Minor League Monday: Season 2 | Week 6

Season Standings:
#1: Nashville Sounds | 86 Points
#2: Oklahoma City Dodgers | 85 Points
#3: Worcester Red Sox | 74 Points
#4: Akron Rubberducks | 71 Points
#5: Tennessee Smokies | 63 Points
#6: Durham Bulls | 60 Points
#7: Chattanooga Lookouts | 49 Points
#8: Greenville Drive | 45 Points
#9: Memphis Redbirds | 42 Points
#10: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers | 33 Points
#T11: Greensboro Grasshoppers | 28 Points
#T11: Winston-Salem Dash | 28 Points
#13: Down East Wood Ducks | 26 Points
#14: Fayetteville Woodpeckers | 17 Points
#15: Asheville Tourists | 13 Points

Week 6 Standings 

#1 (n/a): Nashville Sounds (24-11 | 6-0-0)
Week 6 Opponent: Jacksonville (4-2 | +12)

And Still. The Nashville Sounds hold the #1 spot and are the only team in the #1 season standings. It's no question that Nashville is the best team in the competition, being the only team to win every single series. The first four games against Jacksonville were back and forth. As the series entered game five, Jacksonville and Nashville would have the series split 2-2. Nashville would secure the final two wins to make them 6-0 in series' this season. 

This week Nashville will host the Louisville Bats, making their first appearance against a Minor League Monday team.

#2 (n/a): Oklahoma City Dodgers (18-12 | 3-0-3)
Week 6 Opponent: Round Rock (4-2 | +26)

It was a wonderful week for the Oklahoma City Dodgers against the Round Rock Express. The Dodgers have either won or tied every series for the entirety of the season, and we will officially deem them the new Greensboro Grasshoppers. Game one in this series came with much scoring, but the Dodgers would fall, 7-13. However, for the next four games, the Dodgers would win, and in game three, the Dodgers would put up the biggest whooping we have seen this season, winning the game 19-0. That's more points than some teams scored this week. Round Rock pulled away with the win in the last game of this series, but Oklahoma City has a lot to look forward to. 

This week the Dodgers will host El Paso as they square off for the second time. The last time the Dodgers and Chihauhaus met, the series was split 3-3, but Oklahoma City is on a three-game winning streak against El Paso. 

#3 (+2): Tennessee Smokies (21-12 | 4-1-1)
Week 6 Opponent: Montgomery (7-0 | +27)

The Tennessee Smokies have been on an impressive run since losing the series against Chattanooga, and now more than ever, they are ready to redeem themselves. The Montgomery Biscuits came into this week with a 15-11 record, but the Smokies have been dominant against them this season. The last time the two met, Tennessee shocked us and won their series 3-2. The biggest win was Game 7 when the Smokies won 12-5. 

Tennessee will host Chattanooga this week for their third meeting. The series is split 1-1 with a head-to-head record of 4-5. Chattanooga leads. This series will be our Series of the Week.

#4 (-1): Akron RubberDucks (18-15| 3-2-1)
Week 6 Opponent: Erie (4-2 | -6)

This week, not because of a lack of decent play on the field, Akron falls out of the top three. The Tennessee Smokies were just that dominant. The RubberDucks have bounced back from the demoralizing series against the Bowie Baysox in the last three weeks. Erie could not put together back-to-back wins in this series which allowed the RubberDucks to remain a winning team. 

This week, the RubberDucks will travel to take on the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, their first appearance against a Minor League Monday team this season.  

#5 (+1): Durham Bulls (17-19 | 2-3-1)
Week 6 Opponent: Gwinnett (4-2 | +4)

The Durham Bulls are slowly but surely starting to look like a competent team. Winning the series against the Gwinnett Stripers marks their first back-to-back series wins of the season. This win did not come easy, though. Gwinnett came out strong winning the first two games 4-8, but Durham had enough of being the laughing stock and finished strong with four wins, including a shutout in game five of the series. 

This week Durham will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jumbo Shrimp. This series is the second time the teams have met this season. In week two, the Jumbo Shrimp defeated the Bulls 4-2, including one shutout.

