Post by Red Sox GM (Ty) on Jul 17, 2009 20:32:25 GMT -5
Alright folks, it’s everybody’s favorite holiday- Chin Music Power Ranking Release Day! That’s right, the wait is over. Many apologies for the tardiness, but without further ado, the latest edition of the highly acclaimed Power Rankings is hot off the presses. Critique all you like and feel free to publish a competing and undoubtedly inferior version. These are the much disputed facts as I see them. Numbers in parenthesis are the previous official rankings.
LIFE SUPPORT
30. (30) Chicago White Sox- It takes a brave soul to take on the responsibility of sorting through the wreckage that is the White Sox. Our Fearless Leader’s favorite team is in a bad way. There are a few decent prospects, but almost nothing in terms of major league talent. For one reason or another, they’ve managed to stay 40 points out of last place, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Good luck to the new White Sox management.
29. (29) San Francisco Giants- The Giants need to shake things up. They will probably never be able to free themselves from the ball and chain that is Barry Zito’s monster contract, but they have some spare parts that could help a contender down the stretch. San Francisco should do everything in their power to get younger and get younger fast. It’s hard to fault them too much though, they’ve run into some bad luck. When your best prospect dies after his first promising outing, there’s not much you can do. RIP Nick Adenhart.
BAD, BUT PROMISING
28. (27) Cleveland Indians- The ownership from Major League would be envious of their performance this year. Management’s ability to identify and acquire young talent before everyone catches on will eventually pay off. Unfortunately, the Oliver Perez signing hasn’t panned out quite as successfully. They are in good hands and with patience and good scouting, they will ascend from the cellar.
27. (26) Toronto Blue Jays- The Jays are by far the best team in Canada, eh.
26. (24) Philadelphia Phillies- The Phils are in full fledged rebuilding mode and have assembled an impressive collection of highly touted prospects, and they still have Dan Haren if they want to pull the trigger and land more. Brad Lidge must have seen a replay of the Brad Lidge Face, because he’s converting only 75% of his save chances and his WHIP is where his ERA should be. If he can get that straightened out, the Phillies will have another valuable chip to bargain with.
25. (25) Pittsburgh Pirates- Things look bleak in Pittsburgh right now, but there are few teams with more to be excited about in terms of youth- Latos, Triunfel and Alvarez just to name a few. An ailing Beltran has certainly hurt their chances this year, and they Buccos have a few other aging stars that don’t quite seem to fit into their long-term outlook, so it will be interesting to see how they decide to proceed.
24. (28) Oakland A’s- Props to Bird for taking the reigns amidst a tough situation in Oaktown. The A’s look to be in a good position to sell off some superfluous pieces, like Sheffield and Aardsma, to a contender at the deadline and add some prized youngsters. A rotation headlined by stud youngsters Jordan Zimmerman and Trevor Cahill provide real promise for the future.
ORPHANED
23. (16) New York Mets- The Mets are a ship without a captain at this point. They’ve got a few attractive, albeit underperforming pieces and some pretty unwieldy contracts moving forward. That said it’s nothing that a skilled and committed manager wouldn’t fix. The return of a healthy(ish) Ben Sheets next season will undoubtedly bolster an already solid rotation.
APPROACHING A FORK IN THE ROAD
22. (17) Washington Nationals- When you consider what they started with, the Nats have done a tremendous job to become as competitive as they are now. It’s not overly pretty right now, but they are more than respectable. With more time and a continued dedication to improvement, Washington can conceivably compete in a weaker division in the not so distant future.
21. (21) Los Angeles Dodgers- Despite the best efforts of Beantown’s 2nd favorite Canuck, the Dodgers are mired in mediocrity at this point. They are poised for an interesting offseason, with their two best players- Bay, Holliday- sure to sign very lucrative contracts. Will the Dodgers pull a Billy Beane and retool for the future by liquidating their most prized assets, or will they try their luck at retaining them this offseason?
20. (11) Minnesota Twins- The Twinkies have a very nice offensive nucleus which includes some of the hottest hitters of the first half- Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez- and one of the best young OFs in the game- Matt Kemp. Injuries and ineffectiveness in the rotation have prevented a better showing thus far. If Liriano can turn back the clock to 2006 sans Tommy John and Duscherer returns to form, the Twins could be dangerous.
