MLB Power Rankings
So I was all set to do a LeBron is a spoiled loser column. It was basically going to revolve around three points:
1) You're not a winner until you actually win something.
2) People only like him because they can make money off of him.
3) He is so unbelievably self-righteous and ego-maniacal that I shouldn't have been surprised at his not shaking hands with the other team, but come on. If boxers can hug after a KO, then LeBron can shake hands after a ball game. What a horrible example to set and I'm beyond excited to watch his inability to shoot plague a team for the next decade.
Yeah, you were going to get 2,500 words of that, but then I got this sent my way, courtesy of faithful RW reader Allyson from New York, NY, "When are you going to start talking baseball in your blog? I'm over all these other sports." I was thinking of a sarcastic response, but I didn't want to upset one of the RW faithful, so here you go Allyson, the MLB Power Rankings. (Don't worry Gavin of the Sooner State, the column on Mayo and Reggie Bush is pending the outcome of the new Derrick Rose juiciness).
30. Washington Nationals (14-36)
More proof to the theory that nothing is working in Washington. Well on their way to another 100-loss season. It's been a long time since they were the Montreal Expos and suited up the likes of Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. They never recovered from losing out on the World Series due to the '94 strike. Almost as bad as Uncle Rico ruing never being put into the '81 state championship game.
29. Colorado Rockies (20-31)
They did lose some firepower in the off-season with Holliday skipping town, but there's no reason for this team not too far removed from a World Series appearance to be floundering this long into the season. Yes, Jeff Francis is out this season, but again, they should be better than this and I guess that's why the manager had to go as sad as that may be.
28. Oakland Athletics (20-30)
Is this the end of Billy-Ball? They're batting .239 as a team and not really making it up by pitching all that well with a 4.57 ERA. I don't like where this is headed.
27. Arizona Diamondbacks (23-30)
I'm not sure Brandon Webb would even be making a difference with how bad the bullpen has been. Perfect example, Haren goes 7 strong and the pen gives up 5 runs in the 8th to lose 6-5 to the Dodgers last night. That .241 team batting average isn't helping much either. Good news is that they play in the NL West so turning it around is not out of the realm of possibility.
26. Cleveland Indians (22-32)
My pick to win the AL Central is not making me look good right now. They're hitting the ball alright, but so is every team that gets the pleasure of playing against them. A 5.34 team ERA and 1.56 WHIP are absolutely killing them. If they can get a semblance of pitching out of that staff they could actually win some games. Until that happens take the other team and the over.
25. Kansas City Royals (23-28)
Quick, raise your hand if you bought into that fast start. Anyone? Anyone? I hope not. They're the Royals. They stink. And it's not changing any time soon.
24. Baltimore Orioles (22-29)
If they got to play all of their games at home they might be doing alright. I actually like this team, just not this year. They have some great young bats with Adam Jones coming around and Matt Wieters joining an already young, potent lineup. Now all they need is some starting pitching. Hey, when it's the Orioles you have to try and find the silver lining.
23. Houston Astros (22-28)
With their lineup there is no excuse for their record. They play in that lunchbox of a stadium so it's not like pitching should even matter. Losing Valverde hurt, but it's not like he'd be the one swinging the bat. This team needs to focus at the plate and start scoring some more runs.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (24-28)
When your team's payroll is akin to that of a WNBA team and you're almost at .500, you're not doing that badly. Quick, name a Pirates starting pitcher. Doesn't matter that you can't because they're still in the top half of the league in almost every major pitching category. This is a scrappy team that's not fun to play against. Not bad for a Triple-A team playing in the NL Central.
21. San Diego Padres (25-27)
I should have them even lower after Jake Peavy's over 4 ER in 1 inning last night broke my ESPN Streak at 11 games. What a jerk. I love the Padres because they think their rivals are the Dodgers, when nobody in L.A. except for San Diego transplants cares about them. All of our hatred is reserved for the Giants, yet, go down to San Diego. They hate all of the major L.A. teams. My friends included. It's pretty funny. Anyhow, that winning streak was cute, but that's it for good news for this team for the rest of the year. Outside of Adrian Gonzalez' spot at first, I'm pretty sure I start at every position for this team. The guy is leading the league in HR and his team is in third to last in runs scored. That's not good.
