

6. Arbitration Losers (3793.5 points, last week 6)

7. Fresh Fish (3774.9 points, last week 5)

8. BodySuit Man (3544.7 points, last week T9)

9. The Rookies (3534.1 points, last week 8)

10. Clemente's Bucs (3513.9 points, last week T9)

Hitting leaders after Week 21

1. Christian Yelich (M) 440.5
2. Javier Baez (FF) 423.5
3. Freddie Freeman (R) 417
4. Paul Goldschmidt (CB) 415.5
5. Trevor Story (M) 414.5

Pitching leaders after Week 21

1. Max Scherzer (FF) 466.7
2. Jacob deGrom (FDD) 399
3. Aaron Nola (PM) 387.7
4. Patrick Corbin (FF) 363.7
5. Zack Greinke (R) 332

Semifinals Week 1: Sunday Roundup

We only recently discovered Bud Norris was a terrible person, but we always knew he was a terrible pitcher. 

STUDS: Javier Baez (FF) homered, tripled and scored twice. Ronald Acuña (FDD) was a triple short of a cycle and scored twice. Noah Syndergaard (BM) allowed 1 run and fanned 11 in a complete-game win against the Giants. Jon Lester (AL) struck out 7 and got the win in 6 shutout innings. Anthony Rizzo (PYB) homered, singled, walked twice, drove in 2 and scored 3 runs. Christian Yelich (M) homered, singled, drove in 4, scored twice and walked twice.

DUDS: Brad Boxberger (SG) allowed 2 runs, recorded 1 out and took the loss. Bud Norris (AL) struck out 1 and allowed 3 runs in a 0.2-inning loss.