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Ratings (as of 4\/24\/09)\u00a0<\/h3>\n
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\n Rank<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n Team <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n Previous Ranking<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n Up\/Down<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n Comments<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 1<\/td>\n Toronto<\/strong> Blue Jays<\/strong><\/td>\n 6<\/td>\n +5<\/td>\n The Jays are definitely the talk of baseball this week.\u00a0 The first team in the Majors to score 100 runs, Toronto has displayed a well-balanced attack over the season’s first 17 games.\u00a0 Aggressive hitting and effective starting pitching from Roy Halladay and a supporting cast of lesser-known youngsters has put this club on top of the tough AL East.\u00a0 B.J. Ryan is still having his troubles in the 9th, and needs to put together a stretch of clean saves.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2<\/td>\n St. Louis<\/strong> Cardinals<\/strong><\/td>\n 2<\/td>\n 0<\/td>\n The loss of Chris Carpenter after tearing an oblique muscle was a big disappointment, especially considering how good he looked.\u00a0 Nevertheless, the Redbirds are still one of the Majors’ hottest clubs.\u00a0 Second only to Toronto in runs scored and boasting an almost-perfect starting rotation, St. Louis has made it clear that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the NL Central.\u00a0 Kyle Lohse and Joel Pineiro are both a perfect 3-0, with Adam Wainright right behind them with two wins and no losses.\u00a0 Albert Pujols is already putting up MVP-caliber numbers, and Ryan Ludwick is pulling off a pretty close imitation.\u00a0 Round that out with the fact that both Yadier Molina and Chris Duncan are hitting well over .300 and you have yourself a downright frightening opponent.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3<\/td>\n Florida<\/strong> Marlins<\/strong><\/td>\n 1<\/td>\n -2<\/td>\n After looking unbeatable the Marlins hit a bump in the road in Pittsburgh, suffering a 3-game sweep at the hands of the young Bucs.\u00a0 Even with that minor slipup, the team still holds a decent lead atop the NL East.\u00a0 Emilio Bonifacio has come back to Earth, and Cameron Maybin and Dan Uggla continue to struggle offensively.\u00a0 Ricky Nolasco has had three mediocre starts in a row.\u00a0 Even with these key players scuffling, the Fish are still in charge – at least for now.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4<\/td>\n Los Angeles<\/strong> Dodgers<\/strong><\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n +6<\/td>\n Joe Torre’s squad looks like they have the stuff to run away with the NL West early.\u00a0 Manny is being Manny again with the Louisville, recently hitting four bombs in as many games and raising his average to .345.\u00a0 The starting pitching has been tremendous top to bottom, with Chad Billingsley winning all four of his starts.\u00a0 There have even been rumors of a Pedro Martinez reunion with the City of Angels.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 5<\/td>\n Boston<\/strong> Red Sox<\/strong><\/td>\n 17<\/td>\n +12<\/td>\n Dice-K’s arm fatigue, most likely a side effect of the WBC, is only a mild concern to a team which won seven straight coming into a weekend series against the rival Yankees at Fenway Park.\u00a0 This sudden hot stretch can be attributed largely to the torrid hitting of Kevin Youkilis and two complete games from ageless knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The Nation appears to be back in business.\u00a0 The left side of the infield took a hit, however, with Jed Lowrie on his way to wrist surgery.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 6<\/td>\n Seattle<\/strong> Mariners<\/strong><\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n +2<\/td>\n Despite scoring the 3rd-least runs in the American League, the M’s continue to roll.\u00a0 Their 1st place standing is due largely in part to phenomenal pitching by their top three guns – King Felix, Erik Bedard, and Jarrod Washburn.\u00a0 A combined 7-1 with 67 K’s, the Big Three have unequivocally dominated opposing lineups each time out.\u00a0 The offense will have to pick it up eventually, though, or this team will start to slip.\u00a0 Having four regulars hitting under .200 is not part of a winning formula.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 7<\/td>\n New York<\/strong> Yankees<\/strong><\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n -2<\/td>\n After a topsy-turvy homestand in which the team finished 4-2 at a ballpark which is playing more like Coors Field than a building in the South Bronx, the Bombers head into Fenway on a high note. \u00a0C.C. Sabathia has not impressed, and was bailed out by a gutsy 14-inning comeback vs. Oakland on Wednesday.\u00a0 It’s too soon to worry, however, as he did start 2008 with an 0-4 record.\u00a0 Chien-Ming Wang struck out 11 in extended Spring training against a bunch of kids this week, part of a “rehab” program to address his grotesque 34.50 ERA through three starts.\u00a0 In other pitching news, Andy Pettitte has been great.\u00a0 It looks like the 37-year old southpaw still has something left in the tank.\u00a0 By the way, A-Rod could be back in less than two weeks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 8<\/td>\n Kansas City<\/strong> Royals<\/strong><\/td>\n 19<\/td>\n +11<\/td>\n This club boasts arguably the best pitching staff in baseball over 15 games, allowing an ML-leading 51 runs with a cumulative 3.37 ERA.\u00a0 What makes those numbers even more impressive is the fact that journeyman Kyle Farnsworth has managed to lose three games and give up seven runs in just six relief appearances all by his ineffective self.\u00a0 If you take him out of the equation, KC’s pitching numbers become eye-popping.\u00a0 The offense, for the most part, has been pathetic.\u00a0 Gil Meche and Zack Greinke can match up with any team’s #1 and #2 so, if this lineup can find a way to gel, the Royals will contend.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 9<\/td>\n Cincinnati<\/strong> Reds<\/strong><\/td>\n 24<\/td>\n +15<\/td>\n Dusty’s crew has arrived, and this is no fluke.\u00a0 Aaron Harang appears to be back in form after a miserable 2008.\u00a0 Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez have looked electric at times.\u00a0 Joey Votto is on a tear at the plate.\u00a0 If Brandon Phillips can get it going offensively, this team will be even tougher to beat.\u00a0 The back end of the pen has been lights out, led by Francisco Cordero’s perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 10<\/td>\n Atlanta<\/strong> Braves<\/strong><\/td>\n 3<\/td>\n -7<\/td>\n The offense has sputtered over the past 10 days, resulting in a 2-7 stretch against the the Marlins, Pirates, and Nationals.\u00a0 Aside from Kenshin Kawakami, who has struggled after an impressive debut, the rotation has done its job but has been hurt by a lack of run support.\u00a0 The bullpen, especially closer Mike Gonzalez, has been atrocious.\u00a0 The 9th inning could belong to Rafael Soriano, who already has two saves, soon enough.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 11<\/td>\n Chicago<\/strong> Cubs<\/strong><\/td>\n 4<\/td>\n -7<\/td>\n It took Milton Bradley less than three weeks to find himself in the doghouse with the Chicago media and, quite possibly, his manager.\u00a0 This team needs a physically and mentally stable Bradley to balance out the lineup.\u00a0 Kosuke Fukudome’s production so far has been a pleasant surprise.\u00a0 Ryan Dempster’s 27 baserunners over 18 innings must improve.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 12<\/td>\n Pittsburgh<\/strong> Pirates<\/strong><\/td>\n 21<\/td>\n +9<\/td>\n The young starters on the Bucs’ staff have really opened some eyes.\u00a0 Each member of the rotation has pitched extremely well through three turns.\u00a0 After cooling off red-hot Florida in a three-game sweep at PNC, some baseball insiders are starting to talk about the Pirates in a very positive light.\u00a0 Almost forgot to mention — former batting champ Freddy Sanchez is hitting over .350.\u00a0 A return to form by Sanchez would be key.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 13<\/td>\n Chicago<\/strong> White Sox<\/strong><\/td>\n 16<\/td>\n +3<\/td>\n If GM Kenny Williams can find a suitable replacement for Jose Contreras in the rotation, this team could be tough to beat.\u00a0 Contreras looks finished and, at his age (which is anybody’s guess), this may be the end of the line.\u00a0 John Danks has been nearly unhittable as the staff ace.\u00a0 The old guard is holding it down with the lumber, led by Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko.\u00a0 Alexei Ramirez appears to be showing signs of a classic sophomore slump.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 14<\/td>\n Tampa<\/strong> Bay<\/strong> Rays<\/strong><\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n -7<\/td>\n Don’t let the fact that the Rays sit in the AL East basement at the moment fool you.\u00a0 This team is much better than its record shows.\u00a0 Half of their losses have been by one run, and the normally reliable Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour have been ineffective thus far in relief.\u00a0 Scott Kazmir and Andy Sonnanstine have struggled at times in the rotation, but even they have respectable strikeout numbers.\u00a0 Dioner Navarro needs to swing a better bat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 15<\/td>\n Detroit<\/strong> Tigers<\/strong><\/td>\n 12<\/td>\n -3<\/td>\n Curtis Granderson’s five bombs out of the leadoff spot have been a nice sparkplug for an offense led by Miguel Cabrera’s .400-plus average and Brandon Inge’s 17 RBIs.\u00a0 Justin Verlander, even through his struggles, is still striking out more than one batter an inning.\u00a0 This is a good sign about where he may be headed.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 16<\/td>\n San Diego<\/strong> Padres<\/strong><\/td>\n 14<\/td>\n -2<\/td>\n Even with Jake Peavy’s struggles, the Padres are still playing winning baseball.\u00a0 Chris Young has stepped up as an ace-type starter, and Heath Bell is still perfect in the 9th.\u00a0 Adrian Gonzalez, possibly the most underrated player in baseball, has slugged five homers in the middle of a somewhat underwhelming lineup.\u00a0 Pesky vet David Eckstein is hitting at a good clip and causing an offensive spark to those around him.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 17<\/td>\n Philadelphia<\/strong> Phillies<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n 9<\/td>\n -8<\/td>\n To add insult to injury, struggling ace Cole Hamels took a line drive off of his shoulder on Thursday and had to leave the game.\u00a0 This hard-luck smash off the bat of Prince Fielder typifies the early season woes of the defending World Champs.\u00a0 The rotation, a sign of strength last season, has been brutal through three turns yielding over twenty home runs.\u00a0 Closer Brad Lidge blew his first save since 2007.\u00a0 He has served up three dingers of his own while compiling an ERA above 8.00.\u00a0 To make matters worse, Jimmy Rollins is hitting at a clip well below the Mendoza Line.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 18<\/td>\n New York<\/strong> Mets<\/strong><\/td>\n 13<\/td>\n -5<\/td>\n This team is in dire straits already.\u00a0 Without Johan Santana’s starts factored in, the rotation is sporting a 7.62 ERA.\u00a0 To make matters worse, the lineup can’t seem to hit with runners in scoring position and Gary Sheffield hasn’t contributed much aside from hitting his 500th home run against the Brewers at Citi Field.\u00a0 It may be too soon to panic in Flushing, but the holes in this pitching staff look real.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 19<\/td>\n Los Angeles<\/strong> Angels of Anaheim<\/strong><\/td>\n 15<\/td>\n -4<\/td>\n The arms of Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver have done a good job keeping this team afloat after losing most of their pitching staff to injury and, in the sad case of Nick Adenhart, tragedy.\u00a0 Vets Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter have been playing inspired ball and getting on base at a good clip.\u00a0 If not for these four players, the Halos would find themselves a lot worse than 6-9 at this point.\u00a0 John Lackey and Ervin Santana will each see live action in extended Spring training this weekend, a positive sign of things to come.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 20<\/td>\n Texas<\/strong> Rangers<\/strong><\/td>\n 18<\/td>\n -2<\/td>\n Aside from Toronto and Cleveland, nobody has scored more runs in the AL.\u00a0 The Rangers can flat out mash, even with Josh Hamilton enduring an early season slump.\u00a0 Kevin Millwood has been impressive, and Brandon McCarthy’s outings so far can be labeled as better than serviceable.\u00a0 That is where the compliments end for a pitching staff that has served up 27 home runs in just over 133 innings.\u00a0 It looks like the same old story in Texas… big bats, weak arms.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 21<\/td>\n Milwaukee<\/strong> Brewers<\/strong><\/td>\n 26<\/td>\n +5<\/td>\n Ryan Braun had a monster week, but three other regulars have sub-.200 batting averages (Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, and Jason Kendall).\u00a0 The top half of the rotation has been impressive, with Dave Bush taking a no-no into the 8th in Philly.\u00a0 Manny Parra and Jeff Suppan have almost single-handedly cost the team five losses out of the last two slots, however.\u00a0 Todd Coffey has done a great job keeping the 9th inning warm for the injured Trevor Hoffman.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 22<\/td>\n San Francisco<\/strong> Giants<\/strong><\/td>\n 28<\/td>\n +6<\/td>\n The rotation is starting to come around, with Tim Lincecum and even Barry Zito throwing the ball extremely well over the past week.\u00a0 Closer Brian Wilson has done a nice job in limited duty.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the offense has scored the least runs in all of MLB.\u00a0 A look up and down the lineup shows no real reasons why this fact is going to change by much over the coming weeks.\u00a0 The staff is going to have throw a lot of 1 and 2 run games for this team to win its fair share.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 23<\/td>\n Minnesota<\/strong> Twins<\/strong><\/td>\n 20<\/td>\n -3<\/td>\n What is wrong with Francisco Liriano?!?\u00a0 If you figure it out, the Twins would like to know!\u00a0 Without him, this team does not have much of a shot to contend.\u00a0 Not only is he 0-4, but he’s having a hard time finding the plate.\u00a0 Justin Morneau has been solid – no surprise there.\u00a0 However, most of the offense has struggled.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 24<\/td>\n Cleveland<\/strong> Indians<\/strong><\/td>\n 27<\/td>\n +3<\/td>\n The revival of Victor Martinez was a key part of an offensive barrage that included a record-setting four game set in the Bronx in which the Tribe averaged 10 runs per game and scored 14 in one inning.\u00a0 The pitching staff, on the other hand, has struggled to the tune of a 6.31 ERA.\u00a0 Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee will have to show some consistency or Cleveland could find themselves in a world of trouble.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 25<\/td>\n Oakland<\/strong> Athletics<\/strong><\/td>\n 23<\/td>\n -2<\/td>\n Losers of four straight, including a heart breaking 14-inning epic in the Bronx and a 1-0 defeat in Toronto, the A’s find themselves at the bottom of the AL West looking up.\u00a0 Catcher Kurt Suzuki has looked great, both behind the dish and at the plate.\u00a0 The inexperienced staff has been hit or miss, but Dallas Braden and Trevor Cahill have really pitched well.\u00a0 As a whole, the team has only allowed 64 runs through 14 games.\u00a0 However, no lineup has scored less in the entire AL.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 26<\/td>\n Baltimore<\/strong> Orioles<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n 11<\/td>\n -15<\/td>\n Koji Uehara has been impressive in two starts sandwiching his bad outing against the Rangers.\u00a0 O’s fans wish they could say the same about the rest of the rotation.\u00a0 Even the normally reliable Jeremy Guthrie has been hit hard and has also been wild.\u00a0 Five guys in the starting lineup are hitting above .300, and the team has scored more runs than both the Yankees and the Red Sox.\u00a0 That isn’t going to matter much, unfortunately, with this patchwork pitching staff toeing the rubber.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 27<\/td>\n Arizona<\/strong> Diamondbacks<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n 25<\/td>\n -2<\/td>\n We knew this team would have trouble scoring runs, and that has been their downfall so far.\u00a0 Take a look at some of these losses: 3-0, 3-1, 2-1, 2-0, 2-0.\u00a0 The only teams that have crossed the plate less are the Astros and Giants.\u00a0 Someone besides Felipe Lopez and Mark Reynolds needs to start hitting or it isn’t going to matter how stacked the starting rotation might be.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 28<\/td>\n Colorado<\/strong> Rockies<\/strong><\/td>\n 22<\/td>\n -6<\/td>\n The Rockies will be looking forward to playing in Coors Field after enduring a rough 2-6 road trip which included getting swept in LA.\u00a0 Brad Hawpe has been the only one to really take charge offensively so far.\u00a0 The starting rotation, meanwhile, hasn’t been that bad.\u00a0 The major disappointment out of the five so far has to be 2008 All-Star Aaron Cook, who has a 10.22 ERA after three outings.\u00a0 The closer situation is already in flux, with Huston Street getting knocked around early and losing his job.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 29<\/td>\n Houston<\/strong> Astros<\/strong><\/td>\n 29<\/td>\n 0<\/td>\n One of the worst teams in baseball so far offensively, the Astros are in serious danger of falling behind early if they don’t get it together fast.\u00a0 Miguel Tejada has been getting on base at an impressive clip but he, like the rest of the lineup with the exception of Carlos Lee, is not driving in runs.\u00a0 Lance Berkman, Kaz Matsui, and Pudge have been anemic at the plate.\u00a0 Mike Hampton (yes, Mike Hampton) has struck out just over a batter an inning across his three starts.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 30<\/td>\n Washington<\/strong> Nationals<\/strong><\/td>\n 30<\/td>\n 0<\/td>\n I can’t recall the last time a team replaced the majority of its bullpen in one fell swoop, especially in mid-April.\u00a0 That is exactly what the Nats did last week after their relievers blew one too many close games.\u00a0 After the mass exodus, the team actually won its first two games of the season against the Braves.\u00a0 There aren’t too many positive signs in DC, but it is definitely worth noting that Cristian Guzman is hitting over .500 in 30+ at-bats.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n