MLB Power Rankings - Week 5

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 22-11
Previous Rank: 1
They have enough power in Kemp, Loney and others to ride out the Manny suspension and I don't yet see a reason why he won't be back in the middle of the lineup on July 3rd.

2. Boston Red Sox
Record: 20-12
Previous Rank: 2
They should be getting Dice-K back soon and they should soon be moving Big Papi down soon. His on-base percentage is higher than his slugging percentage. Delmon Young has a higher slugging percentage.

3. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 22-12
Previous Rank: 3
The Blue Jays play the Yankees this week signaling the first time they play one of the big 3 in the AL East so far this season.

4. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 20-12
Previous Rank: 4
They are struggling a little going 5-5 in the last 10, but that can be expected with Carpenter and Ankiel on the DL.

5. Detroit Tigers
Record: 17-13
Previous Rank: 8
Joel Zumaya is reminding people of how good he is when he is healthy with 6 scoreless innings so far and Justin Verlander seems to finally remembered how to pitch with 1 ER in the last 3 starts with 31 strikeouts in 23 innings.

6. Kansas City Royals
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 10
They are riding the wave of Zach Grienke and if recently called up #1 overall pick Luke Hochevar contributes this team might just pitch into contention this year.

7. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 11
The lineup is clicking with Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips awaking, but the success of this team depends on Jonny Cueto and Edinson Volquez.

8. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 16
Ryan Braun is an absolute stud but what is really driving this team is the breakout of Rickie Weeks who is hitting .277-7-21.

9. Chicago Cubs
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 5
The team is staying afloat with disappointing starts from Milton Bradley, Derrek Lee, and Geovanny Soto but they have also allowed to the NL Central to be a 4-team race.

10. New York Mets
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 20
This team must hate Johan Santana. Last year the bullpen let him down and this year in his two losses he has yet to give up a earned run. He is still well on his way to a 3rd Cy Young.

11. Florida Marlins
Record: 17-15
Previous Rank: 7
The team is struggling a little but it is not because of Hanley Ramirez who is hitting .348-6-19 with 6 stolen bases.

12. Texas Rangers
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 17
Playing well winning 7 of the last 8 and they should get Josh Hamilton back on Tuesday. The problem is that they still don't pitch well and the Angels are getting healthy.

13. San Francisco Giants
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 14
The most surprising thing about this team is the return of Barry Zito to a respectable pitcher with a 3.57 ERA and 4 earned runs in his last 4 starts.

14. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 16-14
Previous Rank: 21
Things are starting to look brighter with a sweep of Kansas City and John Lackey returning on Friday with Ervin Santana not far behind him.

15. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 15-18
Previous Rank: 18
Evan Longoria is currently on a pace for .358-52-216. I don't expect that but he is making my MVP pick look very good. Most impressive stat so far by Longoria: He has 44 hits and 44 RBI.

16. New York Yankees
Record: 15-16
Previous Rank: 6
Much was made of A-Rod's home run in his first at-bat back but he has gone 1-10 since then against Baltimore. I am not anticipating him putting up big numbers this year and New York looks headed for disaster.

17. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 15-14
Previous Rank: 12
Cole Hamels had a good start this week but he isn't the only problem on a team with an ERA of 5.39. This team is wasting the offense being provided by Utley, Ibanez, Howard and Werth.

18. Minnesota Twins
Record: 15-17
Previous Rank: 15
I may be called a homer but if they ever sort out the bullpen this team is primed to go on a huge run with a productive offense and a rotation that can all give you quality starts. Joe Mauer looks determined to win a 3rd batting title this year but he needs to stay healthy.

19. Atlanta Braves
Record: 16-16
Previous Rank: 19
Interestingly, the Braves do not have a player with 4 home runs yet on the season but they have 6 players who have 3 home runs.

20. Seattle Mariners
Record: 16-16
Previous Rank: 9
They have been brought back to earth last week losing 6 of the 7 games. This team is headed to the cellar of the division with a bullet.

