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It’s what all the cool kids are doing. Plus, everyone loves power rankings. So, we here at The Good Phight, we’re going to begin our new weekly power rankings of the teams in the game. Of course in the offseason, when no one is actually playing games, it’s difficult to rank teams weekly. So we’ll just put these out bi- or tri-weekly, depending on when big/small moves happen. Without further ado, here are the rankings that are completely rational and make total sense.
TGP Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Why? |
| 1 | Dodgers | The best team in baseball can lose Justin Turner, Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez and still be 5-6 games better than everyone. |
| 2 | Padres | They were dangerous before. Then they added pitching. |
| 3 | Braves | While the rotation might be shaky, that lineup is still loaded. |
| 4 | Yankees | Gerrrit Cole better be really, really, really good. Because that rotation is....not deep. |
| 5 | Twins | Good lineup? Check. Good pitching? Check. AL Central? Thank goodness. |
| 6 | Rays | If you aren't going to use Blake Snell in the 6th inning of a World Series game, might as well trade him! |
| 7 | Astros | Biggest candidate to take a steep fall on this list. |
| 8 | Mets | I mean, they were good and got better. But the gap is still big between them and the big boys of the NL |
| 9 | White Sox | If they get a pitcher, this team can challenge for the World Series. |
| 10 | A's | Losing Semien could be big. Losing Chapman for longer than a few weeks could be bigger. |
| 11 | Cardinals | Everyone else in the NL Central is bad. Their devil magic might not be needed. |
| 12 | Blue Jays | Biggest candidate to take a steep jump on this list. |
| 13 | Cubs | They still have good players, but man I hate seeing when teams use money as an excuse to get worse. |
| 14 | Brewers | Craig Counsell is really annoying as a manager, but he knows what he is doing. Too bad that team |
| 15 | Angels | If they add some pitching this offseason (coughBauer), look out. |
| 16 | Nationals | I originally had them lower. They're hard to rank. |
| 17 | Phillies | Just sign Realmuto already. |
| 18 | Marlins | I still think they are another year away. |
| 19 | Cleveland | Jose Ramirez gotta be maaaaaaaad |
| 20 | Reds | Hey, at least they tried the past two years! |
| 21 | Giants | Last year was a good year for them, but now they have to play an entire season of juggling players around. Color me skeptical they'll be able to be as good. |
| 22 | Red Sox | I want to rank them higher, I do, but that rotation is just....yikes. |
| 23 | Diamondbacks | This team really confuses me. They have some good offensive pieces, but that pitching is just not good. Why? |
| 24 | Royals | Hey, they're spending money! That's a start. |
| 25 | Mariners | I'm making a point of watching as much of Kyle Lewis as I can this year. |
| 26 | Rockies | I don't think they THAT bad, but they sure aren't good |
| 27 | Tigers | Always thought they'd make a good dark horse candidate to invest in J.T. Realmuto |
| 28 | Rangers | This team is going to be bad. But Joey Gallo is fun! |
| 29 | Orioles | Is there light at the end of the tunnel? |
| 30 | Pirates | How low can a team's payroll go? I think we're going to find out why the MLBPA would like a salary floor |
Some thoughts:
- The Yankees need to add pitching and fast. Otherwise, the Blue Jays, who plan on spending, could overtake them this season.
- I’m not confident at all in the Astros. The core of Altuve/Bregman/Alvarez is still very, very good. Losing Verlander really hurts them though. Looks like time is beginning to catch up to them.
- The middle of this list is just a big jumble right now. I think the clear line of top tier teams ends right after the Twins, with all four of those top teams standing a good chance of dethroning the Dodgers.
- The Orioles and Pirates are already playing for 2022. Shameful.