2021 IBC Power Rankings

[Guardians]

If the ibcleague.com search engine is to be trusted, the last time there was a league wide Power Rankings was 2017. That is a shame. No, it is a travesty. When we were a bunch of crude, uncivilized, and uncouth teenagers and college kids (and middle aged responsible adults like Jim), we had all kinds of power rankings with the likes of super models and usually one unattractive woman for Aaron or Bren or one guy for Andrew Howard (RIP). Those were the days. Today, that would get us all canceled.

So, it is in the spirit of invoking laughs, not offense, and pushing baseless opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of each team going into the 2021 season that Nils Erickson of the Marlins and Pat Gillespie of the Tigers bring you the 2021 Non-Cancel Culture-Unpolitical-Yet-Sorta-Political (You'll get it when you read further) IBC Power Rankings.

Nils hatched this fine idea and we settled on a topic near and dear to our hearts and stomachs -- ice cream. Pat has been a fan of Ben & Jerry's ice cream since he went on a tour of the Vermont factory when he was 8. Nils also visited as a child then had a resurgent interest with a visit there during a brewery tour of Vermont 15 years ago. The flavors, interesting textures, and outright weird combinations of things in Ben & Jerry's make it the best-selling ice cream brand in the nation. And while the company's politics are very obvious, this post won't be.

You'll get a recap of why each team is ranked where it is and paired with a flavor that encapsulates the characteristics of the team and vice versa. Then, you'll get a brief description of the flavor and why we like it (or don't). WARNING: Do not read this post while you are hungry.

1. New York Yankees
Quick Analysis: This team easily has the most talent on paper. The offense is a juggernaut. The pitching is, well, not as juggernaut-y. Max is great, but old. Darvish is good, Strasburg pitched two games last year and Verlander is out for the year. Paddack is the one young pitcher in the rotation. The bullpen is Chapman. So, it's a great team, but lack of injuries will be key to the Yankees' success.

Flavor: Cherry Garcia (Cherry Ice Cream with Cherries & Fudge Flakes) A classic flavor that is emblematic of the Ben & Jerry's brand, It's what helped make the ice cream company famous. It is longstanding and a fan favorite. And while there are few fans of JB's, his team continues to sit atop the IBC rankings year after year. After winning the 2020 championship, the Bombers are the king until someone knocks them off.

2. Detroit Tigers
Quick Analysis: Pat has been a top contender for many years now but had never been able to get over the hump in the playoffs. Last year he had a youth movement, bringing in high end young talent like Buehler, Devers, Giolito to go with his existing high end young talent in Betts, Seager, Berrios, Tucker. To round things out, he still has a nice mix of vets and prospects.

Flavor: The Tonight Dough (Caramel and Chocolate Ice Creams with Chocolate Cookie Swirls and Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Peanut Butter Cookie Dough). This flavor has a lot going on and yet still is better than the sum of its parts. I personally find this as the best flavor Ben and Jerry's make but it doesn’t yet have the longevity of a top flavor like the one above here. This is fitting for Pat – on paper should be perhaps the top team but until he can prove he can get by JB in the playoffs, he will remain just behind in the rankings.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates
Quick Analysis: Title contender starts with Trout, has some depth around him the MLB Angels would be envious of. Correa and new addition Bryant will make this quite a formidable lineup. But, with Kershaw gone, the question will be can the rotation do enough run prevention to still compete at the highest level?

Flavor: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (Vanilla ice cream with gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough) Amazing how close our #3 flavor is to our last place. The simple addition of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough makes vanilla a perennial favorite. Trout alone has kept JP in title contention for years now as the rest of the team around him has been on the roster merry-go-round (ok, ok, Molina too).

4. Boston Red Sox
Quick Analysis: High-end young talent across the board. Pat has been building up his team over past few years and is seeing the fruits of his labors. This is what some of the rebuilding teams lower in these rankings are hoping for. His top-prospects-turned-top-MLBers are led by Acuna, Bellinger, Chapman, and Albies and he has been able to add much more ready talent using his further depth of prospects. He still has the biggest hurdle ahead of him in 2021 -- can he knock JB off the ALE throne?

Flavor: Netflix and Chill'd (Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Sweet and Salty Pretzel Swirls and Fudge Brownies). Netflix and Chill'd is a new addition to the B&J's lineup but has quickly moved into the top tier of flavors. Its mix is some fan favorites (PB ice cream, fudge brownies) with one of their first jumps into the "salty with sweet" pool.

5. Texas Rangers
Quick Analysis: A very good, young core group of players that is now seen as an annual contender in the American League. This team is led by Francisco Lindor, Yordan Alvarez, Gleyber Torres, Bo Bichette and the offensive list goes on. The pitching, however, lacks stability. Severino is hurt, McCullers was just hurt, Ohtani is always hurt. Gonsolin and Patino seem to be the future and Means and Lopez are guys you can use every fifth day.

Flavor: Chocolate Fudge Brownie. (Chocolate Ice Cream with Fudge Brownies) If you like chocolate, you can't go wrong here. Great base, great chewy fudge brownie chunks throughout. The Rangers are like this -- the base is a fresh group of young studs and there may be enough pitching to keep it consistently at the top of the rankings.

6. New York Mets
Quick Analysis: Recent moves have put John in place as favorite to win the NLE led by strong rotation and even stronger lineup. With the age of the rotation, led by Greinke and Price, the window for contention may be small. However, there is certainly good depth remaining in the minors, which could quickly and seamlessly replenish the team.

Flavor: Brewed to Matter (Coffee Ice Cream with Fudge Chunks and a Brownie Batter Swirl) This flavor leads the way as the best of several coffee-based flavors on this list as it has the perfect ratio of great coffee flavor in the ice cream and the change of flavor and texture with the add ins. John has managed just as well the blend of turning prospects into current talent to compete for a title while maintaining a strong farm.

7. Minnesota Twins
Quick Analysis: After a monster offseason deal that netted him half his roster for not a lot in return, Minnesota went from a barely functioning roster last year to a contender. The roster is old and has some questions, but it also has some talent. Look for a .200 average and 45 homers from Gallo, varying production out of Turner and Rizzo, and solid performances from Stanton and Ozuna. The pitching has some depth with Gray, Rodriguez, and Maeda and then pen has Hicks and Pressly.

Flavor: Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream (Vanilla Ice Cream with Fudge-Covered Waffle Cone Pieces & a Caramel Swirl). Colbert's schtick is old, just like Gudim's team. It's largely the same thing over and over and not nearly as refreshing as his Comedy Central work. The flavor has potential, but falls short of the higher-ranked flavors. There's too much vanilla and the waffle cone pieces don't really add enough flavor. The caramel is a nice addition (much like Gudim's offseason dealings), but it's a mainstay in the top 10.

8. Philadelphia Phillies
Quick Analysis: Long-time leader of the NLE, Nick falls to 2nd in the division rankings this year while not necessarily getting any worse. IBC Phillies, like the MLB Phillies, lead with Nola at the top of the rotation, followed by still strong Morton then Heaney, Gausman, Hamels. The lineup has a lot of thump in the middle with Freeman, Donaldson, Muncy and solid around them. Pen is very strong as well.

Flavor: Phish Food (Chocolate Ice Cream with Gooey Marshmallow Swirls, Caramel Swirls, and Fudge Fish). One of the top flavors for decades now, Phish Food has always been a go to, but not quite the top. Nick has been around forever as well, always seems to field great teams, but just doesn’t quite get there.

9. Houston Astros
Quick Analysis: Jake has done a good job adding some talent and setting himself up to be a pretty competitive team in 2021. It helps to have one of the top 4 hitters in the game in Juan Soto (too bad he doesn't still have Polanco and Happ!), and then you add in guys like Sano, Fletcher, Soler, Blackmon, and Jorge Polanco, and there's a pretty good offense there. He's also managed to build a staff led by Trevor Bauer, Syndergaard if/when he successfully returns from TJ, and Robbie Ray. There's not much of a bullpen or back end of the rotation, but there are some building blocks going into the season to be a strong #2 team in the AL West.

Flavor: (Justice Remix'd. Cinnamon & Chocolate Ice Creams with Gobs of Cinnamon Bun Dough & Spicy Fudge Brownies) This is one of Ben & Jerry's signature socially themed flavors and one of their most aggressive in messaging. And it's damn good. The spicy fudge brownies have a little kick and the cinnamon bun dough is smooth and sweet. The cinnamon and chocolate ice creams are a nice mix of flavors. The spicy fudge brownies are Soto -- a big standout. And the mix of flavors are all these other players who make the team overall good. It's not World Series great, but it's right on the edge, much like the Astros.

10. Oakland Athletics
Quick Analysis. The entire team is built around Cole, Bregman, and Story, but there is a supporting cast that keeps the Athletics/former Angels competitive year after year. Behind Cole are Gray, Bundy, Peterson, and Eovaldi, which is good. Offensively, Bregman and Story are now joined by Kirilloff, Starling Marte and guys like Berti and Canha. The bullpen is a collection of groundball artists who are backed by defenders trained to turn double plays. Right now, it looks like Oakland is a borderline 2nd or 3rd place team in the AL West this year.

Flavor: Half Baked (Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Creams mixed with Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Fudge Brownies) It's one of Ben & Jerry's signature creations that is a mish-mash of good things (dough and brownies) and bland things (vanilla ice cream). Oakland is a mish-mash of pieces that will keep him competitive.

11. Chicago Cubs
Quick Analysis: Every year we see the Cubbies get up there behind the Pirates and in contention for the NL WC. Unlike most teams in the league, we never see the usual prospect/rebuilding then contention cycles from Pat. He has consistently been adept at identifying top talent before they become top talent and is now led by Simmons, Semien, Montas, Contreras, etc. Not much in terms of star power but solid all around and likely to be right in the middle of that NL WC hunt yet again.

Flavor: Cinnamon Buns (Caramel Ice Cream with Cinnamon Bun Dough and a Cinnamon Streusel Swirl). Cinnamon Buns is a top flavor and interestingly has very little overlap with any other flavors, be it the caramel ice cream as the base nor the fillings. Fitting for the Cubs, as he's not following the normal build but still remains one of the stronger teams in the league.

12. Washington Nationals
Quick Analysis: During the last few years, Ian has put together a competitive team, led by Shane Bieber, with a supporting cast on the offensive side with Baez, Mancini, Laureano, and Rosario with Hader and Gallegos in the pen. Kansas City still teeters between competitor and team of prospects, as many of the players Ian will use in the sim are still developing. Pearson, Urquidy, Lowe, Bohm and others look like they will have strong futures, but may not quite be strong sim contributors yet.

Flavor: Boots On the Moooo'n (A Universe of Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Fudge Cows & Toffee Meteor Clusters Orbiting a Sugar Cookie Dough Core) This is one of Ben & Jerry's/Netflix collaborations based on the show Space Force and the top-ranked “Core” flavor.. It's a new flavor and a pretty good one. The sugar cookie dough mixes well with the chocolate ice cream and the toffee pieces. Like KC, this flavor combines a lot of fun flavors, making it a pretty good flavor. Not the best and maybe not playoff worthy (if there were an ice cream playoffs), but it's a new addition and right on the cusp.

13. Toronto Blue Jays
Quick Analysis: This is a team that still has many of the pieces that let Dan compete with JB for the ALE title for a few years now in Snell, DeGrom, Springer, Taillon, Hoskins, etc. However, the youth movement has started and there are also some amazing pieces to rebuild around in Franco, Arozarena, Rodriguez, and more. Normally, this is a great way to go to keep competing long term, but in this division might have to pick one direction and go all in.

Flavor: Gimme S'more! (Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookie Swirls, Graham Cracker Swirls & Fudge Flakes) On paper, this seems like a contender to be among the top flavors. But, its just missing some oomph. Toasted Marshmallow ice cream sounds amazing, but you don’t get much flavor. Gimme smore flavor in this one! Dan needs to give us more deals, either keep going trading the vets for young talent or add more talent to compete now.

14. Kansas City Royals
Quick Analysis: What a gift coming in as a new owner and having a boatload of talent. Seth did little with his team, but Larry has been busy. Bogaerts, Machado, Kershaw is a great core group of players and now the pitching staff has an ace. Followed by Wheeler, Stroman, and Yarbrough have the makings of a good rotation. With some additional moves, Larry looks like a strong contender in the AL Central.

Flavor: Cold Brew Caramel Latte (Cold Brew & Sweet Cream Ice Creams with Salted Caramel Swirls) If you live near a 7-11, you can get this exclusive flavor. If you don't, you cannot. It has a great combination of coffee and caramel flavors. It's light and tasty with a boost of coffee. The Royals need a little continued boost -- a shot of energy to get them to the next level.

15. Baltimore Orioles
Quick Analysis: With Steven Sander exiting recently, it’s tough to envision Baltimore contending, but you could see it if there were a captain at the helm. But he's just not quite there. The top of the rotation is really strong with Flaherty, Corbin, and Carrasco. There's not much after that, but that's a really strong start. Offensively, there's not a stud here, but a lot of nice pieces. Verdugo, Carlson, Adames, Anderson, and Diaz are all guys you would like in your lineup but none are anchors. With a little love, this team could take the leap.

Flavor: Chunky Monkey (Banana Ice Cream with Fudge Chunks & Walnuts) Banana flavored ice cream can be tricky. Too sweet and it just doesn't seem right. But this flavor is one of my favorites. The banana-chocolate mix is great, but the walnuts hold it back just a tad. It's never fun scraping the roof of your mouth eating ice cream. It's great, but falls short. Like the Orioles.

16. Cleveland Indians
Quick Analysis: After losing its GM last year, the Indians, like the Nationals, have a great level of talent, but need a little boost of energy. The team has a great foundation -- Sale, Arenado, Altuve, Castellanos, Josh Bell, and then a stockpile of young talent. The team just needs some energy to get the team to the next level. The pieces are there to do so.

Flavor: Coffee, Coffee, BuzzBuzzBuzz! (Coffee Ice Cream with Espresso Bean Fudge Chunks) This is a classic Ben & Jerry's flavor and one of the better coffee flavors they make. It's a strong coffee flavor and the espresso and fudge chunks give it a little extra boost. This is a strong team that just needs a little bump to get it into competition for a wild card.

17. Colorado Rockies
Quick Analysis: Colorado is the best of an NLW which no one seems to want to win this year. Having dealt off JD Martinez, Blackmon, Hendrick, Iglesias, the Rockies still somehow have enough to likely win the division while still making some major additions to the farm. Question will be will the rebuild continue or with playoffs in site will Nate turn some of the new farm depth into help for this year?

Flavor: Glampfire Trail Mix (Chocolate Ice Cream with Crunchy Pretzel Swirls, Marshmallow Swirls & Fudge-Covered Almonds) This flavor is just good enough that a pint gets picked up from time to time even if it’s not among the top tier of flavors. Sweet and salty always works and the flavor has a S’mores feel to it, even without graham cracker. The Rockies have that good mix and is likely to have that division-winning feel to it, even without being a real title contender.

18. Arizona Diamondbacks
Quick Analysis: Dave has done a great job building up a great farm and young MLB core. While the rebuild is still in process, this team could surprise some this year in the weak NLW with Fried, Lamet, Burnes in the rotation and Robert, Pache, Hayes, Senzel, Meadows in the lineup. If the sim likes the young guns, we could easily see a new NLW division champion. A quiet, but potentially strong team.

Flavor: Minter Wonderland (Dark Chocolate Mint Ice Cream with Marshmallow Swirls and Chocolate Cookie Swirls). Either you're a fan of mint or you aren't. If you are, this is actually a great flavor with good mint and chocolate flavor in the ice cream and good texture and flavor difference in the swirl and cookies. But, the lack of it being a mainstream ice cream flavor holds this flavor back from a top spot. But, like the DBacks, this flavor could surprise some.

19. Miami Marlins
Quick Analysis: Nils is doing his Nils thing of having a competitive team, but dealing away pieces before the season in pursuit of "there's always next season." There's a strong core group here of younger players, but not enough to get into the playoff conversation at this point. Guerrero, Buxton, Swanson, Kepler, Moncada, and Musgrove are all good now. But after that, there are some developmental question marks. Mize, McKenzie, Benintendi, Urias, Gore all need a year to prove/re-prove themselves for this team to get ready for 2022.

Flavor: Peanut Butter World {Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Peanut Buttery Swirls & Chocolate Cookie Swirls) Is this the king of the Ben & Jerry's peanut butter flavors? This one has the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate, which is tough to beat. If you're a peanut butter fan, this is a flavor to try. It's a good flavor, but it's not among the top tier. And that's where the Marlins are.

20. Milwaukee Brewers
Quick Analysis: Jared is coming off an 82 win season and seems in line to hover in that .500 range again in 2021. Conforto and Rendon headline the bats, solid pieces around them in the lineup. Pitching could use a little help, but again some solid pieces. We can continue this theme with the farm, solid pieces. Top to bottom a .500 team. With some moves, Jared could build on what he has, but it hasn’t happened in a while.

