MLB Power Rankings (Week 8)

1.) Philadelphia Phillies (28-18)

-This is a team that still doesn't have Chase Utley (he will finally be activated today), there slugger Ryan Howard has been in a prolonged slump and Roy Oswalt is on the DL. Through all of this they have the best record in the N.L. That gets the top spot in my Power Rankings.

2.) Cleveland Indians (29-15)
-No matter how many times people refuse to believe in this team, they just keep on winning. After a 3 game home sweep against the Reds they are now an amazing (18-4) at home. The leading force behind the team breakout SS Asdrubal Cabrera. They have the best record in baseball, but the question still remains how long will they stay on top.
3.) San Francisco Giants (27-19)
-After getting off to a slow start in April (13-14) the Giants have gone 14-5 since May 1st. Tim Lincecum pitched a CG Shutout against the A's in a 3 game interleague sweep, and all of this has occurred with one of the lowest scoring offenses in the N.L. They continue to win games with their pitching and the team will only improve once Pablo Sandoval comes back.
4.) St.Louis Cardinals (28-20)
-In a year where Adam Wainright has not pitched and Chris Carpenter can't pitch the Cardinals have still found guys who can look like Aces. Jaime Garcia has been a stud with a 5-0 record and a 1.93 ERA, and surprise guy Kyle McClellan has gone 6-1 with a 3.43 ERA.  Albert Pujols struggles at the plate have hurt the team yet they still have a great record.  This team is on the rise once Pujols gets things going again.
5.) Boston Red Sox (24-21)
-This Red Sox team is only beginning to play to their potential. Adrian Gonzalez has looked like an MVP and the rest of the offense is clicking well together. Unfortunately pitching is holding them back a bit but Clay Bucholz is turning it around and Tim Wakefield had a nice start against the Cubs. This team is going to make a rapid climb into the top of the standings.

6.) Tampa Bay Rays (26-21)
-The Rays are on a little cold spell, but they are still one of the top teams in baseball. CF B.J Upton has turned things around, and Evan Longoria is still slumping hitting .227 on the season. David Price has been pitching well but the real story is James Shields who had a CG Shutout with 13 K's Sunday against the Marlins. If the rest of the pitching can improve their game, and Longoria can find his swing this team will stay at the top of the AL East
7.) Cincinnati Reds (25-22)
-After being humiliated by the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates the Reds end the road trip being  swept and knocked out of 1st place. Jay Bruce has found his power with 3 HR's in his last 4 games. On Sunday Joey Votto finally connected with a HR for the first time since April 27th. The Reds really need their pitching to show up if they want to get back to the top, but the offense will always keep them close
8.) New York Yankees (25-20)
-The Yankees are tied for first in the AL East with the Rays but I have them 2 spots lower then them and 3 below the Red Sox. While the Yankees have a great lineup who can be deadly at any given time, they have shown to be very inconsistent. Ace C.C Sabathia has also been inconsistent giving up 13 ER in his last 3 starts before, going 8 innings of shutout ball on Thursday. If the Yankees want to avoid losing their spot atop the AL East they will need to play more consistently.
9.) Florida Marlins (26-19)
-The Marlins have one of the better records in baseball, but now that their ace Josh Johnson is headed to the DL, I don't think they will be up here for long. Hanley Ramirez has been slumping (.219 average this year) and the rest of the Marlins pitching staff has been inconsistent. They will face the Giants in a 3 game series, and I can't see them winning that series. Until JJ gets back this team will start racking up the Losses.
10.) Texas Rangers (24-23)
-The Rangers have managed to stay in first place even without Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton. C.J Wilson is pitching nicely with a 3.42 ERA. Hamilton and Cruz will be back Monday, which will give them a huge lift offensively. The Rangers are only going to get better as the team gets healthier.
11.) Colorado Rockies (23-22)
-After beating the hottest team in April, the Rockies have the worst record in May. Troy Tulowitzki has really cooled down and the entire pitching staff has been struggling until this past week (2 CG's but both resulting in a Loss). The Rockies will get better when Tulo and Carlso Gonzalez heats up again.
12.) Toronto Blue Jays (23-23)
-Jose Bautista has just been on a unbelievable tear this year. In the first two months he has hit 18 HR's, he has 31 RBI's and has a .353 average. He is the driving force for this team and when he plays well, the team plays well. Rookie Kyle Drabek has had command issues with 37 walks compared to his 38 K's.
13.) Detroit Tigers (23-23)
-The Tigers entered the weekend on a hot streak, but that fire was swiftly put out by the Pirates and limited to only 5 runs. The bullpen has really struggled with a team ERA over 11. The two bright spots on this staff have been Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer who have combined for 10 wins and a 2.97 ERA.
14.) Atlanta Braves (26-23)
-The Braves could be higher on this list but because of 4 3 blown saves from Craig Kimbrel and atrocious hitting from Dan Uggla they fall further. Tim Hudson could be headed to the DL with a stiff back, Brandon beachy is on the DL. They have the pieces in place to take the wild card or division but they need their rotation healthy
15.) Los Angeles Angels (24-24)
-Jered Weaver has seen his magical April run end, and now he is beginning to struggle with a 5.25 ERA in May. The Angels will get Scott Kazmir back soon, and hopefully he could help out their rotation.
16.) Milwaukee Brewers (23-24)
-The Brewers may have gotten the boost they needed from Prince Fielders walk-off homer. There offense is starting to click and Yovanni Gallardo is starting to pitch well. Now they need Zach Greinke to pitch like an ace.
17.) New York Mets (22-24) 
-Despite Fred Wilpons comments about Jose Reyes, he has looked impressive this year (.310 BA, and 17 SB's). Dillon Gee has been pitching well and keeping the Mets near .500
18.) Oakland Athletics (22-25)
-After being swept in the Bay Bridge series, it is even more evident how bad the A's offense is They have no one who can really hit for power, or a high average. The pitching staff is great, but they can't win if they get no run support.
19.) Arizona Diamondbacls (23-23)
-The Diamondbacks 6 game winning streak has got them back to .500. Daniel Hudson has been pitching well and the bullpen has been efficient recently. How long will the winning streak last?
20.) Pittsburgh Pirates: (22-24)
-The Pirates won 4 in a row before Sunday, and Joel Hanrahan has continued to close well going 13 for 13 in Save opportunities.Will be a hot commodity come July
21.) Seattle Mariners (22-24)
-Felix Pineda has come alive as a rookie and is turning the 1-2 punch of Felix and Pineda into a deadly one, one that will help keep them near first in the AL West.
22.) Kansas City Royals (22-24)
Alex Gordon and Billy Butler have stopped hitting, and when they stop hitting this team stops winning. Case in point KC hitting a losing streak.
23.) Chicago White Sox (22-26)
-Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez and Paul Konerko are keeping this team up right now. While the rest of the team has played far below average.
24.) Washington Nationals (21-25)
Drew Storen who still hasn't been ruled the "official" closer is 9 for 9 in Save Opportunities with a .38 ERA< if only he got more chances to Saves he would be an All-Star candidate
25.) Baltimore Orioles (21-24)
Zach Britton has looked anything but a rookie posting a 2.14 ERA, but on a team where your hottest hitter is a worn down Vlad Guerrero, you won't get many wins.
26.) Chicago Cubs (20-25)
Marlon Byrd suffered a gruesome injury to the face and could be out for awhile. The injury leaves the Cubs with an even uglier offense. The lone bright spots are the future of Starlin Castro and Alfonso Soriano's 11 HR's
27.) Los Angeles Dodgers (21-27)
-The Dodgers are 3-7 in their last 10 games, and that included a two game sweep against the Giants when they had their best pitchers on the mound. The Big 3 in the rotation (Kershaw, Billingsley, Kuroda) have done well and security at Dodger Stadium has improved. So there are some bright spots.
28.) San Diego Padres (19-28)
-As of now the Padres are just waiting for July 31st to come. Pieces like Closer Heath Bell, RP Mike Adams and SP Aaron harang could be trade bait. Mat Latos has struggled and looks to be tired early in the year.
29.) Houston Astros (17-30)
-Wandy Rodriguez has been stellar in his past 5 starts but only has 2 wins to show for it. Slugger Hunter Pence has lost his power stroke, but may be bouncing back after a HR on Sunday. Rodriguez could be another hot commodity come the trade deadline.
30.) Minnesota Twins (15-30)
-How a team goes from ALCS last year to 15-30 still baffles me. Joe Mauer has been gone since early April with leg soreness and we still don't know when he will be back. Delmon Young finally got his first HR on the year, and could start to turn things around. But the rest of this team just can't hit or pitch well enough to win ball games.