Inaugural Power Rankings

Nine Up, Nine Down…

Time for the inaugural Joe Rauschenberger Golden Baseball League power rankings. I’ve seen our squad, plus three other GBL teams, and as the season gets longer the tooth, I’ll see everyone. The idea for the first set of rankings came a few days ago, and were changed by tonight’s result in St. George…so let’s get to it..

#1 - St. George RoadRunners – 8-3, 1st place in South Division - With the ballpark they play in, offense will be paramount for the RoadRunners. With Alexis Gomez in the lineup belting home-runs at will, the St. George club is set-up offensively. Ryan Stevenson, a 2008 GBL all-star, sets the table, and veterans Henry Calderon and Jose Rodriguez will complement the potent offense that occurs at Bruce Hurst Field. Other than the series-opening victory over our Outlaws, what really puts the RoadRunners over the top is their bullpen. With three former major-league talents (Brito, Darensburg, Fortunato), the RoadRunners will be able to hold leads by amassing strikeouts in the late-innings.

#2 - Chico Outlaws – 8-3, 1st place in North Division – With new manager Greg Cadaret at the helm, and a strong performance from the bullpen early, the Outlaws rank amongst the best teams in the GBL early-on. Not to mention the tough bus-trips the team has made. Taking the early season series against Calgary puts them ahead of the Vipers for now, as the teams don’t meet again until the first series after the All-Star Break. Truan Mehl has hit safely in all 11 games, and second-year GBL’er Bryan Silverman solidifies this team not only with his bat, but his play behind the plate. Power-hitters Ryan Brown and Jason Crosland haven’t quite gotten into their groove, and expecting they will, the ceiling is high for the Outlaws. Cadaret will continue to demand and receive quality innings from his pitching staff, and with a fervent fanbase, the Outlaws seem poised to return to their 2007 GBL Championship form.

#3 - Calgary Vipers – 8-3, 2nd place in North Division - After dropping an important three-game set in Chico recently, the Vipers are securely set at third-place in these power rankings. With a veteran roster, the Vipers will be able to handle the rigorous travel from north of the border, and the bats and strikes will come at crunch-time. Drew Miller remains one of the league’s top talents, and Mark Okano continues to emerge as a consistent offensive contributor. With eleven pitchers on staff, manager Morgan Burkhardt has the luxury to mix and match his matchups in the late-innings, and the Vipers have proven early on in the season they are an offensive power to be reckoned with.

#4 - Long Beach Armada – 5-5, 2nd place in South Division - Bolstered by their Major League pitching talent, the Armada have plenty of potential to sneak back into the Southern Division race. Jose Lima has had two great outings, and Hideki Irabu is primed to begin contributing as the team returns home from a long Canadian road-trip. They will wait for their home-opener for another week, but that will prove an advantage as they will play more often as the home team.

#5 - Edmonton Capitals – 6-5, 3rd place in North Division - As the North Division projects as a tight race between its top two teams, the Capitals get a nod over Tucson at #5 as the acquisition of Daryl Brinkley puts a premiere independent league bat into their lineup. With a new ownership group, fresh re-branding, and a quality stadium, the Capitals are on the up-and-up all-around this season.

#6 - Tucson Toros – 3-4, 3rd place in South Division - The Toros are off to a slow start, but begin the first three weeks of the season with all home dates. This hurts their ranking, as they will pay for this long homestand, playing on the road a lot as the season begins its wear and tear. However, the Toros are a very strong organization all-around in the GBL, and former Major League manager Tim Johnson is going to demand performance. If they can get on a hot-streak at home, the Toros will be set themselves up for some success once they hit the road.

#7 - Victoria Seals – 2-8, 3rd place in North Division - The Seals, in their inaugural season, are heading home after opening on the road, and hoping to settle into some comfortability at Royal Athletic Park. Veteran GBL manager Darrell Evans knows what it takes to win in this league, and will oversee a team trying to get off the mat. The first two weeks of the season, plus a spring-training a 1,000 miles from home was the “get to know you” period, and I expect this team to begin winning some games.

#8 - Yuma Scorpions – 2-6, 4th in South Division - Opening with seven games against our the team atop our first power rankings was a tough draw. Not to mention the translation of Colombia to Southwestern Arizona. This team of Colombians should begin to show truer colors as they acclimate to Yuma and get their legs under them.

# 9 - Orange County Flyers – 0-6, 5th in South Division - In last place by default. Without a win, the defending 2008 GBL champions are off to a slow start, to say the least. With two former Major Leaguers in the starting lineups, everyone expected more. Gary Carter’s move to the Atlantic League could be more of an issue than expected. The Flyers, like the Armada, are forced to open the season with a long road-trip, and once they settle into mid-June, the Flyers will enjoy heavy home dates and look to make up ground.