Pythagorean Records: 8/12 Edition

It's been a long time since I've done this, and it's back just in time for the stretch run. There are only a few weeks left in the season, and several playoff spots are not close to being decided, particularly in the north division. Since it's been a little over a month since I last did this, there should be some noticeable movement in the standings. As a reminder, these are the overall standings for the entire season, not just the first or second half records.

. Team W L RS RA pW pL Difference pW% . San Jose 65 51 623 550 65 51 0 0.55677154843761 . Visalia 58 57 573 602 55 60 3 0.47742778714724 . Bakersfield 57 58 541 562 55 60 2 0.48258427197378 . Modesto 57 58 588 618 55 60 2 0.47724982865791 . Stockton 56 59 608 650 54 61 2 0.46947814899887

San Jose has struggled mightily in the second half, but overall they're still head and shoulders about the rest of the division. Their run differential is about the same as the last time I did this, so their pythagorean record remains generally in line with their real record. After that, the division is a mess and every team is cluttered together. Bakersfield enjoys a nice second half lead, but overall they don't really stand out. The interesting thing is how all four teams are playing over their pythagorean record when they all have negative run differentials. Just taking a quick look at the numbers, Modesto has had the biggest drop in run differential over the last month while Bakersfield has improved the most.

. Team W L RS RA pW pL Difference pW% . Lake Elsinore 69 46 605 499 68 47 1 0.58722342977611 . Rancho Cucamonga 64 51 608 537 64 51 0 0.55656766180977 . High Desert 61 54 689 630 62 53 -1 0.54086470973418 . Inland Empire 44 71 541 621 50 65 -6 0.4372381315191 . Lancaster 45 71 589 696 49 67 -4 0.42422085303776

Lake Elsinore has been one of the best teams in pro baseball this year, but Rancho Cucamonga isn't too far behind. Lake Elsinore's drop in offense in the second half after leading the league in runs in the first half has caused the team's winning percentage to drop closer to .600, which is still obviously very good. They still have a pretty comfortable lead in the pitching department, and that has kept them afloat in the second half. Rancho Cucamonga also combines very good offense and pitching, despite struggling to maintain a consistent rotation all year. High Desert is right behind Rancho Cucamonga with one of the best run differentials in the league. Inland Empire and Lancaster continue to struggle.