Maine's late season MLB Power Ten

[MaineDolFan]

I haven't been a very good soldier this year - talking up my beloved baseball.  It's been a rough few months at work, months without a moment to breathe at times (or so it seems).  So this morning I am forcing myself to take a moment to do something I love...talk baseball. 

Let's talk the top ten teams in the game, shall we?  And let's get right to it.

#1.  Tampa Bay Rays  88-57

Hands down, far and away, the best team in baseball.  They have areas of concern, specifically power numbers.  In the post season the lack of thumpers can really hurt as you're facing the best of the best, pitching wise.  Holy crow, they are together everywhere else -- especially bullpen.  And the guys nailing down the 7th and 8th are two guys that were basically written off as dead last season.  A little thin after Price and Garza in the rotation, but not that bad either.

#2.  Minnesota Twins  87-58

Joe Nathan went down for the year and people wrote this team off.  I did.  This Twins team is one that is built to beat you by a run or two, play solid around the horn, don't make mistakes and slam the door on you, late innings.  What will they do without their all-star closer?  They benefit from a weak-ish division (Chicago made a run but, at the end of the day, isn't all that good), but they are still 29 games over .500.  Read that again...29 games.

#3.  Philadelphia Phillies  86-61

The Phillies have gone 8-2 in their last ten, including a four game winning jog, to finally give themselves some breathing room against the surprising Braves (who are still hanging around).  Come the playoffs they will be awfully tough to beat.  Halladay is a short rest beast, you will be sure to see him twice in a 5 game series.  Toss in Oswalt and Hamels and you're in the thick of it.  Hamels is almost a forgotten man in that rotation.  Let me toss some numbers at you:  5-3, 1.79 ERA in his last 13 starts.  In his last THIRTY ONE IP, he's given up a run.  Yep, a whole run.  Do you want to face this kid in a game that matters?

#4.  Atlanta Braves  83-64

The Braves weren't expected to do much of anything this season.  Stay competitive.  Don't embarrass old man Cox while he is making his retirement tour around the league.  Scratch out 80 wins and call it a day.  Well, they got the 80 wins part down.  They have the wild card lead, although lately they are doing everything that they can to give it away to San Fran.  Going into a set with the Nationals they should have padded their lead, that didn't happen.  Now it's off to New York for the Mets series, they should gain some ground.

#5.  New York Yankees  88-58

2-8 in their last ten is bad enough.  This team used to be close to 20 games over .500 on the road, that record since the All-Star break is down to six.  The Yankees have a very hard time finding wins away from the Bronx.  Their pitching, outside of CC, is a mess.  Their bullpen is a mess.  Tex has a broken toe (suffered 8/31) and it's starting to show.  Jeter shouldn't be hitting in the two hole.  After cruising for much of the season the Yankees could very well be heading down the wrong path.  After being lit up like grandma on Christmas Eve in Tampa (losing two out of three) the Yankees open a weekend series with the suddenly high flying O's.  If they don't win two out of three in this series it could spell the future for this team.

#6.   Cincinnati Reds  83-63

I hate to say I told you so...but I told you so.  Yet again, one of Maine's dark horse teams comes through in the clutch.  I was right in '05 with the White Sox.  I was right in '06 with the Tigers, '08 with the Rays and I'm right this year with the Reds.  Just don't grave dig and find what I said last year about the Royals.  That one doesn't count.  I'm allowed one mulligan here or there, aren't I?  The Reds won't do a lot come playoff time, although they match up well with San Diego.  But these are massive steps forward for a team on the rise.  MLB is better when the Big Red Machine is winning.

#7.  San Diego Padres  82-63

They need to get their stuff together and do it quickly.  San Diego has a comfy-ish lead in both their division and, need be, the Wild Card.  Suddenly they have San Fran and Colorado sniffing up their ass.  Let me tell you one thing I love about this team:  Ten games over .500 at home and the road.  Let me tell you one thing that scares me about this team:  Only ten games over .500 at home.  A half game lead over San Fran...if they fall out they will also trail in the Wild Card.  They need to sweep St. Louis this weekend, they can't afford to play .500 ball anymore to close out the season.  Otherwise they are going to be on the outside looking in come post
season time.

#8.  Boston Red Sox 82-64

Josh Beckett, Dice-K, Ellsbury, Youkilis, Pedroia, V-Mart, Tek, Camerson...all players that have missed at least 30 games this season.  Some, like Ellsbury, Pedroia and Youkilis will end up missing upwards of (and over) 50.  If Tito is not the manager of the year this season, giving Boston a shot at a 93 win season under these conditions, it's highway robbery.  Trailing the Wild Card leading Yankees by 6 isn't an overcoming obstacle.  Boston and the Yankees still lock horns six more times this season.  This thing ain't over yet.  And with Boston's suddenly healthy pitching trio of Buchholz, Lester and Beckett throwing quality starts every outing, MLB better hope this rag tag group doesn't make the dance.

