Author: rfagan.tsn

Here’s an amazing stat.

Entering the week, the Rays and the Diamondbacks have scored the same number of runs on the season (240); that total is tied for third in the majors. The Diamondbacks, though, have allowed the most runs in the majors (275) and the Rays have allowed the fewest (138). That’s a stunning disparity—almost double the total of runs allowed.

This joint effort has the Rays and Diamondbacks on an epic pace. Even the best and worst pitching staffs in baseball history (post-1900, as defined by fewest and most runs allowed in a season) failed to duplicate that feat.

• The 1972 Orioles allowed just 430 runs during their 154-game season; the Braves were worst that year at 730 runs allowed

• The 1930 Phillies allowed 1,199 runs in 154 games; the Senators were best that year at 687 runs allowed.

• In 1996, the Tigers allowed 1,103 runs in 162 games; the Braves were the best that year at 648 runs allowed.

Amazing. Anyway, on to the poll.

John Jaso is making his case to be in the lineup.

1. Rays (1). Backup catcher John Jaso is making it hard for the Rays to keep him out of the lineup. He’s hitting .349 with a 1.015 OPS this season, with 18 RBIs in just 22 games.

2. Phillies (3). Here’s a strange stat swap: Ryan Howard has a higher batting average than Shane Victorino (.299 to .257) but fewer RBIs (32 to 33).

3. Twins (4). Justin Morneau is crushing the ball. He’s up to a .383 average, 11 homers and 34 RBIs entering the week.

4. Yankees (2). That was a forgettable week for the Yankees; they went just 2-5 in a stretch against the Red Sox, Rays and Mets. A three-game series in Minnesota starting Tuesday doesn’t promise better things on the horizon.

5. Padres (6). After allowing just six earned runs in his first six starts, young lefty Wade LeBlanc gave up eight in three innings against Seattle, the worst offensive team in baseball.

6. Cardinals (13). A 5-2 week pushed the Cardinals back in front of the Reds entering the week; how they perform on a six-game road trip through San Diego and Chicago will determine if they stay there.

7. Dodgers (10). During the Dodgers’ current 12-2 hot streak, Manny Ramirez has more RBIs (nine) than base hits (eight).

8. Tigers (9). Two players—Gerald Laird and Alex Avila—have played catcher for the Tigers this season. Laird is batting .155; Avila is hitting .154. They’ve combined for three homers and seven RBIs. And, yet, Detroit is only a game out of first in the AL Central.

9. Blue Jays (5). The Blue Jays have hit 76 home runs entering the week, which is 16 ahead of any other team in the majors.

Mike Leake is having a stellar rookie year.

10. Reds (7). Poor Mike Leake. Kid’s 4-0 with a 2.91 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in eight starts, and he’s not even getting more than a mention in the Rookie of the Year conversation because of that Heyward kid in Atlanta.

11. Red Sox (16). Could this be the week the Red Sox move ahead of the Blue Jays and into third place in the AL East?

12. Rangers (12). Nelson Cruz is seventh in the AL with 33 RBIs. He’s had just 98 at-bats because of injuries; everyone else in the league with at least 25 RBIs has 141 at-bats or more.

13. Braves (17). The old guys at the back of the bullpen know how to get the strikeouts. Billy Wagner, 38, has 25 strikeouts in 16 innings and Takashi Saito, 40, has 26 in 19 1/3 innings.

14. Giants (8). The recently finished 1-6 road trip was nothing short of an offensive disaster—they were shut out twice and scored only one run three other times.

15. Marlins (11). Ace Josh Johnson is working on an 18-inning scoreless streak; in his past eight starts, he’s posted a 1.70 ERA.

16. A’s (19). Trevor Cahill was, apparently, the slacker of the A’s staff this weekend. He’s the only Oakland pitcher who allowed a run in the three-game sweep of the Giants, though it seems rough to chastise him for giving up just the one run in 6 2/3 innings Friday.

17. Nationals (14). Washington hasn’t been more than one game under .500 since April 9, but the Nats have their work cut out for them. They enter a 10-game road trip against the Giants, Padres and Astros at just one game above.

18. Rockies (15). After a strong bounce-back 2009 season, Todd Helton is struggling again this year. Through 134 at-bats, he has a .736 OPS (the lowest of his career) and just nine RBIs.

19. Mets (20). Taking two of three from the Yankees certainly didn’t hurt Jerry Manuel’s job security; doing the same to the Phillies this week would help, too.

20. Angels (18). Being 4 1/2 games behind first-place Texas isn’t nearly as troubling as being four games under .500 entering the week.

21. Diamondbacks (26). The D-backs averaged 9.3 runs per game during their four-game winning streak last week.

Don’t blame Kouske Fukudome for the Cubs’ problems.

22. Cubs (23). All three starting outfielders—Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano and Kouske Fukudome—are batting better than .300 and have at least 21 RBIs. So, that’s not the problem in Wrigley.

23. Pirates (21). The Pirates swept the Reds in their first series this year, then were swept in the next one against Cincinnati. So, who knows what’ll happen during their four-game series this week?

24. White Sox (24). The power still isn’t there, but Carlos Quentin has hit .343 in his past nine games, raising his average from .172 to .216.

25. Royals (28). Chris Getz, who opened the season as the Royals’ starting second baseman, has zero extra-base hits and a .197 average in 20 games. Mike Aviles, who has taken over at second, has five extra-base hits and a .347 average in 19 games.

26. Brewers (25). During the Brewers’ current 2-11 stretch, Rickie Weeks (.118 average) and Ryan Braun (.205) are struggling. Casey McGehee (.321) and Prince Fielder (.319) are not.

27. Indians (22). That six-game skid dropped the Indians back into last place in the AL Central to start the week.

28. Mariners (27). Seattle scored 15 runs in a win against San Diego this week. There have been 19 games this year where they failed to score more than two.

29. Astros (29). Ace Roy Oswalt reportedly wants to be traded. That 2.66 ERA is intriguing for potential suitors; the $29 million he’s guaranteed over the next few years isn’t.

30. Orioles (30). A pair of one-run losses to the Nationals this weekend seem to fit right in with the story of the O’s season.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

Even Albert Pujols has struggled this season — by his standards, at least.

Last Monday, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, in an effort to jump-start a slumbering offense, did the unthinkable.

He moved Albert Pujols into the cleanup spot in the lineup for five games—after 1,046 consecutive starts in the three-hole for the first baseman. It was by no means a permanent move—"I think we’re going to have most of the games played this year where (Matt Holliday) hits fourth and Albert hits third," La Russa said. "That’s the better lineup."—but it does show that La Russa is taking his team’s offensive struggles seriously.

