Fresh MLB Power Rankings: Reds Remain on Top, Braves Climb to No. 5

With the trade deadline passed, we have a much better idea of what the playoff picture may look like come October.

Players continue to move via waivers, and there are a number of impact players who are on their way back from injury. For the most part, though, contenders' rosters are set for the stretch run. On the other side of things, teams out of the playoff hunt will begin calling up prospects and evaluating for the future.

So here are this week's MLB power rankings. Be sure to check back here each Monday morning for an updated look at where your favorite team stands.

*Note: Rosters taken from MLBDepthCharts.com.

30. Houston Astros (36-73, Previous: 30)

Current Lineup

2B Jose Altuve
SS Marwin Gonzalez
RF Steve Pearce
1B Brett Wallace
LF J.D. Martinez
3B Scott Moore
C Chris Snyder
CF Jordan Schafer
Pitcher 

Current Rotation

SP Lucas Harrell
SP Jordan Lyles
SP Bud Norris
SP Dallas Keuchel
SP Armando Galarraga
CL Wilton Lopez

Last Week's Record: 1-5

Team Outlook

The Astros are a rag-tag group post-trade deadline, and they seem like all but a lock to lose 100 games this season.

The final few months of the season will be of serious importance to first baseman Brett Wallace, who is now 25 and no longer a top prospect. He'll get every chance to prove he can be the everyday first baseman and a key run producer, and he has nothing left to prove in the minors.

29. Colorado Rockies (38-68, Previous: 29)

Current Lineup

RF Tyler Colvin
SS Josh Rutledge 
CF Dexter Fowler
LF Carlos Gonzalez
1B Todd Helton
C Ramon Hernandez
3B Jordan Pacheco
2B DJ LeMahieu 
Pitcher

Current Rotation 

SP Jeff Francis
SP Drew Pomeranz
SP Tyler Chatwood
SP Alex White
CL Rafael Betancourt

Last Week's Record: 1-5

Team Outlook

The Rockies continue the ongoing shuffle of their starting rotation, as they recently brought up Alex White and Tyler Chatwood to replace Jonathan Sanchez and Christian Friedrich, the latter being out for the season with a stress fracture in his back.

Right fielder Michael Cuddyer also hit the DL, and Tyler Colvin finds himself in an everyday role once again as a result. Finding a way to get him everyday at-bats will be one thing the team needs to figure out in the offseason, as he has been terrific this year.

28. Chicago Cubs (43-63, Previous: 24)

Current Lineup 

RF David DeJesus
CF Brett Jackson
1B Anthony Rizzo
LF Alfonso Soriano
SS Starlin Castro
C Steve Clevenger
3B Josh Vitters
2B Darwin Barney
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Matt Garza
SP Jeff Samardzija
SP Travis Wood
SP Justin Germano 
SP Chris Volstad
CL Carlos Marmol

Last Week's Record: 1-5

Team Outlook

The Cubs did what they needed to at the deadline, dealing Ryan Dempster, Paul Maholm, Reed Johnson and Geovany Soto for prospects. Add to that list Jeff Baker, who was traded to the Tigers for two players to be named on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, the team called up top prospects Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters, and they each made their big league debuts. Jackson went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Vitters went 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter. They will both get a long look over the final two months, and that should be reason for excitement on the North Side.

27. Kansas City Royals (45-62, Previous: 28)

Current Lineup

LF Alex Gordon
SS Alcides Escobar 
RF Lorenzo Cain
DH Billy Butler
3B Mike Moustakas
C Salvador Perez
1B Eric Hosmer
2B Chris Getz
CF Jarrod Dyson

Current Rotation

SP Bruce Chen
SP Luke Hochevar
SP Luis Mendoza
SP Will Smith
SP Jeremy Guthrie
CL Greg Holland

Last Week's Record: 4-2

Team Outlook

The Royals wound up moving closer Jonathan Broxton to the Reds at the deadline, but they were unable to find a taker for outfielder Jeff Francoeur or infielder Yuniesky Betancourt, both of whom the team would have liked to be rid of.

Betancourt was designated for assignment on Sunday, and Francoeur has been moved to the bench. The question remains: When we will see Wil Myers make his big league debut? He appears to be over his midseason slump and has a .304 BA, 33 HR, 93 RBI line on the season.

26. San Diego Padres (46-64, Previous: 25)

Current Lineup

2B Alexi Amarista
RF Will Venable
3B Chase Headley
LF Carlos Quentin
1B Yonder Alonso
CF Cameron Maybin
C John Baker
SS Everth Cabrera
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Edinson Volquez
SP Clayton Richard
SP Jason Marquis
SP Ross Ohlendorf
SP Eric Stults
CL Huston Street

Last Week's Record: 3-4

Team Outlook

The Padres will move forward with three players many believed would be long gone come August, as the team extended Carlos Quentin and Huston Street and opted not to trade highly sought-after third baseman Chase Headley.

With that, the team appears to have their sights set on a return to contention sooner rather than later, and with one of the deepest farm systems in all of baseball, it will be interesting to see what prospects get a look over the final months of the season.

25. Minnesota Twins (47-61, Previous: 27)

Current Lineup

CF Denard Span
RF Ben Revere
C Joe Mauer
LF Josh Willingham
1B Justin Morneau
DH Ryan Doumit
SS Brian Dozier
2B Alexi Casilla
3B Jamey Carroll 

Current Rotation

SP Scott Diamond
SP Cole De Vries
SP Nick Blackburn
SP Samuel Deduno 
SP Brian Duensing
CL Glen Perkins

Last Week's Record: 4-3

Team Outlook

The Twins offense has been surprisingly productive all season, and it continues to be led by a healthy Joe Mauer and offseason signee Josh Willingham.

The pitching staff is another story, as the rotation needs a complete overhaul aside from Scott Diamond (9-5, 2.93 ERA), who has turned in one of the biggest out-of-nowhere performances of the season.

24. Miami Marlins (49-60, Previous: 22)

Current Lineup

LF Bryan Petersen
RF Scott Cousins
SS Jose Reyes
1B Carlos Lee
CF Justin Ruggiano
3B Greg Dobbs
2B Donovan Solano
C John Buck
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Josh Johnson
SP Mark Buehrle
SP Ricky Nolasco
SP Wade LeBlanc
SP Nathan Eovaldi
CL Steve Cishek

Last Week's Record: 2-6

Team Outlook

The Marlins sold in a big way at the deadline, and with the players they traded off combined with the fact that both Giancarlo Stanton and Logan Morrison are on the DL, their lineup is not pretty.

Wade LeBlanc has been moved to the rotation after posting a 1.15 ERA in 11 relief appearances spanning 15.2 innings. He was solid in his first start of the year, going 4.1 innings and allowing just one run. He could very well be auditioning for a rotation spot next season.

23. Milwaukee Brewers (48-59, Previous: 26)

Current Lineup

RF Norichika Aoki
CF Carlos Gomez
LF Ryan Braun
3B Aramis Ramirez
1B Corey Hart
2B Rickie Weeks
C Jonathan Lucroy
SS Cesar Izturis 
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Yovani Gallardo
SP Randy Wolf
SP Michael Fiers
SP Marco Estrada
SP Mark Rogers
CL John Axford

Last Week's Record: 3-3

Team Outlook

The Brewers pulled the trigger at the deadline on their ace Zack Greinke, and they got a solid package of prospects as a result, with shortstop of the future Jean Segura ranking as the key acquisition.

The team is out of the postseason hunt this year, but they have a good enough core of players in place that they could be right back in the thick of things next season. The rotation remains their biggest question moving forward, and we should see top prospect Wily Peralta again at some point.

22. Philadelphia Phillies (49-59, Previous: 23)

Current Lineup

SS Jimmy Rollins
RF Nate Schierholtz
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
CF John Mayberry Jr.
LF Domonic Brown
C Erik Kratz
3B Kevin Frandsen
Pitcher 

Current Rotation

SP Roy Halladay
SP Cliff Lee
SP Cole Hamels
SP Vance Worley
SP Kyle Kendrick
CL Jonathan Papelbon

Last Week's Record: 4-2

Team Outlook

In the wake of trading Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, and with Carlos Ruiz and Placido Polanco on the DL, the Phillies lineup has more than a few unfamiliar faces.

Erik Kratz is a 32-year-old minor league veteran, while Kevin Frandsen is a 30-year-old with roughly a full season's worth of at-bats under his belt. The player to watch, however, is Domonic Brown, as the player favored by many to win NL Rookie of the Year last season is playing for an everyday job in 2013.

21. Cleveland Indians (50-58, Previous: 19)

Current Lineup

RF Shin-Soo Choo
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
2B Jason Kipnis
C Carlos Santana
CF Michael Brantley
DH Travis Hafner
1B Casey Kotchman
3B Jack Hannahan
LF Ezequiel Carrera 

Current Rotation

SP Justin Masterson
SP Ubaldo Jimenez
SP Zach McAllister
SP Corey Kluber
SP Chris Seddon 
CL Chris Perez

Last Week's Record: 0-6

Team Outlook

The Indians parted ways with a pair of veterans last week, as they designated Johnny Damon and Derek Lowe for assignment. It was a smart move, as neither player was playing particularly well, nor did they factor into the team's future plans.

Triple-A starters Corey Kluber (26 years old, 11-7, 3.59 ERA) and Chris Seddon (28 years old, 11-5, 3.44 ERA) have both been given rotation spots, and while neither is young enough to be considered a prospect, they could put themselves in position for a rotation spot next year with a good showing down the stretch.

20. Seattle Mariners (51-59, Previous: 21)

Current Lineup

2B Dustin Ackley
RF Casper Wells
C John Jaso
DH Jesus Montero
3B Kyle Seager
CF Michael Saunders
1B Mike Carp
LF Eric Thames
SS Brendan Ryan

Current Rotation

SP Felix Hernandez
SP Jason Vargas
SP Kevin Millwood
SP Hisashi Iwakuma
SP Blake Beavan
CL Tom Wilhelmsen

Last Week's Record: 4-2

Team Outlook

Oddly enough, the Mariners are 9-4 since trading Ichiro Suzuki on July 23, as they are playing their best baseball of the year of late.

The team's acquisition of Eric Thames at the deadline may go down as the under-the-radar move of the year, as the 25-year-old has a ton of offensive potential and could figure greatly into the team's future plans since he is under team control through 2017.

19. New York Mets (53-56, Previous: 20)

Current Lineup

SS Ruben Tejada
RF Jordany Valdespin
3B David Wright
1B Ike Davis
2B Daniel Murphy
LF Jason Bay
CF Andres Torres
C Josh Thole
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP R.A. Dickey
SP Jeremy Hefner
SP Matt Harvey
SP Jon Niese
SP Chris Young
CL Frank Francisco

Last Week's Record: 4-3

Team Outlook

The Mets finally put together a solid week, taking three of four from a good Giants team, but it's likely too little too late, as they are nine games out of the wild card.

Their second-half slide kept them from making any moves at the deadline, and with ace R.A. Dickey coming back down to Earth, they are likely on their way to a .500 finish. Still, they have plenty to build off of and around moving forward.

18. Toronto Blue Jays (53-55, Previous: 16)

Current Lineup

3B Brett Lawrie
CF Colby Rasmus
1B Edwin Encarnacion
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Yunel Escobar
DH David Cooper
LF Rajai Davis
C Jeff Mathis
RF Anthony Gose 

Current Rotation

SP Ricky Romero
SP Aaron Laffey
SP Carlos Villanueva
SP Henderson Alvarez
SP J.A. Happ
CL Casey Janssen

Last Week's Record: 2-5

Team Outlook

With 12 players currently on the major league disabled list, it is safe to say the Blue Jays' season has been greatly hindered by injuries. Originally, it was their pitching staff that was hit hard, but their lineup is now without Jose Bautista, J.P. Arencibia and Adam Lind.

It looks as though the injuries will be more than the Blue Jays can overcome this season, but they have a good core of players in place and are a franchise that is moving in the right direction.

17. Boston Red Sox (54-55, Previous: 18)

Current Lineup

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
LF Carl Crawford
2B Dustin Pedroia
1B Adrian Gonzalez 
DH Cody Ross
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
3B Will Middlebrooks
RF Ryan Sweeney
SS Pedro Ciriaco

Current Rotation

SP Josh Beckett
SP Jon Lester
SP Felix Doubront
SP Aaron Cook
SP Clay Buchholz
CL Alfredo Aceves

Last Week's Record: 3-4

Team Outlook

Once a team with an abundance of outfielders, the Red Sox are now without an outfielder on the bench, as Cody Ross has moved to DH with David Ortiz on the DL, Scott Podsednik was traded, and both Ryan Sweeney and Daniel Nava hit the DL last week.

When Ortiz returns, the lineup will be at full strength, but it is shaping up to be a lost season for the Red Sox, as first-half injuries and poor starting pitching have proved too much to overcome. On the plus side, closer Andrew Bailey is on the rehab trail and should make his Red Sox debut sometime in the near future. 

16. Arizona Diamondbacks (55-53, Previous: 17)

Current Lineup

CF Gerardo Parra
2B Aaron Hill
LF Jason Kubel
1B Paul Goldschmidt
RF Justin Upton
C Miguel Montero 
3B Chris Johnson
SS Stephen Drew
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Ian Kennedy
SP Trevor Cahill
SP Wade Miley
SP Joe Saunders
SP Patrick Corbin
CL J.J. Putz

Last Week's Record: 4-2

Team Outlook

The Diamondbacks have quietly remained in contention in the NL West, and with Chris Johnson shoring up the hole at third base and Patrick Corbin called back up to assume the fifth rotation spot, the team is in a good position to make a late-season run.

Center fielder Chris Young (.215 BA, 11 HR, 29 RBI) was benched for much of last week and could at the very least find himself in a platoon role with Gerardo Parra from here on out.

15. Tampa Bay Rays (56-52, Previous: 14)

Current Lineup

LF Desmond Jennings
CF B.J. Upton
2B Ben Zobrist
RF Matt Joyce
DH Jeff Keppinger
1B Carlos Pena
3B Ryan Roberts
C Jose Molina
SS Sean Rodriguez

Current Rotation

SP David Price
SP James Shields
SP Alex Cobb
SP Matt Moore
SP Jeremy Hellickson
CL Fernando Rodney

Last Week's Record: 3-3

Team Outlook

The Rays continue to stay in the thick of things for the AL Wild Card, sitting just two games back despite an abysmal offense that was not improved at the deadline.

Third baseman Evan Longoria could help solve that problem, as he could rejoin the team when they take on the Blue Jays starting Tuesday, according to a report from ESPN. The star slugger has been out since May 1 with a partially torn hamstring. 

14. Baltimore Orioles (57-51, Previous: 15)

Current Lineup

RF Nick Markakis
SS J.J. Hardy
DH Chris Davis
CF Adam Jones 
C Matt Wieters
3B Wilson Betemit
LF Nate McLouth
1B Mark Reynolds
2B Omar Quintanilla

Current Rotation 

SP Wei-Yin Chen
SP Miguel Gonzalez
SP Chris Tillman
SP Zach Britton
SP Tommy Hunter
CL Jim Johnson 

Last Week's Record: 4-2

Team Outlook

As the Orioles continue to search for an answer in left field (no, Lew Ford was not the answer) the latest player to see time there is former All-Star Nate McLouth. He's not been overly impressive at Triple-A, hitting .244 BA, 10 HR, 33 RBI, but he did go 2-for-4 with a double in his first start.

The team seems to have finally found a solid rotation combination, but they will need to make a decision regarding the futures of Jake Arrieta and Brian Matusz at some point. They still have trade value, but the organization may not be ready to give up on them quite yet.

13. San Francisco Giants (59-49, Previous: 12)

Current Lineup 

CF Angel Pagan
2B Ryan Theriot
LF Melky Cabrera
C Buster Posey
RF Hunter Pence
3B Marco Scutaro
1B Brandon Belt
SS Brandon Crawford
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Tim Lincecum
SP Madison Bumgarner
SP Matt Cain
SP Barry Zito
SP Ryan Vogelsong
CL Santiago Casilla

Last Week's Record: 4-3

Team Outlook

The Giants' acquisition of Hunter Pence ranks as one of the better pickups of the deadline, as he is controlled through next season and gives the Giants added firepower to back their terrific pitching staff.

The NL West is shaping up to be quite a battle down the stretch, as the Giants and Dodgers both got better at the deadline and the Diamondbacks remain in the thick of things.

12. Detroit Tigers (58-50, Previous: 11)

Current Lineup

CF Austin Jackson
LF Quintin Berry
3B Miguel Cabrera
1B Prince Fielder
DH Brennan Boesch
RF Andy Dirks
SS Jhonny Peralta
C Alex Avila
2B Omar Infante

Current Rotation

SP Justin Verlander
SP Doug Fister
SP Max Scherzer
SP Rick Porcello
SP Anibal Sanchez
CL Jose Valverde

Last Week's Record: 4-2

Team Outlook

Led by MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera (.325 BA, 27 HR, 91 RBI) and with the return of Andy Dirks and acquisitions of Omar Infante and now Jeff Baker, the Tigers offense is in the best shape it's been all season.

On the other side of things, Doug Fister is hitting his stride, as he has gone 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA over his last five starts. He gives them team a legitimate second ace alongside Justin Verlander when he is on top of his game.

11. Los Angeles Dodgers (59-50, Previous: 10)

Current Lineup

LF Shane Victorino
2B Mark Ellis
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
SS Hanley Ramirez
1B James Loney
3B Luis Cruz
C A.J. Ellis
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Clayton Kershaw
SP Aaron Harang
SP Chris Capuano
SP Chad Billingsley
SP Joe Blanton
CL Kenley Jansen

Last Week's Record: 3-3

Team Outlook

Even after the trade deadline passed and the team added Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Brandon League and Randy Choate, the Dodgers continue to deal, as they acquired Joe Blanton off waivers from the Phillies.

Blanton won't be asked to be anything more than a fifth starter, and he looked good enough in his first start with the team on Sunday, as he allowed two runs over six innings of work against the Cubs in a no-decision. The Dodgers came away with the walk-off win to finish off a sweep and bounce back from a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks.

10. Oakland Athletics (58-50, Previous: 9)

Current Lineup

CF Coco Crisp
2B Jemile Weeks
RF Josh Reddick
LF Yoenis Cespedes
DH Chris Carter
1B Brandon Moss
3B Brandon Inge
C Derek Norris
SS Eric Sogard

Current Rotation

SP Bartolo Colon
SP Tom Milone
SP Jarrod Parker
SP Daniel Straily 
SP TBD
CL Ryan Cook

Last Week's Record: 3-4

Team Outlook

Last week saw the debut of breakout minor league pitcher of the year Daniel Straily, who went 8-6, 2.60 ERA, 175 Ks, 138.1 IP between Double-A and Triple-A this year.

The former 24th-round pick went six innings and allowed five hits and one earned run. He'll no doubt be an asset to the team down the stretch after they did not make any significant moves, despite their impressive climb into contention.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (59-49, Previous: 13)

Current Lineup

SS Rafael Furcal
CF John Jay
LF Matt Holliday
RF Carlos Beltran
1B Allen Craig
C Yadier Molina
3B David Freese
2B Skip Schumaker
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Kyle Lohse
SP Adam Wainwright
SP Lance Lynn
SP Jake Westbrook
SP Joe Kelly
CL Jason Motte

Last Week's Record: 5-1

Team Outlook

The Cardinals made the most of facing lesser competition last week, as they took two of three from the Rockies before sweeping the Brewers.

After making a late-season run last year that eventually ended in the wild-card spot and a World Series title, the Cardinals find themselves just 2.5 games out of the wild card this season and in a great position to make a late-season run once again.

8. Los Angeles Angels (58-51, Previous: 7)

Current Lineup

CF Mike Trout
RF Torii Hunter
1B Albert Pujols
LF Mark Trumbo
DH Kendrys Morales
3B Alberto Callaspo
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Maicer Izturis
C Chris Iannetta

Current Rotation

SP Jered Weaver
SP C.J. Wilson
SP Dan Haren
SP Zack Greinke
SP Ervin Santana
CL Ernesto Frieri

Last Week's Record: 3-4

Team Outlook

The Angels ran into tough competition this past week as they faced the Rangers and White Sox on the road, and they managed to come away with a respectable 3-4 finish on the week.

MVP candidate Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Albert Pujols give the Angels as good a middle of the order as any in baseball, and with an already-deep rotation bolstered by the addition of Zack Greinke, the Angels are in a great position heading into the season's final months.

7. Chicago White Sox (59-48, Previous: 8)

Current Lineup

CF Alejandro De Aza
3B Kevin Youkilis
DH Adam Dunn
1B Paul Konerko
RF Alex Rios
C A.J. Pierzynski
LF Dayan Viciedo
SS Alexei Ramirez
2B Gordon Beckham 

Current Rotation

SP Jake Peavy
SP Chris Sale
SP Jose Quintana
SP Phil Humber
SP Gavin Floyd
SP Francisco Liriano
CL Addison Reed

Last Week's Record: 4-2

Team Outlook

With the return of Chris Sale to the rotation this coming week, the White Sox will use a six-man rotation moving forward, and it will be interesting to see what sort of dynamic that adds to the team's postseason run.

Francisco Liriano (2 GS, 0-0, 2.45 ERA) and Brett Myers (8 G, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP) have already proved to be fantastic pickups, and the White Sox are in a great position to make a playoff push.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates (61-46, Previous: 5)

Current Lineup

LF Starling Marte
RF Travis Snider
CF Andrew McCutchen
1B Garrett Jones
2B Neil Walker
3B Pedro Alvarez
C Rod Barajas
SS Clint Barmes
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Erik Bedard
SP James McDonald
SP A.J. Burnett
SP Jeff Karstens
SP Wandy Rodriguez
CL Joel Hanrahan

Last Week's Record: 3-3

Team Outlook

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen put together an absolutely phenomenal month of July, hitting .446/.510/.739 with seven home runs and 15 RBI, as he has been a major part of the Pirates being in a position to contend.

McCutchen has to be the front-runner for NL MVP right now with a .368 BA, 23 HR, 67 RBI line on the season. The additions of Wandy Rodriguez and Travis Snider were not the major splash many hoped the Pirates would make, but they should make a significant impact down the stretch.

