Note: All stats and records through Sunday, May 13.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (23-11, Last Wk: 2)
The Dodgers were 5-1 last week including wins in their last four contests. Ted Lilly registered two wins and Clayton Kershaw (loss), Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang (both got wins) pitched well for the team with the team with the best mark in the MLB. The Giants couldn’t score (only mustered 2 runs twice) and the Rockies scored five runs in an 11-5 loss. Lilly and Capuano both have five wins, so the offense is producing regardless of the starter. As long as Matt Kemp doesn’t hit the DL (he has since), then the team should continue its strong, balanced early-season play.
2. Texas Rangers (23-12, Last Wk: 4)
The Rangers’ 5-2 mark last week included taking three of four from the Orioles and two of three from the Angels. We know the offense can put up runs regardless of who’s on the mound, but the pitching would have to be consistent in order for Texas to make a third-straight World Series appearance. The starters have a 3.79 ERA, led by Yu Darvish (2.84). He does lead Texas in strikeouts, but he’s given up 24 walks and 39 hits for a 1.42 WHIP. That will go down once he’s adjusted to the MLB, but hitters will also have a chance to adjust to Yu.
3. Atlanta Braves (22-13, Last Wk: 6)
The Braves scored four runs in three games against the Cubs, but then put up nine, seven and seven respectively in a three-game sweep in St. Louis. That’s the kind of pressure Atlanta will have to endure if they (and I) think they can go deep in the postseason. Brandon Beachy has been amazing, leading Atlanta’s starters in ERA (1.60), WHIP (0.96) and BAA (.181). Michael Bourn feasted on the Cardinals, collecting eight hits, three runs and three RBIs in the three-game sweep. That’s the kind of balance that a team needs to be a threat every night.
4. Baltimore Orioles (22-13, Last Wk: 1)
A 3-4 week knocked Baltimore out of the top spot, but giving up more than 10 runs in back-to-back games against Texas won’t help your stats. Jake Arrieta gave up 13 ER in his two starts and saw his ERA balloon from 3.52 to 5.21. Despite the sub .500 record last week, Adam Jones continues to produce like one of the best young outfielders in the league, leading Baltimore in HR, RBI and BA. If he and Matt Wieters can continue to provide a solid 1-2 punch, then Baltimore will be in it all season.
5. Washington Nationals (21-13, Last Wk: 5)
Henry Rodriguez got two saves last week, but he also blew one, getting the loss in a 9-6 decision to the Reds. The pitching staff still leads the MLB in ERA, WHIP, BAA, strikeouts and fewest HR allowed. Offensively, it’s the Adam LaRoche show, as he leads Washington in HR, RBI (25) and BA, and he’s the only starter with over 15 RBIs. While he’s unlikely to keep this level of play up, we might as well ride it until it fades away. Some help will be coming soon as Michael Morse is slated to come off the DL in early June. If he can provide some extra protection for LaRoche and vice versa, then he might not fade away.
6. Tampa Bay Rays (21-14, Last Wk: 3)
The Rays went 2-4 last week against their main competition (thus far) in the AL East, the Yankees and Orioles. Matt Moore hasn’t lived up to the hype yet, but maybe pundits were premature with expectations after the guy barely notched two big-league starts last year. His ERA is over five and his WHIP is 1.67. He’s not the only one who’s faltered as David Price and James Shields both lost 5-3 last week. Fernando Rodney continues to defy my thoughts, registering 10 saves on the young season. He has been an excellent fill-in for the injured Kyle Farnsworth, posting a 0.54 ERA. I still think he’ll implode at some point, so maybe he’s not getting any respect like another famous Rodney, the late, great Mr. Dangerfield.
7. New York Yankees (19-15, Last Wk: 8 )
Andy Pettitte returned to the Bronx Bombers, losing 6-2 after giving up four ER and two homers to the Mariners on Sunday. It was his first start in a long time so we can cut him some slack. As expected, CC Sabathia leads starters with more than two starts in ERA, WHIP, Ks and BAA. He’s pitching like the ace he is, and he’d be getting blasted like a Kardashian divorce if he wasn’t. Another old-timer who continues to defy age is future Hall-of-Famer Derek Jeter, who leads the bigs with 55 hits and is second in the AL in batting. His success might curtail going forward, but he is Jeter, so if anyone can defy the odds, it’s him.
