MLB Power Rankings: A.L. East is reasserting itself

4. While a lot was made of the Pirates losing Russell Martin via free agency, they quietly added a very solid piece to replace him in Francisco Cervelli. Not only is Cervelli holding his own at the plate, hitting .300/.372/. 395, but he’s also doing his best to impersonate Martin behind the plate, ranking second in baseball in pitch framing.. . Previous: . Pittsburgh Pirates. 5. team

4. team. 135. The Astros may be the feel-good story of the summer, but they aren’t ready to go away either. The team intends to make a push for some major pitching help, including Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto in their search. Adding either to a stable that includes Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, and Lance McCullers will make them downright scary down the stretch.. . Previous: . Houston Astros

. Previous: . Los Angeles Dodgers. 3. team. 71. Yasiel Puig may be a star in the making, but that apparently isn’t the case in the Dodgers clubhouse, where he seems to be wearing out his welcome. With the trade deadline coming up and the Dodgers having a deep outfield, could Los Angeles do the unthinkable and ship Puig out in a deal to build up the pitching staff? If they are, they’ll want to quell the public displays of clubhouse dissention.

7. While the Royals win machine keeps on churning, the team ran into two very real problems in June. They ranked 25th in runs scored during the month and their pitching staff ranked 13th in June with a 3.59 ERA. The team will be looking for upgrades in the rotation, second base, and in right field, but with a number of expiring contracts already on the books, one wonders how much they’ll actually dabble in the trade market.. . Previous: . Kansas City Royals. 2. team

33. The Cardinals easily have the best pitching staff in baseball, but as the season drags out, the team is going to need to find a way to take some pressure off of those arms by scoring runs.  As it stands, the Cardinals rank 22nd in Run Support Average per start. It’s the only chink in the armor on what has been an outstanding season.. . Previous: . St. Louis Cardinals. 1. team