20. Seattle Mariners (25-28)
Watching Ken Griffey Jr. in a Seattle uniform just makes me happy for some reason. Ichiro's got that hitting streak going. King Felix, Bedard, and Washburn are getting it done. But I saw this kid across the street wearing a full Mariners jersey so I thought he might have gotten called up. Turns out it was his T-Ball uniform. He starts 1st grade next year. Honest mistake.
19. Florida Marlins (25-28)
What the heck happened to Ricky Nolasco? That guy should be lighting it up this year. Did he catch the swine flu or something? I don't understand. If he's on this team is over .500. What a shame. There's still hope because this is a solid team all the way around, but having your ace lose his marbles is never good.
18. Chicago White Sox (25-26)
I don't like them for some reason. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it stems from A.J. Pyrzynski being a jerk and my associating everyone on his team with him. Who knows? I do know that they can't score and would be jealous of Juan Pierre's career OPS at this point.
17. San Francisco Giants (25-25)
Well, this is the last of the NL West you'll be seeing for a while in this column. They shouldn't be called the Giants anyway. They should be the San Francisco Lincecums. He's like Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez on this team. What is everybody else even doing there? Matt Cain could maybe be Kenny De Nunez. Rich Aurelia and Edgar Renteria are auditioning for the role of Scotty Smalls.
16. Minnesota Twins (26-27)
They need to stop pretending that Francisco Liriano's arm hasn't fallen off. Why they're still throwing him and Scott Baker out there is beyond me. The rest of the staff is actually doing alright. These two guys are killing them though. All you have to do is get the game to the bullpen and they'll take care of the rest in Minnesota, but nope. Their lineup is fine, just get these two stiffs out of the rotation and the Twins can do some damage.
15. Tampa Bay Rays (26-28)
You want a good value bet? Take the Rays to win the AL East at 6-1. I'm not saying they're a lock, but they're not that far off. I haven't given up on them and neither should you. They've been hitting the ball well and their rotation's coming around. Give them time. They'll be there down the stretch. What's that hiding in the corner? Oh, don't mind that, it's just their bullpen. Ignore them like I do and you'll be just fine with this team.
14. Anaheim Angels (25-25)
Maybe that 7-run comeback the other day will jump start this team. They got off to an understandably rocky start after the tragedy that struck early in the season. It takes a while, if ever, to let something like that go. On the baseball side of things, the bats are coming around and if Lackey can round into form they should take the AL West after the Rangers' rotation folds in a month or two.
13. Atlanta Braves (26-25)
How are they doing this? Did they acquire David Justice, Ron Gant, and Terry Pendleton without telling anyone? Bobby Cox deserves a whole lot of credit for how his team is performing. They're just playing solid baseball. Sure, getting Derek Lowe and Javy Vazquez helped, but outside of that, this is a team that's in semi-rebuilding mode. Not too shabby.
12. Chicago Cubs (25-25)
Apparently I'm not the only one who expects the Cubs to be there in October. They're even money to win the NL Central right now in Vegas. And there's no reason why they shouldn't. They have all the pieces in place. It's just a matter of time. Now, when they get to October and the playoffs, that's another story.
11. Cincinnati Reds (27-24)
They're making me look good so far. If only Edison Volquez' elbow didn't keep falling off. If Volquez' whole body was the Chicago Cubs, his elbow would definitely be Carlos Zambrano or Milton Bradley. Just driving everybody crazy. Sorry, too lazy to delete that joke. It worked in my head. Anyhow, I still like the Reds and their young lineup. When Votto comes back from his "personal issues" DL stint there won't really be any holes in their lineup. This is your sleeper.
10. Toronto Blue Jays (30-24)
They're stuck in the wrong division. I don't care if Halladay wins the Cy Young and all of their bats come alive at once. They're not making the playoffs in the AL East. Maybe if they did something about that bullpen, but even still. Sorry Canada, you're going to have to stick with hockey for now.
9. New York Mets (28-23)
I was worried there for a while that they were never going to come around, but they're right there in stalking position. Maybe they're like a horse that changes its strategy from front-running to coming from behind and everything falls right into place. They seem to be a little looser without the spotlight on them. If their middle relief calms down a bit I think my World Series pick will keep climbing up in the rankings.
8. Philladelphia Phillies (30-20)
I'm not ignoring last year, or Raul Ibanez' hot start. But their starting rotation is coming apart at the seams. J.A. Happ will be just fine but there is some major patchwork to be done. If they can make the playoffs they're scary because they can shorten that rotation, but who knows how long they can hold up? I wouldn't hold my breath.
7. Detroit Tigers (28-22)
Everything else may be coming apart in the Motor City, but not these Tigers. They're a breath of fresh air, or at least I hope they are for the people in Detroit. They have some great young pitching and with Edwin Jackson, who I snagged for $1 in a mixed league, lighting it up, who knows? Maybe they can keep it going all season. If that lineup stays intact I wouldn't doubt it.
6. St. Louis Cardinals (30-22)
I know it's been a team effort, but Albert Pujols is just a beast. I am beyond unexcited for the "Pujols linked to steroids ring back in Santo Domingo" blurb at the bottom of ESPNEWS when it surfaces someday. How sad that you probably didn't flinch at the previous sentence. Until then the Cardinals are in good hands.
5. Milwaukee Brewers (30-22)
No C.C.? No problem. The Brewers have taken the loss of their catalyst in stride and haven't looked back. Have I mentioned before that Ryan Braun is Jewish? No? Well he is. By the way, is there anything more fun than watching Prince Fielder leg out a double or try and score from second on a single? This is just a fun team. I'm glad they're back in the mix.
4. Texas Rangers (30-21)
Huh? How are the Rangers here? I'm serious. Their ace is Kevin Millwood. Have they been scoring 9 runs a game or something? I just don't get it. They lead the league in slugging % at .486, which is pretty darn impressive but still, this has to end soon, doesn't it? Yeah, it's got to. The Angels will pass them by the All-Star break.
3. Boston Red Sox (30-22)
I really don't like the Red Sox but even I feel sorry for Big Papi. I hope the Red Sox don't make the playoffs, and I still don't think they will, but I hope they have the doctor tell Ortiz his oblique is strained so he doesn't have to go up there and whiff at every pitch. It's just sad. Big Papi can't hit and Manny's serving a 50-game suspension. Been a long time since those rings were fitted, a wicked long time.
2. New York Yankees (31-21)
I've got an idea, let's build a $1.6 billion stadium. Let's have amazing restaurants, luxury seating, views you wouldn't believe and just by far the best overall atmosphere you could imagine for calmly enjoying a ballgame. What? The field? Yeah, just put it over there. What? Yeah, looks fine to me, don't worry about it. The fans will just fall asleep in our amazingly comfortable seats and probably miss half the homers anyway.
Seriously though, how does a design defect like that happen nowadays? From all I've heard the stadium is just beyond an enjoyable experience but Mark Teixeira hit a broken bat home run the other day. Yes, you read that right, a broken bat home run. That little kid from the Kaiser commercial could hit one out to right field. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7O693mzp6M&feature=related)
Anyway, the Yankees are primed for an AL pennant and a serious run at the whole thing. This errorless streak is impressive. I know I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know. Just take the Yankees to win the AL before the odds make it not worth your while.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (36-18)
The Manny saga has not been pleasant, but the Dodgers are still first in the league in batting average at .285 and second in ERA at 3.75. That's insane. I can't even get accused of being a homer by having the Dodgers at #1. The biggest dilemma the Dodgers have is what to do when Manny returns. Manny, Ethier, Kemp, Pierre. Who sits? Pierre has been unreal atop the lineup. You going to bench a leadoff guy with speed who's putting up Ted Williams like batting averages? That being said, if that's your biggest problem, whether or not to sit a guy hitting .379, things are going alright. I just can't believe that after all these years of misery we have a potent lineup at Chavez Ravine. Life is good right now.
So there you go Allyson, your RW MLB Power Rankings. Hope you're happy.
1) You're not a winner until you actually win something.
2) People only like him because they can make money off of him.
3) He is so unbelievably self-righteous and ego-maniacal that I shouldn't have been surprised at his not shaking hands with the other team, but come on. If boxers can hug after a KO, then LeBron can shake hands after a ball game. What a horrible example to set and I'm beyond excited to watch his inability to shoot plague a team for the next decade.
Yeah, you were going to get 2,500 words of that, but then I got this sent my way, courtesy of faithful RW reader Allyson from New York, NY, "When are you going to start talking baseball in your blog? I'm over all these other sports." I was thinking of a sarcastic response, but I didn't want to upset one of the RW faithful, so here you go Allyson, the MLB Power Rankings. (Don't worry Gavin of the Sooner State, the column on Mayo and Reggie Bush is pending the outcome of the new Derrick Rose juiciness).
30. Washington Nationals (14-36)
More proof to the theory that nothing is working in Washington. Well on their way to another 100-loss season. It's been a long time since they were the Montreal Expos and suited up the likes of Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. They never recovered from losing out on the World Series due to the '94 strike. Almost as bad as Uncle Rico ruing never being put into the '81 state championship game.
29. Colorado Rockies (20-31)
They did lose some firepower in the off-season with Holliday skipping town, but there's no reason for this team not too far removed from a World Series appearance to be floundering this long into the season. Yes, Jeff Francis is out this season, but again, they should be better than this and I guess that's why the manager had to go as sad as that may be.
28. Oakland Athletics (20-30)
Is this the end of Billy-Ball? They're batting .239 as a team and not really making it up by pitching all that well with a 4.57 ERA. I don't like where this is headed.
27. Arizona Diamondbacks (23-30)
I'm not sure Brandon Webb would even be making a difference with how bad the bullpen has been. Perfect example, Haren goes 7 strong and the pen gives up 5 runs in the 8th to lose 6-5 to the Dodgers last night. That .241 team batting average isn't helping much either. Good news is that they play in the NL West so turning it around is not out of the realm of possibility.
26. Cleveland Indians (22-32)
My pick to win the AL Central is not making me look good right now. They're hitting the ball alright, but so is every team that gets the pleasure of playing against them. A 5.34 team ERA and 1.56 WHIP are absolutely killing them. If they can get a semblance of pitching out of that staff they could actually win some games. Until that happens take the other team and the over.
25. Kansas City Royals (23-28)
Quick, raise your hand if you bought into that fast start. Anyone? Anyone? I hope not. They're the Royals. They stink. And it's not changing any time soon.
24. Baltimore Orioles (22-29)
If they got to play all of their games at home they might be doing alright. I actually like this team, just not this year. They have some great young bats with Adam Jones coming around and Matt Wieters joining an already young, potent lineup. Now all they need is some starting pitching. Hey, when it's the Orioles you have to try and find the silver lining.
23. Houston Astros (22-28)
With their lineup there is no excuse for their record. They play in that lunchbox of a stadium so it's not like pitching should even matter. Losing Valverde hurt, but it's not like he'd be the one swinging the bat. This team needs to focus at the plate and start scoring some more runs.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (24-28)
When your team's payroll is akin to that of a WNBA team and you're almost at .500, you're not doing that badly. Quick, name a Pirates starting pitcher. Doesn't matter that you can't because they're still in the top half of the league in almost every major pitching category. This is a scrappy team that's not fun to play against. Not bad for a Triple-A team playing in the NL Central.
21. San Diego Padres (25-27)
I should have them even lower after Jake Peavy's over 4 ER in 1 inning last night broke my ESPN Streak at 11 games. What a jerk. I love the Padres because they think their rivals are the Dodgers, when nobody in L.A. except for San Diego transplants cares about them. All of our hatred is reserved for the Giants, yet, go down to San Diego. They hate all of the major L.A. teams. My friends included. It's pretty funny. Anyhow, that winning streak was cute, but that's it for good news for this team for the rest of the year. Outside of Adrian Gonzalez' spot at first, I'm pretty sure I start at every position for this team. The guy is leading the league in HR and his team is in third to last in runs scored. That's not good.
