MLB American League Power Rankings

MLB American League Power Rankings- July 19th

The 2010 Major League Baseball’s second half of the regular season is underway and after the first 90 plus games of action some teams are making a statement they hope to carry right through the rest of the year while some others have dug themselves a hole they may not be able to climb out of.

All 14 American League teams started the season dreaming of making it all the way to this year’s World Series, but in reality there are only a handful of teams that actually still have a chance. Here is a look at my top four teams in the AL midway through July with their updated odds to win the Pennant as well as the World Series.

New York Yankees Odds to Win the NL Pennant 11/10 World Series 11/5

After taking two out of three from Tampa Bay over the weekend, New York extended their lead in the East over the Rays to three games. The Yankees are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have not lost a series this month. As one of the most balanced team in baseball, they are ranked third in the AL in pitching with a team ERA of 3.89 and sixth in hitting with a team batting average of .271. Their 488 total runs scored ranks them second in the league behind Boston.

Texas Rangers Odds to Win the NL Pennant 4/1 World Series 8/1

Texas extended their lead in the West to 4 ½ games over Los Angeles after taking three out of four from Boston over the weekend. The Rangers are now 53-39 overall and 31-19 at home; the best in the AL. Texas is another well balanced team with excellent pitching and hitting. With a team ERA of 3.91 they are ranked fourth in the league. Their .278 team batting average is second to only Kansas City and their 474 runs scored is third best in the AL.

Chicago White Sox Odds to Win the NL Pennant 7/1 World Series 15/1

In losing three out of four to Minnesota, Chicago finally cooled off a bit after tearing up the league for the past five weeks. At 50-41, they still lead Detroit in the Central division by 1 ½ games and are 7-3 in their last 10 games and 10-4 in the month of July. The White Sox have a team ERA of 4.04, ranking them sixth in the AL. Their .261 team batting average and 413 runs scored rank them eighth.

Tampa Bay Rays Odds to Win the NL Pennant 7/2 World Series 7/1

Despite dropping two out of three to the Yankees over the weekend, Tampa Bay still has the second best record in baseball at 55-36. The Rays are three games back in the division but currently lead the wildcard race by 3 ½ games. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have the best road record in the AL at 29-16. Pitching is still this team’s major strength as they lead the AL with a team ERA of 3.68. The Rays are ranked 10^th in the AL with a team batting average of .258, but ranked fourth in the league with 463 runs scored.