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<b>SteemSports Presenter:</b>@thesportsguy
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<b>SteemSports Editor:</b>@scottybuckets
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There is plenty of movement once again in this week’s edition of the Power Rankings, as we have a new top team, and another new team in the top 5.  The NL West continues to be an underwhelming jumbled mess, the AL Central continues to be the weakest division in baseball, and the NL as a whole, continues to have virtually everyone in the mix 60 games into the season.  Before we get to the rankings, same disclaimer as always - these are the top 20 teams regardless of league and division standings, the top 10 aren’t necessarily the picks to make the postseason, etc., and the rankings fluctuate based on how teams are trending as of late with their play.  So, without further ado, lets’ get to it:
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1 BOSTON RED SOX (41-19) ▲
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It’s time to bump the Red Sox into the top spot in the power rankings for the first time this season.  They’ve been a mainstay in the # 2 spot all season long, but are now 4.5 games better than Houston and managed to go 4-2 a week ago to remain in front of the Yankees in the AL East - barely.  Boston ranks second in the AL in HRs, 1st in runs scored and 1st in batting average thus far, and continue to remain in 2nd in the league in ERA behind Houston.  While the Astros still have the nod in pitching, Boston’s offense has been much better, and now as the only team in the majors with 40+ victories, deservedly take over the top spot.
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2 HOUSTON ASTROS (37-24) ▼
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The Astros are bumped from the top-spot this week as they dropped their past 2 and are now just 4-6 in their past 10 games.  The historic pitching numbers remain firm, but aren’t quite as dazzling as a week ago, as their team-ERA rose from 2.58 to 2.82 currently.  That is still an amazing achievement 60+ games into the season, but the wins just weren’t there this past week, as they went 2-4.  The Numbers suggest a team that should have closer to 42-44 wins, but somewhat mediocre offensive numbers, have cost them some victories.  The division is difficult, but none-the-less, the pitching remains lights out and should carry the defending Champs back into the post season.
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3 NEW YORK YANKEES (37-17) -
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The Yankees hold firm at the third spot in the rankings this week.  A 4-0 week now has them 20 games above .500 and a game behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East.  They actually own a slightly better win-% than Boston, but have played 6 fewer games.  Their potent lineup continues to lead the way (MLB-best 90 HRs, 2nd in AL in batting average, 2nd in runs scored - just 9 fewer than Boston despite playing the 6 fewer games).  The pitching continues to be solid as well, ranking 4th in the AL in ERA.  The Bronx Bombers aren’t going anywhere and it should be a fight to the finish with their long-time rivals for the division.
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4 MILWAUKEE BREWERS (37-23)  -
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The Brew Crew holds steady in the 4-spot this week in the Power Rankings.  It was a bit of a down week, as they went just 2-3 and dropped 2 of 3 to the lowly White Sox in Chicago over the weekend.  None-the-less they continue to own the best record in the NL at 14 games above .500 and own a great combination of power (2nd in the NL in Home Runs - 1 behind the Nationals) and a lights-out bullpen.  They continue to overcome injuries, and still await the return of last year’s surprise ace Jimmy Nelson.  A move may be needed to shore up the starting rotation before the deadline, but for now, all is well in Milwaukee.
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5 CHICAGO CUBS (33-23) ▲
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The Cubs move into the top 5 for the first time this season as they continue to heat up over the past couple of weeks.  They are up two more spots from a week ago, and are now 5-1 in their past 6 games.  The bats continue to heat up with the weather, and the pitching is getting better and better each week, as they lead the NL in ERA at just 3.18.  They are tied for 1st in the NL in runs scored, and lead the league in batting average at .266.  Now a season-best 10 games above .500, the Cubbies don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.
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T-6 ATLANTA BRAVES (35-24) ▼
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The Braves drop a spot this week after going 4-3 in their past 7 games.  The drop has more to do with the surging Cubs than their own play of late.  They continue to sit atop the NL East standings, and have excellent offensive numbers (t-4th in NL in HRs, t-1st in runs scored, 3rd in batting average).  The pitching continues to be a bit of a question mark however, even though they are currently tied for 5th in the NL in ERA at 3.48.  The combination should have the Braves competing for post-season spot right up until the end.
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T-6 SEATTLE MARINERS (37-22) -
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The Mariners just continue to win, and this past week it was another nice stretch of ball, going 4-2, to put them a season-best 15 games above .500.  Oh by the way, they passed last year’s Champs for first in the extremely difficult AL West, and now lead the Astros by a game.  The pitching continues to get batter as the season progresses as they are now 5th in the AL in ERA.  The offense continues to improve as well, as they now rank 4th in the AL in bating average.  They do the small things well, and play very good defense, and don’t appear to be going anywhere.  The schedule will get more difficult going forward, but Seattle appears to be ready for a long pennant-race.
