Updated MLB Power Rankings: Where Do Teams Stand After Season's First Month?

The first month of the MLB season is in the books.

While many of the usual suspects currently rank among the game's best, so too do the Nationals, Dodgers and Orioles as they have come out of the gates with surprisingly strong starts.

On the other side of things, the highly touted Angles are among the worst teams in all of baseball, while the big-spending Marlins have struggled mightily as well.

There is still a ton of baseball to be played, and with the call-ups of Bryce Harper and Mike Trout the month of May should be an exciting one.

Here is a look at this week's MLB power rankings. Check back here each Monday morning for an updated look at where your favorite team stands.

*Note: Rosters taken from MLBDepthCharts

No. 30: Minnesota Twins (6-15, Previous: 27)

Current Lineup

CF Denard Span
SS Jamey Carroll
C Joe Mauer
LF Josh Willingham
DH Justin Morneau
RF Ryan Doumit
3B Danny Valencia
1B Chris Parmelee
2B Alexi Casilla

Current Rotation

SP Carl Pavano
SP Francisco Liriano
SP Nick Blackburn
SP Liam Hendriks 
SP Jason Marquis
CL Matt Capps 

Team Outlook

With a win over the Royals on Sunday, the Twins managed to snap a six-game losing streak. They were swept by the Red Sox to start the week before dropping one of two to the Royals for a 1-4 week.

Josh Willingham (.353 BA, 5 HR, 15 RBI) remains the team's offensive leader, while Joe Mauer (.325 BA, 1 HR, 13 RBI) continues to show he is finally healthy. However, they may have the worst pitching staff in baseball, and that will continue to keep them near the bottom of the rankings.

No. 29: Kansas City Royals (6-15, Previous: 30)

Current Lineup

2B Chris Getz
LF Alex Gordon
1B Eric Hosmer
DH Billy Butler
RF Jeff Francoeur
3B Mike Moustakas
C Humberto Quintero
CF Mitch Maier
SS Alcides Escobar

Current Rotation

SP Bruce Chen
SP Luke Hochevar
SP Jonathan Sanchez
SP Luis Mendoza
SP Danny Duffy
CL Jonathan Broxton

Team Outlook

Two losses to open the week pushed the Royals' losing streak to 12 games, but they rallied to take the final two games of their series with the Indians before splitting two games with the Twins for a modest 3-3 week. However, they are still 0-10 at home on the season.

Alex Gordon (.232 BA, 4 HR, 10 RBI) has begun to turn things around after moving out of the leadoff spot, and if Eric Hosmer (.188 BA, 5 HR, 13 RBI) could follow suit it would go a long way towards helping the team find some consistency.

No. 28: San Diego Padres (7-16, Previous: 28)

Current Lineup

RF Will Venable
LF Chris Denorfia 
3B Chase Headley
1B Yonder Alonso
C Nick Hundley
CF Cameron Maybin
SS Jason Bartlett
2B Orlando Hudson
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Edinson Volquez
SP Cory Luebke
SP Clayton Richard
SP Anthony Bass
SP Joe Wieland
CL Huston Street

Team Outlook

The Padres had a tough draw this week, facing the Nationals and Giants. They managed to win one game in each series for a 2-4 week.

Their pitching is starting to come around, and their bullpen has been terrific, but that doesn't mean much when they are not scoring runs. Chris Denorfia (team-high .282 average) has moved into a starting spot in left field, but it's going to take a lot more than that for the Padres to turn things around.

No. 27: Houston Astros (8-14, Previous: 26)

Current Lineup

CF Jordan Schafer
2B Jose Altuve
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
SS Jed Lowrie
RF Brian Bogusevic
3B Chris Johnson
C Jason Castro
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Wandy Rodriguez
SP Lucas Harrell
SP Bud Norris
SP J.A. Happ
SP Jordan Lyles
CL Brett Myers

Team Outlook

The Astros managed a 2-4 week on the road, taking one game each from the Reds and Brewers as they dropped to last place in the NL Central.

The offense has been solid, led by Jose Altuve (.373 BA) and J.D. Martinez (19 RBI), but the team desperately needs someone in the rotation to step up alongside Wandy Rodriguez (2-2, 1.72 ERA).

