The standings remain tight, though some trends are starting to emerge. Here’s what you need to know from the 3rd round of Division 1 Baseball in this Top 8.
Defense Takes the Mic
The championship is thrilling, but it has a major flaw: defensive play. Far too many errors since the start of the season, with significant consequences on the outcome of games. Errors sank Montpellier late in Game 1 against Sénart, set the tone for the Lions’ big inning in Game 1 against Montigny, allowed La Rochelle to strike first against Metz, then let the Cometz take the lead and pull away in Game 2, and caused Rouen to lose control in Game 2 against Toulouse. There were 42 errors in the 3rd round, averaging 5.25 per game, compared to 4.76 per game last season. The overall fielding percentage is .946, up from .954 in 2023. In short, defense needs tightening up.
Offensive Woes
This is also a consequence of defensive issues. While scores had been relatively close until now, offenses exploded last weekend: teams averaged 9.1 runs per game in the 1st round, 9.8 in the 2nd, and 13.25 in the 3rd. Even more concerning, the average margin per game jumped to 8.5 runs, up from 4.1 and 2.5 in previous rounds. As a result, 5 games ended by mercy rule, whereas this had only happened once all season. That’s too many. It’s time for the run inflation to stop and for play to return to a level more befitting of D1.
Time to Take Off
While no teams remain undefeated, one side still hasn’t won a game—and it’s surprising after a perfect 2023 campaign: Montigny. 0-4 isn’t catastrophic yet, but two mercy-rule losses at home hurt. It’s clear the Cougars are too Lopez-dependent, and when their ace doesn’t pitch, their chances of winning plummet. The Cougars have many issues to address across all aspects of the game, and they need to act fast or risk falling further behind.
Red Flag
Big concerns for the Barracudas with Ben Couvreur’s elbow injury, which limited him to facing just one batter on Saturday. We’ll know more this week, but the Barracudas can’t afford to lose their No. 1 starter, especially with Ismaël Pontiac also nursing an elbow issue and Kenjiro Sugiura out for the season. With Daniel Gosselin completely out of form this season, there’s reason to worry about the Barracudas, who can’t regret signing Douglas Rodriguez, who’s holding down the fort at the plate. Coach Ozanich faces his first major challenges, and he’ll need to find solutions to keep his team afloat. Another issue could complicate his life: the Montpellier side only managed 6 innings of local pitching across two games against Sénart, with the mercy rule in Game 2 preventing them from reaching 7. The rules are unclear on this point, and we await the decision eagerly.
Up and Down
It was fair to question the team that has dominated French baseball for two decades, the Huskies. After a title-less season, a coaching change, a shift in recruitment philosophy (USA vs. Latin America), and a mandatory youth injection with some key departures. What would emerge from all this change? Well, we’re not sure. The Huskies are dominant when it’s easy, but struggle when the opposition steps up—especially on the mound—and that’s how they find themselves at .500. It’s hard to gauge the true level of the Rouennais side: is this a slow start or a worrying trend? What’s certain is that the machine isn’t running at full capacity.
Consolation Prize
The Boucaniers matched their best-ever start to a season, going 5-1, just like in 2021. They obviously regret not staying undefeated after three rounds, but they can take solace in noting that the last times a team went 6-0 (Montpellier in 2021, Sénart in 2018, 2019, 2021), the club that achieved it didn’t win the title.
First-Time Feelings
There’s a youth movement in D1, and a few players notched their first career hits at this level. That was the case on Saturday for young Rouennais Ruben Cerda, whose father has been a backbone of the Huskies for years, as was the case previously for Maxendre Proust (another son of…), Raphael Tisca, Tristan Laufenbuchler, or Rafaël Surjus. Congrats to the young guns.
The Podiums
Batting
- Ivan Acuna (Savigny). If you’re asked who the best hitter in the league is, look no further. Ivan Acuna is even more impressive this season than in previous years, and his 6-for-8 performance, including 2 home runs and 7 RBIs against the Cougars, commands respect. And, just to top it off, a grand slam. The guy is on fire.
- Esteban Briones (La Rochelle). His father spent his prestigious career preventing opponents from hitting. At just 18, he smacks two home runs in the same game. He joins the rare hitters who’ve achieved this feat, like Acuna (May 14, 2023, against Montpellier), Dagneau (May 15, 2022, against the PUC and July 3, 2022, against Metz), Rogers (August 7, 2022, against Montigny), or Soriano (May 6, 2018, against the PUC). In short, he’s stepped right into the elite tier of hitting, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
- Léo Jiminian (Savigny). His father spent his prestigious career tearing apart opposing pitchers. He’s following in his footsteps (though not with quite the same physique), as evidenced by his 7-for-9 and 4 RBIs on Sunday. He’s ready for the Trois-Rivières training camp.
Pitching
- Kevin Canelon (Montpellier). The Barracudas needed a big outing from their ace. He delivered, shutting down the Templiers’ offense for 6.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, striking out 7, walking 1, and leaving just one runner in scoring position. Solid and crucial.
- Everts Orozco (Savigny). More often relegated to a tough reliever role in recent seasons, he excelled as a starter with 9 strikeouts and just 1 earned run in 5 innings. It was sometimes tough (7 hits allowed), but he came out on top.
- Clément Esteban (La Rochelle). Along with Canelon, he’s the only pitcher to reach 6 innings, allowing just 1 earned run and no walks. A performance worthy of his excellent start to the season.
Francois Colombier.
