Major League Baseball Power Rankings: Week 14 – Part 4
17. The Chicago White Sox have shown a slight improvement, escalating one position to Number 17 this week. Their win-loss record is 44-47 and they need to bring the win percentage to at least .500 for a chance.
Their form has dipped immensely, evident from their four-game losing streak. They need an urgent end to this to substantiate their position in the Majors.
Alexei Ramirez has been the only notable scorer for the White Sox with 50-plus runs thus far. The likes of Adam Dunn now need to join in for the White Sox to reclaim their winning ways.
18. The Seattle Mariners have a strong roster but their 18th position in the power rankings does not authenticate that fact.
The Mariners are 43-46 for the season and are currently on a three-game losing streak. Having said this, they have the firepower in the bull-pen to rotate this lean patch with the likes of Ichiro Suzuki and Felix Hernandez.
Still in contention for the top spot in the AL Western Division, things might become different if a solution is not found rapidly.
19. The New York Mets take the 19th spot in week 14 of the power rankings. The Mets have improved one ranking position from last week.
Jose Reyes is the lead batter for the Mets with an average of .354 and 65 runs this season. His injury and the subsequent placement on 15-day disabled list have posed serious problems for the Mets.
In his absence, Francisco Rodriguez and R.A. Dickey have to bring in all their experience to restrict the opposition from scoring excessively.
New York Mets are ranked third in National League Eastern Division and with a bit more determination they have the ability to go further up.
20. Completing the top 20 for this week are the Colorado Rockies who jump one place from the 21st place to take the 20th spot.
The Rockies have leaked more runs than they have scored indicating that their pitching needs to improve substantially for better results.
In their ten previous games, the Rockies have managed to win just three. With the San Francisco Giants and Diamondbacks leading the National League Western Division, the Rockies need to pull their socks to give them a fight.
Carlos Gonzalez has been impressive with the bat this season with 55 runs but more needs to be done by other players for the prosperity of the team with Gonzalez suffering from a right wrist contusion.
21. Juan Bautista may possibly be the most-voted player in the American League All-Star picks but his presence in the Toronto Blue Jays has not helped their ranking at the 21st position. With a win-loss record of 44-47, they are fourth in the
AL Eastern Division and need to put their act right for things to change.
The Blue Jays are ranked among the top teams in scoring runs but at the same time they have allowed runs at the same pace. Bautista’s heroics with the bat will be fruitful only if he is supported well by the pitchers.
22. The Oakland Athletics jumped from the 24th spot to the 22nd spot in the power rankings. Their season record of 39-52 and the last position in the AL Western Division does not support their reputation.
Their last ten games have been ordinary, managing just three wins. The A’s are on a two-game losing streak and need to halt this right here if an improvement in the rankings is required.
Continued in Part 5
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: