2019 Week 1 Power Rankings
Apr 10, 2019 17:39:04 GMT -5
Das (Former Giants GM) and White Sox GM (Caleb) like this
Post by Ken Rosenthal on Apr 10, 2019 17:39:04 GMT -5
--NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Ken Rosenthal is back for the 2019 season with the unveiling of the first edition of the power rankings for the new year. Apologies from the office for being a few days late in the week one coverage, but I'm excited for another year writing about the 30 teams of Base Knock Dynasty Baseball. The Chicago White Sox are the defending champs. The San Francisco Giants are the favorites. The teams closest to the nation's capital are terrible. Let's get to it.
NEWS ITEMS
30. Baltimore Orioles (0-1) - Baltimore scored a league low 116.5 points in Week 1, which is to be expected after they dealt off Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres, and Trevor Richards in the month leading up to the season. Rookie Kyle Wright (9.7 points per start) had an okay first couple of starts. This will be a long year in Baltimore. Wk. 2 opponent - NYY
29. San Diego Padres (0-1) - A bad first week for San Diego, and the rebuild is underway. The Padres are actively trying to trade anything playable at the major league level to other teams, so it could get a lot worse. Austin Barnes (37 points) showed some promise behind the plate, but he's also on the trade block. Wk. 2 opponent - SF
28. Washington Nationals (0-1) - Outfielder Domingo Santana (73 points) was all the buzz in the opening week, crushing the ball and giving us flashbacks of his terrific 2017 season. The Nationals, however, in their beat down by Atlanta, did not look anything like the 2017 Washington Nationals... who finished 13-6. Wk. 2 opponent - PHI
27. Los Angeles Dodgers (0-1) - The Dodgers and D'backs are at different places now, though a year ago they looked like similar teams at the bottom of the league. Arizona trounced Los Angeles in the opening week. Starting pitcher Walker Buehler (7.4 points per start) didn't look all that great in his first two starts either. Wk. 2 opponent - NYM
26. Cincinnati Reds (0-1) - Veterans Madison Bumgarner (30.5 points) and Starlin Castro (33 points) looked great, increasing the likelihood of a future trade involving one or both of them. The Reds, meanwhile, lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, by a considerable margin too. If that's how they're going to fair against the Cards, it's not going to get much better against the other four NLC teams. Wk. 2 opponent - HOU
25. Cleveland Indians (0-1) - The Indians made it closer than expected with the White Sox, but were as expected handed their first defeat of the 2019 season. Dee Gordon (4.2 points per game) suddenly looks like a really good option at second base again. Wk. 2 opponent - DET
24. Oakland Athletics (0-1) - Losing by nearly 200 to the Angels couldn't have been what they had in mind to start the season. It's hard to keep up when Khris Davis (50 points) scores 65% of your lineup's points. They desperately need Lindor back. Need a win at Seattle this week. Wk. 2 opponent - SEA
23. Miami Marlins (0-1) - The offense, led by Adam Jones (52 points), did its part, but the pitching just doesn't look good to start the season. Miami fell to their rivals from Philadelphia to start the season 0-1. This is obviously a re-tooling year for the Marlins, but losing to Philly never feels good. Wk. 2 opponent - ATL
22. St. Louis Cardinals (1-0) - The Cardinals inexplicable left rookie sensation Pete Alonso (7.0 points per game) out of the lineup for Week 1, yet still started the year off with a win. St. Louis is getting hammered by injuries already, with Clayton Kershaw on the Injured List heading into Week 2. A win over Pittsburgh would cause me to think of this as a potentially more serious 2019 team. Wk. 2 opponent - PIT
21. Seattle Mariners (0-1) - The year the Mariners end their rebuild is supposed to be 2019, but they unfortunately couldn't start it off with a big win against Texas, falling by just 50 points. Dallas Keuchel getting on the mound would help this woeful pitching staff. Fernando Tatis Jr. (30 points) looks like he'll be an impact player. Wk. 2 opponent - OAK
