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It is time to continue our MLB Power Rankings for the 2012 season, which will continue to focus on the top 10 teams in the majors.
Texas Rangers (This Week: 1, Last Week: 2) – So last week I asked a silly question about whether the Texas Rangers could afford to keep Josh Hamilton. After this week, the better question is how can they not afford to re-sign Josh Hamilton? One day he goes 5/5 with 4 homers, 8 RBI and a double. Three days later he follows that up with a 3/4 night hitting 2 homers and scoring 3 runs. Today he hits a pedestrian 1/4 with a solo home run. Move over Matt Kemp, because Josh Hamilton is the best player in base right now. Josh Hamilton’s effort helped the Texas Rangers retake the #1 on our MLB Power Rankings, as they took 3/4 from Baltimore at Camden Yards and took game one of a series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Josh Hamilton Fun Fact – Since the week started (May 7th), Hamilton has an OPS above 2, with 12 hits, 15 RBI and 10 runs scored. Of those 12 hits, only 2 didn’t go for extra bases as he’s crushed 9 home runs and hit a double.
Tampa Bay Rays (This Week: 2, Last Week: 1) – We’ll give them credit for a tough schedule, as the Tampa Bay Rays fall one spot in our MLB Power Rankings. They lost 2/3 to the New York Yankees and dropped another close game against the Baltimore Orioles. But Matt Moore needs to figure things out sooner, rather than later. His outstanding performance last season unfairly raised expectations, and it’s hard to remember sometimes that he is just a 22 year old rookie in his first full season.
Washington Nationals (This Week: 3, Last Week: 3) -Losing Jayson Werth for a few months has to sting, but at least Ryan Zimmerman returned to the lineup. Bryce Harper has been struggling for a few games, but it’s unfair to expect the 19 year old to carry the offence. They’ve got a relatively soft schedule next week, but their series against the Baltimore Orioles should be a lot more exciting than it looked 2 months ago.
Stephen Strasburg Fun Fact – Over his last 12 starts dating back to his return from Tommy John surgery, Strasburg has a 1.59 ERA over 68 innings, striking out nearly 10 batters per 9 while walking at a rate that Roy Halladay might be jealous of. He hasn’t even thrown 150 innings in his career, but it’s worth asking – has Stephen Strasburg turned into the most dominant pitcher in baseball?
St. Louis Cardinals (This Week: 4, Last Week: 4) – Turns out Lance Berkman didn’t return this week, but the Cardinals kept on winning. They swept the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier in the week, but lost game one of my Matchup Of The Week against the Atlanta Braves. As promised it was a high scoring affair, with the St. Louis Cardinals losing 7-9. The Cardinals remained fourth in our MLB Power Rankings, but if they lose 2/3 to the Braves they might fall a few spots next week.
Los Angeles Dodgers (This Week: 5, Last Week: 5) – Matt Kemp isn’t the best player in baseball anymore, but that hasn’t slowed down the Los Angeles Dodgers. They remain fifth in our MLB Power Rankings thanks to taking 2/3 against the San Francisco Giants. They’ve got a big series against the St. Louis Cardinals next week, so that should be a clash of the titans. The Los Angeles Dodgers won’t need to release the Kraken as long as Matt Kemp continues to mash.
Baltimore Orioles (This week: 6, Last Week: 6) – They lead the American League East by a game, but a big loss at home against Texas prevents them from moving up. One reason for the Baltimore Orioles success was that three of their key relievers hadn’t allowed a run all season until this week. That’s right, more than a month into the season and three of the Orioles relievers hadn’t allowed a run. No wonder their record is so good this season – but there’s no way they’re keeping this up. Jim Johnson allowed his first run on May 8th to the Texas Rangers, while Luis Ayala allowed his on May 10th. Matt Lindstrom also allowed a run on the 10th, and the Orioles were so surprised that he allowed a run that they figured he must be hurt and put him on the disabled list. It’ll be interesting to see if the Orioles start losing games in the future if it’s the bullpen that lets them down, because to this point those three guys have been historically good.
Atlanta Braves (This Week: 7, Last Week: 7) – That the Atlanta Braves are succeeding without Brian McCann shows just how well rounded they are. Freddie Freeman is showing off some nice power, and the pitching staff is starting to turn it around. The high staff ERA is deceptive, as taking out Jair Jurrjens (9.37 ERA) and Chad Durbin (8.03) drops the Braves team ERA to 4.01. Either way, the Braves are one of the best teams in baseball, and that’s why they remain 7th in our MLB Power Rankings.
New York Yankees (This Week: 8, Last Week: 9) – The New York Yankees won 2/3 from the Tampa Bay Rays, and would have won a third if not for a blown save. And while it seems impossible, Alex Rodriguez might be the most underrated Yankee at this point. He’s 6th among third baseman in OPS (845), and at 36 he’s still playing like an all star. The biggest question with Rodriguez is health, and while he’ll never live up to the new contract, he’s still a fantastic player on a loaded Yankees squad.
Toronto Blue Jays (This Week: 9, Last Week: Eight) –The Jays solved a few pressing issues by dropping Adam Lind down in the lineup and making Casey Janssen the closer. The rotation has performed admirably so far, but Henderson Alvarez and Kyle Drabek continue to walk a tight rope. Drabek’s total lack of control is going to come back to haunt him in the long run, while Alvarez inability to strike out hitters will prevent him from being anything more then a back of the rotation starter. But the news isn’t all bad – with two home runs last night from Jose Bautista, we could be seeing a return to form of one of the great sluggers in baseball.
Cleveland Indians (This week: 10, Last Week: 10) – The Detroit Tigers made headlines in the offseason, but the Cleveland Indians obviously aren’t willing to just hand them the division. With a two game lead the surprising Cleveland Indians continue to find ways to win. They managed to take 2/3 from Texas last week, but they’ve been scuffling ever since. Asdrubal Cabrera continues to mash, and Jason Kipnis is quietly transforming into an elite second baseman. This is a very talented team, and they should be here to stay in our MLB Power Rankings.
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