No. 26: Miami Marlins (8-13, Previous: 22)

Current Lineup

SS Jose Reyes
CF Emilio Bonifacio
3B Hanley Ramirez
LF Logan Morrison
RF Giancarlo Stanton
2B Omar Infante
1B Gaby Sanchez
C John Buck
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Josh Johnson
SP Mark Buehrle
SP Ricky Nolasco
SP Carlos Zambrano
SP Anibal Sanchez
CL Heath Bell

Team Outlook

A sweep at the hands of the Mets opened the Marlins week, and they dropped two of three to the Diamondbacks to close things out. Their 1-5 week dropped them to last place in the NL East.

So far, the team has been perhaps the biggest disappointment in all of baseball, and it starts with their superstars as Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez are both hitting .205, while Josh Johnson sports a 5.34 ERA.

No. 25: Chicago Cubs (8-14, Previous: 29)

Current Lineup 

RF David DeJesus
CF Tony Campana
SS Starlin Castro
1B Bryan LaHair
LF Alfonso Soriano
3B Ian Stewart
C Geovany Soto
2B Darwin Barney
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Matt Garza
SP Jeff Samardzija
SP Chris Volstad
SP Paul Maholm
SP Randy Wells
CL Carlos Marmol

Team Outlook

The Cubs are in the midst of their best stretch of the season thus far, as they took two of three from the rival Cardinals before completing a 4-2 week with a victory over the Phillies on Sunday.

Tony Campana (.435 BA, 6 SB, 6 R) has provided a spark taking over in center field for the departed Marlon Byrd. The starting rotation has also impressed, with Matt Garza throwing seven innings of one-hit ball to cap the week.

No. 24: Pittsburgh Pirates (9-12, Previous: 24)

Current Lineup

LF Alex Presley
RF Jose Tabata
CF Andrew McCutchen
2B Neil Walker
1B Garrett Jones
C Rod Barajas
3B Pedro Alvarez
SS Clint Barmes
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Erik Bedard
SP James McDonald
SP A.J. Burnett
SP Charlie Morton
SP Kevin Correia
CL Joel Hanrahan 

Team Outlook

The Pirates took two of three from the Rockies to open the week, then dropped two of three to the Braves in Atlanta to stay at fourth place in the NL Central.

They continue to score runs at an alarmingly low pace, with just 49 through 21 games, but their pitching has been fantastic with a 2.77 team ERA, which ranks third in all of baseball.

No. 23: Oakland Athletics (11-12, Previous: 21)

Current Lineup

2B Jemile Weeks
LF Coco Crisp
RF Josh Reddick
CF Yoenis Cespedes
DH Seth Smith
C Kurt Suzuki
1B Daric Barton
3B Eric Sogard
SS Cliff Pennington 

Current Rotation

SP Brandon McCarthy
SP Bartolo Colon
SP Tom Milone
SP Tyson Ross
SP Jarrod Parker
CL Grant Balfour

Team Outlook

The A's have struggled to find any consistency so far this season. They took two of three from the White Sox before dropping two of three to the Orioles over the weekend.

Despite having the worst team batting average in all of baseball at .205, the A's have managed to stay competitive thanks to their pitching staff. Recent call-up Jarrod Parker (6.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 Ks) could make the rotation even better after looking strong in his first start. Now they just need to find someone who can hit the ball.

No. 22: Colorado Rockies (10-11, Previous: 19)

Current Lineup

2B Marco Scutaro
CF Dexter Fowler
LF Carlos Gonzalez
SS Troy Tulowitzki
1B Todd Helton
RF Michael Cuddyer
C Ramon Hernandez
3B Chris Nelson
Pitcher

Current Rotation 

SP Jamie Moyer
SP Juan Nicasio
SP Jhoulys Chacin
SP Drew Pomeranz
SP Guillermo Moscoso
CL Rafael Betancourt

Team Outlook

A 2-4 week saw the Rockies drop two of three to both the Pirates and the Mets, although they did explode for 18 runs on Friday.

They acquired a good deal of starting pitching depth in the offseason, and they are already dipping into it as former A's starter Guillermo Moscoso was called up with Jeremy Guthrie on the disabled list. The rotation has undoubtedly been their weakness to this point, with just one starter (Jamie Moyer, 3.14) with an ERA under 4.00.

