MLB Power Rankings: Indians take over
Baltimore Orioles 72-75
Last week: 2-8
Last rank: 11
The Orioles picked the worst possible time for their entire lineup’s bats to go cold, but that’s nothing new for a team that has typically struggled to score runs in the month of September. Surprisingly, it was not the starting rotation that torpedoed the team’s playoff hopes with a six-game losing streak. During the skid, the Orioles allowed only 28 runs but scored only 10.
Building around a group of home-run hitters who categorically refuse to take walks will always come with problems when the air cools and the bodies tire. Chris Davis has been the biggest disaster as the offense goes belly up for the Orioles. The highest-paid player in franchise history has hit .119/.229/.286 in September with 20 strikeouts in 42 at-bats. It’s been ugly.
Texas Rangers 72-74
Last week: 4-6
Last rank: 15
The Rangers will have an interesting dilemma on their hands when free agency kicks off this winter with right-handed starter Andrew Cashner. The 31-year-old signed a one-year deal for $10 million last year and has performed well by the older counting stats. Cashner is 9-9 with a 3.19 ERA, but his 1.261 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9 and very low strikeout rate all combine to drive his FIP up to 4.36 which paints a much different picture.
Cashner will be an interesting case for teams to consider on the open market. He has always been very highly regarded and has a live arm and heavy fastball. He has never been big on the strikeout, and had a 2.87 ERA in nearly 300 innings from 2013 to 2014 while striking out only 6.7 per nine. Quantifying his ability to get weak contact on the ground in an era when every hitter is trying to hit the ball in the air will be the big challenge for front offices around the league.