Week Nine Power Rankings - Welland claims a post-season berth

It was the week before the All-Star Game, and all through the league, teams kept battling for position with Welland clinching a playoff spot early.  



1. Welland Jackfish (21-6, LW: 1st) | Last 10: 9-1 | Streak: W7 – Clinched Playoff Spot
The Jackfish have reeled off seven straight wins and are starting to pull away from the pack. With a balanced offensive attack and a new hero seemingly every night, Welland continues to dominate. The question now: can they reach 31 wins again in a league where parity is high?

2. Barrie Baycats (16-10, LW: 2nd) | Last 10: 9-1 | Streak: W3
Barrie is surging, having won 9 of their last 10 and climbing into third place overall. They hold at #2 in the rankings thanks to consistent results despite a rotating cast due to injuries. Whether it’s Clarke, Wickett, or a 22U call-up, someone always steps up.

3. London Majors (17-10, LW: 4th) | Last 10: 6-4 | Streak: W3
You keep waiting for the Majors to slip — and they keep proving you wrong. London has made a habit of winning tight games late, and they’re looking more and more like a playoff lock.

4. Hamilton Cardinals (14-12, LW: 8th) | Last 10: 6-4 | Streak: W5
What a week for the Cards: a no-hitter, a shutout, and a cycle in three straight games. Now two games above .500 for the first time since May, Hamilton is surging and finally playing like the contender many expected.

5. Chatham-Kent Barnstormers (15-12, LW: 3rd) | Last 10: 5-5 | Streak: L3
The bats have gone ice cold with runners in scoring position, and it’s cost the Barnstormers. A drop from second to fourth in the standings, and a half-game away from falling further, signals a team in need of answers. Their starting pitching deserved better this weekend.  Weekend LOB body count 15 Friday, 12  Saturday,  10 Sunday  5 runs scored. 

6. Guelph Royals (11-16, LW:5th) | Last 10: 3-7 | Streak: L3
You can only ride the arms so long before fatigue sets in — and it showed twice this week. Wasted opportunities in winnable games may cost Guelph a chance at home-field advantage in the first round. Reinforcements are coming, but is it too late for a run?

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (12-15, LW: 6th) | Last 10: 2-8 | Streak: L2
Injuries and bad breaks have derailed the Leafs. Their home field has lost its edge, and a five-game homestand couldn’t have come at a worse time. Still, among the bottom four, this is the team is the most likely to pull off a first-round upset.

8. Brantford Red Sox (6-21, LW: 7th) | Last 10: 3-7 | Streak: L4
There are pieces here, and they likely should’ve been able to assemble those into something more competitive. But for a variety of reasons, Brantford remains stuck.

9. Kitchener Panthers (9-19, LW: 9th) | Last 10: 3-7 | Streak: L5
Are the Panthers just playing out the string, hoping to cling to the final playoff spot? Another week of late-inning collapses and lifeless stretches suggests they might be. Urgency is lacking — and it shows.