Post by Tigers GM (Alex) on Apr 30, 2012 20:20:14 GMT -5
With the first month of the season in the books, it's time for a power ranks. So without further ado, here we go:
1. Texas Rangers: 26-15-1: Despite weak starts to the season from several key players, the Rangers have still been among the class of the AL. After 2 dominant wins against the Indians and Twins the first 2 weeks, the Rangers had a great win against the Angels last week. Look for them to improve as the year goes on.
2. LA Angels: 23-16-3: Although their record hasn't shown it yet, the Angels have been a dominant force this season. They started off with 2 solid wins against the White Sox and Royals before losing a tight one to the Rangers last week. Led by Matt Kemp, they currently boast the league's best offense.
3. Colorado Rockies: 33-6-3: Currently ownerless, the Rockies have been on fire with 3 straight blowouts to begin the season. With stars like Tim Lincecum, Kevin Youkilis, and Rickie Weeks all expected to improve, there's no reason to believe that they can't win the NL this year.
4. Chicago White Sox: 22-17-3: The White Sox opened the season with a very tough schedule, but battled through it, winning 2 matchups. They'll have it tough these next 2 weeks as well, but starting in week 6 the Sox have 8 reasonably easy matchups. Look for them to dominate over that stretch. With a strong all around team, they should compete for the AL Central title this season, at the very least settling for a wild card spot.
5. Boston Red Sox: 22-16-4: Led by the league's best infield and a powerful rotation, the Red Sox remain the favorite for the AL East this year in spite of their current standing in 3rd place. They'll need big bounce backs from Max Scherzer and Mat Latos in order to make a deep playoff run though.
6. New York Mets: 26-14-2: The Mets are looking like the early season favorite for the NL East after wins against the Nationals and Phillies. They have one of the league's best offenses and a solid young core of pitchers. If Daniel Hudson can come off the DL strong, the Mets should challenge for the best record in the NL.
7. Milwaukee Brewers: 30-9-3: - The Brewers are off to a surprisingly hot start with 3 straight 10-3-1 victories. While they all came against weak teams, the Brew Crew could definitely compete for a playoff spot this year. Buster Posey and Joey Votto will carry the offense, but they should have great pitching this year, especially if Kyle Drabek can become an ace. Gallardo, Hamels, and Drabek could be a fearsome top-3.
8. Philadelphia Phillies: 21-19-2: If only the Phils could get some hitters outside of their OF. While their OFers have combined for 15 homers and 9 steals this year, the rest of their offense has been pathetic, putting up just 7 homers, 2 steals, and a .210 batting average.
9. Toronto Blue Jays: 28-13-1: One of the biggest surprises of this season, the Blue Jays have jumped out to the American League's second best record. 22 of their 28 wins have come against the Yankees and Mariners though, so some regression is definitely in order. If the Blue Jays young players can continue to play well though, they could certainly contend for a wild card. They play one of the league's easiest schedules so don't be surprised to see them in October.
10. Houston Colt .45's: 26-14-2: If Chase Utley and Lance Berkman can come back from injuries and play well, the Colt .45's will have a fearsome offense come playoff time. CC Sabathia highlights an otherwise underwhelming pitching staff.
11. Cleveland Indians: 16-23-3: Hanley Ramirez and Adam Jones have led one of the AL's best offenses thus far. Unfortunately the Indians also have one of the league's worst pitching staff's and if they want to be playing come playoff time they'll need to pick up a top starter or two.
12. Miami Marlins: 23-17-2: The Marlins have definitely disappointed so far this season, especially considering the hot starts they received from Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, and Chris Young pre-injury. The Marlins still appear to have one of the most balanced teams in the NL though and will definitely be in the playoff hunt all year. Look for them to rise the rest of the way.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: 26-15-1: Wow! What a start to the season for the Cardinal offense. Even if Edwin Encarnacion slows his MVP pace this will still be a potent lineup. Unfortunately their pitching is as bad as their hitting is good. They'll need to significantly improve their rotation in order to be in the playoff chase all year.
14. Kansas City Royals: 14-26-2: While the Royals might miss the playoffs this season in the strong AL Central, they've built a team that will contend for many years to come.
15. Baltimore Orioles: 22-15-5: A very average overall team, the Orioles don't really stand out in any particular area. Average may be enough for them though as the Orioles were able to beat down the Rays and Mariners in the first 2 weeks before getting trampled by the Yanks last week. I'd expect them to hover around .500 all season.
