MLB Power Rankings

One team's hot and the others fall
When you play Major League Baseball!
It's all about who wins it all
When you play Major League Baseball!
-Kermit

1. Houston Astros (last week: 5): A couple weeks ago, the Seattle Mariners knocked the defending champions in the mouth in the first game of an important two-game set, 7-1. Now, Seattle's still hot, but so are the Houston Astros. Winning 12 straight and seeing a blazing stick from El Oso Blanco Evan Gattis (.400 BA, four homers, 15 RBIs in his past seven games) has put Houston back atop the AL West perch.
2. New York Yankees (1): After the home series against the Mariners, the Yankees will have a fairly easily road trip before their next home stand. This home stand will bring in New York's hated rival, the Boston Red Sox, and the upstart Atlanta Braves.
3. Seattle Mariners (4): The Mariners held their own against tough competition this past week, going 5-2 at home against the Los Angeles Angels and the Red Sox. Seattle has 23 one-run wins this year, more than any other team in baseball. Now comes the challenging part for Seattle; a road trip with the first two series against the Yankees and the Red Sox.
4. Boston Red Sox (2): Quietly, David Price (3.76 ERA, .229 Opp. BA, 1.20 WHIP) has become an important arm in the Red Sox rotation. His return to prominence should help Boston compete in the AL East against the Yankees.
5. Chicago Cubs (3): The Cubs will have a tough set of games coming up against the Los Angeles Dodgers. How Kyle Schwarber (12 homers, 32 RBIs, .842 OPS), Anthony Rizzo (11 homers, 47 RBIs, .771 OPS), and the rest of the lineup do against the Dodgers will determine how much of a threat the Cubs truly are in the National League.
6. Milwaukee Brewers (6): Milwaukee was feeling high and mighty after taking two out of three at home against the Cubs, but have lost three straight. Freddy Peralta's return to the rotation should help the Brewers a bit as they compete with the Cubs for NL Central supremacy.
7. Atlanta Braves (8): Mike Foltynewicz (10.71 K/9, 2.16 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) and Sean Newcomb (2.70 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) headline a stellar Braves rotation that are reminding fans of the days of Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz. Anibal Sanchez (1.93 ERA, 0.96 WHIP in six starts this season) has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves this year as well.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks (-): Jon Jay (.333 BA, .463 SLG, .903 OPS in 41 AB for the Diamondbacks) has been a solid addition for Arizona's lineup. The Diamondbacks must take advantage of a fairly mundane ten-game road trip to keep the hot Dodgers off their tails.
9. Los Angeles Dodgers (-): The Dodgers have this tendency of picking up no-name players and turning them into big contributors to the team. First, it was Justin Turner. Then, it was Chris Taylor. Now, it's Max Muncy (13 homers, 30 RBIs, .982 OPS). If Andrew Friedman and crew keep knocking these minor acquisitions out of the park, there's no doubt the Dodgers will win their first World Series since 1988.
10. Philadelphia Phillies (-): After the series against the Dodgers, the Phillies went 1-7 in an eight-game stretch. After that stretch, Philadelphia has gone 6-2 in another eight-game stretch. This will be a tough month for the Phillies. However, if they can weather the storm, they should be playoff contenders for the rest of the summer.

In the Hunt: Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics