Week Five Power Poll

This week's Power Poll features a free-fall from the Jersey Boys and the Bulls and a slow climb by the Cys and Vicious Fishes. Treat this like a Futures Report. 

While the oracle of the fantasy baseball internet projects the future, it has forecasting flaws. It ranks teams based on a traditional rotisserie format, where 16 points are awarded to the team winning a scoring category, 15 points for second, 14 points for third and down to one point for the last place team in the category.  The maximum number of points a team can receive is 192 (16 points for winning all 12 scoring categories) while the lowest number of points is 12.

Of course, in a weekly head-to-head format, you have to live with the inevitable hot streaks and slumps that baseball teams go through. Your statistics aren't parceled out in evenly divided weekly increments. It can be feast or famine and that impacts the standings. Exhibit A: Jay Bruce in Week 4.

The weekly power poll gives you a chance to assess your team's strengths and weaknesses through the unblinking, analytical eye of the BaseballMonster.com forecasting computer. Here are the Week 5 numbers.

 Total Points 136: Veteran pitcher Jake Peavy has made sure the Machine does not lose its accustomed place at the top of the Power Poll. It gained three points this week, one on offense and two pitching. Check out these numbers on Peavy - five quality starts, seven earned runs over 37.2 innings, and 33 strikeouts. The question entering the season was whether the injury-plagued Peavy could stay healthy. It's clear that, if he can, he will be effective. Peavy has had help on the mound the past two weeks. Gavin Floyd has allowed just two runs the past 14 innings while striking out 15. At the plate, David Ortiz has 18 RBI in his first 21 games and Chase Headley has filled in for the injured Jacoby Ellsbury, hitting four homers, stealing two bases, and driving in 14 runs in his first 23 games. Offensive Total 74: Home Runs 13, RBI 13, Stolen Bases 5, Runs 16, Strikeouts 13, OBP 14. Pitching Total 62: Saves 5, ERA 13, WHIP 14, Strikeouts 6, Holds 14, Quality Starts 10.

Total Points 121: Justin Upton is heating up as Bacon tries to cut into the 4.5-game deficit in the North Division. The team hasn't moved in this week's Power Poll but if Upton stays hot, it will. Upton scored six times in his last six games while hitting a homer and stealing two bases. How long will rookie pitcher Lance Lynn remain the team's MVP? Lynn has been sensational, earning three quality starts in his first four appearances. He's given up four earned runs in 27 innings pitched while striking out 24 batters. Anibal Sanchez provides the team a 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, recording four consecutive quality starts to open the season. He's struck out 33 batters in 26.1 innings. Nobody is shocked that outfielder Jason Heyward is having a bounce-back season but the stolen base numbers are eye-opening. Heyward, known more for his power than his speed, has eight steals in his first 22 games. Offensive Total 66: Home Runs 15, RBI 12, Stolen Bases 10, Runs 11, Strikeouts 7, OBP 11. Pitching Total 55: Saves 12, ERA 4, WHIP 4, Strikeouts 15, Holds 9, Quality Starts 11.

Total Points 119: Bomba is known for its power-hitting teams, and this year is no exception, but the starting pitching has propelled the team to the league's best overall record. Four of Matt Garza's first five starts have been quality. He has struck out 36 in 33.2 innings. Brandon Beachy has three quality starts in four appearances, striking out 20 in 25.2 innings. The team's offensive leader has always been first baseman Miguel Cabrera and the big guy is starting to heat up. He has three homers in his last six games. Catcher Yadier Molina has been strong all season. He has four homers and 15 RBI in 21 games. He's struck out just nine times in 76 at bats. The team's weakness is the bullpen. Setup man Greg Holland and closer Sergio Santos are both injured while setup man Jose Veras has allowed seven earned run in 10 innings. The team is also waiting for shortstop Jimmy Rollins to heat up. Rollins is hitting just .222 in his first 81 at bats. Offensive Total 76: Home Runs 4, RBI 15, Stolen Bases 13, Runs 13, Strikeouts 16, OBP 15. Pitching Total 43: Saves 14, ERA 7, WHIP 8, Strikeouts 4, Holds 8, Quality Starts 2.

 Total Points 118: What is wrong with Heath Bell? The veteran closer is the cornerstone of the team's bullpen but he's costing the Slammers points. He has allowed eight runs in his first 6.2 innings. The team is also patiently waiting on setup man Tyler Clippard, who has allowed six runs in his first 10 innings. While the team's bullpen is struggling, the middle infield is very strong. In his last five games, second baseman Jose Altuve is 11-for-23 with eight runs scored. As good as Altuve has been, he can't find his way into the starting lineup because veteran Mike Aviles has four homers, three stolen bases and he's scored 16 runs in his first 20 games. If the bullpen continues to struggle, the Slammers could be in the trade market for a team with reliever depth. General Manager Leslie King will keep a close eye on catcher Joe Mauer, who took a ball off his knee over the weekend and missed Monday's game. Mauer has had a good start to the season. Offensive Total 59: Home Runs 9, RBI 14, Stolen Bases 8, Runs 14, Strikeouts 5, OBP 9. Pitching Total 59: Saves 10, ERA 10, WHIP 11, Strikeouts 10, Holds 6, Quality Starts 12. 

Total Points 110: The depending league champions jumped two spots in the poll after hanging on for a tough series victory over Bacon at Mile 11 in Week 4. In an attempt to add some speed to the roster, the Lower Haighters inserted outfielder Tony Campana into the lineup this week. He has four steals in his last five games. When the team won the championship in 2011 it did so because of a strong bullpen. The 'pen is starting to gain momentum behind veteran closers Joe Nathan and Huston Street. Street has given up just one run in his first eight innings while earning three saves. Nathan has five saves in 10 appearances. Raise your hand if you predicted Albert Pujols would go 22 games without a home run. Pujols is the 763rd-ranked player in the league. He would be worth a 48th round draft choice. He has four RBI in his first 88 at bats. In all honesty, this is becoming a Long National Nightmare. The biggest news for the team last week was Jesus Montero qualifying to play catcher. Offensive Total 65: Home Runs 12, RBI 11, Stolen Bases 11, Runs 12, Strikeouts 6, OBP 13. Pitching Total 45: Saves 15, ERA 2, WHIP 1, Strikeouts 9, Holds 13, Quality Starts 5.

Total Points 108: It was questionable whether Give it a Yankee could survive a series of early-season injuries but David Wright, Clayton Kershaw, and Corey Hart have carried the team. Wright has 14 RBI in his first 19 games including a home run, two stolen bases, and six RBI in his last 20 at bats. Hart has six homers in his first 21 games while Kershaw has 28 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. With Mike Morse and Chase Utley both lost until later this summer, the team does not need another injury, but that's exactly what they have in Nick Swisher's hamstring. Swisher leads the team with 23 RBI but he'll miss the next week. Leading the team with home runs is catcher Mike Napoli. He has seven long balls and 14 RBI. A major concern for the team is the reliability of closer Jordan Walden, who was relieved of his ninth inning role after a blown save last week. Offensive Total 60: Home Runs 16, RBI 16, Stolen Bases 4, Runs 10, Strikeouts 4, OBP 10. Pitching Total 48: Saves 6, ERA 8, WHIP 7, Strikeouts 12, Holds 2, Quality Starts 13.

Total Points 102: Twinkle Toes will wait anxiously to determine if Monday's injury to third baseman Evan Longoria is serious. He appeared to tweak a knee sliding into second base. Longoria leads the team with 19 RBI and is tied for second in homers with four, three coming in the last two weeks. The biggest issue facing the 2010 champs is third baseman Mark Reynolds. Reynolds is 9-for-63 and leads the team with 30 strikeouts, nearly double the next closest player. That Reynolds is striking out at an alarming rate is nothing new. The fact that he has no home runs is a big issue. Catcher Buster Posey is picking up Reynolds. Posey has three homers, six RBI and eight runs scored over his last 11 games. On the mound, veteran setup man Mike Adams is quietly having an All-Star season. Adams has five holds while allowing just two runs over 11 innings. A pleasant surprise for the team has been the play of outfielder Alejandro de Aza. He has three homers, two stolen bases, and 17 runs scored in his first 22 games. Offensive Total 56: Home Runs 11, RBI 10, Stolen Bases 7, Runs 8, Strikeouts 8, OBP 12. Pitching Total 46: Saves 3, ERA 1, WHIP 2, Strikeouts 14, Holds 11, Quality Starts 15.

Total Points 97: The Bulls are this week's big tumblers in the Power Poll, losing nine points and three positions. The team is waiting patiently for Bud Norris, a keeper, to gain his footing in 2012. He has just one quality start in his last three appearances, giving up 14 earned runs over his last 18.1 innings. The bullpen also has some issues as Frank Francisco is nursing a sore hamstring and Carlos Marmol has allowed two earned runs over his last 4.1 innings. Luckily for the Bulls, Scott Downs has inherited the closer role in Anaheim and responded with three holds, two saves and six shutout innings. Offensively, the team is looking formidable as Carlos Gonzalez has come alive. Gonzalez has four home runs, four stolen bases, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored over the last two weeks. With Gonzalez and Matt Kemp both hitting, the team will be tough to beat in the offensive categories. Kemp continues to be the top-rated player in fantasy league baseball. He has 12 home runs, 25 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 84 at bats. Offensive Total 36: Home Runs 5, RBI 2, Stolen Bases 9, Runs 1, Strikeouts 12, OBP 7. Pitching Total 61: Saves 13, ERA 9, WHIP 9, Strikeouts 11, Holds 10, Quality Starts 9.

Total Points 97: HUMA gains four points and one position in this week's Power Poll. There have been rumors that General Manager David Kahn has made trade overtures with Scully's Slammers regarding Mike Aviles or Jose Altuve. HUMA's current second baseman, Danny Espinosa, is mired in a terrible slump. He is hitting .205 and has struck out 27 times in his first 72 at bats. With closer Jim Johnson close to returning, the team may have bullpen depth to spare. Nagging injuries are beginning to creep up on this team. All-Star slugger Josh Hamilton has a sore back and third baseman Adrian Beltre is dealing with leg soreness. Outfielder Jason Bay has landed on the DL and Jason Kubel missed Monday's game with an illness. Peter Bourjos, a keeper, has also lost his spot in the starting lineup in Anaheim. The bright spot has been the pitching. Jordan Zimmerman has four quality starts to begin the season and Kenley Jansen has assumed the closer role for the Dodgers. Offensive Total 35: Home Runs 8, RBI 7, Stolen Bases 1, Runs 3, Strikeouts 10, OBP 6. Pitching Total 62: Saves 9, ERA 15, WHIP 15, Strikeouts 8, Holds 7, Quality Starts 8.

Total Points 96: The Vicious Fishes continue to gain ground in the standings while gaining four points and moving up one position in this week's poll. General Manager Nikhil Dinesh is busy shuffling the bullpen as closer Javy Guerra lost his job in LA this week. To replace Guerra, the Fishes added Pedro Strop, who has two saves in his last five appearances. Starting pitcher Dan Haren is heating up. Haren has three straight quality starts, giving up just four runs in 22 innings while striking out 18 batters. Outfielder Alex Gordon also remains hot. Gordon has three home runs, seven RBI and nine runs scored in the last two weeks. Second base is becoming a problem for the Fishes. Young Dustin Ackley is now 24-for-97 with just one homer and nine RBI. Starting pitcher Tommy Hanson is also struggling. The team invested heavily in Hanson, making him a keeper, but he has just two quality starts in his first five appearances, allowing seven earned runs over 21 innings. Free agent acquisition Jason Hammel is picking Hanson up, striking out 22 batters over 19 innings while earning three quality starts in the last two weeks. Offensive Total 52: Home Runs 7, RBI 8, Stolen Bases 3, Runs 15, Strikeouts 3, RBI 16. Pitching Total 44: Saves 8, ERA 3, WHIP 3, Strikeouts 13, Holds 1, Quality Starts 16.

 Total Points 95: Despite a lopsided loss in Week 4, the Cys gain 10 points and three spots in this week's poll. Rumors swirl about the team's middle infield depth and the possibility of a trade. Shortstop Starlin Castro is the team MVP to date, stealing 10 bases in his first 23 games while scoring 11 runs and driving in 14 RBI. Shortstop Elvis Andrus, a keeper, is red-hot over the last two weeks, stealing five bases and scoring eight times. The team also added SS/2B Ruben Tejada. Castro or Andrus could land the big bat the team has been looking for since allowing first baseman Mark Teixeira to walk in the off-season. Outfielder Desmond Jennings has also had a strong start to the season. Jennings has three home runs, six stolen bases, and 18 runs scored in his first 23 games. Setup man Aroldis Chapman has become the best at his position through the first month of the season. In nine appearances, he hasn't allowed a run while striking out 21 batters in just 12.1 innings. Offensive Total 45: Home Runs 1, RBI 4, Stolen Bases 14, Runs 7, Strikeouts 14, OBP 5. Pitching Total 50: Saves 4, ERA 6, WHIP 5, Strikeouts 16, Holds 5, Quality Starts 14.

 Total Points 95: Home Run 101 gains five points but does not move in this week's poll. The team is in the market for a slugger and has starting pitching to spare. The top five players on the team are pitchers. The team also has six middle infielders on the roster, so it's no surprise it can't generate any power. Colby Lewis is the team's MVP to date. He has five consecutive quality starts to begin the season and has struck out 29 batters over 32.2 innings. Johnny Cueto has four quality starts in five appearances, striking out 22 in 32.1 innings. Free agent acquisition Luke Scott leads the team in home runs with five while Lucas Duda has four. Three middle infielders - Ryan Roberts, Ian Desmond and Howie Kendrick are really scrapping. They are a combined 14-for-115 over the last two weeks with no stolen bases and just seven runs scored. With the addition of free agent Alcides Escobar, the team has a logjam in the middle infield. Offensive Total 40: Home Runs 3, RBI 3, Stolen Bases 15, Runs 6, Strikeouts 11, OBP 2. Pitching Totals 55: Saves 2, ERA 12, WHIP 13, Strikeouts 7, Holds 15, Quality Starts 6.

 Total Points 92: High Cheese is movin' on up! They gain 12 points and three spots in this week's poll. The team has five players now ranked in the Top 30 overall and is in the middle of the South Division pennant race. Outfielder Adam Jones is the team MVP with six homers, four stolen bases, 18 runs, and 12 RBI in his first 23 games. Jay Bruce is heating up after a cold start. He's had four homers, three steals, 10 runs scored and 11 RBI over the last two weeks. He was the league's fifth highest rated player in that time period. On the mound, Jered Weaver and Gio Gonzalez are as good at the top of the rotation as any two players in the league. They have combined for eight quality starts in 10 appearances, giving up just 14 earned runs in 65.1 innings. The team is hoping Adam Wainwright can solve his problems, which have led to just one quality start in four attempts. Offensive Total 41: Home Runs 10, RBI 9, Stolen Bases 12, Runs 5, Strikeouts 1, OBP 4. Pitching Total 51: Saves 7, ERA 14, WHIP 12, Strikeouts 2, Holds 12, Quality Starts 4.

 Total Points 91: This team is in a free fall. They lose seven points and tumble five spots in this week's poll and remain in the cellar in the East Division. Finding a supporting staff in the starting rotation for Justin Verlander has been one problem. Rookie Liam Hendriks has given up 12 earned runs in 15.2 innings while striking out just eight batters. He has just one quality start in three attempts. Veteran Aaron Harang has just two quality starts in five tries. He has given up 18 earned runs in 28.1 innings. While the starters have struggled, the bullpen has poured gas on the fire. Closer Alfredo Aceves has given up eight runs over seven innings in his first 10 appearances. Setup man Glen Perkins has allowed five runs in 8.1 innings. There are also issues at the plate. Veteran outfielder Alfonso Soriano was expected to provide punch to the lineup but has no homers and just 11 RBI in his first 76 at bats. The team has a deep bullpen, the league's best, and may need to trade a valuable closer to secure a second top-flight starter or veteran position player. Offensive Total 37: Home Runs 14, RBI 5, Stolen Bases 6, Runs 9, Strikeouts 2, OBP 1. Pitching Total 54: Saves 16, ERA, 16, WHIP 16, Strikeouts 1, Holds 4, Quality Starts 1.

Total Points 85: The Menehunes remain at the top of the West Division but they lose one point and fall two spots in this week's poll. General Manager Elizabeth Gravely has been excellent at finding free agents to help the team. Starting pitcher Bartolo Colon was added early in the season and is the team's MVP on the mound. He has five quality starts in his first six appearances, striking out 26 batters in 42.2 innings. At the plate, free agent slugger Josh Willingham has five homers and 15 RBI in his first 72 at bats. The Menehunes need the free agent help as some of the team's star players have yet to get untracked. Tim Lincecum has just one quality start in five attempts. Veteran setup man Javier Lopez has just one hold. Third baseman Danny Valencia continues to struggle at the plate, going 10-for-41 with nine strikeouts in his last 11 games. Offensive Total 41: Home Runs 6, RBI 6, Stolen Bases 2, Runs 4, Strikeouts 15, OBP 8. Pitching Total 44: Saves 1, ERA 11, WHIP 10, Strikeouts 3, Holds 16, Quality Starts 3.

Total Points 70: The Mirrors lose 13 points and drop back into the cellar in this week's Power Poll. The good news for the team is super phenom Bryce Harper has been called to the majors and should get plenty of at bats to prove the hype is real. The team needs a power hitter to support Alex Rodriguez so Harper's quick rise to The Show is welcomed by General Manager Sean McKenna. The bad news is the early-season performance by a pair of veteran pitchers. Max Scherzer and Justin Masterson have just four quality starts in 10 appearances. They've given up 39 runs in 54.1 innings. Young catcher J.P. Arencibia, a keeper, is also struggling at the plate. He has just one home run in his first 64 at bats. Thankfully, the team can count on three star players - Rodriguez, Stephen Strasburg, and Craig Kimbrel. Strasburg is 5-for-5 in quality starts, striking out 34 batters in 32 innings. Kimbrel has eight saves in nine appearances while Rodriguez is tied for the team lead with free agent pickup Adam LaRoche with four homers. Offensive Total 33: Home Runs 2, RBI 1, Stolen Bases 16, Runs 2, Strikeouts 9, OBP 3. Pitching Total 37: Saves 11, ERA 5, WHIP 6, Strikeouts 5, Holds 3, Quality Starts 7.