Power Rankings — AL dominating, NL in major slump
Posted on 7/1/2008 12:27:35 AM
By T.J. Kendrick
Each week, get help with your baseball picks from our MLB Power Rankings, which details the hottest teams in Major League Baseball.
All statistics as of Sunday, June 30:
1. Tampa Bay Rays (+800 World Series odds) – By taking five of six against Florida and Pittsburgh last week, the Rays finished with the best record in baseball at the season's midway mark (49-32), not to mention first place in the AL East. Watch out, they're for real.
2. Minnesota Twins (+3000 World Series odds) – The Twins are playing out of their minds right now, going 13-2 since mid-June. The pitching has been ridiculously good during that stretch, surrendered just 2.7 runs per game. That's going to be a tough number to maintain for very long.
3. Detroit Tigers (+1000 World Series odds) – Winners of five straight and 17 of their last 21. The offensive is showing signs not just of life, but of being as frightening as many predicted it would be on opening day. Look out.
4. Chicago White Sox (+1200 World Series odds) – The AL Central is really feasting on interleague play, isn't it? Chicago swept the North side Cubbies to rack up a four-game winning streak. The White Sox will need to be even better with Minnesota and Detroit chasing them, though.
5. Seattle Mariners (+10,000 World Series odds) – What? No National League clubs making the power rankings? As of this writing, no NL team had more than a two-game winning streak going. Needless to say, they'll appreciate the end of interleague play. In the meantime, Seattle earns a spot thanks to three straight victories and five wins in their last six games.
Teams to watch:
A tough call right now, considering how poorly the NL is playing. Keep an eye on the Milwaukee Brewers, though. The Brew Crew has played well in June and faces struggling Arizona and the always awful Pirates this week.
Check out next week's MLB Power Rankings for tips and hints on all your baseball picks.
T.J. Kendrick is the biggest baseball nut and a
brilliant MLB handicapper. His love of the game borders on obsession, and he
takes every chance he gets to make excellent predictions, frequently
contributing to industry handicapping sites as well as BetOnline.com. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
