OK so it is really early in the season but its never too early to get out some power rankings. Clearly I won’t be looking too far into the early season record but it will play some sort of impact. And with that, away we go….

1) Detroit Tigers (3-0) – The Tigers have already shown they don’t need defense because they’re able to put up almost 9 runs per game. They refuse to quit, mounting two late comebacks. The power is real, the pitching is real. They are a force to be reckoned with.

2) St. Louis Cardinals (3-1) – The Cardinals won the World Series last year without ace Wainwright. They begin the year without Carpenter and look like a contender once again. They outperformed my favorite NL Central team in the Brewers and looked prime to make a run for back-to-back championships.

3) Tampa Bay Rays (3-0) – The Rays had an impressive start sweeping the Yankees at home. The first two games were won surprisingly with their bats instead of their pitchers. The Rays staff is legit and if they can keep their bats going, they will be a real contender for the World Series this season.

4) Texas Rangers (2-1) – The Rangers looked very strong shutting down the White Sox bats. It was surprising to see their pitchers outperform their hitters so much but I’m not concerned about either aspect of the defending AL Champs.

5) Arizona Diamondbacks (3-0) – The Diamondbacks won the division last year and they started off by sweeping their division rivals. Most impressively, the Diamondbacks scored 17 runs against what is supposed to be one of the best 1-2-3 starters in the league.

6) Los Angeles Angels (1-2) – I know the Angels just lost to the Royals at home, but their team is too stacked to think about dropping far down this early. They still had the 5th best batting average thus far and Pujols is still adjusting to his new team. Weaver picked up where he left off and there’s a lot to be excited about in LA.

7) Los Angeles Dodgers (3-1) – The Dodgers have a strong rotation based around Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and one of the best players in the league in Matt Kemp. I don’t think they have the depth to end up one of the better teams but until I’m proven right, they belong near the top of the list.

8) Kansas City Royals (2-1) – The biggest surprise from opening weekend in my opinion was the Royals winning 2-1 against the Angels in LA. After being shut out by Weaver, the Royals took it to Haren and Santana to win the series. They looked very strong out of the gate.

9) San Francisco Giants (0-3) – My way of saying, I’m not worried. They got swept by one of the best teams in the NL but their staff is one of the best. The Giants will turn it around in no time.

10) Milwaukee Brewers (1-2) – The Brewers got a reminder of why the Cardinals won last year and they did not. However, the Brewers are for real and have a very strong staff and lots of power. Their ranking could be very volatile depending on how this week goes for them.

11) Boston Red Sox (0-3) – Big difference between the 0-3 Sox and 0-3 Yankees in my opinion. Sox clearly have some bullpen issues but I think they have a lot more depth otherwise. They went against the toughest offense in the game but showed they have some pop of their own. Their high ranking is my way of saying I’m not worried about Boston at all.

12) New York Mets (3-0) – Crazy right?! Maybe. The issue with the Mets has never really been a lack of talent. It’s been the misuse of talent, injuries, and some bad luck. Johan is back in a big way, Wright got off to a hot start and Duda may be as good as his believers thought he could be. A sweep of their division rivals is the hot start they needed and there’s no reason the Mets can’t have a strong season. (At least until the injuries, mismanagement, and bad luck come around).

13) Cincinnati Reds (2-1) – The Reds looked good against the Marlins at home but I don’t see anything exciting in them. They have a good staff and an above average lineup but other than Votto, no one on the team makes me say wow.

14) Philadelphia Phillies (1-2) – Maybe it’s out of spite that I put the Phillies below the Mets. Maybe I’m crazy. Or maybe it’s because the Phillies pitching did exactly what they’re supposed to and they still lost 2 of 3 to the Pirates (who haven’t had a winning season since before I knew what baseball was). Their offense is a BIG concern and age and injuries are a major factor.

15) Toronto Blue Jays (2-1) – The Blue Jays have one of the most balanced teams. They beat Cleveland in back to back extra inning games (winning both 7-4 which is a strange extra inning score) before dropping the third game 4-3. Their bats are off to a slow start but they have a high powered offense and will likely turn it around.

