diff --git a/app/services/simulations/__tests__/llws-simulator.test.ts b/app/services/simulations/__tests__/llws-simulator.test.ts
index bfb84ba..b22fb25 100644
--- a/app/services/simulations/__tests__/llws-simulator.test.ts
+++ b/app/services/simulations/__tests__/llws-simulator.test.ts
@@ -153,9 +153,9 @@ describe("LLWSSimulator", () => {
       setupMockDb(defaultParticipants(), makeEvRows(ALL_IDS, { includeOdds: true }));
       const results = await new LLWSSimulator().simulate("season-1");
       const byId = new Map(results.map((r) => [r.participantId, r]));
-      expect(byId.get("us-1")!.probabilities.probFirst).toBeGreaterThan(
-        byId.get("us-10")!.probabilities.probFirst
-      );
+      const us1prob = byId.get("us-1")?.probabilities.probFirst ?? 0;
+      const us10prob = byId.get("us-10")?.probabilities.probFirst ?? 0;
+      expect(us1prob).toBeGreaterThan(us10prob);
     });
 
     it("works when no odds are entered (all 50/50 fallback)", async () => {
diff --git a/app/services/simulations/llws-simulator.ts b/app/services/simulations/llws-simulator.ts
index 1974873..212f811 100644
--- a/app/services/simulations/llws-simulator.ts
+++ b/app/services/simulations/llws-simulator.ts
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ function simulatePoolPlay(pool: Team[]): [Team, Team] {
   // the comparator is consistent (Math.random() inside a comparator is a bug — the
   // engine may call it multiple times per pair and get contradictory results).
   const tiebreaker = new Map(pool.map((t) => [t.participantId, Math.random()]));
-  const ranked = [...pool].sort((a, b) => {
+  const ranked = pool.toSorted((a, b) => {
     const diff = (wins.get(b.participantId) ?? 0) - (wins.get(a.participantId) ?? 0);
     return diff !== 0 ? diff : (tiebreaker.get(a.participantId) ?? 0) - (tiebreaker.get(b.participantId) ?? 0);
   });
@@ -178,12 +178,8 @@ function simulateSideBracket(
   poolA2: Team,
   poolB1: Team,
   poolB2: Team,
-  counts: Map<string, PlacementCounts>
+  bump: (id: string, key: keyof PlacementCounts) => void
 ): { sideChampion: Team; sideLoser: Team } {
-  const bump = (id: string, key: keyof PlacementCounts) => {
-    const entry = counts.get(id);
-    if (entry) entry[key]++;
-  };
 
   // Winners bracket
   const g1 = simGame(poolA1, poolB2);
@@ -331,6 +327,10 @@ export class LLWSSimulator implements Simulator {
     const counts = new Map<string, PlacementCounts>(
       allIds.map((id) => [id, { champion: 0, finalist: 0, thirdPlace: 0, fourthPlace: 0, bracketLoser: 0 }])
     );
+    const bump = (id: string, key: keyof PlacementCounts) => {
+      const entry = counts.get(id);
+      if (entry) entry[key]++;
+    };
 
     // 6. Run Monte Carlo simulations.
     for (let s = 0; s < NUM_SIMULATIONS; s++) {
@@ -346,19 +346,19 @@ export class LLWSSimulator implements Simulator {
 
       // Double-elimination bracket per side.
       const { sideChampion: usChamp, sideLoser: usLose } =
-        simulateSideBracket(usA1, usA2, usB1, usB2, counts);
+        simulateSideBracket(usA1, usA2, usB1, usB2, bump);
       const { sideChampion: intlChamp, sideLoser: intlLose } =
-        simulateSideBracket(intlA1, intlA2, intlB1, intlB2, counts);
+        simulateSideBracket(intlA1, intlA2, intlB1, intlB2, bump);
 
       // Consolation game: 3rd / 4th place.
       const consolation = simGame(usLose, intlLose);
-      counts.get(consolation.winner.participantId)!.thirdPlace++;
-      counts.get(consolation.loser.participantId)!.fourthPlace++;
+      bump(consolation.winner.participantId, "thirdPlace");
+      bump(consolation.loser.participantId, "fourthPlace");
 
       // World Series: 1st / 2nd place.
       const ws = simGame(usChamp, intlChamp);
-      counts.get(ws.winner.participantId)!.champion++;
-      counts.get(ws.loser.participantId)!.finalist++;
+      bump(ws.winner.participantId, "champion");
+      bump(ws.loser.participantId, "finalist");
     }
 
     // 7. Convert counts to probability distributions.
@@ -366,8 +366,9 @@ export class LLWSSimulator implements Simulator {
     const bracketLosersPerSim = 4;
     const bracketDivisor = bracketLosersPerSim * NUM_SIMULATIONS;
 
+    const zeroCounts: PlacementCounts = { champion: 0, finalist: 0, thirdPlace: 0, fourthPlace: 0, bracketLoser: 0 };
     return allIds.map((id) => {
-      const c = counts.get(id)!;
+      const c = counts.get(id) ?? zeroCounts;
       const bracketProb = c.bracketLoser / bracketDivisor;
       return {
         participantId: id,