10.  NY Braves (5-5)

The defending NYCMBL champs struggled early, dropping their first three games, but have since righted the ship and clawed their way back into the conversation with some big wins against teams like the BQE and division-leading Baisely Pirates.

Scott Barrios, who has been tabbed as the de facto ace this year, has done a workman-like job on the mound, posting a 3-1 record with a decent 3.24 ERA, but the Braves’ bats have really come alive behind him as the squad pushed its way back to .500.

Emilio Hererra has been the lynchpin of the offense, hitting .455 with 10 RBIs, while shortstop Luis Herrera is hitting .364 with 11 RBIs and a homer.

9. Bronx Titans ‘AA’ (5-4)

After an up-and-down start, The Titans have made some roster moves over the past few weeks, adding recognizable names like outfielder Junior Villalona into the mix, and could be poised to make a mid-season run.

Matthew Ortiz has established himself as one of the premier sluggers in the Bronx/Manhattan Division, with .474 avg. Nearly half of his hits have been of the extra-base variety.

On the mound, Jason Wertheimer has led the team with four wins and a 2.17 ERA.

8. Brooklyn Bandits (5-3)

After a rough year in 2012, the Bandits have bounced back nicely and seem to be playing to form. As always, the Bandits are a well-balanced team, relying mainly on defense and pitching, but the bats have certainly been working overtime this year. James Cappabianca is having a breakout year, hitting .476 through the first eight games, while Eric Scotto – who has long been one of the league’s toughest outs - is right behind him with a .435 avg and 11 runs batted in.

Scotto’s health was an issue for the Bandits last year, as Brooklyn was forced to find healthy arms to replace his production, but the talented right-hander has been effective in a limited role this year with a 2.40 ERA in three appearances. The workhorse of the staff, however, has been Mike Bukowski, who has logged over 30 innings thus far, and has picked up three of the Bandits five wins.

7.  Rainmakers (5-3)

Without much input from either of their highly touted aces, the Rainmakers have proved themselves to be a more-than capable squad.  When those two arms return, the Rainmakers could become the team to beat in the Brooklyn/Queens division.

Taylor Wood has proved unhittable in limited action this year, and has not allowed a run in 13 innings of work, but Rainmaker manager Antonio Cardona has managed to fill in a staff around him with a number of quality arms, including tall right-hander Nick Travaglino who has pitched the lion’s share of the innings so far. If rumors about flame-thrower Mike Kazley’s impending return are true, the Rainmakers will have an unmistakably deep – and dominant - rotation.

6. Prospects (8-2)

If not for the Dodgers, the Prospects would be the cream of the ‘A’ division. They’ve been slugging opposing teams into submission as of late, scoring an astounding 83 runs thus far. The next closest team, the Dodgers, have scored just 62.

Chris Cancel, the NYCMBL Player of the Week for his May 12 performance, is a big reason for that, as is AJ Torres, who is hitting .563 on the year.

Torres has also been solid on the mound, but the true ace of the Prospects is Angel Cancel, who has maintained a 0.35 ERA despite not racking up a ton of strikeouts. 

5. NYC Mud Hens (8-2)

As in years past, the Mud Hens live and die with the success of their pitching staff. So far, the Hens hurlers have been terrific for the most part, as the team has allowed just over three runs per game. Right-hander Chris Liegel leads the Metro League in wins, while Mike Park has slid effortlessly into the closer role with a league-high three saves.

Offensively, however, the Hens have been positively dreadful.  Their .257 team average is the seventh-worst in the league and they strike out at a higher clip than any other team. Particularly vexing for the Hens is the lack of production from several middle-of-the-lineup veterans who have yet to find their groove in 2013.  Luckily, when the Hens have hit this year, they’ve done it in big spots.

4. Nassau Yankees ‘AA’ (7-3)

The ‘AA’ Yankees might just have the most well-rounded lineup in the entire metro league. Alex Oates (.522) and Gabe Feingold (.467) lead a squad that features nine everyday players with averages over .300. Though the Yanks can hit for power, their true strength is in their ability to wear starting pitchers down.

Rob Engel has emerged as the ace of the staff, pitching to a 1.16 ERA over 30 innings, but manager Victor Catano has six arms that can be called upon in a variety of situations.

3. Baisley Pirates (8-2)

Tied for first in the Brooklyn/Queens division, the Pirates get the slight edge over the Mud Hens because they were able to hold off a challenge from the Hens two weeks ago.

Through the first eight games of the season, the Pirates have relied on a well-rounded lineup, with players like David Payero (.571, 10 RBI) and Chris Varona (.429) leading the way. As a team, the squad is hitting a very healthy .321, and have also demonstrated exceptional awareness at the plate. As a team, the Pirates have reached base 61 times on free passes while striking out only 38 times.

2. Bronx D-Backs (7-2)

Buoyed by the strong pitching of Cy Young frontrunner Victor Padilla, the D-Backs have been tough to beat down the stretch and are winners of their last five games.  You can’t say enough about Padilla, who has been virtually unhittable,  posting a 0.45 ERA over the course of five games. In 30.2 innings of work, he’s fanned 64 batters.

But the D-Backs’ offense is rounding into shape as well, as the team has posted a league-high 12 round-trippers – six of which came in just one weekend. If the bats keep it up, the D-Backs could be a top-seed come playoff time.

1. Elmjack Dodgers (8-0)

It’s no surprise here that the Dodgers top this list. The only undefeated team left at this point in the season, the Dodgers have simply pitched – and hit – better than just about anyone in the ‘A’ division.

Aside from a close 6-5 win against the Yanks in the season opener, nobody has come close to the Dodgers, as they’ve outscored opponents 57-3 in their last six games. Kevin Briffa and Bobby Meyers have been money on the mound, but the difference-maker for Elmjack has been the arrival of ex-Cardinals Alex Sheppard, Steve Morgan, Jerome Slaughter and Romance Barber, who have combined to drive in 27 runs.