Post by Philadelphia Phillies on Aug 8, 2017 14:57:23 GMT -5
The Trade Deadline has come and gone and we are down to the final 11 games. While some teams have run away with their divisions, there is still a gut-wrenching week and a half of games coming up for those teams fighting for the Wild Cards and AL West. It should be exciting to see how it plays out.
Biggest Rise:
Astros (+5), Phillies (+5)
Largest Fall:
Brewers (-8)
Ranking (Previous Ranking). (Record) (Total Points)
PLAYOFF LOCKS
1(1). Cardinals (96-55) (3132.843): The Team with Fans that Don’t Boo (aka think they’re better than you) have been playing the best ball for a while now and will ride a high wave of momentum into the playoffs after pulling away in the deepest division in the league. Adding Sonny Gray, Gurriel, and Salazar’s new found dominance at the trade deadline have definitely made the Cards a formidable force and the current WS favorite in my book.
2(7). Phillies (96-55) (3250.15): The Team with Fans that Boo Santa Claus and Braves have spent most of the season battling for the top spot in points and top spot in the NL East. While nothing is certain, 6 games in the final 11 is a damn near impossible margin to make up. The matchup was very even (Phillies won 12 head to heads and the Braves won 11), but the Phillies seem to have gotten the better end of the stick thanks in large part to the top offense on the season, at least until the Cards catch them. The Phillies felt out a lot of trades but weren’t able to pull the trigger. Hopefully, the lack of starting pitching depth doesn’t take me down.
3(3). Red Sox (103-48) (2957.033): The team that hates the Yankees for being the Yankees but are basically the Yankees now have pulled away from the entire league and are going to end the season with the best overall record despite not having the easiest division. The Sawx are probably playing their best baseball right now and added some nice complementary pieces at the deadline in Estrada, Moreland and Yates. Those moves remind of Pat Gillick at the 2008 trade deadline. The BoSox certainly hope that it works out the same way.
4(2). Indians (96-55) (3020.47): The team with the most racist mascot basically stood pat at the deadline and given their long-term stranglehold on the division, it makes sense. They definitely could have used some help on the offensive side of the ball, but a beastly rotation could carry the Indians to a World Series.
5(6). Braves (90-61) (3243.643): The team with the second most racist mascot was recently and very narrowly passed by the Cards for the second most points in the league to this stage of the season, but has been chasing the Phillies since early May. Their hopes for the division look dim after losing 2 of 3 over the weekend, but with a 5 game lead on a Wild Card spot and needing to be passed by multiple teams and with a favorable schedule, the Braves should cruise into the playoffs with as good a chance as any to win it all. Not many teams were as active as the Bravos at the deadline but the key to their playoff success may come down to how Robbie Ray looks upon his return from a liner to the head.
6(5). Rays (94-57) (2958.697): The Team with 12 Fans have built themselves a nice cushion of 7 games above the first team out of the playoffs in the AL and with 11 games left, it is insurmountable. With a subpar offense and below average team output over the last few weeks, it is quite surprising given the intensity of the AL Wild Card chase, but the Rays are a lock for the playoffs. If Scherzer or Darvish don’t pitch on Wild Card day, however, their playoff run will probably end quickly.
7(11). Padres (90-61) (2741.463): It has got to be frustrating to all of the teams in the league fighting for a playoff spot or out of the playoffs to see this apparently uncoached team build themselves a gigantic lead in the NL West and it continues to grow despite the fact that they have played like a bottom-third team for a long while now. That can happen when the rest of the division has gone into tank mode. Still, the team that no one has cared about since Tony Gwynn have a good offense and Carlos Martinez, so they’ve got a shot to make a run, assuming someone puts their starters in the lineup. If they were in any other division, the Pads would probably be ranked about 10 spots lower.
FIGHTING FOR PLAYOFF LIVES
8(13). Astros (87-64) (2545.433): The team that thinks we should have hills and poles in the outfield has played great baseball over the last few weeks and after seeming to fall off of the Rangers’ pace, they find themselves just a game back and with the momentum. Bolstered by a deadline deal that brought in Marwin Gonzalez and Folty, they might be the AL West favorites with very little time left in the season. They do have a tough schedule down the stretch including having to face the Central-leading Indians to end the year, however, and they won’t have Salvador Perez to help them with the push. The Astros are also tied for the second wild card spot, so will be watching the Twins and Yankees closely down the stretch.
9(8). Cubs (84-67) (3035.263): The team whose fans are most likely to throw a beer at a player are in dire straits, needing to make up 4 games with 11 to go and leap frog the Reds and Pirates. With 6 relatively easy games against the Brewers and Rockies and the chance to make up 2 games against the Pirates (Sale does not project to pitch), the Cubs have a shot to do it. If the Cardinals decide to tank for a matchup with the Padres in the playoffs, the Cubs might have the best schedule left of the contenders. With a team that has been a steady presence in the top 5 all year, maybe luck will finally tip in their favor.
10(12). Reds (85-66) (2870.12): The fighting Marge Schotts find themselves 3 games behind the Pirates in the Wild Card hunt. If they can get through a very tough matchup with the Cardinals, they should be set up with a favorable final 8 games, including a 3 games series with the Pirates who will only have one projected SP and his name won’t be Sale. Still, the Reds will probably need to win 2 of 3 against the NL-leading Cardinals if they want to sneak into the playoffs.
11(4). Rangers (88-63) (2764.743): The is going to be paying Prince Fielder until 2020 looked poised to run away with the AL West not too long ago and now find themselves in a dog fight. With a slim 1 game lead and mediocre play of late, the Rangers have to be happy to see the A’s on the schedule for the next 3 games. The Astros have been playing better lately, but the Rangers have the favorable schedule and that might be the difference in the end. Still, it will be interesting to see if the resurgent Angels will play spoiler in the final weekend. The Rangers still have chance to take a wild card spot if they can’t hold off the Astros.
12(14). Twins (87-64) (2744.217): Twinkietown is the odds-on favorite to hold onto the wild card lead even if they are currently tied for it at the moment with the Astros. The Twins haven’t played their best ball lately, but they have played well enough and have a nice 6 games remaining against the Tigers and White Sox, who have combined for less wins than 7 other teams. Still, the 2 game series with the Rangers next week could make it very interesting.
13(9). Yankees (84-67) (2795.117): For a while the Bronx Bummers looked like an inevitable playoff team, but the last couple weeks have not gone well and they find themselves needing to pass 2 teams that are 3 games up in their final 11 games. It is a tough task, but not impossible. They play the bottom-dwelling Blue Jays to start and will absolutely need a sweep. They end the season with 5 games against the Rays and Red Sox, so they will need to make up the ground quickly.
14(15). Pirates (88-63) (2611.913): Despite being in the toughest division all year and playing mediocre (15th ranked team in points), the team in the city that paints its 300 bridges exactly the same have a solid 3 game lead on the NL’s final wild card spot. They may need to extend that lead against the Giants this week as they end their season with the Reds, Cubs, and Cardinals- which doesn’t get much tougher. Still, this is starting to feel like the team of destiny that will probably end up winning the World Series on the back of Chris Sale. Seriously though, they have 2 players on offense averaging over 2.5 per game and CC Sabathia as their number 2 starter: how are they doing this?
THE DRAFT IS MORE INTERESTING
15(17). Angels (80-71) (2352.4): The team that has wasted Mike Trout as much as possible decided to play its baseball of the season after being deemed a seller.
16(19). Royals (81-70) (2270.123): The team (in real life) that is going to be the worst team in baseball starting next season over the next decade has played well over the last stretch – but too little too late. They are going to lose a lot over the offseason to free agency, more than any other team, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it, especially with Detroit and Chicago presumably becoming less pathetic in the MLB.
17(16). Marlins (77-74) (2634.963): The team that Jeffry Loria extorted is looking like a .500 team in the end, but are better than that. With the Braves/Phillies at the top of the division, it made the Marlins sellers though. Seems like they traded for Ryan Zimmerman at the absolute worst time.
18(10). Brewers (78-73) (2762.943): The team that relies the most on alcoholism gave it a tough fight in the tough NL Central, but will have to look towards next year now. Some deadline moves set them up well for the next 5 years though.
19(20). Mariners (79-72) (2263.907): The Fried Crickets hung around thanks to the ability to beat up on the A’s and a good amount of luck and will end the season over .500. Will be watching to see if the Faria guy is legit down the stretch.
20(24). Diamondbacks (59-92) (2045.99): The team in the town that is too hot for baseball, or living, would have a much better record if they didn’t miss out on having an owner for a while in the beginning of the season. This is a team that could be a lot better next season. What is with the NL West and the lack of committed owners?
