Circle City Wiffle News

4/29/2026

Opening Day Series Preview

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Opening Day Series Preview

Let’s play some wiffle ball!

The 2026 CCW season kicks off this Sunday, with the first set of slow pitch matchups leading up to the CCW Cup - a new incentive for the slow pitch champion. All-new this season, the winner of the Cup will guarantee themselves a number one seed in the postseason tournament, regardless of their regular season record. Huge stakes for the slow pitch season!

All seven teams will be in action this weekend, before yet another full slate of fast pitch games this Wednesday. Here’s our first set of previews and predictions for this Sunday’s matchups.

Game 1: Gold Socks vs. Moonshots

The brand new Gold Socks franchise get into their first action against perennial contender Moonshots to kick off the season. Austin Alles will hope to start his managerial career undefeated against a Moonshots squad with tons of pop at the top of the order, but questions behind it. Jorf Porsson, CCW insider reports that Will Smithey may miss this weekend’s games after a recent move, and if that is the case, their offense will be seriously neutered. The Socks’ offense, on the other hand, may score more slow pitch runs than anyone else in the league.

Winner: Gold Socks
Game MVP: Connor Young

Game 2: Ligers vs. 8 Balls

The other new franchise, the Ligers, quickly get into action this Sunday, as well, against the defending runners-up, the 8 Balls. The Balls are likely to also be playing short-handed, with Keegan Caughey on baby-watch, and some other players with weekend availability questions. Reid Werner may have the best slow pitch in the league, but the Ligers’ bats get to face the rest of the roster, too, and that group led by Dylan Jones and Aidan Palmer should be able to do plenty of damage.

Winner: Ligers
Game MVP: Aidan Palmer

Game 3: Outlaws vs. Short Shorts

The Shorts will kick off their title-defense quest against an Outlaws team that looks built for slow pitch. Alex Gurtcheff was last year’s slow-pitch season MVP, and Cade Luker, Mitch Buis, and Jay Wilsey all mash slow pitch, as well. Luker may be unavailable for weekend games this season, though, and the Shorts’ offensive core of Brendan Dudas and Cody House can hold serve against this group. This might be the most exciting matchup of the day.

Winner: Short Shorts
Game MVP: Cody House

Game 4: Hounds vs. Moonshots

Jorf Porsson reports that Myc Witty is likely to be unavailable for the Hounds this weekend, which is a massive blow to their chances in any game - even ones in the slow pitch format. Coby Taylor is capable of going nuclear at the plate, especially in slow pitch, and he’ll likely need to do so to out-slug the Moonshots.

Winner: Moonshots
Game MVP: Thomas Hopkins

Game 5: 8 Balls vs. Gold Socks

This matchup, I fear, is the one most likely to get ugly. The 8 Balls are likely playing short-handed, and their lineup already lacks thump. The Socks’ defense, especially with an extra defender for slow-pitch games, isn’t going to let much drop. I predict a perfect, 2-0 start for the Gold Socks after this one.

Winner: Gold Socks
Game MVP: Rudy Lyon

Game 6: Short Shorts vs. Ligers

This should be another tight contest for the Shorts, facing what looks like a potent slow pitch offense on the Ligers. The lineups match up pretty well in this format, and if balls are hit over the wall, defense won’t be much of a consideration. Unless, of course, Brayden Scott decides to not let home run fences deter him, and makes a signature body-sacrificing play or two.

Winner: Short Shorts
Game MVP: Brayden Scott

Game 7: Outlaws vs. Hounds

This ought to be the softer of the two matchups for the Outlaws this Sunday, closing the day against a reportedly Witty-less Hounds squad. I just can’t see the Outlaws bats getting outscored twice in one day, and they certainly on paper have more firepower than the Hounds. As long as they can catch the ball and haven’t indulged in too much Bird Dog by gameday, I think the Outlaws win this one handily.

Winner: Outlaws
Game MVP: Mitch Buis

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4/29/2026

Pre-Season Hyper-Analytical Computer Power Rankings

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Pre-Season Hyper-Analytical Computer Power Rankings

With the CCW season starting just this weekend, it’s time to see what the computer models think about the teams coming into the regular season. We plugged everything into our algorithmic models - powerful enough to make any MLB executive envious - and came away with these findings. The robots are coming for all our jobs, anyway.

