[DROP 100] The DROP 100 for 2019: #80 - #61

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The DROP 100 is an annual ranking of the top 100 competitive fast pitch Wiffle® Ball players over the prior calendar year. The list is based on a player’s performance/results in fast pitch competition during the past year only and takes into account overall performance, quality of competition, how often a player competed, and diversity of tournaments/leagues participated in.

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80. Cameron Smith
SWBL Cardinals

Key Stats: 10 2/3 IP | 2 H | 3 R | 50% SO rate | 174 ERA+ [NWLA Tournament]

The newest addition to the SWBL Cardinals NWLA Tournament roster is by no means a newbie to competitive wiffs. Smith has been a steady presence in the St. Louis-based Yellow Batz league for years before venturing to fellow St. Louis league, the SWBL, in 2019 to qualify for the NWLA tournament. The high energy right-hander displayed impressive velocity during parts of three games pitched in Morenci. Smith was mainly a one-pitch pitcher in 2019, but that pitch was effective enough when it was thrown over the plate. Smith’s downfall was his command. If he can improve on his 32% walk rate and add another pitch to arsenal, he should be even more of a force at the 2020 NWLA Tournament.

79. Zach Artim
BWBL Breaker Boys

Key Stats: 11 1/3 IP | 4 H | 4 R | 14% BB rate | 68% SO rate | 139 ERA+ [NWLA Tournament]

Zach Artim did not plan on making the trip to Morenci for the NWLA Tournament this year. Before 2019, Zach was already the owner of a 2.23 career ERA in 67 2/3’s innings pitched in NWLA Tournament action. He was viewed as one of the tournament’s best pitchers and arguably the best pitcher to come out of the Wilkes-Barre area. There was little left for him to prove. As the tournament approached, however, he was convinced to give it another go and is likely glad that he did. Artim was his same old self in 2019, pitching to a 2.12 ERA over two games while recording 30 of his 34 outs via strikeout. BWBL went to their ace early, using him in pool play against Kalamazoo and later in their first bracket play game against OCWA. Artim took hard-luck losses in both, the latter of which was a 1-0 walk off loss. Artim also pitched well at the Keystone Games tournament in August, helping his squad to a bronze medal finish.

78. Tommy Coughlin
Midwest Mallards, MLW All-Stars

Key Stats: 72 PA | 22 H | 4 HR | 0.94 BB/K ratio | 120 OPS+ | 31 IP | 19 ER | 14 H | 165 ERA+ [MLW Regular Season] 30 PA | 7 H | 16 2/3 IP | 10 ER | 36 SO [MLW Playoffs] 32 PA | 5 H | .208/.406/.208 | 94 OPS+ | 15 IP | 7 H | 45% SO rate | 30% BB rate [NLWA Tournament]

Coughlin had another good all-around season in MLW and along with Kyle Schultz, formed the nucleus of MLW’s inaugural NWLA Tournament team. He pitched three games in Morenci (with Kyle handling the other two) and faired better than his 0-3, 4.40 ERA might otherwise indicate. Coughlin used a two pitch-mix of a side arm slider and a unique overhand drop, although he also varied his arm angle on the slider a little bit to give hitters different looks. Both pitches were reasonably effective when thrown for strikes but finding consistent command from 48-feet with uncut balls proved to be a challenge. Coughlin struck out 11 batters in each of his 5-inning games but also averaged almost 4 ½ walks per game. Not surprisingly, the game where he allowed the fewest number of walks - 5 versus Kalamazoo - was also the game he had his best results in (a lone run over five innings). If he finds his command from that pitching distance in 2020, there’s no reason to believe his ERA won’t plummet as a result.

77. Sylvie Serrano
OBombers, Muscadines

Sylvie logged time in Southern California Wiffle Ball, National Wiffle, and Fast Plastic this past year. At Fast Plastic, his bat heated up as the tournament went along and he pitched well, save for a last-inning game tying homerun to the Mafia in bracket play. He suffered a similar fate at the September SoCal Wiffle Ball tournament when he gave up a tournament-ending blast to Randy Dalbey on a hanging screwball. The team results were not quite there in 2019 but Sylvie continued to be a solid two-way player.

