MLB Power Rankings-5/16

Cincinnati played grade A baseball and ended up in first place as I said they could last week. Tampa Bay still sits atop the charts, but the Yankees are a much closer second after handling Minnesota well in the Bronx. My team to watch out for this week is the Toronto Blue Jays. I have them at nine but with games against Minny, Seattle, and Arizona this week they could move up the charts. But they have to still prove themselves inside their division which could wear them down by July. We saw MLB's first managerial switch this week as Kansas City axed Trey Hillman in favor of Ned Yost. I dont think any manager can save the Royals this year or next so this was a puzzling move. Enough talk. Heres the Rankings:

Rank. (Last Week) Team-Record: Comment

1. (1) Rays 26-11: Starting Staff is lights out
2. (2) Yankees 24-13: Javier Vasquez is teams weakness
3. (3) Phillies 22-13: Cole Hamels is at his best
4. (5) Twins 23-14: Still good despite Bronx woes
5. (12) Tigers 22-16: Handled Boston quite well
6. (13) Reds 21-16: Played great baseball vs Cardinals
7. (7) Giants 21-15: Eventually lack of offense will catch up
8. (4) Cardinals 21-17: Reds showed offense lacks pop after Pujols
9. (9) Blue Jays 23-16: Sweeping Texas was good for confidence
10. (20) Dodgers 20-17: Pitching has come to life this week
11. (6) Padres 22-15: No offense came to play vs Dodgers
12. (14) Rockies 19-18: Jeff Francis' return boosts team
13. (8) Rangers 20-18: Pitching staff has big issues
14. (19) Marlins 20-18: Marlins have played great within division
15. (15) Red Sox 19-19: They just don't have that winning vibe
16. (16) Nationals 20-18: They just grind out wins
17. (25) Braves 18-19: This team should take off now
18. (18) White Sox 15-22: Still waiting for Sox to get going
19. (9) Mets 18-20: Awful losing streak puts Mets in the cellar
20. (23) Pirates 16-21: Young nucleus playing above average
21. (21) Angels 18-21: Eventually Halos should pull together
22. (10) A's 18-20: A 1-5 week not needed following perfect game
23. (17) Brewers 15-22: Starting 5 could use a retooling
24. (27) Indians 15-20: Bob Feller could still be the staff ace
25. (26) Cubs 16-22: Carlos Zambrano still can't pitch
26. (24) Mariners 14-23: Get this team a power bat soon!
27. (22) Diamondbacks 15-23: Took a good beating from Atlanta
28. (28) Royals 14-24; Trey Hillman was holding KC back?
29. (30) Astros 13-24: Roy Oswalt wants out. I'd want out too.
30. (29) Orioles 12-26: Dave Trembley's job is on the line

MLB Power Rankings-5/9

I'm gonna try and do this every sunday evening as I sit down and watch Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Its when I usually reflect on the past week in the game and give my rankings on MLB's 30 teams. This past week, baseball lost some legendary figures. Former Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell lost his battle with cancer and Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts passed away at the age of 83. Despite not having a single man reach base today my inaugural rankings have the Tampa Bay Rays at #1. They are baseball's best road team winning 13 out of 16 away from Tropicana Field. A team that has potential to rise from this week to the next is the Cincinnati Reds. They play all their games within the division and currently are in second in the NL Central and just 3.5 behind the Cardinals. Here are the rankings:

1. Rays (22-9)-Can't be touched...on the road.
   
2. Yankees (21-9)-Blasted their way through Boston
   
3. Phillies (19-12)-Phills finally picked it up this past week
   
4. Cardinals (20-12)-Red Birds are quietly becoming the best team in the NL
   
5. Twins (21-11)-Twins managed to salvage a split with...Baltimore?
   
6. Padres (19-12)-Something is just clicking with this team.
   
7. Giants (18-12)-Giants finally look like the team they should be
   
8. Rangers (18-14)-They went 5-2 this past week to give them the West lead
   
9. Mets (17-14)-Starting to come back down to earth after impressive stretch
   
10. A's (17-15)-Dallas Braden might of put himself on the map this past week
    
11. Blue Jays (19-14)-Jays always start good, but it catches up with them
    
12. Tigers (17-14)-Is it just me or is Max Scherzer off to a horrid start?
    
13. Reds (16-15)-Cincy has played some great ball this past week.
    
14. Rockies (15-16)-I feel this team will turn the corner quite soon
    
15. Red Sox (16-16)-Sox have beaten Yankees and Rays just twice
    
16. Nationals (17-14)-Get Strasburg up soon while you are still in it!
    
17. Brewers (15-16)-Doug Davis is vastly overrated
    
18. White Sox (13-19)-Sooner or later, pitching staff will come around
    
19. Marlins (14-17)-Jeffery Loria says they stink...what did you expect?
    
20. Dodgers (14-17)-I feel the McCourt divorce is affecting the whole team
    
21. Angels (14-19)-Mike Scioscia could use a minor miracle right now
    
22. Diamondbacks (14-18)-Pitching staff throws too many beach balls.
    
23. Pirates (14-17)-Pittsburgh is getting alot out of so little right now
    
24. Mariners (12-19)-Cliff Lee's return has sent them backwards
    
25. Braves (13-18)-How did this team get so low?
    
26. Cubs (14-18)-Most horrendus pitching staff in MLB so far
    
27. Indians (11-18)-Shin-Soo Choo is the only good thing in Cleveland
    
28. Royals (11-21)-Trey Hillman needs some relief...as in rolaids
    
29. Orioles (9-23)-O's somehow split 4 with the Twins in Minny
    
30. Astros (10-21)-How did they get this bad?
    

MLB Preview-Recaps

Hello and a Happy Easter to you. I will recap my divisional picks here and I will also pick the world series and the award winners from each league. I hope you enjoy this baseball season as much as I will....

Division Winners

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Card: Rays
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Giants
NL Wild Card: Braves

World Series

Red Sox over Phillies

Award Winners

MVP: Kevin Youkilis (AL), Prince Fielder (NL)
Cy Young: Felix Hernandez (AL), Roy Halladay (NL)


I know you are wondering where is Albert Pujols in the NL MVP? I feel Pujols will have a great season, but with the lineup thats forming around Fielder I feel he will have a MVP like year. Same goes for Youkilis who puts up good batting numbers and will breakout this year for Boston.

"zzzhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhn6jn"-Kirby put his input for the season as well as he felt compelled to type something.

That does it for my MLB picks...enjoy the season

MLB Preview-AL Central

Well, this is my final division to breakdown. And as you no doubt know, it is my favorite division. The past two years the central division has needed a tiebreaker game. That shows how close it is. And i tried to not be so biased while picking this division too...

1. Minnesota Twins: No surprise here. Yes i love this team. I did give the White Sox a look at winning the division. But I feel the loss of Joe Nathan will not faze this team. They seemingly love facing adversity. Their rotation features four proven pitchers, and a resurgent Francisco Liriano who has had a phenominal spring. Their lineup is one of the most revered in baseball. And as long as everyone stays on the field, I will take this lineup against any pitcher. The only place it can improve is the 9 spot/third base which is filled by the gritty Nick Punto. The Twins will win the division, but the loss of Nathan keeps me from tabbing them as a AL favorite. But they always surprise us...
   
2. Chicago White Sox: Many people are picking the White Sox to win this division. But people forget the team above loves to face adversity. So im gonna tell you why im not on board with the south siders yet. Can they hit? My answer is maybe. If they can stay on the field. CF Alex Rios has gone belly up since signing that extension with Toronto. He only hit .247 last year. OF Carlos Quentin can not stay healthy and that drags down the lineup. They brought in Andruw Jones to hit DH and last I looked he could not hit above the mendoza line. And 1B Paul Konerko is getting up there in years so his production could go down. This team will be one of the best pitching wise. But hitting wise I have issues there. And the White Sox lose in the final week.
   
3. Detroit Tigers: Detroit came one win away from the postseason in 2009. And in the following offseason, they got a younger lineup. The let Placido Polanco leave via free agency and traded Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson away. But in those trades they did get promising youngsters Austin Jackson (OF) and Max Scherzer (P), while Scott Sizemore will come up from AAA and play second. Behind Verlander, the Tigers have some young guys and some wild card guys which raises some red flags for picking them higher. Their lineup will put up good numbers with Miguel Cabrera and newcomer Johnny Damon leading the way. But it came down to the experience and their lineup lost alot of that so the Tigers finish third.
   
4. Cleveland Indians: It came down to Cleveland and Kansas City for fourth place in the division. And Cleveland has more proven players so that gave them the edge. They have Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona at the top of their rotation and Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner lead the offensive attack. But they have many youngsters in the lineup and rotation. So watch out for the tribe in the coming years as these guys get more and more major league experience. But for now they do not stack up with the teams above and they will pay for it in the standings.
   
5. Kansas City Royals: It was hard picking Kansas City in the cellar again. I like the makeup of the lineup. But pitching in the rotation and bullpen will kill this teams chances of finishing above fifth. They do have reigning Cy Young award winner Zach Greinke, but he only pitches every 5th game. And 1B Billy Butler is a very underrated player in the eyes of the media. They have one of the games best in Joakim Soria closing games, but they will have big problems getting him the ball with a lead. And thats why Kansas City will sit in the cellar for another season.

Tomorrow, I will recap my picks and pick my world series winner award winners.

MLB Preview-AL East

This was the toughest division for me to get a grip on. You have the powerhouses in New York and Boston, but Tampa Bay has turned some heads this spring and I have thrown them in the division/wild card fold....

1. Boston Red Sox: This team uppgraded themselves on the defensive side this winter by adding CF Mike Cameron and SS Marco Scutaro. Then they signed P John Lackey away from Anaheim to add some experience to their rotation. (Lackey has a 5.00+ ERA at Fenway but that doesn't worry me since he is part of the Sox now) The Red Sox have a solid lineup from 1-9 with every one of those players having all star potential this season. Their rotation and bullpen appears to be atop MLB as well with Lackey in the fold now as well. This might be the most dangerous Boston team in quite some time so I pick them to win this tight raced division.
   
2. Tampa Bay Rays: This was a hard pick, but I love Tampa Bay to win the Wild Card. They have good young pitching (lead by James Shields) and they have a very good lineup(Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena bring the punch in this lineup). They still have their core players from their miracle run to the World Series in 2008 which gives them great experience. Players like OF B.J. Upton and P Matt Garza had down years in 2009 and I have a tough time seeing them not bouncing back in 2010. The Rays carried the best record in spring this year (I know these are just exhibition games), and 4 of the last 6 teams to have the best record in spring made the postseason the same year. A trend Tampa will continue.
   
3. New York Yankees: New York took home the title in 2009. But I felt they downgraded their roster this offseason by adding OF Curtis Granderson and P Javier Vasquez. Both these players in my opinion are very overrated. Granderson had a sun .200 average against left handers last year and Vasquez had a good year in a weak division for Atlanta. Vasquez had a previous stint with New York going 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA. I feel he will post similar numbers in 2010. Their other outfielders Brett Gardiner and Nick Swisher do not produce good batting averages or good defense and that was a huge deciding factor while deciding between the Yanks and Rays. The Yanks get 90+ wins but fall short to Tampa.
   
4. Baltimore Orioles: In two or three years, Baltimore will be a force to mess with in this division. But this year...not so much. They have a good young nucleus of hitters (lead by C Matt Wieters, OF Nick Markakis, and OF Adam Jones), which should build on another full year in the big leagues. They have some young gun pitchers in Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz, and Chris Tillman which is why they brought in a veteran pitcher, Kevin Millwood, to lead their way. If they weren't in this division I probably would put them higher up, but they play in the same division as New York, Boston, and a resurgent Tampa Bay. And all I can give them is the four slot.
   
5. Toronto Blue Jays: Toronto no longer has their best player in Roy Halladay. That title now falls on the underachieving Vernon Wells. Toronto has a young pitching staff that can make them a force in a couple of years, if they can reach their potential. They have some good hitters in Travis Snider, Aaron Hill, and Adam Lind. But I dont think these guys can save the Blue Jays from the cellar in this division. They have some wild card players in their lineup and a young rotation with no veteran and all it gets them is the AL East Cellar.

MLB Preview-AL West

Today I take a look at the four team AL West. It might be a bit closer than what you would think...

1. Seattle Mariners: Seattle might of had the best offseason in Major League Baseball. They first went out and signed 3B Chone Figgins away from the Angels, and not to long later, the acquired P Cliff Lee from Philadelphia, and they acquired OF Milton Bradley from Chicago. They now have an elite 1-2 punch in the rotation with Felix Hernandez. They now have a #2 hitter than can get on base with Ichiro for the cleanup hitters. They now have a cleanup hitter that can drive those guys in. This team just sticks out to me as the favorite here. They seem determined to get to October. So I pick them to get there.
   
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: The Angels might of had the opposite offseason the Mariners had. They lost P John Lackey and 3B Chone Figgins to free agency. How can you let your ace and leadoff hitter walk out the door? Last season they had lots of guys step up and have career years. I don't think they can have those same numbers from the players. They appear to have good pitching and good hitting, which would make them the favorite. But not for me. Those before mentioned players they lost weren't just key players, they were clubhouse leaders. So the Angels need to find their identity before they go anywhere and with the rising power in Seattle, I pick the Angels second.
   
3. Texas Rangers: For many years now, the Rangers have had great hitting teams. But their achillies heel in those years was their pitching. And I expect the same this season. They have an emerging ace in Scott Feldman and they took a gamble and signed Rich Harden to be the #2 starter. And even if you can keep Harden on the field, there alot of wild cards behind them. But in their defense they have younger guys, in those rotation spots and in the bullpen, who are still trying to make names for themselves. And they will need to step up against the Mariners and Angels if they want have a chance. Again, this team can hit. But they need to start pitching. It kills me to pick them third, but its hard to see them pitch well in August and September and that kills them in the end.
   
4. Oakland Athletics: If you look at the Oakland lineup you see many question marks. Their staff ace Ben Sheets is a big question mark as he comes off elbow surgery in 2009. Their best hitter, Jack Cust, is a career .239 hitter. They do have a young team going into 2010. But their starting pitching is very young and will show some inconsistency as the year progresses. Their hitting does please the eye as well. And it appears OF Coco Crisp will be their team leader, and that raises a red flag with me. On paper the A's are a long ways off from winning. But this is Oakland, and they seem to overachieve every year. So I think this team will finish last, but they won't go down without a fight either.

Tomorrow I dive into the lob-sided AL East. But it might not be the same two teams coming out of that division in my opinion. Check back tomorrow...

MLB Preview-NL Central

Here's the breakdown of the NL Central. There are definitely some good teams in here so lets see how I picked them...

1. St. Louis Cardinals: A seemingly harmless fly ball that was dropped in Game 2 of the NLDS ended any chance of a deep Cardinal playoff run in 2009. But with a fairly similar team coming back in 2010 one should expect St. Louis to make a return to the postseason. They have one of the best 1-2 punches atop their rotation with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. And they have one of the best 3-4 hitters in their lineup with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. Their pitching has some wild cards in Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny, but with pitching guru Dave Duncan on the bench they should have just fine years. Behind Pujols and Holliday, the Cards have some questionable hitting, which holds me back from tabbing them NL contenders. But for now I will tab them NL Central division champs.
   
2. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers had a down year in 2009. They had some under performing players and some injury plagued players that held them down. 2010, however, has bright lights shining on Milwaukee in my opinion. They needed some experienced pitchers and they got that in the form of Randy Wolf and Dave Bush. They also now have youngsters Carlos Gomez roaming center field and Alcides Escobar at shortstop, as the Brewers lineup got a bit younger. Let's not forget Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun anchor this lineup that can do serious damage, and they have Trevor Hoffman closing games in the ninth. I like how this team is built, and I gave some serious thought to them as the NL Wild Card winner, but they need just a bit more experience which was my deciding factor. But don't expect the Brewers to go quietly.
   
3. Chicago Cubs: One would think the Cubs would give St. Louis a run for their money in 2010. On paper they certainly seem poised to do so. But it's the Cubs we are talking about. For so many years they have looked good on paper, but they always have some catastrophic meltdown. Sure, the Cubs have a good pitching staff (Lead by ace Carlos Zambrano) and sure, they have a dangerous lineup (3 players in this lineup are capable of hitting 30 home runs). But will I pick the Cubs to win the central? No. Will I pick them second? No. They get a bronze medal in this race. So let's sit back and watch them unravel for the 102nd straight year.
   
4. Houston Astros: The fans in Houston did not have much to cheer about in 2009. I expect the same in 2010 from the Astros. They have one proven pitcher in Roy Oswalt and two proven hitters in Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman. They have young outfielders Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence. But beyond the before mentioned players the Astros have some wild card players and some young unproven players coming up. They have yet to name a closer and their options (Brandon Lyon and Matt Lindstrom) are not eye pleasing. But they have new manager Brad Mills who has two World Series rings from Boston, and I like his experience on the bench. But it is not enough to get Houston anywhere this year.
   
5. Cincinnati Reds: If you're a Reds fan, the future of this team seems very bright. They have some young talented hitters (Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Brandon Phillips) and some young talented pitchers (Aaron Harang, Homer Bailey, and Aroldis Chapman). Chapman, was their high priced signing in the offseason as he came highly touted while defecting from Cuba. Now the Reds are trying to find the right mix of veterans to this young core. They signed free agent SS Orlando Cabrera this offseason, while having veteran pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Arthur Rhodes on the pitching staff. But I still think they are a couple of years away from putting up a great fight in this division.
   
6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Here's another team that has a bright future. And if you live in Pittsburgh you would hope the Pirates can keep this core of talented players they have assembled on the team. Promising hitters Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, and Ryan Doumit lead the team as they try to end Pittsburgh's 18 year skid of losing seasons. Their rotation is up in the air as Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, and Paul Maholm try to make names for themselves. The only recognizable name in the bullpen is Octavio Dotel and he is a wild card at best. The pitching will hold Pittsburgh back from doing great things this year, but it may be a strong point in the years to come.

Tomorrow I switch over to the junior circuit and look at the American League West...