Tweet
1. Texas Rangers - 8-2 [#1 Rudi, #1 Woy]Rudi: The two-time defending AL Champions have gotten off to a very hot start in this young season. At 8-2 they have the best record in the AL thanks in large part to their offense. Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler have been killing the ball early on.
Woy: Texas must be thrilled with an early 4-game lead over their main AL West competition in the Angels. After a rough off-season, Josh Hamilton looks locked in and ready to earn a big payday in free agency. Star acquisition Yu Darvish is still adjusting to the MLB game but has showed flashes in two outings.
Woy: Texas must be thrilled with an early 4-game lead over their main AL West competition in the Angels. After a rough off-season, Josh Hamilton looks locked in and ready to earn a big payday in free agency. Star acquisition Yu Darvish is still adjusting to the MLB game but has showed flashes in two outings.
2. St. Louis Cardinals – 7-3 [#2 Rudi, #2 Woy]Rudi: The Cardinals have not missed a beat since winning the World Series last fall. They have raced out to a 7-3 start with the offense firing on all cylinders. Averaging a whopping 5.7 runs per game, St. Louis look great to start the year.
Woy: Albert who? The offense hasn't skipped a beat without the three-time NL MVP, putting up 57 runs to pace the entire league. Everyone from David Freese to Matt Carpenter has contributed for the Cardinals, who are in the middle of a 27-game set with NL Central teams. Their 2.5 game lead over the division can expand quickly if they keep this up.
Woy: Albert who? The offense hasn't skipped a beat without the three-time NL MVP, putting up 57 runs to pace the entire league. Everyone from David Freese to Matt Carpenter has contributed for the Cardinals, who are in the middle of a 27-game set with NL Central teams. Their 2.5 game lead over the division can expand quickly if they keep this up.
3. Detroit Tigers – 6-3 [#3 Rudi, #3 Woy]Rudi: The Tigers were one of the big spenders in the off-season going out and getting Prince Fielder. Many questioned Miguel Cabrera’s ability to play third base, some analysts even called him “historically bad” as a fielder. I do not believe this it the case as the Tigers look like one of the best teams in the league once again.
Woy: This looked like the early season's most impressive team before dropping two of three to the White Sox. The Miguel Cabrera / Prince Fielder duo in the middle of the line-up looks as good as advertised and Austin Jackson is on fire after a disappointing 2011.
Woy: This looked like the early season's most impressive team before dropping two of three to the White Sox. The Miguel Cabrera / Prince Fielder duo in the middle of the line-up looks as good as advertised and Austin Jackson is on fire after a disappointing 2011.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks – 6-3 [#5 Rudi, #4 Woy]Rudi: The top half of the NL West looks to very strong to start the season with both L.A. and Arizona playing good baseball early on. The real test of these two teams won’t happen until they play each other, but if they can continue beating up on the lesser teams out west [Rockies, Padres] they will be in the mix for the playoffs until the very end.
Woy: Arizona swept their biggest threats in the NL West to begin the season and split the next six games, which is good enough to claim fourth in my Power Rankings. Chris Young has gotten off to a great start and has shown why he was considered a five-tool player years ago.
Woy: Arizona swept their biggest threats in the NL West to begin the season and split the next six games, which is good enough to claim fourth in my Power Rankings. Chris Young has gotten off to a great start and has shown why he was considered a five-tool player years ago.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers – 9-1 [#4 Rudi, #6 Woy]Rudi: I’m not quite sure who the Dodgers paid off to get the Padres in 7 of their first 10 games, but it is surely paying off. The Doyers have raced out to the best record in baseball thus far, and Matt Kemp has played a huge part in that. He is hitting .486 with 6 home runs and 16 RBI which leads the NL in all three categories.
Woy: Matt Kemp is an angry man. Last year's runner-up to NL MVP is destroying opposing pitching and has led the Dodgers to baseball's best record. It also looks like they've found a closer in Javy Guerra, who has only given up two hits and two walks in six innings of work. We'll see what they do when they aren't playing the Padres or Pirates, however.
Woy: Matt Kemp is an angry man. Last year's runner-up to NL MVP is destroying opposing pitching and has led the Dodgers to baseball's best record. It also looks like they've found a closer in Javy Guerra, who has only given up two hits and two walks in six innings of work. We'll see what they do when they aren't playing the Padres or Pirates, however.
6. Washington Nationals – 7-3 [#7 Rudi, #5 Woy]Rudi: Some analysts were big on the Nationals before the season started but I did not see the hype. They have the lowest team ERA in all the big leagues so far at 1.82. That pitching along with the bat of Adam LaRoche has people in the nation’s capital buzzing about Nationals baseball for the first time in awhile.
Woy: If Stephen Strasburg pitches like this, can you possibly put an innings cap on him? The Nationals' rotation has been great and although the offense still has its bugs, they're still finding ways to win games. Seven more home games could help Washington extend a lead in the division.
Woy: If Stephen Strasburg pitches like this, can you possibly put an innings cap on him? The Nationals' rotation has been great and although the offense still has its bugs, they're still finding ways to win games. Seven more home games could help Washington extend a lead in the division.
7. New York Yankees – 5-4 [#6 Rudi, #7 Woy]Rudi: There were many questions surrounding the Yankees pitching staff to start the year but they haven’t been too bad yet. Derek Jeter was clocked with a faster batter’s box to first base time than he had last year and already has 4 multi-hit games on the season.
Woy: The Yankees have rebounded from a bad sweep in Tampa Bay to win five of their last six. Mark Teixiera is off to another slow start, but they have the talent (and the payroll) to be a part of this top 10 for the entire season.
Woy: The Yankees have rebounded from a bad sweep in Tampa Bay to win five of their last six. Mark Teixiera is off to another slow start, but they have the talent (and the payroll) to be a part of this top 10 for the entire season.
8a. Atlanta Braves – 5-4 [#9 Rudi, #10 Woy]Rudi: What a difference a week makes for the Atlanta Braves. A week ago, fans were calling for manager Fredi Gonzalez’s head as the team got off to a bad 0-4 start. 5 wins in a row later and all things are pleasant in Braves country. Jason Heyward and swinging the bat well so far, and Brandon Beachy has looked dominant in his two starts.
Woy: Once at 0-4, the "Barves" have rattled off five straight wins and have started to resemble the team that was the NL Wildcard leader for most of 2011. Jason Heyward has gotten off to a great start and Craig Kimbrel has looked unhittable out of the bullpen. They'll look for revenge against the Mets on Monday.
Woy: Once at 0-4, the "Barves" have rattled off five straight wins and have started to resemble the team that was the NL Wildcard leader for most of 2011. Jason Heyward has gotten off to a great start and Craig Kimbrel has looked unhittable out of the bullpen. They'll look for revenge against the Mets on Monday.
8b. Los Angeles Angels – 3-6 [#10 Rudi, #9 Woy]Rudi: The Albert Pujols era of Angels baseball has not been as exciting as many Angels fans had hoped. Pujols has not been his normal self yet, but I am sure he will come around. I feel the same way about this team as a whole since they have started off slow but will still be one of the best teams in the AL.
Woy: CJ Wilson looks like the better of two big free agent signings through the first full week of the season, as he's off to a great start. The offense is off to a shaky start, but a seven-game home stand against the Athletics and the Orioles is the perfect medicine to fixing it.
Woy: CJ Wilson looks like the better of two big free agent signings through the first full week of the season, as he's off to a great start. The offense is off to a shaky start, but a seven-game home stand against the Athletics and the Orioles is the perfect medicine to fixing it.
8c. Philadelphia Phillies – 4-5 [#11 Rudi, #8 Woy]Rudi: Without the usual bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the Phillies lineup is incredibly weak. They are struggling to get runs on the board much like I thought. The pitching will always be good there with the arms on their rotation, but they need to do something about the ineptitude of the lineup soon.
