Welcome to the midseason edition of the MLB Power Rankings here on Bleacher Report. You may have seen other rankings lists on this site, but this one is different. It comes straight from your community leaders.
It is an attempt to put these great baseball minds together and mold some semblance of what is happening around Major League Baseball through its first half of play.
We each submitted our votes, which were then tabulated to come to a final ranking of teams and all major awards for each league, including the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year.
For the team rankings, points were given based on how each team was ranked on individual ballots. If a team was listed first, they received 30 points on down to if a team finished last, they received one point.
Same for the players, we each voted on a top three and the top player was awarded three points, second place two points, and the third place finisher one point.
I want to again thank this month’s participants: Marty Andrade, Nino Colla, Patrick Gallen, Andrew Kneeland, JJ Stankevitz, Bob Warja, and Ben Weixlmann for participating.
This will be a repeated monthly series throughout the season. Enjoy and please feel free to leave your rankings below or comment on ours.
Bleacher Report MLB Team Rankings
1. Boston Red Sox 50-35 (235 points) Last Month: 1
2. Chicago Cubs 50-33 (227) LM: 2
2a. Tampa Bay Rays 50-32 (227) LM: 5
4. LA Angels of Anaheim 49-34 (215) LM: 4
5. Chicago White Sox 47-35 (198) LM: 10
6. St. Louis Cardinals 48-36 (192) LM: 7
7. Oakland Athletics 45-37 (187) LM: 12
8. Minnesota Twins 45-38 (185) LM: 17
9. Milwaukee Brewers 44-38 (174) LM: 21
10. Philadelphia Phillies 44-39 (173) LM: 8
11. New York Yankees 44-39 (167) LM: 20
12. Arizona Diamondbacks 42-41 (142) LM: 3
13. Baltimore Orioles 41-40 (135) LM: 16
14. Florida Marlins 43-39 (132) LM: 6
15. Detroit Tigers 42-40 (131) LM: 23
16. Texas Rangers 43-41 (129) LM: 15
17. Atlanta Braves 40-43 (111) LM: 9
18. New York Mets 40-42 (110) LM: 19
19. Toronto Blue Jays 41-43 (96) LM: 14
20. Cleveland Indians 37-46 (79) LM: 18
20a. Pittsburgh Pirates 38-44 (79) LM: 22
22. Houston Astros 40-43 (73) LM: 11
23. Los Angeles Dodgers 38-44 (72) LM: 13
24. Kansas City Royals 38-45 (66) LM: 25
25. Cincinnati Reds 39-45 (38) LM: 24
26. San Francisco Giants 36-47 (36) LM: 28
27. Colorado Rockies 32-51 (34) LM: 27
28. San Diego Padres 33-51 (21) LM: 30
29. Washington Nationals 33-51 (18) LM: 26
30. Seattle Mariners 31-51 (16) LM: 29
AL MVP
1. Josh Hamilton (19) LM: 1
2. Alex Rodriguez (8) LM: NR
3. Carlos Quentin (7) LM: 2
Others receiving votes: Ian Kinsler (5), Justin Morneau (5), Grady Sizemore (3), Milton Bradley (1)
NL MVP
1. Chase Utley (16) LM: 7
2. Lance Berkman (13) LM: 1
3. Chipper Jones (9) LM: 2
Others receiving votes: Dan Uggla (4), Albert Pujols (3), Derek Lee (1), Ryan Ludwick (1), Nate McLouth (1)
AL Cy Young
1. Cliff Lee (23) LM: 1
2. Joe Saunders (8) LM: 2
3. Roy Halladay (7) LM: 4
Others receiving votes: Justin Duchscherer (6), Shaun Marcum (1), Vicente Padilla (1), Francisco Rodriguez (1), Ervin Santana (1)
NL Cy Young
1. Edinson Volquez (19) LM: 1
2. Tim Lincecum (11) LM: 3
3. Brandon Webb (9) LM: 2
Other receiving votes: Ben Sheets (4), Aaron Cook (2), Ryan Dempster (2), Cole Hamels (1)
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Evan Longoria (18) LM: 6
2. Jacoby Ellsbury (17) LM: 2
3. David Murphy (4) LM: 1
Others receiving votes: Joba Chamberlin (2), Armando Gallarraga (2) James Johnson (2), Alexei Ramirez (2), Nick Blackburn (1)
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Geovany Soto (21) LM: 1
2. Kosuke Fukudome (14) LM: 3
3. Jair Jurrjens(8) LM: 2
Others receiving votes: Joey Votto (4), Brendan Ryan (1)
Defend Your Picks
Marty Andrade: The AL gave a shellacking to the NL during interleague play. I adjusted the standings to include interleague results, and those results push all NL teams way down the charts. The Cubs are the best team in the NL, but they barely rank in the top 10 among all MLB teams.
Nino Colla: Award-wise, Josh Hamilton and Carlos Quentin are still my top two AL MVP candidates, while Justin Morneau jumped into the top three. The top is the same with both the Cy Young and AL Rookie of the Year, Cliff Lee and David Murphy.
Chase Utley, despite his slump, gets the nod for the NL MVP, and I still have Edison Volquez as the NL Cy Young. I have the same three in Soto, Jurrjens, and Votto for NL Rookie.
For the most part, my rankings are the same. Boston and Chicago are the top two teams. The Astros and Indians took some big falls, and despite the break down of their pitching lately, I've moved the Pirates up into the top 20.
My biggest dive was probably the Dodgers, who can't seem to win without Rafael Furcal.
Patrick Gallen: You just have to give it to the Tampa Bay Rays. They keep holding steady near or at the top of the entire league, not to mention the AL East. I picked them first because I'm excited about what they are doing. I really hope they overtake BOS and NYY this year.
Josh Hamilton is still doing it. He has slowed down a bit, but he really isn’t used to playing this much. Hopefully, he keeps up the amazing pace. I would love to see a triple crown.
I wanted to put Justin Duchscherer first, but I still believe Roy Halladay is the most important pitcher to his team. He eats up innings and will give you a great start nearly every time out.
Longoria is very, very close to overtaking Ellsbury in the rookie voting, as Ellsbury's steals have really gone down. How nasty is Tim Lincecum? It’s ridiculous.
Soto has been a godsend behind the plate for the first-place Cubs. Look out for Milwaukee, they are on a mission. Chase Utley still deserves the MVP. When he slumps, the Phils slump.
Andrew Kneeland: I still firmly believe that Berkman is ahead of Jones in the NL MVP race. People get all excited when talking about his great batting average, which, nearing .400, is outstanding. Berkman has a great average as well, currently at .360. Batting average may look good on paper, but it doesn't translate to runs or wins for your team.
Berkman has 16 more RBI than Jones has. That, in itself, could account for around 10 games. I believe that the term MVP defines someone who is helping their team win the most, or someone who is the most crucial for their teams' success. Berkman is doing that in Houston.
JJ Stankevitz: With the American League's dominance over the National League, just one out of my top seven teams in baseball comes from the Senior Circuit (Cubs at No. 4).
The only easy awards I gave out were AL Cy Young (Cliff Lee) and NL Rookie of the Year (Geovany Soto). Tim Lincecum is starting to catch up to Edinson Volquez, although I still put Volquez at No. 1.
The AL MVP goes to Josh Hamilton right now because the Rangers wouldn't be a .500 team without him, but Justin Morneau (2) and Carlos Quentin (3) have been two huge reasons why their teams are playoff contenders.
The NL MVP still goes to Utley, despite his recent slump. Evan Longoria beats out Alexei Ramirez (2) and Jacoby Ellsbury (3), but this was a close one. This one was much more of a toss-up than I expected, as Ramirez's play has directly coincided with the White Sox's offense heating up, and Ellsbury has done a fine job for Boston, stealing 34 bases and only getting caught four times.
In the end, though, Longoria wins out thanks to his 15 HR and 47 RBI, plus his sparkling defense heading into June 29.
Michael Taylor: With the Diamondbacks falling flat on their faces last month, the Cubs moved one spot to first overall on my board. They are a complete team that will be tough to beat in the NL.
Also of note, I have the Yankees and Tigers moving in to the top 10 with their recent surges.
The MVP race in the American League has tightened as Rodriguez was healthy and had his first big month, while Berkman still rules the NL. I also believe Ian Kinsler should start being noticed in MVP talks. He is having a terrific all-around season.
The Cy Young is in a dead heat in both leagues. I have Lee over Halladay in the AL, and Lincecum over Volquez in the NL.
