Monday, July 18, 2016

2016 Week 14 MLB Power Rankings

  • ESPN.com
The Cubs had held the No. 1 spot in the Power Rankings for the entire season, but all good things must come to an end. A 2-9 record in their past 11 games heading into the All-Star break was enough to hand over the top spot to the Giants.
This week's voters are Jim Bowden of ESPN Insider, Eric Karabell of ESPN Fantasy, Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, David Schoenfield of the SweetSpot Blog Network/ESPN.com and Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Most of the team comments come courtesy of the SweetSpot Blog Network.
Past rankings: Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason


1. San Francisco Giants

Record: 57-33
Week 13 ranking: No. 3
Heading into the All-Star break, no team has won more games than the San Francisco Giants. With a comfortable cushion over the Dodgers, the NL West is theirs to lose. Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto and Brandon Belt will represent San Francisco in the All-Star Game in San Diego on Tuesday night. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the 'Zona


2. Washington Nationals

Record: 54-36
Week 13 ranking: No. 4
After taking three of four from the Mets, the Nationals have opened up a six-game lead in the NL East. Mets fans will have nightmares during the break about Daniel Murphy: He has 21 RBIs already against the Mets, the most by a player against the team he played with the previous season since Roger Maris had 27 for the Yankees in 1960 against the A's. And we're only at the All-Star break. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot


3. Chicago Cubs

Record: 53-35
Week 13 ranking: No. 1
The Cubs have gone 26-27 since beginning their season 27-8, and they'll return from the break with a tough series against the Rangers. -- Joe Aiello (@VFTB), View from the Bleachers


4. Cleveland Indians

Record: 52-36
Week 13 ranking: No. 2
After ending their 14-game winning streak, the Indians have come back to earth, splitting a series with the Tigers (for their first loss to Detroit this season) and dropping three of four to the Yankees. In a week with four blowout games, the highlight was easily a 10-2, five-homer rout of New York on Friday. -- Susan Petrone, It's Pronounced Lajaway


5. Texas Rangers

Record: 54-36
Week 13 ranking: No. 5
The Rangers limp into the All-Star break -- where they'll get some much-needed rest -- still at the top of the American League. The bad news? Their first series after the break will be in Chicago against the Cubs, who have been on a skid of their own. Something's gotta give. -- Brandon Land (@onestrikeaway), One Strike Away


6. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 51-40
Week 13 ranking: No. 13
Toronto played .667 ball in a 42-game stretch (28-14) ending Friday, putting them on pace for 91 wins overall. The team's 2.16 ERA in July is the majors' best. Jose Bautista (turf toe) is no longer wearing a walking boot and is hitting off a tee. -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit


7. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 51-36
Week 13 ranking: No. 6
At 51-36 at the break and two games up in the AL East, the Orioles are in a very nice position. The Red Sox and Blue Jays are right behind them, though, and the O's have clear areas to upgrade (starting rotation, left-handed relief). They'll surely make one or two moves at the deadline. Will they be the right ones? -- Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer), Camden Depot


8. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 51-40
Week 13 ranking: No. 7
The bullpen, as well as Dodgers fans, are hoping for a quick return by Clayton Kershaw. Since Kershaw's win over the Nationals on June 20, only one Dodgers pitcher has lasted seven innings in a start (Kenta Maeda in Sunday's win over the Padres). The pen has held up very well to this point, fashioning a major league best 2.83 ERA. -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit


9. Boston Red Sox

Record: 49-38
Week 13 ranking: No. 9
Boston sent at least six players to the All-Star Game in five consecutive seasons from 2007 to 2011, but had just seven total representatives in the next four games. Once again, the Red Sox have six All-Stars named to this year's team -- including four in the starting lineup. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the 'Zona


10. Houston Astros

Record: 48-41
Week 13 ranking: No. 8
Dallas Keuchel ended the first half on a good note, going 3-0 over his final five starts with a 2.78 ERA. The peripheral numbers still aren't quite at his 2015 level, but it's an encouraging sign that he has maybe turned the corner. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot


11. New York Mets

Record: 47-41
Week 13 ranking: No. 10
The Mets shattered a franchise record by hitting 25 home runs on their 10-game homestand (the previous record for a homestand was 20 in 13 games). Wilmer Flores is batting .440 with five home runs, 10 RBIs and seven runs scored in his last eight games. -- Joe Janish (@metstoday), MetsToday.com


12. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 46-43
Week 13 ranking: No. 17
There'll be no Andrew McCutchen in the All-Star Game for the first time since 2010, when the lone Pirates All-Star was reliever Evan Meek. Before Final Vote candidate Starling Marte was added over the weekend, the only Pirates All-Star was Mark Melancon, making his third appearance. Melancon ranks eighth among qualified NL relievers in HR/9 (0.25), ninth in walk rate (5.7 percent), fourth in ERA (1.26) and is tied for second in saves (27). -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the 'Zona


13. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 46-42
Week 13 ranking: No. 11
The Cardinals have yet to forge an identity this season, with their longest winning streak (five games) matched by their longest losing streak. The Cardinals' run differential of plus-89 remains third best in the National League. Their record at the break, 46-42, ranks seventh in the league. -- ESPN.com


14. Miami Marlins

Record: 47-41
Week 13 ranking: No. 15
Giancarlo Stanton's long slump is officially over. His last 15 games: .298/.385/.702 with six homers. The schedule through the end of July is favorable: seven versus the injury-ravaged Cardinals, four versus the equally ravaged Mets and seven against the Phillies. -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit


15. Detroit Tigers

Record: 46-43
Week 13 ranking: No. 14
The Tigers enter the All-Star Break four games behind the second wild-card spot and 6.5 games behind the AL Central-leading Indians. The next few weeks are critical not just for this season, but for the near future of the franchise. Should they risk going all-in, making one last playoff push for aging owner Mike Ilitch even if it costs what's left of their farm system? -- Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers


16. Kansas City Royals

Record: 45-43
Week 13 ranking: No. 12
Considering everything that went WRONG in the first half, a 45-43 record isn't that bad. They've been outscored by 26 runs, they're 16-30 on the road, they've had injuries and Chris Young has allowed what feels like a thousand home runs. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot


17. Chicago White Sox

Record: 45-43
Week 13 ranking: No. 19
Jose Quintana was a late addition to Tuesday's All-Star squad for the American League, and he certainly deserves the honor -- Quintana ranks sixth in the AL among qualified starters in ERA (3.21) and WHIP (1.11), and is tied for second with several other AL pitchers in quality starts (12). -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the 'Zona


18. Seattle Mariners

Record: 45-44
Week 13 ranking: No. 16
Robinson Cano was voted to his seventh career All-Star Game. He's hitting .312/.367/.549 this season and is on pace for a career-high mark in home runs. The franchise's second second baseman ever selected for the midsummer classic (Brett Boone was the first), he'll also be a contender in Monday's Home Run Derby, a contest he won in 2011. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the 'Zona


19. New York Yankees

Record: 44-44
Week 13 ranking: No. 18
The Yankees reached .500 while wrapping up a 10-game road trip in Cleveland and beating the AL Central-leading Indians three out of four times. They head into the All-Star break perfectly mediocre with no surge in sight, and with only a couple of weeks remaining until the trade deadline, look for them to be sellers. -- Stacey Gotsulias (@StaceGots), It's About the Money


20. Colorado Rockies

Record: 40-48
Week 13 ranking: No. 20
On June 15, the Rockies were one game under .500 at 32-33. Since then, they've either split or lost each of the seven series they've played, finishing the first half with a 40-48 record. General manager Jeff Bridich echoed the thoughts of many fans when he said he wants to see more consistency in the second half. -- Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers


21. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 42-48
Week 13 ranking: No. 23
There wasn't much chance of the Phillies sustaining their early season success, and June's difficulties helped them regress to a mean mean. On the other hand, while the pitching hasn't been quite as good as it was in April and May, the offense has started picking up the slack, scoring at least three runs in 17 of their last 19 games. -- Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers


22. San Diego Padres

Record: 38-51
Week 13 ranking: No. 26
Drew Pomeranz threw seven innings of two-hit ball against the Dodgers on Thursday night. In the process, he lowered his ERA to 2.47, and opponents are batting just .184 against him -- the best mark in the NL. He made the All-Star team by replacing Noah Syndergaard. -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit


23. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 37-52
Week 13 ranking: No. 27
Remember when Mike Trout had trouble against high fastballs? In 2014, he hit .076 with a .549 OPS against pitches in the upper third of the strike zone. In 2016: .324/.621/.595. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot


24. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 38-49
Week 13 ranking: No. 21
The Brewers shipped Aaron Hill to the Red Sox for prospects Aaron Wilkerson and Wendell Rijo, beginning a long-awaited fire sale. Expect the Brewers to be major sellers in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, with the No. 1 name on their trading block being All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy. -- Gabe Stoltz (@Stoltzy3), Disciples of Uecker


25. Oakland Athletics

Record: 38-51
Week 13 ranking: No. 25
From the things you didn't predict would happen in 2016: Marcus Semien is on pace for 35 home runs. And remember all his fielding issues last season? He has eight errors, after making 35 last season. That Jeff Samardzija trade maybe wasn't so bad after all. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot


26. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 38-52
Week 13 ranking: No. 22
The D-backs waived the white towel sooner than some expected when they dealt closer Brad Ziegler to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. With contention clearly out the window, one has to wonder who's next. Add Jake Lamb's All-Star snub to the mix, and it hasn't been a fun time in the desert of late. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the 'Zona


27. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 34-54
Week 13 ranking: No. 24
The Rays stumble into the All-Star break in a complete free fall -- arguably the worst stretch of baseball in franchise history. Brad Miller continues to be a bright spot, but the bottom half of the lineup is tumbleweeds, and the fundamental team defense is arguably the worst part of this dreadful season. -- Jason Collette, The Process Report


28. Minnesota Twins

Record: 32-56
Week 13 ranking: No. 30
The Twins may have the worst record in the American League, but they are streaking into the break after battering the Rangers in Texas over the weekend. Over their past 20 games, the Twins have gone 12-8 while averaging 6.7 runs and hitting .288/.357/.510 with 32 homers. This is the power-packed offensive production they were hoping for from the start. -- Nick Nelson (@NickNelsonMN), Twins Daily


29. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 32-57
Week 13 ranking: No. 29
Adam Duvall has 20 doubles, 23 home runs, and 61 RBIs. Only one player in Reds history has put up better numbers in those categories prior to the All-Star Game: Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, who had 23 doubles, 28 home runs and 79 RBIs in 1970. Bench went on to win his first MVP award that season at the age of 22. -- Chad Dotson (@dotsonc), Redleg Nation


30. Atlanta Braves

Record: 31-58
Week 13 ranking: No. 28
The Braves have hit more home runs (14) in their past nine games than they hit (11) in their first 37 games of the season, which was the extent of former manager Fredi Gonzalez's 2016 tenure. -- Martin Gandy (@gondeee), Chop County

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