Post by Philadelphia Phillies on May 12, 2017 19:23:49 GMT -5
We are about a third of the way through the season and while favorites are starting to emerge, very few teams are out of the playoff hunt.
Ranking (Previous Ranking). (Record) (Total Points)
Biggest Rise: Tampa Bay Rays (+8)
Largest Fall: New York Mets (-11)
Playoff Locks
1(4). Indians (40-10) (1190.36): The Indians have ridden a 12 game winning streak to a 12 game lead in the division. Votto has been spectacular since the trade and leads an offense that has avoided any major injuries. Keuchel may be back to his Cy Young stuff to lead an overachieving staff that should be bolstered by the imminent return of Aaron Nola. The Indians have a lot going right and may have already locked up the Central, but certainly won’t miss the playoffs with so many games remaining against the White Sox and Tigers.
Fighting for the Playoffs
2(1). Braves (29-21) (1264.8): One of the unluckiest teams so far, the Braves have fallen 5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East despite continuing to lead the league in points. The Braves hitting has faded a bit in the last couple weeks, but the pitching has been superb (6 starters averaging over 10 pts/start). They are currently holding onto the second wild card slot, but should move up as their schedule gets easier.
3(5). Padres (33-17) (1172.56): The league’s top offense recently got Gary Sanchez back and have a few rejuvenated vets in Bruce, Morrison, and Gardner continuing to hit well. The offense, coupled with a rotation that is probably overachieving a bit, has given the Pads a 3 game division lead on the Giants. This team has been forcing itself up the rankings by outperforming my expectations all year long.
4(2). Giants (30-20) (1131.187): The fighting Eric Thames’ have the best 1-5 lineup in the league thus far. Myers, Pedroia, Posey, and Turner are all efficiently racking up points and Thames is looking like an MVP candidate. The Giants need some more points out of a mostly non-existent bullpen and poor starting staff, however, if they want to catch the Padres. They currently sit 3 games back in the West and hold onto the first Wild Card spot in the NL. This seems like a playoff team and if Rich Hill comes back strong from his DL stint, could threaten for the NL crown.
5(8). Phillies (34-16) (1206.223): The Phils have ridden a fortunate schedule and some good luck to the top of the NL East and currently hold the best record in the National League. That is in large part due to a 12 game winning streak that has been fueled largely by luck, a fuck ton of luck. They have avoided any serious injuries to an injury prone lineup and have had a dominant bullpen thus far. The rotation, outside of Ervin Santana, has been bad. The Phillies 3-6 starters have combined for 5 quality starts through the first month and a half. That will need to improve if the Phils want to hold onto the division and a Braves team that deserves the division lead.
6(7). Reds (30-20) (1128.34): The NL Central is by far the most competitive division in the league so far. All 5 teams have scored in the top half and they have really beaten each other up. As the teams start to venture outside of the division, the Reds hold a deserved 2 game lead. Freddie Freeman is leading a deep lineup that is also young. Buxton has surprisingly been serviceable since joining Cincy and the Reds look like a team that can handle injuries better than anyone else. The pitching is not deep like the offense and it the Reds do not make the playoffs, it will be because of the pitching.
7(12). Red Sox (32-18) (1119.323): The AL East has probably had the best last couple weeks overall, led by the Sox. A deep pitching staff that is pitching to its abilities has led them to a 4 cushion in the division and the second best record in the AL. The offense has been solid, if unspectacular. Jose Abreu has recovered nicely from a terrible start and Marcell Ozuna is looking like he has taken the step into MLB stardom. The Starling Marte suspension definitely hurts, but it hasn’t slowed down the Bostonians yet.
8(16). Rays (28-22) (1115.887): The Rays are on a surprising 9-game winning streak and are tied for the second wild-card spot in the AL. Despite being nearly identical to the Red Sox in offensive production (667 to 655) and pitching (459 to 452), the Rays find themselves 4 back in the division however. That may not last long as J.D. Martinez just came back and Tulowitzki is not far off. Scherzer and Darvish will make this a very tough team to beat as the season progresses.
