2016 Week 5 Power Rankings
May 2, 2016 10:25:23 GMT -5
Angels GM (Derrick) and Astros GM (Will) like this
Post by Ken Rosenthal on May 2, 2016 10:25:23 GMT -5
NEW YORK - Ken Rosenthal here, bringing you all the action from Week 4 around the league.
The fourth week of the season brought a win for Miami, Cincinnati, San Diego, Chicago, Los Angeles, Texas, and Oakland. Balance has been restored to Base Knock Dynasty Baseball. Still, the top ten teams in points scored contain Milwaukee, Houston, Baltimore, and Washington... all teams that didn't fair quite this well last year. Will the new league powers be able to maintain this level of success? We'll have to see...
So as always, take a seat, grab a snack, and enjoy some (occasionally very) opinionated writing about your team. Previous rankings will be noted in parenthesis.
Group 5: The Next Year's Draft Prospects Fan Club
#30(29): Toronto Blue Jays (0-4)
Toronto couldn't quite pull it off against the White Sox (both teams finished with under 100 points in the matchup). The Jays, through four weeks, have amassed a pathetic 236.1 points, least in the league by nearly 100.
#29(30): New York Mets (0-4)
The leading scorer from Base Knock Dynasty Baseball in Week 4 came from Houston... Milwaukee... Cincinnati? No, the Committee of One was surprised to find that the Victor Martinez from the Mets of New York led the league in scoring with 55 points. V-Mart is hitting .350 with 5 home runs and 18 runs batted in so far this year. The Mets, however... still lost.
#28(27): St. Louis Cardinals (0-4)
We should almost thank the Cardinals, as they gave Cincinnati their much anticipated first win of the 2016 Bas Knock season. The Cards may have to wait a week to go for that first win of the season... as a date with Houston awaits in Week 5.
#27(25): Atlanta Braves (0-4)
Jonathan Villar stole three bases in one game en route to a 16.5 points performance for the day. Other than that, there wasn't much to get excited about for Atlanta as they were steam-rolled by the Miami Marlins. The Braves may finally get the high draft picks this season they've been avoiding for years.
#26: Cleveland Indians (1-3)
The Tribe nearly went for 240 against Seattle to get their second win of the season, but ultimately fell short by less than 15 points. The Indians have put together a couple of solid weeks, shooting up to 21st in the Power Rankings... we saw none of this when Stanton was still with the team. Cleveland gets the Angels this week before a re-try against the Mariners.
#25(28): Chicago White Sox (2-2)
It's hard to justify moving Chicago up much more than this, being they've scored less than 200 points in their victories over Toronto and... Toronto. Nevertheless, Chicago has two victories, good for second in the division, and outfielder Gregory Polanco is playing well.
Group 4: The So-So's... The Not-so-great's... the Okay's
#24: San Francisco Giants (1-3)
The Giants couldn't quite get the win against Colorado, despite putting up a respectable 236.4 points in Week 4. The young outfielder, Michael Conforto, greatly impressed. He scored 44.5 points during the week. It's players like this that will soon be called up to the Giants roster that show there's a lot of hope in San Francisco.
#23(21): Kansas City Royals (1-3)
Kansas City had a chance to steal one from Minnesota and create a tie early in the season at the top of the AL Central. Unfortunately, the team fell apart during the weekend and fell to 1-3. The Royals' star Andrew McCutchen rode the glory of a 3-Home Run, 26 point day to a 33.5 point week to lead the team.
#22(20): Pittsburgh Pirates (1-3)
The Pirates didn't put up much of a fight against their division opponent, the Cubs. Once again, the Pirates failed to reach 200 points, and things haven't looked this bad in awhile. The Pirates have plunged to 24th in the league in scoring through four weeks, just behind teams like Boston, Cleveland, and San Francisco. A decision to buy or sell should be coming in the next few weeks from management.
