MLB Power Rankings – February Edition

Some may say it’s too soon to put up baseball rankings, others may say it’s way too soon to put up baseball rankings, but to them I say, you’re right.

None-the-less, here are my first impressions of the 2009 MLB season, along with what each team needs before the season starts and what they can do to get it.

1. Chicago Cubs – Just to be clear, rankings are based on how I feel a team will do in the regular season. The Cubbies, in my estimation, have the #1 pitching staff and the #3 offense, which easily makes them this year’s team to beat. They are lacking a solid 5th starter, but how many teams can say they have 4 quality starters? They could also use a middle infield upgrade over Theriot and Miles, but that’s nitpicking. The Cubs could potentially win 105-110 games, IF they sign Brian Roberts as a leadoff man and Heilman develops well into a starter.

2. Boston Red Sox – Signed some old guys, but could strike gold with the winner of the Smoltz/Penny sweepstakes for the 5th starter. They could definitely use upgrades on the left side of their infield, and at catcher. Health for their pitchers, which has been a big problem, also will determine their fate. SS help is hard to find this season, but signing Varitek to mentor their young catchers and perhaps Kevin Millar as insurance if Lowell goes down (Youk moves to 3B) would certainly upgrade this team.

3. Tampa Bay Rays – One of the rare teams that don’t need much help, but they will need their young pitchers to continue to mature, and would love for the new guys, Burrell and Joyce, to put up decent numbers.

4. New York Yankees – Quite a start for the AL East with 3 of the top 4 teams, but that shouldn’t catch many off guard. The Yanks will benefit hugely from bounce back seasons for their Japanese talent. An upgrade in CF would also help, but the options are slim. I’m not quite sure why they did not resign Abreu when they need an OF.

5. Philadelphia Phillies – The defending champs find themselves in a decent spot in the rankings, but time will tell if they can hang with the big guys. After Hamels, the Phillies rotation is average at best, and injury problems, namely Utley, have plagued them. Getting another consistent season from Ibanez to replace Burrell, signing a decent backup infielder as insurance, and maybe signing one more quality starter would put these guys over the top.

6. Los Angeles Angels – This team might be missing out on their window to win a championship as their core ages, namely Vlady, Torii and Lackey. They need their youngsters to step up, healthy pitchers, Guerrero to make it through another season without needing a walker, a quality 1B, and a backup option should they need Guerrero to DH often. Fuentes will also have some big shoes to fill. I think Wiggington or Millar could really help this team since they are versatile and could fill in at first if needed.

7. New York Mets – These guys are starting to get pretty old too, so they need to start winning soon. Other than Wright and Reyes, no set starter is under the age of 30. BUT, they have Johan, and they will once again need him to be huge. All in all, they could use a big league left fielder, an upgrade at catcher, and another starting pitcher. Oliver Perez seems to be set to sign, so that would make their staff one of the best, but finding a better catcher just isn’t going to happen. Daniel Murphy could be a future star in left, but getting Manny for this season would not hurt.

8. Arizona Diamondbacks – The Garland signing jets these guys up a few spots as their pitching staff is now top 5 in the league. They need Scherzer to develop quickly, Felipe Lopez to turn things around and give them a decent lead off hitter, and consistency from their young hitters. This team could really go either way, as they’ve shown the last two years, but I think with another year of maturity they will make a run at it.

9. Detroit Tigers – Don’t count out Leyland and Co. just yet, they still have some youth and talent. I LOVE Granderson, and think he could be a top 5 fantasy OF this year. I disagree with their decision to move Inge to 3B to “improve” their defense. His career batting average barely clears the Mendoza Line, so I don’t see how defense will make up for that. I say put Guillen at 3B instead of LF, and start Thames in LF. Has Thames ever had a full season under his belt to show what he can do? These guys sorely need their pitching staff, starters and relievers, to step up big time. If so, they could win an AL Central that is completely up for grabs (see KC Royals entry below).

