American League Power Rankings
With half the season already in the books, very little has been decided this baseball season. Sure, we know the Padres and Cubs are struggling but we didn’t need to watch 80+ games to be surprised by this development. Pittsburgh and the Chicago White Sox have to be the 2 biggest surprises in baseball when you consider the last time the Buccos finished above .500 I was 8 years old and before this year the last image I had of Robin Ventura impacting a playoff race was pinch hitting for the Bronx Bombers. There’s no pageantry or fanfare in assessing the field right now and I’ve broken the leagues into 2 posts starting with the American League today followed by the National League tomorrow.
Rather than compile them league wide, I found it easier to break down by league so don’t get cute trying to match #3 in the AL with #3 in the NL given that it’s an apples to orange like comparison. Always keep in mind these are subject to change like everything in sports.
American League
14) Seattle Mariners
Quick word association: Ichiro, Felix, Supersonics, Sounders. Oops, this isn’t all baseball related and unfortunately for fans in the Emerald City they don’t see a lot of big league caliber ball from their home town team either. I’m not sure what Seattle is doing right now since there are a few nice pieces to build around yet they seem years away from competing. Eric Wedge needs moral victories now and reasons for optimism so in my opinion scoring runs at Safeco should be where they start.
13) Minnesota Twins
There’s not much to say about the Twins at this point in the year other than the revolving door on the mound has made it a nightmare to accurately assess pitcher power ratings. Trevor Plouffe is a nice story displaying a sweet power stroke in a ballpark known as a graveyard for power hitters. The franchise gave Joe Mauer big boy money a few years ago and unfortunately for residents of the twin cities, they’ll be paying for it in the win column for years to come.
12) Kansas City Royals
Kansas City baseball had their 2012 highlight when they hosted the mid-summer classic Tuesday night. Sure, there are talented young sluggers with a bright future calling Kauffman Stadium home however this is not their year. There’s no pitching depth right now and Royal fans need to be patient with the organization since it’s closer to competing than baseball fans want to give them credit for now.
11) Oakland Athletics
This might not be the embodiment of Billy Beane’s moneyball A’s but they sure score runs like those teams (dead last in the AL). I watch a ton of west coast baseball and this team has some very talented young arms in Jarrod Parker, AJ Griffin, Tommy Milone, and Travis Blackley. However, beyond Parker no one on this list projects as a future ace but when you toe the rubber in a pitcher friendly park you don’t always need elite stuff. I would be remiss in my analysis of Oakland if I didn’t ask the casual fan one question: Can you name any regular contributors for this offense? Yep…didn’t think so.
10) Baltimore Orioles
This may be the feel good story of the year so far in major league baseball. Baltimore has grown up before our very eyes with a surplus of young pitchers and a group of misfit toys put together for an offense (Chris Davis, Mark Reynolds) around the team’s stud and future Adam Jones. Buck clearly has them headed in the right direction it’s just way too tough to stay afloat in the hardest division in baseball. Although the Orioles are sitting at 45-40 right now, a regression is right around the corner considering their run differential is -36, worst among all teams with a winning record.
9) Cleveland Indians
I really struggled with this team because I like their discreetly powerful lineup that abuses right handed pitching. However, there aren’t guys I trust to remain consistent beyond Shin Soo Choo the rest of the way. From a starting pitching standpoint if you can figure out when Ubaldo and Masterson will look sharp, you’ll gain my utmost respect. Beyond that, this is a nice ballclub albeit one I don’t see making the playoffs or competing for the AL Central crown.
8 ) Toronto Blue Jays
Put me in coach, I’m ready to play! If you’re under the age of 48 and your UCL is still intact there’s a good chance you can eat innings this 2nd half for the lone club north of the border. Although they sit 9.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, Toronto is +22 in run differential and a few winning streaks away from flirting with the postseason. I don’t trust their makeshift pitching staff especially if Brandon Morrow is on the shelf for a longer period of time however their offense gives them a chance every night. Kudos to Colby Rasmus for finding a home in the 2 slot, amazing what players can do when they escape the wrath of Tony Larussa.
7) Boston Red Sox
Ok, so I may have fallen off the deep end putting a team with a rash of injuries and a volatile clubhouse in the thick of the wild card race but why not? Boston has seen limited production from their big names and that includes both starting pitching and on offense. Jacoby Ellsbury will return right after the break and give the Sox a consistent leadoff hitter and stolen base threat. Despite contract squabbles, Papi continues to mash and serve as one of the most difficult bats to retire in the entire league. Pitching wise, well I have to assume Lester, Beckett, and Bucholtz show flashes in the second half right? Boston folded down the stretch last year yet I think this is a team that can make a late run this season and benefit from the newly expanded format.
6) Tampa Bay Rays
Pitching wins championships although when you don’t score runs its apparently very difficult to actually win games. Tampa’s offense is MIA most nights and it’s hard to find optimism in a team that lacks a middle of the lineup presence while Evan Longoria recovers from his torn hamstring. Desmond Jennings hasn’t lived up to potential and BJ Upton is, well he’s BJ upton. Pitching wise the team has surprised but it hasn’t been the starters turning heads but rather Fernando Rodney at the back end of the bullpen. We know David Price is a gamer and that Matt Moore showed flashes last year however I need to see more from James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson to believe this team is a real championship threat. Tampa is a team no one wants to face in October and no AL team may have to… if the Rays’ bats don’t wake up from a season long slumber.
5) Chicago White Sox
The Sox can easily climb this list if Ventura says they’re going to let Chris Sale go the entire season with no restrictions. Gut says he won’t get that luxury and the Sox lose their top of the rotation guy when games matter most. The offense has proved more dynamic than I ever expected with Alejandro De Aza, Alex Rios, and Adam Dunn all producing like reliable threats. I’m still reluctant to maintain faith in the bullpen so for now, the Sox remain my 2nd AL Wildcard team.
4) Detroit Tigers
I feel like I’m going to regret putting a team here that has a pitching staff that resembles a gas can at a camp fire more than a Smoky the Bear “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Verlander hasn’t been his Cy Young self this year yet the Tigers are still in striking distance of the surprising White Sox. Offensively Detroit hasn’t provided the fireworks most expected but they’ve still amassed 387 runs which places them 5th in the American League. Call me stubborn because I believe Max Scherzer will emerge as a clear cut #2 and give the Tigers a reliable arm considering Porcello, Smyly, and Fister are as dependable right now as the Euro. Expect Prince and Miggy to carry this team for stretches although the real catalyst to this offense is Austin Jackson so as long as he produces like he’s capable of doing, this is the best team in the AL Central.
3) New York Yankees
I’d love to sit here and say I saw this type of season coming from the Yankees however I can’t lie. Once Michael Pineda went down I thought an already suspect staff would completely fall apart yet somehow Freddy Garcia, Phil Highes, Andy Pettite, and Hiroki Kuroda have given the Yankees a chance to win every night. CC will be CC and serve as the horse he always is and the stability of a Logan, Robertson, Soriano back end has looked surprisingly efficient in Mariano’s absence. I know the Yankees will be there in the end given their offense loaded with professional hitters yet I just can’t call them a championship caliber side given their inability to produce runs by means other than the longball.
2) Texas Rangers
It killed me to put the boys from the Lonestar state above my beloved Yankees but facts are facts and the division they play in is much more forgiving. I don’t love any of the Texas starters nor do I trust them to put together Herculean efforts when the games matter most. Darvish, Holland, Lewis, and Harrison are indeed nice arms but can any of them truly be called aces in a must win situation? Texas has the most explosive offense in the league despite their recent funk and at times it can mask other deficiencies on the roster. Will the Rangers get into the postseason? Of course they will however barring some late season magic or a deadline acquisition, their quest to achieve Buffalo Bills type futility won’t continue.
1) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Ok, so everyone thought they would see the Texas Rangers in the top spot considering they’re tied with the Yankees for most wins in all of baseball. Not so fast my friend since the Angels have become a different team with Mike Trout in the lineup and that guy Pujols starting to mash. I’ll take Weaver and CJ Wilson over any tandem in the AL and if Dan Haren’s stint on the DL allows him to get healthy, this staff gets downright dirty. I’m not in love with the rest of the guys (Williams, Richards, Mills, Santana) then again you don’t need 12 starters to win games in October. The Halos signing of Ernesto Frieri was hardly major news yet his emergence as closer stabilized an otherwise suspect pen and allowed everyone to have a clearly defined role. Unlike the rest of the AL, this team can manufacture runs not solely dependent on the longball and I truly believe they’re the side to watch the 2nd half.