No. 21: Los Angeles Angels (7-15, Previous: 13)

Current Lineup

LF Mike Trout
2B Howie Kendrick
1B Albert Pujols
DH Kendrys Morales
RF Torii Hunter
3B Alberto Callaspo
SS Erick Aybar
C Chris Iannetta
CF Peter Bourjos

Current Rotation

SP Jered Weaver
SP Dan Haren
SP Ervin Santana
SP C.J. Wilson
SP Jerome Williams
CL Scott Downs

Team Outlook

After giving them the benefit of the doubt through the first three weeks of the season, a 1-5 week and the third-worst record in the American League simply can't be overlooked. The Angels were swept by the Rays and dropped two of three to the Indians before eking out a 2-1 win on Saturday.

The call-up of uber-prospect Mike Trout, who was hitting .403 in Triple-A, could be the spark the team needs to get things going. A hot streak by Albert Pujols (.216 BA, 0 HR, 4 RBI) certainly wouldn't hurt either.

No. 20: Seattle Mariners (11-12, Previous: 25)

Current Lineup

LF Chone Figgins
2B Dustin Ackley
RF Ichiro Suzuki
1B Justin Smoak
DH Jesus Montero
3B Kyle Seager
C Miguel Olivo
CF Michael Saunders
SS Brendan Ryan

Current Rotation

SP Felix Hernandez
SP Jason Vargas
SP Hector Noesi
SP Blake Beavan
SP Kevin Millwood
CL Brandon League

Team Outlook

The Mariners swept the Tigers in Detroit to open the week before dropping two of three to the Blue Jays at home, but they have to be happy with a 4-2 week against two of the league's top teams.

They tallied 30 runs in their four wins and just two in their two losses, a sign of how their season will go as they have the pitching to compete but will only be as good as their offense allows them.

No. 19: Chicago White Sox (11-11, Previous: 17)

Current Lineup

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

Current Rotation

SP John Danks
SP Jake Peavy
SP Gavin Floyd
SP Chris Sale
SP Phil Humber
CL Hector Santiago

Team Outlook

Last week, I was torn apart in the comments section for only moving the White Sox up one spot after a 4-1 week. Now, after a 2-5 week, I can't help saying that I told you so.

That said, the White Sox have been better than expected, led by Paul Konerko (.383 BA, 5 HR, 15 RBI) and Jake Peavy (3-1, 1.67 ERA), and their solid start could be enough to delay what was expected to be a full-blown rebuilding season.

No. 18: Milwaukee Brewers (10-12, Previous: 15)

Current Lineup

2B Rickie Weeks
CF Nyjer Morgan
LF Ryan Braun
3B Aramis Ramirez
RF Corey Hart
1B Mat Gamel
SS Alex Gonzalez
C Jonathan Lucroy
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Yovani Gallardo
SP Zack Greinke
SP Randy Wolf
SP Shaun Marcum
SP Marco Estrada
CL John Axford

Team Outlook

The Brewers stayed in the division last week, taking two of three from the Astros before dropping two of three to the Cardinals in St. Louis.

There is little doubt that the team misses Prince Fielder's bat, and the struggles of Rickie Weeks (.193 BA) and Aramis Ramirez (.228 BA) have only magnified the loss. Their pitching staff may be a bigger concern though, as Randy Wolf (7.17 ERA) and Yovani Gallardo (6.08 ERA) have struggled mightily.

No. 17: Cleveland Indians (11-9, Previous: 18)

Current Lineup

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

Current Rotation

SP Justin Masterson
SP Ubaldo Jimenez
SP Derek Lowe
SP Josh Tomlin
SP Jeanmar Gomez
CL Chris Perez

Team Outlook

The Tribe dropped two of three to the lowly Royals before salvaging the week by taking two of three from the struggling Angels. However, a rough week from the Tigers has put Cleveland in first place in the AL Central. 

The starting pitching has been hit-or-miss, and the offense has no true standout player at this point, but they continue to win games and in what looks to be a wide-open AL Central. 

No. 16: Philadelphia Phillies (10-12, Previous: 11)

Current Lineup

LF Juan Pierre
3B Placido Polanco
SS Jimmy Rollins
RF Hunter Pence
CF Shane Victorino
1B Ty Wigginton
C Carlos Ruiz
2B Freddy Galvis
Pitcher 

Current Rotation

SP Roy Halladay
SP Vance Worley
SP Cole Hamels
SP Joe Blanton
SP Kyle Kendrick
CL Jonathan Papelbon

Team Outlook

My feeling early on was that the Phillies pitching would be enough to outweigh their aging and injury-riddled lineup, but another subpar week highlighted by a series loss to the Cubs further exposed the holes on their roster.

