Cubicle GM MLB Power Rankings: August 18th
August 18, 2009 · Jacob Nitzberg · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Welcome to another edition of the Cubicle GM MLB Power Rankings.
There was no change at either end of the spectrum, as the Yankees held on to the No. 1 spot while the Royals held firm at No. 30. In fact, interestingly enough, only one team in the rankings moved more than two spots in either direction this week: The Mets hold that honor falling three spots to No. 24 overall.
It also appears as if there are three distinct groupings of teams, as the teams comprising the No. 1-10, 11-20, and 21-30 spots in the rankings did not change from last week. In fact, only the Red Sox fell out of a grouping of five teams, dropping two spots from No. 5 to No. 7 this week.
Despite the lack of movement by the teams, there were still plenty of disagreements between myself, Gideon, Mickey and Joey. For the first time there were no double-digit discrepancies between any of the ranks, but there were six gaps of seven or more, all which occurred with the teams ranked 11-20.
Toronto Blue Jays (9)—Gideon 11, Joey 20
Houston Astros (8)—Joey 17, Gideon 25
Detroit Tigers (8)—Joey 7, Jacob 15
Florida Marlins (8)—Jacob 9, Gideon 17
Atlanta Braves (7)—Gideon 9, Joey 16
Seattle Mariners (7)—Jacob/Joey 14, Gideon 21
On the divisional front, the AL West took charge of the top spot with an average score of 11.38, thanks to a climb by Anaheim and Texas and a drop by Boston, Tampa and Toronto, which saw the AL East drop to an average of 12.20. The AL Central holds the bottom spot for the fourth straight week with an average score of 19.45.
Since its now been two months since those of us at The Cube started putting together these rankings, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the changes in the ranks over that time period.
More than half the teams in the league, 16 to be exact, have moved five or more spots, but only two have jumped or dropped by 10 or more.
The Atlanta Braves have vaulted themselves from No. 23 to No. 13 in the rankings, while the Brew Crew has fallen by a dozen spots from No. 7 to No. 19. Only one team managed to stay in the exact same spot as they were back on June 30th, as the Seattle Mariners have sat tight at No. 16.
You can check out the comparison between Week 1 and Week 8, along with the rest of the backup data here.
So, without further ado, onto the rankings. As always, last week’s ranks in parentheses.
1. New York Yankees (1)—Despite losing two of their last three, the Yanks have won seven of ten and maintain the best record in baseball by 1 ½ games. During a 10-3 loss to Seattle on Sunday, Derek Jeter set a ML record.
2. Los Angeles Angels (3)—Since the Rangers won’t go away, the Angels just keep winning to remain in first place by 4 ½ games. Within this story about Torii Hunter’s painful rehab, there is word that the Angels signed a Pac-10 quarterback.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (2)—The Dodgers have lost seven of their last ten, but still hold the highest run differential in the majors at +116. To keep the Rockies and Giants at bay, the Dodgers will need to play well at home against teams like their current opponent, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers learned that Hiroki Kuroda will miss his next start after being hit in the head last week.
4. Philadelphia Phillies (4)—The Phillies remain the majors’ best team on the road this season, going 37-20 away from Citizens’ Bank Park. While trying to make his way back to the major league bullpen, Brett Myers had a freak injury during his rehab.
5. Texas Rangers (6)—Texas has won five of six, including two of three from Boston to take the lead in the Wild Card race. To get some help for the playoff push, the Rangers traded for Pudge Rodriguez earlier today.
6. Colorado Rockies (7)—The Rockies stumbled in Florida, losing two of three after taking care of business against the NL Central. Unexpectedly, the Rockies were able to sign their first round pick to a record deal.
7. Boston Red Sox (5) —After taking three of four from AL Central leading Detroit, the Red Sox lost two of three to Texas to fall seven games behind New York. The Sox finally gave up on a failed experiment, as John Smoltz was officially released.
8. St. Louis Cardinals (9)—Thanks to solid pitching and poor play from the Cubs, the Cardinals have opened a season-high six game lead in the NL Central. Always looking for more pitching, there is word that the Cardinals are talking to John Smoltz’s agent.
9. Tampa Bay Rays (8)—The Rays are staying in the wild card race, but last week’s five-game losing streak has dropped them to 10 games out in the AL East. For two very different reasons, the Rays failed to sign their first two draft picks.
10. San Francisco Giants (10)—The Giants are staying in the race with their pitching, as they continue to lead the league with a team ERA of 3.49. Within this piece, it becomes official that last year’s first round choice Buster Posey will not be called up this year.
11. Detroit Tigers (11)
12. Florida Marlins (14)
13. Atlanta Braves (12)
14. Chicago Cubs (13)
15. Chicago White Sox (17)
16. Seattle Mariners (15)
17. Toronto Blue Jays (16)
18. Minnesota Twins (18)
19. Milwaukee Brewers (19)
20. Houston Astros (22)
21. Arizona Diamondbacks (23)
22. Oakland Athletics (20)
23. Cleveland Indians (24)
24. New York Mets (21)
25. Cincinnati Reds (25)
26. Baltimore Orioles (26)
27. Washington Nationals (28)
28. Pittsburgh Pirates (27)
29. San Diego Padres (29)
30. Kansas City Royals (30)
This article originally posted at Cubicle GM.
Yankee Tickets
Shop Yankee
