Ryne's rankings: The Nationals anthem
There was a tremendous amount of anticipation and a postseason-like atmosphere in Chicago for the Red Sox-Cubs series and in St. Louis for the Yankees-Cardinals series. Seeing those teams play each other was a thrill for baseball fans everywhere.
What also was big in baseball over the weekend was the continued rise of the Nationals. Washington won its 10th straight on Sunday and still sits atop the NL East. The Nats have to be the biggest surprise of the season so far.
THE TOP 10
(Statistics and team records are through June 13.)
1.Chicago White Sox (42-20) – They continue to own the best record in the majors after going 5-1 last week at Colorado and San Diego as Ozzie Guillen had to juggle his lineup and play National League ball. The pitching staff has been fantastic with a 3.46 ERA, and the offense continues to improve as Paul Konerko and Joe Crede heat up a bit. This team, with its good chemistry, reminds me a lot of the 2004 Red Sox.
2.St. Louis Cardinals (40-22) – They played well against the Red Sox and Yankees last week, taking two of three from each AL East power. Another reason why the Cardinals are the best team in the NL is that they win games within their division. They're 21-5 in the NL Central.
3.Los Angeles Angels (36-26) – They continue to show their dominance in the AL West, extending their lead over Texas to 2½ games after completing their long road trip with series wins over the Braves and Mets. Garret Anderson, who still is one of the most underrated outfielders in the majors, is hitting .322 with seven home runs and 48 RBIs.
4.Baltimore Orioles (36-26) – They're hanging on to their lead in the AL East, but they lost two of three at Pittsburgh and at Cincinnati, two teams that are worse than .500. Luckily for the Orioles, no one else in the AL East is playing well, either.
5.Washington Nationals (37-26) – They have proven me wrong all year, so I have to give them credit and elevate them into my top five. The Nats swept the A's and Mariners to run their win streak to 10 games, and they own the best home record in the bigs at 24-9. Nick Johnson is batting .335 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs, and the pitching has been strong with the NL's fourth-best ERA (3.83 ERA).
6.Minnesota Twins (36-25) – They're leading the AL wild-card race because of their pitching, which boasts the best ERA in the majors (3.39). After struggling early in the season, Johan Santana has come around and looks like he's going to dominate the rest of the season. Joe Nathan (18 saves) is one of the most underrated closers in the game.
7.San Diego Padres (36-27) – Although they are just 3-7 in their last 10 games, the Padres still lead the NL West by 2½ games. The Padres' offense is hot and cold. For some reason, it falls asleep sometimes. Brian Giles, Phil Nevin, Ryan Klesko and Sean Burroughs should put up much better numbers than they have.
8.Philadelphia Phillies (36-28) – I would've counted them out a couple of weeks ago, but the Phillies have turned it on by going 12-1 on their recent homestand. Steady production from Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell has sparked the offense.
9.Chicago Cubs (33-28) – The atmosphere around Wrigley Field last weekend was incredible as the Cubs got the better of the Red Sox. Aramis Ramirez is starting to get hot, and that will help Derrek Lee continue to see good pitches to hit.
10.Boston Red Sox (33-29) – They're hanging around in the AL East, and I think they're going to finish strong. Manny Ramirez eventually will heat up, and when he does the Red Sox are going to turn into a different team. They need Curt Schilling back in their rotation to have that strong finish, though.
ON THE RISE
Cleveland Indians (31-30) – With the Indians' lack of steady run production, credit should be given to the pitching staff for getting this team over .500. Cliff Lee is 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA, C.C. Sabathia is 5-3 with a 3.36 ERA and Bob Wickman has 17 saves.
ON THE DECLINE
Atlanta Braves (32-30) – They've lost four of six since Chipper Jones went on the DL with an injured foot. The bullpen isn't working out, as Dan Kolb has been demoted as the closer. This is the least offense the Braves have had in a long time, and with John Smoltz returning to a starting role, this might be the weakest bullpen I've seen Atlanta have in a long time.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
26.Oakland Athletics (25-37) – Billy Beane is going to have a lot of flexibility in the next few months. He has a few players, like Barry Zito and Jason Kendall, who could be traded to a mediocre team and turn it into a playoff contender.
27.Cincinnati Reds (26-36) – They're 20-15 at home … but just 6-21 on the road. Their next 15 games – six on the road – come against teams better than .500.
28.Colorado Rockies (21-40) – They're just 4-23 on the road, so maybe it's not Coors Field that is the problem. Maybe it's their team. Even as they try to develop players, injuries have occurred to slow the process, as evidenced by Clint Barmes and Matt Holliday.
29.Kansas City Royals (21-41) – Although Buddy Bell has won three of his first four series as manager, the Royals already are 21 games back in the AL Central with only 2½ months of the season gone. The talent just isn't there.
30.Tampa Bay Devil Rays (21-42) – They're 15½ games out of first in the AL East. It's time for them to deal Carl Crawford and Danys Baez for some young talent, preferably some young arms.
