Power Rankings

After a long delay, we have our second power ranking of the season. In this post I will be attempting to rank the 12 teams in my Yahoo H2H keeper league based on how I think they will perform the rest of the year. These rankings are purely subjective and I reserve the right to change my mind on a whim. The rankings will show up intermittently throughout the year, depending on how determined I am. I will be including each team's record as it stands at the beginning of this week, and I will be naming a player for each team that hasn't performed well and who, in my opinion, will continue to not do well. So far almost every team is still within striking distance of the playoffs, so the next couple of months should be exciting as we see how everything shakes out.

1. The $5 Footlongs (71-36-3)

The Footlongs retain the number one spot from the previous power rankings, due in no small part to the fact that he is 10 games ahead of anyone else. The Footlongs have been doing well offensively, thanks to fantasy studs such as Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, and Miguel Cabrera. Jonathan's team has been doing especially well in the SB and BA categories. He's had some great pitching lately from Kevin Slowey, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Edwin Jackson. Howie Kendrick and Delmon Young have been disappointing, and it might be time to give up on them. Adam Jones has had a nice breakthrough season this year, though he has slumped this past month. Jonathan will need a healthy Carlos Beltran if he wants to solidify his hold on first place for the rest of the season.

Player to sell: Delmon Young

2. Screaming Lemurs (56-50-4)

The Lemurs are currently in sixth place in the league standins, but they are only 4.5 games out of second and the stats they've put up this season indicate that they are much better than their current record. The Lemurs have a lot of speed and they've benefited from Juan Pierre's strong output during Manny's suspension. I've said it before, but this is a very well-balanced offense. Getting Aramis Ramirez back in a week or two will help a lot, but the Lemurs continue to get a lot of offense from a variety of players. His pitching staff has struggled a little bit, but it's quite a good collection of talent and I believe in their abilities to turn things around. When asked about his team, Posluch said, "I hate Mike Fontenot."

Player to sell: David Price

3. Orc Mischief (52-52-6)

Another team that I feel is better than their current record, Orc Mischief has put up some great offensive numbers this season. They've done a good job at picking up young players such as Nolan Reimold and Andrew McCutcheon throughout the year. Alexei Ramirez is starting to turn things around, Brad Hawpe is continuing to have a career year, and Mark Reynolds has been a nice surprise. The pitching staff doesn't have a lot of depth, but everyone has pitched well this year, and, with this offense, I think there will be a lot of 6-4 or 5-4 games.

Player to sell: Mike Cameron

4. Butt Admirals (56-41-13)

The Admirals have a solid team that is very competitive in the RBI, SB, BA, WHIP and Saves categories. Brad Lidge has struggled this year, but hopefully his time off will help him find last year's success. Ben Zobrist was a great pickup, as was Clint Barmes. Grady Sizemore and Joey Votto are back from their respective DL stints and the Admirals will count on their power production. The pitching staff has talent, but losing Edinson Volquez indefinitely shows this team's lack of pitching depth.

Player to sell: Vladimir Guerrero

5. The Tossers (58-46-6)

The Tossers have a lot of power and a great bullpen, but most of their success has depended on the strong starts by guys like Russell Branyan. Alex Rodriguez has sucked so far, so I guess I can't fault the Tossers for relying on guys like Branyan. Torii Hunter is having a career year, as was Raul Ibanez before he went on the DL. The pitching staff has been decent, but having Roy Oswalt pitch like the Roy Oswalt of years past would be a big addition. I think this team will make the playoffs, but not as a top-three team.

Player to sell: Roy Oswalt

6. Macafey (52-51-7)

After scuffling around in the bottom half of the league standings for most of the season, Macafey has made their way into the top half with some strong performances in the past month. They have a lot of offensive talent, but the team has underperformed for most of the year. Jimmy Rollins, Geovany Soto, and Mike Jacobs have all been disappointments, and David Wright has not hit for the power we expected of him. Derrek Lee and Adam Lind have done surprisingly well this year after underwhelming seasons last year, and Yovani Gallardo has been lights out for the past month. Pitching injuries have hurt this team, though Scott Downs, Roy Halladay, and Erik Bedard should be back in a week or two. This team has the talent to do well in the second half. When asked about his team's peformance this year, Tim replied, "We have not yet begun to fight! I wouldn't trade my team for any other on the road to the playoffs."

Player to sell: Milton Bradley

7. Naterade (56-48-6)

Naterade is currently ranked fourth in the standings, but I feel that they've been a bit lucky as their team hasn't been that good offensively compared to the rest of the league. Russell Martin has really been a disappointment, as was Lastings Milledge. Other than Mark Teixiera, Justin Upton, and Cody Ross, the offense has struggled for the past month. Maybe Andre Ethier will start to hit for a better average when Manny comes back from his suspension. The pitching staff has been very good, and Naterade has a plethora of closers, which will come in handy since Matt Lindstrom just went on the DL. Felix Hernandez has been great this year, and this could be the breakout season that we've come to expect from him. I think this team is a hitter or two away from making a deep run in the playoffs.

Player to sell: Lastings Milledge

8. Dissect Yourself (54-48-8)

Micah's pitching staff has done well so far, but I don't think they can keep it up. C.C. Sabathia has been disappointing, Wandy Rodriguez has been awful lately, Jose Contreras is old, and Gil Meche is inconsistent. At least Carlos Zambrano has pitched well this season. The offense is more talented, but this team has the worst BA in the league, thanks to free-swingers such as Chris Davis and Alfonso Soriano. Adrian Beltre is starting to heat up, and Chris Young has shown signs of life this month, but Jay Bruce and Matt Holliday have not exactly been carrying this team. Troy Tulowitzki is at least showing that he remembers how to be a fantasy stud. Micah had this to say about his team: I view my team this year like a bag of microwavable popcorn. My guys are playing great and you know there are going to be those last little kernels popping as you take the bag out of the microwave (see Bruce, Davis, Soriano, Young). And then I'll add the sweet melted butter (see: Sabathia - always a slow starter). Bon appetit."

Player to sell: Dan Uggla

9. Adrian's Revenge (52-55-3)

My team's driving me nuts. I've had some great performances from guys like Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Robinson Cano, and Ryan Zimmerman this year, but it seems like my team can't perform well at the same time. Kosuke Fukudome has been awful since I got him, Cameron Maybin was a bust during his time in the majors, and Magglio Ordonez needs to get in touch with Manny's hormone supplier. Thankfully Colby Rasmus is starting to look comfortable in the big leagues with eleven extra base hits this month, and Jhonny Peralta's power stroke is starting to return. The solid veterans that I thought I was drafting have really let me down this year, though. On the pitching side, Ervin Santana has been a bust and Scott Baker has been inconsistent. I think Ricky Nolasco will continue to improve in the second half, and Jordan Zimmerman will end up having a good year if he can continue his great strikeout rate. Hopefully my closer situation will stabilize and I'll get some more saves each week.

Player to sell: Pick 'em.

10. The Balls (41-63-6)

Here's where we get to the teams that are most likely out of the playoff race already. The Balls have gotten some solid power from Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard, but they've lost Carlos Quentin for a month and counting, and most of their outfield is underwhelming. This team should have better stolen base numbers than they've already put up, but they'll need Jason Bartlett to continue his career year. Shin-Soo Choo is looking like a great draft pick. The pitching staff took a big hit with the loss of Jake Peavy, and no other pitcher on this staff is doing well this month. In regards to his team, John said, " The Balls suffered from an acute case of collective social anxiety disorder this year, but they have dealt with the issue and are now ready for a heroic comeback." John also attributes his early season struggles to a lack of "paying attention".

Player to sell: Phil Hughes

11. Summer Fox (44-60-6)

The Fox has been hurt by Carlos Delgado's injury, Manny Ramirez's suspension, and Garrett Atkins poor year, all of which have contributed to them falling near the bottom of every fantasy category in our league. Stephen Drew and Orlando Hudson find themselves heading in the opposite directions as their early season surge/stumble begin to correct themselves. Better performances are needed out of Kevin Youkilis and Brandon Phillips if the Fox has any hope of reaching the playoffs. The pitching staff has been hurt by injury and ineffectiveness and there's not much hope of them rebounding. John Lackey should get better, but I'm not willing to make the same bet for Joba Chamberlain, Daisuke Matsuzaka, or Chien-Ming Wang.

Player to sell: Wang

12. Order of the Phoenix (33-75-2)

Does Mark even check his team anymore? He has four DL-eligible players and three empty DL spots. Injuries to fantasy studs like Jose Reyes, Josh Hamilton, and Scott Kazmir have hurt his team, but he hasn't made any attempt to replace them. David Ortiz has found his power stroke this month, but Kelly Johnson, Jeff Francouer and Vernon Wells have been awful. Justin Verlander and Joe Blanton have been good this year, but Francisco Liriano is the only other starter currently pitching in the majors and he's been terrible.

Player to sell: Too many to list

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Power Rankings

It's time for the first power rankings of the year.  For those who don't know, this is a ranking of the 12 teams in my head-to-head keeper league.  As always, these are 90% subjective and they are a measure of how I think each team will do from this point on.  I reserve the right to change my opinion about each and every one of these team's throughout the year.  As an added bonus, I have designated one player from each team that I would like to have on my own team in a transparent attempt to ignite some trade talks.  These power rankings will appear intermittently throughout the season because they are time-consuming, though I will be more inclined to do them if you guys ask nicely.  Feel free to debate these rankings in the comments section.  Onto the rankings.

1. The $5 Footlongs

With Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Chase Utley, and Carlos Beltran, this offense can officially be considered stacked.  Most teams will not outslug them, and they might find it hard to outrun them since they also have Jacoby Ellsbury, Rafael Furcal, Bobby Abreu, and Adam Jones.  This outfield is a little light on power, so any home run droughts in the infield will be a blow to this team.  This team has great pitching, and though Tim Lincecum and Kevin Slowey have struggled so far, both pitchers should be fine.  This team has a solid bullpen, especially if Trevor Hoffman can stay healthy.  The only thing I can nitpick about this team is after their top four pitchers, they are relying on guys like Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey, Anthony Reyes, and Rick Porcello.  These pitchers all have value, but it’s not a good sign to see them all in one place.  

Guy who I’d want on my team: Kevin Slowey.  I think he’s going to be a top-15 pitcher this year. 

 

2. Screaming Lemurs

The Lemurs have a good mix of speed and power; this is a very balanced lineup.  Victor Martinez has started hot out of the gate this season, probably trying to erase any memory of his awful 2008 season.  Travis Snider has also started well, and he could have a solid rookie year.  The Lemurs need Alex Gordon to step things up this year to make this lineup one of the best in the league.  I’m a big fan of this team’s pitching, even with Brandon Webb on the DL.  John Danks, Javier Vasquez, Matt Garza, and Johnny Cueto should all have good seasons.  Saves will be scarce on this team, but the Lemurs have already taken advantage of Trevor Hoffman’s injury by picking up Carlos Villaneuva, who should get a few save opportunities before Hoffman comes back.  The Lemurs went 4-6 last week, but that was a very close matchup that could have easily been 6-4 in their favor.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Johnny Cueto.  He’s going to bounce back this year.

 

3. Naterade

This is a team that is better than the 5-4-1 record they put up last week against a very strong Macafeys team.  Naterade has a solid offense with a few young stars and a great pitching staff anchored by young aces such as Chad Billingsley, Felix Hernandez, and Josh Beckett.  This team should have a lot of high strikeout totals each week.  Naterade will more than hold his own in the pitching categories each week, but they may have trouble beating some of the more powerful offenses in our league.  Other than Justin Morneau and Evan Longoria, this team is a little light on power.  They will need guys like Justin Upton to improve this year if they want to go deep into the playoffs this year.  

Guy who I’d want on my team: Robinson Cano.  I think he’s going to have a strong season this year. 

 

4. Dissect Yourself

I think this offense is better than people realize.  Micah has lots of power and a good amount of speed on this team.  This team could be poised for a deep playoff run if Chris Davis and Ryan Doumit can hit like they did last year, and if Troy Tulowitzki can return to his 2007 form.  Micahel Bourn will steal a lot of bases if he can keep hitting the way he is now.  The bullpen is very solid, and Micah should come close to winning the Saves category every week.  The pitching is decent, but I’m not a fan of Carlos Zambrano, even with his good start.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Ubaldo Jimenez.  Despite pitching in Coors, I think Jimenez will be a good pitcher.

 

5. Macafeys

Last year’s champions have a strong team again this year, but I feel that it’s a bit weaker offensively than the 2008 team.  They have fantasy studs like David Wright, Jimmy Rollins, BJ Upton, and Geovany Soto, but they also have some weak spots, specifically at the middle infield positions.  The Macafeys have reloaded with young up-and-comers such as Adam Lind and Matt Wieters; Wieters will especially be valuable to the Macafeys as either Wieters or Soto will become a trade chip once Wieters is promoted.  Mike Jacobs has started slow, but I really like the power that he offers and he’s a solid CI or UT.  I’m not a Milton Bradley fan, mainly because he can’t stay healthy.  I think Nelson Cruz will be good this year, but I’m not buying into the hype that he generated with last year’s performance.  The pitching staff is very good; having Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, Erik Bedard, Adam Wainwright, and Yovani Gallardo will result in some great pitching totals every week.  Closers are scarce on this team, though Jose Arredondo and Scott Downs could find a few saves this year.  Downs could supplant BJ Ryan as the Blue Jays closer if Ryan is injured or inefficient, greatly increasing Downs’ value.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Erik Bedard.  I’m buying into Bedard’s comeback year.   

 

6. The Balls

The Balls are also strong offensively, though there are some question marks on their team; Shin-Soo Choo and Xavier Nady have started out well, but can they continue to hit well throughout the season, or will find themselves losing at bats if they struggle?  Also, will Jarrod Saltalamacchia bust out of his slump and overtake Elvis Andrus as the jewel of the Mark Teixiera trade, or will he be a black hole at catcher for the Balls this year?  This team will run and hit, but batting average might be a problem for them.  The pitching staff should be pretty good, with Jake Peavy, Ricky Nolasco, and Derek Lowe running out there every five days.  I’m also a fan of Jair Jurrjens for this season, more so than I am of Gavin Floyd who, last season’s 17 Wins notwithstanding, I feel is overrated.  This team is good enough to win 6-4 every week, but I think they will struggle in the Saves, BA, and Wins categories.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Jair Jurrjens.  He’s going to surprise some people.

 

7. Order of the Phoenix

There’s some good power on this team stored in the bats of Lance Berkman, Pat Burrell, Josh Hamilton, and Ryan Ludwick, but this team should find steals hard to come by with Jose Reyes their only proven base stealer.  Even if Reyes has a monster year and steals 3 bags a week, this team will struggle in the SB category against most teams in the league.  There’s talent on the mound for the Phoenix, but there’s not a lot of depth behind Scott Kazmir and Francisco Liriano.  The bullpen is very good, so the Phoenix should be competitive in Saves, WHIP, and ERA, but K’s and Wins might be hard to come by for this staff.  It looks like Mark plans to address this problem by rotating out as many pitchers as the league allows each week, which should help him if he can pick solid matchups each time.  

Guy who I’d want on my team: It’s a tossup between Pablo Sandoval and Manny Parra.  Both players have started slow, but I think they’re going to have great years.

 

8. Adrian’s Revenge

My team has been hurt by injuries.  Already I’ve had to deal with Ervin Santana, Scott Baker, and Melvin Mora making trips to the DL (Joe Mauer and Kelvim Escobar are also on the DL but they were like that when I got them).  Only the young guys on my team want to hit; Mark Teixiera, Magglio Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen have given early performances ranging from awful to so-so.  Still, I like my team’s chances to make the playoffs if they can turn things around.  I really like my pitching staff, especially with the way Zack Greinke and Gil Meche have been pitching.  It would be nice if Joel Hanrahan would get a save, but I guess the Nationals would have to win a game for that to happen. 

 

9. Summer Fox

The Fox has the best record after the first week, but their team resembles a MASH unit more than a baseball team.  6 Fox players are on the DL, though Ichiro just came off recently, and it’s not looking like Hiroki Kuroda will return next week when eligible.  This team has a good offense with some young stars to build around.  Their hitting will need to carry the team until the pitching can get healthy.  Right now they are depending on Kyle Lohse, Ryan Dempster, and Jamie Moyer to anchor their staff.  There’s not much in the way of relief on this team, and it might be time to drop Joey Devine for another pitcher since he won’t be back any time soon.  This team can be competitive in the future if managed right, but they will need to get some pitching help if they want to be competitive this year.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Stephen Drew.  I think he’s going to be a solid SS for the next five years or so.

10. Butt Admirals

This could be again one of the faster teams in the league.  They don’t have any true burners, except for possibly Chone Figgins, but they do have quite a few guys that can steal 20-30 bases.  Elvis Andrus is a guy who will probably struggle at the plate, but he had 93 steals over the last two years in the minors, so I think it’s safe to say that he’ll have value this year.  Their pitching staff isn’t as solid as the offense, especially with the injury to Chris Carpenter, who was doing so well prior to getting hurt.  Dan Haren is a stud, Rich Harden is only as good as he’s healthy, and Edinson Volquez has talent, though he probably won’t be as good as he was last year.  Beyond those three, there isn’t much else.  The Admirals should be fine most weeks because they have a solid bullpen to help out in WHIP and ERA, though I’d probably think about dropping Takashi Saito for a reliever or starter with less health issues, preferably one that strikes out a lot of batters.  This team is well-suited to compete over the next couple of years if their young players like Chase Headley and Andrus can mature into All-Stars.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Joey Votto.  I think this guy’s going to be a star for years to come.

 

11. Orc Mischief

This is a boring team.  It’s boring, and I mean that as a compliment.  None of the players on this team are really sexy breakout picks, except for Alexei Ramirez probably, but they get the job done.  Players like Mark Reynolds, Mike Cameron, and Brad Hawpe don’t seem that great during the season because they can be streaky, but their stats at the end of the year are solid.  This team will have a lot of power, but I think their batting average will be suspect most weeks.  The Orcs will need to use that power to bash their opponents into submission each week, because there’s not much going on in the bullpen.  Johan Santana has started the season with his typically amazing results and Jon Lester is a solid young ace, but Chien-Ming Wang has been awful and Joe Saunders is overrated.  This team will have to hope their relievers give them solid ERA and WHIP each week.  I think this team could surprise some people if they get in the playoffs, but I don’t think the Orcs are built to win beyond this year.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Brad Hawpe.  Solid slugger.

