2025 American League Team by Team Recap

It is hard to believe that another ORWBL Regular Season has come and gone as we get set to begin the 2025 ORWBL Postseason tomorrow, Sunday July 20th. In 2024, we saw the next generation of wifflers break through and take that next step as the Mill Pond Pink Pandas shocked the Wiffle world by winning the American League Pennant over BFAM which had the core players from the South Bend Truffle Butter Back to Back Championship teams in 2022 & 2023 on their roster plus former AL MVP Winner Andy Sieradzki. Although Mill Pond came up just short in the World Series, they showed these other younger teams that anything is possible in today's ORWBL. With that said, let's take a look at all of the American League teams as we head into the Postseason.

1. Elkhart BFAM (29-1)

The Elkhart BFAM core was chasing their 3rd straight ORWBL World Series title in 2024 but fell in the ALCS to the Mill Pond Pink Pandas. Since their stunning playoff exit, BFAM has nearly been perfect as they ended the 2025 regular season with a 29-1 record, just 1 win shy of perfection. It was the 2nd best ORWBL regular season that we have ever seen as they gave the LaPorte Sox a run for their money as the Sox are the only ORWBL team to finish undefeated. We have not seen a regular season like this in quite some time as Elkhart is in prime position to win their 1st ORWBL World Series title as a Franchise. With former MVP winners Brandon Terry and Andy Sieradzki along with former Cy Young winner Walter Griffin III, this team is loaded with star power atop the lineup. They also received great seasons out of Nick Fritz, Josh Trim, and Scott Bartley as those three have been a huge reason for Elkhart's success. When Fritz, Trim, and Bartley are hitting well at the bottom of that lineup, this team is nearly impossible to beat as all three have been playing consistently well all season long. Elkhart had 5 players finish with 34+ HR as they have loads of power in their lineup from top to bottom. Brandon Terry once again put up MVP like numbers while Walter Griffin III also makes an incredibly strong case for MVP when you combine his hitting numbers along with his ORWBL record setting 29 wins on the mound. When you really break it down, Walt put together one of the greatest all around seasons in ORWBL history, finishing with 63 HR, 95 RBI, 85 Runs while hitting at a .543 clip. He was the workhorse on the mound as he went 29-1 with a 5.35 ERA, serving as the pitcher for 176 out of BFAM's 186 Innings Pitched. It was truly a remarkable season for the 2x ORWBL World Series MVP but he would even say, the jobs not finished. All in all, BFAM has everything they need to go win the World Series and if they are able to replicate what they did in the regular season, they will be extremely tough to take out as they are widely presumed as the moneyline favorite to win the 2025 ORWBL World Series.

2. Maple City Magic (20-10)

Maple City put together their best season in a few years as they won 20 games for the first time since 2022. After 6 consecutive trips to the World Series from 2016-2021, Maple City has now failed to reach the World Series in 3 straight seasons. While they did not win 29 games like BFAM, they showed glimpses of life from their 2017-2020 Dynasty in which they won 4 consecutive ORWBL World Series titles. The Magic finished with the league's highest Batting Average (.561) while also belting the most Home Runs of any ORWBL team (281). The 2025 Magic saw the return of Caleb Jonkman who had been serving in a part time role over the past few seasons. It was like he had never left as the former AL Rookie of the Year and MVP winner belted 53 HR in 23 games while finishing with the 2nd best Batting Average in the league (.675), only behind his younger brother Jared Jonkman. Speaking of The Sheriff, he put together his best ORWBL season to date as he served as Maple City's leadoff hitter all season long. Once known as a HR or bust type player, Jared Jonkman has blossomed into one of the top all around hitters in the game. Along with Griffin III, Jonkman makes an incredibly strong case for the AL MVP Award as he finished as the ORWBL League Leader in every hitting category other than HR's as he finished 2nd with 65, just 1 behind his teammate Ethan Bumgardner. Shifting gears to The Kid, Ethan also put together an MVP worthy campaign as he led the league in HR with 66 as he is the youngest player to lead the league in HR in ORWBL history at 19 years old. He also finished 3rd in Batting Average (.665) 3rd in Runs (95) and 2nd in RBI's (105). The Kid also gave Delvin Zinn a run for his money in the Home Run Derby as he continues a stellar start to his career. Maple City made history as the first team to have 3 players ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in Batting Average as all three were incredibly tough to get out all season long. The Magic also saw Wes Ellis play in all 30 games for the first time as the ORWBL legend put together another great season with 51 HR while hitting .548 along with sporting the lowest ERA in the AL at 4.72. With the Ellis/Jonkman duo on the mound in the Postseason, Maple City will look to refind their magic from 2017-2020. Outside of their top 4 hitters, they also received consistent contributions from Alex Friedman (26 HR, .457 AVG) & Collin Babcock (16 HR, .410 AVG) as both figure to play a key role in the bottom of the lineup. Lastly, Maple City also saw Greg Gierling emerge as a legitimate Pitching threat as the 2024 ORWBL leader in Saves did so again in 2025 (13) while also going 2-2, striking out 4 across a Career High 34 1/3 Innings Pitched.

3. Mill Pond Pink Pandas (17-13)

The Mill Pond Pink Pandas came into the 2025 season with expectations high as ever after making their first trip to the ORWBL World Series last season. It was a slow start for Mill Pond who had a 5-7 record after 12 games. That's when the Pink Pandas really heated up as they would then go on a 12 game winning streak to get to 17-7. They then took on Maple City for the 2nd seed in the AL and were not able to pick up a win with a shorthanded lineup. The Pink Pandas took a relaxed approach down the stretch as the 2024 American League Champions began to fully gear up for what hopes to be another long Postseason run. Despite losing their final 6 games, Mill Pond clinched the #3 seed in the American League as they will now get set for a Wild Card Round rematch against the Flat Rock Cyclones at Walter Metts Field. Despite their run to the World Series last season, Mill Pond entered 2025 with some question marks after Manager Andrew Karsten had to step away from the game for school. While they certainly missed everything that Karsten brings to the table, Mill Pond saw Clayten Strauch emerge into a true star. Strauch played in all 30 games as he hit 51 HR, 92 RBI, & 73 Runs while hitting .528. Former Comeback Player of the Year Winner Aaron Hogan also saw a boost in power this season as he belted 39 HR to go along with a .523 AVG. Hogan also emerged into a top tier pitcher in the AL as he finished with a 12-3 record while striking out 11 in what was his first season getting legitimate innings on the mound. They also received great production from Todd Snyder who finished with 27 HR & a .570 Batting Average as the reigning AL Gold Glove winner did his thing in the field once again. The Pandas also got 31 HR out of Tommy Sullivan after he played a vital role in their trip to the World Series last year. Last but not least, the Pandas saw Zach Christy emerge as a true MVP threat as he finished with a .620 Batting Average (5th in ORWBL) 59 HR (6th in ORWBL) 95 RBI (Tied-3rd in ORWBL) and 96 Runs (2nd in ORWBL). After leading his team to a trip to the World Series last season, Christy showed that he is truly one of the best players in our sport after what he did yet again this season. Mill Pond now heads into the playoffs with their full 2025 Roster and a 2nd consecutive trip to the World Series on their minds as they are a major threat to do exactly that.

