Here at numberFire, we like math. We're not about subjectivity. So when we calculate our power rankings, it's not based on what our eyes are telling us or what our feelings say. It's based on straight up math.
For baseball, we use our nERD metric to show how good a team actually is performing. nERD, for those of you who are unaware, tells us how many runs a team should win by against a league-average opponent on a neutral field. A nERD of 1.00, for instance, means that team would be an ordinary one by a run. If that team was facing a squad with a nERD of -0.5, we'd expect them to win by 1.5 runs.
Take a look at how things are shaping up around Major League Baseball, sorted by nERD.
| Team | Playoffs | Champs | Division | nERD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 98.60% | 23.40% | 88.80% | 1.96 |
| Kansas City Royals | 74.80% | 7.10% | 48.10% | 1.36 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 67.00% | 7.90% | 48.20% | 1.00 |
| Houston Astros | 57.80% | 3.60% | 43.80% | 0.86 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 94.30% | 12.50% | 84.10% | 0.78 |
| Detroit Tigers | 69.30% | 6.50% | 43.00% | 0.77 |
| Oakland Athletics | 14.40% | 1.70% | 7.20% | 0.76 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 37.90% | 3.20% | 19.40% | 0.68 |
| San Francisco Giants | 66.60% | 3.90% | 10.30% | 0.52 |
| New York Yankees | 33.90% | 1.90% | 15.60% | 0.39 |
| Chicago Cubs | 37.20% | 1.90% | 8.80% | 0.29 |
| New York Mets | 45.60% | 2.50% | 20.60% | 0.27 |
| Washington Nationals | 86.90% | 10.70% | 74.90% | 0.17 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 15.80% | 0.90% | 6.80% | 0.08 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 8.30% | 0.30% | 1.20% | -0.07 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 51.10% | 5.20% | 34.20% | -0.12 |
| Seattle Mariners | 26.80% | 2.30% | 14.10% | -0.17 |
| Cleveland Indians | 12.70% | 0.90% | 4.60% | -0.19 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 0.90% | 0.00% | 0.00% | -0.42 |
| Atlanta Braves | 10.60% | 0.40% | 4.00% | -0.47 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 29.60% | 1.00% | 5.60% | -0.50 |
| San Diego Padres | 16.20% | 0.30% | 0.80% | -0.50 |
| Miami Marlins | 2.40% | 0.00% | 0.50% | -0.56 |
| Texas Rangers | 1.40% | 0.10% | 0.80% | -0.76 |
| Boston Red Sox | 22.10% | 1.20% | 9.90% | -0.83 |
| Minnesota Twins | 9.10% | 0.20% | 2.60% | -0.98 |
| Chicago White Sox | 5.80% | 0.10% | 1.70% | -1.14 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 2.10% | 0.10% | 0.20% | -1.29 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 0.40% | 0.00% | 0.10% | -1.45 |
| Colorado Rockies | 0.40% | 0.00% | 0.00% | -1.57 |
Have any thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below.