CBSsportsline power rankings

[daa84]

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/powerrankings

 

If your opponent does not score, you can't lose. The Chicago White Sox apparently have this truism down pat just months after deciding to reshape Ozzie Guillen's power-laden club around the pitching-and-defense formula.

 

Missing are the thunder sticks of Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Lee, Jose Valentin (30 homers in 2004) and Frank Thomas -- a quartet that helped the White Sox lead the majors in homers last season. They were then replaced in the lineup this offseason by Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, Tadahito Iguchi and Carl Everett, essentially.

 

Not exactly a sure-fire way to turn an 83-win ballclub into one of baseball's beasts.

 

But it is the age-old adage -- pitching wins -- that is carrying the White Sox through an eight-game winning streak, the best record in baseball at 16-4 and the No. 1 spot in the latest CBS SportsLine.com Power Rankings.

 

Even their No. 5 starter, Jon Garland, is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA. Yes, that is their No. 5, a sure sign the restructuring is going as smoothly as a Mark Buehrle delivery.

 

Buehrle (3-1 with a 2.67 ERA and a .170 batting-average against), of course, is the workhorse ace, leading a pitching staff that boasts the second-best ERA in baseball at 2.97 to the still inhuman Marlins league-leading 2.27 mark.

 

The White Sox have led in every game they have played this season, so only an inconsistent pen is keeping them from being unbeaten right now perhaps. The starters have the best ERA in the AL by far, and they lead all of baseball with 13 quality starts in 20 games.

 

Cuban-Yankee imports Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras are making the hay in the middle of the rotation, leaving the big-budget Yankees (No. 15 in the rankings) awfully jealous of the mileage the White Sox are getting out the relative bargains compared to the $100 million rotation of Kevin Brown, Jaret Wright and company.

 

Defensively, only the equally surprising D-Backs (up to No. 10) have more assists right now -- which means a whole lot of weak ground-ball outs being sucked up by an underrated infield of Joe Crede, Juan Uribe, Iguchi and Paul Konerko, the impending free agent who is also carrying the power torch.

 

The White Sox are holding opponents to a .220 batting average right now because of the pitching and improved defense, and are the best in baseball in one-run games, going 9-1 in those close contests through their first 20 games. The nine one-run wins are just one off the April record, held by the 1987 Giants, who were 10-0.

 

Guillen and company have mastered the close-to-the-vest play, but time will tell if it will finally catch up to them once the weather and bats heat up in Chicago.

 

The complete Power Rankings through Monday, April 25:

 

POWER RANKINGS

Current Team Previous

1 Chicago White Sox 3

Tough to argue against a team that couldn't -- and didn't -- lose last week, riding an eight-game winning streak through Monday's game.

2 St. Louis Cardinals 4

The starting pitchers pick up the slow-starting bats last week, going 6-1, including a pair of wins by both resurgent aces Mark Mulder and Matt Morris.

3 Boston Red Sox 2

The red-hot Orioles have lapped them as baseball's most threatening lineup, at least temporarily.

4 Los Angeles Dodgers 1

Have struggled some after long hot streak; apparently there is too much pressure being at the top of this list.

5 Anaheim Angels 12

When, not if, Dallas McPherson gets hot, this could be the most well-rounded team in baseball.

6 Atlanta Braves 6

Look like they will finally have a dogfight on their hands in the clumped-up NL East.

7 Florida Marlins 7

Major-league-leading ERA rose to 2.27, but is still almost 3/4 of a run better than the White Sox, who are second best on the hill.

8 Baltimore Orioles 9

Brian Roberts and Bruce Chen are the latest examples of age-27 breakout players.

9 Minnesota Twins 5

Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer still need to find their stride as consistent big-league run producers.

10 Arizona Diamondbacks 19

If Javy Vazquez gets hot, look out. This could be one of baseball's famed worst-to-first stories.

11 Chicago Cubs 14

Mark Prior (3-0, 0.95 ERA) looks as strong as ever. Now, if Kerry Wood can follow suit, they will really have something.

12 New York Mets 22

Surprisingly one of the more potent offenses in the NL of late. Their 99 runs scored are No. 2 in the NL entering Tuesday's games.

13 Cincinnati Reds 13

Wily Mo Pena has five more homers than struggling Ken Griffey -- in 22 fewer at-bats.

14 Texas Rangers 23

They still have no pitching, but at least the offense and closer Francisco Cordero are heating up.

15 New York Yankees 15

Question-mark starters Kevin Brown (8.25 ERA) and Jaret Wright (9.15 ERA and on the DL) have been worse than even their critics thought they would be.

16 Philadelphia Phillies 8

Jon Lieber, the one the Yankees let get away, is 4-0 with a nifty 2.73 ERA.

17 Detroit Tigers 18

A sweep of the Twins has this team believing it can compete even without Magglio Ordonez.

18 Cleveland Indians 17

They are picking it up defensively, and C.C. Sabathia's return helps, but when will those bats get hot?

