## Summary
- **Root cause**: `statsapi.mlb.com` returns 406 (deprecated). Switched MLB to ESPN's free standings API (`site.api.espn.com/apis/v2/sports/baseball/mlb/standings`), consistent with NBA, WNBA, and MLS.
- **Refactor**: Extracted a shared `espn.ts` utility module, eliminating 4× duplication of `statsMap()`, `flattenEspnStandings()`, ESPN interfaces, and the `playoffSeed` → conference rank logic across adapters.
- **Bug fixes** found during review and applied across all affected adapters:
- `parseConferenceRank`: `|| undefined` falsy-zero bug replaced with `isNaN` guard
- Sort comparators: stable alphabetical tiebreaker added to MLB, NBA, WNBA
- `winPct`: falls back to `wins/(wins+losses)` if ESPN omits the stat (was silently 0)
- statsMap pre-built once per entry before sorting in all adapters (was rebuilt per comparison)
- WNBA `parseEntry`: accepts pre-computed `sm` instead of rebuilding it internally
- MLB `gamesBack`: tests updated to reflect ESPN returns numeric `0` for division leaders (old API used `"-"` → `undefined`)
## Test plan
- [ ] All 60 standings-sync unit tests pass (`npm run test:run -- app/services/standings-sync`)
- [ ] Trigger MLB standings sync from admin panel and confirm it returns data without a 406
- [ ] Confirm NBA, WNBA, MLS syncs still work (adapters touched but behaviour unchanged)
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
Co-authored-by: Chris Parsons <chrisparsons1127@gmail.com>
Reviewed-on: #62
* Add MLS standings sync and fix simulator conference resolution
- New MlsStandingsAdapter using ESPN's free soccer API (no key required),
returning Eastern/Western conference data, W/D/L/GF/GA/GD/PTS, conference
rank, and home/away records; registered under mls_bracket
- Display route now shows soccer table columns and a 9-team playoff cutoff
line for mls_bracket (top 9 per conference qualify for MLS Cup Playoffs)
- MLS simulator gains a third conference fallback: reads externalId="Eastern"
or "Western" on the participant, mirroring the LLWS pool-assignment pattern
so admins can bootstrap conference data before the first standings sync
- 9 unit tests covering stat mapping, conference normalization, rank ordering,
and error paths
https://claude.ai/code/session_01WhzXHpv6taXdHzhgvnv83u
* Address code review feedback on MLS standings + simulator
1. Update mls-simulator.ts module comment to document the new step-3
externalId fallback in the conference resolution order
2. Tighten normalizeConference to exact-match "Eastern"/"Western
Conference" instead of broad substring, preventing false matches
on names like "Northeast"
3. Pre-parse statsMap for each entry before the sort so it isn't
rebuilt O(n log n) times during comparison
4. Document the externalId name-matching tradeoff on
parseConferenceFromExternalId
5. Try ESPN's gamesPlayed stat before falling back to wins+losses+ties
sum; export parseConferenceFromExternalId for direct testing
6. Add tests: normalizeConference passthrough, winPct=0 at preseason,
and parseConferenceFromExternalId (case-insensitivity, null/undefined,
numeric ESPN IDs, unrecognized strings)
https://claude.ai/code/session_01WhzXHpv6taXdHzhgvnv83u
* Fix lint: replace != null with !== null && !== undefined
oxlint enforces eqeqeq; the five != null checks in mls.ts were flagged.
https://claude.ai/code/session_01WhzXHpv6taXdHzhgvnv83u
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
