Major League Baseball Rankings: Week 9 - Part 4
Milwaukee Brewers are at the 12th position this week followed by the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays who are at the 13th and 14th position respectively. Next are the Los Angeles Angels at the 15th position
and the team that threw a no-hitter, the Detroit Tigers are at Number 16 this week.
The Seattle Mariners take up the 17th spot after climbing seven positions to reach there with an equal win-loss record, of 26. With the ever reliable and Seattle’s best man Ichiro Suzuki underperforming no one could’ve guessed that the Mariners
would take control and come anywhere near the top of the American League West. Silencing all their critics, that is exactly where they’ll be after one and a half more wins under their belt. Michael Pineda along with Jason Vargas and Doug Fister has drastically
improved Seattle’s pitching. If only Suzuki would go back to being the offence giant that he really is, Mariners may be the American League leaders before anyone knows.
The Colorado Rockies had quite a fall from last week’s ninth position to land at this week’s 18th spot with a 25-27 record. Unlike most teams who can’t seem to perform while being away at other stadiums, it is the opposite for the Rockies who
have been performing everywhere but at their own Coors Field. A -.500 record at their home stadium is unacceptable. The Rockies previously stunned everyone with the wins they accumulated in the month of April, but haven’t been able to repeat the same performance
in May where they have gathered an astounding 20 losses.
The 19th spot is reserved for the Baltimore Orioles who have climbed six positions from last week’s 25th position with a 24-27 record. They are currently ranked fifth in the American League East and support an offence that is almost
non-existent. They have a difference of a whooping 59 runs between themselves and the fourth position holders, the Toronto Blue Jays. The only star in the line-up seems to be Matt Wieters who is proving to be one of the best catchers in the entire American
League.
Even though the Oakland Athletics swept away the Baltimore Orioles in the series between the two, they are a spot beneath them in the Power Rankings with a 27-27 record. They are all set to battle it out with Texas, but it won’t be an easy task given that
the Rangers’ leading men Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz are back from their time at the Disabled List. The fact that the Athletics are averaging 3.6 runs per game with a collective five player OPS+ of 70, does not paint a very hopeful picture. Their batters
were humiliated at the hands of Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants recently when he retired 21 of them without seeming unfazed.
Next up are the Pittsburgh Pirates who are at the same position as last weeks; 21st, with a 24-27 record. James McDonald is slowly but steadily recovering from the disaster that he proved to be in April as he is currently with a 3.14 ERA along
with 30 strike-outs in over 28 innings pitched while walking just eight for the month of May. The team as a whole needs to step up given they are struggling in the National League Central.
Tags: