NFL Draft Guide

You are browsing the archive for Toronto Blue Jays.

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

September 26, 2012 in Major League Baseball

We've entered the final full week of the 2012 MLB regular season! There's still a few playoff berths that are undecided as we enter this last stretch of games.

The N.L. Playoff race is down to a few teams battling for the second Wildcard berth that is currently occupied by the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

The A.L. Playoff race is a little more unsettled with two divisions and both Wildcards yet to be decided.

Down The Stretch They Come!

Entering 9/24

  1.  Washington Nationals (93-60) – It's all about clinching the N.L. East at this point and getting rotation set for the franchise's first N.L. Playoff action!
  2. Cincinnati Reds (92-61) – Has clinched the N.L. Central and now it's all about seeding.
  3. Texas Rangers (91-62) – Will clinch the A.L. West sometime this week.
  4. New York Yankees (89-64) – Andy Pettitte's been money since coming off the D.L., but the Orioles are in lockstep with them in the A.L. East race.
  5. Baltimore Orioles (88-66) – Their first trip to the A.L. Playoffs since 1997 is almost a reality!
  6. Atlanta Braves (88-65) – Chipper will play in one final postseason before riding off into the sunset. 
  7. San Fransisco Giants (84-63) – N.L. West winner looks ready to roll when the postseason begins! 
  8. Oakland A's (86-67) – Starts this week with a 2 game lead for the second A.L. Wildcard berth. Will play seven of last ten games against the Rangers. Can they hold on?
  9. Los Angeles Angels (84-69) – Will play six of last nine games against the Mariners.
  10. Tampa Bay Rays (83-70) – Starts week 3 games behind A's for Wildcard. 
  11. St. Louis Cardinals (83-71) – Looks like Cardinals will get a chance to defend their title in the N.L. Playoffs. A battled tested group that could be scary in October. 
  12. Chicago White Sox (82-71) - Has a 1 game lead over the Tigers in the A.L. Central, but a tough closing schedule may trip them up.
  13. Detroit Tigers (81-72) – Easy closing stretch and Miguel Cabrera's bat should allow them to overtake the White Sox and win A.L. Central crown.
  14. Milwaukee Brewers (79-74) – Has been playing really well over the last month to get back into the N.L. Wildcard race, but it may have come too late.
  15. Los Angeles Dodgers (79-74) – Still alive for a Wildcard berth, but it's going to be tough on them. 
  16. Philadelphia Phillies (77-76) – Like the Brewers their late surge may have come too late. A lot of teams are hoping it's too late! 
  17. Arizona Diamondbacks (77-76) – Still alive but it's not going to happen.
  18. Pittsburgh Pirates (75-78) – May not finish .500, wow!
  19. San Diego Padres (73-80) – Has been scrappy after a bad start to the season.
  20. Seattle Mariners (72-81) – A team with future potential.
  21. New York Mets (70-83) – R.A. Dickey may win 20 games and a possible CY Young Award at 37 years old.
  22. Kansas City Royals (70-83) – Interesting offseason ahead! 
  23. Boston Red Sox (69-85) – Who will manage this team next season?
  24. Toronto Blue Jays (67-86) – This team can contend next season if healthy. Things went south on them in a hurry with injuries this season.
  25. Miami Marlins (66-87) – Interesting offseason ahead?
  26. Minnesota Twins (64-90) – Has a chance to play the spoiler over last 10 games, but can they do it?
  27. Cleveland Indians (63-91) – Hard to believe this club was (37-32) leading the A.L. Central by 1.5 games on June 22, what happened?
  28. Chicago Cubs (59-94) – Can they avoid 100 losses?
  29. Colorado Rockies (59-94) – Season can't end fast enough!
  30. Houston Astros (50-104) – They finally reached 50 wins in the middle of September! Still on course for that elusive 110 loss plateau!   

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments »

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

September 19, 2012 in Major League Baseball

The regular season's winding down, but the playoff races in both leagues are still too close to call and will likely come down to the final days or day of the season before we know this year's postseason field.

Entering 9/17

  1. Washington Nationals (89-57) - Should stumble in Atlanta be cause for concern?
  2. Cincinnati Reds (88-59) - Starts this week with a commanding 11 game lead in the N.L. Central.
  3. Texas Rangers (87-59) - Best record in the A.L., but the A's are right on their heels in the A.L. West race.
  4. Oakland A's (84-62) - Starts this week holding down the top A.L. Wildcard spot, but has A.L. West leading Rangers within sight.
  5. New York Yankees (83-63) - Holding onto the A.L. East lead, barely. Getting pitcher Andy Pettitte back this week should help.
  6. Baltimore Orioles (83-64) - Battling the Yankees for the A.L. East lead, but holding down the second A.L. Wildcard spot at the moment.
  7. Atlanta Braves (85-63) - Nice three game sweep of the first place Nats over the weekend, but still has a lot of ground to make up to catch  the N.L. East leaders over the last couple of weeks.
  8. San Fransisco Giants (84-63) - A solid 8 game lead in the N.L. West starting this week.
  9. Chicago White Sox (80-66) - Four game winning streak has them leading the A.L. Central by 3 games over the disappointing Detroit Tigers.
  10. Los Angeles Angels (80-67) -  Starts week 3 games behind in the A.L. Wildcard race.
  11. St. Louis Cardinals (77-70) - Holding a slim 1 game lead for the second N.L. Wildcard spot and looking a little shaky with two weeks left.
  12. Tampa Bay Rays (78-69) - A recent tailspin has them 5 games behind in both the A.L. East and Wildcard races with 15 games remaining.
  13. Los Angeles Dodgers (76-71) - Sitting 1 game behind the Cardinals in the N.L. Wildcard race, but has a tough week of games ahead.
  14. Detroit Tigers (77-69) - A team in serious trouble of missing the playoffs.
  15. Milwaukee Brewers (74-72) - Late season surge has them 2.5 games behind the Cardinals in the N.L. Wildcard race.
  16. Philadelphia Phillies (74-74) - Read above. 3.5 games out in N.L. Wildcard race.
  17. Pittsburgh Pirates (74-72) - A team going the wrong way, but still just 2.5 games out in the N.L. Wildcard race and with the talent to win it if they can get themselves going over these last two weeks.
  18. Arizona Diamondbacks (72-74) - Still in the N.L. Wildcard race at 4.5 games out.
  19. San Diego Padres (71-76) - Believe it or not the Padres are still alive in the N.L. Wildcard race, but at 6 games behind do they have a chance?
  20. Seattle Mariners (70-78) - This is a team that could be a contender next season with a couple of moves. Has some nice young players gaining valuable experience this season.
  21. Toronto Blue Jays (66-79) - Injuries really hurt this team this season and they could contend next season if they can stay healthy.
  22. Kansas City Royals (66-80) - Another team to keep your eyes on next season.
  23. New York Mets (66-81) - Looks like pitcher R.A. Dickey's running out of steam.
  24. Boston Red Sox (67-81) - An offseason of change is on the way. Stay tuned.
  25. Miami Marlins (65-83) - It's all about next season.
  26. Cleveland Indians (61-86) - Will manager Manny Acta be back in 2013?
  27. Minnesota Twins (60-87) - Joe Mauer's had a very productive season, but will he be here next season?
  28. Colorado Rockies (58-88) - Pitching help is needed, but an interesting offseason is on tap for this team.
  29. Chicago Cubs (58-89) - Young Anthony Rizzo has a bright career ahead, but this season's been a total disaster for this team.
  30. Houston Astros (48-99) - 2 wins away from 50, can they do it?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Comments Off

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

September 11, 2012 in Major League Baseball

The best playoff race in MLB history is underway and we've still got a couple of weeks to go in the regular season! There's a lot of teams within a game or two of a wildcard berth in both leagues. So far no team has been able to seize control up to this point. It's looking like an extra day or two may be needed at the end of the regular season to sort things out.

Entering 9/10

  1. Washington Nationals (86-54) - The team has shutdown pitcher Stephen Strasburg for the season.
  2. Cincinnati Reds (84-57) - Magic number is 14 to clinch the N.L. Central going into this week.
  3. Texas Rangers (83-57) - Pitcher Yu Darvish has found his mojo again and the timing couldn't be better.
  4. Oakland A's (79-60) - Holding down an A.L. Wildcard spot and sitting only 3.5 games behind the Rangers to start the week.
  5. New York Yankees (79-61) - Left Baltimore with a 0ne game lead in the A.L. East, but still on shaky ground.
  6. Baltimore Orioles (78-62) - Going toe-to-toe with the Bronx Bombers and will be in this race until the end. Will play next six games against the Rays and A's.
  7. Atlanta Braves (81-60) - Comes into this week on a five game winning streak. Will host the Nats for a HUGE three game series later this week.
  8. San Fransisco Giants (79-61) - In control of the N.L. West and playing well.
  9. Tampa Bay Rays (77-63) - On the road at Baltimore and then a little further north to the Bronx on this week's agenda.
  10. Los Angeles Angels (77-63) - On a six game winning streak and one game out in the A.L. Wildcard race. Hosting the A's for a HUGE four game series to start this week.
  11. Chicago White Sox (75-64) - A two game lead over the Tigers in the A.L. Central and will host them in a four game series to start this week.
  12. St. Louis Cardinals (75-65) - Start the week sitting in a N.L. Wildcard spot and heading out for a week of games on the West Coast.
  13. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-67) - Will host the Cardinals for a big four game series later this week. They start the week 1.5 games behind the Cardinals.
  14. Detroit Tigers (73-66) - Went 1-5 last week and starting a four game series in the Windy City. Can they get their act together?
  15. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-67) - Went 2-4 last week against the Astros and Cubs …..at home. Still just 2.5 games out of a wildcard spot, but heading the wrong way. You can't lose at home to those teams when you're fighting for your season.
  16. Philadelphia Phillies (69-71) - Have gotten to 6.5 games out in the N.L. Wildcard race and playing very good baseball. Very scary team right now!
  17. Milwaukee Brewers (69-71) - Have been able to follow the Phillies lead and get themselves back into the playoff race.
  18. Arizona Diamondbacks (69-72) - Still in neutral and has a chance to finish .500 this season. I don't consider them a real threat to reach the postseason even though they're in the mix.
  19. Seattle Mariners (67-74) - A .500 season is possible.
  20. San Diego Padres (66-75) - Has went 32-22 since the All-Star break, not bad.
  21. Toronto Blue Jays (64-75) - Pitcher Brandon Morrow returned to the rotation.
  22. New York Mets (65-75) - Will R.A. Dickey win 20 games for the first time at age 37?
  23. Kansas City Royals (63-77) - Went 3-4 last week against the Rangers and White Sox with three losses by one run. Pitching help this winter would give them a chance to contend next season.
  24. Miami Marlins (63-78) - It's all about next season for Ozzie's crew.
  25. Boston Red Sox (63-78) - Bobby V will be back on the set of ESPN's Baseball Tonight show next season. This season isn't all his fault because the Sox were all screwed up to begin with and the man didn't have a chance. That's on the front office!
  26. Minnesota Twins (58-82) - Chris Parmelee's hitting .349 with three homers and four doubles in his last 11 games.
  27. Cleveland Indians (59-81) - Took two-of-three games over the Tigers last week in Detroit!
  28. Colorado Rockies (56-83) - Had a rough trip to the East Coast last week.
  29. Chicago Cubs (54-86) - After getting beat like a drum in D.C. a pissed of Cubbies team swept the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
  30.  Houston Astros (44-96) - Will we see 110 losses?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

