BTW Power Rankings - Week 22

Hopefully everyone enjoyed the weekend. 

Considering how poorly the team played last week, the Pirates(193) are still second to only the Yankees(205) in runs scored since week 17.  That says a little about how outstanding the month of August was for the Pirates, considering the Rangers scored 30 in a game but have only scored 165 runs since week 17.

August was a fun month, but bad for the fans.  Why was it bad?  Now ownership will believe this team can play at that level long term, hesitating from spending money in the off season because there are now "no holes on the team".

Cough!  Cough! 

Now management can justify keeping both offensively challenged short stops and an offensively challenged center fielder in Duffy.  August was fun to watch, but might set the team back a couple more years.

Don't believe me?  Pirates management has made statements that they are still in the race.  It is as if they really believe it, that is what scares me.

One bit of credit that deserves to be said by someone.  Morris may not be the reason the team has improved, but the team has played much better since his arrival.  Maybe the whole "veteran leadership" catchphrase actually means something when it is the right player involved?

After a long weekend, here is the latest Power Rankings:

 

Rank	LW	Team	W	L
1	1	Boston	82	55
2	2	LA Angels	80	56
3	5	Cleveland	78	58
4	4	NY Yankees	76	61
5	3	NY Mets	76	60
6	7	San Diego	75	61
7	8	Detroit	73	64
8	10	Philadelphia	72	64
9	11	Chicago Cubs	70	65
10	6	Seattle	73	62
11	15	LA Dodgers	71	65
12	16	Toronto	70	66
13	9	Colorado	70	66
14	12	Arizona	76	62
15	13	Atlanta	69	68
16	14	Minnesota	69	68
17	18	Milwaukee	69	67
18	17	Oakland	68	70
19	23	Texas	63	73
20	19	San Francisco	62	75
21	22	St. Louis	67	66
22	24	Kansas City	61	75
23	20	Cincinnati	62	75
24	21	Baltimore	59	76
25	26	Florida	60	77
26	27	Houston	61	76
27	28	Washington	60	77
28	25	Pittsburgh	59	77
29	29	Tampa Bay	56	81
30	30	Chicago Sox	58	79

 

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BTW Power Rankings - Week 21

The Pirates have been playing well for the month of August, climbing within 9 games of the division lead.  True the Central is abysmal, but there still is hope.  The Pirates have 6 games remaining against the division leading Cubs, 6 versus the Brewers and 7 versus the Cardinals.  The division, although not likely won by Pittsburgh, could be determined by what the Pirates do over the last month of the season. 

The top 3 teams in the division will square off against each other multiple times over the last month.  The Cubs have a 3 game series against Milwaukee starting Tuesday.  The Brewers have a 3 game set later in the month with St. Louis.  The Cards have 5 games left against the Cubs.  With all of the top 3 squaring off against each other, when they aren't playing the Pirates they will be beating themselves up.

With 19 games against the top 3, look for the Pirates to enjoy the spoiler role while possibly sneaking into contention rather quietly.  That is possible  only if the offense that has shown up the last 4 weeks continues throughout the month of September.

BTW:  Happy Birthday to my oldest son TJ who turned 5 today.

 

Rank	LW	Team	W	L
1	1	Boston	80	51
2	2	LA Angels	76	54
3	3	NY Mets	73	56
4	4	NY Yankees	72	58
5	5	Cleveland	72	57
6	6	Seattle	73	55
7	8	San Diego	70	59
8	7	Detroit	70	60
9	14	Colorado	67	63
10	9	Philadelphia	67	62
11	10	Chicago Cubs	66	63
12	12	Arizona	74	57
13	11	Atlanta	67	64
14	16	Minnesota	67	63
15	15	LA Dodgers	67	63
16	13	Toronto	65	65
17	17	Oakland	65	67
18	18	Milwaukee	65	65
19	24	San Francisco	59	72
20	26	Cincinnati	60	70
21	19	Baltimore	58	71
22	22	St. Louis	63	64
23	25	Texas	58	72
24	21	Kansas City	57	72
25	28	Pittsburgh	57	72
26	20	Florida	57	74
27	23	Houston	58	73
28	27	Washington	58	73
29	30	Tampa Bay	51	79
30	29	Chicago Sox	56	74

 

 

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BTW Power Rankings - Week 20

Since the week 17 rankings, the Pirates(133)  have scored the second most runs to the Yankees(139).  Where was this offense the rest of the season?  If something resembling this offense showed up when the pitching was holding its own, the Pirates could have been talking about playoffs.  I know this offensive surge is not sustainable, but the contrast between August and the first 4 months of the season is night and day.  I am writing it off as nothing but the annual late season spurt to tease the Pirates fans into believing the team is better than it's record, after all they have gone 10-9 in the stretch.

 

29-11 to .500

 

Rank	LW	Team	W	L
1	1	Boston	74	50
2	2	LA Angels	72	51
3	4	NY Mets	70	53
4	3	NY Yankees	70	54
5	7	Cleveland	68	55
6	6	Seattle	69	52
7	5	Detroit	67	57
8	8	San Diego	66	57
9	9	Philadelphia	65	58
10	13	Chicago Cubs	63	59
11	10	Atlanta	65	59
12	11	Arizona	71	54
13	14	Toronto	63	60
14	12	Colorado	63	60
15	16	LA Dodgers	64	60
16	17	Minnesota	62	61
17	18	Oakland	61	64
18	15	Milwaukee	63	61
19	19	Baltimore	57	65
20	20	Florida	56	68
21	22	Kansas City	55	68
22	21	St. Louis	58	62
23	24	Houston	56	68
24	26	San Francisco	54	70
25	23	Texas	54	69
26	28	Cincinnati	54	69
27	25	Washington	55	69
28	29	Pittsburgh	52	70
29	27	Chicago Sox	54	69
30	30	Tampa Bay	47	76

BTW Power Rankings - Week 19

In the last 2 weeks only three teams have scored more runs than the Pirates (78): 

Atlanta(80)

Colorado(92)

Yankees (104)

 

Good thing we acquired Morris, his presence in the batting order has really pumped up the offense.  Oh, wait, he is a pitcher.  Scratch that.

 

The Pirates only need to go 33-15 the rest of the way to get to .500.  How many games do we have left against San Fran?

 

On to the ranking:

Rank	LW	Team	W	L
1	1	Boston	70	47
2	2	LA Angels	69	47
3	4	NY Yankees	66	51
4	3	NY Mets	65	52
5	6	Detroit	65	52
6	11	Seattle	65	50
7	5	Cleveland	65	53
8	7	San Diego	63	54
9	12	Philadelphia	62	55
10	9	Atlanta	62	56
11	13	Arizona	67	52
12	17	Colorado	61	56
13	8	Chicago Cubs	60	57
14	14	Toronto	59	57
15	10	Milwaukee	62	56
16	15	LA Dodgers	60	57
17	16	Minnesota	58	59
18	18	Oakland	56	62
19	19	Baltimore	54	62
20	20	Florida	55	63
21	26	St. Louis	55	60
22	22	Kansas City	51	65
23	24	Texas	51	66
24	28	Houston	52	65
25	25	Washington	54	64
26	21	San Francisco	49	67
27	23	Chicago Sox	54	63
28	27	Cincinnati	50	67
29	29	Pittsburgh	48	66
30	30	Tampa Bay	45	72

 

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BTW Power Poll - Week 18

Our esteemed staff (the staff would include me, myself and I) returns with another rendition of the BTW Power Poll.  Here are the findings:

With four NL Central teams filling in the bottom five, it is rather obvious to see what division is the weakest.  I should take away points from the Cubs and Brewers for being associated with these dregs. 

The Yankees make a nice jump in the rankings after the insane offensive binge they have been on.

On the other hand, the Dodgers are tanking with an effort that can only be described as Pirate-like.

As for the Pirates, well with an offensive surge and a weeklong winning streak, they could actually jump to 21 fairly easily.  Don't hold your breath on that happening though, these are the Bumbling Bucs you know.

 

Rank	LW	Team	W	L
1	1	Boston	68	43
2	2	LA Angels	64	46
3	5	NY Mets	63	48
4	7	NY Yankees	61	50
5	4	Cleveland	62	49
6	3	Detroit	61	49
7	10	San Diego	60	50
8	8	Chicago Cubs	58	52
9	13	Atlanta	59	53
10	9	Milwaukee	60	52
11	11	Seattle	60	49
12	12	Philadelphia	58	53
13	14	Arizona	63	50
14	16	Toronto	56	54
15	6	LA Dodgers	58	53
16	15	Minnesota	57	53
17	17	Colorado	56	54
18	19	Oakland	53	59
19	18	Baltimore	52	58
20	20	Florida	52	60
21	23	San Francisco	47	62
22	21	Kansas City	48	62
23	25	Chicago Sox	52	59
24	24	Texas	48	63
25	28	Washington	51	60
26	22	St. Louis	50	58
27	27	Cincinnati	47	64
28	26	Houston	48	63
29	29	Pittsburgh	44	64
30	30	Tampa Bay	42	68

 

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BTW Power Rankings - Week 17

The Pirates found their way out of 30th, thanks to Paul Maholm and not much else.  Oh, and the fact Tampa has sucked nearly as bad as the Pirates the last few weeks.  Minnesota has fallen while the Mets and Diamondbacks are climbing.  The trade deadline looms and I look for many teams under 16 to be selling the farm, actually the pen, for all the talent they can get.

 

Rank	LW	Team	W	L
1	1	Boston	64	41
2	3	LA Angels	61	42
3	2	Detroit	60	44
4	5	Cleveland	60	45
5	10	NY Mets	59	46
6	9	LA Dodgers	57	48
7	4	NY Yankees	56	49
8	7	Chicago Cubs	55	48
9	6	Milwaukee	57	49
10	11	San Diego	56	48
11	13	Seattle	57	46
12	14	Philadelphia	55	49
13	12	Atlanta	55	51
14	20	Arizona	58	49
15	8	Minnesota	53	51
16	15	Toronto	52	52
17	17	Colorado	53	51
18	18	Baltimore	49	55
19	16	Oakland	49	56
20	19	Florida	49	57
21	22	Kansas City	47	57
22	24	St. Louis	49	53
23	21	San Francisco	45	58
24	23	Texas	46	59
25	27	Chicago Sox	48	57
26	25	Houston	46	59
27	26	Cincinnati	45	61
28	29	Washington	45	60
29	30	Pittsburgh	42	61
30	28	Tampa Bay	39	65

 

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