2011 MLB Power Rankings – MLB Baseball Power Ratings Poll For Games Played Thru 4/4/11

2011 MLB Power Rankings – MLB Baseball Power Rating Poll from NSAwins.com – Rangers Top the List thru 4/4/11:You never get a second chance to make a good first impression, and after the opening series for each Major League club, the Power Rankings underwent a major shakeup. When you only have a few games to work with, it is all about what has happend on the field thus far and not about what is supposed to happen.

1. Texas Rangers (3-0): Ian Kinsler’s three home runs led an offensive barrage that ended with a series sweep of Boston. The Rangers hitters combined for 11 round-trippers, and Texas is sitting at 3-0 after going head-to-head with a team many predicted to represent the American League in the World Series.
2. Cincinnati Reds (3-0): The defending National League Central champs made quite a statement in the opening series. A dramatic walk-off win on Opening Day sparked a three-game sweep of a Milwaukee Brewers team that was supposed to challenge Cincinnati for the division crown.
3. Philadelphia Phillies (3-0): Give them credit for managing the high expectations and taking care of business against an inferior Houston club. Ryan Howard’s offensive outburst made everyone forget about Chase Utley’s injury, and the starting pitching was as good as advertised.
4. Baltimore Orioles (3-0): Manager Buck Showalter took a lot of heat for his outrageous comments during the preseason, but the Orioles have responded. Dominant performances from the starting staff powered Baltimore to a three-game sweep of the Rays despite minimal offensive production.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (3-1): They opened the year against the Giants and promptly took three out of four from the defending World Series champs. The Clayton Kershaw for Cy Young campaign is only going to gain steam if his opening day performance was a sign of things to come.
6. Atlanta Braves (2-1): Chipper Jones looks healthy, Dan Uggla is living up to his contract, and Craig Kimbrel looked good pitching the ninth. The Phillies may have some competition for the NL East crown.
7. Toronto Blue Jays (2-1): Jose Bautista is well on his way to proving his 2010 season wasn’t a fluke, and rookie catcher J.P. Arencibia looks like a star in the making. If they could just switch divisions, the Blue Jays could make some real noise.
8. New York Yankees (2-1): The starting pitching is still sketchy, but the Yankees can afford some mediocre arms if the offense continues its torrid pace. Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira appear to be in mid-season form already.
9. Chicago White Sox (2-1): The offense was as impressive as expected, and that was without Alex Rios collecting a single hit. That being said, the Chicago staff got hot around by a mediocre Cleveland offense. The White Sox may have to outscore the competition all year.
10. Kansas City Royals (3-1): Alex Gordon appears to have finally figured out how to hit major league pitching, and the Royals are burning up the base paths to the tune of nine steals in four games. Disruptive base runners will make life a whole lot easier for Billy Butler and the rest of the Kansas City power hitters.

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11. San Diego Padres (2-1): The Padres shipped their best offensive player to Boston in the offseason, but they still had enough pop to take two out of three from the Cardinals. A solid group of starters and one of the better bullpens in the National League could make the loss of Adrian Gonzalez easier for San Diego fans to handle.
12. New York Mets (2-1): R.A. Dickey can still get batters out, and the offense was surprisingly potent in the opening series against the Marlins. The Mets’ roster doesn’t look all that great on paper, but Carlos Beltran is healthy right now, and the season has started on a positive note.
13. Boston Red Sox (0-3): The Red Sox may be the highest paid 0-3 squad ever assembled, but Boston fans shouldn’t hit the panic button just yet. The Red Sox have been horrible in Arlington in recent years, and the pitching staff isn’t going to give up 11 home runs every three games all season.
14. Seattle Mariners (2-1): King Felix looks as dominant as ever, and Jack Wilson and company can flash the leather behind him. I’m not sure the offense will be able to provide enough for the long haul, but pitching and defense are also a good recipe for success.
15. Colorado Rockies (1-1): Their ace Ubaldo Jimenez looked shaky in the opener, but the Rockies have plenty of offense weapons to support whoever is on the mound. The performance of the Colorado hitters on the road will determine how well they do in 2011.
16. Pittsburgh Pirates (2-1): Don’t get too excited Pittsburgh fans. The Pirates started 2-1 last season before finishing the year as arguably the worst offense in baseball. That being said, their 2-1 start put them ahead of teams with a worse record.
17. Milwaukee Brewers (0-3): The Brewers ran into a buzz saw in Cincinnati, and the offseason moves to improve the pitching staff fell flat. That being said, Ryan Braun and Rickie Weeks are killing the ball, and this team will win plenty of games. The meltdown of closer John Axford should be the team’s biggest concern.
18. Detroit Tigers (1-2): The Tigers attempt to outscore the Yankees ended poorly, but Miguel Cabrera didn’t appear distracted by his off the field issues. I have a feeling the pitching staff will look a lot better when they aren’t facing a loaded New York lineup.
19. St. Louis Cardinals (1-2): Albert Pujols started the year by grounding into three double plays on opening day, and Matt Holliday will miss time following an appendectomy. Not much has gone right for the Cardinals so far, but if Jaime Garcia’s complete game shutout becomes a trend, St. Louis will be just fine in the long run.
20. San Francisco Giants (1-3): Getting handled by a division rival isn’t the best way to start the year, but the Giants pitching staff is going to bounce back. Whether or not the offense can do the same will determine if San Francisco can repeat as champs.
21. Chicago Cubs (1-2): They didn’t exactly get blown out by the Pirates, but dropping two out of three to a team that was supposed to be among the worst in baseball is never a good start to the year.
22. Arizona Diamondbacks (1-1): Justin Upton looks ready to take the next step and become a star, and the pitching staff held its own against a tough Colorado lineup. The team doesn’t look great on paper, but the Diamondbacks could surprise some folks this year.
23. Florida Marlins (1-2): Despite some encouraging performances by some young players, the Marlins lost two of three against the division rival Mets. It seems like Florida’s roster is constantly filled with inexperienced, talented players, and how well the team matures during the season will determine the overall success of the club.
24. Minnesota Twins (1-2): The Twins got smacked around by the Blue Jays, and Minnesota will play plenty of other teams with better lineups than Toronto’s. If Francisco Liriano is going to struggle, the Twins are in serious trouble.
25. Oakland Athletics (1-2): The mediocre offense was expected, but pitching and defense was supposed to offset the lack of pop in the lineup. Oakland struggled in all three areas in the opening series, and it showed on the scoreboard.
26. Tampa Bay Rays (0-3): Somebody forgot to tell Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon that they are allowed to hit in the regular season. Couple that with an injury to Evan Longoria, and an already suspect Ray offense is in serious trouble.
27. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (1-3): Maybe the Royals are better than everyone expected, but it is much more likely that the Angels are just worse. The front office didn’t make many moves in the offseason to help an aging roster, and it could be a long year for Angels fans.
28. Washington Nationals (1-2): Nobody expected a lot from Washington in 2011, and the Nationals didn’t show much in the opening series. A few nice pieces and some hyped prospects in waiting don’t win a lot of games.
29. Cleveland Indians (1-2): The Indians can’t afford to give up tons of runs like they did against Chicago. Their offense just isn’t good enough to out slug the competition.
30. Houston Astros (0-3): After facing Philadelphia’s top-three starters, is anyone surprised to see Houston sitting at 0-3. One of the few bright spots is that clean-up man Carlos Lee was swinging the bat well after having a miserable 2010 season.