When I went through and did my rankings of the 30 MLB Teams for this year, I started at both the top and the bottom of the list. It's definitely easier to rank teams #1, 2, and 3 as well as teams #28, 29, and 30. It's those middle teams that get kind of tricky...and sometimes when sorting through all the teams and trying to place them in the correct spot a team kind of sneaks through and rises to a spot much higher than otherwise anticipated. This is that team for 2020.
#8: Philadelphia Phillies (2019 rank: #13)
To a man (or woman), I'd tell you that I don't much care for the Phillies. And yet, here they are ranked at #8. I think a lot of that is based on who the Phillies play so often (i.e. the NL East with teams ranked #26, 25, and 20 so far with one more yet to come). If you play three teams in my bottom 10 over and over, there's a good chance I'll root for you because the friend of my enemy is my friend, or something like that.
In reality, I don't have any problem with the current Phillies. I kind of liked that Bryce was a moderate bust for them last season but that's more because I don't care for Harper rather than it being a slam against the Phillies. I didn't like the Phillies crushing the Reds' dreams in the postseason awhile back but even that wound has healed since I didn't actually expect the Reds to win that series (unlike the time the Reds played the Giants and lost a series I thought they would win...see the Giants still at #27 in my rankings because of that)!
Next up in my rankings is a team that had a certain player play for them where that certain player is the last player for whom I've gotten an in person autograph (as of today).
2020 Rankings:
#30: New York Yankees
#29: Boston Red Sox
#28: St. Louis Cardinals
#27: San Francisco Giants
#26: Washington Nationals
#25: Miami Marlins
#24: Chicago Cubs
#23: Milwaukee Brewers
#22: Houston Astros
#21: Pittsburgh Pirates
#20: Atlanta Braves
#19: Los Angeles Angels
#18: Los Angeles Dodgers
#17: Texas Rangers
#16: San Diego Padres
#15: Baltimore Orioles
#14: Colorado Rockies
#13: Kansas City Royals
#12: Toronto Blue Jays
#11: Oakland Athletics
#10: Chicago White Sox
#9: Minnesota Twins
#8: Philadelphia Phillies
#7: ??
Contest entries to date (see here for details):
24 John Sharp
24 P-Town Tom
17 bbcardz
16 hockey kazi
28 Brett Alan
19 Fuji
1 acrackedbat
1 Wilson
23 Matt
2 Trevor P.
1 friend11
1 Adam Kaningher
1 CrazieJoe
1 Brian
#8: Philadelphia Phillies (2019 rank: #13)
To a man (or woman), I'd tell you that I don't much care for the Phillies. And yet, here they are ranked at #8. I think a lot of that is based on who the Phillies play so often (i.e. the NL East with teams ranked #26, 25, and 20 so far with one more yet to come). If you play three teams in my bottom 10 over and over, there's a good chance I'll root for you because the friend of my enemy is my friend, or something like that.
In reality, I don't have any problem with the current Phillies. I kind of liked that Bryce was a moderate bust for them last season but that's more because I don't care for Harper rather than it being a slam against the Phillies. I didn't like the Phillies crushing the Reds' dreams in the postseason awhile back but even that wound has healed since I didn't actually expect the Reds to win that series (unlike the time the Reds played the Giants and lost a series I thought they would win...see the Giants still at #27 in my rankings because of that)!
Next up in my rankings is a team that had a certain player play for them where that certain player is the last player for whom I've gotten an in person autograph (as of today).
2020 Rankings:
#30: New York Yankees
#29: Boston Red Sox
#28: St. Louis Cardinals
#27: San Francisco Giants
#26: Washington Nationals
#25: Miami Marlins
#24: Chicago Cubs
#23: Milwaukee Brewers
#22: Houston Astros
#21: Pittsburgh Pirates
#20: Atlanta Braves
#19: Los Angeles Angels
#18: Los Angeles Dodgers
#17: Texas Rangers
#16: San Diego Padres
#15: Baltimore Orioles
#14: Colorado Rockies
#13: Kansas City Royals
#12: Toronto Blue Jays
#11: Oakland Athletics
#10: Chicago White Sox
#9: Minnesota Twins
#8: Philadelphia Phillies
#7: ??
Contest entries to date (see here for details):
24 John Sharp
24 P-Town Tom
17 bbcardz
16 hockey kazi
28 Brett Alan
19 Fuji
1 acrackedbat
1 Wilson
23 Matt
2 Trevor P.
1 friend11
1 Adam Kaningher
1 CrazieJoe
1 Brian
Never cared much for the Phillies, but I like Harper, and, J.T. Realmuto, their All-Star catcher, is a favorite of mine, as I saw him win a Championship at Double-A Jacksonville when he was in the Marlins system.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe my Tigers are in the Top 7!
Good Job!
I would say coming in at #7 will be Tampa Bay Rays.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I ever saw the Dodgers play at Dodger Stadium, the Phillies were the opponent. Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost that game.
ReplyDeleteMets are on deck, right?
I'm trying to think of former Reds on other teams you might have an autograph of, and all I could think of is Jose Iglasius. Tigers perhaps?
ReplyDeleteYes, I also think it's the Mets.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big Phillies fan, but I do love the Phanatic and I thank them for trading Sandberg to the Cubs.
As a Mets fan, the Philies are an obvious rival of ours. Obviously we don't much like Chase Utley, and generally that era of team. Not to fond of Bryce Harper either.
ReplyDeleteI'll guess Cleveland next.
Steve Carlton is my favorite Phillies player of alltime.. I enjoyed keeping track of those early 80's teams that had him, Schmidt, Trillo, Maddox, Rose, and McGraw.
ReplyDeleteI'm on a hot streak with two predictions in a row. Let's make this a trifecta. Next guess: Arizona Diamondbacks.