Welcome to the final Riding the Pine”¦Power Rankings for 2006. The format is the same, except I added points for the playoffs and adjusted the rankings for the minor league systems. Each regular season division winner received 5 points. The winner of the wild cards each received 3 points. The 4 winners of the division series were awarded 10 points. Both teams advancing to the World Series received 15 points, with the winner receiving an additional 25. For the systems, I incorporated each league winner and Baseball America’s Top 20 prospects per league to the existing system.
Now, on to the rankings”¦
1. St. Louis Cardinals 102 points.
Record: 83-78 (18 points)
Pythagorean Record: 83-79 (16 points)
Minor League System: 13 points
Post Season: 55 points
Last Ranking: (52 points)
2. Detroit Tigers 100 points.
Record: 95-67 (27 points)
Pythagorean Record: 97-65 (30 points)
Minor League System: 15 points
Post Season: 28 points
Last Ranking: 2nd (76 points)
3. Minnesota Twins 83 points.
Record: 96-66 (28 points)
Pythagorean Record: 94-68 (28 points)
Minor League System: 22 points
Post Season: 5 points
Last Ranking: 1st (77 points)
4. New York Mets 80 points.
Record: 97-65 (29 points)
Pythagorean Record: 92-70 (27 points)
Minor League System: 9 points
Post Season: 15 points
Last Ranking: (66 points)
5. New York Yankees 78 points.
Record: 97-65 (30 points)
Pythagorean Record: 96-66 (29 points)
Minor League System: 14 points
Post Season: 5 points
Last Ranking: (71 points)
6. Los Angeles Dodgers 78 points.
Record: 88-74 (23 points)
Pythagorean Record: 88-74 (24 points)
Minor League System: 28 points
Post Season: 3 points
Last Ranking: (73 points)
7. Oakland Athletics 68 points.
Record: 93-69 (26 points)
Pythagorean Record: 86-76 (20 points)
Minor League System: 7 points
Post Season: 15 points
Last Ranking: (50 points)
8. Los Angeles Angels 66 points.
Record: 89-73 (24 points)
Pythagorean Record: 85-77 (17 points)
Minor League System: 25 points
Last Ranking: (65 points)
9. Cleveland Indians 66 points.
Record: 78-84 (13 points)
Pythagorean Record: 90-72 (26 points)
Minor League System: 27 points
Last Ranking: (65 points)
10. Chicago White Sox 62 points.
Record: 90-72 (25 points)
Pythagorean Record: 88-74 (25 points)
Minor League System: 12 points
Last Ranking: (66 points)
11. Philadelphia Phillies 58 points.
Record: 85-77 (19 points)
Pythagorean Record: 86-76 (22 points)
Minor League System: 17 points
Last Ranking: (48 points)
12. Houston Astros 56 points.
Record: 82-80 (17 points)
Pythagorean Record: 83-79 (15 points)
Minor League System: 24 points
Last Ranking: (47 points)
13. Boston Red Sox 53 points.
Record: 86-76 (20 points)
Pythagorean Record: 81-81 (13 points)
Minor League System: 20 points
Last Ranking: (56 points)
14. Atlanta Braves 49 points.
Record: 79-83 (14 points)
Pythagorean Record: 85-77 (19 points)
Minor League System: 16 points
Last Ranking: (47 points)
15. Colorado Rockies49 points.
Record: 76-86 (9 points)
Pythagorean Record: 81-81 (14 points)
Minor League System: 26 points
Last Ranking: (42 points)
16. Arizona Diamondbacks 49 points.
Record: 76-86 (8 points)
Pythagorean Record: 79-83 (11 points)
Minor League System: 30 points
Last Ranking: (50 points)
17. Toronto Blue Jays 47 points.
Record: 87-75 (21 points)
Pythagorean Record: 87-75 (23 points)
Minor League System: 3 points
Last Ranking: (45 points)
18. Texas Rangers 47 points.
Record: 80-82 (16 points)
Pythagorean Record: 86-76 (21 points)
Minor League System: 10 points
Last Ranking: (47 points)
19. San Diego Padres 46 points.
Record: 88-74 (22 points)
Pythagorean Record: 85-77 (18 points)
Minor League System: 1 point
Post Season: 5 points
Last Ranking: (38 points)
20. Milwaukee Brewers 37 points.
Record: 75-87 (7 points)
Pythagorean Record: 70-92 (7 points)
Minor League System: 23 points
Last Ranking: (41 points)
21. Florida Marlins 35 points.
Record: 78-84 (12 points)
Pythagorean Record: 80-82 (12 points)
Minor League System: 11 points
Last Ranking: (49 points)
22. Tampa Bay Devil Rays 32 points.
Record: 61-101 (1 points)
Pythagorean Record: 64-98 (2 points)
Minor League System: 29 points
Last Ranking: (30 points)
23. Cincinnati Reds 31 points.
Record: 80-82 (15 points)
Pythagorean Record: 76-86 (8 points)
Minor League System: 8 points
Last Ranking: (28 points)
24. Baltimore Orioles 29 points.
Record: 70-92 (5 points)
Pythagorean Record: 68-94 (3 points)
Minor League System: 21 points
Last Ranking: (34 points)
25. Chicago Cubs 27 points.
Record: 66-96 (3 points)
Pythagorean Record: 69-93 (5 points)
Minor League System: 19 points
Last Ranking: 27th (22 points)
26. Seattle Mariners 25 points.
Record: 78-84 (11 points)
Pythagorean Record: 77-85 (10 points)
Minor League System: 4 points
Last Ranking: (23 points)
27. San Francisco Giants 25 points.
Record: 76-85 (10 points)
Pythagorean Record: 76-86 (9 points)
Minor League System: 6 points
Last Ranking: (39 points)
28. Kansas City Royals 21 points.
Record: 62-100 (2 points)
Pythagorean Record: 61-101 (1 points)
Minor League System: 18 points
Last Ranking: 28th (21 points)
29. Pittsburgh Pirates 15 points.
Record: 67-95 (4 points)
Pythagorean Record: 70-92 (6 points)
Minor League System: 5 points
Last Ranking: 29th (16 points)
30. Washington Nationals 12 points.
Record: 71-91 (6 points)
Pythagorean Record: 68-94 (4 points)
Minor League System: 2 points
Last Ranking: 30th (11 points)
2006 By the Numbers
Biggest Underperformer
Cleveland Indians – Based off the Pythagorean Record, the Tribe should have won an additional 12 games. Runner Up: Tie – Rangers and Braves (should have had 6 more wins apiece).
Biggest Overperformer
Oakland Athletics – The differential betweens runs scored and runs allowed should have cost the A’s an additional 7 wins. Runner Up: Tie – Mets, Red Sox, and Brewers (each should have had 5 more losses).
Best Record
Tie – New York Yankees, New York Mets – Each team finished with 97 wins and comfortable leads in their divisions, yet neither made it to the World Series. It reinforces my theory that teams that are in the pennant chase until the end of the season perform better in the playoffs (last years White Sox are the exception).
Best Pythagorean Record
Detroit Tigers – The Tigers gave up the fewest runs in baseball while ranked 8th in runs scored. It was the perfect balance to have the best hypothetical record (even though they under performed by 2 wins).
Pythagorean Standings
AL East
1. Yankees
2. Blue Jays
3. Red Sox
4. Orioles
5. Devil Rays
AL Central
1. Tigers
2. Twins
3. Indians
4. White Sox
5. Royals
AL West
1. Athletics
1. Rangers
3. Angels
4. Mariners
AL Wild Card
1. Twins
2. Indians
3. White Sox
4. Blue Jays
5. Rangers/Athletics
NL East
1. Mets
2. Phillies
3. Braves
4. Marlins
5. Nationals
NL Central
1. Cardinals
1. Astros
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Pirates
6. Cubs
NL West
1. Dodgers
2. Padres
3. Rockies
4. Diamondbacks
5. Giants
NL Wild Card
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Padres
4. Astros/Cardinals
5. Rockies