September 4, 2012 in Major League Baseball

What a great weekend of baseball! The New York Yankees appear to be in serious trouble of losing control of the A.L. East Division after the Baltimore Orioles took two-of-three in the Bronx and cut the lead to two games.

The Philadelphia Phillies continued their climb back into the N.L. Wildcard picture after taking two-of-three against the Atlanta Braves. The Detroit Tigers swept the Chicago White Sox and pulled into a first place tie with the Sox in the A.L. Central Division.

The Oakland A's have taken over the top A.L. Wildcard spot and now sit only three games behind the Texas Rangers in the A.L. West Division. Could they actually catch the Rangers?

The playoffs have already begun with so many teams still in contention for a postseason berth and less than 30 games remaining in the regular season! Let's take a look at this week's MLB Power Rankings:

Entering 9/3

  1. Washington Nationals (81-52) – Reached the 80 win plateau before September! Sitting Stephen Strasburg after two more starts. 
  2. Cincinnati Reds (82-53) – Will be getting Joey Votto back this week. 
  3. Texas Rangers (79-54) – Can they hold off the hard charging A's in the A.L. West?
  4. Baltimore Orioles (74-59) – Has clawed their way back into the A.L. East race and enter the week only two games behind the Yankees!
  5. Oakland A's (76-57) – They keep winning and winning! 
  6. New York Yankees (76-57) – Look to be in serious danger of not only losing the A.L. East lead, but failing to qualify for the postseason. Must get back on track, NOW! 
  7. San Fransisco Giants (76-58) – Has taken a 4.5 game lead in the N.L. West and Tim Lincecum has finally gotten back on track.
  8. Tampa Bay Rays (73-61) – Starting a big series against the Yankees to start this week.
  9. Atlanta Braves (75-59) – Needed a big ninth inning rally to avoid a sweep against the Phillies, but has went 4-10 over their last 14 games. A repeat of last season's late meltdown happening? 
  10. Los Angeles Dodgers (72-63) – Sitting 1.5 games out of the N.L. Wildcard race. Big series against the Giants later this week. 
  11. Detroit Tigers (72-61) – Tied with White Sox for A.L. Central lead after weekend sweep of the Sox.
  12. Chicago White Sox (72-61) – Had a very tough week, but will get a chance to get back on track this week with the Twins and Royals on the menu.
  13. St. Louis Cardinals (72-62) – Are sitting in the second N.L. Wildcard spot. They showed last year that it don't matter how you get into the postseason party as long as you get there.
  14. Los Angeles Angels (71-63) – They can forget about catching the Rangers in the A.L. West and need to focus on trying to get into an A.L. Wildcard spot.
  15. Pittsburgh Pirates (70-63) – Looking more and more like a team that's run out of gas. Enter the week with a 3-9 record in their last 12 games. Still could get into a Wildcard spot, but must put the brakes on this slide. 
  16. Philadelphia Phillies (64-70) – Creeping into the N.L. Wildcard picture, but have no room for error. 
  17. Milwaukee Brewers (65-68) – Making a late season push to get into the N.L. Wildcard race. Enter the week just 6.5 games out. 
  18. Arizona Diamondbacks (66-69) – Stuck in neutral. 
  19. Seattle Mariners (65-70) – Could the Mariners finish the season at .500? Could be one of next year's surprise teams with the young talent they have.
  20. New York Mets (64-70) – Still battling and R.A. Dickey keeps winning and could win a Cy Young Award with a few more great starts.
  21. San Diego Padres (62-73) – Has been playing well over the last couple of weeks and looking to finish the season strong.
  22. Boston Red Sox (62-73) – Going the wrong way!
  23. Kansas City Royals (60-73) – Swept the Tigers last week.
  24. Toronto Blue Jays (60-73) – Banged up Blue Jays still competing everyday. 
  25. Miami Marlins (59-75) – Enter this week on a four game losing streak and a lot of issues.
  26. Minnesota Twins (55-79) – This team has some talented players, but needs some pitching help brought in this winter. 
  27. Colorado Rockies (55-77) – Went 4-2 last week against the Dodgers and Padres.
  28. Cleveland Indians (56-78) – Talk about the wheels falling off, wow!
  29. Chicago Cubs (51-82) – Just playing out the string in the Windy City again this season.
  30. Houston Astros (41-93) – Appear to be a lock as the first team to 100 losses! 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

August 28, 2012 in Major League Baseball

MLB Weekly Power Rankings

Things are really getting interesting around MLB with teams jockeying for position to make a run at the postseason dance. No team is trying harder than the Los Angeles Dodgers who made the boldest late season trade in the history of the sport in an attempt to get into this year's dance, but will they?

I give the new owners credit for trying to improve their team's chances and not letting money stand in the way, but will they come to regret this move later?

I also give the Boston Red Sox credit for cleaning out what had become a toxic locker room atmosphere and finding a willing trade partner to clear a ton of money of the books.

It's too bad they wanted almost a year and used former manager Terry Francona as the scapegoat after last season's historical collapse. It looks like current manager Bobby Valentine will weather this year's storm and return next season.

Let's get into this week's MLB Power Rankings!

Entering 8/27

  1. Washington Nationals (77-50) - A 4 game losing streak isn't anything to panic about, it happens to all teams during the course of a 162 game schedule. Still has the best record in MLB!
  2. Cincinnati Reds (77-52) - Has a 6 game lead in the N.L. Central and will be hard to catch barring an outright collapse.
  3. New York Yankees (74-53) - A rough trip to the Windy City, but still in control of the A.L. East. 
  4. Texas Rangers (75-52) - The A.L. West leader is in control of the division, but far from safe. A very tough closing stretch with 13-of-last 16 games against the A's and Angels, stay tuned.
  5. Chicago White Sox (71-55) - On a 6 game winning streak including a 3 game sweep of the Yankees. Now heading to Baltimore for another big series.
  6. Atlanta Braves (73-55) - Still very much alive in the N.L. East race with 28 of the last 34 games against teams with losing records.
  7. Tampa Bay Rays (70-57) - Sitting only 4 games behind the Yankees and 6 head-to-head games remaining.
  8. Baltimore Orioles (69-57) - Getting pitcher Joe Saunders will help down the stretch.
  9. Oakland A's (69-57) - They keep plugging along and haven't missed a beat without pitcher Bartolo Colon in the rotation.
  10. San Fransisco Giants (71-57) - Swept Dodgers and split 4 games with the Braves without Melky Cabrera is a great sign.
  11. Los Angeles Dodgers (69-59) - Will the boldest post trade deadline trade propel them into the playoffs? 
  12. St. Louis Cardinals (70-57) - The Cards appear to be making another late season push for the N.L. Playoffs. Will start huge series against the Pirates to this week.
  13. Detroit Tigers (69-58) - A big series against the White Sox coming up later this week.
  14. Pittsburgh Pirates (68-59) - Has been going the wrong way lately. Can they stop it before it gets to late?
  15. Los Angeles Angels (66-62) - They are 4 games out of the A.L. Wildcard and the talent to get there, but the must find their mojo quickly because it's starting to get late.
  16. Arizona Diamondbacks (64-64) - Getting swept at home by the Padres this late in the season shows me you don't have what it takes to get into the postseason dance.
  17. Philadelphia Phillies (61-67) - On a roll and on the outer edges of the … N.L. Wildcard race! Don't laugh because they are 9.5 games out and the pitching staff to close that gap. Remember the Cardinals!
  18. Seattle Mariners (61-67) - Making a late season push to finish .500 would be impressive! Could be a team to keep your eyes on next season.
  19. Boston Red Sox (61-67) - They hit the lottery by finding a team willing to take all of those bad contracts of the payroll.
  20. Milwaukee Brewers (59-67) - Pitcher Marco Estrada won his first game of the season last week in his 16th start, wow!
  21. San Diego Padres (59-70) - Went 6-0 against the Diamondbacks and Pirates last week. Are the Braves and Rockies on this week's menu?
  22. New York Mets (59-69) - Losing 4-of-6 at home last week to the Rockies and Astros tells you how far this team has fallen after hanging in the N.L. East race in the first half of the season!
  23. Miami Marlins (58-71) - Going through the motions now.
  24. Kansas City Royals (56-70) – Will the front office try and build a legitimate MLB caliber pitching staff over the winter?
  25. Toronto Blue Jays (56-70) - Too many injuries in the toughest division in the game is why you see this team here. They have the talent to contend when healthy.
  26. Cleveland Indians (55-72) - Have come apart at the seams!
  27. Minnesota Twins (52-75) - Joe Mauer's hitting .312 and staying healthy this season. That's a good sign.
  28. Colorado Rockies (51-75) - Had a nice 5-1 week, but still in the basement of the N.L. West.
  29. Chicago Cubs (49-77) - I see no chance of them catching the Astros this season, better luck next year fellas!
  30. Houston Astros (40-88) - I guess firing the manager worked! After another 1-5 week they have finally reached the 40 win plateau and built a commanding 10 game lead over the Cubs in the race for the #1 pick!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

August 21, 2012 in Major League Baseball

The biggest news in MLB over the past week was the 50 game suspension of San Fransisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera for the use of performance enhancing drugs. How's that going to affect the N.L. West race?

If the playoffs started today the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals would all fail to qualify.

On the other hand the Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox would all be in the postseason dance. Now the question is can they all hang on?

Time to get into this week's MLB Power Rankings!

Entering 8/20

  1.  Washington Nationals (75-46) - Has Ian Desmond back in the lineup and the Braves coming to town for a HUGE N.L. East showdown.
  2. Cincinnati Reds (74-48) - Continuing their great roll without Joey Votto says a lot about the talent on this ball club.
  3. New York Yankees  (72-49) - Still the Beast of the A.L. East!
  4. Texas Rangers (70-50) - Had a tough trip to the Bronx last week, but have kept their lead in the A.L. West at five games.
  5. Los Angeles Dodgers (67-55) - Great 5-2 road trip to the East Coast last week against the Pirates and Braves. They are starting to find their groove again. 
  6. Atlanta Braves  (70-51) - Big series in the Nation's Capital to start the week and then a four game set in S.F. to finish out a tough 10 game stretch.
  7. Tampa Bay Rays (67-55) - Impressive four game sweep against the Angels to finish out the week. Sitting five games behind the Bombers and on a roll.
  8. Baltimore Orioles  (66-55) - Wow! I've stopped looking at the numbers and trying to figure this team out because what they're doing isn't supposed to be possible. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!
  9. Pittsburgh Pirates  (67-54) - Finished a tough week strong with a couple of road wins over the Cardinals.
  10. Oakland A's (65-55) - Still hanging around in the A.L. Wildcard hunt and has a big road series against the Rays coming up later this week.
  11. Chicago White Sox  (65-55) - Missed a chance to pad lead over Tigers by getting swept by the Royals to close out the week. Could come back to bite them later on.
  12. San Fransisco Giants  (66-55) - Can they overcome the suspension to Melky Cabrera and reach the N.L. Playoffs?
  13. Detroit Tigers (64-57) - Lucky to be playing in such a forgiving division.
  14. St. Louis Cardinals (65-56) - Losing two of three at home to the Pirates hurts.
  15. Arizona Diamondbacks (62-59) - Another team that will benefit from Cabrera's suspension.
  16. Los Angeles Angels (62-60) - In serious trouble of missing the postseason after pitching staff's implosion.
  17. Boston Red Sox (59-63) - Will Bobby V. return to manage this train wreck of a team for a second season?
  18. New York Mets (57-64) - It's all about next year now.
  19. Seattle Mariners (58-64) - Has been playing well recently and have moved within 8.5 games of an A.L. Wildcard spot.
  20. Philadelphia Phillies (56-65) - Ryan Howard's looking better at the plate recently.
  21. Toronto Blue Jays (56-65) - Getting pitcher Brandon Morrow back this week is huge for this team.
  22. Miami Marlins (55-67) - Jose Reyes has been in a groove since the All-Star break.
  23. Kansas City Royals (54-66) - Went 5-1 last week that included a three game sweep of the first place White Sox.
  24. Milwaukee Brewers (54-66) - Ryan Braun's having another monster season.
  25. Cleveland Indians (54-67) - The wheels have fallen off!
  26. San Diego Padres (53-70) - A rough week last week, but you could say that about the whole season.
  27. Minnesota Twins (50-70) - Can they avoid 100 losses?
  28. Chicago Cubs (47-73) - Signing shortstop Starlin Castro to a huge contract extension is a good move.
  29. Colorado Rockies (46-73) - Have showed a pulse lately, but will lose 100+ games.
  30. Houston Astros (39-83) - Fired manager Brad Mills, but something tells me their problems run a little deeper than just firing the manager.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

August 14, 2012 in Major League Baseball

The playoff chase is heating up all over MLB and things will only get more exciting in the coming weeks as the pressure mounts. Every division is still up for grabs with less than 50 games to go in the regular season.

The Texas Rangers have a 6.5 game lead in the A.L. West and the New York Yankees are leading the A.L. East by 5 games, but neither is a lock at this point. Both teams are loaded with talent, but are vulnerable at the same time. Things could get very interesting for both over the next six weeks. Let's get into this week's MLB Power Rankings!

Entering 8/13

  1.  Washington Nationals (71-44) - They have more road wins (39-22) than the Astros have for the season (38-78)!
  2. Cincinnati Reds (69-46) - Cooled off a bit, but finished the week out strong.
  3. New York Yankees (67-47) - Injuries have slowed the Bombers down a bit. Can they hold off the surging Rays and Orioles?
  4. Texas Rangers (67-46) - Have been able to weather the storm to keep A.L. West lead so far. Big series at New York this week.
  5. Atlanta Braves (66-48) - Not giving the Nats any breathing room in the N.L. East race.
  6. Pittsburgh Pirates (64-50) - A tough week ahead and it will tell us a lot about this team.
  7. Chicago White Sox (62-51) - Still leading the A.L. Central and doing a nice job of keeping the Tigers at bay.
  8. Oakland A's (61-53) - Hanging around in the A.L. Wildcard race, but can they keep themselves in the race?
  9. Los Angeles Dodgers  (62-53) - Find themselves in a duel with the Giants for the N.L. West lead.
  10. San Fransisco Giants  (63-52) - Starting a big series against the Nats to start the week.
  11. Tampa Bay Rays (62-52) - Have gotten on a roll and have the Yankees in sight in the A.L. East.
  12. Baltimore Orioles  (62-53) - Read above! Manny mania has Orioles Fans thinking a postseason berth is now in the cards. They may be right.
  13. Detroit Tigers (61-54) - Continue to be a disappointment and would fail to qualify if the playoffs started today.
  14. Los Angeles Angels (60-55) - Another team that leaves you scratching your head and wondering what's going on!
  15. St. Louis Cardinals (62-53) - Defending World Series Champs are sitting just off the pace for an N.L. Wildcard berth.
  16. Arizona Diamondbacks (58-57) - Only 5 games out in the N.L. West and have given themselves a chance.
  17. Boston Red Sox (57-59) - Starting to resemble the MLB version of the New York Jets with all the locker room bickering that's taking place.
  18. New York Mets (55-60) - Could pitcher R.A. Dickey win a CY Young Award this season?
  19. Toronto Blue Jays (54-60) - Injuries finally got the better of this team.
  20. Philadelphia Phillies  (52-62) - Could play spoiler down the stretch.
  21. Milwaukee Brewers (52-61) - Recent signs of life are to little to late in my opinion.
  22. Seattle Mariners (53-63) - Only 9.5 games out of an A.L. Wildcard spot, wow!
  23. Miami Marlins (52-63) - It's all about next year in South Beach!
  24. Cleveland Indians (53-62) - Hung in the A.L. Central race as long as they could.
  25. San Diego Padres (51-65) - Went 5-1 last week, wow! I guess their "new way" of doing business is already paying dividends.
  26. Kansas City Royals (49-65) - #7 offense in MLB, but pitching staff is #25 and that says it all.
  27. Minnesota Twins (49-65) - #9 offense mixed with #29 pitching staff keeps them in the same boat as the Royals.
  28. Chicago Cubs (44-69) - They are 16-42 on the road this season.
  29. Colorado Rockies (41-71) - The 2012 season can't end fast enough for Rockies fans!
  30. Houston Astros (38-78) - What more can I say about this pathetic team? Will they make it to 50 wins by the end of the season?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments »

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

August 7, 2012 in Major League Baseball

The run to the postseason is heating up all around MLB and it's going to be the most exciting stretch run in the history of the sport. If the MLB Playoffs started today the Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland A's, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox would be among the teams qualifying, wow!

Entering 8/6

  1. Washington Nationals (65-43) - Jayson Werth's back healthy and hitting .417 since coming off the DL. Trading for veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki is a great move by the front office.
  2. Cincinnati Reds (66-42) - Have been on a great roll and will be getting Joey Votto back within a couple of weeks if not sooner.
  3. New York Yankees (63-44) – Scuffling a bit lately, but nothing to worry about. Starting a big four game series at Detroit to start the week.
  4. Texas Rangers (63-44) – Battled the Angels to a draw last week and showed they will be hard to overtake in the A.L. West race. Don't be surprised if the marriage to Roy Oswalt ends in a divorce soon with Ryan Dempster in town.
  5. Atlanta Braves (62-46) – Not giving an inch in their pursuit of the Nats in the N.L. East and getting pitcher Paul Malholm from the Cubs was a good move.
  6. Pittsburgh Pirates (61-46) – Made some nice moves at the trade deadline, but must figure out a way to win more consistently on the road. Could pitcher A.J. Burnett win the N.L. Cy Young award?
  7. Chicago White Sox (59-48) – Still leading the A.L. Central and look like they may have staying power.
  8. Oakland A's (58-50) - Starting to look a little shaky and starting a huge series against the Angels. It's a big series for both A.L. West rivals.
  9. Detroit Tigers (58-50) - May have landed a knockout blow to the Indians over the weekend. Big week ahead with seven games against the Yankees and Rangers will show us a lot.
  10. Los Angeles Angels (58-51) - Nearing the end of a tough 13 game stretch against teams over .500 with 10 being on the road. Will finish that stretch with three games in Oakland.
  11. Los Angeles Dodgers (58-50) – Locked in a three horse race now for the N.L. West after looking like they would runaway with the division earlier in the season.
  12. San Fransisco Giants (59-49) - Have a huge four game series with the Cardinals this week. Tim Lincecum has won his last two decisions and could be coming around.
  13. St. Louis Cardinals (59-49) – See above!
  14. Baltimore Orioles (57-51) – Not exactly sure how this team is doing it, but they remain in the thick of things in the A.L. playoff chase. Buck Showalter is gaining momentum for the A.L. Manager Of The Year award!
  15. Tampa Bay Rays (56-52) – Finally getting Evan Longoria back in the lineup could be just what this team needs to make it's playoff push a successful one.
  16. Arizona Diamondbacks (55-53) - Have now entered into the N.L. West race and sit only four games behind the division leading Giants.
  17. Boston Red Sox (54-55) – Hard to believe, but this team is just 4.5 games out of an A.L. Wildcard spot.
  18. Toronto Blue Jays (53-55) – Getting pitcher Brandon Morrow back soon will help this team out.
  19. New York Mets (53-56) – Still trying to scrap and claw their way back into the mix, but it's not going to happen this season.
  20. Seattle Mariners (51-59) – Another A.L. West cellar dweller making a mid-season run? Have went 9-4 since trading Ichiro Suzuki to the Yankees.
  21. Philadelphia Phillies (49-59) – Have gotten themselves out of the N.L. East basement.
  22. Cleveland Indians (50-58) - Have fallen out of the A.L. Central race after hanging around most of the season.
  23. Miami Marlins (49-60) – Looking toward next season. Jose Reyes has a 24-game hitting streak.
  24. Milwaukee Brewers (48-59) – What a difference a year can make!
  25. Minnesota Twins (47-61) – Has found a couple of good young players this season and that Joe Mauer along with Justin Morneau have a lot of gas still in the tank when healthy.
  26. San Diego Padres (46-64) – Will the "new" approach to team building be successful?
  27. Kansas City Royals (45-62) – Memo To Front Office: PITCHING HELP NEEDED!
  28. Chicago Cubs (43-63) – A youth movement is in full effect in the Windy City!
  29. Colorado Rockies (38-68) - Seem determined to stay in the cellar and battle the Astros for the #1 pick next season.
  30. Houston Astros (36-73) – Should be embarrassed to enter the second week of August with only 36 wins! Should refund the money to season ticket holders in my opinion!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

July 31, 2012 in Major League Baseball

We're less than 24 hours away from the MLB Trade Deadline and I'm expecting to see a late flurry of trades as teams settle in for the stretch run. There's already been several trades over the past week that included pitcher Zack Greinke going from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Los Angeles Angels.

I think the Angels deal for Greinke gives them enough to chase down the Texas Rangers in the A.L. West race if the Rangers don't upgrade their pitching staff before the deadline passes.

Let's get into this week's MLB Power Rankings:

Entering 7/30

  1. Washington Nationals (61-40) - Banged up Nats haven't missed a beat after adding SS Ian Desmond to DL. Best road record in MLB and improving offense make this team a nightmare to deal with.
  2. New York Yankees (60-41) - A little hiccup this past week and losing A-Rod to an injury hurts, but they will be fine.
  3. Cincinnati Reds (61-40) - Getting it done without Joey Votto is very impressive.
  4. Texas Rangers (59-41) - Josh Hamilton's been in a huge slump and Yu Darvish has hit a rookie wall. The Roy Oswalt signing looks like a disaster at the moment. Need to make a deal for a starting pitcher.
  5. Pittsburgh Pirates (58-43) - Is pitcher James McDonald going through a mini slump or something worse? Getting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez was a good move, but this team must improve on the road.
  6. Atlanta Braves (57-44) - Streaking Braves looking to add another starting pitcher to try and keep up with the blistering pace of the Nats.
  7. Oakland A's (55-46) - Have literally came from nowhere to being among the game's best teams. Are starting a huge 10 game homestand this week.
  8. Chicago White Sox (55-46) - Have fought back and took the A.L. Central Division lead from the Tigers. Trading for pitcher Fransisco Liriano will help them, but is it going to be enough?
  9. Los Angeles Angels (55-47) - Made the biggest trade so far by acquiring pitcher Zack Greinke. My choice to win the A.L. West.
  10. Los Angeles Dodgers (56-47) - A healthy Matt Kemp and trading for Hanley Ramirez may give them enough to win the N.L. West. Rumored to be after another starting pitcher.
  11. San Fransisco Giants (55-46) - They really need pitcher Tim Lincecum to snap out of his season long slump.
  12. Detroit Tigers (54-48) - Came charging out of the All-Star break to get A.L. Central lead, but have stumbled since.
  13. Tampa Bay Rays (53-49) - Still waiting on the return of Evan Longoria.
  14. St. Louis Cardinals (54-48) - A talented, but flawed team.
  15. Baltimore Orioles (53-49) - Still hanging around in the A.L. playoff race, but they must make a deal for a pitcher to stay there. Pitcher Wei-Yin Chen's been a nice find this season, but the injury to Jason Hammel really hurts. Chris Tillman's done a nice job since getting called up, but can you really trust him at this point?
  16. Toronto Blue Jays (51-50) - The banged up Blue Jays have kept battling and should be getting pitcher Brandon Morrow back in a couple of weeks.
  17. Boston Red Sox (51-51) - Rumored to be sellers at the deadline.
  18. Arizona Diamondbacks (51-51) - Will they really trade Justin Upton?
  19. Cleveland Indians (50-52) - Only 5.5 games out of the A.L. Wildcard, but do they really have enough to get it?
  20. New York Mets (49-53) - Injuries and a terrible bullpen has finally gotten the best of the scrappy Mets.
  21. Miami Marlins (47-54) - Are building for next season already.
  22. Seattle Mariners (47-57) - Have went 5-2 since trading Ichiro Suzuki to the Yankees.
  23. Philadelphia Phillies (45-57) - Will Cliff Lee be traded? Re-signing Cole Hamels was a good move.
  24. Milwaukee Brewers (45-56) - Trading Zack Greinke says it all about how this season has went for the Brew Crew.
  25. Minnesota Twins (43-58) - Who will be following Fransisco Liriano out of town?
  26. Chicago Cubs (42-58) - Anthony Rizzo's had an impact since his promotion. Are going to be a very busy team leading up to the trade deadline.
  27. San Diego Padres (43-60) - Trying a new approach to team building by keeping players instead of selling them.
  28. Kansas City Royals (41-60) - The front office needs to commit to building an MLB caliber pitching staff over the winter.
  29. Colorado Rockies (37-63) - Will go into August without reaching 40 wins, wow!
  30. Houston Astros (35-68) - See above.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Comments Off

Picture of beltwayboysports

by beltwayboysports

MLB Power Rankings

July 24, 2012 in Major League Baseball

This is the first post All-Star break MLB Power Rankings update and a lot has changed in the past couple of weeks! Now the postseason push around MLB is shifting into high gear with the trade deadline closing in and teams deciding whether to buy or sell.

There's some great second half story lines to watch:

  • What will the Phillies do, hold or sell?
  • Can the Angels catch the Rangers in the A.L. West race?
  • Will the Nationals really shutdown Stephen Strasburg in the middle of a pennant race?
  • Can the Orioles stay in the A.L. Wildcard race?
  • Could the Pirates be postseason bound for the first time in two decades?

Those are just a few of the story lines, but it's time to get into this week's rankings!

Entering 7/23

  1. New York Yankees (57-38) – A tough weekend out west for the Bombers, but trade for Ichiro Suzuki only reinforces my opinion they are the team to beat!
  2. Texas Rangers (56-38) – Looking vulnerable in the A.L. West with the Angels and now the A's right behind them. Josh Hamilton's slumping in a big way.
  3. Washington Nationals (55-39) – Avoided a disaster against the Braves, but will now be without shortstop Ian Desmond for up to a month. What's a little more adversity to overcome?
  4. Cincinnati Reds (55-40) – Getting it done without Joey Votto in the lineup!
  5. Pittsburgh Pirates (54-40) – Andrew McCutchen's running away with the N.L. MVP award!
  6. San Fransisco Giants (53-42) – Is Tim Lincecum finally ready to join the party?
  7. Detroit Tigers (52-44) – Making their second half move and looking good!
  8. Los Angeles Angels (52-44) – Still battling to overcome their awful start to the season.
  9. Atlanta Braves (52-43) – Getting Ryan Dempster will help, but is it enough?
  10. Oakland A's (51-44) – Look who's joined the party! Remind me a lot of the 2011 Nats with great pitching and a minor league caliber offense.
  11. Los Angeles Dodgers (52-44) – Getting Matt Kemp back helps them get going.
  12. Baltimore Orioles (51-44) – They have put the breaks on their skid, but can they keep it up?
  13. Chicago White Sox (50-45) – Could be in trouble, but don't count out these old veterans just yet!
  14. St. Louis Cardinals (50-45) – Streaky Cards have the talent, but will remain in the N.L. Wildcard race until the end. Could still win the N.L. Central as well.
  15. Tampa Bay Rays (49-47) – Hitting .232 as a team makes it hard to win no matter how much pitching you have!
  16. Toronto Blue Jays (48-48-) – Banged up Jays remain in the hunt!
  17. New York Mets (47-48) – Up and down Mets are currently in one of their tailspins.
  18. Boston Red Sox (48-48) – Need pitching, need pitching! They are the exact opposite of the Rays.
  19. Cleveland Indians (47-48) – Could be fading, but we'll know more in the next two weeks.
  20. Arizona Diamondbacks (47-48) – Trading Justin Upton?
  21. Milwaukee Brewers (44-50) – Will Zack Grienke remain or will they deal him to a contender? Either way they aren't going anywhere this season!
  22. Miami Marlins (44-51) – Looks like they are waving the white flag on the 2012 season.
  23. Philadelphia Phillies (42-54) – Selling or holding at the trade deadline?
  24. Seattle Mariners (42-55) – Trading Ichiro was the right thing to do in my opinion.
  25. San Diego Padres (41-56) – Not selling and slowly making their way up this board, wow I'm impressed! Also happy for their long suffering fan base!
  26. Minnesota Twins (40-55) – Some interesting decision looming as the trade deadline approaches.
  27. Kansas City Royals (40-54) – Hitting .270 as a team on the season and .314 after the break, but terrible pitching has been their issue. If they can get a staff together in the upcoming offseason they could challenge for an A.L. Wildcard berth next season.
  28. Chicago Cubs (38-56) – Should be very busy at the trade deadline.
  29. Colorado Rockies (36-58) – Dexter Fowler seems to be coming into his own this season. Has the potential to be a poor man's version of Andrew McCutchen.
  30. Houston Astros (34-62) – The first team to 60 losses!!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments »