2009 MLB Power Rankings.

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I used to play fantasy/simulated baseball on this website called simdynasty.com, unti they changed formats. I used to post a weekly power poll and I had so much fun doing it that I decided that I would start a new one, but for actual baseball. I've always loved these Power Rankings on ESPN, so I decided that I would start my own and update it every two weeks. So here it goes.


1. Boston Red Sox

The Sox turned around an awful first week by winning 11 in a row and taking over the AL lead in winning percentage. Matsuzaka imploded and found his way onto the DL with "arm fatigue," but Tim Wakefield has picked up the slack and just outdueled reigning AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee in yesterday's game. The Sox have an army of backup pitching depth with guys like Smoltz(rehab) and Michael Bowden to cover pitching injuries, but the same can't be said for the aging lineup.


2. St. Louis Cardinals

Once again, a 14-6 start is marginalized by the media. The Cardinals consistently overperform their pythagorian expectations every season, and they possess the best manager and player in the game. Having Pujols and LaRussa on the team guarantee that this club will contend every year and finish over .500. The offense has been torrid to start the year, and recently humiliated the Mets and Cubs in recent series. The defense leads the Majors in errors, and the bullpen is in flux, but Ryan Franklin and Kyle McClellan provide solid relief options.


3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Joe Torre has taken a team to the postseason every year since 1996, and this year should be no exception. The Dodgers, despite losing Derek Lowe in the offseason, have the talent to lap the field in the weak NL west. Orlando Hudson is batting a cool .346, and the pitching staff will be further fortified by the returns of Cory Wade and Hiroki Kuroda.


4. Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays could have used this offensive storm last year when their powerful battallion of quality starting pitching was actually healthy. Roy Halladay is waltzing his way to the Cy Young award, but can the Jays get McGowan, Marcum, Litsch, Romero, and B.J. Ryan back in time while they are still 2nd in a tough division? In the meantime, the Jays will have to hope that pitching dross like Brian Buress can give them good starting pitching. Losing 1 - 7 against the Royals could be the start of the inevitable downturn.


5. Seattle Mariners

The early resurgence of Jarrod Washburn is an unexpected surprise, and the Bedard/King Felix Ace combo gives the M's the starting pitching needed to ice this pathetic division. If only the offense wasn't so helplessly weak. Russell Branyan has been surprisingly serviceable, but this team needs a more inspiring presence at 1B. This club is a contending team by default.


6. Florida Marlins.

The 11 - 1 start was great, but keep in mind that six of those wins came against the hopeless and dysfunctional Nationals. Despite the fact that this team just lost seven games in a row, the Marlins have plenty of talent on this team to stay viable in the NL East. The starting trio of Johnson/Volstad/Nolasco will give them consistent chances to dominate other clubs. Unfortunately, Matt Lindstrom has imploded as the closer, so we might get to see prospect Jose Ceda before too long!


7. Philadelphia Phillies

We knew that the offense would start to heat up. With the other NL East competitors floundering, the Phils could easily surpass Florida and build up some distance. The pitching for this team has been concerning. Blanton has been awful, Brad Lidge has right-knee inflamation, Jamie Moyer needs to retire, and Hamels is pitching through injury. I don't think that the offense can put up enough runs to cover for five starting pitchers all with ERA's over 4.90. Can Ryan Madson step in for Brad Lidge to close if needed?


8. New York Yankees

So the wheels finally came off for Chein-Ming Wang. His Asian BoSox counterpart Dice-K also goes down, so it is a wash. Robbie Cano has stormed back with a torrid .373 average and 5 HRs, but the rest of the offense is now comprised mostly of aging 1B/DH types. Mark Texieria is struggling with a .218 BA, and the injury to Brian Bruney is a gut-punch to a shaky bullpen. $150,000,000 baby C.C. Overweight was beaten by the Tigers last night and his ERA is a sub-mediocre 4.73. Kind of reminds me of that deal Randy Johnson signed. The sidelining of A-Rod leaves Albert Pujols as the undisputed best player in the game.


9. Detroit Tigers

Justin Verlander finally refound his form and pitched well against NY, but his ERA is still at an ungodly 6.75. Magglio Ordonez is finally hitting again. Pleasant surprises like Brandon Inge(7 Hrs), Gerald Laird(.340 BA), and Armando Gallaraga(1.85) ERA have the Tigers in a strong position to control the weak AL Central. This team was picked by many in ST to finish last, but now the Tigers look relatively strong and deep. All Miguel Cabrera is doing is hitting .382, so no regrets over trading Maybin? I bet they want Jurrjens back. Adding another strong bullpen piece at the trade deadline could help this club immeasurably.


10, Cincinatti Reds

The Reds soon might usurp Pittsburg's claim as the biggest surprise team to date. Aaron Harang is back to his 06/07 form, but Edinson Volquez has struggled in his sophomore campaign thus far. Doubtlessly, the Reds have the pitching to make a run at the WildCard, but it is just a matter of getting guys like Arroyo and Cueto all working on the same page. I can't believe that people have turned so quickly on Homer Bailey; the kid is only 23, and he is far from finished as a prospect. Give him some time. It would be nice of some other players besides Bruce and Votto started hitting. With all of the outfielders available this winter, the best that a clueless Walt Jocketty could manage to sign was Willy Taveras?


11. Chicago White Sox

Carlos Quentin is leaving no doubters as to his legitimacy, but Alexi Ramirez is batting under .200 in his sophomore campaign. How long will Ozzie Guillen keep sending Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon out there? This is a tough team to really gauge at this point, but the potential to take off and control the AL Central is there with the absence of a divisional superpower. A big move at the trading deadline would help.


12. Chicago Cubs

Their "storybook" season hasn't exactly started according to the best laid plans, leaving many nervous Cub fans upset and perplexed. The window of opportunity for this team is probably going to close by the end of this year, but even making the postseason is no sure thing. Blame Jim Hendry who traded off Mark DeRosa, a solid 22HR contributor, in favor of the tempermental Milton Bradley, who has started the season 1 for 23 and is riding the pine with a phantom "groin injury." Seriously, did anyone not see this coming? A-Ramirez, Derek Lee, Carlos Marmol, and Geovany Soto are all struggling with injuries that are emasculating the lineup and bullpen and forcing guys like Aaron Miles into the lineup every day. The "4 Aces" in the starting rotation are being consistently outdeuled. Fukudome's rebound is a godsend for this team.


13. Pittsburg Pirates

So how long can these guys keep up the nice run before the inevitable crash-and-burn? I don't know why anyone thinks Ian Snell is ever going to be any good. All I ever see Snell do is lob the ball down the middle of the plate and get tagged. Perhaps I am just skewed from watching Albert Pujols give him woodshed style beatings for the last four years. Defying the odds, Zach Duke is back on track. If this team played in several different divisions they could actually be considered quasi-contenders, but they have no hope in the NL Central.


14. Kansas City Royals

Zack Grienke is really, really good(0 ERA), and is on pace for a 307 strikeout season. But what the heck is Sidney Ponson doing in the rotation over Luke Hochevar? Why are Mike Jacobs and Brayan Pena being played at 1B and DH; blocking a legion of quality prospects who need to play? Sadly, it seems that Mike Aviles(.185BA) might not be the answer at SS that the Royals need after his encouraging rookie season last year. If anyone didn't know, Kyle Farnsworth is sucking more than he usually does. Yet, the path is almost clear for the Royals to win the AL Central and finally return to the postseason for the first time since 1985. Brian Bannister's last start was a good sign.


15. Tampa Bay Rays.

Its been a disappointing follow-up start to 2009 after the Pennant run. Perhaps they shouldn't have been so quick to trade Edwin Jackson(2.77ERA.) Andy Sonnanstine has fallen apart with an ERA over 7, so it shouldn't be long before we see David Price and Wade Davis in the rotation with a chance to inject some new life. B.J. Upton needs to get healthy and become a catalyst. How long can the slump continue and how far can the Rays allow themselves to fall back of the Red Sox? There is little margin for error in the brutal AL East.


