Blog Archives
Defending Our MLB Power Rankings + What Is Strength Of Schedule?

Here at the MLB Reports we don’t pull punches. Earlier this week, our chief writer, Hunter Stokes worked his ass off to give a great rankings post for all 30 MLB teams. You want to debate us on the some of the clubs we choose to place in a standing then fine, but don’t say this website slacks off – or doesn’t invest their time for each piece. We eat, live and breathe baseball. We tell it like it is – no holds barred. Just to provide more clarity, I decided to write this ditty about how we come up with ratings on a weekly basis. I fully urge every other sports entity to at least offer that much to do their readers. This way, you know how these rankings came to be, and not it wasn’t just us flinging them out there.
I have come on to write an article fresh after talking all morning with people on twitter that have criticized our Rankings system. Then it occurred to me, a lot of the other main baseball websites do a different rankings system for their ratings.
I love ESPN and their baseball coverage, but seriously the Brewers and Braves don’t deserve to be #1 and #2 respectively in the latest week report.
I wish the website would define how they write their rankings. Is it how teams are playing? Maybe I could see that, but there should be a better definition in describing how their system is derived.
At the MLB Reports, there is no confusion at all. We base our 1 – 30 listings on how the teams rate in terms of the World Series – and if that particular squad has the talent to win the “Fall Classic” for the 2014 campaign. Read the rest of this entry
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (April.23) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Martin Perez threw a complete game, 3 hit shutout in Oakland. The 3-0 victory propelled the Rangers into first place by themselves.
Kyle Seager launched a pair of homers, driving in all 5 Seattle runs, including a 3 run bottom of the ninth come from behind walk off homer to give the Mariners a 5-3 win over Houston.
Zack Greinke pitched 7 strong innings, letting up just 5 hits, 2 earned runs and walking 1 while striking out 11. He improved to 4-0 for the Dodgers with the 5-2 win over the Phillies.
Hector Sanchez hit two homers including an 11th inning grand slam, collecting 5 RBI in all and propelling the Giants to a 12-10 win over the Rockies.
They owned baseball on April.23, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (April.22) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Albert Pujols homered twice, driving in a pair of runs. His second home run was career homer number 500. He helped the Angels top the Nations, 7-2.
Matt Holliday got on base four times, scored, drove in a run and pulled a home run back over the fence with a great catch as the Cardinals topped the Mets, 3-0.
Jose Fernandez won one of the most startling pitching duels of the year, striking out 14 over 8 shutout innings and letting up just 3 hits and walking none. The Marlins would sneak past the Braves, 1-0.
David Price overcame a pair of homers to throw a complete game, striking out 12 and walking one. The Rays beat the Twins, 7-3.
They owned baseball on April.22, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (April.21) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Cliff Lee pitched 8 dominating innings against the Dodgers. No runs, no walks, 4 hits and 10 strikeouts as the Phillies rolled, 7-0.
Andrew McCutchen got on base 5 times, crushed a game tying homer in the 8th and drew a walk in the game winning 9th inning rally as the Pirates came from behind to beat the Reds, 6-5.
Garrett Richards let up just 1 hit and 1 run, striking out 6 over 6 innings. He was lifted for a pinch hitter and did not get the decision. But the Angels would top the Nationals, 4-2.
Matt Dominguez homered, doubled and walked, driving in 3 and lead Houston’s surprising attack against Felix Hernandez and the Mariners for a 7-2 win.
They owned baseball on April.21, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (April.08) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings 2014
Ryan Braun homered three times, driving in 7 runs and spoiling the Phillies home opener with a Brewers 10-4 victory.
Delmon Young went 3 for 6 with a 2 run homer, 2 RBI total and a pair of run scored, leading the Orioles 20 hit attack against the Yankees and a 14-5 victory.
Tim Hudson won the Giant’s home opener with an 8 inning performance, letting up just 2 earned runs and no walks against Arizona for a 7-3 final.
Chris Archer was masterful against the Kansas City Royals, throwing 7 shutout innings in just 91 pitches. He did not get the decision, but set up the Rays tense 1-0 win.
They owned baseball on April.8, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
The Tigers Bullpen Has Had A Brutal Start For The 2014 Campaign

Even with his early season woes, Joe Nathan is still one of the best closers the game of baseball has ever seen. The 39 year old came off one of his best seasons in 2013, registering a WHIP of .90 and an ERA of 1.33 amidst his 43 Saves and 74 SO. Nathan will also bring plenty of playoff experience to Detroit. Lets just hope if the Tigers make it back to the playoffs, that he can improve in his career postseason ERA of 9.00 in 9 IP. Nathan was inked to a 2 YR Deal this past winter, worth $20 MIL, with a Team Option of $10 MIL for 2016. This doesn’t end all of the teams Relief problems, but it gave them the best Closer that was on the Free Agent Market. There is still plenty of work to do
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
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The bats are rolling, the starters are clicking, and the bullpen is failing.
It’s no secret that the Detroit Tigers bullpen is struggling. Through the first five games of the season they have allowed 9 runs. To make it even worse, all 9 have come in the 9th inning.
That’s 9 runs on 18 hits through only 13.1 innings for the bullpen. To put that into a harsher perspective, the starters have given up 8 runs on 20 hits through 32.2 innings.
Yes, the bullpen has given up more runs and almost as many hits through less than half the innings. Read the rest of this entry
Triple Play Podcast Episode 2 Of 2014: Empire State Of Mind: NYM + NYY + TOR Chat

The Triple Play Show will have 2 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour. Chuck Booth will guest once a month for MLB Reports Power Rankings,
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Mike Silva (Radio Host 1240 AM WGBB, Long Island New York – 19 Minute Mark and a 31 Min segment) ) Follow @mikesilvamedia
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
New York, New York big city of dreams where not everything is as it seems, so we had Mike Silva (http://www.mikesilvamedia.com)of WGBB1240 AM break down the Mets and a bit of the Yankees + our new Mt .Flushmore segment. Read the rest of this entry
Texas Rangers Roster For 2014: State Of The Union

Prince Fielder’s 2013 – 3 Slash Line (.279/.362/.457) is far below his Career Mark of .286/.389/.527. The man has not hit a HR in his last 74 AB in the playoffs either. Fielder at least had 5 HRs in 1st 70 AB for his playoff Career. Maybe that will change in Texas, after he clubs his way to be an AL MVP Candidate for the Rangers in 2014. I expect him to return to the 40+ HR plateau, drive in well over 100+ RBI – and lead his team to a World Series Appearance this year. Fielder will be in Texas for the next 7 years, and the Rangers only have to pay $20 MIL per year, with Detroit eating $4 MIL each season as part of the trade that saw Ian Kinsler go to Motown.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Stay Alive Until Re-Inforcements Arrive
The Texas Rangers bolstered their 2014 offensive lineup with 2 new .400+ OBP Players.
Shin-Soo Choo (.423 OBP in 2013, and a Career .389 OBP), and Prince Fielder (.362 OBP, but was .400 OBP+ in 4 out of the last 5 years and .389 OBP for his lifetime) – will be front and center into the Rangers new lineup.
These gentlemen will be surrounded by Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Alex Rios as guys to help offset their walk totals.
This is not an indictment of the 3 right handed hitters either though, Beltre is a .312 hitter for Texas during his 3 campaigns, while Alex Rios and Andrus should hit anywhere from .280 to .290 this year.
You add Andrus’s speed with Leonys Martin – and these two guys could swipe 40+ bags each. Even Alex Rios thieved 16 Bags in 2013 – and Choo had 20 SB yet again. Read the rest of this entry
Who Owns Baseball? – 2014
For the second year in a row, I will be doing my own personal metric for the player and pitcher of the year.
It is called “WOB”.
I explained it last year HERE, but let me do my best to explain again, because I made some adjustments for the new season.
So what is WOB?
“Who Owns Baseball?” is my own personal “SullyMetric” for determining which player had the best performance of the day.
At the end of each day, I figure out which American League and which National League pitcher had the most memorable and admirable day. I declare each one of them as the ones who “Owned Baseball” for that day.
And because I am an absolute lunatic, I keep a tally for the whole season and see which player has the highest “WOB”.
It is not a random selection. Statistical analysis plays a big part in determining who adds to their WOB total. But there are other factors. Read the rest of this entry
Just How Good Is The Washington Nationals Rotation?
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Around this time of year for the past three seasons this column has been written.
It was first sparked in 2012 when Davey Johnson said that the Nationals rotation was every bit as talented as the Phillies.
Then again in 2013, because Gio Gonzalez was coming off a third place Cy Young finish, Stephen Strasburg wasn’t being shut down, and the Nationals had signed Dan Haren.
This year it is time to once again explore the great question of how good is the Nats rotation because newly acquired Doug Fister says he believes them to be better than the Tigers.
This sounds a lot like Doug Fister believing in Doug Fister and that he was the key difference in making the Tigers’ rotation the best in baseball. Read the rest of this entry
The Top 10 Active MLB Pitchers In Win Percentage

Jered Weaver is the ace of the staff for the Angels, but has had issues avoiding the disabled last year. When healthy, Weaver is one of the best pitchers in the AL. He was 11 – 8 last year for the Halos, while sporting a 3.277 ERA in 154.1 innings pitched. In 2012, he fared much better putting up an AL Leading 20 wins against just 5 losses for an .800 Win PCTG. Despite just a .579 mark in 2013, he took the reigns of Active Win PCTG once Ropy Halladay hung up his cleats for good. Weaver is 113 – 60 (.6531%) for his 8 year career so far, with a 3.24 ERA. Weaver is signed for the next 3 years, and will collect $54 MIL for his efforts – including a full no-trade clause from the Angels.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I think people might be a little surprised to see that Jered Weaver was atop on this list. Last year, Roy Halladay held the mark, but as soon as he retired, it immediately fell to Weaver.
With Andy Pettitte also taking off of his cleats for the last time, we see 2013 AL Cy Young Winner Max Scherzer also enter the top 10 list with his .6186 Win Percentage.
Just on the outside looking in is Cliff Lee at 11th (.6178) and another guy who you might not expect is Yovani Gallardo at (.6045).
If Roy Oswalt were to sign with a team – instead of possibly retiring, I will re-insert him into the list.
Roy Halladay Retirement Press Conference
AL Central Hot Stove Round Up – Updated For The Joe Nathan Signing With The Tigers

Doug Fister was just traded away last night for Steve Lombardozzi, Ian Krol and a Minor League Pitcher. I definitely am seeing the vibe that this franchise is about to make another huge move towards a player in Free Agency. If this wasn’t the case, then what the hell are the Tigers doing trading away a pitcher like this?
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twiter Follow @mlbreports
The Detroit Tigers threw down the first gauntlet in transactions of the Division. But have they made their team any stronger? As of right now they are still weaker to start the 2014 year than they ended the 2013 campaign.
Things have been quiet out of Motown on offensive players, however they have been circling the world of Brian Wilson for the Relief core, before they finally lost interest.
Joe Nathan was signed to a 2 Year Deal today by the Tigers. It was a swift move to sign the guy, although financial terms have not been entirely disclosed yet.
By singing Joe Nathan to amp up the status of the Bullpen, the teams looks decisively better already.
They should not stop there for relievers.
I would still try to bring in a Grant Balfour or Jesse Crain as late inning assassins – before having any of the old crew of Joaquin Benoit or Jose Veras be the guys to depend on. Do not resign them Dombrowski!
Look for an upcoming article I am writing about the Detroit Tigers, that will ask the question, who would you rather have long – term, Miguel Cabrera or Max Scherzer?
Of course a lot of this is dependent on how much Mike Ilitch wants to spend on his club.
Brian Wilson 2013 Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance Is Advised
AL East Around The Horn – Hot Stove Talk

Boston better snap out of their post season celebrations long enough to tend to their own Free Agents. The longer they wait to sign Mike Napoli. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Stephen Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury, the longer the odds will be for the club to resign them. Ellsbury is likely gone, and Drew could also be replaced with Bogaerts/Middlebrooks, however their Catcher and First Base scenario’s need to be addressed. Other than A.J. Pierzynsnki, there is not a backstopper left on the FA market that would be equal or greater than Salty. As for Napoli, there is not many 1B with power on the market, and I can’t see them bringing in James Loney or Justin Morneau.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twiter Follow @mlbreports
The Yankees should still covet Carlos Beltran as their #1 target. As far as length goes, who cares if he wants a 4th year. What all of a sudden you care about employing a 40 year old?
The Red Sox better watch themselves for their inactivity. There are not many Catchers on the open market right now, and all of a sudden Jarrod Saltalamacchia is growing in value.
Also, don’t count out the Seattle Mariners making a pitch for Mike Napoli. He is one of those guys who can transcend lineups with big swings.
The M’s can boost attendance with some early season wins – and have money to spend
Mike Napoli Highlights 2013 – Mature Lyrics so parental guidance is advised




















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