NL Power Rankings (July 10, 2007)

Team/Record/This Week (Last Week) - Comments

Padres/49-38/1 (1) - 1st in the NL in ERA, OPSA, WHIP and QS; 3rd in BAA. Good thing, as the Pad's rank dead last in BA and OBP, in are in the bottom 3 in SLG and OPS. It helps when this guy (-->) is your second best starter -- (8-3, 2.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .197 BAA).

Dodgers/49-40/2 (2) - Giving San Diego a run for best staff (2nd in ERA, OPSA and QS; 3rd in WHIP). Dodgers have been getting on base (3rd in NL at .340) but continue to struggle at hitting for power (11th in SLG, 10th in OPS). We'll see if LA parts with some young talent in an effort to solidify the offense.

Braves/47-42/3 (6) - Smoltz's health will be a large factor in the Braves ability to compete for the NL East crown in the second half. The most encouraging aspect of Atlanta's first half is they were able to stay with the Mets despite less-than-head-spinning showings from A. Jones, McCann and Francoeur. Looking forward to '08, Atlanta has to be excited that Salty seems to be holding his own at first. Maybe there's room on the same roster for the two catching prospects after all.

Brewers/49-39/4 (3) - The Cubs surged and the Brewers held them off. Braun has been raking, and Fielder is the first half NL MVP. Sheets has stayed healthy and Gallardo handled his call up to Milwaukee with poise. While I was originally anxious in seeing Gallardo shifted to the pen, he might be a welcome addition to what is right now the teams biggest weakness.

Mets/48-38/5 (4) - I keep saying I don't believe the staff is good enough to beat the best in the NL over the course of a seven game series, and Maine and Perez continue to make a compelling argument to the contrary. A sweep at the hands of the up-and-comer Rockies and a split with the Astros was not exactly an inspired end the to the first half. Still, the Mets are in first -- isn't that ultimately what matters?

Rockies/44-44/6 (9) - I promise to go one week without bringing up the rookie shortstop that is blossoming into one of the most entertaining players to watch in all of baseball. Instead, let's give some love to the guy nipping at Prince's heels in the MVP race (.341/.964, 15 HR, 69 RBI, 56 R). Holliday has established himself as the cornerstone in one of the NLs most potent offenses (1st in BA and OBP; 3rd in OPS and Runs; 5th in SLG). A lack of pitching depth means the Rox will struggle to stay with LA and San Diego in the second half, but they certainly have the bats required to meet those teams head-on.

Diamondbacks/47-43/7 (5) - The Snakes have come back down to earth. As expected this young squad has been up and down -- most recently down having dropped 8 of the last 10. How loaded is the farm system/youth at the major league level? The D-backs likely will not be interested in discussing a new contract with the soon-to-be free agent Eric Byrnes (who was the 1st half team leader in BA, HR, RBI, R, SB and OPS).

Phillies/44-44/8 (7) - The Phils have raked their way into striking distance of the wild card (top 5 in BA, RS, OBP, SLG and OPS). Unfortunately, the staff is nowhere near playoff calibre. Hamels continues to flash staff ace stuff (10-4, 3.72/1.21, 124 K/ 118.2 IP), but there simply isn't enough there this year. To make matters worse, there isn't much in the farm system exciting potential trade partners.

Cubs/44-43/9 (8) - The Cubs are the current trendy pick for NL Central champs -- I'll stick with my preseason Brew Crew. Still, it would be disingenuous to ignore the fact that Chicago is currently one of, if not the, hottest teams in the NL having won 12 of their last 16. Despite a lineup consisting of A-Ram, Lee and Soriano, the Cubs have struggled to score runs (1oth in NL in RS). The staff has carried the load, however, and ended the first half ranked in the top 5 in ERA, BAA, OPSA, WHIP and QS.

Marlins/42-47/10 (10) - Hanley Ramirez has been a pleasure to watch through the first three months -- .331/.388/.538, 14 HR, 35 RBI, 70 R, 27 SB). If the Fish are willing to part with Willis -- preferably for some young hitting -- they could be poised for a series of playoff runs that could last for several years starting '09. Already stocked with some solid young arms in Miami, Chris Volstad (pictured right) will arrive in a couple of years with the rest of his highly touted High-A Hammerhead staff.

Pirates/40-48/11 (11) - Bucs continue to show signs of promise, posting an impressive 5-2 record last week against Milwaukee (3-1) and Chicago (2-1). The young arms have been hit and miss but encouraging. At some point, however, the Pirates will have to sign some young bats. Even if McCutchen turns it around this year and is ready to contribute in '08, it will take much more to fix this offense (currently ranked 12th in BA and 14th in RS, OBP, SLG and OPS).

Cardinals/40-45/12 (12) - Tying run on third; winning run on second; Pujols available to pinch hit. What would you do? Please fax your answers to 312-XXX-X5X3, Attn: Mr. Tony La Russa.

Astros/39-50/13 (13) - Now that Biggio has his milestone, can we please let Chris Burke play at second?

Giants/38-48/14 (14) - Five more to go for Barry. If the Giants make a run at the big catch this off-season, San Fran fans may be treated to the breaking of the greatest record in baseball twice in ten years.

Reds/36-52/15 (16) - My guess is less than two weeks until you see Joey Votto (pictured right) doing this in Cincy. Any guesses when Bailey will get things straightened out? I can't believe this wasn't foreseen by the Cincy front office. Usually, if a kid is having difficulty with command over his offspeed stuff at AAA, he won't have it figured out by the time he steps off the plane and into the majors.

Nationals/36-52/16 (15) - Hopefully they get something for Cordero. I also hear the new stadium is looking good.

NL MVP - Prince Fielder, Brewers (.289/.376/.620, 29 HR, 70 RBI, 22 2B)

NL Cy Young - Jake Peavy, Padres (9-3, 2.19 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .213 BAA, 125 K/34 BB/ 119 IP)

NL RoY - Hunter Pence, Astros (.342/.367/.589, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 7 SB)

AL Power Rankings (July 10, 2007)

Team/Record/This Week (Last Week) - Comments

Tigers/52-34/1 (3) - Tigers finish strong with a 5-1 week, including 2 of 3 from Cleveland and a 3 game sweep of the BoSox. Tough not to peg Detroit as the team to beat in the AL, especially with the gradual emergence of Andrew Miller (3.31/1.30) who put up a 7 inning one run performance against Boston last Friday (6 K, 3 H, 4 BB). Offense is also 1st in the AL in SLG, OPS, BA and runs, and 3rd in OBP.

Red Sox/53-34/2 (4) - Despite a sweep at the hands of the above team, Boston locks up the number 2 spot through the All Star Break. While the Sox haven't been lighting up the scoreboard (7th in the AL in scoring), they continue to get on base (1st in AL - .358) and knock the ball around (3rd in SLG - .437). The runs will come. Pitching staff continues to cruise (2nd in AL in ERA, OPS and WHIP; 3rd in BAA, 5th in QS), and Lester should be able to fill in for Schilling. There aren't any threats remaining in the East, so Boston can focus on playing solid ball and resting up for October.

Indians/52-36/3 (2) - How impressive has V-Mart been through the first half? How about .324/.382/.553, 16 HR and 68 RBI. Think how good this offense could be in the second half if Grady and Pronk catch fire. Adam Miller looked solid in his first start since returning from the DL, and could be a fine addition to the staff or pen in August if everything goes according to plan.

Angels/53-35/4 (1) - Angels stumble into the break dropping 2 of 3 against both the Rangers and the Yankees (not exactly the cream of the AL crop right now). Still, you can't ignore the impressive three months of baseball the LAAoA have produced, including a staff that is top 5 in the AL in ERA, BAA, OPSA, WHIP and QS (this with Santana, Colon and Weaver under-performing).

Twins/45-43/5 (5) - Here starts "the rest" of the AL. Twins finish the first half seven games back of the current Wild Card Indians. Minnesota has been a good second half team over the last couple of seasons, and they will have to replicate that effort in 2007 if they want to continue play in October. Good to see Garza up and throwing well (at least through his first start). The Twins have stated he'll get at least one more -- if that goes well I expect him to stick, as his stuff is better than any other prospect they have.

Mariners/49-36/6 (7) - Seattle is just a game and a half back of Cleveland for the Wild Card, but it's hard to imagine this team competing throughout the remainder of the season. Again, I cite: 11th in the AL in QS, WHIP, BAA; 10th in ERA; 7th in OPSA. The biggest win for Seattle may be the fact that a strong showing this year could go a long way towards convincing Ichiro to stay put.

Yankees/42-43/7 (9) - The Yanks will make a run, I'm sure, over the next three weeks. Unfortunately, it may be a case of too little too late. A run differential of +70 tells me this team is probably not as flawed as the media would have us believe. More likely, we're looking at the 2006 Indians all over again, with nothing but bad luck (and, okay, a bad bullpen) to blame.

Blue Jays/43-44/8 (8) - Jays took 2 of 3 from each of the A's and Indians to close out their first half. It would be nice to see a little more offense, but it's hard to argue with the staffs ranking of 4th in AL in BAA, OPSA and QS. Riccardi may be expressing frustration at AJ and his contract, but I'd like to know how he feels about BJ's bloated deal.

Athletics/44-44/9 (6) - Like the Twins, the A's have enjoyed great second halfs the last couple of years, and like the Twins, they will need a repeat performance in '07. The improvements are going to have to come from the offense, as I'm not sure how you improve on a staff leading the AL in ERA, OPSA, WHIP and QS and 2nd in BAA.

White Sox/39-47/10 (12) - Congrats to Kenny Williams and the southsiders on signing Buehrle (shown right, celebrating). Let's see how quickly they can unload Dye (and whether they can get anything of substance in return). I'd check Arizona to see if Brett Anderson is available, but my guess is that's aiming high. The supplemental pick may be more valuable than anything they get through trade talks.

Rangers/38-50/11 (14) - Rangers take 2 of 3 from LA and Baltimore over the last week. With bullpen arms available (Gagne and Otsuka), look for lots of trade rumors -- especially involving Boston and Philly. There's really not a market out there for Teix, so Texas will have to plan on a pipe-dream run at the playoffs next year and a supplemental pick in '09.

Royals/38-50/12 (13) - Like the Rangers, the Royals have an arm to trade in Dotel, and will likely pull the trigger. Gordon is starting to look like the RoY candidate we all expected back in April. It's going to be a lot of fun watching him and Butler in the lineup together.

Orioles/38-49/13 (10) - Despite solid efforts from the pitching staff as of late, Baltimore limps into the break after a disappointing first half. Guthrie, Bedard, Roberts and Markakis give the team a decent core, but they are two or three bats and another starter away from making any noise. Tejada's injury means no big trade in July -- although I'm not sure this year's Tejada would bring back anything worth the removal of his bat from the lineup. Next up for O's fans is the signing of Wieters in August...at least I hope so.

Devil Rays/34-53/14 (12) - Rays have dropped 20 of their last 25. The young bats have been fun to watch this first half -- especially Upton, Young and Harris. It's nice to see Pena living up to his hype; better late than never. Looking forwad to seeing how Longoria fares against MLB pitching -- he's been good for .301/.396/.522, 8 HR and 17 2B for the Biscuits so far this year. Look for a September call-up.

AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez, Yankees (.317/.413/.665, 30 HR, 86 RBI, 21 2B, 9 SB)

AL Cy Young - Dan Haren, Athletics (10-3, 2.30 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .205 BAA, 101 K/32 BB/ 129.1 IP)

AL RoY - Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles (4-2, 2.74 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, .207 BAA, 72 K/ 18 BB/ 102 IP)

AL Power Rankings (July 2, 2007)

Team/Record/This Week (Last Week) - Comments

Angels/51-31/1(3) - Halos taking 2 of 3 from the Orioles is barely news-worthy. The "barely", however, is the fact that this brought them to a franchise best 51-31 after 82. Well balanced team is ranked in the top 5 in the AL in BA, Runs, OBP, OPS, SB, ERA, BAA, OPSA, SV, WHIP and QS. Great to see Kotchman producing, and Kendrick getting back to full strength.

Indians/49-32/2(4) - PnR's pick for the AL Pennant looking strong as we head into the last week of the first half. 5th in BA, 2nd in Runs, 3rd in OBP, 2nd in SLG, 2nd in OPS -- all without the usual Pronk. Cleveland has to start thinking about moving V-Mart to 1st full time. It's getting harder and harder to risk an injury (.323/.384/.583, 14 HR).

Tigers/47-33/3(2) - Herculean effort from Bonderman and a well-timed HR from Thames prevent Twins and Baker (3 H in 8 IP) from securing the sweep. Manny over Sheff for All-Star honors doesn't sit well; nor does Polanco starting over Roberts. Anyone disagree? Detroit gets huge challenge heading into the break with six at home against the Tribe and the Bo-Sox.

