Monday, August 13, 2012

MLB Power Rankings - August 13, 2012

This is the first of a weekly series which will provide my rankings of all 30 MLB teams. There is no scientific formula behind the rankings. I take into account the teams' current record, their future outlook and recent trends when determining positions on the chart. I welcome any and all comments concerning the rankings themselves and/or the notes provided for each team.

The first set of rankings is headed up by the Washington Nationals, which should be of no surprise at this point in the season. However, how many of us had them this good in 2012? Personally, I felt they were one or two years away from dominating this division, but they've developed quicker than I expected and have done so while dealing with several key injuries. This team is for real and will be a force in the National League East for some time. It will be interesting to see how they handle Stephen Strasburg going forward and what impact his innings limit will have on the team. For now they are number one in my estimation, with at least a few teams a good win streak away from snatching the honors. Without further delay here are the rankings. Team records and statistics are as of Sunday, August 12.



There you have it. What are your thoughts? Are the Nationals the number one team in MLB? Who do you think deserves the top spot? Let me know in the comments.

Updated 8/14/12: Big Leagues Monthly magazine's second issue has gone live, so please check it out and feel free to leave us comments here or through our social media sites. You can follow the Big Leagues Monthly daily edition and magazine on Twitter at @BigLeaguesMthly and on Facebook here

Follow me on Twitter at @Chris Carelli.

2 comments:

  1. Personally I'd put the Rangers and Yankees ahead of the Nationals and Reds, and probably move all the AL teams up a bit. The AL is just a tougher league to play in, as evidenced by Interleague play this year, especially in the East and West. Though the Nats and Reds have better records, they are playing inferior teams. All teams in the AL East and West should be bumped up in my opinion.

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    1. Matt, I can understand that logic, but neither the Yankees nor the the Rangers are playing terrific ball now while the Nats and Reds are rolling; the Reds doing so without their best player. I wouldn't be so quick to say the Nats and Reds only have great records because of the competition. They still have to go out and perform. Like I said, a winning streak by any of the top four teams can sway the rankings from week to week. I've got two AL East teams in the top five and everyone in the AL West has cooled down. The Angels are in a tailspin. Thanks for the comment.

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