The end of baseball season is always both an exciting and sad time for me. I say sad, because the end of a regular season is a big chunk of my life in each turn around the sun. I say exciting, because of what is to come during the next 30 days leading up to and including the World Series.
2022 was a pretty terrific and surprising season in Birdland. The fact that the Orioles got to give their fans meaningful games well into September was a gift.
When you contemplate the progress this club made from Mike Elias’ hiring date of Nov. 16, 2018 until now, don’t forget to factor in a pandemic-induced lost season of development as well as second No. 1 pick, Heston Kjerstad, being waylaid due to a heart issue. Taken together, it’s just stunning.
The end of a regular season is also a bit of a loss for me. This decade, I have been creating my own baseball power rankings. It has been something I look forward to every year. I love when I get my blank notebook off the shelf and begin by lining each week Monday to Sunday for 26 weeks and numbering the spots from 1-30.
When Janet Marie Smith did the design for the new look and feel of Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., she added a great touch that seems to fit as I leave you with my last power rankings of the season and contemplate the period we’ll all face without baseball on the field.
If you walk into Ed Smith and walk toward the entrance behind home plate, you in some ways are walking toward the first sun of a brand new season. There is a quote of the famed ballplayer Rogers Hornsby:
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
Here are my last regular season power rankings of 2022, with comments on the 12 teams that will make up the playoffs:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (111-51, No. 1 last week): The Dodgers won a team-record 111 games, blowing past the historical franchise’s previous best of 106 … and they accomplished the feat without much of a contribution from Walker Buehler and significant missed time from Clayton Kershaw. All that stands in the way of another title: Can manager Dave Roberts can coax enough from the back end of his bullpen?
2. Houston Astros (106-56, No. 2): This is manager Dusty Baker’s best chance to win a World Series, which could ensure his place in Cooperstown and wash away the stink of the Astros’ lone World Series title in “The Year of the Banging Trash Cans.” Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and José Urquidy form awesome rotation. That gives them much more than a puncher’s chance to win it all.
3. Atlanta Braves (101-61, No. 3): As they proved over the past couple months, the reigning champs know how to win. An oblique strain has sidelined rookie right-hander Spencer Strider (202 strikeouts in 131.2 innings). The Braves hope he can return at some point this postseason. I am looking forward to a possible Braves-Dodgers NLCS, which would be great theater.
4. New York Yankees (99-63, No. 4): Hey, I fell in love with the return-to-greatness story during the season’s first three months. Then I saw a sizable period of time when it appeared they could choke away the AL East. They righted themselves a bit, but when I look at their lineup, I just don’t see enough around Aaron Judge that scares me. If Gerrit Cole pitches well — no sure thing these days — the Yankees could get to play the Astros. I think the Astros would grind right through them. Then they have to go sign Judge — oy vey.
5. New York Mets (101-61, No. 5): I’m proud of the piece I wrote in this space two months ago, in which I accurately rated the Mets’ offense was not championship-worthy unless Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom pitched like the all-time greats they are. They haven’t lately, so I can’t see the Mets matching up well in a series against Los Angeles or Atlanta. That might persuade owner Steve Cohen to blow away the competition and steal Aaron Judge from the Yankees.
6. Cleveland Guardians (92-70, No. 6): The good news is that since Week 22, when they went 1-5, the Guardians pushed the peddle to the metal at a 24-6 clip. The bad news is that they won only two games against teams that finished over .500, both against Tampa Bay. But I am a firm believer that teams that have extended winning streaks don’t have a memory of what teams they beat. They are a sleeper pick for me provided Shane Bieber and one other starter can get hot. I’ll tell you 1 thing, you don’t want to be trying to come back late against James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase.
7. Toronto Blue Jays (92-70, No. 7): With Bo Bichette, Vladamir Guerrero and George Springer and a sprinkle of Alejandro Kirk, Teoscar Hernandez and Matt Chapman, the Jays have enough offense to duke it out with anyone. Alek Manoah is a brilliant young stud at the head of the rotation. While Kevin Gausman is solid, he is suspect against top goose-egg throwers like a Shane Bieber, Nestor Cortes, Cristian Javier, Framber Valdez or Justin Verlander. And then there is GM Ross Atkins biggest mistake, José Berríos. He is like throwing a grenade on the mound. All told, they can’t get past Houston as presently constituted.
8. St. Louis Cardinals (93-69, No. 8): The Cardinals had a very nice second half. Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright enjoying one last pennant race together has been a feel-good story. But now it’s show time, and I only expect Wainwright to help in a meaningful way. What the Cardinals really need are Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado to be their greatest selves, and even then I can’t see them getting past the Mets, Braves or Dodgers.
9. Seattle Mariners (90-72, No. 9): The Mariners have been a terrific story in making the playoffs for the first time since Pat Gillick was GM in the early 2000s. Unlike Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto acquired the right pitcher in Luis Castillo. The 1-2 punch of Castillo and Robbie Ray is compelling, especially if Ray can keep the ball in the ballpark. But it’s the depth of the Mariners’ rotation with Logan Gilbert and George Kirby that gives them a puncher’s chance. Manager Scott Servais, who I think wins American League Manager of the Year, has a deep ‘pen at his disposal.
10. Philadelphia Phillies (87-75, No. 10): Can the Phillies go toe-toe with the top three National League teams? I don’t think so, but they do have two top-tier starters in Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, so they could be tough in the three-game series they’ll have in St. Louis. But with Kyle Gibson, Ranger Suárez, Zach Eflin and Bailey Falter representing the other rotation options, they just can’t match up in longer series.
11. San Diego Padres (89-73, No. 12): Things have not gone smoothly for A.J. Preller’s Padres. Do they ever? I don’t see a confident enough team on the field, but I do love their skipper. If Manny Machado and Juan Soto put on a show, they could scare the Mets a bit … but don’t bet on it.
12. Tampa Bay Rays (86-76, No. 11): The Rays haven’t gotten much out of Shane McClanahan since the All-Star break, but they do now have Tyler Glasnow back. Still, they have the feel of a JV team going up against the varsity when they play better teams.
13. Milwaukee Brewers (86-76, No. 14)
14. Baltimore Orioles (83-79, No. 13)
15. San Francisco Giants (81-81, No. 15)
16. Chicago White Sox (81-81, No. 17)
17. Boston Red Sox (78-84, No. 18)
18. Los Angeles Angels (73-89, No. 20)
19. Chicago Cubs (74-88, No. 16)
20. Minnesota Twins (78-84, No. 19)
21. Arizona Diamondbacks (74-88, No. 21)
22. Miami Marlins (69-93, No. 22)
23. Colorado Rockies (68-94, No. 24)
24. Texas Rangers (68-94, No. 25)
25. Detroit Tigers (66-96, No. 23)
26. Kansas City Royals (65-97, No. 24)
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (62-100, No. 27)
28. Cincinnati Reds (62-100, No. 28)
29. Oakland Athletics (60-102, No. 29)
30. Washington Nationals (55-107, No. 30)