The Bulls are the 2025 Masters 38+ champions after a decisive 8-0 victory over the defending champion Boston Cardinals in Game 4 of the best-of-five Finals. The shutout win sealed the franchise's third title and first since 2021, capping a determined three-year climb back to the top of the division.

"I'm feeling great," said Bulls player-manager Johnny Hayes after the title-clinching win. "They [Cardinals] never let up, and they play the game hard. To come out on top against a team of that caliber says a lot about our guys. We believed in each other and knew what we were capable of if we worked hard and committed to the process. It was awesome to see that hard work pay off."

That championship mindset was evident from the get-go. After dropping their regular-season opener, The Bulls rattled off nine straight and 14 of their next 16 to finish at 14-3, securing second place and matching the club's single-season high in wins set last year.

Offensively, the newly crowned champions led the division in runs scored (163) and ranked second in average (.387), hits (194), slugging (.495), and OPS (.972). Six different players batted over .400, including catcher/third baseman Teddy Dziuba, who earned MVP honors after dominating the division in nearly every major category, including average (.563), RBIs (20), OPS (1.479), and doubles (8), while also co-leading in hits (28) and runs scored (21). Dziuba, who also earned MVP honors in the 28+ Division, became the first player in league history to win the award in two different age divisions in the same season.

On the defensive side, the Bulls' pitching staff was equally dependable, allowing the second-fewest runs (60) and posting the second-lowest ERA (2.95) while holding opponents to a .267 batting average. The rotation was anchored by second-year pitcher James Cramphin, who went 5-0 with a division-best 0.68 ERA. The hard-throwing right-hander finished second in Cy Young voting, falling just two points shy of taking home the award.

The second-seeded Bulls kicked off their postseason with a best-of-three quarterfinal matchup versus the No. 7-seeded Metro Red Sox (7-10). After splitting the first two games of the series, The Bulls left no doubt in the Game 3 finale, rolling to a 10-1 victory.

Cramphin (W, 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K, BB) earned his second win of the series, allowing just one run on three hits in five innings of work. The offense did the rest, piling up 10 runs on 15 hits, led by Juan Parra (5-5, 4 R, 2B, SB) and Johnny Hayes (3-3, R, 2 RBI), who combined to go a perfect 8-for-8 with five runs scored.

With a 2-1 series win, The Bulls moved on to the best-of-three semifinal round, where they quickly dispatched the 5th-seeded Milton Breakers (10-7) in two games.

David Frisch (W, 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 3 K, 2 BB) earned the vulture win in Game 1 after coming on in relief and shutting the door late. With the game tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth, The Bulls scratched across two runs and held on for a 4-2 victory — despite recording just three hits in the game. Two of those hits came off the bat of James Cramphin (2-2, RBI), who continued to produce on both sides of the ball. Starter Joe Perna (5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 0 BB) was sharp through five-plus innings before turning the ball over to Frisch, who closed it out with 1 2/3 scoreless frames.

In Game 2, The Bulls again found themselves in another tight battle but were able to grind out a hard-fought 4-3 victory. Jon Tenney (W, 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, K, 0 BB) delivered five steady innings, allowing just two unearned runs on four hits. Cramphin (SV, 2 IP, H, R, ER, 4 K, BB) took over for the final two frames, striking out four to secure the save and complete the series sweep.

For the fourth time in their seven-year history, The Bulls advanced to the Finals, setting up a heavyweight showdown with the defending champion and top-seeded Boston Cardinals (15-2), who booked their return trip by knocking off the 6th-seeded South Shore Mariners (8-9) two games to one in the semis.

The Cardinals owned the regular-season series over The Bulls, who entered the best-of-five Finals as slight underdogs — but the postseason mantra of getting hot at the right time loomed large, and The Bulls were firing on all cylinders.

Fueled by a seven-run fourth inning, The Bulls powered their way to a 12-5 statement win in the series opener — marking the first time all season the Cardinals had allowed double-digit runs. Cramphin (W, 6 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 K, BB) improved to 3-0 in the postseason, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits to go along with four strikeouts over six innings. He also helped his own cause, going 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, two runs scored, and two walks — reaching base in all five plate appearances. Kevin Lyons (3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) chipped in with three hits of his own to round out the Game 1 win.