 

12. The Tossers

What I like about this offense: Travis Hafner looks to be making a bit of a comeback, Corey Hart is a solid 20/20 player, Chris Iannetta could be a top-5 catcher, and Alex Rodriguez might be his old self by May.  What I don’t like: There are a lot of older guys here, which is not a good sign for a team that didn’t have a lot of success last year.  I do like the power and speed that Torii Hunter and Jayson Werth bring, but this team does not have a lot of stars.  The pitching staff is looking better than the offense, especially because bullpen offers three solid closers.  Aaron Harang also looks like he’s ready to bounce back from last year, and Ted Lilly is always good for strikeouts and a decent WHIP and ERA.  This team will need Cliff Lee to pitch better because the pitching staff will be critical to this team’s season record.  

Guy I’d want on my team: Ted Lilly.

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Flapjacks Power Rankings Week 13

Let's dive in and see how the teams in my Yahoo H2H keeper league stack up against each other.

6/24 Flapjacks Power Rankings
(Season record and last week's rankings in parentheses.)


1. Adrian's Revenge (71-44-5) (1)
My team retains the number one ranking after a tough matchup versus one of the preseason favorites, the Dinos. It was a big offensive week with 17 HR from my team, led by Carlos Lee, Brian McCann, and Mark Teixeira. Hopefully Teixeira's 3-home run outburst on Sunday is signalling an offensive turnaround for the first baseman. His .906 June OPS is his highest of the season, and he's been consistently better in the second half of the season for his career. Brad Hawpe continues to hit well, and the team could receive a boost from a recently healthy Josh Willingham, if his back doesn't affect his power. My third basemen have been dropping like flies, with Ryan Zimmerman on the DL for at least another month, and Kevin Kouzmanoff has missed the past six games with back problems, though it looks like he'll avoid the DL.
On the pitching side, Ervin Santana and Justin Duchscherer continue to dominate; for the month of June they've combined for 6 Wins, 43 K's, a 2.41 ERA, and a 1.05 WHIP. The bullpen has also been stellar, shutting out the competition over their last 15.1 innings, but Javier Vazquez has been knocked around a bit the last month, and Ian Snell continues to struggle after a promising couple of starts. Snell has soreness in his pitching elbow, but it seems that he'll only miss a start. Some time off may help him clear his head, but he's been awful for most of the year. In other news, Rich Hill has been sent to the Cubs spring training complex to work on his mechanics; he's been wild in AAA and it's hard to know if the promising pitcher will ever contribute to my fantasy team this season. My pitching staff is in trouble, but so far they've been able to stay competitive.

2. The Balls (67-48-5) (2)
The Balls suffered from a bit of a power outage last week, but still managed to beat Summer Fox 8-1. Luckily the Balls have studs like Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez to keep them afloat. There's a lot of talent on this team, but they need everyone to step up to their potential if they want to win. Robinson Cano is still struggling, hitting .220 in June after it looked like he had gotten his season back on track when he hit .295 in May. Pat Burrell is still showing power but he's slumped recently. Milton Bradley has hit well this season, but it looks like the bumps and bruises are beginning to take their toll; the Balls have depth to weather injuries, but they need players like Melky Cabrera and Bobby Abreu to be productive. Luckily Albert Pujols should be back this week, giving them a much need offensive boost.
The pitching staff is hurting, but Zack Greinke and Edinson Volquez have pitched well as of late. The Balls need Jake Peavy to pitch like Jake Peavy, otherwise this team could be done in by inconsistent production.

3. Screaming Lemurs (65-47-8) (3)
The Lemurs had a very strong week offensively; Jermaine Dye hit 5 HR last week, and Aramis Ramirez hit 4. There's a lot of offensive talent on this team, and everyone's been performing well over the past month. With Victor Martinez injured for a while, the Lemurs need Jeff Clement to pick up the slack and live up to the hype, and it sounds like Seattle is giving him the chance to do that by making him a starter.
Brandon Webb has been awful in June so far, but Cole Hamels has been lights out. Despite a lack of closers, the bullpen is looking strong and Salomon Torres appears to have really taken to the role of closing for the Brewers. Santiago Casilla should be a good addition, as he was pitching well before he got hurt; he'll help with K's and WHIP/ERA. The Lemurs have a strong squad and they've stayed consistent throughout the year; I believe they'll be competing deep into the playoffs this year.

4. Val Kilmer's Asshole (67-49-4) (6)
The Kilmer's have a good offense, but injuries have plagued this team all year. David Ortiz is out for at least another month, and who knows how Andruw Jones will perform when he comes back at the All Star Break? Incidentally, I'm curious to know why Marky continues to burn a bench spot on Ortiz by not using his second DL spot. Even with the injuries, this team has a good offense; Josh Hamilton, Lance Berkman, and Jose Reyes have been great, and Jeremy Hermida looks like he's starting to turn his season around. One player who's performance has still be disappointing is Jarrod Saltalamacchia. His slump hasn't helped fill the holes at first base and catcher.

For the pitching staff, there's a lot of depth, but the Kilmer's need consistent production from Jeff Francis, Joe Blanton, and A.J. Burnett if they want to succeed. Burnett hasn't pitched well lately, but he has the talent to rebound, and Scott Kazmir and Ryan Dempster have pitched great. Huston Street has struggled, but Jonathan Papelbon has been there to pick up the slack.

5. Dinos (59-55-6) (5)
I picked the Dinos in the preseason to compete for first place, but their record has kept them in the middle of the pack. Despite their mediocre record, they have competed statistically and are in the top three in the league in almost every category. Part of their problem has been poor luck; despite having the league's best ERA and WHIP, their record in those categories is 6-6 and 7-5 respectively. They also have the third-most home runs but only a 5-6-1 record. Things are looking up for the Dinos, as for the first time all season, they have a fully healthy roster. Eric Byrnes is back from the DL, and the Dinos will look for him to regain some of last year's production. J.D. Drew and Carlos Beltran both had great weeks, but the infield has struggled greatly. Miguel Tejada has only 6 RBI in June, and Chase Utley has hit .229 this month. Chase Headley has produced since being called up, with 2 HR in 24 at bats, and he could be the second-half spark that this team needs.
The pitching staff, led by Ben Sheets and Andy Pettitte, has been very strong lately. The bullpen is shallow, but Joe Nathan and Troy Percival have been very productive.

6. Macafeys (62-55-3) (4)

The Macafeys' offense struggled last week, and they fell 7-3 to Naterade. Geovany Soto has hit .200 this month, Ian Stewart was demoted, and Adam Dunn is slugging just .355 in June. Though the team has struggled to hit regularly, they have been productive in both power and speed. Still, it doesn't look like Jeff Francoeur, Alex Gordon, or Alex Rios will have the home run totals that were expected of them this year.

The pitching staff did well last week, but both Shaun Marcum and Carlos Zambrano ended up on the DL. Neither injury should require surgery, but Marcum does seem like he'll be out for a while. A little rest might do Zambrano some good, and maybe it will help his strikeout rates return to their previous levels.

The Macafeys have now lost three series in a row, and it seems a long time since they were in first place, though it was less than a month ago. With 10 games between them and first place, they'll have to start making up some ground soon.

7. Butt Admirals (61-48-11) (7)

The Admirals showed an abundance of power last week; Prince Fielder hit 5 HR and Vlad Guerrero contributed 3 HR.  Both batters appear to have come out of their early season slumps, which is good news for the Admirals as they look to become more competitive on offense.  The offense has talent, but they've tended to underperform, and the team struggles to find consistent RBI production and Average.  The Admirals need their star players such as Fielder, Guerrero, and Grady Sizemore to carry them.  Rickie Weeks is finally healthy again, and we'll see if he's able to produce at the plate as he has on the base paths.  Nate McLouth has slumped this past month, as has Dustin Pedroia.

Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang had poor starts last week, but Josh Beckett, Dan Haren, and Joakim Soria were brilliant.  Harang has too much talent to perform this bad, so he should rebound, unless all of those innings over the past few years are catching up with him.

8. Naterade (65-54-1) (8)

This team has really surprised me this year; they were easily the youngest and most inexperienced team coming into the season, but they've really performed well.  Despite their record, I think there are too many under performers and inconsistent players for this team to win it all.  Nick Markakis has had an all-around solid year, Russell Martin has been one of the best catchers, and Justin Morneau has been a solid slugger.  But this team needs better production from its younger prospects such as Delmon Young and Justin Upton, who have both disappointed this year.  Gary Sheffield comes off the DL today, and hopefully he can be the productive bat that he was last year.

Naterade has one of the best bullpens in the league.  Francisco Rodriguez is on pace to break the season saves record, and George Sherrill has been solid for most of the year.  Naterade has helped himself to some saves by picking up Ryan Franklin and Mike Gonzalez.  Felix Hernandez avoided what could have been a derailment to his fine season when the sprained ankle he suffered on Sunday turned out to not be as serious as was feared.  It would be a blow to Naterade if his young hurler were hindered by this sprain all year.  This team has quite a few young pitchers, and quite a few of them are putting together nice stretches all at the same time.

9. Self Indulgence (40-73-7) (9)

Self Indulgence's offense performed well last week, led by Aubrey Huff's 4 HR and Orlando Cabrera's 7 RBI, but they are still near the bottom of offensive productivity when compared to the rest of the league.  They hit for good average, but not much else.  Chipper Jones has been this team's MVP all year, but he's dealing with an injured quad right now.  This team needs Jones to play consistently if they want to compete.  Derek Jeter is starting to hit better, as is Jeff Kent, but Magglio Ordonez has slumped this month.  Mark Reynolds appears to have come out of his May slump, so hopefully he can produce some HR and RBI for this team.

Self Indulgence has a solid bullpen, but the team desperately needs help for their starting pitching.  Johan Santana and Gil Meche can't do it alone.  

What's interesting is that this team has two available bench spots that they're not using.  Pick up some starting pitching while Chien-Ming Wang and Carlos Pena are on the DL.

10. Dissect Yourself (46-64-10) (10)

The offense didn't show much power last week, but they did hit for great average.  Dan Uggla is the man, hitting .278/.384/.639 in June.  Brian Roberts, Matt Holliday, James Loney, and Jeff Baker are all hitting well.  The team has Troy Tulowitzki back, but he's still not hitting.  Neither is Jay Bruce, who's hit .235 this month.  News on Alfonso Soriano's injury is that the bone is healing well; this team could really use his power.

Lot of relief options on this team, but Carlos Marmol has struggled recently, and Brandon Morrow had to deal with back issues over the weekend.  Morrow should be ready this week to fill in for J.J. Putz at closer; Putz doesn't appear ready to come back for another couple of weeks.  C.C. Sabathia and Jon Lester both pitched well last week.

This team has a lot of talent, and it surprises me that they haven't done better this year. They've been consistently getting beat in the RBI and pitching categories, so hopefully their revamped bullpen will help them in the second half.  

11. The Tossers (40-74-6) (12)

The Tossers hit well last week, but like Dissect Yourself, they didn't show much power.  Despite that, the offense has been good lately, and it looks like Nick Swisher might be finally coming around.  It could be time to drop Blake DeWitt for someone more productive; he's hitting .185 in June, and the Dodgers could decide to give more at bats to Andy LaRoche at third.  Bad news about Travis Hafner: he's had a setback of some kind, and it looks like he won't be back any time soon.

Hong-Chih Kuo was a smart pickup; he's given up only 3 ER since the beginning of May, and he's struck out 35 batters in 29 innings over the same time period.  Derek Lowe has looked good recently, as has John Maine, and Manny Parra could be one to hold onto if he can cut down on the walks issued.  The Tossers can compete, but they need stellar pitching from here on out.

12. Summer Fox (42-74-4) (11)

The Fox are in the bottom 3 in every offensive category except for Steals, and they have been merely average on the pitching side.  Their offense has talent, but they can't seem to put it together.  Almost everyone has struggled over the past month except for Jose Guillen, and Manny Ramirez.  Kenji Johjima hasn't displayed the offensive talent that he did in years past, and it might be time to look for another catcher.  

Fausto Carmona suffered a setback, and it's not yet clear when he'll come back from the DL. Both John Lackey and Mark Buehrle have pitched well, but the rest of the staff has pitched erratically.  Daisuke Matsuzaka was disastrous in his first outing off the DL, but he should make his next start.

I'm not certain the best way to help this team, other then to ascertain which players can break out of their slumps and which players can't, and acting accordingly.  You might be able to get good value for a player with name value who is merely doing okay for a player to could be due for a breakout.

Let me hear your opinions and disagreements. 

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Flapjacks Power Rankings Week 12

Let's take a look at the teams in my Yahoo H2H keeper league and see how they're doing. Hopefully I'll be able to do these power rankings more consistently, and provide more original content as well. Doubtful, but one can only hope.

6/17 Flapjacks Power Rankings
(Season record and last week's rankings in parentheses.)


1. Adrian's Revenge (66-40-4) (3)
Though my team has the best record in the league, I almost didn't give myself the top ranking this week, and it might be a short stay if I suffer a second consecutive losing week. My pitching staff has been very strong, leading in Wins and Saves, and we're also second in Home Runs, but I'm last in Steals and second to last in Batting Average. But then again, almost every team in the league has issues right now. Anyways, let's talk about why my team should be the best.
Despite inconsistent pitching from Ian Snell and Rich Hill, my pitching has been strong; I've had strong performances from Javier Vazquez, Ervin Santana, and Ted Lilly, but my success is mainly to do with a strong bullpen. With Brad Lidge, Kerry Wood, Jon Rauch, and Matt Capps, I can dominate in Saves and compete in WHIP, ERA, and K's. Snell has had a couple good starts recently, so he could be turning a corner.
Injuries have slowed my offense, but Mark Teixeira and Carlos Lee have hit well. Chris B. Young has struggled recently, and I need him to start performing like last year. Kelly Johnson has been disappointing since I traded Brian Roberts for him; I already regret not trying to get a better second baseman. Brad Hawpe has performed well since coming off the DL, and he could be a decent pickup for the second half. There's enough talent on this team to make it a strong performer over the rest of the season.


2. The Balls (59-47-4) (2)
The Balls lead the league in Home Runs, RBI, and WHIP, and they also are very strong in Runs and ERA. Their only weakness is a lack of speed; other than Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino, there's really no one else that can steal 30 bases. But this team makes up for it in power. They have six guys on pace for 30 or more home runs. Pat Burrell has been especially good lately, rebounding from a poor April to .333 this month. Losing Albert Pujols for three weeks hurts, but it sounds like he could return ahead of schedule.
The pitching staff has performed well recently after struggling, and Jake Peavy looks to be healthy. Erik Bedard had an encouraging performance against Washington, striking out 8 in six innings. But there's still not a lot of depth to this staff, especially with Adam Wainwright possibly missing a month due to a sprained finger. Even if Eric Gagne regains his closer role when he comes off of the DL, the bullpen is still not very strong.


3. Screaming Lemurs (60-42-8) (4)
The Lemurs are not spectacular offensively, but they are solid enough to be competitive each week. They also have shown a lack of speed so far this year, mostly due to Curtis Granderson not running as much as expected and Rafael Furcal being on the DL. Injuries are a problem on this team, with Victor Martinez and Furcal out for another two months. The Lemurs could slump if overachievers such as Jorge Cantu and David Murphy have rough weeks. Ian Kinsler won't be a 30/30 man this year, but he'll come close.
The pitching staff is very good, and there's no reason why they shouldn't continue to dominate in K's. Clay Buchholz could return from the minor leagues soon and strengthen this staff, and Dustin McGowan has 3 Wins in his last four starts. The bullpen continues to be a weakness, with no pitcher guaranteed save chances, and not much in the way of strikeouts.

4. Macafeys (59-48-3) (1)
The Macafeys have had a rough last couple of weeks; B.J. Upton and David Wright have struggled recently, and Alex Rios hasn't hit a home run in over a month. The good news is that this team arguably has the most talent in the league. Derek Lee is hitting .348 over his last twenty-three at bats, and Jimmy Rollins has scored 8 Runs in the past week. But Jeff Francoeur and Alex Gordon have been a bit of a disappointment for those expecting strong seasons. Despite the Macafeys' flaws, they have hardly any weaknesses.
The bullpen is a little thin, but Tim's starters have been good. Rich Harden has stayed healthy, and Tim will need a healthy Harden if he wants to compete in the pitching categories.


5. The Dinos (55-50-5) (5)
It bodes well for the Dinos championship chances that despite the mediocre record, they still are in the top three of six out of the ten scoring categories. The Dinos have been very productive, they just don't have the wins to show for it. Ryan Howard has been a beast, hitting 2 HR and 13 RBI in the last four games. The Dinos offense is really clicking right now; 2/3 of their team is hitting over .300 for the past week. Eric Byrnes is the only really disappointing player on the roster, with just 4 SB and 6 HR for the season. Chase Headley should be activated this week; time to see what he can do.
The pitching staff has talent, but after Tim Lincecum and Ben Sheets, the talent drops off quickly. With just Troy Percival and Joe Nathan in the bullpen, relief pitching is not a strength. Clayton Kershaw appears to be improving, so he could help in the second half.


6. Val Kilmer's Asshole (62-44-4) (6)
Despite their record, this team does not dominate much in any one category. They have a strong bullpen, and their team has power, but injuries have hurt this team. Lance Berkman and Josh Hamilton have been great, but other than Jose Reyes, there aren't many other standout stars on this team. It's a shame that David Ortiz got injured just as he was starting to come out of his early season slump; now we'll have to see if his wrist will be a hindrance for the rest of the year. I'm not certain why Mark hasn't put Ortiz on the DL, considering he has an open DL spot. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hasn't performed up to preseason expectations.
Jonathan Papelbon and Huston Street have been good out of the bullpen, but the rest of the pitching staff has been inconsistent. Luckily Justin Verlander appears to be turning the corner.


7. The Butt Admirals (57-44-9) (8)
The Admirals offense is speedy, but they lack power. Willy Taveras should steal 50 bases this year, and Grady Sizemore and Ryan Theriot could each have 30. Besides those three, there are at least three others who could steal 20 this year. But when looking at home runs, there are only four players that could hit 30 this year, and I don't think that one of them (Vlad Guerrero) is going to do it. The good news is that Grady Sizemore has gone on a tear over the past week, hitting 5 HR in six games, and Prince Fielder's slugging percentage has rebounded this month.
The Admirals' main strength is their pitching; they have a strong group of starters, and their bullpen, despite consisting of only Bobby Jenks and Joakim Soria, is elite. Bronson Arroyo looks like a smart pickup, but Aaron Harang has struggled in May and June, with an ERA over 5.00. He did look good in his last start, so hopefully he won't wear down over the course of the season.


8. Naterade (58-51-1) (7)
Naterade's offense has been disappointing; if it wasn't for the surprising play of Ryan Ludwick, they'd probably be last in home runs. As it is, there is not a lot of power on this team. Gary Sheffield should return soon, but he's been disappointing so far this season. Mike Cameron should be a good pickup for power and speed, as long as you can survive the low average.
The bullpen has been dominant, with many save opportunities, though Ryan Franklin might not have the closer's role for long. Francisco Liriano has pitched well in the minors, so he could be of help in the second half, though his velocity is not where it was before his surgery.


9. Self Indulgence (35-68-7) (11)
The Self Indulgence has a decent offense, but no speed to speak of and not much in the way of pitching, especially now that Chien-Ming Wang might miss the rest of the year. Chipper Jones has been the man for this team, and he should continue to lead the way offensively. Carlos Pena is a bit of a disappointment; sure, he probably wasn't going to hit .280, but .227 and a DL stint just isn't fair.
Johan Santana is a stud, but he can't do it by himself. This pitching staff is shallow, but a strong bullpen has helped carry the weight. Gil Meche has had two strong outings in a row, and more performances like those would help.


10. Dissect Yourself (42-60-8) (10)
Dissect Yourself doesn't have much in the way of pitching, but they do have a good offense, though it remains to be seen how they'll weather Alfonso Soriano's absence for the next six weeks. Dan Uggla has been a great surprise this year, and Brian Roberts has really done well since being added to this team.
The bullpen is now more of a strength, even with J.J. Putz on the DL. Adding Brandon Morrow gives him four possible closers, and having Carlos Marmol is like getting an extra solid starting pitcher each week. The pitching staff could be turning around after C.C. Sabathia and Roy Oswalt were both lights out in their last two starts.


11. Summer Fox (41-66-3) (12)
The Fox is last in Wins and K's, and their offense hasn't been much to speak of. Adding Manny Ramirez will help, but injuries have set this team back. Paul Konerko has especially been disappointing, but Jason Bay appears to have rebounded from a poor season last year. Now we just have to wait and see when Colby Rasmus will be called up, and whether he'll be more like Adam Lind or Jay Bruce.
Daisuke Matsuzaka and Fausto Carmona should be back in the next week, which is good news for a staff that had been basically relying on John Lackey to carry the load by himself. Billy Wagner has been struggling lately; since the Fox is not going to be winning any Saves categories this year, it might be wise to shop Wagner around while he still has value.


12. The Tossers (35-69-6) (9)
The Tossers have had arguably the worst pitching staff, and their offensive production is in the bottom three. It's hard to imagine where this pitching staff would be without Joe Saunders. With Chris Young sidelined for almost a month, it's fallen upon Saunders and John Maine to carry the team, and Maine has an ERA of 5.40 over the past month. In the bullpen, Takashi Saito hasn't been getting many save opportunities, and Tom Gordon has had two consecutive bad outings.At the plate, Nick Swisher might be finally turning things around, but the Tossers still need Travis Hafner to be healthy and productive.
If Troost were to ask my advice, which he hasn't, I would say that he should shore up his offense by trading away his starting pitching. Put together pitching packages to try and improve the bullpen, making sure to get solid closers. Pick up as many solid middle relievers with high K-rates as you can, and then spot-start nine starters each week. The idea is to improve the offense enough to be competitive each week, and improve your chances to win K's, ERA, Saves, and WHIP with a solid group of relievers. If you're smart and a bit lucky, you can pick and choose your starting pitching matchups, with the hope that they will get you Wins and not hurt your WHIP and ERA.


All right, whether you agree or disagree with anything I've said today, let me hear about it.

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Flapjacks Power Rankings Week 10

It's been over a month, but let's check in on my Yahoo H2H keeper league and see where everyone stands.  For those who aren't interested in how each team in my league is doing, check back in a few days and hopefully I'll have something to interesting to talk about.

6/2 Flapjacks Power Rankings

(Season record in parentheses.)

1. Macafeys (55-32-3)

Tim's offense is on fire right now.  Lots of speed - led by Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton - and lots of power - led by Adam Dunn (11 HR in May) and Mike Lowell.  Very balanced offense. Only players not hitting in May were Alex Rios, Jeff Francouer, Derek Lee, and Bourn, and they've all contributed in other areas.  Geovany Soto could be a franchise catcher for the Macafeys.  Carlos Gomez is starting to show that he can hit as well as run.  

The pitching staff is strong, especially since Roy Halladay is striking out batters at a rate of 9.15 per nine innings in the past month.  Not too many saves to be found on the Macafeys; problem could worsen if Brian Wilson loses his job.  Carlos Zambrano is winning, but not striking out as many hitters as we're used too; could signify struggles for him down the road.  This is one of the few times that doesn't not have any injury issues.

2. The Balls (51-35-4)

This could be the best offense in the league.  There are very few weaknesses on this team, especially with Robinson Cano breaking out of his April slump, hitting .302 over the past month.  Albert Pujols is still healthy and raking like his normal self.  Shane Victorino looks like he's completely recovered from his injuries, stealing 10 bases in May and getting caught only once.  Adrian Gonzalez is providing pop at home and on the road.  If Milton Bradley stays healthy and Carlos Quentin stays hot, not many teams will be able to compete with the Balls firepower.  Still waiting for Hanley Ramirez to hit another HR (last HR was May 12th).

Edison Volquez was a great pickup, but the rest of the staff is struggling.  Jake Peavy is out for another week, Erik Bedard is getting strikeouts but has an ERA of 6.04 in the past month, and the bullpen is shaky.  Getting Peavy back will help, but this is not the strongest pitching staff.

3. Adrian's Revenge (53-33-4)

Offense provides steady power, but not much in the way of batting average.  Brian McCann looks like a top-3 catcher, and Carlos Lee and Mark Teixeira have been RBI-machines.  Both Hunter Pence and Kevin Kouzmanoff have overcome their poor starts.  I traded away Brian Roberts for Kelly Johnson in order to punt steals; now I admit, I may have been a bit hasty and might have been able to find better value for Roberts, but I'm comfortable with gaining a possible keeper who could hit 20 HR at a shallow power position.  Injuries have hurt my offense, especially with Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Willingham on the DL, but I was able to stash Brad Hawpe on my DL in hopes that he'll rebound after his poor start.  He could be an immediate upgrade at my Utility position.  

The pitching staff has been great (Javier Vasquez, Ervin Santana, Todd Wellemeyer) and awful (Ian Snell, Rich Hill).  A strong bullpen, led by Brad Lidge, have kept me in most of the pitching categories each week.  I really need Hill to come back and be a top-25 pitcher.

4. Screaming Lemurs (50-33-7)

The Lemurs have helped themselves on offense with some astute waiver wire pickups, picking up Jorge Cantu, Christian Guzman, and David Murphy to help replace some offense on the DL. Ryan Braun and Jermaine Dye have been crushing the ball over the past month, but the Lemurs also need help from Victor Martinez, who is still looking for his first home run.  Having Rafael Furcal on the DL hurts, especially with Curtis Granderson not running very often.  

The pitching staff is anchored with strong middle relievers, but the closers on this team do not have the best job security.  The Lemurs have some aces, but not much in the way of starting pitching depth.

5. The Dinos (43-43-4)

Dinos received a great month from both Jacoby Ellsbury (18 SB) and Chase Utley (8 HR/26 RBI).  Injuries have taken a few preseason top-50 players from his roster, but the Dinos have received good production from Cody Ross and Luis Castillo.  Besides the drains on batting average that Lastings Milledge and Jim Thome have been, the Dinos are still waiting for Miguel Cabrera to break out (only 2 HR in the last month).  

The pitching staff has been dominant, led by a still-healthy Ben Sheets, but besides Sheets, Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee, there's not much else in the way of talent.  The Dinos lose Troy Percival to the DL, but they replace him with John Smoltz.  With only two healthy closers, the Dinos will struggle to win Saves each week.

6. Val Kilmer's Asshole (50-36-4)

Lance Berkman and Josh Hamilton; that's really all you need to say about the Kilmer's offense. Okay, Jose Reyes has been hitting and running too.  Having those three playing at such an elite level helps carry the load that Vernon Wells and David Ortiz left when they went on the DL. Losing Ortiz's power hurts, as this team has not received much power output from their outfielders (except Hamilton and Berkman of course), or their catcher.  

The pitching staff has been very strong; Scott Kazmir has been elite, A.J. Burnett is still healthy, and Justin Verlander looks to be returning to form.  These three help offset how truly bad Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Francis have been lately.  The bullpen is very good, with three strong closers.  The Kilmer's will have a great staff as long as it can stay healthy.

7. Naterade (44-45-1)

Ryan Ludwick has been a very good offensive pickup, and Kevin Youkilis is starting to show off his power.  But Delmon Young has shown no power, and many hitters (Justin Upton, Edgar Renteria) have been struggling.  Getting Howie Kendrick back from the DL should help.

On the pitching side, the bullpen has been solid, and Chad Billingsley has been looking like a dominant pitcher lately.  Tim Hudson has also contributed a very low ERA, despite an average WHIP.  But the pitching lacks depth, and it's hard to see them racking up high Win totals.

