Here are North American League Baseball’s prestigious individual award winners for 2018.

League 1
Outstanding Batter Award: Mabon Beniniger (Dunedin Otters)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Marcos Delgadillo (Brooklyn Knights)
Reliever of the Year Award: Ken Hannah (Brooklyn Knights)
Newcomer of the Year: Javier Cirneros (Las Vegas Luck)
Manager of the Year: Kevin Fields (Brooklyn Knights)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Catcher: Dacey Rager (Nashville Firecats)
First Baseman: Mabon Beniniger (Dunedin Otters)
Second Baseman: John Edwards (Nashville Firecats)
Third Baseman: Alberto Pescador (Brooklyn Knights)
Shortstop: Bubba Webb (Dayton Grizzlies)
Left Fielder: Tony Rodarte (Nashville Firecats)
Center Fielder: Leonard O’Marron (Luisville Beasts)
Right Fielder: Rico Gómez (Luisville Beasts)
Designated Hitter: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Rey Alvarado (Dayton Grizzlies)
Catcher: Luís Ellanos (Dayton Grizzlies)
First Baseman: Mabon Beniniger (Dunedin Otters)
Second Baseman: Jae-won So (Dayton Grizzlies)
Third Baseman: Moray Williams (Las Vegas Luck)
Shortstop: Carlos Cardenas (Dunedin Otters)
Left Fielder: Yvon Chouinard (Luisville Beasts)
Center Fielder: Hamilton Look (Nashville Firecats)
Right Fielder: Ángel Padilla (St. Rock Mudcats)

League 2
Outstanding Batter Award: Elequemedo González (Richmond Slam)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Tyler Stivers (Stade Maples)
Reliever of the Year Award: Berto Sarzoza (Key West Corals)
Newcomer of the Year: Elequemedo González (Richmond Slam)
Manager of the Year: Noriyuki Hyata (Stade Maples)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Pitcher: Braulio Crame (Stade Maples)
Catcher: Matthew Loy (Key West Corals)
First Baseman: Sancho Alguirre (Phoenix Rattlers)
Second Baseman: Marc-André Lavoie (Richmond Slam)
Third Baseman: Hsiao-lou Yuan (Vancouver Wild)
Shortstop: Márque Parita (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Left Fielder: Aramis Jáquez (Richmond Slam)
Center Fielder: Terry Bannatyne (Stade Maples)
Right Fielder: Elequemedo González (Richmond Slam)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Logan MacImmey (St. James Crusaders)
Catcher: Morris Brown (Vancouver Wild)
First Baseman: Sancho Alguirre (Phoenix Rattlers)
Second Baseman: Dave Groot (Key West Corals)
Third Baseman: Hsiao-lou Yuan (Vancouver Wild)
Shortstop: Ramiro Socastro (Washington Allies)
Left Fielder: John Patterson (Phoenix Rattlers)
Center Fielder: Tad Burridge (Key West Corals)
Right Fielder: Ming Ngui (Key West Corals)

The 2018 NALB World Championship Series (WCS) featured a familiar matchup as the Stade Maples faced the Brooklyn Knights. This was familiar territory for the Knights with their 17th WCS appearance. For the Stade Maples, this was their sixth trip to the WCS. In the Maples previous five WCS appearances, they lost to the Knights four out of five times. Maples' fans hoped 2018 would bring the franchise its second championship.

Both teams featured solid pitching but the Knights offense was a cut above the Maples'. After the first two games, pitching dominated the rest of the series. The final four games were low scoring affairs, including two shutouts. In a year with 119 regular season wins, the Brooklyn Knights showed why they were North American League Baseball's best team. The Knights combination of great hitting, excellent starting pitching, and a tremendous bullpen established them as one of the best teams in league history.

Game 1: Stade 8, Brooklyn 4
Game 2: Brooklyn 10, Stade 3
Game 3: Brooklyn 4, Stade 3
Game 4: Brooklyn 2, Stade 0
Game 5: Stade 2. Brooklyn 0
Game 6: Brooklyn 5, Stade 1

Series MVP: CF Romeo Usquiano (Brooklyn Knights)


Click the image for the NALB 2018 World Championship roster

The Knights returned to Brooklyn for game six of the World Championship Series. The pitching matchup was a rematch of game two, which the Knights won 10-3. Stade's Newton Kittler started against Brooklyn's Marcos Delgadillo. Kittler hoped to improve upon his previous performance where he was pulled in the second inning.