10. Los Angeles Dodgers – It’s a shame their glaring hole is LF, where Juan Pierre will somehow find himself in a major league starting lineup once more, and Manny doesn’t seem to want to sign. They could also use another starting pitcher to complete the rotation, and are looking at Wolf and Looper for help. Too bad Randy Wolf is probably the most overrated pitcher of all time.

11. Cincinnati Reds – The first surprise on the list, I really like the Reds this year. Their pitching staff could be as good as any in the year, or if Volquez takes a step back, could be only average. But, I think they could compete for a wild card if they can get help at SS or OF. A healthy Alex Gonzalez will move Hairston into LF, but they could use a Bobby Abreu to shore things up. These are the 2009 Milwaukee Brewers.

12. Colorado Rockies – Like the Dbacks, this team could swing either way year to year. I think they will be in a tight three-way battle for the NL West, and with their decent rotation and lineup, could take it. They lack a true ace so someone like Jake Peavy would do wonders, but they lack the budget and will have to live with what they have.

13. Cleveland Indians – Grady Sizemore is in the peak of his career, and that does not bode well for AL pitchers. If Hafner and V-Mart can make a comeback, Peralta can hit like he did last year, and some youngsters step up, the Injins could make some noise. However, after Lee and Carmona, who are far from proven still despite 1 great season each, this team does not have much starting pitching depth. A free agent would help but they seem content with what they have.

14. Texas Rangers – I like the Rangers. There, I said it. They are loaded on offense and could score more runs than any team in the majors. However, their pitching is what drags them down to #14, as they have exactly 0 quality starting pitchers. They need to open the pocketbooks a little bit if they want to compete with the Angels this year, but in the next couple years look for them to lead the AL West. It would be huge for them if they could land Sheets, and maybe take a chance on someone like Mark Mulder.

15. Milwaukee Brewers – CC Sabathia was the only reason they made the playoffs, now sans him and Sheets, I don’t think they stand a chance. They have no proven quality starters (unless you count Bush or Suppan, which I don’t), and their lineup is very shaky. I mean, when Jason Kendall is your best catching option, nothing against him, you need to make some changes. Getting Sheets back should be a priority, but one they seem unwilling to take.

16. Atlanta Braves – The Braves’ starting pitching isn’t bad, but they severely lack power in their lineup, specifically in the outfield. It would be huge for them if Andruw would accept a minor league contract, but he probably won’t. Also, Manny would be a good gap filler, but it’s starting to seem like he would fit in in a lot of places.

17. St. Louis Cardinals – I’ll never count LaRussa out, but their lineup took a hit with Glaus’ injury. Still, they are very deep in OF and should probably try to move someone to get a pitcher or a closer that they desperately need. Unless Lohse takes another step forward, this team will lack an ace. That is, assuming Carpenter doesn’t make a miraculous comeback. I think Peavy would look great in red, but doesn’t seem likely.

18. Chicago White Sox – Like the NL West, this division could go to a number of teams, and I certainly don’t count out Ozzie Guillen. However, Jose Contreras looks like he could apply for an AARP card, and Vazquez left for the Braves. This team needs, along with a lot of pitching, a middle infielder and a CF. However, there isn’t much help out there except maybe Orlando Hudson.

19. Minnesota Twins – Not much has changed with them other than having Liriano healthy to start the season. So, why so low in the rankings? Well, I think it’s impossible not to put them this low every year and just wait for them to surprise you yet again. The Twins have a bunch of average pitchers, and they really need a power hitting 3B, but they will again be competing for the division. Signing Joe Crede for cheap couldn’t hurt.

20. Houston Astros – How could a team with a decent payroll continue to ignore their horrible pitching staff?? They should change their name to the Houston Astrocities (kind of like Atrocities? No?) because they are just wasting a very good offense. Maybe it’s the air in Texas…Still, they could use a 3B to round out the lineup, and of course, pitching. Ben Sheets is from Texas…

21. Kansas City Royals – Other than having some of the best blogs of any major league tem, the Royals haven’t had much to brag about. However, they are starting to load up on talent and could be the next Tampa Bay Rays. With Aviles, Gordon, Greinke, and Bannister, this is much to build on here. It’s a long shot, but with some help, like a star pitcher or 2B, they could be looking down on a few teams in the AL Central.

22. San Francisco Giants – See Texas Rangers, except exactly the opposite - loaded on pitching, but an offense that would get outscored by the LA Galaxy. They desperately need a 2B, 3B and an upgrade over Fred Lewis. If they had the money, Hudson, Crede, and Ramirez would be nice fits.

23. Toronto Blue Jays – These guys are a mess and are only ranked this high because of Halladay and Litsch. Man…how amazing would Halladay look in black and gold…I digress. The Blue Birds need a SS, 1B, loads of pitching, and a replacement for Scott Rolen. Orlando Cabrera and Adam Dunn come to mind, but they seem complacent with sucking this year. Tell me again, why are there baseball teams in Canada?

24. Oakland A’s – I love Billy Beane, but how can he keep letting all his pitchers go and ever expect to win? Blanton and Greg Smith are the most recent departees, following Hudson, Zito, Harden, and Haren, who besides Zito, all are great major league pitchers still. Holliday and Giambi won’t make up for the lack of pitching. For some reason Pedro Martinez just seems right for this team to me…

25. Florida Marlins – Like the Twins, the Marlins continually start low and end high. I’m sure they will finish better than this (I could actually see them around #16 if they played to their potential), but with unproven pitching, and lackluster offense, they have a long way to go. They could use a veteran guy in the rotation, a 3B, and an OF, unless Maybin can mature quickly. Braden Looper and Joe Crede come to mind.

26. Seattle Mariners – The Mariners need a lot of things to go right, such as Felix the Great figuring out how to utilize his amazing stuff and Bedard not to tear something, but they aren’t THAT bad. They definitely need some power, and I think bringing Griffey back for a farewell year, as well as signing Adam Dunn, could definitely help. But they seem content with what they have, so time will tell. I do like Brandon Morrow as a sleeper SP though.

27. Pittsburgh Pirates – Our lovable Buccos! It’s never fun to have to scroll down this far to get to your team…but at least we have the Steelers? I’m pretty used to waiting until the end to read funny quips on how the Pirates suck on ESPN and Yahoo!’s rankings, so whatever. We all know what they need, but to reiterate, the most pressing needs are a veteran RHP, a right handed power hitting OF, and possibly a completely new team. It will take a lot of heart for these lovable losers to make it to 81 wins, but I will be rooting for them every step of the way! (until loss #82 in late July…)

28. Washington Nationals – You have to try really hard to be worse than the Pirates, so I give credit to the next 3 teams. The Nationals sorely need a 1B and 2B, and tons of pitching. John Lannan and Shaun Hill are good, but still young and Hill is injury prone. Adam Dunn, Orlando Hudson, and Peavy/Sheets will pull this team out of the gutter, but DC is just not a baseball town and revenues are struggling.

29. Baltimore Orioles – There is a shimmer of hope with these guys, but that’s all it is. Adam Jones could be a future star, and Markakis, Roberts, and Mora are already bonafide major leaguers, but they have no pitching past Guthrie, who is far from an ace, and not enough offense to make up for it. They will be competing with the Blue Jays over last place in the AL East.

30. San Diego Padres – When I wake up in the morning and think about the Pirates I’ll never be completely distraught, because I can always say to myself “at least they’re not the Padres.” They could use an upgrade everywhere, and the only real major leaguers starting for them are Adrian Gonzelez and Chris Young. All I can say is, I hope Brian Gile’s support group, who saved him from domestic abuse and steroids, can save him from the nightmare he’s about to endure.

One observation, what’s wrong with the west? According to my rankings, the AL and NL West are the two worst divisions in baseball, and the AFC and NFC West were by far the worst divisions in football. What’s wrong out in Cali?