The Yankees have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack in the AL East. The Angels have made a strong statement as the second best team in baseball. The Dodgers have hit a really rough patch, losing a lot of games as the race in the West heats up, blowing open the number 3 spot in the rankings for the Cardinals and Matt Holliday.

1. Yankees: The Yankees made a statement against the Sox last week, and have won 9 of 10 (it seems like they have been winning 9 out of every 10 for a while now). The pitching has settled in and the lineup has been as good as it gets. When you are stacked 1 through 9 like the Yankees are, it's tough to find ways to lose. Having the steady Mariano Rivera as a closer has been nice too.

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. 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. The Cubs had a meltdown against the Phils, allowing the Cards to take the division lead. It helped that the Redbirds took the opportunity to whoop up on the Pirates and Reds. They are hot, and have a playoff type team.

4. Dodgers: We said last week that they haven't exactly been slumping. Whether that was true or not at the time, right now, they are REALLY slumping. Add that to their not-so-blockbuster acquisition of George Sherrill as the only trade-deadline move, and you get this week's Dodgers, not even a safe lock to win the NL West. 

5. Red Sox: The series against New York really hurt Boston. Even with V-Mart, their chances of winning the division have suffered a blow. They have managed to stay barely ahead in the Wild Card race, but people are starting to wonder whether Boston will be able to stand up to the Yankees or Angels come October.

6. Phillies: Being swept by the Marlins was sort of tempered by a sweep of the Cubs, and it is tough to argue with the Phillies as the still being the favorite from that division. However, a glaring problem continues to be exposed, and that problem is once great closer Brad Lidge. His WHIP (1.85) makes him statistically twice as likely to allow two baserunners per inning than one. That is awful. They might be able to make it to the postseason like this, but they won't last long against the cream of the NL crop.

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. Rockies: Colorado has held on to their Wild Card position with surprising strength, with an improved rotation the major factor in their success. The battle with the Giants is interesting, but don't forget that both teams are creeping up on the Dodgers for the division lead.

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…