Power Rankings- Week of 4/21/08

National League:

1 (6) Diamondbacks- The D'Backs league-leading 116 runs (thats 6.4 a game) has no doubt been the difference maker for the Diamondbacks thus far. They've clearly been the heavyweight in the NL in April.
2 (3) Mets- The Mets may be missing Pedro Martinez and Moises Alou, but they've shown strong depth to back up those losses. The Mets have posted some convincing wins against the Phillies, gaining a head start in a critical season series that could have major implications in the pennant race.
3 (4) Phillies- The injuries of Jimmy Rollins (now on the 15-day DL) and Shane Victorino have left the Phillies without the top of their lineup, leaving them without a proper leadoff man. They will probably continue to struggle as these injuries linger, but the Phils have already proven that they can pick up the scraps when it counts.
4 (2) Padres- The Padres are 9-9, hovering around the .500 mark similar to a lot of National League contenders. April's too early to really worry about this, so the Phillies, Rockies, Padres, and Braves shouldn't be too worried.
5 (9) Cubs- Similarly to the D-Backs in the west, the Cubs are leading the NL Central because of their 111 runs scored, second in the majors to only the Diamondbacks.
6 (8) Brewers- The Brew Crew started 6-2, but they've cooled off a bit since then. Expect it to be a race between them, the Cardinals, and the Cubs for the NL Central crown,
7 (5) Rockies- The Rockies have started flat, seeming to have lost the magic of their wonderous September. The question remains whether the Rockies were a fluke gone to far, or are a legitimate contender that can return to the World Series.
8 (11) Cardinals- If Todd Wellemeyer, Kyle Lohse, and Adam Wainright can continue to exceed expectations, and provide solid starts day in and day out (as they have been doing thus far), the Cardinals could easily become the front-runner in the NL Central.
9 (7) Braves
10 (1) Dodgers- The lackluster play by Andruw Jones, and the whole team in general, drops the Dodgers from being my #1 into the large mass of mediocre NL teams. Unlike other teams wandering around .500, the Dodgers have the most to worry about. Joe Torre better start earning his paycheck soon if he wants to return to the playoffs for the umpteenth straight time.
11(12) Astros
12 (16) Marlins- The Marlins lead the NL East?!?!?! How is this even possible? ....I'll answer that one for you: Their strength of schedule is by leaps and bounds the worst in the divison. The only team they've played above .500 was the Mets, who won that series 2-1.
13 (13) Giants
14 (14) Reds
15 (10) Nationals- After a strong 3-0 start, the Nationals have dropped 14 out of 16, earning the worst record in baseball
16 (15) Pirates


American League

1 (1) Red Sox-
2 (3) Angels-
3 (2) Yankees-
4 (5) Mariners-
5 (4) Indians
6 (6) White Sox-
7 (8) Tigers- It's been 19 games, and they're still playing flat. I think the Tigers can turn it around, but they need to do it soon if they want to compete in the tough AL pennant race.
8 (10) Athletics-
9 (11) Rangers
10 (7) Blue Jays-
11 (14) Orioles- With a record of 11-8 it's almost like the Orioles are a contender, or something crazy like that...
12 (9) Twins-
13 (12) Royals- 9-10! KEEP BREAKING OUT THE CHAMPAGNE!!! Finally, something for Royals fans to celebrate...
14 (13) Rays-

Power Rankings- Week of 2/25

It's been a while since the last rankings, coming later than usual in the week, as I've been very busy. Here are my official, pre-spring training power-rankings...

National League:

1 (1) Mets- Lost their first Spring Training game yesterday, while the Phillies won. Frivolous, maybe, but it's not a great start for the Mets, coming off their collapse.
2 (3) Dodgers
3 (4) Padres
4 (2) Phillies- It's no surprise that an overexcited, oft-injured closer Brad Lidge hurt his knee pitching during Spring Training a few days back. In his absence, which could extend past opening day, the Phillies will likely have to move Tom Gordon to closer. Lidge's injury also raises the question of whether he can remain healthy this season which is key as Lidge is the keystone of the Phillies pitching staff. He has blamed his lackluster 2006 and 2007 campaigns on lingering injuries (rather than the Albert Pujols home run in the 2005 NLCS), making one wonder if 2008 will be any different.
5 ) Rockies
6) Diamondbacks
7) Braves
8) Cubs
9) Brewers
10) Cardinals
11) Astros
12) Giants
13) Nationals
14) Reds
15) Pirates
16) Marlins- Signing OF Luis Gonzalez gives them veteran leadership, but I doubt Gonzo will have much of a short-term effect.