16) New York Yankees (0-3) – They are pretty far down on the list just for an 0-3 start but a lot of the reason is just because I don’t believe. CC is the only starter I believe in, Mo, Jeter, and A-Rod are all getting old and Cano is really the only hitter I’m truly afraid of in the lineup. After the first series, the Yankees have the worst WHIP in the league and an ERA of 5.92.

17) Baltimore Orioles (3-0) – Three straight wins is great but they were against a not so great Twins team. That being said, the Orioles pitching staff only allowed 3 earned runs with 16 Ks and 8 walks. The hitters also got 5 HRs in the three games resulting in outscoring the Twins 15-5.

18) Washington Nationals (2-1) – Hard to not be excited about all the talent on the team but their hitting is not quite there yet. They have very strong pitching and if Strasburg stays healthy, they have a potential Cy Young candidate. However, Zimmerman needs to prove he can get back to form for them to be successful. Morse coming back from the DL could prove to be a huge boost too.

19) Pittsburgh Pirates (2-1) – Starting the year 2-1 against the team with the best record in the NL last season is a great start. They won’t face much stronger pitchers although they do go against Kershaw this week. I like a lot of what I see in the Pirates and think this could be their year to finally put together a winning season.

20) Houston Astros (2-1) – Let’s be real, Houston will not be in the playoffs this season. However, their pitching staff was impressive against the Rockies and winning the series is a big momentum boost. That being said, don’t expect to see a winning record on many power rankings in the future.

21) Seattle Mariners (3-1) – Last year you could expect Felix to allow 2 runs and not get the win. This year he allowed 6 runs and pulled out the victory because the Mariners got some runs. That being said, they played a not so quality A’s team and I’m not willing to get too excited about it.

22) Miami Marlins (1-3) – The Marlins have a ton of talent. I think they have a real shot at the NL East title but until I see them put it all together, I can’t give them too much credit. A run differential of -3 in 4 games shows they’ve been right there in every game but they need to put a few wins together.

23) Cleveland Indians (1-2) – The Indians had all three starters begin the year with quality starts which is good to see. In fact, Jimenez had a no-hitter through 6 innings. However, the 2nd worst batting average in the league is emphasizing the flaws in the Indians which is there not so threatening lineup.

24) Atlanta Braves (0-3) – The Braves have a ton of talent but their opening series was worthy of being dropped way down. They had the worst batting average and now have the second worst OBP, WHIP, and BAA and they played a Mets team which is supposed to finish in the basement of the division. Expect a big turnaround next week but for now, this is where they stand.

25) Chicago Cubs (1-2) – The Cubs may not be looking to win their first World Series since 1908 but that doesn’t mean they won’t put together a solid season. Garza and Castro give fans a reason to come to the game and they may pull off some surprise wins.

26) Chicago White Sox (1-2) – Winning 1 game against the defending AL Champs was more than I expected. The White Sox pitching staff was impressive against the tough Texas lineup but their bats were pathetic hitting only .192 and scoring 6 runs in 3 games. Dunn’s opening day homerun was a positive but their team is far from being a playoff contender.

27) Oakland Athletics (1-3) – Some exciting players to watch in Oakland and they may end up better than expected. However, winning 1 of 4 against the 3rd best team in the AL West does not bode well for the rest of the season.

28) Colorado Rockies (1-2) – Losing 2 of 3 to the Astros is not the way to start the year. I don’t see Colorado putting together a very good season and I expect them towards the bottom of this list often during the year.

29) San Diego Padres (1-2) – The Padres have no one that I care to watch and allowing 21 runs in 3 games in one of the best pitchers parks in the majors shows they are not ready to contend any time soon.

30) Minnesota Twins (0-3) – The Twins scored only 5 runs against the Orioles which is the fewest of any team in the league. They had no standout pitching performances and don’t have much to seem excited about.