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American beauty

At the season's outset, the AL looks extremely deep

Posted: Monday April 3, 2006 2:14PM; Updated: Monday April 3, 2006 9:38PM
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MLB Power Rankings
Rank LY* Team
1 8
Chicago White Sox
They hit 200 homers in '05 and added a guy (Jim Thome) who smacked 419 dingers between 1994-2004. They had the deepest staff in the majors and traded for a top-tier starter (Javier Vazquez). They won 99 games, ripped through the postseason (11-1) and begin '06 as, hands down, the team to beat. Questions?
2 4
New York Yankees
Doubt Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, Kyle Farnsworth and the rest of the iffy pitching staff. Point your fingers and laugh at the lead-glove defense. I mean, Jason Giambi at first base? That's rich. But who'll be yukking it up when that lineup pounds out 900-plus runs? Not the rest of the American League East.
3 9
Oakland Athletics
A pitching staff to die for, a lineup with more moving parts than Barry Bonds' knee and some newfound power in ex-White Sox star Frank Thomas. After two straight years out of the postseason, general manager Billy Beane is making sure the A's give it their best shot in '06. Or, dammit, everyone's getting traded.
4 1
St. Louis Cardinals
The National League gets absolutely zero early respect in the Power Rankings. The Cards won 100 games in '05, but they went through more winter changes than an adolescent grizzly. They're ranked this high for two reasons: 1.) The pitching is still deeper than most; and, 2.) Some guy on first base named Pujols. We understand he's fairly good.
5 2
Cleveland Indians
They were the hottest team in the Majors at the end of '05 ... until that final weekend swoon against the ChiSox. They still have all it takes. Will they miss Kevin Millwood? Sure. But they'll find his nine wins somewhere. If they can just find the secret to beating Chicago (just 5-14 in '05 and already 0-1 in '06).
6 5
Boston Red Sox
Johnny Damon's gone, Bill Mueller's gone, Kevin Millar and Edgar Renteria, too. Instead, they have Coco Crisp, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis and Alex Gonzalez. Or, as they're collectively known in Boston, "Ehhhhhhh." Curt Schilling looks strong and Josh Beckett, if healthy, stiffens the rotation. But the Red Sox will be fighting for a wild card -- at best.
7 3
Los Angeles Angels
One AL team -- the A's -- struck out fewer times than the Angels last year. But no one whiffed like the Angels this winter. Paul Konerko? Manny Ramirez? Miguel Tejada? None of them wanted anything to do with the Halos. So LAA goes with a familiar cast and Jeff Weaver as the most important addition, keeping them out of the top five.
8 6
Atlanta Braves
It's quite likely that, some time in the next few weeks, someone will write a Braves' obit. (You won't read it here.) Their rotation is thinnish. Their lineup, still stocked with Baby Braves, may be in for a sophomore slump. The closer role is wide open. But the obit? Don't believe it. These guys make Lazarus look like a slacker.
9 18
Toronto Blue Jays
J.P. Ricciardi spent all that money 'cause he had it and his team needed help. So sue him. He can afford it. But the Jays will be better -- especially if A.J. Burnett is healthy -- and that $100 million-plus Ricciardi forked out just might be worth 10 or 12 extra games. It'd better be. Anything less is a ripoff.
10 7
Houston Astros
Can the 'Stros, without Jeff Bagwell and Roger Clemens, be better in '06? Well, they made their first World Series last year, largely without Bags. And Clemens won just 13 games. I mean, the Astros can not score for anybody. Still, with Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte and an offense that will be better, they can't be dismissed. Dissed, sure. But not dismissed.
11 15
Minnesota Twins
GM Terry Ryan admits that the Twins probably went too young in '05. So this winter they got old with the likes of Rondell White, Tony Batista and Luis Castillo. (Heck, the Twins could have just hung out with the Giants.) Any team with Johan Santana has more than a fair chance. But the division's toughened up. The Twins ... not so much.
12 20
San Francisco Giants
We'll avoid cheap age jokes and veiled pokes at No. 25. Instead, we'll say that if the Giants stay healthy -- especially No. 25 -- if Matt Morris does what he was signed to do and if rookie Matt Cain equals his hype, the Giants can win. If not, Barry Bonds will be playing bocce on the lawn at Happy Acres Retirement Home this time next year.
13 25
Los Angeles Dodgers
If this team had anyone that resembled an ace -- Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Odalis Perez? Come on ... -- we'd feel a lot better about its prospects. As it is, new GM Ned Colletti has worked wonders taking a 91-loss team and turning it into what should be a plus-.500 squad. For whatever that's worth.
14 10
New York Mets
Sorry if we're not blown away by the rotation. Carlos Delgado helps the offense (discount the defense) and Paul Lo Duca's better than Mike Piazza. (So's 58-year-old Johnny Bench.) Billy Wagner can close. But can that iffy rotation get to Wagner? What about the holes in the lineup? Can the Mets beat the Braves? (Wait, we know the answer to that last one.)
15 14
Milwaukee Brewers
Trends, almost by definition, are fleeting, and nobody's trendier in early '06 than the Brewers. You know this kind of hype; .500 last year, untold heights this one. But Ben Sheets is achy and that infield is awfully young. Yeah, Milwaukee could have its first winning season since '92. Or the Brewers could turn out to be more Fine Young Cannibals than U2.
* = Last year's final regular-season rankings, as calculated by former Power Ranking guru Dan George.

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