8. Butt Admirals (45-36-9)

The Admirals' offense is struggling, but Nate McLouth continues to be a bright spot.  Prince Fielder showed some power last month, with 5 home runs, and Grady Sizemore has been contributing both with power and speed.  But he, and a few other Admirals, are struggling to hit for a high average.  The Admirals need offensive studs such as Vladimir Guerrero to step up their game.

Bronson Arroyo was a good pickup, as he should have some good starts the rest of the way. This pitching staff gets a lot of strikeouts, but their ERA has been less than average.  Their closers are good, but few, and won't beat many teams in saves each week.

9. The Tossers (29-55-6)

The Tossers have been running well lately, with four players with four or more stolen bases in the past month.  Bengie Molina has turned in a career year so far, and Alex Rodriguez is back from the DL being his usual self.  But Travis Hafner and Nick Swisher have yet to show up this year, and Torii Hunter has struggled as of late.  This team needs some offense, as there is a lack of power being shown.  

The bullpen will be strong if Joe Borowski can maintain his job, but Takashi Saito hasn't received many save opportunities.  Chris Young was supposed to be the ace of this staff, but he's on the DL, leaving Jason Bergmann and John Maine to carry the team.  The Tossers could use some help on the pitching side as well.

10. Dissect Yourself (31-52-7)

Dan Uggla and Alfonso Soriano have had monster power surges at the plate in the past month; they've each hit 10 HR.  This team's been hitting well, and they've added some speed with Brian Roberts.  Having Roberts and Pierre should help make them more competitive in the SB category each week.  Jay Bruce was finally called up, and he's playing like he should be in Cooperstown already.  

Though the offense has been solid so far, the pitching staff has struggled some.  The bullpen has been erratic and a lot of good pitchers have been awful.  Brad Penny and Roy Oswalt should pitch better, but they probably can't be counted on as aces any more.  C.C. Sabathia is left holding down the fort by himself.

11. Self Indulgence (28-57-5)

Chipper Jones has carried the offense, but other than Matt Kemp and Joe Mauer, there aren't too many young stars on this team that can improve.  This leaves most of the heavy lifting to older veterans like Jeff Kent, Garrett Anderson, and Johnny Damon.  At least Jack Cust is starting to hit for average, which is apparently something that Carlos Pena cannot.

The pitching staff has been average; they basically need Johan Santana to throw a gem every week if they want to compete in ERA and WHIP.  The bullpen seems to be hurting this team (poor ERA and WHIP) as much as it helps (Saves).

12. Summer Fox (33-55-2)

The Fox is finally getting some offensive production; Brandon Phillips is a 5-cat contributor and Jason Bay is looking like his old self.  But Paul Konerko is a shell of his former self, and though Adrian Beltre is hitting for power, he's hurting the team in Average.  This team has offensive talent, but they've not been able to turn that talent into success.

The problem is that their pitching staff has been one of the worst due to injuries.  First John Lackey and Randy Johnson were on the DL, now Fausto Carmona and Jason Isringhausen are. Billy Wagner has been dominant in the bullpen, but Todd Jones hasn't been helping.  The Fox needs to counterbalance his weak staff with smart spot-starts and good waiver-wire scouting.  

Agree or disagree with my thoughts, just let me hear about it.

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Flapjacks Power Rankings Week 5

Let's take a quick look at how the teams in my Yahoo H2H keeper league stack up. I'm pretty busy this week, and there's only a couple of teams changing spots, so no commentary right now. We do have a number one and two, so I'll probably have to add in some comments later.

4/22/08 Flapjacks Power Rankings
(Season record and last week's rankings in parentheses. )

1. Dinos (21-17-2) (2)
2. The Balls (27-12-1) (3)
3. Macafeys (23-16-1) (1)
4. Butt Admirals (25-10-5) (4)
5. Screaming Lemurs (18-18-4) (5)
6. Adrian's Revenge (26-14-0) (6)
7. Summer Fox (16-22-2) (7)
8. Tossers (17-20-3) (8)
9. Naterade (13-27-0) (9)
10. Val Kilmer's Asshole (17-20-3) (10)
11. Dissect Yourself (9-27-4) (11)
12. Self Indulgence (14-23-3) (12)

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Flapjacks Power Rankings Week 4

Here we are with another look at the teams in my Yahoo H2H keeper league. This week's power rankings will be somewhat brief. Feel free to provide your bonus commentary in the comments section.



4/22/08 Flapjacks Power Rankings
(Season record and last week's rankings in parentheses. )

1. Macafeys (21-9-0) (1)
Tim's hold on the top spot is starting to look a little tenous. He continues to dominate almost every category, and almost every batter on his roster is hitting over .300 for the past week. Reasons to worry: Jimmy Rollins will miss two weeks with an ankle injury, and the pitching staff has a thin margin of error with Roy Halladay, Carlos Zambrano, and Brett Myers the only established stars. Reasons to be hopeful: Despite hitting a combined .230 over the last week, Carlos Gomez and Michael Bourn are stealing every chance they get, with 10 SB's over the same period.


2. Dinos (18-10-2) (2)
I was this close to moving the Dinos into the top spot based on their incredible offensive performance last week. 18 HR and 67 RBI? I'd like some of that. Chase Utley is trying to complete the MVP-trio in Philly, with 6 HR in the past week. Old man Miguel Tejada is hitting like he's 31, and Joey Votto is really coming alive with 4 HR and 10 RBI in the last seven games. The rotation was almost as incredible, with 5 starters throwing shutouts for 31 innings. Why couldn't I rank the Dinos first? Their offense was amazing, but not as solid from top to bottom as Tim's was. And while the pitching staff has been very good, they share a lot of the same questions about depth with Tim, especially if Ben Sheets' triceps injury lingers throughout the season. Homer Bailey should be called up in a week or two; his arrival could answer those questions.


3. The Balls (20-9-1) (3)
The Balls' pitching staff took a hit when Erik Bedard joined Pedro Martinez on the DL, but Jake Peavy continues to amaze, and Adam Wainwright pitched like an ace in his last two starts with 12 K's in 14.2 innings. The bullpen should be okay, despite Eric Gagne's blowup over the weekend, though age could be catching up to Trevor Hoffman. Both Hanley Ramirez and Garrett Atkins are showing their power, with 3 HR each in the past week, and Carlos Quentin is making the case for more playing time, also hitting 3 HR. Gaining Mike Cameron back from suspension next week should add some much needed speed to the team.


4. Butt Admirals (18-7-5) (6)
With three straight weeks of winning records, the Admirals vault up two spots. Both the offense and the pitching have been solid; Edwin Encarnacion is surging, and Dustin Pedroia is showing some power with 6 extra-base hits and 8 RBI in seven games. Both the rotation and the bullpen continue to be dominant, though Bobby Jenks did blow a save pitching in his third game in a row. The bad news: Prince Fielder is still hitting less than his weight, and Grady Sizemore hasn't homered since Opening Day.


5. Screaming Lemurs (13-14-3) (5)
The Lemurs remain in the fifth spot after tying Adrian's Revenge (my team) 5-5 in last week's matchup. The matchup could have easily been 7-3 in the Lemurs favor, so they move above the Adrian's in the rankings. Even though Ryan Braun and Placido Polanco have performed below expectations, the offense has been productive, though they could use some power. Brandon Webb continues to be the ace of the staff, which is leading the league in overall K's. This team is continuing to punt saves, so they need solid production in WHIP and ERA in order to stay competitive.


6. Adrian's Revenge (20-10-0) (4)
My team underperformed last week, with five regulars hitting .200 or worse. Josh Willingham and Mark Teixeira have been bright spots, and Hunter Pence is finally starting to hit, but Brian Roberts, Ryan Zimmerman and Rick Ankiel have hit a combined .170 over the past week. Encouraging starts from the rotation: Rich Hill pitched well in his last start, Ervin Santana has proven to be a decent pickup, with 8 K's in his last start, and the bullpen hasn't allowed a run in 9.1 innings. Still waiting for Ted Lilly to come around.


7. Summer Fox (10-18-2) (8)
The Fox moves up a spot due to good pitching and a good bullpen. Both Todd Jones and Billy Wagner are perfect in save opportunities so far, and Jason Isringhausen is tied for the lead in saves. The rest of the rotation needs a resurgence, as only Fausto Carmona pitched well last week. Beyond Adrian Beltre and Aaron Rowand, the offense has been struggling, though Ichiro is starting to run, with 2 of his 3 steals coming in the last week.

8. The Tossers (10-18-2) (7)
The Tossers have started to come alive offensively, with good weeks by Conor Jackson and Alex Rodriguez. Brad Hawpe looks to be coming out of his early season slump; since his BA dropped below .200, he's had six hits in the past three games. The bad news: Gary Sheffield is still dealing with shoulder issues, and Travis Hafner has had only 6 extra-base hits all year. The good news: Kaz Matsui is hitting .313 with 5 runs since being activated from the DL. Get that guy in the lineup, Troost.

9. Naterade (9-21-0) (10)
Naterade's continues to get great offensive production from almost everyone on his roster. Russell Martin has started to heat up after a putrid start to the season, hitting 2 HR in the past week. Justin Morneau, Nick Markakis, and Edgar Renteria are hitting a combined .350 with 7 HR and 18 RBI in the last week. The injury to Rafael Soriano leaves Nate a bit shorthanded in the bullpen, but he was able to pick up Manny Acosta, who should see some save opportunities in Soriano's place.

10. Val Kilmer's Asshole (11-18-1) (9)
The Kilmer's offense is staying afloat, despite not being able to field a complete roster due to injuries. Jose Reyes and David Ortiz have finall come alive; Reyes hit his first two homers of the year last week, and Ortiz has 12 RBI in his last six games. Andruw Jones is still struggling, though he did hit his first home run of the year over the weekend. Scott Rolen could be back in a week, so at least Mark will be able to roster a full squad. The pitching staff had a horrible week, with almost everyone getting shelled. The good news is that it looks like B.J. Ryan will get the majority of save opportunitiesfor the Blue Jays as long as he can stay healthy.

11. Dissect Yourself (7-21-2) (11)
Micah's team had a decent last week, though they had the unfortunate task of facing the Macafeys. Manny Ramirez has been tearing it up, Xavier Nady continues to hit, and Juan Pierre is finding a way to steal bases despite limited at bats, but the infield is struggling. Losing Alfsono Soriano last week to a calf injury doesn't help, but the Cubs hope to have him back in a week. Even though he's not closing, Carlos Marmol has been very valuable to Micah's team, striking out nine in five innings with a 1.80 ERA. Trading for Roy Oswalt and Oliver Perez is paying off in dividends so far; they combined for 3 Wins, 17 K's and a 2.20 ERA. Add Yovani Gallardo coming off the DL and picking up where he left off last year, and two solid starts from Brad Penny, and this pitching staff looks like it's turning around.

12. Self Indulgence (10-18-2) (12)
Self Indulgence had a tough matchup against the Admirals that could have gone either way; the offense was very solid, but the team was let down by poor pitching. Chipper Jones has been on a tear, hitting .538 with 4 HR in the past week; hopefully his hot streak won't be hampered by a sore quadriceps. Despite a poor BA, the team is finding ways to score runs and knock guys in. For the most part, the bullpen has struggled recently, and the bullpen may be down a closer if Jeremy Accardo starts losing saves to B.J. Ryan. Chien-Ming Wang had a poor start, but at least Johan Santana is pitching well with 10 K's in seven innings.


Questions, comments, disagreements? Let me know in the commentary.

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Flapjacks Power Rankings Week 3

It's time for to take another look at the power rankings for my Yahoo H2H keeper league. This is probably only interesting for the 12 owners in the league, so feel free to move on to another article if this isn't something you want to read. We have a more movement this week than ever before, so click the link to read more.


4/14/08 Flapjacks Power Rankings
(Season record and last week's rankings in parentheses. )

1. Macafey (12-8-0) (1)
Tim retains the number one spot in the rankings with another strong offensive output this week. His team is leading the league in RBI, SB and Saves. Alex Gordon is really coming along, hitting .409 over the past week, and overall the offense is really clicking, but there are some issues with this team. The bullpen could be in trouble with Brian Wilson struggling and Jeremy Accardo giving up his closer role to a reactivated B.J. Ryan. Losing Rich Harden to injury hurts a pitching staff that lacks experience. Jimmy Rollins has missed a few games due to an injured ankle; hopefully this doesn't adversely affect his stolen base output for the year. Even with those problems, this team matches up well with almost everyone in the league.

2. Dinos (11-7-2) (2)
Another team that stayed put, the Dinos are leading the league in average, due to hot starts by Miguel Tejada, Chone Figgins, and Eric Byrnes. Once Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Howard start to produce like we know they can, this could be the best offense in the league, even with the recent injury to Jorge Posada. For the pitching staff Ben Sheets continues to pitch well, and Tim Lincecum dominated last week with 18 K's in two starts. On a down note, Chad Cordero did not pitch well his first appearance since being reactivated from the DL. And on a bright note, Joey Votto is making the case for more playing time with a .429 average in his last 14 at bats.

3. The Balls (11-8-1) (3)
The Balls' strength is in their pitching staff; they are leading the league in ERA and WHIP, and tied for first in Wins. Though the staff had some trouble last week, specifically the outings of Jake Peavy, Adam Wainwright, and Erik Bedard, they were helped out with strong outings by Greg Maddux and Zack Greinke. At the plate, Albert Pujols is looking like his old self, with three HR last week, and Hanley Ramirez is really hitting well. Losing Shane Victorino to the DL is not comforting, especially if his calf injury limits his ability to run; the Balls are second to last in SB.

4. Adrian's Revenge (15-5-0) (6)
Leading the league in HR and Runs, my team was paced by strong weeks from Raul Ibanez and Peralta. The offense is looking solid in every category but BA. I need better production from Ryan Zimmerman and Hunter Pence if I want to compete, but the pickup of Joe Crede could help a lot if he can stay healthy and produce like he did in 2006. A great pitching week by Javier Vasquez was overshadowed by the injury to Matt Garza (who could be out for a month), the Cubs skipping Rich Hill's next start due to his control issues, and the struggles of Jon Rauch to prove that he is worthy of the closer role. The addition of Ted Lilly could solidify the staff if he can overcome his rough start.

5. Screaming Lemurs (8-9-3) (4)
Other than Billy Butler, Ian Kinsler, and Rafael Furcal, the Lemurs really struggled for offense last week. Adding Mark Reynolds to the squad helps, but a lot of high draft picks are struggling to start the season, and Curtis Granderson has yet to swing a bat since he was injured during spring training. The Lemurs have been carried by their pitching staff, which is leading in K's and tied for the lead in Wins. Brandon Webb and Cole Hamels have anchored a very solid rotation, which is 6-3-1 in pitching categories over the first two weeks.

6. Butt Admirals (13-4-3) (8)
The Admirals' offense struggled a little on at the plate, but dominated on the basepaths last week with 12 SB's; they're second in the league with 20 SB's overall. Vladimir Guerrero is looking good, and Nate McLouth's hot start continues, but Prince Fielder has yet to perform like a first-round pick. The rotation's Big 3 of Josh Beckett, Dan Haren, and Aaron Harang combined for 4 Wins last week, and the pitching staff is 2nd in the league in WHIP.

7. The Tossers (5-13-2) (5)
The Tossers have lost their first two matchups due to a lack of production from some key figures, but none more notable than Alex Rodriguez who has yet to perform like the number-one overall player in fantasy baseball. Brad Hawpe, Michael Young, and Gary Sheffield have all underperformed as well, though Bengie Molina and Casey Kotchman have been bright spots so far. On the pitching side, Chris Young was expected to be an ace, but he was shelled last week by an underwhelming Dodgers' team. The lack of save opportunities for Takashi Saito must be frustrating for The Tossers. If Joe Saunders can continue his success, he could be a nice addition to a staff that is near the bottom of the league in terms of ERA and WHIP.

8. Summer Fox (8-10-2) (10)
Summer Fox had a solid offensive showing, which was aided by the waiver-wire pickup of Jason Kubel right before his 6-RBI game. Jason Bay is starting to show signs of life with 3 HR and 5 RBI in the past week, though the team still needs Kenji Johjima, Ichiro Suzuki, and Jose Guillen to step up. Despite having a decent rotation, the pitching staff is last in the league in K's. Having Randy Johnson back from the DL should help, as long as he can stay healthy.

9. Val Kilmer's Asshole (10-9-1) (7)
Mark's pitching staff was shelled last week, and AJ Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny, and Jeff Francis have not had good starts to the season, leading to a a league-worst ERA.. The staff should be better than it is, and it will help to have Scott Kazmir back in a week or two. Mark's gotten good offensive production, though the team is last in BA. Jeremy Hermida has hit well since comign off the DL.

10. Naterade (6-14-0) (12)
Rising from the league's cellar, Natarade has been sparked by Justin Upton (who Natarade received from me for Hunter Pence in a trade last year), who is hitting .400 for the season with five home runs, though he has yet to steal a base. This team needs Justin Morneau and Russell Martin to produce if they want to make the playoffs, though Andre Ethier has been a bright spot to begin the season. Injuries to Francisco Rodriguez and Dontrelle Willis weaken the rotation, but the addition of Tim Hudson helps a lot, and Johnny Cueto was a great pickup. Natarade will need more outings like the one Chad Billingsley had on Sunday and less outings like the one Francisco Liriano had.

11. Dissect Yourself (6-12-2) (11)
Dissect Yourself showed a lot of power last week with 11 HR, but his squad is second-to-last in BA. Matt Holliday is playing like an MVP, but Troy Tulowitzki appears to have forgotten how to hit. With C.C. Sabathia struggling and J.J. Putz on the DL, Micah's staff is near the bottom in almost every pitching category. Yovani Gallardo's return from the DL can't come quickly enough.

12. Self Indulgence (7-13-0) (9)
Self Indulgence also showed a lot of power, as Carlos Pena bashed four last week, but they have struggled to hit and steal bases. Derek Jeter missed six games due to injury, and Magglio Ordonez and Joe Mauer have both been pitiful at the plate. A lack of playing time for Matt Kemp is frustrating, because he hit .500 last week in 12 at bats. For the pitching staff, the two-headed attack of Chien-Ming Wang and Johan Santana has been lights-out (though Santana had an uncharacteristically bad start last week), but the bullpen hasn't been pretty. This can be a good team, if the offense can get it together.

Agree or disagree, let me hear you.

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Flapjacks Power Rankings 4/7

For those playing in our Yahoo H2H league, here is a look at the power rankings as we head into the second week. Not much movement yet since it's only been one week, but we do have a new #1. Click the link to read more.