Red Sox/49-31/4(1) - Getting swept by the M's and losing two of three to the Rangers is simply unacceptable. Fortunately for Boston, the rest of the AL East has been equally inept, as of late. Sox get a chance to rebound with four against the Rays before a three game trip to Detroit to end the first half.

Twins/42-38/5(7) - Thames's homerun is the difference between a five- and three-game deficit to Detroit. If the Twins want to keep this a three team race through September, they are going to have to figure out a way to drive in some runs (8th in Runs, 12th in OPS). Having Mauer healthy will be a huge step in the right direction. Santana back to Cy-form after a slow start (2.76, 9.47K/IP) -- Johan has allowed three or fewer runs in eleven of his last twelve starts.

Athletics/42-39/6(6) - I almost forgot what a hitting catcher looks like in an Oakland uniform (Suzuki, pictured right). A's are primed for their annual second-half sprint towards the playoffs. This year, however, it doesn't look like the LAAoA are going to be quite so willing to fold. Given the current state of the staff (1st in ERA, BAA, OPS, WHIP and QS), imagine what Oakland could do if Harden could stay healthy for even 15 starts...

Mariners/45-33/7(9) - Come on, this can't continue for long can it (bottom third in AL in ERA, BAA, OPS, WHIP and QS)? I'm thinking Hargrove has the right idea by bailing while the team is twelve over .500. I'll second that notion; anyone else want off this ill-conceived bandwagon?

Blue Jays/39-42/8(11) - Mired in a four game losing streak, the Jays have missed a good opportunity to gain some ground on the Sox. While neither has been awful, you have to wonder if this is what JP had in mind when he signed Wells and Thomas to their respective contracts this offseason.

Yankees/37-41/9(5) - Yankees have one shot left to make a run at the playoffs. That chance comes with 28 games against Tampa, Toronto, Baltimore, Kansas City and Chicago to start the second half. Looking at the offense (top 5 in AL in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS and Runs) it's tough to figure how this team is four under .500 -- then you look at the pitching (bottom 5 in AL in ERA, OPSA, WHIP and QS).

Orioles/35-45/10(9) - Starting pitching has been a bright spot (2nd in AL in BAA and 3rd in AL in OPSA), including staff ace Bedard (3.36/1.18 and AL leading 125 K's) and rookie Guthrie (1.74 ERA in 11 GS). Unfortunately, there's not much to look forward to in '07 -- only the Royals have scored fewer runs and hit fewer homeruns in the AL. McPhail and the rest of the front office will be praying that some pop emerges from the farm system between Rowell, Reimold and Wieters (provided he signs).

Devil Rays/33-47/11(12) - Rays have dropped seven in a row and thirteen of seventeen. If Baldelli could only stay healthy, Tampa could have shipped him this May for some pitching. Even with the dearth of young hitters, the Rays will need at least one more arm to add to Shields/Kazmir/Price/Niemann if they want to compete by 2010.

White Sox/35-43/12(8) - Who'd-a-thunk a line-up full of aging stars, OBP dumpsters and a strategy of bunting and stealing would eventually lead to disaster? Certainly not the south-side proponents of Ozzie-ball. "What can I do? All this worked back in 2005," exclaimed a befuddled Guillen.

Royals/34-48/13(13) - Bottom third in BA, Runs, OBP, SLG, OPS, ERA, BAA, OPSA, WHIP and QS. Not much to work with, here. Pre-season RoY hopefully Alex Gordon seems to have found his stroke, going .327/.383/.500 in June. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Wright-esque second half, with 12-15 HR/SB.

Rangers/34-47/14(14) - Usual struggles from the staff (13th or lower in ERA, BAA, OPSA, WHIP and QS) and a surprising first half from the Mariners have left the Rangers as the only AL West team with nothing to look forward to for the rest of the season. Given his contract, it was going to be tough to move Teixeira even before his injury. It's going to be tough watching him walk at the end of '08 and getting nothing but a pick to show for it.

