Week 1 Power Rankings
Apr 11, 2023 14:02:38 GMT -5
Rockies GM (Alex), Astros GM (Will), and 4 more like this
Post by Nationals GM (Tim) on Apr 11, 2023 14:02:38 GMT -5
Week 1 Power Rankings
World Series Favorites
1. Nationals - The Nats put up an astounding 656 points led by Bryan Reynolds’ 76.5 point performance. In spite of trading away a star third baseman and having to rely on mediocre insane depth, this good strategy has paid off so far as they really took it to the Giants.
2a. Mariners - Phil struggled early on in the matchup with Derrick, who recently returned from the dead, but Matt Olson and Wander Franco combined for nearly 120 points to help them pull away this weekend.
2b. Giants - Das was the 2nd highest scoring team in the league this week. Unfortunately, he played the highest scoring team. The Giants have a high powered offense but there are some weaknesses that need to be addressed. Namely rotation depth and a respectable catcher.
4. Blue Jays – Stephen squeaked into this tier due to having a team that’s been constructed similar to the Nationals. Albeit with a little less superstar talent and a bit more depth on the roster. He’s a crafty GM who has the means to go out and acquire more MLB players. The road to an AL East title will be a little more difficult with the Orioles finally putting together a competent roster.
The Best of the Really Good Teams
5. Cardinals – I moved Nik into the 5th spot instead of Kyle after looking at the rosters a bit more. Nik has already been bit hard by the injury bug but those injuries don’t seem to be long-term, and outside of the Reds, the NL Central is a relative cakewalk.
6. Dodgers – Scott has slowly built this team up the last couple seasons. The offense can go toe to toe with almost any other offense in the league and the rotation runs 8 ish deep. With only one ace on that staff in Kevin Gausman, he may need to go out and add another SP1, and fortunately for him, he has the assets to do it.
7. Marlins – My NL East bestie. Travis has a team that can score points in bunches, but they can also experience some severe dry spells. There are some concerns in the rotation but I’m sure he will figure out a way to make it work.
The Really Good Teams That Aren’t the Best of the Really Good Teams
8. Diamondbacks – Kyle has a unique team which is perfect because he’s a unique GM. He’s always tinkering, trading away players that you’d think he’d hold onto since his team is decent. The roster has ample starting pitcher and a decent enough offense, but is it enough to compete with the two best teams in the NL West?
9. White Sox – The White Sox suffered some early season heartbreak when they lost ONeil Cruz to a broken ankle. The depth is already a question mark on this top heavy team but the loss of Cruz compounds that problem. They kept a handful of tradable assets from the offseason so I imagine Caleb will make a move eventually.
10. Reds – Josh had a busy offseason and acquired plenty of SP. It’s a rotation that, when healthy, can beat most any other rotation in the league. His offense has some gaping holes and he’s currently without a 2nd baseman. Hopefully he adds one soon.
11. Orioles – I’m so happy that Mike finally chose to try to win, and he did it without sacrificing his entire farm team. Bravo! He’s got a quality group of pitchers and a few guys on the IL who should be making it back soon.
12. Guardians – This is a team that I could see the wheels falling off by mid-season...or, I could see them go on a nice winning streak. The rotation is deep but not particularly good, similar to the offense. They could fall anywhere between 9-14 wins.
The Buddy, Guy, and Friend Teams
13. Angels – Ah Derrick, he was close to losing his squad this off-season due to inactivity, but in typical Derrick fashion, he showed up literally at the last minute and made it be known he still lived. He does the bare minimum to maintain his team, and yet, it still works for him. He’s got superstars throughout his roster, so it might not even matter that he has empty spots on his team.
14. Rangers – Ahmed did a fine job this offseason putting together a competitive team. I’m curious to see how he finishes in a brutal AL West. I think he may have jumped the gun a year early with his competitive window. He’s already lost two significant pieces in Eloy Jimenez and Michael Harris III so his team is being tested early.
15. Tigers – Jon made some great moves at the end of last season to set his team up for the future but this probably isn’t the year that the future arrives. His offense has some bright spots, but it’s mostly an aging group of veterans that might be better suited on a team at the top of this list. If he’s out of the race mid-season, I fully expect him to be active in trading those guys.
Should I Stay or Should I Go Tier
16. Astros – Will’s time in the playoffs might be over. He’s gotten into that 'middle of the pack' territory. He’s ok on offense, ok with the rotation, but it’s not really good enough at this point to be anything more than a fringe-ish playoff team, and even that seems like a reach. Sorry babe.
17. Padres – Denver might be in a similar situation to Will. He’s got a few absent hitter slots but a full deck of pitchers. The Trevor Story injury didn’t do him any favors, and neither does the NL West. My guess is he’ll be selling before the All-Star break.
Future’s So Bright Tier
18. Cubs – What can I say about my beautiful son other than I’m glad you are in a position to have a respectable team. It’s been a long rebuild for you but, like the caterpillar that enters the cocoon, you will eventually spread your wings and fly. I hope this is the year for you. The offensive positions are completely filled and it’s sprinkled with a few depth options, but you’ve got to do more than just 5 SP and 4 RP if you want any kind of shot at a wild card. You can do it!
19. Mets – Jimmy and Tanner are on a similar trajectory as one another so you could really go either way this these two squads. I do think the Mets are about a half a season behind the Cubs in the rebuild but next year could easily be a playoff season for them.
What in God’s Name Are They Doing Tier
20. Braves – Come on Jared. Do something other than meddle. I’ve been here 5 seasons and you’ve meddled more than any meddler who’s ever meddled before. The offense is decent, but like, what’s the point?
21. Brewers – While Gaylord has been putting all of his efforts into Rabbinical school, his BK Team has fallen by the wayside. He recently told me he needs to get back on top of his fantasy baseballing, and if he does, watch out. He’s a smart owner and he’s almost as good at spotting talent as Das. There are plenty of tradable assets on the roster that could bring back a nice haul of picks and prospects.
22. Rockies – Last season marked the first year the Rockies missed the playoffs since 2015 ( ). I think the sun has finally set in Denver. There really isn’t much to like about this franchise and maybe GM Alex agrees. Will he embrace the R word or will he take a page out of the Braves book and meddle?
1 Player That I Like From Each Team Tier
23. Athletics – Gunnar Henderson
24. Rays – Kyle Tucker
25. Twins – Trevor Bauer
26. Royals – Cedric Mullins
27. Pirates – Healthy Luis Robert
28. Red Sox – Pitcher Shohei Ohtani
29. Yankees – Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Aguilar Christ
30. Phillies – Liam Hendriks
World Series Favorites
1. Nationals - The Nats put up an astounding 656 points led by Bryan Reynolds’ 76.5 point performance. In spite of trading away a star third baseman and having to rely on mediocre insane depth, this good strategy has paid off so far as they really took it to the Giants.
2a. Mariners - Phil struggled early on in the matchup with Derrick, who recently returned from the dead, but Matt Olson and Wander Franco combined for nearly 120 points to help them pull away this weekend.
2b. Giants - Das was the 2nd highest scoring team in the league this week. Unfortunately, he played the highest scoring team. The Giants have a high powered offense but there are some weaknesses that need to be addressed. Namely rotation depth and a respectable catcher.
4. Blue Jays – Stephen squeaked into this tier due to having a team that’s been constructed similar to the Nationals. Albeit with a little less superstar talent and a bit more depth on the roster. He’s a crafty GM who has the means to go out and acquire more MLB players. The road to an AL East title will be a little more difficult with the Orioles finally putting together a competent roster.
The Best of the Really Good Teams
5. Cardinals – I moved Nik into the 5th spot instead of Kyle after looking at the rosters a bit more. Nik has already been bit hard by the injury bug but those injuries don’t seem to be long-term, and outside of the Reds, the NL Central is a relative cakewalk.
6. Dodgers – Scott has slowly built this team up the last couple seasons. The offense can go toe to toe with almost any other offense in the league and the rotation runs 8 ish deep. With only one ace on that staff in Kevin Gausman, he may need to go out and add another SP1, and fortunately for him, he has the assets to do it.
7. Marlins – My NL East bestie. Travis has a team that can score points in bunches, but they can also experience some severe dry spells. There are some concerns in the rotation but I’m sure he will figure out a way to make it work.
The Really Good Teams That Aren’t the Best of the Really Good Teams
8. Diamondbacks – Kyle has a unique team which is perfect because he’s a unique GM. He’s always tinkering, trading away players that you’d think he’d hold onto since his team is decent. The roster has ample starting pitcher and a decent enough offense, but is it enough to compete with the two best teams in the NL West?
9. White Sox – The White Sox suffered some early season heartbreak when they lost ONeil Cruz to a broken ankle. The depth is already a question mark on this top heavy team but the loss of Cruz compounds that problem. They kept a handful of tradable assets from the offseason so I imagine Caleb will make a move eventually.
10. Reds – Josh had a busy offseason and acquired plenty of SP. It’s a rotation that, when healthy, can beat most any other rotation in the league. His offense has some gaping holes and he’s currently without a 2nd baseman. Hopefully he adds one soon.
11. Orioles – I’m so happy that Mike finally chose to try to win, and he did it without sacrificing his entire farm team. Bravo! He’s got a quality group of pitchers and a few guys on the IL who should be making it back soon.
12. Guardians – This is a team that I could see the wheels falling off by mid-season...or, I could see them go on a nice winning streak. The rotation is deep but not particularly good, similar to the offense. They could fall anywhere between 9-14 wins.
The Buddy, Guy, and Friend Teams
13. Angels – Ah Derrick, he was close to losing his squad this off-season due to inactivity, but in typical Derrick fashion, he showed up literally at the last minute and made it be known he still lived. He does the bare minimum to maintain his team, and yet, it still works for him. He’s got superstars throughout his roster, so it might not even matter that he has empty spots on his team.
14. Rangers – Ahmed did a fine job this offseason putting together a competitive team. I’m curious to see how he finishes in a brutal AL West. I think he may have jumped the gun a year early with his competitive window. He’s already lost two significant pieces in Eloy Jimenez and Michael Harris III so his team is being tested early.
15. Tigers – Jon made some great moves at the end of last season to set his team up for the future but this probably isn’t the year that the future arrives. His offense has some bright spots, but it’s mostly an aging group of veterans that might be better suited on a team at the top of this list. If he’s out of the race mid-season, I fully expect him to be active in trading those guys.
Should I Stay or Should I Go Tier
16. Astros – Will’s time in the playoffs might be over. He’s gotten into that 'middle of the pack' territory. He’s ok on offense, ok with the rotation, but it’s not really good enough at this point to be anything more than a fringe-ish playoff team, and even that seems like a reach. Sorry babe.
17. Padres – Denver might be in a similar situation to Will. He’s got a few absent hitter slots but a full deck of pitchers. The Trevor Story injury didn’t do him any favors, and neither does the NL West. My guess is he’ll be selling before the All-Star break.
Future’s So Bright Tier
18. Cubs – What can I say about my beautiful son other than I’m glad you are in a position to have a respectable team. It’s been a long rebuild for you but, like the caterpillar that enters the cocoon, you will eventually spread your wings and fly. I hope this is the year for you. The offensive positions are completely filled and it’s sprinkled with a few depth options, but you’ve got to do more than just 5 SP and 4 RP if you want any kind of shot at a wild card. You can do it!
19. Mets – Jimmy and Tanner are on a similar trajectory as one another so you could really go either way this these two squads. I do think the Mets are about a half a season behind the Cubs in the rebuild but next year could easily be a playoff season for them.
What in God’s Name Are They Doing Tier
20. Braves – Come on Jared. Do something other than meddle. I’ve been here 5 seasons and you’ve meddled more than any meddler who’s ever meddled before. The offense is decent, but like, what’s the point?
21. Brewers – While Gaylord has been putting all of his efforts into Rabbinical school, his BK Team has fallen by the wayside. He recently told me he needs to get back on top of his fantasy baseballing, and if he does, watch out. He’s a smart owner and he’s almost as good at spotting talent as Das. There are plenty of tradable assets on the roster that could bring back a nice haul of picks and prospects.
22. Rockies – Last season marked the first year the Rockies missed the playoffs since 2015 ( ). I think the sun has finally set in Denver. There really isn’t much to like about this franchise and maybe GM Alex agrees. Will he embrace the R word or will he take a page out of the Braves book and meddle?
1 Player That I Like From Each Team Tier
23. Athletics – Gunnar Henderson
24. Rays – Kyle Tucker
25. Twins – Trevor Bauer
26. Royals – Cedric Mullins
27. Pirates – Healthy Luis Robert
28. Red Sox – Pitcher Shohei Ohtani
29. Yankees – Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Aguilar Christ
30. Phillies – Liam Hendriks