This is my 2nd installment of my MLB Power Rankings. There are some surprise teams in the top 5, and some disappointments outside of the top 10.
1. Texas Rangers (23-12) have been nearly unbeatable this season, and they are as close to a perfect team as there is in the big leagues right now. Josh Hamilton is on pace to hit about 1,000 home runs, and the lineup has been efficient enough to have runners on base when Hamilton is batting. The AL West is terrible right now too, so Texas should just keep racking up wins. The Rangers are trending UP.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (23-11) just keep winning. It will be interesting to see how they do in interleague play because after Kershaw the starting rotation is pretty weak. But with the injuries in the NL West, the Dodgers shouldn’t have a problem to keep their lead. The Dodgers are trending NEUTRAL.
3. Atlanta Braves (22-13) score a lot of runs. This was a struggle to put the Braves this high after they looked inept last week when I watched them at Wrigley. It would be exciting to see Atlanta keep the NL East lead throughout Chipper’s last season. The Braves are trending UP.
4. Baltimore Orioles (22-13) are the biggest surprise of the season so far. I don’t think they are as good as their record shows, but at this point I can only rank teams based on what they have already done and not potential. They bounced right back against the Rays after getting bombed by the Rangers. The Orioles are trending UP.
5. Washington Nationals (21-13) still lead the majors in ERA. It seems like every game they are pulling out a 2-1 win. The interesting story here is how do you justify shutting down Strasburg after 160 IP if you are still in the playoff hunt? Injuries are piling up for the Nats, so at some point they are going to fade, right? The Nationals are trending NEUTRAL.
6. Tampa Bay Rays (21-14) are my favorite team in the AL East, but they are still looking up to the O’s. Every team in the AL are beginning to show extreme faults (except Texas). Tampa just cannot score runs consistently enough to continue this winning percentage. The Rays are trending DOWN.
7. St. Louis Cardinals (20-14) are doing what they should against inferior competition in the NL Central. It helps that Beltran is leading the NL is home runs and RBI. The Cardinals are trending UP.
8. Toronto Blue Jays (19-16) are still in the thick of things in the AL East. The last place team in this division is probably the 2nd best in the AL Central. If the young Toronto pitchers can continue to fool hitters, they should push for the division lead soon. The Blue Jays are trending NEUTRAL.
9. New York Mets (19-15) still have a winning record somehow. David Wright seems to want one more big contract, and RA Dickey is racking up quality starts with that knuckleball. The Mets are trending UP.
10. New York Yankees (19-15) roster is falling apart by the week. They lost their new star pitcher for the season, and then lost their old star closer possibly for his career. The Yanks will continue to score runs, but it doesn’t really matter if they cannot hold opponents under 6 runs. The Yankees are trending DOWN.
11. Miami Marlins (18-16) are the comeback kids so far this season, and Stanton seems to be heating up lately… good thing their stadium is still empty. The Marlins are trending UP.
12. Cleveland Indians (18-16) somehow are still above .500. They seem to be doing just enough to win ball games. They have played in more save-able games than any other team, which has resulted in Perez running away with the saves lead early in the season. The Indians are trending DOWN.
13. Detroit Tigers (17-17) have been the biggest disappointment this season. The problem here is this record isn’t because of major injuries or bad luck, they are just playing poorly. I still think they will turn it around, but I have moved away from following first pitch to final out. The Tigers are trending NEUTRAL.
14. Oakland Athletics (18-17) are bad, but still are above .500. they are in the bottom third in every offensive category, but their pitching is saving them so far. Luckily they have a reinforcement in Brandon Inge. The A’s are trending NEUTRAL.
15. Cincinnati Reds (17-16) have been their normal selves to start the year, disappointing. They should push St. Louis for the division crown, but they will likely be sellers at the trade deadline. The Reds are trending NEUTRAL.
16. San Francisco Giants (17-17) have been hit with the injury plague again, losing Kung Fu Panda and Brian Wilson this season. Luckily their pitching staff and weak division should keep them in playoff contention throughout the season. The Giants are trending DOWN.
17. Chicago White Sox (16-19) are not nearly as bad as I thought they would be coming into the season. Their young arms are talented and should be able to keep them competitive in the AL Central. If they can find another bat to protect Konerko they could be a legitimate threat. The White Sox are trending NEUTRAL.
18. Philadelphia Phillies (16-19) are still hanging around the .500 mark even without their best two hitters. It is putting a lot of pressure on the pitching staff, and will likely wear them down quicker than usual. If Utley and Howard can come back soon, the Phillies should be alright, but if not they will really need to look for some offensive help. The Phillies are trending DOWN.
19. Houston Astros (15-19) get the benefit of the doubt here because there is nobody on their roster that is an everyday name. yes they are really bad and will likely finish with close to 100 losses, but right now they are hanging tough in the NL Central. The Astros are trending UP.
20. Arizona Diamondbacks (15-20) are not reliving their special year of last, but have fallen back in their old habits. They are struggling to hit and pitch right now. If Upton can turn things around, Zona should jump up in the rankings. The Diamonbacks are trending DOWN.
21. Milwaukee Brewers (15-19) have been riding a roller coaster this season. Their offense is reeling without Prince in the middle of the lineup, and the pitchers are struggling with the smaller offensive support. Braun will have to carry them. The Brewers are trending NEUTRAL.
22. Los Angeles Angels (15-20) just got roughed up by their AL West rivals. So far Texas doesn’t seem like they are too worried about the collection of talent in Cali. Pujols is really trying to crown himself as the biggest bust ever, and the bullpen is still awful. I am not sure why they didn’t keep Rodney. The Angels are trending DOWN.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-18) are still just 4 games out of the lead in the NL Central division. The Pirates need some offensive help, but I doubt they will trade for someone. Can the Bucs finish with 82 wins this season, I certainly hope so. The Pirates are trending NEUTRAL.
24. Boston Red Sox (15-19) would be lower if they didn’t just pummel the Indians over the weekend. One encouraging thing for the BoSox this season has been the emergence of their top 2 prospects. This will likely be Youkilis’s last season in Boston. The Red Sox are trending NEUTRAL.
25. Kansas City Royals (13-20) are still a scary team even way down at number 25. Their offense can get hot and put up 8 runs in a game, and their young arms can hold any offense down. The problem is that Duffy is likely out for the season with a blown out left elbow, and if that is true the Royals will have company in the cellar with the Twins. The Royals are trending NEUTRAL.
26. Seattle Mariners (16-20) are terrible, and if it wasn’t for the Tigers they would be in the bottom 2 on the league. They are 5-1 against Detroit, and 11-19 against the rest of the league. The Mariners are trending DOWN (because they are done playing the Tigers).
27. Chicago Cubs (14-20) have no offense to speak of. Theo Epstein has some work to do with this roster. One thing is for sure though, if Epstein can turn things around, Wrigleyville will be a fun place to be. The Cubs are trending NEUTRAL.
28. Colorado Rockies (13-20) did not get much help from Jamie Moyer coming back from his retirement community. The Rockies really have very little to be excited about right now and will likely be eliminated from playoff contention by July 4th. The Rockies are trending DOWN.
29. San Diego Padres (12-23) might be eliminated from the playoffs by the next Power Rankings. Pure awful. The Padres are trending NEUTRAL (the basement is as low as you can get).
30. Minnesota Twins (10-24) have more talent that the Padres, so they might be able to get up to 28 or so by the end of the season. The offense struggles and their pitching lacks any depth or talent. Not a good combination. The Twins are trending NEUTRAL.
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