MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

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.

It's a funny thing, sometimes, to see how Power Rankings shape up over the course of the season. Just like when we started the year, there are a number of teams from one particular division sitting atop the rankings. Of course, there are plenty of surprises -- WHERE DID THE FREAKING GIANTS AND ROCKIES COME FROM?? -- and some other interesting stuff, like the fact that the Mets and Cubs just haven't been that good, which we discussed on the inaugural BaseCast recently.

• 1. Dodgers | Record: 49-28 | Previous Week: 1
  Every week we have to come up with a new way to say the Dodgers are very good. How 'bout this one? The Dodgers are the only team in the majors that has five players with at least 40 RBI. And none of them are named Manny Ramirez. He comes back Friday, in case you haven't heard. - Jeff Fletcher
  
• 2. Red Sox| Record: 48-29 | Previous Week: 2
  No Mike Lowell? No problem. Kevin Youkilis plays third and Mark Kotsay or Jeff Bailey plays first. It helps that the last four series before the All-Star break are against Baltimore, Seattle, Oakland and Kansas City. - Ed Price
  
• 3. Yankees| Record: 43-32| Previous Week: 3
  Eric Hinske played on the 2007 (Boston) and 2008 (Tampa Bay) AL East winner and AL champions. Maybe that's why the Yankees got him. Or maybe it was so Derek Jeter has another former Rookie of the Year he can talk to. - EP
  
• 4. Rays | Record: 43-36 | Previous Week: 7
  Tampa Bay leads the majors in run differential, which indicates the Rays could continue their hot streak and climb up the standings. If Scott Kazmir (five innings, two runs Saturday against Florida) really is straightened out, then the AL East had better watch out. - EP
  
• 5. Angels| Record: 42-32 | Previous Week: 11
  The heavy preseason favorite in the AL West, the Angels finally got into sole possession of first place over the weekend. Ervin Santana is expected back soon. Brian Fuentes is leading the league in saves. Everything is good in Halo-ville, as long as the starters can go eight innings every night. - JF
  
• 6. Tigers | Record: 42-35 | Previous Week: 9
  Jim Leyland says his club can't stay in contention without more offense. That hardly seems true in the mediocre AL Central, but Detroit could use a little more pop. The Tigers rank eighth in the AL in runs, ninth in on-base percentage and 10th in OPS. - Andrew Johnson
  
• 7. Brewers | Record: 40-36 | Previous Week: 6
  They look to be the best team in a very mediocre division. They can virtually bury the Cubs by taking care of business in a four-game series in Milwaukee beginning Thursday. Also, Casey McGehee is making people forget about Rickie Weeks. What a deep lineup. - Matt Snyder
  
• 8. Rangers | Record: 40-35 | Previous Week: 5
  Things aren't going well, as the Angels have taken slight control of the division and appear to really be on their way to full health. Texas getting Josh Hamilton back from injury should help, and Ian Kinsler continues to be just awesome, but they need to find a way to deal for pitching before the trade deadline. - MS
  
• 9. Giants | Record: 41-34 | Previous Week: 13
  The Giants need a bat, and Miguel Tejada would be a good fit. Yes, he'd be a rental, but for just that reason the Giants might be able to get him for cheap. Tejada could play third and Pablo Sandoval could play first. The Astros just have to realize they are out of it, even though they're often the last ones to figure it out. - JF
  
• 10. Phillies | Record: 39-34 | Previous Week: 4
  Philadelphia will get Raul Ibañez back. The Phillies will probably get a starting pitcher via trade. But will they get Jimmy Rollins back on track? If all three happen, the Phils will repeat as division champs in a surprisingly weak NL East. - EP
  
• 11. Cardinals | Record: 41-37 | Previous Week: 8
  Adding Mark DeRosa was huge with all the patchwork lineups the Cardinals have been running out there. He's a great fit. They'll still need more consistency to make the postseason. Oh, by the way, Albert Pujols shouldn't be pitched to. Ever. How does he not get the Barry Bonds treatment of 200 walks per season? - MS
  
• 12. Blue Jays | Record: 43-37 | Previous Week: 18
  Scott Rolen has an 18-game hitting streak, best of his career and the longest active streak in the majors. He has a shot to bat .300 for the first time since 2004. The Blue Jays, however, remain in the AL East, which is rather unfortunate. - EP
  
• 13. Rockies | Record: 40-36 | Previous Week: 20
  It will be interesting if the Rockies' run deters upper management from dealing players like Brad Hawpe and Garrett Atkins (and Todd Helton if he'd allow a trade). The Rockies' great play of late signifies less that they can win now and more that they have a great, young group of players (the core of Stewart, Fowler, Tulowitzki, Jimenez, Street, Iannetta, Gonzalez, etc.). To keep building and stop clinging to the past would be the correct route. - MS
  
• 14. Twins | Record: 40-39 | Previous Week: 14
  Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau get all the love in Minnesota, but how about a little for Jason Kubel? The designated hitter is third on the team in home runs and hitting .313 with a .925 OPS. Now about that starting pitching ... - AJ
  
