Rounding the Bases

American League Power Rankings: 1st Installment

By Ryan Frisco

So we're roughly a month and a half into the 2013 MLB season, and I think we can all agree that minds have been blown.  We have already seen the implosion of some of the preseason favorites, and some explosions of perrenial bottom dwellers.  Who would have thunk?!

Let's sort things out here and take a look at what the 15 American League teams are looking like as of late.

Photo Cred www.huffingtonpost.com

1. Texas Rangers (26-14) - The team that I felt had lost so much in Josh Hamilton and Michael Young has been the most consistently good so far in 2013.  They are tied with the Yankees for the American League's best record and are already 5 games up in their division so early in the season. Nelson Cruz and Adrian Beltre have filled the power hole left when Hamilton left, and Ian Kinsler, Jeff Baker and Mitch Moreland have added consistency throughout the lineup. Their division looks like one of the MLB's weakest as far as records go, but the only team that's a walk in the park is the Astros.  Looking like we'll be seeing them in the Divisional round this season.

2. New York Yankees (25-14)  - The Yankees this year are not near what they have been for a while as far as talent goes, but they somehow have worked past all of the injuries to once again be leading the AL East, the best division in baseball.  Still without Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson, NY has rallied behind the big bats of Robinson Cano, Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay.  Starting pitching has been what's won them games, as most starters are under a 4.00 ERA.  Mariano Rivera, on his fresh ACL, has been the ultimate closer, going 15 for 15 to start the year perfect.  This team's good in the state they are now.  Just wait till the big pieces are back.

3. Boston Red Sox (22-17) - Boston has had a rough go of it lately.  Had I written these rankings the beginning of last week, they would have been a shoe in for #1.  As it is, they have lost 8 of their last 10 and continue to slide down the rankings.  Not to worry though, we've already seen what this team can do, and it won't be long until they're back in the saddle.  These guys are great at getting on base one way or another (6 players have an OBP of .370+) and Mike Napoli is killing it with the RBIs, already at 33.  With more than enough great pitching to get them through, things are looking good for my preseason Dark Horse Red Sox.

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4. Baltimore Orioles (23-17) - I know it's crazy, but yes, three of the Top 4 in rankings are from the American League East.  This division is so good!  The Orioles have been great this year, and a huge part of that is their ability to score runs.  The first 5 in their starting lineup all have over 20 runs scored this year.  They have 4 players hitting over 300, 4 with over 40 hits and 5 with over 20 RBIs.  They are second in the East.  So why are they below the Red Sox?  Their pitching worries me.  They have a talented, young staff, but they aren't veterans yet.  Not a single starting pitcher has below a 3.00 ERA.  If they keep scoring runs like they are they'll be fine, but I ranked the Red Sox higher because they're pitching is much better.

5. Detroit Tigers (22-16)  - I am very surprised the Tigers haven't run away with this division yet.  The AL Central isn't weak, but it's full of mediocre-at-best teams that don't really stand a chance except for the Tigers.  They're getting  a lot of hits and scoring a lot of runs, but aren't winning as many games as they should.  The 1-2 punch of Miguel Cabrera-Prince Fielder is like no other combo in the game right now.  Those two alone will win them games.  Still, they are barely holding on to the Central lead right now, and with that barely hanging on to a Top 5 Power Ranking.

Photo Cred www.detroitnews.com

6. Cleveland Indians (22-17) - It's nice to see the Indians back in the playoff race.  I remember their run in 1997 behind Sandy Alomar, Jr., and this year it's another great catcher, Carlos Santana, leading them along.  Their bats got hot midway through April, where they torched teams like the Phillies.  Mark Reynolds has been consistent swinging the bat, being the Indians main power source, and he has figured out how to cut the strikeouts down a bit, as he's hitting .279.  Starting pitching has been good behind leader Justin Masterson.  It will be interesting to see just how long this club can keep this up.