4. Valparaiso Volunteers (15-12)

   Outside of Elkhart's nearly perfect regular season, the Valpo Vols Year 2 Turnaround was the story of the 2025 in the American League. Valpo went 4-26 in their inaugural campaign but made the massive Year 2 turnaround that many hope for but struggle to do. The Vols made Cole Deardorff the Manager heading into 2025 and he was able to bring in some talent that truly made the difference. Owen Winters emerged as a lockdown fielder while also hitting 16 HR while hitting .385. Valpo also got 10 HR out of Alex Sanders who helped transform the Valpo defense into one of the best young defenses in the league. Mason Capouch also had his moments throughout the season as the young Catcher hit 15 HR. Kyle Gagliardi made the American League All Star team for the 2nd consecutive year as Gags hit 18 HR while boasting a .450 Batting Average as the former Truffle Butter World Series winner also had a pair of Home Runs in the All Star Game. While all of these players certainly played key roles in Valpo's turnaround, it was their Manager Cole Deardorff who emerged as one of the top young two way players in the game. Deardorff was selected as an American League All Star and he stole the show at the All Star Game, hitting 7 HR for the American League as he likely would have been the All Star Game MVP winner had the American League won the series. He led the team in all hitting categories with 31 HR, 48 R, 48 RBI, a 462 Batting Average while also leading the team in all pitching categories as he went 14-12 with a 6.70 ERA & 12 Strikeouts in 153 Innings Pitched as he was a true workhorse on the mound, pitching the second most innings of any pitcher in the league behind only Walter Griffin III. It was a true breakout season for the young Valpo two way star as he will now look to help lead the Vols to their first ever playoff series win. They will be taking on the Lakeport Bombers in what is viewed by many as the most intriguing American League Wild Card Round matchup. Thanks to Valpo's series win over Lakeport earlier in the season, they will get home field in the series as both teams finished the regular season with a 15-12 record. After what has already been a very successful 2nd season in the league, the Vols will look to continue to turn heads and make a playoff run.

5. Lakeport Bombers (15-12)

   It was quite an interesting year for the Lakeport Bombers who came into the 2025 season with high expectations after putting together a phenomenal season last year. During the first 2 years of the Lakeport franchise we saw Aiden and Brody join their older brother Austin as true elite superstars in this league as the Traxler brothers formed one of the most lethal trios that the league has seen. Lakeport then made a big offseason splash as they were able to lure Jeremy Ross away from Maple City as the yearly Gold Glove candidate also put together a productive season at the plate as he clubbed 38 Home Runs which finished 2nd on the team. Along with the addition of Rossy, Lakeport also saw Colin Wind & Wyatt Bull take their next steps as Wind finished with 33 HR while hitting for a .444 AVG. Wyatt Bull contributed 23 HR while hitting at a .434 clip. Brody Traxler put together another All Star season as he won the AL Last Man In Twitter vote while finishing the year with 35 HR and a .521 AVG. The biggest story of the season for Lakeport however was the 2023 AL Rookie of the Year winner Aiden Traxler as he made a strong case himself for the American League MVP Award. Aiden led the team in all hitting categories with 60 HR, 88 RBI, 79 Runs and a .601 Batting Average. He had his moment in the All Star Game as he hit the walkoff Home Run for the American League All Star team during the Game 1, 22-21 victory. He also put together a fantastic performance in the Home Run Derby as he nearly took down Delvin Zinn to claim the Derby title, falling 17-16 in the Finals. It was a phenomenal all around season for Aiden who took a backseat last season while his brother Brody went on to win the AL MVP Award. With all of this talent at their disposal, Lakeport truly has all the makeup to make a serious run at the World Series. With a loaded star studded lineup along with some younger players who have really taken that next step, Lakeport heads into the Postseason as a legit threat to win the Pennant despite not fully playing up to their potential in the regular season. They dropped 2 out of 3 to the Vols earlier in the season and will therefore have to start their playoff journey with a trip to Valparaiso in what should be a highly competitive series that could truly go either way.

6. Flat Rock Cyclones (15-15)

   It was a brutal start to the season for the Flat Rock Cyclones as they held a 4-14 record at the All Star Break. Since that point it has been a completely different team as Flat Rock went 11-1 over their final 12 games as they clawed their way back to the .500 mark. After landing former Cy Young winner Kadin Abegg, the Cyclones had high expectations considering the fact that Jackson Buzea has become a staple in the Flat Rock lineup. After making a serious run at the AL MVP Award last season, Buzea put together another great season as he led the team in all hitting categories with 53 HR, 66 RBI, 69 Runs and a .485 AVG. As mentioned, Abegg was brought into be a difference maker and he was exactly that as he finished with an 11-7 record on the mound to go along with a league leading 22 Strikeouts. He also had a great season at the plate as he finished with 37 HR. Flat Rock saw Collin Froedge put together a great season as the veteran power hitter blasted 40 HR while All Star Owen Satoski hit 39 HR. They also received consistent production at the plate from Sam Satoski (28 HR, ,428 AVG) and Manager Austin Howell (19 HR, .434 AVG). After winning 11 of their last 12 games of the season, Flat Rock heads into this postseason as a sneaky pick to pull off the Wild Card Round upset vs the defending American League Champion, Mill Pond Pink Pandas. While they will certainly need to be at the top of their game, on paper Flat Rock absolutely has everything that they need to pull off the Wild Card Round upset.

