Pre-Season NL Power Rankings

Throughout the season we'll be publishing our NL Power Rankings. We won't do this each week and maybe not even every other week, but we figured there's going to be little to talk about with regards to the Cubs so we needed as many alternatives as possible. We also plan to invite someone each time to take part in it. For the pre-season rankings we contacted Brett from Bleacher Nation and he was more than happy to take part. The team comments are from one of the four who run Obstructed View unless otherwise noted.

Rk. Team W-L Comment Up/Dwn
1

 

0-0 Pitching, pitching and pitching. They're the Braves of the 1990s. Great pitching, bad offense. Halladay, Lee and Hamels are as good as it gets for the top 3 in a rotation.
2 0-0 The Braves are one of three teams in the NL East who could potentially be the best team in the league. Chipper is still well above average, they have a very good catcher in McCann, and Heyward is looking to improve. The Braves rotation doesn't match the Phillies, but Hudson and Hanson make a strong top of the rotation.
3 0-0 Every year the Cardinals add a new Cub killer, and this year it's Carlos Beltran (career 1.004 OPS vs. Cub pitching). The return of Adam Wainwright should help, because he's good at baseball, but their best players are pretty old and none are named Pujols. They won't be injury proof.
4 0-0 If Aroldis Chapman can stick in the rotation, they'll be harder to outscore on a regular basis.
5 0-0 The uniforms still suck. — Brett, Bleacher Nation
6 0-0 They'll have Buster Posey (i.e. half their offense) back, which should edge them ahead of the rest of the NL West.
7 0-0 Something's brewing in Milwaukee's fridge, and it smells extra strong. Ryan Braun benefited from the arbiter's rash decision, Bud Selig is pissed, and the Brewers could collect the NL Central crown on puns alone. They can just FedEx this one in.
8 0-0 Should be docked a few wins for signing berselius's other bete noire, Joe Saunders. Ian Kennedy proving he's not a flash in the pan will be a big part in any success they have.
9 0-0 The starting rotation has huge upside and could be very formidable if they can get a full season out of Strasburg at the top.
10 0-0 The Rockies big offseason moves brought them ex-Cubs and Michael Cuddyer. It will be fun to see Tyler Colvin hit the occasional 800-ft homer, but Cargo and Tulo will still be what keeps this team likely either to contend or to acquire Mike Quade as their new nickname guy.
11 0-0 They have a superstar in Matt Kemp, but he can't do it all
12 0-0 The trade for Alonso is still a bit of a head-scratcher. I think they'll still have trouble scoring more than 600 runs this season.
13 0-0 Would have had them number one until the Burnett injury. — Brett, Bleacher Nation
14 0-0 Um … Citi Field is nice? — Brett, Bleacher Nation
15 0-0 They look to have the best bunting in the National League.
16 0-0 My mother said if I can't say anything nice, I shouldn't say anything at all.

Our individual rankings are below.

Rk. mb21 And Counting berselius Aisle 424 Brett Taylor
1 Phillies Phillies Phillies Phillies Braves
2 Reds Marlins Cardinals Brewers Marlins
3 Braves Cardinals Reds Braves Reds
4 Marlins Brewers Nationals Diamondbacks Cardinals
5 Giants Braves Braves Cardinals Phillies
6 Brewers Giants Giants Marlins Giants
7 Cardinals Reds Brewers Reds Diamondbacks
8 Diamondbacks Diamondbacks Diamondbacks Giants Brewers
9 Nationals Nationals Rockies Nationals Nationals
10 Rockies Rockies Marlins Pirates Rockies
11 Dodgers Dodgers Padres Rockies Padres
12 Mets Cubs Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers
13 Padres Pirates Cubs Padres Pirates
14 Pirates Padres Mets Mets Mets
15 Cubs Mets Pirates Cubs Cubs
16 Astros Astros Astros Astros Astros

 

149 thoughts on “Pre-Season NL Power Rankings”

  1. bubblesdachimp wrote:

    I like the nationals a little more than Marlins

    Their pitching could be phenomenal if things go right, but I don’t like their offense as much. They won’t be pushovers.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  2. @ bubblesdachimp:
    Bubbles, you asked why the Bears don’t just sign Wallace if they are going to draft WR? I say that’s a mistake because he’s going to cost about $7 mil a year for 5 years and about $25 mil guaranteed. So that’s the 1st rounder and a shit ton of money. Plus, he’s really a deep threat WR and if you are a Bears fan, then you know Cutler doesn’t have enough time for a slant route let alone a deep pattern. I’d prefer V Jax because he’s a deep threat and an across the middle guy. He’s 6’5 and has great hands. He’s going to cost about as much Wallace, but at least they get to keep that 1st and go OL or maybe secondary. (I really like Harrison Smith from ND at FS).

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  3. The team comments are from one of the four who run Obstructed View unless otherwise noted.

    You mean actual human beings operate this blog?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  4. I like the Nats because they won 80 games last year with a shit season from Werth and they’ve added Strasburg and Gonzalez to their rotation. Not to mention Harper will most likely be called up at some point. I think the Nats make the playoffs this year after winning the 1 game wild card.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  5. Aisle424 wrote:

    WaLi wrote:
    You say “We’re”… is this something you are part owner of?
    Also, I voted for the IPA.. sorry.
    I’m helping them out with their social media and marketing. My girlfriend’s brother-in-law is the majority owner.

    I’ve only been brewing for a short time (just 3 batches since January) but I got into it to start a small brewery in 5-7 years. These plans just got pushed up quite a bit as I have someone who wants me to run a small operation brew in their bar that is starting up (to bring in customers). I’m thinking of following the designs on http://www.theelectricbrewery.com and make it so I can upgrade it to 1 bbl batches instead of 10 gallon.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  6. @ WaLi:
    Cool. The market for craft beer keeps growing so it’s good to get in now. I’m curious where the saturation point is because there are always going to be a majority of beer drinkers that prefer the cheap shit beer that Bud & Miller pump out.

    Right now, craft brewers are all pretty much friends fighting a common foe, but there will come a day when they all turn on each other because the pie won’t be getting any bigger.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  7. @ Mucker:

    I realize all this but i think mike wallace just excels so much at taking the top off the defense that he opens up a lot for the team. I also think he is a great route runner and not just a deep threat. He also did well with injured Qb’s and shitty line play.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  8. Aisle424 wrote:

    I’m curious where the saturation point is because there are always going to be a majority of beer drinkers that prefer the cheap shit beer that Bud & Miller pump out.

    I’m not sure that’s necessarily true anymore. I haven’t drank in over a decade so I don’t know, but I do know when I was drinking that most of the people I knew much preferred the specialty beers. I also know that if you were going to get shitfaced drunk it was a hell of a lot cheaper to drink Budweiser so many people did. Binge drinking is a problem (or it’s common depending on your perspective) so it gets expensive drinking the more expensive beers.

    I think it’s more related to cost than preference, but I could be wrong.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  9. jtsunami wrote:

    Mucker wrote:
    He’s going to cost about as much Wallace
    I heard VJax wants $10m AAV. That’s not about as much as Wallace.

    Source or it’s not true. (dying laughing)
    But seriously, I don’t see how he gets that. Unless the Skins give it to him, I don’t see any team paying that kind of money for him. Megatron and B. Marshall are the only 2 WRs making over $8 mil in 2012. If he’s going to be that expensive, then Bears need to pass.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  10. Man, you guys really believe in the Phillies. I know they were great last year, but I guess I see three great pitchers and then a whole bunch of shit. Good enough for a contender, but best in the NL? Maybe so. Maybe I just wanted to be controversial.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  11. @ Aisle424:
    Yeah, I’ll probably be showing up too late to the party (dying laughing). It will be fun though and I won’t quit my day job anytime soon.

    Unfortunately people do prefer shit beer for some reason (Calories? Cost? Enjoy the taste of water?) This guy opening the bar drinks Miller Lite (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  12. bubblesdachimp wrote:

    Skins have most cap room they gonna send out lotsa cash

    Yeah, but they’ll spend it very poorly. They always do. It’s amazing how bad that franchise has been since Snyder has owned them.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  13. @ WaLi:
    I think it’s one of those things where looking at the majority preference isn’t very helpful. There are several liquor stores in Champaign that, while they carry Miller Lite et al., it’s buried away, and the craft beers are what gets most of the floor space. So there’s obviously a big market for it, even if statistically the majority still shops at the grocery store for ML/BL/etc. Even in the grocery store, the imports and craft beers claim most of the coldspace, except for example, in WalMart. You don’t a majority of America to like something in order to have a really strong market (or else publishing would have died decades ago).

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  14. mb21 wrote:

    I think it’s more related to cost than preference, but I could be wrong.

    I think that is probably true. When I said they liked it, I meant more that they were loyal to it, and that has usually been a function of cost.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  15. @ Mucker:

    Agreed. Living in Washington there is nothing i love more than going to work on Monday and seeing miserable people

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  16. Aisely, where in St. Louis is this brewery? If my alma mater knocks off Creighton tonight I’ll be heading to STL this weekend.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  17. Brett wrote:

    Man, you guys really believe in the Phillies. I know they were great last year, but I guess I see three great pitchers and then a whole bunch of shit. Good enough for a contender, but best in the NL? Maybe so. Maybe I just wanted to be controversial.

    I don’t know. They have a pretty damn good core with Utley, Victorino, Rollins and Ruiz. Throw in Pence and maybe Dominic Brown flourishes and that’s a pretty decent lineup even without Ryan Howard. Plus, the big 3 starters are a tremendous advantage. You might be right in the end, but in a pre-season ranking I felt they were best poised to continue the great baseball they’ve been playing the last few years.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  18. GBTS wrote:

    Is Dwayne Bowe available? Always liked him.

    Franchised. I like Bowe a lot. He would be my first choice for the Bears. I’m pissed that the Bears didn’t snag Boldin for what the Ravens got him for. He’d be a great fit for the Bears. Oh well.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  19. bubblesdachimp wrote:

    Agreed. Living in Washington there is nothing i love more than going to work on Monday and seeing miserable people

    Yeah, I live in the DC area as well and there is nothing but Skins fans around me. I hate the Skins because of their fans. Skins and Steelers fans are the worst.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  20. @ Suburban kid:
    I feel my purpose here is no more if I can’t post pics. SK, would you like to go be rivals on another unrediscredited baseball Batman Breaking Bad Kate Upton blog?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  21. @ Brett:

    I think the Phillies have gotten to the point where they’re so overrated, they’re underrated. I’m still meh on the Braves offense and expect regression from their bullpen.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  22. Scott Miller ‏ @ScottMCBS Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
    Bottom 5 in Fielding Bible III runs saved projections for 2012: 25. #Astros 26. #Orioles 27. #Cubs 28. #Mets 29. #Twins 30. #Marlins

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  23. If not posting pictures makes Mish and SK leave and form their own undiscredited blog then I just want to give a big thank you to the hacker that made this happen!

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  24. @ bubblesdachimp:
    Wow, how is our defense going to be so bad. I figured we’d be around average. I mean if our guys can’t hit for shit I would hope they could at least field (dying laughing)

    So in summary:
    Pitching – Sucks
    Hitting – Sucks
    Fielding – Sucks

    I think AC is a little too friendly in his NL rankings for the Cubs (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  25. @ WaLi:
    We’re just not the worst in any particular category, and a couple of guys might outperform their projections. Plus, what if bunting becomes supremely important this season, do to an improbably alignment of factors?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  26. Aisle424 wrote:

    i think a big part of it too, and i know this sounds retarded, is people thinking that craft beer is for fagets. there is definitely a certain type of person that will look at you funny if you aren’t drinking bud light. not sure where this comes from…i would say that they think that craft beer drinkers are being elitest or something?

    also ,d-backs at number FOUR? am i missing something here? i was actually kind of surprised to see the consensus ranking was as high as eight. seriously, i’m not trying to be a dick – did they make a move that i am unaware of, or have some really good up-and-comers or something?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  27. WaLi wrote:

    I think AC is a little too friendly in his NL rankings for the Cubs (dying laughing)

    To be fair, all the teams at the bottom suck in every category (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  28. @ WaLi:
    where is this brewpub or whatever you want to call it going to be located? also, that electricbrewery setup looks pretty amazing….do you know anyone that’s tried it out?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  29. @ jtsunami:
    It’s like a corollary of that property MB21 pointed out where it was almost impossible to distinguish between the best and worst players on a given football team. They suck so much, that teasing out their exact magnitude of suckiness may just be a subjective exercise.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  30. @ EnricoPallazzo:
    The bar that also has homebrews (dying laughing) will be located in Oak Island, NC. My wife’s family has property in Jacksonville, FL that I may be able to use to start a brewery if it is still a viable plan in a few years. Plus Florida doesn’t have income tax, which is nice.

    I don’t know anyone personally that has that rig, just read on homebrewtalk and the forum on that site about people building it.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  31. EnricoPallazzo wrote:

    also ,d-backs at number FOUR? am i missing something here? i was actually kind of surprised to see the consensus ranking was as high as eight. seriously, i’m not trying to be a dick – did they make a move that i am unaware of, or have some really good up-and-comers or something?

    They won 94 games last year and they are pretty young, plus they’ll have Stephen Drew back for a full season. I don’t like anyone else in the West either, so I think their schedule is going to be pretty favorable.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  32. @ jtsunami:

    This is true .

    Man you guys are making me depressed about the Cubs. Josh’s hope monster still visits but not as often as he used to. I guess the good thing about baseball is that we will win at least 60 games, so the summer isn’t going to be a complete loss (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  33. @ Brett:
    They have issues, but that pitching is unreal. I think back to the mid 90s Braves teams and they were often the best in the league despite a mediocre offense. I’m not one of those that believes in the whole pitching and defense wins. Pitching is about 40% of the game and defense is about 10%. Offense is 50%. But that pitching is so damn good they’re going to be favorites if they score 3 runs in a lot of games.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  34. EnricoPallazzo wrote:

    i think a big part of it too, and i know this sounds retarded, is people thinking that craft beer is for fagets. there is definitely a certain type of person that will look at you funny if you aren’t drinking bud light. not sure where this comes from…i would say that they think that craft beer drinkers are being elitest or something?

    I think that is a factor. There is definitely a “Do you think you’re better than me?” attitude towards craft beer from some people, but I also think that might be a cover for having to choose the piss beers because they are cheaper. Craft beer is strange. People don’t think twice about seeing bottle sof win in the $40 or $50 range, but if a bottle of beer is more than $10, they go apeshit. “I’m not paying that much for BEER!!” Even though the ingredients and processes used to make a unique and well-crafted beer can cost just as much, if not more than for wine.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  35. @ Aisle424:

    wow, they really did win 94 games last year. i honestly completely forgot about that and just looked it up. apparently i’ve completely blocked the 2nd half of last season from my memory.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  36. EnricoPallazzo wrote:

    wow, they really did win 94 games last year. i honestly completely forgot about that and just looked it up. apparently i’ve completely blocked the 2nd half of last season from my memory.

    I was surprised when I saw that too. I didn’t think they even won 90 going by pure memory.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  37. @ Aisle424:
    In college when it took more to get drunk and I didn’t have too much money I was guilty of drinking shitty beer. I definitely preferred good beer, but I’d be sipping on 32oz malts on the front porch of the apartment (didn’t sell 40oz in Florida do to gangs or something (dying laughing))

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niik5TV3VKg

    Now a days I don’t drink to get drunk so it is definitely easier to justify spending more money on good beer. Plus I like strong beer and my tolerance is shit now so it takes only a few to get me buzzed (dying laughing)

    However I do like to keep a cheaper house beer (Yuengling) for people who come over and don’t like strong beers.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  38. Suburban kid wrote:

    Yeah, it sucked when they made us learn carrot typing, now you got to be an admin to post a picture. I might as well delete my account.

    I’ll fix it at some point soon. I have the file open, but I’m too lazy to edit it right now.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  39. @ WaLi:
    I’m excited about Spring Training. I feel like the Hope Monster is really going to be able to shine this spring. F7 is really good! DARWIN BARNEY HIT A HOMERUN! It should be magical.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  40. @ WaLi:
    Yuengling is technically a craft beer. It’s pretty good. That’s what I get when I just want a beer to go with my chicken wings when I’m back home.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  41. @ WaLi:
    I wasn’t big on beer at all when I was in college. I figured it was an acquired taste. I drank it if it was free, which it often was. It’s only later you realize that it’s not that beer is an acquired taste, it’s that the stuff that’s free is shitty.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  42. Mike Wallace is overrated as hell. Some team is going to spend a lot of money on him and end up being really fucking disappointed. He doesn’t have great hands, his speed is all top-end, meaning he’s not quick off the line, and he can be jammed at the line because he’s not particularly strong.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  43. Ryan (Zion,IL)

    A lineup of dejesus, barney, castro, lahair, byrd, stewart, soriano, and soto. how does that sound for opening day?
    Bruce Levine (1:20 PM)

    Sounds like 72 wins.

    Burn

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  44. @ Aisle424:
    Yeah I love the stuff. It’s good and cheap. That was the worst part about moving from Florida to Illinois after college, you can’t buy Yuengling.

    Would Yuengling be considered a replacement level beer?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  45. Unless the Bears improve the line, teams are going to jam the receivers off the line. Mucker’s right that Jackson is a more ideal fit, FA-wise, but if fucking StL wants to deal a pick that can get you Blackmon, just do that. Sanu would be a sneaky pick if they don’t trade up, but I want one of Blackmon, Floyd, or McNutt. I don’t trust Jeffery. I think he has a really bad body, and while he has blazing straight-line speed, I don’t like his football speed. I think Jeffery could well end up being the next Mike Williams, USC version.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  46. @ WaLi:
    Yep. One cop just wished for a tornado b/c he’s sick of arresting drunk students in public. (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  47. MO, what are your thoughts on the Bears 1st round pick if they don’t go WR? Do they go best OL available? Or if someone like Poe or Mercilus is available there do you snag them?

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  48. josh wrote:

    I plan on staying in and chuckling grimly at the fatalities tomorrow morning

    There’s also a live blog. It’s pretty boring, except for nuggets like this: “A tattoo parlor on Green Street says they have given out eight piercings and five tattoos. The people have all been buzzed, and four of the tattoos have been of four leaf clovers.” (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  49. Brett Jackson ———> HR leading off intrasquad game
    Travis Wood ———-> Gives up HR to first batter of intrasquad game.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  50. Sczur ———-> scored from 2nd on a scrappy sac fly to RF by Reed Johnson

    No word on who the RFer was. BN Brett says it is supposed to be DeJesus.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  51. mb21 wrote:

    The important question is who won the bunting tournament?

    I have a pending updated bracket. Dempster lost to Sveum though. (dying laughing)

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  52. mb21 wrote:

    The important question is who won the bunting tournament?

    When it comes to bunting tournaments, it isn’t about winning or losing, but about how drunk you get.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  53. josh wrote:

    @ Aisle424:
    If Sveum wins the bunting tournament, is Cubs baseball cancelled for the season?

    I don’t know if it’s a direct reflection of how bad the Cubs are if Sveum wins. It’s just bunting. I used to think bunting was harder than hitting but that’s because I never bunted. Now if Sveum wins a spot on the MLB team, then I’ll worry.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  54. Didn’t read every post, but it sounds like the postseason set-up forces one of the division winners to play two road games against the wild-card play-in winner before going back home for three games in the divisional round. This is to reduce the number of travel days and to allow that play-in game to fit in to the existing schedule. Seems kind of unfair to me.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  55. Seeing as the team that won was filled with the guys that are supposed to be minor leaguers and bench players, it is disheartening to see that ass-kicking of the “starters.” But, it makes the future seem a little brighter.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  56. @ Aisle424:
    It’s hard for me to take this game that seriously. We now know that some things are possible, but not if those things are possible in actual pressure game situations. The young guys have more to prove.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  57. This Saints bounty for headhunting thing is blowing up. Apparently the coaches knew about it, and Gregg Williams was even in on the action.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0
  58. @ josh:
    Yep. $1500 for a knockout, $1000 for a cart-off. Gregg Williams ran the scheme, and the players and other team personnel put in the money.

      Quote  Reply

    0

    0

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *