Shea’s MLB Power Rankings (as of 7/20/2011)
Our first post-All-Star-break edition of the power rankings shows that some real slugfests are shaping up for the stretch run in every division.
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(Previous rankings in brackets)
1. (9) Texas Rangers (56-41): Baseball’s hottest team has won 12 straight games. After the fan’s death at a game and Nolan Ryan’s heart scare, everyone around the sport is happy to see something positive happening in the Lone Star State.
2. (4) Boston Red Sox (58-37): The Red Sox have gotten hot and should stay that way with Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester working their way back from injuries. 
3. (1) Philadelphia Phillies (60-36): They’re hardly slumping. Just slowing down slightly as the dog days of summer arrive. Nothing to worry about.
4. (3) New York Yankees (56-38): Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia may be turning into pumpkins. If the Yankees are smart, they’ll seek out a younger, more reliable arm before the trade deadline.
5. (2) Atlanta Braves (57-40); The pitching staff continues to flourish. Better yet, Dan Uggla is batting a “lofty” .268 with five homers and a .967 OPS in July. There’s still hope for him.
6. (11) San Francisco Giants (57-41): The key to the Giants recent surge hasn’t really been pitching; they’ve had that all season. It’s the offensive upswing, led by Pablo Sandoval, that has them looking like World Series contenders again.
7. (14) Detroit Tigers (51-45): Neck and neck with the Indians. Given the Tigers’ superior star power, they seem like the better bet to win the battle for the American League Central.
8. (8) Tampa Bay Rays (51-44): Don’t be surprised if Tampa pulls a major deal before the deadline for some hitting help. Could Colby Rasmus come to town in exchange for Jeremy Hellickson or some other major pitching prospect?
9. (12) Pittsburgh Pirates (51-45): The Pirates have to be the feel-good story of 2011 so far. They haven’t led their division this late in the year since 1992, the last time they were a playoff team. It may not last but it’s amazing to say “Pirates” and “buyers” in the same sentence for a change.
10. (13) Milwaukee Brewers (52-46): The Brewers still look like the National League Central’s most talented team to me. But they’ll miss the playoffs if they can’t figure out how to win on the road.
11. (7) Cleveland Indians (51-45): Carlos Santana is picking up the slack with a power surge just when his team needs him most. But Cleveland’s slew of injuries may be its downfall. Grady Sizemore (again) is the latest casualty.
12. (15) Arizona Diamondbacks (52-45): The D-Backs look determined to push for the NL Wild Card. Should David Hernandez have to relinquish the closer job when J.J. Putz returns from injury? Hernandez has been perfect.
13. (25) Florida Marlins (47-50): Quietly one of baseball’s hottest teams, winning eight of 10. It should surprise no one that Hanley Ramirez is the big reason. The superstar is batting .373 with 17 RBI in 16 games this month. It was only a matter of time before he snapped out of his funk.
14. (10) Los Angeles Angels (51-46): Just when the Angels looked like they were in the thick of the AL West race, the Rangers went off. Now what? Should they buy or sell at the deadline?
15. (21) Minnesota Twins (45-51): Sneakily just 5.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. The Twinkies just might do the unthinkable if they can just get healthy.
16. (5) St. Louis Cardinals (50-46): As we watch Kyle Lohse hurtle towards Earth, it’s clear the Cardinals are one (injured) Adam Wainwright away from the formula needed to win their division this year. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
17. (16) Cincinnati Reds (48-50): The Reds remain one of 2011’s most confusing stories. Their team is virtually unchanged from last year’s group yet they’ve fallen to fourth in the NL Central.
18. (20) Toronto Blue Jays (48-49): They seem destined to be a .500 team all year. At least they’re having fun doing it. This a pretty exciting young team.
19. (18) Chicago White Sox (47-50): No end in sight for Adam Dunn’s slump. The nightmare continues on the South Side.
20. (26) Colorado Rockies (46-51): We can never forget about the Rockies in the second half of any season. The post-break surge has become their trademark.
21. (6) New York Mets (48-48)
22. (17) Washington Nationals (48-49)
23. (22) Oakland Athletics (42-55)
24. (28) Chicago Cubs (39-59)
25. (24) San Diego Padres (42-55)
26. (27) Los Angeles Dodgers (42-55)
27. Seattle Mariners (43-53)
28. (30) Baltimore Orioles (39-55)
29. (29) Houston Astros (32-65)
30. (19) Seattle Mariners (43-53)
We’re nearly halfway thru the 2011 MLB gambling season. It’s time to NOW bring your best baseball betting hat to the table for gambling on baseball. Cappers Picks all season long provides MLB baseball gambling predictions, so check back often.