21(23). Mets (61-90) (2176.733): Injuries have done in the team that gets excited by an apple (on a side note, f*** the real-life Mets) but they looked poised for possible the largest jump in wins next season and are actually playing like an above average team at the moment.
22(18). Giants (72-79) (2479.38): The team that charges 17 dollars for a seagull to shit on your head should probably be the NL West leaders given the Padres lack of owner, but still find themselves 18 back. If you can’t catch the team with no owner, even with the bad luck the Giants had, you probably don’t deserve to be a playoff team.
23(21). Nationals (73-78) (2266.887): The team that thought that trading for Jonathan Papelbon was a good idea (and from an entertainment perspective, it was) find themselves near .500 and probably happy with that as they are probably the best team built for the future in the NL East.
24(26). Rockies (59-92) (2039.917): The team from the land of the perpetual steroid era are looking great for 2019 and beyond and with Goldschmidt on the field, seems like they hit their floor this year.
25(22). Orioles (70-81) (2114.163): The team coached by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s ghost did not have a great second half, but health and more importantly developing younger players should make them a contender in the near future.
26(25). Tigers (47-104) (1846.273): The team that Dombrowski ruined the future of to chase a championship that they never got has a nice looking future around the best player in baseball and a promising young ace/catcher combo. They are probably still a couple years away however.
27(27). Dodgers (38-113) (1338.13): The team with fans that leave tie games to beat traffic had a nice year seeing Bellinger and Benintendi show they can his major league pitching. With Albies and Rosario and more getting called up, the Dodgers might be a few SP away from being a playoff contender.
28(29). White Sox (42-109) (1346.247): With McCullers on the DL, there is not a lot of talent left on the team that would rather have top 100 prospects than a major league team. The ChiSox have a lot to look forward to in a few years though.
29(28). Blue Jays (50-101) (1487.097): The team that taught Jose Bautista to embrace his inner douche has a lot of young talent ready to join perhaps the best SS in baseball, but are still a couple years away from competing.
30(30). Athletics (31-120) (1337.88): The team can’t afford the seagulls across the bay looked like the worst draft in my opinion at the outset of the season. With Harper looking like his old douchebag self again and a lot of savvy trades making his minors one of the best if not the best, the traitors to Philly look primed to be a world series contender in 2020.
Biggest Rise:
Astros (+5), Phillies (+5)
Largest Fall:
Brewers (-8)
Ranking (Previous Ranking). (Record) (Total Points)
PLAYOFF LOCKS
1(1). Cardinals (96-55) (3132.843): The Team with Fans that Don’t Boo (aka think they’re better than you) have been playing the best ball for a while now and will ride a high wave of momentum into the playoffs after pulling away in the deepest division in the league. Adding Sonny Gray, Gurriel, and Salazar’s new found dominance at the trade deadline have definitely made the Cards a formidable force and the current WS favorite in my book.
2(7). Phillies (96-55) (3250.15): The Team with Fans that Boo Santa Claus and Braves have spent most of the season battling for the top spot in points and top spot in the NL East. While nothing is certain, 6 games in the final 11 is a damn near impossible margin to make up. The matchup was very even (Phillies won 12 head to heads and the Braves won 11), but the Phillies seem to have gotten the better end of the stick thanks in large part to the top offense on the season, at least until the Cards catch them. The Phillies felt out a lot of trades but weren’t able to pull the trigger. Hopefully, the lack of starting pitching depth doesn’t take me down.
3(3). Red Sox (103-48) (2957.033): The team that hates the Yankees for being the Yankees but are basically the Yankees now have pulled away from the entire league and are going to end the season with the best overall record despite not having the easiest division. The Sawx are probably playing their best baseball right now and added some nice complementary pieces at the deadline in Estrada, Moreland and Yates. Those moves remind of Pat Gillick at the 2008 trade deadline. The BoSox certainly hope that it works out the same way.
4(2). Indians (96-55) (3020.47): The team with the most racist mascot basically stood pat at the deadline and given their long-term stranglehold on the division, it makes sense. They definitely could have used some help on the offensive side of the ball, but a beastly rotation could carry the Indians to a World Series.