Each team was ranked in 5 categories, with a 6th serving as a tiebreaker.

Ace - ranking each team’s number 1 pitcher
Pitching Depth - ranking the impact of the other pitchers on each team’s roster
Top of the Lineup - ranking the potency of the top 2 projected hitters for each team
Lineup Depth - ranking the potential impact of the rest of the roster at the plate
Team Fielding - ranking the defensive effectiveness of each team’s most likely fielders
Vibes - ranking how likely the team is to gel and get the most out of their players

We then averaged the first 5 factors equally, with the Vibes category serving as a tiebreaker when necessary. Let’s get to the rankings.

1. Short Shorts

Ace - 5th
Pitching Depth - 1st
Top of the Lineup - 4th
Lineup Depth - 5th
Team Fielding - 1st
Vibes - 4th

The defending champion Shorts come into 2026 holding onto their top spot in the rankings, with what looks to be a formidable, well-rounded group. Their run prevention ought to be among the top in the league, with the pitchers’ room consisting of proven ace Dustin Dowden, co-ace Brayden Scott, promising rookie Jared Grat, and the option to bring Brendan Dudas in for short-burst outings. Additionally, Dudas and Scott are likely the two most gifted defenders in the league, and so scoring runs off balls in play against whoever is on the mound will be a challenge.

This team doesn’t have a true weakness, but they’ll be relying on Dudas to carry the freight offensively, and for Cody House to continue his success from last season, and will be relying on unproven or inconsistent bats behind them.

2. Gold Socks

Ace - 7th
Pitching Depth - 3rd
Top of the Lineup - 3rd
Lineup Depth - 1st
Team Fielding - 2nd
Vibes - 7th

The Gold Socks, one of CCW’s two new franchises for this season, have assembled a high-floor, well-balanced roster as we head into the regular season. They’ve got an incredibly deep group, with Connor Young likely occupying the third hitter and pitcher role on this team - though he’d settle as the second of both on most others. Dalsen Murdock and Tristan Dudas round out a talented and deep stable of hitters. At the top of the order, Austin Alles and Rudy Lyon pair up for an imposing duo not only in the lineup, but on the bump, as well.

The only thing holding this team back from the top spot is the lack of a proven shutdown ace on the squad. Alles can fill that void if he takes another step forward this season, but as of now, he lines up 7th out of 7 in that department. Regarding the vibes - this is a group of guys that largely have not played together, and some of whom have suffered disappointing, underperforming seasons in recent memory. There’s some concern that if they get off to a slow start, the group won’t coalesce and start to press too early.

3. Outlaws

Ace - 6th
Pitching Depth - 4th
Top of the Lineup - 2nd
Lineup Depth - 3rd
Team Fielding - 4th
Vibes - 2nd

The Outlaws roster is constructed similarly to the Socks’ - perhaps trading in some depth for impact, though. Cade Luker and Alex Gurtcheff at the top of the lineup look like one of the very best duos in the league. Behind them, Jay Wilsey and Mitch Buis are reliable bats to round out the order.

Buis is a proven, effective arm, but lacks the potential for dominance that the aces ahead of him carry. They have plenty of pitching depth behind him - Gurtcheff, Ian Garavalia, and Wilsey can all throw productive innings, but they lack the impact potential that other groups may have.

4. Hounds

Ace - 1st
Pitching Depth - 7th
Top of the Lineup - 7th
Lineup Depth - 2nd
Team Fielding - 3rd
Vibes - 3rd

Myc Witty’s Hounds roster has some of the highest potential for variance on paper. Their strength is obvious - Witty is the best wiffle ball pitcher on the planet, and anyone arguing otherwise at this point is frankly delusional. He and Coby Taylor are strong defenders, as is Mitch Unversaw. And, while the top of their order may lack impact, their depth options of Unversaw, Dalton Lewis, and helium pick Byron Young should all provide more value than most other teams are getting from the back of their lineup.

