Not much has changed this month. All of the division leaders were still the same as of the end of June, but the one with the largest lead went through a collapse and have opened the door for their arch rival. That same team’s collapse means there is a new number one in the power rankings, and although there were no changes from the beginning of the month to the end, multiple teams gained ground and one even gained the division lead but not for long. Although much of the teams on the top stayed near the top there were some big movers in the middle.
30. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last Time 29, Down 1)
The Diamondbacks stick, plain and simple. Paul Goldschmidt has been great and when other offensive players have stepped up it made the team look good. Injuries all over the roster along with ineffective pitching have killed them, though, and it will be no surprise if this front office and coaching staff is overhauled.
29. Chicago Cubs (Last Time 30, Up 1)
The Cubs have looked good at points. Anthony Rizzo has looked like an MVP caliber player at times and the other younger players are all growing, but they still have a lot of growing to do if they are going to compete.
28. Colorado Rockies (Last Time 13, Down 15)
It seems like history has repeated itself with the Rockies. The Rox started out red hot in 2013 behind great pitching and one of the best offenses in all of baseball, but eventually the pitching wore down and injuries derailed the offense and now here in 2014 the same thing has happened. It might be time for the Rox to blow it up and see what they can get for veterans Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau to build for the future.
27. Philadelphia Phillies (Last Time 13, Down 14)
Much like the Rockies the Phillies need to hit the trade market with the hopes of rebuilding. Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have been great for this team but they aren’t helping this team win anymore, and if they want to rebound anytime soon they need start the rebuilding process now.
26. Houston Astros (Last Time 28, Up 2)
One of the hottest players of the month was Jose Altuve, and his performance helped the Astros prove that they made the right decision when they extended his contract. They Stros are building this offense around the speedy second baseman and it’s working.
25. San Diego Padres (Last Time 21, Down 4)
Nothing seems to go right for the Padres, and because of that they have fired their General Managers. The offense is lackluster at best and their best pitcher, Andrew Cashner, has been dealing with injuries.
24. Tampa Bay Rays (Last Time 25, Up 1)
The Rays are hot right now, but they are still below .500 and in last place in the American League East. The best thing they can do right now is trade away David Price who looks every bit like the Cy Young award winner that he is.
23. Texas Rangers (Last Time 14, Up 9)
It was a matter of time before all of the injury problems caught up with the Rangers. They fought valiantly to keep pace with the other teams in the American League West but they have fallen further and further and now sit at the bottom in danger of being passed by the Astros.
22. Minnesota Twins (Last Time 20, Down 2)
The Twinkies have overachieved to this point, but yet still sit in last place and just below .500. With just a few minor improvements they could soon make a move in the American League, but this season is just another lost season with the team playing for nothing but the job of their manager.
21. New York Mets (Last Time 19, Down 2)
The National League East has been tight all season, and because the Mets were playing around .500 they stayed in the mix. Now they have fallen below the even point, though, and the top two teams have streaked out to a big lead. It will be yet another season where the Mets should be trading at the deadline and hoping that next season they’ll be able to rebound.
20. Boston Red Sox (Last Time 27, Up 7)
The Sawx are playing better ball, but they still sit seven and a half games out of first place just above the Rays. They made a bold move to resign Stephen Drew in the middle of the season, but it has yet to work out and their handling of contract talks with ace Jon Lester may cause them to lose him to free agency.
19. Miami Marlins (Last Time 10, Down 9)
It seemed inevitable that the Marlins would come back to reality. They were like Cinderella at the ball and it eventually struck midnight and the Marlins had to go back to their usual ways. They still have a chance to make some noise in this division with half of a season left to go, but without Jose Fernandez they may have to wait till next season till they make a serious push for the post season.
18. Cleveland Indians (Last Time 18)
The Tribe have a good team, but their pitching staff is struggling and so is the team. They surprised the league last season by making the postseason with a late push thanks to a tremendous second half by Ubaldo Jimenez and the rest of the starting rotation, but they are not surprising anyone this season.
17. Chicago White Sox (Last Time 9, Down 8)
The Pale Hoes have the best rookie in all of baseball and one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, but it’s not helping their standing in the Central. Much like the Tribe, they surprised the league two seasons ago but haven’t been able to bounce back. If they don’t put together a solid second half expect people to begin to second guess Robin Ventura’s abilities as a manager.
16. New York Yankees (Last Time 12, Down 4)
Masahiro Tanaka is the real deal, but many of the other big money free agent signings have yet to pay similar dividends for the Bronx Bombers. They still have an opportunity to make a move in this division and you can expect that General Manager Brian Cashman will make any move he can to help seize that opportunity, his job may depend on it.
15. Kansas City Royals (Last Time 22, Up 7)
The Royals made quite a run in the month of July and for a short time took advantage of the Detroit Tigers and their struggles, but their time on the top did not last long. This team is desperate for power, so much so that they took a chance on veteran Raul Ibanez and are hoping his power and veteran leadership pay off.
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last Time 23, Up 9)
Don’t look now but the Pirates are looking less like the team that was the biggest disappointment of 2014 and more like the team of 2013 that stole the hearts of baseball fans. Andrew McCutchen is playing at an MVP level again and the addition of youngster Gregory Polanco has been a spark for this offense. This team will no longer be happy with mediocre and will do anything they can to continue to win as evident by their trade of cult hero Jason Grilli.
13. Baltimore Orioles (Last Time 16, Up 3)
The offense is getting hot for the O’s thanks to Manny Machado finally getting into a groove, but now Machado has to sit out for his five game suspension. If the O’s can stay hot and Machado can continue when he comes back this team has a real shot at catching the first place Toronto Blue Jays.
12. Cincinnati Reds (Last Time 26, Up 14)
The Pirates aren’t the only team in the National League Central that are getting hot. The Reds have gotten healthy and are looking like a team to be reckoned with. The Milwaukee Brewers have built such a big lead that it may be hard for the Reds to catch them, but this team could easily be in the Wild Card again this season, and with a healthy Johnny Cueto there is no reason to believe this team cannot make a run if they do.
11. St. Louis Cardinals (Last Time 6, Down 5)
The Cards were gaining on the Brewers, but they’ve come back to the Earth a little bit leaving them in a bit of a hole and now the Reds are right on their tails. The young pitching staff is beginning to show its age. This is one of the most solid teams in all of baseball, though, and there is still a long way to go.
10. Washington Nationals (Last Time 17, Up 7)
The Nats and the Atlanta Braves are going back and forth for the division lead, and now that the Nats have Bryce Harper and Gio Gonzalez back they may have the upper hand.
9. Seattle Mariners (Last Time 15, Up 6)
The M’s have been red hot, but no one has really been talking about them. Why? Because the two teams ahead of them in the American League West have been just as hot. They were expected to make a splash this season with a one-two punch in the starting rotation and the acquisition of Robinson Cano, but the Cano signing did hasn’t really paid off until recently. If either the Los Angeles Angels or Oakland Athletics struggle the M’s will be right there to make a move.
8. Atlanta Braves (Last Time 11, Up 4)
The Braves have defied the odds of losing two pitchers in their starting rotation to stay atop of the division, but the Nationals are breathing down their necks and their starting catcher is now on the disabled list. You should never underestimate the Braves because they always seem to find a way to stay on top, but the deck seems to be stacked against them right now.
7. Los Angeles Angels (Last Time 7)
The Angels made a bold move to trade one struggling closer for another to help solidify their one true weakness, the bullpen. The problem is they are going to need to add more than Grilli if they are going to fix their pen issues. Luckily for them they have the second best run differential in all of baseball. Unlucky for them the team ahead of them has the best one. The American League West will be right down to the wire again this season, and no one should be surprised if Mike Trout is playing in his first playoff game.
6. Toronto Blue Jays (Last Time 2, Down 4)
The Blue Jays went from red hot to questions about their pitching staff, but yet they are still on top of a weak American League East thanks to the most powerful offense in all of baseball. The Jays will be very active in the trade market looking for pitching and if they get the right arm they are going to be very dangerous in the playoffs.
5. San Francisco Giants (Last Time 1, Down 4)
The Giants took a dive in the month of July and lost their lead, but still hold a slim lead in the division despite having less wins than their rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Much like the Jays they are going to need starting pitching to stay ahead of their rivals, and with the recent struggles of closer Sergio Romo they made need bullpen help as well. If they Giants are going to make another run at the playoffs this season they are going to need to make multiple moves to stay ahead.
4. Detroit Tigers (Last Time 5, Up 1)
The Tigers struggled big after a delayed flight, but once they lost their division lead to the Kansas City Royals they seemed to turn it back on. They are streaking right now and if they can keep this pace up even throughout their rigorous schedule that they have the rest of the way they could be making another run at the World Series, but will it be their last with multiple expiring contracts? Only time will tell.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last Time 8, Up 5)
The Dodgers are red hot and have caught up to their rival San Francisco Giants, but they still sit in second place. The starting rotation is one of the best in all of baseball and right now Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in all of baseball. This offense is getting healthy, and with health they are going to become more and more dangerous. If they continue the pace they’re on, similar to the pace in the second half of last season, they will be number one on this list in no time.
2. Milwaukee Brewers (Last Time 4, Up 2)
Go ahead and keep on doubting the Brew Crew, they will just keep proving you wrong. Jonathan Lucroy is hitting .331, Carlos Gomez might be the best all-around player in all of baseball and as long as Aramis Ramirez can stay healthy this offense is one that no one will want to face. The pitching staff continues to pitch as good as any other staff in all of baseball and even though the Cards have made a move, they were able to get that lead right back.
1. Oakland Athletics (Last Time 3, Up 2)
For the first time in years the A’s could have multiple All-Star representatives that actually play in the game, and just like they always seem to do they seem to have found another diamond in starting pitcher Brad Mills. Injuries don’t seem to be a concern either. Even though they’ve lost two regulars on offense the replacements from AAA have been just as good, if not better in the case of Stephen Vogt who has not only hit, but played three different positions. They’ve struggled this week but after the month of June they are the best team in all of baseball.