Monday, May 17th -

In the past week, the Reds overtook the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central, the Royals fired their manager, Mariano Rivera blew a save and gave up a Grand Slam for the Yankees, the Brewers lost 6 straight games, and the Dodgers won 7 straight. The New York Mets have also gone from first to last in the NL East in a matter of 10 days. Let’s see how all this news has affected the rankings.

This Power Rankings takes into account season performance thus far, but also accounts for expected future performance and reasons for past performance (such as a major injury, etc). Therefore, current team records won’t always correspond with a team’s spot in the rankings. Like always, debate is encouraged. Here is the Week 7 MLB Power Rankings, with Last Week’s Rank in parentheses:

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1. (1) Tampa Bay Rays, 26-11 - For the 4th week in a row, the Rays are the #1 team. They continue to have the best record in baseball and excel in strong starting pitching. However, the offense is struggling for the first time this season. B.J. Upton, especially, needs to start reaching base more frequently. Tampa Bay sent down struggling Pat Burrell to the minors and called up another veteran bat, Hank Blalock.

2. (2) New York Yankees, 24-13 - Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera combined to blow a 2-run lead on Sunday and give up 5 runs in less than an inning, preventing a sweep of the Twins over the weekend. Hopefully that was an anomaly. Robinson Cano has really cooled off in May, but Mark Teixeira has stepped up in his place. Meanwhile, Phil Hughes has got to be the AL Cy Young favorite to date. His 1.38 ERA leads the AL, and he has the lowest batting average and slugging percentage against him in all of baseball.

3. (5) Philadelphia Phillies, 23-13 - A big week catapults the Phillies back into the top spot in the NL. Shane Victorino is quietly having a huge year, and now is 4th in the NL with 32 RBI. Brad Lidge is back on the DL, but Jose Contreras looks like a potentially solid closer fill-in. He’s off to a great start with a sub-2.00 ERA. Philadelphia leads MLB with a .278 average and .463 slugging percentage. However, they are last in the NL with just 10 stolen bases. They miss Jimmy Rollins on the basepaths.

4. (4) Minnesota Twins, 23-14 - Jason Kubel’s grand slam off Mariano Rivera prevented a sweep, but more importantly might get the struggling slugger going. The 100 RBI man from last season has just 3 home runs on the season. The Twins have everything else going right in a lineup which is second in baseball with a .357 OBP. However, Francisco Liriano has come back down to Earth with 4 consecutive mediocre starts.

5. (8) Detroit Tigers, 22-16 - The Tigers crack the top-5 for the first time this season. They are hot on the Twins’ tail in the AL Central, thanks to an explosive lineup led by MVP frontrunner Miguel Cabrera. Another major plus for Detroit is their devastating 1-2 punch in the bullpen. Joel Zumaya and Jose Valverde come out throwing heat with a lead, and are tough to come back against.

6. (6) San Francisco Giants, 21-15 - The Giants got swept by the Padres, then took 3 in a row against the Astros. The team has not gone on any kind of major hot streak or rough patch. That’s what happens when you have the most consistent starting rotation in baseball, but a very sub-par slugging lineup. Pablo Sandoval’s poor performance in the 3-spot has a lot to do with their inability to win more games despite great pitching.

7. (3) St. Louis Cardinals, 21-17 - A 1-5 week, including a sweep at the hands of the Reds, has the Cardinals now in second place in the NL Central. They’re only a half game out, but it’s still a wake-up call. Albert Pujols is no longer in the top-5 of the NL in average, home runs, or RBI. It’s time for Big Albert to start carrying this team again. A struggling lineup needs him big-time.

8. (15) Cincinnati Reds, 21-16 - Huge week for the Cincinnati Reds, who swept the Cardinals at home and have overtaken the Redbirds for 1st place in the NL Central. It’s been quite a transformation for the Reds’ starters, who couldn’t win a game in April and now are dominating opponents and going deep into games in May. They got 3 complete games from their starters last week, including 2 shutouts. And Aroldis Chapman is still on the way in June.

9. (12) Toronto Blue Jays, 23-16 - Toronto continues to rake, as they lead the majors in home runs by a hefty margin. Ricky Romero leads the AL in strikeouts with 59, following his 12-K gem last week against the Rangers. The Blue Jays staff as a whole also leads the majors with 310 K’s. Overall, there’s a lot to like about this surprising team right now. Unfortunately, they play in a division with the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox, and may not have a chance of sniffing the postseason.