20. Atlanta Braves (1-0) - Stephen Piscotty (44.5 points) and Brad Keller (47.1 points) led the way in the Braves win to start the season. The Andujar injury could potentially be tough, especially if he ends up being out for the season. Atlanta can start the season 2-0 with a win over Miami in week two. Wk. 2 opponent - MIA
19. Arizona D'backs (1-0) - The Gleyber Torres (43 points) acquisition looks like a great decision already, as the D'backs, finally now trying to win, have started the season 1-0 after a win over the Dodgers. It might be too soon, but this team could definitely challenge for a Wild Card spot this season. Wk. 2 opponent - COL
18. Texas Rangers (1-0) - Anthony Rendon (64 points) was huge and Kike Hernandez (52.5 points) played out of his mind to get the Rangers an opening week win over their divisional opponent from Seattle. This could potentially be a tight division race throughout the season, but Texas will need to win games like this coming one against L.A. to make that happen. Wk. 2 opponent - LAA
17. Detroit Tigers (0-1) - In the closest matchup of Week 1, the Tigers and Twins were virtually tied heading into Sunday, where Minnesota pulled away to hand Detroit their first loss of the season. Matt Chapman (45.5 points) hit three homers, and the team looked good overall, but it's a tough loss in what's expected to be a very competitive AL Central. Wk. 2 opponent - CLE
16. Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) - The Rays played pretty well, especially with a terrific performance from Daniel Vogelbach (43.5 points), but Tampa ran into what could be the Yankees best week of the season as they got crushed by New York. Like the Central, Boston, Toronto, Tampa, and New York all figure to be in the conversation for the AL East this year, so it's a difficult defeat to start the season. Wk. 2 opponent - BOS
15. Pittsburgh Pirates (0-1) - For a team that has won 9 games since 2015, the Pirates opening day performance was a success regardless of the outcome. Pittsburgh put up 464.5 points, falling by just 30 points to the reigning National League winners from Chicago. Javy Baez (48 points) picked up right where he left off last year. Wk. 2 opponent - STL
14. New York Mets (0-1) - The Mets played well... but is anyone at the level of the Giants right now? A Tim Beckham (67 points) rebound in 2019 would be a big boost to this offense. New York gets the Dodgers in Week 2, so a great chance to get right back on track as they aim for their first ever NL East title in 2019. Wk. 2 opponent - LAD
13. Philadelphia Phillies (1-0) - Apparently I have something against the Phillies. It's a lot of chatter for a team that hasn't won a division title since 2015. Philadelphia did look very impressive in their opening week win over the Marlins, backed by a great performance by former top prospect Tyler Glasnow (34.6 points). Deep pitching group. The Phillies get the lowly Nationals heading into Week 2. Wk. 2 opponent - WAS
12. Minnesota Twins (1-0) - Both the pitching and hitting looked great while Trey Mancini (52 points) surprisingly led the way in the Twins opening week victory over the rival Detroit Tigers. It's a big win to start the season for the Twins. Rookie starter Chris Paddack has people hyped right now. Another big game in Week 2. Wk. 2 opponent - TOR
11. Kansas City Royals (1-0) - Mike Clevinger (40.8 points) was incredible in his two starts in the win over Baltimore. Unfortunately for K.C., he's now on the Injured List for the next two months at minimum. A big blow to the Royals rotation. With Stanton and Sano also on the Injured List, Kansas City really needs to weather the storm to start the year if they're going to get a playoff spot this season. Wk. 2 opponent - CHW
10. Toronto Blue Jays (0-1) - Picked by many to perhaps win the American League in 2019, the Blue Jays fell flat in their opening performance of the season, getting absolutely rocked by the rival Boston Red Sox. They probably need more offense than they got in Week 1. Chance to rebound against Minnesota. Wk. 2 opponent - MIN
9. New York Yankees (1-0) - The Yankees were one of the stories in Week 1 with their very impressive 537.4 point performance as they took out the Rays. First baseman Cody Bellinger (8.9 points per game) is playing like a man possessed so far this season. We might be in for a major bounce back year from him. Wk. 2 opponent - BAL
