Major League Baseball Power Rankings: Week 14 – Part 1
Power Rankings in week 14 of the Major League did not witness any change in the top three teams. Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox continue to dominate the rankings being ranked at one, two and three respectively. Two of the three
top teams are from the American League Eastern Division.
St. Louis Cardinals improved the most this week, gaining six ranking positions, followed by Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels who gained five ranking positions.
The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals were the worst performers, both losing five ranking positions each.
The power rankings for week 14 of MLB are as follows.
1. The Philadelphia Phillies hold on the Number one spot with an impressive win-loss record of 56-33. Their success is largely owned to their consistency which is evident from their domination of the ranking table. The lowest position they have attained
this season is fourth which in itself is decent.
The Phillies have one of the most destructive pitching line-ups in the Majors with the likes of Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay leading the pack. All starters pitch, on average, six innings per start.
Their pitching is well supported by decent batters with the likes of Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins among the ranks, both of whom have scored more than 50 runs this season. This chemistry is a major ingredient of their top position.
2. The New York Yankees are not so far behind the Phillies with a win-loss record of 51-35. Derek Jeter has made his return from the disabled list to add his proficiency to the already talented squad.
The Yankees are currently at their highest rank for the season and their bull-pen will be positive to further hone their performance. Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Jeter have the ability to take the Yankees to the Number one spot.
They will just hope that their decision to bring Phil Hughes in place of Ivan Nova pays off at the mound.
3. The Boston Red Sox are firm on the Number three spot with a 53-35 record for the season. Although they have attained the Number one position this season, their inefficiency of-late has wounded their performance.
Carl Crawford has been lost due to injury and is on the disabled list since June 18. Their starter John Lackey has almost lost focus, evident from his lacklustre performance against the Blue Jays.
With pressure building as the season progresses, they need to regroup urgently to straighten things.
4. The Atlanta Braves are fast improving, gaining one position to attain their highest rank this season. Their win-loss record is now 53-37 and consistency can easily see them through to the top three with the Red Sox a little shaky.
Braves owe their success largely to Jair Jurrjens who, despite missing almost two weeks, is tied for the most wins (11) in the MLB. His ERA, currently at 1.89, is the best in the circuit.
Beware top three, here come the Braves!
5. The San Francisco Giants have slipped one position to the fifth spot in week 14 of the season. Their win-loss record is still satisfactory at 50-40 but they need to get back to winning ways to sustain and improve their ranking.
This week, however, was one for the Giants to bask in glory as four of their players made it to the National League All-Star team, namely Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Brian Wilson.
Continued in Part 2
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