19. (23) New York Yankees- A-Rod and Morneau anchor a respectable offense, but the pitching staff looks pretty bleak, especially with Peavy injured. Fortunately for them, they have deep pockets, so they will have the ability to make some big splashes on FAs in the offseason. The fanbase and ownership typically aren’t patient folks, so how long until there’s rioting in the Bronx?
18. (19) San Diego Padres- A core of Grady Sizemore, Cole Hamels and Matt Garza is a great start, but it’s going to take more than that to challenge for the playoffs. The Pads have the right idea by accumulating some nice young players including Adam Lind, Carlos Gonzalez and personal favorite Daniel Bard in addition to their very impressive farm system. It’s very simple, if they pan out, they’ll compete, if they don’t they’ll continue to struggle.
WHY AREN’T YOU BETTER?
17. (22) Arizona Diamondbacks- The Snakes have plenty of intriguing players, and after reviewing their roster, I’m a bit surprised that that talent hasn’t translated to a better place in the standings. With the Upton brothers in the OF, King Felix, Wainwright and a thus far disappointing Brandon Webb in the rotation, things have to turn around in the desert sooner than
later. They should be just fine going forward.
16. (9) Florida Marlins- Here’s another team that has fallen well short of my expectations. I expect much better things from the Fish going forward, especially since they’ve addressed their lack of pitching by turning BJ Upton into Jon Lester. The NL Least is less intimidating than most other divisions, so don’t be shocked to see Florida challenge Swo and his reigning champion Braves for the top spot as early as next year.
WHY AREN’T YOU WORSE?
15. (15) Houston Astros- I know that I’m not giving Houston the respect they deserve. I’m Dangerfielding them if you will. The truth is, I feel guilty about ranking them this low. New management has done a tremendous job taking a mediocre roster and making it competitive. They’ve managed to assemble one of the most impressive pitching staffs in the league, and while their offense is underwhelming on paper, they’ve been good enough to earn the Stros the 11th highest score in the league. Again, they’re unfortunate to be stuck in the NL Central, but given more time to work its magic, management could challenge the division juggernauts.
TREMENDOUSLY AVERAGE
14. (20) Detroit Tigers- The Former Yankees are much better than their record suggests. Wang has been smacked around, and if they had kept him as far away from the starting lineup as possible I’m convinced they’d be hot on the heels of the AL Central leading Royals. They are a bit light on pitching, but they’ve got enough lumber to make a move or two to land a few good arms. I think it’s too little too late for this year, but their window for contention isn’t
closed yet.
NOT QUITE THERE YET
13. (7) Cincinnati Reds- Cincy’s squad has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but their performance this year has been pretty disappointing. The $20 Million Dollar Man has struggled when he’s managed to make it to the mound, Carlos Quentin has regressed in a big way, and CoJack has been on the shelf with a Baldelli-esque ailment for the better part of the season. I’m not giving up on them long-term, because youth is definitely on their side, but the NL Central is no joke.
12. (18) Texas Rangers- Pitching is scarce. Joe Mauer is good. Jose Reyes has been hurt. Ricks Ankiel and Nolasco have disappointed. That pretty much sums it up down in Arlington. They’re about 25 points out of the playoffs right now, and without an influx of pitching production, I expect them to remain in the middle of the pack. They still have some very marketable pieces, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see some deadline wheeling and dealing in Texas.
11. (13) Los Angeles Angels- After a torrid start, the Halos have cooled considerably thanks in part to a myriad of injuries, but they remain atop the standings in a heated race for the AL West crown. If they could get healthy and stay healthy, they’d be much more imposing. I just don’t think that they’ve got enough firepower to stay ahead of the charging Mariners down the stretch. It will be fun to watch regardless.
10. (6) St. Louis Cardinals- The Cards, like the O’s are in a tough division and will probably be on the outside of the playoffs looking in this year. That said they have a ton of talent that has really underperformed so far this season. I expect better second halves from Jimmy Rollins, Josh Hamilton and Steven Drew, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardinals add to their point total before all is said and done.
DARK HORSES
9. (12) Seattle Mariners- There’s a lot to like about the Mariners, my pick to come out of the West. Zach Greinke has finally achieved the results to match the quality of his stuff. There are really no holes in the lineup, and they have a very deep bullpen. Their biggest trouble has been their poor performance in BA and OPS as well as the injury bug, which has bitten Jay Bruce, and (former) closers Mike Gonzalez and Matt Lindstrom.
8. (3) Atlanta Braves- The Braves have taken a bit of a nose dive here recently, though I think that they are better than their point total suggests. They aren’t the most exciting team in the league, but they’re very respectable all around. Fortunately for Atlanta, their next closest division competitor is a good 50 points away, so they shouldn’t have much trouble getting to the dance. Mike Cameron has proven that he is not the second coming of Barry Bonds, despite his best impression to start the year, but Tommy Hanson looks like a future #3, so Swo’s got that going for him, which is nice.
7. (5) Colorado Rockies- Colorado is a bit of an enigma. They don’t have any names that really jump out at you, but then again, they are consistently solid at every position. Teams like that are usually the ones that fare best come playoff time. It’s nice to see Kendry Morales, a personal favorite of mine for years that I had given up on, FINALLY live up to some of his potential. Rox management has done a great job of assembling a quality, underrated, deep pitching staff and one of the best farm systems in the league. They should be competitive for quite some time.
6. (8) Baltimore Orioles- The O’s offense doesn’t boast much aside from the purest hitter in the game, the top offensive prospect in the game and stud 2B Ian Kinsler. But their rotation is just chock full of young talent. Kershaw, Porcello, Price, Sabathia and Mr. Perfect himself, Jon Sanchez- there is no more promising group of arms than that, anywhere. Baltimore has the unfortunate luck of being stuck in the AL East, but I think it will be their East division rivals who will be looking up at O’s in years to come.
CONTENDERS
5. (10) Chicago Cubs- The good news: they currently have a 30 point buffer from falling out of the playoff race. The bad news: 24 points separates them from the class of the NL, and Central rival Brewers. The lovable losers own one of the league’s best rotations and a pretty solid offense. I think Russell Branyan’s bat will cool off in the second half, so they will be relying very heavily on their outfielders to supply the lumber. I think Jermaine Dye is the X-factor on their offense, and if Rich Harden can stay healthy and pitch to his potential, this could be the Cubs’ year. I don’t see a scenario where they miss the playoffs, but if history tells us anything, the ghost of the billy goat or Steve Bartman will end up leaving Cubs fans waiting for next year.
4. (4) Kansas City Royals- As Marco Scutaro goes, so go the Royals. KC (and Scutaro) caught lightning in a bottle at the beginning of the season, but have seemed to fall back to Earth a bit in the past few weeks. Kevin has done a tremendous job building probably the deepest team in the league. They lack a true top of the rotation arm, but have a high volume of decent option. Their bullpen is stout and their offense boasts some of the biggest hitters in the league. Expect KC to waltz into the playoffs representing the Central, and I’d be surprised if we don’t see another move or two from the Royals before the deadline.
3. (14) Milwaukee Brewers- These guys are for real. Their loaded lineup is led by Derby champ and the man who has bankrupted half the buffets in Milwaukee, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun, the speedy Carl Crawford and some very underrated pitching make the Brew Crew the favorites in the NL. They don’t have a ton of quality depth, but they do have some arms slated to come off the DL in the next month or so, so they should be at full strength when it matters most. Look for them to be among the leaders from here on out.
INEVITABLE CHAMPIONS
2. (1) Boston Red Sox- The Sawx have managed to weather some terrible performances by their stars (Papi and Dice-K) and a 50 game suspension to their best offensive player (Manny) and are right in the hunt to defend last year’s title thanks to some diamonds in the rough like Miguel Olivo, Scott Hairston and Ben Zobrist. The rotation, once thought to be strength, seems to have more questions than answers at this point. All in all, they are in pretty good shape, but long term, it should be crowded at the top of the AL East.
KEEPING THE THRONE WARM
1. (2) Tampa Bay Rays- The Rays are pretty stacked on paper. Nelson Cruz has been a monster, but everyone else has produced at or below expectations. If their aces can ever stay healthy and pitch like aces, they should walk away with the title. That’s a big ‘if’ though, and as we all know, anything can happen in the playoffs.
LIFE SUPPORT
30. (30) Chicago White Sox- It takes a brave soul to take on the responsibility of sorting through the wreckage that is the White Sox. Our Fearless Leader’s favorite team is in a bad way. There are a few decent prospects, but almost nothing in terms of major league talent. For one reason or another, they’ve managed to stay 40 points out of last place, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Good luck to the new White Sox management.
29. (29) San Francisco Giants- The Giants need to shake things up. They will probably never be able to free themselves from the ball and chain that is Barry Zito’s monster contract, but they have some spare parts that could help a contender down the stretch. San Francisco should do everything in their power to get younger and get younger fast. It’s hard to fault them too much though, they’ve run into some bad luck. When your best prospect dies after his first promising outing, there’s not much you can do. RIP Nick Adenhart.
BAD, BUT PROMISING
28. (27) Cleveland Indians- The ownership from Major League would be envious of their performance this year. Management’s ability to identify and acquire young talent before everyone catches on will eventually pay off. Unfortunately, the Oliver Perez signing hasn’t panned out quite as successfully. They are in good hands and with patience and good scouting, they will ascend from the cellar.
27. (26) Toronto Blue Jays- The Jays are by far the best team in Canada, eh.
26. (24) Philadelphia Phillies- The Phils are in full fledged rebuilding mode and have assembled an impressive collection of highly touted prospects, and they still have Dan Haren if they want to pull the trigger and land more. Brad Lidge must have seen a replay of the Brad Lidge Face, because he’s converting only 75% of his save chances and his WHIP is where his ERA should be. If he can get that straightened out, the Phillies will have another valuable chip to bargain with.
25. (25) Pittsburgh Pirates- Things look bleak in Pittsburgh right now, but there are few teams with more to be excited about in terms of youth- Latos, Triunfel and Alvarez just to name a few. An ailing Beltran has certainly hurt their chances this year, and they Buccos have a few other aging stars that don’t quite seem to fit into their long-term outlook, so it will be interesting to see how they decide to proceed.
24. (28) Oakland A’s- Props to Bird for taking the reigns amidst a tough situation in Oaktown. The A’s look to be in a good position to sell off some superfluous pieces, like Sheffield and Aardsma, to a contender at the deadline and add some prized youngsters. A rotation headlined by stud youngsters Jordan Zimmerman and Trevor Cahill provide real promise for the future.
ORPHANED
23. (16) New York Mets- The Mets are a ship without a captain at this point. They’ve got a few attractive, albeit underperforming pieces and some pretty unwieldy contracts moving forward. That said it’s nothing that a skilled and committed manager wouldn’t fix. The return of a healthy(ish) Ben Sheets next season will undoubtedly bolster an already solid rotation.
APPROACHING A FORK IN THE ROAD
22. (17) Washington Nationals- When you consider what they started with, the Nats have done a tremendous job to become as competitive as they are now. It’s not overly pretty right now, but they are more than respectable. With more time and a continued dedication to improvement, Washington can conceivably compete in a weaker division in the not so distant future.
21. (21) Los Angeles Dodgers- Despite the best efforts of Beantown’s 2nd favorite Canuck, the Dodgers are mired in mediocrity at this point. They are poised for an interesting offseason, with their two best players- Bay, Holliday- sure to sign very lucrative contracts. Will the Dodgers pull a Billy Beane and retool for the future by liquidating their most prized assets, or will they try their luck at retaining them this offseason?
20. (11) Minnesota Twins- The Twinkies have a very nice offensive nucleus which includes some of the hottest hitters of the first half- Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez- and one of the best young OFs in the game- Matt Kemp. Injuries and ineffectiveness in the rotation have prevented a better showing thus far. If Liriano can turn back the clock to 2006 sans Tommy John and Duscherer returns to form, the Twins could be dangerous.
19. (23) New York Yankees- A-Rod and Morneau anchor a respectable offense, but the pitching staff looks pretty bleak, especially with Peavy injured. Fortunately for them, they have deep pockets, so they will have the ability to make some big splashes on FAs in the offseason. The fanbase and ownership typically aren’t patient folks, so how long until there’s rioting in the Bronx?
18. (19) San Diego Padres- A core of Grady Sizemore, Cole Hamels and Matt Garza is a great start, but it’s going to take more than that to challenge for the playoffs. The Pads have the right idea by accumulating some nice young players including Adam Lind, Carlos Gonzalez and personal favorite Daniel Bard in addition to their very impressive farm system. It’s very simple, if they pan out, they’ll compete, if they don’t they’ll continue to struggle.
WHY AREN’T YOU BETTER?
17. (22) Arizona Diamondbacks- The Snakes have plenty of intriguing players, and after reviewing their roster, I’m a bit surprised that that talent hasn’t translated to a better place in the standings. With the Upton brothers in the OF, King Felix, Wainwright and a thus far disappointing Brandon Webb in the rotation, things have to turn around in the desert sooner than
later. They should be just fine going forward.
16. (9) Florida Marlins- Here’s another team that has fallen well short of my expectations. I expect much better things from the Fish going forward, especially since they’ve addressed their lack of pitching by turning BJ Upton into Jon Lester. The NL Least is less intimidating than most other divisions, so don’t be shocked to see Florida challenge Swo and his reigning champion Braves for the top spot as early as next year.
WHY AREN’T YOU WORSE?
15. (15) Houston Astros- I know that I’m not giving Houston the respect they deserve. I’m Dangerfielding them if you will. The truth is, I feel guilty about ranking them this low. New management has done a tremendous job taking a mediocre roster and making it competitive. They’ve managed to assemble one of the most impressive pitching staffs in the league, and while their offense is underwhelming on paper, they’ve been good enough to earn the Stros the 11th highest score in the league. Again, they’re unfortunate to be stuck in the NL Central, but given more time to work its magic, management could challenge the division juggernauts.
TREMENDOUSLY AVERAGE
14. (20) Detroit Tigers- The Former Yankees are much better than their record suggests. Wang has been smacked around, and if they had kept him as far away from the starting lineup as possible I’m convinced they’d be hot on the heels of the AL Central leading Royals. They are a bit light on pitching, but they’ve got enough lumber to make a move or two to land a few good arms. I think it’s too little too late for this year, but their window for contention isn’t
closed yet.
NOT QUITE THERE YET
13. (7) Cincinnati Reds- Cincy’s squad has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but their performance this year has been pretty disappointing. The $20 Million Dollar Man has struggled when he’s managed to make it to the mound, Carlos Quentin has regressed in a big way, and CoJack has been on the shelf with a Baldelli-esque ailment for the better part of the season. I’m not giving up on them long-term, because youth is definitely on their side, but the NL Central is no joke.
12. (18) Texas Rangers- Pitching is scarce. Joe Mauer is good. Jose Reyes has been hurt. Ricks Ankiel and Nolasco have disappointed. That pretty much sums it up down in Arlington. They’re about 25 points out of the playoffs right now, and without an influx of pitching production, I expect them to remain in the middle of the pack. They still have some very marketable pieces, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see some deadline wheeling and dealing in Texas.
11. (13) Los Angeles Angels- After a torrid start, the Halos have cooled considerably thanks in part to a myriad of injuries, but they remain atop the standings in a heated race for the AL West crown. If they could get healthy and stay healthy, they’d be much more imposing. I just don’t think that they’ve got enough firepower to stay ahead of the charging Mariners down the stretch. It will be fun to watch regardless.
10. (6) St. Louis Cardinals- The Cards, like the O’s are in a tough division and will probably be on the outside of the playoffs looking in this year. That said they have a ton of talent that has really underperformed so far this season. I expect better second halves from Jimmy Rollins, Josh Hamilton and Steven Drew, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardinals add to their point total before all is said and done.
DARK HORSES
9. (12) Seattle Mariners- There’s a lot to like about the Mariners, my pick to come out of the West. Zach Greinke has finally achieved the results to match the quality of his stuff. There are really no holes in the lineup, and they have a very deep bullpen. Their biggest trouble has been their poor performance in BA and OPS as well as the injury bug, which has bitten Jay Bruce, and (former) closers Mike Gonzalez and Matt Lindstrom.
