MLB Top 5 4/27/11
Another week brings another top 5. This week's list looks very similar to the one posted last week; the only change coming at the 5th and final spot. As the weather's been warming, so have some teams.
The talk of the week surrounds the Boston Red Sox. They have turned up their level of play and are sitting right at the .500 mark. Though they do not quite make my list this week, there is no denying their talent and the fact that they will be frequenting these posts in the near future.
Another team that has been playing well of late is the Florida Marlins. They are 8-2 over their last 10 games and are pressing the Phillies in the NL East. However even with this recent success, there are still doubts about how consistent this young group will be. They have only played 6 games against teams .500 or better so far this year. This next week they have a chance to prove themselves as they face off against the Dodgers, Reds and Cardinals.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies remain at the top of the list this week. A late comeback in the series finale against the Brew Crew last week propelled the Phils to a 5 game winning streak. This run ended last night as Ian Kennedy outpitched Cliff Lee. The bats have cooled as of late as the team is averaging only 2.5 runs per game over their last 10, but even so the team went 6-4 over that stretch because of its dominant pitching staff. One thing to watch over this next week will be how Philadelphia handles the loss of closer Jose Contreras.
New York Yankees
The Yankees find themselves in the number 2 spot and the current leaders of the AL Beast. Up until Monday night, offense was king in New York. Before last night, the team was averaging 6.5 runs a game over its past 9. While this lineup will cause many opposing pitchers and managers to lose sleep, their rotation is still filled with question marks. Phil Hughes had another setback and the Yankees are now counting on Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to provide consistent innings. As long as they can get some contribution from their starters, New York will look to the lineup to continue its winning ways.
Colorado Rockies
Sitting at 15-7, the Rockies are tied with the Phillies for the best record in baseball. They've had early success, but several things jump out at me as I look through their stats. The Rockies are 5th in the league in runs scored, but they are only 24th in team batting average. This tells me a lot of their runs are being scored thanks to timely hitting which usually levels out during a season. The team has also won a lot of close games, 9 of their 15 wins have been by 2 runs or less. While teams can only play who is on their schedule, the Rockies have only faced teams .500 or better 8 times, going 4-4 in those contests. I'm not trying to say this start is a fluke, but I don't think this team is the 2nd best in baseball as their record shows.
Texas Rangers
Texas finds itself in the four hole in this week's top 5. The Rangers lost 3 consecutive series before getting healthy against the Kansas City Royals. In that series, the Ranger's lineup found their bats, scoring 22 runs in the 3 games. While its offense has become Texas's trademark, the pitchers have been able to maintain a respectable 3.71 ERA. The Rangers look to continue their recent success against the Blue Jays before setting off on a west coast road trip against the A's and Mariners.
St. Louis Cardinals
For the 2nd week in a row I had to ponder over the list's 5th spot. I debated between the hot Red Sox and the young Marlins, but I eventually decided to go with the Cardinals. St. Louis's 2011 season got off to a rough start, but they have recovered in recent weeks and currently stand at 12-10. After taking a series against their rival Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals have climbed back to the top of the NL Central. The Cardinals have been on fire since the return of slugger Matt Holliday who is a big reason the team leads the league in batting average and OBP. What I like most about St. Louis is the balanced success of their batters and pitchers; the team ERA sits at 3.19. It probably pains Cardinal's fans to think of the possibilities if Adam Wainwright was holding down a spot in their already solid rotation.
The talk of the week surrounds the Boston Red Sox. They have turned up their level of play and are sitting right at the .500 mark. Though they do not quite make my list this week, there is no denying their talent and the fact that they will be frequenting these posts in the near future.
Another team that has been playing well of late is the Florida Marlins. They are 8-2 over their last 10 games and are pressing the Phillies in the NL East. However even with this recent success, there are still doubts about how consistent this young group will be. They have only played 6 games against teams .500 or better so far this year. This next week they have a chance to prove themselves as they face off against the Dodgers, Reds and Cardinals.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies remain at the top of the list this week. A late comeback in the series finale against the Brew Crew last week propelled the Phils to a 5 game winning streak. This run ended last night as Ian Kennedy outpitched Cliff Lee. The bats have cooled as of late as the team is averaging only 2.5 runs per game over their last 10, but even so the team went 6-4 over that stretch because of its dominant pitching staff. One thing to watch over this next week will be how Philadelphia handles the loss of closer Jose Contreras.
How will the loss of Contreras impact the Phils pen?
New York Yankees
The Yankees find themselves in the number 2 spot and the current leaders of the AL Beast. Up until Monday night, offense was king in New York. Before last night, the team was averaging 6.5 runs a game over its past 9. While this lineup will cause many opposing pitchers and managers to lose sleep, their rotation is still filled with question marks. Phil Hughes had another setback and the Yankees are now counting on Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to provide consistent innings. As long as they can get some contribution from their starters, New York will look to the lineup to continue its winning ways.
Colorado Rockies
Sitting at 15-7, the Rockies are tied with the Phillies for the best record in baseball. They've had early success, but several things jump out at me as I look through their stats. The Rockies are 5th in the league in runs scored, but they are only 24th in team batting average. This tells me a lot of their runs are being scored thanks to timely hitting which usually levels out during a season. The team has also won a lot of close games, 9 of their 15 wins have been by 2 runs or less. While teams can only play who is on their schedule, the Rockies have only faced teams .500 or better 8 times, going 4-4 in those contests. I'm not trying to say this start is a fluke, but I don't think this team is the 2nd best in baseball as their record shows.
Tulowitzki leads the Rockies offense
Texas Rangers
Texas finds itself in the four hole in this week's top 5. The Rangers lost 3 consecutive series before getting healthy against the Kansas City Royals. In that series, the Ranger's lineup found their bats, scoring 22 runs in the 3 games. While its offense has become Texas's trademark, the pitchers have been able to maintain a respectable 3.71 ERA. The Rangers look to continue their recent success against the Blue Jays before setting off on a west coast road trip against the A's and Mariners.
St. Louis Cardinals
For the 2nd week in a row I had to ponder over the list's 5th spot. I debated between the hot Red Sox and the young Marlins, but I eventually decided to go with the Cardinals. St. Louis's 2011 season got off to a rough start, but they have recovered in recent weeks and currently stand at 12-10. After taking a series against their rival Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals have climbed back to the top of the NL Central. The Cardinals have been on fire since the return of slugger Matt Holliday who is a big reason the team leads the league in batting average and OBP. What I like most about St. Louis is the balanced success of their batters and pitchers; the team ERA sits at 3.19. It probably pains Cardinal's fans to think of the possibilities if Adam Wainwright was holding down a spot in their already solid rotation.
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