Power Rankings- Week of 12/3

Here are my current, simple, power rankings for the 2008 season, based on my outlook for it now. Let me inform you now of one thing: Unlike normal reporters, I will NEVER pull any punches about my expectations for the Phillies. Whether I think they're more likely to lose or to win, I'm going to be honest. I hope to provide an honest criticism so when I do predict good things for the Phillies, I can be taken seriously. On that note, just because my prediction goes one way doesn't necessarily say I don't believe in them, nor does it mean you won't hear me yelling "The Phillies are going all the way this year!"

I will be focusing more on the National League, but I will rank the American League teams as well. I'll be ranking teams by league to give a larger picture than if I sorted by division, but I will keep the leagues separate, since it's extremely difficult to compare teams from the two different leagues. These rankings will be updated every week or so, and may change without anything happening, but because I don't do this for a living and sometimes overlook information. Enjoy...


National League:

1) Dodgers- They are already a skilled squad to begin with, but with Joe Torre as manager, possibly acting as a talent magnet, and Andruw Jones or Aaron Rowand on the way, things will just get better for the Dodgers.
2) Rockies- Sorry Phillies fans- the Rockies streak was not a fluke. The question is whether or not it will carry over. Still, whether hot or cold, you can not deny the plethora of talent the Rockies have.
3) Phillies- The Phillies could be #1 or down at the bottom; the question is if the Phillies of September 2007 show up, or the Phillies of the previous 10 years show up. If the young Phillies are really ready to play with the big boys, and the pitching staff is up to par, the Phillies will dominate the NL East and the National League as a whole.
4) Mets- The Phillies knocked the Mets to the ground with their four-game sweep in August, and their three-game sweep in September threw the Mets off the cliff. What happened to the Mets was more devastating than many people may imagine, and I have my doubts as to if the Mets will be able to control even just their division after the end of the 2007 season.
5) Padres- The Padres have been very good for a while now, but have had a lot of trouble getting to the top. Expect them to have a similar season to last year, but have more trouble with the strong Western division.
6) Braves- Tom Glavine in, Andruw Jones out. The Braves had a strong finish to an otherwise surprisingly sub-par 2007 season. Expect their strong play to carry over into '08 and expect for them to make a much stronger run at a division title.
7) Diamondbacks- Improvements need to made if they want to stay atop the NL, as many of the other top teams have gotten better. My guess is they won't be made on a large enough scale to keep the D-Backs at the top.
8) Brewers- With Jason Kendall joining the team from Chicago, and Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder posed for another stellar season, the Brew Crew should vault themselves to the top of the central division.
9) Cardinals- The Cardinals 9-game losing streak in September cancelled out the strong push they were making. If they can shake that off they can be a front-runner in the Central division.
10) Cubs- The Cubs are looking similar to last year, but the Cardinals and Brewers should improve, making the 2007 NL Central Champion Cubs no longer the front-runner in that division.
11) Astros- Ed Wade's reputation here isn't too good, but he's making good moves out in Houston. If Aaron Rowand or another big name ends up there the Astros could improve a lot. Biggio is gone, so if Wade doesn't make any big acquisitions the Astros will have trouble being a contender.
12) Nationals- The Nationals showed the ability to nip at the heels of the Phillies and Mets towards the end of the 2007 season, and if this carries over the Nationals, who have a lot of potential, could be a lot better next season.
13) Marlins- With Miguel Cabrera likely on the way out, the Marlins should be even worse than last year. However, even more so than the Nationals, the Marlins really played well against the Mets and other top teams towards the end of the season.
14) Giants- Bonds is gone, but with or without him the Giants will struggle to stay afloat next year in the incredible NL West
15) Reds- There are rumors of a possible return of Griffey to Seattle, but nonetheless the Reds are pretty bad to start with.
16) Pirates- I almost forgot to write something here. Umm... Isn't Jeff Garcia playing for them now... crap that's football.


American League

1) Red Sox- The Red Sox have some great young players in Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, and the rest of their lineup, and their pitching staff- with Johan Santana possibly on the way- is absolutely ridiculous. My early, early pick for 2008 World Series Champions. A return to the postseason is almost certain.
2) Yankees- They showed in the beginning of the 2007 season that talent isn't enough to be dominant, and I expect the Yankees to go into a bit of a rebuilding year- which for the Yankees is essentially dropping them from being insanely stacked to being really stacked. Despite their issues, they're still the Yankees. Unless the Red Sox collapse or fall behind the Yankees, or there is a real challenge in the wild card race (an unlikely scenario), expect the Yankees to be... well... the Yankees. I think they will perform better than many think next season.
3) Angels- An already incredible team, with Jon Garland and Torii Hunter added might actually now have a chance at outplaying the Sox or Yankees. Their only competition in the west is the Mariners, but the competition is slight.
4) Indians- The last of the four really incredible teams, we saw in the ALCS how they can play in the big games, and in a weak AL Central division expect them to thrive.
5) Mariners- There are rumors that Hideki Kuroda and/or Ken Griffey Jr. could end up on this team. They had a good 2007 season, and in 2008 they could dominate the Angels' rear view mirror, or try to hopelessly chase towards the seemingly non-existent (even at this point) (in my opinion) AL wild-card race. Came within 6 games of it last year.
6) Tigers- Finished equal with the Mariners in the wild card, but that's much easier to do when you're in the AL Central. Come to think of it, the central division in both of the leagues are pretty weak.
7) Blue Jays- They were a far cry from a contender in 2007, and play in an extremely tough-to-win division, but if things go haywire in 2008 as they did in the NL in 2007 maybe, just maybe the Blue Jays can pounce.
8) Athletics- Dan Haren might be traded. From here down, none of the American League teams mentioned have a sufficiently legitimate chance at being contenders. That's the American league for you...
9) Twins- If they say farewell to Johan Santana, it's farewell to their contender dreams as well. Santana aside, it's unlikely the Twins will make a run at the playoffs.
10) White Sox- A shadow of their former selves, don't expect the White Sox to go anywhere in 2008. Especially after balking on Torii Hunter. Shouldn't have let Rowand go...
11) Rangers- With a pitching staff that has more holes than Swiss cheese, stick to the Rangers than play hockey.
12) Orioles- Melvin Mora may be on his way out, as he wants to play for a contender and is willing to waive his no-trade clause. There was a time when teams besides the Sox and Yanks in the AL East got to be in the drivers seat, but that won't be happening this year.
13) Rays- The Devils Rays- I mean, Rays of sunshine, have gotten a new name and logo that makes them look like a Single-A Team. Gee, how fitting...
14) Royals- Hello Jose Guillen, hello the only exciting thing that has or will happen for the Royals in years. Remember when they led their division? Uh huh, neither do I.