Missoula Prep Sports Network

Early Legion Rankings Released

On Friday June 15th the Montana/Alberta American Legion Baseball Conference released its league rankings for 2018 and there a few surprises on the list.

The Top Half

On the top side of the rankings the top two teams are no surprise in the Billings Royals who site at the top with nine wins, and the 2017 runner up Bozeman Bucks who are just two wins shy of of the Royals. The real surprise in the top half of the rankings is the surging Kalispell Lakers who are sitting in the third place spot with a 5-2 record in conference play and have beaten powerhouse teams like the Missoula Mavericks. Finishing out the top half of the top five is the veteran coached teams in the Lethbridge Elks, and the Missoula Mavericks, both teams managed by two of the most seasoned coached in the conference.

The Second Half

There are a few surprises in the lower portion of the rankings, keep in mind it is early in league play and things can change as fast as the weather in Montana. The Billings Scarlets are the biggest surprise coming out in this set of rankings. Billings has a stable full of talent and their bullpen is solid from start to finish. The second surprise in the bottom portion of the rankings is the Helena Senators who return postseason experienced talent and a consistent top three pitching rotation. The one team sitting in the most precarious seat is the Great Falls Chargers who are 2-6 but are playing better than their record suggest, they just are not able to close out teams in late innings.

What To Watch For in The Coming Weeks

All in all one has to remember it is early in conference play and we will see some changes in the rankings as we finish out June and teams go into the final stretch of league play. We should see the Bucks and the Royals remaining at the top, with a solid chance for the Bucks to over take the Royals at the top. The Lakers have been tested by the Bucks having been swept by Bozeman over the weekend, but have a good road ahead of them that could see them riding out in the third spot for the remainder season, providing they can hold off Lethbridge. The Mavs, Chargers, and Senators have some work to do and we will see these three teams play leap frog as we go through the coming weeks.