However, the front two at the plate of Witty and Taylor lack the offensive pedigree that their league counterparts have. And, after Witty on the mound, they’ll turn to Lewis and Young in all likelihood to cover the rest of the innings. Lewis is solid as a backend two or top-end 3, but Byron is still unproven, and neither has the potential to take over a game that some other depth arms sport.

5. Moonshots

Ace - 2nd
Pitching Depth - 5th
Top of the Lineup - 1st
Lineup Depth - 7th
Team Fielding - 6th
Vibes - 5th

The Moonshots were the immediate darlings after the CCW league draft, but our models value depth and balance higher than most observers - something that the Shots comparatively lack. Their top-end impact talent may be the best in the league, which is, of course, a product of two-way juggernaut Will Smithey leading the way. He’ll almost certainly be a top 3 pitcher and a top 5 hitter, with the chance to be tops in the league both ways. Thomas Hopkins is a formidable batter for the two hole, making the first two outs against the Moonshots - and half of their playoff outs - hard to come by.

After that, though, there are question marks, albeit with upside. Alec Buchman will be their second arm, with the potential to be another ace-level contributor. But, he hasn’t shown it since 2021, and so our models preach caution here. A combination of Eric Starke and Kent Nims, two others who will need to prove their worth, will fill the remaining innings. In the lineup, there unfortunately isn’t much impact at all behind Smithey and Hopkins. Josh Hart, Nims, and Starke will likely compete for the 3 and 4 hole spots, and none of those options inspires much confidence.

6. Ligers

Ace - 4th
Pitching Depth - 2nd
Top of the Lineup - 6th
Lineup Depth - 4th
Team Fielding - 7th
Vibes - 6th

The Ligers have way more talent than you would expect for the 6th-ranked roster - the problem is that their roster construction is frankly confusing. Aidan and Holden Palmer comprise a powerful two-thirds of a pitching group, both with top-five upside in the league. That two-headed monster is their strength, especially with Holden as a second pitcher who can outperform other teams’ number ones.

Beyond that, however, there are some challenging fits, and a lot of bets on progression. Dylan Jones is a hitter you’re more than happy with anchoring the lineup, but Aidan will have to take a step forward to be an above-average second bat. After that, they’re really hoping for breakouts from Connor Smith and Nolan Karwoski at the plate - which is certainly possible - otherwise this team may struggle to score. Behind the Palmers, literally any other player on the roster could end up eating the rest of the innings. I imagine they’ll keep throwing different options at the wall until something sticks. Regarding their team defense - let’s just say that if you’re hitting against this team, you're running out what should be routine plays.

7. 8 Balls

Ace - 3rd
Pitching Depth - 6th
Top of the Lineup - 5th
Lineup Depth - 6th
Team Fielding - 5th
Vibes - 1st

Last year’s runners-up, the 8 Balls, enter this season as the clear low point in our projections. Reigning MVP Reid Werner has assembled a group of veteran, great teammate types, and regardless of their win total, everyone on this squad is going to have a fun summer of wiffle ball. They’re likely to knock down more beers than runs this season, though. Reid anchors the team on both sides of the ball, and he’s elite in both respects. Dustin Laugel is a solid number two arm and a good fit behind Reid in the rotation.

Our models really struggle to see how this team scores runs outside of Werner’s heroics, though. They’ll be betting on Justin Swingler to take a step forward, as he’s the likeliest candidate to be their next best hitter. Laugel and another veteran, Keegan Caughey, will likely fill out their best lineup, both of whom are veterans without much pop in their bats. They’ve got some options to fill in on the mound, between Alec Berninger, rookie Adam Watson, and their preferred result, that Swingler’s arm is healthy and effective. This team looks lacking on paper, but the modern 8 Balls have beaten the projections time and time again, and they’ll look to do the same in 2026.

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How do your personal power rankings compare to the machine’s? Who is way too high, or too low? We’ll see how accurate these look starting Sunday, May 3, when CCW action gets underway.

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4/27/2026

CCW 2026 Bold Predictions

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CCW Insider Jorf Porsson’s 2026 Bold Predictions

After an eventful and historic offseason, the CCW regular season is slated to begin in less than a week. I, Jorf Porsson, master of hot takes and hoarder of sources, have had my finger on the pulse of everything taking place in the wiffle ball world, and now, I’m ready to make my shockingly bold predictions for the 2026 season. As the kids (Byron and Connor, namely) say - lock in, twin.

The winner of the Slow Pitch Cup will get a boost of 4+ seeds in the postseason tournament.

First, some background to explain this prediction. This season, teams will have dedicated slow-pitch weekends, all culminating in the CCW Cup, where one team will walk away with slow-pitch supremacy. But, unlike in years past, this season’s slow-pitch cup winner will have lasting implications, as the winning team will automatically secure the postseason number 1 seeding, regardless of their overall record. This has the potential to supremely shake up the postseason picture.

Last season, the 8 Balls won the slow-pitch cup, and also proved to be a strong fast-pitch team, ultimately advancing to the Dirtyard Classic championship game, and coming tantalizingly close to winning it. This year, however, looking at the rosters, I think the teams best suited to win in slow pitch may be a step or two behind in regular-season fast pitch, and vice versa.

So, I predict that the team winning the slow pitch cup will then finish with a regular season record that would land them in the bottom 3 seeds of the tournament, if they weren’t boosted by the slow pitch cup prize. They’ll get an automatic ticket to the double elimination round of the playoffs, when they otherwise would have had to fight their way past the sudden death round. I’m looking at the Outlaws or Ligers as the most likely teams to fulfill this prediction.

We’ll get a first-time MVP Award Winner this year.

This may be the boldest prediction in here, because we’re taking the field against Reid Werner, Will Smithey, Myc Witty, and Brendan Dudas - who are perennially the class of the league year over year.

But, if there’s a year for another player to surprise, I think this is the one. First, with these guys’ involvement in BLW as well, there’s a chance they may not get to every game, shrinking their counting stats and volume of impact. With the league’s expansion to seven teams, as well, there’s more opportunity for the next tier of guys to have equally important roles on their teams.

So who’s most likely to unseat one of these previous award-winners? My money is on Aidan Palmer and Austin Alles.

Aidan’s been a top 5 pitcher in the league for the past 3 years now, and ought to be expected to repeat those results. All that’s stopping him from landing in the truly elite Witty/Werner/Smithey tier on the bump is limiting the slow-pitch opportunities. At the plate, Aidan quietly has one of the sweetest swings in the league, consistently making hard contact even against the best pitchers. He chases too much right now to make the most of the opportunities - but if he can rein in the approach, he can vault into the elite hitters in the league, too.

Alles’ picture is in some ways the inverse of Palmer’s - he’s a proven top hitter, and on the doorstep of reaching the pitching tier necessary to win an MVP. Alles already has a Yellow Slugger Award on his mantle, and no one would be surprised if he ends the year as a top 3 hitter again. On the mound, his stuff is effective enough to ascend to the upper echelon of pitchers, but he suffers from command problems too frequently to reach it, currently. Just a couple more balls on the board per plate appearance, and Alles could challenge for the award, as well.

There will be no bottom-feeder team this season.

Despite the generally strong parity in the league since 2022 - the first year that roster balance was a consideration - there has still historically been one team that couldn’t get out of the cellar. Last year’s Yakkers finished last with a -41 run differential. 2024’s 8 Balls suffered a 5-14 record (despite a positive run diff, strangely). And in ‘23, the ill-fated Swamp Dragons and Pork Pistols tallied only 4 wins each.

This season, though, I have a hard time seeing any team truly bottoming out. I think there will be an elite class that laps the bottom half of the league, but among the more middling teams, I think the final accounting will be pretty close. Werner’s two-way excellence should singlehandedly keep the 8 Balls from a disaster year, the Outlaws should slug enough to win some games even when their pitching underperforms, and the Gold Socks have a high enough floor with their core to keep them in games even when not firing on all cylinders.

The Most Improved Player will be someone no one is talking about right now.

This is by no means a shot at the players with the breakout buzz right now - namely, Connor Smith and Byron Young. I expect both to put together strong years, especially in comparison to what they’ve done in the league so far. In fact, sources tell me that Byron in particular was showing much improved velo on the mound and a swing with some pop at Spring Training - a development Myc Witty and the Hounds would surely welcome.