Flavor: Chocolate Therapy (Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookies & Swirls of Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream) This flavor contains a base and some pieces that go into the top flavors, but three chocolates together are good but not great. Missing some spice, something more, as are the IBC Brewers.

21. Cincinnati Reds
Quick Analysis: Ken is a usual contender for a WC behind JP in the NLC, but this year is probably not getting there. Adding Kim in the draft adds another interesting piece and you never want to rule the Reds out because they always find a way. While there are still some pieces there to compete, lately Ken has really stepped up his farm system, and has some pieces to add some help at the deadline should his team get off to a good start.

Flavor: Urban Bourbon (Burnt Caramel Ice Cream with Almonds, Fudge Flakes & Bourbon Caramel Swirls) Urban Bourbon has been around for a while, always good enough to stay off the chopping block but not good enough to get into the upper tier. The flavors with a unique ice cream base always have the potential to be great, and Ken's history of getting the most from his teams means the same. Don't rule them out.

22. Los Angeles Angels
Quick Analysis: The Poor Mariners-Turned-Angels need a little TLC. Long-neglected by Ropers, the team now has a very good GM in Pat Padula, who is new to the IBC but will no doubt take care of the franchise. First order of business -- determining whether to try to compete or punt to the future. The division has three playoff-caliber teams at the top and the lowly Mariners and Angels at the bottom. That may make the decision easier. But with Marte, Abreu, Lowe, and Lux, there's a basis. The farm is ok, but not great. So, there are decisions to make.

Flavor: Triple Caramel Chunk. (Caramel Ice Cream with a Swirl of Caramel & Fudge-Covered Caramel Chunks) If you like caramel, this is your flavor. It's popping with sweetness, has the base of caramel and a nice pop of chocolate. It's a solid flavor if you're looking to mix it up.

23. Seattle Mariners
Quick Analysis: It's possible that 11 active roster players could be an impediment to success in the IBC. To be fair, there are some projections on the right side of the page for Jag, but probably not a ton of wins. But there are some great building blocks. Glasnow, Urias, Rutschman, and Happ are a good start among MLB players, while there are a ton of FV 50+ players on the right side, including three top 10 draft picks that will form the basis of the team for years to come. Not a lot to see here in 2021, but with a full minor league season, Seattle will start to see if the young talent blossoms.

Flavor: Oat of This Swirled (Buttery Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Fudge Flakes & Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookie Swirls) This is a relatively new flavor and very underrated. It doesn't have the big-name appeal of the signature flavors most associate with the brand, but it has a great mix of flavors that are worth checking out. Upside and it's a young flavor -- much like Seattle.

24. St. Louis Cardinals
Quick Analysis: The Aaron Dorman Cardinals have been a staple of the IBC for many years, nay decades. That said, the team is currently a three-man show in Pete Alonso, Cavan Biggio, and Marco Gonzales and the rest is a lot of question marks. No one disputes Aaron's longtime commitment to the league. However, the Cardinals have finished in last place the last three seasons, so the ship has to turn around eventually, right? Guys like Dalbec, Wilson, Kirk, Lodolo, Ellis, Edwards, and others are going to need to emerge to lift this squad off the sidelines and into the game.

Flavor: Colin Kaepernick's Change the Whirled (Caramel Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert With Fudge Chips, Graham Cracker Swirls & Chocolate Cookie Swirls) Kaepernick has been an inspiration to many with his stance against systemic racism and he has suffered by being boxed out of the league. So, Ben & Jerry's made him a flavor. However, non-dairy flavors are historically terrible, so it would stand to reason that this flavor would follow. But, oh no. Colin Kaepernick doesn't follow anyone's lead and either does his flavor. It is actually a really nice blend of flavors and textures despite not being made from cows.

25. Chicago White Sox
Quick Analysis: On the real South Side, there's a lot to get excited about. In the IBC South Side, not so much. There are a couple nice pieces here, but not enough to compete nor really form an amazing core. It would behoove Jim to deal off the mediocre players like Freeland, Mazara, Bleier, and Choi and invest in as many prospects as possible ala Jake Hamlin.

Flavor: Chubby Hubby (Vanilla Malt Ice Cream with Peanutty Fudge-Covered Pretzels with Fudge & Peanut Buttery Swirls) This flavor has been around a while, but mainly because it's a novelty because of its quirkiness. It doesn't really have a great core flavor (Vanilla Malt Ice Cream?) and could easily drop some of the elements to build for higher upside elements (see what we did there?)

