MLB Power Rankings - It’s Yankees, Angels, and the rest
The MLB power rankings sure have changed over the last few months, but that’s baseball. The Yanks and Halos sputtered out of the gate and lost betting sharps’ confidence but have since recovered and become so dominant that they’re almost in a separate tier above the rest of the league in this week’s rankings.
(Last week’s rankings in brackets)
1. (1) New York Yankees (75-45) – They keep rolling, but there could be chinks in the armor. Joba Chamberlain can’t hit the plate and A-Rod’s power has disappeared again. Is his hip hurting more than he lets on?
2. (2) Los Angeles Angels (72-45) – The sleeping giant known as Vladdy has awakened, clubbing bad pitches over fences left and right. But the real hero is Kendry Morales, who is hitting .355 with 11 homers and 30 RBI in 27 games since the All-Star break.
3. (4) St. Louis Cardinals (68-53) – For all the love Chris Carpenter gets, it’s time to give Adam Wainwright some. The NL’s secret ace is an MLB betting gem, having allowed two or fewer runs in 10 straight starts.
4. (8) Philadelphia Phillies (67-49) – So far, so good for Philly since Pedro arrived. Give them six wins in their last seven games.
5. (3) Los Angeles Dodgers (71-49) – As Chad Billingsley goes, they often go. It’s nice to see him back to his usual self, going 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA this month.
6. (6) Texas Rangers (67-51) – The worst may be over, and they made it through as Wildcard leaders. Now Josh Hamilton is on fire and Ian Kinsler is back. Look out.
7. (9) Florida Marlins (64-55) – You know what they say: the Marlins win the World Series every six years. Well, this is year six. I’m just sayin’.
8. (5) Colorado Rockies (66-53) – Offshore sportsbook players would have way more confidence in them if their hitters could do anything away from Coors Field.
9. (11) Tampa Bay Rays (64-54) – Still a great team, but something about their pitching is just...shaky compared to last season.
10. (7) Boston Red Sox (67-51) – Dropping two of three to Texas did nothing to calm fans’ nerves.
11. (10) San Francisco Giants (65-54) – Can’t seem to climb over that hump behind Colorado, and the bats are to blame. Kung Fu Panda can’t do it all by himself.
12. (12) Detroit Tigers (63-55) – It’s official; the AL Central is this season’s weakest division. The Tigers are the biggest fish in a small pond, nothing more.
13. (13) Atlanta Braves (62-57) – Would you want to face Vazquez, Lowe, Hanson and Jurrjens in a playoff series? Don’t forget about them.
14. (15) Chicago White Sox (61-59) – I still think they could do more damage than the Tigers if they squeaked into the Big Dance.
15. (14) Seattle Mariners (61-58) – Eek. Looks like Ian Snell is trying to get himself shipped back to the minors.
16. (16) Chicago Cubs (60-57)
17. (17) Milwaukee Brewers (58-61)
18. (19) New York Mets (56-63)
19. (18) Houston Astros (57-62)
20. (21) Washington Nationals (43-76)
21. (20) Minnesota Twins (57-62)
22. (24) Arizona Diamondbacks (54-66)
23. (22) Toronto Blue Jays (55-62)
24. (23) Oakland Athletics (53-66)
25. (25) Cleveland Indians (51-67)
26. (29) Kansas City Royals (47-72)
27. (27) San Diego Padres (51-70)
28. (25) Cincinnati Reds (50-68)
29. (28) Baltimore Orioles (48-71)
30. (30) Pittsburgh Pirates (48-70)
Of the bottom dwellers, it’s worth noting the Cubs are irrelevant again. Maybe removing Kevin Gregg from the closer role will turn some L’s into W’s?
For MLB power rankings and sports betting tips, check out Dale Lalonde’s award-winning baseball coverage every week.
Before his arm flamed out, Dale “Skip” Lalonde was famous for his high-90s heat and power at the plate. He retired young but never turned his back on baseball, earning the nickname “Skip” for his high-school coaching prowess. A true student of the game, he loves crunching the numbers when he handicaps baseball.
