A big series awaits the AL East, as the Yankees square off against the BoSox this week. The Rays have to be happy about it, because it means they will at least gain ground on one of those two teams. In other news, the Cardinals are having a tough time holding off the Cubs, who are being helped along by rookie starter Randy Wells. We'll give the advantage to the Cardinals for now, after a grand showing against the Dodgers, but keep Wells and Co. on you. Speaking of rookies, J.A. Happ is helping the Phillies stay on course. Out west, the Angels stay hot.

1. Yankees: Not doing anything at the trade deadline may end up hurting the Yankees. Or it may end up not mattering at all. The core has started to put it together and the Yankees now have the lead and a nice record in the best division in the better league, making them more credible as Number 1 holders than any other team. As we report here several times and as pretty much every other sports outlet is forcing you to care about this week, New York is playing against the rival BoSox this weekend in a series that could have major implications for the playoffs. Keep in mind that the RedSox have owned them so far this season.

2. Angels: Kendry Morales and Bobby Abreu have been playing really, REALLY well for LA's other team. The Angels have started to pick up momentum and it doesn't look like they will slow down any time soon. The management deserves a lot of credit. The Angels are quickly proving themselves as one of the premier teams in the AL. 

3. Dodgers: They haven't exactly been slumping, but a bad series against the Cardinals drops them a little bit in the rankings. Add that to their not-so-blockbuster acquisition of George Sherrill as the only trade-deadline move, and you get this week's Dodgers, still far ahead in the NL standings but no longer the sure-fire pick to represent the National League in the Fall Classic

4. Red Sox: The Sox won some games, and then they won a bigger battle–the bidding war for Victor Martinez, a player that may give them the edge over any other AL club in the playoffs. He gives Boston another weapon to help unseat the Yankees for the AL East crown, and the 1-2-3 of this rotation rivals that of Detroit. Now, they have dropped a few and have fallen behind in the division race, just in time for an incredibly hyped weekend series against the Bronx Bombers…

5. Phillies: When you take the NL's best offense and combine it with Cliff Lee, you get the makings of a solid playoff core. The Phillies saw just how important the acquisition of last year's Cy Young winner would be when he threw a complete game in his first start for the Phightins. Minor dings and dents have pulled them out of their hot-streak, but they should be able to coast into the postseason with their lineup and pitching. Cole Hamels will need to improve, but Joe Blanton has been unpredictably good. Like the Yankees and the Angels, Philly has an upcoming series against the next best opponent in their division (Florida) that will be important in the standings come October.

6. Rays: They remain good enough to be in the conversation. Upton has reached a point of acceptable play and Crawford continues to be hot. David Price will need to step up for the Rays to have any chance of playing in October, or playing for very long if they make it there.

7. Rangers: 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. Too bad they play in the same division as the Angels. They'll have a chance to gain some ground this weekend with a pivotal series against the Halos that could make or break their playoff hopes.

8. Tigers: They have cooled a bit, but picking up Washburn makes this one of the best rotations in the game. They haven't put away the division yet, but they rest here on the Power Rankings because they have probably the best chances of doing so. The offense was already good enough for a deep run.

9. Cardinals: Matt Holliday was hot when he was trading, and leaving Oakland for St. Louis only added fuel to his fire. He has been stellar with the Cardinals, giving the team an added offensive dimension that takes some pressure off of Albert, who has started to get hot again. They are well-built for October. Still, they are neck and neck with the Cubs for division lead. Neither one has dominated on the level that their respective talents would warrant, and we couldn't justify putting two teams from that rather mediocre division race into our Power Rankings SO… the Cardinals hold on for now.

10. Giants: The changes made in the lineup may not have been as heralded as those made in Beantown, but the Giants made a major acquisition with Freddy Sanchez and got a little better with Ryan Garko, too. The offense is improving. Don't look now, but they are only a week of baseball games behind the Dodgers, and trending straight up…