This column written by Kyle Bliquez, a writer for Oregon Sports News
This may be week three of the Major League Baseball season but this is week one of my official Power Rankings. Parity exists in baseball more than any other sport. Evidenced by successful teams struggling out of the gate, (most notably the World Champion Boston Red Sox) and subpar teams surprisingly competing atop their respective divisions. We’ve seen dark horse candidates falter, while others have managed to stay afloat. I’ve organized all 30 teams into five tiers, with the upper tier being the most saturated. In other words, there are either too many good teams, or not enough great teams. And let’s remember, these are power rankings. The teams atop the pedestal are the teams I would least like to play against in a seven-game series right now. Things, undoubtedly, will look much different on this list by season’s end but for now, this is where I have each team ranked.
Very Real World Series Contenders
1. St Louis Cardinals
Top pitching prospect Carlos Martinez couldn’t grasp a starting rotation gig out of spring training with a 1.76 ERA because their rotation was already too good. Top outfielding prospect Oscar Taveras couldn’t make the team because their outfield was too full. While not in first yet, it won’t take long for the cream to rise to the top.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
For as much young talent the Cardinals have, the Dodgers have as many proven major leaguers on it’s roster. When you have Andre Ethier coming off the bench and a rotation with three potential aces in Kershaw, Greinke and Ryu, you’re going to compete. If the bullpen can start to produce, Kemp and Kershaw return to form and Puig can find his stroke, the World Series will go through Los Angeles.
3. Milwaukee Brewers
Even after a nine-game win streak in April, I still have my doubts. Anybody remember who also had a nine-game win streak last year in April? Your Milwaukee Brewers. I can’t see the pitching staff continue to post the lowest ERA in the league, although they have a very strong five-man rotation in Gallardo, Lohse, Garza, Peralta and Estrada. The lineup is strong, anchored by underrated Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun, but not strong enough to support a rotation that is overachieving.
4. Oakland A’s
Moneyball is in full effect. This team, with its cast of misfits and unknowns, is the best team in the American League. Even after Jarrod Parker elected for Tommy John surgery, this team continues to churn out victories and do just enough to win. Sonny Gray became the 9th different Opening Day starter for the team in the past nine years. That stat alone defines this team and the way they’ve played for the past several seasons under Billy Beane’s guidance.
5. Atlanta Braves
This team continues to succeed despite injuries piling up. Mike Minor should return soon, while Craig Kimbrel is the best closer in the game (and it’s not close). The lineup, while potent, fails to make contact far too often. Both Upton brothers, Dan Uggla and Evan Gattis are all victims. However, Freddie Freeman could be Chipper Jones 2.0 and 2014 could be his official breakout season–and yes, even better than the very successful 2013.
6. San Francisco Giants
Even numbered years are very kind to this team by the bay. 2010 and 2012 resulted in World Series Championships, while they failed to make the playoffs in the following seasons. Their offense, which has been their downfall in years past, is now carrying this team with Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum struggling. Brandon Belt could be this year’s Chris Davis, Hunter Pence is starting to catch fire and Buster Posey is showing flashes of the MVP from 2011
7. Washington Nationals
Ahh, yes… The media darlings. Stephen Strasburg has been a strikeout machine this season, but he still has room for improvement… In particular when he’s pitching against Miami and Giancarlo Stanton. Doug Fister has yet to pitch after coming over from the Tigers, and we could be witnessing a breakout season from Anthony Rendon. Until Bryce Harper returns and Ryan Zimmerman can learn to stay healthy for a significant amount of time, this team will fail to live up to expectations.
8. Detroit Tigers
While Justin Verlander is doing Justin Verlander things and Max Scherzer continues to dominate the sport, Miguel Cabrera is mired in a season-long slump. He’s batting less than .250 with a single home run. He’s not doing his best impression of the man that won the Triple Crown two years ago and back-to-back MVP’s, but he will bounce back. He’s too good not to. However, without Prince Fielder protecting him, don’t be surprised if his numbers don’t resemble those in years’ past.
Outside Chance of World Series Appearance
9. Texas Rangers
The Fielder/Ian Kinsler swap was a win-win for both teams, although neither is particularly living up to expectations. Fielder finally hit his first home run this week and saw his RBI total increase against Seattle. However, the losses of Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli in recent years’ have hurt the teams’ offense and they could finally be paying the price. Playing in a division with the weak staffs of Seattle, Anaheim and Houston will help, but not enough to completely hide their offensive woes.
10. New York Yankees
Performances by Masahiro Tanaka have been enough to offset CC Sabathia’s fall from grace, but the chirping of him being a Cy Young candidate is less than deserved. He became the second player ever (besides Strasburg) to strike out at least eight batters in each of his first three starts, but pitching has never been better in the American League. Carlos Beltran is acting his age, Brian McCann hasn’t hit like he was supposed to with the short porch, but Jacoby Ellsbury is producing in the 3-slot for the team. Their pitching remains suspect, which is why they are ranked on the outskirts of the top 10.
