Every Monday we have released our Power Rankings of the MLB Top 10. This week we will dig into the league bottom-feeders. These teams have started out horrendously bad, or simply not matching expectations from the beginning of the season.
5. Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers have already fired their manager and found a replacement. They own a -42 run differential and had to deal with injuries to Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy early. Their pitching has been abysmal to go along with everything but it isn’t all bad. They are 7-3 in their last ten and the winner of three straight. The Brewers were not going to be THAT bad. But, the front office expected better.
4. Chicago White Sox – The White Sox own a miserable -39 run differential and a 12-17 record overall. They are 10-5 at home, however. Yet, this team was expected to compete for the AL Central and many had this team winning the Wild Card. They have put up one of the fewest run totals in MLB.
3. Oakland Athletics – The 12-22 Athletics got off to a hot start but after trading away their key pieces from last season it appears the A’s will be stuck in the cellar. To their credit, the AL West hasn’t separated itself but they own a -6 run differential after starting out with a +24 through the first week of the season. Yet, Billy Beane, after establishing he was selling, then buying, has this team going no where.
2. Cleveland Indians – Another AL Central team that was supposed to have a much better year, the Indians may very well become sellers. Corey Kluber is getting touched up this season. Their offense is slightly below average and their pitching staff hasn’t done what it did last year. Their 11-19 record puts them at the bottom of the AL Central.
1. Philadelphia Phillies – Okay. It’s easy to put the Phillies here. They had zero expectations of being competitive in the NL East. Yet, they are 11-22, 9.5 games back, with a -61 run differential. They have put up the fewest runs in the league, they have allowed the 6th most runs. They still owe Ryan Howard and Chase Utley a lot of money, both of them are unable to produce. It’s ugly.
Dishonorable mention:
Colorado Rockies – The Rockies are horrible at 11-17. They have lost 9 straight games and own a -47 run differential. Yet, there was never going to be much hope for the Rockies and it has been extremely cold in at home. They have an offense that can put up runs whereas the Phillies do not. They are probably worse than some of the other teams on the list, but with little expectation it is hard to place them in it.