26. Los Angeles Dodgers
Quick Analysis: Some pitching (Ryu, Lynn), not much else for 2021. Shawn has a decent farm system, but needs to decide what to build around. Either he starts with a strong 1-2 and tries to get some pieces around that and Teoscar Hernandez and compete in the NLW or sell the veteran arms and fully rebuild.

Flavor: Vanilla Caramel Fudge (Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramel and Fudge Swirls) The vanilla is boring, and while swirls of fudge and caramel usually make for a top flavor, it’s in a boring ice cream and has absolutely no texture. Shawn’s pitching could be a start of a good team, but has nothing else around it. Could be a good start, or should just start over.

27. Atlanta Braves
Quick Analysis: The Braves have a lot of work ahead of them. Let's not beat around the bush, there's not a lot of MLB talent here. Seager still decent at 3B, and Vazquez has become one of the top Cs in the league, but otherwise the cupboard is somewhat bare. The farm system on the other hand is packed, but won't help much in 2021, as is likely the plan. A top 3 pick in next year's draft should help.

Flavor: Milk and Cookies (Vanilla Ice Cream with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl, Chocolate Chip & Chocolate Chip Cookies). Yep, it's as boring as it sounds. Try to distinguish the difference between the cookie swirl and chocolate chip cookies, its same texture and similar flavors. This one just doesn’t hit the mark, but still one of the popular ones.

28. San Diego Padres
Quick Analysis: Z went from winning the division last year to now fighting with LAD and SFG for the bottom. Some pieces here that would portent success in the coming years but we know that shortly Z will just get bored with waiting on the prospects and deal them for vets to start contending right away. For 2021, Garcia, Keller, Manning, Rodgers, Rosario and Keiboom are the building blocks with projections and vets Pillar, Cespedes, Zimmerman add some stability.

Flavor: Cannoli (Marscapone Ice Cream with Fudge-covered Pastry Shell Pieces and Marscapone Swirls) On paper, this flavor should be a home run. Cannoli are great, Ben & Jerry's ice cream is great. What could go wrong? However, it’s just not that good.

29. Tampa Bay Rays
Quick Analysis: Matt has only been in the IBC for four years, but he has quietly built a very nice young team with a lot of upside. Of course, when Jeimer Candelario is your best projection, you're not focused on the present. But look what's coming behind -- Ian Anderson, CJ Abrams, Nolan Gorman, Daniel Lynch, Jasson Dominguez, Diego Cartaya, Zac Veen, Tarik Skubal, Ivan Johnson and others. There is a nice future in there, but it's going to take a few years. There are a couple present pieces that could fetch something at the deadline, but otherwise 2021 shouldn't be too exciting in fake Tampa Bay.

Flavor: Chocolate (Chocolate) It's iconic, but it's also boring. There's really nothing to say here. If you spend money to buy a pint of ice cream and you select Chocolate, I'm sorry but you're a serial killer.

30. San Francisco Giants
Quick Analysis: Um, might actually get 25 guys with projections? Jake's in rebuild mode and has a lot of talent on the farm, but it’s mostly lower level and very unlikely to help in 2021.

Flavor: Vanilla (Vanilla) I mean, its vanilla. It’s the bare minimum of flavors – it’s the Jennifer Aniston of efforts in Office Space. Jake might have the bare minimum roster to actually play games this year. It fits.

[Marlins]

I forgot to mention one player in the Tigers' write-up, a glaring omission. Pat's 90FV top prospect Jarren Duran will likely come up this year, change all his playoff bad luck and bring Detroit a string of championships in the 2020s.

[DBacks]

Cool analysis - thanks for putting the effort into it! Maybe we should assign an owner or two to do a power rankings every month.

[Cardinals]

This was fun. Race to 7 is on!

[Guardians]

I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on the order. Any glaring under/over estimates? Obviously rosters change quickly here, but it's always fun to get people's thoughts.

*EDIT: Looking for everyone but JB's thoughts.

[WhiteSox]

This was fun. Race to 7 is on!

Where is my banner?
Do you want to just make my 2021 banner now too?

I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on the order. Any glaring under/over estimates? Obviously rosters change quickly here, but it's always fun to get people's thoughts.