The Maples wasted no time getting down to business. Their first batter of the game, Ken MacEachern, started things off by hitting a home run. A pair of hits by Romeo Usquiano and Alberto Pescador tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first. Unfortunately, Pescador hurt his knee running out a double and had to leave the game. He was replaced in the lineup by Roberto Hernandez. The Knights had a big fourth inning thanks to a three run homer by Usquiano. Brooklyn added another run in the fifth with some aggressive baserunning by Roberto Hernandez. He raced home and touched the plate just ahead of a terrific throw from MacEachern in center field.

The rest of the way both teams threatened to score but failed to put up any runs. The Maples stranded eight men for the game and the Knights left eleven on base. Pitching prevailed as the Brooklyn Knights held on to defeat the Stade Maples for the 2018 NALB World Championship.

Despite a fine pitching performance by Marcos Delgadillo (6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K), Romeo Usquiano was the player of the game. He was on base five times (three for three hitting plus two walks) and had the biggest hit of the game with a three run homer.

Final score: Brooklyn 5, Stade 1

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Stade        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   1  9  2
Brooklyn     1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 X   5 11  2

W: M. Delgadillo
L: N. Kittler

For the final series game in Stade, game five featured a rematch of pitching aces from game one. Stivers greatly outpitched Tamayo in the opening game and Maples' fans hoped to see a repeat of that decisive win.

Unlike game one, Tony Tamayo looked like himself on the mound. He was throwing heat and limiting Maples' baserunners. Stivers matched his performance, however, and the game was still scoreless going into the seventh inning. Hipolito Nuñez drew a walk to start the bottom of the seventh. Kensaku Shimada followed by blasting a Tamayo fastball over the left field wall. Down 2-0, the Knights tried to come back against Maples' closer Dong-u Sop in the final two innings. With a man on in the ninth, Flavio Marquez hit a deep fly ball to right field. It didn't carry far enough, however, and and Terry Bannatyne caught it for the final out of the game.

The Knights had trouble solving Stivers, who surrendered no earned runs on 4 hits over 7.1 innings. He was the easy choice for player of the game.

Final score: Stade 2, Brooklyn 0

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0  5  1
Stade        0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 X   2  5  0

W: T. Stivers
L: T. Tamayo
S: D. Sop

Game four was once again in Stade as the Maples faced a 2-1 of the World Championship Series deficit. The pitching matchup was Brooklyn's Darius Luxton (15-4, 4.12 ERA) vs. Stade's David Bracy (18-6, 3.35 ERA).

This was a tightly contested pitching duel. The Knights scored the game's first run in the fourth inning. Third baseman Alberto Pescador tripled and second baseman Flavio Marquez brought him home with a single. There was a stiff 20 mph wind blowing in from center field. That didn't stop Hooks Goetz from blasting a solo home run through the wind in the seventh inning. Up 2-0, the Knights looked to blow the game open in the eighth. They loaded the bases with no outs. However, Maples' reliever Howard Galloway kept the game close by retiring the next three Knights' hitters without allowing a run. The Brooklyn bullpen took care of the rest and sealed the 2-0 shutout win.

The player of the game was Darius Luxton, thanks to his fine performance on the mound. He pitched six shutout innings and only allowed five hits and a walk.

Final score: Brooklyn 2, Stade 0

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0   2 12  0
Stade        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0  8  0

W: D. Luxton
L: D. Bracy
S: S. McGruder

The series moved to Stade tied 1-1. Pressure was on the Maples to win at home behind star pitcher Braulio Crame (17-2, 2.77 ERA). The Knights started a 17 game winner of their own in Aaron Patterson (17-4, 3.68 ERA).

Both starting pitchers showed good stuff from the very beginning. The Maples broke through in the third inning. Right fielder Terry Bannatyne coaxed a leadoff walk and later scored on a sac fly to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Knights finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth thanks to a two run home run by catcher Andrew Strain. A Stade error in the eighth inning helped Brooklyn extend their lead to 3-1. With reliever Stokley McGruder on the mound in the bottom of the eighth, the Maples came to life. Center fielder Ken MacEachern hit a two run homer to tie the game. Closer Ken Hannah entered the game only to give up a single to load the bases with nobody out. He finished the inning by striking out three straight Maples' hitters. The Knights went ahead for good in the ninth when Maurílio Godim scored from second base on a single by Romeo Usquiano. Hannah stayed on to pitch the ninth and secure the 4-3 win.

Aaron Patterson was named player of the game. The right-hander threw 6 innings of 4-hit ball to help Brooklyn take a 2-1 lead in the best of 7 series.

Final score: Brooklyn 4, Stade 3

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1   4  9  0
Stade        0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0   3  9  1

W: K. Hannah
L: D. Sop

After losing game one of the World Championship Series, the Brooklyn Knights felt good about their chances in game two. Brooklyn's starter was Marcos Delgadillo (22-6, 2.97 ERA), NALB's winningest pitcher this season. Stade chose Newton Kittler (8-7, 4.15 ERA) as their starting pitcher.

Kittler was rocked early and couldn't make it through two innings. He gave up five runs in the second, which was highlighted by a three run homer by Romeo Usquiano. The Knights also got a three run home run from Flavio Marquez in the fifth inning. However, it was Brooklyn first baseman Joe Barnstaple that was named the player of the game. Barnstaple was 2 for 4 with a home run and a double, while scoring 2 times and driving in 2.

Marcos Delgadillo struggled in the fourth inning as he allowed three runs to the Maples. Other than that, he was quite effective pitching 5.1 innings with 0 walks and 9 strikeouts.

Final score: Brooklyn 10, Stade 3

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Stade        0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0   3  8  2
Brooklyn     0 5 0 0 4 0 1 0 X  10  9  0

W: M. Delgadillo
L: N. Kittler

The Brooklyn Knights (119-43) are playing in the World Championship Series for the fifth straight season. The defending champs hope to add a third consecutive title this year. Standing in the Knights' way is the Stade Maples (96-67). This is the sixth WCS appearance for the Maples and their first since 2011.

Fresh off his MVP performance in the League 2 Series, Pete Porter put on another show. The 35-year-old Stade first baseman blasted Brooklyn Knights' pitching in game 1 of the World Championship Series, taking player of the game honors. Porter was 2-4 with 2 home runs. He drove in 5 runs and scored twice as the Maples took the 8-4 win. With it, Stade holds a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

In the top of the first, Porter pounced on a 0-1 fastball from Tony Tamayo and hit a grand slam home run. It put Stade on top, 4-0. Down 7-1 going into the eighth inning, the Knights staged a modest comeback. Despite scoring three runs late in the game, the deficit was too much to overcome. The Knights were on their heels for most of the game as Maples' ace Tyler Stivers (16-9, 2.44 ERA) befuddled Brooklyn's hitters across seven innings. Tony Tamayo (13-7, 2.99 ERA) was far less effective with six earned runs, three hit batsmen, and a wild pitch.

Final score: Stade 8, Brooklyn 4

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Stade        4 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1   8 11  0
Brooklyn     0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1   4 11  2

W: T. Stivers
L: T. Tamayo

2018 League 2 Series - Phoenix Rattlers (87-76) vs. Stade Maples (96-67)

Game 1: Phoenix 2, Stade 0
Game 2: Stade 6, Phoenix 0
Game 3: Stade 12, Phoenix 7
Game 4: Stade 7, Phoenix 3
Game 5: Phoenix 6, Stade 5
Game 6: Phoenix 5, Stade 2
Game 7: Stade 12, Phoenix 4

After a 75-88 season last year, the Phoenix Rattlers retooled for 2018 with a focus on pitching. They added three new starters to their rotation: Heath MacKissock, Ralph Kerfoot, and Saúl Ramírez. Their efforts paid off as Phoenix had League 2's best pitching staff with a 3.37 ERA. The Stade Maples had a well-balanced team with good hitting and pitching. Stade had its own trio of great starting pitchers: Tyler Stivers, Braulio Crame, and David Bracy.

Game one was a classic pitcher's duel. Tyler Stivers pitched a complete game for the Maples and only surrendered two runs. MacKissock pitched six scoreless innings for the Rattlers. Phoenix struck for two runs in the top of the ninth to get the win.

For the second straight game, there was a shutout. This time it was the Maples prevailing 6-0 behind strong pitching efforts by Braulio Crame and three relievers.

Game three was a slugfest. 28 hits contributed to 19 runs. Leadoff hitter Ken MacEachern had 3 hits and 6 RBI for the Maples as they overwhelmed Rattlers' pitching.

In game four, home runs by 1B Pete Porter, C Kensaku Shimada, and LF Hipolito Núñez powered the Maples to a 7-3 road win in Phoenix.

Down three games to one, Phoenix could not afford another loss. In their final home game of the series, the Rattlers fell behind early. After giving up four runs in the first inning, they managed to tie the game 4-4 in the fourth inning. Down 5-4 late, the Rattlers thrilled the home crowd with a two run rally in the eighth inning.

The series shifted back to Stade for game six. Phoenix was largely ineffective against Braulio Crame until the Rattlers' bats came alive in the seventh inning. Trailing 2-0, the Rattlers scored three runs in the seventh and added two more in the ninth to win 5-2 and force a game seven.

The Rattlers had the momentum going into game seven. However, the Maples used their home field advantage to prevail. Despite falling behind 4-1, they never panicked. From the fifth through eighth innings, Stade was relentless. They scored 11 runs on the way to a convincing 12-4 blowout win.

The Most Valuable Player Award went to Stade first baseman Pete Porter. He batted .440 in the series, collecting 5 RBIs and scoring 6 runs.

Series MVP: 1B Pete Porter (Stade Maples)

2018 League 1 Series - Luisville Beasts (96-67) vs. Brooklyn Knights (119-43)

Game 1: Brooklyn 6, Luisville 2
Game 2: Brooklyn 5, Luisville 4
Game 3: Brooklyn 3, Luisville 0
Game 4: Brooklyn 6, Luisville 5

The Luisville Beasts and Brooklyn Knights clashed in the postseason for the second straight season. Unlike last year, the Knights had the better 2018 regular season record and secured home field advantage. Brooklyn was the league's top scoring top and had the best pitching staff as well. Luisville was second best in runs scores and runs allowed.

In the opening game, Tony Tamayo (13-7, 2.99 ERA) gave the pitching performance the Knights needed. Tamayo threw a strong seven innings, striking out eleven and only giving up two runs. Goetz and Godim powered Brooklyn's offense with three hits apiece, including a home run by each player.

League 1's two winningest pitchers started game two. Luisville's Charlie Revels (18-9, 3.84 ERA) faced Brooklyn's Marcos Delgadillo (22-6, 2.97 ERA). The starters were pulled after the fifth inning and fourth inning, respectively. The game turned into a battle of the bullpens and went into extra innings. Roberto Hernandez scored the game winning run after hitting a triple in the 12th inning and coming home on a sacrifice fly.

The Knights won game three behind another great pitching performance. This time it was Aaron Patterson (17-4, 3.68 ERA) who delivered the goods. Patterson pitched superbly through seven scoreless innings en route to Brooklyn's 3-0 victory.

Game four was do or die for the Beasts. Their bats were active in front of their home crowd. However, Luisville's 14 hits kept the game close but they fell a run short in their comeback. Hooks Goetz was the player of the game with a walk and two hits, including a three run homer.

The Brooklyn Knights will play for the World Championship against the winner of the League 2 Series featuring the Rattlers and Maples. Godim hit .375 with a .474 on-base percentage. He added 2 home runs, drove in 6 RBI and scored 2 runs to earn series MVP honors.

Series MVP: RF Maurílio Godim (Brooklyn Knights)

September brought few surprises in the standings. Division leaders in June remained on top for the rest of the season. For the fifth straight year, the Brooklyn Knights won a division title. With 119 wins, the outcome was locked in for some time as the Knights clinched back on August 20.

The League Series match-ups:
Luisville Beasts (96-67) vs. Brooklyn Knights (119-43)
Phoenix Rattlers (87-76) vs. Stade Maples (96-67)

Head to head this season:
The Knights were 16-7 against the Beasts.
The Maples were 11-13 against the Rattlers.

Playoff injury report:
Brooklyn has been playing without John Ruben, Porfírio Portio, and Blas Ramos for a while. José Arisa experienced some back stiffness during his final start that he is still working through. However, he should be ready to pitch when called upon. Luisville had two serious injuries to key players in the spring. RF Manuel Montaya and 3B Pete Chavez need more recovery time and will not be on the playoff roster.

Notable players out for the Stade Maples are P Mario Torralbo, LF Fernando Canales, and LF Carlos Tejera. The Phoenix Rattlers are exceptionally healthy for this time of year. They have no key players out due to injury.

September 2018 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Mabon Beninger (Dunedin Otters)
Pitcher of the Month: Marcos Delgadillo (Brooklyn Knights)
Rookie of the Month: Javier Cirneros (Las Vegas Luck)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Márque Parita (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Pitcher of the Month: David Bracy (Stade Maples)
Rookie of the Month: Félix Comadurán (Phoenix Rattlers)