Major League Baseball Power Rankings: Week 14 – Part 3
11. The 11th spot in the MLB power rankings for week 14 is captured by the Texas Rangers who have slipped two places from the ninth position. Having previously attained the top spot in the rankings, the Rangers are facing a dip in form.
With a win-loss record of 49-41, they currently top the American League Western Division and will aim for similar results in the Majors.
With Mike Napoli back from the disabled list, Rangers will seriously want him hitting just as he was before being marginalised. They are currently riding a five-win streak and would yearn for prolonging this.
12. The Detroit Tigers have lost their winning touch mid-season. They have glided from eighth position in the power rankings to the 12th position.
The Tigers need Miguel Cabrera (58 RBIs, 63 runs and 18 home-runs) to continue with his exceptional form. With Justin Verlander leading the pitching staff with 11 wins and an ERA of 2.26, Cabrera and Verlander can make a good partnership which can be advantageous
for the Rangers.
Max Scherzer needs to bring his focus back on pitching if the Tigers have to side with consistency post-midseason.
13. At Number 13 this week are Arizona Diamondbacks who have fallen from the tenth spot. The Diamondbacks have not been impressive in their previous ten games but are now unbeaten for two games and would seriously want to build this into some sort of streak.
Runs have come in abundance for the Diamondbacks but they have been able to restrict the opposition from scoring runs. The likes of Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson have the skill to control the flow of runs. Now is their time to exhibit it.
14. The Pittsburgh Pirates have jumped three places from 17 to cement their place on the 14th spot. The Pirates now pose a serious threat to the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the National League Central Division.
Currently, the gap in their runs scored and allowed is narrow and they need to widen this for even better results. Andrew McCutchen has the run scoring ability but the other batters need to compliment the exciting talent in scoring runs for the Pirates.
The pitchers are doing a decent job with Joel Hanrahan leading the way. Consistency from the Pirates is essential for further improvement.
15. The Cincinnati Reds have been a disappointment lately. Once tipped to win the National League Central Division, they are now fourth in the division.
Just three wins in the previous ten games have shattered the confidence of the Reds. With Joey Votto and Mike Leake doing their part in batting and pitching respectively, the entire bull-pen needs to get together to turn the tide for the struggling Reds.
16. The Washington Nationals have had a horrible week, losing five places from 11 to take the 16th spot in the power rankings of week 14. With a win-loss record of 45-45, they are now just a loss away from falling behind the .500 mark. The 11th
spot was their best in the current season.
The only hope for the Nationals for a quick turnaround is the young Danny Espinosa who is currently the leading rookie in the National League.
The Nationals have allowed more runs than they have scored and this needs to be fixed if improvement is desired.
Continued in Part 4
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