Blog Archives
30 MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 7 – May 2014

The Mariners are 10 – 4 in their last 14 games – without receiving any outstanding play from one particular player. They are the biggest jumpers in this weeks rankings, going from #20 – #15. The club concludes a series vs the Kansas City Royals, before they welcome the Tampa Rays next into Safeco Field.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
We are almost at the quarter pole for action in the MLB.
The biggest mover and shakers this week were the Seattle Mariners, followed by Baltimore Orioles. LA Angels and San Francisco Giants.
Plummeting in the other directions were led by the Phils, who we dropped from 17th to 24th.
The Yankees, Nationals, Dodgers and Rangers all lost 4 places in the rankings based on sub-par weeks.
The AL New York franchise is about 1 bad week from free-falling to the AL East. Right now the team has received buoyancy because of ace Masahiro Tanaka being 5 – 0.
Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran are having a tough time finding their rhythm with the Bronx Bombers.
I believe the Dodgers will rectify their situation shortly and take off.
Washington is barely over .500 even though most of their players are playing to their capabilities.
The Royals offense is destroying their team morale, as is the Mets having a tough time with the Relief Core, and their Pitchers are still battling .000 for the year like you and me.
Oakland is still leading the MLB in wins since the start of the 2012 year.
The Red Sox are one of the most likely teams to climb the standings in the next few weeks.
With the Cards not playing well, keep in mind, 18 of the next 21 games reside in Busch Stadium for them. It is time to make some headway.
The AL has fashioned a 18 – 8 mark in Interleague this week to apply a 34 – 33 overall lead on the NL now.
The Rockies are blasting every baseball into orbit right now. These guys are hitting as well at home as the Pre-Humidor ERA. Read the rest of this entry
Cleveland Indians State Of The Union For 2014

The Indians hosted the Wild Card Play in Game for the right to play Boston in the ALDS in 2013, but were ultimately ousted by the Tampa Bay Rays. Now minus several pieces from last years team, they turn to their franchise depth in hopes of another playoff berth in 2014. The club ended the year on a 10 game winning streak – and extended it by 1 in the Season Opener at Oakland. The Indians are pretty much going with ‘status quo’ into this year. They lost key Starters Scott Kazmir and Ubaldo Jimenez to Free Agency. Of course they saw Joe Smith sign with the Angels and they released Chris Perez, so other than Terry Francona winning the Manager of The Year in the AL, it wasn’t a banner offseason.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Indians had one hell of a rollercoaster ride in the 2013 year. It ended with the club making their 1st playoff game since the 2007 ALCS.
To make it to the #1 Wild Card Slot, Cleveland reeled of 10 straight victories, and hosted the one game battle against the Rays.
Albeit the team could not beat the Rays, and were left to settle with one home date in the postseason.
With 92 Wins, with no lineup player having an exceptional year except for maybe Jason Kipnis, there was no doubt Terry Francona peeled off one of the great managerial jobs ever.
Almost instantly after the year, the club lost Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, Chris Perez, Joe Smith and Drew Stubbs (trade). Read the rest of this entry
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (September.15th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Hunter Pence kept his mad contract dash with a pair of homers and helped the Giants squeak past the Dodgers, 4-3.
Nick Swisher homered twice and helped the Indians pound the White Sox 7-1 and climb to within 1/2 a game of the playoffs.
Burch Smith threw 7 three hit shutout innings against the Braves, striking out 10 and walking just 2, getting the 4-0 win for the Padres.
Max Scherzer failed to get his 20th win, but it was not his fault. He held the Royals to 5 hits, 1 walk and a single run over 7 innings while striking out 11. The bullpen surrendered the lead but the Tigers would prevail, 3-2.
They all owned baseball on September 15, 2013.
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
.
To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (September.7th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Adam Wainwright pitched the Cardinals back into first place, tossing 7 masterful 2 hit shutout innings against the Pirates. He struck out 8 and walked only 2 as St. Louis triumphed, 5-0.
Freddy Galvis collected 4 hits including a walk off shot in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Phillies a 6-5 win over first place Atlanta.
Dan Straily threw 7 shutout innings, striking out 7 and walking one, keeping Oakland in first place with a 2-1 victory over Houston.
Nick Swisher doubled home Cleveland’s first run and then homered in the second inning, propelling the Indians past the Mets, 9-4 and within a game of the Wild Card.
They all owned baseball on September 7, 2013.
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
.
To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here
The Indians 1st Year Under Francona Should End Up A Success – Even If It Doesn’t Mean Playoffs
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsThursday August 15, 2013

The Cleveland Indians are having a decent second half, but will it be enough to make the playoffs? It shouldn’t really matter to Indians fans because they have a great future ahead of them. They have a great manager in Terry Francona and great young players in Jason Kipnis, Michael Bourn, Asdrubal Cabrera and many more. The truth is that they just are not in the same competitive stratosphere as the Detroit Tigers at the present time. They have a better chance to reel in a Wild Card Position. As of today, they are 3.5 Games Behind Wild Card Leader #1 holder (Tampa Bay) – and are 3 Games Behind the Oakland Athletics for the 2nd spot.
Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): Follow @baseballaddicts
The Cleveland Indians have had a tremendous season under first year manager Terry Francona. It isn’t very often for a team like Cleveland to get a manager of his caliber.
Francona broke the curse in Boston, can he break the streak of Championshipless in Cleveland – since the days of Bob Feller via 1948?
I wrote an article right before the All-Star Break stating that the Indians would make a run in the second half and make the playoffs.
Well the best player on the planet Miguel Cabrera has spoiled that idea with all the Home Runs he has been hitting here lately. The Indians can’t make up any ground on the Tigers and they are running out of time.
It might not be this season but give Francona some time, he will make Cleveland a contender in no time.
Kipnis – Inside The Park HR:
The NY Yankees Roster Tree Part 1: The Hitters Acquisitions For Each Player
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsTuesday July.09/2013

Derek Jeter starts the 2013 year only 11 hits behind Eddie Collins for 10th place on the ALL-Time hits list. With a possible Player Option in 2014, – and maybe playing one additional year after – can he hit 327 base knocks to pass Stan Musial for 4th place on the list by that years end? Will he play beyond this year even? Derek Jeter was Drafted by the team in 1992 – and represents all that good drafting the team did prior to the new regime.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Yankees – and how they assembled their current roster for hitting and Pitching. It will work in a six degrees of separation like format.
Once we figure out the origin of how many trades going back in time it takes to see where the tree started, it will be time to dissect how the team fared on the deals.
If a player has never left the organization at all, the tree will be easy – as it will just be the year they were drafted.
Can Cleveland Keep Pace in the Second Half?
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSunday July 7th, 2013

The Cleveland Indians are in second place in the American League Central 3.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers. Jason Kipnis has come out of his shell and is leading the team in Hits, RBI, Average, and On Base Percentage. Kipnis will be an All-Star on July 16th at Citi Field. The pitching is below average ranked throughout the league but for them to keep pace with the Tigers in the second half they will have to pick it up and try to carry the team. Guys like Jimenez, Swisher, Bourn and Kazmir will have to have a great second half for the Indians to make the playoffs. As it sits right now the only way they will make the playoffs is by winning the American League Central and beating the Detroit Tigers.
By Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): Follow @BaseballAddicts
The Cleveland Indians are three games above .500 but are still 3.5 games behind the first place Detroit Tigers after losing the first two game of the series at home.
New manager Terry Francona has done a great job with this club but he still has a lot more to do in order for them to make the playoffs.
Big names that have produced so far this season are Jason Kipnis and Justin Masterson.
Swisher came over to Cleveland this winter by signing a four-year $56 million contract. The contract includes a fifth year vesting option worth $14 million.
Swisher has given the team a huge boost with his personality but hasn’t produced as much as wanted on the field. Only having 30 RBI has really hurt this club as it has put a lot of pressure on other guys to perform.
Cleveland Indians 2013 Preview- MLB Network:
The Yanks Are In Desperation Mode + Need Cashman To Be A Riverboat Gambler!
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsMonday July.01/2013

The Yankees do have some decent prospects coming along the way like Mason Willians, Tyler Austin and Gary Sanchez. Will the club stay true to their word and go under the 189 Million Dollar Luxury Tax Threshold next year? If yes, the club could struggle for a few years like it hasn’t for two decades. Meanwhile, who cares about 2013’s payroll. The club will stand to receive over $50 MIL in insurance dough for their hurt players. Why not reinvest the loot – and take some free swinging stabs? The club begins play today at 42 – 38, 4 games out of playoff spot, but 17 -24 in their last 41 Games Played. They play 2 series versus the Twins, and also have other series versus the Indians and Royals before the Break. Will they make hay, or freefall by then?
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
It wasn’t always a rosy picture for the New York Yankee fanbase after the 1982 season. In 1985, I became a fan of the team and Don Mattingly when I saw them smoke the Toronto Blue Jays like 22 – 0 or something on a Nationally televised game.
My dad was a huge Thurman Munson fan – and told me the legend of the Yankees when I started being able to hear. I even caught like his hero in little leaguie. Sometimes you pick up your love for the team based on your dad.
We still both love them to this day. I was there for 11 years of struggling from 1985 – 1995. Even when the club cashed in their 1st World Series in 1996, to me while it was cool, it would have been so much better had ‘Donnie Baseball’ been part of the ride.
The Bronx Bombers ripping off 3 more titles from 1998 – 2000 – and then another in 2009, have made me happy to be a fan. It is not just the playoffs that I have savored. This team has averaged 94 – 95 wins for the last 20 seasons.
The Yankees would be lucky to be in the 2013 ALCS like 2012
Reviewing The Top 5 – 2013 MLB Draft Picks
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, June.08, 2013

The 2013 Draft has come and gone – and will take years to decide how good each teams selection was in the 1st Round. We decided to take a look at the top 5 Picks again.
By Chris Lacey (Featured Baseball Columnist) Follow @aecanada12
How quickly can a teams fortune change with top 5 MLB Draft Picks?? Think of the 119 Loss 2003 Detroit Tigers drafting Justin Verlander – and going to a World Series just 3 years later.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays picked 1st for many years, finally having their players come together in 2008, once Evan Longoria, James Shields, B.J. Upton and David Price asserted themselves in 2008.
A horrid Washington Nationals team losing 95 -100 Games every year drafted Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in successive drafts – before cranking out a franchise record 98 Wins just a couple of years later.
The Astros, Cubs, Rockies, Twins and Indians sure hope the 2013 Top 5 Picks will warrant heavy discussion as a great class of picks as the years go by.
Mark Appel is interviewed 3 Months Ago:
Read the rest of this entry
Mariners Lose Two Tough Games in a Row To Cleveland: But They Are Still Playing a Good Brand Of Baseball
Like us on Facebook here
Sunday, May 19th, 2013

One bright spot for the Mariners over the past couple of days has been first baseman Justin Smoak, who has reached base eight times in the last three games.
Sam Evans ( Baseball Writer and Marlins, Mariners Correspondent): Follow @RJA206
The last two days have to have been extremely rough for the Seattle Mariners. Coming off a series win in New York, the Mariners were sitting comfortably in second place in the A.L. West. However, after two straight walk-off losses to Cleveland, the Mariners have slipped to third in the West.
Having deserved to win at least one of their last two games, the Mariners have likely just ran into some bad luck and they have a great opportunity to get back on track Sunday, with King Felix on the mound.
Tom Hamilton Calls Jason Kipnis Walk Off Home Run 5/17/13:
Mark Reynolds And Asdrubal Cabrera: What To Make Of The Club In Cleveland
Like us on Facebook here
Wednesday May 15th, 2013

was Arbitration Eligible in 2013 and could have been offered it by the Orioles, instead they let him walk, He was great insurance for First and Third Base and they should have kept him for one more year.” Mark Reynolds was Arbitration Eligible in 2013 and could have been offered it by the Orioles, instead they let him walk, He was great insurance for First and Third Base and they should have kept him for one more year. He likely would have made in the 1 YR/$11 MIL Range. Instead the club opted to try Nolan Reimold and a cast of others for the positions available. The Orioles DH slot is hitting well under the Mendoza Line at the time of this article.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
The Cleveland Indians are off to a hot start, sitting just one game back of the Detroit Tigers atop the AL Central. In their last 10 (through Tuesday) they are 7 – 3. Most of this is due to Mark Reynolds.
So far this year, he is hitting .272 with 11 HRs and 32 RBI. This puts him on pace to hit 50 HRs and drive in close to 15o Runs. Of course, there is no way that he drives in 151 runs, but I think it is possible that he could hit 40+ HRs.
He would have to stay hot the entire season and not get injured, so I would say there is about a three percent chance that he does so. His career highs in HRs and RBI came in 2009 when he hit 44 and drove in 102.
With the Indians lineup the way it is with Jason Kipnis (whom I will talk about later), Asdrubal Cabrera and Nick Swisher hitting in front of him, it seems like Reynolds will have plenty of RBI chances.
Reynolds is also on pace to strike out about 176 times, which is a little bit lower than his career average. Needless to say, if he keeps up his current performance throughout the entire season, he will be the MVP (although I would not count Miguel Cabrera out just yet with the season he is having thus far).
Daily HR Hitters Update From May 8th, 2013: Top 5 AL + NL HR Leaders In The MLB
Like us on Facebook here
Thursday May 9th, 2013

Alex Gordon has been ramping up his power over the last 2 seasons – with 72 XBH in 2011 and 70 XBH in 2012. Noted for being more of a Doubles hitter, Gordon has clubbed HRs in 2 straight games. The 29 Year Old has a 3 Slash Line of .311/.336/.836 with 5 HRs and 23 RBI out of the Leadoff Spot so far this year. The Man has also crossed home plate 22 times in just 30 Games Payed
DH on our home site pages – Stands for Daily HR Hitters in the Majors.
We are going to run the gauntlet on the previous days HRs for all MLB Players.
I loved it when MLB XM Radio used to do a running total every night on their Roundtrip with Mike Ferrin (Laser Show). So I am bringing it every day on this website. To view every nights big boppers for the whole year (from May 8th) visit the DH page!
Click beyond the Youtube link or click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to see who hit yesterdays big flies.
Chris Carter hit a HR for the 2nd straight game for the Astros last night – and has hit 24 HRs in his last 336 AB dating back to last year in June (1 per every 14 AB).
With 27 HRs and 65 RBI (in just 450 Career AB – but a 3 Slash of .213/.303/.734) – he reminds me of a young Cecil Fielder with the Blue Jays .243/.308/.781 – with 31 HRs and 84 RBI in his first 506 AB – before being caught up in a numbers game in Toronto with Fred McGriff.
Last Year the former A hit 16 HRs and drove in 39 RBI in just 218 AB during the Oakland A’s big second half. CC was Walking more last year – and held a .350 OBP for the year. The Astros must be patient with this slugger to learn how to hit – despite his AL leading 51 SO. He should be one of the players they keep when the rebuild is finished.
Chris Carter Highlights

















You must be logged in to post a comment.