19 San Diego Padres 20

Jake Peavy might be the most underrated ace in baseball.

20 San Francisco Giants 21

How much does Barry Bonds mean? With him, a Series contender. Without him, an afterthought.

21 Houston Astros 24

Unsupported Roger Clemens (0.32 ERA) will be the first to give returning run producer Lance Berkman a big hug.

22 Oakland Athletics 11

Still the worst offensive ballclub in the AL, and ex-ace Barry Zito has a 6.60 ERA.

23 Seattle Mariners 25

The Mariners were 3-7 in their first 10 home games this year, their worst start in Safeco Field history.

24 Washington Nationals 16

Hopefully all their new home momentum doesn't die too soon.

25 Pittsburgh Pirates 28

Majors' worst offense has scored only 55 runs and hit 10 homers.

26 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 27

At least they're showing some fight. Now if they could just start pitching (AL-worst 6.11 ERA).

27 Milwaukee Brewers 26

Offensive makeover still has them near the bottom in average, runs and on-base percentage.

28 Toronto Blue Jays 10

Once things hit the fan, it cost the hitting coach his job. No respect for their overachieving start.

29 Colorado Rockies 30

Baby Rocks Clint Barnes and Brad Hawpe are locked in, and Garrett Atkins is on the way.

30 Kansas City Royals 29

The Royals have lost 19 of their past 23 games at Kauffman Stadium, dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.

[kapkomet]

Freeze frame this baby, cause you won't ever see it again.

 

[tonyho7476]

Freeze frame this baby, cause you won't ever see it again.

 

 

 

What are you talking about? We'll see this every week till the end of the season.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Freeze frame this baby, cause you won't ever see it again.

 

 

 

Until next week that is.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

That is some serious dap right there.

 

However, Like Kap said, I don't expect to see that about the Sox to often, so lets enjoy!!!!

 

 

Just win dude, thats all that matters. Respect will be close behind.

[WilliamTell]

I feels good seeing that. Keep up the good work Sox and you'll keep getting rewarded.

[SnB]

I'm loving all this pub the sox are getting, and well deserved.

Makes me proud to wear my rugged-dirty sox hat around.

[JUGGERNAUT]

That was awesome! I could not have written it better myself. Though I would have mention the fact that we are nearly 200OPS better than our opposition so far with runners on. So it's not like the offense is sleeping.

[shakes]

I don't mean to turn this into a Cubs thread, but does anyone do their homework:

 

11 Chicago Cubs 14

Mark Prior (3-0, 0.95 ERA) looks as strong as ever. Now, if Kerry Wood can follow suit, they will really have something.

 

The flubs moved up three spots after losing their "star" shortstop, one of their "aces" leaving with shoulder tendinitis, demoting their closer, and losing thier new closer.

[Rex Kickass]

They're also winning more games, that might have something to do with it too.

[Be Good]

Freeze frame this baby, cause you won't ever see it again.

 

Your a White Sox fan, right?

 

You don't the Sox can countine to win and the stat that really matters lol(being in one of the top spots of the CBS Sportsline rankings). You think this team won't ever be at the top of this division this year or ever?

 

WELL I THINK THE SOX CAN CONTINUE BEING ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS.

Edited April 26, 2005 by Be Good

[Wedge]

all I have to say is Maggs

 

Seriously though, this is really great. I feel a lot better about this team than I have before.

[Steff]

Sweet. I can't remember the last time they were on the top. Must have been sometime in 2000.

[Be Good]

Sweet. I can't remember the last time they were on the top. Must have been sometime in 2000.

Yup. And before that???

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Yup.  And before that??? 

 

 

I want to say 1993-1994?

[Steff]

Yup.  And before that??? 

 

 

94

[Be Good]

I want to say 1993-1994?

Yeah thats what I was thinking. If cbs.sportsline.com was a web site in 94, or if there was any web sites is a different story??

[JUGGERNAUT]

I think it will last. It's apparent to me now what's happening with our offense.

 

http://baseball.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/batt...Type=2&type=reg

Inn 1-6 .242A .297O .383S .680OPS vs Opp .228A .301O .335S .636OPS

 

 

That's a +.044OPS.

 

http://baseball.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/batt...Type=2&type=reg

Inn 7+ .288A .306O .421S .727OPS vs Opp .204A .270O .354S .624OPS

 

That's a +.103OPS. (6 guys hitting over .300)

 

That's the way teams traditionally built on pitching & defense first & hitting second beat you. The more looks average to good hitters get against starters the better their odds of getting hits. If you look at the ERA of the relievers we've faced for the most part they've been worse than the starters.

 

We really don't give KW & Ozzie enough credit. Especially Ozzie becomes it's obvious he is trying to shape this organization in the mold of the Florida Marlins with the luxury of more $'s to spend.

 

The real challenge wil come when we play a string of teams with good rotations & good bullpens. I'm not sure how many of them exist right now

Edited April 26, 2005 by JUGGERNAUT