16. Arizona Diamondbacks: 18-19-5: Mauer, Cano, Sandoval, and J-Upton are an amazing offensive core. If only the Diamondbacks could surround them with some other decent players we'd be looking at a great team. Jake Peavy and Jordan Zimmerman lead an otherwise boring pitching staff. Considering the weak state of the NL West, they could definitely challenge Colorado for the division title.
17. Minnesota Twins: 17-23-2: Very much like the Orioles, the Twins are a very average team. Freddie Freeman and Alex Presley look like they have bright futures in the Twins lineup. They have a weak rotation though and will need Joe Saunders and Jason Vargas to continue their hot starts if they want to contend in the pitching categories this year. The Twins were able to hang in their against 3 very tough first matchups.
18. Atlanta Braves: 18-19-5: The Braves offense has extremely minimal power and speed but they should be able to hit for a high average, maybe even over .300. They'll need Johan Santana and Jason Hammel to pitch like aces the rest of the way in order to keep from falling way out of the playoff race in the NL's strongest division.
19. Cincinnati Reds: 13-25-4: The Reds have a solid offense and a deep bench. If Peter Bourjos can start hitting it will really help them. Their rotation is also a definite strength and if Mike Leake can get back to how he pitched the last 2 years, it will be one of the best in the league. The Reds are a sleeper to watch down the stretch as if they can put it all together, a deep playoff run is possible.
20. Washington Nationals: 15-25-2: The self-proclaimed pre-season World Series favorites have gotten off to a rough start. Even with extremely hot starts from offseason acquisitions Yu Darvish and Yoennis Cespedes, the Nats have struggled mightily so far. Some improvement is certainly possible though given the Nats difficult schedule so far. Best case for them this season is likely around .500 and contending for a wild card spot.
21. San Diego Padres: 15-24-3: A lot of the blame for the Pads slow start can be placed on the shoulders of Albert Pujols. However, with Nelson Cruz, Kurt Suzuki, Alexei Ramirez, and Vernon Wells all also off to slow starts, it's not completely King Albert's fault. If they start hitting don't be surprised if the Pads start winning.
22. Oakland A's: 17-22-3: Gaby Sanchez, Jemile Weeks, Jimmy Rollins, and Alfonso Soriano have all struggled so far and some improvement can be expected from all of them. But while the A's offense may improve, it's unlikely the same will happen for their pitching. When Jeff Niemann is your ace, bad things are bound to happen.
23. Tampa Bay Rays: They've got a great core with Napoli, Bourn, Stras, and Zimmerman but literally nothing else around them. I didn't even know Oliver Perez was still in baseball.
24. LA Dodgers: 12-25-5: The Dodgers have a decent lineup, althout it's lacking in power. That problem may be fixed when Mike Carp returns. They also have a decent rotation, led by the $48 Million Dollar Man himself, Cliff Lee.
25. San Francisco Giants: 12-25-5: The Giants have barely been fielding an MLB team this year. They have 3 lineup spots open and 3 platoon players starting for them as well. Fortunately the future looks bright, as the Giants boast one of the league's best farms.
26. New York Yankees: After 2 blowout losses to open the season, the Yanks came back with a dominating performance against the O's last week. After a slew of free agent signings over the last few weeks, the Yankees are now one of the league's deepest teams. If they can do a few package deals to upgrade their starters, they could quickly move up this list and perhaps even contend for a playoff spot. A lot of that also depends on Adam Wainwright regaining his form though.
27. Seattle Mariners: 9-31-2: Sadly, the Mariners don't have much going for them. They have a couple of decent hitters with Eric Thames and Carlos Lee, and one decent pitcher with Blake Beaven. Besides for them though, the M's roster is a barren wasteland.
28. Chicago Cubs: 10-29-3: The Cubs have been rebuilding for a while, so it's no surprise to see them struggling this season. They just had their first start of the season last week when Jarrod Parker made his debut. That's right, before that they hadn't had a single start! With one of the league's best minor league systems and a horde of draft picks, as well as an already decent MLB core, the Cubs future looks a lot brighter.
29. Pittsburgh Pirates - Neil Walker and Co have actually gotten off to a decent start this year. I'm betting that they start tanking soon as to not blow their shots at the #1 pick next year. Either that or Manny will come back better than ever, Brian Matusz will develop into an ace, and the Pirates will win their division.