#6 (+1): Chattanooga Lookouts (17-16 | 3-2-1)
Week 6 Opponent: Mississippi (3-3 | +/- 0)

We're not sure how the Lookouts could have done much worse than last week after nearly being swept by the Rocket City Trash Pandas, but at least they have some momentum going into this week's series against the Smokies. Mississippi looked like they would take the series going into game five with a 3-1 lead like the 2016 Golden State Warriors, but the Lookouts rallied in the final two games to tie the series and tie in overall series scoring. 

This week's matchup against the Smokies could be the Series of the Year once it's all said and done. 

#7 (+2): Memphis Redbirds (19-17 | 2-1-3)
Week 6 Opponent: Norfolk (5-1 | +8)

Memphis has been and still continues to be the Sleeper Team of the Year. They almost remind me of the Indianapolis Colts. Nobody really watches them or keeps up with them, yet they're sneaky good. Though Norfolk has not had much success against Minor League Monday Teams, this has been their worst series against one of our teams. Again, sneaky good, don't sleep on Memphis.

This week Memphis will travel to take on the Gwinett Stripers, their second meeting of the season. Week one the two tied the series 3-3. 

#8 (-4): Worcester Red Sox (15-21 | 2-3-1)
Week 6 Opponent: Rocester (0-6 | -20)

I'm not afraid to admit, I've been ranking Worcester way too high this season. I wanted them to do good, but I have to face the facts. Worcester has not won a series since week two, and maybe I'm wrong for ranking them at #8, but that's where they stand for now. 

The Red Sox will host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Raiders this week in their first series against a Minor League Monday series. 

#9 (+3): Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (17-16 | 2-1-3)
Week 6 Opponent: Fredericksburg (4-2 | +1)

I'm glad the Cannon Ballers are doing...better... this season than they did last season. They are the home team, and they have a winning record, so that's a plus. It's a slow grind, but I could see the Cannon Ballers in the Top-5 this season. For now we wait.

This week the Cannon Ballers will host the Fayetteville Woodpeckers in their third series of the season. The Cannon Ballers lead the series 1-0-1.

#10 (+1): Down East Wood Ducks (14-19 | 1-3-2)
Week 6 Opponent: Lynchburg (2-4 | -5)

Down East does not have a lot to be proud of in this series, but they won the first and the last game, and they didn't get shut out in any games. 

The Wood Ducks will take on the Carolina Mudcats for the third time this season. Carolina leads the series 2-1.

#11 (-1): Winston-Salem Dash (15-16 | 2-2-2) 
Week 6 Opponent: Rome (1-5 | -12)

There's the Winston-Salem Dash we know and love. Rome only shut out the Dash once in this series, and if it weren't for their win in game six the point differential would have been much greater.

The Dash will take on the Asheville Tourist this week in their second meeting. Winston leads the series. 

#12 (+1): Fayetteville Woodpeckers (12-21 | 0-3-3)
Week 6 Opponent: Carolina (3-3 | +1)

Fayetteville climbs a little this week after tying with the Mudcats in their first series against one another this season. 

Fayetteville will take on the Cannon Ballers this week.

#13 (+1): Greensboro Grasshoppers (14-18 | 1-3-2)
Week 6 Opponent: Hickory (3-3 | -1) 

Genuinely, I hope the Grasshoppers get back to tying every series like they did this week. It makes for good baseball. Don't get me wrong, I like that the Dodgers are doing what the Grasshoppers did last season, it just doesn't feel right. 

The Grasshoppers will host Bowling Green this week in thier first season against one another this season. 

#14 (+1): Asheville Tourists (11-21 | 1-5-0)
Week 6 Opponent: Greenville Drive (5-1 | +23)

The Tourists finally got them one and it only took six weeks to do it. They're no longer in last place! 

This week the Tourist have the opportunity to carry that moment up against the Winston-Salem Dash.

#15 (-7): Greenville Drive (14-19 | 2-4-0)
Week 6 Opponent: Asheville (1-5 | -23)
Next Opponent: Hickory Crawdads

Series to Watch
Series of the Week: #3 Tennessee vs. #6 Chattanooga
#9 Kannapolis vs. #12 Fayetteville
#11 Winston-Salem vs. #14 Asheville ​