10. (9) San Diego Padres, 22-15 - Getting swept at home by the Dodgers definitely hurts, but they still sit in first place in the division. That may change as San Francisco comes to town on Monday, sitting just half a game behind them. San Diego’s starting rotation has been phenomenal, but how long can Garland, Correia, LeBlanc, and others keep it up?

11. (7) Texas Rangers, 20-18 - Not a great week for Texas, but they still sit comfortably in first place in the AL West. C.J. Wilson has been a huge success in the rotation, and his 1.48 ERA is second in the AL. Colby Lewis has also been a pleasant surprise, and he’s in the top 5 in the AL in strikeouts. The Rangers have surprisingly stolen more bases (37) than they have hit home runs (33).

12. (14) Florida Marlins, 20-18 - Big week for the Marlins, who went 5-1 and swept a 4-game set from the Mets. Last year’s NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan is in a major sophomore slump, but he hit a big pinch-hit home run on Sunday that might get him going. And if not, they have reinforcements on the way. Super outfield prospect Mike Stanton has hit 15 home runs in Double-A this season, and could be called up in June.

13. (18) Los Angeles Dodgers, 20-17 - The Dodgers are on a 7-game winning streak. It all starts with starting pitching, and Chad Billingsley has been very consistent over his last 5 starts. However, their MVP candidate and current leader in all 3 Triple Crown categories, RF Andre Ethier, could be out for a week or two with a broken pinkie finger. Hopefully, he avoids a DL stint.

14. (13) Colorado Rockies, 19-18 - Continued ho-hum play is keeping the Rockies in the middle of a tight NL West race. Great news for Colorado, though, is the return of starting pitcher Jeff Francis. The former staff ace hasn’t pitched since late 2008, but returned this weekend with a 7-inning victory in which he gave up only 1 run. The closer situation is still a mess, as Huston Street suffered another setback in his recovery. Manny Corpas is the temporary guy. He has good stuff, but struggled mightily in the role last season.

15. (10) Oakland Athletics, 18-20 - The A’s have lost 5 straight games. The great story of Dallas Braden’s perfect game had many fans excited, but Oakland is really struggling overall. They trail only the Mariners and Indians in runs scored and home runs in the AL, and two of their major starting pitchers are on the DL (Duchscerer, Anderson). The team ERA is above 4.00 for the first time this season, and that number is not going to get it done for the offensively-challenged Athletics.

16. (17) Boston Red Sox, 19-19 - Boston is holding its own lately, but still needs to play better to contend with the Yanks and Rays, and even the Blue Jays, who are 4 games ahead and playing very well. They have a good opportunity this week, with a quick 2-game set in Yankee Stadium. Two road wins against their rivals would go a long way. With David Ortiz hitting .360 in May, Mike Cameron set to return this weekend, and Jacoby Ellsbury not far in his recovery, things could be looking up for Boston’s lineup.

17. (16) Washington Nationals, 20-18 - Stephen Strasburg is owning Triple-A hitters. He just threw 6 no-hit innings in his last start. The plan is to bring him up in mid-June and have him throw 100 big-league innings this season. Those 17 or 18 starts from the phenom could be a huge difference-maker for the Nats in the second half of the season. Matt Capps still leads MLB with 15 saves, and Tyler Clippard has 7 wins out of the bullpen.

18. (11) New York Mets, 18-20 - So much for the streaking Mets. New York is now in last place in the NL East, as their starting pitching continues to falter. Oliver Perez has been demoted to the bullpen. Meanwhile, David Wright is in a funk in the field and at the plate. He has 51 strikeouts in 133 at bats. The Mets’ .236 average with runners in scoring position is last in the NL. All this could start a downward trend for the Mets.

19. (20) Los Angeles Angels, 18-21 - The Angels are not in very good shape right now. New addition Hideki Matsui is hitting .240, and Scott Kazmir has a plus-6.00 ERA. A three-game sweep of the A’s was huge in keeping the Angels in striking distance of the division lead, but that could be a mirage for this team with many issues. They rank in the bottom half of baseball in team ERA (4.75) and batting average (.253).