1. Texas Rangers: 26-15-1: Despite weak starts to the season from several key players, the Rangers have still been among the class of the AL. After 2 dominant wins against the Indians and Twins the first 2 weeks, the Rangers had a great win against the Angels last week. Look for them to improve as the year goes on.
2. LA Angels: 23-16-3: Although their record hasn't shown it yet, the Angels have been a dominant force this season. They started off with 2 solid wins against the White Sox and Royals before losing a tight one to the Rangers last week. Led by Matt Kemp, they currently boast the league's best offense.
3. Colorado Rockies: 33-6-3: Currently ownerless, the Rockies have been on fire with 3 straight blowouts to begin the season. With stars like Tim Lincecum, Kevin Youkilis, and Rickie Weeks all expected to improve, there's no reason to believe that they can't win the NL this year.
4. Chicago White Sox: 22-17-3: The White Sox opened the season with a very tough schedule, but battled through it, winning 2 matchups. They'll have it tough these next 2 weeks as well, but starting in week 6 the Sox have 8 reasonably easy matchups. Look for them to dominate over that stretch. With a strong all around team, they should compete for the AL Central title this season, at the very least settling for a wild card spot.
5. Boston Red Sox: 22-16-4: Led by the league's best infield and a powerful rotation, the Red Sox remain the favorite for the AL East this year in spite of their current standing in 3rd place. They'll need big bounce backs from Max Scherzer and Mat Latos in order to make a deep playoff run though.
6. New York Mets: 26-14-2: The Mets are looking like the early season favorite for the NL East after wins against the Nationals and Phillies. They have one of the league's best offenses and a solid young core of pitchers. If Daniel Hudson can come off the DL strong, the Mets should challenge for the best record in the NL.
7. Milwaukee Brewers: 30-9-3: - The Brewers are off to a surprisingly hot start with 3 straight 10-3-1 victories. While they all came against weak teams, the Brew Crew could definitely compete for a playoff spot this year. Buster Posey and Joey Votto will carry the offense, but they should have great pitching this year, especially if Kyle Drabek can become an ace. Gallardo, Hamels, and Drabek could be a fearsome top-3.
8. Philadelphia Phillies: 21-19-2: If only the Phils could get some hitters outside of their OF. While their OFers have combined for 15 homers and 9 steals this year, the rest of their offense has been pathetic, putting up just 7 homers, 2 steals, and a .210 batting average.
9. Toronto Blue Jays: 28-13-1: One of the biggest surprises of this season, the Blue Jays have jumped out to the American League's second best record. 22 of their 28 wins have come against the Yankees and Mariners though, so some regression is definitely in order. If the Blue Jays young players can continue to play well though, they could certainly contend for a wild card. They play one of the league's easiest schedules so don't be surprised to see them in October.
10. Houston Colt .45's: 26-14-2: If Chase Utley and Lance Berkman can come back from injuries and play well, the Colt .45's will have a fearsome offense come playoff time. CC Sabathia highlights an otherwise underwhelming pitching staff.
11. Cleveland Indians: 16-23-3: Hanley Ramirez and Adam Jones have led one of the AL's best offenses thus far. Unfortunately the Indians also have one of the league's worst pitching staff's and if they want to be playing come playoff time they'll need to pick up a top starter or two.
12. Miami Marlins: 23-17-2: The Marlins have definitely disappointed so far this season, especially considering the hot starts they received from Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, and Chris Young pre-injury. The Marlins still appear to have one of the most balanced teams in the NL though and will definitely be in the playoff hunt all year. Look for them to rise the rest of the way.
13. St. Louis Cardinals: 26-15-1: Wow! What a start to the season for the Cardinal offense. Even if Edwin Encarnacion slows his MVP pace this will still be a potent lineup. Unfortunately their pitching is as bad as their hitting is good. They'll need to significantly improve their rotation in order to be in the playoff chase all year.
14. Kansas City Royals: 14-26-2: While the Royals might miss the playoffs this season in the strong AL Central, they've built a team that will contend for many years to come.
15. Baltimore Orioles: 22-15-5: A very average overall team, the Orioles don't really stand out in any particular area. Average may be enough for them though as the Orioles were able to beat down the Rays and Mariners in the first 2 weeks before getting trampled by the Yanks last week. I'd expect them to hover around .500 all season.
