2011 MLB Power Rankings – MLB Power Ratings Poll from NSAwins.com – Phillies, Reds, Indians Top the List: Now that the season is more than a month old, the contenders and pretenders are starting to reveal themselves. Some surprise teams that were off to hot starts have faded away, while other appear to be in it for the long haul. Likewise, some teams that were expected to contend that started slow have recovered while others appear to be in serious trouble.
- Philadelphia Phillies (25-14): The Phillies have tallied the most wins in the majors, and this team is only going to get better. Chase Utley and Domonic Brown are close to returning from injury to boost the offense, and Roy Oswalt is going to doing the same for the already stout pitching staff.
- Cincinnati Reds (23-17): Fresh off a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds are back atop the NL Central. Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey have been lights out on the mound since coming off the DL, and Jay Bruce has found his swing. The bullpen has been sketchy at times, but this is a deep Cincinnati team.
- Cleveland Indians (24-13): There hasn’t been an Indians team playing this well since the squad from the movie Major League. An offense that was supposed to struggle has been surprisingly consistent, and a rotation full of unknowns has been even better. Cleveland’s MLB-best 15-4 record at home has been a big part of the club’s success.
- Detroit Tigers (22-18): It is no coincidence that the Detroit offense has come to life since Victor Martinez returned from the DL. The Tigers are 9-1 in their last 10 games and have won seven straight. Justin Verlander is getting all the attention after his second career no-hitter, but this rotation is far from a one-man show.
- Tampa Bay Rays (23-17): The offense that could barely score a run at the start of the year has suddenly powered the Rays to the top of the AL East. James Shields resurgence has been a huge boost to the pitching staff, and Matt Joyce has been an unsung hero on offense. Keep in mind that the Rays have been winning with very limited contributions from Evan Longoria.
- San Francisco Giants (22-17): Thanks to an 8-2 stretch, the defending World Series champs find themselves leading the NL West. The offense still comes and goes, especially since Pablo Sandoval went down with an injury, but the pitching staff is as good as it gets. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez can cover up a weak offense.
- Boston Red Sox (20-20): After a miserable start, the Red Sox have clawed their way back to .500. Coming off a sweep of the rival New York Yankees, Boston is looking more and more like the title contender it was expected to be. Once their offense really heats up, the rest of the American League could be trouble.
- Florida Marlins (23-16): Josh Johnson could end up winning the NL Cy Young, and the Florida offense has been explosive despite a horrible start from Hanley Ramirez. The Phillies are going to be tough to catch in the NL East, but the Marlins have a legitimate shot at winning the wildcard.
- St. Louis Cardinals (22-19): Getting swept by the Reds was a step in the wrong direction, but the Cardinals are going to be just fine in the long run. Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman have formed a potent trio on offense, and Jaime Garcia has stepped up in the absence of Adam Wainwright. On the downside, Chris Carpenter has struggled, and St. Louis probably needs another arm to knock off Cincinnati.
- Atlanta Braves (23-19): The East is looking like the toughest division in the National League, but the Braves have managed to hold their own so far. Atlanta could really use another bat to jumpstart a mediocre offense, but this team has enough arms to stay in the mix all season. Craig Kimbrel’s ability to step into the closer’s role and Brandon Beachy’s surprising success as a starter have pushed this pitching staff into elite company.
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (22-19): Jared Weaver has started to cool off after a hot start, but the Angels remain atop the AL West. The offense has compiled the fourth-best batting average in baseball despite horrible numbers from Vernon Wells. However, Wells will have to step up at some point because Kendrys Morales is going to be out for the year yet again.
- New York Yankees (20-18): Getting swept by Boston and the Jorge Posada incident have rubbed salt in the wound for a team that has dropped five straight. While the sputtering offense is going to be fine in the long run, the Yankees are kidding themselves if they think their current rotation is going to get it done. Outside of C.C. Sabathia, New York doesn’t have a reliable arm.
- Texas Rangers (21-19): Injuries have wiped out the entire opening day outfield for the Rangers, but Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz will be back soon. Long term, Texas needs to be concerned with the steadily declining performance of its pitching staff. The Rangers may still have enough firepower on offense to win their division, but a return to trip to the World Series could be a reach.
- Colorado Rockies (20-18): The Rockies recent 2-8 stretch has offset a hot start, but the Colorado offense is starting to come to life. Troy Tulowitzki is a stud, Carlos Gonzalez is finding his swing, and Todd Helton has turned back the clock. There is too much talent on this team for the Rockies to hit the panic button.
- Kansas City Royals (20-19): The Royals are starting to cool off a bit, but this club is still much better than anyone expected. Kansas City continues to lead all of MLB in stolen bases, and super prospect Eric Hosmer appears to be the real deal since getting called up. The Royals have a lot to be optimistic about.
- Oakland Athletics (20-20): As expected, the Oakland pitching staff has been incredible while the offense has been largely absent. Unless the front office makes a move for a bat, Trevor Cahill and company are going to have to be close to perfect for the Athletics to contend. More than likely, the Oakland staff will keep the team in the mix but on the outside of the playoff picture.
- Milwaukee Brewers (19-21): It’s tough to figure out why the Brewers aren’t better than they have been in 2011. Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are all having strong seasons, and the pitching hasn’t been bad either. Zack Greinke’s return could be the spark the Brewers need to put it all together, and the rest of the NL Central could be in trouble if that happens.
- Toronto Blue Jays (20-20): Somewhere along the way, Jose Bautista became the best hitter in baseball. His first career three-homer game has given him a MLB-best 16 bombs, and he leads the American League with .368 batting average. He is single handedly getting media attention for the Blue Jays.
- New York Mets (19-21): A surprise 7-3 stretch has brought the Mets record closer to respectability, but this club still has a lot of holes. David Wright is having a terrible season, and the pitching staff is shaky at best. In a very tough NL East, New York is going to be a non-factor.
- Los Angeles Dodgers (19-22): The offense has disappeared for the Dodgers, but the impending return of table setter Rafael Furcal could help the problem. Andre Either and Matt Kemp form a potent duo in the middle of the lineup, and the pitching staff is one of the best in the National League. That being said, this team can’t help but be distracted by all the questions with ownership.
- Baltimore Orioles (19-20): The Orioles are the tough luck cellar dwellers of the stacked AL East. The offseason moves to revamp the offense haven’t exactly gone as planned, but Baltimore is playing near .500 baseball right now. The emergence of young pitcher Zach Britton has been the biggest bright spot for the club.
- Chicago White Sox (17-24): The slumbering Chicago offense is slowly coming to life, but Adam Dunn and Alex Rios continue to underachieve. This White Sox team was built to outscore opponents, and right now the offense isn’t living up to expectations. Until this club starts hitting like a top-five offense, it is going to keep losing.
- Pittsburgh Pirates (18-22): No team has been on a bigger roller coaster ride than the Pirates. After a hot start, the Pirates cooled off. They then went on a tear to climb back above .500, but five straight losses have knocked dropped them back below mediocrity. Looking at the roster, the losing streak are likely to outweigh the winning streaks during the course of the year.
- Chicago Cubs (17-21): It has to be frustrating to be a Cubs fan. Carlos Zambrano is actually pitching well, but Ryan Dempster is suddenly terrible. Alfonso Soriano is hitting well, but Aramis Ramirez can no longer hit home runs. Something is always going wrong in Chicago, which is why this team remains one of the biggest train wrecks in baseball.
- Washington Nationals (19-21): At two games under .500, this Washington team is actually exceeding expectations. Unfortunately for the Nationals, they still sit dead last in the NL East because of how tough the division is. Le the countdown to Bryce Harper’s debut begin.
- Arizona Diamondbacks (17-22): Strong pitching performances from Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson show the upside this Arizona team has long term. Young arms and young position players fill this roster, and if management is able to keep Justin Upton, Chris Young and some of the other Diamondbacks players together, something special could develop.
- San Diego Padres (17-23): The Padres are attempting to offset a horrible offense by running at every opportunity, but despite piling up stolen bases, runs have been tough to come by for San Diego. The bottom line is that the Padres have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, and it is showing on the field.
- Seattle Mariners (16-23): Seattle has scored the third-fewest runs in baseball this season, and there just aren’t enough weapons on offense for this team to compete. On the bright side, Justin Smoak is a promising young hitter, and Michael Pineida is an ace in the making.
- Houston Astros (15-25): Coming into the year, the Astros were expected to be overmatched and undermanned, and so far, they have been. Bud Norris has been a surprising bright spot for the rotation, but as a whole, the Houston pitching staff doesn’t scare anyone. The same can be said about the Houston offense.
- Minnesota Twins (12-26): After a 2-8 stretch, the Twins are now the not so proud owners of the worst record in baseball. Injuries to Joe Mauer and others have hurt an already underachieving offense, and the team’s 119 runs scored are by far the fewest. This Minnesota squad just doesn’t have the firepower to contend in 2011.
Check out the National Sports Advisors daily on NSAwins.com for expert MLB picks.