MLB Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Pirates Retain Top Spot in Week 13
By John Parent
16. Washington Nationals 41-40
With Bryce Harper set to return to the lineup this week, Washington may finally be able to put a run together. Harper’s return coincides with a resurgence from first baseman Adam LaRoche, who is hitting .375/.447/.600 over his last 11 games.
17. New York Yankees 42-39
Losers of five in a row, the Yankees have a negative run differential on the season (-17) and have been making far too many headline off the field off late. The news this week that Mark Teixeira will miss the remainder of the season is a demoralizing blow for a team that held it together for so long through first-half injuries. Asking guys like Lyle Overbay, Travis Hafner, and Zoilo Almonte to carry the load in short bursts is okay, but eventually they’ll be who they are. And that’s not good enough in the AL East.
18. Kansas City Royals 38-41
Pitching has carried the Royals this far, but they’ll need some offensive support to make a serious run at the post season for the first time since 1985. Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer are finally showing signs of life at the plate after dismal starts to the season and the lineup gets markedly better with the recent demotion of Chris Getz and the DFA of Jeff Francoeur. The Royals will need some additional firepower from their hitters because it’s difficult to imagine they’ll be able to keep up this pace on the mound.
19. San Diego Padres 40-42
The Padres won seven straight in the middle of June, but haven’t won a series since and things only figure to get tougher as they travel through Boston and Washington this week. San Diego is just 15-24 away from Petco Park this season.
20. Colorado Rockies 41-42
The Rockies are in trouble without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, although Michael Cuddyer‘s franchise record 27-game hit streak is going strong. Colorado welcomes the red-hot Dodgers this week before embarking on a crucial 10-game road trip within the division leading up to the break. Colorado’s season could be made or broken over the next two weeks.
21. Philadelphia Phillies 39-44
GM Ruben Amaro insists he’s not a seller, but the Phillies have too many flaws to contend in a strong NL East this year. Though Chase Utley has returned healthy and effective, adding a dynamic hitter to the lineup, Ryan Howard has been dealing with foot problems that have kept him out of games recently. Howard, it should be noted, is hitting just .173/.222/.293 versus left handed pitching this year while making $20 million. He’s owed at least $85 million through 2016. That’s a lot of cash for a platoon player.
22. San Francisco Giants 39-42
Without center fielder and lead-off man Angel Pagan, the Giants offense gets significantly less dynamic. A healthy Pablo Sandoval will help to pick up some of the slack, but GM Brian Sabean will likely have to look outside the organization for outfield help. The Giants have lost eight of their last 10 and finished just 10-17 in June.
23. Chicago Cubs 35-45
The Cubs have taken advantage of the schedule recently, winning series against the Brewers, Astros, and Mariners in succession. Alfonso Soriano is finally showing signs of life over his past five game, going 9-for-23 (.391) with seven of those hits going for extra-bases.
24. Minnesota Twins 36-42
While Kyle Gibson was impressive in his first big league start, the Twins were just 2-4 on the week including a two-game sweep at the hands of the Marlins. This week they host the reeling Yankees before leaving for a 10-game trip through the AL East.
25. New York Mets 33-45
Sunday’s game should serve as a reminder to Mets fans that just because Matt Harvey is coasting through the big leagues, it doesn’t mean Zack Wheeler will come up and dominate as well, at least not consistently. One big bright spot for the Mets beyond Harvey this year: outfielder Marlon Byrd, who is reclaiming his career with a .796 OPS to go with 12 homers and 40 RBI.
26. Seattle Mariners 35-47
The Mariners haven’t had the kind of season they’d like thus far, but that’s no fault of Raul Ibanez. The 41-year-old outfielder is making a bid to represent the M’s in the All-Star Game next month with his .544 slugging percentage. Ibanez is among the league leaders with 19 home runs and has driven in 45 this year.
27. Miami Marlins 29-51
The Fish still hold baseball’s worst record, but they’ve been rolling as of late, taking home wins in seven of their last 10. The recent success coincides with the return of slugger Giancarlo Stanton, but don’t overlook the contributions of right hander Jacob Turner. Turner has pitched to a 1.76 ERA through his first six starts after opening the year at Triple-A and has yet to allow more than three earned runs in a start for the Marlins this year.
28. Houston Astros 30-52
The Astros have dropped three in a row and five of their last six. The pitching staff has yielded an average of over seven runs per game during that run of futility. This is a better club than many expected, but they’ll still be in the hunt for the number one overall draft pick when the season ends.
29. Milwaukee Brewers 32-48
Losers of five in a row, the news keeps getting worse for Milwaukee. OG/1B Corey Hart, who has yet to see the field this year, will miss the remainder of the season. If things could go wrong for the Brew Crew this year, they have, as an already thin roster has suffered far too many injuries to compete. The only good thing is that there should be a handful of clubs interested in helping Doug Melvin get his re-building project started in earnest this month. Guys like Francisco Rodriguez and Yovani Gallardo may soon be on the move.
30. Chicago White Sox 32-47
Last year, Robin Ventura was a genius. This year, the Southsiders have gotten very little in the way of starting pitching and Ventura is taking the heat. The White Sox will be in full sell mode leading up to (and beyond) the July 31 trade deadline and it’s hard to image that anyone from this roster will be off-limits. Reliever Jesse Crain is already a hot name and there is some talk that high-priced veterans like Adam Dunn and Alex Rios could draw interest as well.