Evan Longoria is now running away with the AL rookie honors after his big month of June, while Fukudome passes Soto for the NL honor.
Bob Warja: Although I strongly maintain that the MVP should come from a division-winning team, thus far, no one is truly standing out from the rest in the AL or NL. I have Utley in there for the NL, but he's barely hanging on.
I hate to admit it, but Pujols is very valuable to the Cards, and if they were to win it or come close, he might end up winning, though I hope not.
In the AL, again, Quentin is the closest I can come to someone who's performing at a high level for a division-leading team. But I still must put Hamilton in the top spot. If anyone ever wins the Triple Crown again, he deserves the MVP, regardless of where the team ends up.
Ben Weixlmann: In my mind, although the New York Yankees have struggled, third baseman Alex Rodriguez deserves the AL MVP award. Sure, Josh Hamilton has been on a tear all season, but Rodriguez is clearly the best player in the American League.
The MVP, standing for Most Valuable Player, certainly fits Rodriguez's role thus far for the Bronx Bombers, as he has been keeping them in contention in the tough AL East; whereas Hamilton's ball club, the Texas Rangers, are barely over .500 on the season.
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3 months ago
Thanks again everybody! Some of these races are turning out to be a lot closer than I thought they might! I was glad to see more than one of us voting for Kinsler, I think he really deserves some more attention.
3 months ago
I'm glad to see Duchscherer getting some love.. I thought I'd be the only one with him on their list.
3 months ago
No way...the guy has filthy stuff. Hopefully he can keep it up, especially for the sake of my fantasy team.
3 months ago
oof.... I hate reading that Alex the choke Rodreguez is an MVP. Numbers are great, but being clutch is worth more in my book.
3 months ago
I'd love to hear why/how people rank the teams here. It seems as though they looked at the standings and cut/pasted them into their votes. Was strength of schedule looked at? Pythagorean? Anything of statistical relevance?
Doesn't look like it.
from 3 months ago
I can't speak for everyone else who submitted a ballot, but I definitely look at other factors. Especially the pythagorean record. Teams like the Angels are barely over .500 when looking at it. Then there are teams like the Torontos, Clevelands, and Atlantas who are underperforming when actually outscoring opponents.
I had Milwaukee and Florida much lower than where they are. Also, the dominance of the AL in interleague played into my rankings, but this is how the voting worked out.
from 3 months ago
I think its just strange that the Sox were placed ahead of both the Rays and Cubs. Furthermore, that those who submitted a ballot spent time talking about the awards be neglected to speak of the standings.
from 3 months ago
Brandon,
WE GET IT! You're a "stat head", and you pay close attention to all of the slick new stats that the casual fan - a complete jackass, as far as you're concerned - doesn't know or understand. And you love to be condescending towards them. And you love yourself for it. We get all that, man.
God, shut up.
from 3 months ago
Actually, thats not it whatsoever. I feel that stats by themselves do not tell the entire story. In fact, I would argue that stats tell a person less then what the eye will.
That said, when I see something like Power Rankings which are essentially an ordering of the standings, I am slightly bothered. That is MY opinion and I decided to ask those responsible for explanations behind their picks. Michael provided one and I am certain the rest will as well.
Furthermore, I do not love myself. I accept fault whenever it is pointed out. I feel doing so encourages development. I feel questioning opinions is part of the discussion that the baseball community requires. Never do I attack, defame, nor 'call out'. Rather, I question.
Thanks for being such a strong part of the community...With all of 0 articles and a single comment. Bravo!
from 3 months ago
I think its horseshit too that the Sox are first and the Rays are not. Count me as one who voted Rays first, Sox second.
from 3 months ago
Patrick,
I'm not so much bothered that the Sox rank ahead of the Rays, there is a perfectly strong argument for both sides. I would, like you, go with the Rays. What I don't understand, however, is how the Cubs rate ahead/tied with the Rays when the Rays swept them and the American League OWNED the National League during interleague play.
Overlooking issues such as that display to me that people were first and foremost looking at pure win-loss records, and then possibly going beyond that.
That is, the best National League team (arguably the Cubs), should not be ranked ahead of the Angels, Rays, ChiSox, and one could even purpose a current argument against the Cubs being behind the Twins and Athletics. The fact is, the American League is just so much stronger.
from 3 months ago
Brandon—I based my ratings mainly off the great disparity between the NL and AL, as I said in my explanation. I don't think run differential and pythagorean W/L tell the whole story, as the White Sox have a ridiculous run differential but struggle to win close games. They have it because they've blown some teams out (Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Minnesota) in early June. The Diamondbacks made the NLCS with a pretty horrible run differential last year, and the Angels could easily do the same this year as they certainly have the pitching to do so.
My list went: Rays, Red Sox, Angels, Cubs, White Sox, Twins, Athletics. That was my top 7, and the Twins and A's was a tossup that I probably put in there because I've seen the Twins more than the A's this year and know more about their team.
My one complaint about these is A-Rod leading Carlos Quentin and Justin Morneau for AL MVP. Without TCQ or Morneau, the White Sox and Twins likely aren't where they are right now.
from 3 months ago
Thanks JJ,
I understand not loving Pythagorean, hell, the formula says that the Tribe should be in second in the division right now. No one is fooling this team for a fringe playoff team right now.
However, Pythag does have some merits, obviously given those who tout it. That could be utilized for another discussion at another time. Although I will point out to you that the DBacks were swept by a team in the playoffs that Pythag had rated over them. Additionally, the Indians lost out to the Sox who Pythag had over them. Just an interesting side note.
I like your explanation of Morneau+Quentin. In a weekly blogger's poll that I do, I haven't even let Morneau or Quentin have a sniff of the action and recently placed ARod #2 with Bradley winning the award. While Morneau and Quentin have nice numbers, I'm not certain they are doing anything that a replaceable hitter could not do in a similar situation. Although that is another debate for another time.
Thanks for the feedback. Isn't it interesting how someone who had nothing to do with this got all uptight, while two of the voters have commented without issue?
from 3 months ago
It's all about debate, man, and you generated a good one. You think some of the people who put the Red Sox ahead of the Rays are re-thinking that after seeing the first two games of that series?
The thing with Quentin is that the Sox don't have that replaceable player. Quentin basically carried the White Sox offense by himself when Orlando Cabrera, Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, and even Jermaine Dye were struggling to get on base. He had games that he singlehandedly won—like the May 25 game against the Angels where he hit two home runs, including a walk-off, against John Lackey to get the Sox a 3-2 win and avoid a sweep by the Angels. Of course, I've seen Quentin more than any other MVP candidate this year and could just go on and on about his exploits.
To make a long story short, yes, there may be a player out there who could have done the same thing as Quentin, but to carry an offense for the better part of two months and really be one of two big reasons (with the other being Scott Linebrink) why your team is leading their division—it's tough to deny that he's worthy of some MVP consideration.
from 3 months ago
JJ
I have disagree. And something I forgot to touch on earlier.
Linebrink has been spectacular, yes, but so has essentially every ChiSox pitcher!
While Quentin was the lone bat that was awake, the ChiSox rotation was dominating starts. How would Quentin's performance to date look if he was playing for the Royals? Substantially worse?
So while you have to take into account how and what a player adds to a team, I wouldn't suggest that is the be all, end all. I mean, you get a triple crown hitter (340-45-130 or so) on a last place team, does that mean he is less valuable then a 300-30-100 hitter on a first place team?
from 3 months ago
I did my best to include pythagorean stats and strength of schedule stats into my overall standings, I also did a lot of work trying to properly "mix" AL and NL teams because of the clear superiority of the AL.
3 months ago
Nice article. Of course, I'd rather see Pujols closer to the top of the NL MVP race ;D
And I love the love for Brendan Ryan, but he was a rookie last season.
from 3 months ago
Oops my fault on Brendan Ryan. I was going to double check him and forgot. Thanks for the heads up Joel!
3 months ago
Thanks for including me in this, Michael!
3 months ago
Another good read, great job again Michael.
Love seeing my Rangers in the AL MVP voting...Hamilton, Kinsler, and Bradley
Kinsler might be the best player this year that no one has heard of...yet
from 3 months ago
It's ridiculous that Pedroia is beating him out in the AL. If Kinsler was in Boston or New York, he'd be light years ahead of everyone else in the voting.
from 3 months ago
agree with you 100%
He is our best kept secret. Just look at what he did in the last series against the Phillies, and now against the Yankees.
I just wonder that if a player, like Pedroia, sits there and compares his numbers and hates the fact that he is starting in the All-Star game over a player like Kinsler.
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