1. Texas Rangers (Record: 44-28, Last 10: 8-2; Last Week’s Ranking: 2)
2. New York Yankees (44-28, 7-3; 1)
3. Los Angeles Angels (40-33, 7-3; 6)
4. Washington Nationals (41-29, 4-6; 5)
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (43-40, 3-7; 3)
6. Baltimore Orioles (41-31, 5-5; 7)
7. Boston Red Sox (38-34, 8-2; 18)
8. Cincinnati Reds (39-32, 5-5; 4)
9. San Francisco Giants (40-33, 4-6; 8)
10. Tampa Bay Rays (39-32, 4-6; 9)
Kevin Youkilis’s trade to the White Sox is sure to shake things up in the AL (Boston.com)
The big movers in the top ten are the Angels and Red Sox, with Bobby V’s boys the greatest mover of the week, up 11 spots from 18 to 7. Is one 6-1 week enough to vault a club so high? With the trade of Kevin Youkilis opening up consistent playing time for Will Middlebrooks, combined with Daniel Bard moving back to the bullpen, strong starts by Franklin Morales, and the phenomenon that is Daniel Nava, there is a lot to be optimistic about in Boston.
Across the country, meanwhile, the Angels are finally playing like the team we thought they would be from the start. Since calling up top prospect Mike Trout, Los Angeles is 33-19 and showing no signs of slowing down. While I expect the second Wild Card spot to be up for grabs, the Angels should grab the first.
11. Chicago White Sox (38-34, 4-6; 10)
12. St. Louis Cardinals (38-34, 6-4; 11)
13. Arizona Diamondbacks (37-35, 7-3; 19)
14. Atlanta Braves (38-34, 4-6; 13)
15. New York Mets (39-33, 6-4; 17)
16. Pittsburgh Pirates (38-33, 6-4; 15)
17. Toronto Blue Jays (37-35, 64; 14)
18. Detroit Tigers (35-37, 6-4; 12)
19. Cleveland Indians (37-34, 5-5; 16)
20. Philadelphia Phillies (34-39, 5-5; 21)
To be honest, I shuffled around with several combinations in the middle of the pack before settling on the final list, which should not be a surprise given the proximity between the clubs. Ultimately I have more faith in the White Sox after dealing for Youkilis, while I remain pessimistic about the Mets, Pirates, and Indians. Detroit was the biggest freefaller this week, down six spots, because even though I believe they will still win the AL Central, they need to start winning games.
21. Miami Marlins (34-38, 2-8; 20)
22. Oakland Athletics (35-38, 7-3; 23)
23. Milwaukee Brewers (33-39, 5-5; 22)
24. Kansas City Royals (31-39, 5-5; 24)
25. Minnesota Twins (29-42, 4-6; 26)
26. Seattle Mariners (31-43, 4-6; 25)
27. Houston Astros (30-42, 4-6; 27)
28. Colorado Rockies (27-43, 3-7; 28)
29. San Diego Padres (26-47, 4-6; 29)
30. Chicago Cubs (24-48, 3-7; 30)
Not much change at the bottom. With the Rockies reportedly moving to a four-man rotation effective immediately, maybe they will move up—but more likely, will probably move down. We shall see.