Western Conference
Astoria Fighting Chinooks
Championship Odds:20-1
After an 8-season postseason hiatus, the Chinooks are finally back. No other organization in the WPBL has such a dreary history as the lovable losers from western Washington, but this is the season that narrative finally begins to change. Led by a historic season from Joram van der Wal, the Fighting Chinooks crawled back into the wild card race in early July after being on the outside looking in for most of the season. They were able to come out on top over defending champion Kennewick to see postseason play once again. Astoria features a mostly homegrown team, with an offense that includes five former first round picks. Former #1 overall pick Dane Wheeler has built upon his breakout season in 2031 and is a great complimentary piece to the superstar Joram. The team's pitching has some holes, but Gabe Castenada is a bonafide ace who will get another chance in the postseason. He has been less than stellar in two previous appearances with Elko in 2027 and 2028. At this point, just making it to August has to feel like an accomplishment for the Astoria organization. While the team surely would love to bring home a championship, they can’t be disappointed with finally taking a small step out of their nearly decade long rebuild, and the team can use this as a stepping stone to challenge for bigger things in seasons to come.
Victoria Geese
Championship Odds: 6-1
31-year-old, first time manager William Gonzalez walked into the Victoria GM’s office for the first time this past spring and the tension in the air was palpable. After a 51-win season and division title, the GM had shockingly fired the old manager and brought in Gonzalez to right the proverbial ship that no one else seemed to think was sinking. “When I initially came to my first interview, I thought I was only applying to be the bullpen catcher. Next thing I knew I was getting introduced to the team as the new manager”, Gonzalez told reporters. “The old manager hadn’t even cleaned his office out yet, I was working out of the batting cages for the first week.” What was originally labeled as a rash and hasty decision though has turned out to be a good step forward for the Geese baseball team. They have powered through a difficult Cascadia division and come out on top as the number one seed in the Western Conference. Gonzalez's young energy and player-first attitude has resonated well with the team, and many say that morale is the highest it has ever been. The Victoria offense continues to be one of the top slugging teams in the league, and has seen virtually no drop off from a record setting season in 2031 despite some reduced production from Logan Kellenberger. Meanwhile the pitching has improved greatly, highlighted by young and budding ace Jason Hirtz. Hirtz was the #1 overall selection in the 2029 draft, and he has shined during his first WPBL season, becoming just the 5th Goose to break the 10-win barrier. The final test for new manager Gonzalez will be the postseason, where the Geese have a knack for coming in below expectations. If he can guide the team through the emotional roller coaster that is WPBL playoff baseball, then this coaching change could go down in history as one of the best managerial moves of all time.
Walla Walla Farmers
Championship Odds: 9-1
No team has a worse winning percentage in playoff games than the Farmers do. Across four different postseason appearances and 26 total playoff games, the Farmers have won a whopping 8 games. They own one playoff series victory, but apart from that they have seen 3 first round exits. Each season the Farmers continue to improve on their regular season record (47 wins in 2030, 48 in 2031, 50+ in 2032), and they continue to disappoint when the games truly matter. Many different factors could be blamed for this lack of success. The Farmers have established an identity of winning on their league leading offense, but that offense is very batting average and babip reliant. The Farmers don’t tend to walk much, and this can cause the offense to be extremely streaky. In a short postseason series, cold streaks can derail the team very quickly. Some point to the manager Rod Ramos and his high salary, but Rod has shown during his managerial stint in the minor leagues that he can win in the postseason, as he won two Coors Championships in AA. But if the postseason struggles continue, it will be harder for management to justify his position as the highest paid coach in the WPBL. Others blame the pitching, but the Farmers have improved some in that regard this season. Hinojosa continues to be one of the top pitchers in the WPBL, while newcomers Mike Martini and Mike Pritchard have shown great promise. This recent run of regular season success and postseason demise has been bittersweet for the local fans, but this local agricultural community knows that droughts come and go. This may not be the season that the Farmers break through and reach the Championship Series, but it won't be too long until the rain comes and Walla Walla reaches the pinnacle of the WPBL.
Yakima Hops
Championship Odds: 10-1
Yakima enters their 9th consecutive postseason, tying Pocatellos WPBL record, but with a different look this year as they are missing some key pieces from previous championship runs. Gone is longtime Yakima captain T.J. Ketchum, but he has been replaced by 34-year-old international free agent Ji-hoon Kim who has put together a fantastic season in his first year of WPBL ball. Danny Schumacher left last winter for Elko but Trent Hayes has proved to be an adequate fill-in, while the aging Javier de Santiago continues to put up impressive numbers. Many expected the Hops to take a step back this season, and while they couldn’t compete with Victoria for the division title, it still has been an impressive season. Yakima has perhaps the toughest road to a championship. To lift the trophy, they may have to go through three different 50-win teams (Walla Walla, Victoria, Elko/Pocatello), which would be a first in WPBL history. Do the Hops have what it takes to once again climb the mountain and prove themselves as best in the WPBL?