20. Seattle Mariners (25-28)
Watching Ken Griffey Jr. in a Seattle uniform just makes me happy for some reason. Ichiro's got that hitting streak going. King Felix, Bedard, and Washburn are getting it done. But I saw this kid across the street wearing a full Mariners jersey so I thought he might have gotten called up. Turns out it was his T-Ball uniform. He starts 1st grade next year. Honest mistake.
19. Florida Marlins (25-28)
What the heck happened to Ricky Nolasco? That guy should be lighting it up this year. Did he catch the swine flu or something? I don't understand. If he's on this team is over .500. What a shame. There's still hope because this is a solid team all the way around, but having your ace lose his marbles is never good.
18. Chicago White Sox (25-26)
I don't like them for some reason. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it stems from A.J. Pyrzynski being a jerk and my associating everyone on his team with him. Who knows? I do know that they can't score and would be jealous of Juan Pierre's career OPS at this point.
17. San Francisco Giants (25-25)
Well, this is the last of the NL West you'll be seeing for a while in this column. They shouldn't be called the Giants anyway. They should be the San Francisco Lincecums. He's like Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez on this team. What is everybody else even doing there? Matt Cain could maybe be Kenny De Nunez. Rich Aurelia and Edgar Renteria are auditioning for the role of Scotty Smalls.
16. Minnesota Twins (26-27)
They need to stop pretending that Francisco Liriano's arm hasn't fallen off. Why they're still throwing him and Scott Baker out there is beyond me. The rest of the staff is actually doing alright. These two guys are killing them though. All you have to do is get the game to the bullpen and they'll take care of the rest in Minnesota, but nope. Their lineup is fine, just get these two stiffs out of the rotation and the Twins can do some damage.
15. Tampa Bay Rays (26-28)
You want a good value bet? Take the Rays to win the AL East at 6-1. I'm not saying they're a lock, but they're not that far off. I haven't given up on them and neither should you. They've been hitting the ball well and their rotation's coming around. Give them time. They'll be there down the stretch. What's that hiding in the corner? Oh, don't mind that, it's just their bullpen. Ignore them like I do and you'll be just fine with this team.
14. Anaheim Angels (25-25)
Maybe that 7-run comeback the other day will jump start this team. They got off to an understandably rocky start after the tragedy that struck early in the season. It takes a while, if ever, to let something like that go. On the baseball side of things, the bats are coming around and if Lackey can round into form they should take the AL West after the Rangers' rotation folds in a month or two.
13. Atlanta Braves (26-25)
How are they doing this? Did they acquire David Justice, Ron Gant, and Terry Pendleton without telling anyone? Bobby Cox deserves a whole lot of credit for how his team is performing. They're just playing solid baseball. Sure, getting Derek Lowe and Javy Vazquez helped, but outside of that, this is a team that's in semi-rebuilding mode. Not too shabby.
12. Chicago Cubs (25-25)
Apparently I'm not the only one who expects the Cubs to be there in October. They're even money to win the NL Central right now in Vegas. And there's no reason why they shouldn't. They have all the pieces in place. It's just a matter of time. Now, when they get to October and the playoffs, that's another story.
11. Cincinnati Reds (27-24)
They're making me look good so far. If only Edison Volquez' elbow didn't keep falling off. If Volquez' whole body was the Chicago Cubs, his elbow would definitely be Carlos Zambrano or Milton Bradley. Just driving everybody crazy. Sorry, too lazy to delete that joke. It worked in my head. Anyhow, I still like the Reds and their young lineup. When Votto comes back from his "personal issues" DL stint there won't really be any holes in their lineup. This is your sleeper.
10. Toronto Blue Jays (30-24)
They're stuck in the wrong division. I don't care if Halladay wins the Cy Young and all of their bats come alive at once. They're not making the playoffs in the AL East. Maybe if they did something about that bullpen, but even still. Sorry Canada, you're going to have to stick with hockey for now.
