Kuzul

These rankings are based on a 300 point system, 150 for offensive production and 150 for pitching production. 30 points (1 point for each team) is the most points any team can receive in a given category. For instance, if the Rays lead the league in HR’s they will get 30 points for that category.

The 5 offensive categories used:

HR’s, RBI, Runs, Average, and SB’s  

The 5 pitching categories used:

Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and K’s

1.(↑1) Tampa Bay Rays (71-46): The Rays finished with 242 points this week, four points higher than the Texas Rangers. Jeremy Hellickson, the newest member of the Rays rotation and fantasy lineups, sits at 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 0.60 WHIP. Hellickson and the Rays have the second most pitching points with 145.

2.(↓1) Texas Rangers (67-49): The Rangers scored the second most offensive points this week with 126, just four points behind the next team on this list. Rumor has it the Rangers are interested in Manny Ramirez; understanding an 8.5 game lead in their division certainly isn’t enough to hold off the Angels. Texas is playing for keeps this year and in my opinion is the #1 contender to the Yankees.

3.(─) New York Yankees (72-45): We all know the Yankees are in the postseason and are the favorites to win it all again. However, they rank third on this list yet again, and, as you will read next, they have other competition than just the Rays.

4.(↑2) Boston Red Sox (67-52): The third team from the AL East, the Boston Red Sox seem to be doing anything they can to keep pace with the Rays and Yankees. They brought up Jarrod Saltalamacchia this past week to add a boost to the Youk-free lineup. Salty could end up being a worthy fantasy player in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

5.(↓1) Cincinnati Reds (67-51): The Reds scored the third most offensive points this week with 117. If you look down a little you will see the second place St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. Although just 1.0 game back of the Reds, they are nine spots behind them in production according to this system. This tells me the Reds are beginning to outplay the Cardinals, and this week they outscored them by 34 total points.

6.(↑1) San Diego Padres (69-47): San Diego leads the league with a 1.21 WHIP and a 3.21 ERA. With that said, let’s be honest they’re not going to win anything with the ninth worst offense. The Padres have just 63 points this week on offense (208 total points).

7.(↓2) Chicago White Sox (65-53): It looks like the White Sox may have completed a deal that worked against them again. Last year they traded for Jake Peavy and gave up Clayton Richard (amongst others), and this year they get Edwin Jackson for Daniel Hudson. My point is that Hudson is 3-0 with the D-Backs with just four earned allowed in 22.2 IP, while Richard has 10 wins and Peavy sits on IR.

8.(─) Minnesota Twins (68-50): The Twins currently have a three-game lead in the Central, but sit three points behind Chicago on this list. The Twins and White Sox are very close in talent, but what may give the edge to Minnesota is their pitching. At just 1.26, the Twins have the fourth best WHIP in the league.

9.(─) San Francisco Giants (67-52): San Francisco has a much better lineup than the Padres and although they lost the series to San Diego, I see the Giants taking over first…real soon. The Giants sit 12 points behind their division foes, but they have just three more offensive points at the current time. I project the Giants offense to get better and the Padres pitching to slowly decline.

10.(─) Atlanta Braves (68-49): The Fantasy MVP/God who goes by the name “Chipper” is now gone for the year, and possibly for good. This is going to affect the Braves and their league-best 41-16 home record, how much though remains to be seen. The next team is hot on their tail as the top two teams in the NL East are tied at 192 points this week (Braves get the edge because they scored 127 pitching points and this is the highest total in either category for both teams).

11.(─) Philadelphia Phillies (66-51): See Braves.

12.(↑1) Colorado Rockies (61-56): It’s almost that time of the season where the Rockies go on a torrid streak.

13.(↓1) Toronto Blue Jays (62-55): Ricky Romero just signed a new deal with the Jays and should be their ace for at least six more years.

14.(─) St. Louis Cardinals (65-51): See Cincinnati.

15.(↑1) Los Angeles Angels (60-59): Not even Mike Scioscia can get the Angels back in the hunt.   

16.(↓1) Los Angeles Dodgers (60-58): Not even Joe Torre can get the Dodgers back in the hunt.

17.(↑1) Milwaukee Brewers (55-64): Milwaukee has the ninth best fantasy offense in the league.

18.(↓1) Florida Marlins (57-59): After losing three in a row, the Marlins are below .500 at home and on the road.

19.(─) Oakland Athletics (57-59): If you are looking for offense, look away. Just 52 offensive points this week.

20.(─) New York Mets (58-59): K-Rod beat up his girlfriend’s father this past week. Would Mariano Rivera ever do that in public?

21.(─) Washington Nationals (51-67): The deadline is fast approaching to sign Bryce Harper.

22.(↑1) Chicago Cubs (50-68): See Houston.

23.(↓1) Kansas City Royals (49-69): Are the Royals every going to produce a winning team again?

24.(↑1) Arizona Diamondbacks (47-72): See White Sox.

25.(↓1) Detroit Tigers (57-60): The Tigers sit between the Royals and Indians in these rankings. Enough said.

26.(─) Houston Astros (51-65): Houston is 16 percentage points better than the Cubs right now.

27.(─) Seattle Mariners (46-72): The Mariners are inching closer to 100 total points in the FPR (91).

28.(─) Cleveland Indians (49-69): If you are looking for a nice addition to your fantasy team check out  Jeanmar Gomez.

29.(─) Baltimore Orioles (41-77): The Orioles are 30.5 games back in the Wild Card race.

30.(─) Pittsburgh Pirates (39-78): The Pirates are tied for 2^nd to last with a .363 Slugging percentage.

Best Offense: (130) New York Yankees 

Best Pitching: (145) San Diego Padres 

Worst Offense: (27) Pittsburgh Pirates 

Worst Pitching: (12) Baltimore Orioles

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

These rankings are based on a 300 point system, 150 for offensive production, and 150 for pitching production. 30 points (one point for each team) is the most points any team can receive in a given category. For instance, if the Rays lead the league in HR’s they will get 30 points for that category.

The 5 offensive categories used:

The 5 pitching categories used:

Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and Ks

1.(↑1) Texas Rangers (65-39): The Rangers outscored the Rays in the Fantasy Power Rankings system by two points to take the FPR reins back. With 245 points the Rangers are clicking and seem to have their division locked up already with a 7.5 game lead.