Pioneer Conference
Bandon Barons
Championship Odds:25-1
Mike Berns. Those are the only two words needed to define the Barons season. No player has ever single handedly turned a franchise around in the same way that we have watched Berns do this season. The #2 overall pick in 2031, Berns played a single season in AAA before debuting with the Barons to start this season. His elite on-base ability was immediately one of the best in the league and his plus .500 slugging percentage is the best among shortstops in the WPBL by far. While not an elite fielding shortstop like someone such as Tetsuya Honda, he plays above average at the position, especially for someone as young and inexperienced as he is. The Barons have a few other key pieces that have played their roles as well. Perennial All-Star Keith Rehmert is still catching nearly daily, and proven himself as one of the most reliable players in the league. Long-time Baron Dana Krynski (the first ever Bandon draft pick) has provided some slugging for the team while offseason signing Choo Choo Baloo has been a nice piece. The pitching leaves something to be desired but closer Joe Bain has quietly turned himself into one of the best young closers in the league and could be poised for a breakout with a big postseason. This is now Bandons 6th playoff appearance but they have yet to win a championship, and they developed a reputation as playoff busts with their recent 4 year stretch of playoff runs from 2025-2029 with nothing to show for it. Could this be the season they change the narrative or is this just a building block for bigger things to come in the near future?
Elko Truckers
Championship Odds: 4-1
There is perhaps no more complete team in the WPBL playoffs than the Truckers. After a remarkable 20-3 start to the season, Elko cruised to a Southern Belt division championship and the #1 overall seed in the playoffs. The team sits top 3 in the league in both offensive runs and defensive runs allowed, making them a multi-faceted team capable of beating opponents in multiple ways. The major offseason pickups of Danny Schumacher and Colby Stillman have paid major dividends, with both putting up over 2 WAR this season and bolstering what was already a solid pitching staff. Combined with the homegrown offensive firepower (Barbeque, Pistone, Bone Jr, Neely), the Truckers will be difficult to stop for any opposition. Finally, Elko holds the ultimate ace up their sleeve, 4-time playoff series MVP and 2-time Championship MVP Gary Johnson. Mr. August turns it up another notch every postseason and has rightly earned his reputation as one of the most clutch players in WPBL history. Johnson has hit 17 home runs and has a 149 wRC+ across 64 postseason games. When the Truckers need a big hit, the last player opposing pitchers want to see is Gary Johnson. With an easy first round matchup versus a team with a losing record and a possible 2nd round matchup against a hurt Pocatello team, Elko has the easiest path to the Championship series. A championship is the expectation for the Truckers this season and anything less will most surely be a disappointment.
Gillette
Championship Odds:35-1
The Bison continue to own the title as the most successful expansion team in WPBL history. Their 4 playoff appearances in the 7 seasons since their inception is tied for 6th in the league, and their playoff series record of 5-2 is second to none all-time. Gillette is still a young team (5th youngest in the league), and they are led by a quintet of players all 26 years or younger: 3B Jim Cobb, CF Brian McNary, LF Magnus Barnhouse, SP Sam Regnier and newcomer SP Peter Paul Tylenol. This group is supplemented with veterans of Gillettes past championship team such as Estachio Churricho, Kevin Cucumber, and Ricardo Suarez. The young Tylenol has been a pleasant surprise for the Bison this season, as the former 3rd round pick from Charleston, SC has developed an elite curveball and his 124 strikeouts ranks 1st among rookie pitchers and 4th league wide. Gillette will have to push through a dominant Elko team in the first round, but this organization has proven that they are scared of no team in the postseason. If they are able to pull off that improbable upset, then a second championship could very well be within the realm of possibility for these spunky underdogs from Wyoming.
Pocatello Old Timers
Championship Odds:15-1
Another season, another Old Timers team in the playoffs. This version, Pocatellos 11th playoff team, features much of the same cast of characters with stars like Chris Ponder, Bryan Daniels, Adam Hembree, and Alejandro Sanchez. All are well into their 30’s and could possibly be experiencing some of their last postseason opportunities. The Old Timer addition of TJ Ketchum proved to be a great move, as the longtime Yakima star had a resurgence this season before succumbing to injury. Leo Buccio has been an impressive player this season, leading the Pioneer Conference in batting average, and helping Pocatello weather the storm of injuries and replace fallen play from former offensive superstars like Fernando Jimenez (-1 WAR this season). Overall, Pocatello is a very neutral team this season. It’s hard to pick against them with their dominant history and steady consistency. They have great players all over the diamond and are capable of beating any team on a given night. But at the same time, it's hard to pick for them. They sport the oldest team in the league, and injuries have already begun poking holes in the team. After a long season do they really have what it takes to withstand potentially another 21 games in the postseason? Their roster looks like it could be the All-Star game roster from 2026, but can those players still perform at a championship level over half a decade later? Pocatello bringing the championship home for a 4th time would surprise no one, and be a great send off for the half of their roster that is nearing retirement. But this isn’t 2027 anymore, and many of the playoff teams sport a talent level that has surpassed these Old Timers. A few wins and a respectable series loss to Elko might be the best send off they get.
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