Preseason Power Rankings

Since everyone likes Power rankings, here's a list of my own!

1. New York Yankees - Yeah, ok, I know I'm a dirty Yankees fan, but seriously; this team has the capability to score 950 runs this year. I know pitching might be a problem, but with the way Shawn Chacon, Aaron Small and Chien-Ming Wang pitched in the 2nd half last year, it'd be hard to deem the Yankees staff as anything less than good. If pitchers stay healthy, the team could have a great 5-man rotation come June. All this and one of the best bullpens in the Majors (Rivera, Dotel, Farnsworth), as well as by far the best lineup in the Majors will have the Bronx Bombers seeing fireworks in October.

2. Chicago White Sox - The defending World Champs (Well, I guess now Japan is) have a lot to prove in 2006, and with stellar pitching and excellent pitching, they should be able to do so. The addition of Jim Thome should give this team a lift, because simply put, there's no way he'll suck as badly as he did last year. Buehrle and Garland are aces on any staff.

3. St. Louis Cardinals - Albert Pujols and the Cards' incredibly rotation will drive this team to the top of the NL Central. Chris Carpenter is an absolute machine with great mechanics, while Suppan and Mulder will get easy wins for the Birds.

4. Boston Red Sox - This team is deep; and I mean really deep. It seemed like with each free agent acquired, the Sox got a great player for a great price. This team did really well this off-season with Beckett and Pena, and Coco Crisp will fill the hole that Damon left behind. Save Manny throwing (another) hissy fit, this team should be playoff-bound.

5. Oakland Athletics - There's not enough that I can say abut the A's. While in the last few years they havn't had a great lineup, they've still seemed to win. I hate typecasting players and teams as "winners," but Harden and his rotation have anchored this team as of late, and will continue to do so in 2006. Frank Thomas is a great addition to a team missing power.

6. Atlanta Braves - Although Leo Mazzone is gone, it'll be interesting and fun to watch the Braves (on tbs ... again) in 06. John Smoltz and Tim Hudson are two of the best pitchers in the Majors, and although the bullpen is an asterisk, excellent hitting from Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones and Adam LaRoche should anchor this team at the top of the NL East.

7. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - The Angels are the type of team that you wonder how they can lose. With incredible hitting from Vlad Guerrerro, Garrett Anderson and Chone Figgins, the Angels have the ability to be the best team in the Majors (although currently, they don't have a spot in the playoffs). An excellent 5-man rotation lead by Fatty (Bartolo Colon) and John Lackey, along with K-Rod closing represents by far the best pitching staff in all of baseball.

8. Houston Astros - Although Jeff Bagwell is most likely not playing again, the Killer B's should be able to pull off a wildcard birth (no way they take the Central) with their hitting. Great pickup with Preston Wilson in the offseason, and if Andy Pettitte stays healthy, he could be a serious Cy-Young threat, and thats excluding Roy Oswalt. Morgan Ensberg is also one of the most underrated players in baseball.

9. Cleveland Indians - If they hadn't dropped off so suddenly at the end of 2005, they'd be higher on this list. With the best catcher in baseball (Victor Martinez), and a very solid rotation, the Indians will be fighting for an AL wildcard spot, which isn't out of the question. Lots of young talent will lead this team to a good record.

10. New York Mets - The Mets are another team that screams deep. An incredible pitching staff, along with a killer lineup could drive the Amazin' Mets back into playoff contention. Jose Reyes should pick up his OBP and produce more runs, especially if driven in by Delgado, or the up-and-coming superstar David Wright.

11. Chicago Cubs - Oh, poor Cubs. It looks like Prior won't be back any time soon, and Kerry Wood's fastball isn't anywhere close to where it was in his prime. Great hitting will lead this team to another 3rd place finish, and hopefully this time Derek Lee won't get an MVP stolen from him. The Cubbies outfield is a far cry from what it was in 2003, with Sosa and Alou being replaced by my favorite French men, Juan Pierre and Jaque Jones. My prediction: lose Dusty and make the playoffs.

12. Texas Rangers - The Rangers are probably the best hitting team in the AL West. Unfortunately for them, their pitching is absolutely in shambles. Eaton is hurt, but Kevin Millwood was a great pickup for a team in need. Vincente Padilla will struggle to post a sub-4 ERA, but hey, with hitting that good, who needs pitching?

13. Philadelphia Phillies - The Phanatic will have to wait another year for his team to make the playoffs, as the NL is too rich with talent for them to be considered legitimate threats. Last year they kept up well with the pack, and if Rollins continues hitting like he did in the 2nd half, they might have a shot. Brett Myers is a legit pick for the Cy.