9(14). Pirates (28-22) (1088.423): The teams in the NL Central are all so close that it is hard to separate. The Pirates are currently 2 back in the division and only 1 spot out of the playoffs, but are not too far off from being in the bottom of the Central. The offense in Pittsburgh is not intimidating. Seager is a beast and Altherr has been crushing it, but this is a team that will need to rely heavily on its pitching during the playoff chase. Chris Sale is the main reason that the Pirates are in the position they’re in and could win the Cy Young. Miguel Gonzalez, Zach Eflin, and the rest of the pitching staff is going to need to continue to over perform for this team to sneak into the playoffs out of the Central. On an unrelated note, go Ottawa and fuck Sidney Crosby: the biggest bitch in sports.
10(6). Cubs (23-27) (1139.9): Despite having the most points scored in the Central to date (and 5th most overall), the Cubs are tied for last in the division and find themselves 6 games out of a playoff spot. Luck has not shone brightly on the North Side. Adam Eaton being out for the year won’t help as the Cubs try to turn their luck around, but the Cubs still boast a top-tier infield that is going to have to continue to play well. Taillon’s testicular cancer and Maeda’s hamstring might make it too much to overcome. In the beginning of the year, this looked like a playoff team, but bad luck may have taken that away.
11(10). Rangers (29-21) (1084.783): Despite being on a 5 game losing streak, the Rangers are tied for the West division lead and the first wild card spot. They have done this without Josh Donaldson in the lineup. Robbie Cano has been living up to the contract, Matt Carpenter has been really good, and the rest of the lineup outside of the catching position has held its own. Kershaw is in line to make another run at a Cy Young and I expect the rest of the rotation to pitch a bit better as the season continues. This team will be really tough when Donaldson returns.
12(3). Cardinals (26-24) (1075.44): The Cards are right in the thick of things in the NL Central. They are 4 games back in the division and 3 back in the wild card hunt, so things are not looking too bad despite the significant drop in the rankings. The Cardinals have plugged a few holes in the lineup recently with overachieving players (Aybar/Lowrie) through trades and should perform better in the last 2/3 of the season. It is a solid and top heavy rotation as well. This team looks great on paper but I haven’t seen the results in points yet, but would not be surprised to see the Cards in the top 5 at the end of the year.
13(13). Twins (28-22) (997.277): Despite being 12 games back in the division, the Twins are tied for the final playoff spot in the AL. The offense has avoided major injuries and have gotten solid contributions everywhere outside of catcher. If Jose Bautista can remember how to hit, this lineup could be scary down the stretch. What looked like a good rotation to start the season is becoming a bit scary for the fans in the twin cities. Kluber is battling injuries and has not pitched great. Matt Moore and Tom Koehler have been bad and Eickhoff has been battered recently. This is a team that should push for a playoff spot (especially given the divisional schedule), but is going to need a lot more from its starters to make it comfortable.
14(9). Astros (29-21) (996.877): The Astros have not played like a playoff team so far, but find themselves in a playoff position and tied atop the division. Duda is returning from a prolonged absence to a lineup that has been holding its own despite no breakout performances. The pitching has been disappointing, largely due to injury. Aaron Sanchez, Shelby Miller, and Liriano are all currently on the DL and Tillman just recently made his first start. If the rotation can get healthy, this team could make a run at the division.
15(18). Brewers (23-27) (1036.233): Despite being on a 6 game losing streak and being tied for last place in their division, I still have the Brewers in the top half of teams. The trade for Zimmerman has been doing wonders for an offense that is performing very well. The d’Arnaud injury hurts, but this is a top-tier offense that is young enough (outside of Zimmerman) to improve as the year goes on. The rotation is pitching fine, which is really what the Brewers should hope for. If the starters can get quality starts at a decent rate (which remains to be seen), this is a playoff team even in a very tough NL Central.
16(21). Angels (25-25) (911.82): The Angels started the year 9-21 and were close to the bottom of the league in points. While they have not moved up a ton in points (21st) they are somehow a .500 team 50 games into the year and are only 3 games out of a playoff spot. Adrian Gonzalez landed on the DL to add insult right after being acquired via trade though, which adds a damper to the leaps up the standings. This has not been a good offense so far and I’m not sure if that is going to change much. The pitching, however, might be the Angels saving grace as Price is set to return soon.
17(24). Yankees (27-23) (972.64): Maybe I need to start giving the Yanks a bit more credit as they find themselves only 1 game out of a playoff berth. Story’s trip to the DL leaves them without a SS and the offense was already looking slim. Aaron Judge has been amazing, but I don’t expect that to continue. Kipnis should play much better however, so I would not be too surprised if this continues to be an average offense. Lester can be better as he leads an uninspiring and overachieving-to-date rotation, but this Yankees team can hang around for a while.
