MLB Midseason Power Rankings: Contenders, Pretenders & Wait-Until-Next-Years
We’ve reached the All-Star break in the 2009 MLB season and if you’re a true baseball fan, it’s hard not to love what transpired over the first half of the season.
There have been plenty of surprises (Giants, Tigers, Raul Ibanez), letdowns (Diamondbacks, Indians, Manny Ramirez) and of course, the usual horrid play from certain clubs (Nationals, Pirates, Royals). But overall, it’s been a fun year thus far and it’s shaping up to be an exciting finish in both leagues.
Since we’re at the halfway point in the season, I felt it was only appropriate to put together power rankings based on what we saw in the first half. I also grouped each team into one of three categories: Contender, Pretender and Wait-Until-Next-Year. If you can’t figure out what those categories mean, then call your neighbor up and tell him to bring over a bat so he can beat you for your incompetence.
Enjoy the rankings, the rest of the baseball season, and the Kleenex that you’ll have to use for when you cry about how I ranked your favorite team too low.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (56-32)
Contender: While the Red Sox deserve consideration for this spot, it’s hard not to rank the Dodgers number one given that they’ve compiled the best record in baseball to this point. It’s amazing how this team held it together when Manny Ramirez was suspended and players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Orlando Hudson deserve a ton of credit for that. But the thing that has carried L.A. so far has been its pitching staff, which currently ranks second in all of baseball with a 3.58 ERA. As long as Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw and Randy Wolf don’t nosedive in the second half, the Dodgers will remain the favorites to win the NL pennant, if not the World Series.
2. Boston Red Sox (54-34)
Contender: The BoSox are the clear favorites in the AL at this point, although the Angels, Yankees and Tigers might have something to say about that in the second half. Boston currently has the best home record in all of baseball and while the usual suspects are contributing – Dustin Pedroia, Josh Beckett, Kevin Youkilis – it’s been underrated guys like Jason Bay, Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester who deserve just as much credit as the stars.
3. Los Angeles Angels (49-37)
Contender: I might get some flack for ranking the Halos ahead of the Yankees, but even though the Bombers have a better record, I think the Angels are the more dangerous team in the long-term. While they certainly didn’t show it in the first half, I think the Halos have the better pitching and their offense can be just as potent as the Yankees. Their three game sweep of New York heading into the All-Star break might have proven that the Angels are the superior ball club.
4. New York Yankees (51-37)
Contender: The Bombers kind of had a roller coaster first half, from having to deal with Alex Rodriguez’s steroid scandal, to Mark Teixeira’s slow start, to opening a new ballpark that has often resembled Coors Field Jr. But through all that, the Yanks have compiled the third best record in the majors and if their pitching holds up, they’ll be a force in the second half. They better figure out a way to beat Boston though, or else they’re not going anywhere.
5. Detroit Tigers (48-39)
Contender: Justin Verlander has seemingly put his rough ’08 performance behind him and once again is one of the better pitchers in MLB. Edwin Jackson has been one of the best surprises in baseball and Rick Porcello has showed flashes of brilliance in the first half. The White Sox and Twins are going to make a run of things in the AL Central, but Detroit has the offense and starting rotation to hold them off.
6. Texas Rangers (48-39)
Contender: As expected, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton (when healthy) and Nelson Cruz have given the Rangers a chance to compete. But will their pitching hold up in the second half? Can Kevin Millwood be consistent? Can Scott Feldman continue to produce? Thanks to their offense, the Rangers are legit contenders and getting a healthy Hamilton back is only going to make this club more dangerous. But if the Rangers’ pitching can’t keep them in ball games, the Angels will once again win the AL West and Texas might succumb to one of the teams in the AL East for the wild card.
7. San Francisco Giants (49-39)
Contender: The biggest surprise in baseball this year has been the Giants, who currently own the third best record in the NL. With their pitching, San Fran is a legit postseason contender and a four-man rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Randy Johnson and Barry Zito/Jonathan “No-Hit” Sanchez would be incredibly hard to beat in a seven game series. But this club has a major dilemma on its hands involving the offense. Kung Fu Panda Pablo Sandoval is a stud, Aaron Rowand has been rejuvenated in the leadoff spot and role players like Randy Winn and Bengie Molina can catch fire at any time. But this team needs youngsters like Nate Schierholtz and Travis Ishikawa to produce in the second half or else Brian Sabean will have to trade for a bat. Either way, this is one hell of a fun team to watch.
8. Tampa Bay Rays (48-41)
Contender: The defending AL champs have scored the second most runs in all of baseball and have the 10th-best ERA. But they have struggled mightily on the road this season, amassing a lackluster 18-26 record in the first half. Plus, Scott Kazmir still can’t stay healthy and they just dropped two of three to Oakland at home. Still, Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and the surprising Ben Zobrist have been outstanding offensively for the Rays, and the trio of Jeff Niemann, Matt Garza and James Shields have gotten it done in the rotation. If Kazmir can continue having the success he’s had since coming off the DL, Tampa is going to fight the BoSox and Yankees to the death in the AL East. But overall, this club has to get better on the road if they expect to contend for a postseason berth.
9. Philadelphia Phillies (48-38)
Contender: One could make the argument that the Phillies deserve to be ranked ahead of the Rays, but Tampa has gotten way better production out of its pitching staff in the first half than Philadelphia has. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino have been amazing and with their lineup, the Phils should eventually start pulling away in the NL East. But their pitching staff has only been so-so, amassing a 4.61 ERA and allowing opponents to hit .270. Those numbers will have to improve if the Phillies expect to repeat as World Series champions this season.
10. St. Louis Cardinals (49-42)
Contender: This is a funny team to figure out. In the same week, they can go from playing like legit playoff contenders to looking like nothing more than an average club. Albert Pujols is the best hitter in baseball, but he needs help. Hopefully Mark DeRosa can come off the DL and be the offensive player Tony La Russa and company envisioned protecting Pujols in the lineup. If not, the Brewers, Cubs and the rest of the riffraff in the NL Central will continue to nip at St. Louis’s heels the rest of the season.
11. Colorado Rockies (47-41)
Contender: The Rockies are kind of like that fly that gets into your home and zips in and out of rooms for hours on end. You know it’s there, but you can’t seem to kill it and aren’t bothered by it when it’s out of the room you’re in. But all of a sudden the damn thing is buzzing around your head at all times and you become consumed by either smashing it or finding a way to get it out of your home. The Rockies are a good team. They’re not great, but they’re good enough to challenge for the NL Wild Card spot and be a pain in the ass for the Giants, Cardinals, Brewers and Marlins.
12. Milwaukee Brewers (45-43)
Contender: Ryan Braun was right to call out the pitching staff a few weeks ago. The lineup is good enough to get the Brew Crew into the playoffs, but the pitching is definitely bad enough to sink Milwaukee in the second half. The only guy in the rotation pulling his weight right now is Yovani Gallardo (Trevor Hoffman has been solid in the pen as well), but this team is still definitely a contender.
13. Chicago White Sox (45-43)
Contender: Even though I love guys like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau of the Twins, I think the Chi Sox have a better chance of overtaking the Tigers than Minnesota does because of their pitching. Chicago currently has baseball’s ninth-best ERA mark at 4.16 and while nobody has been dominant in their rotation, guys like Mark Buehrle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd are certainly getting the job done. This is a young team on a whole, but veterans like Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko continue to produce and the race in the AL Central is going to be fun to watch in the second half.
14. Minnesota Twins (45-44)
Contender: With guys like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau continuing to rake, the Twins are going to be tough to beat in the second half. But the pitching needs to improve a tad if this club wants to take home the AL Central crown. Nick Blackburn has been excellent and Kevin Slowey has been a nice surprise, but Francisco Liriano’s second half might be the key to Minnesota’s success the rest of the way.
15. Florida Marlins (46-44)
Contender: The Marlins are still one of the more intriguing teams in baseball. They started off red-hot and then cooled off dramatically before rebounding to finish two games above .500 heading into the All-Star break. They have enough pitching and hitting to make a run at Philadelphia for the division, but it’s not clear whether or not this club is capable of being consistent. This young Marlins team is fun to watch and if guys like Hanley Ramirez and the filthy Josh Johnson can continue to produce, the Marlins will at the very least contend for the Wild Card.
16. Seattle Mariners (46-42)
Contender: I wouldn’t blame anyone who would disagree that the M’s are a contender given their horrid offense and whom they’re chasing in the AL Wild Card race (Yankees, Rangers, Rays). But Seattle owns the best pitching in the AL with a 3.73 team ERA and has also given up the AL’s fewest number of runs. But they desperately need offense or else they aren’t going anywhere. If the front office makes a move to try and contend, the Mariners could surprise. If not, there’s no way this team is catching anyone in the wild card race with that offense.
17. Chicago Cubs (43-43)
Contender: Call it a hunch, but I still think the Cubbies have a shot. It’s a bleak shot, but a shot nonetheless. They were hampered by injuries (Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden) and horrible play (Milton Bradley, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto) in the first half, but the pitching was actually very good and the offense still has potential. If Lou can breathe some life into offense, don’t discount the Cubs making a run in the second half. They’re only a .500 ball club at this point, but they’re also only 3.5 games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central.
18. Toronto Blue Jays (44-46)
Pretender: After a hot start, the Jays have fallen off the map and are now chasing the Red Sox by 11 games in the AL East. They’ve reached a point where they’re seriously considering trading ace Roy Halladay for prospects that could potentially help them down the road, which means the front office has all but waived the white flag for this season.
19. Houston Astros (44-44)
Pretender: The Houston faithful has to at least be somewhat pleased that the ‘Stros are making an effort to stay competitive this season. But this isn’t a very good offensive club and while the pitching has actually been pretty decent, it’s not good enough to carry Houston in the second half. At this point, I think the Cubs have more overall firepower to turn things around than the Astros do, but maybe Houston will make things interesting for a little while in the NL Central.
20. Atlanta Braves (43-45)
Pretender: After trading for outfielders Nate McLouth and Ryan Church, it’s clear that the Braves aren’t giving up on this season. But the offense is unspectacular on a whole and is devoid of pop. Thanks to Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vazquez, the pitching staff has been a nice surprise this season, but unless Atlanta continues to make moves to add bats, they’ll probably fall out of contention at some point in the second half.
21. New York Mets (42-45)
Pretender: What a waste of overall talent this team is. Considering the names this club has on its roster (i.e. David Wright, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, Felix Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, etc.), you’d think the Mets would be in the driver’s seat in the NL East. But their defense often resembles a three-ring circus and Jerry Manuel doesn’t have a strong enough presence to grab the reins and get this club to play up to its potential.
22. Cincinnati Reds (42-45)
Pretender: Dusty Baker’s club has a nice collection of young talent in Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto, but the Reds are still a year away from seriously competing. Considering they’re only five games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central, the Reds could still surprise and make a run in the second half. But Bruce’s wrist injury (and awful batting average for that matter) makes that feat more daunting than it already is.
23. Arizona Diamondbacks (38-51)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: I thought the D’Backs were the only team that could seriously give the Dodgers a run in the NL West this year, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Brandon Webb’s injury and inconsistent play have sunk this once-promising team.
24. Baltimore Orioles (40-48)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: The young talent of Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters gives the O’s hope for the future, but this club has a ton of holes and plays in the most competitive division in baseball. The front office has to restock the pitching staff with arms, because the current group is brutal.
25. Kansas City Royals (37-51)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: At one point this season, the Royals were actually in first place in the AL Central. But that seems like decades ago and the only player currently worth the price of admission is All-Star Zack Greinke, who currently sports a dazzling 2.12 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.
26. Oakland A’s (37-49)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: The A’s never seem to have the most talent, but they always, at the very least, find a way to compete. But this year has been a different story as the club has fallen into the basement of the AL West and now GM Billy Beane has to work his magic around the trade deadline in order to get Oakland competitive again in 2010. Can Beane convince a contending club to give him a decent package for Matt Holliday?
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (38-50)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: This might be the worst-run organization in baseball, if not in all of sports. The front office already traded away veterans Nate McLouth and Nyjer Morgan and soon might deal Freddy Sanchez and Adam LaRoche. The Bucs are constantly in rebuilding mode and while they have a couple of nice young arms in the rotation (as well as young outfielder Andrew McCutcheon), it seems like this club will never compete again.
28. Cleveland Indians (35-54)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: One could make a serious case that the Tribe are the worst team in baseball. This was supposed to be a contender in spring training, but instead the wheels have completely fallen off and the entire organization needs a new culture. It’ll be interesting to see if Cleveland eventually has a fire sale and Cliff Lee is shipped out of town.
29. San Diego Padres (36-52)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: This season can be wrapped up like this for the Padres and their faithful: Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter against this team. Not Tim Lincecum, not Matt Cain, not even Barry Zito. Jonathan Sanchez. The same Jonathan Sanchez that had never even pitched a complete game before last Friday’s no-no against the Padres. Yikes…
30. Washington Nationals (26-61)
Wait-Until-Next-Year: The Nationals rolled the dice two years ago when it hired Manny Acta as manager. The front office thought that a young club would benefit from having a young, energetic manager lead them but the move backfired. While there is hope on the horizon (has Stephen Strasburg been called up yet?), this club needs a patient manager with some experience under his belt. I have no idea who that manager is, but Washington needs to search under every rock to find him.