4/7/08 Flapjacks Power Rankings
(Season record and last week's rankings in parentheses. )


1. The Macafeys (7-3-0) (2)
The Macafeys move into the top spot with a solid offense, sparked by an impressive display of speed, led by Michael Bourn and Carlos Gomez with 4 steals each. Derek Lee provided the power with 3 HR. Rich Harden has helped by staying healthy and striking out 15 in his first two starts. Tim's bullpen is a little shaky, but Jeremy Accardo recorded 3 saves last week, and the rotation should be good enough to career any reliever missteps. Keep an eye on Alex Gordon, as he could be starting to heat up.

2. The Dinos (5-5-0) (3)
Jonathan received a great week from Ben Sheets, who will carry The Dino's pitching staff as long as he stays healthy. Also important to the rotation's success was John Smoltz's first start back from injury, where he struck out 6 in 5 innings, and Joe Nathan's 3 saves. The offense was a bit sluggish last week, batting .264, but the power is there, led by Chase Utley's 3 HR. Watch out once Ryan Howard and Miguel Cabrera start to hit. A bright spot is the early success of J.D. Drew, hitting .375 with 2 HR to start the season.

3. The Balls (6-3-1) (1)
The Balls drop a couple of spots this week, despite the great starts of Jake Peavy and Pat Burrell. Losing Pedro Martinez hurts, and the bullpen imploded a bit the first week, but the strong first start by Edison Volquez give hope for future success. The offense is starting to look weak on the bench, with poor starts by Milton Bradley and Dave Roberts. Brubaker needs players like Robinson Cano and Garrett Atkins to start raking.

4. Screaming Lemurs (6-3-1) (4)
Lemurs remain in the 4th spot for the second week in a row. Strong starts by Ian Kinsler, Ryan Braun, and Rafael Furcal have help offset last week's injury to Victor Martinez, and Carl Crawford's inability to hit so far this season. Lemurs have a strong staff, led by Brandon Webb and Cole Hamels, though it looks like their lack of closers will keep them from winning the saves category each week.

5. The Tossers (3-7-0) (5)
The offense is looking strong, led by Alex Rodriguez, Torii Hunter and Corey Hart, but Troost needs a healthy Gary Sheffield and a productive Brad Hawpe to be able to move up in the rankings. Troost's staff pitched poorly, despite great starts by Chris Young and Derek Lowe. Takashi Saito and Francisco Cordero helped out by both picking up a win and a save last week. Disappointing to see that Jason Bartlett has not stolen a base yet.

6. Adrian's Revenge (5-5-0) (7)
The whole rotation kind of fell on its face last week, but my team gets a boost with the return of Brad Lidge. Despite an early failure, Kerry Wood went on the save 3 games. Ian Snell had a very promising second start, striking out 10 in 6 innings. The offense hasn't looked good at the plate, but they did hit a league high 17 HR last week, led by Rick Ankiel and Chris Young with 3 each. If Mark Teixiera would wake up, this offense could be quite good. The rotation still needs some work, though.

7. Val Kilmer's Asshole (3-6-1) (6)
Mark's team drops a spot because of poor weeks from Justin Verlander, Hustin Street, Lance Berkman and Andruw Jones. Mark adds Michael Cuddyer, out for at least two weeks, to a growing list of injured players. Not much offense here if his stars don't hit. Joe Blanton has been pretty solid to begin the season, and Vernon Wells has been swinging the bat well.

8. Butt Admirals (7-2-1) (10)
The Admirals move up two spots based on his solid, balanced offense, and the solid relief work by Bobby Jenks and Joakim Soria. The strong starts by Kosuke Fukodome and Nate McLouth have really helped this team out. Those two will probably fade after a while, so the Admirals success will depend on whether their infield can heat up and whether Josh Beckett can stay healthy. Aaron Harang has been a bright spot on the pitching staff. The Admirals could use another decent closer if they want to stay competitive.

9. Self Indulgence (7-3-0) (8)
Self Indulgence got good first weeks out of Chipper Jones and Carlos Delgado, but the rest of the offense has been pretty anemic. His rotation has been a bright spot, with great starts by Johan Santana, Chien-Ming Wang and Jered Weaver, but his relief pitching has been less than stellar. This team could move up quickly if their offense can put together a couple solid weeks in a row.

10. Summer Fox (3-6-1) (9)
Summer Fox has been hurt by slow starts by Jason Bay and Ichiro, but he's getting a lot of production from his middle infielders, such as Aaron Hill, Yunel Escobar, and Brandon Phillips. Tim Hudson and Daisuke Matsuzaka have both pitched well in their first couple of starts. Summer Fox is waiting for John Lackey and Randy Johnson to come off the DL, and for Colby Rasmus and Brandon Wood to come up from the minors, but until that happens, this team will be in the lower part of the rankings. Having Billy Wagner and Jason Isringhausen as closers is the team's strength.

11. Dissect Yourself (2-7-1) (11)
Some good offensive production but hot starters like Xavier Nady and Corey Patterson, but this team is going to be hurting until guys like Alfonso Soriano, Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki can hit above the Mendoza Line. Losing J.J. Putz to the DL is a tough break, as C.J. Wilson is the only other pitcher on this team getting save opportunities. Some good starts by Brad Penny and Jon Lester.

12. Naterade (3-7-0) (12)
This team has the potential to move up because of the high upside of its youngsters, but it's going to be hard, as younger players tend to be streaky early on. Howie Kendrick is on fire, hitting .444 with 2 stolen bases, and Justin Upton is showing his power early, with 3 HR. But Justin Morneau, Edgar Renteria, and Russell Martin have all hit poorly so far. Felix Hernadez has been an ace, and rookie pitchers Johnny Cueto and Hiroki Kuroda both had solid debuts. The bullpen is solid, but watch out that Francisco Rodriguez doesn't end up on the DL soon. This team has talent, but it might take a few weeks to put it together.

Thoughts or opinions? Let me know in the comments section.

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Flapjacks Power Rankings

So, just for kicks, I will be periodically ranking the teams in my league. I'm sure this holds no interest for anyone but the managers in my league, so feel free to move along to the next post.

3/31/08 Flapjacks Power Rankings

1. The Balls
This team's #1 ranking is dependent on how long Albert Pujols can stay in the lineup. The Balls have arguably the best pitching staff in our league, led by Erik Bedard and Jake Peavy. They need healthy seasons from both Hank Blalock and Milton Bradley, especially Pujols opts for surgery.

2. The Macafeys
They probably have the best offense in the league, led by David Wright, Jimmy Rollins, and B.J. Upton. They'll get even better if Alex Gordon can take the next step forward. Their pitching could use some help, but a healthy Rich Harden will go a long way to strengthening their staff.

3. The Dinos
Dinos have a strong offense, but they need both Lastings Milledge and Joey Votto to take the next step, a healthy J.D. Drew, and a bounce-back year from Richie Sexson. Injury questions on their pitching staff keeps them from ranking higher. John Smoltz starting on the DL hurt their ranking this week.

4. The Screaming Lemurs
The Lemurs have a very balanced offense, with quite a few guys who run and hit for power. If Billy Butler can continue his strong spring training start, the Lemurs could move up a spot. Their rotation is strong, but they appear to be punting saves, and their pitchers at the back of the rotation (Kevin Millwood, Wandy Rodriguez, Jake Westbrook) are not very good.

5. The Tossers
The Tossers have a strong offense with lots of power, led Alex Rodriguez, Travis Hafner, Nick Swisher, and Brad Hawpe. They do need another ace to help Chris Young anchor their pitching staff, as it's a steep drop from Young to the rest of their pitchers.

6. Val Kilmer's Asshole
They could have the best pitching staff if Scott Kazmir and B.J. Ryan can come back strong from injury and if A.J. Burnett can stay healthy. Until then, this roster is filled with injured players such as Scott Rolen, Jeremy Hermida, and Jerry Owens. They don't have enough healthy batters to fill all of their active roster spots.

7. Adrian's Revenge
My team has a good offense, but I probably have the worst pitching rotation. Hopefully Brad Lidge will stay healthy. I need Ian Snell, Rich Hill, and Matt Garza to take the next step forward to improve my staff. My offense could get a boost if Chris B. Young and Hunter Pence improve this year.

8. Self Indulgence
They will have a good offense, especially if Matt Kemp is as good as advertised. They need Jeff Kent and Ken Griffey Jr. to stay healthy, and they need to add depth to their pitching staff. They have Johan Santana, but not that much after him.

9. Summer Fox
Summer Fox could move up a couple of spot if he improves his roster, which has a few open spots due to players being sent down to the minors. Losing John Lackey hurts. He needs a bounce-back season from Jason Bay, and improvements from Stephen Drew and Yunel Escobar.

10. Butt Admirals
The Admirals could have a dominant pitching staff if Josh Beckett can stay healthy. The offense will struggle because he's depending on guys like Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Garko, Nate McClouth, and Kosuke Fukudome to make the leap to the next level.

11. Dissect Yourself
They have a good offense, but their pitching staff is hurting. They need Yovani Gallardo to be healthy, and they need another ace. Clay Buchholz could become that ace, but it might not happen this year.

12. Naterade
Naterade has the worst offense in the league, and they could have the worst pitching if Francisco Liriano doesn't come back in top form. His offense has the most upside of any team in the league, so he could move up the rankings fast if his team as a hot start.

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