14. Toronto Blue Jays - The Blue Jays were rather reckless in their spending this off-season, picking up big names (and contracts) such as AJ Burnett and BJ Ryan (whats with their infatuation with guys without real names?!). The AL BEast is too strong for them to get into the equation this year, but with young arms and good hitting, they could be a threat in 2007.

15. San Francisco Giants - Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I've always regarded the Giants as a winning organization, but the last two years have sent this team into a downward spiral. Don't worry though, the Orangemen have great prospects, as Matt Cain and Noah Lowry have the ability to post incredible numbers this year. If Bonds stays healthy this year (and hopefully he won't), he'll win another MVP, with or without the 'roids. And hey, at least its the NL West!

16. Baltimore Orioles - Good young arms from Daniel Cabrera and Bruce Chen could give this team a glance at the playoff picture in the future, but again, the AL BEast is too strong for a team lacking a bullpen and great hitting. Mazzone should help out Cabrera and Chen, and Miggy could churn out 100 RBI again, but this team is a far cry from the playoffs.

17. San Diego Padres - Again, anything can happen in the West. The Padres, to put it bluntly, are not a great team, but unfortunately for most of the teams above them on this list, they have the capacity to make the playoffs with a .500 record, due to the lack of talent in the West.

18. Minnesota Twins - The Twins lost a great outfielder in Jaque Jones, significantly falling from AL Central clinch to AL mediocrity in just two short years. Johan Santana should win the Cy, which will be the only trophy the Twins will be able to glance at in November.

19. Los Angeles Dodgers - Although their squad from two years ago would have won this division for sure, the Dodgers lack hitting, which could kill them in the long run. Their pitching in Jae Seo and Brad Penny could lead them into the playoffs, and hopefully will.

20. Milwaukee Brewers - The Brew Crew will have to wait a few years to be a legitimate contender, and if Prince Fielder keeps progressing as he has, that could be a real possibility. Ben Sheets has something to prove in Milwaukee, but other than that, Carlos Lee is the Brewers' only hope.

21. Washington Nationals - Soriano will cause major trouble in D.C., but rightfully so. Once a great 2nd baseman, Soriano is being told to play in the outfield, which could hinder him defensively in the future. Good pitching, and an ugly field, could lead this team into the playoff picture, but they'll fall short due to a serious lack of hitting.

22. Tampa Bay Devil Rays - The Devil Rays had one of the best second halves in the Majors last year, and should continue to succeed in the 2006 season. Although every year since their arrival to the Majors has been a rebuilding year, the D-Rays have a bright future ahead of them, with tons of great young talent.

23. Detroit Tigers - The Tigers are headed by Dmitri Young, and his completely non-platonic boyfriend Jeremy Bonderman. Althugh Pudge Rodriguez might have been a good addition a few years ago, he's ineffective now, and will continue to be so. This team lacks serious leadership, and could use some bullpen arms.

24. Cincinatti Reds - The Reds are a prime example of a well-hitting team with bad pitching. I'm just saying, if I were a GM, I'd see a red flag when Aaron Harang was my Opening-day starter. Dunn and Griffey are great fantasy options, and will get a ton of runs and RBI's.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates will have to wait a while for a playoff birth, but they have good things to look forward to in the future. Jason Bay and Zack Duke are two of the best youngsters in the game, and have a lot to prove this year to skeptics. Sean Casey and Jeromy Burnitz were good additions to this ailing squad.

26. Seattle Mariners - King Felix really needs to get the M's out of a rut, and if he's all that he's hyped up to be, he might be able to. Ichiro performed well in the WBC, hopefully a sign of things to come. If Beltre keeps performing like he has been in spring training, the Mariners will easily rise in the rankings, but are a ways away from a playoff birth.

27. Florida Marlins - After an extreme firesale this offseason, the Fish will count on youngsters Dontrelle Willis and Miggy Cabrera to acclerate attendance at Pro Player. The firesale really put these Marlins at risk to move, providing almost an exact replica of the movie Major League (D-train=Wild Thing)

28. Colorado Rockies - Hopefully the Rockies' woes will not include Todd Helton this year, as he should be back to his normal self. If not, expect a loooonnnng season at Coors.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks - The D-Backs have a long season ahead of them, especially Brandon Webb. After picking up fan-favorite Eric Byrnes, this team will struggle in 06, and can expect to finish around .400 (which could very well win them the West)

30. Kansas City Royals - This team just sucks; I shouldn't even say more about them.