Today on www.BetUSradio.com - More picks, Jorge Gonzalez for NBA, Eric Williams for NFL, Brian Murphy for MLB. . .BetUS MLB Team Rankings - April 14 by Matthew RossIn the midst of week 2 of the Major League Baseball season, we decided it was time to unveil our weekly team rankings feature. I'm not a believer in rating teams prior to the season, as the game is playing DURING the year, not before or after. As is the case every year, there have been some surprises this season, but one cannot take them seriously until we have a good 50 games under our belt. In any event, here's a look at all 30 teams and where we rank them. For the quickest and easiest depositing methods available, sign-up today at BetUS.com, "for over 14 years they have been the Pioneers and World-wide Leaders in Online Sports, Poker, Casino and Racebook Gaming!" Always receive great odds, huge bonuses and fast payouts only at BetUS.com! BET ON FOOTBALL! Deposit $300 and get $100 in Bonuses! Rank (PV Rank) Team & Reason 30 - Florida- Other than Willis and Cabrera, they're basically a AAA team playing against major leaguers. You have to feel sorry for the fans and the players, and want to beat up the owners. 29 - Kansas City- Blowing games and shotty play early on have given us all hope of another memorable 100-loss season. When their top pitchers are guys who would be fourth or fifth on good starting staffs, then you know they stink. 28 - Washington- The Nationals are looking as though they are no better off in D.C. This team made some questionable moves in the off-season and are now paying the price. 27 - Pittsburgh- What kind of organization gives their GM a contract extension when he's put up losing season after losing season? Answer- the kind that sits 27th on a list like this. 26 - Philadelphia- Here's another team that shouldn't be so high up. But, it appears starting pitching will be a problem all season. Add in the fact that their sluggers are not yet slugging, and you have a big problem. 25 - Texas- If this team doesn't win 90 games, then Tom Hicks should trade all of his star offensive players for top notch pitching and try something else. Get a clue man. Barry Bonds Chases Hank Aaron's 755 Home Run Record 24 - Tampa Bay- At least the players know they will suck ahead of time. Sure, they have a couple of decent outfielders, but the cupboard is bare in terms of pitchers (other than Kazmir of course). We miss sweet Lou already. 23 - San Diego- A tough start, but they should bounce back. The key will be getting some power out of their order. 22 - Atlanta- Chipper on the DL hurts, so does not having their pitching coach of the last decade-plus around. But, we are not stupid enough to count them out at this point. 21 - Baltimore- For a team that was in first place in the first half of last season, they don't look anywhere near like a squad that will see those heights in 2006. Pitching is inconsistent, offense lacks power..etc... Leo Mazzone really has his work cut out for him with this staff. 20 - Minnesota- The slow start by Santana has resulted in their low ranking. The offense has also begun slowly as well. Expect the Twins to climb steadily into the lower half. 19 - Arizona- A very scrappy team, one that will battle for every run and win this season. They're probably not going to rise above this ranking very often though. 18 - Seattle- No one is expecting anything out of them this season, but they could surprise if everything goes perfectly. 17 - Los Angeles (NL)- Will Eric Gagne come back? This question is worth about 6-8 wins for the Dodgers. Without him, they'll struggle to contend in the division. With him, they're practically the favorites. 16 - Detroit- Was their hot start an aberration? It's starting to look like it. Think where they would be right now without Shelton. BetUS is not yet a believer in Leyland's crew. Click here for the 2008 World Series betting odds and the 2008 baseball World Series predictions by Tom Morgan! 15 - Oakland- Now here's a team that could end up in our best five slots, or the wrong half of the league. They have a lot of question marks, but a lot of upside as well. The A's are an exciting team and you can't help but root for Money Ball. 14 - Toronto- It's too early to tell whether or not their pitching will hold up enough for this team to contend for the first time in over ten years. But, it certainly is fun to watch their bats. 13 - Colorado- We know they have the great road record thus far, but we're not ready to anoint them yet as a decent team. They do have a lot of young talent, but it's just too soon to tell whether or not they're ready. 12 - Cincinnati- Yes, they have a better record than some of the teams ahead of them on this list, but can we really think of them as any better than this? Somehow, we just don't see Bronson Arroyo winning 20 games and hitting 20+ home runs. 11 - St. Louis- A lot of new faces to integrate into this winning environment and it's taking some time. Any time you lose that amount of key performers, there's bound to be an adjustment period. Let's give them a few weeks to round into form before dropping them down lower. 10 - San Francisco- Barry Bonds has not been the reason this team is over .500. That said, we just don't buy that they will contend with so many aging veterans who are ready to break down. One key will be to see how Matt Morris performs, and whether or not he can play to expectations. 9 - Chicago (NL)- It's definitely a surprise that their pitching has held up without Wood and Prior. One big reason has been the performance of Greg Maddux. The ageless one MUST be this good all season for the Cubbies to stay this low on the list. 8 - New York (AL)- Beating up on a terrible Royals team didn't prove anything to us. We know the offense is there, but we question the pitching situation. Let's see what they do against tougher hitters. 7 - Los Angeles (AL)- The lack of power in their order is a concern, but this is a deep team that's well managed. In other words, they'll be in the top 10 all season in the rankings. 6 - Chicago (AL)- A sluggish start is to be expected by any champ looking to defend. Some good signs are already evident, as Jenks and Thome have been good. 5 - Milwaukee- We've been thoroughly impressed with the Brewers. They're building on last season quite nicely and have shown they can compete with the teams they need to beat. 4 - Houston- The Astros off to a solid start and should be even stronger than last season offensively. But, with no Clemens, pitching is the only chink in the armor right now. 3 - Boston- Pitching is a question mark other than Beckett and Schilling, and Manny isn't being Manny just yet. Still, BoSox are looking good. 2 - Cleveland- They are hungry and that's the best ingredient for a young and talented team. After sniffing around the playoff picture until the final week of the season in 2005, Cleveland will be a force to be reckoned with in '06. 1 - New York- Pedro, Carlos, Carlos and Billy have the Mets playing lights out right now. Injuries are the only thing that could derail this squad from a division title, as it appears manager Willie Randolph has enough to work with here to make the postseason. Do you have a comment about this rankings list? IF so, email Matthew@BetUS.com and let him have it! Click here to Buy Baseball Picks from the World's Top Sports Handicappers! And receive ten Free Baseball Picks from 10 World-Famous Handicappers! --- by BetUSradio at 1800-sports.com on April 14, 2006
World Series Betting Articles
Featured
|
|
© 1800-Sports.com
1998-2008. All rights reserved.
Information contained in this Web site is intended for recreational purposes only. Access to information contained in this Web site is void where prohibited