MLB Power Rankings - 4/20

I'm participating on a power rankings panel over at Odds and Sods, but I figured I would cross-post my rankings in their entirety here. In case you're wondering, #6-25 didn't disappear. I just don't have that kind of time.

TOP 5

1. BOSTON – Perhaps the burial and subsequent unearthing of the Red Sox t-shirt in the new Yankee Stadium is having some sort of positive effect. More likely, though, the big Red Sox Machine is clicking on all cylinders and Boston looks like the team to beat.

2. ARIZONA – Remember when the Diamondbacks won the West despite scoring fewer runs than their opponents last season? Thus far, Arizona leads the Majors in runs scored by 14, and its team ERA of 2.80 is tops as well. The Brandon Webb-Dan Haren combo has been as expected, and the return of a healthy Randy Johnson makes Arizona a very dangerous team.

3. CHICAGO (NL) – The Cubs are the best team in the Central, hands-down. Derrek Lee is en fuego (.356, 7 HR), and Kosuke Fukudome (.317, 13 runs, 3 SB) has been a great addition to the lineup.

4. NEW YORK (NL) – The loss of Pedro Martinez was a blow, but the Mets didn’t exactly have his services available last season and shouldn’t have needed him to reach the postseason. Santana hasn’t been breathtaking, but he hasn’t been disappointing either. And when this offense starts to heat up, watch out.

5. CHICAGO (AL) – With Cleveland and Detroit off to abysmal starts, the White Sox have quietly assumed control of the AL Central. A rotation without Jon Garland is thinner, but third baseman Joe Crede (.305, 5 HR, 18 RBI) has been a huge part of a surprisingly productive offense.


BOTTOM 5

26. DETROIT - The Tigers may rank near the top of the game in talent and experience, but so far those intangibles haven't translated into victories. We'll see if Curtis Granderson's return is the boost they need.

27. SAN FRANCISCO – It should tell you something that the Giants’ 8-11 start is considered a pleasant surprise by this longtime fan. Every day ahead of the Dodgers in the standings is a good day.

28. PITTSBURGH – Despite terrific starts from no-namers Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit, the Pirates are battling it out with the Astros for last place in baseball’s worst division. Something tells me this race will go down to the wire.

29. HOUSTON – The Astros have the offense to compete, but the pitching staff is suspect at best. And with longtime ace Roy Oswalt on pace for a 6-plus ERA and 25 losses, things could go down the tubes fast.

30. WASHINGTON – The walk-off home run to usher in the new stadium seems like a very long time ago. A nine-game losing streak is part of a current stretch in witch the Nationals have lost 14 of 16.