MLB Power Rankings: August 17th
OK... So I haven't done these in a while, but I think it'll be cool to compare where I had these teams the last time we did Power Rankings which was on May 22nd! (Yeah, my bad guys..)
But let's make this look like it was on purpose!
You'll see below the current Power Ranking for each team. In parenthesis next to their ranking is where they stacked up on May 22nd and we can really see how much has changed in this marathon we call a baseball season.
Last Power Ranking Top 10 (May 22nd)
1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Houston Astros
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Los Angeles Angels
6. Milwaukee Brewers
7. Philadelphia Phillies
8. Washington Nationals
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
10. Chicago Cubs
Now, I'm going to go team by team and explain what has caused their change in ranking compared to their previous ranking... Once again, their old rankings is in parenthesis...
Is there any debate on this? They literally beat everyone. Literally. The only concern a Red Sox fan can have right now is that the last teams to dominate for an extended period like this in the regular season were the 2017 Cleveland Indians and the 2001 Seattle Mariners... That Indians team lost in the ALDS to the Yankees and the Mariners team lost in the ALCS to... you guessed it! The New York Yankees!... The Red Sox will look to avoid that same fate of teams that were considered to have gotten hot "too early"...
They've been on a cold spell as of late while dealing with some injuries... They are 10.5 GAMES BACK of the Red Sox... AND they have the second best record in baseball... It just shows how good the Yankees have been and how ridiculous the Red Sox have been... The Yankees have all the tools to make a run, they just need to stay healthy and they need their starting pitching to get back to where we expect it to be...
They're missing the heart of their order and they've been missing it for a little bit now. Their starting pitching has never been in question, but the question marks will come if Springer, Altuve and Correa get off to a slow start when they return to the lineup... This team has let the A's and Mariners creep back into contention, but I don't think it's a serious threat until either their stars look rusty or don't come back at all this season...
I'm proud of this one... I feel like I was ahead of the curve on this one (like the Nationals, but we'll talk about that later...) This team is full of talent that was just waiting to blossom and it's becoming very apparent that they are for real. They made great additions at the deadline with a solid outfielder, solid reliever, and solid starter... This team is dangerous and I love every second of it because they are setting an example of the right way to rebuild...
This team has had a confusing season. They were never really threatened for the division, but now they're finally starting to run away with it. Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor are pretty good at baseball. The question marks start to appear when you look at the health of their starting rotation. They are absolutely scary in a playoff series when they're rolling out Kluber, Bauer, Carrasco, Clevinger and then passing the ball on to Miller, Hand, and Allen... The question is how many of them will be healthy when October rolls around?...
Holy s**t... Like what the hell... This team EXPLODED on the scene halfway through the year. Matt Chapman rakes and plays unbelievable defense. Their whole team has stepped their game up to a level we hadn't seen before in their career. And the A's have the scariest thing going for them... The whispers of "team of destiny"... When you keep coming back to win late in games and keep winning every close game, I see flashbacks of the 2005 White Sox...
No doubt this team has talent. But with no Darvish, no Bryant, inconsistencies becoming apparent in the lineup, this team doesn't look as intimidating as they have before in the past... The scariest part about all this? I still think this team can win the National League Pennant because that's how bad the NL is compared to the AL...
Young. Learning. Growing. This is NOT the year the Phillies should even be thinking about a World Series. Yet, their lineup and rotation look solid and they have quite a future to build on with this team. Well done and enjoy the ride this season, but don't get your hopes too high for a season that was supposed to be a rebuilding season... Not everyone can make a Champion Series Game 7 in a rebuild year like the Yankees did...
They definitely have improved. But I don't feel convinced they're true World Series contenders. Yes, they might make a sting in the playoffs. But I don't see it getting any farther than the NLCS which would still be a HUGE accomplishment for this team and this fan base.
*See Trade Deadline Article* because I wrote multiple times about how this team has such a talent at creatively missing the playoffs... And they're doing it again. The Oakland A's have been an unstoppable force, and I never really thought the Mariners would ever catch the Astros. So the Mariners barely do anything at the trade deadline, while the A's went out and added some very good cheap additions that bring them up a tick... Seriously Seattle?? You're going to do this to your fans AGAIN?!... Mariner fans, be ashamed of your Front Office...
I hate the NL West. It's the division that's the most indecisive and mood-swings I have ever seen. So, I'm going to do a little check list on a napkin here and see what I can try and figure out... Ok... The D-backs are my favorite in this division to actually make the playoffs. I like the D-backs lineup and bullpen the best so they get top spot...
I actually do like the D-backs lineup more than the Rockies by 0.01% more. Just because I feel the Diamondbacks consistency in the lineup is more apparent. The Rockies bullpen has been nice, but I gotta put them a tick behind the Dbacks because of the starting pitching...
God, I can't wait to read the hate mail on this... I think of the three teams in the NL West (forget about the Giants and Padres for now) their line up is a tick below... I give them the slightest of advantages over the D-backs starting rotation, but the Dodgers have a worse bullpen than the Rockies when Jansen is out which tells you how grossly ugly their bullpen really is... The only way the Dodgers make the playoffs is if the Rockies and D-backs LET THEM. I say only one team makes it to the playoffs out of the NL West, and I have no confidence in the Dodgers to be that team...
This team is hot as hell and has finally found their identity. The only reason they're behind the block of the NL West on this list is because I feel one of those NL West teams will get hot and sneak the division title. The Cardinals are Wild Card or bust at this point and the good news is that right now they're first in line to jump a Wild Card team. But I'm not confident enough in them to say that they'll knock out the Brewers or Phillies for that last spot...
What an improvement! They traded away 90% of their starting pitching and I LOVE IT! They look reborn and for a team that has no money to give out, they've traded for some club-friendly contracts that'll put them in good position to be a competitor next year. Good for you Rays, now move to Montreal with this new amped team a new stadium there! (Annnnddd all those Tampa people can send their hate to moosesmulligans@gmail.com :D)
UGLY. If you read my twitter (@moosestrizak) you know how I feel about this franchise right now... They absolutely screwed themselves by betting on themselves when every signed pointed to them needing to sell.. If Bryce Harper signs to any team not located in Washington D.C. then you'll have all this money invested in Scherzer, Strasburg, Zimmerman, and Gio Gonzalez that WON'T lead to a championship which is the whole reason you sign them for big contracts in the first place... Congratulations, you are the new Detroit Tigers. Welcome to the world of being sub-par...
They made some moves that were club-friendly contracts and did the best of what they could in their current situation. They have young talent, good coaching and should be excited for the future...
This team is welcoming the Nationals to the sub-par area of the league. They made moves to patch a few holes in the ship that still feels like it's sinking. So, now I feel like I'm just waiting for the ship to sink and then they might finally start a rebuild...
Their last ranking had an MVP Mike Trout and a Shohei Ohtani that could pitch. Now, Trout is battling injuries and Ohtani is right there with him. Their young talent is getting opportunities to shine with all the injuries in the club house, but they still have a long way to go to be competitive in a stacked American League...
I'm disappointed. They have all this great young talent with a good amount of veteran presence. Yet, Sano had to spend time in A ball, Buxton is in AAA, and Brian Dozier is a Dodger... This team had one team to chase in the Indians and instead they're hanging out with the teams that are demolishing and rebuilding which means those rebuilding teams could launch right by them very soon...
They made some selling moves finally. J.A. Happ and Osuna brought back some prospects. Once Donaldson gets moved for a few more prospects, I'll give the Blue Jays props for finally taking a step in the right direction...
This team has been in rebuild mode and it hasn't been a secret. Now, they're starting to show a burst of talent and potential every now and then. I'm glad Abreu wants to stay and the White Sox want to keep him around because he could be the Freddie Freeman or Matt Carpenter to their rebuild...
The rebuild is on and adding a catching prospect like Mejia fits wonderfully. With being a lower-market team, now they just have to play the waiting game and hope a few of their prospects in their deep minor leagues can make an impact. With how much they've added, they've really increased their odds of this happening...
Brutal. They're wasting the talents of DeGrom and Conforto and aren't taking advantage of Nimmo's consistency. They should've gotten a haul of prospects for DeGrom and possibly move more than just Familia. But it's ok, when DeGrom leaves this off-season, they can hang out with the Nationals scratching their heads in wonder...
Profar is starting to come around.Otherwise, I'm not sure what else to really talk about with this team. Keep rebuilding and being patient... Um, yeah...
Their young talent isn't all ready to rock and roll yet, so just keep chipping away and keep learning and keep growing. They're finally on the right track, they just need to stay on track...
I love what Jeter is doing here because in 3 to 5 years this team WILL be competitive... I do believe that this team is going in the right direction and will continue to improve step by step...
What a waste of good talent like Votto and Gennett... They traded away Duvall but held on to Iglesias, Votto and Gennett? I'm confused. Rebuild or don't...
We knew this was coming. At least they got a cheap contract for Moustakas and then got some prospects for him. I don't know what else to say about this team...
I said that not trading Britton or Machado last year was the biggest mistake this franchise had ever made. I rest my case. Now they are being punished accordingly by being the embarrassment of the league...
Comments
Post a Comment