AL MVP: Magglio Ordonez, Tigers (.369/.444/.617, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 34 2B)

AL Cy Young: Dan Haren, Athletics (10-2, 2.20 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, .202 BAA, 98 K/31 BB/123 IP)

AL RoY: Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles (4-1, 1.74 ERA, 0.79 WHIP in 11 GS; 2 runs or fewer in 10 of 11 GS)

NL Power Rankings (July 2, 20007)

Team/Record/This Week (Last Week) - Comments

Padres/46-34/1 (2) - Major League best 271 runs allowed (3.01 ERA). Peavy/Young an interesting juxtaposition against soft-tossing control specialists Maddux and Germano. The bullpen is pretty nasty, too. Bradley and Barrett might be enough to make the Padres the team to beat in the NL through the 2nd half (raise your hand if you ever thought you'd see that sentence in print anywhere?)

Dodgers/46-36/2 (3) - After dropping 2 of 3 to the Padres, the Dodgers will finish the first half with four against the Fish and three against the Braves. Martin and Loney continue to impress, and the starting rotation isn't far behind San Diego. Should be a great race from here on out.

Brewers/47-34/3 (6) - Last year, Braun and Gallardo were showcased in the futures game (pictured right). It's not a stretch to think they could find their way back to the All-Star festivities in the Bronx. Can't say I agree with dropping Gallardo to the pen in favor of Capuano, but at least Milwuakee has stayed away from the silly "back to Nashville" talk.

Mets/46-34/4 (1) - David Wright has a legitimate shot at 30-30 this year (currently 14-17). Staff continues to impress, despite pre-season second-guessers (PnR certainly included) -- 2nd in QS (49), 2nd in ERA (3.65), 1st in BAA (.234), 3rd in OPSA (.696) and 2nd in WHIP (1.25).

Diamondbacks/46-37/5 (4) - Run differential not too impressive (-17), nor is losing back-to-back series against the Giants and Dodgers. Snakes will need a lot more offense if they want to keep pace with the Dodgers and Padres (currently ranked 12th in NL in OBP, 14th in BA and 12th in runs).

Braves/43-39/6 (5) - Braves missed a prime opportunity to take charge in the East in June. With the final two first half series on the road against the Dodgers and Padres -- and the Mets facing Colorado and Houston -- Atlanta could be looking at 6-8 game deficit going into the 2nd half. Will Soriano be closing by the end of July?

Phillies/42-40/7 (7) - Nothing worse than being a buyer in July with nothing to offer. Hopefully Myers is effective in his return, but it's going to take more to stay with the Mets (as evidenced by this weekend's near sweep). On the bright side, Utley is OPSing an impressive .985 and Howard has a healthy second half to look forward to. No matter what the voters say, Rollins is having an All-Star calibre season.

Cubs/40-40/8 (13) - Don't fret, Carlos, Barrett is gone and you're throwing like yourself again. Odds still in favor of Barrett getting the last laugh, as the Cubbies are probably not built to stay with Milwuakee and San Diego should be a virtual lock for the post-season. Good opportunity to make a run with four against the Nats and three against the Bucs going into the break.

Rockies/39-43/9 (8) - Rough stretch for the Rox, who have dropped nine of their last ten. There has been cause for excitement in the first half, but stretches like these will likely continue until the team gets a little more experience under their belt. Solid offense (top half of the NL in most offensive categories) and iffy pitching (bottom half of the NL in most pitching categories) par for the Colorado Course.

Marlins/38-44/10 (9) - I was expecting more from one of last-year's more entertaining teams. Rough week ahead in San Diego and LA; 2nd half reprieve with first three series against DC, StL, and Cincy. Strong group of power arms waiting in the wings (and current crop of youngsters lead by Cabrera, Ramirez, Willingham, etc.) should translate into another playoff run in the next three years.

Pirates/35-46/11 (11) - Freddy Sanchez is a curious choice for the All-Star team, no? Especially with Gorzy turning in such an impressive first half (not to mention leaving off Sanchez would have made room in the IF for Ramirez/Rollins). Young pitching still fun to watch, but at some point you have to draft and sign some big bats.

Cardinals/36-42/12 (12) - 15th in ERA (4.89) and 14th in QS, watching Haren in the All-Star game will be particularly tough for Cards fans. Toss in a bottom-third ranking in OBP, SLG and runs scored, and you have the perfect recipe for not defending a World Series title.

Astros/35-47/13 (15) - Congrats to Biggio on #3,000 (as well as 1-2,999). Not sure he did the Astros any favors by sticking around to pursue this milestone (his .293 OBP/ .393 SLG has been far from impressive), but I guess he's earned the right...hasn't he? Now, will some one PLEASE let Burke get some regular time at 2b?!

Giants/35-45/14 (10) - How pretty would Cain, Baker, Liriano, Lowry and Lincecum (shame on those of you who were starting to doubt Timmay!) look for the next four or so years? How about with Nathan in the bullpen? Giants should be big sellers this month, at least in part to prep for a run at Arod in the offseason.

Nationals/33-48/15 (14) - While they're a far cry from the worst team in baseball history -- which some predicted they would be -- the Nationals still have a ways to go before they can be called a decent squad. One All-Star "snub" you won't read about is Dmitri Young (yes, partially because it's not that big of a snub). Still, it's nice to see the Meat Hook put up a solid first half after such an ugly end to 2006.

Reds/30-49/16 (16) - Homer Bailey has been dreadful, and I fully expect him to find his way back to Louisville soon. Cincy will try to peddle Dunn and Griffey, but there isn't really a huge market for expensive veterans now-a-days. There is no joy in Redsville; nor is there reason for optimism.

NL MVP: Prince Fielder, Brewers (.281/.371/.614, 27 HR, 66 RBI, 20 2B)
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy, Padres (9-2, 2.09 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, .214 BAA, 119 K/31 BB/ 112 IP)

NL RoY: Hunter Pence, Astros (.340/.367/.571, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 7 SB)

NL Power Rankings (June 1, 2007)

Team Name/Record/This Week/Last Week - Comments

Mets/34-18/1/1 - Solid weak for the Mets, who finished 5-1 against the Marlins and Giants. Delgado is heating up, which will be key depending on how the Beltran injury shakes out. Not sure I'd part with prospects for Willis -- might as well ride the pitching as far as they can. The bats will keep them in most ballgames.

Padres/31-22/2/3 - Kouz continuing to look more and more like a MLB third-baseman. The staff is firing on all cylinders, ranked 1st in the NL in ERA (2.92) and WHIP (1.15), 2nd in BAA (.233) and QS (32). I'd hate to be up against Peavy, Young. Maddux and Germano come October.

Dodgers/31-22/3/4 - 4-2 on the week with series wins against the Brewers and the (cough) Nats. Weekend against the Bucs before a showdown with the Padres. Loney is up; let's see if he has the stick to stay.

Diamondbacks/32-23/4/6 - A perfect week for the D-backs (6-0), extending their win streak to 7. Unless the Giants deal for one more big bat, this could be a three team race by July. Who am I kidding? It's a three team race no matter what. Youngsters will still be prone to slumps, though (see Stephen Drew).

Braves/31-23/5/2 - A sweep at the hands of the Phillies was not the start to the week Atlanta was looking for. After taking 2 of 3 from the struggling Brewers, the Braves get three more chances to get their footing against the toothless Cubbies.

Brewers/30-24/6/5 - Brew Crew continues to slump. Braun has already been called up, and (not to sound like a broken record, but...) Gallardo should follow soon. 2-5 last week was ugly, but inexplicably Milwaukee still holds a 6.5 game lead against the 2nd place Pirates (no that is not a typo).

Phillies/26-27/7/9 - Only a .500 week, but a sweep of the Braves has to count for something, right? Looks like Alfonseca will be the go-to-guy in the 9th for now...Look for some exciting endings!

Rockies/25-29/8/12 - The pitching is still questionable, but you have to love the way these kids have started to swing the bat. Any baseball fan who doesn't know Tulowitzki by now will by the end of the season. There simply is nothing this kid can't do defensively, and his bat could eventually yield .300-25-100 seasons.

Marlins/26-28/9/8 - The Fish drop a spot after a 3-4 week. It's nice to get a sweep against the Cubs, but the Mets gave Florida the same treatment Friday through Sunday. Who cares how much Cabrera weighs? The kid can flat out rake! .323/.397/.556/.953, with 10HR 14 2b and 37 RBI

Giants/25-27/10/7 - Zito looked like an ace for a game; so did Morris. Unfortunately, Cain and Lincecum are the only 2 sure things on the staff right now. That said, I love the upside of a Cain/Lincecum/Lowry/Zito/Sanchez staff for '08 and beyond. Bonds's slump has shown how fickle this offense truly is without its primary cog.

Pirates/23-30/11/15 - A 4-3 week may not be anything spectacular, but given the current state of National League baseball, it's enough for a four spot climb in the PnR PowerRankings. Odds are the Bucs will rejoin the bottom third of the Rankings next week with series against LA and Washington, but enjoy the bump (and 2nd in the NL Central) while it lasts.

