We waited a bit to get a better sample of the second half from this first post-All-Star week. The Dodgers and Phillies remain hot, the Yankees got hotter, and as of a few hours ago, the Cardinals picked up Matt Holliday, a major acquisition for a team in a tight race for a playoff spot. Here are the Week 16 Power Rankings. If you were wondering about the AwardWatch, essentially nothing changed over a few days of second half play, so we'll wait a bit.

1. Dodgers: Winning a lot of games in a row (thanks to a healthy bunch of Manny highlights) has the Dodgers in pretty calm control of the NL West. Their record and position towards the top in most major statistical categories speak for themselves. The closest team is almost ten games back–LA can start preparing for the playoffs.

2. Yankees: They came out of the All-Star break with guns blazing, charging to the top of the AL East as their rivals in Boston lazily fell behind. The talent of this team is really starting to arrive at its potential, and a trip to the postseason gets more likely every day.

3. Phillies: Since the halfway mark, they've only gotten stronger. In the article we wrote, Taking the Necessary Steps (yeah, we're going to keep reminding you off it) we noted that if J-Roll improved just a bit, and more importantly, if the pitching remained relatvely mediocre, the Phillies would be fine. Immediately after our last Power Rankings, J-Roll seemed to wake up, and the pitching suddenly became not just good, but great. 15 of 17 and pitching is the biggest reason why. They are also winning at home. They have been on fire.

4. Red Sox: We decided to praise the Red Sox last week and they decided to respond with a sorry post-All-Star performance. Of course, they are still right there in baseball's best division, but they've been just a bit too cold to hold on to a lead over the Bombers.

5. Angels: For a few days, Chone Figgins and Co. held their own without Hunter and Vlad, but it is hard to imagine Los Angeles playing as well as they have been without their two biggest offensive stars. The pitching, which has been surprising, will also have to hold up. Lots of "ifs" in LA.

6. Tigers: Though Cabrera was snubbed for the All-Star game, the Tigers' offense remains a potent force. Now, with Justin Verlander and the rest of a decent rotation, the Tigers are winning games. The Twins and White Sox have the talent to be threatening, but with so many power hitters, Detroit seems to put up big numbers every night, and, while they haven't completely outpaced the rest of their league or division, they are holding on for now.

7. Rays: They continue to be an anomaly, with all that talent and such streaky performance. They will look to take advantage of divisional play in the second half. Unfortunately for them, only a serious effort to topple the Yankees or Red Sox as AL East leader or wild-card-berth-holder will take Tampa into October. 

8. Cardinals: We predicted Chris Carpenter's return would be a major factor in the NL Central. It has been. The Machine has gone into a higher gear (is that even possible) in recent games, and St. Louis has pulled ahead in this race. Milwaukee has talent, but Ryan Ludwick's return to prominence has put St. Louis back in the lead. UPDATE: Matt Holliday is a Cardinal (and has 3 hits in his debut against Philadelphia). That makes this team a candidate to jump a bit in the coming rankings…

9. Rangers: Any idea who has hit the most homers in the AL? That would be Texas. It's as if every player in the lineup has the ability to go deep on any pitch. The Rangers don't seem to care that none of them hit for average–and the results seem to show success. Between Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Andruw Jones and Michael Young, there is a pretty good chance that someone is going yard every game. Only a game and a half back in the AL West, and the Angels could face troubles with recent injury problems…

10. Rockies: Like the Red Sox, the Giants decided to play poorly when we lauded them. That means the Rockies have gained a lot of ground in the wild card race (the division crown is pretty much a foregone conclusion) and Brad Hawpe and Jason Marquis (a stunning 3.49 ERA for someone pitching in Coors Field) are leading the charge.