The unexpected trio of Carlos Ruiz, Juan Pierre and Ty Wigginton are the only three everyday players with respectable averages, and Kyle Kendrick has struggled filling in for an injured Cliff Lee. All-in-all, things just don't look great in Philly right now.

No. 15: Cincinnati Reds (11-11, Previous: 20)

Current Lineup

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

Current Rotation

SP Johnny Cueto
SP Mat Latos
SP Bronson Arroyo
SP Homer Bailey
SP Mike Leake
CL Sean Marshall 

Team Outlook

The Reds moved to second in the NL Central with a 4-2 week, as they captured two of three from both the Giants and Astros.

Jay Bruce (.296 BA, 7 HR, 17 RBI) is on fire right now, as the highly touted offense is finally performing up to expectations. If the notoriously slow-starting Mat Latos (5.97 ERA) can start pitching like an ace, Cincinnati will be in pretty good shape.

No. 14: Boston Red Sox (10-11, Previous: 23)

Current Lineup

SS Mike Aviles
RF Ryan Sweeney
2B Dustin Pedroia
1B Adrian Gonzalez
DH David Ortiz
3B Kevin Youkilis
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
LF Cody Ross
CF Marlon Byrd

Current Rotation

SP Jon Lester
SP Josh Beckett
SP Clay Buchholz
SP Felix Doubront
SP Daniel Bard
CL Alfredo Aceves

Team Outlook

After plummeting from 12th to 23rd in the rankings last week, the Red Sox have righted the ship with a 6-1 this week, sweeping the Twins before taking three of four from the White Sox.

Led by David Ortiz (.395 BA, 4 HR, 18 RBI), their offense has been solid despite a slow start from Kevin Youkilis and the absence of Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury. Their pitching continues to be a question mark, but as long as they continue to post double-digit run totals like they did three times last week, they will win games.

No. 13: Arizona Diamondbacks (11-11, Previous: 10)

Current Lineup

CF Gerardo Parra
2B Aaron Hill
RF Justin Upton
C Miguel Montero
1B Paul Goldschmidt
LF Jason Kubel
3B Ryan Roberts
SS Willie Bloomquist
Pitcher

Current Rotation

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

Team Outlook

After losing two of three to the Phillies, the Diamondbacks managed to finish 3-3 on the week by taking two of three from the struggling Marlins.

The team finally had enough of Josh Collmenter's struggles (9.82 ERA), moving him to the bullpen and calling up touted prospect Patrick Corbin (1.67 ERA, 27 IP at Double-A) to make his big league debut. As long as they can consistently score runs, they should be able to find a rotation that works with perhaps the youngest starting pitching depth in baseball.

No. 12: San Francisco Giants (12-10, Previous: 12)

Current Lineup 

CF Angel Pagan
LF Melky Cabrera
3B Pablo Sandoval
C Buster Posey
RF Nate Schierholtz
1B Brandon Belt
2B Emmanuel Burriss
SS Brandon Crawford
Pitcher

Current Rotation

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

Team Outlook

The Giants dropped two of three to the Reds to open the week, but salvaged things by taking two of three from the lowly Padres for a 3-3 finish.

Buster Posey (.353 BA, 4 HR, 9 RBI) has bounced back from his injury last season, but the offense is still struggling to score runs. The biggest stat of the week for the Giants, though, was Tim Lincecum's eight-inning, zero-run outing.

No. 11: New York Mets (13-9, Previous: 14)

Current Lineup

CF Andres Torres
SS Ruben Tejada
2B Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
RF Lucas Duda
1B Ike Davis
LF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
C Josh Thole
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Johan Santana
SP R.A. Dickey
SP Jon Niese
SP Dillon Gee
SP Chris Schwinden
CL Frank Francisco

Team Outlook

It was a busy week for the Mets, as they played eight games in seven days. At the end of it all they walked away with a 5-3 record, including a sweep of the Marlins mid-week.

New York be getting center fielder Andres Torres back from injury on Monday, shifting rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis to left field which should improve the lineup moving forward. As long as their pitching staff keeps performing like they have, the Mets are on track to do much better than expected.

