Ultimate Dynasty League April 2019 Power Rankings
by Austin B (The Gamblers)
Editor's reminder: previous rankings were written by someone else.
20. The Royal Rooters - Blake Lawatch (Previous: 17)
While the Rooters have some great prospects in stock, such as Nick Senzel and Royce Lewis, their major leaguers are lacking on the offensive end and just sad on the pitching side. Aside from Alex Bregman and Fernando Tatis Jr., there aren’t really any big-league-level standouts on Blake’s squad. The future is bright for the Rooters, but the present may continue to be a bit dim for this team, off to a 7-22-1 (.250) start.
19. Havana Pigs - Jane Osbeck (Previous: 18)
While the Havana Pigs had some interesting potential at the beginning of the year, almost none of it has come to fruition. Jane has gotten very little useful production out of Brian Dozier, Jake Lamb, and Justin Bour on the offensive end and we can add Brandon Woodruff and Shelby Miller to that list on the pitching side. All is not lost, as Hunter Dozier, Yandy Diaz, and Willians Astudillo are doing intriguing things, so this is one ranking I could easily see rising if the Pigs can recover from their 7-20-3 (.283) start to the season.
18. Boston Narb Sluggers - Brandon Kalashian (Previous: 15)
It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for the Boston Narb Sluggers so far in 2019, but the greatest takeaway has been poor.
The Good: Yoan Moncada seems to be breaking out. Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto have been solid. Frankie Montas is showing some interesting signs of unexpected talent.
The Bad: Tyler Skaggs and Arodys Vizcaino are both injured, while Alex Reyes and Ian Happ are both in the minors.
The Ugly: Jose Peraza and Lewis Brinson both forgot how to hit, and the Narb Sluggers have been without a first baseman since Ronald Guzman hit the Injured List in early April. Nick Pivetta and Matt Harvey both forgot how to pitch.
There’s a lot of interesting names on this team, and this is another ranking that could raise in the coming weeks if a few players turn things around. Up to now, Brandon’s team has put up the second-worst record in the UDL: 6-23-1 (.213).
17. Forgot About Trea - Corey Ranweiller (Previous: 11)
Forgot About Trea is off to the worst start of any team in the league. Corey’s team has finished with a paltry 5-25-1 (.183) record after the first three weeks of the season. However, Corey’s squad has faced three very tough opponents to start the season. In their first three weeks, Forgot About Trea has faced Mario’s Hone Ron Runners (2-8 finish), Kyle’s Springfield Isotopes (1-9 finish), and Brandon H’s Maine Cobra Kai (2-7-1 finish). With solid names like Whit Merrifield, Juan Soto, and Kris Bryant leading his offense, and slow-start-starters Zack Wheeler and Miles Mikolas in his rotation, I think brighter days are ahead for Corey.
16. Cat Scratch Fever - Brett Dunlap (Previous: 20)
Brett’s team is in an interesting spot. His offense is sneaky decent, with Ozzie Albies, Eddie Rosario, and Jonathan Schoop all off to hot starts, but his pitching is pretty underwhelming. Luke Weaver and Brad Peacock have looked interesting and Brad Hand is still good, but Steven Matz, Touki Toussaint, and Seth Lugo have been pretty poor to start the year. I just feel like this team is teetering between a full rebuild and competing, and a few trades could push the team definitively one way or the other. For now, the Cat Scratch Fever have put up a 9-19-2 (.333) record after three weeks.
15. Acuña Matata - Jake Bridges (Previous: 16)
Like the Narb Sluggers, this is another story of ups and downs. Let’s break it down again.
The Good: Ronald Acuña is mashing, Corey Seager is expectedly good, and Christian Walker has been a very pleasant surprise.
The Bad: Francisco Mejia isn’t getting many reps for San Diego, Kole Calhoun looks nearly as bad as he did at the beginning of 2018
The Ugly: That pitching staff. Oof. Especially now that Nathan Eovaldi is out after a surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. When your best starter is Derek Holland, life is pretty rough.
Not sure what Jake is thinking with his new team, but I’m sure he’d prefer to be off to a better start than 12-17-1 (.417).
14. Preston Perennials - Darren Vandenberg (Previous: 13)
The Preston Perennials have the opposite problem as many of the teams discuss thus far: not enough hitting, compared to their pitching. Darren’s got plenty of interesting starters, from aces, Noah Syndergaard and Carlos Carrasco, to young blossoming studs, Shane Bieber and Mike Soroka. However, beyond J.T. Realmuto, Max Muncy, and Rafael Devers, there isn’t much offense to speak of, unless you count Alex Gordon (we probably shouldn’t). Darren’s gotten off to a 7-19-4 (.300) start, only winning 4 out 15 offensive categories thus far. He’ll have to find a way to improve the Preston batters if he wants to see his ranking increase in 2019.
13. Maine Cobra Kai - Brandon Hagopian (Previous: 4)
This may end up being my most controversial ranking, but as Darren said at the beginning of the year, Maine Cobra Kai isn’t as intimidating as they once were. Key offensive injuries have taken Scooter Gennett, Jean Segura, and Gary Sanchez out of the picture for a while (though Sanchez is due back soon) and what’s left is a solid, but unspectacular offense. Sure, Trevor Story, Marcell Ozuna, and Joey Gallo have been good, but otherwise, it’s kinda meh. On the pitching end, it’s kinda been a mess so far. Jameson Tallion leads the staff, with Vince Velasquez and Marco Gonzales being the only other starters that have done good things for Brandon thus far. Sean Newcomb was bad enough to be demoted, while Eduardo Rodriguez and Reynaldo Lopez have been arguably worse. All in all, Brandon is off to a 16-13-1 (.550) start, but I would be surprised if he makes the playoffs this year with two very tough opponents in the Koufax West division.
12. Team Riptide - Dan “Benthic” Hogan (Previous: 1)
Aaaand the most disappointing start to 2019 goes to… Team Riptide! To be fair, Dan’s team has faced two tough opponents thus far in Big League Chu (2-8 finish) and Torrano Beisbol Birds (2-7-1), but they didn’t truly take advantage of a matchup against my 16th ranked team Cat Scratch Fever (6-4 finish). Riptide has plenty of talent, including Jose Altuve, Josh Donaldson, and Khris Davis on the hitting end, and Justin Verlander, Jack Flaherty, and Kyle Hendricks on the pitching end. Sure, injuries have taken out Giancarlo Stanton and Corey Knebel, but a 10-19-1 (.350) cannot be what Dan envisioned to start the year.
11. The Gamblers - Austin Bristow II (Previous: 7)
My team, The Gamblers, has been absolutely torn apart by injuries. Aaron Judge, Mike Clevinger, Aaron Hicks, Mike Foltynewicz, Matt Olson, and Andrew Heaney were all key pieces that I had factored into my original plans. With each of them on the shelf (though Olson and Folty should return soon), I’ve been forced to turn to batters like Tyler White and Manuel Margot to fill in. While my offense has been downright poor, my pitching has come through as some of the best in the league. Luis Castillo is looking like a true ace, while Joe Musgrove, Matthew Boyd, and Sonny Gray are all showing very encouraging starts to the season. I’ve managed a winning record of 15-13-2 (.533) so far, but in the Aaron West, I’ll need my guys to get healthy if I’m going to make a true push for the playoffs.
10. Wayne’s Hardware - Mike Lanciotti (Previous: 19)
Another team that has been ravaged by injuries is Wayne’s Hardware. With 8 men on the Injured List, including Didi Gregorius and Michael Fulmer, it’s all the more impressive that Mike’s team is off to a winning start. The offense doesn’t have any true standouts, but it also doesn’t have many holes, looking fairly solid across the board. Meanwhile, the pitching staff is led by Gerrit Cole, with Jose Quintana following close behind. Beyond the two of them, however, the pitching is woefully thin. Mike will need to figure out a way to win pitching categories if he hopes to maintain his impressive 18-10-2 (.633) start.
9. Bringers of WAR - Joe Feery (Previous: 8)
The first hitter to catch your eye on the Bringers of WAR is obviously Mike Trout, but he isn’t alone. Joe can expect to win stolen bases basically every week with a trio of Tim Anderson, Billy Hamilton, and Mallex Smith flanking Trout. The pitching staff is led by young stud, German Marquez. Other interesting names include Caleb Smith, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Mike Minor, along with Kenley Jansen, racking up saves. The Bringers of WAR are a bit thin, but have the pieces to win categories and potentially beat almost any team in any given week. I expect they’ll improve upon their 16-14-0 (.533) record in the coming weeks.
8. Big League Chu - Scott Chu (Previous: 12)
Big League Chu has been off to a torrid start to the year, unsurprisingly following hot starts from many of the teams standouts and a few unexpected sources. Matt Chapman and Michael Brantley have been very good to start the year, but the offense has been anchored by Carlos Santana, Jorge Polanco, and Freddy Galvis, as they each bring power and OBP skills to the table. On the pitching end, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have been the Rays aces and Scott’s as well. Throw in Chris Paddack, Jon Lester, and Josh Hader and it makes sense why Big League Chu has earned a 21-8-1 (.717) record up to this point. All that said, I’m expecting some regression to hit Big League Chu across the board, but they’re still a fun, interesting team to watch in 2019.
7. Springfield Isotopes - Kyle Biggs (Previous: 14)
Our newest Canadian owner comes in at the seventh spot. Kyle Biggs and his Springfield Isotopes have not been immune to the injury bug, most notably losing Miguel Andujar and Miguel Sano. Still, the offense is doing just fine, led by JD Martinez and Charlie Blackmon. Jose Berrios and Masahiro Tanaka are the aces of a good, but not great pitching staff. All that has led to a very impressive 21-8-1 (.717) start to the year, second only to a team further up my ranks.
6. Torrano Beisbol Birds - Josh Botelho (Previous: 10)
The Torrano Beisbol Birds are a team of studs and JAGs (Just a Guy). Jose Ramirez, Carlos Correa, and Eloy Jimenez are at the top of a very good offense that is deep with viable options. After the Harper trade, the Birds pitching is much improved. The addition of Aaron Nola and David Price to James Paxton gives Josh’s squad a very good top three starters to lean on for success, with a few interesting options to back them up. The Beisbol Birds currently have a very nice 18-8-4 (.667) record to begin the 2019 season.
5. Discount Bob’s Couch Emporium - Josh Bass & Julian Spector (Previous: 6)
Do you know what helps make a team really good? Having one of the two best hitters in baseball. Christian Yelich is honestly scary at this point; teams (especially the Cardinals) should just stop pitching to him. Along with Yelich, Discount Bob’s Couch Emporium also features Anthony Rizzo and Manny Machado on the offensive end, with Trevor Bauer leading a solid and deep pitching staff. The DBCE are off to a good start, going 18-11-1 (.617) over the first week, but, like the Gamblers and Big League Chu, they’ll have a difficult road ahead in the ultra-competitive Aaron West division.
4. Team ¡Ponche! - Lauren Grant (Previous: 3)
Do you know what helps make a team really good? Having one of the two best hitters in baseball. Cody Bellinger is on an absolute tear for Team ¡Ponche!, and his teammates Freddie Freeman, Kolten Wong, Paul DeJong, and Joc Pederson are each following his lead. Needless to say, Lauren’s offense has been very good. The pitching is solid as well, led by Patrick Corbin and Walker Buehler, but backed by Zack Greinke, Ross Stripling, and Trevor Richards. Life is good for Team ¡Ponche!, as they’re off to a very nice 19-11-0 (.633) start to the 2019 season.
3. Back2Back Jax - Jackson Kendall (Previous: 9)
Back2Back Jax is an all-around solid team. Anthony Rendon and Xander Bogaerts lead the way for an offense that really doesn’t have many holes to point to, and with Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson both injured, it could improve upon their return. The pitching has been a bit shaky so far, but I think Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, and J.A. Happ each have a pretty good shot to lower their respective ERAs below 4.00. When they inevitably turn things around, Jackson could potentially see his 18-10-2 (.633) record improve. Watch out Aaron East.
2. Vengeful Tuna - Avery Meyer (Previous: 5)
This may be a controversial ranking, but I stand by it. Avery’s team has an offense that is pretty solid, but about to get a big boost from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Where the Vengeful Tuna really shine is the pitching staff. Corey Kluber, Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, Charlie Morton, Chris Archer, and Kevin Gausman. Damn. Top that off with a relief corp of Aroldis Chapman, Roberto Osuna, Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, and Mark Melancon, and you have a team that should expect to win at least 4 pitching categories against any squad. The Tuna round out the four legit competitors of Aaron West, making their path to the playoffs just as difficult as the other three. That said, this dynamic team is off to a 19-8-3 (.617 start), taking 12 of 15 pitching categories along the way.
1. Hone Ron Runners - Mario Hernandez (Previous: 2)
Unsurprisingly, Mario is at the top of my Ultimate Dynasty League power rankings. After trading for Bryce Harper, the Hone Ron Runners boast what is probably the best offense in the league, including Paul Goldschmidt, Justin Turner, Adalberto Mondesi, and Francisco Lindor. Though the Harper trade and Jacob deGrom injury have hurt his pitching, Mario can still field a solid, competitive staff that features Rich Hill, Madison Bumgarner, and Zach Eflin. Throw Craig Kimbrel into that mix, and the Hone Ron Runners may be able to keep up their league-leading 21-6-3 (.750) start.