Post by Philadelphia Phillies on May 17, 2018 19:04:37 GMT -5
Ranking. (Previous Ranking) (W-L) (Total Points) -
Biggest Rise Royals/Orioles (+7)
Largest Fall Reds/Blue Jays/Braves (-4)
Playoff Locks
1. (1) Chicago Cubs (43-15) (1647.833) - What’s wrong with Goldschmidt? Other than that, not a lot of concerns for Chitown as they will cruise into the playoffs. Corner outfield could use some help, but the rest of the lineup is so stacked and Severino is looking like a top 5 pitcher so they’re still the WS favorites.
2. (6) Boston Red Sox (40-18) (1596.763) - The top offensive team in the league is led by Nick Markakis? I like ole Nick, but that’s not going to continue. Still, Ozuna should pick up the slack and the returns of Cueto/Molina for the playoff run will make this team dangerous. The rotation has played admirably, but could use some help as the season goes on.
3. (7) Cleveland Indians (44-14) (1571.177) - Offensively, the Indians have been solid throughout without any players really breaking out. The pitching though has greatly exceeded my expectations. Quintana was looking like the possible ace but has suddenly become almost irrelevant. Cole, Corbin, and Nola are all pitching like Cy Young candidates while Happ is striking people out better than ever.
4. (2) Philadelphia Phillies (45-13) (1563.067) - Injuries are starting to pile up in Philly. Three starting infielders and 4 starting pitchers are currently occupying the DL and only Julio Teheran has remained in the rotation all year. Luckily, the rest of the NL East has been uncompetitive and the Phils have some time to heal before the playoffs arrive.
Legitimate Playoff Contenders
5. (3) Colorado Rockies (39-19) (1470.89) - The Verlander trade is looking great and the Rockies have largely avoided injuries to the offense, but Didi’s emergence is probably the biggest reason the Rockies are top 5 in points thus far. Daniel Murphy should be back for the playoff run and would make this team dangerous if they can avoid other injuries.
6. (4) Los Angeles Angels (36-22) (1446.153) - Soler has been the only player to truly outplay expectations so far, but balance has been key for the Angels and the 1-2-3 of Kluber/Syndergaard/Berrios will be deadly come playoff time.
7. (5) St. Louis Cardinals (35-23) (1407.757) - Good offense, good top of the rotation. Sonny Gray’s regression is scary and the Cards might not be able to survive a deGrom or Carrasco injury, but the lineup will keep them competitive throughout the year and probably earn a playoff spot. It is looking more like they will cede the division this year, however.
8. (9) San Diego Padres (39-19) (1381.433) - The NL West should be the best divisional race (and possibly the only interesting one). Injuries, however, are going to slow down the Pads in the short term and it will be interesting to see if they can keep pace with the Rockies. Blake Snell’s continued emergence will be key.
9. (10) New York Yankees (34-24) (1371.177) - The Yankees have greatly benefited from supreme health and find themselves in great shape for a playoff position. David Price has been the only disappointing cog in a rotation that is performing about as well as one could hope. If the Yankees stay healthy and get a little luck, they will compete for the AL East crown.
10. (15) Tampa Bay Rays (29-29) (1242.24) - Injuries and ineffectiveness have made the Rays lineup pretty subpar so far. Jose Ramirez has been amazing though and the Pirates’ C combo has been the best in the league arguably. If Archer and Darvish start contributing as should be expected, the pitching staff could help boost the Rays to a playoff spot, but their division hopes are non-existent.
11. (12) Houston Astros (32-26) (1219.613) - Marwin Gonzalez has reverted back to regular utility guy and Altuve, while still very good, has not been otherworldly like the last couple years. But, Porcello is dealing like it’s an even-numbered year while Roark, Folty, and Sanchez and providing enough quality starts to keep the Astros competitive in the West. I don’t think they’ll catch the Angels, but they have a chance for the Wild Card.
12. (8) Cincinnati Reds (33-25) (1316.29) - The Reds got off to a great start, but have slowed down considerably. The offense has gotten little help from anyone not named Freeman or Machado, but the rotation can keep them in the wild card hunt. Mikolas, Skaggs and especially Morton have been outstanding and will need to keep it up.
Hanging by a Thread
13. (20) Baltimore Orioles (25-33) (1250.567) - Baltimore has been on a bit of an opposite trajectory than the Reds. They were in last place in the league a through a couple weeks and have rebounded strongly. The acquisition of Cesar Hernandez has helped as has the emergence of Cy Young candidate James Paxton. It may be a bit too late, but the O’s are at least trending in the right direction, but I bet they wish they still had Buehler.
14. (11) Oakland Athletics (29-29) (1298.66) - Buehler’s promotion, Pomeranz’ return from the DL, and Bartolo’s ability to not be terrible would make it seem like the A’s should be headed in the right direction, but they have slipped a bit recently relative to others. LeMahieu and Pollock injuries will have a bit to do with that, but A’s rebuild is a year ahead of schedule and they can certainly make some noice.
15. (13) New York Mets (27-31) (1251.713) - Trevor Bauer is looking like he is finally ready to be an ace. Matt Davidson might be for real and the Mets are playing better than their record indicates. They have enough talent to push for a playoff spot, but they are 8 games out and will need some help.
16. (18) Chicago White Sox (27-31) (1134.827) - The ChiSox are competing with the A’s for most improved team this year but are still a few pieces away from being a true contender. Still, with a pretty easy division (ignoring Cleveland), they are not completely out of the running for the final AL playoff spot. They will need some luck or make a couple moves to make it happen.
17. (14) Texas Rangers (32-26) (944.387) - I have absolutely no idea how the Rangers are 6 games over .500, but I do not expect it to last much longer. Cano’s suspension hurts a lineup that is already not good outside of Teoscar and Donaldson. With Kershaw and Robbie Ray on the DL, this team is really not equipped to stay in the race. That being said, maybe they can hang on long enough for the above to get healthy and sneak in.
18. (25) Kansas City Royals (30-28) (980.253) - The Royals are almost as bad as the Rangers, but at least their division explains how they are still above .500. Their middle infield of Segura and Asrubal has been very good (and recently Schoop), as has Freeland, but there has not been much else to like about this team. Still, the record and division make it tough for me to completely count them out.
When does football season start?
19. (16) Washington Nationals (22-36) (1233.44) - I actually think the Nats have enough talent to be a playoff contender, but at 14 games under .500 and a bunch of tanking teams, it just does not seem in the cards this year. For next year, they should have good enough pitching, but will need to fill the holes in their lineup, some of which will come with better health.
20. (19) Miami Marlins (24-34) (1067.273) - A deep rotation has not been enough in the early going for the Marlins. They are probably going to improve their record as the season goes on, but too many lineup holes and no stars make this team look to 2019.
21. (17) Toronto Blue Jays (23-35) (1080.237) - I really like their young lineup, which is set to be very good for a very long time, but a complete and utter lack of pitching (2nd worst in the league) has prevented this team from really competing this year. Still, assuming they add some arms, the future should be bright.
22. (24) Arizona Diamondbacks (26-32) (937.21) - How bout Clevinger? Great to see him getting the chance to stick in the rotation and earning it. Matt Harvey should get released this offseason and some other tweaks will need to be made, but this team has some solid pieces.
23. (21) San Francisco Giants (25-33) (837.207) - Pedroia should be back soon, Turner just returned, and I like Garrett Richards’ chances to be a good contributor as the season roles on, but this team has dealt with too many injuries and has too many holes for me to see them climbing all the way back. That being said, they are better than they have been.
24. (26) Los Angeles Dodgers (25-33) (854.613) - They have pieces for a future great team and Baez’s breakout is something a building team needs, but Castillo’s and Kingery’s and Andujar’s growing pains have held them back.
25. (22) Minnesota Twins (21-37) (966.687) - Why did the real life Rays just give away Dickerson? Pivetta and Trevor Williams are looking good, but a pretty barren MLB roster overall.
26. (29) Pittsburgh Pirates (14-44) (681.013) - With Seager’s injury and Taillon’s regression, this team lacks anyone that would be considered an above-average player to this point in the season. This was all by design, however, and the Pirates are on pace for the top pick.
27. (23) Atlanta Braves (24-34) (942.71) - Gleyber’s off to a nice start and the Braves are tanking hard, but there are a few intriguing performances to keep an eye on (Aguilar, Almora, Devers).
28. (28) Seattle Mariners (15-43) (687.42) - Ozzie and Soroka are showing impressive stuff that has to excite Seattle ownership. A couple of vets are playing well but this team has a ton of holes at the moment.
29. (27) Milwaukee Brewers (18-40) (623.55) - Lucchesi should be a fun player to watch after he come back from injury. Flaherty should be more fun to watch. The Crew have a great farm and the ownership is probably more focused on the minors right now.
30. (30) Detroit Tigers (14-44) (518.427) - How about Daniel Mengdon mowing down the BoSox? He could be a pleasant surprise but still too small of a sample size for me to be a true believer.
Biggest Rise Royals/Orioles (+7)
Largest Fall Reds/Blue Jays/Braves (-4)
Playoff Locks
1. (1) Chicago Cubs (43-15) (1647.833) - What’s wrong with Goldschmidt? Other than that, not a lot of concerns for Chitown as they will cruise into the playoffs. Corner outfield could use some help, but the rest of the lineup is so stacked and Severino is looking like a top 5 pitcher so they’re still the WS favorites.
2. (6) Boston Red Sox (40-18) (1596.763) - The top offensive team in the league is led by Nick Markakis? I like ole Nick, but that’s not going to continue. Still, Ozuna should pick up the slack and the returns of Cueto/Molina for the playoff run will make this team dangerous. The rotation has played admirably, but could use some help as the season goes on.
3. (7) Cleveland Indians (44-14) (1571.177) - Offensively, the Indians have been solid throughout without any players really breaking out. The pitching though has greatly exceeded my expectations. Quintana was looking like the possible ace but has suddenly become almost irrelevant. Cole, Corbin, and Nola are all pitching like Cy Young candidates while Happ is striking people out better than ever.
4. (2) Philadelphia Phillies (45-13) (1563.067) - Injuries are starting to pile up in Philly. Three starting infielders and 4 starting pitchers are currently occupying the DL and only Julio Teheran has remained in the rotation all year. Luckily, the rest of the NL East has been uncompetitive and the Phils have some time to heal before the playoffs arrive.
Legitimate Playoff Contenders
5. (3) Colorado Rockies (39-19) (1470.89) - The Verlander trade is looking great and the Rockies have largely avoided injuries to the offense, but Didi’s emergence is probably the biggest reason the Rockies are top 5 in points thus far. Daniel Murphy should be back for the playoff run and would make this team dangerous if they can avoid other injuries.
6. (4) Los Angeles Angels (36-22) (1446.153) - Soler has been the only player to truly outplay expectations so far, but balance has been key for the Angels and the 1-2-3 of Kluber/Syndergaard/Berrios will be deadly come playoff time.
7. (5) St. Louis Cardinals (35-23) (1407.757) - Good offense, good top of the rotation. Sonny Gray’s regression is scary and the Cards might not be able to survive a deGrom or Carrasco injury, but the lineup will keep them competitive throughout the year and probably earn a playoff spot. It is looking more like they will cede the division this year, however.
8. (9) San Diego Padres (39-19) (1381.433) - The NL West should be the best divisional race (and possibly the only interesting one). Injuries, however, are going to slow down the Pads in the short term and it will be interesting to see if they can keep pace with the Rockies. Blake Snell’s continued emergence will be key.
9. (10) New York Yankees (34-24) (1371.177) - The Yankees have greatly benefited from supreme health and find themselves in great shape for a playoff position. David Price has been the only disappointing cog in a rotation that is performing about as well as one could hope. If the Yankees stay healthy and get a little luck, they will compete for the AL East crown.
10. (15) Tampa Bay Rays (29-29) (1242.24) - Injuries and ineffectiveness have made the Rays lineup pretty subpar so far. Jose Ramirez has been amazing though and the Pirates’ C combo has been the best in the league arguably. If Archer and Darvish start contributing as should be expected, the pitching staff could help boost the Rays to a playoff spot, but their division hopes are non-existent.
11. (12) Houston Astros (32-26) (1219.613) - Marwin Gonzalez has reverted back to regular utility guy and Altuve, while still very good, has not been otherworldly like the last couple years. But, Porcello is dealing like it’s an even-numbered year while Roark, Folty, and Sanchez and providing enough quality starts to keep the Astros competitive in the West. I don’t think they’ll catch the Angels, but they have a chance for the Wild Card.
12. (8) Cincinnati Reds (33-25) (1316.29) - The Reds got off to a great start, but have slowed down considerably. The offense has gotten little help from anyone not named Freeman or Machado, but the rotation can keep them in the wild card hunt. Mikolas, Skaggs and especially Morton have been outstanding and will need to keep it up.
Hanging by a Thread
13. (20) Baltimore Orioles (25-33) (1250.567) - Baltimore has been on a bit of an opposite trajectory than the Reds. They were in last place in the league a through a couple weeks and have rebounded strongly. The acquisition of Cesar Hernandez has helped as has the emergence of Cy Young candidate James Paxton. It may be a bit too late, but the O’s are at least trending in the right direction, but I bet they wish they still had Buehler.
14. (11) Oakland Athletics (29-29) (1298.66) - Buehler’s promotion, Pomeranz’ return from the DL, and Bartolo’s ability to not be terrible would make it seem like the A’s should be headed in the right direction, but they have slipped a bit recently relative to others. LeMahieu and Pollock injuries will have a bit to do with that, but A’s rebuild is a year ahead of schedule and they can certainly make some noice.
15. (13) New York Mets (27-31) (1251.713) - Trevor Bauer is looking like he is finally ready to be an ace. Matt Davidson might be for real and the Mets are playing better than their record indicates. They have enough talent to push for a playoff spot, but they are 8 games out and will need some help.
16. (18) Chicago White Sox (27-31) (1134.827) - The ChiSox are competing with the A’s for most improved team this year but are still a few pieces away from being a true contender. Still, with a pretty easy division (ignoring Cleveland), they are not completely out of the running for the final AL playoff spot. They will need some luck or make a couple moves to make it happen.
17. (14) Texas Rangers (32-26) (944.387) - I have absolutely no idea how the Rangers are 6 games over .500, but I do not expect it to last much longer. Cano’s suspension hurts a lineup that is already not good outside of Teoscar and Donaldson. With Kershaw and Robbie Ray on the DL, this team is really not equipped to stay in the race. That being said, maybe they can hang on long enough for the above to get healthy and sneak in.
18. (25) Kansas City Royals (30-28) (980.253) - The Royals are almost as bad as the Rangers, but at least their division explains how they are still above .500. Their middle infield of Segura and Asrubal has been very good (and recently Schoop), as has Freeland, but there has not been much else to like about this team. Still, the record and division make it tough for me to completely count them out.
When does football season start?
19. (16) Washington Nationals (22-36) (1233.44) - I actually think the Nats have enough talent to be a playoff contender, but at 14 games under .500 and a bunch of tanking teams, it just does not seem in the cards this year. For next year, they should have good enough pitching, but will need to fill the holes in their lineup, some of which will come with better health.
20. (19) Miami Marlins (24-34) (1067.273) - A deep rotation has not been enough in the early going for the Marlins. They are probably going to improve their record as the season goes on, but too many lineup holes and no stars make this team look to 2019.
21. (17) Toronto Blue Jays (23-35) (1080.237) - I really like their young lineup, which is set to be very good for a very long time, but a complete and utter lack of pitching (2nd worst in the league) has prevented this team from really competing this year. Still, assuming they add some arms, the future should be bright.
22. (24) Arizona Diamondbacks (26-32) (937.21) - How bout Clevinger? Great to see him getting the chance to stick in the rotation and earning it. Matt Harvey should get released this offseason and some other tweaks will need to be made, but this team has some solid pieces.
23. (21) San Francisco Giants (25-33) (837.207) - Pedroia should be back soon, Turner just returned, and I like Garrett Richards’ chances to be a good contributor as the season roles on, but this team has dealt with too many injuries and has too many holes for me to see them climbing all the way back. That being said, they are better than they have been.
24. (26) Los Angeles Dodgers (25-33) (854.613) - They have pieces for a future great team and Baez’s breakout is something a building team needs, but Castillo’s and Kingery’s and Andujar’s growing pains have held them back.
25. (22) Minnesota Twins (21-37) (966.687) - Why did the real life Rays just give away Dickerson? Pivetta and Trevor Williams are looking good, but a pretty barren MLB roster overall.
26. (29) Pittsburgh Pirates (14-44) (681.013) - With Seager’s injury and Taillon’s regression, this team lacks anyone that would be considered an above-average player to this point in the season. This was all by design, however, and the Pirates are on pace for the top pick.
27. (23) Atlanta Braves (24-34) (942.71) - Gleyber’s off to a nice start and the Braves are tanking hard, but there are a few intriguing performances to keep an eye on (Aguilar, Almora, Devers).
28. (28) Seattle Mariners (15-43) (687.42) - Ozzie and Soroka are showing impressive stuff that has to excite Seattle ownership. A couple of vets are playing well but this team has a ton of holes at the moment.
29. (27) Milwaukee Brewers (18-40) (623.55) - Lucchesi should be a fun player to watch after he come back from injury. Flaherty should be more fun to watch. The Crew have a great farm and the ownership is probably more focused on the minors right now.
30. (30) Detroit Tigers (14-44) (518.427) - How about Daniel Mengdon mowing down the BoSox? He could be a pleasant surprise but still too small of a sample size for me to be a true believer.