#9.  Texas Rangers  82-63

I don't know why, but this team doesn't impress nor scare me in the least.  If I were any contending team in baseball I would want to draw the Rangers in a short set.  They have won seven in a row.  7-3 in their last ten. Wilson is as good as anyone this season.  The offense clicks.  The run the bases well.  Solid defense.  Good closer (Feliz is sick, actually...he's better than "good').  Decent bullpen.  Why can I not get the bad taste out of my mouth when it comes to this squad? Mark my words, they'll get knocked out of the opening round.  Just a feelin'.

#10.  San Fransisco Giants 82-64

For all of the reasons I don't like Texas, there are equal and unexplained reasons why I think the Giants can cause a lot of chaos if they make the playoffs.  I like their pitching.  I like their depth.  None of it is all that special.  But there is something gritty about this team that I like.  Something I can't put a finger on.  If THIS team makes the playoffs you might very well see them in the World Series (where they will promptly be disposed of in four games by Tampa).

Anyway...these are my late season feelings on MLB. Chime in.  Let's talk some ball.

 

[Sunstroke]

No argument on the Rays being baseball's best right now...they have talent coming out the wazoo. They still have some hellacious talent at AAA as well, so the talent-rich will just get talent-richer next year, whether they resign CC or not.

I just don't trust the Braves to maintain their position down the stretch. I like what Hudson's done for them this year, but I can't say I trust any of their other pitchers (even Hanson and Jurrjens) to put away quality bats once the playoffs start.

The only way I see Texas losing in the first round of the playoffs is if they face TB or the Yanks, and not entirely sure the Yanks will beat them in a series. Nelson Cruz is starting to get healthy again, Kinsler is almost all the way healthy again, and if Hamilton can get past the bruised ribs in time for the playoffs, I think they have enough pop to hang with almost anyone.

Go Padres!!

[SportsChick]

I'm loving the play of the youngsters the Sox have called up but I don't think they'll make a run this year, perhaps if they had Youk or Dusty but losing both was a huge blow

[Tenshot13]

Maine, you have to be the only objective Red Sox fan I know of.  I'm glad you gave my Rays props as the best in the league...they deserve it.  Saying that, I'm really worried about a few things.  A lot of people down here are calling for Maddon's head because he constantly tweaks the lineup or will use multiple closers against, say three batters instead of sticking with one Guy.  Also, it doesn't seem like one batter is lighting it up, we are just getting opportunistic hitting.

[Sunstroke]

I think that anyone calling for Maddon's head has absolutely no idea how to manage a baseball team.  I'd rate Maddon as one of the top-10 managers in all of baseball.

[SportsChick]

What Stroke said - he's doing a great job with that team, no doubt. If the Sox can't win the division, I sure as hope the Rays do since I really hate the Yanks and all

[StL FinFan]

It's too painful, but hey, hockey season is right around the corner!

[bsfins]

I'm rooting for the Rays,and Rangers in the AL.....The Rangers have seemed to be on cruise control for most of the season,I think that will hurt them in the playoffs....

I like the idea of the Reds, and have to give Maine his due....He picked them to win the Central....I like the Giants, and Padres in the west.....Would like to see all three of those teams do well in the playoffs....

[EDGECRUSHER]

The Red Sox better trade Papelbon over the winter while he still has some value.

[mecadonzilla]

I'm normally, a Braves homer, but since I live in Texas and TBS stopped showing Braves games in any regularity, I only get to watch Rangers games.  I suppose I could watch Astros games, but I'm not into pain.

The Rangers have no shut down pitcher.  They have decent starters, Cliff Lee included, but recently, he's not even in the conversation of stoppers.  CJ has played very well since the All Star Break, though.

Their bullpen is average to above average with a budding, great closer.  Feliz is the real deal.  We'll be singing his praises for a long time, I think.  This is only his second year closing (he never closed prior to entering the majors), but he can really bring the heat.

I think the Ranger's biggest weakness is their manager.  He's gotten an awful lot out of a team in transition.  A whole heck of news print has been wasted chronicling the Rangers ownership woes, which have been absolutely MASSIVE until recently.  He's managed to hold the team together during their multiple ownerships and all sorts of financial issues this season.  He's a great personnel guy and player's manager.

However, he is not an on the field X's and O's guy.  He'll send runners when they have no business running.  He'll keep the lineup the same until an injury forces him to change, regardless of the batter's averages or on base percentages.  Vlad Guerrero has been a shadow, statistically, of himself since the first half, yet Vlad's an inning ender almost every night as a clean up hitter.  If he's not lining out to the left fielder, he's hitting into a double play.  Only against the weakest of pitchers since July has Vlad performed.

The Rangers should not be considered a force beyond the Division series, as they have issues playing both the Yanks and the Rays, one of whom they'll most likely play to move on.

That being said, Ranger baseball has never looked this good.  (which is a sad state of affairs for a team that's been in Texas since the early 70s.)  They have a great defensive team (save for 3rd baseman Michael Young who's aging before my eyes) and Josh Hamilton is a legitimate MVP (when healthy).  Those two factors could serve them well, but as I've spent a long time here in Texas, I'd wager against it.  I've lived in the vicinity for almost 30 years on and off, and I've learned to never bet on those bums.  They do play entertaining baseball, though, and I'm already looking forward to taking the whole family out to watch them contend for real next year.