MLB Power Rankings: Week 18

1. Yankees (76-45): My world series preseason pick is really starting to put some distance between themselves and the Red Sox in the AL East. Another series with the Red Sox starts tonight.
Last week: 1


2. Phillies (69-49): Since the acquisition of Cliff Lee the Phillies have been nearly impossible to stop. And now the potent offense is really starting to take off. The Phillies have five players with 15 or more home runs this season. Talk about power. Last week: 4


3. Cardinals (70-53): The Phillies aren't the only ones making noise in the NL. The Cardinals just picked up John Smoltz this past week. He'll most likely do work in the bullpen and probably be effective pitching there. The hitting has gotten so much better since Matt Holliday joined the team. Last week: NR


4. Angels (73-46): The Angels have seven more meetings left with the Rangers which will prove whether they belong in the postseason. Right now their entire starting lineup is hitting close to .300. As a team their batting average is .290. Last week: 3


5. Red Sox (69-51): The number one oppenent for the Red Sox is no longer the Yankees, it's the Rangers. They're currently in the fight of their lives for the AL wild card. Boston has a slim one game lead as of right now.
Last week: 5




Almost In

Dodgers (72-50): For the first time since first losing Manny to suspension the Dodgers find themselves on the outside looking in on the power rankings. It's mainly thanks to the pitching staff that is really beaten up right now. They just signed Vincente Padilla from the Rangers to try to stop the bleeding.

Rockies (68-53): Forget about the Giants getting the NL wild card, or even the NL west. The Rockies are playing like a team on a mission to make the postseason. A monumental series with the Giants starts tonight. The season series is tied at four.

Dropped from the rankings: Dodgers (72-50)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 17

1. Yankees (71-43): The Yankees are now 20-6 since the All-Star break and have completely reversed spots in the division with the Red Sox. That eight-game losing streak to the Red Sox to start this season seems like ancient history now. Last week: 1


2. Dodgers (69-46): The division lead for the Dodgers is slowly shrinking as we go through the dog days of August. They just missed a three-game sweep of the Giants tonight. The Giants aren't the only ones chasing the Dodgers these days. Watch out for them Rockies, too. Last week: 2


3. Angels (68-44): The Angels have become one of the most consistent teams year in and year out in baseball. This year has proven no different as Angles continue to be good with both the bats and the pitching has gotten somewhat better. Last week: 5


4. Phillies (63-48): By far the best hitting team in the MLB is the Phillies, and they showed it Wednesday night against the Cubs. They lead the NL in both runs scored (573) and home runs (152). Last week: 4


5. Red Sox (65-48): The Red Sox have gradually been on a decline for quite some time now. They've been struggling to score runs and the pitching outside of Josh Beckett has only looked average at best. They're in a real dog fight for the AL wild card now with teams like the Rangers, Rays, and Mariners.
Last week: 3



Almost In

Cardinals (64-52): The Cardinals are one of those teams that don't always make things look pretty, but they continue to win the games that count. Matt Holliday has proven to be a great addition to the lineup. They still have a lot of work to do before they jump ahead of the Phillies or the Dodgers in the NL.

Giants (62-52): Even though the Giants are currently trailing the Rockies by a half game for the NL wildcard, they're still a better team. They have a starting rotation that can't be matched by anyone else in the majors. Good pitching usually beats good hitting.

Dropped from rankings: Cardinals (64-52)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 15

1. Yankees (61-38): My preseason pick to win the World Series finally claims the top spot in the rankings, and it only took 99 games to get there. Nonetheless, the Bronx bombers have picked the perfect time to get hot. Last week: 3

2. Dodgers (62-37): The Dodgers are still the team to beat in the National League, but with the Cardinals acquiring Matt Holliday earlier this week, things aren't so certain now. However, this lineup is still good from top to bottom. Last week: 2


3. Red Sox (58-40): The tables have turned somewhat since the last time they played the Yankees, and they better keep their fingers crossed that they can continue to dominate the series, otherwise a wild card will be the best these guys can hope for. Last week: 1



4. Phillies (57-40): The Phillies need Roy Halladay otherwise they're just a first-round exit waiting to happen. Teams with good starting rotations win games in the playoffs, and the Phillies are average at best. Joe Blanton has gotten a lot better as he hasn't recorded a loss since June 24. Last week: NR


5. Cardinals (54-38): A big win against the Dodgers tonight and a huge acquisition of Matt Holliday has me thinking the Cards are now the second best team in the NL. Finally some protection in the lineup for Albert Pujols. Last week: NR



Almost In

Rangers (55-42): The Rangers are a solid team. Unfortunately they play in the AL, which will at least have two or three good teams miss the playoffs.