After dropping the opener, the Cardinals came out swinging early in Game 2, taking a 4-1 lead through two innings — before The Bulls answered in the third. A two-run single from Kevin Lyons (2-4, 3 RBI, 2B) and an RBI knock from David Frisch (3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B) tied the game at 4-4. Julian Alvarez (3-5, R, 3 RBI, 2B) briefly put the Cardinals back on top in the fourth, belting an RBI single off the top of the left-field wall.

From that point on, The Bulls took control. A five-run inning in the fourth and a three-run inning in the fifth blew the game open. Teddy Dziuba (3-3, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B) and Frisch sparked the offense, combining to go 6-for-7 with four RBIs and five runs scored to lead The Bulls to a 13-8 Game 2 victory.

Joe Perna (W, 5.2 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 8 ER, K, 4 BB) earned the win, gutting through 5 1/3 innings before giving way to Cramphin (SV, 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, K, BB), who recorded his second save of the postseason with 1 1/3 innings of one-hit relief on just two days' rest. The Bulls took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series and pulled within one win of capturing the title.

Facing elimination in a must-win Game 3, the Cardinals placed their hopes on first-year pitcher Vantroit Medina (W, 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, ER, 12 K, 2 BB), while The Bulls countered with Jon Tenney (L, 5 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, K, BB), each making their third start of the postseason. With the score tied 1-1, the Cardinals broke things open in the third, plating four runs on a wild pitch and RBI singles from Pedro Vasquez (2-4, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB), Chris Deane (1-3, RBI), and Joel Torres (1-2, R, RBI, SB). They tacked on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth on an Alvarez (1-4, RBI, 3B) RBI triple and a pinch-hit RBI single from Norberto Cordero (1-1, RBI), extending their lead to 7-1.

The Bulls showed life in the sixth, cutting the deficit to 7-4 on a Brendan Eygabroat (1-1, R, RBI, 2 BB) RBI single, a Cramphin (0-2, RBI) sacrifice fly, and a bases-loaded infield hit from Juan Parra (2-4, RBI, 2 K, SB). But their rally ended there, as Medina slammed the door in the seventh, striking out the side to seal the 7-4 Game 3 decision. The 38-year-old right-hander improved to 3-0 in the postseason, limiting The Bulls to just one earned run on five hits while racking up 12 strikeouts.

The Cardinals lived to fight another day, but faced a tall task ahead in Game 4, going up against James Cramphin, who was 3-0 in the postseason and 8-0 overall. Opposing him was three-time Cy Young winner Yulkin German, making his first start of the season after spending much of the year in a relief role.

The two starters traded zeroes through the first two innings before The Bulls broke through in the third. Cramphin (1-2, R, RBI, SB) jump-started the rally by drawing a one-out walk, stealing second, and later scoring when Parra (1-4, R, K) forced an errant throw on a groundball to second. Mike Maguire (1-2, R, 2 BB, K) then worked a walk, setting the table for Dziuba (3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B), who dropped a bloop RBI single into center to make it 2-0.

From there, the floodgates opened. The Bulls added another run in the fourth, four more in the fifth, and another in the sixth, cruising to a decisive 8-0 win and the 2025 Masters 38+ championship. Cramphin (W, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 8 K, BB) delivered another masterpiece, firing a complete-game three-hit shutout while striking out eight.

With the title secured, The Bulls' dominant postseason run came into full focus. James Cramphin capped off a remarkable year by earning Postseason MVP honors, going 4-0 on the mound with two saves while also serving as an offensive spark plug, batting .364 (8-for-22) with seven RBIs, two doubles, five runs scored, six walks, and a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases.

Overall, The Bulls batted .318 as a team in the postseason and averaged nine hits and 7.2 runs per game. Kevin Lyons led the offense with 15 hits and 10 RBIs. From top to bottom, it was a complete championship effort — one that firmly reestablished the franchise atop the Masters 38+ Division.

Congratulations to Manager Johnny Hayes and The Bulls on winning the 2025 Masters 38+ championship and the franchise's third overall title.