16. Atlanta Braves

So the Braves got off to a nice 5 - 1 start but quickly fell back to under .500. The offense can not afford the injuries to Brian McCann and Garrett Anderson. If/When Chipper Jones has to miss time, the offense will come to a standstill. On the bright side, the rotation looks much better than last year, but the bullpen looks very weak. If neither Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano can step up as the closer, than the Braves are in trouble. Perhaps prospect Tommy Hanson should be moved to help out the middle-relief for 2009?


17. New York Mets

Beating the division-leading Marlins last night could be the start of a nice run. But not much has gone right so far after two straight years of humiliating chokes/collapses on the threshold of reentering postseason play. The problem is that all of the starting pitchers not named Johan Santana have a combined ERA of 7.20, and you can't win games without consistent starting pitching. Oliver Perez needs to get his mechanics under control.


18. San Diego Padres

Sadly, the nice start has nearly subsided as the Padres are back to being only one game over .500. This club has no realistic shot at the WildCard or at catching the Dodgers. It is too bad that Jake Peavy will probably be traded, since he combines with Chris Young to form a nice duo of aces. Adrian Gonzalez(OPS +1.000) is a nice piece to build around but it will probably be a minimum of seven years before this club is a serious contender again if the payroll situation stays the same. Still, Gonzalez and Kouzmanoff provide solid production from the infield corners, and Heath Bell is off to a perfect start as the new closer.


19. Minnesota Twins

This club needs Joe Mauer back ASAP to have a chance. There is plenty to be concerned about with the struggles of Francisco Liriano and Kevin Slowey. Others besides Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel need to start hitting. Yet, this club is only a few games out and could easily take over the divisional lead with some timely luck. If only ownership ever actually decided to spend money on this team. The offense looks so weak every year.


20. Baltimore Orioles

The Birds had fun humiliating the Yankees and Red Sox to start the year before sliding back under .500 and thus out of contention in the brutal AL East. The future is encouraging, with young guys Markakis(.389) and Adam Jones(.348) raking. But why is top prospect Matt Weiters still catching at AAA in favor of 38 year-old career mediocrity Gregg Zaun(.109)? George Sherill will be a nice piece to move for a prospect or two at the trade deadline. Look for some more young pitchers to debut in Baltimore later this year.


21. San Francisco Giants

Tim Lincecum seems to be back on track after a rough start following his CYA campaign. Matt Cain actually has a couple of wins, so perhaps the brainless sportswriters who care only about wins will start to recognize this guy for the stud he is. Randy Johnson is getting pounded in his grueling struggle to limp his way to 300 wins and probably will become the last pitcher to ever reach that milestone. The Giant's Front Office has to keep sending Barry Zito out to start and get pounded(5.24ERA) with his massive contract saddling them. The hapless G-Men have clawed back to 9-9, but the offense is far to weak to give them any chance of catching Los Angeles.


22. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are fighting hard not to lose too much ground to the Mariners before Aces John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, and Ervin Santana can return. If this pitching can get off the DL in time, than a run can be made. Until then, unknowns like Matt Palmer and Anthony Ortega will try and start. Thankfully Brandon Wood is finally called up and hopefully he will stick and finally fulfill his promise. Yet, with all of the injuries, particularly to Vlad, perhaps this is the year that the Angels pass the torch.


23. Milwaukee Brewers

You don't lose Sabathia, Sheets, and your entire bullpen in the offseason and get better. Braden Looper and Todd Coffey have stepped up to give some hope but there is just no pitching depth on this team to give a serioius case for contention. As quickly as Prince Fielder is declining, he needs to be traded as soon as possible while he can still bring back a haul of prospects. This club needs to trade off parts like Jeff Suppan and Mike Cameron and retool for another run in a few years. The core of this team clearly peaked in 2008.