8. Los Angeles Angels (1-0) - Mike Trout (70.5 points) is the best player in baseball. Now that I've got that out of my system for the year, the Angels were great in their win over the Athletics, picking up a key division victory to start the season. Although the AL West isn't exactly the most formidable division in baseball, the Angels look to have a great shot to win it for the third time in four years. Wk. 2 opponent - TEX
7. Houston Astros (0-1) - A great first week from Houston, especially from reliever Jose Alvarado (40.9 points), but the Brewers were simply better. The Astros would've definitely liked to have that win, but with nearly 300 points scored from their pitching alone, I think this team should feel fine about where they're headed in 2019. Wk. 2 opponent - CIN
6. Boston Red Sox (1-0) - I don't think many picked Boston to beat Toronto in Week 1, nor that the Red Sox would be second only to the Giants in scoring to start the year, but Boston did both, led by reliever Shane Green's terrific work out of the bullpen (58.9 points). After making the World Series in 2017, could this team be ready for a big rebound? Another win in Week 2 against Tampa would turn more heads. Wk. 2 opponent - TB
5. Chicago Cubs (1-0) - Outfielder Christian Yelich (80.5 points) is good at baseball... and he led the Cubs to a big Week 1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates to start 1-0 on the season. Catcher Luke Maile also did his part with 0.5 points. The Cubs can't relax though, as they'll get another big test against Milwaukee in Week 2. Wk. 2 opponent - MIL
4. Milwaukee Brewers (1-0) - The Brewers outscored the Astros 135.7-84.2 in the final two days of the matchup to take home a big opening week win. Joey Gallo (54 points) hit four home runs and the pitching tallied nearly 350 points in the win. The Brewers have a chance to start the season 2-0 with wins over both Houston and Chicago after Week 2. A best case scenario. Wk. 2 opponent - CHC
3. Colorado Rockies (1-0) - Jose Berrios (55.4 points) was spectacular to start the season, and the Rockies got a good balance from their lineup and pitching to start the season with a win over San Diego. Though a bit in the Giants' shadow, Colorado has championship aspirations this season and has a chance to compete for the NL West title in 2019. They'll get Arizona this week. Wk. 2 opponent - ARI
2. San Francisco Giants (1-0) - San Francisco had four players score more than 50 points as they demolished a talented Mets team on their way to scoring more than 600 points. I expect numerous scoring records to be shattered during the 2019 San Francisco Giant season. A number to keep in mind. 7,386.7. That's the 2013 Angels record for most points scored in a season. The Giants are the top favorite to win the World Series in 2019, anything less will be a disappointment. Wk. 2 opponent - SD
1. Chicago White Sox (1-0) - As is custom, the defending champions get the top spot in the first power rankings, but the White Sox didn't look nearly as impressive as some other teams to start the year. They scored the 18th most points, yet still picked up the win over Cleveland. Chicago will need to play better against Kansas City to stay perfect on the season. Wk. 2 opponent - KC
Week 2 Game of the Week: Chicago Cubs (1-0) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (1-0). Two teams with big plans for the 2019 season in a tough division. These division wins could be incredibly important at the end of the season.
That's it for Week 1! Good luck to all of the teams this week!
KR
NEWS ITEMS
- FRIED - No... nothing relating to food here, but rookie pitcher Max Fried was traded back to the Colorado Rockies from the San Diego Padres in exchange for a couple of draft picks last week. Fried has had a solid start to the 2019 season and could factor into an already deep Rockies rotation. The Padres meanwhile continue to stockpile a historical amount of draft picks heading into the summer amidst their rebuild.
- CONSISTENCY - The league is at an all-time level for consistency heading into its ninth season. 27 of the 30 GM's that ended the 2018 season as GM's of BKDB return for the 2019 season. The three newcomers are Jon, new GM of the Detroit Tigers, Ryan, new GM of the New York Mets, and Andrew, new GM of the Texas Rangers. All three teams were fringe playoff contenders last year, so it will be interesting to see how they handle their clubs in their first seasons.
30. Baltimore Orioles (0-1) - Baltimore scored a league low 116.5 points in Week 1, which is to be expected after they dealt off Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres, and Trevor Richards in the month leading up to the season. Rookie Kyle Wright (9.7 points per start) had an okay first couple of starts. This will be a long year in Baltimore. Wk. 2 opponent - NYY
29. San Diego Padres (0-1) - A bad first week for San Diego, and the rebuild is underway. The Padres are actively trying to trade anything playable at the major league level to other teams, so it could get a lot worse. Austin Barnes (37 points) showed some promise behind the plate, but he's also on the trade block. Wk. 2 opponent - SF
28. Washington Nationals (0-1) - Outfielder Domingo Santana (73 points) was all the buzz in the opening week, crushing the ball and giving us flashbacks of his terrific 2017 season. The Nationals, however, in their beat down by Atlanta, did not look anything like the 2017 Washington Nationals... who finished 13-6. Wk. 2 opponent - PHI
27. Los Angeles Dodgers (0-1) - The Dodgers and D'backs are at different places now, though a year ago they looked like similar teams at the bottom of the league. Arizona trounced Los Angeles in the opening week. Starting pitcher Walker Buehler (7.4 points per start) didn't look all that great in his first two starts either. Wk. 2 opponent - NYM
26. Cincinnati Reds (0-1) - Veterans Madison Bumgarner (30.5 points) and Starlin Castro (33 points) looked great, increasing the likelihood of a future trade involving one or both of them. The Reds, meanwhile, lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, by a considerable margin too. If that's how they're going to fair against the Cards, it's not going to get much better against the other four NLC teams. Wk. 2 opponent - HOU
25. Cleveland Indians (0-1) - The Indians made it closer than expected with the White Sox, but were as expected handed their first defeat of the 2019 season. Dee Gordon (4.2 points per game) suddenly looks like a really good option at second base again. Wk. 2 opponent - DET
24. Oakland Athletics (0-1) - Losing by nearly 200 to the Angels couldn't have been what they had in mind to start the season. It's hard to keep up when Khris Davis (50 points) scores 65% of your lineup's points. They desperately need Lindor back. Need a win at Seattle this week. Wk. 2 opponent - SEA
23. Miami Marlins (0-1) - The offense, led by Adam Jones (52 points), did its part, but the pitching just doesn't look good to start the season. Miami fell to their rivals from Philadelphia to start the season 0-1. This is obviously a re-tooling year for the Marlins, but losing to Philly never feels good. Wk. 2 opponent - ATL
22. St. Louis Cardinals (1-0) - The Cardinals inexplicable left rookie sensation Pete Alonso (7.0 points per game) out of the lineup for Week 1, yet still started the year off with a win. St. Louis is getting hammered by injuries already, with Clayton Kershaw on the Injured List heading into Week 2. A win over Pittsburgh would cause me to think of this as a potentially more serious 2019 team. Wk. 2 opponent - PIT
21. Seattle Mariners (0-1) - The year the Mariners end their rebuild is supposed to be 2019, but they unfortunately couldn't start it off with a big win against Texas, falling by just 50 points. Dallas Keuchel getting on the mound would help this woeful pitching staff. Fernando Tatis Jr. (30 points) looks like he'll be an impact player. Wk. 2 opponent - OAK
20. Atlanta Braves (1-0) - Stephen Piscotty (44.5 points) and Brad Keller (47.1 points) led the way in the Braves win to start the season. The Andujar injury could potentially be tough, especially if he ends up being out for the season. Atlanta can start the season 2-0 with a win over Miami in week two. Wk. 2 opponent - MIA
19. Arizona D'backs (1-0) - The Gleyber Torres (43 points) acquisition looks like a great decision already, as the D'backs, finally now trying to win, have started the season 1-0 after a win over the Dodgers. It might be too soon, but this team could definitely challenge for a Wild Card spot this season. Wk. 2 opponent - COL
18. Texas Rangers (1-0) - Anthony Rendon (64 points) was huge and Kike Hernandez (52.5 points) played out of his mind to get the Rangers an opening week win over their divisional opponent from Seattle. This could potentially be a tight division race throughout the season, but Texas will need to win games like this coming one against L.A. to make that happen. Wk. 2 opponent - LAA
17. Detroit Tigers (0-1) - In the closest matchup of Week 1, the Tigers and Twins were virtually tied heading into Sunday, where Minnesota pulled away to hand Detroit their first loss of the season. Matt Chapman (45.5 points) hit three homers, and the team looked good overall, but it's a tough loss in what's expected to be a very competitive AL Central. Wk. 2 opponent - CLE
16. Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) - The Rays played pretty well, especially with a terrific performance from Daniel Vogelbach (43.5 points), but Tampa ran into what could be the Yankees best week of the season as they got crushed by New York. Like the Central, Boston, Toronto, Tampa, and New York all figure to be in the conversation for the AL East this year, so it's a difficult defeat to start the season. Wk. 2 opponent - BOS
14. New York Mets (0-1) - The Mets played well... but is anyone at the level of the Giants right now? A Tim Beckham (67 points) rebound in 2019 would be a big boost to this offense. New York gets the Dodgers in Week 2, so a great chance to get right back on track as they aim for their first ever NL East title in 2019. Wk. 2 opponent - LAD
13. Philadelphia Phillies (1-0) - Apparently I have something against the Phillies. It's a lot of chatter for a team that hasn't won a division title since 2015. Philadelphia did look very impressive in their opening week win over the Marlins, backed by a great performance by former top prospect Tyler Glasnow (34.6 points). Deep pitching group. The Phillies get the lowly Nationals heading into Week 2. Wk. 2 opponent - WAS
12. Minnesota Twins (1-0) - Both the pitching and hitting looked great while Trey Mancini (52 points) surprisingly led the way in the Twins opening week victory over the rival Detroit Tigers. It's a big win to start the season for the Twins. Rookie starter Chris Paddack has people hyped right now. Another big game in Week 2. Wk. 2 opponent - TOR
11. Kansas City Royals (1-0) - Mike Clevinger (40.8 points) was incredible in his two starts in the win over Baltimore. Unfortunately for K.C., he's now on the Injured List for the next two months at minimum. A big blow to the Royals rotation. With Stanton and Sano also on the Injured List, Kansas City really needs to weather the storm to start the year if they're going to get a playoff spot this season. Wk. 2 opponent - CHW
10. Toronto Blue Jays (0-1) - Picked by many to perhaps win the American League in 2019, the Blue Jays fell flat in their opening performance of the season, getting absolutely rocked by the rival Boston Red Sox. They probably need more offense than they got in Week 1. Chance to rebound against Minnesota. Wk. 2 opponent - MIN
9. New York Yankees (1-0) - The Yankees were one of the stories in Week 1 with their very impressive 537.4 point performance as they took out the Rays. First baseman Cody Bellinger (8.9 points per game) is playing like a man possessed so far this season. We might be in for a major bounce back year from him. Wk. 2 opponent - BAL
8. Los Angeles Angels (1-0) - Mike Trout (70.5 points) is the best player in baseball. Now that I've got that out of my system for the year, the Angels were great in their win over the Athletics, picking up a key division victory to start the season. Although the AL West isn't exactly the most formidable division in baseball, the Angels look to have a great shot to win it for the third time in four years. Wk. 2 opponent - TEX
7. Houston Astros (0-1) - A great first week from Houston, especially from reliever Jose Alvarado (40.9 points), but the Brewers were simply better. The Astros would've definitely liked to have that win, but with nearly 300 points scored from their pitching alone, I think this team should feel fine about where they're headed in 2019. Wk. 2 opponent - CIN
6. Boston Red Sox (1-0) - I don't think many picked Boston to beat Toronto in Week 1, nor that the Red Sox would be second only to the Giants in scoring to start the year, but Boston did both, led by reliever Shane Green's terrific work out of the bullpen (58.9 points). After making the World Series in 2017, could this team be ready for a big rebound? Another win in Week 2 against Tampa would turn more heads. Wk. 2 opponent - TB
5. Chicago Cubs (1-0) - Outfielder Christian Yelich (80.5 points) is good at baseball... and he led the Cubs to a big Week 1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates to start 1-0 on the season. Catcher Luke Maile also did his part with 0.5 points. The Cubs can't relax though, as they'll get another big test against Milwaukee in Week 2. Wk. 2 opponent - MIL
4. Milwaukee Brewers (1-0) - The Brewers outscored the Astros 135.7-84.2 in the final two days of the matchup to take home a big opening week win. Joey Gallo (54 points) hit four home runs and the pitching tallied nearly 350 points in the win. The Brewers have a chance to start the season 2-0 with wins over both Houston and Chicago after Week 2. A best case scenario. Wk. 2 opponent - CHC
3. Colorado Rockies (1-0) - Jose Berrios (55.4 points) was spectacular to start the season, and the Rockies got a good balance from their lineup and pitching to start the season with a win over San Diego. Though a bit in the Giants' shadow, Colorado has championship aspirations this season and has a chance to compete for the NL West title in 2019. They'll get Arizona this week. Wk. 2 opponent - ARI
2. San Francisco Giants (1-0) - San Francisco had four players score more than 50 points as they demolished a talented Mets team on their way to scoring more than 600 points. I expect numerous scoring records to be shattered during the 2019 San Francisco Giant season. A number to keep in mind. 7,386.7. That's the 2013 Angels record for most points scored in a season. The Giants are the top favorite to win the World Series in 2019, anything less will be a disappointment. Wk. 2 opponent - SD
1. Chicago White Sox (1-0) - As is custom, the defending champions get the top spot in the first power rankings, but the White Sox didn't look nearly as impressive as some other teams to start the year. They scored the 18th most points, yet still picked up the win over Cleveland. Chicago will need to play better against Kansas City to stay perfect on the season. Wk. 2 opponent - KC
Week 2 Game of the Week: Chicago Cubs (1-0) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (1-0). Two teams with big plans for the 2019 season in a tough division. These division wins could be incredibly important at the end of the season.
That's it for Week 1! Good luck to all of the teams this week!
KR
