MLB Power Rankings: Week 13 | AL West Becoming the Best

Team (Current Record|Last Week's Ranking)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (51-30|1)—Manny hit his first home run so can we focus on something else now? How about the fact that the Dodgers pitching staff continues to dominate, boasting a 2.53 ERA and a minuscule .180 batting average against last week?

The Dodgers lead all of baseball in WHIP (1.27) and batting average against (.232) and come second in ERA (3.56). Randy Wolf has been effective in his last two starts, striking out 12 in 12 innings pitched with a 2.25 ERA.

Russell Martin (.375 avg last week) and Rafael Furcal (.350 avg last week) are finally starting to heat up, while Orlando Hudson went 0-for-19 the past week.

2. Boston Red Sox (48-32|2)—Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, and even the bullpen (6.50 ERA last week) were all roughed up last week. For some unknown reason, the Red Sox have not fared well against the Mariners (1-4) this year.

Jon Lester continues to be solid while John Smoltz has yet to be effective. Offensively, Kevin Youkilis (.308 avg/5 RBI/1.072 OPS last week) continues to put up All-Star numbers whereas David Ortiz (.227 avg/1 RBI last week) and Jason Bay (.087 avg/1 RBI last week) have slumped. Despite what Karl Ravech says, the Red Sox will not be able to win a World Series with Nick Green (.154 avg last week); they need a better shortstop.

3. New York Yankees (47-33|5)—Alex Rodriguez (.389 avg/3 HR/6 RBI/1.481 OPS last week) has finally been an offensive spark, as has Hideki Matsui (.429 avg/2 HR/1.542 OPS last week). No team in baseball hits more home runs (122), slugs more (.470), or has more total bases (1306) than the Yankees.

They're also second in baseball in runs (441), RBI (417), on-base percentage (.354), and extra base hits (295). While AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte (2.57 ERA each last week) have been stellar, CC Sabathia (9.53 ERA last week) and Joba Chamberlain (5.06 ERA last week) haven't looked pretty. Chien-Ming Wang has also gone on the disabled list.

4. Texas Rangers (44-35|8)—While the Rangers have jumped back into first place, Josh Hamilton's return has been delayed yet another day. The Rangers have proved they're for real by taking 2-of-3 from the Angels and Rays. Nelson Cruz (.444 avg/1.307 OPS last week) and Marlon Byrd (.400 avg/7 RBI/1.538 OPS last week) have been on-fire.

Ian Kinsler, Chris Davis, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia combined for a .072 batting average and three RBI last week. Tommy Hunter has been effective in his last two starts (2.31 ERA), while the rest of the starters struggled last week. Also, Frank Francisco blew his second (consecutive) save of the season.

5. Los Angeles Angels (44-35|4)—The Angels must do better within the division (10-14) to win it. Maicer Izturis (.481 avg/20 total bases/1.241 OPS last week) has been playing out of his mind while Kendry Morales (.370 avg/1.155 OPS last week), Bobby Abreu (.360 avg/7 RBI/1.100 OPS last week), Vladimir Guerrero (.333 avg/5 RBI last week) and Juan Rivera (3 HR/8 RBI/1.021 OPS last week) have made significant contributions.

John Lackey (1.20 ERA/0.87 WHIP in two starts) has looked great while Ervin Santana (7.20 ERA/.348 BAA last week) and Joe Saunders (19.64 ERA/3.00 WHIP last week) have been abused.

6. San Francisco Giants (44-36|11)—They are not rated too high this time. The Giants offense (.317 avg/46 RBI last week) and pitching (1.31 ERA/.168 batting average against last week) have been dominant. The pitching staff hurled four shutouts in one week! Tim Lincecum...Matt Cain...and now Ryan Sadowski?

Sadowski, in two starts, has a 0.00 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and .159 batting average against. What an important addition with Barry Zito (10.38 ERA last week) continuing to stink. Bengie Molina (.429 avg/5 RBI last week), Randy Winn (.429 avg/1.127 OPS last week), and Edgar Renteria (.417 avg/7 RBI last week) have been on-fire.

7. Detroit Tigers (44-36|3)—Armando Galarraga (1.42 ERA/.095 batting average against last week) has finally started to look like a viable fourth starter. His efficacy is what will determine if the Tigers make the playoffs, because the tail end of their rotation has been awful and constantly changing.

Rick Porcello was awful (10.38 ERA) against an awful Oakland offense and Justin Verlander continues to have road woes (4.98 ERA away). Detroit's biggest source of offense last week was Gerald Laird (.313 avg/5 RBI last week) which is why they didn't win games they should have. Miguel Cabrera didn't drive in a single run last week.

8. Tampa Bay Rays (44-38|7)—The Rays won a vital series against the Jays to maintain pace with the Red Sox and Yankees. David Price has yet to prove himself an effective pitcher, only lasting 1.1 innings while yielding six earned runs against a good offense in Texas.

Matt Garza has continued his good, underrated play while Scott Kazmir has been effective since coming off the disabled list. Carl Crawford (.375 avg/1.067 OPS last week) and Jason Bartlett (.316 avg/11 total bases last week) continue their All-Star play while Evan Longoria and Pat Burrell have struggled, combining for a .100 batting average and two RBI.

9. Seattle Mariners (42-38|14)—The Mariners have played well against the AL East (11-6). Ryan Langerhans (.400 avg/1.238 OPS) has looked like a good acquisition, while Franklin Gutierrez (.423 avg/14 total bases last week) and Jose Lopez (.320 avg/4 RBI/14 total bases last week) have heated up. Adrian Beltre will be out for six-to-eight weeks while Ken Griffey, Jr. (.100 avg/1 RBI last week) continues his struggles.

The pitching staff continues to be the best in the American League (3.69 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and .248 batting average against). Felix Hernandez continues his dominant play while Brandon Morrow needs to last longer into games.

10. St. Louis Cardinals (44-39|10)—What more could be said about Albert Pujols, who already has four grand slams on the year? The Machine (.429 avg/3 HR/8 RBI/1.571 OPS last week) continues to heat up, while Colby Rasmus (.471 avg/14 total bases/1.294 OPS last week) continues to put up great rookie numbers.

Adam Wainwright (1.00 ERA last week) has continued his underrated play, while Joel Pineiro and Todd Wellemeyer have been effective. The Cardinals' pitching staff has the fourth best ERA (3.85) and second best WHIP (1.29) in all of baseball, while Ryan Franklin (0.84 ERA/20 saves) continues to best the most underrated closer.

11. Milwaukee Brewers (43-38|9)—Prince Fielder (.417 avg/18 total bases/1.313 OPS last week) and Ryan Braun (.355 avg/13 total bases/5 RBI last week) continue to be the crux of this team. It doesn't hurt when Mike Cameron (.304 avg/1.037 OPS last week) and Casey McGeehee (nine RBI last week) are chipping in, too.

More production is needed from the bottom of the lineup. Yovani Gallardo (1.29 ERA last week) continues to dominate while Braden Looper (2-0, 2.19 ERA last week) has been effective. Mike Burns (2.70 ERA last week) has also looked good. The Brewers (22-12) must continue their dominance in their division.

12. Colorado Rockies (42-38|12)—The Rockies offense was a no-show last week (.218 avg last week). Ian Stewart (.286 avg/3 RBI last week) was the main source of offense, while Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe combined for only one RBI.

Good thing the pitching was fantastic as Jason Marquis hurled a complete game, two-hit shutout while Jorge De La Rosa threw eight innings of scoreless ball.

Jason Hammel (1 ER/8 IP), Aaron Cook (3 ER/13 IP), and Ubaldo Jimenez (2 ER/7 IP) have also contributed to the Rockies' success. Joel Peralta has struggled out of the bullpen, losing two games including a blown save.

13. Chicago White Sox (42-39|19)—The White Sox went on a quiet seven game winning streak, which included victories over Zack Greinke and Cliff Lee. The offense (.348 avg/41 RBI/.952 OPS last week) and pitching (6-1, 2.44 ERA, .192 batting average against last week) have both been clicking.

Gordon Beckham (.462 avg/7 RBI/1.251 OPS last week) has stepped up while Jermaine Dye (.364 avg/6 RBI/1.049 OPS last week) continues to shoulder the offensive burden. John Danks (2-0, 0.00 ERA) has been dominating as have Mark Buehrle (1 ER/8.1 IP) and Jose Contreras (2 ER/8 IP). Scott Linebrink has been huge out of the bullpen.

14. Minnesota Twins (42-40|16)—That Justin Morneau (.440 avg/4 HR/25 total bases/9 RBI/1.500 OPS last week) won't be starting the All-Star game is a joke. Joe Mauer (.369 avg last week) has continued his consistent play, while Michael Cuddyer (.280 avg/6 RBI last week) has been an offensive spark.

Jason Kubel (.167 avg/1 RBI last week) and Joe Crede (.190 avg/1 RBI last week) went missing last week. Glen Perkins and Scott Baker have continued to play great, while Francisco Liriano (1-0, 3.21 ERA) has started to play a lot better. The Twins have the best WHIP (1.31) in the American League.

15. Florida Marlins (42-40|15)—How great has Hanley Ramirez been? He drove in a run for 10 consecutive games and has batted .478 with 10 RBI and a 1.326 in the past six games. Emilio Bonifacio (.364 avg/3 stolen bases last week) has been hot as has Cody Ross (.313 avg/1.147 OPS last week).

Dan Uggla continues to be garbage (.200 avg/0 RBI/6 strikeouts last week). Ricky Nolasco continues to impress, winning his third straight, while Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad both failed to get out of the fourth inning in their last starts. Leo Nunez is starting to look more comfortable in his role as the closer.

16. Philadelphia Phillies (41-37|13)—The Phillies were embarrassed by the Braves in a series which included an 11-1 blowout and walk-off victory. Pedro Feliz (.400 avg/1.050 OPS last week) has been hot while Chase Utley (.304 avg/5 RBI last week) continues his dominance. Ryan Howard (.217 avg last week) has been awfully quiet while Jimmy Rollins has looked better since coming off the bench.

JA Happ and Rodrigo Lopez looked excellent and Jamie Moyer has kept his team in the games he has pitched, while Cole Hamels (7 ER/4 IP) has continued his disappointing season. The Phillies must find a starter in the trade market.

17. Cincinnati Reds (40-39|21)—Boy did the Reds need Joey Votto (.440 avg/17 total bases/1.180 OPS last week) back. Ramon Hernandez (.421 avg/5 RBI/1.139 OPS last week) and Brandon Phillips (.320 avg/5 RBI last week) have carried their weight while Willy Taveras (.409 avg/.435 OBP last week) has finally played better.

The starting pitching has been great. Johnny Cueto returned to dominant form in his last start while Homer Bailey even tossed a good game (2 ER/7 IP) for once. Micah Owings (2-0, 2.13 ERA) has also pitched well, while the bullpen has finally hit a few speedbumps, collapsing against the Cardinals.

18. Chicago Cubs (39-39|18)—Derek Lee (9 RBI last week) has continued to provide a terrible offense with a good bat. Milton Bradley (.316 avg/1.026 OPS last week) has played a lot better while Sam Fuld (.364 avg/1.007 OPS last week) could be making Alfonso Soriano sweat.

The Cubs offense is the third worst in baseball in hits (654) and total bases (1059) and fourth worst in runs (324), RBI (310), and batting average (.245). No team bats worse with runners in scoring position (.217). Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano, and Ryan Dempster have all been too inconsistent. Randy Wells (2.43 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is a huge candidate for Rookie of the Year.

19. Atlanta Braves (39-41|25)—The Braves just had their five game winning streak snapped to put them at third in the division, and only three games out. Matt Diaz and Martin Prado have been huge with a combined .583 batting average, 1.569 OPS, and 11 RBI in the past week.

Chipper Jones (.333 avg/7 RBI last week) and Garrett Anderson (.429 avg/1.357 OPS last week) have also played well. Jair Jurrjens was dominant in his last start while Tommy Hanson continues to live up to the hype. What will the Braves do at the deadline? They need a big bat, and are willing to part with Yunel Escobar and Javier Vazquez to get it.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (42-40|6)—I have finally jumped off of the Blue Jays bandwagon. They batted a terrible .218 as a team last week. Scott Rolen (.348 avg/1.009 OPS last week) has played well while Alex Rios and Vernon Wells have continued their big time struggles.

Will one of them be on move before the trade deadline? You also know things aren't going to well when Roy Halladay is struggling (4.85 ERA last week). Brian Tallet (0-2, 4.50 ERA last week) has also not been great. The one good thing is that Ricky Romero continues to be a rookie sensation (6-3, 2.85 ERA on the year).

21. Houston Astros (38-41|20)—Where has the Astros offense gone (.202 avg/46 hits last week). The White Sox had a higher slugging percentage than the Astros OPS (.533) last week. Houston was blown out and shut out twice by the Giants. Lance Berkman (.450 avg/1.306 OPS last week) is quietly rebounding while Hunter Pence (.136 avg last week) is starting to struggle.

Ivan Rodriguez (.278 OBP all year) has not been good all year while Michael Bourn is struggling (.161 avg/.161 OBP last week). Russ Ortiz (6.92 ERA/.300 batting average against last week) has been garbage while the rest of the staff has been good, with no ERA below 1.50 last week.

22. New York Mets (39-41|17)—The Mets keep stumbling and tumbling down the rankings. It's not a good sign when your best player has been Ryan Church (.500 avg/1.095 OPS last week). Gary Sheffield continues to be a great addition (.348 avg/4 RBI last week).

When David Wright (.176 avg/.226 OBP last week) struggles, this team won't go far. Mike Pelfrey was dominating in his last start, while Fernando Nieve has come back down to Earth. Tim Redding has yielded ten earned runs in his last seven-and-two-thirds innings pitched.

Johan Santana struggling and Franciso Rodriguez blowing his third save aren't good signs either. This team needs Beltran, Reyes, and the others back.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates (37-44|22)—Despite being sixth in the NL Central, the Pirates are only six games out of first place. Andy LaRoche (.381 avg/1.125 OPS last week) is playing better while Andrew McCuthen (.241 avg last week) has cooled down since his hot start. More consistent play is need from Jack Wilson (.125 avg/.185 OBP last week).

Ross Ohlendorf has looked good in his last two starts while Charlie Wilson should be 4-0 but has gotten no run support to complement his 2.85 ERA. Zach Duke has struggled as of late, while Virgil Vazquez has yielded two quality starts. Will there be a Pirates fire sale that angers the fans?

24. San Diego Padres (35-45|25)—Scott Hairston (.360 avg/1.189 OPS last week) has played well, while the rest of the offense has not performed. There was an injury scare with Adrian Gonzalez, but it turned out to be nothing. The Friars are the worst team in the National League in runs (304), hits (630), RBI (293), total bases (1007), batting average (.235), on-base percentage (.314), slugging (.376), and extra-base hits (214).

Chad Gaudin, who threw a one-hit gem against the Rangers, was a dud against the Dodgers while Josh Geer was impressive against the Dodgers. The pitching has been better (.223 batting average against), but there's no offense to back it up.

25. Baltimore Orioles (36-45|23)—The Orioles aren't going anywhere... right now. The ten-run comeback against the Red Sox was exhilarating, but then they allowed Boston to have a rally of their own the next day. Luke Scott (5 RBI/16 total bases/1.162 OPS last week) has been great as has Aubrey Huff (5 RBI/14 total bases last week).

Will either of them be on the move before the trade deadline? Brian Roberts (.115 avg/.143 OBP last week) has been stinking while neither Adam Jones nor Melvin Mora drove in a run last week. The one good starting pitcher Baltimore has is Brad Bergesen, who already has eight quality starts in his rookie season.

26. Kansas City Royals (34-46|27)—Alberto Callaspo (.360 avg/16 total bases/1.047 OPS last week) has been the most consistent bat. Mike Jacobs (.211 avg/1 RBI last week) and Jose Guillen (.100 avg/1 RBI last week) have not performed well at all. Luke Hochevar has been impressive, with a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts, while Zack Greinke has continued his Cy Young campaign.

Brian Bannister and Gil Meche have both lost three consecutive starts. Joakim Soria has returned to form (3 saves/0.00 ERA), while the rest of the bullpen has looked terrible. The Royals have the fourth worst bullpen in the American League.

27. Oakland Athletics (33-46|26)—Ryan Sweeney (.435 avg/1.130 OPS last week) has been the best offensive player last week, while Orlando Cabrera and Kurt Suzuki both batted over .300.

The A's are the worst offense in the American League in hits (641), home runs (4), total bases (976), batting average (.239), on-base percentage (.312), slugging (.364), and extra base hits (199).

Dallas Braden has hurled his eighth quality start in his last nine attempts, while Brett Anderson has also been impressive as of late. Vin Mazzaro has lost his fourth consecutive decision while Gio Gonzalez has also struggled.

28. Arizona Diamondbacks (32-49|29)—The Diamondbacks are the worst defensive team in baseball, having committed 74 errors, including seven in the past six games. You know things aren't going well when Dan Haren hits more RBI (1) than Justin Upton (0).

Miguel Montero (.421 avg/1.160 OPS last week) has been heating up while Mark Reynolds continues to drive in runs (5 RBI last week). Doug Davis and Jon Garland pitched well last week, but the team failed to secure them the wins. Chad Qualls blew yet another save. Max Scherzer (0-2) hasn't pitched bad; it's just that the defense has him overstretched.

29. Cleveland Indians (33-49|28)—Shin-soo Choo (.364 avg/3 HR/9 RBI/1.326 OPS last week) has been on-fire. So has Ben Francisco (.533 avg/14 total bases/1.522 OPS last week). Victor Martinez (.048 avg/1 RBI last week) has finally struggled while Travis Hafner and Jhonny Peralta haven't been great.

Grady Sizemore (.250 avg last week) is not 100 percent, and it's clearly affecting his game. Cliff Lee (7 ER/3 IP) got throttled in his last start while Carl Pavano has pitched better. The Indians have the worst pitching staff in baseball (5.28 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and .280 batting average against).

30. Washington Nationals (23-55|30)—You can only pick on the Nationals so much before you run out of things to say. The pitching staff is the worst in the National League (5.23 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and .280 batting average against). One positive has been Adam Dunn (.381 avg/8 RBI/1.548 OPS last week).

Willie Harris (.417 avg/1.422 OPS/3 stolen bases last week) has also been hot. John Lannan has continued to pitch well and he hasn't lost in a month. It will be interesting to see where Nick Johnson and others end up.

Previous Power Rankings: |1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|

Breakdown, awards choices, and much more on the next page...

Breakdown:

Biggest climb: The Chicago White Sox (from No. 19 to No. 13) and Atlanta Brave (from No. 25 to No. 19) both climbed six spots after riding long winning streaks.

Biggest fall: The Toronto Blue Jays fell 14 spots from No. 6 to No. 20 after going 1-5.

Best team average: The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best team average (2.15) by being first seven times, second four times, fifth once, and eighth once.

Worst team average: The Washington Nationals have the worst team average (29.77) by being ranked last eleven times, 29th once, and 28th once.

Teams yet to fall out of the top 10: Dodgers and Cardinals

Teams yet to climb out of the bottom 10: Indians and Nationals

Prediction of the week: Houston will go 5-2.

Division Rankings/Picture (Record|Last Week's Ranking)
*Divisional rankings are based on the average power rankings.

1. AL West (163-154|2): (4) Tex, (5) Laa, (9) Sea, (27) Oak
2. AL East (217-188|1): (2) Bos, (3) Nyy, (8) Tbr, (20) Tor, (25) Bal
3. NL West (204-198|3): (1) Lad, (6) Sfg, (12) Col, (24) Sdp, (28) Ari
4. NL Central (241-240|4): (10) Stl, (11) Mil, (17) Cin, (18) Chc, (21) Hou, (23) Pit
5. AL Central (195-210|5): (7) Det, (13) Chw, (14) Min, (26) Kcr, (29) Cle
6. NL East (184-214|6): (15) Fla, (16) Phi, (19) Atl, (22) Nym, (30) Was

If the playoffs started today...

1. Boston v. 3. Detroit
2. Texas/Los Angeles v. 4. New York

1. Los Angeles v. 3. Philadelphia
2. St. Louis/Milwaukee v. 4. San Francisco

If awards were handed out today...

AL MVP: Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)

AL Cy: Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
NL Cy: Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)

AL RoY: Ricky Romero (Toronto Blue Jays)
NL RoY: Colby Rasmus (St. Louis Cardinals)

AL MoY: Jim Leyland (Detroit Tigers)
NL MoY: Bruce Bochy (San Francisco Giants)

AL Comeback: Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)
NL Comeback: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)