Over the last few seasons, Montreal has been among the league leaders in pitching and defense, but near the bottom of the rankings in offense. This season has seen an explosion of offense that has pundits wondering if it is sustainable. Currently, the Blazers lead the Johnson League in WAR at five positions and rank second in two more:
| POS | Player | WAR | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Qaseem Kahil | 1.8 | 1st |
| 1B | Dan Wilkinson | 2.4 | 1st |
| 2B | Jaime Serna | 2.7 | 1st |
| 3B | Denes Terovolas | 3.2 | 1st |
| LF | Manny Burgus | 2.7 | 1st |
| CF | Ed Rooney | 1.2 | 2nd |
| RF | Clancy Lee | 2.3 | 2nd |
Finding production at designated hitter has been a struggle for the Blazers dating back several seasons.
Even with the absence of Serrano and the poor output at DH, Montreal's lineup is deeper than ever before. While Rooney's WAR is chiefly of the defensive variety, the Blazers feature a formidable top six that has seen them leading the JL in extra base hits and isolated power and ranking second in wOBA, OPS, slugging percentage, and home runs.
Montreal has not sacrificed defense to achieve its offensive renaissance. They lead the JL in zone rating with +18.6 and rank third in defensive efficiency. They rank second in Runs Allowed, 2 runs behind Charm City.
Blazers pitching remains a strong suit, with its rotation ranking first in ERA and quality starts. The bullpen ranks second in ERA behind Charm City. The staff FIP, WHIP, and WPA also trail only Charm City. Staff ace Luis Gonzalez, acquired in trade last August from Valencia, leads JL starting pitchers in rWAR, ERA+, and FIP.
When you add it all up, Montreal leads the BBA in Total WAR (22.69) and in Batter WAR (17.0). Even the ever-optimistic Breums did not expect that. Can they sustain it for the entire season?