5(6). Braves (90-61) (3243.643): The team with the second most racist mascot was recently and very narrowly passed by the Cards for the second most points in the league to this stage of the season, but has been chasing the Phillies since early May. Their hopes for the division look dim after losing 2 of 3 over the weekend, but with a 5 game lead on a Wild Card spot and needing to be passed by multiple teams and with a favorable schedule, the Braves should cruise into the playoffs with as good a chance as any to win it all. Not many teams were as active as the Bravos at the deadline but the key to their playoff success may come down to how Robbie Ray looks upon his return from a liner to the head.
6(5). Rays (94-57) (2958.697): The Team with 12 Fans have built themselves a nice cushion of 7 games above the first team out of the playoffs in the AL and with 11 games left, it is insurmountable. With a subpar offense and below average team output over the last few weeks, it is quite surprising given the intensity of the AL Wild Card chase, but the Rays are a lock for the playoffs. If Scherzer or Darvish don’t pitch on Wild Card day, however, their playoff run will probably end quickly.
7(11). Padres (90-61) (2741.463): It has got to be frustrating to all of the teams in the league fighting for a playoff spot or out of the playoffs to see this apparently uncoached team build themselves a gigantic lead in the NL West and it continues to grow despite the fact that they have played like a bottom-third team for a long while now. That can happen when the rest of the division has gone into tank mode. Still, the team that no one has cared about since Tony Gwynn have a good offense and Carlos Martinez, so they’ve got a shot to make a run, assuming someone puts their starters in the lineup. If they were in any other division, the Pads would probably be ranked about 10 spots lower.
FIGHTING FOR PLAYOFF LIVES
8(13). Astros (87-64) (2545.433): The team that thinks we should have hills and poles in the outfield has played great baseball over the last few weeks and after seeming to fall off of the Rangers’ pace, they find themselves just a game back and with the momentum. Bolstered by a deadline deal that brought in Marwin Gonzalez and Folty, they might be the AL West favorites with very little time left in the season. They do have a tough schedule down the stretch including having to face the Central-leading Indians to end the year, however, and they won’t have Salvador Perez to help them with the push. The Astros are also tied for the second wild card spot, so will be watching the Twins and Yankees closely down the stretch.
9(8). Cubs (84-67) (3035.263): The team whose fans are most likely to throw a beer at a player are in dire straits, needing to make up 4 games with 11 to go and leap frog the Reds and Pirates. With 6 relatively easy games against the Brewers and Rockies and the chance to make up 2 games against the Pirates (Sale does not project to pitch), the Cubs have a shot to do it. If the Cardinals decide to tank for a matchup with the Padres in the playoffs, the Cubs might have the best schedule left of the contenders. With a team that has been a steady presence in the top 5 all year, maybe luck will finally tip in their favor.
10(12). Reds (85-66) (2870.12): The fighting Marge Schotts find themselves 3 games behind the Pirates in the Wild Card hunt. If they can get through a very tough matchup with the Cardinals, they should be set up with a favorable final 8 games, including a 3 games series with the Pirates who will only have one projected SP and his name won’t be Sale. Still, the Reds will probably need to win 2 of 3 against the NL-leading Cardinals if they want to sneak into the playoffs.
11(4). Rangers (88-63) (2764.743): The is going to be paying Prince Fielder until 2020 looked poised to run away with the AL West not too long ago and now find themselves in a dog fight. With a slim 1 game lead and mediocre play of late, the Rangers have to be happy to see the A’s on the schedule for the next 3 games. The Astros have been playing better lately, but the Rangers have the favorable schedule and that might be the difference in the end. Still, it will be interesting to see if the resurgent Angels will play spoiler in the final weekend. The Rangers still have chance to take a wild card spot if they can’t hold off the Astros.
12(14). Twins (87-64) (2744.217): Twinkietown is the odds-on favorite to hold onto the wild card lead even if they are currently tied for it at the moment with the Astros. The Twins haven’t played their best ball lately, but they have played well enough and have a nice 6 games remaining against the Tigers and White Sox, who have combined for less wins than 7 other teams. Still, the 2 game series with the Rangers next week could make it very interesting.
13(9). Yankees (84-67) (2795.117): For a while the Bronx Bummers looked like an inevitable playoff team, but the last couple weeks have not gone well and they find themselves needing to pass 2 teams that are 3 games up in their final 11 games. It is a tough task, but not impossible. They play the bottom-dwelling Blue Jays to start and will absolutely need a sweep. They end the season with 5 games against the Rays and Red Sox, so they will need to make up the ground quickly.
14(15). Pirates (88-63) (2611.913): Despite being in the toughest division all year and playing mediocre (15th ranked team in points), the team in the city that paints its 300 bridges exactly the same have a solid 3 game lead on the NL’s final wild card spot. They may need to extend that lead against the Giants this week as they end their season with the Reds, Cubs, and Cardinals- which doesn’t get much tougher. Still, this is starting to feel like the team of destiny that will probably end up winning the World Series on the back of Chris Sale. Seriously though, they have 2 players on offense averaging over 2.5 per game and CC Sabathia as their number 2 starter: how are they doing this?
THE DRAFT IS MORE INTERESTING
15(17). Angels (80-71) (2352.4): The team that has wasted Mike Trout as much as possible decided to play its baseball of the season after being deemed a seller.
16(19). Royals (81-70) (2270.123): The team (in real life) that is going to be the worst team in baseball starting next season over the next decade has played well over the last stretch – but too little too late. They are going to lose a lot over the offseason to free agency, more than any other team, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it, especially with Detroit and Chicago presumably becoming less pathetic in the MLB.
17(16). Marlins (77-74) (2634.963): The team that Jeffry Loria extorted is looking like a .500 team in the end, but are better than that. With the Braves/Phillies at the top of the division, it made the Marlins sellers though. Seems like they traded for Ryan Zimmerman at the absolute worst time.
18(10). Brewers (78-73) (2762.943): The team that relies the most on alcoholism gave it a tough fight in the tough NL Central, but will have to look towards next year now. Some deadline moves set them up well for the next 5 years though.
19(20). Mariners (79-72) (2263.907): The Fried Crickets hung around thanks to the ability to beat up on the A’s and a good amount of luck and will end the season over .500. Will be watching to see if the Faria guy is legit down the stretch.
20(24). Diamondbacks (59-92) (2045.99): The team in the town that is too hot for baseball, or living, would have a much better record if they didn’t miss out on having an owner for a while in the beginning of the season. This is a team that could be a lot better next season. What is with the NL West and the lack of committed owners?
21(23). Mets (61-90) (2176.733): Injuries have done in the team that gets excited by an apple (on a side note, f*** the real-life Mets) but they looked poised for possible the largest jump in wins next season and are actually playing like an above average team at the moment.
22(18). Giants (72-79) (2479.38): The team that charges 17 dollars for a seagull to shit on your head should probably be the NL West leaders given the Padres lack of owner, but still find themselves 18 back. If you can’t catch the team with no owner, even with the bad luck the Giants had, you probably don’t deserve to be a playoff team.
23(21). Nationals (73-78) (2266.887): The team that thought that trading for Jonathan Papelbon was a good idea (and from an entertainment perspective, it was) find themselves near .500 and probably happy with that as they are probably the best team built for the future in the NL East.
24(26). Rockies (59-92) (2039.917): The team from the land of the perpetual steroid era are looking great for 2019 and beyond and with Goldschmidt on the field, seems like they hit their floor this year.
25(22). Orioles (70-81) (2114.163): The team coached by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s ghost did not have a great second half, but health and more importantly developing younger players should make them a contender in the near future.
26(25). Tigers (47-104) (1846.273): The team that Dombrowski ruined the future of to chase a championship that they never got has a nice looking future around the best player in baseball and a promising young ace/catcher combo. They are probably still a couple years away however.
27(27). Dodgers (38-113) (1338.13): The team with fans that leave tie games to beat traffic had a nice year seeing Bellinger and Benintendi show they can his major league pitching. With Albies and Rosario and more getting called up, the Dodgers might be a few SP away from being a playoff contender.
28(29). White Sox (42-109) (1346.247): With McCullers on the DL, there is not a lot of talent left on the team that would rather have top 100 prospects than a major league team. The ChiSox have a lot to look forward to in a few years though.
29(28). Blue Jays (50-101) (1487.097): The team that taught Jose Bautista to embrace his inner douche has a lot of young talent ready to join perhaps the best SS in baseball, but are still a couple years away from competing.
30(30). Athletics (31-120) (1337.88): The team can’t afford the seagulls across the bay looked like the worst draft in my opinion at the outset of the season. With Harper looking like his old douchebag self again and a lot of savvy trades making his minors one of the best if not the best, the traitors to Philly look primed to be a world series contender in 2020.