7. Union Mills BS&B (6-24)

   The Union Mills BS&B head into the Postseason as the 7th seed in the American League as they were able to leap the Godfathers on the final week of the season after Green Stem Great Lakes got swept by Valparaiso. Union Mills took 2 out of 3 against the Godfathers and therefore owned the tiebreaker between the two teams. Although Union Mills did not see their win total rise like they had hoped, they still put together a competitive season and showed signs of growth across the board. The Blood Sweat & Beers played in a plethora of close games as they were right there many times throughout the year. The biggest takeaway from Union Mills this year was the breakout season by Ethereal Townes as he emerged as a serious threat both at the plate and in the field. Townes earned a spot on the American League All Star team as he went on to hit a pair of HR representing Union Mills in the midsummer classic at Migley Field. Ethereal played in all 30 games while leading the team in HR (29) RBI (52) Runs (65) and Batting Average (.597). It was a true breakthrough campaign for Townes who finished with the 8th highest Batting Average in all of ORWBL. Union Mills also saw Evan Walter put together a solid season as he hit 20 HR while hitting at a .479 clip. They will be looking to their Skipper Brycen Strauch to be the difference maker in the Wild Card Round vs Maple City as he will look to do his best to contain the Magic lineup while he has also shown some power numbers as he finished 3rd on the team with 12 HR on the season.

8. Green Stem Great Lakes Godfathers (6-24)

   The Godfathers are in fantastic shape to pick up a Postseason victory as they get set to take on the winless Osceola Battletoads in the American League Play-In Game. Green Stem Great Lakes struggled down the stretch as they fell to the 8th seed in the American League over the last few weeks. With that said, they will hope to use the Play-In game to their advantage as they look to pick up steam heading into a Wild Card Round Best of 3 Series against BFAM. If they are able to take down the Toads, they will have their work cut out for them having to play Elkhart on the road. With that said, Green Stem Great Lakes saw Mark Haase return to putting up massive numbers as Coach played in all 30 games while hitting 36 HR 68 RBI & 47 Runs while hitting .447 at the plate. It was a great all around season as the former AL Rookie of the Year Award winner still has the ability to lead his team to a victory over a great team on any given day. That was very much put on display this season as Haase led the Godfathers to steal a game from the Lakeport Bombers mid season. Fast forward to present day and that game is the reason why Lakeport has to travel to Valpo tomorrow as opposed to hosting the Volunteers. Outside of Haase, The Godfathers saw an uptick in power from AL All Star Whitt Huffer who finished with 24 HR while ORWBL Legend Matador Smith added 13 more HR to his all time count as he continues to give fathertime's undefeated record a serious blow. Green Stem Great Lakes will also look to Gino Chiappeli to do some damage as he hit 11 HR while playing in a full time role. If they hope to truly stun Elkhart tomorrow, they will need Tommy Sinkiewicz to do his thing on the mound as he has been known to shut down stellar lineups and has the ability to do it on any given day while Whitt Huffer has also done the same.

9. Osceola Battletoads (0-30)

It was a tough inaugural season for the Osceola Battletoads as the first year team was not able to pick up a regular season victory. With that said, the Toads completed their regular season, playing in all 30 games and are therefore playoff eligible. The 2025 American League Play-In Game will be a rematch from Opening Day as the Battletoads took on the Godfathers back in May with Green Stem Great Lakes winning all 3 games. Osceola definitely had some things to celebrate throughout the season and they played in a handful of close games that could have gone either way. The first year franchise put together a classic ORWBL field with a park/neighborhood feel as they will now look to pick up their first win in the play-in game (Hosted by BFAM) vs. Green Stem Great Lakes with first pitch set for 1pm ET.