Fecal League Tracking 2013

Now that the trade deadline is over, it is time to start looking towards the 2014 draft. Going into August, the Cubs had the 9th worst record in baseball. Currently, there are 15 teams under .500, and all 15 have a shot at a protected top 10 draft slot. However, the Nationals don't scare me too much, so I'm going to narrow the field to 14. For much of the season, Houston and Miami have had the #1 and #2 spots sewn up, but the White Sox have come charging into the picture losing 6 in a row to finish July strong.

After the top 3, it's pretty much anybody's ballgame. It is going to be an interesting and volatile race for a top 5 draft pick in 2014. Case in point, the Cubs entered August in 9th place, but after just two days are currently sitting 6th. Unfortunately, that's a pretty meaningless ranking as 8 teams have 58 or 59 losses and one team is tied with the Cubs at 60.

August 2nd was a particularly good day for the Cubs. It started by them losing 6-2 to the Dodgers for their 60th loss. There were 12 games on the Fecal League schedule last night. In the list below, the Cubs benefit if the first team listed wins. Out of 12 games, we went 8-4, including the Cubs loss, 9-4. Considering that most of these games are under .500 teams against over .500 teams, to go 9-4 is a very good day.

PHI vs. ATL - Phillies lost. 50-59

COL vs. PIT - Rockies won. 52-59

SEA vs. BAL - Mariners lost. 50-59

CWS vs. DET - White Sox lost. 40-67

MIA vs. CLE - Marlins won. 43-65

NYM vs. KC - Mets won. 49-58

SFG vs. TB - Giants won. 49-58

MIN vs. HOU - Twins won. 46-60

MIL vs. WSH - Brewers lost. 46-63

SDP vs. NYY - Padres won. 51-59

The last game was between the Blue Jays and the Angels. They each had 58 losses going into the game, but the Jays and one more win than the Angels, so I guess if there was an outcome that benefited the Cubs more it would be if the Angels won.

LAA vs. TOR - Angels won. 50-58. The Blue Jays are 50-59.

Fecal League Standings - 08/02/13

1. HOU...36-72 .333 --

2. CWS...40-67 .374 4.5

3. MIA....43-65 .398 7.0

4. MIL....46-63 .422 9.5

5. MIN...46-60 .434 11.0

6. CHC...49-60 .450 12.5

7. SFG...49-59 .454 13.0

8. NYM...49-58 .458 13.5

9. SEA...50-59 .459 13.5

10. PHI...50-59 .459 13.5

11. TOR..50-59 .459 13.5

12. LAA...50-58 .463 14.0

13. SDP...51-59 .464 14.0

14. COL...52-59 .468 14.5

8 teams are within 2 games of the Cubs. Their ranking will vary greatly throughout the next several weeks. This should be an interesting ride.

Thanks for keeping track. hoping for a lot of loses the rest of the way. next years draft is gonna be a stacked at the top.

The Cubs are 5.5 games back of Miami in 3rd. If the Marlins keep winning (3 in a row, 6 in their last 10), the Cubs have a shot at that pick, but #1 and #2 seem out of reach. They could finish anywhere from 3rd to 14th. That's a big variance.

There are 53 games left for the Cubs, Marlins and Brewers. It's a little early for magic numbers but what the heck. The number of Cubs losses and Marlins wins needed for the Cubs to pick 3rd is 59. For the 4th pick, it's 56. (The Cubs have the tie-breaker on every team except Houston.) Magic numbers work a little differently if you're not in 1st place, of course...

I hope we draft 14th at best.

I hope the Cubs draft last.

Yeah, I'm interested in tracking it, but we're at the point where an implosion of the big league team is probably worse for the long-term success.

No one said it would take an implosion of the big league team to get as good of a draft pick as possible. They're not mutually exclusive.

You don't have to be mediocre before you are good, that is correct. Everything else is not right.

I guess I feel like losing the rest of the way does more for our long term success than winning. That's probably the most simple way to put it.

 

That is also not right. The difference in a couple spots in the draft order pales compared to the importance of the success of the players who are currently on the MLB roster.

You're wrong too.

The difference isn't between a couple of spots in the draft order. There are so many teams so close together that the difference is between 10 spots in the draft order. And the Cubs can lose enough games (and the other teams win enough games) without compromising the individual success of any one player on the roster. I thought that was obvious...