16. Arizona Diamondbacks: 18-19-5: Mauer, Cano, Sandoval, and J-Upton are an amazing offensive core. If only the Diamondbacks could surround them with some other decent players we'd be looking at a great team. Jake Peavy and Jordan Zimmerman lead an otherwise boring pitching staff. Considering the weak state of the NL West, they could definitely challenge Colorado for the division title.
17. Minnesota Twins: 17-23-2: Very much like the Orioles, the Twins are a very average team. Freddie Freeman and Alex Presley look like they have bright futures in the Twins lineup. They have a weak rotation though and will need Joe Saunders and Jason Vargas to continue their hot starts if they want to contend in the pitching categories this year. The Twins were able to hang in their against 3 very tough first matchups.
18. Atlanta Braves: 18-19-5: The Braves offense has extremely minimal power and speed but they should be able to hit for a high average, maybe even over .300. They'll need Johan Santana and Jason Hammel to pitch like aces the rest of the way in order to keep from falling way out of the playoff race in the NL's strongest division.
19. Cincinnati Reds: 13-25-4: The Reds have a solid offense and a deep bench. If Peter Bourjos can start hitting it will really help them. Their rotation is also a definite strength and if Mike Leake can get back to how he pitched the last 2 years, it will be one of the best in the league. The Reds are a sleeper to watch down the stretch as if they can put it all together, a deep playoff run is possible.
20. Washington Nationals: 15-25-2: The self-proclaimed pre-season World Series favorites have gotten off to a rough start. Even with extremely hot starts from offseason acquisitions Yu Darvish and Yoennis Cespedes, the Nats have struggled mightily so far. Some improvement is certainly possible though given the Nats difficult schedule so far. Best case for them this season is likely around .500 and contending for a wild card spot.
21. San Diego Padres: 15-24-3: A lot of the blame for the Pads slow start can be placed on the shoulders of Albert Pujols. However, with Nelson Cruz, Kurt Suzuki, Alexei Ramirez, and Vernon Wells all also off to slow starts, it's not completely King Albert's fault. If they start hitting don't be surprised if the Pads start winning.
22. Oakland A's: 17-22-3: Gaby Sanchez, Jemile Weeks, Jimmy Rollins, and Alfonso Soriano have all struggled so far and some improvement can be expected from all of them. But while the A's offense may improve, it's unlikely the same will happen for their pitching. When Jeff Niemann is your ace, bad things are bound to happen.
23. Tampa Bay Rays: They've got a great core with Napoli, Bourn, Stras, and Zimmerman but literally nothing else around them. I didn't even know Oliver Perez was still in baseball.
24. LA Dodgers: 12-25-5: The Dodgers have a decent lineup, althout it's lacking in power. That problem may be fixed when Mike Carp returns. They also have a decent rotation, led by the $48 Million Dollar Man himself, Cliff Lee.
25. San Francisco Giants: 12-25-5: The Giants have barely been fielding an MLB team this year. They have 3 lineup spots open and 3 platoon players starting for them as well. Fortunately the future looks bright, as the Giants boast one of the league's best farms.
26. New York Yankees: After 2 blowout losses to open the season, the Yanks came back with a dominating performance against the O's last week. After a slew of free agent signings over the last few weeks, the Yankees are now one of the league's deepest teams. If they can do a few package deals to upgrade their starters, they could quickly move up this list and perhaps even contend for a playoff spot. A lot of that also depends on Adam Wainwright regaining his form though.
27. Seattle Mariners: 9-31-2: Sadly, the Mariners don't have much going for them. They have a couple of decent hitters with Eric Thames and Carlos Lee, and one decent pitcher with Blake Beaven. Besides for them though, the M's roster is a barren wasteland.
28. Chicago Cubs: 10-29-3: The Cubs have been rebuilding for a while, so it's no surprise to see them struggling this season. They just had their first start of the season last week when Jarrod Parker made his debut. That's right, before that they hadn't had a single start! With one of the league's best minor league systems and a horde of draft picks, as well as an already decent MLB core, the Cubs future looks a lot brighter.
29. Pittsburgh Pirates - Neil Walker and Co have actually gotten off to a decent start this year. I'm betting that they start tanking soon as to not blow their shots at the #1 pick next year. Either that or Manny will come back better than ever, Brian Matusz will develop into an ace, and the Pirates will win their division.
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