• 15. Reds | Record: 37-37 | Previous Week: 15
  It's going to be very interesting to see how the Reds act during trade season. They really, really need a power bat to stick in left field. Will they be able to add payroll? If so, will they shed prospects to try and win now, even though the young group will probably be even better next season? - MS
  
• 16. Marlins | Record: 40-39 | Previous Week: 17
  Seeing a chance to steal the division, Florida is being "aggressive" in trying to trade for a reliever, according to an official of an AL team. The Marlins are without closer Matt Lindstrom (elbow) and their only reliever older than 30 -- Kiko Calero (shoulder). - EP
  
• 17. White Sox | Record: 38-38 | Previous Week: 21
  There is some talk in the Windy City that GM Kenny Williams should be a seller at the July 31 trade deadline, but why? No one in the Central is going to run away from the White Sox, and, with a boost from the offense, Ozzie Guillen's crew could easily wind up back in the postseason. The return of Carlos Quentin should help matters. - AJ
  
• 18. Mariners | Record: 39-36 | Previous Week: 18
  Although he's been overshadowed by Zack Greinke and Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez is pitching better than anyone in the AL lately. He finished June 4-1 with a 0.94 ERA. For the season he's 8-3 with a 2.54 ERA. - JF
  
• 19. Mets | Record: 38-38 | Previous Week: 12
  Gary Sheffield was supposed to be a part-time player when the Mets picked him up after the Tigers released him. Now he leads the depleted Mets in homers. The Mets' game plan has become: hope they don't fall too far out in the next 2-3 weeks and then make a run when Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes return. - EP
  
• 20. Cubs | Record: 36-38 | Previous Week: 16
  And so the season from Hell continues. Once it looks like a corner is turned (solid Rich Harden outing Monday), the offense gets handcuffed by Ross Ohlendorf. Aramis Ramirez's absence is not the only reason this team is underachieving, thus, his return isn't going to provide some magic elixir to their struggles. - MS
  
• 21. Braves | Record: 35-40 | Previous Week: 19
  How's Atlanta's offense? Ask Javier Vazquez. In five June starts, Vazquez had a 1.98 ERA, with 39 strikeouts, seven walks and a .197 average allowed. And he went 1-3. The Braves were held to two runs or fewer 12 times in June. - EP
  
• 22. Astros | Record: 36-38 | Previous Week: 24
  Seriously, this is all Drayton McLane needs. The Astros farm system is as barren as Oklahoma was during the Dust Bowl. Why? They trade prospects for veterans every season, even when they aren't in the race. They are presently only 4 1/2 games out with trading season on the horizon. Yet, they don't have enough talent to stick around. - MS
  
• 23. Pirates | Record: 36-41 | Previous Week: 22
  Where are all the "fans" crying about the Nate McLouth trade now? Andrew McCutchen is a star in the making. Meanwhile, the Pirates have a positive run differential and are only six games out in the Central. - MS
  
• 24. Orioles | Record: 34-43 | Previous Week: 26
  Who knew Mark Hendrickson could be a decent reliever? He was 1-4 with a 6.35 ERA and .990 OPS allowed in the rotation, but since going to the bullpen he has a 3.60 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. - EP
  
• 25. Royals | Record: 33-43 | Previous Week: 23
  Greinke seems to have put a three-start rough patch to begin June behind him. The Kansas City right-hander has nudged his ERA back below 2.00 and has won his last two starts while posting a 1.88 ERA. - AJ
  
• 26. Padres | Record: 33-42| Previous Week: 25
  Right-hander Chad Gaudin is worth watching. Yes, he's seemed to be a bit injury prone, but he's got some absolutely filthy stuff when he's on. He was a lights-out reliever for the A's in 2006 and excellent starter for most of 2007. He showed his talent again on Sunday when he gave up one hit to the Rangers in seven innings, in Texas. - JF
  
• 27. Athletics | Record: 33-43 | Previous Week: 28
  It's easy to say the A's were just destined to stink all along, but they really have been hit pretty hard by injuries. Let's not forget that their No. 1 pitcher (Justin Duchscherer) and their closer (Joey Devine) both had surgery before the season even started. Those were guys they really were counting on, not to mention guys like Eric Chavez, whose production would have been a bonus. - JF
  
• 28. Indians | Record: 31-47| Previous Week: 27
  Carl Pavano is the only other Cleveland starter to take the hill as many times as reigning AL Cy Young Cliff Lee this season, though of course his performance hasn't been nearly as good. Pavano has a 5.56 ERA -- more than two runs higher than Lee -- but his strikeout rate is higher than Lee's and his walk rate is lower. - AJ
  
• 29. Diamondbacks | Record: 30-46 | Previous Week: 29
  Coming off a 2007 division title, the Snakes stormed out of the gates in 2008 to the tune of a 21-9 record. With a young and deep nucleus, it looked to be their division for a long time. Man, that seems so long ago, doesn't it? Now they just suck. - MS
  
• 30. Nationals | Record: 22-53 | Previous Week: 30
  End of an error? The Nats acquired Lastings Milledge from the Mets on Nov. 30, 2007. Between then and Tuesday, when Washington sent him to Pittsburgh, the Nats went 81-154 – at least 14 games worse than any other team. - EP