Dodgers Nation Power Rankings: Dodgers In 2nd Behind Surging Brewers
Two weeks into the season and teams are starting to see where they stand in accordance to teams in their division and league. Although it is still early, we begin our weekly rankings of the 30 MLB teams:
1. Milwaukee Brewers (10-2) – Winners of nine straight and owners of the best ERA in baseball, the Brewers have come out of the gate on fire. It will be interesting to see if they can sustain their success.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (9-4) – After dropping two of three in their opening home series, the Dodgers recovered to split with the Detroit Tigers and sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks. They lead the league in stolen bases and are tied for fifth in home runs after hitting three more on Sunday.
3. Atlanta Braves (8-4) – Sweeping the Washington Nationals would be good enough, but the Braves also have a pair of the NL’s hottest hitters in Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman. Their rotation has surprised thus far, leading the entire league in starters’ ERA.
4. Oakland Athletics (8-4) – The highest ranked team in the AL also happens to lead the AL in ERA and wins. Their 5-1 start on the road is a perfect compliment to their pitching.
5. New York Yankees (7-6) – Taking three out of four from the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox does not go unnoticed. Carlos Beltran had a week to remember for the Yanks.
6. St. Louis Cardinals (7-5) – Taking two of three from consecutive divisional opponents is always a good thing. Now they take on the Brewers to see if they are a fluke or not.
7. Tampa Bay Rays (7-6) – Their offense has struggled, but as usual, they have been carried by their pitching. Even with the injuries, the Rays keep finding ways to pitch and win.
8. San Francisco Giants (8-5) – They finished the week at .500 but remain the only team to have beaten the Dodgers more than once. The two will meet again this week for three more.
9. Detroit Tigers (6-4) – The Tigers dropped two of three to the San Diego Padres and Max Scherzer remains winless. They return to Detroit for a 10-game homestand that will be welcome.
10. Toronto Blue Jays (7-6) – They won four games this week, even though they don’t rank well in many of the major categories. The Blue Jays continue to mash, fourth in home runs in the MLB.
11. Washington Nationals (7-5) – Despite getting swept by the Braves, the Nats finished the week even after sweeping the Miami Marlins. The loss of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman for 4-6 weeks could hurt.
12. Chicago White Sox (7-6) – Taking three of four from the Cleveland Indians shows that these Sox aren’t here to be pushed around. Avisail Garcia being lost for the year was a crushing blow though.
13. Minnesota Twins (6-6) – A weekend sweep of the Kansas City Royals erased the sweep at the hand of the A’s. This could be one of their finals weeks around .500 for the season.
14. Seattle Mariners (6-5) – Even though they lost two of three to the A’s, the Mariners rank fourth in baseball in ERA. They need their offense from the opening sweep of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to return.
15. Pittsburgh Pirates (6-6) – A sweep at the hands of the Brewers dropped the Pirates to .500, but they do own the fourth-best ERA in the NL. An NL Central matchup with the Cincinnati Reds and Brewers this week should tell us more.
16. San Diego Padres (5-7) – They finished the week strong, winning three of the last four including taking two out of three from the Tigers. The Padres also signed second baseman Jedd Gyorko to a new extension.
17. Texas Rangers (6-6) – A weekend series against the Houston Astros helped the Rangers break even on the week after dropping a pair to the Red Sox. Prince Fielder has yet to make the impact that was expected.
18. Boston Red Sox (5-8) – The defending champs have yet to recapture the magic from their World Series run last season. They head to Chicago this week to take on the White Sox and get back on track.
19. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (6-6) – Four wins this week and the Angels find themselves at .500 before taking on the A’s. Their offense erupted for 14 runs on Sunday and leads the MLB in home runs.
20. Colorado Rockies (6-7) – A 3-3 week puts the Rockies third in the NL West as they take on the Padres and Philadelphia Phillies this week. Their league-leading offense must carry the team.
21. Philadelphia Phillies (6-6) – It was a week of sweeps for the Phillies, as they dropped three to the Brewers before taking three from the Marlins. They take on the NL East-leading Braves this week.
22. Cleveland Indians (6-7) – The Indians began the week 2-0 before losing four of their next five. They look to get back on track against the Tigers for a three-game set.
23. Baltimore Orioles (5-8) – The Orioles took the series from the Yankees before dropping the series to the Blue Jays. Their pitching has struggled, ranking 13th in the AL with a 4.50 ERA.
24. New York Mets (5-7) – The Mets ended their week pretty bad, allowing 14 runs to the Angels; however, they took the series against the Braves early in the week.
25. Houston Astros (5-8) – They can’t hit, ranking dead last in average and second-to-last in runs scored. On a good note, they play the only team with less runs than them this week in the Royals.
26. Cincinnati Reds (4-8) – In their four losses this week, the Reds lost by a combined six runs. Once they can pull it together, they should make a run much like the Brewers did.
27. Kansas City Royals (4-7) – Despite scoring the least amount of runs thus far, the Royals were able to take the series against the Rays. Their offense should pick up and they can make a run at a vulnerable AL Central.
28. Chicago Cubs (4-8) – The Cubs have yet to win a series this season and look to get that this week against the Yankees and Reds. Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija have started strong to lead the rotation.
29. Miami Marlins (5-8) – Losers of seven straight, the Marlins saw their Superman in Jose Fernandez get roughed up. On the bright side, Giancarlo Stanton continues to mash.
30. Arizona Diamondbacks (4-11) – A sweep at the hands of the Dodgers now has them 0-5 against their NL West rivals. Pitching has been the biggest problem, as they own the MLB’s worst ERA.
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