October 5, 2015

Congratulations to Michael Orobona, champion of the 2015 MLB Predictions Pool! Michael is our eleventh new winner in eleven years, and was part of our inaugural pool in 2005. The HBP tiebreaker column was required to declare a winner for the third time in the last four years.

This year’s contest was certainly one of the closest in pool history. At least six entrants were in contention heading into our final week, and no entrant led more than two consecutive weekly updates. Our top three finishers were separated by a single HBP… This marks the second time Jud Ehrbar missed the title by one tiebreaker point (2007 to Joe Maissel).

Here are the season category leaders, with bold indicating players we actually chose:

AL BA: Miguel Cabrera (4)

AL HR: Chris Davis (1)

AL RBI: Josh Donaldson

AL R: Josh Donaldson

AL SB: José Altuve (16)

NL BA: Dee Gordon

NL HR: Nolan Arenado, Bryce Harper

NL RBI: Nolan Arenado

NL R: Bryce Harper

NL SB: Dee Gordon (9)

AL IP: Dallas Keuchel

AL W: Dallas Keuchel

AL ERA: David Price

AL SO: Chris Sale (3)

AL S: Brad Boxberger

NL IP: Clayton Kershaw (7)

NL W: Jake Arrieta

NL ERA: Zack Greinke

NL SO: Clayton Kershaw (8)

NL S: Mark Melancon (1)

AL HBP: Brandon Guyer

NL HBP: Anthony Rizzo

AL HBP: Nick Martinez, Chris Sale (1)

NL HBP: Chris Heston, Jimmy Nelson

Thanks to everyone for playing and paying on time! Big thanks to our own Brian Wells for launching and supporting our daily updates on the pool site and Twitter. Great job by Michael, and enjoy the postseason…

 -Jud and Dan

October 4, 2015

Michael Orobona remains on top as we enter our last day of regular season baseball. Dan McCloskey can still catch Michael with two hit batsmen by Johnny Cueto this afternoon (three to win), but our current leader is otherwise secure. The potential for a Monday tiebreaker game within the AL West still exists (stats count).

Our leaderboard tightened up a bit yesterday when Dee Gordon finally passed the injured Billy Hamilton to clinch his second straight stolen-base title. Eleven entrants lost an NL SB point while the other nine gained, including new runner-up Jud Ehrbar. Jud has no way to match Michael in the HBP column.

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Hopefully we can officially declare a winner tomorrow morning… Stay tuned!

 -Jud and Dan

October 3, 2015

Keuchel clinches AL W & IP, Arrieta ties Kershaw for NL IP, Dan picks up a Sale HBP.
Email update tomorrow...

October 2, 2015

Orobona still solid as a rock... Pitching tonight: Sale, Arrieta, Keuchel

October 1, 2015

Michael Orobona moves closer to an MLB Predictions Pool win, thanks to a tight AL wild-card race and Felix Hernández’s stiff elbow. The combination of the Astros needing Dallas Keuchel to start Friday night in Arizona and the Mariners shutting their own ace down for the season makes Michael our most likely to succeed for the title. We’ll still keep our eyes on starts by Keuchel, Price, Arrieta, and Kershaw, as well as Dee Gordon’s fortune on the basepaths…

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We’ll probably check in again before Monday. Cross your fingers for the weather!

-Jud and Dan

September 30, 2015

Kershaw reclaims NL IP with one-hitter vs Giants... Morton & Dickey pitch tonight for the HBPs...

September 29, 2015

Tonight: Wacha vs Morton, Cueto vs Samardzija, Kershaw vs Bumgarner...

September 28, 2015

Michael Orobona sneaks back into first by one HBP, snapping a seventeen-day streak for former leader Dan McCloskey. Scores plummeted yesterday after strong starts by two Cy Young hopefuls: Dallas Keuchel (19^thwin, 7IP) and Jake Arrieta (21^st win, 7IP). Keuchel’s performance not only robbed five entrants of a newly-earned David Price AL IP point, but also did away with fifteen points worth of Price/Felix AL wins rewards. Throw in the seven entrants losing their Clayton Kershaw NL IP scores, and we’ve accounted for a 27-point loss poolwide…

With Michael standing tall amongst the wreckage, we look to the final appearances of the aforementioned pitchers. Arrieta, Price, and Felix Hernández each seem assured to make one more start, but plans for Keuchel and Kershaw may be tougher to predict. The Astro ace is slated to make his final regular season start on Saturday, but could conceivably be skipped in favor of an AL wild-card game start (or tiebreaker game, where his stats would count in the pool!). As for Kershaw, the Dodgers could give their lefty two more season starts on regular rest if they choose to.

A win this week for Price or Keuchel essentially giftwraps the pool for Michael, as does a Felix loss/ND. Felix Hernández sharing the AL wins lead (but beating Price) remains the most realistic way for Dan to win, although starts this week by Johnny Cueto and R.A. Dickey shouldn’t be overlooked, given our leaders’ narrow HBP margin. Dan can also regain the lead if Price somehow passes Keuchel in IP without winning, which would probably require Keuchel to miss a start.

Another unlikely scenario exists involving NL steals: if Dee Gordon steals two more bases he passes the injured Billy Hamilton, creating a two-point swing across the leaderboard. Michael and Dan will still be on top without Hamilton, but Jud can actually tie Dan if Kershaw surpasses Arrieta in IP (as long as Jud and Dan remain tied in HBP column). Again, unlikely.

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We’ll send a short update if anything major happens before the weekend. Check Twitter or the pool site for daily info!

-Jud and Dan

September 27, 2015

David Price assumes AL IP lead... Price also joins 4-way tie atop AL wins. Keuchel pitching as we speak...

September 26, 2015

Michael tallies pool-leading 53rd HBP; Price, Felix pitch...

September 25, 2015

Kershaw reclaims NL IP lead; Dan picks up key HBP...

September 24, 2015

September 23, 2015

Arrieta passes Kershaw for NL IP... drops Danton and 6 others down a point.

September 22, 2015

sorry so late!

September 21, 2015

Dan McCloskey maintains his lead over Danton Boller and Michael Orobona with just two weeks remaining in the 2015 MLB Predictions Pool. The AL wins category is still the key to deciding this year’s winner…

Last week featured a tough loss for Felix Hernández against the Angels on Tuesday, a Texas-sized beat down of Dallas Keuchel on Wednesday, and finally a win for King Felix yesterday afternoon. Net result? Hernández holds a one-win lead in the AL W category with 12 games left to play.

Felix's win yesterday renders another developing scenario unlikely. David Price can put Michael in the lead with just a share of the AL wins category, but now trails Hernández by two. Both Price and Keuchel make starts in their respective home stadiums tonight.

Will Dan become our first entrant to win consecutive pool titles? We'll try to send more frequent updates as things shift over the next two weeks. Stay tuned!

-Jud and Dan

September 20, 2015

September 19, 2015

September 18, 2015

September 17, 2015

September 16, 2015

September 15, 2015

September 14, 2015

Dan McCloskey returns to the top with just three weeks of regular season baseball remaining. Danton Boller trails by tiebreaker only, with Michael Orobona lurking in third place. Michael’s Mark Melancon now holds a two-save lead over Trevor Rosenthal of St. Louis; the Cards’ closer has just one save in September so far.

Last week we cited AL wins and NL saves as determining factors for this year’s pool title. Dan’s lead is reasonably safe as long as Felix Hernández has a share of the AL wins category, but if Felix drops back in the race we revert back to Michael in first place. However, if Rosenthal catches Melancon in this latter case, Jim Kushner will overtake Michael (assuming all other categories and current HBP counts hold). Felix pitches against the Angels on Tuesday, while co-leader Dallas Keuchel takes on the Rangers on Wednesday.

See you next week!

-Jud and Dan

September 13, 2015

September 12, 2015

September 11, 2015

September 10, 2015

September 9, 2015

September 8, 2015

September 7, 2015

The lead swings back to Michael Orobona in our first weekly update of September. Dan McCloskey still trails Michael by two HBPs, with fellow contenders Danton Boller and Jim Kushner well behind in the tiebreaker column.

Dallas Keuchel squeezed in two wins and fifteen innings since our last update, erasing leads for Felix Hernández (AL W) and Corey Kluber (AL IP). The AL wins category will be crucial in determining this year’s pool champion, along with NL saves (Melancon vs Rosenthal).

FUN FACT: Frank Gatland, Rob LaColla, Anders Parker, and Jon Pauley scored two-for-ones on Saturday when their NL HBP pick (Charlie Morton) drilled their NL HBP pick (Jon Jay) in St. Louis. Jay’s appearance was his second after missing 57 games on the DL; Starling Marte was also beaned in the game.

Happy Labor Day and welcome back to school…

Jud and Dan

September 6, 2015

September 5, 2015

September 4, 2015

September 3, 2015

September 2, 2015

September 1, 2015

August 31, 2015

Dan McCloskey makes a return to first in our last August update with a large HBP lead over runner-up Danton Boller. Miguel Cabrera’s batting title reinstatement on Saturday gave Dan, Danton, Karen McCloskey, and Jim Kushner a nice boost in the standings; all four entrants are currently in the top five.

Michael Orobona, who led most of last week, can still find a way back to the top. Dan needs the hit-or-miss Felix Hernández to keep pace with Houston’s Dallas Keuchel in AL wins to maintain his lead in points over Michael. If the Orioles can stop their current 1-10 skid, perhaps Zach Britton can deliver an AL saves unique point-pick for Michael. Either way, Dan’s best means of protection is to gain in HBPs with his Sale-Cueto duo over Michael’s Dickey-Morton...

Our next weekly update will arrive either Monday or Tuesday, depending on plans for Labor Day. Enjoy the upcoming weekend!

-Jud and Dan

August 30, 2015

August 29, 2015

August 28, 2015

August 27, 2015

August 26, 2015

August 25, 2015

August 24, 2015

Michael Orobona leads with five correct picks, trailed in HBPs by Dan McCloskey and three others. Garrett Schwab was on top until 11:42 last night, when the Bucs’ Mark Melancon struck out Marlon Byrd and granted Michael unique rights to the NL saves point.

Miguel Cabrera is 15-for-30 since coming off the DL, bringing his season average up to a gaudy .367. Miggy’s now just 7 PAs off pace for batting title qualification…

See you next Monday!

-Jud and Dan

August 23, 2015

August 22, 2015

August 21, 2015

August 20, 2015

August 19, 2015

August 18, 2015

August 17, 2015

Michael Orobona is back on top in weekly update #16, with Dan McCloskey just one HBP behind. Karen McCloskey led for a stretch this week by virtue of two NL pitching points she no longer possesses (Scherzer IP and Rosenthal S). Michael has owned first place for 9 of 17 days this month.

We’ve seen more lead changes in our pool this season than any in recent memory; with the exception of All-Star break, each week since June 15^th has featured at least three different leaders. Some new pitching picks are coming into play for the home stretch… Madison Bumgarner scored a point for NL wins yesterday, and is a contender for IP as well. Michael’s AL saves pick of Zach Britton could become a unique companion to his NL counterpart Mark Melancon before long.

One familiar face made his return a bit earlier than expected: Miguel Cabrera returned to the Tiger lineup on Friday after six weeks on the DL. Miggy can re-qualify for the AL batting title in early September, given 4 or 5 plate appearances per game and a few days off. If his current mark of .352 holds up, Cabrera will give a crucial boost to four legit pool contenders (both McCloskeys, Danton Boller, and Jim Kushner).

See you next Monday!

-Jud and Dan