Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: The AL dominates the top of the rankings

By Bobby Mueller

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 26: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros celebrates in the clubhouse with Jose Altuve #27 after the Astros clinched the American League West division title after their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 26, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 26: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros celebrates in the clubhouse with Jose Altuve #27 after the Astros clinched the American League West division title after their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 26, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
MLB power rankings
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 28: Chris Davis #19 of the Baltimore Orioles watches the game during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 28, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /

MLB Power Rankings: Numbers 30 to 26

#30 Baltimore Orioles, 47-115 .290 (53-109 Expected Record)
-270 run-differential, 19-46, .292 since All-Star break

The 2018 Baltimore Orioles were the worst team in franchise history, which includes their ugly years as the St. Louis Browns. It wasn’t all the fault of Chris Davis, but he was a major contributor. With a .168/.243/.296 batting line, Davis had the fourth-worst season ever for a player with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title (based on Fangraphs WAR). That .168 batting average was the worst ever for a qualifying player and more than 11 points worse than the next two guys on the list, Rob Deer in 1991 and Dan Uggla in 2013, both of whom hit .179.

#29 Miami Marlins, 63-98, .391 (56-105 Expected Record)
-220 run-differential, 22-41, .349 since All-Star break

This season is in the running for one of the five worst seasons the Marlins have ever had and the fans are very aware of it, as they’ve stayed away in droves. The team finished dead last in attendance, averaging just over ten thousand fans per game. That’s just a bit more than some minor league teams. The Orioles lost 17 more games than the Marlins but had nearly double their attendance. Of course, when you trade away last year’s NL MVP in the offseason (Giancarlo Stanton) and the possible NL MVP this year (Christian Yelich), you won’t be winning any popularity contests with your fans.

#28 Kansas City Royals, 58-104, .358 (60-102 Expected Record)
-195 run-differential, 31-36, .463 since All-Star break

Since 2010, the Royals improvement and decline from a last place team to a World Series winner and back to a last place team again would make a nice example of the success cycle. They won 67 games in 2010, then increased their total each year all the way up to a 95-win season in 2015 that culminated in a World Series title. Then they won 81, 80, and 58 games. They’re back at rock bottom. Can Dayton Moore spin his magic a second time?

#27 Chicago White Sox, 62-100 (61-101 Expected Record)
-192 run-differential, 29-38, .433 since All-Star break

A 5-4 loss in their final regular-season game left the White Sox with 100 losses for the first time since 1970. That happens to be the second-to-last season of Hawk Harrelson’s playing career. After his playing days were over, Harrelson moved to the broadcast booth with the Red Sox for six years, then with the White Sox from 1982 to 1985 and again from 1990 until this season. His final game was on September 24, 2018.

#26 Detroit Tigers, 64-98, .395 (62-100 Expected Record)
-166 run-differential, 23-41, .359 since All-Star break

A couple of bright spots during an otherwise down season in Detroit were Nick Castellanos and Jeimer Calendario. They finished one-two on the team in runs scored, home runs, and RBI. On the other hand, Castellanos was possibly the worst fielder in baseball, according to the Fangraphs defensive metric.

Home/MLB News