2.(↓1) Tampa Bay Rays (67-44): Tampa Bay loses the number one spot and are lucky to not have fallen further. The Rays are on a five-game losing streak and now sit 2.0 games back of the next team on this list.

3.(─) New York Yankees (69-42): With already owning the most valuable team in fantasy baseball the Yankees added Lance Berkman. Not that Berkman will be great or get a ton of playing time, but things happen and he can be a very valuable fantasy player if he finds his stroke in New York.

4.(↑4) Cincinnati Reds (64-48): The Reds are taking everything in stride while in the race against the Cardinals. Cincinnati is 8-2 in their last ten and are currently riding a four-game winning streak.

5.(↓1) Chicago White Sox (63-48): Edwin Jackson hopes to make up for his lackluster performance in the first half, by contributing to the White Sox’s playoff hopes. The White Sox managed 102 pitching points this week.

6.(─) Boston Red Sox (64-49): Adrian Beltre currently has a stat line of .336/20/75, which is a big reason why the Red Sox rank in the top two in HR, RBI, and R. However, the loss of Youkilis will prove to be far too much to overcome for the third place Sox.

7.(─) San Diego Padres (64-46): The first place Padres scored the most pitching points for yet another week with 143 of a possible 150. They’re offense, on the other hand, ranked in the Bottom Eight this week. Not a good recipe when you have young pitching and a good Giants team breathing down your back.

8.(↑1) Minnesota Twins (63-49): Not long ago, we saw the Twins in the top five on a weekly basis. I’m not sure if they can get back into the top five again but when you can win 7-of-10 you’re doing something right.  

9.(↓4) San Francisco Giants (63-49): The Giants scored the third most pitching points behind the Rays and the Padres this week. The story here however, is their offense. In my opinion (and in these rankings) San Francisco has a better offense than the first place Padres, and I think many would make the argument that their pitching is superior as well.

10.(↑4) Atlanta Braves (64-47): Atlanta ranked in fourth place in offensive categories this week. Fourth place in the NL East, they scored only seven more points than the hapless Mets on offense. The Braves pitching ranks fourth this week with 124 points.  

11.(↑1) Philadelphia Phillies (62-49): The Phillies are getting back on track and now sit just 2.0 games back of Atlanta and 0.5 back of the Wild Card.

12.(↑1) Toronto Blue Jays (59-52): Toronto is actually fun to watch…seriously.

13.(↓2) Colorado Rockies (58-53): Colorado doesn’t have enough pitching, no matter what Jimenez can do.

14.(↓4) St. Louis Cardinals (61-49): St. Louis does have enough pitching no matter what their offense does!

15.(↑2) Los Angeles Dodgers (58-54): LAD finishes tied with LAA this week with 167 points each, but the Dodgers get the edge because they put up the highest total in any category between the two (98-batting).  

16.(─) Los Angeles Angels (56-57): Above.

17.(↓2) Florida Marlins (54-56): Do they have anything worth playing for? Really?

18.(↑2) Milwaukee Brewers (53-59): See Toronto, Milwaukee baseball is some of the most entertaining in the game with the Brewers ranking third in home runs and having the seventh worst pitching staff.

19.(─) Oakland Athletics (56-54): Oakland is all the way to just 57 offensive points this week.

20.(↓2) New York Mets (55-56): The Mets scored in the Bottom 10 in half of the categories.

21.(─) Washington Nationals (49-63): The Nationals have the seventh worst offense and sixth worst pitching as far as fantasy team value is concerned.  

22.(↑1) Kansas City Royals (47-64): The Royals don’t rank last in either category in the AL Central; they are third in each.

23.(↓1) Chicago Cubs (47-64): The Cubs are in the Bottom 10 in 7-of-10 categories.

24.(─) Detroit Tigers (54-57): After sitting just 1.0 game back just over a month ago, the Tigers are now 9.0 games back in the Central.

25.(─) Arizona Diamondbacks (43-69): Was anyone really expected the D-Backs to compete this year?

27.(─) Seattle Mariners (42-70): Don Wakamatsu got canned today, and I have to say, he deserved it!

28.(─) Cleveland Indians (47-65): The Indians need to hope…pray that some of their prospects start to pan out.

29.(↑1) Baltimore Orioles (37-74): Buck Showalter has been around the block a time or two. O’s fans have reason to be a little excited.

30.(↓1) Pittsburgh Pirates (39-72): Pedro Alvarez is the real deal and could be the one guy who can turn the Pirates around.

Best Offense: (130) New York Yankees 

Best Pitching: (143) San Diego Padres 

Worst Offense: (27) Pittsburgh Pirates 

Worst Pitching: (10) Baltimore Orioles

For PDF chart will full rankings please visit www.fantasybaseballsportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

These rankings are based on a 300-point system, 150 for offensive production and 150 for pitching production.The maximum amount of points any team can receive in a given category is 30 points (1 point for each team). For instance, if the Tampa Bay Rays lead the league in home runs they will get 30 points for that category.

The 5 offensive categories used:

The 5 pitching categories used:

Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and K

1.( ↑ 1) Tampa Bay Rays (65-39): The Rays are back to the number one spot after Texas had dominated this position for the past few weeks. The Rays scored 249 of a possible 300 points this week, finishing six points higher than the Rangers. Tampa finishes with the second-best pitching and tied for the sixth-best offensive production this week.  

2.( ↓ 1) Texas Rangers (61-44): The Rangers look to have a stranglehold on their division, not only in the standings but also in the rankings. While they are eight games up on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, they are also 78 points greater than the Halos here. If you combine Oakland’s and Seattle’s points, the Rangers still outscore them by 16 points.

3.(─) New York Yankees (66-38): New York keeps their cool in these rankings finishing in third place yet again; however, they went bonkers at the conclusion of the deadline. The Yankees acquired Kerry Wood, Austin Kearns and Lance Berkman at the deadline, surely in hopes that they can catch the Rays and Rangers in these rankings.

4.( ↑ 10) Chicago White Sox (59-45): The biggest movers of the week, the White Sox, score their highest point total of the year with 215 total points (110 offense and 105 pitching). Chicago has won 7-of-10 and is now tied with the third-best home record in the American League.

5.( ↑ 1) San Francisco Giants (61-45): The Giants are playing as well as anyone and they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. San Francisco leads the National League West with 205 points and are now the most balanced team in their division now that Buster Posey has been able to make a difference

6.( ↑ 2) Boston Red Sox (60-45): There is absolutely no way the Red Sox are making the playoffs this year and they will easily finish in the Top 10 of the fantasy rankings come season’s end. The Red Sox scored in the top four in 4-of-5 offensive categories for the fourth-most offensive points at 115.

7.( ↓ 3) San Diego Padres (61-42): San Diego’s pitching is absolutely dominant, as they finish with the most points yet again (144). The Padres ranked in the top four in 6-of-10 categories this week.

8.( ↓ 4) Cincinnati Reds (59-47): The Reds have a solid offense from top to bottom, however their pitching staff (which is deep to some) doesn’t impress me enough to think they can pull out a division win this season.

9.( ↑ 4) Minnesota Twins (59-46): The Twins are a game back of the White Sox for first place in the AL Central. I wonder how much value the Twins can get in the Matt Capps deal. I would guess not enough to make it matter.

10.( ↓ 1) St. Louis Cardinals (59-46):   St. Louis has the second-best home record in the majors after completing the sweep of the Pirates. They are tied up with the Reds for the division lead, and that division is anyone’s guess. Still, the edge has to go to Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

11.(─) Colorado Rockies (55-50): Colorado is seven games back in their division and 5.5 games back in the wild card.

12.( ↑ 3) Philadelphia Phillies (57-48): Philadelphia is still three games back of the Atlanta Braves.

13.( ↑ 3) Toronto Blue Jays (54-51): Jose Bautista is leading the Jays to their league-leading 161 home runs.

14.( ↓ 7) Atlanta Braves (59-45): The Braves drop seven spots this week surprisingly. The NL East is going to get very interesting.

15.( ↓ 2) Florida Marlins (53-52): I don’t see Florida giving up, but I don’t see them competing for anything either.  

16.( ↓ 4) Los Angeles Angels (54-53): See the Texas Rangers.

17.( ↓ 7) Los Angeles Dodgers (54-51): Before you know it the Dodgers are going to be out of the playoff race.

18.( ↑ 2) New York Mets (53-52): The Mets have been in worse shape; however, they are in the Bottom 10 in four categories.

19.(─) Oakland Athletics (52-52): As I said a long, long time ago: Kevin Kouzmanoff is their cleanup hitter.

20.( ↓ 2) Milwaukee Brewers (40-58): The Brewers are doing a good thing I think; keeping Prince Fielder and resigning Corey Hart.

21.(↑3) Washington Nationals (46-59): The Nationals robbed the Twins blind in the Matt Capps-for-Wilson Ramos trade.

22.(↓1) Chicago Cubs (46-59): Why would Joe Girardi ever leave the Yankees for the Cubs? Stop it already!

23.(─) Kansas City Royals (45-60): They did just sweep the Orioles.

24.( ↓2) Detroit Tigers (52-52): The Tigers have a 35-17 home record and if you go ahead and reverse that you will find their road record.

25.(─) Arizona Diamondbacks (39-66): I just wonder what’s in store for Brandon Webb in the offseason.

26.( ↑ 1) Houston Astros (45-59): Life after Roy Oswalt begins.

27.( ↓ 1) Seattle Mariners (39-67): The Mariners received one point in four of the five offensive categories.

28.(─) Cleveland Indians (44-61): Carlos Santana just got taken off the field after a collision at home plate.

29.(─) Pittsburgh Pirates (36-68): Pittsburgh scores 24 and 22 points in each category. Go ahead and look if you want.

30.(─) Baltimore Orioles (32-73): The Orioles continue to dominate the worst pitching category and drop two more points from last week.

Best Offense: (126) Texas Rangers

Best Pitching: (144) San Diego Padres

Worst Offense: (24) Pittsburgh Pirates

Worst Pitching: (7) Baltimore Orioles

For PDF chart with full rankings please visit www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

One thing that goes overlooked, as far as closers are concerned, is their effectiveness in staying focused when blowing a save. Often times when a reliever comes in and blows the lead for their team, they are either taken out or will proceed to lose the game. There is a BIG difference when it comes to blowing a save and blowing a game. It goes unnoticed often, but one thing that can make a great fantasy baseball closer, is their desire to remain in the game and hold their ground when they give up a couple of runs.

Think about it, if you have a closer who can add 5-10 wins a year it’s almost like having another starter going every week. We saw K-Rod throw 40+ pitches when he blew a save a couple of weeks ago, but he stayed in and recorded a win for the Mets. Read on to see who kept their composure this past week.

Grade A

Carlos Marmol (Cubs): It makes my job more fun when I get to put this man in the A group. Marmol’s strikeout watch is now at 91. That is more than Randy Wolf, Wandy Rodriguez, Jaime Garcia, and Johnny Cueto─ all starting pitchers! What’s more is that Marmol has done it in only 48.1 IP. For the week he went 2-for-2 in SVO and added eight K’s (no runs).

Rafael Soriano (Rays): Soriano had a very nice week and continues to bolster the Rays bullpen. He went 4-for-4 over the last seven and added four K’s without allowing a run. He had a 1.00 WHIP over the last seven and it now sits at just 0.91.

Matt Capps (Nationals): While Capps has fallen to fourth in the NL in saves (25), he has also added three wins for his fantasy owners . This past week he went 2-for-2 in SVO and allowed just two men to reach base.

Heath Bell (Padres):

Bell went 3-for-3 during the week and allowed just one man to reach base. He is now second in the majors with 29 saves and has given his fantasy owners four wins on top of that.

Grade B

Neftali Feliz (Rangers): Feliz is third in the majors with 28 saves, and this past week he added three more to that total (3-for-3). He did allow a run in 3.2 IP but added his second win of the year. Overall it was a great week in fantasy baseball for Feliz.

Jonathan Papelbon (Red Sox): His season totals are solid with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 24 saves. However, he has just a 37:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio and he has four blown saves with four losses. Last week he blew a save (3-for-4) and walked three men.

Kevin Gregg (Blue Jays): It isn’t often this man does his job without making his manager cringe. He has a 3.72 ERA on the year, but unfortunately for his owners he hasn’t been able to record a win yet (0-4). He went 2-for-2 the last week without allowing a batter to reach base.

John Axford (Brewers): The newest fantasy worthy closer , Axford, has been doing everything asked of him. After taking the closer’s job, Axford has only recorded 6 wins and gone 15-for-16 in SVO. For not being up for the first part of the season Axford’s six wins have to have his owners relishing the moment they picked him up.

Brian Wilson (Giants): Wilson went 4-for-4 last week and leads the league with 30 saves. He gave up one run and raised his ERA to 1.99 on the season. Wilson has added two wins to his very impressive season total.

Grade C

Brad Lidge (Phillies): Lidge finished the week with a 6.00 ERA and it now sits at 4.58 on the year. Even with going 3-for-3 in SVO for the week, Lidge finds himself here for walking five men and giving up two runs.

Grade D

Jose Valverde (Tigers): While his 1.81 ERA and his lone blown save have many fantasy owners impressed, he has just one win on the year with 21 saves. In four appearances last week, Valverde went 2-for-2 but also added his second loss on the year.

Michael Wuertz (Athletics): With regular closer Andrew Bailey day-to-day with a strained back, Wuertz stepped in and did a decent job. The man went 2-for-2 in SVO for the week, but did take an L. He has added to wins this season.

Grade F

Billy Wagner (Braves): Wagner has absolutely been one of the best fantasy baseball closers, however, not this past week. He blew two saves, had a 16.20 ERA and allowed four runs in just 1.2 IP. Still, Wagner has been one of the most valuable closers in baseball; he has five wins and 22 saves on the year.

Bobby Jenks (White Sox): One rule I like to follow in doing the Closer Report , is that if you lose your job you receive an F. Jenks did just that, and although it may be just a move Ozzie Guillen is making to prove a point, Jenks better figure this out. His career could depend on it! He pitched 1.1 IP blew a save and took the loss while allowing two earned and four hits.

Originally Published at www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

HR’s, RBI, Runs, Average, and SB’s    

The 5 pitching categories used:

Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and K’s

1.(─) Texas Rangers (58-41): Texas’ offense just edged out the Yankees by one point to hold the title for the best offense. With 127 points, the Rangers finished the week in the top six in 4-of-5 offensive categories and 6-of-10 total categories.

With the addition of another stud pitcher (Cliff Lee), I for one am very excited to watch the Rangers in the pennant race .

2.(─) Tampa Bay Rays (59-38): The Rays are in the top 10 in all but two categories of the Fantasy Power Rankings .

Top prospect Jeremy Hellickson should be getting added to the Rays bullpen in the upcoming weeks. He has a 2.51 ERA with 12 wins and 119 K’s in 114.2 IP for the Durham Bulls.

This could be exactly what Tampa Bay needs to pull away from the rest of the AL in the wild-card race.

3.(─) New York Yankees (62-35): The Yankees are “losing out” in the trade market according to some.

I, however, feel that they are perfectly fine and know what they are doing. They have a three-game lead in the toughest division in baseball and they have the second  best offense and sixth best pitching according to these rankings .

4.(─) Cincinnati Reds (55-45): The Reds don’t seem to be going anywhere as they sit just a a half-game back of the division leading Cardinals. With that said, let’s be honest: St. Louis is the better team and Albert Pujols hasn’t even gotten into one of his grooves yet.

5.(─) San Diego Padres (58-39): With the pitching that the NL West presents, I believe this is the second best division in baseball.

The offense on the other hand, does not come even close to the AL East, as the leader has just 102 points (Colorado).

Between the four teams (not Arizona) who are real contenders in the NL West, I would put the Padres in fourth offensive wise. They scored just 61 offensive points this week.

6.(↑2) San Francisco Giants (56-43): See the Padres.

With the addition of Buster Posey to this lineup, the Giants have added a scary bat. Finally.

I know he is just a rookie, but to date he has a .371 avg., eight HR’s, and 33 RBI in JUST 48 games! Posey has 16 hits over his last nine games.

7.(↑ 3) Atlanta Braves (57-41): The Phillies better hope that Chase Utley comes back and is as hot as he was in the World Series last year. The Braves are the division leader by four-and-a-half games and scored 29 more total points this week than the second -place Phillies.

8.(↓1) Boston Red Sox (55-44): Victor Martinez could be coming back as soon as tonight, according to manager Terry Francona. As much as this is going to help, I just can’t see this being enough to help the third- place Red Sox catch the Rays, or Yankees for that matter.    

9.(↑2) St. Louis Cardinals (52-44): See the Reds.

The Cardinals obviously have a much better rotation than the Reds (outscored them 100-84 in pitching points). With Carpenter and Wainwright at the top of the rotation, the Reds will continue to fall behind more than the 16 points they currently are.

10.(↑3) Los Angeles Dodgers (53-46): To be blunt, the Dodgers don’t have enough.

Not enough pitching, hitting, or reasons to convince Joe Torre to stay past this year. Unfortunately, what they do have enough of, is publicity for the owners’ divorce that is going on.  

11.(↓2) Colorado Rockies (51-48): I don’t know what’s more surprising: the Rockies losing six straight or them only falling two spots.

12.(─) Los Angeles Angels (52-49): Dan Haren is certainly going to help get the Angels get closer to the Rangers, but is it too late?

13.(↑ 1) Minnesota Twins (53-46): Minnesota sits 1.0 game back of the White Sox, but is one position above them here.

14.(↓8) Chicago White Sox (53-44): After going nuts for almost two months, the White Sox have cooled off a bit, losing 6-of-10.

15.(↑ 5) Philadelphia Phillies (53-46): If you’re playing daily and weekly fantasy games , the Phillies are hot right now. So use them wisely.

16.(↓1) Toronto Blue Jays (50-49): The Blue Jays have a ton of useful fantasy players . Of course, this doesn’t translate into wins always.

17.(↓ 1) Florida Marlins (49-49): Florida has gone 7-3 over its last ten, but the Marlins are still six-and-a-half games back in the wild card.

18.(↑ 1) Milwaukee Brewers (47-53): The Brewers are one of the most exciting teams to watch—either because their offense is explosive or because their pitching allows a ton of men to reach base.

19.(↓ 2) Oakland Athletics (50-48): I had the pleasure of watching the A’s in the series against the White Sox.

I use “pleasure” loosely.

20.(↓2) New York Mets (50-49): 2-8 over their last ten─enough said!

21.(─) Chicago Cubs (45-54):   Is there any other team that could be 11 games back in their division and have people still talking about the playoffs?

22.(─) Detroit Tigers (51-46): The Tigers are the one exception in the Fantasy Power Rankings. I can’t seem to figure them out.

23.(↑ 1) Kansas City Royals (42-56): Any time Scott Podsednik hits two HR’s and has four RBI his team should win. It didn’t!

24.(↓ 1) Washington Nationals (42-57): 116 total points in the FPR isn’t terrible, but a 17-36 road record is!

25.(─) Arizona Diamondbacks (37-62): Arizona better hope it can get something going before Justin Upton requests a trade next year.

26.(─) Seattle Mariners (39-60): I would make the argument that Chone Figgins isn’t the only Mariner who has given up lately.

27.(─) Houston Astros (40-58): Is anyone willing to pay fantasy baseball stud Roy Oswalt?

28.(─) Cleveland Indians (41-57): Cleveland has been playing much better and has won seven of its last 10.

29.(↑1) Pittsburgh Pirates (34-64): When you finish in the bottom five in 8-of-10 categories, there really just isn’t any hope.

30.(↓1) Baltimore Orioles (29-62): With just nine total pitching points, it’s pretty obvious what’s wrong in Baltimore.

Best Offense: (127) Texas Rangers

Best Pitching: (144) San Diego Padres

Worst Offense: (25) Houston Astros

Worst Pitching: (9) Baltimore Orioles

For full standings please visit www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There isn’t much to complain about this week when it comes to closers performances over the last week. With only six blown saves for the entire MLB over the last seven days, its nitpicking time. This week it was very difficult to separate an A from a D, let alone a B. If your closer gave up more than one hit look down the list. If he gave up a run, ha, look waaay down the list.

Grade A

John Axford (Brewers): If you have read my prior Closer Reports you know I am one of the biggest Axford fans on the planet. He impressed yet again with four K’s, one hit allowed, and going 2-for-2 in 2.1 IP. He now has a 2.86 ERA, with five wins (one loss), 12 saves (12-for-12) and 36 K’s in 28.1 IP.

Andrew Bailey (Athletics): One of the most underrated players, coming out of any bullpen, Bailey’s 99MPH heater has helped him to his 1.56 ERA. For the week he went 2-for-2 while adding a win and two K’s in 3.1 IP.

Billy Wagner (Braves): Like his manager Bobby Cox, Wagner says he is set to retire at season’s end. Maybe so, but his current season is certainly making it difficult for fans to believe him (them). Wagner again amazed, and went 2-for-2 allowing no hits and striking four out.

Francisco Cordero (Reds): The good : he is tied for the lead league in saves with 26 and went 2-for-2 during the week. The bad: he has six blown saves, three losses, and a 3.92 ERA. This week he did not allow a hit while striking out two in 3.0 IP.

Grade B

Chris Perez (Indians): In 3.0 IP Perez went 2-for-2 in SVO, striking out two. While he didn’t allow a run and gave up just one hit, he wasn’t impressive enough to receive an A.

Ryan Franklin (Cardinals): Over the last seven days, Franklin went 1-for-1 in SVO (save opportunities) and also picked up a win. As always he wasn’t impressive, but he did his job. He struck out just two batters while allowing two hits and one walk.

Brian Fuentes (Angels): Sure he went 2-for-2 in SVO and allowed only one batter to reach base (walk), but he only got two batters out by way of the K in 3.0 IP.

Leo Nunez (Marlins): Nunez had a very good week with four K’s and allowing just two hits for the week. Nunez add two more saves (2-for-2) and now has 23 on the year with a 2.72 ERA.

Grade C

Brian Wilson (Giants): Wilson was the only player to record three saves last week (3-for-3) and he see’s eight players ahead of him. Reason being, he gave up five hits, a run, and received a loss. He did however, strikeout more batters (7) than any other pitcher.

Grade D

Heath Bell (Padres): Not much you can nitpick on for Bell’s season; however this week was a disappointment considering his competition. Bell went 2-for-2 but allowed a run and two hits in just 2.0 IP.

Neftali Feliz (Rangers): Feliz gave up just one run, but also allowed two hits in just 3.0 IP. He did fan four batters but, as you have read this just wasn’t good enough this week. Feliz’s ERA has been rising steadily and now sits at 3.76 for the year.

Grade F

Huston Street (Rockies): If you didn’t know, Street is playing pretty good right now, with the exception of one outing, Street would have been near the top. The 26 year old, gave up two-earned runs while blowing a save and receiving the loss against the Marlins on Monday. He has a 0.79 WHIP on the season.

Kevin Gregg (Blue Jays): Gregg walked four, blew a save (1-for-2), allowed two earned runs (7.71 ERA) and three hits in just 2.1 IP. It seems we drive down this road almost every week with Gregg. At some point the Blue Jays may look for a new closer.

Carlos Marmol (Cubs): I am one of his biggest backers, but this week it would be difficult for his own mother to be proud of his performance. He walked five batters, blew a save, and finished the week with a 13.50 ERA (four earned). The best part about Marmol’s week was that he allowed just one hit.

Bobby Jenks (White Sox): He only lasted 2.1 innings, let up four earned runs, five hits, blew a big lead in the ninth to the division rival Twins, and had a 15.43 ERA in three games Big time F! The guy has good stuff, but has been inconsistent and hasn’t lived up to his big contract.

Originally published at www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

These rankings are based on a 300 point system, 150 for offensive production, and 150 for pitching production. 30 points (1 point for each team) are the most points any team can receive in a given category. For instance, if the Rays lead the league in HR’s they will get 30 points for that category.

The 5 offensive categories used:

HR’s, RBI, Runs, Average, and SB’s           

The 5 pitching categories used:

Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and K’s

1.(↑1)Tampa Bay Rays (250): The Rays have a long way to go, can they get another bat?                           

2.(↑1)New York Yankees (245): The Yankees are the best team; how much better will they get?                                  

3.(↓2)Texas Rangers (239): They now have a true ace in Cliff Lee, but can they hold off the Angels?                                             

4.(↑1)Cincinnati Reds (206): Is there any way they can hold off the Cardinals?                                  

5.(↑5)Los Angeles Dodgers (199): Can Kemp find his groove?                       

6.(↓2)Boston Red Sox (197): What position will the Red Sox address by the deadline?                                 

7.(↓1)San Diego Padres (194): Can the young pitchers keep it going in the second half?                                 

8.(↑4)San Francisco Giants (194): Is Buster Posey going to continue to get better?                         

9.(↑4)Colorado Rockies (193): How ready will Troy Tulowitski be after the break?                                 

10.(↑5)Chicago White Sox (187): 25 wins in 30 games?                             

11.(↓2)Atlanta Braves (186): Will Heyward win the ROY and help the Braves make the playoffs?                         

12.(↓ 4)New York Mets (177): When will they fall apart?                                   

13.(↓ 6)Los Angeles Angels (172): Can they keep up with the Rangers?                 

14.(↑ 2)Florida Marlins (170): Will Uggla be traded by the deadline?                                 

15.(↓ 4)St. Louis Cardinals (169): Will Chris Carpenter make it to season’s end?                           

16.(↑ 2)Toronto Blue Jays (161): Vernon Wells… any takers?                              

17.(─)Philadelphia Phillies (161): Rollins, Utley, Lidge, Madson, etc.. Is the injury bug done in Philly?

18.(↓ 4)Minnesota Twins (157):Free falling, will Joe and Justin be healthy after the break?                          

19.(↑ 1)Milwaukee Brewers (148): Who is going to win the Prince sweepstakes?                          

20.(↓ 1)Oakland Athletics  (143): I got nothing… they’re the A’s.                   

21.(↑ 2)Detroit Tigers (140): Will Miguel win the Triple Crown?                              

22.(─)Washington Nationals (127): Will Strasburg be babied? YES!                       

23.(↓ 2)Kansas City Royals (126): Will they trade impact players?                        

24.(─)Chicago Cubs (123): Will Zambrano get arrested this year?                                   

25.(─)Arizona Diamondbacks (115): Is Justin Upton the next superstar or is he closer to B.J.?             

26.(─)Seattle Mariners (98): When will King Felix request a trade?                                

27.(─)Houston Astros (85): Oswalt is headed to?                                

28.(↑ 2)Baltimore Orioles (59): How are they not last?                           

29.(↓ 1)Cleveland Indians (54): Will Matt LaPorta ever pan out?                            

30.(↓ 1)Pittsburgh Pirates (47): Can the Pirates give their fans a glimmer of hope? 

Best Offense: (131) Texas Rangers 

Best Pitching: (138) Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres 

Worst Offense: (27) Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros 

Worst Pitching: (18) Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians

Here is an in-depth look at each division. Which one is the strongest, has the best offense, or is packed with the most pitching? The system shows it all, with absolutely no opinion included. Enjoy.

Division Breakdown

Overall Points

1.AL East (182) 

2.NL West (179) 

3.NL East (165)

4.AL West (163)

5.AL Central (133)

6.NL Central (130)

Batting Points

1.AL East (93)

2.NL West (84)

3.AL West (81)

4.NL East (78)

5.AL Central (69)

6.NL Central (67)

Pitching Points

1.NL West (95)

2.AL East (89)

3.NL East (87)

4.AL West (82)

5.AL Central (64)

6.NL Central (63)

Avg. Wins/Losses

1.AL East 47-41

2.NL West 46-42

3.NL East 46-42

4.AL West 44-45

5.AL Central 43-44

6.NL Central 40-48

For full PDF char with rankings visit www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

These rankings are based on a 300 point system, 150 for offensive production and 150 for pitching production. 30 points (one point for each team) is the highest total any team can receive in a given category. For instance, if the Rays lead the league in HR’s, they will get 30 points for that category.

The five offensive categories used:HR’s, RBI, Runs, Average, and SB’s

The five pitching categories used:

Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and K’s

1.(↑1) Texas Rangers (48-33): Despite going just 2-4 last week, the Rangers remain at the top of the FPR this week. The Rangers also lost their leading position as the best offensive team, but Texas sits just two points behind the Reds for the lead with 130 points. With all of these negatives, they hold the most coveted positive: the number one spot, with 243 total points, in the fantasy baseball power rankings standings.

2.(↑1) Tampa Bay Rays (48-33): They may not be first for the time being, but they are the first team from the AL East to make the list. The Rays scored two points more than the Yankees with a total of 237. They lead the league in stolen bases, while their pitching is carrying them with 128 total points.

3.(↓1) New York Yankees (50-31): New York is currently riding a three-game win streak and they have the best record in the majors. There really is nothing to worry about, especially when speedster Brett Gardener can hit a grand slam one day and hit an inside-the-parker the next. New York scores in the top-10 in eight categories this week.

4.(↔) Boston Red Sox (48-33): The Red Sox scored in the top three in all but one offensive category for the fourth most offensive points. David Ortiz has two home runs and eight RBI over his last seven games.

5.(↔) Cincinnati Reds (43-34): The Reds have a lot of good things going for them, and now they can add the possibility of acquiring Cliff Lee’s services. Apparently, Cincinnati now sits near the top of the possible landing spots for the stud left-hander. Throw him into the mix with the Reds offense and they have a real shot at the NL pennant. The Reds lead the league with 132 points.

6.(↔) San Diego Padres (45-31): Major League Baseball failed to get one of the more obvious things right for this year’s All Star Game: getting a Padre pitcher on the team. The Padres lead the league with a remarkable 146 of the possible 150 pitching points. My guess is that Mat Latos will eventually be named a replacement.

7.(↑2) Los Angeles Angels (46-38): The Angels are one of the more well-rounded teams in the AL, as they are above .500 at home and on the road. Still, they are 3.5 games back of Texas and 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race.

8.(↑2) New York Mets (46-36): The Mets currently lead the Wild Card race and are also the first team from the NL East to make the list. New York is inching closer to the 200 points total in the FPR (194) and receive some help soon. They are also considered one of the leaders in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.

9.(↓1) Atlanta Braves (48-35): The NL East leading Atlanta Braves scored 187 points, just seven behind the Mets for the bragging rights in the FPR. The Braves are the best home team in the league with a 30-10 record, although they are just 18-25 on the road.

10.(↑6) Los Angeles Dodgers (45-36): The Dodgers’ 186 points are good to climb six spots and fill out the top-10. However, the Dodgers can’t seem to make up too much ground on the Padres. They are just .500 on the road at 21-21.

11.(↓4) St. Louis Cardinals (45-37): St. Louis scores 179 points this week, but they drop four spots.

12.(↓1) San Francisco Giants (42-40): The Giants received 121 pitchings points, good for third this week.

13.(↑1) Colorado Rockies (44-38): The Rockies have won six-of-10 and sit just 1.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race.

14.(↑3) Minnesota Twins (44-38): If these standings mean anything (I’d like to think they do), the Twins will regain the division lead soon.

15.(↓2) Chicago White Sox (42-38): Chicago falls two spots, yet they sit just one game back of the division lead.

16.(↓1) Florida Marlins (38-43): Considering their division and all of the recent changes, the Marlins should start looking at their future.

17.(↑3) Philadelphia Phillies (43-38): The Phillies are now far from last in the NL East, but still need some help with their pitching (70 points).

18.(↓6) Toronto Blue Jays (41-42): I have my doubts about the Jays finishing anywhere near the top-10 at this point.

19.(↑3) Oakland Athletics (41-42): The A’s scored 148 points this week, 66 batting and 82 pitching.

20.(↓1) Milwaukee Brewers (37-46): The Brewers are one of four teams with losing records both at home and away in the NL Central.

21.(↔) Kansas City Royals (36-46): Joakim Soria is tied for the lead league in saves with 23.

22.(↑2) Washington Nationals (36-47): 128 total points for Washington is respectable, but they are still a ways away.

23.(↓5) Detroit Tigers (44-37): This is the surprise of the week here. The Tigers lead the AL Central, but fall five spots.

24.(↓1) Chicago Cubs (36-47): With the exception of Marlon Byrd and Carlos Marmol, there isn’t too much to brag about for Cubs fans.

25.(↔) Arizona Diamondbacks (32-51): Don’t be surprised if the D’Backs get rid of Dan Haren shortly after the All-Star break.

26.(↔) Seattle Mariners (34-47): At 15 games back, the Mariners will likely look to get what they can for Lee any week now.

27.(↔) Houston Astros (32-51): Well, they’re not the worst team in their division.

28.(↔) Cleveland Indians (32-49): Watch out for the Indians. In five years. They went 7-3 over their last 10.

29.(↑1) Pittsburgh Pirates (30-52): It seems the worst two teams in the league are pretty obvious.

30.(↓1) Baltimore Orioles (25-57): See Pittsburgh. It seems the two swap positions every week.

Best Offense: (132) Cincinnati Reds

Best Pitching: (146) San Diego Padres

Worst Offense: (20) Houston Astros

Worst Pitching: (10) Baltimore Orioles

Originally published at www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There were eight closers this week that didn’t allow a run and saved at least two games. Within the A group, you will find four players who recorded a combined 11 saves and 18 K’s. One team is ecstatic its guy is back, while another team is glad it found someone.

Here is this week’s Closer Report.

Grade A

Heath Bell (Padres)

After going 3-for-3 in SVO this past week, Bell is tied for second in the majors with 21 saves. Bell has 43 K’s in 32.2 IP while owning a 1.93 ERA.

Brian Fuentes (Angels)

Fuentes enjoys being at the top for a second time this season, as he doesn’t allow a run and recorded all three save chances. For the season, Fuentes was able to lower his ERA to 4.84.

Jose Valverde (Tigers)

In three appearances Valverde recorded two saves, struck five out, and went 3.2 scoreless innings. He now has a 0.53 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP.

Joakim Soria (Royals)

The last of the A group only went 3-for-3 in SVO and allowed just one hit. Soria is 19-for-21 on the year and has a 2.51 ERA.

Grade B

Francisco Cordero (Reds)

Cordero is tied for second with 21 saves on the season after recording two more during the week. On the flip side, Cordero has a 4.14 ERA and has given up four HRs.

Matt Lindstrom (Astros)

Lindstrom went 3-for-3 during the week and is now 18-for-22 on the season. Not bad while playing for a team with just 31 wins.

Ryan Franklin (Cardinals)

St. Louis’ closer goes 2-for-2 during the week while not allowing a run but receives a B because he didn’t record one strikeout. His ERA falls to 2.23 for the year.

Bobby Jenks (White Sox)

Jenks went 2-for-2 in SVO and now has 18 saves in 19 chances. He added one K to his season total of 35 in 29 IP.

Andrew Bailey (Athletics)

After the last week Bailey’s WHIP sits at just 0.97, and his ERA isn’t far behind at 1.69. He went 2-for-2 while allowing just two hits.

Grade C

John Axford (Brewers)

If you listened, you now have a reliable closer, as does Milwaukee. Axford has been better than expected, as he has gone a perfect 8-for-8 on the season and has a respectable 3.00 ERA.

Rafael Soriano (Rays)

Soriano is still going under the radar, I feel, and it doesn’t make much sense. Although he receives a C this week, the man has a 0.76 WHIP for the season. Soriano went 2-for-2 but did give up a HR.

Grade D

Carlos Marmol (Cubs)

The Cubs’ electric closer was just that this past week. Marmol walked six and fanned eight more batters. This is important because he now leads closers in both categories (25 BBs and 66 K’s).

Kerry Wood (Indians)

Wood was one of the few who recorded three saves, but he blew another and gave up two earned. Wood is 8-for-11 with a 6.62 ERA.

Grade F

Jonathan Papelbon (Red Sox)

Papelbon is not exactly having a career year. He blew two more saves, gave up five earned and two HRs, and finished the week with a 12.27 ERA. On the season he has given up 14 earned and six HRs.

Manny Corpas (Rockies)

On the season Corpas has four losses and three blown saves with a 4.50 ERA. Good thing for Rockies fans Huston Street has come back strong with a save and four K’s in 4.1 IP.

Originally published at www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

These rankings are based on a 300 point system, 150 for offensive production and 150 for pitching production. 30 points (1 point for each team) is the most points any team can receive in a given category. For instance, if the Rays lead the league in HR’s they will get 30 points for that category.

The 5 offensive categories used: HR’s, RBI’s, Runs, Average, and SB’s .

The 5 pitching categories used: Wins, Saves, WHIP, ERA, and K’s

1.(↔ ) New York Yankees (43-26): The Yankees again sit atop the Fantasy Power Rankings with 250 of a possible 300 points. You know your team is hot when Javier Vazquez is in the zone. Vazquez has six quality starts (QS) in his last eight starts. The Yankees major pitching off-season acquisition has come around and lowered his WHIP to just 1.29. If he continues to lower his ERA (5.01) and work his K total (62 in 70 IP) this just might turn into a beautiful relationship.

2.(↑ 1) Texas Rangers (41-28): The hottest team in baseball has won eight straight and has made it to their highest seeding yet. Neftali Feliz leads the AL in saves (19) and has truly been a fantasy superstar this year. With just a 2.87 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP Feliz may be tempting the Rangers to make him a starter, but why change a good thing? Vladimir Guerrero is batting .327 with 15 HR’s and 57 RBI; he should be known as a legend during his era!

3.(↓1) Tampa Bay Rays (42-27): While on a six-game hit streak, slugger Carlos Pena has finally gotten his average to the .200 mark. He is still one of the more powerful first baseman (15 HR’s and 46 RBI) so if he can keep his average rising, the Rays will remain in the top three. No worries with their pitching as there isn’t a man in the rotation another staff couldn’t use.

4.(↑ 1) Boston Red Sox (43-28): David Ortiz isn’t dead yet.  Over Ortiz’s last ten games he has 11 RBI and three HR’s with 12 hits. Jon Lester (won his last eight decisions) has finally found his running mate in Clay Buchholz, who has taken his game to the next level this year. Buchholz has an incredible 2.47 ERA, matched by his 1.24 WHIP on the season.

5.(↑8 ) Atlanta Braves (42-28): While retirement talks (and thoughts) for Chipper Jones are inevitable, he has six RBI in his last five games. Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, Troy Glaus has been rejuvenated, and is batting .280 with 15 HR’s and 55 RBI (five more than Pujols).

6.(↑ 1) Los Angeles Angels (39-33): Tori Hunter has three HR’s and 10 RBI over his last ten to help the Angels score 114 of a possible 150 offensive points this week. Jared Weaver has been a fantasy gift this year while recording 12 QS in 15 starts and owning a 3.04 ERA. He struck out 11 against the Cubs last game while allowing no runs and just two hits.

7.(↓ 3) Cincinnati Reds (37-33): Joey Votto is quietly putting together one of the better fantasy years with a line of .314/14/43/7. Rookie pitcher Mike Leake just took his first loss and has given up 10 earned in his last two starts. It is time for Johnny Cueto to give a little more than his six QS and a 4.30 ERA.

8.(↑ 3) Minnesota Twins (40-29): Morneau has a stat line of .340/15/47, while Joe Mauer is waiting to strike with just three HR’s and 31 RBI.  Carl Pavano is 8-6 with a 3.64 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and has 10 QS in 14 starts.

9.(↑ 3) St. Louis Cardinals (38-31): St. Louis’ pitching is carrying the squad right now with 108 pitching points. Wainwright, Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia lead the way with 20 wins and 35 QS in 43 starts. Pujols is still doing his thing with 15 HR’s and 50 RBI, while Matt Holliday is picking it up with four HR’s, 8 RBI, and eight hits in his last three games.

10.(↓2) Toronto Blue Jays (38-32): Toronto leads the league in homeruns with 106, 16 more than the second place team (Boston). Leading the way is Jose Bautista (18) and Vernon Wells (16). Ricky Romero leads the pitching staff with a 3.08 ERA and 10 QS in 14 games started (GS).

11.(↑ 3) New York Mets (39-30): Johan Santana has given up four runs in each of his last three starts.

12.(↑2) San Francisco Giants (38-30): Buster Posey has cooled off since being called up; he is hitting under .100 over his last ten (3-for-31).

13.(↓7) Los Angeles Dodgers (38-31): Andre Ethier is just 4-for-36 in his last ten games.

14.(↓ 5) San Diego Padres (40-29): Adrian Gonzalez has a line of .310/15/47, and the Padres are still in first. He isn’t going anywhere!

15.(↑1) Florida Marlins (33-36): Josh Johnson has given up just four earned over his last eight with a 1.80 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

16.(↑ 5) Chicago White Sox (34-34): Jake Peavy has three QS in a row and has won three of his last four starts. The sox have won six straight.

17.(↑ 7) Detroit Tigers (38-30): Miguel Cabrera, the leader in the AL MVP race (in my eyes), has a line of .328/19/60.

18.(↓3) Colorado Rockies (36-33): In 101.1 IP Ubaldo has recorded a QS in every outing with 13 wins and 88 K’s.

19.(↓1) Chicago Cubs (31-38): Alfonso Soriano and Derek Lee are batting .270 and .234 respectively.

20.(↓1) Kansas City Royals (29-41): Greinke has just two wins, although he’s recorded 10 QS in his 15 starts.

21.(↓ 1) Milwaukee Brewers (29-40): Prince Fielder has just 27 RBI in the first 69 games.

22.(↑3) Philadelphia Phillies (35-32): Roy Halladay has five losses in his last seven games and has given up 20 runs during that span.

23.(↓ 6) Washington Nationals (31-39): Strasburg has 32 K’s in 19.1 IP and could possibly make the all-star team.

24.(↓1) Oakland Athletics (34-37): The A’s just acquired Connor Jackson, but are still lacking in the offense category greatly (57 of 150 possible points).

25.(↓2) Arizona Diamondbacks (27-43): See A’s; who’s next?

26.(↔) Seattle Mariners (28-41): Cliff Lee pitched a complete-game shutout and Seattle won by just one run.

27.(↔ ) Houston Astros (26-44): Roy Oswalt and his 3.12 ERA will probably be gone soon.

28.(↔ ) Cleveland Indians (26-42): There is a reason the Indians were able to deal Victor Martinez: Carlos Santana (.393/2/8 in 9 games).

29.(↔) Pittsburgh Pirates (25-44): Pittsburgh has brought up another solid prospect in Pedro Alvarez (.063 AVG. in six games).

30.(↔) Baltimore Orioles (19-50): The Orioles are in last place here and it’s not even close. Just 40 total points of a possible 300.

Best Offense: (129) Texas Rangers

Best Pitching: (132) San Francisco Giants  

Worst Offense: (19) Houston Astros

Worst Pitching: (17) Baltimore Orioles

Visit www.FantasyBaseballSportal.com  for PDF chart with full rankings.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com