Cubicle GM MLB Power Rankings: September 2nd
September 2, 2009 · Jacob Nitzberg · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Welcome to another edition of the Cubicle GM MLB Power Rankings. As the calendar has turned to September and the playoff races heat up, the teams at the top of the Power Rankings have separated themselves from the pack.
The Top 10 was identical to last week, with just two sets of teams flip-flopping spots. The Yankees remain a nearly unanimous No. 1 (I don’t think Gideon can bring himself to put them there), while both LA teams follow closely at Nos. 2 and 3.
The very bottom of the rankings remained the same for a fourth straight week, with the lowly Royals checking in at No. 30. Incredibly, for the third straight week, the three distinct groupings of teams have remained intact.
The teams comprising the No. 1-10, 11-20, and 21-30 spots in the rankings still have not changed from the August 11 rankings.
There were a couple of expected movers and shakers, most notably the Chicago White Sox, who fell four spots to No. 18 after a dreadful stretch which has seen them drop nine of 10.
The only other team to drop at least three spots was the Pittsburgh Pirates, who inconsequentially fell from No. 25 to No. 28.
On the upswing were teams that benefited from the previous teams’ falls. The Twins and the Reds each moved up three spots this week. The big winner was the Arizona Diamondbacks, jumping four spots to No. 20, their highest ever composite ranking.
The disagreements in the rankings were uniform this week between myself, Gideon, and Mickey. For the third consecutive week there were no double-digit discrepancies between any of the ranks, and there were just four gaps of seven or more, all of which were nine spots.
And of course, all involved good old Gid.
Seattle Mariners (9) – Mickey 13, Gideon 22
Toronto Blue Jays (9) – Jacob 21, Gideon 12
Houston Astros (9) – Jacob 17, Gideon 26
Oakland Athletics (9) – Mickey 26, Gideon 17
On the divisional front, the AL East regained the top spot for the first time in four weeks with a score of 11.80. The AL West dropped to second with a 12.33 average, followed closely by the NL West at 13.13.
At the bottom, the AL Central regained its rightful place in the cellar, seeing its average score jump to 19.20, mostly due to the White Sox. A close second was the NL Central with a score of 18.94.
You can check out the backup data here. So, without further ado, onto the rankings. As always, last week’s ranks in parentheses.
1. New York Yankees (1)
Another week, another No. 1 finish in the rankings. With the best record in the majors by five-and-a-half games, the Yanks could stay on top for awhile. New York got some good news, as CF Brett Gardner was scheduled to take batting practice on Tuesday.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (3)
Thanks to Gideon ranking them at the top, and winning five of seven, the Dodgers jump their neighbor to the South in the rankings. Bill Plaschke thinks despite all of the Dodgers’ recent moves, they are still missing one key piece.
3. Los Angeles Angels (2)
The Angels continue to maintain a four-and-a-half game lead in the AL West and look to stay on top. Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times makes a case for Kendry Morales to be AL MVP. It’s not as ridiculous as you might think.
4. Philadelphia Phillies (4)
The Phils keep winning, and have opened up a seven-and-a-half game lead in the division thanks to taking three of their last four. The last one was most impressive, as Cole Hamels looked like Cole Hamels while two-hitting the Giants on Tuesday.
5. Boston Red Sox (5)
The Sox have won eight of 10, and now lead the Rangers by three-and-a-half games in the Wild Card race. In defeating the Rays on Tuesday, closer Jonathan Papelbon got a few more outs than he normally does.
6. St. Louis Cardinals (6)
Thanks mostly to the rest of the teams in their division, the Cardinals now have the biggest division lead in the majors. The Cardinals’ acquisition of Matt Holliday paid off exactly as planned in their win over the Brewers on Tuesday.
7. Colorado Rockies (7)
After suffering a devastating sweep to relinquish their Wild Card lead, the Rockies got a strong outing from Jorge de la Rosa to stop their losing streak with a victory over the Mets. On the same day, the Rockies got positive news about some injured players.
8. Texas Rangers (5)
The Rangers are 16 games over .500, but still three-and-a-half games out of any kind of playoff spot. Texas did gain a half game yesterday, bouncing back from allowing 18 runs on Monday to sweep the Jays on Tuesday.
9. San Francisco Giants (10)
On the heels of their sweep of Colorado, the Giants jump up one spot to No. 9 in the rankings. San Francisco’s newest acquisition is excited to face his former team next week.
10. Tampa Bay Rays (9)
With their playoff hopes fading, the Rays have struggled, losing four of their last six. On Tuesday, the Rays received a power-hitting infielder to complete the Scott Kazmir trade.
11. Atlanta Braves (11)
12. Detroit Tigers (12)
13. Minnesota Twins (16)
14. Florida Marlins (14)
15. Chicago Cubs (15)
16. Seattle Mariners (17)
17. Toronto Blue Jays (18)
18. Chicago White Sox (14)
19. Milwaukee Brewers (19)
20. Arizona Diamondbacks (24)
21. Houston Astros (20)
22. Oakland Athletics (21)
23. Cleveland Indians (22)
24. Cincinnati Reds (27)
25. New York Mets (23)
26. Baltimore Orioles (26)
27. San Diego Padres (29)
28. Pittsburgh Pirates (25)
29. Washington Nationals (28)
30. Kansas City Royals (30)
This article originally posted on Cubicle GM.
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