American League

1) Red Sox- Signed SP Bartolo Colon, the 2005 AL Cy Young winner, to a minor-league deal. Sounds like the ideal sleeper pick to me...
2) Yankees- Added 3B/IF Morgan Ensberg earlier in the month. He could make a run at their First Base position currently looking to be filled by Shelley Duncan or Jason Giambi
3) Angels- CP Francisco Rodriguez, aka K-Rod, wants out of Anaheim- ehem, Los Angeles- after this year, due to some sour contract talks and an arbitration hearing. He's making $10 Million this year.
4) Indians
5 (6) Mariners- Their addition of SP Erik Bedard pushes them past the Tigers. Look for the Mariners, along with the Tigers and Indians, to be pretty much the only teams that will give a real challenge to the Red Sox or Yankees (whoever is in second in the AL East) in the Wild Card race
6 (5) Tigers- Ticket sales have been extremely successful for the club, probably due to the excitement over their acquisition of 3B Miguel Cabrera and SP Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins.
7) Blue Jays- Apparently new Blue Jay 3B Scott Rolen would have been open to being traded to the Phillies. The reality here is that the fans hate him; and it seems to be an awful coincidence that his interest in returning rises during the off-season after we won the division crown.
8) White Sox- The White Sox are stuck in the AL cellar that has proven almost as inescapable as a black hole, but they're poking their head out. Things look to be on the rise for the Sox, who two years after winning a world series, finished 72-90 last year.
9) Twins- Johan Santana is gone, but the Twins still have are in what I like to call AL Purgatory. They still have some falling to do before they drop into the fiery abyss below them.
10) Athletics- Signed semi-retired closer Keith Foulke to a one-year deal. Foulke signed with the Indians last year, but retired before opening day. You may remember him as the pitcher who pitched the last out in the 2004 World Series for the Red Sox.
11) Rangers
12 (13) Rays- Barry Bonds could be on his way to Tampa Bay. Bonds would likely be a distraction during the season, but then again, what is there to distract them from?
13 (12) Orioles- Trading away SP Erik Bedard moves the Orioles even deeper into the AL cellar. With so many washed up has-beens on the team, however, I think the O's could make some splashes if they play their cards right
13 (14) Royals

Power Rankings- Week of 1/28

It's been four weeks since the last rankings, largely because of the hot stove cooling off a bit. Enjoy...

National League:

1 (6) Mets- The Mets' signing of SP Johan Santana helps them reclaim a slight advantage over their division rival, and chief competition, the Phillies. The NL East is really too close to call, but it looks as if the Mets may have the upper hand.
2 (5) Phillies- Signing 3B Pedro Feliz was a good move for the Phillies, but one would wonder why the Phillies have done little to adress their "main goal" of "pitching, pitching, pitching". The best they're hoping for right now is SP Kyle Lohse. Ruben Amaro Jr. has been offering more promises than usual, and hopefully Pat Gillick and he will fulfill them.
3 (1) Dodgers
4 (2) Padres
5 (3) Rockies
6 (5) Diamondbacks
7) Braves- Traded for OF Mark Kotsay
8) Cubs- Signed former Phillie SP Jon Lieber
9) Brewers- Signed OF Mike Cameron
10) Cardinals- Sent former Phillie 3B Scott Rolen to the Jays for 3B Troy Glaus
11) Astros- SP Roger Clemens could end up back in Houston. I'm not sure if that's a positive or not.
12) Giants
13) Nationals- C Paul Lo Duca will be out until the middle of Spring Training so the Nats signed former Phillie C Johnny Estrada just in case.
14) Reds
15) Pirates
16) Marlins- Aren't keen to the idea of acquiring C/DH Mike Piazza, who wants to play for them and would probably be a good influence. This would require the Marlins to actually be slightly better this year, and that's what the Marlins seem to want to avoid


