My Mets Power Rankings this week have Ryan Church finally getting over that hurdle and claiming that top spot.
Dropped out of the Top-10: Mets fans. Welcome to the club: Carlos Beltran andLuis Castillo.
1) Ryan Church (LF/CF/RF) Last week: No. 2
Notes: Last week I claimed Church hadn't had an "eye-opening moment" worthy of the No. 1 ranking. Well, he must have been reading, because he turned it up another notch and now he's being rewarded for it.
2) Billy Wagner (CL) Last week: No. 1
Notes: Wager didn't allow an earned run last week, but that doesn't mean his only outing was pretty. A simple look at the stats won't show anything other than an increased WHIP, but Billy got busted up against the Reds.
3) Johan Santana (SP) Last week: No. 3
Notes: Is Santana ever going to live up to the hype? He had a less than spectacular week, but it was still better than most of the starting staff. Basically, by default, Santana claims the No. 3 spot.
4) Scott Schoeneweis (RP) Last week: No. 6
Notes: As was the case last week, Schoeneweis dominated when called upon. He hasn't given up a run since April 19 and appears to be the Mets most consistent bullpen arm.
5) Jose Reyes (SS) Last week: No. 4
Notes: From this point on down, it's a bit of a crapshoot offensively. No one has really stood out on a consistent basis, and Reyes is a perfect example of that. Last week I noted that he was on a hot streak, but assured it would turn cold. Sure enough, he promptly went 5-for-24.
Notes: There are times when Maine looks like the Mets best pitcher, and last week vs. the Dodgers was one of those times. Still, he's got a lot to prove before he can make any significant strides on this list.
8) Carlos Delgado (1B) Last week: No. 9
Notes: Two weeks in a row for Delgado? That's impressive, but I wouldn't count on his hot-streak continuing. Mr. Carlos will eventually revert back into the average hitter he's become.
9) Carlos Beltran (CF) Last week: N/A
Notes:It's about time Beltran showed up! Now he needs to continue to earn all that money. He's got a long way to go, but it's better late than never.
My Yankees Power Rankings this week have Mariano Rivera reclaiming the top spot.
Dropped out of the Top-10: Bobby Murcer. Welcome to the club: Robinson Cano and Jason Giambi.
1) Mariano Rivera (CL) Last Week: No. 3
Notes: I've asked this before, but I'll ask it again: What can you say about Rivera without repeating yourself? He had another dominating week and has yet to give up a run this season. At this point, he's too good for the word dominant.
2) Hideki Matsui (RF) Last Week: No. 5
Notes: It's time to give Matsui his due. He's been the most consistent batter for New York all season, and last week was no exception. He silently gets the job done each and every time he goes out there. What more can you ask for?
3) Chien-Ming Wang (SP) Last Week: No. 2
Notes: Wang picked up a loss last week, but it was through no fault of his own. He went heads-up with the Indians'Cliff Lee, who was able to stonewall the Yankees' offense. Still, he held his own and kept New York in the game.
4) Melky Cabrera (CF) Last Week: No. 1
Notes: Melky had a rough week, but he'd have to prolong this little mini-slump to fall out of my Top-5. Along with Matsui, he's been one of the most consistent, and arguably most valuable players this season.
5) Derek Jeter (SS) Last Week: No. 7
Notes: Jeter's production isn't exactly what it's been in the past, but he's still been able to get it done on a daily basis. He finally picked up his first homerun of the season and appears ready for a classic Jeter stretch.
6) Darrell Rasner (SP) Last Week: No. 9
Notes:Two games, two wins. Rasner is never going to strike out the park or appear unhittable, but he will give the Yankees quality outings. There is absolutely no reason to believe his success at this level is a fluke -- Rasner is the real deal.
7) Kyle Fanrsworth (RP) Last Week: No. 8
Notes: I think it's safe to assume that Farnsworth is no longer Farnsworthless. He pitched 2.2 scoreless innings last week and dropped his season ERA to an even 3.00. Whatever button Joe Girardi pushed, was the right one.
8) Johnny Damon (OF/DH) Last Week: No. 4
Notes: When Damon is on fire, he's the king of the locker room. When he struggles, he's just that creepy guy who does naked pull-ups. Last week, unfortunately, he was that creepy guy doing naked pull-ups.
9) Bobby Abreu (RF) Last Week: No. 6
Notes: The wall will not eat you, Bobby! AH! Does Abreu's fear of the wall drive anyone else insane? At this point, I would trade all of his production at the plate for a routine out up against the wall. I'm tired of him turning flyouts into doubles or triples.
T-10) Robinson Cano (2B) Last Week: N/A
Notes: Robbie! I've been anxiously awaiting the moment I could put Cano on the Top-10. And after a solid week, I am finally able to do so. Robbie is currently riding a six-game hit streak (8-for-22) and it's beginning to look like he's gotten his stroke back.
T-10) Jason Giambi (1B) Last Week: N/A
Notes: This list would not have been complete if I didn't add Giambi. Like Cano, he finally snapped out of it last week and really turned it up a notch. And while I don't have much faith that this hot-streak will continue, I can't deny him a spot on theTop-10 list.
My Yankees Power Rankings this week have Melky Cabrera taking over the top spot.
Dropped out of the Top-10: Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada. Welcome to the club: Kyle Farnsworth, Darrell Rasner and Bobby Murcer.
1) Melky Cabrera (CF) Last Week: No. 3
Notes: Players and fans continue to overlook this kid. He had another fantastic week and now leads the Yankees with six HR. More importantly, he's getting the job done in every aspect of the game. What else does he need to do to get recognized?
2) Chien-Ming Wang (SP) Last Week: No. 1
Notes: Wang was dominant once again, but he's no Melky Cabrera. Still, another top of the line start has him hovering near the No. 1 spot.
Notes: Last week I declared "he's baaaaccckkk!" Well, I was right, and now I declare, "he's stayyiinnnggg!" It's nice to see Damon playing the way he's capable of playing; both offensively and defensively.
5) Hideki Matsui (RF) Last Week: No. 5
Notes: Outside of the Top-3, Godzilla has been one of the most consistent Yankees this season. And to think some fans actually wanted New York to trade him. What was I were you thinking?
6) Bobby Abreu (RF) Last Week: No. 7
Notes: Abreu moved up a spot with another solid week offensively. However, his fear of the wall prevented him from moving up any further. And let me tell you, it's a good thing he's hitting because Yankees fans are getting tired of his "defense" near the warning track.
7) Derek Jeter (SS) Last Week: No. 9
Notes: "Derek ... Jeter!" Do you ever get tired of hearing those chants? I certainly don't. It's been a pleasure to watch the captain for all of these years and it was a pleasure watching him turn things around last week.
8) Kyle Farnsworth (RP) Last Week: N/A
Notes: Farnsworth finds his way back onto this list after a rare but solid week. Good performances may come few and far between for Farnsy, but he's recently begun to look like the pitcher Brian Cashman hoped he'd get back in 2006.
9) Darrell Rasner (SP) Last Week: N/A
Notes:Phil Hughes this, Ian Kennedy that. People had forgotten about Rasner and shame on them. It took him only one start to do what Hughes and Kennedy were unable to do throughout April -- get a win!
10) Bobby Murcer (Announcer) Last Week: N/A
Notes: How great was it to hear Murcer's voice again? God bless ya', Bobby. And welcome back.
My Mets Power Rankings this week has Billy Wagner claiming the top spot ... again
Dropped out of the Top-10: Duaner Sanchez, Luis Castillo and Raúl Casanova. Welcome to the club: John Maine, Carlos Delgado and Mets fans.
1) Billy Wagner (CL) Last week: No. 1
Notes: Ho-hum. Wagner remains as dominant as ever, while no other Mets player performs at a level high enough to dethrone him. Fans should get an award for watching this team every day.
2) Ryan Church (LF/CF/RF) Last week: No. 2
Notes: Church played well again last week, but didn't really have an "eye-opening" moment capable of pushing him over the top. That said, he and Wagner are the only two Mets playing up to, or beyond, their ability at this point.
3) Johan Santana (SP) Last week: No. 5
Notes: Santana didn't earn a win last week, but was able to pitch slightly better than the league norm. For that very reason, we'll consider him the best of the worst (remaining). He earns the No. 3 spot.
4) Jose Reyes (SS) Last week: No. 7
Notes: Reyes is on another hot streak, so enjoy it while it lasts. He'll go 2-for-20 next week and fall back to No. 7 ... or worse. Can you say overrated? I won't say that, but "Let's Talk Baseball" will.
5) David Wright (3B) Last week: No. 6
Notes:How bad is New York's offense? Bad enough that a week batting .250 is good enough to get you ranked No. 5. On the bright side, Wright did showcase some power with two homers.
Notes: Like Schoeneweis, Feliciano didn't really do anything special last week. In fact, he had a WHIP of 1.50. Still, he didn't give up a run and that's good enough to make this Top-10.
8) John Maine (SP) Last week: NR
Notes: Maine actually looked decent last week and that will save him from any cruel jokes ... for now. But so help me, if he slips up next week, even a little bit, it's Maine-bashing time.
9) Carlos Delgado (1B) Last week: NR
Notes: You know things aren't going well when Delgado makes an appearance here. But after all, he did have one of his best weeks this season ... batting .250 with one HR and two RBI.
My Yankees Power Rankings this week has Chien-Ming Wang in the top spot.
Dropped out of the Top-10: Chad Moeller and Kyle Farnsworth. Welcome to the club: Wang, Jorge Posada and Jason Giambi.
1) Chien-Ming Wang (SP) Last Week: NR
Notes: Wang breaks into the Top-10 and immediately shoots to the No. 1 position after an extremely impressive week. Winning 38 games over the last two years may not be enough for most media outlets to consider him an ace, but Yankees fans are more than content.
2) Mariano Rivera (CL) Last Week: No. 4
Notes: Dominant. That's the only word that can be used to describe Mo this year. The 38-year old is throwing like he's 28, and has converted all eight of his save opportunities
3) Melky Cabrera (CF) Last Week: No. 6
Notes: "Cabrera will never be an every day starter." That was the general consensus when Melky burst onto the scene, but as they were with Wang, most of the media was dead wrong. And after he began starting regularly, it became, "he doesn't enough have enough power." Well, now Melky leads the Yankees with five home runs.
4) Johnny Damon (LF/CF/DH) Last Week: No. 5
Notes: He's baaaccckkk. After getting off to a slow start, Damon has absolutely caught fire. He's transformed himself back into the prototypical leadoff hitter and given the Yankees a spark at the top of the order.
5) Hideki Matsui (RF) Last Week: No. 8
Notes: Matsui is silently having a fantastic season so far. He's been one of the constants in a struggling New York lineup, and as he's done in years past, he's playing his best baseball outside of the spotlight.
6) Jorge Posada (C/DH) Last Week: NR
Notes: The good news for Posada is that he finally hit his offensive stride. The bad news is that his shoulder problems have landed him on the DL.
7) Bobby Abreu (RF) Last Week: No. 7
Notes: Abreu struggled a bit last week, but still managed to drive in some runs. His season seems to change from hot to cold with the blink of an eye, and if trends continue, he'll have a monster week this week.
8) Alex Rodriguez (3B) Last Week: No. 3
Notes: A-Rod is not living up to his MVP standards so far this year. He's currently in the middle of a mini-slump and playing more like it's 2006 than 2007. The Yankees really need him to turn it around ... and fast.
9) Derek Jeter (SS) Last Week: No. 2
Notes: Like A-Rod, Jeter is not playing up to his ability. Has age finally caught up with him? While I wouldn't go that far yet, there is reason for a little concern at this point.
10) Andy Pettitte (SP) Last Week: No. 1
Notes: Pettitte had a complete reversal of fortune last week. Luckily for most pitchers, they have five days to forget and move on. Don't expect to see too many bad starts from this seasoned veteran.
Honorable Mention: Jason Giambi (1B/DH) Last Week: NR
Notes: What's that? It's a Giambi sighting! The former "Bash Brother" finally decided to play a little baseball. And outside of a few blunders in the field, had an extremely solid week. He still has a ways to go before he cracks the Top-10, but he's finally taken a step in the right direction.
My Mets Power Rankings this week has Billy Wagner claiming the top spot.
Dropped out of the Top-10: Jorge Sosa, John Maine, Joe Smith and Oliver Perez. Welcome to the club: Luis Castillo, Scott Schoeneweis, Pedro Feliciano and Raúl Casanova.
1) Billy Wagner (CL) Last week: No. 2
Notes: Like his Yankees counterpart, Wagner has been absolutely dominant this year. In fact, dominant may be an understatement. He's given up a single hit in 10.0 IP and has a WHIP of 0.30.
2) Ryan Church (LF/CF/RF) Last week: No. 4
Notes: Church has been the most consistent week-to-week player on the Mets, and it's beginning to look like they made an excellent decision in trading for him.
3) Duaner Sanchez (RP) Last week: No. 5
Notes: Is that a slider he throws or some other pitch he picked up from Bugs Bunny? He's been one of the most successful non-closers in baseball this year, and is one of the major reasons the Mets are above .500 right now.
4) Luis Castillo (2B) Last week: NR
Notes: It took Castillo a little while to find his grove, but was finally able to come around last week. And while his season numbers still leave a little to be desired, he's more than deserving of the No. 4 spot.
5) Johan Santana (SP) Last week: No. 7
Notes: Santana still isn't living up to all the hype, but he's not exactly pitching poorly either. He's been the Mets most effective starter and will only get better as the year wears on.
6) David Wright (3B) Last week: No. 3
Notes: Like Santana, Wright isn't living up to the offseason hype. He's batting under .300 for the season and his power has yet to come around. Still, outside of Church, he's been one of the more consistent Mets hitters. Sadly, that's not saying very much.
7) Jose Reyes (SS) Last week: No. 1
Notes: After lighting up the box score two weeks ago, Reyes hit a rut last week. He's dropped from the No. 1 spot, and will likely be left off the list next week if he continues at this pace.
8) Scott Schoeneweis (RP) Last week: NR
Notes: Another dominant reliever for the Mets. It's beginning to seem like they take turns each week, and last week it happened to be Schoeneweis' turn.
9) Pedro Feliciano (RP) Last week: NR
Notes: Words cannot describe how awesome Feliciano pitched last week. He did his best Wagner impression and absolutely shut down opposing batters.
10) Raúl Casanova (C) Last week: NR
Notes: Casanova proved without a shadow of a doubt that he's more than capable of filling in when called upon. He had a huge week and really emerged as (temporarily) one of the Mets best hitters. While his hot hitting may not last, it has to be reassuring for Willie Randolph to know you can get that kind of production out of your backup catcher in a pinch.
Power Rankings have become popular over the years, but are rarely in depth. So, I decided to dig a little deeper and offer up a Player Power Rankings each week.
These rankings will list the Top-10 players (pitchers included) from each New York ballclub.
All rankings will be based solely on each individual's performance from the prior week only.
1) Jose Reyes (SS)
Notes: Reyes was absolutely on fire last week. The franchise batted .406 with two HRs, three RBI, seven runs and two stolen bases. What more could you want out of a leadoff man?
2) Billy Wagner (CL)
Notes: Although most of New York is focused on the resurgence of Mariano Rivera, Wagner has been close to unhittable. In 4.0 IP, he collected three saves with a 0.00 ERA.
Notes: Fans were a little disappointed when Omar Minaya signed Church, but things are certainly working out so far. He batted .357 with a HR, three RBI and nine runs scored.
Notes: Like Sanchez, Sosa really provided a decent spark out of the bullpen. While he wasn't quite as dominant, he managed a win, a 2.70 ERA and three strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
7) Johan Santana (SP)
Notes: You would expect to see a player like Santana much higher on this list, but he hardly lived up to the hype last week. Still, he managed a victory and 10 Ks in 7.0 IP.
8) John Maine (SP)
Notes: Although Maine picked up a loss, he pitched well in both games. In 12.2 IP, he managed a 2.84 ERA and struck out 10.
9) Joe Smith (RP)
Notes: Like the rest of the Mets relievers, Smith came up big at times. In 4.1 IP, he struck out four and had a respectable 2.08 ERA.
10) Oliver Perez (SP)
Notes: Perez was as inconsistent as he could be last week, but when all was said and done, he ended up with a 'W' and didn't give up a single run. In 5.2 IP, he did walk five, but also struck out seven.
Power Rankings have become popular over the years, but are rarely in depth. So, I decided to dig a little deeper and offer up a Player Power Rankings each week.
These rankings will list the Top-10 players (pitchers included) from each New York ballclub.
All rankings will be based solely on each individual's performance from the prior week only.
1) Andy Pettitte (SP)
Notes: Pettitte really stepped up his game last week with every other Yankees starter struggling. He compiled a 2-0 record with a 1.93 ERA in two games, while collecting 10 Ks in 14.0 IP.
2) Derek Jeter (SS)
Notes: The Captain was certainly on last week. After coming back from an injury, Jeter hit .387, scored four runs and collected 10 RBI in 31 at-bats.
3) Alex Rodriguez (3B)
Notes: A-Rod says he still hasn't found his swing this year, but you couldn't tell by the way he hit last week. He posted a .393 BA, hit two HR, drove in three runs and stole a base.
4) Mariano Rivera (CL)
Notes: Mo looks like he's 29 again. In 3.1 relief innings, Rivera collected two saves, while striking out four and posting a perfect 0.00 ERA.
5) Johnny Damon (LF/CF/DH)
Notes: Believe it or not, Damon actually had a fairly productive week. He hit two HR, scored seven times, stole a bag and drove in five. It looks like he's finally getting over that early season slump.
6) Melky Cabrera (CF)
Notes: While his batting average wasn't off the charts, Cabrera had himself another solid week. He hit his third HR of the season, collected two RBI and stole three bases. Who said this kid didn't have the talent to be a solid everyday player?
7) Bobby Abreu (RF)
Notes: Like Cabrera, Abreu didn't really light up the box score, but he certainly played well. In 26 at-bats, he hit a HR, drove in four and swiped a bag.
8) Hideki Matsui (LF/DH)
Notes: Godzilla (haven't heard that in a while) batted .292 with a home run, while scoring three runs and driving in three more.
9) Kyle Farnsworth (RP)
Notes: I don't like giving Farnsy too much credit, but he pitched two perfect innings last week. It's a shame he can't pitch like that all the time!
10) Chad Moeller (C)
Notes: You may think I'm crazy, but without Moeller, there is no telling where the Yankees would be. In place of the injured Jose Molina and ailing Jorge Posada, Moeller batted .350 with one home run and three RBI.
Latest Fan Comments