All is right again in the universe again, at least for Yankee fans, as the Bronx Bombers are on a tear and have leapfrogged not only Baltimore and Tampa Bay for the best record in the AL East, but also Texas for tops in the American League.
Meanwhile an unlikely power is not going away in the NL East as the once-laughable Nationals look like real contenders and are challenging the Dodgers for tops in the senior circuit.
10. St. Louis Cardinals: 32-31 record; 4.9 runs scored, 4.1 runs allowed*—There are 14 teams out there with better records than the Cardinals, but on paper St. Louis still looks like a good team that’s had some bad luck. Mike Matheney’s club is just 8-15 in games decided by two runs or less so far despite great contributions from veterans Carlos Beltran (19 home runs, .298 batting average) and Rafael Furcal (.294 batting average, 41 runs scored). Catcher Yadier Molina is hitting .324 through 210 at-bats. Previous: 9
9. Baltimore Orioles: 36-26 record; 4.5 runs scored, 4.4 runs allowed*—Every time the Orioles are written off for dead here, they keep rising up. After dropping to tenth in last week’s power rankings, Baltimore has responded with four straight wins against NL opponents Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to get back into contention. They still have the worst run-scoring differential in the division (plus-four) but are showing some real resiliency to still be in second place in mid-June. Previous: 10
8. San Francisco Giants: 36-28 record; 4.0 runs scored, 3.8 runs allowed—The Giants’ front office has seen a couple of big moves pay off in the past year which have propelled this team into a Wild Card-contender’s spot in the National League. First, they swapped talented pitcher Jonathan Sanchez for outfielder Melky Cabrera, who many thought was a one-hit wonder with the Royals in 2011. Sanchez, fresh off the disabled list, is currently 1-2 with a 5.93 ERA while Cabrera is scorching NL pitching to the tune of a .363 average through Thursday. Then earlier this year they signed number-two starter Matt Cain to a six-year $127.5 million extension, which made people wonder how much top-starter Tim Lincecum is worth. But while the latter is struggling, Cain is now 8-2 with a 2.18 ERA after his perfect game Wednesday night. Previous: NR
7. Tampa Bay Rays: 35-28 record; 4.3 runs scored, 4.2 runs allowed—Despite the Rays’ relatively low run-scoring differential (plus-seven) they make the list here for several reasons. First, they play in the always-competitive AL East where the once-proud Red Sox currently reside in last place. Second, their main lineup threat, Evan Longoria, has been out since the end of April, leaving the offense somewhat punch-less. And lastly, they still have one of the most feared pitching rotations in Price/Hellickson/Shields/Moore. Previous: 7
6. Chicago White Sox: 34-28 record; 4.8 runs scored, 4.2 runs scored*—The first-place White Sox continue to get good production out of highly-paid veterans Paul Konerko, Jake Peavy, Adam Dunn, and Alex Rios. The latter three had been largely unproductive in their White Sox-tenure before this season, leading many to believe that first-year manager Robin Ventura will be voted the AL’s Manager of the Year. It would be a well-deserved award should he get it as most pundits (including this one) had the White Sox bringing up the rear in baseball’s weakest division. Previous: 6
5. Cincinnati Reds...
5. Cincinnati Reds: 35-27 record; 4.4 runs scored, 3.9 runs allowed—The Reds, fresh off a sweep of in-state rival Cleveland, are sitting pretty in first-place in the NL Central. First baseman Joey Votto (.362 batting average, 12 home runs, 44 RBIs) seems to have passed Matt Kemp in the NL MVP race. On the mound, Johnny Cueto (7-3 record, 2.46 ERA) is right up there with the Mets’ surprising R.A. Dickey, among others, for Cy Young consideration in the National League. Previous: 5
4. Washington Nationals: 38-23 record; 3.9 runs scored, 3.2 runs allowed—The Nationals, despite their more-impressive record, are put just behind the Yankees here due to ongoing questions about their offense’s ability to score runs. Nineteen-year-old Bryce Harper is hitting .303 in his first 155 at-bats but is the only regular in the lineup hitting over .300. We'll know better where Washington stands against New York as the Nationals will host Joe Girardi’s club for three games this weekend. Previous: 3
3. New York Yankees: 37-25 record; 4.7 runs scored, 4.0 runs allowed—The red-hot Yankees have won six straight games, have a 10-2 record in June, and are 16-4 since their record evened out at 21-21 on May 21st. On that upside-down day in baseball, the Yankees were tied with the Red Sox for last place in the AL East, five-and-a-half games behind division-leading Baltimore. Since that time veteran starter Andy Pettitte has been a major stabilizer in the rotation as he’s now 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA in six starts. Previous: 4
2. Texas Rangers: 37-26 record; 5.3 runs scored, 4.0 runs allowed*—The Rangers looked like mere mortals through the first part of June, but have rebounded to win four of their last five games heading into Thursday night’s game against Arizona. Josh Hamilton has just one home run this month after smashing 12 in May and 9 in April. In addition, ace starter Yu Darvish is 0-2 this month with a 6.17 ERA. Texas is too good though to be down for long and still lead the majors in runs-scored differential (plus-80). Previous: 2
1. Los Angeles Dodgers: 40-24 record; 4.3 runs scored, 3.7 runs allowed—The Dodgers, more specifically their new ownership group, keep generating goodwill towards their fans. Not only did they buy the team from the cash-strapped McCourts, they’ve put a winning-club on the field and have already proved generous in handing out their first major player extension to outfielder Andre Ethier. Ethier’s $85 million extension is just one step in the process of restoring Dodger greatness in the long-term. Still to be locked up is ace starter Clayton Kershaw who is 5-3 this season with a 2.65 ERA. Previous: 1
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