Ultimate Team Rankings - MLB - SportsNation

The Mag: Ultimate Standings 2012

A winning team with likable players, a supportive owner, a great game experience and cheap tickets -- is that too much to ask? Not if you're rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who top our 10th annual ranking of pro franchises.

The eight major categories that make up the Ultimate Standings were created based on feedback from fans about what they want most from their favorite teams (click here for a more detailed account of the method to our madness.) The categories:

Bang For The Buck (BNG): Wins during the past three years (regular season plus postseason) per revenues directly from fans, adjusted for league schedules.

Fan Relations (FRL): Openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management.

Ownership (OWN): Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community.

Affordability (AFF): Price of tickets, parking and concessions.

Stadium Experience (STX): Quality of arena and game-day promotions as well as friendliness of environment.

Players (PLA): Effort on the field and likability off it.

Coaching (CCH): Strength of on-field leadership.

Title Track (TTR): Championships already won or expected in the lifetime of current fans.

Below you will find a sortable table of this year's Ultimate Standings as well as previous results going back to 2003. Subcategories that make up the overall ranking for that category are available for the 2009-12 results.

Financial analysis by the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon (Matthew Maxson with Ameer Abdelaaty, Mike DeMartini, Jenny Swaim, Gary Wang, Jay Young and Bill Zachry). Fan surveys by Maddock Douglas and NetReflector.

Click on table headings to sort by category.

TEAM		RNK	BNG	FRL	OWN	AFF	STX	PLA	CCH	TTR
1.	Texas Rangers	9	23	11	7	19	29	3	27	41
2.	Arizona Diamondbacks	10	5	28	49	9	32	40	15	36
3.	Los Angeles Angels	15	14	18	38	23	42	45	35	21
4.	Tampa Bay Rays	16	8	24	72	1	113	14	5	45
5.	Cincinnati Reds	23	21	44	16	21	62	43	101	46
6.	St. Louis Cardinals	25	69	9	20	44	23	12	48	1
7.	Atlanta Braves	27	20	45	56	35	72	22	87	29
8.	Milwaukee Brewers	29	28	43	22	13	8	57	65	96
9.	Washington Nationals	34	47	53	51	40	70	25	38	65
10.	San Francisco Giants	46	79	35	37	91	2	41	53	5
11.	Philadelphia Phillies	49	108	30	27	77	5	39	52	18
12.	Detroit Tigers	52	78	87	11	32	34	65	56	44
13.	Pittsburgh Pirates	54	4	89	116	18	3	90	71	109
14.	Los Angeles Dodgers	61	63	67	57	78	81	59	54	49
15.	Baltimore Orioles	64	44	81	108	45	10	67	24	74
TEAM		RNK	BNG	FRL	OWN	AFF	STX	PLA	CCH	TTR
16.	Cleveland Indians	66	31	88	106	36	49	63	73	108
17.	Miami Marlins	67	101	79	96	29	18	69	44	22
18.	Chicago White Sox	69	77	63	60	71	95	71	79	26
19.	Kansas City Royals	75	71	83	110	24	24	70	109	104
20.	Toronto Blue Jays	79	82	75	78	74	112	55	67	48
21.	New York Yankees	82	107	49	36	119	47	48	61	5
22.	Minnesota Twins	83	106	69	82	69	13	94	76	56
23.	Colorado Rockies	85	83	86	88	53	36	86	106	105
24.	Houston Astros	90	111	77	92	54	78	80	105	100
25.	New York Mets	93	85	95	113	107	84	68	66	73
26.	Oakland Athletics	98	54	110	121	20	120	77	84	60
27.	Seattle Mariners	99	92	98	101	95	31	107	96	114
28.	San Diego Padres	109	34	117	120	87	68	118	98	119
29.	Chicago Cubs	112	119	102	68	114	63	110	94	112
30.	Boston Red Sox	117	114	116	85	120	79	116	112	18

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The Mag: Ultimate Standings 2012

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