NL East Power Rankings

With the All-Star break upon us, let's take a moment to delve into the latest batch of NL East Power Rankings.

The Phillies have done their part at home and find themselves retaking the top spot in the rankings. Can they keep up the pace in the second half? Will the Mets get some players healthy and make a push up the division? Will the Marlins keep themselves in contention?

We'll have to wait to find out.

Previous Power Rankings

1. Philadelpia Phillies (48-38)

A 9-1 homestand heading into the All-Star break has served the Phillies well.

Brad Lidge is back in the closer role, and Raul Ibanez has returned to the lineup. With Jimmy Rollins possibly turning things around, the offense only figures to get better. Watch out for the Phillies in the second half, as they have been more of a second-half team the past few seasons.

In addition, the Phillies have built a four-game lead over the Marlins. The four-game series in Florida after the break could make the race close, or it could be the Phillies' first step towards running away with the division.

2. Florida Marlins (46-44)

The Marlins will not go away, so expect the upcoming four-game home series against the division-leading Phillies to be a dog fight. Sitting just four games behind the defending champions, the Marlins are always a thorn in the Phillies' side, especially in Florida.

The Marlins offense is second in the division in runs scored with 415 (Phillies have 460), but their pitching has held them back at times.

3. The Atlanta Braves (43-45)

The Braves hope to find a way to stay relevant in the second half. To do that, they will need to pick it up offensively. Atlanta have hit just 68 home runs.

The pitchers have been getting the job done most of the time, carrying a 3.88 team ERA into the mid-season break, best in the NL East.

4. The New York Mets (42-45)

The New York Mets need players like Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran to come back and come back fast!

The Mets once found themselves within a game of the Phillies for the division lead, but they are now three games under .500 and six and a half games behind the Phillies.

Injuries have plagued the team to the point where David Wright can't get it all done. The Mets have hit a major league-low 52 home runs.

But the problems are not just on offense. The team's pitching staff have a 1.45 WHIP, second worst in the National League.

5. The Washington Nationals (26-61)

The Nationals are just bad. Last night, the team fired manager Manny Acta, but a change of skipper will not spark a turnaround.

An NL-worst 5.21 ERA negates a pretty decent offense. The Nationals' team batting average of .264 is second in the division behind the Mets. Surprisingly, the Nationals' on-base percentage of .345 is good for second in the National League.