The AL East gets more interesting every day… the Sox have gone on a tear, the Yankees have lost a few, and the Rays are trying pretty darn hard to stay in the conversation, even as the Blue Jays fade. Week 11…

1. Red Sox: We wonder where Brad Penny will be at the end of the year, and whether David Ortiz will be playing baseball anymore. But, for now, Jason Bay and Co. are picking up the slack. As noted, they unseat the Dodgers because, as we have been saying all year, they play in a much tougher division (and league, for that matter).

2. Dodgers: Yes, we are aware that they have the best record. But we are also aware that the division is a rather weak. The Dodgers showed up against the Rangers well last week but they have also lost a few this week. The pitching (Chad Billingsley handing the game over to Jonathan Broxton every 5 games is a nice thought for Dodgers' fans) has been there. We still wonder what happens to Juan Pierre when that cheater Manny Ramirez returns.

3. Tigers: Earlier in the season, we had an inkling that these guys might make a play for their division. With the Twins and Indians playing poorly, Miguel Cabrera might just be able to will this team to the playoffs. Another underrated second baseman, Cabrera is playing at MVP caliber and the Tigers (and that surprising pitching staff) are putting distance between themselves and the rest of the Central. Verlander may have gotten torched this week, but it's just one outing. In addition, the pitching has been surprisingly great. Rick Porcello is terrific and a rising candidate for Rookie of the Year, and Justin Verlander looks like his old self, meriting Cy Young conversation. The Tigers are better than you think.

4. Cardinals: We predicted Chris Carpenter's return would be a major factor in the NL Central. It has been. The Cardinals, with the help of their pretty good 3-hole hitter, have stormed to the lead in that division.

5. Yankees: They are still really good, but Yankees' fans know that the Bombers have hit a bit of a bump. A-Rod isn't playing like A-Rod, and the pitching isn't where it should be in these past few days. The Sox have really pulled ahead.

6.  Rangers: Maybe they were mad at being left out of our Power Rankings for so long. Maybe Nolan Ryan is rubbing off on the club. Whatever is going on, Texas has a commanding lead in the AL West, and Michael Young and Ian Kinsler can give themselves respective pats on the back for getting them there. Losing Josh Hamilton will hurt.

7. Phillies: Just days after we rushed the Phils to the top of the Ranks, they hit a horrific slump. In the article we wrote, Taking the Necessary Steps, we noted that if J-Roll improved just a bit, and more importantly, if the pitching remained relatvely mediocre, the Phillies would be fine. Well, J-Roll has gotten worse, and the pitching has gone from mediocre to terrible. Something has to happen to the rotation.

8. Brewers: Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, both in the Top 20 in RBIs, are really powering this team along. Fielder is really underrated–he is among the best first basemen in the game, but because of all the pub. surrounding Pujols and Teixeira and Ryan Howard, he often gets forgotten. Maybe his grand slam the other night will give him some street cred. It is a tight race in the Central. This team's pitching staff, anchored by Yovani Gallardo, has been better than expected; we'll see how long it lasts.

9. Rays: The Blue Jays occupied this spot, but Roy Halladay's injury (a good but not great team – a Cy Young pitcher = losses) and the resurgence of the Rays (Evan Longoria + pitching = wins) has Toronto on the outside looking in. A bunch of wins in a row for the Rays.

10. Mets: Injuries and poor performances put the Mets a few games back in the East. It seems like they have lost everyone on the team to injury. However, they have won some important contests at a time when the Phillies are teetering on the edge, and it looks like the Mets are trying to show some playoff-caliber talent in the face of choke-artist criticism.