American League

1) Red Sox
2) Yankees- The Yankees seem to be out of the Santana race at this point.
3) Angels
4) Indians
5) Tigers
6) Mariners- Rumors about a possible trade for the Orioles' SP Erik Bedard have been spreading like wildfire. It's not clear whether a deal with happen or not; false reports of one were made by MLB.com and a lot of other sources earlier this week.
7) Blue Jays- Traded Troy Glaus to the Cardinals for Scott Rolen
8) White Sox
9) Twins
10) Athletics- Fans don't want OF Barry Bonds, but he's still a possibility
11) Rangers
12) Orioles- Still trying to work out a deal to trade Erik Bedard
13) Rays- Signed OF Cliff Floyd
14) Royals- Signed SP Brett Tomko

Power Rankings- Week of 1/7

National League:

1) Dodgers
2) Rockies-
3) Padres- Signed Mark Prior to a 1-year deal worth $1 Million with another $4.5 Million in incentives. Good signing- cheap, albeit risky given Prior's health woes.
4) Diamondbacks
5) Phillies- Traded speedy outfielder Chris Roberson for cash. Is this cheap penny-pinching, or gathering money for a future deal? The answer to this question will certainly effect where the Phillies rank come Spring Training.
6) Mets
7) Braves
8) Cubs
9) Brewers
10) Cardinals- Signed starter Matt Clement, who is just coming off a shoulder surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2007 season.
11) Astros- Added versatile reliever Oscar Villarreal and old-news outfielder Darin Erstad. Ed Wade is making a lot of moves, but it's hard to see if they were the right ones. The Astros could be a contender or one of the worst teams in the league depending on how Wade's deals work out for them.
12) Giants
13) Nationals
14) Reds
15) Pirates
?????? Marlins


American League

1) Red Sox
2) Yankees- Hank Steinbrenner says Roger Clemens will not be returning to the Yankees this season.
4) Indians
5) Tigers
6) Mariners- In a distant third in the race for Johan Santana, but are pretty much out at this point.
7) Blue Jays
8 (10) White Sox- Picking up Nick Swisher from the Athletics pushes the Sox back the Twins.

9 (9) Twins- Still in limbo due to the uncertainty surrounding whether or not Santana will be traded. If it happens, the Twins will likely plunge into the league cellar, unless the players they recieve end up having a spectacular 2008 season.

10 (8) Athletics- Traded Swisher to the White Sox for prospects, and now their interest has dropped in Barry Bonds (although he's still on their radar). It seems the A's are making like the Marlins and thrusting themselves the the league cellar in hopes of a better future. Expect them to make more moves towards that end.
11) Rangers
12) Orioles- Traded cash to the Phillies for Chris Roberson.
13) Rays
14) Royals- Signed catcher Miguel Olivio to a one-year deal.

Power Rankings- Week of 12/24

National League:

1 (1) Dodgers
2 (2) Rockies- Signed 8-2 reliever Luis Vizcaino
3 (4) Padres
4 (5) Diamondbacks
5 (3) Phillies- After signing Geoff Jenkins, Chad Durbin, and So Taguchi, it looks unlikely that the Phillies will make any more moves. Should they end up doing so, they should drop a bit further down. Dissapointment in Pat Gillick is rampant. At this point, it looks like the Phillies are hoping that one or more of their many pitching prospects will step up to fill the fifth spot in the rotation or help in the bullpen.
6 (6) Mets
7 (7) Braves
8 (8) Cubs
9 (9) Brewers
10 (10) Cardinals
11 (11) Astros
12 (12) Giants
13 (13) Nationals
14 (14) Reds
15 (15) Pirates
????? (19) Marlins- The Dolphins won a game! For the Marlins, that should be a tough act to follow.