Identifying and correcting flaws are just part of the arduous journey to the postseason. For three contenders—the Cardinals, Red Sox and Marlins—identifying those flaws is the easy part. And there’s no time like the present to try to fix them, right?

Cardinals

The flaw: lack of offense

The situation: Since hitting their high-water mark of 18-8 after a win in Philadelphia on May 3, the Cardinals have gone 8-10; they failed to score more than four runs in 13 of those games. In the five games Pujols hit cleanup, the Cardinals went 4-1 and averaged 4.6 runs per game; in Pujols’ first game back in the No. 3 slot, on Saturday, the Cardinals scored seven runs but lost to the Angels.

Pujols, La Russa spar: Failed steal attempt touches off dugout exchange

"The more the horses in the middle produce, the less they (the rest of the lineup) feel like they have to do," La Russa said. "Key guys being themselves will help them, but in the end, when it comes down to you, you really should ignore what the other guys are doing and just take your at-bat. Just do what you can do. You can’t force."

Up next: The Cardinals visit the Padres, who have the best team ERA in the majors.

Red Sox

The flaw: starting pitching

The situation: It’s hard to imagine this would be a problem area for the Red Sox this year. But Josh Beckett was ineffective before he went on the disabled list—a 7.29 ERA in eight starts—and they entered the week with a 4.84 ERA from their starters, which was 13th out of the 14 AL teams. Daisuke Matsuzaka’s flirtation with a no-hitter against the Phillies on Saturday was impressive, but he’s been all over the place in his five starts—two gems, three clunkers. Tim Wakefield also was impressive this weekend, with eight scoreless innings against the Phillies in place of Beckett. More is needed for Boston, though, because the Sox entered the week eight games behind the division-leading Rays.

Up next: The Red Sox visit the Rays, who outscored Boston 24-9 in a four-game sweep in Fenway earlier this season.

Marlins

The flaw: shoddy defense

The situation: OK, so maybe the Marlins are more of a wild-card contender than a threat to the Phillies in the NL East, but with that starting rotation, they’re certainly a dangerous squad. The Marlins, though, have made more errors than any other team in the NL, and their .978 fielding percentage is the worst in the league. This isn’t exactly a new issue for the Marlins; they were third in the NL in errors in 2009 and second in 2008.

"When we’re struggling, it’s usually pitching, but the defense compounds it," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "What I mean by that, you make an error, now you gotta make that pitcher throw an extra 10-12 pitches to get out of the inning." Mental errors, too—including but not limited to those by star shortstop Hanley Ramirez—can be just as costly as the actual errors that are recorded in the scorebook.

Up next: The Marlins host the Braves, one of the better contact teams in the NL—they only average a strikeout every 5.8 at-bats, compared to the Diamondbacks, who average a strikeout every 4.22 at-bats.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

Drew Storen was on the phone last fall, not long after he completed his dominating (2-0, 0.66 ERA, four saves) spin through the Arizona Fall League.

Drew Storen joins the Nats bullpen.

Storen, the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft, talked about how he saw his Washington Nationals as a franchise on the rise, and he talked about building on his first professional season and the possibility of making his big-league debut at some point in 2010.

"Hoping to be an impact guy next year," he said. "That’s the one goal I do have. If I am able to pitch in the big leagues next year, that I’m going to be an impact guy and not just a guy who’s there for some coffee, just kind of hanging out. I want to be a guy that’s a factor."

Sponsored link: Nationals tickets available

He’s getting that wish.

Storen was called up from Triple-A Syracuse this weekend to join a Washington bullpen that has been very effective, but also heavily used. His powerful right arm—he’s expected to eventually take over as the team’s closer—will be a welcome boost for a Nationals team that is in the thick of the wild-card race after back-to-back 59-win seasons. Anyway, on to the poll (where the Nationals are 14th this week).

1. Rays (1). They enter the week 26-11—two full games better than any other team in baseball—despite the fact that four starters—catcher Dioner Navarro, first baseman Carlos Pena, shortstop Jason Bartlett and center fielder B.J. Upton—are batting .236 or worse. Pena, especially, is struggling. He has just three hits in his past 49 at-bats (.061)

2. Yankees (2). Nick Swisher is quietly putting up one of his most productive seasons. He has seven homers and 24 RBIs entering the week, and his .293 average, .537 slugging percentage and .915 OPS are all above his career bests.

3. Phillies (4). Philly’s finest are 11-3 in May. The Phillies are 9-1 against the NL Central so far this year, and the Pirates and Cubs are in town for series this week.

4. Twins (3). Despite ERAs that range from 2.63 to 4.93 and WHIPs that range from 1.101 to 1.564, all five Twins starters have four wins on the year. Yet another reason the big "W" is an overrated stat.

5. Blue Jays (8). Entering the week, Vernon Wells, Alex Gonzalez and Jose Bautista have identical home run and RBI totals (10 homers, 29 RBIs). Their averages—.298, .256, .241, respectively—aren’t too similar, though.

6. Padres (6). Odd week for the Padres. They went into San Francisco and swept the Giants—they’re now 6-0 against them this year—and then were swept at home by the surging Dodgers.

7. Reds (14). Seven wins in eight tries—including two of three against the Cardinals—vaulted the Reds to first place in the NL Central. The last time they were in first this late in the season was 2006, when they were tied for first place for one day after a win on Aug. 24.

8. Giants (7). Future star catcher Buster Posey is crushing the ball at Triple-A (.346 average, .985 OPS) but the Giants feel no need to rush him because starter Bengie Molina (.330) and backup Eli Whiteside (.324) are helping the parent club offensively.

9. Tigers (12). Bold moves by the front office this weekend, demoting starting pitcher Max Scherzer and second baseman Scott Sizemore to the minors to work out their struggles.

10. Dodgers (18). After his disastrous start against Milwaukee on May 4 (seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in an 11-6 loss), Clayton Kershaw has been dominant. In two starts since then, the young lefty has allowed just 10 baserunners and one earned run in 15 innings.

11. Marlins (19). The Marlins’ four-game series against the Mets started with a 2-1 pitchers’ duel and ended with a 10-8 slugfest, but all four games had the same outcome—a Marlins win. The sweep pushed Florida two games over .500 for the first time in three weeks.

Vlad Guerrero has been hitting like his old self.

12. Rangers (9). Hard to imagine where the Rangers would be without Vlad Guerrero and his .336 average and 31 RBIs this season.

13. Cardinals (5). Rough stretch for the Cardinals. They’ve lost nine times in their past 12 games; they’ve scored more than three runs just once in those nine losses.

14. Nationals (11). Since opening the season with a pair of bad outings, Scott Olsen is 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA in his past five starts. In his worst start of the stretch, he gave up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

15. Rockies (16). Was there a more important start on Sunday than the one turned in by left-hander Jeff Francis? In his first game since 2008, the former ace gave up just one run in seven innings. Adding a healthy Francis—he won 17 games with a 4.22 ERA in 2007—to the rotation would be huge for the Rockies.

16. Red Sox (15). Still not time to panic, Red Sox fans. Lots of baseball left to play. Ignore this disconcerting fact: 24 of the other 29 teams in baseball enter the week closer to first place in their own division than the Red Sox, who are 7 1/2 games behind the Rays in the AL East.

17. Braves (23). Eric Hinske has taken over as the starter in left field, and he’s rewarding that decision—he’s 9-for-17 (.529 average) with eight RBIs in his past five games.

18. Angels (22). Angels pitchers allowed just three runs in the three-game sweep of the A’s last weekend. Joe Saunders and Joel Pineiro both fired complete-game shutouts.

19. A’s (10). Getting swept in Anaheim was the end of a nasty road trip for the A’s, who also lost two of three to the Rangers.

20. Mets (13). Since reaching a high-water mark of five games over .500 on the last day of April, the Mets have gone 4-11 and enter the week in last place in the NL East.

Andrew McCutchen has been a bright spot for the Pirates.

21. Pirates (20). Please, somebody notice Andrew McCutchen. Kid’s hitting .340—that’s 76 points higher than anyone else on the team—with a .915 OPS, five homers and 12 stolen bases.

22. Indians (28). Great googlymoogly. Austin Kearns is batting .330 and tied for the team lead with 20 RBIs.

23. Cubs (21). Just like the division rival Cardinals, the Cubs are 3-9 in their past 12 games. Of course, the Cardinals were 18-8 at the start of the skid; the Cubs were 13-13.

24. White Sox (25). It’s been a rough season for the White Sox, but Alex Rios has been a bright spot. After struggling horribly last year for the Pale Hose, Rios enters the week with a .318 batting average, seven homers and 12 stolen bases.

25. Brewers (17). Sure, Casey McGehee had a breakthrough rookie season for the Brewers last year, but who could have imagined he’d be leading the Brew Crew—with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder healthy—in homers and RBIs 37 games into the season?

26. Diamondbacks (24). Yes, many players who come from the AL to the NL post better numbers in the Senior Circuit. Not Edwin Jackson, though. He was an AL All-Star last year; he has a 7.43 ERA through eight starts for the D-backs this year.

27. Mariners (26). How bad is the Seattle offense? Despite ERAs of 1.72, 2.08, 2.93 and 3.88 from their four top starters, the Mariners are nine games under .500 entering the week. The M’s are dead last in the AL in runs scored.

28. Royals (29). Well, Trey Hillman is gone. Let’s see if that works.

29. Astros (30). You’ve probably seen this by now, but it’s worth repeating. Bud Norris is 4-0 with an 0.35 ERA against the Cardinals, and 4-7 with a 7.03 ERA against everyone else. Amazing stuff.

30. Orioles (27). Well, Nolan Reimold and Rhyne Hughes were demoted. Let’s see if that works.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

Outside of Tampa Bay, it might have seemed like the Rays’ march to the 2008 World Series was a bit of a fluke, considering they finished 19 games behind the Yankees in 2009.

But inside the clubhouse at Tropicana Field, 2009 is most definitely seen as the fluke season. This is the year the Rays are set on proving that. They’ve outscored their opponents by 80 runs, and they entered the week with the best record in the majors, thanks largely to the deepest rotation in baseball. All five starters have an ERA under 3.20, and new closer Rafael Soriano is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities so far this season.

They might not stay No. 1 in the power poll all year, but they won’t be far from it. For this week’s edition, we’re looking at a surprising/impressive number through the first five weeks of the season.

Matt Garza has been outstanding for the Rays.

1. Rays (2). Matt Garza has been outstanding; he’s sporting a 2.09 ERA, a 1.070 WHIP and is averaging 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings. And he doesn’t lead his own team in any of those categories. (Side note: if you want to ask Garza a question, shoot me an e-mail and your question could get answered in an upcoming issue of Sporting News magazine)

2. Yankees (4). The Yankees led the majors with a team .362 on-base percentage last season, and they’re atop the list again this year, at .370. That’s not surprising. What’s surprising is who is leading the Yankees—Brett Gardner and his .425 OBP.

3. Twins (5). After three forgettable seasons because of injuries and inconsistency, Francisco Liriano reeled off a 23-inning scoreless streak to close out April. He has yet to allow a home run this season through 42 innings.

4. Phillies (7). Jose Contreras has been a stopper in the Phillies’ bullpen. Through 10 2/3 innings, the 38-year-old righthander has struck out 15 and allowed just five hits; his ERA is 0.84 and his WHIP is a tidy 0.563

5. Cardinals (1). Rookie Jamie Garcia is leading the rotation with his 1.18 ERA through six starts. Veterans Brad Penny (1.99 ERA), Adam Wainwright (2.08) and Chris Carpenter (2.80) haven’t disappointed, either.

6. Padres (3). Really hard to single out anyone on a pitching staff that’s produced a nifty 2.73 ERA entering the week—that’s second in the majors—so here’s a quick glance at the best ERAs on the staff: Jon Garland (1.71 in six starts), Wade LeBlanc (1.16 in four starts), Heath Bell (1.29 in 14 games), Tim Stauffer (0.39 in 10 games) and Luke Gregerson (1.53 in 15 games).

7. Giants (6). Opponents have managed just a .460 OPS against lefty Barry Zito, the best mark in the National League (Phil Hughes leads the AL with a .440 mark). Teammate Tim Lincecum isn’t far behind, at .504.

8. Blue Jays (18). Toronto is 10-4 against the AL Central, 9-10 against everyone else.

9. Rangers (9). Texas is 10-4 against the AL Central, 8-10 against everyone else.

10. A’s (19). Dallas Braden threw 109 pitches in his perfect game on Sunday. He’s topped that number only once previously in his career, with 111 pitches in five shutout innings on April 30 last year.

11. Nationals (13). Josh Willingham is bucking his career trend with 22 walks and 20 strikeouts so far this year. Going back chronologically from 2009: 61 walks and 104 strikeouts, 48 and 82, 66 and 122, 54 and 109.

12. Tigers (8). Dontrelle Willis has the best ERA of any of the Tigers starters, at 3.99. Justin Verlander is at 4.50, and Jeremy Bonderman, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello are all at 5.74 or above.

Rod Barajas leads the Mets with nine home runs.

13. Mets (11). Dan Murphy led the Mets last season with 12 home runs. Catcher Rod Barajas already has nine this year. And, enigmatic lefty Oliver Perez has a better ERA than ace lefty Johan Santana so far (4.50 to 4.54). Crazy.

14. Reds (21). The youngest member of the pitching staff and the oldest member of the pitching staff are leading the Reds so far. Rookie Mike Leake, who skipped the minors entirely, has a 3.10 ERA in six starts (Johnny Cueto is second on the staff at 5.18), and 40-year-old Arthur Rhodes has a 0.75 ERA and 0.667 WHIP in 13 appearances.

15. Red Sox (16). Opponents are 33-for-40 on stolen base attempts against Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez.

16. Rockies (10). Middle infielders Troy Tulowitzki and Clint Barmes combined for 55 homers last season; they have a total of two so far this year.

17. Brewers (24). The Brewers have scored 11 or more runs on six occasions this season; they’ve also scored 1 or 0 on seven occasions.

18. Dodgers (17). Andre Ethier enters the week leading the NL in batting average (.383) and RBIs (32) and he’s tied for the lead with 10 homers.

19. Marlins (12). Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez have identical 4.08 ERAs despite a huge difference in WHIP—Nolasco is at 1.135 and Sanchez is at 1.528.

20. Pirates (29). The Pirates enter the week 6-0 against the Reds and Cubs, 8-17 against everyone else.

21. Cubs (14). The Cubs enter the week 5-1 against the Brewers, 9-17 against everyone else.

22. Angels (15). After a hot start to the season, Hideki Matsui is batting .128 with three RBIs in his past 13 games.

23. Braves (20). Rookie Jason Heyward has eight home runs so far this season; Troy Glaus is the only other Brave with more than nine RBIs.

24. Diamondbacks (23). Six players enter this week with double-digit home runs. The D-backs have two of them, Kelly Johnson and Mark Reynolds.

25. White Sox (26). Paul Konerko has 27 RBIs and 27 hits entering the week. Carlos Quentin has 20 RBIs and 20 hits. Konerko is batting .273; Quentin is at .194.

26. Mariners (22). The Mariners have fewer home runs as a team (12) than Konerko (13) so far this season.

Adam Jones has been an out-making machine for the Orioles.

27. Orioles (27). Adam Jones, an All-Star last year, has a .254 on-base percentage and leads the AL with 110 outs made in his 31 games, an average of 3.55 outs made per contest.

28. Indians (28). Through 29 games, the Indians have a total of four RBIs and five extra-base hits (all doubles) from their first basemen (primarily Matt LaPorta and Russell Branyan).

29. Royals (25). Kansas City is 3-1 in extra-inning games, 8-20 in regulation.

30. Astros (30). Bright spot: Roy Oswalt is pitching like an ace again. He’s sporting a 2.63 ERA and a 1.104 WHIP and has 45 strikeouts in 48 innings.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

Sponsored link: Rays tickets available

Adrian Gonzalez‘s days in San Diego are numbered.

We all know that, right? He’s a free agent after the 2011 season, and his trade value will never be higher than it is right now. The Padres, as a franchise, could really use the influx of talent that trading Gonzalez would certainly bring into the fold. Fans in places such as Boston are licking their chops at the thought of adding the sweet-swinging lefthanded slugger to their lineup. 

Adrian Gonzalez and the Padres have been on a tear.

But here’s a question to consider: What if the Padres are actually in contention when the All-Star break rolls around this July? Would they trade Gonzalez to another contender? It’s not like he has a bank-breaking salary ($4.75 million this year, no-brainer option for 2011 for $5.5 million, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts). Sure, they probably wouldn’t get as much for him in July 2011 as they would in July 2010, but wouldn’t a potential playoff push this August/September be worth that cost for a franchise that could use some good pub? 

Maybe this won’t be a question in a few weeks. Maybe San Diego will slide back into afterthought status. But at the moment, the Padres are the top team in the NL West, and the conversation is at least worth having. Maybe, just maybe, the number for Gonzalez is higher than we thought.

Anyway, on to the poll.

1. Rays (last week 2). Last year, the Rays finished 17 games under .500 on the road. This year, they finished their first road trip of the season with a 9-1 mark that includes a four-game sweep in Fenway Park. Tampa Bay has outscored its opponents by 50 runs through 19 games so far this year.

2. Twins (4). The Twins are the only team in baseball that hasn’t lost a series yet this season. Lefty starter Francisco Liriano hasn’t allowed a run in his past two starts, covering 15 innings.

3. Yankees (1). Maybe this isn’t a fair question, but I’m not the first to ask it: How long will the Yankees keep Javier Vasquez in the rotation? He’s been awful—a 9.00 ERA and 1.800 WHIP through four starts—and his previous stint with the Yankees didn’t exactly buy him an extended grace period.

4. Padres (17). Up from 17 to 4 and the Padres aren’t even the highest risers of the week. San Diego pitching was mighty impressive during that eight-game winning streak, which successive home sweeps of the Diamondbacks and Giants, and two wins in Cincinnati.

5. Cardinals (7). The Cardinals’ hitters enter the week second in the NL in home runs (24) but only 12th in runs scored per game (4.33). Their pitchers are first in team ERA (2.72) and have allowed the fewest home runs in the league (9).

6. Phillies (3). The most intriguing matchup this week is Wednesday’s showdown between the Phillies’ vaunted lineup and two-time Cy Young champion Tim Lincecum.

7. Athletics (5). The A’s own the lowest team ERA in the AL (2.93); Justin Duchscherer leads the starters with a 1.82 ERA and Andrew Bailey has yet to allow a run in six appearances.

8. Giants (6). After a solid start offensively to the season, the Giants’ hitters have managed just 11 runs in the past seven games. Of course, their pitchers have given up just 14 in that same stretch.

9. Rockies (13). Miguel Olivo gets the early nod for free-agent signing of the year. Despite splitting time behind the plate with Chris Ianetta, Olivo leads the Rockies with his five home runs. He’s also hitting .317 with a 1.056 OPS.

Rookie first baseman Ike Davis helped the Mets have a big week.

10. Mets (27). Meet the Mets, eh? The New Yorkers took three of four from the Cubs, then swept the Braves to complete a much-needed successful homestand. Rookie first baseman Ike Davis has contributed a .318 average in this seven games, his first in a major-league uniform.

11. Tigers (10). The Tigers are tied for 27th in the majors in home runs (11) but 12th in the bigs in runs scored (88). Finding a way to get it done.

12. Nationals (16). The 1-0 win against the Dodgers on Sunday was the first by that score for the Nationals since September 16, 2008.

13. Marlins (8). Closer Leo Nunez has give up just one hit in 8 1/3 innings this season. Most impressive.

14. Blue Jays (11). Despite a .223 team batting average an league-worst .297 team on-base percentage, the Blue Jays enter the week a game over .500.

15. Angels (19). The first couple weeks were up and down for the Angels; handing the Yankees their first series loss of the season is a good first step toward stability.

16. Dodgers (15). With 26 homers, 101 RBIs and an .842 OPS last year, Matt Kemp already is a star, but he’s on the verge of becoming a superstar. He leads the league (or is tied for the lead) in homers, RBIs, runs and total bases entering the week.

17. Mariners (18). The two Mariners most known for their gloves—center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and first basemen Casey Kotchman—are leading the team in RBIs and OPS.

18. Cubs (23). Carlos Silva has given up 10 hits in 19 innings for the Cubs this season. In his two years with the Mariners, he gave up 254 hits in 183 2/3 innings.

19. White Sox (28). In a less-surprising case of a new Chicago ace, John Danks has been dominating for the Southsiders. The lefty is 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA and 0.862 ERA through four starts for the White Sox.

20. Red Sox (26). The Red Sox are 4-2 when Darnell McDonald plays and 4-9 when he doesn’t. McDonald, a 31-year-old journeyman who has played in the bigs with the Orioles, Twins and Reds, is hitting .417 with a pair of home runs.

21. Astros (30). Houston roared out of last place in this poll by winning seven of eight, against the Cubs, Marlins and Pirates. Lance Berkman’s return to the lineup has helped.

22. Brewers (22). They scored 36 runs in a three-game road sweep in Pittsburgh, then managed just four runs while being swept at home in a three-game series against the Cubs.

23. Braves (9). Through 18 games, Braves leadoff hitters have just seven hits and seven walks—that’s an .091 batting average and .165 on-base percentage.

Chris Davis has been struggling for the Rangers.

24. Rangers (21). First baseman Chris Davis is, as they say, struggling. Through 15 games, he has a .188 average and one RBI.

25. Diamondbacks (24). All things considered, going 3-3 in a homestand against the Cardinals and Phillies—the frontrunners in the Central and East—isn’t too shabby.

26. Indians (14). As quickly as they jumped up in last week’s poll, the Indians fell this time around. That’s what happens when you’re shut out three times in a five-day span.

27. Royals (20). In five of their six series this season, the Royals have lost two of three.

28. Reds (25). Backup catcher Ryan Hanigan is batting .458 with seven RBIs in the seven games he’s started.

29. Pirates (12). Yep, that’s a dramatic drop. But they went 0-6 last week, and were outscored 36-1 at home by the Brewers. At least they were only outscored 19-8 while being swept in Houston to end the week.

30. Orioles (29). Are the Orioles the least-talented team in baseball? No. But every other team in baseball has at least seven wins; the Orioles have three. So here they sit, at No. 30 on this list.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

Sponsored link: Padre tickets available

There were a couple of important performances this weekend that didn’t involve Ubaldo Jimenez and his no-hitter, or the Mets and Cardinals and their 20-inning marathon.

Two contenders went on the road and took key series. The Marlins won two of three from the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, and the Rays went into Boston and swept the Red Sox in a four-game set at Fenway Park.

The Yankees move up in this week’s Power Poll, thanks in part to Nick Swisher’s hot bat.

Early, but nonetheless impressive showings from the two Florida teams. Anyway, on to the poll.

1. Yankees (last week 5). The Yankees just keep mowing down the top teams in the A.L. And that’s with three starters — Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher and Nick Johnson — all hitting .200 or worse entering the week. Those slumps will end soon enough.

2. Rays (11). Matt Garza won his third consecutive start on Sunday, shutting out the Red Sox at Fenway. His ERA for the season is 0.75, his WHIP 0.88 and he’s pitched eight innings in all three starts.

3. Phillies (1). The powerful Phillies lineup managed just one run over the final two games of the home series against the Marlins.

4. Twins (4). The 3-4-5 hitters in the Minnesota lineup are doing quite well, thank you. Joe Mauer is hitting .378, Justin Morneau is batting .319 and Michael Cuddyer is at .340.

5. Athletics (6). Here are the ERAs for Oakland starting pitchers entering the week — 2.41, 2.65, 2.65, 2.70 and 3.38. That’s the biggest reason the A’s have a two-and-a-half game lead in the A.L West.

6. Giants (2). Across the bay, the ERAs for the Giants’s starters aren’t too shabby either — ace Tim Lincecum is at 0.90, Barry Zito is a 1.86 and Jonathan Sanchez is at 2.19.

7. Cardinals (7). The Cardinals have played four series entering the week, and they’ve won two of three in each one.

8. Marlins (8). After Ricky Nolasco earned a complete-game victory Saturday against the Phillies — he allowed one run and five hits — Nate Robertson shut out the Phillies for 6 1/3 innings, and the bullpen took care of the rest.

9. Braves (13). The brake pads on the Jason Heyward hype machine are wearing thin. In fact, after his game-winning based-loaded hit with two outs in the ninth inning Saturday against the Rockies — he has 15 RBIs and a .302 average for the 7-5 Braves — those pads might be completely gone.

10. Tigers (9). The Tigers enter the week with six regulars posting an on-base percentage of .385 or higher, including rookie starters Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore.

11. Blue Jays (3). Bad week for the Jays, who dropped five of seven games to fall into third place in the A.L. East.

12. Pirates (19). The Pirates finished off a three-game sweep of the Reds on Sunday, and despite being negative-22 in run differential, they’re 7-5 and one game back in the N.L. Central.

13. Rockies (14). That Ubaldo Jimenez guy is pretty good.

14. Indians (28). Things are looking up in Cleveland this week. Not only have the Indians won four in a row, but uber-prospect Carlos Santana is crushing Class AAA pitching — he has a .414 average and four home runs in eight games.

15. Dodgers (18). Manny delivered a signature Mannywood moment on Sunday. His pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning lifted the Dodgers past the rival Giants and lifted his season average to .375.

16. Nationals (20). Overall, this has been a solid start to the season for the Nats. Jason Marquis, though, has been horrible. Through three starts, he’s 0-3 with a 20.52 ERA (which means the Nats are 6-3 in games Marquis does not start).

17. Padres (29). What are the odds the Padres, Pirates and Indians would all sweep a series in the same weekend? San Diego took three from the Diamondbacks.

18. Mariners (22). After a horrible start to the season, the Mariners took two of three this week at home against the A’s and the Tigers.

The Angels are liking Joel Piniero on the mound so far.

19. Angels (23). Free agent acquisition Joel Piniero turned in a stellar start in Yankee Stadium this week, limiting the home team to just one run in seven innings.

20. Royals (27). The Royals enter the week with a team batting average above .300. The Royals enter the week with a team batting average above .300. The Royals enter the week with a team batting average above .300. Yep.

21. Rangers (15). The Rangers were swept in New York, and a three-game series in Fenway Park starting Tuesday is never an easy assignment.

22. Brewers (16). They were shut out on Saturday in Washington, then scored 10 runs in the first inning on Sunday against the Nationals.

23. Cubs (21). Geovany Soto hit .133 in his first five games, then .546 in his next four.

24. Diamondbacks (12). The D-backs have lost four of five, and they enter the week in the same spot they ended last season — in last place in the N.L. West.

25. Reds (17). Different players lead the Reds in runs (Drew Stubbs, 8), homers (Scott Rolen, 3), batting average (Joey Votto, .283) and RBIs (Johnny Gomes/Orlando Cabrera, 8).

26. Red Sox (10). Boston went 1-5 last week. The Red Sox will try to reverse that slide with home games against the Rangers and Orioles this week.

27. Mets (25). Crazy series in St. Louis this weekend, but the bottom line is the Mets lost two of three to stay in last place in the N.L. East.

28. White Sox (26). Gavin Floyd (three starts, 9.00 ERA), Freddie Garcia (two starts, 8.10 ERA) and Jake Peavy (three starts, 6.00 ERA) have struggled, and the Sox are last in the A.L. Central.

29. Orioles (24). Rookie starter Brian Matusz is 2-0 for the Orioles, who enter the week with a 2-11 record.

30. Astros (30). The Astros have hit just three home runs as a team entering the week. Fifty players have at least three home runs this season.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

Ralph Kiner was on the phone a few weeks ago, telling stories about his contract negotiations with then-Pirates general manager Branch Rickey. The Hall of Fame outfielder pointed out that he was forced to take a pay cut because his team had finished in last place in 1952 — despite the fact that he led the National Leagues with 37 home runs.
 
Unthinkable now, right? "That’s the way it was in those days," Kiner said.
 
These days — as in, the first week of the season — some pretty unthinkable things have transpired, too. The Blue Jays and A’s are first-place teams. Alex Gonzalez entered the week tied for the major league lead in home runs. Martin Prado and Edgar Renteria entered the week ranked 1-2 in the majors with .542 and .524 batting averages, respectively.

That’s the way it is these days.

Which is why this first power poll of the season won’t resemble the one we see when September rolls around. This poll is mostly concerned with a team’s production so far this year, with preseason expectations used to split hairs. 
 
1. Phillies. Two starts, two wins, two walks, 16 innings, 17 strikeouts. So much for the thought that there might be an adjustment period as Roy Halladay joins the National League. The 0.56 ERA and 0.938 WHIP are shiny, too.
 
2. Giants. In the least shocking start to the season, back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his first two games. In a more surprising development, the revamped San Francisco offense averaged 5.2 runs in the first six games. The Giants averaged 4.1 runs all of last year.
 

Alex Gonzalez comes out swinging and helps the Jays get off to a surprising start.

3. Blue Jays. There were so many bright spots in the opening week — Gonzalez and his homers, Vernon Wells and his homers, Shaun Marcum’s return to the rotation, the outstanding starts by Dana Eveland and Ricky Romero. Hard to choose just one.
 
4. Twins. Apparently the Twins can turn any reliever into a rock-solid closer. When Joe Nathan, who held various roles with the Giants but flourished when he arrived in Minnesota, went down this spring, the Twins gave the job to Jon Rauch, who had held various roles with his three previous teams. Rauch is 4-for-4 in save opportunities this year.
 
5. Yankees. Some teams started with easy schedules — we’ll get to the Tigers in a minute — but not the Yankees. They opened with three games in Boston and three games at Tampa Bay, which makes their 4-2 record pretty impressive.
 
6. Athletics. Speaking of rough openings, the A’s hosted the Mariners — the "it" team of the offseason — for four games, then played three road games against the Angels. Tough slate for a team predicted by most to finish last in the AL West, which makes their 5-2 start pretty impressive.
 
7. Cardinals. When Matt Holliday signed a long-term deal this offseason, Cardinals fans had visions of the damage the 3-4 combo of Holliday and Albert Pujols could do against the NL. So far, those visions have come true — Holliday entered the week hitting .423 with three homers; Pujols was at .375 with four homers.
 
8. Marlins. The Marlins finished the opening week with a 4-2 record despite two very mediocre starts from ace Josh Johnson. The 10 RBIs from Jorge Cantu and 3 1/3 scoreless innings from new closer Leo Nunez have been huge.
 
9. Tigers. The scheduling folks did their best to give the Tigers a gentle nudge into the season, scheduling Detroit’s first seven games against the Indians and Royals, the two teams expected to battle for last place in the AL Central.
 
10. Red Sox. Entering the week, leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury had yet to draw a walk; his average of 3.40 pitches per at-bat was 183rd in the majors. Last year, he saw 3.77 pitches per at-bat.
 
11. Rays. New closer Rafael Soriano has a win and a save in his first two appearances, but he also has allowed five baserunners in those two innings.
 
12. Diamondbacks. After their forgettable 70-win campaign in 2009, the D-backs will gladly take their 4-2 start to the season, even if it came against the Padres and Pirates. The much-maligned Chris Young is hitting .292 with three homers and 11 RBIs.
 
13. Braves. Derek Lowe is 2-0 this season despite allowing 10 walks and nine hits in 12 innings covering two starts. (Don’t worry; there will be plenty of time to talk about Jason Heyward …)
 
14. Rockies. Catchers Miguel Olivo and Chris Iannetta split the first six games. Olivo hit .455 with a 1.500 OPS; Iannetta hit .083 with a .583 OPS.
 
15. Rangers. Nelson Cruz is angling for a return trip to the home run derby. Cruz, who was the derby runner-up last year, hit four homers in the opening week to go with nine RBIs and a .450 batting average.
 
16. Brewers. The 42-year-old closer (Trevor Hoffman) has given up three homers and six runs in four appearances. The catcher (Gregg Zaun), who turns 39 on Wednesday, has started the season 0-for-14. The 40-year-old outfielder (Jim Edmonds) has a measly .610 OPS through his first five games. Aside from that, the Brewers are doing just fine.
 
17. Reds. Cincinnati starting pitchers are a combined 4-for-8 at the plate this season. On a completely unrelated note, don’t be surprised if this team finishes second in the NL Central this season.
 

Lack of contact plagues Matt Kemp’s first week.

18. Dodgers. Catcher Russell Martin and second baseman Blake DeWitt have combined to walk 11 times this season and strike out only twice. Martin’s on-base percentage is a Bonds-esque .611 so far. Matt Kemp, on the other hand, has walked once and struck out nine times.
 