18(22). Mariners (27-23) (917.627): It’s a testament to something (I’m not sure what) that the Mariners are only one game out of a playoff spot. The offense looks to be solid, when they play, and it will be interesting to see if the Aaron Hicks renaissance is real in NY. Bryant is mashing and Rupp is actually hitting again in Philly, so the offense is capable. The pitching does not inspire confidence, although it has performed as well as the offense so far. The Britton injury doesn’t help a mediocre bullpen and the Chen injury does not help a mediocre rotation. The whole squad screams mediocre to me, but that may be good enough to make a playoff run.
19(23). Royals (26-24) (904.643): The division looks out of reach, but the Royals still have decent shot at a wild card spot, being only 2 spots out. Andrew Toles was killing it out of the leadoff spot for the Dodgers and his season-ending injury is going to hurt the Royals offense quite a bit. Improvements from slumping Lucroy and Crash Davis should help offset the loss, however, so I do not expect much of a drop off in offensive production. The Royals starting pitching has not been bad at all so it surprises me to see them so low in the points rankings (23rd). If their scoring starts to catch up with the reality of their staff, this team could contend down the stretch.
20(15). Orioles (25-25) (904.093): The Orioles are hanging in the race, but will probably need a breakout performance or two as the season goes on to truly contend. 50 games into the season and Taylor Motter, with his .226 batting average, is scoring more PPG than all of the Orange regulars outside of Addison Russell. I don’t know if Addy would want anyone in this lineup to sign one of his pokemon cards if that continues. That being said, that means there is plenty of room for improvement and I do like the offense. The pitching scares me a bit. Nova has pitched great and Santiago has pitched very well, but Ian Kennedy’s injury (hopefully minor), the expected regression to the mean, and the struggles of Gausman make me worry about the long-term upside of the rotation.
21(19). Marlins (22-28) (969.84): Miami has been playing better of late, but it has not helped them in the standings much as they are now 12 back in the division and are 7 games outside of the playoffs. Headley has been coming back to Earth hard recently. Kemp and Desmond returning helps the Marlins a lot and this is a good offensive team despite holes at first and catcher. Harvey ‘s alcoholism seriously hurts the rotation a lot and makes me seriously doubt his ability to be the star I thought he would be. Pineda, however, could replace him as the stud of the rotation. The Marlins are only this low on the list because of the divisional hole they are in and because the Harvey revelation could be devastating. This team is definitely capable of climbing out of the hole though.
22(11). Mets (21-29) (924.433): If you had told me a few weeks ago that the Mets would be 13 games out of the division lead at this point, I would have been shocked. Things have just not gone well for the Mets thus far. Brandon Crawford is back and that will certainly help what should be a much better offense. Piscotty was very disappointing prior to landing on the DL, but otherwise, the offense should be fine. The Mets problem is easy to identify moving forward. They have 5(!!!!) starting pitchers on the DL in Bumgarner, Hernandez, McCarthy, Paxton, and Volquez. Thrown in the fact that Wacha is having his spot in the rotation skipped this week for rest and you have a team that is going to struggle.
23(17). Diamondbacks (21-29) (955.14): The Diamondbacks might have the best bullpen in the league and the best middle infield so far, but not a lot else has gone right for the desert snakes, as they are 12 back in the division and on a current 5 game losing streak. The Syndergaard injury is devastating to a rotation that is not particularly strong and there are too many holes in the lineup for me to feel confident that DBacks are going to make a playoff push, but they have enough pieces to do it.
24(20). Rockies (22-28) (893.137): The absurdly good combination of Goldschmidt (expected) and Mark Reynolds (huh?) is probably the top scoring pair of offensive players in the league. Cespedes has played well when on the field and can give hope of a solid offense moving forward when he is activated from the DL soon. With Sandoval, Howie Kendrick, and Dahl also due to return at some point, this could actually be a good offense, but it may end up being too little too late given that the Rockies are already 7 games back of the final playoff spot. On the pitching side, Verlander is proving that he is back to being a very good pitcher and Trevor Cahill has shown that he might have something solid left in the tank. The rest of the rotation is weak and cannot carry an offense with so many injuries. The Rockies are hanging by a thread at this point and it looks like they are going to be an injury bug fatality in 2017.
25(25). Nationals (19-31) (850.553): The Nationals are 10 games out of a playoff spot right now and their hopes are dwindling. There have been several disappointments, but the complete failure of Dansby Swanson so far has to rank number one and could hurt for years to come if he decides to pull a Buxton. Greg Bird, the Nats’ other young early pick has also disappointed greatly and might be better off on the DL, where he currently resides. There is hope for the pitching in the Nation’s capital, with Senzatela off to a great start and the Tanaka/Strasburg combo continuing to pitch well. With Urias as a future possible Cy Young, this rotation could be scary good for years to come.
Looking to 2018
26(28). Tigers (12-38) (714.733): The Tigers have a lot to like about how the season has gone so far. Severino and Fulmer are looking like aces for years to come and Lindor has been the best SS in the game this year by a healthy margin. His veterans have struggled a bit and Willson Contreras is not off to a great start, but the Tigers look like they have the building blocks for a bright future when their deep farm begins to mature. They currently have the worst record in the league as well, so they should be positioned for a great pick when the draft rolls around.
27(26). Blue Jays (16-34) (702.143): Toronto has traded away almost their entire major league roster and are in full rebuild mode. On the bright side, Correa is quieting any doubts if there were any. Mazara, Polanco and Taijuan Walker, the other long-term pieces at the MLB level are playing decently, but it is clear that this team is not going to compete this year.
28(27). Athletics (13-37) (690.79): The A’s have been active on the trade block and have added some nice young pieces in the process, but still lack the depth to make any moves this year. They may have the MVP in Harper though and have to be ecstatic to see him rebound so well from last year. A watchful eye should be kept on Sonny Gray as he was once an ace – can he rebound from the injuries?
29(30). Dodgers (15-35) (607.793): The Benintendi/Bellinger combo could wreak havoc on the NL West for years to come and LA has to be very happy about how well they have performed. Along with that Judge guy, this could be an exciting ROY campaign.
30(29). White Sox (17-33) (565.05): Could Freddy Galvis be a long term piece? Who knows, but he is playing great now and with JP Crawford struggling in AAA, Galvis should at least be a valuable trade chip. Most importantly for the Southsiders, McCullers has been pitching well and looks like a top of the rotation mainstay that the Sox can rely on into the rebuild.
Ranking (Previous Ranking). (Record) (Total Points)
Biggest Rise: Tampa Bay Rays (+8)
Largest Fall: New York Mets (-11)
Playoff Locks
1(4). Indians (40-10) (1190.36): The Indians have ridden a 12 game winning streak to a 12 game lead in the division. Votto has been spectacular since the trade and leads an offense that has avoided any major injuries. Keuchel may be back to his Cy Young stuff to lead an overachieving staff that should be bolstered by the imminent return of Aaron Nola. The Indians have a lot going right and may have already locked up the Central, but certainly won’t miss the playoffs with so many games remaining against the White Sox and Tigers.
Fighting for the Playoffs
2(1). Braves (29-21) (1264.8): One of the unluckiest teams so far, the Braves have fallen 5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East despite continuing to lead the league in points. The Braves hitting has faded a bit in the last couple weeks, but the pitching has been superb (6 starters averaging over 10 pts/start). They are currently holding onto the second wild card slot, but should move up as their schedule gets easier.
3(5). Padres (33-17) (1172.56): The league’s top offense recently got Gary Sanchez back and have a few rejuvenated vets in Bruce, Morrison, and Gardner continuing to hit well. The offense, coupled with a rotation that is probably overachieving a bit, has given the Pads a 3 game division lead on the Giants. This team has been forcing itself up the rankings by outperforming my expectations all year long.
4(2). Giants (30-20) (1131.187): The fighting Eric Thames’ have the best 1-5 lineup in the league thus far. Myers, Pedroia, Posey, and Turner are all efficiently racking up points and Thames is looking like an MVP candidate. The Giants need some more points out of a mostly non-existent bullpen and poor starting staff, however, if they want to catch the Padres. They currently sit 3 games back in the West and hold onto the first Wild Card spot in the NL. This seems like a playoff team and if Rich Hill comes back strong from his DL stint, could threaten for the NL crown.
5(8). Phillies (34-16) (1206.223): The Phils have ridden a fortunate schedule and some good luck to the top of the NL East and currently hold the best record in the National League. That is in large part due to a 12 game winning streak that has been fueled largely by luck, a fuck ton of luck. They have avoided any serious injuries to an injury prone lineup and have had a dominant bullpen thus far. The rotation, outside of Ervin Santana, has been bad. The Phillies 3-6 starters have combined for 5 quality starts through the first month and a half. That will need to improve if the Phils want to hold onto the division and a Braves team that deserves the division lead.
6(7). Reds (30-20) (1128.34): The NL Central is by far the most competitive division in the league so far. All 5 teams have scored in the top half and they have really beaten each other up. As the teams start to venture outside of the division, the Reds hold a deserved 2 game lead. Freddie Freeman is leading a deep lineup that is also young. Buxton has surprisingly been serviceable since joining Cincy and the Reds look like a team that can handle injuries better than anyone else. The pitching is not deep like the offense and it the Reds do not make the playoffs, it will be because of the pitching.
7(12). Red Sox (32-18) (1119.323): The AL East has probably had the best last couple weeks overall, led by the Sox. A deep pitching staff that is pitching to its abilities has led them to a 4 cushion in the division and the second best record in the AL. The offense has been solid, if unspectacular. Jose Abreu has recovered nicely from a terrible start and Marcell Ozuna is looking like he has taken the step into MLB stardom. The Starling Marte suspension definitely hurts, but it hasn’t slowed down the Bostonians yet.
8(16). Rays (28-22) (1115.887): The Rays are on a surprising 9-game winning streak and are tied for the second wild-card spot in the AL. Despite being nearly identical to the Red Sox in offensive production (667 to 655) and pitching (459 to 452), the Rays find themselves 4 back in the division however. That may not last long as J.D. Martinez just came back and Tulowitzki is not far off. Scherzer and Darvish will make this a very tough team to beat as the season progresses.
9(14). Pirates (28-22) (1088.423): The teams in the NL Central are all so close that it is hard to separate. The Pirates are currently 2 back in the division and only 1 spot out of the playoffs, but are not too far off from being in the bottom of the Central. The offense in Pittsburgh is not intimidating. Seager is a beast and Altherr has been crushing it, but this is a team that will need to rely heavily on its pitching during the playoff chase. Chris Sale is the main reason that the Pirates are in the position they’re in and could win the Cy Young. Miguel Gonzalez, Zach Eflin, and the rest of the pitching staff is going to need to continue to over perform for this team to sneak into the playoffs out of the Central. On an unrelated note, go Ottawa and fuck Sidney Crosby: the biggest bitch in sports.
10(6). Cubs (23-27) (1139.9): Despite having the most points scored in the Central to date (and 5th most overall), the Cubs are tied for last in the division and find themselves 6 games out of a playoff spot. Luck has not shone brightly on the North Side. Adam Eaton being out for the year won’t help as the Cubs try to turn their luck around, but the Cubs still boast a top-tier infield that is going to have to continue to play well. Taillon’s testicular cancer and Maeda’s hamstring might make it too much to overcome. In the beginning of the year, this looked like a playoff team, but bad luck may have taken that away.
11(10). Rangers (29-21) (1084.783): Despite being on a 5 game losing streak, the Rangers are tied for the West division lead and the first wild card spot. They have done this without Josh Donaldson in the lineup. Robbie Cano has been living up to the contract, Matt Carpenter has been really good, and the rest of the lineup outside of the catching position has held its own. Kershaw is in line to make another run at a Cy Young and I expect the rest of the rotation to pitch a bit better as the season continues. This team will be really tough when Donaldson returns.
12(3). Cardinals (26-24) (1075.44): The Cards are right in the thick of things in the NL Central. They are 4 games back in the division and 3 back in the wild card hunt, so things are not looking too bad despite the significant drop in the rankings. The Cardinals have plugged a few holes in the lineup recently with overachieving players (Aybar/Lowrie) through trades and should perform better in the last 2/3 of the season. It is a solid and top heavy rotation as well. This team looks great on paper but I haven’t seen the results in points yet, but would not be surprised to see the Cards in the top 5 at the end of the year.
13(13). Twins (28-22) (997.277): Despite being 12 games back in the division, the Twins are tied for the final playoff spot in the AL. The offense has avoided major injuries and have gotten solid contributions everywhere outside of catcher. If Jose Bautista can remember how to hit, this lineup could be scary down the stretch. What looked like a good rotation to start the season is becoming a bit scary for the fans in the twin cities. Kluber is battling injuries and has not pitched great. Matt Moore and Tom Koehler have been bad and Eickhoff has been battered recently. This is a team that should push for a playoff spot (especially given the divisional schedule), but is going to need a lot more from its starters to make it comfortable.
14(9). Astros (29-21) (996.877): The Astros have not played like a playoff team so far, but find themselves in a playoff position and tied atop the division. Duda is returning from a prolonged absence to a lineup that has been holding its own despite no breakout performances. The pitching has been disappointing, largely due to injury. Aaron Sanchez, Shelby Miller, and Liriano are all currently on the DL and Tillman just recently made his first start. If the rotation can get healthy, this team could make a run at the division.
15(18). Brewers (23-27) (1036.233): Despite being on a 6 game losing streak and being tied for last place in their division, I still have the Brewers in the top half of teams. The trade for Zimmerman has been doing wonders for an offense that is performing very well. The d’Arnaud injury hurts, but this is a top-tier offense that is young enough (outside of Zimmerman) to improve as the year goes on. The rotation is pitching fine, which is really what the Brewers should hope for. If the starters can get quality starts at a decent rate (which remains to be seen), this is a playoff team even in a very tough NL Central.
16(21). Angels (25-25) (911.82): The Angels started the year 9-21 and were close to the bottom of the league in points. While they have not moved up a ton in points (21st) they are somehow a .500 team 50 games into the year and are only 3 games out of a playoff spot. Adrian Gonzalez landed on the DL to add insult right after being acquired via trade though, which adds a damper to the leaps up the standings. This has not been a good offense so far and I’m not sure if that is going to change much. The pitching, however, might be the Angels saving grace as Price is set to return soon.
17(24). Yankees (27-23) (972.64): Maybe I need to start giving the Yanks a bit more credit as they find themselves only 1 game out of a playoff berth. Story’s trip to the DL leaves them without a SS and the offense was already looking slim. Aaron Judge has been amazing, but I don’t expect that to continue. Kipnis should play much better however, so I would not be too surprised if this continues to be an average offense. Lester can be better as he leads an uninspiring and overachieving-to-date rotation, but this Yankees team can hang around for a while.
18(22). Mariners (27-23) (917.627): It’s a testament to something (I’m not sure what) that the Mariners are only one game out of a playoff spot. The offense looks to be solid, when they play, and it will be interesting to see if the Aaron Hicks renaissance is real in NY. Bryant is mashing and Rupp is actually hitting again in Philly, so the offense is capable. The pitching does not inspire confidence, although it has performed as well as the offense so far. The Britton injury doesn’t help a mediocre bullpen and the Chen injury does not help a mediocre rotation. The whole squad screams mediocre to me, but that may be good enough to make a playoff run.
19(23). Royals (26-24) (904.643): The division looks out of reach, but the Royals still have decent shot at a wild card spot, being only 2 spots out. Andrew Toles was killing it out of the leadoff spot for the Dodgers and his season-ending injury is going to hurt the Royals offense quite a bit. Improvements from slumping Lucroy and Crash Davis should help offset the loss, however, so I do not expect much of a drop off in offensive production. The Royals starting pitching has not been bad at all so it surprises me to see them so low in the points rankings (23rd). If their scoring starts to catch up with the reality of their staff, this team could contend down the stretch.
20(15). Orioles (25-25) (904.093): The Orioles are hanging in the race, but will probably need a breakout performance or two as the season goes on to truly contend. 50 games into the season and Taylor Motter, with his .226 batting average, is scoring more PPG than all of the Orange regulars outside of Addison Russell. I don’t know if Addy would want anyone in this lineup to sign one of his pokemon cards if that continues. That being said, that means there is plenty of room for improvement and I do like the offense. The pitching scares me a bit. Nova has pitched great and Santiago has pitched very well, but Ian Kennedy’s injury (hopefully minor), the expected regression to the mean, and the struggles of Gausman make me worry about the long-term upside of the rotation.
21(19). Marlins (22-28) (969.84): Miami has been playing better of late, but it has not helped them in the standings much as they are now 12 back in the division and are 7 games outside of the playoffs. Headley has been coming back to Earth hard recently. Kemp and Desmond returning helps the Marlins a lot and this is a good offensive team despite holes at first and catcher. Harvey ‘s alcoholism seriously hurts the rotation a lot and makes me seriously doubt his ability to be the star I thought he would be. Pineda, however, could replace him as the stud of the rotation. The Marlins are only this low on the list because of the divisional hole they are in and because the Harvey revelation could be devastating. This team is definitely capable of climbing out of the hole though.
22(11). Mets (21-29) (924.433): If you had told me a few weeks ago that the Mets would be 13 games out of the division lead at this point, I would have been shocked. Things have just not gone well for the Mets thus far. Brandon Crawford is back and that will certainly help what should be a much better offense. Piscotty was very disappointing prior to landing on the DL, but otherwise, the offense should be fine. The Mets problem is easy to identify moving forward. They have 5(!!!!) starting pitchers on the DL in Bumgarner, Hernandez, McCarthy, Paxton, and Volquez. Thrown in the fact that Wacha is having his spot in the rotation skipped this week for rest and you have a team that is going to struggle.
23(17). Diamondbacks (21-29) (955.14): The Diamondbacks might have the best bullpen in the league and the best middle infield so far, but not a lot else has gone right for the desert snakes, as they are 12 back in the division and on a current 5 game losing streak. The Syndergaard injury is devastating to a rotation that is not particularly strong and there are too many holes in the lineup for me to feel confident that DBacks are going to make a playoff push, but they have enough pieces to do it.
24(20). Rockies (22-28) (893.137): The absurdly good combination of Goldschmidt (expected) and Mark Reynolds (huh?) is probably the top scoring pair of offensive players in the league. Cespedes has played well when on the field and can give hope of a solid offense moving forward when he is activated from the DL soon. With Sandoval, Howie Kendrick, and Dahl also due to return at some point, this could actually be a good offense, but it may end up being too little too late given that the Rockies are already 7 games back of the final playoff spot. On the pitching side, Verlander is proving that he is back to being a very good pitcher and Trevor Cahill has shown that he might have something solid left in the tank. The rest of the rotation is weak and cannot carry an offense with so many injuries. The Rockies are hanging by a thread at this point and it looks like they are going to be an injury bug fatality in 2017.
25(25). Nationals (19-31) (850.553): The Nationals are 10 games out of a playoff spot right now and their hopes are dwindling. There have been several disappointments, but the complete failure of Dansby Swanson so far has to rank number one and could hurt for years to come if he decides to pull a Buxton. Greg Bird, the Nats’ other young early pick has also disappointed greatly and might be better off on the DL, where he currently resides. There is hope for the pitching in the Nation’s capital, with Senzatela off to a great start and the Tanaka/Strasburg combo continuing to pitch well. With Urias as a future possible Cy Young, this rotation could be scary good for years to come.
Looking to 2018
26(28). Tigers (12-38) (714.733): The Tigers have a lot to like about how the season has gone so far. Severino and Fulmer are looking like aces for years to come and Lindor has been the best SS in the game this year by a healthy margin. His veterans have struggled a bit and Willson Contreras is not off to a great start, but the Tigers look like they have the building blocks for a bright future when their deep farm begins to mature. They currently have the worst record in the league as well, so they should be positioned for a great pick when the draft rolls around.
27(26). Blue Jays (16-34) (702.143): Toronto has traded away almost their entire major league roster and are in full rebuild mode. On the bright side, Correa is quieting any doubts if there were any. Mazara, Polanco and Taijuan Walker, the other long-term pieces at the MLB level are playing decently, but it is clear that this team is not going to compete this year.
28(27). Athletics (13-37) (690.79): The A’s have been active on the trade block and have added some nice young pieces in the process, but still lack the depth to make any moves this year. They may have the MVP in Harper though and have to be ecstatic to see him rebound so well from last year. A watchful eye should be kept on Sonny Gray as he was once an ace – can he rebound from the injuries?
29(30). Dodgers (15-35) (607.793): The Benintendi/Bellinger combo could wreak havoc on the NL West for years to come and LA has to be very happy about how well they have performed. Along with that Judge guy, this could be an exciting ROY campaign.
30(29). White Sox (17-33) (565.05): Could Freddy Galvis be a long term piece? Who knows, but he is playing great now and with JP Crawford struggling in AAA, Galvis should at least be a valuable trade chip. Most importantly for the Southsiders, McCullers has been pitching well and looks like a top of the rotation mainstay that the Sox can rely on into the rebuild.
