Here's how I see things right now. Lots can change between now and Opening Day and I will update the Power Rankings again just before the regular season starts as part of my preview/predictions for 2009.
Comments welcome...
1. Red Sox - Bullpen gives them the edge over the Yankees
2. Yankees - Even with the potential loss of A-Rod the Yanks are still loaded
3. Phillies - World Champs might be better than they were in '08
4. Cubs - Sure, they have questions but they also have the most talented team in the NL
5. Angels - Love the addition of Abreu, gives them an OBP guy to go with the Free Swingers
6. Dodgers - With Manny in the fold from Day One the Dodgers are an elite NL squad
7. Mets - If Santana's elbow becomes a problem the Mets slip on this list by Opening Day
8. Rays - They should be even better than '08 if someone takes charge in the 9th
9. Indians - Bullpen is better and I expect rebound years from Carmona & V-Mart
10. Diamondbacks - Offense may be erratic but pitching is very good
11. Twins - Somehow they always find a way to hang in there
12. White Sox - Could be a team that slips in by April 6 depending on bottom of rotation
13. Cardinals - Could move up or down by Opening Day; so far things look okay
14. A's - Love the additions of Halladay and Giambi; they could move up
15. Tigers - They'll hit the ball for sure but their pitching will dictate where they finish
16. Braves - Not enough offense and too many pitching questions; could slip in the rankings
17. Marlins - Love the young talent here; could be a sleeper
18. Brewers - Like the Tigers of the NL; plenty of offense, not enough pitching
19. Blue Jays - They're just a little short on both offense and pitching
20. Giants - Great pitching, not enough offense; finally seem headed in right direction though
21. Astros - Pitching is horrible after Oswalt; they'll hit if they're healthy though
22. Rockies - Like the Blue Jays, just a little short all-around
23. Reds - Love the move toward athleticism but don't see enough run production
24. Rangers - Another team that can mash that's lacking in pitching
25. Orioles - Only one legit starter but I like the move toward young, athletic hitters
26. Royals - Not buying the buzz that they could be better this year. How?
27. Nationals - Pitching will come along but they still have more questions than answers
28. Pirates - Don't like their offense at all and pitching staff is loaded with enigmas
29. Mariners - Some good young pitchers for sure but lineup stinks out loud
30. Padres - Not enough pitching + not enough hitting + not enough defense = worst in MLB
KW
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How exactly are the Cubs better than the Cardinals? I'm awfully tired of seeing people write that and hearing people say it. It's BS!! Let's do a comparison. I don't have time to do every play, but...
ReplyDelete1st: Cards are WAY better! Lee is now one of the worse offensive 1st basemen in baseball.
2nd. Cards are better on offense. Cubs on D. I'll give the Cubs the edge.
SS: Depends on which Green shows up. Could go either way. I'll give it to the Cubs.
3rd. Cards win this one. Stats were about the same last year on offense. Glaus is better on defense. And we know the Cubs play in a little league sized ballpark.
C: Edge to the Cards. Yadi is a better defensive player, and hit for a higher average.
Outfield: The Cards top 3 are FAR better than the Cubs top 3.
Starting pitching:
#1: Carpenter over Zambrano any day! Zambrano is a headcase and has never won a big game.
#2: Wainwright and Harden are close, but one has closed a World Series win and the other hasn't, so slight edge to Cards.
#3: Lohse vs. Dempster. About even. Both had breakout years. Can we trust either will repeat? Not sure. Calling it even.
#4: Wellemeyer vs. Lilly. About even. I like Wellemeyer better, but will call it even.
#5: They both could be equally as bad. Call it even.
CL: Both will go with unproven closers. I'll call it even, but the Cards have lots more options.
Of course, I assumed full health for both teams. It's not fair to assume (as most around STL do) that the Cubs will be healthy and the Cards won't. After all, Zambrano and Harden are already hurting, and Glaus will miss a few weeks. I know there's more to it than that, but I don't have the time right now. By my analysis, the Cards are the better team (maybe by a lot if Skip can learn to play second and Green is the player he usually is). Obviously, things don't always go as they should on paper. We shall see!
Dude, you're nuts...
ReplyDeleteCheck out my latest post...