Woy: Just like the Yankees, the Phillies have the talent (and the payroll) to be a part of this top 10 for the entire season. They miss Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, but even with their offensive struggles, their pitching will keep them in every ballgame. Roy Halladay looks primed and ready to win a second NL Cy Young.
Woy: Just like the Yankees, the Phillies have the talent (and the payroll) to be a part of this top 10 for the entire season. They miss Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, but even with their offensive struggles, their pitching will keep them in every ballgame. Roy Halladay looks primed and ready to win a second NL Cy Young.
11. Tampa Bay Rays – 4-5 [#8 Rudi, #12 Woy]Rudi: The return of Carlos Pena to the Rays has seemingly rejuvenated his career, and helped the Rays get off to a good start. The weak spot so far on this Tampa team has been the bullpen which has struggled mightily of late.
Woy: Sweep the Yankees, drop three straight to the Red Sox. There's some problems with the Rays' pitching right now, but with the talent they have in the rotation, it should be turned around quickly. Carlos Pena has enjoyed a fine start in his welcome back tour to Tampa.
Woy: Sweep the Yankees, drop three straight to the Red Sox. There's some problems with the Rays' pitching right now, but with the talent they have in the rotation, it should be turned around quickly. Carlos Pena has enjoyed a fine start in his welcome back tour to Tampa.
12. New York Mets – 6-3 [#12 Rudi, #11 Woy]Rudi: The return of Johan Santana has revitalized the pitching staff in the Big Apple. Santana looks sharp early on but the Mets offense has only scored a whopping 1 run in both of his starts combined. David Wright is playing well despite his broken finger but the Mets offense will need to pick it up if they want to keep afloat in the NL East.
Woy: It's awesome to see Johan Santana on the mound again. Besides him though, the rest of the Mets' rotation has looked sharp so far as they took five of six from the two biggest contenders for the NL East.
Woy: It's awesome to see Johan Santana on the mound again. Besides him though, the rest of the Mets' rotation has looked sharp so far as they took five of six from the two biggest contenders for the NL East.
13. San Francisco Giants – 4-5 [#13 Rudi, #15 Woy]Rudi: I think it is time to be concerned about Tim Lincecum. He has gotten absolutely rocked in his first two starts and his velocity is down a considerable amount. That news along with the fact that Brian Wilson is going to miss the year and the Giants pitching staff has some problems. Melky Cabrera has been hitting the cover off the ball, and he will need to keep it up for the Giants offense.
Woy: Should the Pirates be more embarrassed being one-hit by Matt Cain or should Matt Cain be more embarrassed for allowing that only hit to the opposing pitcher? Either way, the Giants will need more of those kind of starts to keep pace with the D'Backs with the loss of Brian Wilson.
Woy: Should the Pirates be more embarrassed being one-hit by Matt Cain or should Matt Cain be more embarrassed for allowing that only hit to the opposing pitcher? Either way, the Giants will need more of those kind of starts to keep pace with the D'Backs with the loss of Brian Wilson.
14. Chicago White Sox – 5-3 [#15 Rudi, #14 Woy]Rudi: For everyone picking Adam Dunn to be a comeback player of the year, I am declaring that bandwagon to be dead already. Dunn has as many strikeouts [13] as total bases, and he still looks lost at the plate. Jake Peavy has been a pleasant surprise and might finally be the pitcher Chicago had hoped he’d be.
Woy: Taking the home-opening series against the Tigers is a momentum booster going into their next 10 games against the Orioles, Mariners and Athletics. Paul Konerko is off to a seven-game hitting streak to begin the year.
Woy: Taking the home-opening series against the Tigers is a momentum booster going into their next 10 games against the Orioles, Mariners and Athletics. Paul Konerko is off to a seven-game hitting streak to begin the year.
15. Boston Red Sox – 4-5 [#14 Rudi, #18 Woy]Rudi: The Bobby Valentine era got off to a rocky start as the Red Sox started 2-5. The offense finally got rolling in the weekend series against the Rays, but there is still some concern in Red Sox country. Losing Jacoby Ellsbury for possibly two months will prove to be very devastating.