Cardinals/22-29/12/13 - 3-4 this week, but series against the 'Stros and Reds gives a little hope to the Redbirds. If the Brewers continue their slide into next week, the Cards are amazingly in position to jump back into the NL Central Race.

Cubs/22-30/13/10 - Most drastically overhauled team continues to underperform. Actually, for anyone who was paying attention to the offseason, isn't this what we really expected? I hate to say it, Lou, but Tampa is looking pretty good right now.

Nationals/22-32/14/14- Nat's are doing their best to make sure the 2007 Season is not the record-breaking disaster that so many (myself included) predicted. DC gets the Padres and the Pirates this week.

Astros/22-31/15/11 - So...how do you drop from 6 to 15 in two weeks? You go 2-11, and get outscored 95-27. Right now, the Longhorns and Aggies would be sizeable favorites against the Astros...And I'm talking about these guys ---------->

Reds/21-34/16/16- The good news is Homer Bailey has looked sharp since returning to action. The bad news is the Reds are much more than one pitcher away from being a respectable Major League team.

NL MVP: Prince Fielder, Brewers (.293/.374/.635/1.009, 19 HR, 43 RBI, 14 2B)

NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy, Padres (7-1, 1.68 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, .200 BAA, 92 K/21 BB/80.1 IP)

NL RoY: Hunter Pence, Astros (.348/.380/.583/.963, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 16 of 40 hits for extra bases)

NL Power Rankings (May 25, 2007)

Team Name/Record/This Week/Last Week - Comments

Mets/29-17/1/1 - Went 3-3, including two losses to the Braves. Mets hold onto the top spot, but barely. ESPN may be convinced the pitching staff is "not as bad as advertised"; PnR is still quite skeptical.

Braves/28-19/2/2 - Smoltz picks up win 200 against the Amazin's. Braves still look like the team to beat in the East; especially if Andruw ever gets going.

Padres/22-19/3/5 - SD continues to ride strong pitching from Peavy, Young & co. Germano is starting to look like the real deal; yet another strong week for the pen.

Dodgers/27-20/4/4 - Pierre is back to the lead-off spot despite an OBP 68 points lower than Furcal (.303 vs .371). This is not the way to win a division.

Brewers/28-19/5/3 - Dropping series to Twins and Dodgers, 3-7 over last ten. If this drags on, expect to see Gallardo and Braun by early June.

Diamondbacks/26-23/6/7 - 3.77 team ERA has been enough to keep the snakes in most games. How long can these youngsters keep pace in the improving NL West?

Giants/24-22/7/8 - Bonds's struggles continue while the former Huskie continues to wow on the mound. Sanchez is back at AAA to get regular work; I wonder how long until he replaces Morris? -- I say one month and improved command over his off-speed stuff.

Marlins/23-24/8/11 - A big jumble from 8 through 11. The Fish get the nod with Myers going down and Houston incapable of scoring runs regularly.

Phillies/23-24/9/9 - Phils get Howard back but may lose Myers for an extended period. Not much in that bullpen for the Philly-Phanatics to get excited about.

Cubs/21-24/10/10 - Cubs hold fast at 10, but only because of Houston's ineptitude. Nice win in SD last night to avoid the sweep. This weekend doesn't get any easier with a trip to LA.

Astros/21-26/11/6 - Offensive struggles lead to 1-7 over last 8, including a 1-2 record against lonestar rivals. Outscored 55 to 11 over this stretch.

Rockies/20-27/12/13 - Looks like the Rox are the only team in the NL West that won't have a shot at the post season. Wonder if there will be any takers for Helton come July?

Cardinals/19-25/13/15 - Still a really bad team, but a three game win streak is a step in the right direction (disclaimer - three wins were against the Captain Jack Sparrows). Good fortune continues with weekend series against the Nats.
Nationals/19-29/14/16 - Not convinced the Nats aren't the worst team in the NL, the Pirates and Reds were just that bad this week. Battle of the unspectacular with the Cards this weekend.

Pirates/19-27/15/12 - Five game losing streak is ugly. Having to listen to Pirates of the Carribean references throughout ESPN/Disney Sportscenter is uglier. Savy?

