By Garrett Rudolph, Section MLB
Posted on Fri Jul 28 2006 at 2:45 AM EST 
More on: MLB Power Rankings (all tags)
Welcome again to another week of the Sportscolumn Power Rankings. The Tigers extend their lead in the AL Central and the Yankees have overtaken the Wild Card. The Dodgers have fallen off the face of the earth and Cincinnati is still clinging to playoff hopes by the skin of their teeth. And although the division leaders are all still the usual suspects, half of baseball is still in the playoff hunt. Right now there are 12 teams within four games of the division leader and 3 more teams within four games of the Wild Card.
Rank (Pv) |
Team | Record |
Comments |
| 1 (1) |
 |
68-33 |
The Tigers are running away with the division, stretching their lead to 8.5 games over the White Sox and 6.5 games over the next closest team in baseball. Young ace Justin Verlander is 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA in July.
|
| 2 (3) |
 |
61-39 |
Forget about the Chicago Sox one-two punch of Thome and Konerko, the Boston Sox have Ortiz and Ramirez. The two sluggers have knocked in a combined 49 RBI during July. Not only is this more than any other combination of teammates, but they are also one and two in the league for RBI in July, individually. The second closest combination of teammates is Guerrero and Rivera (LAA, 44 RBI).
|
| 3 (4) |
 |
60-41 |
There has been serious talk about the Mets acquiring former Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito from the A's, which would make the only staff in baseball featuring three Cy Young Award winners. Reports indicate that the A's are asking for Lastings Milledge, Aaron Heilman, and another prospect, but the Mets aren't willing to give up that much for a rent-a-player.
|
| 4 (5) |
 |
59-40 |
The AL East standings are almost identical to what they were on this date of last year. Currently Boston has 1.5 games over New York and 5.5 games over Toronto. Last year it was Boston by 2 games over New York and 5.5 games over Toronto. The Yankees ended up winning the division.
|
| 5 (8) |
 |
59-41 |
There are only 13 players with an OPS over 1.000, since the All-Star Game. They are all in the American League and three of them are Minnesota Twins (Justin Morneau, Nick Punto, and Jason Bartlett; Joe Mauer rounds out the top 15 at .985).
|
| 6 (6) |
 |
58-42 |
Jason Isringhausen finally appears to have his head screwed on straight. The Cards closer has had 4 saves and an ERA of 0.75 in July. June was a month he'd rather forget, when he had an ERA of 5.75.
|
| 7 (2) |
 |
59-41 |
There are no questions as to why the Sox have fallen. Their team ERA of 5.55 in July is the 3rd worst in the MLB (behind Tampa Bay and Baltimore).
|
| 8 (7) |
 |
56-45 |
Lyle Overbay is one of the most underrated hitters in the game. He is hitting .306 with 16 homeruns and 60 RBI and his career OPS is over .830.
|
| 9 (9) |
 |
54-47 |
Mike Piazza is still a mediocre defensive catcher, but the Padres can't afford not to have him in the lineup. The future Hall-of-Famer has scorched left-handed pitching at a rate of .387, and for the month of July he has hit .392 with 4 homeruns.
|
| 10 (10) |
 |
52-49 |
As is typical, Billy Beane is looking like a genius, with the signing of Frank Thomas. While most teams thought the former MVP was done, the A's took a chance and signed him to an incentive-laden deal that has paid huge dividends. Thomas is hitting .250 with 22 homeruns and 58 RBI.
|
| 11 (11) |
 |
53-48 |
How about Reds backup catcher, David Ross! In just 46 at-bats, Ross has 12 homeruns. Check that man for abnormally high testosterone levels.
|
| 12 (14) |
 |
52-49 |
Vlad Guerrero has been one of the most productive hitters during the month of July. He has hit .400 for the month and knocked in 22 RBI (2nd only to David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez). He has an OPS of 1.047, but amazingly, he only has four homeruns for the month.
|
| 13 (12) |
 |
51-51 |
Bad news for the rest of the American League West. The Rangers have added Carlos Lee to a lineup already chock full of talent. However, he didn't come cheap. The Rangers sent Mench, Laynce Nix, and Francisco Cordero to the Brew Crew.
|
| 14 (15) |
 |
51-50 |
How bad did the Giants need Shea Hillenbrand? Omar Vizquel leads the team in five offensive categories.
|
| 15 (18) |
 |
51-49 |
Eric Byrnes has the highest career dropoff in OPS from before the All-Star Game and after. Currently, this season his OPS is over .850, but if history proves true, it'll be closer to .650 for the rest of the season.
|
| 16 (17) |
 |
48-53 |
Clemens has the Astros up to their old tricks again. In his four losses this season, he has given up 2, 1, 2, and 2 earned runs.
|
| 17 (19) |
 |
49-52 |
Jaime Moyer has always been the rock of the Seattle pitching staff. He is Seattle's career leader in wins, has topped 20 wins in two seasons, and leads the team in innings pitched. Coming off an almost unhittable 2.05 ERA in June, Moyer has been anything but, in July, getting knocked around for 8.34 earned runs per nine innings.
|
| 18 (13) |
 |
47-55 |
The Dodgers have an MLB worst 1-13 record since the All-Star break.
|
| 19 (20) |
 |
48-52 |
Surprisingly, the Braves are hitting .289 with runners in scoring position and two outs (which leads the NL), but only .267 with nobody on. Atlanta has had no problem getting clutch hits, they just haven't gotten enough total hits.
|
| 20 (22) |
 |
46-53 |
Of all the Philadelphia players rumored to be on the trading block (Abreu, Gordon, Burrell) it's backup catcher Sal Fasano who gets moved. Fasano will backup Posada in the Bronx, but will he trim the facial hair, now that he's a member of the clean-cut bombers? Or, will he be allowed to keep it as a living tribute to another mustachioed Yankee catcher, the late, great Thurman Munson. In other news, Chase Utley is one game shy of halfway to Dimaggio. Let the countdown begin.
|
| 21 (16) |
 |
47-53 |
Where have the Rockies big bats gone? In July, Todd Helton is hitting .205 and All-Star Matt Holliday is hitting .211. Colorado has lost 10 out of its last 13 games.
|
| 22 (21) |
 |
48-54 |
The Brewers haven't completely sat on their hands in the last days before the trade deadline. They did, after all, sign El Picante the Chorizo for the fifth leg of the sausage races, joining Hot Dog, Polish, Italian, and Bratwurst.
|
| 23 (23) |
 |
44-56 |
The Indians acquired hot young prospect Shin-Soo Choo from the Mariners. The Korean outfielder was one of the top prospects in the Mariners organization, hitting .323 with 13 homeruns and 48 RBI in AAA. However, they had to give up Ben Broussard, the team's leading hitter (.321 in 88 games), in order to get him.
|
| 24 (25) |
 |
46-53 |
If you can name the NL leader in ERA, I will give you my entire salary for writing this weekly article. Since you couldn't answer this question correctly, I'll go ahead and give you the answer: Josh Johnson of Florida, with a 2.60, in 103+ innings pitched.
|
| 25 (24) |
 |
46-56 |
Although traditionally a power position, first basemen for the Orioles only have 10 homeruns so far this year. Where's Rafael Palmeiro when you need him?
|
| 26 (26) |
 |
45-56 |
With all the pre-season hubbub Soriano made about not wanting to play the outfield, he hasn't played a single game at second-base, even with Jose Vidro out occasionally with nagging injuries.
|
| 27 (27) |
 |
42-60 |
Tampa Bay moved relief pitcher Tyler Walker to the closer spot, after acquiring him from the Giants, despite an ERA of over 15 with San Francisco. With Tampa Bay, his ERA has dropped to 4.95 and he's saved 10 of 12 opportunities. Not good numbers, but not bead when you're Tampa Bay.
|
| 28 (28) |
 |
39-61 |
Juan Pierre has the fifth highest career batting average after the All-Star Game, amongst active players (behind Ichiro, Guerrero, Helton). This year he's hit .300 since the break with seven stolen bases. He's a player who could be on the trade block, but not many people are talking about him as an impact player because of his mediocre first half.
|
| 29 (29) |
 |
37-66 |
Pittsburgh's bullpen is one of its few strengths. Their ERA of 3.87 is 9th in baseball, lower than Boston, St. Louis, the White Sox, and the preseason favorite for best team bullpen, the Angels.
|
| 30 (30) |
 |
35-65 |
Although Kansas City hasn't been mathematically eliminated from the AL Central Pennant, they probably still wouldn't win the division, even if they didn't lose another game all season.
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