American League

1) Red Sox- They have reclaimed the title as the front-runner for Johan Santana.
2) Yankees- Still have a chance with Santana.
4) Indians
5) Tigers
6) Mariners- Signed Carlos Silva
7) Blue Jays
8) Athletics
9) Twins
10) White Sox- Signed outfielder and Cuban defector Alexei Ramirez
11) Rangers
12) Orioles- Will probably hold on to starter Erik Bedard, but the Phillies don't really have a chance with him anyway at this point.
13) Rays
14) Royals

Power Rankings- Week of 12/17

National League:

1 (1) Dodgers- The signing of Hideki Kuroda will just make the best team in the league even better.
2 (2) Rockies- LaTroy Hawkins' signing with the Yankees weakens the bullpen, but if the Rockies bullpen continues to play like they did in September and October, they'll have little to worry about.
3 (3) Phillies- Pat Gillick is apparently hibernating this winter. By the time he wakes up for spring, the Fightins could be unimproved from 2007, and drop a few places here. Hopefully, he'll wake up and make a deal for Mike Cameron or Geoff Jenkins, and/or a worthwhile pitcher.
4 (5) Padres- Added now former Phillie Tadahito Iguchi, and Jim Edmonds.
5 (7) Diamondbacks- Jose Valverde is gone, but the addition of the 2007 AL All-Star Starter Dan Haren pulls the Diamondbacks into the top 5.
6 (4) Mets
7 (6) Braves
8 (10) Cubs- The big signing of Kosuke Fukudome pushes the Cubs to the top of the NL Central, just ahead of the Brewers.
9 (8) Brewers- The Brewers just signed closer Eric Gagne to a 1 year, $10 Million deal (I guess even I had underestimated his market value. They're gambling that Gagne will bounce back after a surprisingly bad run as the set-up man for the Red Sox, and now he's been mentioned in the Mitchell Report.
10 (9) Cardinals
11 (11) Astros- Two days after trading Miguel Tejada, Ed Wade wakes up from him shame-nap to find Tejada mentioned in the Mitchell Report. Ineffectual, maybe, but doesn't this make you wonder if Ed Wade was the one who was cursed, not the Phillies?
12 (14) Giants- Aaron Rowand finds a new home there. Maybe his influence will be a little bit better than that which Barry Bonds had, but I don't think he was worth the money considering that the Giants aren't going to be making any championship runs any time soon, and he cost them a lot.
13 (12) Nationals
14 (15) Reds
15 (16) Pirates
17 (unranked)- Sacramento RiverCats
18 (unranked)- Oregon State Beavers
19 (13) Marlins- After trading away Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, the Marlins are now so incredibly bad that they are now ranked 18th... despite the fact that there are only 16 teams in the National League. When your highest paid player is Kevin Gregg, you either have Jesus himself negotiating your contracts, or your just plain suck.


American League

1) Red Sox- Johan Santana could still be on the way, although he's reportedly going to want around $140 Million for 7 years. Imagine Johan Santana, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Curt Schilling, and Tim Wakefield as your starting rotation, and then realize you are not dreaming or watching the all-star game, that this could soon be a reality. Sox are #1 by leaps and bounds. Conspiracy theorists are going crazy over how the Sox are not mentioned in the report, given that George Mitchell is on the Sox board of directors.
2) Yankees- Adding LaTroy Hawkins to an otherwise weak bullpen (especially given the fact that this is the Yankees) was a good move. They're also talking with Santana now.
3) Angels
4) Indians
5 (6) Tigers
6 (5) Mariners
7) Blue Jays- Recently added SS David Eckstein
8) Athletics- Dealing Dan Haren definetely has an effect on the teams' potency, but they don't drop them too far into the land of non-contender AL teams. Perhaps the possible addition of Barry Bonds could end up being a suprise blessing for the A's.
9) Twins- If they lose Santana they will drop, but for now the Twins will stay put.
10) White Sox
11) Rangers
12) Orioles- Trading Miguel Tejada was a good move, sacrificing a good current player for a brighter future. Fortunately for them, they'd have to lose a lot more than him to drop to the cellar of the American League where the Rays and Royals are stuck.
13) Rays
14) Royals

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.