Week In Review/Top 15 Power Rankings: Week 19 (08/06 - 08/12)

It's good to be back in the saddle and doing these reports once again. Sorry about the hiatus as it has almost been a month since the last one, but with the All-Star Break, the Trade Deadline, and life, things just got in the way and time escaped. However, it's time to get rolling again and begin to shift our attention to the final third of the season as well as prepare for the Waiver Trade Deadline at the end of the month and September rookie call-ups starting in about eighteen days.

Week In Review

• Dbacks-Phillies Duel in the Desert - The week started with a big series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies both of whom were in first place at the start of the series. Arizona ended up sweeping the series, but regardless, it was exciting and a potential preview of a series we could see this October. 
• 200 K Monday - Also on Monday, it was the first point this season where there were four starting pitchers, all of whom pitch in the AL, with at least 200 strikeouts. The four on the list should come as no surprise based on how they've performed this year: Justin Verlander, Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole, and Trevor Bauer. 
• Adam Engel Robs Greg Bird - No, Adam Engel didn't physically rob Greg Bird in the clubhouse or even outside of the ballpark. Rather, Engel made a leaping catch during Monday night's game to rob Bird of a potential three-run home run. 
• The Parrot Jacks His 25th Home Run - The Parrot was up to his usual shenanigans on Monday as he launched his 25th home run of the season. Encarnacion didn't rake up another over the week, however, he is well on his way towards possibly matching his total from last season (38). 
• Salsa Magic - Matt Carpenter reached base for his 25th consecutive game on Tuesday night. Ever since he started eating salsa, Carpenter has virtually turned into a new hitter, however, it looks as though that tear could be coming to an end as he finished the week hitting under .200. 
• Athletics-Dodgers Series - With the surprise surge that the Oakland A's have been on virtually all season, this ended up being one of those marquee series. The series ended up turning out to be a split so we still don't know who ultimately rules California at the moment. 
• King Felix Cracks Up Over Adrian Beltre's At Bat - After getting the future Hall of Famer, aka Adrian Beltre, to strike out, Felix Hernandez cracked up. It was a laugh all, in good spirit though, as Adrian himself found it quite funny also. Definitely a highlight reel moment for years to come. 
• Boston Notches Their 80th Win of the Year - Here's a shocker, the Boston Red Sox were the first team to eclipse the 70 win mark and followed that by becoming the first team to eclipse the 80 win benchmark. Really that is no surprise based on the roll that the Sox have been on all year long and the fact that they are potentially on pace to outdo the Mariners win record from 2001. 
• Big Sexy Captures Attention Again - As if he couldn't be more talented or more awe-inspiring, Big Sexy recorded history on Tuesday night. No other Latin-American born starting pitcher has recorded as many career victories as Bart has. Now don't be shocked when he makes it into the Hall of Fame someday! 
• 30th Anniversary of First Night Game at Wrigley - Wednesday marked the 30th anniversary since the first night game was ever held at Wrigley Field. It ended up being rained out back in 1988, but nonetheless, is still a significant moment in Chicago Cubs history. 
• Lindor Brings Magic to Believeland - This was no fairy tale for the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night as Francisco Lindor jacked a walkoff three-run home run against the Minnesota Twins and sent everyone home celebrating. As if Frankie couldn't get more amazing!
• Padres Comeback Wins - The Brewers series against the Padres did not go as many planned this past week as San Diego had two comeback wins and Milwaukee's bullpen experienced a severe meltdown. With the youth movement in full effect for the Padres, this was a moment for the team and their fans to celebrate. 
• Mariners Bat Around the Cycle - Justin Verlander just did not have it during his past start against the Seattle Mariners and that was more evident than ever based on how Seattle hit around for the cycle during the game's first 4 at bats. 
• Betts Hits for the Cycle - On the same night as the Mariners batting for a cycle as a team, Mookie Betts decided that he didn't want to be left out of the conversation and did the same thing for himself. Only, this was by himself over the span of a single game and yet another moment to celebrate amid this year's season for Betts. 
• La Flecha Gets a New Home - In addition to all of the game happenings on Wednesday night, the Oakland A's announced that they acquired Fernando Rodney from the Minnesota Twins. We all knew the A's were serious about contending this year, but this takes it to a new level and really gives the A's a true circus act at the end of games. 
• Mariners Offensive Explosion - The Mariners bats didn't go cold following their team Grand Slam during the game's first 4 at bats on Wednesday because when Thursday rolled around, the team's 1-3 hitters went 10 for 13 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI. 
• Bourtobello Crushroom Heads to Philly - On Thursday afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired first baseman, Justin Bour, from the Miami Marlins in what was easily a confusing trade. Later on, thanks to an article published in The Athletic, we all learned why the Phillies made the trade and the thought processes that went behind the decision. 
• Atlanta Goes Big on Friday - The Braves went big time on Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers as they recorded 13 hits and tacked on 10 runs. Atlanta has shown glimpses of complete dominance during various times this season and this was an example of just that. 
• Just Dingers Reaches Season Milestone - J.D. Martinez has already proven to be a tremendous asset for the Boston Red Sox so far this season and Friday night was no exception as Martinez became the first player to reach 100 RBI on the year. The sky is pretty much the limit for Martinez who now leads the MLB in home runs with 37 as well. 
• Baltimore Orioles Officially Eliminated from the Postseason - Friday night was not a good night for the Orioles as they officially found out that they would not win the AL East. Considering they were over 45 games out of first place heading into play that afternoon, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise for a team that is now in rebuild mode. 
• Nationals Take on Jon Lester and the Cubs Head On - Saturday afternoon, Ryan Zimmerman had himself quite a game as did the other Nationals hitters as they managed to put up 13 hits and 9 runs against Jon Lester and the Cubs. Zimmerman himself went 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk, and 6 RBI. 
• Eduardo Escobar Records His First Home Run with the Snakes - Eduardo Escobar recorded his first home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday which was a positive sign. Escobar was acquired by Arizona for his offensive skills and any offense he provides only lengthens the lineup. 
• Catch of the Year Thus Far - Saturday night also treated us to what will likely be dubbed the catch of the year and it certainly was a tremendous one so far. The catch was made by Ramon Laureano and was made on a ball that went 321 feet up into the air. Someone try to top that! 
• Return of The Conductor - You might read that and think to yourself, "Who is the conductor?" Well, simply put The Conductor is the nickname of Red Sox ace, Chris Sale, who was in top notch form during his first game back off the DL yesterday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles. Sale recorded a total of 12 strikeouts over the game. 
• Ronald Acuna Surpasses Hank Aaron - Heading into play on Sunday, Ronald Acuna had 14 home runs on the season. That was more than Hank Aaron had before turning 21 which is an amazing feat of it's own. 
• Edwin Diaz Walks Into Rare Territory - After the Mariners completed the four-game sweep of the reigning World Series Champion, Houston Astros, Edwin Diaz locked down his 4th consecutive save over 4 games and is starting to chart into K-Rod territory. Following yesterday's game, Diaz now has 46 saves on the year. 
• Rockies Walk-Off Win - The Brewers weren't the only team to have a bullpen meltdown this past week, as the Dodgers also had somewhat of a meltdown on Sunday afternoon as they allowed the go-ahead walk to the Rockies to give Colorado the walk-off win. Colorado took 3 of 4 games from the Dodgers and now sit a game and a half back of first place in the competitive NL West. 
• Cubs Walkoff Grand Slam - Thanks to David Bote, the Cubs finished last night's Sunday Night game in grand fashion with a walkoff Grand Slam. Bote already has an on-base percentage above .400 on the season and has been more than a valuable replacement for Kris Bryant the past few weeks. 