Reds/18-30/16/14 - A 4.46 team ERA is not going to cut it, even in the NL Central. Hopefully Cincy will get some young pitching for Dunn in July.


NL MVP: J.J. Hardy, Brewers (.311/.353/.595/.948, 14 HR, 41 RBI, 12 2B)
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy, Padres (6-1, 1.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, .193 BAA, 77K, 66.1IP)
NL RoY: Hunter Pence, Astros (.341/.383/.614/.997, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 13 of 30 hits have gone for extra bases)

Lincy Breaks Through

Tim Lincecum had a breakout performance last night, fanning 10 over 7 innings of two-bit ball. It's apropos that this showing came against the pitcher to whom he is most often compared -- Roy Oswalt. Oswalt had a nice evening as well, throwing 5 2/3 innings of no hit ball and striking out 6 before leaving the game with a 1-0 lead after 7. As an aside, the Giants eventually won in the 12th on an RBI infield hit off of the 1st base bag.

If you have MLB Gamecast, it's worth your time to go back and watch last night's game if you missed it. It was truly a sight to see.

NL Power Rankings

While MJ is handling the AL, I have the pleasure of examining the NL squads. Here is PnR's first week of NL Power Rankings:

NL Power Rankings (May 16, 2007)

Team Name/Record/This Week/Last Week/Comments

Mets/26-14/1/-/Weekend sweep of the Brewers solidified the Mets as the front-runner one quarter through the season. Perez and Maine remain huge question marks the rest of the way, but the offense should churn out 5-7 runs a night.

Braves/25-16/2/-/Weathered Wickman's injury admirably, and fortunately Smoltz looks like he will be back shortly. It's time for the other Jones to lead the offense for a while.

Brewers/26-15/3/-/Rough weekend in New York. Minny skid means we could see both Gallardo and Braun sooner rather than later.

Dodgers/25-16/4/-/Solid at the plate; solid on the mound. Ranked 4th or higher in the NL for BA, OBP, SB, ERA, BAA, OPS Against, SV, and QS. Oh, and 5th in WHIP.

Padres/22-19/5/-/Peavy making a case for best pitcher in the NL. Nice to see a strong start after last seasons irregularities.

Astros/20-19/6/-/Oswalt and Lincy square off tonight. Can anyone slow down Hunter Pence?

Diamondbacks/22-20/7/-/Chris B. Young (a PnR favorite) looks like he's heating up. If only Stephen Drew could do the same...

Giants/19-20/8/-/Cain, Zito, Lowry, Lincy and Morris -- in five weeks we may find this is the best rotation in baseball. Clear, Cream, Pills, Shakes or Veggies -- whatever you're thoughts on the matter, here's hoping in five years we can all look back and recognize how incredibly good Bonds truly is.

Phillies/20-21/9/-/Cole Hamels and Brett Myers are each thriving in their new role -- ace and closer, respectively. Want to know something scary? Howard's power numbers are actually ahead of where they were last year at this time.

Cubs/18-21/10/-/Made a nice run, but took a huge step back today allowing 5 in the bottom of the ninth. If Hill, Marquis and Lilly don't keep up their unexpected dominance, we could see the Cubies free-falling down the Ranks.

Marlins/18-23/11/-/We all knew there would be some regression this year, but the Fish have to be disappointed with this start. On the bright side, Cabrera is still raking.

Pirates/18-22/12/-/Sluggish offense makes it unlikely the Pirates will compete in a weak NL Central. Ranked 12th or lower in the NL in BA, R, OBP, SLG and OPS.

Rockies/17-24/13/-/Tulowitzki making a case for staying in the two slot -- Dirtbag finally starting to catch his bat up with his defense. Hirsch has been a nice surprise, but expect a bumpy ride throughout the season.

Reds/16-25/14/-/Hamilton has been fun; the pitching staff has not. With Homer Bailey struggling with his command in Louisville, maybe Reds fans should start counting down the days until the Votto era instead.

Cardinals/16-22/15/-/So this is what an unimproved, aging World Series champ looks like, huh?

Nationals/15-26/16/-/I wish there was something nice to write...I'm excited for the new stadium?

NL MVP: Jose Reyes, Mets (.337/.411/.533, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 35 R, 7 3B, 23 SB)
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy, Padres (5-1, 1.64 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, .194 BAA)
NL RoY: Hunter Pence, Astros (.354/.391/.662, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 10 of 23 hits have gone for extra bases)