21. Chicago White Sox
Record: 14-17
Previous Rank: 13
Have won 2 out the last 9 games. There does not seem to be a specific reason for the collapse but this team is old and seems to have passed their prime.

22. Houston Astros
Record: 14-17
Previous Rank: 24
The curious case of Lance Berkman continues. He is a career .300 hitter hitting .184 but he has 7 home runs on the season.

23. San Diego Padres
Record: 13-19
Previous Rank: 25
This team is in a free fall getting swept by the Astros and losing 16 of the last 20 games. The countdown until the trade of Jake Peavy has started.

24. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 13-19
Previous Rank: 29
There is hope for the future with Markakis and Adam Jones but this team is in the wrong division to ever realize that hope.

25. Colorado Rockies
Record: 12-18
Previous Rank: 28
This team has talent, the problem is that Colorado will never be able to develop a pitcher as evidenced by the struggles of Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 12-19
Previous Rank: 22
The team is hitting an absolutely brutal .236 as a team. The main culprits are Chris Young (.193) , Conor Jackson (.182), and Eric Brynes (.216). The bright side is Justin Upton has broken out hitting .384-7-17 since April 24th.

27. Cleveland Indians
Record: 12-21
Previous Rank: 26
This team is a officially a failure and I would expect heads to roll in Cleveland soon. To be 12-21 with the talent assembled is a shame and someone needs to be held accountable.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 12-19
Previous Rank: 23
The bottom has finally fallen out for Pittsburgh losing 8 games in a row to plummet to the bottom of the NL Central.

29. Oakland A's
Record: 11-18
Previous Rank: 27
The good news is Matt Holliday is starting to hit home runs again hitting 4 in the last 11 games. The bad news is that he is hitting .200 in those last 11 games.

30. Washington Nationals
Record: 10-20
Previous Rank: 30
Finally something of to draw the interest of National fans: Ryan Zimmerman has a 29 game hitting streak.

Stud of the Week: SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA
Stats: .533 4 HR 7 RBI 3 SB
Honorable Mention: Joe Saunders, Zach Greinke, Johnny Damon, Jason Bay

Dud of the Week: OF Jordan Schafer, ATL
Stats: .120 0 HR O RBI 12 strikeouts in 25 at-bats
Dishonorable Mention: Brandon Inge, Adam LaRoche, Phil Hughes, Bronson Arroyo

MLB Power Rankings - Week 4

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 18-8
They have some questions with pitching rotation depth but they have the best lineup in the Majors.

2. Boston Red Sox
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 15-10
The record is truly impressive considering Beckett is struggling, Dice-K is on the DL and Ortiz has yet to hit a home run.

3. Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 18-9
They have certainly gotten off to a quick start and I think it is possible for them to steal a wild card.

4. Saint Louis Cardinals
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 17-8
MLB has to be praying that Albert Pujols is never found to have taken steroids because he should erase all of A-Rod and Bonds' records.

5. Chicago Cubs
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 13-11
Team has players stuggling but Soto and Marmol are too good to be held down. The NL Central race between them and the Cardinals could be very fun to watch.

6. New York Yankees
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 13-11
They went above .500 without A-Rod and Wang a disaster. They should get A-Rod back this weekend and the circus will really begin.

7. Florida Marlins
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 14-11
Getting swept by the Cubs was not good and Philly is playing better but this team is still currently the best in the NL East.

8. Detroit Tigers
Previous Rank: 11
Record: 13-11
I don't think Brandon Inge can keep it up but he is pacing this team with .316-8-19.

9. Seattle Mariners
Previous Rank: 18
Record: 15-10
This team is praying for the continued injury problems of the Angels. Felix Hernandez does not get enough publicity, he is a serious canidate to win AL Cy Young this year as a 23- year old.

10. Kansas City Royals
Previous Rank: 17
Record: 14-11
It may be the fault of the Twins terrible bullpen but this team has a lot more fight in it than the typical Royals team. That being said the lineup is not good enough to win the division this year.

11. Cincinnati Reds
Previous Rank: 16
Record: 13-11
This team still has pieces that have not starting contributing yet and if they do this team could make the NL Central a three-team race.

12. Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Rank: 14
Record: 12-10
If Hamels ever decides to stop getting hurt and becomes this team's ace again this team should repeat as the NL East champs. Chase Utley is an absolute stud.

13. Chicago White Sox
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 12-12
I am suprised by the slow start of Alexei Ramirez who is hitting .210-1-10. I thought he would be an absolute stud.

14. San Francisco Giants
Previous Rank: 27
Record: 12-11
The Giants have gone 8-3 in the last 11 games partly because the return to form of Tim Lincecum who has gone 2-0 4 ER in 23 innings with 33 K.

15. Minnesota Twins
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 12-13
The offense is not the issue espcially with Joe Mauer back in the lineup, but if they don't fix the bullpen this team is in for a rough season.

16. Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Rank: 23
Record: 13-12
Talk about doing it yourself. Yovanni Gallardo beat Pittsburgh 1-0 by pitching 8 innings and hitting a solo home run. It was also his second home run of the season.

17. Texas Rangers
Previous Rank: 21
Record: 12-12
The offense is redicilious with 140 runs in 24 games. The really scary part is Josh Hamilton has yet to contribute batting .242-2-10.

18. Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 11-15
They are probably the only team that wishes they could only play the Red Sox. They are 4-2 against the Red Sox and 7-13 against the rest.

19. Atlanta Braves
Previous Rank: 12
Record: 11-13
After starting 5-1 they have struggled going 6-12. Why they have not called up Tommy Hanson yet is beyond me. He has 38 K's in 26.2 Innings.

20. New York Mets
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 10-13
This team needs to find some pitching or they are going to waste another stellar season by Johan Santana.

21. Los Angeles Angels
Previous Rank: 15
Record: 10-13
There is hope on the horizon as Ervin Santana and John Lackey have started their rehabilition and could be returning soon.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Rank: 22
Record: 11-14
Dan Haren is a stud and Justin Upton has been hitting well lately but until they get Brandon Webb back this will be a .500 ball club.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates
Previous Rank: 26
Record: 12-12
The pitching has been very good so far but the offense will keep them from competing this year.

24. Houston Astros
Previous Rank: 29
Record: 11-14
Lance Berkman a career .300 hitter is hitting only .184 so far. He does have 6 home runs so far though.

25. San Diego Padres
Previous Rank: 19
Record: 11-14
They have come back to earth by going 2-10 in the last 12. That is not a suprise given a lineup that has Luis Rodriguez getting regular at-bats.

26. Cleveland Indians
Previous Rank: 24
Record: 9-16
It is a shame they don't have the pitching to compete because Sizemore and Victor Martinez are putting up big numbers this year.

27. Oakland A's
Previous Rank: 20
Record: 9-13
Oakland can not be happy with Matt Holliday going .233-2-15 because he is not helping them win games and he is hurting his trade value, which is why they picked him up from Colorado.

28. Colorado Rockies
Previous Rank: 28
Record: 9-14
Troy Tulowitzki has gotten off to a terrible start going .208-3-5. It gives even less reason to be excited about the Rockies this year.

29. Baltimore Orioles
Previous Rank: 25
Record: 9-16
It is going to be a long season in Baltimore this year but Adam Jones looks to be the real deal going .355-5-19 at only age 23.

30. Washington Nationals
Previous Rank: 30
Record: 6-17
There is really nothing to say about this team except that it is a total disaster.

Stud of the Week: Dan Haren ARI
Stats: 2-0 17 IP 1.58 ERA 21 K
Honorable Mention: Carl Crawford, Jorge Cantu, Evan Longoria, Justin Verlander, Johnny Cueto

Dud of the Week: Brian Tallet TOR
Stats: 0-1 4 IP 22.50 ERA 2 K
Dishonorable Mention: Anibal Sanchez, John Danks, Anthony Reyes, Cristian Guzman, Travis Snider

Stud of the Month: Zach Greinke KC
Stats: 5-0 36 IP 0.50 ERA 44 K
Honorable Mention: Albert Pujols, Ian Kinsler, Evan Longoria, Chad Billingsley, Dan Haren, Johan Santana

Dud of the Month: Chien-Ming Wang NYY
Stats: 0-3 6 IP 34.50 ERA 2 K
Dishonorable Mention: Jose Contreras, Oliver Perez, Scott Baker, Felix Pie, Geovanny Soto, Edwin Encarnacion

#20 Saint Louis Cardinals

Saint Louis Cardinals
Last Year: 86-76 4th in NL Central
This Year: 4th in NL Central



The Cardinals go about things differently than any other team. They bat the pitcher 8th, they fill the outfield with slow, plodding sluggers, moving Schumaker to second base, and they released Adam Kennedy on February 2nd. There seems to be a method to the madness with Tony LaRussa winning 7 division titles and 1 World Series in 13 years with the Cardinals. The question now is how much of his success is simply due to having the best player in baseball in Albert Pujols.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
2B Skip Schumaker .297 7 HR 44 RBI
LF Rick Ankiel .267 23 HR 67 RBI
1B Albert Pujols .341 43 HR 127 RBI
RF Ryan Ludwick .291 33 HR 105 RBI
C Yadier Molina .297 7 HR 72 RBI
3B Joe Mather .252 17 HR 58 RBI
SS Khalil Greene .243 15 HR 59 RBI
P Chris Carpenter
CF Colby Rasmus .253 12 HR 57 RBI

Rotation
RHP Chris Carpenter 14-7 3.34 ERA 157 K
RHP Adam Wainwright 15-8 3.57 ERA 128 K
RHP Kyle Lohse 9-10 4.45 ERA 118 K
RHP Todd Wellenmeyer 11-9 3.96 ERA 127 K
RHP Joel Pineiro 6-11 5.15 ERA 84 K

CP RHP Chris Perez 3.97 ERA 28 SV 63 K

Best Case Scenario: Colby Rasmus burts on to the scene and wins the NL Rookie of the Year. Carpenter finally stays healthy. Wainwright finally becomes the staff ace and Cy Young contender they were hoping for. Schumaker works at 2nd base. Troy Glaus comes back in May and returns as a force in the middle of the lineup. This team contends for the wild card and 90 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Rasmus is not ready for the majors and spends the majority of his time in AAA. Wainwright and Carpenter both go down with injuries leaving Kyle Lohse as the staff ace. The defense is brutal with all the position changes. Pujols elbow flares up hurting his production. Glaus can't stay healthy and Ludwick comes back to earth. This team struggles to be .500.

Player Most Important to Success: Chris Carpenter. He has made only 4 starts in the last two years. He is now 33 years old which will not help him stay healthy. When he was healthy he was one of the best winning the Cy Young in 2005. If he can get healthy and give the Cardinals good innings with an ERA around 3 this team could be dangerous. Him and Wainwright will be able to win games that their offense could not provide. If he goes down or struggles this is a mediocre pitching staff to go with bad defense and nonathletic sluggers.

Outlook: This team has the best player in baseball and one of the best of all-time. That cures a lot of ills. He is also a gold glove defender which can not be said of anyone else on the team not named Molina. Ankiel has an arm but I would not be comfortable with him, Ludwick, and Duncan patrolling the outfield. This team has a lot of injury questions. Glaus, Carpenter, Wainwright, Ankiel, and Pujols are all injury risks. This team is going to have to slug their way to success and while that is possible I just don't see that happening for a staff counting on Kyle Lohse to repeat is career year. As a Twins fan I just don't see how you can ever be successful relying on Kyle Lohse.