Jockeying in I-75 League standings as gap expands in North, tightens in South

120-game standings

Bushwood re-establishes command in North, and suddenly there's a race for the third playoff spot in the same division... Bismarck falls 21 games out -- of fifth... Margaritaville poses new threat to Savannah in South.

Northbound	W	L	Pct.	GB
Bushwood	77	43	.642	--
Superior	70	50	.583	7
Hickory	65	55	.541	12
Tropical	63	57	.525	14
Springfield	57	63	.475	20
Bismarck	36	84	.300	41
Southbound	W	L	Pct.	GB
Savannah	71	49	.592	--
Margaritaville	68	52	.567	3
Detroit	61	59	.508	10
Applegate	57	63	.475	14
Wisconsin	49	71	.408	22
S. Grand Prairie	46	74	.383	25

August results

Outcomes of August series in the I-75 Strat-O-Matic league as reported by e-mail or otherwise surreptitiously derived (100-game standings here):

Northbound

BG (15-5): 3-2 vs. HN, 3-2 vs. TH; 4-1 at SW, 5-0 at BB
HN (6-14): 2-3 vs. MV, 1-4 vs. SI; 2-3 at BG, 1-4 at ST
ST (11-9): 2-3 vs. SS, 4-1 vs. HN; 4-1 at BB, 1-4 at TH
TH (10-10): 3-2 vs. SI, 4-1 vs. ST; 1-4 at AP, 2-3 at BG
SI (14-6): 3-2 vs. DD, 5-0 vs. BB; 2-3 at TH, 4-1 at HN
BB (2-18): 1-4 vs. ST, 0-5 vs. BG; 1-4 at WW, 0-5 at SI

Southbound

SS (10-10): 3-2 vs. SW, 0-5 vs. MV; 3-2 at ST, 4-1 at WW
MV (15-5): 4-1 vs. AP, 3-2 vs. DD; 3-2 at HN, 5-0 at SS
DD (12-8): 4-1 vs. WW, 4-1 vs. SW; 2-3 at SI, 2-3 at MV
AP (10-10): 4-1 vs. TH; 3-2 vs. WW; 1-4 at MV, 2-3 at SW
WW (8-12): 4-1 vs. BB, 1-4 vs. SS; 1-4 at DD, 2-3 at AP
SW (7-13): 1-4 vs. BG, 3-2 vs. AP; 2-3 at SS, 1-4 at DD

Prospects dominating newest installment of 2010 mock draft

Time to take another crack at a mock draft for the 2010 I-75 Strat-O-Matic League season, our 31st. Each of our 12 teams protects 18 players from the 2009 season. Every other player with a card is eligible to be drafted. We last looked at the mock draft after June games. Stats below are complete through July.

1. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore. Wieters started slow but had a hot July, hitting .323 to boost his overall numbers to .279/.325/.395 -- which aren't going to blow anyone away, but he still has that can't-miss prospect tag that would make it silly to pass him by. The switch-hitter also has splits that favor his time against righties (.836/.574 OPS). One caution -- he may debut with a +3 arm, has he has caught just 8 of 39 basestealers in his first 41 games. Last month rank: 1.

2. Ben Zobrist, OF-IF, Rays. Zobrist just continues to hit, and his overall offensive card is going to be so much better than anybody else's at this rate, that he can't go any lower than 2. Sporting a .303/.410/.577 record, Zobrist is a switch-hitter who clobbers both righties and lefties (1.113/.921). He's also got a power-speed blend (18 HRs and 12 SBs), and plays six positions with a total of just two errors all year. LMR: 3.

3. Chris Carpenter, RHP, Cardinals. Even though he's 34, anyone who's in it to win it in 2010 and needs a starting pitcher will find Carpenter the runaway best option at this rate. He'll have a nice balanced card, has an overall WHIP below 1 (0.96) and opponents are hitting just .220 off him. LMR: 4.

4. David Price, LHP, Rays. He's just not pitching that well this year, with a 1.63 WHIP and .265 OBA, but if you think you're not really going to contend in 2010, he's a pretty safe gamble to be your future ace. LMR: 2.

5. Chone Figgins, 3B, Angels. It's hard to keep this guy off the list any longer when he's reaching base at a .393 clip overall and .424 against righties. Figgins is hitting .311 with 31 stolen bases. His defense may be a bit shaky, but he also qualifies at 2B and LF. The switch-hitter can be somebody's valuable leadoff man for 160 games. LMR: Not ranked.

6. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates. Speaking of leadoff men... McCutchen is regarded as one of the game's top prospects and is off to an impressive start. A five-tool player, McCutchen sports numbers of .281/.339/.438. He has nine stolen bases, and doubled his homer output from 3 to 6 Saturday night with three bombs against the Nationals. He also has 6 outfield assists in 50 games, which projects to 18 or more over a full season, so expect something like a 2(-3)e7 rating in CF. A first-round pick, just 23. LMR: 7.

7. Tommy Hanson, RHP, Braves. An ace down the road, and middle-of-rotation guy for 2010 with a 1.33 WHIP and .241 BAA. Just 23. LMR: 8.

8. J.A. Happ, LHP, Phillies. Young lefty (27) represents the best remaining combination of future potential and 2010 usefulness, with a 1.16 WHIP and .228 BAA. LMR: 10.

9. Marco Scutaro, SS, Blue Jays. Pretty serviceable guy having a great year, with numbers of .297/.389/.439, 32 doubles (third in the AL) and just 3 errors at shortstop. He has an .800+ OPS each way. Having a career year at 34, good upgrade for several pennant contenders. LMR: Not ranked.

10. Andrew Bailey, RHP, A's. Bailey isn't high on the list in saves (14) but he is the team's closer and a great one at that, with a 1.02 WHIP and BAA of .183. Even nicer is his high innings count, 61, and strikeout ability (69). Just 25 years old. LMR: 11.

11. David Aardsma, RHP, Mariners. Aardsma is still having a great year -- 1.11 WHIP, .163 BAA, 25 saves, 58 K in 49 IP. We just had him listed too high last month, and think the innings and age differences (Aardsma is 28) warrant Bailey being taken higher. LMR: 6.

12. Garrett Jones, OF, Pirates. This guy is off to a ridiculous start. Earning a promotion after the trade of Nyjer Morgan, Jones is hitting .310/.361/.700 in his first 100 at-bats. He has OPS values of .942/1.133 with 10 HRs. That's absurd, and even if he finishes with just 280 at-bats, if he continues to play at anywhere near this pace, someone will snag the 28-year-old in the first round as the best part-time player in the draft. LMR: Not ranked.

Dropped from rankings: Kevin Millwood (5), Rick Porcello (9), Zack Duke (12).