Angels (58-39): The record looks great, but there are a couple of things that's keeping them out of the Top 5. One, they can't seem to beat the Rangers this season, and two, their starting pitching is horrible. Even if they win the AL West, which is possible, they won't go anywhere in the playoffs until the pitching is figured out.

Dropped from the rankings: Giants (52-46), Angels (58-39)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 14

1. Red Sox (54-34): The Red Sox sit three games ahead of the Yankees for first in the competitive AL East. They look to be the most balanced team in the MLB and are easily are favorite for the AL in the World Series. Last week: 2

2. Dodgers (56-33): The Dodgers suffered a loss for their first game after the All-Star break. Not to mention Manny went hitless in his return to Dodger Stadium. With this team's strong hitting lineup, they're still a solid pick for the NL champion. Last week: 1

3. Yankees (51-37): The Yankees start of the the 2nd half of the season at home against the Tigers. They need to have a solid start to the 2nd half to keep this themselves from tailspinning like they already have numerous times this season. Last week: 3

4. Giants (49-39): Another solid week for the Giants, thanks mainly to their pitching staff which almost threw two no-hitters last week. Jonathan Sanchez ended up getting the no-no and earned himself possibly a second change at having a spot in this lights-out rotation. Last week: 4

5. Angels (50-37): The Angels have snagged a spot in the Top 5 and more importantly lead the AL West. The only team they have to really worry about in the 2nd half of the season is the Rangers. Last week: NR



Almost In

Rangers (48-39): Don't lose hope on the Rangers. They're still a great hitting team and just need a little more consistency from their pitching staff as a whole. Despite trailing the Angels in the division right now, they've still won seven of nine this season against the Angels.

Cardinals (49-42): Without Albert Pujols, who knows where this team would be. Fortunately, they do have Pujols and they have a two game lead in the very cramped NL Central. Five teams are within 5.5 games of each other.

Dropped from the rankings: Rangers (48-39)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

1. Dodgers (52-30): Every NL team has seemed to play inconsistent this season except for the Dodgers. The Dodgers haven't lost more than two games in a row all season. Last week: 2

2. Red Sox (49-33): The AL East is still anyone's division at this point, but we all know it's going to come down to Yanks and the BoSox. That's good news if you're a Boston fan because they lead the season series 8-0. Last week: 1

3. Yankees (48-34): Could you imagine if the Yankees could've at least split the season series so far with the Red Sox? Not only would they have a three game lead, but the confidence to go with it. Joe Girardi and company should be counting their blessings for only being one game back. Last week: 3

4. Giants (45-37): The pitching was never in question coming into this season, but the hitting certainly was. They're slowly starting to creep up the NL batting ranks. They are fifth in team batting average (.262) and seventh in total hits (727).
Last week: 5

5. Rangers (45-36): The Rangers may have lost the division lead last night to the Angels, but there's still a lot of baseball to be played and they lead the season series over the Angels 5-2. Last week: NR


Almost In:

Tigers (44-38): The hitting continues to under-perform( .258 team BA) and the starting pitching continues to be average at best. They still somehow lead the AL Central but that won't last long because the Twins and the White Sox aren't too far off the pace.

Angels (46-35): Despite being a divisional leader over the Rangers, they still have a lot to prove. There's still some question marks at the mound where the team ERA sits at 4.67 and an opponent batting average of .275. Scary numbers for a pitching staff.

