Featured Post

MLB Power Rankings: June 23, 2008

Welcome to another edition of Fanofreds’ MLB Power Rankings.

All records accurate as of June 23, 2008 at 10:00 PM EST.

1. Chicago Cubs (48 – 28 ) (Last week: #1): The Cubs are an amazing 32 – 8 at home this year! The Cubs remaining opponents winning percentage for the 2008 season is 0.500 even, which is easier than the second place Cardinals remaining opponents winning percentage of 0.512.

2. Los Angeles Angels (46 – 30) (Last week: #3): The Angels have the worst run scored differential amongst the top 5 teams (in terms of winning percentage). However, with the Angels’ pitching staff seemingly hitting its stride, their run differential should improve drastically.

3. Boston Red Sox (47 – 31) (Last week: #2): The Red Sox have 9 games remaining against the Devil Rays and 13 games remaining with the suddenly hot New York Yankees. Those 22 games will most likely determine the winner of the AL East.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (42 – 34) (Last week: #12): The Brewers, fresh off a 7-3 stretch, jump up into the top 5 of the Power Rankings. The Brewers currently sit 6.5 games behind the Cubs (and 2 games behind the Cardinals).

5. Tampa Bay Rays (44 – 31) (Last week: #4): The Rays slipped slightly this week after losing 2 of 3 to the Houston Astros.

6. St. Louis Cardinals (44 – 33) (Last week: #6): The Cardinals remain at number 6 in the rankings despite being swept by the usual doormat rival Kansas City Royals this past week.

7. New York Yankees (41 – 35) (Last week: #9): The Yankees continue their march up the Power Rankings, despite having their 7 game winning streak snapped by the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.

8. Oakland Athletics (41 – 34) (Last week: #7): The nondescript Athletics continue their quest for another division crown. The A’s have outscored their opponents by 63 runs so far this year.

9. Minnesota Twins (40 – 36) (Last week: #19): The Twins have been exceedingly streak of late. Last week they were mired in a 3-7 skid, this week they are riding a six game winning streak.

10. Chicago White Sox (41 – 34) (Last week: #8 ): The White Sox swept the Pittsburgh Pirates before they got swept by the cross town rival Cubs. I’m betting that they would have rather swept the Cubs and been swept by the Pirates…even if (mathematically speaking) they end up at 0.500 for the week.

11. Florida Marlins (40 – 35) (Last week: #10): The Marlins have dropped 6 of their last 10 games, and have a run differential of only +2… Perhaps the one spot slide this week will be magnified to a five or six spot slide next week in the rankings.

12. Philadelphia Phillies (42 – 35) (Last week: #5): The Phillies have lost 5 in a row, and have been outscored by 19 runs in the past week. Ouch!

13. Baltimore Orioles (38 – 36) (Last week: #13): Last week, the Orioles were at .500 even. This week, the O’s have climbed to 2 games over .500. Perhaps the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays should watch out for the birds in orange (or perhaps more likely, it’s too early to make that statement).

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (39 – 37) (Last week: #11): The Diamondbacks are barely in the top half of the Power Rankings, yet they lead the NL West.

15. Texas Rangers (39 – 38 ) (Last week: #14): The Rangers, whom I picked as a surprise team, have instead been a decidedly mediocre team so far this year. That said, they still have 14 games remaining against the Angels, so they still control their own destiny to an extent.

16. Atlanta Braves (38 – 40) (Last week: #20): The Braves managed to play .500 ball and move up in the rankings. Their +40 run differential suggests that they haven’t stopped moving up yet.

17. New York Mets (37 – 38 ) (Last week: #21): A new manager, but the Mets are still one spot behind the Braves (despite a slightly better record that the Mets fans are sure to point out).

18. Detroit Tigers (36 – 39) (Last week: #17): The Tigers were supposed to threaten 1000 runs for the year. Instead, roughly half way through the season, the Tigers have been outscored (though only by 2 runs at this point).

19. Cleveland Indians (35 – 41) (Last week: #16): Despite a relatively disappointing record, the Indians have outscored their opponents by 15 runs. Perhaps the Indians can put together a run, with 6 games against the lowly Giants and Reds, now is as good a time as any.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (36 – 41) (Last week: #18 ): As if 10.5 games out of first wasn’t bad enough, the Blue Jays are behind the Orioles AND the Blue Jays have a new manager (who was also an old manager).

21. Los Angeles Dodgers (35 – 40) (Last week: # 24): The Dodgers are only 3.5 games back in the NL West…but they are 12.5 games behind the league leading Cubs. If that doesn’t prove how dismal the NL West is this year, nothing will.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates (36 – 40) (Last week: #15): The Pirates dropped 7 spots, and threaten to drop further, after this weeks games against the Yankees and Rays.

23. Kansas City Royals (33 – 43) (Last week: #29): After bashing the Royals last week, they promptly swept St. Louis and took 2 of 3 against the Giants.

24. Cincinnati Reds (35 – 42) (Last week: #22): The Reds are 13.5 games back in the NL Central but they did manage to take 2 of 3 games from the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

25. Houston Astros (35 – 41) (Last week: #23): The Astros have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games and now sit a mere half game out of the cellar in the NL Central. Of course, the Astros would be right in the thick of things if they were in the NL West.

26. Colorado Rockies (32 – 44) (Last week: #25): The Rockies have managed to drop into the bottom fifth of the rankings, but still sit in third place in the NL West.

27. San Francisco Giants (32 – 44) (Last week: #27): The Giants dropped 2 more games (overall) this week, putting them at 12 games under .500…but tied for third place with the Rockies (see above).

28. San Diego Padres (32 – 45) (Last week: #26): The good news is the Padres are only 7.5 games out of first. The bad news is they are in last place. The worst news is they are 13 games under .500 and sinking fast.

29. Washington Nationals (30 – 47) (Last week: #28 ): The Nationals have lost 2 in a row, and 6 of their last 10, which means they are now one step ahead of the worst team in all of baseball…

30. Seattle Mariners (27 – 49) (Last week: #30): Last week I wrote that the Mariners were hopeless by being 21 games under .500. This week, they managed to end up 22 games under .500…which puts them on pace lose over 100 games this year.


So there you have it, another edition of my MLB Power Rankings. As always, let me know what you think.

Until next time, keep readin’
-fanofreds

Comments

  1. I can live with the Cubs being ahead of my Tribe but the Rays, Marlins, Royals and Orioles! The shame, the shame.

    Nicely done fanofreds.

    The artist known elsewhere as gymrome.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7:45 AM

    My Jays are ranked extremely low and its understandable, they have been playing terrible as of late. I am surprised to see the Pirates and the Dodgers with almost the same record, its a wacky year.

    good post fanofreds

    Liam

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice job. The Yanks have been on fire, much to my dismay.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nicely done! I've bookmarked you on my blog as well!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment