GW’s MLB Power Ratings (Week 6):
1. Dodgers (2): Life without Matt Kemp, currently on the 15-day DL, definitely will be a stern test for manager Don Mattingly and the pitching-rich NL West leaders.
2. Rangers (1): No top-ranked team of mine is going to get swept in a two-game home series against the perennial-losing Royals. What in the world of Josh Hamilton happened?
3. Giants (3): So far so good in C Buster Posey’s return from a position-threatening ankle injury that occurred on May 29, 2011.
4. Diamondbacks (4): The return of All-Star center fielder Chris Young is just what the doctor ordered for the recently-struggling team. Now, all snake-eyes are on SS Stephen Drew’s anticipated rehab stint.
5. Angels (6): Highly-respected manager Mike Scioscia said a lot by not saying much of anything about the firing of his longtime pal and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher. Looks like GM Jerry Dipoto has complete control of the team – just like Bill Bavasi did during his gawd-awful stint in Seattle.
6. Athletics (5): A new shipment of Duct tape has arrived at the Oakland Coliseum, giving skipper Bob Melvin more help in piecing together a lineup decimated by injuries.
7. Mariners (6): Okay, raise your hand if you really expected Kevin Millwood to pitch the Mariners’ first complete-game shutout of the season.
8. Rockies (7): The month of May has not been kind to Todd Helton, who lugged a .205 average into the final 10 days of the month. His overall .236 average is the lowest of his career this late in the season.
9. Padres (9): Observation: Those mustard and brown uniforms look as bad in 2012 as they did back in the day when Ray Kroc owned the team.
(Last Week’s rating in parenthesis)