11. Toronto Blue Jays
Could this be the team we expected last year? The short answer? No. Jose Reyes is hurt (again), Brett Lawrie is not the player everyone expected him to be, Edwin Encarnacion isn’t producing and the rotation (outside of the flame-throwing Mark Buehrle), remains inconsistent and unpredictable. Jose Bautista has bounced back nicely from an injury-riddled 2013 and Melky Cabrera has been a pleasant surprise. The AL East is looking fragile, so if Toronto is going to strike, now is the time.
12. Pittsburgh Pirates
Edinson Volquez, after being perhaps the worst pitcher in baseball, has been the next bounce-back hurler the Pirates have been able to churn out the past couple years. Andrew McCutchen is incredible and, if it wasn’t for Mike Trout, could be considered the best player in the league. The team needs better production from Starling Marte and the first base platoon has failed miserably. Expect this team to make a trade or two at the deadline and compete within for the division crown.
13. Tampa Bay Rays
Many experts’ World Series pick, the team has seen their pitching staff decimated with injuries. David Price is the only starter from last year’s team that isn’t injured, as Alex Cobb is out for at least a month, Matt Moore for the foreseeable future from Tommy John surgery and Jeremy Hellickson has yet to throw this year. Jake Odorizzi, who was included in the James Shields package, has been good but not great and the team has had to scrape the bottom of the pile looking for suitable replacements. How they play the next month will determine how well the rest of the season plays out.
The “Meh” Teams
14. Baltimore Orioles
Their lineup is flat-out lethal. Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Nelson Cruz and Matt Wieters are playing well, while JJ Hardy may finally be starting to slow down. When Manny Machado returns this team will experience another influx of offensive talent, but it will be interesting to see if that can carry the lackluster rotation. Ubaldo Jimenez is not playing well and he was supposed to be their ace. They need Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy pronto, and, if they can return to the majors and instill some stability within the rotation, they could be favorites in the East. Until then… They stay in the middle of the pack.
15. Los Angeles Angels
The only reason they’re here is Mike Trout. It’s really that simple. Josh Hamilton was starting to earn his checks but he’s out for at least a month. Albert Pujols is turning out to be a regrettable investment. CJ Wilson is underrated and Hector Santiago was a nice, little acquisition, but Tyler Skaggs has faltered and Jered Weaver is doing his best Jamie Moyer impression. This team lives and dies with Mike Trout.
16. Seattle Mariners
If this team can tread water until their rotation heals up, they could surprise a lot of people. Hisashi Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker are hoping to return and stabilize a shaky situation that has seen contributions from Roenis Elias (!?) and Chris Young (?!?!?). That shouldn’t be happening to a Major League team. However, Robinson Cano is playing well, even with a lack of home runs. Brad Miller, Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders have not contributed much, but Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak are starting to live up to expectations. Felix is looking as dominant as ever but, even though the team is in Seattle, they can’t expect him to pitch with rainouts every other game.
17. New York Mets
The Mets are not concerned with this season, as this is about the countdown until Matt Harvey’s return and getting players like Travis d’Arnaud and Ike Davis back on track. Zack Wheeler will get better and Bartolo Colon is not pitching like he did in Oakland last year, but Jenrry Mejia has been great while Jonathon Niese has been decent enough. Help is on the way with Noah Syndergaard, however. The offense can keep sputtering along, but any team anchored by David Wright will be better than average. The Mets are playing for 2015.
18. Chicago White Sox
A team expected to compete for the worst in the league, the ChiSox made a few trades in the offseason that have paid off in major dividends. Adam Eaton never got a chance in Arizona with a loaded outfield, but he is now flourishing in Chicago. Jose Abreu was a phenomenal buy, but it will be interesting to see if he can combat the pitchers when they find his flaws, not unlike Yasiel Puig with the Dodgers last season. Alexei Ramirez is looking like a poor man’s Mike Trout and Chris Sale is looking like a Cy Young favorite. While the loss of Avisail Garcia hurts, this team doesn’t have realistic expectations of competing this year.
19. Colorado Rockies
Their offense has potential to be one of the best in the league. Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez are, arguably, two of the top ten players in the game. Justin Morneau should thrive in the high altitude as the season progresses and Charlie Blackmon has filled in admirably for Dexter Fowler, who was traded to Houston during the offseason. If this team ever invested in some pitching, they could be a playoff contender. Help in the forms of Eddie Butler and Jonathan Gray could very well find some playing time shortly and, if that is the case, this could be on the rise.
20. Kansas City Royals
After Mike Moustakas had one of the best spring training seasons we witnessed this year, he has gotten off to an ice cold start. Eric Hosmer was supposed to be an MVP candidate this year. Their pitching, which was their strength last season, hasn’t been nearly as dominant. Overall, this whole team is underperforming. Yordano Ventura looks to be the real deal and catcher Salvador Perez continues to improve, but this team cannot compete for the division crown like they were projected to until the aforementioned players find the switch.
21. Cleveland Indians
Letting Ubaldo Jimenez walk this offseason is starting to look better with each pitch he throws in Baltimore. With Terry Francona at the helm, this team will be in the hunt, but a final record near .500 is to be expected. Aside from Justin Masterson, they don’t have the pitching to hang with the rest of the league. Danny Salazar has unlimited potential and Corey Kluber is starting to find his, but they need an undisputed #2 to slot behind their ace. This team continues to pretend to be something they’re not, and that’s a playoff team.
“In A Rut”—Dark horse Teams
22. Boston Red Sox
They scored the most runs in the league last season. They don’t quite have as much depth as the Cardinals, but they have more than enough star power to make up for that. David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia are Hall of Famers, but can you really expect to lead the league in offense with an outfield that consists of the fragile but resurgent Grady Sizemore, Daniel Nava and Mike Carp? Xander Bogaerts needs to be better, Mike Napoli’s batting average will fall below .300 at some point and Brock Holt starting at third for the injured Will Middlebrooks is less than desirable. Right now, this team is looking more like the 2012 version than last year’s Champions.
23. Miami Marlins
As much grief as this team has received for trading its stars the past two or three years, it might be paying off. Jose Fernandez will be a perennial Cy Young force and Giancarlo Stanton has the most raw power in the league. They have five regulars batting .299 or better, including Stanton. However, I believe this team can find itself atop its division by the end of this season because of its pitching. Nate Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez could turn around average seasons, and Jacob Turner needs to start becoming the projected ace he was in Detroit’s minor league system years ago. The surprise of the group has to be Tom Koehler, who has an ERA below 2.00 and could be a solid option behind Fernandez. Don’t be surprised if this team makes a run this summer… then proceeds to trade everyone this offseason again.
24. Cincinnati Reds
This team went into the season looking at a rotation with three potential aces in Mat Latos, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey, the former of which has been stranded on the DL the entire season thus far. But, per the rules of the game, you still have to outscore the other team. Zack Cozart and Jay Bruce are lost at the plate, and the Billy Hamilton experiment is circling the drain. As it turns out, you have to be able to hit to steal bases… Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto will do their thing and Devin Mesoraco has been outstanding behind the plate, but that’s not enough to compete in the loaded NL Central, especially with the pitching that exists in the division.
25. San Diego Padres
Their biggest weaknesses this year could very well be their best hitters. Chase Headley, Yonder Alonso and Jedd Gyorko have been in a slump the entire season, combining for two home runs between them. Everth Cabrera is the perfect leadoff man, and ace Andrew Cashner is starting to resemble a Cy Young candidate. Other than that, the supposed Team With No Weaknesses during the offseason has more question marks on its roster than previously thought.
Playing for 2015 and Beyond
26. Philadelphia Phillies
The good news? They still rank higher than four other teams on this list. They still have Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels is due back by the end of the month and Chase Utley is hitting better than ever before. They have talent. It just so happens that talent is closer to collecting their Social Security checks than their primes. Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Marlon Byrd, Jonathan Papelbon and AJ Burnett make up the core of this team and all happen to be on the wrong side of 30. With the NL East featuring two top ten teams and two others on the rise, the Phillies may find themselves in the cellar in 2014 and many more years to come.
27. Minnesota Twins
The injury to Oswaldo Arcia hurts, but Chris Colabello is on pace for over 100 RBI’s. Despite ranking 22nd in the league in batting average, they’re 7th in runs and 3rd in on base percentage. That’s a sign of solid coaching, something Ron Gardenhire has never been short on. However, they’re downfall is pitching. Ricky Nolasco shouldn’t be a number one at this point in his career and when the other four starters consist of Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey, Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson, you’re going to be ranked in the bottom third. With Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton and pitching duo Alex Meyer and Trevor May waiting in the wings, it won’t be long until we see the Twins atop the Central again.
28. Houston Astros
At least this team has a plan, one that is going perfectly according to plan. They just called up top prospect George Springer, who could play similar to Mike Trout with an average around .260 instead of .300. The Astros have done a superb job of drafting players in the past few years, but that’s rather easy when you have the top pick in each of the last three drafts. Look for their other top prospects to break camp soon, as this is about the only excitement you’ll see from this team this year.
29. Chicago Cubs
They’ve done well combining their drafted players with international stars, and it won’t be long until they start to sprout to the Major League team. Former top prospect Mike Olt has yet to establish himself as a Major League player, but Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Alberto Almora, Jorge Soler and Arismendy Alcantara have the Cubs outlook as bright as any other team. If these players can progress and improve, a few could hit the majors this year with others following in the summer of 2015. This year, look for the annual trade deadline fire sale and hope for solid returns for Jeff Samardzija and Travis Wood.
“They Don’t Even Know What They’re Doing”
30. Arizona Diamondbacks
Recent trades have devastated their minor league camp. Tyler Skaggs, Trevor Bauer, Adam Eaton are all gone via trade. Archie Bradley is all that’s left, and he will inevitably join the team in the next few weeks to solidify an awful starting rotation that has allowed 30 more runs than second worst in the league. New acquisition Mark Trumbo has hit homeruns and knocked in runs but his average is below .200, but Paul Goldschmidt is tearing it up and an MVP pace. Both General Manager Josh Towers and Manager Kirk Gibson are on the hot seat and, if things continue down this path, neither may last to see Bradley’s debut.
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