MLB Power Rankings 2012: Contenders Hitting Their Stride at Perfect Time

As sad as it is to think about, there are just a little over three weeks remaining in the Major League Baseball regular season. With only four teams looking as close as you can to a playoff lock, there are still six slots up for grabs. 

The latest round of power rankings is going to take a special look at those teams who are hitting their stride at exactly the right time. While every game really does matter, the attention and scrutiny attached to September games is unlike anything you will face the rest of the year. 

If you play well in September and make the postseason, no one will remember where you were at in April or May. Here are the biggest movers and shakers in the latest round of power rankings. 

Tampa Bay Rays (77-63, 2 GB in AL East)

Despite trailing both the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in the division, I have a hard time not saying they are the best team in the American League East. 

Sure, their offense is pedestrian, at best. Their 587 runs scored is ahead of only Kansas City, Cleveland and Seattle in the AL. 

However, their pitching staff from top to bottom is easily the best in baseball. They have allowed only 502 runs, seven fewer than the Nationals, and are getting ready to make another charge towards a division title. 

They just won four out of six games against the Yankees and Rangers last week. They have six games against the teams directly ahead of them in the East this week, starting at Baltimore on Tuesday. 

If they come out of that with four more wins, they could be sitting atop the division this time next week. 

Atlanta Braves (81-60, 5.5 GB in NL East)

The Braves have led the National League Wild Card basically since people started keeping track of that this season. Unlike last year, this team is catching fire down the stretch and could make things very interesting in the division. 

It also helps that the Nationals decided to sit down their best pitcher earlier than expected because the mental fatigue of hearing about the innings limit was getting to him. (If only the team and media didn't keep talking about it....)

Based on run differential, the Braves are the third-best team in the National League at +90, trailing only Washington (+126) and St. Louis (+94). 

Their lineup is deeper than it has been in a long time, with Michael Bourn the catalyst at the top, and Jason Heyward and Chipper Jones providing the pop. 

As long as the staring rotation can hold up against deeper lineups in the postseason and get the game to the back of the bullpen, they could be the favorites in the NL. 

San Francisco Giants (79-61, Lead NL West by 5.5. Games)

Even though the Dodgers made the splashy move in August to get Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett from Boston, it is the Giants who are still controlling the division thanks to their sterling rotation and a spectacular season from Buster Posey. 

When Melky Cabrera was suspended, a lot of people assumed the offense would go into the tank. Instead, the Giants have averaged over 5.5 runs per game in the 22 games since that happened. 

They are clearly the best team in the National League West. They took two out of three against the Dodgers over the weekend and have nine of their next 12 games against Colorado. This division could be wrapped up, at least in theory, by September 23. 

2012 MLB POWER RANKINGS WEEK OF SEP. 10
1. Texas Rangers
2. Washington Nationals
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. San Francisco Giants
6. New York Yankees
7. Atlanta Braves
8. Oakland A's
9. St. Louis Cardinals
10. Chicago White Sox
11. Detroit Tigers
12. Los Angeles Dodgers
13. Los Angeles Angels
14. Baltimore Orioles
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
16. Milwaukee Brewers
17. Pittsburgh Pirates
18. Philadelphia Phillies
19. Seattle Mariners
20. New York Mets
21. Kansas City Royals
22. Toronto Blue Jays
23. Miami Marlins
24. Boston Red Sox
25. San Diego Padres
26. Minnesota Twins
27. Cleveland Indians
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Chicago Cubs
30. Houston Astros

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