No. 10: Toronto Blue Jays (12-10, Previous: 9)

Current Lineup

SS Yunel Escobar
2B Kelly Johnson
RF Jose Bautista
DH Edwin Encarnacion
1B Adam Lind
3B Brett Lawrie
CF Colby Rasmus
LF Eric Thames
C J.P. Arencibia

Current Rotation

SP Ricky Romero
SP Brandon Morrow
SP Henderson Alvarez
SP Kyle Drabek
SP Drew Hutchinson
CL Francisco Cordero

Team Outlook

The Blue Jays completed a four-game sweep of the Royals on Monday before turning around and being swept by the Orioles. Toronto finished off the week by taking two of three from the Mariners.

Edwin Encarnacion (.310 BA, 7 HR, 20 RBI) is 5-for-9 with three home runs and seven RBI in his last three games, and he's been moved to the cleanup spot in hopes of better protecting Jose Bautista. The real story, though, has been the team's starting pitching, as four of their five starters have ERAs under 4.00.

No. 9: Detroit Tigers (11-11, Previous: 3)

Current Lineup

CF Austin Jackson
RF Brennan Boesch
3B Miguel Cabrera
1B Prince Fielder
LF Andy Dirks
DH Brad Eldred
C Alex Avila
SS Jhonny Peralta
2B Ryan Raburn

Current Rotation

SP Justin Verlander
SP Drew Smyly
SP Max Scherzer
SP Rick Porcello
SP Duane Below
CL Jose Valverde 

Team Outlook

It was a tough week for the Tigers, as they were swept by the Mariners and then dropped two of three to the Yankees as they nearly doubled their loss total within a week.

In addition, they released long-time Tiger Brandon Inge and lost Delmon Young indefinitely after he was arrested and charged with hate crime harassment. They will look to get things back on track against the Royals and White Sox this coming week, and still have to be considered among the AL favorites despite these hiccups. 

No. 8: New York Yankees (12-9, Previous: 5)

Current Lineup

SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
3B Alex Rodriguez
2B Robinson Cano
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Nick Swisher
DH Raul Ibanez
LF Andruw Jones
C Russell Martin

Current Rotation

SP CC Sabathia
SP Hiroki Kuroda
SP Phil Hughes
SP Ivan Nova
SP David Phelps
CL Mariano Rivera 

Team Outlook

The Yankees had a tough week on the schedule, but managed to finish with a respectable 3-3 record after taking on the Rangers and the Tigers.

However, they drop on this list due to the news that Michael Pineda is done for the year with a shoulder injury. With Phil Hughes (7.88 ERA) and Ivan Nova (5.18 ERA) struggling and Freddy Garcia (12.51 ERA) moved to the bullpen in favor of untested David Phelps, the rotation is once again a huge question mark.

No. 7: Baltimore Orioles (14-8, Previous: 16)

Current Lineup

LF Nolan Reimold
SS J.J. Hardy
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones 
C Matt Wieters
1B Chris Davis
DH Wilson Betemit
3B Mark Reynolds
2B Robert Andino

Current Rotation 

SP Jake Arrieta
SP Tommy Hunter
SP Jason Hammel
SP Brian Matusz
SP Wei-Yin Chen
CL Jim Johnson 

Team Outlook

After skeptically inching them up the rankings the past few weeks, I will officially admit that I am now drinking the Orioles' Kool-Aid. A 5-1 week which included a sweep of the Blue Jays has put Baltimore into first place in the AL East.

With an offense that ranks 10th in runs scored and a pitching staff that ranks seventh in ERA, the O's are doing everything well right now. Five players have double-digit RBI, and J.J. Hardy (.181 BA) and Nick Markakis (.244 BA) are not among them. Once those two get going, the Orioles could be even better.

No. 6: Washington Nationals (14-8, Previous: 4)

Current Lineup

SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
3B Chad Tracy
1B Adam LaRoche
RF Jayson Werth
CF Rick Ankiel
LF Bryce Harper
C Wilson Ramos
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Stephen Strasburg
SP Gio Gonzalez
SP Jordan Zimmermann
SP Edwin Jackson
SP Ross Detwiler
CL Henry Rodriguez

Team Outlook

The difference between the No. 4 spot and the No. 6 spot on this list is minimal, but a four-game losing streak left the Nationals at 2-4 on the week and they fall a bit because of it.