9. New York Mets (28-23)
I was worried there for a while that they were never going to come around, but they're right there in stalking position. Maybe they're like a horse that changes its strategy from front-running to coming from behind and everything falls right into place. They seem to be a little looser without the spotlight on them. If their middle relief calms down a bit I think my World Series pick will keep climbing up in the rankings.
8. Philladelphia Phillies (30-20)
I'm not ignoring last year, or Raul Ibanez' hot start. But their starting rotation is coming apart at the seams. J.A. Happ will be just fine but there is some major patchwork to be done. If they can make the playoffs they're scary because they can shorten that rotation, but who knows how long they can hold up? I wouldn't hold my breath.
7. Detroit Tigers (28-22)
Everything else may be coming apart in the Motor City, but not these Tigers. They're a breath of fresh air, or at least I hope they are for the people in Detroit. They have some great young pitching and with Edwin Jackson, who I snagged for $1 in a mixed league, lighting it up, who knows? Maybe they can keep it going all season. If that lineup stays intact I wouldn't doubt it.
6. St. Louis Cardinals (30-22)
I know it's been a team effort, but Albert Pujols is just a beast. I am beyond unexcited for the "Pujols linked to steroids ring back in Santo Domingo" blurb at the bottom of ESPNEWS when it surfaces someday. How sad that you probably didn't flinch at the previous sentence. Until then the Cardinals are in good hands.
5. Milwaukee Brewers (30-22)
No C.C.? No problem. The Brewers have taken the loss of their catalyst in stride and haven't looked back. Have I mentioned before that Ryan Braun is Jewish? No? Well he is. By the way, is there anything more fun than watching Prince Fielder leg out a double or try and score from second on a single? This is just a fun team. I'm glad they're back in the mix.
4. Texas Rangers (30-21)
Huh? How are the Rangers here? I'm serious. Their ace is Kevin Millwood. Have they been scoring 9 runs a game or something? I just don't get it. They lead the league in slugging % at .486, which is pretty darn impressive but still, this has to end soon, doesn't it? Yeah, it's got to. The Angels will pass them by the All-Star break.
3. Boston Red Sox (30-22)
I really don't like the Red Sox but even I feel sorry for Big Papi. I hope the Red Sox don't make the playoffs, and I still don't think they will, but I hope they have the doctor tell Ortiz his oblique is strained so he doesn't have to go up there and whiff at every pitch. It's just sad. Big Papi can't hit and Manny's serving a 50-game suspension. Been a long time since those rings were fitted, a wicked long time.
2. New York Yankees (31-21)
I've got an idea, let's build a $1.6 billion stadium. Let's have amazing restaurants, luxury seating, views you wouldn't believe and just by far the best overall atmosphere you could imagine for calmly enjoying a ballgame. What? The field? Yeah, just put it over there. What? Yeah, looks fine to me, don't worry about it. The fans will just fall asleep in our amazingly comfortable seats and probably miss half the homers anyway.
Seriously though, how does a design defect like that happen nowadays? From all I've heard the stadium is just beyond an enjoyable experience but Mark Teixeira hit a broken bat home run the other day. Yes, you read that right, a broken bat home run. That little kid from the Kaiser commercial could hit one out to right field. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7O693mzp6M&feature=related)
Anyway, the Yankees are primed for an AL pennant and a serious run at the whole thing. This errorless streak is impressive. I know I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know. Just take the Yankees to win the AL before the odds make it not worth your while.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (36-18)
The Manny saga has not been pleasant, but the Dodgers are still first in the league in batting average at .285 and second in ERA at 3.75. That's insane. I can't even get accused of being a homer by having the Dodgers at #1. The biggest dilemma the Dodgers have is what to do when Manny returns. Manny, Ethier, Kemp, Pierre. Who sits? Pierre has been unreal atop the lineup. You going to bench a leadoff guy with speed who's putting up Ted Williams like batting averages? That being said, if that's your biggest problem, whether or not to sit a guy hitting .379, things are going alright. I just can't believe that after all these years of misery we have a potent lineup at Chavez Ravine. Life is good right now.
So there you go Allyson, your RW MLB Power Rankings. Hope you're happy.
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