Your NL Power Rankings? ... as of 9/17

[New York Red]

How do my fellow RedsZoners have the National League playoff contenders ranked right now? I'm only including the six teams that realistically have the best shot at this point of making the playoffs. In alphabetical order, with overall record and record in last ten games:

Atlanta ... (83-64) (4-6)
Cincinnati ... (83-64) (4-6)
Colorado ... (80-66) (8-2)
Philadelphia ... (86-61) (8-2)
San Diego ... (82-64) (5-5)
San Francisco ... (83-64) (7-3)

Here's mine:

1. Philadelphia ... (best team in NL now?)
2. San Francisco ... (2nd best team ERA in NL and hot lately)
3. Colorado ... (on fire, but can they do it on the road?)
4. Cincinnati ... (cooling lately; bullpen and clutch hitting suspect?)
5. Atlanta ... (4th in NL in runs scored; 4th in ERA)
6. San Diego ... (NL's best team ERA, but very little offense)

[DaytonFlyer]

I think we'll be the underdog no matter who we play. 6th out of 6.

[brm7675]

How do my fellow RedsZoners have the National League playoff contenders ranked right now? I'm only including the six teams that realistically have the best shot at this point of making the playoffs. In alphabetical order, with overall record and record in last ten games:

Atlanta ... (83-64) (4-6)
Cincinnati ... (83-64) (4-6)
Colorado ... (80-66) (8-2)
Philadelphia ... (86-61) (8-2)
San Diego ... (82-64) (5-5)
San Francisco ... (83-64) (7-3)

Here's mine:

1. Philadelphia ... (best team in NL now?)
2. San Francisco ... (2nd best team ERA in NL and hot lately)
3. Colorado ... (on fire, but can they do it on the road?)
4. Cincinnati ... (cooling lately; bullpen and clutch hitting suspect?)
5. Atlanta ... (4th in NL in runs scored; 4th in ERA)
6. San Diego ... (NL's best team ERA, but very little offense)

I would go with:

1 Colorado - They are a team on a mission
2 Philly - Team that knows how to win
3 Giants - pitching is their key
4 SD - pitching needs to step up
5 Atlanta - need hudson to turn it around
6 Cincy - on the verge of falling behind cards
7 - Cards - have the talent and pitching to get hot.

[DocRed]

I don't see how we could be any better than 6th the way we are playing.

[liminal]

I would go with:

1 Colorado - They are a team on a mission
2 Philly - Team that knows how to win
3 Giants - pitching is their key
4 SD - pitching needs to step up
5 Atlanta - need hudson to turn it around
6 Cincy - on the verge of falling behind cards
7 - Cards - have the talent and pitching to get hot.


This is a joke right? How is a 7 game lead on the verge of falling behind the Cards?

[Captain13]

1. Philly
2. Everyone else

The entire race is so jumbled and mixed up it's amazing. Can't wait to see how it all plays out.

[gmt]

I don't think it is possible, but read this:

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-phillies-collapse-was-worse-a32431

[brm7675]

This is a joke right? How is a 7 game lead on the verge of falling behind the Cards?

Have you seen us play? We are worn down, and beaten up. We got lucky as hell to take 4 out of 7 at home against the Dbacks and pirates and now we have to go on the road against houston/brewers and padres? I can see us coming home after this road trip either even with the cards or a game down.

[brm7675]

I don't think it is possible, but read this:

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-phillies-collapse-was-worse-a32431

it is more then possible, unless our bats wake up and those players with injuries heal real fast it will happen. We are trending down right now and while the Cards are not playing great right now, as they showed last night they have the ability to win when needed.

[New York Red]

I can see us coming home after this road trip either even with the cards or a game down.
Wow ... no way.

Yes, we have slumped lately, going 4-6 over our last ten games. However ... we've still gained on the Cardinals during that stretch, because they went 3-7. If we had a hot team trailing us, I'd still be only slightly concerned. But we're talking about the imploding Cardinals here. They're done.

[New York Red]

... while the Cards are not playing great right now, as they showed last night they have the ability to win when needed.
They had lost 7 of 9 before last night. I left them off my power rankings list for that reason.

[Caveman Techie]

Yeah I guess I need to redefine what the meaning of the term "on the verge" means, if a seven game lead is "on the verge" of falling behind.

[brm7675]

Wow ... no way.

Yes, we have slumped lately, going 4-6 over our last ten games. However ... we've still gained on the Cardinals during that stretch, because they went 3-7. If we had a hot team trailing us, I'd still be only slightly concerned. But we're talking about the imploding Cardinals here. They're done.

hope your right, but i woulnd't bank on it. This Reds team put it all out in August and it's now showing. We also have way to many banged up players to be able to field a team consistantly that can win. This weekend will be huge, if we can get to monday with a 5 game lead or larger I will agree it's over, but right now with this 7 game lead, it could be at 4 come monday.

[brm7675]

They had lost 7 of 9 before last night. I left them off my power rankings list for that reason.

The Cards seem to play much better against not Central division teams and better teams, they ahve the Padres and Fish up for the next six, which I can see them going 5-1 in those six while we go at best 1-5 in our next six.

[Caveman Techie]

You seem to forget that two of those losses this home stretch were due to CoCo's implosions in the 9th innings. And then you also expect a team that the Reds are 7-2 against on the season to sweep them? Anything could happen, but I wouldn't be willing to bet on a sweep happening. Matter of fact if the Reds can beat Wandy tonight then I'd say there is a good chance they will end up sweeping the Astro's.

[brm7675]

You seem to forget that two of those losses this home stretch were due to CoCo's implosions in the 9th innings. And then you also expect a team that the Reds are 7-2 against on the season to sweep them? Anything could happen, but I wouldn't be willing to bet on a sweep happening. Matter of fact if the Reds can beat Wandy tonight then I'd say there is a good chance they will end up sweeping the Astro's.

A) Dusty is going to continue to use Co-Co no matter what so more implosions could/will happen

B) Right now the Stros are a better team then us

C) I would be Shocked if we beat Wandy tonight or even plate more then a run or two against him.

[liminal]

The Cards seem to play much better against not Central division teams and better teams, they ahve the Padres and Fish up for the next six, which I can see them going 5-1 in those six while we go at best 1-5 in our next six.

I agree that the Reds aren't playing their best, but you're giving way too much credit to the Astros and Cardinals.

The Astros won't sweep us. And the Cardinals have not shown they can win when they have to--that's why they're 7 games back. Nothing about last night's win made it any more of a "must win" then any other game they're playing. In fact, I'd say that every game for the Cardinals is a must win at this point (if they want to compete), and they were just swept by the Cubs.

Add to this a struggling Pujols, struggling defense, a bullpen worse than ours, and a slowed down (and struggling) Garcia (not to mention a less-effective-than-usual Carpenter and Wainwright) and the odds of the Reds losing the division are impractically small.

I know it's hard to get beyond how good the Cardinals usually are, and how bad the Reds usually are, but this year is different.

[Hey Meat]

This is a joke right? How is a 7 game lead on the verge of falling behind the Cards?

A long 9 game in 10 days road trip.

[bshall2105]

The Cards seem to play much better against not Central division teams and better teams, they ahve the Padres and Fish up for the next six, which I can see them going 5-1 in those six while we go at best 1-5 in our next six.

Wow you are the Colin Cowherd of the SunDeck. You don't believe anything that you type and yet you still post it. Even if your dream scenario does ocur it's still an outrageous prediction.

[brm7675]

Wow you are the Colin Cowherd of the SunDeck. You don't believe anything that you type and yet you still post it. Even if your dream scenario does ocur it's still an outrageous prediction.

Have you not been watching this team over the past say 15 games? We had a 1-6 road trip which without a great performance by Travis Wood we get a big O'fer on that trip. At home, our mighty offense gets shut down by the Pirates and a rookie pitcher for the Dbacks and a pitcher with an ERA near the level of the countries unemployement. We are missing key players in Rolen, Phillips and Bruce. Votto has shown the wear and tear showing over the past few weeks and no matter how bad he looks, Dusty is going to trot Co-Co out there no matter what. Tell me this lets say tonight's game goes to the bottom of the 9th with the Reds up 3-2 and in comes Co-Co, what are the odds we win that game? Will the Cards catch us, right now I would say the odds are greater they will over they won't unless I see a different Reds team over the next 9 games compared to what I have seen the past 15 or so.

[liminal]

Have you not been watching this team over the past say 15 games? We had a 1-6 road trip which without a great performance by Travis Wood we get a big O'fer on that trip. At home, our mighty offense gets shut down by the Pirates and a rookie pitcher for the Dbacks and a pitcher with an ERA near the level of the countries unemployement. We are missing key players in Rolen, Phillips and Bruce. Votto has shown the wear and tear showing over the past few weeks and no matter how bad he looks, Dusty is going to trot Co-Co out there no matter what. Tell me this lets say tonight's game goes to the bottom of the 9th with the Reds up 3-2 and in comes Co-Co, what are the odds we win that game? Will the Cards catch us, right now I would say the odds are greater they will over they won't unless I see a different Reds team over the next 9 games compared to what I have seen the past 15 or so.

But you're still ignoring the fact that this year's Cards aren't very good, and look to be closing up shop. If we're talking last year's Cards--I'd agree with you 100%. But man, you're giving the Cardinals way, way, way more credit than they deserve this year.

ETA: I'm just saying is all: http://redlegnation.com/2010/09/17/jack-clark-cardinals-have-poopy-in-their-pants/

[brm7675]

But you're still ignoring the fact that this year's Cards aren't very good, and look to be closing up shop. If we're talking last year's Cards--I'd agree with you 100%. But man, you're giving the Cardinals way, way, way more credit than they deserve this year.

ETA: I'm just saying is all: http://redlegnation.com/2010/09/17/jack-clark-cardinals-have-poopy-in-their-pants/

Never say never to a team with Albert and the pitching they have.

[RedsLvr]

Never say never to a team with Albert and the pitching they have.

You're right, they might get mad and vow to never lose again.