Tigers, Blue Jays, Pirates definitely ranked too high.

[Cardinals]

I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on the order. Any glaring under/over estimates? Obviously rosters change quickly here, but it's always fun to get people's thoughts.

The top 5 or so seem right. After that, I think we get into quite a jumbled territory. Even my Pirates at 3 could be aggressive given my current SP, but as you mentioned Trout is basically a cheat code.

Besides the top two teams, inching toward much more parity than we've seen in years past, which is great.

[Phillies]

Even though they are really bad, I am thrilled to have Power Rankings back.

Flavor: Phish Food (Chocolate Ice Cream with Gooey Marshmallow Swirls, Caramel Swirls, and Fudge Fish). One of the top flavors for decades now, Phish Food has always been a go to, but not quite the top. Nick has been around forever as well, always seems to field great teams, but just doesn’t quite get there.

My 2019 banner begs to differ

[Cubs]

I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on the order. Any glaring under/over estimates? Obviously rosters change quickly here, but it's always fun to get people's thoughts.

*EDIT: Looking for everyone but JB's thoughts.

Fun read, no way a team coming off a 100 win season with an improved roster should be at 11.

[Athletics]

I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on the order. Any glaring under/over estimates? Obviously rosters change quickly here, but it's always fun to get people's thoughts.

*EDIT: Looking for everyone but JB's thoughts.

Fun read, no way a team coming off a 100 win season with an improved roster should be at 11.

Pretty sure I'm getting faded because they hate me, I beat Texas and Houston last year and my team is no worse, they still need to try and stay healthy.

[Mets]

I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on the order. Any glaring under/over estimates? Obviously rosters change quickly here, but it's always fun to get people's thoughts.

The top 5 or so seem right. After that, I think we get into quite a jumbled territory.

Starting at #6 - the Mets.

[Marlins]

I wasnt happy with Cherry Garcia getting top spot on the list, hate that flavor. But, hate the Yanks too, so be it.

[Mets]

No idea how two of the best flavors and most prominent flavors were excluded:

Everything but the....

New York Super Fudge Chunk

[Guardians]

No idea how two of the best flavors and most prominent flavors were excluded:

Everything but the....

New York Super Fudge Chunk

We had a lot of discussions about different flavors, researched top lists, top sellers, etc. Ultimately, our favorites came into play as well as introducing some lesser known and newer flavors to the list. So, it's not truly a top 30 list of flavors and it was a little tough to match up flavors and teams perfectly. Both of those were in the mix for consideration.

[Giants]

My cousin used to own Haagen Dasz franchises and he always told us that say what you will, vanilla was always the highest selling flavor and by a lot. Simple and effective. I’ll take it!

[Mets]

My cousin used to own Haagen Dasz franchises and he always told us that say what you will, vanilla was always the highest selling flavor and by a lot. Simple and effective. I’ll take it!

Were all these franchises located in Naples & Ft Myers, FL?

[Giants]

DC Suburbs. I think he had some TCBYs too

[Astros]

When you do a Power Rankings based on flavors of Blue Bell, then I'll care what your opinion is

[Guardians]

When you do a Power Rankings based on flavors of Blue Bell, then I'll care what your opinion is

Why would anyone introduce that gruel into one's body?

[Marlins]

Blue Bell pleaded guilty in a related case in May to two counts of distributing adulterated food products in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. On Sept. 17, 2020, the court sentenced the company to pay criminal penalties totaling $17.25 million. Blue Bell also agreed to pay an additional $2.1 million to resolve civil False Claims Act allegations regarding ice cream products manufactured under insanitary conditions and sold to federal facilities, including the military. The total $19.35 million in fine, forfeiture, and civil settlement payments constitutes the second largest-ever amount paid in resolution of a food safety matter.

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-complia ... etic%20Act.

[Mets]

Blue Bell = institutional Ice Cream

Schools
Government
Military
Prisons
Asylums

[Guardians]

I forgot to mention one player in the Tigers' write-up, a glaring omission. Pat's 90FV top prospect Jarren Duran will likely come up this year, change all his playoff bad luck and bring Detroit a string of championships in the 2020s.

Nils is the Oracle. This checks out...

[Royals]

I hope you guys are currently working on the preseason power rankings

[Braves]

I hope you guys are currently working on the preseason power rankings

*Mid-season power rankings....

[Guardians]

I hope you guys are currently working on the preseason power rankings