20. (24) Atlanta Braves, 18-19 - A 5-1 week has the Braves in a better spot this week. But they still are a mess on the road, and have gone 1-8 away from home this month. Martin Prado and Troy Glaus have been quiet surprises thus far, and their contributions have kept Atlanta hovering around .500.

21. (22) Chicago Cubs, 16-22 - The team has not responded to Alfonso Soriano’s offensive resurgence. Derrek Lee’s .238 average in the 3-hole is much of the reason why. The Cubs went another week at 2-4 and now sit in 5th place in the NL Central. Lou Piniella went on a patented media tirade yesterday in hopes of stirring something in the club.

22. (21) Seattle Mariners, 14-23 - The offensive struggles for the Mariners are at an all-time low. Cliff Lee struck out 10 batters and gave up just 2 earned runs in a wonderful complete game effort on Sunday, and the team lost 2-1. They are at rock bottom as a lineup, and must find a way to spark the offense. Ken Griffey’s struggles have been well documented recently, and for good reason. 2 extra base hits in 84 at-bats is atrocious.

23. (25) Chicago White Sox, 15-22 - The offense is in shambles. Super prospect Gordon Beckham looked like a potential breakout performer this year. Well, he’s hitting .191, including .081 with runners in scoring position. That’s a black hole in a lineup that cannot afford it. Paul Konerko still leads MLB with 13 home runs, at least.

24. (19) Milwaukee Brewers, 15-22 - After building some momentum last week, Milwaukee got swept by both of its opponents and is on a 6-game losing streak. The lineup is doing its job, as they are top-5 in the NL in average, OBP, slugging, and home runs. Ryan Braun continues to rake, and Casey McGehee is quietly third in the NL in RBI. The starting rotation is just a complete mess. And they are 4-14 at home, which does not help fan support.

25. (23) Arizona Diamondbacks, 15-23 - Arizona is in a bad place. They have the second worst staff ERA in the NL, and the worst in baseball in the month of May. They lead the NL with 47 home runs, but need to be a more complete ballclub to win more games. Or, they need to outslug opponents every night to compete. They need to find their identity. As of now, it’s that of a last place team.

26. (28) Pittsburgh Pirates, 16-21 - Statistically, the Pirates are awful. .308 OBP is the second worst in baseball. 5.70 ERA is the very worst in baseball. But their record is reflective of their ability to win some close games. And Andrew McCutchen is a future All-Star, and might get there this year. The problem is, their second most productive player this season has been a young middle reliever, Evan Meek, who is not even their closer. There’s not much talent on this roster outside of those 2.

27. (26) Cleveland Indians, 15-20 - Only the Mariners have hit less home runs and scored less runs than the Indians. But at least Seattle can pitch. The Indians are being led by Mitch Talbot’s 5 wins and 3.23 ERA. Shin-Soo Choo leads the team in average, OBP, slugging, OPS, home runs, RBI’s, runs scored, and stolen bases. He’s likely to represent Cleveland in the All-Star game this year.

28. (27) Kansas City Royals, 14-24 - The last-place Royals fired manager Trey Hillman last week. New manager Ned Yost led the team to a series victory over the White Sox, so that’s a good start, at least. We’ll see where they go from here.

29. (29) Baltimore Orioles, 12-26 - It’s only a matter of time before manager Dave Trembley gets the hook. But he’s not the only one to blame. Luke Scott and Ty Wigginton are carrying this offense right now. Who knows where the O’s would be without Wigginton’s 12 home runs, which lead the AL.

30. (30) Houston Astros, 13-24 - I still think the talent level is there for the Astros to compete. But they must not believe it. The team has an on-base percentage of .276. That’s so bad I don’t even know what to say. The next-lowest team OBP is the Pirates at .308. That’s 32 points higher. Kaz Matsui is the 2-hitter and batting .175. Carlos Lee bats third and hits .195. They all need to step it up at the plate.

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BIGGEST RISERS -
Cincinnati Reds (Currently 8th, up 7 from last week)
Los Angeles Dodgers (13th, up 5)

BIGGEST FALLERS -
New York Mets (18th, down 7)
Milwaukee Brewers (24th, down 5)
Oakland Athletics (15th, down 5)

Disagree with any of these rankings? Drop a comment and let me know. Be on the lookout for a new update every Monday.