Summing up the Playoff Races

With just 3 weeks left in the season there are an incredible 14 teams still vying for one of the 8 playoff slots. Never before in ATB have so many teams had so much to play for this late into the season.

To help muddle through the mess, here's a quick rundown of what to look for.

Virtual Shoe In's
89-54: Gold Country Gossamers (Div Lead)
83-60: Big Dan and the Lady's (Div Lead)
82-62: Helena Handbasket (Div Lead)
81-62: Willets Point Mechanics (WC lead)
80-64: Newark Slam Dumps (WC Bonus Lead)

These five squads have each reached the 80 win plateau and have a minimum 5 game cushion on a playoff bid. The Gossamers continue be the gold standard of ATB and are the only team with a .600+ winning percentage. Along with Big Dan and Helena, these three teams are leading their respective divisions and are in line for the 1-2-3 seeds.

Helena's National Division is the only divisional race left undecided, as they own just a 1/2 game lead on Willets Point and a 2 game lead on Newark. The drama is a bit hollow though, as each of the three would need a collapse of epic proportions to miss the playoffs.

Newark has three games left against Helena and closes out the season with 9 games against the two worst teams in ATB. Despite a 2 game hole, they control the outcome of the division.

6 Battle for 3
Here is where the fun begins. Six teams are within 1/2 game of each other, and only three can move on. The Wild card methodology only confuses things as further - 1 Wild card team from each division moves on, plus the next top 2 teams in the whole league. With three great teams in the National Division, the aforementioned Slam Dumps have a lock on the first "Bonus" Wild card.

75-68: DC Chips (tied for WC)
75-68: Rusty Kuntz Traveling All Stars (tied for WC)
75-69: John McDonald Fanclub (Bonus Leader)
74-69: Londonderry Machine
74-69: Hatshin Survivors (tied for WC)
74-69: Kakadu Didgeridoos (tied for WC)

At 75 wins a piece, DC and Rusty are currently tied for the American League Wild Card. A 1/2 game behind them in the same division is John McDonald. It is not possible for all three to move on and likely the race will be decided with the fortuitous home and home series between DC and Rusty to close out the season. John McDonald finishes with 7 against Downsouth, and it would be very possible if not likely for the Fanclub to coast in with a 6-1 finish as the All Stars and Chips duel to a 4-3 virtual stalemate.

Similarly, Hathsin and Kakadu are tied for the Federal Division Wild Card. Both teams are slightly behind in the standings for the Wild Card Bonus, and thus the loser of this race would currently go home.

Hathsin recently lost their ace, Walter Johnson, for the remainder of the regular season and ends with a home and home, you guessed it, against the final of our mid-70 win team's, Londonderry. The Machine's hope for a playoff birth rests in the Bonus Wild card. They are currently 1/2 a game behind John McDonald and have won 4 in a row.

Outside Looking In
70-73: Planet 10
70-73: Island Creek Bivalves
69-74: Otherton Fish Biscuits

Island Creek is the most hopeful of these three. 4 games out of the Federal League Wild card and 4.5 out of the Bonus, they have two paths to move on to the post season. However, their schedule is brutal finishing the final 19 games of the regular season against all playoff hopefuls - Planet 10, John McDonald, Newark, Hathsin, and a ultimately closing with 6 against Helena. Ouch.

The Fishbiscuits are 5.5 out of the Bonus WC and 6 out of the American League Wild Card. They will need to due some serious damage over the next 6 days (vs Downsouth and Nottingham) as they finish against John McDonald (3), Helena (3), and Gold Country (7).

Planet 10 has no shot at the National Wild Card, but are withing striking distance at 4.5 out of the Bonus Wild card. It's a long shot, but with a somewhat favorable schedule including games against others fighting for the same slot it's certainly feasible.

The regular season is almost over, but the fun is just beginning. The standings, along with heartbreak and joy, will change daily over the next sim and a half.

League Reports