24. Cleveland Indians

Despite losing six games in a row to start the season, the Tribe has pulled back to 4.5 games behind the divison-leading Tigers. But to have a chance to contend, the Indians will have to find better rotation options than guys like Carl Pavano(9.50ERA.) Fausto Carmona(7.36ERA) has to return to his 2007 form, but it would be folly to expect Cliff Lee to come anywhere near duplicating his 2008 CYA campaign. On the bright side, Victor Martinez has rebounded to a .397BA and Travis Hafner is on pace for 30HRS, rebounding from the dead. No matter what happens, the Tribe was able to fleece the Cubs for Mark DeRosa in the offseason, so that is something.


25. Texas Rangers

It is the same story of prodigious hitting and poor pitching. Kevin Milwood quietly has an ERA of 2.10 and Frankie Francisco has been unscored upon as the closer. However, it is not encouraging for the future to see Matt Harrison(9.20ERA) and C.J. Wilson(7.00ERA) getting pulverised. Prospect Derek Holland is off to a good start in his first two games, but it is a long year. The bottom line is that this club won't score enough runs to compensate for bad pitching in order to finish any better than .500. There was a Darren O'Day sighting in Arlington the other day.


26. Oakland A's

No one ever seriously thought that Dallas Braden and Dana Eveland would head a rotation good enough to challenge for the Western Division. Brett Anderson and Trever Cahill are too young, and Justin Duchscherer is hurt, thus, the rotation is still weak while the offense can't hit a lick. What can you really expect when your entire team has hit only 8 Home Runs in the first month? Apparently moving from Coors to the Colisseum has been death on Matt Holliday, and ditto for Jason Giambi. The only thing keeping this team alive is a fantastic bullpen. Eric Chavez death watch: (.100BA)


27. Houston Astros

The 'Stros are only 4 games under .500, after a 1 - 7 start. Another 2nd half run is certainly possible, but the Astros are one big injury to Oswalt or Berkman away from complete collapse. The minor league system is the worst of any organization by a mile, so it will take about a decade to retool after the current core of Berkman/Lee/Tejada disintegrates. Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz are shoddy patchwork for an awful rotation. The unknown Felipe Paulino replaces injured Brian Moehler as 5th starter for now. Things could get ugly fast.


28. Arizona Diamondbacks

Staff co-Ace Brandon Webb went on the DL indefinitely and not surprisingly, his club went in the tank. As a testament to how weak this offense is, the other co-Ace Dan Haren has three losses in five starts with an ERA of 1.54. The loss of Stephen Drew to injury removes the only real rounded offensive force from this lineup. Chad Qualls is not the long-term answer at closer on this eroding team. The moderate offensive production that Mark Reynolds gives you isn't worth the errors and the K's(which are pandemic here.) Having Reynolds and F.Lopez on the infield is a defensive disaster. Throw in the towel this year.


29. Colorado Rockies

In one glorious day, prospect Dexter Fowler stole 5 bases and stormed to the top of the N.L. leaderboard with nine steals. No one in my pre-season pool had picked Dexter Fowler to lead the league in steals, so this is an odd surprise. With the offseason trade of Matt Holliday, the lineup was completely emasculated, so it is time to rebuild and move guys like Atkins for some more young talent. Perhaps Jason Grilli should be the closer on the rare day that the Rox have a save opportunity. Both Corpas and Street have been terrible thus far out of the bullpen. The first couple starts for future Ace? Ubaldo Jimenez were encouraging, but he has since struggled and seen his ERA to 7.58.


30. Washington Nationals

We have another Kip Wells sighting; he has posted a 2.08 ERA over three games. The hapless Nats were humiliated again last night, with "named" closer Joel Hanrahan surrendering a grand-slam to the rival Phils and watching his ERA climb to 8.64. The bullpen is an absolute black hole. Who out there really has any faith in head-cases Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge to lead this team back into relevance? Why do I know that this team will continue to languish in last place for the next twenty years? Will the Nats use their #1 pick on Stephen Strasburg?