76. Mike Bucci
Palisades Reds, Dragons

Key Stats: 108 PA | 29 H | 11 XBH | .330/.454/.568 | 114 OPS+ [Palisades Regular Season]

Bucci had plenty of experience in the Palisades minor league division prior to 2019, but this past year was his first stint in the main league. Playing with his Dragon teammates (as the Reds), Mike hit .330 which was sixth best among players with more than three games played. He was well-rounded at the plate as his slash line attests to and was a major contributing factor in the Reds’ second place regular season finish. As a result of his strong offensive performance, Mike was named the 2019 Palisades Rookie of the Year.

75. Rudy Lyon
Yakkers, CCWB Chasers

Key Stats: 57 IP | 40 R | 1% HR rate | 216 ERA+ | 193 PA | .361/.597/.731 | 13 HR | 121 OPS+ [Circle City] 24 PA | 4 H | .375 OBP | 98 OPS+ [NWLA Tournament]

Only one player finished top 5 in Circle City Wiffle Ball in both OPS and ERA and that player was Rudy Lyon. Rudy led the second place Yakkers on the rubber and at the dish all season long. Lyon trailed the Speeks in every significant pitching category but was also well ahead of the rest of the pack in those same categories. At the plate, Lyon did not excel in any one aspect – relative to his peers – but instead showed a well-rounded approach. Rudy did not see any pitching time at the NWLA Tournament. Offensively, he was essentially a tournament-average hitter for the Circle City squad.

74. Ryan Kauffman
Legends of Wiffle

This flame throwing Californian pitched the Legends of Wiffle into a quarterfinal appearance in 2018 at Fast Plastic and helped his team make it a step further this year as they reached the semi-finals. Kauffman has decent height and gets good extension on his delivery, both of which source his strong velocity. He is also a solid right-handed bat and is especially dangerous when the ball is left up in the zone. In addition to Fast Plastic, Ryan was a somewhat regular presence at SoCal Wiffle events.

73. Trent Jones
Village Idiots

It was a tale of two tournaments for Jones and the Village Idiots. Things went well in Atlanta at the National Wiffle tournament. The Idiots finished second in the Fast Pitch tournament with Trent being named tournament MVP. He went toe-to-toe with David Wood in the finals of the fast pitch tournament, which was one of the more wild and unique games played this past summer. Jones is a drop and screw ball heavy pitcher and gets good, sharp break on both offerings. Things did not go as well for him in Cedar Park, Texas for the Fast Plastic tournament, where a first game forfeit put the Idiots behind the eight-ball from the start. His team would eventually wash out of the main bracket into the consolation round with an 0-3 record.

72. Dan Haverty
Legends of Wiffle

Haverty’s lone fast pitch tournament came in October at Fast Plastic, where he played on (technically) his third different team in three years. As a member of Legends of Wiffle, Haverty took the ball early in the tournament, pitching the team past GSW in the opener on the way to a 3-0 start. Dan is a no thrills power pitcher with a compact delivery and a quality riser that he used to good effect in Texas. For helping LOW to a final four finish, Dan was named to the Fast Plastic all-tournament team.

71. Matt Trzpis
Las Vegas Wifflers

There are obvious disadvantages to playing a tournament as a 2-man squad, but that arrangement is not always without its benefits. When both hitters can rake - which certainly applies to the Trzpis brothers - then those additional at bats and pitches seen are nothing but a positive. Matt took full advantage of the extra at bats he and his brother had at Fast Plastic as they belted their way to a somewhat unlikely 4-3 record and top 8 finish. Matt threw of some the seven games worth of innings he and his brother had to pick up, as well.

70. Dave Fisher
603 All-Stars, Palisades Giants, Mafia

Key Stats: 23 1/3 IP | 4 R | 12% BB rate | 55% SO rate [GSWL Pro] 13 PA | 5 H | 1 HR [Palisades Regular Season]

The veteran New England wiffler did not have a regular home, so to speak, in 2019, instead opting to get in a little bit of action in GSWL Pro, Palisades, and Fast Plastic. Fisher was once an upper level pitcher in GSWL’s fast pitch league/circuit but hadn’t seen much pitching action in recent years. That changed in 2019. Dave threw almost 24 innings in the GSWL Pro draft league, where he held opposing offenses to four runs on eleven hits. Fisher didn’t see any time on the carpet in Fast Plastic for the Mafia but was a solid contributor in the lineup.

69.  Rob Colon
OBombers

The OBombers did not last very long at the Fast Plastic tournament, but Rob Colon made a strong impression in that time on opposing players - particularly opposing pitchers - with his stick. Colon was a tough out in Texas, particularly early in the event where he made life tough for the opposing pitchers on the Phenoms and Mafia. Colon has a knack for making solid contact on pitches anywhere in the zone but is also more than willing to take a walk when the opportunity presents itself.

68. Lee VainStreain
Glory Days, KWL Keggers

Key Stats: 42 IP | 19 H | 7 R| 11% BB rate | 53% SO rate | 192 PA | 92 H | 30 HR | 146 OPS+ [Kalamazoo Wiffleball League] 6 IP | 1 R | 9 BB% | 59 SO% | 295 ERA+ | 30 PA | 6 H | 3 HR | 123 OPS+ [NWLA Tournament]

Lee’s 2019 NWLA Tournament was essentially defined by one game, but what a game it was. Facing the MAW Mafia in both team’s second pool play game, Lee dominated the game on both sides. He threw six innings in picking up the win, with a Tim McElrath solo shot as the only blemish on his performance. At the plate, Lee hit two home runs of his own as part of a monster 4-7, six RBI game against Chris Sarnowski and the Mafia. In the Kalamazoo Wiffleball League, Lee allowed just seven runs in 42 innings pitched, with an OPS almost 50% higher than league average.

67. Kenny Stengel
Palisades Diamondbacks

Key Stats: 126 PA | 34 H | 12 HR | .312/.405/.706 | 124 OPS+ | 22 1/3 IP | 15 H | 7 R | 240 ERA+ [Palisades Regular Season]

The Diamondbacks ran away with the Palisades regular season title in ‘19. When you look at Kenny Stengel’s stats and realize he was that team’s fourth best player, it is not difficult to see how. From a pure number standpoint, Stengel’s offensive output was the best it has been since 2015 and the second best of his Palisades’ career. Despite being a seven-year league veteran, Stengel had amassed a mere 30 innings on the carpet prior to 2019. This past season he worked 22 1/3 innings for the Diamondbacks and the results were very good. Stengel allowed just 7 runs, although his peripheral numbers were not quite as strong. His strike out rate was slightly better than league average and walk rate was slightly worse than average.

66. Grant Miller
Wiff This, KWL Keggers

Key Stats: 125 PA | 45 H | 18 HR | .464/.584/1.165 | 162 OPS+ | 43 IP | 5 R | 9% BB rate | 61% SO rate [Kalmazoo] 24 PA | 2 HR | .238/.448/.524 | 149 OPS+ [NWLA Tournament]

Grant Miller was a career .288/.406/.359 hitter as a four-year starter for the Division I Western Michigan Broncos from 2014 through 2017. His ability to hit for average and maintain a .100 or better split between his average and on-base percentage have translated almost exactly to the world of competitive wiffleball. Additionally, he has enjoyed a not-so-surprising power surge along with it. Grant was the best hitter in Kalamazoo this summer and he carried that over to the NWLA tournament, where he led the KWL Keggers offensively for the second straight year. Miller took the uptick in tournament wide pitching quality in stride and picked up big hits against good pitchers like Zach Artim and Chris Sarnowski. As his background would suggest, he has a good understanding of the strike zone and a pretty swing to go along with it. It is hard to imagine that his approach wouldn’t translate to other competitive wiffleball environments should he chose to venture outside of Michigan. Miller didn’t see any time on the rubber in Morenci but posted league leading walk and strikeout rates in KWL.