But, I’m taking the field on this award as well, which in past years has gone to more of an established player taking a leap to stardom, rather than a player going from forgettable to impactful. Last year, Alex Gurtcheff entered the year as a steady middle-of-the-order bat before jumping to leading the league in home runs and finishing second in Yellow Slugger voting. Years prior, winners included Aidan Palmer, Dalsen Murdock, and Holden Palmer, all fitting similar bills of players going from good to great.

So, who from the field looks like a good bet to take the award this year? The nature of the Most Improved Player award is that it is hard to predict. If we expected the player to ascend, then maybe they don’t get the juice a player who surprised and opened eyes did. But I’ll mention a few names, nonetheless. Coby Taylor could follow in Gurtcheff’s shoes and go from a solid bat to an elite one, and a lot will be riding on his bat on this Hounds roster. Justin Swingler may end up being the most important player on the 8 Balls, and if he steps up, he could capture this award. Ian Garavalia, if he takes the number two starter job with the Outlaws and runs with it, would also have a case here.

This year’s rookie class will be the deepest in recent history.

The last handful of seasons have produced rookies who are now impact CCW staples. In fact, if you built a team of the rookies of the year from 2020 on, you’d have a formidable roster consisting of Alec Buchman, Cade Luker, Austin Alles, Alec Berninger, Connor Young, and Brayden Scott. But with just a few exceptions, there wasn’t much depth behind winners in most of those seasons.

This year, with expansion to seven teams, there are more opportunities for rookies and role players to have an impact. With four new rookies on rosters after the draft, and the potential for more to join as free agents, I predict that we’ll see a deeper and more balanced rookie class than we’re used to seeing. That class is headlined by Jared Gray, who comes with a glowing referral from Scott and Laugel, and is expected to be a two-way player for the reigning champion Shorts. Max Lowry has the speed and athleticism to be a problem whenever he puts bat to ball for the Outlaws, and may as well have “Gurtcheff’s postseason pinch runner” written on his forehead. Myles Caudill and Adam Watson are another duo of young rookies with the potential to provide meaningful impact for their teams, as well.

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What are your CCW predictions for 2026? With the season underway on Sunday, May 3, we’ll start to see which ones take shape very soon.

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4/7/2026

CCW Spring traning preview

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The dust has settled from Draft Night, the 7 Circle City Wiffle Ball teams are assembled, and Spring has finally begun to spring in Indianapolis. All of this can only mean one thing - it’s Wiffle Ball season.

Opening Day in CCW is on the calendar for a little over a month from now, but before then, the league has 3 weekends of Spring Training action. While these games won’t count, and may not even be played in full assembled squads, they’ll provide crucial opportunities for new and returning players to audition for their roles in the regular season, and for the league to see how they look coming into 2026.

With Spring Training starting this weekend, we’ll review the full roster for each team in the league, pick one player on each team worth watching in the exhibition games, and discuss the biggest question for each team that could be answered in the Spring.

Short Shorts

Roster:
Brayden Scott
Brendan Dudas
Dustin Dowden
Cody House
Jared Gray
Kevin Dudas

Player to Watch: Jared Gray
The Shorts arrive this Spring looking to repeat their 2025 CCW championship, without league ace Myc Witty in tow. Instead, they’ll roll out what appears to be an incredibly balanced roster - with one of the best one-two punches on the mound in Scott and Dowden, and a potentially high-powered offense led by Dudas and House.

They also bring along one of the biggest potential upside plays in the league in Jared Gray. Gray was the rookie selected the highest in the league draft, rumored to bring a potential two-way impact. If he’s able to establish himself as another strong arm behind co-aces Scott and Dowden, and if he can hit his way into the top half of the Shorts’ lineup, Gray could be what makes this team a true title contender. If he doesn’t hit the ground running, though, the Shorts could be thin both in the back of the rotation and the back of the lineup.

Biggest Question: How many games will Dowden make it to?
This is a question that is not likely to be answered in the Spring, with Dowden being unlikely to prioritize attendance in these exhibitions if he is limited in total availability throughout the season. That said, if he can make an appearance a few times and assure his teammates that he can be relied on, it will help to soften any fears that Scott, Dudas, and co. have about the ace’s availability.

8 Balls

Roster:
Reid Werner
Dustin Laugel
Justin Swingler
Keegan Caughey
Adam Watson
Alec Berninger

Player to Watch: Justin Swingler
The 8 Balls may have more question marks on paper than any other team in the league this year, with only Werner and role-player Alec Berninger returning from last season’s runner-up squad. Swingler is likely to swing (pun intended) their season in one direction or the other based on his two-way play. His rookie season was nothing to write home about, but Swing was picked fairly high in the draft despite it, with Werner hoping for a CCW breakout. If Swingler shows up this Spring looking like he may have rediscovered his pre-CCW form, this team’s floor raises significantly. If his 2026 looks more like his 2025, this team may be hurting for impact by players not named Reid Werner.

Biggest Question: Where does the offense come from?
The shortest and likeliest answer to this question is - “from Reid”. But, one man can only do so much in a wiffle ball lineup. After Werner is a series of offensive question marks. We’ve already covered Swingler’s potential to swing the lineup, and they’ll be needing his bat to make this a competitive offensive team. Laugel has yet to do much offensively in CCW, but he also has the potential to do so. Keegan is a great bat-to-ball guy, but his power and speed have unfortunately left him. This team needs a couple of these guys to have career years to be a top-half offensive team.

Moonshots

Roster:
Will Smithey
Thomas Hopkins
Alec Buchman
Eric Starke
Josh Hart
Kent Nims

Player to Watch: Alec Buchman
The early returns from the CCW draft had the Moonshots as having the most successful night, as the early team to beat. The ‘Shots do have arguably the highest upside in the league, but they also profile with a team with lots of risk in the picture. Smithey may not be around this summer as frequently as years past; Hopkins may also be less available than usual; Starke is returning after several years away; and Buchman is coming off a disappointing 2025.

Of all of those players, Buch has the highest ceiling and will likely be the canary in the coal mine for this team’s success. If Buchman is even close to approaching his past highs, then this team has a terrifying front-two in the rotation. Again, even if he doesn’t repeat his Pitcher of the Year level past performances, all he has to do is be a top 10 pitcher in the league for him to be a huge boost to the team - everything beyond that is gravy. But, if injury or rust continues to hamper him, this team might be desperate for someone other than Will to take the ball.

Biggest Question: Will any other bats step up?
Not unlike the 8 Balls, the Moonshots are going to be searching for offense in the back half of their lineup. Smithey will compete for a Silver Slugger, and Hopkins will be a top 10-15 bat in the league, but after that is a potential black hole. Smithey will be hoping for a strong season from Josh Hart, who swings and misses a lot, but puts a high percentage of balls he does connect with over the left field fence. Nims didn’t have many opportunities in his rookie year with the bat, but he should have plenty in this lineup. Starke and Buchman have been a lot more valuable from the mound than with the bat in their careers, but may be forced to get plenty of at-bats this season, too.

Hounds

Roster:
Myc Witty
Coby Taylor
Dalton Lewis
Mitch Unversaw
Byron Young
Ethan New

Player to Watch: Byron Young
Any team headlined by Myc Witty should at this point be the odds-on title favorites, after Witty’s teams have now won 4 consecutive championships. He’s surrounded by a surprisingly balanced roster, despite picking last in the draft, but on paper, they look one player short. Young may be that player. After struggling both with the bat and on the mound in his rookie season, reports are that he’s taken a huge step forward this offseason. If he’s able to be a reliable third arm on this team behind Witty and DLewy, and slot into the back of the lineup and produce, suddenly this team looks pretty complete.

Biggest Question: Will they get full seasons from Taylor and Unversaw?
Both Coby Taylor and Mitch Unversaw are potential high-impact, all-league talents. The only thing holding them back is their consistency. Both guys, in recent seasons, have just sneaked into playoff eligibility. And, unsurprisingly, they tend to start slow and then hit a stride right as the season is ending - and while that is the most important time to get going, I can’t help but wonder if they’d hit that stride earlier if they got more early-season at-bats. If both guys are giving close to full seasons of value, then this team’s lineup looks like a potent, well-balanced one - but when either or both of them are absent, they’ll be relying on unproven quantities to perform beyond expectation.