Top 15 Power Rankings 

1. Boston Red Sox (85-35) [Run Differential: +213] 

2. New York Yankees (74-43) [Run Differential: +140] 

3. Oakland Athletics (70-48) [Run Differential: +65] 

4. Chicago Cubs (68-49) [Run Differential: +93] 

5. Cleveland Indians (66-51) [Run Differential: +116] 

6. Houston Astros (73-46) [Run Differential: +195] 

7. Atlanta Braves (64-51) [Run Differential: +77] 

8. Philadelphia Phillies (65-52) [Run Differential: +29] 

9. Arizona Diamondbacks (65-54) [Run Differential: +72] 

10. Milwaukee Brewers (67-54) [Run Differential: +26] 

11. Los Angeles Dodgers (64-55) [Run Differential: +96] 

12. St. Louis Cardinals (63-55) [Run Differential: +45] 

13. Seattle Mariners (69-50) [Run Differential: -22] 

14. Pittsburgh Pirates (61-58) [Run Differential: +6] 

15. Colorado Rockies (63-55) [Run Differential: -17] 

Summary of Thoughts 

There is no denying the fact that the Boston Red Sox have the best team in all of baseball at the moment. After all, they have the best record in the league and a lineup full of complete mashers. Don't overlook the fact that the Red Sox have the second best pitching staff ERA in all of baseball either (3.50 ERA over 1,086.1 IP) and if Chris Sale can't replicate his performance from yesterday afternoon, watch out. Boston will likely want to be careful with Sale over the next three weeks, but every time he takes the mound, you can pretty much expect a dominant performance from him. Rounding out the Top 3 are the New York Yankees followed by the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees are really a no brainer as they have occupied a spot in the Top 3 all season and it should be no surprise that they rank just behind their AL East counterpart who occupies the first spot. As far as the A's being in the third spot, it really came down to recent performance and the way the team has seemed to cruise the past couple of weeks. Oakland has really gone out there every game and given it their all which is tremendous and should only continue to benefit them moving forward. 

Looking at the remaining Top 10 now, the Cubs, Indians, and Astros currently rank just below those three teams. The Cubs have been playing on and off all season long, but currently possess first place and have a 6-4 record over their last 10 games meaning they certainly are not going to just lay over and give up the rest of the way. Like we saw last season, the Cubs are starting to separate themselves from the Milwaukee Brewers even though Milwaukee is only three games back of first place. Beyond Chicago, the Indians come in 5th simply because of their record and the amount of talent that they possess. Cleveland has a dominating starting rotation and their bullpen has come leaps and bounds compared to where it was earlier this season. This week, the Astros fall out of the Top 5 just because of the recent inconsistencies of the team, which is no fault of their own. Houston has a couple of key impact players currently on the DL which has hindered their play, but are also coming off a four-game sweep by the Seattle Mariners. Don't overlook the fact that both the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners are sneaking closer to the Astros for first place in the AL West also - Oakland is currently 2 and 1/2 games out of first, while Seattle is 4. 

As for the teams outside of the Top 10, it's pretty easy to justify why they are ranked the way they are. The Dodgers fall outside of the Top 10 because they don't seem to be nearly at the level of the other teams within the Top 10, while the Cardinals and Mariners have shown as of late how powerful they can be when they are on. However, both teams have been inconsistent at various points throughout this season and it is difficult to get a true read on how both will fare moving forward hence the cautious ranking of both teams. Still, with that being said, both the Cardinals and Mariners can be very dangerous teams if given the opportunity as mentioned before by how close the Mariners are to first place in the AL West and as illustrated by the Cardinals current 5-game win streak. You sort of have to like the Mariners a bit better on paper because they have that veteran presence in the clubhouse, but don't discount the impact that young talent can have on a team which can be found in St. Louis. 

MVPs of the Week

American League: 

1. J.D. Martinez (Boston Red Sox): 13-for-28 with 5 doubles, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, 4 walks, a .464 batting average, and a .531 on-base percentage 

2. Giancarlo Stanton (New York Yankees): 8-for-27 with 5 home runs, 9 RBI, 6 walks, a .296 batting average, and a .424 on-base percentage 

3. Trevor Bauer (Cleveland Indians): 0.73 ERA over 12.1 IP with a .119 Opponent Batting Average Against and 19 Strikeouts 

4. Marcus Stroman (Toronto Blue Jays): 0.75 ERA over 12.0 IP with a .171 Opponent Batting Average Against and a 0.92 WHIP 

National League: 

1. David Peralta (Arizona Diamondbacks): 12-for-27 with 1 double, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 6 RBI, 2 walks, a .444 batting average, and a .483 on-base percentage 

2. Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals): 10-for-21 with 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 12 RBI, 4 walks, a .476 batting average, and a .538 on-base percentage 

3. Kyle Freeland (Colorado Rockies): 1.29 ERA over 14.0 IP with a 0.93 WHIP and 15 Strikeouts 

4. Dereck Rodriguez (San Francisco Giants): 0.64 ERA over 14.0 IP with a .109 Opponent Batting Average Against and a 0.43 WHIP