MLB Power Rankings Week 11
1. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have taken down the Cardinals for the top spot in my rankings this week. They might have two less wins than the Cardinals and are still second in their division, they are playing like a first place team. Pitcher Mat Latos is still unbeaten at 6-0 and has an ERA of 3.08.
2. St Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are still on pace to be the favorite to win the World Series, and continue to hold on to the best record in baseball. Adam Wainwright is purely dominant, 2.18 ERA, is 10-3, and has nine walks on the year. NINE. Yadier Molina also leads the lineup in average (.359), has four homeruns and 38 RBIs.
3. Oakland Athletics
Oakland keeps proving they deserve the top spot in the AL West, leading the Rangers by two games. They are currently facing the Rangers after Texas went an unfortunate 1-6 last week. Bartolo Colon is 9-2 on the year, has a 2.89 ERA and has only given up seven homeruns on the year.
4. San Diego Padres
The Padres have put on a show currently on a seven game win streak. This included a 5-3 win over the Giants that went into thirteen innings. The win also gave manager Bud Black his 500th win with the Padres organization. Even better? The game ended when the go-ahead run was a bunt from Pitcher Andrew Cashner that allowed Alexi Amarista to score from third.
5. Baltimore Orioles
Chris Davis. Davis leads the Orioles in average (.337), runs (49), homeruns (also leads the MLB with 24), and RBIs (61). Third baseman Manny Machado has also been doing his part in the lineup, especially in the form of doubles. Machado leads the MLB with 33.
6. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox still lead the AL East, but it is the Orioles who they need to watch out for at only two and a half games back. They lost a tough series in Baltimore, and now face the Rays for the second time in a week. After that it is the Tigers and Rockies, both teams in the top ten.
7. Atlanta Braves
The Braves are still holding strong to their seven game lead of the NL East. They now face the Mets in what should be an easy matchup, in which they won the first game in walk off fashion thanks to a Freddie Freeman two-run homerun. They then lost the second game of the series, a game in which there was a no-hit bid going into the seventh, until Heyward reached on an infield single.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
Being a good team in a tough division is always hard. This is exactly the case for the Pirates, a team who is 41-29, but third in their division. But when your division includes the Cardinals and Reds, the fight to the top won’t be an easy one. But beating your divisional opponent in a four game series on the road? That will definitely help move up through the ranks.
9. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are still on top of the AL Central, five games ahead of the Royals. But with the Orioles and Red Sox on the schedule for this week, the loss column might get a little more active. The Tigers haven’t been doing well against the Orioles lately, dropping the last series 1-3. However, they won the first game 5-3, so things could be taking a turn for the better.
10. Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies want to take their turn as leader of the NL West. They are currently in second, only half a game behind the Diamondbacks. Tulowitzki is still on fire with a .347 average, 16 homeruns and 51 RBIs. Pitcher Jorge De La Rosa has also been hot, including one-hitting the Blue Jays in seven shutout innings.
11. Tampa Bay Rays
If the Rays want to move up in the AL East, this week would be the one to do it. They are currently facing the Red Sox on the road, they head to New York for a four game series, and then face the Blue Jays at home. At six games back they need to start their chase for the top spot now, or they will be stuck at the bottom for the remainder of the year.
12. San Francisco Giants
Something surprising about this Giants team: they are currently fourth in the NL West. Another surprising thing: they are only one and a half games back. A split series with the Braves did not help, and neither will an upcoming series with the Padres. But with the Marlins and Dodgers after that, those series’ alone will help move them up in the ranks.
13. Texas Rangers
Instead of moving towards the AL West title, the Rangers seem to be moving away from it. They went 1-6 this past week, including dropping their series with the Indians and getting swept in a four game series with the Blue Jays. Currently in a four game series with the Athletics, and Texas pitching needs to be able to contain the Oakland bats. Cruz was huge in their 7-8 victory in game one, which included two homeruns and a double.
14. New York Yankees
The Yankees are in a tough spot. Teixeria is still out, and they just came off a tough six game stint in the West Coast which they got one win. That win, however came with CC Sabathia on the mound. Sabathia went 8 innings, allowed two runs, five hits, three walks, six strikeouts and recorded the win.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are holding on very tightly to their lead of the NL West. Both the Padres and Rockies are on their tail at one game back, but you can’t forget the Giants who are only one and a half games back. P David Hernandez has been struggling; he is 2-4 on the year with a 4.08 ERA. His last three starts have seen two losses.
16. Toronto Blue Jays
While the Blue Jays seem to be permanently stuck at the bottom of the AL East, they are currently riding a six game winning streak. Josh Johnson pitched a solid game against the Rockies, shutting them out in seven and a third innings, striking out ten batters and only allowing five hits.
17. Kansas City Royals
The Royals had an impressive week, going 5-2 bringing their record on the season to an even 34-34. Like their record, they are stuck in the middle of the AL Central at five games back. James Shields had a good game against the Indians, allowed only one earned run in six innings, four hits and five strikeouts.
18. Cleveland Indians
I’m very bummed the Indians did not last longer at the top (no, I’m not from there I promise). They are still second in the AL Central, four and a half games behind the Tigers. Their 4-2 week included getting series’ wins against the Rangers and Nationals. A four game series against the Orioles on the schedule for next week will be tough, the Orioles bats are red hot.
19. Washington Nationals
The Nationals just haven’t been the same since losing Bryce Harper to a knee injury. They are once again under .500 at 34-35 and are now third in the NL East seven games behind the Braves. They have a tough week ahead of them, playing the Phillies on the road and then facing the Rockies and Diamondbacks at home. They need Strausburg and Harper back, and the sooner the better.
20. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have knocked the Nationals out of second place in the NL East, although both teams are currently seven games behind the Braves. A game one victory over the Nats is crucial to make their second place lead even bigger. Cliff Lee is now 9-2 after getting the win over the Nats yesterday, and his ERA is down to 2.53.
21. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels had a week they don’t see very often, going 4-2. While they lost their series to the Orioles, they turned around and won their series against the Yankees. Alberto Callapso had a great game against the Mariners, getting four hits and driving in two runs. It is good to see production coming from players other than Trout and Trumbo.
22. Minnesota Twins
The Twins are one of those teams just stuck in the middle. They hold a 30-36 record, are fourth in their division at seven and a half games back, and went 3-3 this week. Mauer is still a leader in the lineup, with a .321 average, Willingham is the leader in homers at ten, and Morneau has the most RBIs at 38.
23. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs just can’t catch a break. Their pitcher Travis Wood goes a solid seven innings against the Cardinals, with four strikeouts and three earned runs but still getting the loss. And the fact that a solid closer hasn’t been named yet is worrisome.
24. Houston Astros
The Astros have finally seen a spot besides somewhere in the bottom two. Their week consisted of a 3-1 series win over the White Sox, and a series loss to the Mariners. While I don’t think this new spark will bring them to the top of their division, it is something Astros’ fans can be excited about.
25. Seattle Mariners
Seattle is struggling at the bottom of the AL West. They were just average this week going 3-3, including a series win over the Astros and series split with the Oakland Athletics. Also, in his first Mariners game, Henry Blando crushed a grand slam to help push past Oakland.
26. Los Angeles Dodgers
There are two words that would get any Dodger fan excited: Yasiel Piug. He was just called up from the minors, and in his thirteen games so far he has a .479 batting average, ten RBIs, 23 hits and four homeruns.
27. Milwaukee Brewers
There is nowhere for the Brewers to move in the NL Central, they are sixteen games back and are tied for last with the Cubs. They are under .500 at 28-40 and had a 2-3 week. Their upcoming series with the Astros could go either way but their series against the Braves will be tough.
28. New York Mets
While the Mets are at the bottom, Matt Harvey was nearly perfect in his start against Atlanta. He pitched seven innings, including thirteen strikeouts and even had a no-hitter through six innings. His ERA on the year is a low 2.16, and he has six wins on the year.
29. Miami Marlins
For the first time in a long time, the Marlins are not in the bottom spot. This is thanks to an impressive week going 4-2. Perhaps the most impressive about the week was the winning series against the Cardinals. They now face the Diamondbacks and Giants on the road this week, which will prove to be tough. The Marlins won the first game of the series against the Dbacks, however, so maybe Miami is on the rise.
30. Chicago White Sox
It was a rough week for the White Sox. They nearly got swept by the Astros dropping the series 1-3. They won the final game of that series thanks to a triple by Dayan Viciedo, scoring three giving the White Sox a 4-2 lead, which ended up being the final score.