MLB Power Rankings: August 10, 2008

All records accurate as of 8/10/08, 11:30 AM EST.

1. Los Angeles Angels (73 – 43): According to ESPN.com, the Angles have a 99.7% chance of making the playoffs, so buy your tickets now Angel fans!
2. Chicago Cubs (70 – 47): The Cubs have outscored their opponents by 135 runs! Unfortunately for Cub fans, the Cubs are still lousy on the road (4 games under .500)…which suggests that the Cubs’ World Series aspirations rely on them clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
3. Tampa Bay Rays (70 – 46): This just in, the Rays are for real.
4. Milwaukee Brewers (66 – 51): Milwaukee leads St. Louis for the Wild Card by 2 games and New York by 3.5 games. This may end up as the most exciting race in the National League this year.
5. Boston Red Sox (67 – 50): The Manny-free Red Sox lead the White Sox by 2 games for the Wild Card. Much like that National League, the AL Wild Card may also end up the most exciting race.
6. Minnesota Twins (65 – 51): The Twins, yes the Twins, lead the AL Central. If it weren’t for the Rays, the Twins would be the best “feel good” story of the 2008 season.
7. Chicago White Sox (64 – 51): The White Sox round out the Top 7, cementing the American League’s place as the better league with 5 of the top 7 teams.
8. Philadelphia Phillies (63 – 53): The Phillies have outscored their opponents by 72 runs and actually play (slightly) better on the road than they do in their hitter’s ballpark!
9. St. Louis Cardinals (65 – 54): The NL Central earns the “toughest division” award so far this season by placing 3 teams in the top 9 teams overall in the Power Rankings.
10. New York Mets (62 – 54): The Mets have won three straight after dropping 5 of their previous 7 games. If they hope to make the playoffs, they need to start playing slightly more consistent, winning baseball.
11. New York Yankees (63 – 54): Big market club haters, rejoice. The New York Yankees are outside the top 10!
12. Florida Marlins (61 – 56): The Marlins have lost 2 straight, 5 of their last 10, and they’ve been outscored (overall) by 24 runs. Somehow, they still have an outside shot at the playoffs…even so; I wouldn’t count on an all-Florida World Series this year.
13. Arizona Diamondbacks (59 – 58): In what may be the biggest surprise of the Power Rankings, the National League West has finally placed a team in the top half of the rankings!
14. Texas Rangers (60 – 58): My pick for surprise team of the year was finally starting to play like a playoff-caliber team and got to 6 games over .500. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they promptly dropped their next 4 games to sink back close to the .500 mark.
15. Toronto Blue Jays (59 – 58): The Blue Jays have outscored their opponents by 36 runs, yet they remain stuck around .500. Their real problem is that they cannot win on the road (25 wins compared to 33 losses).
16. Los Angeles Dodgers (58 – 58): Like the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers only real chance at the playoffs is to win the pathetic NL West crown.
17. Houston Astros (57 – 59): The Astros have been outscored by almost 50 runs, so they are probably lucky to be “only” 2 games under .500. If anything, look for the Astros to dive further down in the standings during the waning weeks of the season.
18. Detroit Tigers (57 – 59): Remember that talk about the Tigers scoring 1000 runs and setting the all-time win record? It’s fair to say that won’t happen with this year’s Tigers.
19. Baltimore Orioles (56 – 59): Think the Orioles wish they were in the NL West this year? Instead of having a shot at playoffs, the Orioles sit 13.5 games behind the Rays.
20. Atlanta Braves (55 – 62): The Braves have actually outscored their opponents by 30 runs. If I had to pick, the Braves would be my choice for “lousy” team who comes on strong at the end of the season.
21. Oakland Athletics (54 – 62): In my July 7 rankings, the A’s were 6 games over .500. Currently, they sit 8 games under .500…talk about a nosedive!
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (53 – 63): Without Bay and Nady, the Pirates offense will be lucky to score 2 runs a game from here on out. Look for the Pirates to threaten the Reds for worst team in the NL Central.
23. Colorado Rockies (53 – 66): World Series hangover? That said, the Rockies still have a 2.8% chance at making the playoffs thanks to the terrible, horrendous, no good NL West.
24. Kansas City Royals (53 – 64): Losers of 4 straight, the Royals appear to have mailed it in the for the rest of the season.
25. Cleveland Indians (51 – 64): The Indians, much like the Tigers, have been catastrophic disappointments this year. At least for Cleveland fans, their management didn’t spend hundreds of millions of dollars to be lousy in 2008.
26. Cincinnati Reds (52 – 66): Do you think Ohio fans are looking at the football schedule yet? With the Reds and Indians firmly entrenched in the bowels of the rankings, football season can’t come soon enough in Ohio.
27. San Francisco Giants (49 – 66): Barry Bonds showed up at the Giants ceremonies the other day, the Giants won the other day. More proof the Giants can’t win without Barry, right Boras?
28. Seattle Mariners (45 – 72): Can they be the worst team? They currently are one game off the “lead” held by the Nationals.
29. San Diego Padres (45 – 72): See Seattle’s comment.
30. Washington Nationals (44 – 73): The Nationals hold a 1 game “lead” over the Mariners and Padres for the worst team in baseball.

There you have it, another installment of my Major League Baseball Power Rankings. As always, let me know what you think in the comments.
-fanofreds


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