MLB Power Groupings: Behold The Marlin Heat

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

We're about a week away from the "official" half-way mark in the MLB season (although we've actually passed the halfway mark according to games played for most teams).

With that, we've got a pretty good idea of who our contenders and pretenders are.

Of course, I'm not talking about anyone in any Central division. Oh man, my jokes about the AL and NL Central are just about shot, wouldn't you say? More shot than the Indians playoff hopes, at least.

I can still have fun at the expense of my own team though, can’t I?

Welcome to the Disaster Zone

Baltimore, Cleveland, Oakland, Washington, San Diego, Arizona

Is there anything left I can really say about Baltimore and Washington? It seems like I've run out of nice things to say about the two teams that have been bad the longest.

Oakland and Cleveland are fresh faces, so I can pick on them a little while longer. They also faced each other last weekend, and Cleveland got the best of the series. Yet, they both have only won three of their last ten.

Then, we have the NL West twins, who would be in here regardless of what division they played in if you ask me. They can run from last place. San Diego might, since Arizona is bad; or if they flip-flop, I guess only one can be in last.

But they both share a bad position.

Teetering on the brink of disaster.

Kansas City, Pittsburgh

The Royals are skating by on the slimmest of margins right now. Cleveland showed that you could avoid it for awhile, but eventually, they'll give in.

Pittsburgh is in the same boat, and would probably have been in the disaster zone by now if their division beat them down a little more. The Nyjer Morgan trade is just one more step towards achieving futility.

Shifty Eyes

Atlanta, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati, Houston

"Shifty eye" group lost a lot of members in the past week. Some have moved up, Pittsburgh moved down, but overall, the only teams left are National League teams.

At the rate the Mets are going, they could soon find themselves behind Atlanta. To me, that isn't shocking because you're looking at the guy who picked them third.

Atlanta isn't doing much better, but the key is that they aren't playing as bad as New York is.

Then we have half of the NL Central, which is actually half of the NL Central in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Houston. These three teams are either one game above the .500 mark, right at it, or one game below it.

They are the definition of shifty eyes, just waiting to be in the middle.

However, not all of them can make the jump, and eventually one, followed by another, will probably take the plunge.

Chicago seems to be the team that can rise above, especially with them getting Aramis Ramirez this week. Ramirez isn't a cure-all pill for them, though; they'll need some more help.

I refuse to buy into Houston; they're mediocre, and they'll hang around for awhile. Cincinnati, meanwhile is mediocrity that I believe can rise above.

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