MLB Power Ratings
Our staff has developed MLB baseball power ratings with up to date rankings and how we as handicappers see these teams. We will list our MLB team rankings on a week by week basis and as much as possible. You can check this page for up to date MLB power ratings from Cappersinfo Sports Handicapping. Thanks for visiting and don't forget to check out all the free sports picks in the forums and free picks monitor, other sports betting information, and MLB baseball predictions for sports handicappers!
Cappersinfo Current MLB Power Rankings
(As of the start of Spring Training 2011)
1: Philadelphia Phillies (97-65 in 2010) – The Phils might have had the best starting rotation in baseball last year with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. Now, add Cliff Lee to the bunch, and there is just no doubt about it. Simply put, it's Philly against the field this year, as this is still a lineup that has names like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, and overcoming the loss of Jayson Werth shouldn't be all that difficult. If the Phillies aren't back in the World Series this year after a one year hiatus, we'd be surprised.
2: Boston Red Sox (89-73 in 2010) – The boys from Beantown might not have made the playoffs last year, but they were a relatively unlucky club that had to deal with a ton of injuries and other setbacks. Now, Adrian Gonzalez has brought some pop to the middle of the lineup, and Kevin Youkilis is switching back to the other side of the diamond. Carl Crawford should terrorize his old team as well from Tampa Bay. This is a tremendously deep pitching staff with a ton of young arms in the minors that could be on most other staffs in the game. Last year was an anomaly for the Red Sox, who should be back in the hunt for October again this year.
3: New York Yankees (94-67 in 2010) – The Yanks were the biggest losers this offseason in the Cliff Lee hunt, and there really weren't any other huge names that were brought into town. The addition of Rafael Soriano will help out a shaky bullpen in front of Mariano Rivera, but the starting rotation took a big hit when Andy Pettitte retired. Now, it's CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and… we're not so sure. What we do know is that this lineup can still mash, and after winning 51 games at home last year, we know that the Yankees are going to be tough to top again this year in the AL East.
4: San Francisco Giants (92-70 in 2010) – If there's one team that really has the pitching staff to be able to hang around with the Phils, it's San Fran. Tim Lincecum is still a fantastic pitcher, and he has now closed out a World Series in his career as well. Matt Cain has been a horse for years, while the others in this rotation have really come around and are only going to get better and better. Expect another great year out of Buster Posey, who really came on strong once he was inserted into the everyday lineup. Offense is hard to produce at times, but when push really comes to shove, there are enough arms both in this pen and in the rotation to make it work for the G-Men.
5: Minnesota Twins (94-68 in 2010) – What we have to remember about the Twins is that they won 94 games last year without having Joe Nathan, one of the best closers in the game, throw a single pitch. There were really no splashes made in the offseason, but there was really nothing that Minnesota had to do. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau still might be the most feared No. 3 and No. 4 hitters in baseball, and this rotation, though it doesn't have any real stars, is still good enough to get the Twinkies back into the playoffs once again in a relatively weak AL Central Division.
6: Atlanta Braves (91-71 in 2010) – This is the season in which we will see if the Braves were a farce or not. We know that they never stood a chance in the playoffs because they really abused their arms down the stretch of the regular season, and we hope that guys like Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens are still capable of having big years this year. There's also a big question as to how the team is going to react with Fredi Gonzalez managing instead of Bobby Cox. This is clearly a team with a huge step down from Philly, but the Braves are also clearly the second best team in the division as well and should at least challenge for a postseason berth.
7: Tampa Bay Rays (96-66 in 2010) – If Manager Joe Maddon can get this team back to the playoffs this year, it would be a real miracle. Gone are Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, Jason Bartlett, and virtually every single arm in the bullpen from last year. In are retreads Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon. Still, the likes of Evan Longoria and BJ Upton are exciting in the lineup, and Tampa Bay is ready to let Desmond Jennings, Reid Brignac, and Sean Rodriguez all take the field on a regular basis. We'll also see if Jeremy Hellickson is the second coming of David Price, who probably got screwed out of the Cy Young Award last year.
8: Chicago White Sox (88-74 in 2010) – Isn't there a point that Manager Ozzie Guillen has to win to keep his job? We're not so sure why this skipper is still around, but he definitely has a new piece to the puzzle to work with in Adam Dunn. Mark Buehrle had a great season once again, and he is anchoring this staff into place. There is still a lot of question around Bobby Jenks and this bullpen, but the lineup might be able to mash with a lot of the big boys in the AL. Chicago went on a great run at the end of last season, and it might be able to do some damage again in 2011.
9: St. Louis Cardinals (88-76 in 2010) – The clock is ticking for the Redbirds this year, as they have no choice but to get Albert Pujols signed before Spring Training starts, or it will feel like a season of gloom and doom in the making, as Pujols will probably test the free agent mark after the season is over. The good news is that this pitching staff is great, and the lineup with even a disgruntled Pujols and Matt Holliday is still intimidating. However, the Cards just never got it together last year until very late in the season when it was too late, and they need to be a lot more consistent this year to get the job done.
10: Colorado Rockies (83-79 in 2010) – The Rockies gave out a lot of big time contracts to keep their young guns in town for a long, long time, but it is still definitely to be determined whether all of these moves are going to pan out or not. This is a huge year for Ubaldo Jimenez, who looked like he was going to coast to the Cy Young with ease at the start of the season. However, he ended quite average, just like the Rockies did, and if things don't get any better than that, they'll be in some real trouble this year.
11: Texas Rangers (90-72 in 2010) – We know that this is a huge drop for the team that won the American League last year, but there seems to be some real turmoil right now in the Lone Star State. Texas obviously lost out on Cliff Lee in the offseason, and now, it really has a pitching staff that looks quite average once again. Vladdy Guerrero and Bengie Molina, both of which were cogs in the lineup are gone, and there is a big time chance being taken here on Adrian Beltre, which might cause Michael Young to get traded even before the season starts. Winning the division is still a possibility, as the AL West is weak, but that doesn't make the Rangers one of the best 10 teams in the game.
12: Cincinnati Reds (91-71 in 2010) – Is it just us, or are the Reds the Chicago Bears of the NFL? After all, Chicago is coached by a man that most of the city is wondering how he still has a job, and the team basically won a division title based upon spit and glue this past season. Cincinnati is the exact same way. Manager Dusty Baker was probably out the door if he didn't bring the Reds to the playoffs last year. Joey Votto was a breakout player for sure, while a young pitching staff was fantastic. It'll be interesting to see how Aroldis Chapman pans out after not really pitching much in the short postseason last year for Cincinnati.
13: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (80-82 in 2010) – We really might just be at the juncture where we realize that the Halos just aren't that good anymore. Manager Mike Scioscia built a real dynasty of sorts in the AL West that was finally toppled by the Rangers last year, and it seems like the Angels just missed out on all of the big time free agents this year. That being said, if the team can keep its starting staff intact, led by Jered Weaver, there is a chance to get back to the Promised Land, just off of Scioscia and his managerial skills. It'll be a tough battle, though.
14: Detroit Tigers (81-81 in 2010) – General Manager Dave Dombrowski is going for it this year, as he immediately started his free agency spending by bringing in Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez. Of course, it doesn't make any sense to bring in Martinez, a defensive liability behind the plate who has batted .225 for his career at Comerica Park, but it is true that Detroit really needed a catcher. This pitching staff had better be remarkable, or Manager Jim Leyland is in trouble.
15: Toronto Blue Jays (85-77 in 2010) – It's really a sin that the Blue Jays are in the AL East, where they know that they really cannot finish any better than third every single season, as they really do have a solid team that is inevitably going to win more games that it loses again this season. Ricky Romero might not quite be the second coming of Roy Halladay, but he is an ample replacement, while there are a ton of other young kids on this team that picked up the slack for the veterans like Vernon Wells that just slacked off. Adding Frank Francisco might prove to be the coup of the offseason for a very young team.
16: Florida Marlins (80-82 in 2010) – It'll be very interesting to see if Javier Vazquez can revive his career (again) in Florida, as he has been an historically great pitcher once you take him out of the Bronx. The rest of this lineup doesn't look all that sexy, but it never does. The Fish always seem to do more with less than any other team in the game, but they also always come up short of the postseason when push really comes to shove.
17: Chicago Cubs (76-87 in 2010) – Seasons of terrible spending have really strapped the Cubs, but they really made two solid moves in the offseason, pillaging the Rays by taking Carlos Pena via free agency and Matt Garza via trade. If Chicago can get anything out of Carlos Zambrano this year, whether on the field or via trade, it will be an added bonus. The Cubbies can't really be a team that finishes 12 game under .500 again this year… right?
18: Oakland Athletics (81-81 in 2010) – General Manager Billy Beane took a chance last year at bringing in Ben Sheets for 10 million bones, a move that didn't work. He hopes that his moves this year by acquiring David DeJesus, Josh Willingham, Hideki Matsui, and Grant Balfour look a little better by the end of this campaign. Oakland could be an interesting team that we are probably selling just a bit short at No. 18 to start the season, but we're just not so sure that it is all going to come together to be able to run down the Halos and Rangers in the AL West.
19: Milwaukee Brewers (77-85 in 2010) – The Brew Crew could be in for an interesting year with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun doing damage in the middle of the lineup, but where is the rest of the production coming from? This pitching staff has the ability to be great if John Axford keeps up a solid job as the team's closer. Yovani Gallardo finally has another solid arm to help him out in the form of Zack Greinke, who is just thankful to be out of Kansas City this year.
20: Houston Astros (76-85 in 2010) – Though we know that the Phillies made the huge move to pick up Roy Oswalt from the 'Stros right before the trade deadline last year, it's not like Houston made out that poorly. JA Happ is definitely an up and comer in this league, while the rest of the starting pitching really looks solid. The problem is that this lineup is epically bad. Carlos Lee has to be looking around wondering what in the heck he deserved to be left here on this club.
21: Los Angeles Dodgers (80-80 in 2010) – Manager Don Mattingly might be able to infuse some more wins into this team this year, but the truth of the matter is that this is nothing more than a mediocre team that made it to the playoffs on the back of Manny Ramirez two years ago, but really doesn't have all that much else to work with. When your two biggest offseason acquisitions are Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro, you've got some issues.
22: San Diego Padres (90-72 in 2010) – We definitely don't buy that the Padres are going to be in contention this year, though we do give them all the credit in the world for fighting up until the very last day to try to get into the playoffs this year. Sure, missing out on Adrian Gonzalez is going to hurt, but we also know that bringing in names like Cameron Maybin, Brad Hawpe, and Jason Bartlett will help. The pitching staff really came on strong last year with Mat Latos and Wade LeBlanc pitching like studs at times, while the bullpen was simply lights out. Now, Chad Qualls is in the bunch in the pen, while Aaron Harang, who was one of the best starters for the Reds last year, is going to probably be the No. 2 man in the rotation. We're just not buying that it's working again in San Diego, though.
23: New York Mets (79-83 in 2010) – The M-E-T-S are an M-E-S-S right now. The Wilpon family is in all sorts of trouble thanks to the Bernie Madoff problems, meaning the team was really killed with the inability to go spending in the offseason. Thank goodness, the big contract for a very disappointing Carlos Beltran is finally coming up, but there is still no excuse to recover any of those other signings like Jason Bay last year. To make matters worse, this pitching staff is in shambles. Francisco Rodriguez literally jumped the shark last year and has made himself a public enemy on his own team, while Johan Santana probably isn't going to throw a pitch in the majors until the All Star Break.
24: Washington Nationals (69-93 in 2010) – The Nats really opened up the floodgates in free agency this year when they gave that ridiculous contract to Jayson Werth, but when push really comes to shove, is this team in any better shape now than it was with Adam Dunn? There's no noteworthy closer to speak of, and with Stephen Strasburg not pitching this year thanks to Tommy John surgery, there is a real issue about who will be helping out John Lannan in this rotation. Chien-Ming Wang might be a name to remember since he was basically brought here to Washington to try to revive his career outside of the bright lights of the Big Apple.
25: Baltimore Orioles (66-96 in 2010) – The O's are probably still a year away, as they have a lot of these young up and coming kids that makes them look a lot like Tampa Bay a few years ago. We're not so sure what Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero are doing here, nor are we really all that sure why Mark Reynolds came to town, but we know that the Orioles have a better team this year than they did a year ago. The question is whether they can even think about challenging the rest of the teams in the stockpiled AL East. Probably not.
26: Seattle Mariners (61-101 in 2010) – At least by record, the M's were the worst team in the AL last year, but we have to remember that this is a club that still has a ton of really top notch talent. Chone Figgins should play better ball this year, while we know that Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez really can't win any fewer games than he did a season ago. Ichiro, as always, will be good for his 200 hits. The only hope here is that the AL West absolutely stinks, but that doesn't really mean that the Mariners are going to help that cause any this year.
27: Cleveland Indians (69-93 in 2010) – Playing the Royals 19 times this year should really help out Cleveland's case to become relevant again, but we know better. Getting to 75 wins would be an amazing triumph. There are a lot of nice looking young arms in the bullpen, but aside, and the kiddies in the field will be exciting for certain at times, but there is still a lot of learning to do for a team that hasn't figured out how to win since CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee left town.
28: Arizona Diamondbacks (65-97 in 2010) – Pardon the pun, but the Diamondbacks are absolutely snake bitten. Justin Upton is great, and Stephen Drew is a fantastic middle infielder, while Kelly Johnson definitely made a name for himself last year. Chris Young is explosive, but the rest of this team is nothing to be desired. JJ Putz is heading a shaky looking bullpen, and save maybe Joe Saunders, there's nothing left in this rotation but guys like Ian Kennedy and Zach Duke that have never amounted to anything in their careers.
29: Kansas City Royals (67-95 in 2010) – Simply put, the Royals stink. They gave up on Zack Greinke, if nothing else, as a thank you gift to him for years of good service. David DeJesus, arguably the franchise's best hitter in years is gone as well. That leaves a great closer in Joakim Soria and a solid slugger in Billy Butler. However, if you want a great question that will stump all of your friends in a bar… Ask to name any member of the Kansas City rotation. If they get any of Jeff Francis, Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, Kyle Davies, or Vin Mazzaro, we'll be really, really impressed.
30: Pittsburgh Pirates (57-105 in 2010) – Zach Duke finally got his ticket out of town in the offseason after years of being stuck in baseball's purgatory, but unfortunately for him, Andrew McCutchen didn't. He's the only man worth anything in the lineup, while the rotation featuring Paul Maholm isn't going to have anyone shaking in their boots. Ross Ohlendorf is earning over $2M this year after winning salary arbitration… in a year in which he won exactly one game. If there's one thing you can bank on, it's that the Pirates will once again have a losing record in 2011.
