Feb 14 2008
First MLB Power Rankings for us to argue about
CBS Sports line has put out their first power rankings list.
- Mets
- Red Sox
- Tigers
- Phillies
- Indians
Read the rest here: CBS Sportsline
My beloved Padres are in the 15th spot. Behind the D’Backs, Rockies and Dodgers, picked to finish 4th in their division again. Do the writers and “experts” never learn?
I can’t even count the number of times that the Padres are picked for 4th place or the cellar. The analysts bring up every lame excuse they can. The ballpark, the old guys, lack of power, etc. But they have finished 3rd or better the last 4 years, including back to back NL West pennants and were it not for a closer that the city refuses to shutdown, we’d likely have a wild card berth to add to that.
The way I look at it, we’re just not a flashy team. We don’t have the payroll and history and superstars and lore of the Dodgers. We don’t have World Series rings like the D’Backs. We don’t have a “cool” team like the Rockies did last year. And we don’t have an egomaniacal roid head like the Giants.
Ever since we lost Tony Gwynn, we’ve had no identity. Yet somehow we continue winning games, making the playoffs and posting good attendance figures. The new stadium is excellent (it took a while to grow on me) and the fans really support their team. Granted the majority of fans act as though they’re rooting for their kids little league team (this is a whole separate post for the future), but regardless, they are there for their team.
Our GM tends to make acquisitions that aren’t splattered all over the front page of ESPN. To be honest I can’t even remember the last major Padres transaction that really got people stirred up. Sure we picked up aging CF Jim Edmonds to play alongside aging RF Brian Giles, and we brought in a pitcher with more shoulder problems than a chronic masturbator, but somehow these guys seem to do just enough to get us over the hump. Adrian Gonzalez is quietly becoming a force at 1B not to mention a fan favorite. Plus we still have the most dominant 1-2 pitching combo in the NL in Peavy-Young (assuming he stays healthy).
In fact, I’ll go ahead and declare Peavy the best pitcher in the NL…even with Johan joining the ranks. I don’t see Johan putting up the same numbers he has in years past with the Twins. Based on his crazy demands for a long term contract, I have a sneaking suspicion that he has been hiding some issues that will surface during the stretch run.
My prediction: Padres finish in 4th behind the D’Backs, Rockies and Dodgers.
5 Responses to “First MLB Power Rankings for us to argue about”
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I understand that the Mets are a logical choice for #1, but that staff is overrated. Johan is great, but it should be noted that he struggled at the end of last year. Whether it was, as Mets fans contend, simply him mailing it in because he wanted to be traded or it was a legitimate sign of a chink in his armor, it’s not a good thing. At best, he’s got an attitude.
After him, you’ve got an aging and always fragile Pedro (guaranteed stint on the DL), the unpredictable Oliver Perez (a CG, 18 K start followed by 6 ER through 2 and 2/3 start), an absolutely ancient El Duque (his American age is 41; he’s in his mid-50s in Cuba), and John Maine (big deal). Add to that Billy Wagner, who will be turning 37 this year, and you’ve got a closer who’s been on the decline and is not the force he once was. That’s an awfully old group of arms to rely on. What happens in August and September, when these arms are gassed? How much scarier is that young Phillies squad then?
But for the record, I think the Mets’ lineup will get it done when needed. Johan is making the headlines, but he’s really just a flashy piece added to an already stacked team.
Your analysis of Johan is based on absolutely nothing. He did not absolutely dominated other teams at the end the year last year but to say he struggled is unfair.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=santajo02&t=p
For all the talk of how bad he was the numbers show his ERA jumped a whopping 1/3 a run from july through september. ALERT THE MEDIA!!!
Oh and this pitching for a team with the 3RD fewest runs scored in the American League. 2nd fewest HR’s. 5th Worst OBP.
Now he is moving to the NL which is, as is generally agreed, significantly less gooder (I like English) than the AL. He is moving to a pitchers park (at least for a year and apparently Citi Field is to be a pitchers park too) from the Homer Dome. And he is moving to, arguably, the best offense in the National League. Oh and to top that off every single report from everyone who has ever been associated with him has said he is a positive and generally awesome human. A team player and fantastic presence in the locker room. Please offer me something, besides your sour grapes as a Yankee fan and wild speculation, to counter any of this stuff called ‘evidence’.
About the actual list, I think if Schilling had not been hurt the Sawks would have been #1. If the Tigers can get D-Train to not oscillate from actively sucking dick on the mound to being a lefty Doc Gooden. I think the Rockies will plummet back to earth and their ranking is based on their improbable run.
Fuck this. Lists are retarded. Baseball is such a long and fluid season that pre-season rankings have as much utility as a bicycle for fish.
You can manipulate the stats all you want re: Johan. Anyone can. I, for example, could point out that he gave up 4 ER or more in 5 of his last 7 starts. I could even add that in a sixth start, his last of the year, he gave up 2 earned in just 3 innings of work. Anyone but a blindly positive Met fan would at least raise an eyebrow at his uncharacteristic close to last year.
Anyway, that’s just one arm. The rest of the staff has a small window of time in which to gel.
Your focus on a comically small sample size is your choice.
As for the rest of the staff, I agree. OP has developed nicely as a Met and is much less prone to those wild swings but they are certainly is not immune to them. Maine is pretty good, not great, but a very good 3 and can be a 2 one day. Pedro is the wildcard. He’s healthy but who the fuck knows what his arm can do this year. If, and its an if the size of my balls (that’s massive to clarify), he is effective then the Mets cannot be beaten in the East and would have a great chance to come out of the NL. Also, I don’t believe El Duque is going to be a starter. I think they are goin with a kid (Humber or Pelfry whomever they didn’t trade).