Woy: I don't know what to think of the Red Sox - one week their fans are in panic mode and the next their team is putting up 31 runs in three games over the Rays. They suffered a big loss with the shoulder injury to Jacoby Ellsbury and will need players like Cody Ross to step up in his absence.
Woy: I don't know what to think of the Red Sox - one week their fans are in panic mode and the next their team is putting up 31 runs in three games over the Rays. They suffered a big loss with the shoulder injury to Jacoby Ellsbury and will need players like Cody Ross to step up in his absence.
16a. Cincinnati Reds – 4-6 [#17 Rudi, #16 Woy]Rudi: Before Sunday’s game against the Nationals, the Reds team batting average was an embarrassing .191. They brought out the boom sticks a little bit, but it still took extra innings to salvage a 1-3 record against Washington. Aroldis Chapman looks unstoppable and Zack Cozart might win the NL Rookie of the year but the hitting as a whole has to get better.
Woy: An offensive slump has not diminished the arrival of Zack Cozart, who looks like an early favorite for NL Rookie of the Year. The biggest question I have with this team is when they're going to put the filthy Aldoris Chapman in the rotation.
Woy: An offensive slump has not diminished the arrival of Zack Cozart, who looks like an early favorite for NL Rookie of the Year. The biggest question I have with this team is when they're going to put the filthy Aldoris Chapman in the rotation.
16b. Toronto Blue Jays - 5-4 [#20 Rudi, #13 Woy]Rudi: Sergio Santos’ Blue Jays debut did not go over so well. He blew 2 saves before in the first few games much to the chagrin of Toronto fans. Edwin Encarnacion is providing some unexpected lineup protection to Joey Bautista thus far.
Woy: Is this the year the Jays find a way to compete for a Wildcard spot? We shall see. The Jays have enjoyed some good outings from their starting pitching so far and their offense has produced enough to give Toronto the biggest run differential in the AL East.
Woy: Is this the year the Jays find a way to compete for a Wildcard spot? We shall see. The Jays have enjoyed some good outings from their starting pitching so far and their offense has produced enough to give Toronto the biggest run differential in the AL East.
18a. Baltimore Orioles – 5-4 [#16 Rudi, #20 Woy]Rudi: Matt Wieters is an absolute beast. People need to stop sleeping on him because he is a pleasure to watch. The Orioles have a very young and exciting pitching staff that has been pitching well so far. The staff will decide whether this team floats or sinks in the tough AL East.
Woy: Do you believe in Orioles magic? Baltimore is over .500 thanks to some solid pitching from Jason Hummel, Jake Arrieta and Tommy Hunter. Kevin Gregg is his usually shaky self, so the Orioles will need some more production from players like J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds to continue their winning ways.
Woy: Do you believe in Orioles magic? Baltimore is over .500 thanks to some solid pitching from Jason Hummel, Jake Arrieta and Tommy Hunter. Kevin Gregg is his usually shaky self, so the Orioles will need some more production from players like J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds to continue their winning ways.
18b. Miami Marlins - 4-6 [#19 Rudi, #17 Woy]Rudi: It took a while but the Marlins finally set off the new “HR THINGY” in their new ballpark on Sunday. Hanley Ramirez absolutely crushed a ball to center field on Friday, but it was caught on the warning track. Ramirez sarcastically gave the owner’s box a sly smile and a thumbs up as if to say “Nice ballpark you got here,”.
Woy: I think we're all happy to finally see the "HR THINGY" in action after Miami's most recent win over the Astros. Omar Infante is raking, but there could be some questions with Josh Johnson, who has looked mediocre at best in his first two outings.
Woy: I think we're all happy to finally see the "HR THINGY" in action after Miami's most recent win over the Astros. Omar Infante is raking, but there could be some questions with Josh Johnson, who has looked mediocre at best in his first two outings.