#21(19): New York Yankees (1-3)
Not only did New York not get the victory they were hoping for against the Red Sox, but they looked rather unprofessional in their loss, scoring an extremely mediocre 135 points. Ace Jonny Cueto was seemingly unaware of the teams struggles and put together a dazzling 31.5 point, 9 inning, 11 strikeout performance. The Yanks need to be beat Baltimore this week to keep the AL East close in the early goings.
#20(23): Boston Red Sox (1-3)
The Red Sox did what they needed to do in getting a win against the Yankees in Week 4. With Toronto on the horizon for this week, chances are high that the Red Sox will be sitting at 2-3 through five games. Boston starter Rick Porcello put together a terrific week, finishing with 48.4 points from 2 starts without allowing a run in nearly 14 innings of work.
#19(22): Colorado Rockies (2-2)
The Rockies took care of business against the Giants, and now look to Miami for a chance to be over .500 through the first 5 games. Not going to happen? In Week 4, the Marlins won by scoring 291.6 points... in Week 4, the Rockies won by scoring 294.1 points. This could be a more interesting matchup than people will think.
Group 3: The possible playoff participants
#18: Detroit Tigers (1-3)
Detroit is fortunate they play in perhaps the worst division in the Base Knock Dynasty Baseball, because they're 1-3 through the first four games after falling to the defending champs last week. The Tigers have a chance against the slumping Rays this week to get back on track... likely to be led by outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hunter Pence, both who finished with over 40 points in the loss to Texas in Week 4.
#17(15): Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2)
Los Angeles is a bit of an intriguing team. They certainly have the potential to beat anyone on a given week... yet they're likely still a few pieces away from being reliable to get victories. The Dodgers get the Giants and Mets in the next two weeks... so despite the questions about them we should see a 4-2 record by Week 7.
#16(17): Seattle Mariners (3-1)
The Mariners have an impressive 3-1 record, despite scoring under 1,000 points through the first four games (something Reds fans are likely to be envious of). The road doesn't get any more difficult... with games against the White Sox and Indians coming up. Outfielder Seth Smith had a surprisingly above-average week, scoring 30.5 points in the win.
#15(16): Cincinnati Reds (1-3)
And... while the Reds fans may be jealous of Seattle's record, Cincinnati gets the nod for #15 over the Mariners. The Reds... FINALLY... won a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cincy gets Pittsburgh this week... but then follows it up with Milwaukee, Houston, and Chicago. The Committee of One is seriously wondering if a team this good could actually miss the playoffs come September.
#14: Minnesota Twins (3-1)
The Twins didn't really have a star stand out in the win against the Royals, but it was enough to solidify their lead in the AL Central early on in the season. The Twins get a very telling few match-ups in the next few weeks with Oakland, Texas, and Oakland again. Best case scenario... the team likely takes two of three and heads into Week 8 with a 5-2 record atop the division.
Group 2: The Contenders... They're for real
#13: Oakland Athletics (3-1)
The Committee of One proclaimed last week that if Oakland beat the Baltimore Orioles they would have us convinced they're for real this season. For some reason, I'm not quite convinced, but the win was still impressive. Oakland, along with Seattle and Texas, will have to keep winning and simply hope for a loss in Los Angeles.
#12: San Diego Padres (2-2)
The Padres are... back? San Diego scored over 300 points in Week 4 en route to a much needed win over their division rival from Los Angeles. As I said with Oakland last week, the Committee will be convinced that this team is on the right track... for sure if they beat Arizona this week. What a matchup we've got in store for Week 5. This isn't as much as a literal must-win for San Diego as it is a phycological one. Management, in the meantime, is adding some key pieces.
#11(7): Tampa Bay Rays (2-2)
Tampa Bay rebounded a bit, scoring 287.7 points against the Angels, but never really made it close as they picked up their second loss of the season. The Rays have certainly struggled so far this season. The good news for Tampa? They only play the American League's leading scorers (Baltimore and Los Angeles) once more each. Winnable games await.
#10(8): Baltimore Orioles (3-1)
The car finally slowed down a bit for Baltimore as they finished with under 250 points for the first time this season. This was somewhat attributed to a down week for Bryce Harper... who landed back on earth after his time in outer-space. The Orioles are still in a great place with games against New York and Toronto coming up. A week 7 matchup with Tampa Bay will be huge.
#9(11): Miami Marlins (2-2)
Starter Vince Velasquez has been a surprise for Miami so far this season. His numbers (4-1, 39 K, 1.44 ERA) through the first four weeks have given the Marlins rotation a much needed boost. The Marlins get back to back games against Colorado this week and the next, which should give the Marlins a great chance to get to 4-2 by Week 7.
#8(10): Texas Rangers (3-1)
The Rangers took care of business against the Detroit Tigers on the back of 33.7 points from Rich Hill (yes... Rich Hill) in two starts. Aside from a game against Oakland, Texas has a fairly easy schedule for a good stretch. Although, it's tempting to say that the entire American League has an easy schedule when you look at the level of play in the National League this year. Just a few year ago... teams were wondering if the American League dominance would ever shift to the National League. Here we are.
#7(5): Milwaukee Brewers (3-1)
One of the two teams, Houston and Milwaukee, had to lose a game eventually. Unfortunately for the Brewers, 308.9 points wasn't good enough (albeit terrific). Two more telling games are on the docket. The Chicago Cubs will play Milwaukee this week, followed by a matchup with Cincinnati for the Brewers in Week 6. These kind of games are big... especially in the NL Central this year. All four of the top scoring teams so far this year reside in this division.
#6(7): Washington Nationals (4-0)
The Nationals are one of the four teams remaining after getting the privilege of playing the Mets this past week. Washington is slated to play in Base Knock Dynasty Baseball's Game of the Week in Week 5 in a huge game against division rival, the Philadelphia Phillies. If Washington wins, they will hold a convincing two game lead early on against Philadelphia.
Group 1: The Best of the Best
#5(6): Houston Astros (4-0)
A 50 point victory against a team that's third in points scored in the league was enough to convince the Committee of one to put the Houston Astros in the "Best of the Best" category for these rankings. Brett Lawrie was terrific with 38.5 points... he put in work during the weekend, hitting a home run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Astros get the Cards this week.
#4(3): Chicago Cubs (3-1)
Chicago did what they needed to do against Pittsburgh and now play a massive game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Week 5. It's worth noting that the Cubs are home to Chris Sale, who is second in the league in scoring with 144.8 points through four weeks. His numbers: 6-0, 38 K, 1.66 ERA. Good stuff.
#3(1): Philadelphia Phillies (3-1)
The Phillies run at the top of these rankings came to an end as they fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first loss of the season. No need to worry... wait until we see how games against Washington this week and a re-match against Arizona next week (both teams unbeaten) to do that Phillies fans. Matt Kemp finished the month of April with 7 home runs, a good sign for the team.
#2(4): Arizona D'backs (4-0)
The D'backs get a two-spot bump this week after knocking off the #1 teams on these rankings in their Week 4 victory. Arizona enjoyed another couple home runs from shortstop Trevor Story, who now has 10 this season. The D'backs play a big game against San Diego this week... then head back to Philadelphia... and then play Washington. It'll be a difficult task to maintain the perfect record.
#1(2): Los Angeles Angels (4-0)
The new #1 team in the league is.... the Los Angeles Angels! After beating the Rays, Los Angeles gets Cleveland and Chicago in the coming weeks and should have a good chance of being the last remaining unbeaten team come Week 7. Now where is Mike Trout and his MVP level play? Los Angeles will need him to return to Superman levels soon... or else he'll just be a really, really good player.
Biggest +: Rockies/Red Sox +3
Biggest -: Rays -4
Week 5 GoTW: Nationals vs. Phillies
Week 5 Match-ups & The Committee's Predictions (in bold)
Rockies vs. Marlins
Cardinals vs. Astros
Brewers vs. Cubs
Reds vs. Pirates
Dodgers vs. Giants
Mets vs. Braves
Nationals vs. Phillies
D'backs vs. Padres
Mariners vs. White Sox
Twins vs. Athletics
Orioles vs. Yankees
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox
Rays vs. Tigers
Angels vs. Indians
Royals vs. Rangers
The Committee's record:
Wk. 4: 11-4
Overall: 42-18
The fourth week of the season brought a win for Miami, Cincinnati, San Diego, Chicago, Los Angeles, Texas, and Oakland. Balance has been restored to Base Knock Dynasty Baseball. Still, the top ten teams in points scored contain Milwaukee, Houston, Baltimore, and Washington... all teams that didn't fair quite this well last year. Will the new league powers be able to maintain this level of success? We'll have to see...
So as always, take a seat, grab a snack, and enjoy some (occasionally very) opinionated writing about your team. Previous rankings will be noted in parenthesis.
Group 5: The Next Year's Draft Prospects Fan Club
#30(29): Toronto Blue Jays (0-4)
Toronto couldn't quite pull it off against the White Sox (both teams finished with under 100 points in the matchup). The Jays, through four weeks, have amassed a pathetic 236.1 points, least in the league by nearly 100.
#29(30): New York Mets (0-4)
The leading scorer from Base Knock Dynasty Baseball in Week 4 came from Houston... Milwaukee... Cincinnati? No, the Committee of One was surprised to find that the Victor Martinez from the Mets of New York led the league in scoring with 55 points. V-Mart is hitting .350 with 5 home runs and 18 runs batted in so far this year. The Mets, however... still lost.
#28(27): St. Louis Cardinals (0-4)
We should almost thank the Cardinals, as they gave Cincinnati their much anticipated first win of the 2016 Bas Knock season. The Cards may have to wait a week to go for that first win of the season... as a date with Houston awaits in Week 5.
#27(25): Atlanta Braves (0-4)
Jonathan Villar stole three bases in one game en route to a 16.5 points performance for the day. Other than that, there wasn't much to get excited about for Atlanta as they were steam-rolled by the Miami Marlins. The Braves may finally get the high draft picks this season they've been avoiding for years.
#26: Cleveland Indians (1-3)
The Tribe nearly went for 240 against Seattle to get their second win of the season, but ultimately fell short by less than 15 points. The Indians have put together a couple of solid weeks, shooting up to 21st in the Power Rankings... we saw none of this when Stanton was still with the team. Cleveland gets the Angels this week before a re-try against the Mariners.
#25(28): Chicago White Sox (2-2)
It's hard to justify moving Chicago up much more than this, being they've scored less than 200 points in their victories over Toronto and... Toronto. Nevertheless, Chicago has two victories, good for second in the division, and outfielder Gregory Polanco is playing well.
Group 4: The So-So's... The Not-so-great's... the Okay's
#24: San Francisco Giants (1-3)
The Giants couldn't quite get the win against Colorado, despite putting up a respectable 236.4 points in Week 4. The young outfielder, Michael Conforto, greatly impressed. He scored 44.5 points during the week. It's players like this that will soon be called up to the Giants roster that show there's a lot of hope in San Francisco.
#23(21): Kansas City Royals (1-3)
Kansas City had a chance to steal one from Minnesota and create a tie early in the season at the top of the AL Central. Unfortunately, the team fell apart during the weekend and fell to 1-3. The Royals' star Andrew McCutchen rode the glory of a 3-Home Run, 26 point day to a 33.5 point week to lead the team.
#22(20): Pittsburgh Pirates (1-3)
The Pirates didn't put up much of a fight against their division opponent, the Cubs. Once again, the Pirates failed to reach 200 points, and things haven't looked this bad in awhile. The Pirates have plunged to 24th in the league in scoring through four weeks, just behind teams like Boston, Cleveland, and San Francisco. A decision to buy or sell should be coming in the next few weeks from management.
#21(19): New York Yankees (1-3)
Not only did New York not get the victory they were hoping for against the Red Sox, but they looked rather unprofessional in their loss, scoring an extremely mediocre 135 points. Ace Jonny Cueto was seemingly unaware of the teams struggles and put together a dazzling 31.5 point, 9 inning, 11 strikeout performance. The Yanks need to be beat Baltimore this week to keep the AL East close in the early goings.
#20(23): Boston Red Sox (1-3)
The Red Sox did what they needed to do in getting a win against the Yankees in Week 4. With Toronto on the horizon for this week, chances are high that the Red Sox will be sitting at 2-3 through five games. Boston starter Rick Porcello put together a terrific week, finishing with 48.4 points from 2 starts without allowing a run in nearly 14 innings of work.
#19(22): Colorado Rockies (2-2)
The Rockies took care of business against the Giants, and now look to Miami for a chance to be over .500 through the first 5 games. Not going to happen? In Week 4, the Marlins won by scoring 291.6 points... in Week 4, the Rockies won by scoring 294.1 points. This could be a more interesting matchup than people will think.
Group 3: The possible playoff participants
#18: Detroit Tigers (1-3)
Detroit is fortunate they play in perhaps the worst division in the Base Knock Dynasty Baseball, because they're 1-3 through the first four games after falling to the defending champs last week. The Tigers have a chance against the slumping Rays this week to get back on track... likely to be led by outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hunter Pence, both who finished with over 40 points in the loss to Texas in Week 4.
#17(15): Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2)
Los Angeles is a bit of an intriguing team. They certainly have the potential to beat anyone on a given week... yet they're likely still a few pieces away from being reliable to get victories. The Dodgers get the Giants and Mets in the next two weeks... so despite the questions about them we should see a 4-2 record by Week 7.
#16(17): Seattle Mariners (3-1)
The Mariners have an impressive 3-1 record, despite scoring under 1,000 points through the first four games (something Reds fans are likely to be envious of). The road doesn't get any more difficult... with games against the White Sox and Indians coming up. Outfielder Seth Smith had a surprisingly above-average week, scoring 30.5 points in the win.
#15(16): Cincinnati Reds (1-3)
And... while the Reds fans may be jealous of Seattle's record, Cincinnati gets the nod for #15 over the Mariners. The Reds... FINALLY... won a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cincy gets Pittsburgh this week... but then follows it up with Milwaukee, Houston, and Chicago. The Committee of One is seriously wondering if a team this good could actually miss the playoffs come September.
#14: Minnesota Twins (3-1)
The Twins didn't really have a star stand out in the win against the Royals, but it was enough to solidify their lead in the AL Central early on in the season. The Twins get a very telling few match-ups in the next few weeks with Oakland, Texas, and Oakland again. Best case scenario... the team likely takes two of three and heads into Week 8 with a 5-2 record atop the division.
Group 2: The Contenders... They're for real
#13: Oakland Athletics (3-1)
The Committee of One proclaimed last week that if Oakland beat the Baltimore Orioles they would have us convinced they're for real this season. For some reason, I'm not quite convinced, but the win was still impressive. Oakland, along with Seattle and Texas, will have to keep winning and simply hope for a loss in Los Angeles.
#12: San Diego Padres (2-2)
The Padres are... back? San Diego scored over 300 points in Week 4 en route to a much needed win over their division rival from Los Angeles. As I said with Oakland last week, the Committee will be convinced that this team is on the right track... for sure if they beat Arizona this week. What a matchup we've got in store for Week 5. This isn't as much as a literal must-win for San Diego as it is a phycological one. Management, in the meantime, is adding some key pieces.
#11(7): Tampa Bay Rays (2-2)
Tampa Bay rebounded a bit, scoring 287.7 points against the Angels, but never really made it close as they picked up their second loss of the season. The Rays have certainly struggled so far this season. The good news for Tampa? They only play the American League's leading scorers (Baltimore and Los Angeles) once more each. Winnable games await.
#10(8): Baltimore Orioles (3-1)
The car finally slowed down a bit for Baltimore as they finished with under 250 points for the first time this season. This was somewhat attributed to a down week for Bryce Harper... who landed back on earth after his time in outer-space. The Orioles are still in a great place with games against New York and Toronto coming up. A week 7 matchup with Tampa Bay will be huge.
#9(11): Miami Marlins (2-2)
Starter Vince Velasquez has been a surprise for Miami so far this season. His numbers (4-1, 39 K, 1.44 ERA) through the first four weeks have given the Marlins rotation a much needed boost. The Marlins get back to back games against Colorado this week and the next, which should give the Marlins a great chance to get to 4-2 by Week 7.
#8(10): Texas Rangers (3-1)
The Rangers took care of business against the Detroit Tigers on the back of 33.7 points from Rich Hill (yes... Rich Hill) in two starts. Aside from a game against Oakland, Texas has a fairly easy schedule for a good stretch. Although, it's tempting to say that the entire American League has an easy schedule when you look at the level of play in the National League this year. Just a few year ago... teams were wondering if the American League dominance would ever shift to the National League. Here we are.
#7(5): Milwaukee Brewers (3-1)
One of the two teams, Houston and Milwaukee, had to lose a game eventually. Unfortunately for the Brewers, 308.9 points wasn't good enough (albeit terrific). Two more telling games are on the docket. The Chicago Cubs will play Milwaukee this week, followed by a matchup with Cincinnati for the Brewers in Week 6. These kind of games are big... especially in the NL Central this year. All four of the top scoring teams so far this year reside in this division.
#6(7): Washington Nationals (4-0)
The Nationals are one of the four teams remaining after getting the privilege of playing the Mets this past week. Washington is slated to play in Base Knock Dynasty Baseball's Game of the Week in Week 5 in a huge game against division rival, the Philadelphia Phillies. If Washington wins, they will hold a convincing two game lead early on against Philadelphia.
Group 1: The Best of the Best
#5(6): Houston Astros (4-0)
A 50 point victory against a team that's third in points scored in the league was enough to convince the Committee of one to put the Houston Astros in the "Best of the Best" category for these rankings. Brett Lawrie was terrific with 38.5 points... he put in work during the weekend, hitting a home run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Astros get the Cards this week.
#4(3): Chicago Cubs (3-1)
Chicago did what they needed to do against Pittsburgh and now play a massive game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Week 5. It's worth noting that the Cubs are home to Chris Sale, who is second in the league in scoring with 144.8 points through four weeks. His numbers: 6-0, 38 K, 1.66 ERA. Good stuff.
#3(1): Philadelphia Phillies (3-1)
The Phillies run at the top of these rankings came to an end as they fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first loss of the season. No need to worry... wait until we see how games against Washington this week and a re-match against Arizona next week (both teams unbeaten) to do that Phillies fans. Matt Kemp finished the month of April with 7 home runs, a good sign for the team.
#2(4): Arizona D'backs (4-0)
The D'backs get a two-spot bump this week after knocking off the #1 teams on these rankings in their Week 4 victory. Arizona enjoyed another couple home runs from shortstop Trevor Story, who now has 10 this season. The D'backs play a big game against San Diego this week... then head back to Philadelphia... and then play Washington. It'll be a difficult task to maintain the perfect record.
#1(2): Los Angeles Angels (4-0)
The new #1 team in the league is.... the Los Angeles Angels! After beating the Rays, Los Angeles gets Cleveland and Chicago in the coming weeks and should have a good chance of being the last remaining unbeaten team come Week 7. Now where is Mike Trout and his MVP level play? Los Angeles will need him to return to Superman levels soon... or else he'll just be a really, really good player.
Biggest +: Rockies/Red Sox +3
Biggest -: Rays -4
Week 5 GoTW: Nationals vs. Phillies
Week 5 Match-ups & The Committee's Predictions (in bold)
Rockies vs. Marlins
Cardinals vs. Astros
Brewers vs. Cubs
Reds vs. Pirates
Dodgers vs. Giants
Mets vs. Braves
Nationals vs. Phillies
D'backs vs. Padres
Mariners vs. White Sox
Twins vs. Athletics
Orioles vs. Yankees
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox
Rays vs. Tigers
Angels vs. Indians
Royals vs. Rangers
The Committee's record:
Wk. 4: 11-4
Overall: 42-18