65.   Dennis Donegan
RPWL Indians, Longballs, Blueballs

Key Stats: 68 PA | 9 H | 2 HR | .471 OBP | 132 OPS+ [RPWL Regular Season] | 45 PA | 11 H | .289/.400/.368 | 118 OPS+ [NWLA Tournament]

Strong offensive outputs in both Ridley Park and the NWLA tournament highlighted Dennis’ 2019 season. Donegan is a right-handed hitter with a no-nonsense swing that allows him to barrel up against even higher velocity pitchers. At the NWLA Tournament, he recorded hits in seven of his team’s eight games against top tier pitchers including Tim McElrath, Erik Detmar, and Kyle VonSchleusigen. He did not enjoy quite the same level of success as a member of the Blueballs in MAW, but his quality swings against top tier pitchers like Dan Whitener late in the season are a strong indication that he’ll figure out with additional reps.

64. Trevor Goforth
underdogs

Key Stats: 40 IP | 1 H | 1 R | 116 SO | 500 ERA+ | 48 AB | 10 H | 3 3B | 3 HR [JAL 19]

Trevor Goforth officially and unequivocally took over as the best active pitcher in JAL with a dominating performance in JAL 19. The hard throwing lefty’s stuff plays up even more thanks to a turn in his motion that allows him to hide the ball well – particularly against left-handed batters. He mainly uses a slider that doesn’t move much but he locates it well, working away from right-handers in the upper corner of the strike zone.  He threw strikes at a 60% clip (121 for 200) which is a solid rate in any environment. Goforth was virtually untouchable when he threw the ball over the plate, with only six strikes put into play (and only one for a hit). Additionally, he took a big step forward at the plate in JAL 19. The underdogs won the JAL 19 title and it goes without saying that Trevor was the major reason why.

63. Mike Speek Sr.
8 Balls, CCWB Chasers

Key Stats: 32 2/3 IP | 20 ER | 10% BB rate | 242 ERA+ | 176 PA | 32 H | 71 BB | 95 OPS+ [Circle City] 3 IP | 1 H | 1 R | 0 BB [NWLA Tournament]

Mike Speek Sr. has been playing high level competitive wiffleball since before many of the players on this list were born. More impressively, he is still playing at a relatively high level and doing it on a regular, consistent basis. Speek Sr. threw over thirty quality innings in Circle City this season and helped his team to their second league title in three years. A control pitcher at this stage in his career, Mike’s 10% walk rate was well below the league average rate of 30%. He was used sparingly in the NWLA Tournament as Circle City went with their young guns – Aiden Palmer and Mike’s namesake son – but he contributed a win against BWACS.

62. Randy Dalbey
Los Crusaders, Vipers

One year after playing in the final four at Fast Plastic with the Vipers, Randy Dalbey’s new squad, Los Crusaders, were eliminated before the final eight but it was nonetheless another good year for the veteran. The former Fast Plastic champion is still a dual threat as he showed in October in Texas and early in the season on the west coast. Tall and lanky, Dalbey gets on hitters in a hurry when he is pitching and was the best pitcher on a reasonably deep Crusaders squad. His size works for him in the batter’s box, too, where his long arms enable him to cover all the strike zone without sacrificing any power. Among his other power feats this past summer, Randy hit a walk-off home run off Sylvie Serrano in the Texas Tune up in September in Southern California and his three-run shot against Joe DeRoche and GSW at Fast Plastic put that game out of reach.

61. Pete Slater
ATF

Key Stats: 63 PA | 10 H | 4 HR | .229 ISO | 112 OPS+ | 17 IP | 8 R | 86 ERA+ [MAW Regular Season]

The veteran lefty played in three Mid Atlantic tournaments during the spring & summer and performed reasonably well in all aspects of the game. Pete’s power was his greatest attribute this past year as demonstrated by his .229 ISO. His four home runs came off quality pitchers – Tommy Loftus, Gino Joseph, and Devin Torres – and were representative of his quick hands and clean swing. On the carpet, the crafty southpaw provided 17 solid innings for ATF.