Dropped from the rankings: Tigers (44-38)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 12

1. Red Sox (47-30): The Red Sox take over the Power Rankings despite giving up a nine run lead to the Orioles tonight. They're on top for now thanks to one of the most balanced lineups in all of baseball. Last week: 2

2. Dodgers (49-29): Even though they still cling onto the best record in baseball, this past week has been horrible. They had series losses against the White Sox and the Mariners this past week and the Rockies and Giants are slowly picking up ground on them in the NL West. Last week: 1


3. Yankees (44-32): What a difference one week can make in baseball. The Yankees are now on a six-game winning streak that includes a sweep of the Mets, which may not be all that impressive. They're pitching is getting better by the day to the point that even Chien-Ming Wang had a good start. Last week: NR

4. Tigers (43-34): For once the Tigers decide to stay in the Top 5 for two straight weeks. Their bats are finally starting to come alive as a unit and their division lead over the average AL Central is gradually starting to grow. Last week: 4

5. Giants (42-34): The Giants haven't been eight games above .500 this late in the season since Barry Bonds was suiting up for them. One player that has really helped fire up the bats in San Fran is Pablo Sandoval who is hitting .338, 11 HR, and 40 RBI. Last week: 5

Almost In

Rays (44-35): The Rays couldn't have made it any closer at cracking the Top 5. They're definitely making things even more interesting in that crowded AL East.

Brewers (42-35): Don't count the Brewers out just yet. They're in a very winnable division and also still have a great shot at getting the NL wild card if worse comes to worse. The pitching obviously has to get more consistent, but when you have hitters like Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, anything is possible.

Dropped from the rankings: Cardinals (41-38)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 11

1. Dodgers (47-24): Things just keep getting better and better for the Dodgers. Not only do they still have the best record in the majors but now Manny Ramirez is only a week or so away from rejoining them. Last week: 1

2. Red Sox (43-27): The Red Sox increased their lead in the AL East last week after going 5-2 and with the Yankees struggling. The Red Sox are probably the most balanced team in the majors which will prove to be very valuable when October rolls around. Last week: 2

3. Cardinals (40-32): The Cardinals have seemed to weather the storm that plagued them for the past two weeks. The Cards are finally starting to hit the ball as they averaged almost seven runs a game over the past week. Last week: NR

4. Tigers (39-31): The inconsistency continues for the Tigers. Now they're on a five-game winning streak after losing four-straight before that. The AL Central doesn't seem to be as tough as originally thought out to be so the Tigers should be able to win the division crown, but that's still a big "maybe". Last week: NR

5. Giants (38-32): It may have taken the Giants a while to get noticed, but I have definitely noticed that these guys might have a legitiment shot at the NL wild card. There's no starting rotation in the majors who can contend with the Giants starting rotation. That's exactly what you need in the postseason so don't count these guys out just because their hitting is anemic, even though it clearly is. Last week: NR

Almost In

Yankees (38-32): The wheels are slowly starting to fall off of the team that was playing extremely well just two weeks ago. A-rod isn't hitting anywhere near the level he was when he first returned and the rest of the lineup isn't hitting too much better.

Phillies (37-31): I may have jumped on the Phillies bandwagon too soon. They looked ridiculous last week in interleague play. They also have looked horrible at home with a 13-22 record. A World Series repeat is looking more and more unlikely every game.

Dropped from the rankings: Yankees (38-32), Phillies (37-31), Rangers (37-32)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 10

1. Dodgers (43-22): Once again the Dodgers are on top after going 4-2 last week and taking two of three from the streaking Rangers. A big thanks should go to Dodgers' great pitching staff with an overall ERA of 3.72. Last week: 1

2. Red Sox (39-25): The Red Sox continue to be one of the most consistent teams in the AL. They've won six of their last seven which was against two worthy opponents; the Phillies and the Yankees. The AL East may not end up being as close of a race as we originally thought.
Last week: 4

3. Yankees (37-27): The Yanks have nothing to be upset over except for one major thing...they can't beat those dang Red Sox. They're now 0-8 to start the season against Boston which hasn't happened since Babe Ruth was still happily wearing a Boston uniform.
Last week: 2

4. Rangers (36-27): Look who just crashed the Top 5 party thanks to some great hitting by guys like Ian Kinsler (17 HR, 46 RBI) and Nelson Cruz (17 HR, 43 RBI). Now if they can just get Josh Hamilton back from injury then this team will be very dangerous coming out of the AL West. Last week: NR

5. Phillies (36-26): Once again the Phillies have hit a dry spell. They're 4-6 in their last ten games and the pitching has looked awful. They've already blown ten saves this season. Lucky for the Phillies the rest of the NL East hasn't looked any better. Last week: 3

Almost In:

Brewers (36-29): The Brewers fell out of the Top 5 but that's no reason to panic. They still look like a good pick to win the division. The pitching staff just obviously needs to get better.

