Bottom of the 9th Power Rankings (Through Series #7)
For the third week in a row, there is a new team at the top of the power rankings. The shakeups continue as the season heads toward the midway point. Here is this week’s top 10:
*Please keep in mind that with the one series flex rule, some teams have played ahead of schedule and as a result, have more games shown on their record than others.
- Boston Red Sox (Official_Mole): 18-3 (#2 last week)
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The Red Sox continue their steady climb and have finally reached the top of the power rankings. The leaders of the American League are a ridiculous 18-3, and they are 9-1 in their last 10 games. In addition, they have now opened up a commanding advantage in the AL East, leading the Rays by 5.5 games as the Orioles have fallen to pieces. The Red Sox are the rare team that can hit the cover off of the ball and still shutout the opposition. This team is top five in both hitting and pitching, and is on the short list of teams that can win a World Series this year.
- Minnesota Twins (OoMyJosh): 15-3 (#1 last week)
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The Twins stumbled a little bit last week, losing two out of three to the Royals, but it wasn’t enough to make them slide too far in the rankings. This is still an elite team, who, like the Red Sox, can win with the bat or with superb pitching. The Twins also have more help on the way, acquiring starting pitcher A.J. Griffin and rightfielder Josh Reddick from the Athletics in a deal that sends 2nd baseman Brian Dozier to Oakland. At this point, it appears to be a two-team race for the American League crown.
- Colorado Rockies (TortugaTheGoat): 16-2 (#4 last week)
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Perhaps playing in a weak National League is currently keeping the Rockies out of the top spot in the power rankings, but there is no denying that this team is a real threat to make a deep run in the postseason. They had previously won 10 consecutive games before dropping one to the Phillies. The Rockies continue to dominate offensively, leading the league with a .290 team batting average and 84 runs scored. At this point, they are the clear favorite to win the NL.
- Arizona Diamondbacks (JamieGG04): 14-6 (#6 last week)
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Right now, there is clear separation between the top 3 teams and everyone else. However, the Diamondbacks have been as hot as any team in the league and are hoping to put themselves into the upper echelon of teams. Winners of four straight, they are 9-1 in their last 10 games and are keeping pace with the Rockies in the NL West. It remains to be seen whether or not the Diamondbacks have enough time left to catch the Rockies in the standings. These two teams will play a pivotal series in Arizona next week.
- Texas Rangers (Jae-Gee): 13-7 (#10 last week)
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The Rangers are the biggest movers in this week’s power rankings, climbing five spots to join the top five. This team has won four straight games to move into the lead in the AL West, which is arguably the league’s most competitive division. Adrian Beltre is pacing this team offensively (.279 average, 2 home runs, 11 runs batted in through 18 games), but the rest of the lineup continues to struggle. A lot of important divisional games loom on the horizon.
- Houston Astros (Jabbo91): 13-9 (NR last week)
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The Astros make their debut in the power rankings this week, although it is fair to say that they had a case for being in the top 10 before now. This team has overachieved and played solid baseball throughout the season, but they have not gotten the credit they deserve. The Astros are one game back of the division lead in the AL West, and are firmly in the wildcard race as well. This organization was building toward the future, but now that they are in the hunt this year, it will be interesting to see if they sacrifice long-term assets in an attempt to win now.
- Tampa Bay Rays (dalton22rox): 11-7 (NR last week)
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The Rays have been on a roll lately, riding a five game winning streak (including a pair of impressive extra-inning wins in Cincinnati) to enter the race for a wildcard spot in the American League. Their chances of winning the AL East are close to zero, but if this team stays hot, a postseason spot is still very much a possibility. The Rays have won games with pitching, but the team’s offense is terrible, hitting just .187 with 49 runs in 18 games. The acquisition of Dee Gordon will add speed to the top of the lineup, but they stick lack players capable of driving those runners home.
- Cincinnati Reds (daskins21): 12-6 (#7 last week)
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The Reds continue to be an enigma. The pitching has been fantastic (0.98 team ERA through 18 games). One would think that with unhittable pitching, this team should be undefeated, if not close to it. That certainly isn’t the case. Historic performances (1-hit shutout, MLB record 23 strikeouts by Johnny Cueto and a no-hitter by Homer Bailey) against the Cubs have helped to cover up this team’s offensive deficiencies, but the fact of the matter is, anything short of a shutout by the pitching staff means this team is probably going to lose.
- Kansas City Royals (primetimekcs): 12-7 (#8 last week)
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The Royals definitely helped themselves out in the AL Central, taking two out of three games from the division-leading Twins. Other than that, they have been simply average over the past couple of weeks, winning games at a .500 clip over that time frame. Nothing jumps out about this team. In the tough American League, treading water for the second half of the season probably won’t be enough to hang on to a wildcard spot. The Royals may need a trade to infuse some life back into this ballclub.
- Milwaukee Brewers (Texas__Ranger21): 11-8 (NR last week)
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After falling off the radar a bit last week, the Brewers are back to playing winning baseball. They continue to hang around in the NL Central, trailing the Reds by just 1.5 games. The Brewers recently completed a blockbuster trade to bring Zack Greinke back to Milwaukee, and he did a masterful job in his first start with the team (8.1 innings pitched, 1 run allowed, 8 strikeouts). This team shouldn’t miss a beat offensively, as Yosmany Tomas replaces the departed Aramis Ramirez at 3rd base. The Brewers are very much a threat to win their division.
