13 Weeks In: MLB: Power Rankings, Matchups, Highlights and more
I’ve got huge news!
After attending Fenway Park on four occasions, only to watch my beloved Boston Red Sox fall short each time, the curse was finally broken this weekend. In one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen live, the Red Sox mounted a tremendous comeback against the streaking Seattle Mariners, defeating them 14-10 after being down 4-0 in the first inning and 10-5 in the fifth. This was game one of a 2-1 series-win for the Red Sox, good enough to return the good guys to the top of the standings (if you ignore those pesky win percentages). It doesn’t hurt that the New York Yankees just got swept by the sub .500 Tampa Bay Rays.
All this leads to another uber-important rivalry series between the Red Sox and the Yankees, scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in The Bronx. More on that in the What To Watch section. For now, let’s check out some highlights.
Top Three Plays
Well That Was Cool.
Big Time Extension.
Back-To-Back-To-Back.
What To Watch
We knew this was coming, right? Looking at the opening day rosters, it seemed inevitable that the Red Sox and Yankees would be neck-in-neck all season. Well sure enough, we’ve played three months of baseball, and we’ve got a tie atop the AL East.
That makes these head-to-head matchups that much more important, not only from a standings perspective, but also for the metal edge it provides. Baseball players can be a heady bunch and it’s best to keep the spirts up.
How you perform against the Houston Astros or the Seattle Mariners is one thing. These are elite ball clubs and certainly provide some clarity as to where you stand in the post-season pecking order. But there’s nothing quite like Boston vs. New York when it comes to simulating the pressure of a playoff atmosphere, especially this year.
As it stands now, we’re tied at three a piece with both teams holding a 2-1 record at home. The Yankees will host this one after a road-stint in Philly and a nice little day off Thursday. The Red Sox will host the Los Angeles Angels for a Wed-Fri series before traveling to The Bronx. However, all eyes are on the weekend, and this one should live up to the expectations. Couldn’t be happier that this rivalry is back.
Power Rankings
Boston Red Sox (52-27) ---
New York Yankees (50-25) ---
Houston Astros (52-27) ---
Seattle Mariners (47-31) ----
Milwaukee Brewers (45-32) ---
Atlanta Braves (44-32) ---
Arizona Diamondbacks (44-33) +1
Chicago Cubs (42-33) - 1
Philadelphia Phillies (41-34) +2
Cleveland Indians (43-33) +4
Washington Nationals (41-35) - 2
Los Angeles Dodgers (41-35) ---
St. Louis Cardinals (40-36) - 3
Los Angeles Angels (38-34) - 1
Oakland Athletics (40-38) ---
San Francisco Giants (40-39) +2
Tampa Bay Rays (37-40 ) +3
Colorado Rockies (38-40) +1
Toronto Blue Jays (36-41) +2
Detroit Tigers (36-42) - 4
Pittsburgh Pirates (36-41) - 4
Minnesota Twins (34-40) - 1
San Diego Padres (35-45) - 1
Texas Rangers (34-45) +2
Cincinnati Reds (32-45) +2
New York Mets (31-44) - 2
Miami Marlins (31-47) - 2
Chicago White Sox (26-51) ---
Baltimore Orioles (23-53) +1
Kansas City Royals (23-54) - 1
**No team can move more than 4 spots from week-to-week.
