Monday, June 28th -

Interleague play has come to a close. It was quite kind to the White Sox, and especially unkind to the Dodgers. The Sox went 15-3, amassed an 11-game winning streak at one point, and now find themselves in the thick of the AL Central race, while the Dodgers went 2-9 in their last 11 games and are on the brink of a major meltdown. Even Jonathan Broxton, the best closer in the NL, is slumping for the Dodgers, after he blew a 4-run lead in the 9th inning of Sunday night’s loss to the Yankees. Oh, and we saw another no-hitter last week, thrown by Edwin Jackson of the Diamondbacks. Let’s take a look at how the interleague slate 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 13 MLB Power Rankings, with Last Week’s Rank in parentheses:

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1. (1) New York Yankees, 47-28 - The Yankees stay on top of the rankings with baseball’s best record. They took 2 of 3 from the Dodgers in their first reunion with Joe Torre since his departure. New York gave their old skipper a reminder of how tough it is to close out games against them, using a 4-run 9th inning off top closer Jonathan Broxton to lead to a series win. Robinson Cano got his MVP showcase moment with the game-winning 2-run homer in the 10th inning of that ESPN-televised Sunday night game.

2. (4) Atlanta Braves, 44-32 - The Braves were swept by the streaking White Sox last week, but they still jump to 2nd in my rankings. With the return of Jair Jurrjens into the rotation this week, I think Atlanta is poised to have a dominant 2nd half of the season with their stud rotation and surprisingly deep lineup. Jason Heyward’s lingering thumb injury on his left hand has led to a .181 average in June, and he’s going to see a specialist this week.

3. (2) Boston Red Sox, 46-31 - Injuries have been a problem all year for the Sox, who have battled through losing very important players to still be a top team in the league. They just can’t catch a break. Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez are now both headed for the DL after injuries last weekend. A team can only endure so many unlucky breaks before it starts to catch up to them, and I have a feeling that these injuries might break Boston’s spirits going forward. We’ll see if the Red Sox, who have scored the most runs in baseball, can weather the storm until the All-Star break.

4. (3) Tampa Bay Rays, 44-31 - The Rays continue to lose close games and get outscored in a lengthy stretch of losing since mid-May. Skipper Joe Maddon has pointed to the lack of an offensive identity on the club. Perhaps there’s a chemistry issue with all of the young talent on the team. BJ Upton got into a heated exchange with Evan Longoria on Sunday after being called out for jogging after a ball in center field. Young stars need to set the tone for the club by communicating about issues like that, not getting into nasty altercations. The talent is still there for this team to turn it around in a hurry.

5. (6) Texas Rangers, 46-29 - The Rangers beat up on the National League (14-4 in interleague play), and find themselves with baseball’s second best record to date. Josh Hamilton is hitting nearly .500 in the past month, and Nelson Cruz has returned from the DL again. This lineup is back to being feared like none other. If their starting pitching continues to improve going forward, they’ll see themselves in the top-3 very soon.

6. (7) St. Louis Cardinals, 41-34 - The Cards are half a game back of the NL Central lead, despite having the 2nd best team ERA in all of baseball (3.27) and one of the league’s most talented lineups. I’m still waiting for the Cards to start clicking on all cylinders. Quietly, Colby Rasmus is 5th in the National League with a .945 OPS. St. Louis has 3 of the top 8 qualifying starting pitchers in NL ERA, led by Jaime Garcia’s 1.79.

7. (5) Minnesota Twins, 41-34 - After cruising along for much of this season, the Twins are in a bit of a funk and starting to feel the heat. Minnesota is just 1.5 games ahead of the streaking White Sox, and just half a game ahead of Detroit. I expect them to snap out of it quickly. They have the second lowest ERA in the AL. Joe Mauer’s .820 OPS is over 200 points less than it was last season, which could be the crucial stat to getting this team back on track.

8. (10) San Diego Padres, 45-30 - The Padres went 5-1 last week and now, once again, have the best record in the NL. They’ve been the most consistent team in all of the National League. They’ve been outstanding thus far, led by baseball’s best ERA. But I’m still not ready to put them ahead of St. Louis or Atlanta in terms of the best team in the NL. If they pick up a big-time bat at the trade deadline, then we can start talking San Diego as contenders. Adrian Gonzalez leads the NL in OPS, and not a single other qualifying Padre is in the top 50 in the league.

9. (9) San Francisco Giants, 40-34 - While this rotation is still stacked, Tim Lincecum’s current stretch of average starts is keeping them from making a push on the Padres. He was just outdueled by Jon Lester on Sunday, and needs to get back to Cy Young form. The Giants are also just 8-14 against their division this season; not a way to gain ground in a playoff race. I still like the makeup of this club to compete until the end of the season.

10. (12) Cincinnati Reds, 42-34 - A big 5-1 week from the Reds has them back in first place in the NL Central. Expect these even teams to keep trading places for a while. Cincinnati leads the NL in average, OBP, and slugging. 5 of their 8 starting hitters are in the top 25 in NL OPS. The starting pitching will determine the fate of this team going forward.

11. (13) New York Mets, 43-32 - David Wright’s 24 interleague RBI ties a major league record for a single season. His emergence over the past month has been huge for the Mets. This rotation is starting to come around, and Johan Santana has actually been the biggest question mark recently. Some people may have forgotten how good Jose Reyes is when healthy, and he’s starting to get close to 100 percent. He makes this team go.

12. (14) Philadelphia Phillies, 40-33 - Jimmy Rollins’ return from the DL coincides with a big 5-1 week for the Phils to get them back in the division hunt, just 2.5 games back. Chase Utley is the key to this lineup; when he’s hot, it rubs off on everyone else. All things considered, he’s had a down year, with an .854 OPS, 11 HR, 36 RBI, and 5 stolen bases in 70 games, way down from last season’s pace.

13. (18) Chicago White Sox, 39-35 - The White Sox are on fire! Winners of 13 of their last 14 games, including 11 in a row before Sunday, has them just 1.5 games back of the division lead. Paul Konerko is back again as the MLB home run leader. Carlos Quentin is finally showing signs of life, and all 5 of their starting pitchers are finally below a 5.00 ERA. This team has always had the talent, and was just lacking the consistency. Something has ignited a spark in this team, and they’re playing very well.

14. (11) Toronto Blue Jays, 40-36 - Just when I thought Toronto was here to stay, they have begun to tail off. The Blue Jays are a hit-or-miss offense, whose high home run rate is countered by the worst average in the AL. Fred Lewis has been a nice surprise as a hitter in the leadoff spot this season, but he has just 17 walks and 5 stolen bases, while striking out 65 times.

15. (8) Los Angeles Dodgers, 40-35 - No team has been falling faster than the Dodgers, who went 4-11 in interleague play. Matt Kemp has been non-existent in the past 6 weeks, and has seen his OPS drop to .760. He earned himself a healthy spot on the bench in a nationally televised Sunday Night Baseball game against the Yankees. Andre Ethier has not been the same player since his thumb injury.

16. (15) Detroit Tigers, 40-34 - The Tigers still just sit half a game back of the Twins, but are still 9 spots back in my rankings. They could be the next team to rise, but we still need to see more consistency in all phases of the game. Rick Porcello is in the minor leagues, and Miguel Cabrera is carrying this entire offense. Austin Jackson has been outstanding defensively in center field, but has regressed a bit at the plate.

17. (16) Los Angeles Angels, 43-35 - Another 4-2 week from the Angels, who have played very well in the past 4 weeks. However, the Rangers have been even BETTER, and have a nice 5-game division lead in the AL West. Mike Scoscia just finds ways to get this team to play at a high level, even when it’s least expected. We’ll see where they are at the All-Star break and gauge whether this team has the chance to compete with Texas for the division crown.

18. (17) Colorado Rockies, 39-36 - No surprise that the Rockies went 3-3 yet again last week. We were surprised, however, to see Ubaldo Jimenez give up 5 runs against the Red Sox in his first poor outing of the year, only to wind up with a no-decision thanks to a furious Colorado comeback in the 9th against Jonathan Papelbon. The Rockies are still within striking distance in the division.

19. (20) Oakland Athletics, 37-40 - Daric Barton is the only hitter in the lineup to qualify in the top 50 of AL OPS, and his .805 is nothing impressive. Oakland continues to get by with solid starting pitching and defense, but we’ll see how long this lasts.

20. (19) Florida Marlins, 35-40 - The Marlins fired manager Fredi Gonzalez last week, in a move that everyone saw coming. Florida’s management needs to find a guy they like and stick with him, or else this mediocrity will continue to halt the development of their talented young club. This is the same front office that fired Joe Girardi following an 83-win, Manager of the Year season for a talent-lacking Marlins team. Bobby Valentine is no longer in consideration for the job.

21. (21) Chicago Cubs, 33-42 - Carlos Zambrano has been suspended indefinitely, following a major blowup in the Chicago dugout in which he acted like a madman and cursed out several players. Big Z is not pitching well, causing serious problems, and owed huge money for the next 3 seasons. The Cubs screwed up badly with him.

22. (23) Seattle Mariners, 31-44 - The Mariners are 7-3 in their last 10 games and playing solid baseball, but their horrid start has their management admitting that they will be major sellers at the trade deadline. Cliff Lee, who has been spectacular once again this season and leads the AL in ERA, will likely be dealt as the golden prize of the deadline.

23. (22) Washington Nationals, 33-43 - The Strasburg show continues on Monday Night Baseball on ESPN against the Mets in his first nationally televised start. The Nationals went just 5-13 in interleague play.

24. (24) Milwaukee Brewers, 34-41 - The Brew Crew quietly went 5-1 last week, and are hoping to save their season with a White Sox-like streak of wins. Yovani Gallardo is starting to put his name in the Cy Young discussion. He leads all of baseball in strikeouts, to complement his 2.36 ERA. Ryan Braun’s .855 OPS is the lowest its been all season, and he’s due to breakout soon.

25. (26) Arizona Diamondbacks, 30-46 - The Diamondbacks took 2 out of 3 from the Rays in the battle of the Upton brothers. In the process, Edwin Jackson threw MLB’s 4th (and should be 5th) no-hitter of the season. Jackson walked 8 batters, allowed another runner via error, and threw 149 pitches on his way to one of the strangest no-hitters in history. Arizona rewards him with two extra days off before his next start.

26. (25) Kansas City Royals, 32-44 - The Royals are just 1 point behind the Rangers for the best team average in baseball, but their OPS is 40 points lower. Kansas City has played .500 ball against their division, but are just 18-30 against all other teams in the league.

27. (27) Houston Astros, 29-47 - The bottom 4 teams in my rankings stay put once again, and have established themselves as the clear-cut bottom feeders in MLB. The Astros went 3-12 in interleague play. Houston is the only NL team without a qualifying hitter in the top 50 in OPS.

28. (28) Cleveland Indians, 27-47 - Shin-Soo Choo has had a nice season, and Carlos Santana is a legitimate young star as their catcher. The Indians have pieces to build upon, but absolutely no sign of a competitive baseball team this season. They went 5-13 in interleague play.

29. (29) Pittsburgh Pirates, 25-50 - The Pirates were swept in consecutive series last week, to run their record to 2-13 in interleague play. Against right-handed starting pitchers, the Pirates have amassed a 15-39 record. They play .500 ball against lefties. That won’t take you very far in a righty dominated league.

30. (30) Baltimore Orioles, 23-52 - The O’s had a respectable 7-11 record in interleague play, perhaps signifying that the National League is once again the inferior league this season. The AL has won the interleague series against the NL in 10 of the last 11 seasons. The O’s are 8-26 against the monstrous AL East.

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BIGGEST RISERS -
Chicago White Sox (Currently 13th, up 5 from last week)

BIGGEST FALLERS -
Los Angeles Dodgers (Currently 15th, down 7 from last week)

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