Monday, June 14th -

There’s a major shakeup at the top of these rankings. Several teams have moved up and down in the top 12. We also have a new #1 team. I wrote last week that this could be a time for the Yankees to make a major run, given their full strength roster and very favorable upcoming schedule. New York has done just that so far, using a 5-1 week to reclaim first place in the division (tied with Tampa Bay). The other major story from the past week was, obviously, the debut of Stephen Strasburg. Washington’s phenom had a spectacular first career start, striking out 14 batters in 7 innings. He got his 2nd major league win in his next start on Sunday, giving up just two hits and 1 run in five innings. All eyes will be on Strasburg going forward.

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 11 MLB Power Rankings, with Last Week’s Rank in parentheses:

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1. (2) New York Yankees, 40-23 - Our new top team went 5-1 last week and is now tied with the Rays for the best record in baseball. Next week is a big one for the Yanks, with series against the struggling Phillies and rival Mets at home. The Yankees have the best OBP in baseball (.365), 13 points better than any other team. Robinson Cano leads the team in every relevant offensive statistic except walks and stolen bases. Brett Gardner has 21 steals, 3rd in the AL. He also has a higher slugging percentage than Mark Teixeira. That’s remarkable, and Tex’s struggles are becoming a growing concern.

2. (1) Tampa Bay Rays, 40-23 - The Rays are barely playing .500 ball in their last 25 games (13-12). Still, they have the best record in baseball, a testament to their tremendous start. They have nothing to worry about. The pitching is still dominant, they have a dynamic offense with the most stolen bases in baseball, and a good defense that saves runs. Carlos Pena, their biggest offensive concern, hit a home run every day last week except Sunday, giving him 15 on the season. He’s still hitting .196 with the most strikeouts in the American League, though.

3. (3) Minnesota Twins, 36-27 - The only thing MVP candidate Justin Morneau could possibly improve upon is his BB/K ratio (45/44). Francisco Liriano has been filthy in his last few starts. Joe Mauer has just 2 home runs in 201 at bats, and is quietly having a fairly mediocre season thus far. It hasn’t been a big issue for the team because of his consistent .400 OBP and Morneau’s huge year behind him. Also, the Twins lead the league by a huge margin in two important stats: fewest walks issued and least errors in baseball. That’s how this disciplined team cuts down on extra runs.

4. (8) Boston Red Sox, 37-28 - The Sox have been hot for over a month now. Boston continues to gain ground on the division, and they’re now just 4 games back of the Rays and Yanks. Those three teams have the top 3 records in the American League. Kevin Youkilis has emerged as a top-5 MVP candidate and really sets the tone for this team. He leads the AL in runs and walks, has the 3rd highest OPS, plus 12 homers and 40 RBI. Right now Boston’s biggest concern is finding a 3rd consistent starter after Lester and Buchholz, at least until Beckett returns from injury.

5. (11) Los Angeles Dodgers, 37-27 - The Dodgers lost a lot of momentum by being swept by the Angels at home in the interleague rivalry. However, the Dodgers look to be in pretty good shape. The starting pitching has rounded into form, they have the best hitting outfield in baseball, and the most dominant closer in the league. This week, they’re my top NL team. I try not to have my top teams fluctuate, but the National League hierarchy is so hard to figure out right now, due to the struggles of the Cardinals and Phillies.

6. (5) Cincinnati Reds, 36-28 - The Reds have been in the top 3 of my NL teams for awhile now. They’re 1st in the NL in average, 2nd in home runs, and 3rd in stolen bases. Those are results of a dynamic offense. The pitching has much room for improvement, but Homer Bailey, Aroldis Chapman, and Edinson Volquez will all be available starting pitching options shortly. The potential is there for this team to be a serious contender.

7. (10) Atlanta Braves, 37-27 - Atlanta nearly swept the Twins in their home stadium in a good series of similar teams. However, I haven’t seen enough consistency from the Braves to have them higher in the standings. If Jair Jurrjens can come back strong for them, this rotation will be dominant and potentially enough to make them an NL favorite. The Braves have a considerable lead on the Phillies now, and must focus on holding off the surging Mets.

8. (9) San Diego Padres, 37-26 - The Padres have the best record in the National League, albeit by just one game on several other teams. A 2.97 ERA will do that for you. Their offensive average, OBP, and home run total are in the bottom 3 of the National League. But timely hitting is the key stat for this team that pitches so well for 9 innings. We’ll see if this formula can hold up for the long haul. I’m a believer that they are a playoff contender, but far from considering them an NL favorite.

9. (13) Texas Rangers, 35-28 - While the Angels are surging right behind them, the Rangers are safely the best team in the division. Josh Hamilton’s recent slugfest has given them several monsters in this lineup that is starting to look like that of the last 2 seasons. Combine that with Colby Lewis’s emergence, a filthy bullpen, and better overall pitching stats, and Texas should be a player in the postseason.

10. (4) St. Louis Cardinals, 34-29 - The Cardinals have struggled to score runs at several times this season, which surprises me. I refuse to kick them out of the top 10 just yet, but another 1-5 week could do it. Matt Holliday is the key to this offense. If he starts to hit, it affects the entire output of this offense, especially Albert Pujols. Their top 3 starting pitchers are outstanding, but they’ve been getting nothing from the 4 and 5 spots recently.

11. (6) Toronto Blue Jays, 34-30 - The Jays had their worst week of the season, going 1-5. I like this team, but the concern is their competition. In one of the other 2 AL divisions, the Blue Jays are a contender for the playoffs. But in the AL East? It’s unlikely. Having to play the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays for 60 games this year is very tough for their chances.

12. (7) Philadelphia Phillies, 32-29 - The Phillies continue to struggle mightily. Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton are not suited for starts against AL hitters; they combined for a 31.40 ERA in their starts against the Red Sox last week. Philadelphia now sits in 3rd place and in need of a major shake-up in the lineup. Their starting pitching, after Roy Halladay, is not good enough to keep them playing high quality baseball without the power surge they expected to get. A healthy Jimmy Rollins could be the answer, but he’s not available yet.

13. (12) San Francisco Giants, 35-27 - The Giants appear to have found the big bat they needed. Enter Buster Posey, the super catching prospect with plus power that is now playing first base for the big club. The Giants could skyrocket in these rankings if their hitting starts to come around. I had this team as high as 6th in the rankings for several weeks early on, and it’s possible for them to get back there. Lincecum needs to get back to dominating, and Sandoval needs to stay hot.

14. (15) New York Mets, 35-28 - Not many people have been taking the Mets as serious contenders this year. But if their starting pitching continues to improve as it has been lately, the Mets could put it together to make a run. Jon Niese and R.A. Dickey have joined Santana and Pelfrey as very quality starters of late. It’s tough to put so much faith in these 2, but they’re much better options than Oliver Perez, who nobody had confidence in. There is still potential for more from this lineup, as well.

15. (19) Los Angeles Angels, 36-30 - Perhaps Kendry Morales’ injury was the spark this team needed. I doubt that they wanted to lose their best hitter, but it has woken up the team’s bats. Mike Napoli is now playing 1st base in Morales’ absence, and he’s a solid hitter. Letting Mathis handle the catching duties has been beneficial for the team. The real outlook for this team depends on their starting pitching, which has been up and down this season.

16. (14) Colorado Rockies, 33-30 - It’s the same story for the Rockies. They have the super ace Ubaldo Jimenez and tons of potential power in the lineup. But they have underperformed offensively, and the rotation has been weak after Jimenez. Jorge de la Rosa is good when he’s 100%, and Jeff Francis could be the answer in his comeback season. I still think this team is primed for a big second half.

17. (16) Detroit Tigers, 33-29 - Armando Galarraga has pitched well in 2 starts since his near-perfect game. The Tigers, though, are regressing as whole since their hot start. I once had them as high as 5th in the rankings. They need way more consistent starting pitching and full-lineup hitting to get there. Miguel Cabrera is carrying this offense on his shoulders. After Cabrera, the team’s most dangerous hitter might be youngster Brennan Boesch.

18. (20) Washington Nationals, 31-33 - All the buzz is around the Nationals, now that Stephen Strasburg will be pitching every 5 days for the club. They still need more starting pitching help, but they are looking to add someone, perhaps Roy Oswalt, through trade. The team is 4-2 since Strasburg’s callup, but they’re still in last place. Be on the lookout for any moves they might make to make a push in this first season of the Strasburg era.

19. (18) Florida Marlins, 31-32 - Mike Stanton looks like a real good player already. Florida has enough young talent to make noise, but they’re also in a very tough division and have been plagued by inconsistency. Ricky Nolasco has similar numbers to last year, in which he has a high strikeout rate and pitches efficiently but gets burned for runs in bunches, resulting in a 5.10 ERA.

20. (17) Oakland Athletics, 32-33 - The A’s are back under .500, and it’s starting to look like that’s where they belong. Their goal is to play the kind of baseball that San Diego is playing, but it’s much harder in the AL, and also harder without any kind of superstar like Adrian Gonzalez. Their pitching has never been 100% at one time, and Brett Anderson has not looked the same since his return from injury.

21. (21) Chicago Cubs, 28-35 - Carlos Marmol is still the most nerve-racking 9th inning man in baseball, but his numbers have been very good this season. 1.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a ridiculous 54 K’s in 29 innings. When he’s right, he’s a huge asset in the 9th. But until Chicago starts hitting better, they’re not going anywhere.

22. (22) Chicago White Sox, 28-34 - The White Sox showed signs last week, winning 4 straight and almost a 5th after a 1-0 loss on Sunday. But nobody is scared of this lineup. Paul Konerko and Alex Rios are the only consistent hitters on the team. Bobby Jenks has been a mess in the 9th inning, with a 1.73 WHIP.

23. (25) Milwaukee Brewers, 26-37 - I’ve got nothing new to say for the Brewers. Their offense is good, their pitching is awful. Their bullpen is especially atrocious. Prince Fielder has not played well enough to put them over the top as a truly dominant lineup, either. Changes could be coming in this organization.

24. (24) Kansas City Royals, 27-37 - Zach Greinke needs to throw 130 pitches and go 9 innings to be assured of victories. The middle relievers of Kansas City have been simply awful this season. The Royals are 4th in MLB in average, and 14th in OBP. This points to a very impatient lineup that doesn’t make pitchers work hard enough to get outs, despite some talented hitters on the team.

25. (26) Arizona Diamondbacks, 26-38 - The Diamondbacks are in the same predicament as the Brewers. They can slug with the best of them, but can’t pitch at all. Arizona’s problem has been the complete shellacking of several of their starters who they expected to be nice young pitchers. They believe in Edwin Jackson, but he’s been lit up on several occasions this season.

26. (23) Seattle Mariners, 24-39 - The Mariners are the complete opposite of the Diamondbacks. Seattle can consistently pitch well, but cannot hit for their lives. These things are becoming unbreakable trends for the Brewers, D’Backs, M’s. There’s become a good chance that Cliff Lee is now expendable at the trade deadline. He has been phenomenal, too, as an innings eater with an absurd 40-to-4 K/BB ratio.

27. (28) Houston Astros, 25-39 - Houston will be big-time sellers at the trade deadline. Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman appear sure to go elsewhere. That’s good news for both players, who have shown the ability to still produce at a high level. The team's atrocious offensive production is killing the results for both players.

28. (29) Cleveland Indians, 25-37 - The Indians called up huge power-hitting catcher prospect Carlos Santana. He has provided some much-needed excitement to this dead ballclub. In fact, he now might immediately become their 2nd best hitter, after Shin-Soo Choo. Also lost in the Indians’ terrible season is the resurgence of Fausto Carmona, who is looking like his 2007 self.

29. (27) Pittsburgh Pirates, 23-40 - The Pirates got sweep in 2 straight interleague series to finally reach their proper spot in the standings: last place in the NL Central. They called up Jose Tabata, former big-time Yankee prospect who they got in the 2008 Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte deal. Perhaps there is a future here in this outfield of Tabata, Jones, and McCutchen. There’s not much of a future elsewhere.

30. (30) Baltimore Orioles, 17-46 - The Orioles are not getting any better under Juan Samuel. They are on pace for one of the worst records in MLB history. Let’s hope we don’t have to start following their games like we did with the Nets in the NBA, just to track their historic futility.

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BIGGEST RISERS -
Los Angeles Dodgers (Currently 5th, up 6 from last week)
Boston Red Sox (4th, up 4)
Texas Rangers (9th, up 4)
Los Angeles Angels (15th, up 4)

BIGGEST FALLERS -
St. Louis Cardinals (Currently 10th, down 6 from last week)
Philadelphia Phillies (12th, down 5)
Toronto Blue Jays (11th, 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.