Week 3 NL Power Rankings

A few surprises this week! How about the Colorado Rockies? Now they just need to fill the stands and hope Mother Nature cooperates. The New York Mets climbed their way into the ranks, but can they stay there? The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals are proving to be the tops of the NL Central.

1. Atlanta Braves (previously #1)

They lost a few games, but they are still by far the best team in the entire league. Justin Upton has nine home runs, 13 RBIs, and a 1.146 OPS! Chris Johnson is right behind him batting .407 and a 1.012 OPS. Their starters have excellent ERAs, except Tim Hudson’s 4.50 ERA. The losses to the Royals and Pirates should not be a concern. The games (except for Friday’s loss) were very close and the Braves could have won. Considering their performances leading to last week it is hard not to hold it against them.

2. Colorado Rockies (previously unranked)

The Rockies have the potential to be the surprise of the season. They are second in the majors in runs scored (104) and OPS (.833). Their team ERA is 3.87, which is impressive considering they were brushed aside going into the season and play in altitude. The Rockies could very well be the team to keep the San Francisco Giants from winning the division.

3. San Francisco Giants (previously #2)

BARRY ZITO. The man has been mostly unstoppable this year. He had one slipup in Milwaukee, but in three out of four games he has not given up a single run. Let’s not forget his batting. His OPS is 1.200 and average is .600. The starters keep getting on base allowing for multiple runs to be scored with hits. The only sting is starter Matt Cain. He is 0-2 with a 7.15 ERA.

4. Cincinnati Reds (previously unranked)

Last week it was the St. Louis Cardinals on top of the NL Central. This week it is the Reds. I have a feeling it will be this way all season. The Reds get the advantage because they are .5 games ahead of STL. They lead the league in runs scored and it is hard to ignore Joey Votto, who unleashed his power over the weekend. Shin-Shoo Choo is just as dangerous with his .366 average and 1.127 OPS.

5. New York Mets (previously unranked)

Yes, I put them ahead of the Washington Nationals only because they won the series against them 3-1. It is a coin flip between these two, but let’s concentrate on the strengths. David Wright and Lucas Duda have impressive OPS numbers–both of theirs are over 1.000, and Daniel Murphy and John Buck are right there. Marlon Byrd cannot be bypassed with his 10 RBIs and 14 hits. He will only get better. The only problems with the Mets are their starting pitchers and bullpen.

Teams To Watch:

Washington Nationals – It will flip flop between them and the Mets for awhile.

St. Louis Cardinals – Do not ever count them out. They will always be a thorn in the Reds’ side.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Series To Watch:

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets

Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants

Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals

Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks