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.
The Milwaukee Brewers need to get hot in a hurry. The competition has become too fierce in the National League Central to allow for a slump.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are hardly relevant in the National League West race at this point of the year but, hey, it’s Clayton Kershaw versus Tim Lincecum.
While plenty of teams were happy to get a rest for the All-Star break, the Red Sox may not have been one of them.
In the American League West, the cream appears to be rising to the top as we enter the second half of 2011.
The Washington Nationals deserve some credit for even playing .500 ball considering they’ve been without Stephen Strasburg all year, they’ve lost Adam LaRoche for the season and they’ve played much of the year without Ryan Zimmerman.
The St. Louis Cardinals emerge from the All-Star break pretty much as healthy as they’ve been since the start of 2011.
The New York Yankees begin their playoff stretch run at Toronto this week – but they must do so without some key contributors. Alex Rodriguez’s meniscus surgery will sideline him until late August.
It’s officially time for the Chicago White Sox to stop underachieving.
The All-Star break this week signals the start of the stretch run of the MLB regular season and the 2011 edition features some of the tightest division races in years.
Who knew that Sunday Night Baseball on July 10 would kinda, sorta mean something for the New York Mets?
Despite losing six of 10 through Wednesday, the Cincinnati Reds continue to tread water in the National League Central.
The season is still young, as teams have roughly 75 games left to play in 2011, but the weekend set with the New York Yankees remains a huge one for the Tampa Bay Rays.
I wonder if the Philadelphia Phillies spent the first few months of 2011 saying, “Hello? Atlanta? Weren’t you supposed to slug it out with us at the top of the standings? We’re waiting.”
As the All-Star break approaches, a handful of slow-starting teams are returning to prominence in this week’s power rankings.
Though they aren’t gaining much ground in the competitive National League East, the New York Mets have to be happy with their play of late.
