MLB Power Rankings: Week 7

MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

While it's entirely possible the Blue Jays do hit a snag, isn't it about time columnists across the internet stopped doing Can the Blue Jays Really Keep This Up? pieces by now? I've seen at least 10 in the past three weeks. There are almost as many The Rangers Are For Real posts. The discrepancy in the media's faith in those two is likely due to the divisions in which the teams reside, but seven weeks isn't a small sample. At some point, you have to start giving credit where it's due.

• 1. Blue Jays| Previous Week: 1
  Before losing Monday, Toronto reached 13 games over .500 for the first time since August 1999, when Carlos Delgado was 27 and its outfield was Jacob Brumfield, Brian McRae and Shawn Green. Hard to paint the Jays as a fluke when their run differential is plus-59 through 42 games. (by Ed Price)
  
• 2. Dodgers | Previous Week: 6
  They lost four of their first five games after Manny Ramirez was suspended, but they seem to have stopped the bleeding. Clayton Kershaw, who is going to be a star, took a no-hitter in the eighth on Sunday, helping the Dodgers finish off two winning series on the East Coast. (by Jeff Fletcher)
  
• 3. Red Sox | Previous Week: 3
  Boston is 14-4 at home, and it gets Kevin Youkilis back from a strained left oblique on Wednesday and Daisuke Matsuzaka back from a sore shoulder on Friday. (EP)
  
• 4. Brewers | Previous Week: 8
  With Rickie Weeks out, a lot of pressure falls on Mat Gamel to immediately hit at the big league level. His minor league numbers are very good; if he can keep them up the Brew Crew might miss Weeks less than people think. They've surged to the front of the division on surprising pitching. If Jeff Suppan, Braden Looper, and Dave Bush can continue to give back-of-the-rotation support, their run to the top of the division may last longer than people think. (by Pat Lackey)
  
• 5. Yankees | Previous Week: 10
  A-Rod is batting just .194, but since he came back they're 9-2. Over that span, Mark Teixeira is hitting .341 with six homers and 15 RBI. Also, CC Sabathia in his past three starts is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA. (EP)
  
• 6. Rangers | Previous Week: 7
  As I touched upon in the intro, many across the writing industry are going to great lengths to tell you why the Rangers are legit. They could have saved themselves some time had they just read my Opening Day piece on why Texas would be legit and said, "this dude must have had a freaking crystal ball." Yes, it's fun to gloat, so here's hoping it keeps up.
  
• 7. Phillies | Previous Week: 9
  Nothing like a visit from the Nationals to get things pointing in the right direction. Raul Ibanez making everyone who questioned his signing look like a fool is helping also. The left fielder has 13 home runs to go with the NL's best OPS. (by Josh Alper)
  
• 8. Cubs | Previous Week: 11
  Despite the two-game losing streak, the Cubs are still 11-5 in the month of May. While the Aramis Ramirez injury will continue to haunt them, everything else is pointing in the right direction for the team who won 97 last year.
  
• 9. Tigers | Previous Week: 12
  Dontrelle Willis collected his first win in a few years. He was actually brilliant -- allowing only a hit and 2 walks in 6 1/3 innings. He'll need to be more efficient moving forward, but that's a huge sign for the Tigers. This team is getting contributions from unlikely places, too, which is the antithesis to the 2008 version, where many big names came up short all year long.
  
• 10. Rays | Previous Week: 15
  Tampa Bay has still yet to reach two games over .500, but the bigger question is: How did Jason Bartlett become the top offensive shortstop in the AL? You know, the Jason Bartlett who came into the season with a career .699 OPS? (EP)
  
• 11. Angels | Previous Week: 17
  Amazing how John Lackey was just rusty and lacking control with his first two pitches of the year to the Rangers' Ian Kinsler, but then two days later in Seattle he didn't walk anybody. With Vladimir Guerrero expected back by this time next week, the Angels are becoming whole again. (JF)
  
• 12. Mets | Previous Week: 4
  They certainly keep things entertaining. In the last week the Mets have had seven steals in a game, seen a starting pitcher commit three balks and had a player fail to touch third base in a game in which they made five errors. How entertaining they remain will have a lot to do with how well they fill Carlos Delgado's spot in the lineup. (JA)
  
• 13. Cardinals| Previous Week: 2
  A lot changes in a week and, suddenly, this Cardinal team that spent most of April and early May in first is staring up at two other NL Central clubs. Chris Carpenter comes back on Wednesday and could give a big boost to a pitching staff that needs it if he can stay healthy, but Chris Duncan is cooling off (.589 OPS in May) and Ryan Ludwick is on the DL. Someone's going to have to step up and help Albert Pujols if these guys want to stay in the mix. (PL)
  
• 14. Royals | Previous Week: 5
  Unfortunately, Zack Greinke can't pitch everyday. Otherwise the Royals would rule the mediocre-at-best AL Central and probably the entire league. They have won three of four to try and erase that ugly six-game losing streak from last week, though, so let's not give up on them.
  
• 15. Braves | Previous Week: 16
  Not being masters of their domain is killing Bobby Cox's bunch. If the Braves could just play above .500 in their own ballpark, they'd be leading the NL East. It's either that or scoring a few more runs which seems well beyond their means. (JA)
  
• 16. Reds | Previous Week: 14
  They're still hanging around as Jay Bruce heats up, Joey Votto continues to mash when he's in the lineup (though he's suffering from dizzy spells again this week), and their pitching staff shuts down everyone. Will they be content to hang around .500 and wait for their young players to progress a bit more, or will they try to go out and get a bat to contend in 2009? (PL)
  
• 17. Mariners| Previous Week: 19
  The folks at Safeco Field sure will be excited on Friday night. Not only is it Felix Hernandez bobblehead night, but Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. will be together again. Too bad both are showing their age. They should each retire at the end of this season, so they can go into Hall of Fame together in 2015. (JF)
  
• 18. Giants | Previous Week: 13
  Aaron Rowand was going about as badly as a major leaguer can be going, then Johan Santana showed up in town and Rowand got three hits, including a homer, against the two-time Cy Young winner. He's already taken over for Barry Zito as the No. 1 Whipping Boy of Giants fans, so he'd better keep hitting if he wants to lose that tag. (JF)
  
• 19. Pirates | Previous Week: 25
  They've won six of eight since their eight game losing streak. Nate McLouth is on fire (3 homers, 1.005 OPS since May 10th) and their offense has actually shown some life of late. Combined with their starting pitching, which is still looking much improved, and there's hope in Pittsburgh that this team might not finish in last place this year. (PL)
  
• 20. White Sox | Previous Week: 21
  A good -- and much needed win -- Tuesday night can't really take the focus off how bad the Sox have looked lately. Granted, they were steamrolled by the best team in baseball, but they need more from Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Alexei Ramirez and whoever is playing second. Carlos Quentin's eventual return could help, otherwise it could be a long season on the south side.
  
• 21. Astros | Previous Week: 24
  The offense is coming around; only Geoff Blum and Kaz Matsui have OPS+ below 100 right now. The problem is that the pitching is still Wandy Rodriguez and a bunch of stiffs. Roy Oswalt's gotten some bad bounces and will come around, but Brian Moehler and Mike Hampton won't. (PL)
  
• 22. Twins | Previous Week: 20
  As incredible as Joe Mauer's play at home plate was -- and good God was that an amazing play -- it hasn't aided the Twinkies in stopping the bleeding. They've now lost five straight. Starting pitching continues to be a major concern, as Nick Blackburn (2-2, 4.38) appears to be their best. Just a heads-up, that's not a good thing.
  
• 23. Orioles | Previous Week: 23
  Baltimore, on a 41-inning homerless drought and out-scored 40-4 in the seventh inning this season, has had some dreary plane flights. The Orioles are 0-5 in the final games of road series – "getaway days," as they're known. (EP)
  
• 24. Padres | Previous Week: 28
  Here's another vote for trading Adrian Gonzalez. The Padres clearly need more than just him. Although his contract is very reasonable, he's only signed through 2011, assuming the option is exercised. The Padres are showing no signs of being contenders while he's still around -- especially not if they trade Jake Peavy, as expected. (JF) [Editor's note: Thanks to Fletch for agreeing with my overly astute idea to trade Gonzo. Reinforcement from a respected journalist is always good.]
  
• 25. Marlins | Previous Week: 18
  Note to the National League: If you don't let Hanley Ramirez beat you, there's not much chance that anyone else in the lineup is going to pick up the slack. Until they do, the Marlins are going to continue their downward trend. (JA) [Editor's note: Since that amazing start, the Marlins are an embarrassing 7-20]
  
• 26. Diamondbacks | Previous Week: 22
  Good thing they fired Bob Melvin. You see, the DBacks are currently riding high with a two-game winning streak. Nevermind the fact that A.J. Hinch was 1-6 before the backs put up a couple dubyas. There is far too much potential to be this bad, but right now they scare no one.
  
• 27. Rockies | Previous Week: 27
  Remember in Major League when Lou Brown says, "the veterans are playing back to form and the rookies are coming along quicker than I thought?" Yeah, well, this team is the complete opposite. Save for a few examples (Brad Hawpe and Todd Helton), everyone appears to be underachieving. You can't win many games that way.
  
• 28. Athletics | Previous Week: 29
  It is getting ugly around the green and gold. You could argue that the only two players who have performed up to expectations so far are Dallas Braden and Kurt Suzuki. One of them is going to end up an All-Star because of it. Three pitchers who were in the A's rotation at times last year are now in the minors. (JF)
  
• 29. Indians | Previous Week: 26
  I'll cancel out my horn-tooting that is the Texas Rangers with this one. I picked the Indians to win the AL Central. I wasn't alone by any stretch, but I look at that roster and wonder what the hell we were all thinking. The starting rotation is bad, the bullpen is worse, the defense is suspect, and the offense is Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez surrounded by a bunch of role players. This is a bad team. Buyers should be lining up at the trade deadline.
  
• 30. Nationals | Previous Week: 30
  The only game they won last week was the game that saw Ryan Zimmerman's hitting streak end at 30 games. On the bright side, they only had to play 14 innings to lose two games on Saturday. If you're going to lose, might as well make it as quick as possible. (JA)