It has been a wild FMBA 2023 season thus far. And as we head into the stretch run to the playoffs, we will see the playoff picture become a bit more clear. Let’s take a quick look around the league.

The Canadians – finalists the past two seasons – started out strong and just continue to win games as they currently sit in first place at 10-2. About the only bad luck that has gone their way so far this summer is the weather, with 10 games coming up in the next month mainly being made up from earlier rainouts.

The champions of the past three seasons, the Diamondbacks, have seen a different roster than normal this season, in part because they also participated in the Alberta AAA Sunburst League. With them sitting in second place at 12-4, and their AAA season now complete, look for them to shift their focus to winning a fourth consecutive FMBA title.

Sitting in third place are the White Sox at 11-7. Their season to date has been a bit of Jekyll and Hyde as they have some impressive wins against all of the top teams in the league, but have also lost a few to some lower ranked squads. With only four games remaining, they will try to get hot and enter the playoffs on a roll.

The Giants are currently alive and well in the playoff mix, sitting at 10-8 and in fourth place. Two of their wins came due to a favorable waiver form error, but as anyone in the FMBA will tell you: a W is a W. Their team boasts several key players doing double duty between themselves and the AAA Sunburst Calgary Rockies. As we get closer to the playoffs, they may have something to say in the tourney.

The Twins have surprised thus far on the year as they sit in fifth at 8-7. After a disappointing finish to the 2022 season, they will look to reverse the end of last season by finishing the 2023 season strong. Regardless, the future looks bright for this team as they have seen an injection of youth in recent seasons. Their remaining schedule poses some challenging games, but they have played well thus far.

Sitting at 6-8 and in sixth place are the Longhorns. A few of the veteran Longhorns of years past remain, but there are also several new faces on this squad. They have seen some bad luck themselves, being 1-4 in 1 run games. If they can return to the mean in these close games, they could be a team to watch out for as we close out the regular season.

The Dukes, currently sitting at 5-8 and in 7th place, seem like another team to watch out for. Their pitching has been solid all season, and they boast the fourth best run differential in the league. With their bats having recently woken up from an early season slumber, look for them to rise in the standings.

Currently sitting in the last playoff spot are the Wolfpack at 6-10. This is unfamiliar territory for this squad, however they started out the year on the wrong end of a missed waiver error, and have been missing several key members for large stretches of the season. Their team recently put up big numbers at the annual Wayne Leitch Memorial tournament, and are always a team to watch out for when playoffs loom.

Next up are the Cardinals, currently in 9th place at 7-12 after a tough 2022 season. This team at one point was 4-4, and then lost 7 games in a row before bouncing back to win three of their last four. With only three games left for them on the season, they are still alive in the playoff mix but will surely need to improve on their league worst run differential if they wish to get into this year’s playoffs.

Next up in tenth place at 5-10 are the young Dinos team. It seems the Dinos have a different lineup every game, with consistency being an issue for this squad. They do have a favorable schedule when compared to some of the other teams they are chasing in the standings, and are certainly capable of putting up runs. Don’t write off this team yet.

Last up around the league are the Guns, who are sitting at 4-8 and in eleventh place. They started out the year with two big wins against the Cardinals and not much has gone right for them since, including being the recipients of numerous rain outs. One advantage they do have is the sheer number of games they have left. If they can find their winning ways, they are very capable of getting hot and entering the playoffs.

Stay tuned as the boys of summer look to close out an exciting FMBA season.