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8 WASHINGTON NATIONALS (33-25) -
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The Nationals remain locked into the 8-spot this week after going 3-3 over their past 6 games.  They cooled off a bit after a hot stretch, but remain just 1.5 games behind the Braves for first in the NL East, and 1.5 games better than the Phillies.  A power surge has the Nationals leading the NL in HRs with 75, and the pitching continues to trend in the right direction, as they are currently 2nd in the NL in ERA at just 3.20.  It seems like the Nats aren’t going anywhere and should find themselves right in the post -season mix yet again.
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9 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (32-25) ▲
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The Cardinals move up a spot this week in the rankings after a solid week of action saw them go 4-2 and remain in the thick of things in both the Wild Card and NL Central standings.  Not surprisingly, pitching continues to lead the way, as they are tied for 5th in the NL in ERA, and the surprising power numbers remain solid as they continue to sit at 5th in the NL in HRs with 69.
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10 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (31-26) ▼
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The Phillies slide back a spot this week, but continue to stay in the top 10 - for now.  The pitching continues to impress (4th in the NL in ERA at 3.45), especially the starting rotation, but the wins haven’t been there as they’ve dropped 3 straight and are just 3-7 in their past 10.  They remain in the thick of things in the competitive NL East, as they are just 3 games back of the Braves, but the offense needs to pick it up if they are to correct the recent skid, as they now rank just 11th in the NL in runs scored.
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11 CLEVELAND INDIANS (30-28) ▲
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The Indians continue to stay a couple of games above .500, and continue to slid up the power rankings, climbing two more spots this week.  While their overall record is still under-whelming, the Tribe is still far and away the strongest club in the weak AL Central and if the pitching can get back on-track, this team could pull away in the second half of the season.  They continue to hit the ball well, as they’ve crushed 88 HRs thus far, tied for 2nd in the AL, just 2 behind the Yankees.
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12 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (31-27) ▲
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A dismal 3-14 stretch of baseball seems to be behind the D-Backs, as they were finally able to turn things around last week, going 4-1 to regain the lead atop the NL West.  They move up a couple of spots this week, but the feeling seems to be that it will be just a matter of time before the Dodgers catch them for the top-spot.  Arizona can also thank a 4-game losing by the Rockies.  A third-best ERA in the NL of 3.30, continues to be the strength of the club.  
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13 LOS ANGELES ANGELS (32-28) ▼
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Ah the Angels.  They have been a main-stay in third place in the difficult AL West for weeks now, and can’t seem to get back over 5 games above .500.  That being said, there is a lot to like about this team, as their offensive numbers, (4th in HRs, 5th in runs scored) and pitching (3rd in AL in ERA at 3.66) suggest a team that should be bit better than 4 games above .500.  The combo of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani continues to lead the way for LA, as they attempt to keep pace in the tough AL West.
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14 LOS ANGELES DODGERS (29-30) ▲
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Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers, as last year’s NL representative in the World Series has cracked the top 15 for the first time this season.  A painfully slow-start to the season has given way to a solid stretch of baseball as they’ve won 3 straight and are 7-3 overall in their past 10.  The turn-around has brought them to within just 2.5 games of the D-Backs, but neither they or the Rockies seem like they will stay atop the standings for much longer as both the Giants and Dodgers are heating up.  As LA continues to get healthy, and with perhaps a move or two before the trade deadline, this team should be right back atop a much weaker West that is there for taking, as all five teams are within 5.5 games of each other.  
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15 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (31-29) ▲
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The A’s move up a spot and back into the top 15, as they’ve stayed consistently at about 2 games above .500.  They are still in 4th in the very difficult AL West, but trail the 3rd-place Angels by just a game in the standings.  Pitching has been surprisingly good for the young Athletics thus far, as they are currently 6th in the AL in ERA at 3.87.  While the offense hasn’t over-whelmed with runs and batting average, surprising power (75 HRs good for 5th in the AL) has helped keep this team floating along a bit under the radar. 
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16 COLORADO ROCKIES (30-29) ▼
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17 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (30-29) ▼
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18 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (29-30) ▲
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19 TAMPA BAY RAYS (28-30) -
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20 DETROIT TIGERS (28-31) ▲
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A lot of movement at the back end of the Power Rankings this week, as the Rockies dropped out of the top 15, thanks to falling out of first-place in the so-so NL West and 4 consecutive losses.  The Giants move up a couple of spots after a stellar week saw them go 4-1 and move to within 2.5 games of the D-Backs in the jumbled NL West.  The Rays stay put once again at 19, and congratulations to the Tigers, who find themselves cracking the top 20 for the first time this season as they are 7-3 in their past 10 games and continue to sit within a couple of games of the Indians in the weak AL Central.
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Thank you for following @steemsports and you can find me @thesportsguy
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