8. St. Louis Cardinals (20-14, Last Wk: 7)
St. Louis had a mixed bag last week, sweeping the Diamondbacks before getting swept themselves by the Braves. Lance Lynn finally lost after winning six games early one, and Adam Wainwright struggled to string together two good starts in a row. He beat Houston 8-1 but then failed to go five innings, giving up five ER and five BBs in losing to the Braves. On the plus side, however, Allen Craig has been tearing the cover off the ball and Carlos Beltran looks like the player everyone coveted five years ago. He has 13 HR and 32 RBIs and is hitting .295. Lance Berkman returns from the DL, so if he can provide ample protection, Beltran might be an early-season MVP candidate.
9. New York Mets (19-15, Last Wk: 11)
Tim Byrdak got two wins and Frank Francisco recorded two saves. On the other hand, if the bullpen is getting wins, that means the starters aren’t. R.A. Dickey was the only starter to get a win last week. David Wright has been on fire as of late, so he just needs to stay healthy in order to give the Mets a chance at October. Ike Davis isn’t helping the cause, however, striking out 36 times while batting a robust .168. Someone other than Wright has to step out because although he’s carried the offense early on, someone else has to show the power to support Wright and the Mets.
10. Toronto Blue Jays (19-16, Last Wk: 10)
Losing two of three to the Twins, the worst team in baseball, is just embarrassing, especially considering Toronto put up only 11 runs against the squad with the worst team ERA in the MLB. Those are the kind of series the Blue Jays need if we are to take them seriously. Rookie Henderson Alvarez has pitched well early on, but he’s only struck out 14 and walked 13 batters. He’s still young, so he has much room to improve. No offensive starter is batting over .300 and Joey Bats is still hitting under .200. The AL East is going to be a dogfight all season, so Toronto has to get an advantage against teams it should beat.
11. Cleveland Indians (18-16, Last Wk: 9)
The Indians lost three of four to Boston, including the final three games of the series. Cleveland was 3-5 last week, and gave up 22 runs in the three losses to Boston. Despite that, they still sit atop the AL Central, but Detroit is close by. The pitching staff has the fourth-worst team ERA in the A.L at 4.35, so until that is rectified, the Indians aren’t going anywhere. Johnny Damon returned to action last week, so he can add some pop to the offense. He better do it soon, however, before Detroit takes over.
12. Miami Marlins (18-16, Last Wk: 17)
Miami keeps moving up the rankings, going 4-2 last week. Carlos Zambrano shut out the Astros and Heath Bell actually was helpful in fantasy baseball, getting two wins last week. If you haven’t dumped him, consider yourself lucky for the two wins. Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes are slowly improving their batting averages, so once this team is hitting on all cylinders, the majors will have to take notice. Much like the Miami Heat and Philadelphia Eagles, it will take a little while for the off-season winners to match that success in the actual season.
13. Detroit Tigers (17-17, Last Wk: 12)
Much like a team around .500 does, Detroit went 3-4 last week, rotating wins and losses every day until losing two in a row to Oakland. Justin Verlander did get two of the wins, and Doug Fister returned from the DL If he can solidify himself as the No. 2 starter, then the Tigers’ chances of success increase greatly. Just like the Rangers, the offense will be there, as any team with Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera should be. Austin Jackson has a better OPS (.902) than Cabrera (.847), so his adjustments at the plate have curtailed his strikeouts. If he continues to get on base, Cabrera and Fielder should have monster months in the immediate future.
14. Cincinnati Reds (17-16, Last Wk: 13)
It’s hard to decipher which team is the second-best in the NL Central, but thus far, it’s the Reds. They only were 3-3 last week, but Joey Votto raised his average from the .290s to .319 in just that week alone. I guess going 4-for-5 with three homers and six RBIs will do that. The Reds just need someone to emerge behind Johnny Cueto, and thus far it’s been Bronson Arroyo, striking out 33 while only issuing five walks on the season. He has given up 53 hits, however, thus the 1.31 WHIP. The Red will be in it thanks to the offense, but offense can only carry you so far.
15. Oakland Athletics (18-17, Last Wk: 18)
Like the Marlins, Oakland continues to move up in the rankings. Josh Reddick leads the team in average (.289), hits, runs and homers (9) and trails Yoenis Cespedes in RBIs (21-20). I’ll admit it — I thought that Oakland would be devoid of fantasy offense. I guess we’re all wrong some times. Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone (5 wins on the year) have been pleasant surprises, as Parker sports a 2.10 ERA while Milone has a 1.08 WHIP. Neither strikes out a ton of batters, so that is an area that could help Oakland out greatly.
16. San Francisco Giants (17-17, Last Wk: 15)
Winners of two-straight, Barry Zito and Matt Cain saved the Giants from what could have been a really ugly week. Before they both got wins, San Francisco was 1-3 and headed for disaster. Tim Lincecum lost again and Zito pitched poorly in a 9-1 loss to the rival Dodgers. The Giants are tied for fifth-worst in runs scored on the season, so the pitchers haven’t had the luxury of overcoming poor starts thanks to a potent offense. The Giants will struggle all year until they consistently put up runs for the starters and get the ball to closer Santiago Casilla.
17. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-18, Last Wk: 23)
Even though the Pirates have scored the fewest runs in the MLB (100), they are still hovering around .500. That’s mainly because the pitching staff has the second-best ERA (3.12) and has given up the second-fewest earned runs (107) in the league. Pittsburgh has been in almost every game, only losing by more than one run once last week (4-2). If they can at least stay close to teams, they have a chance, as long as the starters can get the ball to Joel Hanrahan and the bullpen.
18. Chicago White Sox (16-19, Last Wk: 20)
Even though I’m waiting for the White Sox to implode, they went 3-4 last week and got solid outings from Jake Peavy and Gavin Floyd. Peavy is pitching at a Cy Young rate, posting an ERA of 1.89, a 0.80 WHIP and a .189 BAA with 44 strikeouts and only seven walks. He might be the guy he was back with San Diego. Floyd hasn’t been much worse, matching Peavy in BAA and posting a solid WHIP (0.95) and ERA (2.53) of his own. And despite my doubt, Adam Dunn has already surpassed his 2011 HR total of 11. Fear not, true believers-he’s fanned 53 times.
19. Philadelphia Phillies (16-19, Last Wk: 14)
As much as people want to chastise Cole Hamels for admitting to throw at Bryce Harper, I’d rather him admit it than lie to our faces. With that being said, Philly is in the NL basement thanks to a sweep at the hand of the Mets. This team needs Chase Utley and Ryan Howard bad. Carlos Ruiz and Hunter Pence have managed to hold the fort while the aforementioned are out, but Roy Halladay can only overcome so many one-run loss like he did last week, losing 2-1.
20. Houston Astros (15-19, Last Wk: 19)
Bud Norris has strung together two quality starts and it is past time of grabbing him (again maybe) from the waiver wire/free agent pool. He might not have a sexy ERA, but he’s lowered his mark from 5.46 to 3.95 in those two starts. One problem Houston will face is getting power from its hitters-Jed Lowrie is tied with Chris Johnson for the team lead in HR (4). That’s not good for a young team looking to find an identity in the NL Central.
21. Milwaukee Brewers (15-19, Last Wk: 21)
The Brewers are a team that I thought would still challenge the Cardinals for the division, but the pitching has let them down. Yovani Gallardo is up and down and John Axford got a loss last week. If the Brewers are to be in the race all year, then the pitching must supplement the offense. Ryan Braun will do his normal thing, so until any consistency is matched on the mound, it will be a long year post-Fielder.
22. Boston Red Sox (15-19, Last Wk: 26)
The BoSox won three in a row to end last week, going 4-3 on the week. Felix Doubront got two wins and he has been the starter closest to anything resembling consistency for Boston. Clay Buchholz got a win and Daniel Bard went 1-1 on the week. Josh Beckett looked like he belonged on the farm with all the chicken that he ate last year, giving up seven hits, seven earned runs and two HR last week in an 8-3 loss to the Indians. He might be wearing different colors come late July, if Boston can find a team willing to take on his salary. The offense is like the Rangers-it will be there, but the pitching must match it for any continued success in Boston.
23. Seattle Mariners (16-20, Last Wk: 25)
The Mariners took two of three from the Tigers but then lost two of three to the Yanks last week. Jason Vargas got a 2-1 win, but he’s always been the type of hurler who has inconsistent success. If Felix Hernandez cannot get any help, things will continue to get worse in Seattle. The Mariners have the second-worst team batting average in the MLB, so any thought of run support for Hernandez is probably a pipe dream. The offense is still finding its mark with new parts (Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager) and new places in the lineup (Ichiro hitting third).
24. Arizona Diamondbacks (15-20, Last Wk: 16)
I guess Arizona forgot that they won the NL West last year. Arizona was an atrocious 1-5 last week and had lost five in a row between the last two weeks. Joe Saunders, Ian Kennedy and Trevor Cahill all have WHIPs just under 1.30 so that’s just a part of the problem. The offense still leads the majors in Ks, so that doesn’t help, and the team leader in RBIs at 17 is Miguel Montero. I didn’t think it was that big a loss, but this team really seems to need Chris Young back. He might not bat for the highest average, but he puts the ball in play.
25. Los Angeles Angels (15-20, Last Wk: 24)
Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver all lost, although Weaver did go 1-1 last week. If those three are getting rocked, things will continue to be ugly for the Halos. Chris Iannetta and Torii Hunter are on the DL and Albert Pujols hasn’t crossed the .200 mark in batting. Mark Trumbo continues to lead the team in most offensive categories, and he’s “only” fanned 23 times. He’ll probably be shuffled all over the field and in the lineup, but as long as his bat is in the order, he’ll produce. Couple that in with when Pujols gets out of his funk and Trumbo will have an even greater impact.
26. Chicago Cubs (14-20, Last Wk: 27)
Paul Maholm outdueled Tim Hudson and the Braves for a 1-0 win? They say even a broken clock is right twice a day, so good for Maholm. Bryan LaHair hasn’t cooled off yet, leading the team in HR (9) and average (.356), so good for LaHair. And on a team with Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija leads the team in Ks (45) and IP (43.2). Good for him too. A lot of promising pieces are evident in Chicago, so at least new GM Theo Epstein appears to have a plan.
27. Colorado Rockies (13-20, Last Wk: 22)
The Rockies lost three in a row and lost five in a row in the last two weeks, compiling a 1-5 mark last week. They must be trying to match Arizona, but not in a good way. Juan Nicasio has the “best” ERA of the starters at 4.65. The team has the second-worst ERA in the league at 5.06. This team doesn’t have much of a shot at the postseason, but as long as they host teams in the thin Denver air, they will be a tough out.
28. Kansas City Royals (13-20, Last Wk: 28)
Luke Hochevar and Luis Mendoza pitched well in the final two games last week, leading the Royals to a 4-2 week. Much like the Rockies, the pitching isn’t helping out too much, posting a 4.48 team ERA. Alex Gordon is up to .256, so hopefully for him and owners, his sophomore slump is over. The problem hasn’t been the offense putting up runs, but the offense consistently putting up runs in turn with the pitching. Much like the Cubs, the pieces are there, but it’s going to be a while (and maybe some more losses via trade) before the Royals are a factor.
29. San Diego Padres (12-23, Last Wk: 29)
Jeff Suppan and Edinson Volquez both gave up only one run in wins last week. Even with Yonder Alonso’s surge to hit .300, the team is still batting only .222, the second-worst mark in the MLB. Not surprisingly, the Pads have also only put up the second-fewest runs in the league. Much like the next team, it’s going to be a looong year.
30. Minnesota Twins (10-24, Last Wk: 30)
The Twins have scored the third-fewest runs in the MLB and are owners of the worst team ERA at 5.29. And with that, the formula for last place in the rankings is completed. Despite the formula for underachieving, Minnesota got almost a third of its wins (went 3-4 last week) in one week. If you are looking for fantasy help, don’t look in the Twin Cities. None of the pitchers are worth owning and the one helpful player, Josh Willingham, has cooled off already. He’s not worth the headache of his inconsistent play.
