| 1 |
 |
108
(15-1-1) |
| The Padres end the season on top of the
power rankings... duh! They are clearly the favorite to
win it all this year. The Padres lead every category of
the Power Rankings; averaging 5.53 runs scored per game
while allowing only 1.76. Their run differential of +64
is better than the total runs scored of 12 teams. |
|
| 2 |
 |
96
(12-3-2) |
| The Marlins jump one spot to #2. Their primary
strength is pitching and defense; however, they are no
slouches at the plate (4.24 runs/game) The Marlins are
the only team who has beat the Padres this season and
are one of only five teams to win 12 games or more. |
|
| 3 |
 |
90
(11-4-2) |
| The Pirates are a very dangerous team come
playoff time. They can score runs and play very good defense.
Over the last six games the Bucs have gone (5-0-1); their
tie coming against the stingy Rays. The Pirates can match
up with any team and a true contender come playoff time. |
|
| 4 |
 |
90
(12-5) |
| The Angels are the top ranked American League Team;
in terms of the power rankings. They have a run differential
of +32 and allow only 2.76 runs per game. The Angels won
3 out of their last 4 games and are confident and ready
to make a run in the playoffs. |
|
| 5 |
 |
89
(12-2-3) |
| The Rays finished in first place in the American League.
The majority of their wins can be directly attributed
to their strong pitching staff. The Rays are in the middle
of the pack in terms of offense; however, they allow only
2.24 runs per game. The Rays have played a ton of close
games... 7 out of the Rays 12 wins came by one run and
they have played in four extra inning games. |
|
| 6 |
 |
86
(12-5) |
| The Rangers are one of the strongest hitting
teams in Pinto. They are the only team (besides the Padres)
who average over 5 runs scored per game. Their primary
challenge is keeping runs off the board; however, when
you hit like they do... you can afford to give up a few. |
|
| 7 |
 |
69
(9-7-1) |
| The Mariners are a very dangerous team and
should not be taken lightly by ANY playoff opponent. They
have impressive wins over the Angels and Pirates and played
close games against the Rays and Marlins. All four of
those teams are in the Top 5 of our power rankings. The
Mariners are similar to the Rays and rely heavily on their
pitching and defense. |
|
| 8 |
 |
59
(7-10) |
| The Astros have been on a bit of a roller
coaster this season. They started (3-0).. then fell to
(3-3)... and then leveled off and played close to .500
ball the rest of the way. The Astros are near the middle
of the pack in runs scored and runs allowed and have a
+6 run differential despite having a losing record. |
|
| 9 |
 |
54
(7-9-1) |
| If we had to pick a sleeper to win the playoffs it would
be the Reds. They allow only 3.00 runs per game and have
been the victim of tough luck throughout the year. Four
of their losses have come be only one run. In addition,
they have played tough against a number of the top teams,
including: the Marlins (tie), Rays, Rangers , and Angels. |
|
| 10 |
 |
53
(8-9) |
| The Red Sox climb two spots since our last
posting. They are a team you can't sleep on come playoff
time. The 'Sox may have the single best player in Pinto
and have been competitive throughout the year. They have
two quality wins with victories over the Marlins and Angels,
demonstrating their ability to play with the top teams. |
|
| 11 |
 |
52
(8-9) |
|
The Tigers turned their season around going (6-4) over
their final 10 games. Their impressive finish was highlighted
by a 3 game winning streak where they scored 26 runs
in three games. One of those wins came against the #2
ranked Marlins. The Tigers scored 8 runs in that game
against one of the top ranked pitching staffs in Pinto.
I would not want a first round match-up with the Tigers!
|
|
| 12 |
 |
50
(7-10) |
| The Yankees primary challenge is keeping
runs off the board. They have the ability to score and
match up well with a lot of the top teams. The Yankees
have shown the ability to beat top offensive teams (Rangers)
and top defensive teams (Rays). Don't let their (7-10)
record fool you... they are a team you MUST take seriously
in the early rounds of the playoffs. |
|
| 13 |
 |
44
(6-11) |
| The Whitesox (6-11) is a big surprise to
this writer. We really thought they would be one of the
top teams in the American League. If the Reds are the
#1 sleeper.. the Whitesox are a close second. The 'Sox
have the ability to put runs on the board and the talent
to pitch better than they have to this point. |
|
| 14 |
 |
43
(7-10) |
| The Cubs closed the season with a brutal
schedule. They closed the season with the Marlins, Pirates,
Rays, Angels, Red Sox, and Padres... ouch! The Cubbies
are a decent offensive team, but will need to sort out
their pitching to make some noise in the playoffs. |
|
| 15 |
 |
26
(4-13) |
| The Dodgers allowed more runs than any team
in Pinto (88). The good news is they have an above average
offense which gives them a shot come playoff time. The
Blue Crew closed the season by demonstrating they can
play with the top ranked teams; playing close games against
the Rangers and Pirates. |
|
| 16 |
 |
24
(5-12) |
| The Phillies continue to struggle at the
plate; scoring only 2.12 runs per game. They closed the
season in similar fashion to the Cubs... finishing with
games against the Padres (#1), Angels (#4) and Marlins
(#2). Those tough games will have them prepared for upcoming
playoffs. |
|
| 17 |
 |
13
(3-14) |
| The Diamondbacks found a way out of the
power rankings cellar. The DBacks have really improved
as the season has progressed. They showed a nice competitive
edge in their final games; playing close games with the
Padres, Rangers, and Rays. Pinto playoffs always present
surprise wins... can you smell an early round upset? |
|
| 18 |
 |
10
(3-14) |
| The Twins dropped to the bottom spot in
the last week of the season. They lost their final six
games of the season, but it was their 3-2 loss to the
DBacks that dropped them to #18. The best thing about
Pinto is there is a fine line between the top and bottom
ranked teams. Anything can happen! |
|