Angels (35-29): Looks like the Angles aren't ready to let the Rangers run away with the division crown. They're coming off of impressive sweeps over the Padres and Giants in interleague play.

Dropped from the rankings: Brewers (36-29)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 9

1. Dodgers (39-20): The Dodgers have led the Power Rankings for three-straight weeks now and they deserve it. The fact that they continue to have the best record in the majors without Manny Ramirez is extremely impressive. They're coming off a four-game split with Philly which isn't all that bad. Last week: 1

2. Yankees (34-23): The Yankees continue to lead the AL East and they start a series with the Red Sox tonight. It's very important that they break this current slump they are in against the BoSox to legitimize their lead of the AL East right now. Last week: 2

3. Phillies (33-22): A pretty productive week for the Phillies that featured two wins against the Dodgers. They start a big series with the Mets tonight where they can extend their three-game division lead. Last week: NR

4. Red Sox (33-24): Boston continues to stay on the heels of the Yakees and they better. The Yankees are playing their best baseball of the season and the Red Sox have to keep up. I know it's only June but September can sneak up on you fast. The good news is that David Ortiz seems to finally be breaking out of his slump. Last week: 4

5. Brewers (33-24): The Brew Crew have slowed down a little bit but they have yet to collapse. They let the Marlins get the best of them taking three of four from them. They need to obviously avoid losing to the team they're suppose to beat. Last week: 3

Almost In:

Rangers (33-24): The Rangers just can't seem to crack the Top 5 this season. That's ok, though. They're swinging the bat great right now and if they keep this pace up they'll win the AL West easily.

Tigers (31-26): Could there be a team who has been more inconsistent than Detroit this season? If they don't start playing to their potential the Twins will take them over in the division. Keep an eye out for that.

Dropped from the Rankings: Tigers (31-26)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 8

1. Dodgers (35-18): This team continues to have the best record in baseball and who knows where they would be if they hadn't lost Ramirez. When Ramirez gets back all of baseball better fear this team, if they aren't already. Last week: 1

2. Yankees (30-21): The Yanks went 17-11 in the month of May and now lead the AL East by one game. They still have to beat the Red Sox, which they have yet to do. The pitching is getting a lot better which is propelling this team right now. Last week: 5

3. Brewers (30-21): The Brewers continue to be consistent and win the divisional games. They're 22-9 against the NL Central which will come up huge in any tie-break scenarios at the end of the season. Last week: 3

4. Red Sox (29-22): The BoSox have now been in the Top 5 for five-straight weeks, but another sub-par week and this team may fall out of the Top 5, and more importantly fall further back from the dreaded Yankees. Last week: 2

5. Tigers (28-21): Motown's team is back again, but are they finally here to stay? The Tigers have seemed to have trouble strigging together consecutive wins all season. They're coming off of a four-game split with Baltimore, but you can't argue with that one the road. One player who has come back to his rookie form is Justin Verlander. He's won five of his last six starts and hasn't recorded a loss since April 17. Last week: NR

Almost In:

Phillies (29-20): If the Phillies played the Nationals every game, they would probably have the best record in baseball. Too bad when they play the good teams they seem to crumble. There's still plenty of time for things to get figured out in the city of brotherly love and they still lead the NL East by one game.

Cardinals (29-22): St. Louis has avoided the self-destruction that Toronto has recently gone through, but they're still not playing like they were early on in the season. They've got to start beating the teams they're suppose to beat, like the Giants who took two of three from them this week.

Dropped from the Rankings: Cardinals (29-22)