MLB Power Rankings: Week 20
Posted August 21, 2012 05:57 AM EDTThe Dodgers are movin’ on up, thanks in large part to Hanley Ramirez.
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FOX SPORTS MLB POWER RANKINGS
| RK | Team | RECORD | CHANGE | HIGH/LOW | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nationals |
76-46 | - | 1/18 |
Bryce Harper appears to be showing signs that he could be coming out of his second-half slump as the Nationals look to take command of the NL East.
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| 2 |
Reds |
74-49 | 1 | 1/22 |
Wins are wins, even if that means committing 10 errors en route to a 5-2 homestand for the Reds. Good thing the offense is clicking.
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| 3 |
Yankees |
72-50 | 2 | 1/11 |
Ichiro is finding his groove in NY of late, capping off a strong week with a two-homer performance against the Red Sox on Sunday.
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| 4 |
Braves |
70-52 | - | 3/18 |
Kris Medlen really enjoyed his first career complete game, a five-hit shutout: “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my career. I’ve got to try and do that again.” The Braves wouldn’t mind that either.
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| 5 |
Rangers |
71-50 | 3 | 1/5 |
After a tough series in NY, the Rangers took two of three from the Jays and now head home to face the playoff-hungry Orioles.
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| 6 |
Rays |
68-54 | 3 | 1/15 |
Not many teams are firing on all cylinders like the Rays, who boast the best AL record in August heading into this week.
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| 7 |
Giants |
67-55 | 1 | 4/16 |
Melky Cabrera just made the Jonathan Sanchez trade look like a good deal for the Royals, and that is saying something.
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| 8 |
Dodgers |
67-56 | 6 | 1/19 |
When the Dodgers traded for Hanley Ramirez, they hoped he would finally maximize his potential. He seems to be doing just that, hitting .395 on L.A.'s 10-game road trip.
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| 9 |
Pirates |
67-55 | 1 | 5/27 |
19-inning games are nothing to get excited about, but after last season’s botched call against Atlanta, the win in St. Louis could mean good things going forward for the Buccos.
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| 10 |
White Sox |
66-55 | 3 | 3/25 |
A sweep at the hands of the Royals to close the week didn’t help the White Sox, but luckily they are still atop the AL Central with a month and half to play.
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| 11 |
Orioles |
66-56 | 1 | 1/29 |
Orioles just keep getting it done, having won consecutive series against the Red Sox and Tigers last week.
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| 12 |
Athletics |
65-56 | 1 | 4/28 |
Prospect Dan Straily looked good tossing 6.1 scoreless innings against the red-hot Royals for the first of what should be many career wins.
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| 13 |
Tigers |
64-57 | 1 | 1/21 |
Max Scherzer continues to mow down opposing hitters. The powerful right-hander leads the majors in strikeouts per nine innings with an amazing 11.39 rate.
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| 14 |
Cardinals |
65-56 | 3 | 2/19 |
Jaime Garcia looked sharp in his first start for the Cardinals since June 5. The Redbirds need to make another late-season push if they hope to repeat as world champions.
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| 15 |
Diamondbacks |
62-60 | 1 | 4/22 |
Chris Young torched Houston, going 7-for-14 with two doubles, a homer and five RBI as the D-backs swept through the Astros. Not bad for a guy who was a combined 7-for-45 in his previous 15 games.
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| 16 |
Angels |
62-60 | 1 | 2/25 |
The Angels are headed in the wrong direction, having the third-worst record in the AL since the All-Star break (14-22) heading into this week.
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| 17 |
Red Sox |
59-63 | - | 10/26 |
At what point do the Red Sox stop giving Josh Beckett the ball? The former ace was shellacked last week in his two losses, posting an unsightly 7.94 ERA.
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| 18 |
Mets |
57-65 | - | 5/27 |
Johan Santana will remain in the starting rotation and be evaluated on an almost start-by-start basis to keep an eye on his surgically repaired left shoulder.
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| 19 |
Blue Jays |
56-65 | 1 | 7/25 |
Good news for the Blue Jays: Brandon Morrow is scheduled to return later this week against the Orioles. Bad news: It is too late to make a difference.
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| 20 |
Mariners |
59-64 | 5 | 18/26 |
The Mariners became the first team in MLB history to be on both sides of a perfect game in one season after Felix Hernandez’s gem against the Rays.
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| 21 |
Phillies |
57-65 | 2 | 5/27 |
Kyle Kendrick is making a name for himself in a stacked Phillies rotation, compiling 15 scoreless innings against the Marlins and Brewers.
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| 22 |
Marlins |
56-67 | - | 6/26 |
Giancarlo Stanton loves hitting in Coors Field. Really, really enjoys it. Smashing the longest homer in the majors this season at 494 feet.
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| 23 |
Royals |
54-67 | 4 | 13/29 |
Jeremy Guthrie hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last three starts heading into this week. Add that to a certain All-Star MVP getting suspended and the Melky trade doesn’t look so bad.
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| 24 |
Indians |
54-68 | - | 6/29 |
Only the Astros have been worse since the All-Star break. That’s no consolation for a team that headed into the break with postseason hopes.
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| 25 |
Brewers |
55-66 | 4 | 12/25 |
As Randy Wolf goes, so do the Brewers. Unfortunately, that is not a good thing.
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| 26 |
Twins |
51-70 | - | 22/30 |
The Twins dropped five of six last week to the Tigers and Mariners, as they continue their disappointing ’12 campaign.
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| 27 |
Padres |
54-70 | 4 | 19/30 |
Clayton Richard has been filthy in his last five starts heading into this week, but the same word could describe the Padres’ play of late in a dramatically different context.
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| 28 |
Cubs |
47-74 | - | 24/30 |
Chris Volstad has gone 24 starts without a winning decision dating back to July 10, 2011. Yikes.
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| 29 |
Rockies |
47-73 | - | 16/29 |
The Rockies had a good week, but then Michael Cuddyer strained his right oblique and now has a spot on the 15-day disabled list. Tough luck.
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| 30 |
Astros |
39-83 | - | 22/30 |
The Astros cut ties with manager Brad Mills, first base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Mike Barnett. Tony DeFrancesco, you inherit one heck of a ball club.
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