8. (3) Atlanta Braves- The Braves have taken a bit of a nose dive here recently, though I think that they are better than their point total suggests. They aren’t the most exciting team in the league, but they’re very respectable all around. Fortunately for Atlanta, their next closest division competitor is a good 50 points away, so they shouldn’t have much trouble getting to the dance. Mike Cameron has proven that he is not the second coming of Barry Bonds, despite his best impression to start the year, but Tommy Hanson looks like a future #3, so Swo’s got that going for him, which is nice.
7. (5) Colorado Rockies- Colorado is a bit of an enigma. They don’t have any names that really jump out at you, but then again, they are consistently solid at every position. Teams like that are usually the ones that fare best come playoff time. It’s nice to see Kendry Morales, a personal favorite of mine for years that I had given up on, FINALLY live up to some of his potential. Rox management has done a great job of assembling a quality, underrated, deep pitching staff and one of the best farm systems in the league. They should be competitive for quite some time.
6. (8) Baltimore Orioles- The O’s offense doesn’t boast much aside from the purest hitter in the game, the top offensive prospect in the game and stud 2B Ian Kinsler. But their rotation is just chock full of young talent. Kershaw, Porcello, Price, Sabathia and Mr. Perfect himself, Jon Sanchez- there is no more promising group of arms than that, anywhere. Baltimore has the unfortunate luck of being stuck in the AL East, but I think it will be their East division rivals who will be looking up at O’s in years to come.
CONTENDERS
5. (10) Chicago Cubs- The good news: they currently have a 30 point buffer from falling out of the playoff race. The bad news: 24 points separates them from the class of the NL, and Central rival Brewers. The lovable losers own one of the league’s best rotations and a pretty solid offense. I think Russell Branyan’s bat will cool off in the second half, so they will be relying very heavily on their outfielders to supply the lumber. I think Jermaine Dye is the X-factor on their offense, and if Rich Harden can stay healthy and pitch to his potential, this could be the Cubs’ year. I don’t see a scenario where they miss the playoffs, but if history tells us anything, the ghost of the billy goat or Steve Bartman will end up leaving Cubs fans waiting for next year.
4. (4) Kansas City Royals- As Marco Scutaro goes, so go the Royals. KC (and Scutaro) caught lightning in a bottle at the beginning of the season, but have seemed to fall back to Earth a bit in the past few weeks. Kevin has done a tremendous job building probably the deepest team in the league. They lack a true top of the rotation arm, but have a high volume of decent option. Their bullpen is stout and their offense boasts some of the biggest hitters in the league. Expect KC to waltz into the playoffs representing the Central, and I’d be surprised if we don’t see another move or two from the Royals before the deadline.
3. (14) Milwaukee Brewers- These guys are for real. Their loaded lineup is led by Derby champ and the man who has bankrupted half the buffets in Milwaukee, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun, the speedy Carl Crawford and some very underrated pitching make the Brew Crew the favorites in the NL. They don’t have a ton of quality depth, but they do have some arms slated to come off the DL in the next month or so, so they should be at full strength when it matters most. Look for them to be among the leaders from here on out.
INEVITABLE CHAMPIONS
2. (1) Boston Red Sox- The Sawx have managed to weather some terrible performances by their stars (Papi and Dice-K) and a 50 game suspension to their best offensive player (Manny) and are right in the hunt to defend last year’s title thanks to some diamonds in the rough like Miguel Olivo, Scott Hairston and Ben Zobrist. The rotation, once thought to be strength, seems to have more questions than answers at this point. All in all, they are in pretty good shape, but long term, it should be crowded at the top of the AL East.
KEEPING THE THRONE WARM
1. (2) Tampa Bay Rays- The Rays are pretty stacked on paper. Nelson Cruz has been a monster, but everyone else has produced at or below expectations. If their aces can ever stay healthy and pitch like aces, they should walk away with the title. That’s a big ‘if’ though, and as we all know, anything can happen in the playoffs.
