GAP Week 4 Power Rankings

Week 4 Power Rankings

Great American Pastime
Monday November 27th
Season 2

So this is somewhat of what I envision the power rankings to look like, I will be dinking around with settings and such till Sunday, but come week 5, everything should be just about straightened out.

1. Seattle Mariners (41-23) LW (1)
Three straight weeks at the top for the M's. As good as the A's have been lately (7 straight as of the posting of this article), the M's have done an amazing job of holding the defending champs off. Brandon Freeman is putting together a strong case for the first half Cy Young, compiling a record of 10-2 in 13 games started, throwing 3 complete games and one shutout. His competition for the award? Wes White, his closer, who is 24 of 27 in SVO, allowing an outstanding average of .189. But who's that sneaking up from the 2 spot?

2. Oakland A's (39-25) LW (4)
Where to start with this offense? The numbers speak for themselves: Allan Hamilton (.328/20/60) C.C. Hutton (.315/26/66) Oscar Nunnally (49 BBs in 55 GP) Clyde Valentin (60 R / 13of13 SB) Todd Linebrink (.312/57 R). They've only scored 449 runs already!! The dogfight between the A's and the M's will surely be one for the ages.

3. Cleveland Indians (42-22) LW (3)
Sure they benefit residing in a weak division, but these Indians are not to be taken lightly. Cy Young frontrunner Greg Stewart is already 11-2 in 16 GS with an ERA of only 2.67. The reason he wins so many of those games? Yorrick Brand, who is 19 of 22 in SVO with a WHIP of only 0.95. I've got next Wednesday in the "day the Indians clinch the AL East" pool.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (41-23) LW (5)
Arguably the best division in the GAP, The Brewers have been near unbeatable lately. They've stretched their two game lead to 6 over the Cubs and 7 over the Pirates and Reds. Carlos Campos will get all the pub (and deservingly so) but don't take the rest of this team lightly. Jimmie Iglesias already has 22 HRs, Craig Osbourne is hitting .414, and Chris Burks has already stolen 26 bases. The pitching's not too bad either, as Preston Kendall (11-2/2.91/.204OAV) leads a staff holding opponnents to a .245 OAV.

5. Texas Rangers (40-24) LW (NR)
After going 0-18 in Spring Training, the Rangers have proven themselves as contenders in the GAP and especially in the competitive AL South. They suddenly zoomed right past the slumping Rays to take over the South lead, and are powered by slugging 2B Wally Hunter who already has compiled 31 HRs and 72 RBI. Like their MLB counterpart, the pitching staff is a little lacking, but the lineup is more than enough to compensate.

6. San Francisco Giants (39-25) LW (2)
Sinking a little bit from the two spot last week, the Giants aren't likely to stay put at #6. Magglio Gomez (.304/20/69) and Ivan Bechler (.373/14/37) have this offense hitting on all cylinders. The pitching is led by 24 year old stud Clarence Cooke (8-4/2.69/.243OAV) and Albert Young (13of14 SVO). Expect a jump up in the coming weeks for one of the NL's fiercest competitors.

7. Atlanta Braves (39-25) LW (NR)
This was a very hard decision between the Braves and Mets for the 7th and 8th spots in the rankings, but I had to take the team that has won 3 straight over the team that has lost 2 in a row. Other than that, there really isn't a huge difference between the two. Both are 8-2 in the last 10, the Braves have the better lineup, but the Mets have the better staff. Both will most likely make the playoffs, but which will win the divison?

8. New York Mets (39-25) LW (7)
This pitching staff is just unreal. The #s speak for themselves:
Cliff Simms - 3.19 ERA / .207 OAV / 1.04 WHIP
Nicky Hemphill - 2.59 ERA / .217 OAV / 1.06 WHIP
Bosco Jefferson - 2.52 ERA / .218 OAV / 1.06 WHIP
Ralph Ryan - 1.21 ERA / .173 OAV / 0.81 WHIP / 14-17 SV
Houston Mann - 2.37 ERA / .172 OAV / 1.03 WHIP / 33 GP

Now if only the bats can wake up...

9. Florida Marlins (37-27) LW (6)
The pitching has always been there, but the offense is starting to click, and that makes these Marlins an incredibly dangerous team. Charlie Clark is hitting .332 with 60 RBI, and Wiki Pena (the Cubs worst enemy) has already scored 54 runs. Even more impressive? The Marlins hold a road record of 14-8, proving they can play away from their sunny home.

10. Kansas City Royals (34-30) LW (NR)
They've actually scored more runs than the A's, but the Royals are still 6 games back from the Rangers. Recently promoted stud Theodore Haney is playing quite well despite critics views of an early callup. If the early season says anything, it's that the Royals are going to need all the offense they can get. Pairing Haney up with Jose Mota presents one of the most dangerous 1-2 punches in all of the GAP. Watch out for these Royals, they will only get better.