MLB Power Rankings – Best Bets in Baseball

No Manny?  No Problem!  Dodgers Still Tops in Power Rankings

The fall-out regarding Manny Ramirez’s suspension from baseball, at least as far as his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers are concerned, was minimal.  Yes, Manny apologized to the Dodgers over this past weekend.

But the apology didn’t mean anything.  L.A. is too strong of a team to let a single player dictate how they will fare.  The Dodgers had a few games where they looked weak, but they bounced back against both Florida and Philadelphia. 

So much for the suspension’s impact on the best team in baseball.

Let’s take a look at the power rankings.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers 28-13 ATS +1159 units  23-16 RL +919 units – - L.A. stubbed their toes against both Washington and San Francisco but they defeated the World Series Champion, Philadelphia Phillies, 3 out of 4 and the Florida Marlins 2 out of 3.  A series with the streaking New York Mets looms before a showdown with A.L. rival, the L.A. Angels.

2. Toronto Blue Jays 27-15 ATS +1128 units  20-20 RL +6 units – - The Blue Jays aren’t that great on the run line, but their overall winning record is fantastic.  With +1128 units so far this season, they are second only to the Dodgers and, more importantly, are two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the tough A.L. East Division. 

3. Texas Rangers 23-15 ATS +1101 units  22-15 ATS +665 units – - Talk about a surprise team!  The Rangers have no business being atop the A.L.West but that’s where they are.  They’ve won 7 in a row and have gone 8 and 2 in their last 10 games.  They beat the rival Los Angeles Angels 3 to 0 in their last series.

4. Milwaukee Brewers 23-14 ATS +924  22-15 +945 units – -  The Brewers are the top team in the N.L. Central after sweepint the Cardinals over the weekend.  Milwaukee swept Florida 3 to 0 and beat the Chicago Cubs 2 to 1 in their two series before taking on the Cards.

5. Cincinnati Reds 20-18 ATS +511 units  23-14 RL +896 units – - They are four and a half games out of first place in the N.L. Central, but for gamblers, this team has been very consistent.  They have lost four in a row, but before that, they went 2 and 1 against St. Louis and 3 and 0 against Arizona.  They begin a three game series against the Phillies on Tuesday night.

6. Detroit Tigers 21-16 ATS +367 units  20-16 RL +384 units – - The Tigers have a tenuous lead over the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins in the A.L. Central.  Detroit swept Cleveland, 3 to 0, was swept by Minnesota, 3 to 0, and then swept the Oakland Athletics.  They face the hot Texas Rangers in a key series for them before taking on the Colorado Rockies in inter-league play.

7. Kansas City Royals 20-18 ATS +356 units  24-14 RL +1157 units – - The Royals are only a game behind the Tigers and have continued to keep pace even though in their last 10 games they have gone 3 and 7.  They take on the Cleveland Indians before having to face the St. Louis Cardinals.

8. St. Louis Cardinals 22-17 ATS +239 units  19-18 RL +361 units - – The Cardinals are three games behind the Brewers for the N.L. Central lead.  They went 1 and 2 against Cincinnati, 1 and 2 against Pittsburgh and could get swept by the Brewers on Monday night.  They aren’t performing very well right now and with a series looming against the Cubs, the Cardinals could be in some trouble.

9. Boston Red Sox 23-16 ATS +191 units  20-18 RL +506 units – - The Red Sox just can’t leapfrog the Blue Jays for the top spot in the A.L. East Division.  Losing 2 out of 3 against the L.A. Angles and Seattle Mariners will do that to you.  Boston faces Toronto in a three game series that got off on the right foot thanks to a gem from Tim Wakefield as they took game one 3-2.  That series will determine who is in the lead in the A.L. East going into an interleague play series versus the New York Mets.

10. Chicago Cubs 21-16 ATS +187 units  20-16 RL +789 units – - The Cubs return to the power rankings after going 6 and 4  in their last 10 games.  A key series against St. Louis started on Tuesday night and they dropped the first game 3-0.  The Cubs will need to continue to perform well because the N.L. Central is now one of the toughest divisions in baseball.