Outlaws

Roster:
Mitch Buis
Alex Gurtcheff
Cade Luker
Jay Wilsey
Ian Garavalia
Max Lowry

Player to Watch: Ian Garavalia
Ian is the player most likely to show up this Spring, claiming to be “in the best shape of his life,” and it actually being true. After a promising but uneven and ultimately disappointing 2025 performance, he’ll look to bounce back this season with the Outlaws. This team, as we’ll unpack below, is desperate for a clear number two arm to emerge, and an improved Garavalia may be the likeliest candidate. If he shows up this Spring looking solid, manager Buis may be able to breathe easier come the regular season.

Biggest Question: Which arm(s) will step up?
Mitch Buis is an established ace - but he’s far more likely to be the 5th-7th best pitcher in the league than he is to be 1st-4th. So, the Outlaws will likely enter most ace-on-ace matchups as the underdogs. After Buis, they have loads of depth - all of Gurtcheff, Garavalia, Wilsey, and even Luker can throw productive innings. But this team needs at least one of those guys to step up and be more than productive. They’ll need to be the favorites in most matchups where the opposing team’s ace isn’t on the mound to reach their ceiling. Their depth gives them the wiggle room to really try stuff out - maybe we’ll even see a planned piggyback approach where they let two guys go max effort for 2-3 innings each - but one way or another, they’ll need to establish winning plans with these guys on the mound.

Gold Socks

Roster:
Austin Alles
Rudy Lyon
Connor Young
Dalsen Murdock
Tristan Dudas
Colt Cantrell

Player to Watch: Rudy Lyon
One of the two brand new franchises to CCW, the Gold Socks, led by Austin Alles, entered the Spring with one of the highest-floor, most balanced rosters in the league. While most of the other names on this list have been high upside, less established guys, or ones returning from absence, Rudy marks a different type of player to keep an eye on. Rudy is among the most established two-way players in CCW, but is coming off an uncharacteristically disappointing 2025. On top of that, he’s rumored to again be less than at 100% health entering the Spring. Rudy may slow-play the Spring to get healthy, which may be the smartest choice, but can’t give Alles and co. much confidence going into the season. If he does suit up, it’s worth watching if he looks like his old self again or more like the 2025 version of himself.

Biggest Question: Can this team unlock its players’ potential?
As teased above, this team has a ridiculous floor. Its top 3 guys project to be their top 3 pitchers and hitters - something that no other team can claim. All 3 - Alles, Lyon, and Connor Young - also have proven potential to be top 5-10 bats, and top 10 arms, as well. If all of them hit on those high-percentile outcomes, this team will be a problem. But, with so much riding on those 3 guys alone, if only one of them underperforms, their chances will plummet with them. If 2 or more do, then you can count them out. There are, of course, other guys on the squad, but none of them project to be factors on the mound really at all, and should hit after those top guys. Clock the vibes of this group early - if things go south and players start to press, it could spell disaster for the team.

Ligers

Roster:
Aidan Palmer
Holden Palmer
Dylan Jones
Connor Smith
Nolan Karwoski
Myles Caudill

Player to Watch: Connor Smith
Stop me if you’ve heard this before - Connor Smith is a hotly discussed breakout candidate. It has been one of the major stories leading to the draft, and Aidan Palmer and his newly minted Ligers franchise solidified it by taking Smith early in the third round. Connor is a legitimate problem in big barrel wiffle ball, but the success has yet to follow into CCW play. Aidan will be hoping for good early returns this Spring - if Connor comes out swinging a hot bat in exhibition play, that may be the confidence booster he needs to break out this season.

Biggest Question: Will the Palmer pitching duo be elite, or just good?
Aidan and Holden Palmer are reunited again this season, hoping to form a true two-headed monster at the top of the rotation. Both guys have the proven ability to be top 4 or 5 pitchers in the league, and for this team to be successful, they’ll need to be. But last season, both of the duo had down years by their standards. If both Aidan and Holden come out this Spring looking nasty, then it’s high-alert time for the rest of the league, knowing that either can dominate a game any given night.

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CCW Spring Training kicks off Sunday, April 12, before the regular season gets rolling on May 3.

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