2011 MLB Power Rankings – MLB Power Ratings Poll from NSAwins.com – All Star Break Edition: In honor of the 2011 All-Star break, it’s time to roll out a midseason addition of Power Rankings.
- Philadelphia Phillies (57-34): The popular stat being thrown around is that the Phillies are the first team since the 1986 New York Mets to have three pitchers with at least nine wins and an ERA below 3.00 at the All-Star break. What is even more impressive is that Philadelphia’s dominant trio has led the team to the best record in the majors despite injuries to Roy Oswalt and three different closers.
- Boston Red Sox (55-35): The Red Sox cruised into the All-Star break with six straight wins and a 9-1 record in their last 10 games. Adrian Gonzalez continues to be the centerpiece of an absolutely ridiculous offense. Boston leads the majors in team batting average, runs scored, hits and team slugging percentage.
- Atlanta Braves (54-38): The good news for the Braves is that they have the second-best record in the National League. The bad news is that they are 3.5 games back in the NL East because they happen to play in the same division as the Phillies. Rookies continue to play a big role in Atlanta’s success with Freddie Freeman driving in runs and Johnny Venters and Craig Kimbrel shutting down teams at the end of games.
- New York Yankees (53-35): The Yankees continue to trade places with the Boston Red Sox atop the AL East, but New York has a chance to get focused on winning now that Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit is out of the way. The injury to Alex Rodriguez certainly won’t help an offense the leads the majors in home runs, but pitching is going to be the key down the stretch. CC Sabathia is going to win 20-plus games, but the rotation is questionable after the ace.
- San Francisco Giants (52-40): Despite a never-ending string of injuries, the defending World Series champs remain atop the NL West. Closer Brian Wilson has had a few hiccups, but strong starting pitching has once again carried the team. Meanwhile, a resurgent Pablo Sandoval has been doing just enough at the plate.
- Texas Rangers (51-41): Seven straight wins heading into the All-Star break have the Rangers back on top of the AL West. Texas has been hampered by injuries and inconsistent play at times in 2011, but this lineup can be as potent as any in the majors. With a little pitching, the Rangers should take control of the division down the stretch.
- Los Angeles Angels (50-42): An 8-2 stretch heading into the break has been keyed by the awakening of Vernon Wells and the continued stellar pitching of Jared Weaver. The Angels are just one game behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West, and finding consistent offensive production needs to be top priority the rest of the way.
- Tampa Bay Rays (49-41): The Rays can run out steady supply of top quality starters, but playing in the AL East just isn’t fair sometimes. Tampa Bay is six games out of first and will have to find a way to pass either the Yankees or Red Sox in order to have a shot at the playoffs. The odds of that happening greatly improve if Evan Longoria can get his bat going.
- Detroit Tigers (49-43): The recipe for success for Detroit has been simple. Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez carry the load on offense, and Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander leads a group of quality starters. The Tigers are once again atop the AL Central at the All-Star break, but it remains to be seen if they can stay there.
- Milwaukee Brewers (49-43): Despite being tied for first in the NL Central, this Milwaukee club continues to underachieve. With three quality talented starters and ample firepower on offense, the Brewers should be running away with their division. They could end up regretting letting other teams hang around.
- St. Louis Cardinals (49-43): The Cardinals have battled through injuries all season but somehow sit tied for first in the NL Central at the All-Star break. Back from an injury of his own, Albert Pujols has a golden opportunity to add to his asking price if he can lead St. Louis to a division crown in the second half.
- Arizona Diamondbacks (49-43): Justin Upton is a budding superstar, and this young Arizona club has launched more than 100 homers in 2011. The Diamondbacks have been one of the biggest surprises of the year, and they have remained contenders in the NL West despite an injury to closer J.J. Putz.
- Cleveland Indians (47-42): After a scorching start, the Indians have been sputtering the last couple of months. They are just one game back in the loss column in the AL Central, but offensive inefficiencies are starting to become a problem. Cleveland is heading in the wrong direction, and I’m not sure this club has a leader that can right the ship/
- Pittsburgh Pirates (47-43): The Pirates are without a doubt the feel good story of the year in baseball. The perennial bottom feeders have remained in the mix in the NL Central thanks to contributions from a variety of sources. Joel Hanrahan has been the best closer in the National league, Andrew McCutchen has become one of the top outfielders, and the list doesn’t end there.
- New York Mets (46-45): Despite missing David Wright for most of the year and a recent injury to Jose Reyes, the Mets have climbed above .500. Unfortunately for the Mets, the two best teams in the National League are sitting ahead of them in their own division. Rumor has it that Carlos Beltran could be leaving town before the trade deadline.
- Minnesota Twins (41-48): Remember when the Twins were the worst team in the majors? A 24-11 stretch has helped Minnesota trim the deficit in the AL Central to just 6.5 games. Considering that Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have contributed next to nothing thus far, the Twins could be a team to watch for after the All-Star break.
- Cincinnati Reds (45-47): After winning the NL Central last season, the Reds were expected to contend for a playoff spot once again in 2011. However, inconsistent play from everyone but Joey Votto and meltdowns from closer Francisco Cordero have left the Reds with an uphill fight in the second half of the year.
- Toronto Blue Jays (45-47): Jose Bautista gets all the headlines and rightfully so, but Adam Lind is another young slugger having a lot of success in Toronto. The Blue Jays are never going to be contenders in the AL East, but they could end up deciding whether the Yankees or the Red Sox win the division.
- Washington Nationals (46-46): The Nationals have a solid young core of players that could make this club a factor in a few years. Jordan Zimmerman has been borderline dominant as a starter, and the same can be said for closer Drew Storen. Shortstop Danny Espinosa could end up winning Rookie of the Year honors, and Bryce Harper is lurking in the minors.
- Chicago White Sox (44-48): The White Sox continue to hang around in the AL Central, but surprisingly, it has been on the strength of their pitching staff. What was supposed to be a dominant offense has been hurt by the continued struggle of Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and others. Paul Konerko has been a life saver for this club.
- Seattle Mariners (43-48): Seattle just doesn’t have the offensive weapons to compete right now, especially with Ichiro struggling at the plate. That being said, the pitching staff the Mariners have assembled can cause some serious problems for other playoff hopefuls.
- Colorado Rockies (43-48): Carlos Gonzalez is swinging a hot bat, but the Rockies still aren’t winning. Troy Tulowitzki and company are famous for late season charges, and it is looking like they will need another one if they want to live up to expectations and make the playoffs.
- Los Angeles Dodgers (41-51): Matt Kemp is having a ridiculously productive year and could win the NL MVP. If the Dodgers would actually win some more games, his chances of winning the award would be even better.
- Florida Marlins (43-48): The Marlins have won five straight games heading into the All-Star break, but the prolonged slump in the middle of the first half has killed any playoff hopes the club may have had. At least Hanley Ramirez is starting to play at an All-Star level once again.
- San Diego Padres (40-52): The pitching staff is always going to have solid numbers thanks to cavernous PETCO Park. However, the Padres’ offensive issues are exposed by the ballpark as well. There just isn’t enough talent on this roster to make much noise.
- Oakland Athletics (39-53): The Oakland lineup is abysmal, and the pitching staff has been hampered by injuries and flat out poor play. At least the Athletics should be getting some search engine traffic with the impending release of Moneyball.
- Kansas City Royals (37-54): After a hot start, the Royals have crashed back down to earth. The team’s poor record has opened the door for a number of call-ups, and at least Kansas City fans will get a chance to see the future of the club before it is traded away to contending clubs.
- Chicago Cubs (37-55): Aramis Ramirez is killing the ball, but the pitching staff is still terrible. The Cubs’ roster needs to be completely retooled, and the overhaul needs to start this season.
- Baltimore Orioles (36-52): After a lot of talk during the offseason and a decent start, the Orioles have assumed their typical position in the basement of the AL East. Overspending on over-the-hill players isn’t exactly a winning strategy.
- Houston Astros (30-62): You don’t compile the worst record in the majors without having a lot of issues. Hunter Pence is a great all-around player, but the roster is pretty underwhelming otherwise.
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