19. Pirates. Starting pitchers Zach Duke (3.00 ERA) and Ross Ohlendorf (3.60) have been good; starters Paul Maholm (6.00), Daniel McCutchen (24.30) and Charlie Morton (21.60) haven’t.
 
20. Nationals. The Nationals won their first road series of the season, taking two of three from the Mets. Last season, the Nationals only won two road series before the All-Star break. 
 
21. Cubs. Coming off poor seasons, Geovany Soto (1-for-11) and Alfonso Soriano (3-for-21) struggled again in 2010’s opening week.
 
22. Mariners. Speaking of players who struggled for the Cubs in 2009, Milton Bradley was just 1-for-21 in his first six games with the Mariners.
 
23. Angels. Brandon Wood, who has an opportunity to secure the third base job with Chone Figgins now in Seattle, was 1-for-19 in the season’s opening week.
 
24. Orioles. That 1-5 record in the first week wasn’t indicative of the way the Orioles played in the first week. Three of those losses were by one run, and in the fifth loss, they had a lead with two outs in the eighth. They expected better than an 18.00 ERA from Mike Gonzalez when they signed the lefty to close games. 
 

25. Mets. What’s more surprising, that Jeff Francoeur hit .476 in the opening week, or that he drew four walks in six games? Considering he walked just 23 times in 157 games last season, we’ll go with the latter.
 
26. White Sox. As most predicted, the White Sox have been strong in the pitching categories — they had a staff ERA of 2.95 the opening week — and the offense has struggled. Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko are the only two regulars hitting above .227.
 
27. Royals. Through the first week, the three veteran hitters the Royals signed this offseason have the three highest batting averages: Rick Ankiel was at .391, Scott Podsednik was at .364 and Jason Kendall was at .316.
 
28. Indians. It’s not hard to see the walk-off wild pitch Chris Perez allowed against the Tigers as a harbinger of things to come in Cleveland.
 
29. Padres. After his stellar debut to 2010, it had to be frustrating for the Padres to place Chris Young on the disabled list with tightness in his throwing shoulder. The Padres hope he only misses a couple weeks.
 
30. Astros. It’s going to be a long season for the Astros.

This story appears in the April 13 edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only sports digital daily, sign up today.

Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.

The Diamondbacks’ trip to the 2007 NLCS was considered an indicator of a franchise on the rise, a franchise with young major league talent and a stocked minor league cupboard. But the past two seasons have been disappointments. Some of the young players haven’t developed as expected, and injuries have proved detrimental. Last May, it all cost manager Bob Melvin his job. Optimism remains, but the expectations aren’t as high as they were before the 2008 season.

Mark Reynolds had a big 2009, with 44 homers and 24 steals.

Three questions

1. Will the heart of the lineup be good enough to contend?
Last season, Mark Reynolds surpassed every expectation with his 44-homer, 24-steal season. His strikeouts — he has set new single-season MLB records each of the past two seasons — haven’t hurt his ability to produce at an All-Star level. Justin Upton began to tap into his potential with 26 homers and a team-leading .899 OPS; he was rewarded with a six-year, $51.25 million deal in the offseason. He will be mentioned in MVP conversations for many years to come. Joining Upton and Reynolds in the heart of the order is newcomer Adam LaRoche. The veteran is a perfect fit; he will provide the power the Diamondbacks have lacked at first base, and his one-year, $6 million deal is budget-friendly for a franchise that doesn’t have a huge margin for error.

2. Will the rotation be better?
It should be improved with the eventual return of Brandon Webb and the additions of Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy. However, there are questions about all three of those hurlers. Webb still is working his way back from shoulder surgery and will start the season on the disabled list. Therefore, expecting more than 25 starts might be unrealistic. Jackson was a 2009 All-Star and should benefit from the move from the AL to the NL, but he was awful in the second half of the season. Kennedy was hurt most of 2009.

Arizona lost two reliable pitchers from last season’s rotation. Doug Davis tied for the league lead with 34 starts, and Max Scherzer — shipped to Detroit in the deal that landed Jackson and Kennedy — was eighth in the NL in strikeouts per nine innings (8.8).

3. Will the lineup’s bounce-back candidates bounce back?
Conor Jackson missed most of the 2009 season because of valley fever, which often left him fatigued. He has looked good this spring. "Jackson can hit anywhere in the lineup, gets on base and can be a run producer," manager A.J. Hinch said.

Chris Young was awful for most of last season. He has a power-speed combination matched by few players in the majors, but has had an increasingly tough time making contact the past few years. Kelly Johnson started last season as the Braves’ leadoff hitter and starting second baseman but hit just .224 and was released. The bottom half of the lineup, where he will hit for the Diamondbacks, is a better fit for Johnson.

Porjected lineup
1. SS Stephen Drew: OPS past three seasons: .683, .836, .748.
2. LF Conor Jackson: Only 99 at-bats, .182 AVG in ’09.
3. RF Justin Upton: 42 RBIs in ’08; career-best 86 in ’09.
4. 1B Adam LaRoche: At least 20 HRs each of past 5 seasons.
5. 3B Mark Reynolds: Led team in HRs, runs, RBIs, SBs.
6. C Miguel Montero: .832 OPS ranked second among NL catchers.
7. CF Chris Young: .297 AVG in final 26 games of ’09; .187 in first 108 games.
8. 2B Kelly Johnson: AVG fell from .287 in ’08 to .224 in ’09.

PROJECTED ROTATION
1. RHP Dan Haren: 30 wins, 3.23 ERA in two seasons with D-backs.
2. RHP Brandon Webb: Will start on D.L. after making just 1 start in ’09.
3. RHP Edwin Jackson: 2.52 ERA in first half; 5.07 in second half for Tigers.
4. RHP Ian Kennedy: 6.03 ERA, 1.68 WHIP in 14 MLB games.
5. RHP Billy Buckner: 3.32 ERA at Class AAA in ’09; 6.40 ERA in majors.

Projected closer
RHP Chad Qualls: 3.15 ERA, 1.11 WHIP in two season with Arizona.

Grades

Offense: C. The potential is there for an A-caliber offense, if Jackson, Johnson, Young and Stephen Drew are better — which could very well could be the case. Until that happens, though, there will be plenty of pressure on Reynolds, Upton, LaRoche and Miguel Montero to produce comparably or better than they did in 2009.

Pitching: C. Much depends on the healthy and productive return of Webb. Haren is an elite starter. Chad Qualls settled nicely into the full-time closer role last season for the first time in his career, but producing save opportunities could be challenging because of the team’s middle relief.

Bench: B. Gerardo Parra played 120 games and played all three outfield positions even though he wasn’t recalled until mid-May. Ryan Roberts also was versatile, making at least 12 starts at second, third and left field. Backup catcher Chris Snyder provides some pop off the bench.

Manager: C. Hinch didn’t have any managerial experience when he was tabbed to replace Melvin last season, but as the director of player development in the organization, he knew plenty about the struggling youngsters on the roster. He is learning on the job, and the youngsters did respond better as the season progressed.

Sporting News prediction: There is potential for much improvement, but the other NL West teams also are better. Arizona won’t finish as far back as in ’09, but will finish fourth.

Ryan Fagan is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com.

The Rockies are making a habit of dramatic playoff pushes in odd-numbered years — they won 14 of their final 15 games to reach the 2007 postseason, and they won 72 of their final 110 games last season en route to the wild card. They return largely the same roster — with a full season of manager Jim Tracy — as they attempt to make the playoffs in an even-numbered year for the first time in franchise history.

The Rockies aren’t sure what to expect from Jeff Francis.

Three questions

1. What can the Rockies expect from Jeff Francis?
Colorado will be patient. The lefthander’s fastball this spring is in the 89-mph range, which is about right considering he never was a flamethrower. This season, the Rockies don’t need Francis, who missed the entire 2009 season after shoulder surgery, to be the staff ace. Ubaldo Jimenez has assumed that role and has developed into one of the National League’s best starters.

Francis fits into the rotation behind Aaron Cook and Jorge De La Rosa — and maybe even Jason Hammel. Francis has been hit hard (6.92 ERA) in four spring training starts, but the most important thing is that he has been able to make those four starts.

2. What type of carryover can Colorado expect from 2009?
The Rockies blitzed their way into the playoffs last year; their record after June 3 was nine games better than any other team in the NL But what does that mean for 2010?

"Creating the mindset with what took place in 2009 was huge, and now carrying that over to the fact where this is what we have identified ourselves as. Now let’s get busy and have people be aware of the fact that this is what we expect to be from Day 1 of the season and not wait until the middle of June or whatever it was," Tracy said. "We ourselves want to be that way. We want to become a much more consistent baseball team, day in and day out from Day 1 and see where that takes us."

In the back of the minds of most Rockies’ fans, though, rests the memory of a 2008 season that was a huge disappointment after a trip to the 2007 World Series. A quick start to 2010 would go a long way to alleviating fears of an ’08 repeat.

3. How good can the Carlos Gonzalez-Dexter Fowler combination become?
Scary good. Both were highly regarded prospects, and both were catalysts to the Rockies’ stretch run in 2009. Both are 24, and both showed good patience at the plate last season; Gonzalez had a .353 on-base percentage and Fowler was at .363. Both, however, are susceptible to slumps; Gonzalez hit .210 in June and Fowler hit just .243 between May 1 and August 1. More importantly, though, both showed the ability to snap out of those slumps.

Projected lineup
1. LF Carlos Gonzalez: 13 HRs, 16 SBs in just 89 games.
2. CF Dexter Fowler: Speedy switch hitter had 27 SBs.
3. 1B Todd Helton: .325 AVG was his best since 2004.
4. SS Troy Tulowitzki: 101 runs, 32 HRs, 92 RBIs, .930 OPS in ’09.
5. RF Brad Hawpe: First-time All-Star had .240 AVG, 9 HRs after break.
6. C Chris Iannetta: .264 AVG in ’08; .228 AVG in ’09.
7. 3B Ian Stewart: Long-time top prospect hit 25 HRs last season.
8. 2B Clint Barmes: More than doubled career high with 23 HRs in ’09.

PROJECTED ROTATION
1. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez: Improved ERA, K’s, WHIP, BBs last season.
2. RHP Aaron Cook: Past two seasons: 3.75 ERA before break; 4.65 after.
3. LHP Jorge De La Rosa: 16-3, 3.94 ERA after June 1, 2009.
4. LHP Jeff Francis: Former ace hasn’t pitched in majors since Sept. 12, 2008.
5. RHP Jason Hammel: 30 starts in first season with team in ’09.

Projected closer
RHP Huston Street: 35 saves in ’09; will start season on D.L.

Grades

Offense: A. The Rockies have speed at the top of the order and power throughout — Nos. 7 and 8 hitters Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes combined for 48 homers. If Chris Iannetta and Stewart can raise their averages a bit and Brad Hawpe can shake off his second-half slump, this offense will be among the league’s elite.

Pitching: B. Jimenez took a giant step forward in 2009, solidifying his status as the team’s stopper. Francis is a question mark, but Cook and Hammel are consistent and De La Rosa showed flashes of brilliance. Huston Street’s sore shoulder is troubling, especially if Manny Corpas doesn’t improve.

Bench: A. Outfielders Ryan Spilborghs and Seth Smith provide defensive versatility and offensive reliability. Melvin Mora and Jason Giambi are experienced sources of offense, and backup catcher Miguel Olivo hit 23 homers for the Royals last season. Eric Young brings speed off the bench; he can play second or center field.

Manager: B. Tracy gets an A-plus for turning around the team after its horrible start in 2009. But this is his third managerial stop, and the first two weren’t exactly rousing successes. These Rockies fully bought into his philosophies last season; a repeat performance wouldn’t be surprising.

Sporting News prediction: Colorado has productive bats throughout the lineup and has a true ace in Jimenez anchoring a solid rotation. First place is the expectation.

Coming Wednesday: Giants preview

Ryan Fagan is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com.

An AL scout spoke with Sporting News’ Ryan Fagan about three of the division’s biggest questions:

Q: Which pitcher (if any) will emerge as the Angels’ ace?
Scout says: "I think Joe Saunders has a chance to really solidify himself as one of the premier lefthanded pitchers in the game. He’s a tremendous makeup guy, works extremely hard, has a very strong aptitude for the game. He’s probably the most durable guy in that rotation. To me, Saunders is a complete package and could put himself in that category as one of the top five to 10 lefties in the game."

Q: Which team in the division is the best defensively?
Scout says: "Texas is strong, but their catching is going to be a question mark. Seattle is good; Oakland doesn’t really have a premier guy. But it’s gotta be the Angels, with their pitching and how they play up the middle with Torii Hunter and Erick Aybar. The Angels have got to be considered the best defensive club."

Q: New Rangers DH Vladimir Guerrero has great numbers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington during his career. Will that continue?
Scout says: "Absolutely. One, because he likes to hit in that park. And two, because he’s a tremendous presence in the batter’s box and has a tremendous supporting cast around him. Even if he doesn’t produce exactly what he did for L.A., he’s in a hitter-friendly ballpark geared to the right-center field gap. I think he’s going to be very impactful for that lineup."

This story first appeared in Sporting News magazine. If you are not receiving the magazine, subscribe today, or pick up a copy, available at most Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.