I’m glad you have my Tigers up in the rankings, I’m not sure if 5 is generous or not, but if they get the offense going and the pitching and defense can continue to be as stingy as they were in the first half, you could eat your words after week 1 of this season…
“The Tigers are going to struggle”
You homer!
I also had the Tigers ranked No. 12 in my 2009 MLB Preview, where I think a lot of pundits had them lower.
Ahem, this is what I said in the preview in spring training:
The Tigers are definitely contenders and with the uncertainty surrounding the Indians, Twins and White Sox in the AL Central, Detroit could easily win the division. But they’re going to find out quickly if they’re a balanced club or if the offense will have to carry them throughout.
Projection: 2nd AL Central
I can’t believe you went to the archives on me, Jon, you dirty S.O.B.!
anthony,
im pretty sure you dont follow these teams but just look at their records. You name on those players on the mets that arent playing up to their talent level…well thats because they have been hurt. Beltran, reyes, delgado, perez, putz, Maine and even those who replaced them have gone to the dl. They havent played since May most of them. Their playing with all backups! ur team would suck too so you cant blame those dudes. and dont give me that a team has to find a way bullshit.
Hey Ben,
I’m pretty sure you didn’t read any of my other write ups but the Mets, so don’t make general comments about this entire piece because you didn’t like what I wrote about your favorite team.
I know a lot of those players have been hurt, but I was making more of a generalization with the Mets over the past couple years. They’ve had the talent, but haven’t found a way to win. Could I have been more clear and expounded more in their writeup? Yeah – definitely. But you can’t say that the only reason why the Mets haven’t gotten it done over the past couple years is solely because of injuries.
And backups or not, there’s no excuse for their defense to be as sad as its been. If we’re talking about shoddy offensive play or weak pitching because backups have had to step up, that’s one thing. But we’re freaking talking about routine plays that these guys (major leaguers, mind you) just aren’t making.
Thanks for crapping on the entire piece just because of what I wrote for the Mets, Ben. But I guess that’s just par for the course for a lot of sports fans these days. You disagree with what the writer wrote about your team, so you attack all of his work. Makes sense.
You said I only look at the records – so what would you have changed? What teams would you have moved up…what teams would you have moved down? You essentially state that you disagree with the majority of the piece, yet don’t tell me why. Typical.
I apperciate debate and discussion. But few readers know how to engage in that these days and its sad.
All right, I’ll get off my soap box.
Sorry Ben…if your team and management were any good, they would have found a way to play better than they have. Instead in every interview with your manager and gm, they talk about how tough it is playing with these injured guys out, pretty much giving the players they DO have an excuse for sucking. Why should they try to win when their own management doesn’t expect them to anyway?
EVERY team has injuries. Yes, you’ve had a few more than some teams but nothing you shouldn’t have been able to patch until they return. You’re not the only team that’s had to deal with them and if you took the time to look at the rest of the league, you’d see it, but apprarently as you did with this article, you only look at the Mets and nowhere else. Your general manager and manager have failed and that’s where you should lay blame, not the injuries.
At least we don’t have to wait until September this season for the Mets annual choke-job…it’s happening before our eyes.
Ahem…
Daily 6 Pack of Observations
Posted 4/7/09 at 10:08 am…
“5.The Tigers are going to be bad again this year”
I do nothing but sit behind a computer all day, and I remember being so hurt by the statement that I had to save it here. I do apologize for misquoting you earlier, I will punish myself later!
Listen Raschke, I didn’t say that you were wrong about what I said about the Tigs in week 1. I just wanted to mention that you failed to bring up how I said that they were contenders at the beginning of the year.
Either way, I’m sorry I hurt you earlier in the year. I hope the top 5 ranking in these PR make up for it!
Yes, I do feel much better! I’m nitpicking, but what fun would it be if I just sat here and praised you all day long? I’m not Jim!
I always apperciate your criticisms, JR!
But you’re still a homer…
Without question am I a homer! Now that I’m done with my Tigers, let’s talk about a few other rankings here…
Texas is the darkhorse here, I love this team, they can flat out hit and could be very very dangerous in a pennant race. You have some pretty heavy hitters in front of them, and I know it’s tough to surpass them, but if the pitching is just average going forward, they are the team to beat in the West.
Toronto, they had such a positive showing with the bats earlier in the year, but with Halladay all but gone, they may fight for the worst record in the AL.
Mets… nevermind, I don’t want Ben to hunt me down and hurt me.
Honestly, I see the Twins as the 2nd best team in the Central, Mauer is unreal, I hate the fact that I have to see him in the division for another decade or so.
I love the baseball talk, let’s get some more of it!
If the Rangers’ pitching can hold up, I agree that they could be a dark horse in the AL.
I think the Cubs are the dark horse in the NL to at least make a run of things.
Rangers are the dark horse, but they’re playing in division where the better team (the Angels) will finish way out in head. That being said, their record won’t even come close to clinching the wild card, which the Rays and Yankees will be contending for, thereby leaving the Rangers wondering why they didn’t spend any money on pitching?
Seriously, what a terrible pitching staff.
As for the Cubs, with Milton Bradley being the only blatant new addition, I think the Cubs will get back to the good thing going they had last year. When Soto and Ramirez return to form, it’s only a matter of time before Soriano wises up. And with the surprise success of Lilly (the best pitcher on the team) and Randy Wells (the most overlooked pitcher), Harden, Dempster, and Zambrano will follow suit. Honestly, this team blows away every NL team but the Dodgers in all around talent. If they don’t get things together in the next 2 months, this is an obvious question of management, and I think Piniealla would get the boot in this situation.
I’m thinking BEN is an unreasonable New Yorker ? Ben – Relax. Escape NY.
Anthony,
Wow man thanks for replying im not used to that. Sorry u didnt like my response but i was just referring to the 2 sentence synopsis u gave of their season. I wasnt crapping on your whole whole piece. (Get thicker skin dude) I’ll be the first to admit the mets are choke artists and yes i hate Minaya and think Manuel isnt a very good coach. Of course the mets have more problems than injuries but you would have to admit there major problem is that everybody isnt healthy – and if they were healthy they would be in 1st place right up to about 2 weeks to go until they choke again. If you were a mets fan you’d be irrational too.
Ben,
And thanks for replying back – I’m not used to that. Most readers just drop their criticisms and never come back, so I apperciate your replying again.
Mike Farley, one of our weekend writers, is a huge Mets fan and I remember trading e-mails back and forth with him before the season started about how this had to be the Mets year (maybe not WS year, but definitely win the NL East). But here we are and they’re a mess again and it seems like deja vu with this club.
They’ve been hit hard by the injury bug – no question. But there’s always something with this team that seems to get in the way and as a Mets fan, I’d have to believe that you’re tired of it. You look at that Opening Day roster and where they’re at in the standings and you have to be tired of the excuses and everything else.
Again, whether it’s fair or not, I’m grouping up their last couple of seasons. They’ve been massive underachievers and as you said, even if they were completely healthy, they’d probably choke down the stretch again.
Do you think it’s Manuel, Minaya – what? Love to hear your opinion now that we’ve both gotten the pot shots out of the way…!
Anthony,
Minaya’s more to blame i think. They underachieved with Randolph so you cant blame Manuel for everything (but alot). They needed another bat since april but he didnt get it. Sheffield doesnt count he’s 70 yrs old and cant play everyday. Delgado is getting old and Beltran is injury prone so he had to know this might happen and be ready for it. Now he just kind of shrugs his shoulders and says what do you want me to do? I give him credit for getting the bullpen straight though. But at the end of the day if you change managers you still have the same players out there
plus the way he got rid of Willie was horrible
Good give and take…not what I expected after reading your first post, Ben.
I think they fired the wrong guy when they shafted Willie…it should have been Minaya. Now he brought in an overmatched manager, banked on an aging 1B who had a good half season in ‘08 to be his big bat, and thinks getting a washed up Sheffield was a coup to patch the holes left by injuries.
This team is a mess which is too bad because they have some young talent they can build around. They just need the right guy for the job, which Minaya never was.
Ben and T-Bone – good call on Minaya. As Ben suggested, I don’t think Manuel should escape blame, but Minaya seems to the core of the problem.
Or maybe this is just the wrong mix of players. Nothing says that all of these guys have to hold hands and go to the bar together every night, but the chemistry seems to be off on with this team.
You hear about how there’s a lack of leadership and I don’t know if that’s a legit issue or if it’s just manufactured by the media, but there’s definitely something missing with the Mets.