GW’s MLB Power Ratings (Week 13):
1. Rangers (1): RH Roy Oswalt might have saved his job with a solid effort in his final start, on Sunday, against the Twins. . .well, at least until some of the injured starters return to action.
2. Giants (2): Ryan Vogelsong must be wondering what it takes to become an All-Star considering that his league-leading 2.36 ERA apparently wasn’t low enough to land an invitation to Tuesday night’s game in KC.
3. Angels (4): Feel free to write in the Angels as one of the AL’s post-season teams. The way I see it, there could be a World Series being played in Anaheim this fall for the first time since 2002.
4. Dodgers (3): Unless Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw get their recent struggles solved, the second half of the season could be a rocky road for the Dodgers.
5. Athletics (6): To enter the All-Star break with a .500 record (43-43) says a lot about the managerial skills of Bob Melvin. He has to be in the running for Manager of the Year.
6. Diamondbacks (5): The quicker-than-expected jump from the minor leagues to the majors has not been as smooth as those in the Valley of the Sun anticipated.
7. Rockies (8): One has to wonder if this painful season turns out to be future Hall of Famer Todd Helton’s final hurrah with the Rockies – or any other team for that matter.
8. Padres (7): The Pads could use another productive bat in their lineup, even if it’s pitcher-turned-position player Micah Owings, who is trying to follow in Rick Ankiel’s footsteps. Good luck from the GW folks.
9. Mariners (9): Felix Hernandez will be the only Mariner at the All-Star Game, but there will be five ex-Mariners – Adrian Beltre (Rangers), Asdrubal Cabrera (Indians), Adam Jones (Orioles), R.A. Dickey (Mets) and Bryan LaHair (Cubs) – in the Midsummer Classic.
(Last Week’s rating in parenthesis)