20. Seattle Mariners - 6-5 [#18 Rudi, #21 Woy]Rudi: It seems the Mariners and A’s have played 15 times already on the young season. It is hard to judge the bottom two of the AL West division because they have just been going back and forth with each other. Felix Hernandez looks sharp as expected and Ichiro has not lost a beat in the 3 spot.
Woy: Seattle gets the nod here over Oakland after beating them five out of seven times. They need more offense from Jesus Montero, who just hit his first homerun as a Mariner on Saturday.
Woy: Seattle gets the nod here over Oakland after beating them five out of seven times. They need more offense from Jesus Montero, who just hit his first homerun as a Mariner on Saturday.
21. Milwaukee Brewers – 4-6 [#21 Rudi, #19 Woy]Rudi: I’m still upset over the whole Ryan Braud PEE-gate incident, so this low ranking for the defending Central division champs might be a bit biased. None the less I still don’t think the Brewers are going to be that good this year especially with the loss of Prince Fielder. Aside from Zack Greinke, this rotation might get knocked around quite a bit this year.
Woy: Corey Hart has gotten off to a blistering start, while their biggest free agent pick-up Aramis "Gooby" Ramirez has struggled to hit behind Ryan Braun. After a seven-game road trip, the Brewers will enjoy nine straight games at home against the Dodgers and weaker Rockies and Astros.
Woy: Corey Hart has gotten off to a blistering start, while their biggest free agent pick-up Aramis "Gooby" Ramirez has struggled to hit behind Ryan Braun. After a seven-game road trip, the Brewers will enjoy nine straight games at home against the Dodgers and weaker Rockies and Astros.
22. Oakland Athletics – 4-6 [#22 Rudi, #23 Woy]Rudi: Yoenis Cespedes has been as advertised. He will hit some moon shot home runs, and he will strike out a lot. Cespedes and Jemile Weeks make the A’s watchable at times, but then you come to the realization that Bartolo Colon is in their rotation. Tommy Milone is a young starter to keep an eye on.
Woy: They're a bunch of no-names, but are still an interesting team thanks to Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes has struck out almost half of the times he's been up, but has also hit some mammoth homeruns in his first few games in the majors.
Woy: They're a bunch of no-names, but are still an interesting team thanks to Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes has struck out almost half of the times he's been up, but has also hit some mammoth homeruns in his first few games in the majors.
23. Cleveland Indians – 4-4 [#24 Rudi, #22 Woy]Rudi: The Indians offense is scoring runs despite hitting at a very low average as a team. Shin “DUI” Soo Choo provided us with the first baseball scuffle of the year as he took offense to some inside pitches from Royals start Jonathan Sanchez. The Indians Royals rivalry could be interesting throughout the season as the teams will probably be battling it over for 4th place in the AL Central.
Woy: After a crazy first series against Toronto, the Indians have swept the Royals and look ahead to a six-game road trip against Seattle and Oakland. Derek Lowe has enjoyed a career renaissance so far in Cleveland.
Woy: After a crazy first series against Toronto, the Indians have swept the Royals and look ahead to a six-game road trip against Seattle and Oakland. Derek Lowe has enjoyed a career renaissance so far in Cleveland.
24. Colorado Rockies – 4-5 [#23 Rudi, #25 Woy]Rudi: The only reason I can bring myself to watch the Rockies is the spectacle that is 49 year old Jamie Moyer being the #2 starter at Coors Field. Colorado was able to take 2 out of 3 from the Diamondbacks over the weekend and have gotten off to a respectable start. I’m not sure their pitching can hold up for long.
Woy: Jamie Moyer, ladies and gentlemen! The 49-year-old is the Rockies' #2 starter and although he hasn't performed like he did when he was 10 or 20 years younger, he still leads the team in ERA among starters.
Woy: Jamie Moyer, ladies and gentlemen! The 49-year-old is the Rockies' #2 starter and although he hasn't performed like he did when he was 10 or 20 years younger, he still leads the team in ERA among starters.
25. Houston Astros – 4-5 [#25 Rudi, #24 Woy]Rudi: Vegas was not kind to the Astros as they set the pre-season o/u total at 62.5 wins. Houston has gotten off to a surprising 4-5 start with the offense being sparked by their young left fielder J.D. Martinez. The Astros won’t win many games this year, but they have given their fans some excitement to start the year.
Woy: Enjoy second place Houston fans; this is the closest your team will be in the division for the rest of the season. J.D. Martinez has been the offensive catalyst for the Astros and could be the team's lone representative in the All-Star Game.
Woy: Enjoy second place Houston fans; this is the closest your team will be in the division for the rest of the season. J.D. Martinez has been the offensive catalyst for the Astros and could be the team's lone representative in the All-Star Game.
26. Kansas City Royals – 3-6 [#26 Rudi, #26 Woy]Rudi: The Royals are a very young team that has some exciting players. Starting pitcher Danny Duffy is one name you have probably not heard of but will be hearing about soon. Duffy is a hard throwing left hander who has the potential to be a great starting pitcher. The offense will go as far as Hosmer and Gordon take them.
Woy: A sleeper pick in the AL Central, the Royals have gotten off to a typical Royals start to start 2012. The brightest spot on this team is @TrippingOlney's favorite player, Bruce Chen, who has just a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings so far.
Woy: A sleeper pick in the AL Central, the Royals have gotten off to a typical Royals start to start 2012. The brightest spot on this team is @TrippingOlney's favorite player, Bruce Chen, who has just a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings so far.
27. Chicago Cubs – 3-7 [#27 Rudi, #27 Woy]Rudi: The Theo Epstein era in Chicago has gotten off to a shaky start. No one expects the Cubs to be good this year and the start to their season proves why. Starlin Castro is 6 for 6 on stolen base attempts which is very surprising. As long as Carlos Marmol is the Cubs closer, I don’t see their bullpen having consistent success.
Woy: Theo Esptein has loved the efforts he's gotten from Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and Ryan Dempster. The bullpen, however, has been ridiculously awful and have Cubs fans already wanting next year.
Woy: Theo Esptein has loved the efforts he's gotten from Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija and Ryan Dempster. The bullpen, however, has been ridiculously awful and have Cubs fans already wanting next year.
28. Pittsburgh Pirates – 3-6 [#28 Rudi, #28 Woy]Rudi: The Pirates offense has been hard to watch. They have only scored 18 runs in 9 games which is far and away the least in the majors. Even if their pitchers pitch as well as they did last year, Pittsburgh won’t be winning very many games scoring 2 runs a game.
Woy: The Pirates have actually looked good in the pitching department, it's just that they can't score any runs whatsoever. But that's surely a given when you hae Rod Barajas, Pedro Alvarez and Clint Barmes a part of your everyday line-up.
Woy: The Pirates have actually looked good in the pitching department, it's just that they can't score any runs whatsoever. But that's surely a given when you hae Rod Barajas, Pedro Alvarez and Clint Barmes a part of your everyday line-up.
29a. San Diego Padres – 2-7 [#29 Rudi, #30 Woy]Rudi: The Padres are obviously in a rebuilding stage as they dealt their best pitcher Mat Latos in the off-season for a bundle of prospects from the Reds. Edinson Volquez is showing the same first inning control problems that ended his career in Cincinnati. Chase Headley has been a bright spot on an otherwise boring team to watch.
Woy: The Padres hit into a ninth inning triple play today. That's all that needs to be said.
Woy: The Padres hit into a ninth inning triple play today. That's all that needs to be said.
29b. Minnesota Twins – 2-7 [#30 Rudi, #29 Woy]Rudi: The Twins are giving up a lot of runs and not scoring very many themselves. That is not a recipe for success. Justin Morneau is finally back from his Crosby-esque concussion, but he is barely hitting above .200. It looks to be a long season for the fans up in Minnesota.
Woy: Josh Willingham looks good. The rest of the team? Not so much.
Woy: Josh Willingham looks good. The rest of the team? Not so much.
Comment