7. Oakland Athletics (20-22) - The Royals look like they should come next, but I'm going with the A's.  Why?  Because they're proven.  They started the season HOT-HOT-HOT! before cooling off immensely.  They've just hit a rough patch.  This team is young and talented, they'll shake it off and be back before you know it.  They're only 5 games out, and the good news for them is the Astros are in their division this season, which means extra games that should be easier to win than most.

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8. Kansas City Royals (19-17) - Where did these guys come from?!  I'm pretty sure this is the first time since I've been born that I can say the Royals might be in the playoff race! It's a nice story, and would be cool to see, but like I implied before, this team has not yet proven anything.  They have a great foundation in young guns Alex Gordon and Jeremy Guthrie, and power coming from Billy Butler...but not much else.   Let's take a look at what's going on in July and then maybe I'll start to believe in the Kansas City Royals.

9. Tampa Bay Rays (20-18) - It's unfortunate for the Rays that they find themselves in the AL East.  In most divisions, if you have a .526 winning percentage, you're relatively close to the top, probably second or third at worst, within a good homestand of the lead.  Not the AL East.  The Rays are in 4th place, 4.5 games out of first.  Their starting pitching has been consistent (no pitcher has missed a start yet) which will be big later on, but without Matt Moore's dominance (7-0, 2.44 ERA) the Rays are a below .500 team.

10. Minnesota Twins (18-19) - The Twins are having an average year, hence the .500 winning percentage.  They've played well and beaten some of the better teams, but they've also played down to teams like the Mets and Royals.  Joe Mauer and Justin Mourneau continue to be the staples in this lineup, without too much backup.  With a pitching rotation that's nothing to write home about, Minnesota will be stuck in mediocrity for a while.

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11. Seattle Mariners (18-20) - There has been next to nothing to get excited about in Seattle since their stellar season in 2001.  Big guns Ichiro Suzuki, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez all went elsewhere.  This year is turning out better than most, probably because the Astros have joined up.  There is minimal offense (no player has reached 20 RBIs on the season).  The lone bright spot is the pitching tandem of (King) Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, who are a combined 9-3 with ERAs of 1.53 (Hernandez) and 1.74 (Iwakuma).  Unfortunately, two pitchers can only take a team so far.

12. Chicago White Sox (17-21) - This team is perplexing. They look to have so much talent.  So why are they at the bottom of the AL Central?  Hitting has been horrid.  Paul Konerko has been the guy in the White Sox organization for years who has taken the team on his back.  This year? He's hitting .214.  He's a lifetime .282 hitter.  Adam Dunn is supposed to be the big man in big spots. So far?  7 Homeruns, 13 RBIs and a .137 average.  Ouch! This team's going nowhere until those numbers get up big time.

Photo Cred www.ctvnews.ca

13. Toronto Blue Jays (16-24) - Looks like Caleb's preseason predictions of the Blue Jays is spot on.  They owned the offseason this year nabbing all kinds of big names to hopefully make a run at the ring.  Tis not to be.  Toronto is currently at the bottom of the AL East by a whopping 9.5 games.  The Yankees are great at putting together an All Star team.  Most other teams aren't.  Just look at last year's Los Angeles Angels.  Hopefully for Toronto, it just takes some time to mesh, then things will get better....hopefully.

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14. Los Angeles Angels (15-24) - Hmm...I thought for sure they would be in the running this year! I had them sitting at number 2 in the AL, not number 2 from the cellar.  Listen to the names in this lineup; Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Howie Kendrick....pitchers C.J. Wilson, Jered Weaver, Justin Vargas....  I have no explanation.  They began to pull it together towards the end of last year, but they might be well too far out of the race if they keep this up any longer.  Like the Blue Jays, building an All Star team doesn't always work.

15. Houston Astros (11-30) - I feel bad for the Astros.  They stunk big time in the National League, then got shipped to the American League to get pounded on.  We are very far removed from the glory days of Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman.  They have a winning percentage of .268.  'Nuff said.