That said, I am still very much a believer in the Nats, as their pitching (2.33 team ERA) is going to keep them in most games. The call-up of Bryce Harper should allow them to get some much deserved national attention, and also gives them a boost not many teams can find from their farm system.

No. 5: Atlanta Braves (14-8, Previous: 7)

Current Lineup

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

Current Rotation

SP Tommy Hanson
SP Mike Minor
SP Brandon Beachy
SP Randall Delgado
SP Tim Hudson
CL Craig Kimbrel

Team Outlook

A 4-2 week pulled the Braves even with the Nationals atop the NL East, as they took two of three from a surging Dodgers team and secured a series victory over the Pirates. 

The team pulled a shocker of sorts when they sent 2011 All-Star Jair Jurrjens (9.37 ERA) down to Triple-A, but the move corresponded with Tim Hudson coming off the disabled list so Atlanta should be fine in the short-term.

The Braves are off to a good start, but there is a ton of room for improvement across the board. 

No. 4: Los Angeles Dodgers (16-6, Previous: 6)

Current Lineup

SS Dee Gordon
2B Mark Ellis
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
LF Juan Rivera
1B James Loney
3B Juan Uribe
C A.J. Ellis
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Clayton Kershaw
SP Chad Billingsley
SP Chris Capuano
SP Aaron Harang
SP Ted Lilly
CL Javy Guerra

Team Outlook

The Dodgers dropped two of three to the Braves to open the week, but bounced back to sweep the Nationals for a 4-2 week that kept them atop the NL West.

The offense has consisted almost exclusively of Matt Kemp (.425 BA, 11 HR, 24 RBI) and Andre Ethier (.277 BA, 5 HR, 24 RBI), and the rest of the team needs to start hitting around them. Also of note, Ted Lilly is very quietly 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA through three starts.

No. 3: St. Louis Cardinals (14-8, Previous: 2)

Current Lineup

SS Rafael Furcal
RF Carlos Beltran
LF Matt Holliday
3B David Freese
1B Matt Carpenter
C Yadier Molina
CF Jon Jay
2B Daniel Descalso
Pitcher

Current Rotation

SP Kyle Lohse
SP Jaime Garcia
SP Adam Wainwright
SP Lance Lynn
SP Jake Westbrook
CL Jason Motte

Team Outlook

After dropping two of three to the rival Cubs in Chicago, the Cardinals took two of three from the Brewers at home to maintain a three-game lead in the NL Central.

Outside of Adam Wainwright (7.32 ERA), the starting pitching has been phenomenal. At the plate, World Series MVP David Freese (.333 BA, 5 HR, 20 RBI) continues to carry an offense that has gotten consistent contribution up and down the lineup.

No. 2: Tampa Bay Rays (14-8, Previous: 8)

Current Lineup

LF Desmond Jennings
2B Ben Zobrist
1B Carlos Pena
3B Evan Longoria
DH Luke Scott
RF Matt Joyce
CF B.J. Upton
C Jose Molina
SS Sean Rodriguez

Current Rotation

SP James Shields
SP David Price
SP Jeremy Hellickson
SP Matt Moore
SP Jeff Niemann
CL Fernando Rodney

Team Outlook

It was a fantastic week for the Rays as they swept the Angels at home before going to Texas and taking two of three from a Rangers team that was undeniably the best team in baseball going into the week.

While they still get the nod over the Rays here, there is a lot to like about the Rays, from a deep offense that is light years better than last season to their immensely talented pitching staff. They could certainly challenge the Rangers for the top spot in the near future.

No. 1: Texas Rangers (16-6, Previous: 1)

Current Lineup

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

Current Rotation

SP Colby Lewis
SP Derek Holland
SP Yu Darvish
SP Matt Harrison
SP Neftali Feliz
CL Joe Nathan 

Team Outlook

Despite their worst week of the season so far, the Rangers maintain the top spot after going a combined 3-3 against the Yankees and the Rays.

Josh Hamilton (.395 BA, 9 HR, 25 RBI) continues to be the AL version of Matt Kemp, while the rest of the offense is doing its part with five players tallying double-digit RBI. The Rays showed that the Rangers are human, but there is still little question that Texas sports the best team in baseball right now.