Individual Awards Races: Offense

		Your Junk my Happy Zone
		by Brandon Corbett

Country Strong HR King Player HR GR Avg HR/G at fields Pearson 15 10 2.6 Hewlett 12 8 2.5 Castle 10 6 1.6 Tomlinson 10 4 1.1 LaDouceur 9 4 1.1 If Pearson does not win 2013 Country Strong Home-Run King, then something will have gone seriously sideways. He has every major advantage: a significant lead, the most games left to play, and the most home-run friendly set of fields on which to hit. Both the Reservation and Field of Make-Believe give up around 4 HR per game, and Pearson has two games at each. Hewlett also has four games left at Make-Believe, but he will have to do serious work to edge out Pearson. The same goes for Castle, whose best chances to stockpile late home-runs come at the Wiff-Hill Grounds and Island. Los dos Diablos are listed, but must have huge multi home-run games at the Island and Poolside to really be in the conversation.

Batting Champion Player AVG GR Avg WHIP of opp. Nagorski .500 10 2.11 Lollio .483 4 2.53 Bortmas .433 10 2.47 Tomlinson .437 4 2.53 Pearson .385 10 2.11 Unlike with HR King, more games remaining actually hurts batters when chasing average; each week the leaders seem to slip further down. Still, Nagorski might need every one of those to even be eligible to win. He is at 38 PA - so, not represented on the current league leaders - and will need 50 by season's end. If he gets the plate appearances in, he still has to outlast the rest of the pack while facing the stingiest gauntlet of pitchers. Lollio and Tomlinson have the benefit of playing out this race between themselves at their games, although, their final four games are a story of yin and yang at the Island and Poolside. Bortmas' biggest luxury is being able to enjoy home cooking for all ten of his remaining games; a couple of those should present a great opportunity to tee off.

Great Lakes Stealer Player SB GR Opp. CS% Castle 17 6 .04 Alexia 14 4 .21 Two horse race for the newest year-end award, one of whom is my preseason prediction. Alexia needs to make up ground, though, without many strides left to do so: 8 attempts at most. Can also add "while on bad footing" there, as his final series come against staffs with the two best caught-stealing percentages in WSEM. Castle is in good shape: a head start, 150% of the opportunities to pull away, and those come against staffs who only catch base thieves 1 out of 25 times. Belgian and the Balls play in week 14, so we may get the chance to see these two run wild for the steals title in a fun finish.

Walker Texas Ranger Player BB GR Avg WHIP of opp. Alexia 46 4 1.71 Sessions 44 6 1.67 Tomlinson 41 4 2.53 A race that can even make watching walks fun! Sessions and Alexia have been back and forth all season at the top of this board. Now, the Mayor finds himself two back, but with two games in hand. Both ranger-hopefuls have some stiff pitching staffs to face down the home stretch: Aces and Balls for both, and Sessions also gets El Diablos. Tomlinson is not far behind with games coming up against the Islanders and Aces, but you have to think Kyle is more focused on the two hitting awards he is in contention for than getting the badge.