5. Atlanta Braves (62-46, Previous: 6)

Current Lineup

CF Michael Bourn
LF Martin Prado
RF Jason Heyward
3B Chipper Jones
1B Freddie Freeman
C Brian McCann
2B Dan Uggla
SS Paul Janish
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Tim Hudson
SP Mike Minor
SP Kris Medlen
SP Ben Sheets
SP Paul Maholm
CL Craig Kimbrel

Last Week's Record: 5-2

Team Outlook

Despite down seasons from Brian McCann and Dan Uggla, as well as a offensively inept shortstop in Paul Janish, the Braves continue to win, as they are just three games behind the Nationals in the NL East and currently hold the first NL Wild Card spot.

The rotation remains a question mark, with Tommy Hanson hitting the DL, but the team is still in a good position to make the postseason, and once they get back Hanson and Andrelton Simmons, they should have no problem earning a postseason spot.

4. Texas Rangers (63-44, Previous: 4)

Current Lineup

2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
CF Josh Hamilton
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
DH Michael Young
LF David Murphy
C Mike Napoli
1B Mitch Moreland

Current Rotation

SP Ryan Dempster
SP Derek Holland
SP Yu Darvish
SP Matt Harrison
SP Scott Feldman
CL Joe Nathan 

Last Week's Record: 4-3

Team Outlook

While the addition of Ryan Dempster was made in hopes of shoring up the starting rotation, the staff remains a significant question mark moving forward.

Roy Oswalt was sent to the bullpen after struggling, and Derek Holland (5.18 ERA) has not been much better. Alexi Ogando remains an option to start out of the bullpen, but at the end of the day the Rangers are a team that is driven by its offense, and it is the best offense in baseball even with Josh Hamilton slumping.

3. New York Yankees (63-44, Previous: 3)

Current Lineup

SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Robinson Cano
RF Nick Swisher
DH Raul Ibanez
3B Eric Chavez
LF Ichiro Suzuki
C Russell Martin

Current Rotation

SP CC Sabathia
SP Hiroki Kuroda
SP Freddy Garcia
SP Ivan Nova
SP Phil Hughes
CL Rafael Soriano

Last Week's Record: 3-3

Team Outlook

The Yankees were forced to deal with an injury to Alex Rodriguez right before the deadline, as he will be sidelined for a significant amount of time with a fractured hand. Casey McGehee was acquired to provide some depth, as he and Eric Chavez will fill the void until A-Rod is back. 

The pitching staff has gotten better as the season has gone on, and Andy Pettitte should be back sometime in early September for the stretch run.

2. Washington Nationals (65-43, Previous: 2)

Current Lineup

2B Steve Lombardozzi
RF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Michael Morse
1B Adam LaRoche
CF Jayson Werth
SS Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Stephen Strasburg
SP Gio Gonzalez
SP Jordan Zimmermann
SP Edwin Jackson
SP Ross Detwiler
CL Tyler Clippard

Last Week's Record: 4-3

Team Outlook

The Nationals were quiet at the deadline, but they acquired catcher Kurt Suzuki off waivers from the A's on Friday. He steps in as the everyday catcher, although it remains to be seen if he is even an upgrade over Jesus Flores.

Stephen Strasburg bounced back from one of the worst outings of his career to pull his record to 12-5 with a 2.97 ERA and 11.3 K/9, and the team welcomed back Jayson Werth from the DL, as they look as strong as ever entering August.

1. Cincinnati Reds (66-42, Previous: 1)

Current Lineup

SS Zack Cozart
CF Drew Stubbs
2B Brandon Phillips
RF Jay Bruce
LF Ryan Ludwick
3B Scott Rolen
1B Todd Frazier
C Ryan Hanigan
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Johnny Cueto
SP Mat Latos
SP Bronson Arroyo
SP Homer Bailey
SP Mike Leake
CL Aroldis Chapman

Last Week's Record: 5-2

Team Outlook

The Reds' only move at the deadline was to add reliever Jonathan Broxton, but they will get a far bigger addition once Joey Votto returns from knee surgery.

Even without him, the team has gone 16-4 over their past 20 games, as they are the hottest team in baseball and legitimately looking like the team to beat in the NL with the way they are playing right now.