Mike King's MLB Pre-Season Power Rankings

Welcome to my baseball power rankings! I will try to pump out a new version weekly throughout the regular MLB season. This will be my first addition. I know it's really early, and so should you. So, relax if you feel the rankings are off a bit. It's all just a huge guess at this point. I may have one more pre-season ranking before the actually season starts. If I do I will put it out near the very end of Spring Training. For now, enjoy the rankings!

Welcome to my baseball power rankings! I will try to pump out a new 'POWER RANKING' version weekly throughout the regular MLB season. Check back on a regular basis if you enjoy this. This will be my first addition of the 2007 season. I know it's really early, and so should you. So, relax if you feel the rankings are off a bit. It's all just a huge guess at this point. I may have one more pre-season ranking before the actually season starts. If I do I will put it out near the very end of Spring Training. For now, enjoy the rankings!

#1 (#)Detroit Tigers(0-0)- If you don't love pitching, then you don't love the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are primed to make another run. Will Kenny Rogers keep pitching well? That seems to be the only question going into the season. The Tigers get to start the year with Sean Casey in the lineup, add in Gary Sheffield and you have a more potent Tiger offense this year. They could be dangerous!

#2 (#) New York Yankees(0-0)- Breaking News!! The Yankees have one of the best hitting lineups in the majors! Amazing! Seriously though, the Yanks are going to score tons of runs...The pitching staff has underwent a make-over from last season. The Yanks parted ways with Randy Johnson, and added a familiar face--Andy Pettite. Yep, that Andy. Kei Igawa appears to be the X-factor. He is a 27 year old left from Japan who was 13-9 with a 3.11 ERA last year. His banner year was in 2003, he finished 20-5 with a 2.80 ERA. Jeff Karstens looks set in as the #5 man.

#3 (#) Chicago White Sox(0-0)- Freddy Garcia and Galvin Floyd swapped teams. Unfortunately, for the Sox, they got Floyd and lost Garcia. Other than that, the White Sox will bring out nearly the same exact team, which was a solid one to begin with.

#4 (#) St. Louis Cardinals(0-0 )- The Champs will have a very different rotation this year than they had months ago in the World Series. They won't have Jeff Weaver, or Jason Marquis who went in a different direction (the Cards I'm sure are hopeful). Kip Wells will be filling in. The Champs start in the bottom half of the top 10 for now.

#5 (#) Boston Red-Sox(0-0)- Boston's lineup will look a lot different this year. Dustin Pedrioa is the projected starting SS, apparently he has lost 23 pounds this off-season. J.D. Drew, and Julio Lugo round up the new lineup. Who will emerge out of spring and fill in as the closer?

#6 (# ) Atlanta Braves (0-0 )- I really like what the Braves did this off-season. They bolstered the pen' with Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano, and the re-signed Bob Wickman. In other words they now have three guys who can close, when last year it took five. They shipped out LaRouche who overachieved last season and strikes out way to much. They added Craig Wilson to take over first base duty. Don't forget Mike Hampton comes back and should be a solid #4 or 5 starter if he is recovered. The Braves were #1, 2 or 3 in nearly every offensive category amongst NL teams last year, so hitting wasn't ever the problem, and shouldn't be this year.

#7 (#)Oakland Athletics (0-0)- How's life going to be after Barry Zito? Recent history says just fine as they successfully unloaded Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and others and continued to make the playoffs. I doubt things will be much different this year.

#8 (#) New York Mets(0-0 )- I really dislike the Mets pitching staff. If it was 1997 it would be solid, but this is 2007. Potato arm Pedro, and Twenty Times Two (40) Tommy won't instill fear into batters like the good old days. The other starters you ask? Joe Maine, Oliver Perez, Orlando Hernandez, and even Chan Ho Park. Oh boy, they better score a lot of runs this season.

#9 (#) Los Angeles Dodgers(0-0)- This team should be considered a legit NL title contender this season. The acquisition of Jason Schmidt in that huge ball-park will pay dividends.

#10(#15)Toronto Blue Jays(0-0)- I sure hope Roy Halladay can complete a full season this year. Halladay is the King of crazy injuries.

#11 (#19 ) Los Angeles Angels(0-0)- Is this the year Ervin Santana steps up and becomes the ace or at the very least a co-ace with John Lackey? If it is watch out for the Angles pitching staff, cause' it's already one of the best in the business (Weaver, Lackey, Santana, Colon).

#12 (#11) Philadelphia Phillies(0-0)- Freddy Garcia was a great add-on to the rotation. If Cole Hamels is a stud this year the NL East might be the toughest division to win in baseball.

#13 (# ) Minnesota Twins(0-0)- Francisco Liriano will be out for the season, that leaves the rotation vulnerable. Outside of Johan Santana nobody really scares you. You know it's rough when Boof Bonser is your number two guy. The Twins did nothing to improve a weak hitting lineup. 6 of the 9 starters had 13 or less homeruns last year. I think a third place finish in a tough division is likely..

#14 (#16) San Diego Padres(0-0)- Marcus Giles joins his brother Brian in San Diego this year. He should be a solid 2B for the Padres. Expect his double totals to sky rocket in that park.

#15 (#) Chicago Cubs(0-0)- The Cubbies had a terrible year last year. So they went out and spent some dollar bills and added some big names to a solid roster. Who? Alfonso Soriano, Cliff Floyd, and Sweet Lou to name a few. Don't forget, D. Lee was injured a lot last year, this team could be a very dangerous lineup. If the wind is blowing out...this lineup will have the potential to put up 10 plus runs nightly. Ted Lilly, Mark Prior, Jason Marquis, and Rich Hill are the four starters behind Zambrano. They all have questions marks surrounding them and could be the Achilles heel to this team.

#16 (#) Texas Rangers(0-0)- The Rangers have finally passed the Astros as the States best baseball team. Like always, if the Rangers get pitching, they will get wins, and plenty of them.

#17 (#) Houston Astros(0-0)- No Clemens, no Pettite = no shot this year.

#18 (#) San Francisco Giants (0-0)- It will be wierd watching Jason Schmidt pitching in Dodger blue. It will be equally as weird seeing Barry Zito pitch in the brown and orange...Good news for both pitchers is they should be familar with the California/West Coast weather as they didn't re-locate far from home.

#19 (#) Seattle Mariners(0-0)- The Mariners quietly put together a nice rotation this off-season. The staff is filled with about 4 #3 starters and one staff ace, but it might work out well for them. All pitchers are seasoned vets' at this point and have potential--Especially Jeff Weaver after his strong post-season performance. Here is a look at the starters: Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn, Jeff Weaver, Miguel Batista, and Horacio Ramirez (strong upside). That could be a very effective staff at Safeco. Things are looking optimistic in Seattle. Also, the additions of Jose Guillen, and Jose Vidro flew under the radar, they are two solid MLB players.

#20 (# ) Cincinnatti Reds(0-0)- David Weathers will take over as the teams closer. Mark my words: Bronson Arroyo will not have a year like he did last year. After his hot start he faded quickly. NL hitters will know what to expect early this season.

#21 (#) Florida Marlins (0-0)- My boy Freddy Gonzalez, from the Braves, will be taking over the Marlins as Joe Giradi was fired after a decent rookie season. Will the Marlins key rookies go into a sophomore slump this year? That remains to be seen.

#22 (#) Cleveland Indians(0-0)- Does anybody ever know where the Indians will finish? If I had to guess today I would say 4th. They could surprise us and be a solid team...but we have heard that before...see 2005, just to let us down in 2006.

#23 (#) Arizona Diamondbacks (0-0)- Randy Johnson rejoins the D-backs and gets out of New York. Will he return to his old form? Will Jose Valverde be the first half Valverde of last season?

#24 (#) Milwaukee Brewers (0-0)- The fans are going to have to get drunk to keep themselves entertained once again.

#25 (#) Colorado Rockies(0-0)- Did Todd Helton age 60 years the last 2-3 years? It sure seems like it. In 03'/04' he averaged 32.5 HR, 110 RBI and a .350+ BA. Last year he hit the fewest HR of his career (15) and had the lowest batting average of his career (.302). Rockies fans hope they see the Helton of old, he is only 33, that's not that old. Or is it for Helton?

#26 (#) Baltimore Orioles (0-0)- Let's face it. Baltimore has decent players, they spend a decent chunk of change. They are just in the wrong division. Toronto, New York, and Boston are all better. Even Tampa Bay is improved. Count on another disappointing fourth or fifth place finish.

#27 (#) Tampa Bay Devil Rays(0-0)- Guess what? It's 2007 and already the Devil Rays know they won't make the playoffs. They play in the wrong division to ever be a serious contender. I don't ever think the Rays' will ever make the playoffs in this division unless the MLB has a salary cap.

#28 (#) Pittsburgh Pirates (0-0)- They are ranked way down here until further notice.

#29 (#) Kansas City Royals (0-0)- How bad are things in Kansas City? Take this into consideration. I drafted two Royals for my 30 man roster with 10 teams. Two players was tied with 1 other team for most Royals owned in our league. The two players I own are David DeJesus, whom I drafted with the 242nd pick. My other is Mike Sweeney, I claimed him on the waiver wire after the draft. I own two of the best Royals and they were bottom of the barrel picks. That's bad.

#30 (#28 ) Washington Nationals (0-0)- John Patterson is the staff ace. He won one game in an injured 2006 year. He has a losing record in the majors. Enough said.

Agree with my rankings? Disagree with my rankings? Let me know why you agree or disagree. It's your turn to rank the teams or tell me why I am wrong or dead on! Simply leave a comment!

-Mike King