Phil Rogers' rankings

May 12, 2008

1. Red Sox (2): Since getting swept by Tampa Bay April 25-27, Boston has once again hit stride. Starting pitching has been the key, with Daisuke Matsuzaka and Josh Beckett combining to go 5-0 in their last five starts. Jonathan Papelbon lost twice in three days last week, but it's too soon to consider him a cause for concern.

2. Diamondbacks (1): Since the 9-2 start, Arizona is under .500 when Brandon Webb is not starting. Nothing seems to bother Webb, but ongoing contract negotiations have a chance to unsettle him.

3. Cubs (3): Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster came up big in the playoff rematch against Arizona. But Lou Piniella's constant tinkering with his rotation has not been a good thing. It's too long of a season to keep sending Carlos Zambrano out every five days, regardless. The Cubs would be better off picking five starters and going with them in order, even if it means not stroking Big Z's ego.

4. Cardinals (4): Jason Isringhausen's disintegration has slowed the momentum that Tony La Russa's team was building. It's rare to see a veteran lose his confidence the way Isringhausen has, but La Russa and Dave Duncan are reasonable bets to help him salvage the season, which could be his last in St. Louis.

5. Athletics (5): The secondary numbers still impress, but Oakland has won only one of its last four series. The A's need a lift from Rich Harden, who wasn't sharp Sunday in his return from the DL.

6. Mets (6): Willie Randolph's team has gone 6-2 in Johan Santana's starts, but the former Twin is not dominating the way many figured he would. He has allowed at least one hit per inning in three of his last four starts, including 10 hits in six innings vs. Cincinnati on Saturday. Historically he has been better in the second half than the first.

7. Braves (8): Atlanta picked up its first one-run win on Thursday, finishing off a sweep against San Diego with a 5-4 win. Naturally, the Braves lost 3-2 the next night at Pittsburgh, falling to 1-10 in one-run games.

8. Angels (7): Few teams would have played as well without their ace, and John Lackey is due back on the mound Wednesday against the White Sox. This is a deep, deep pitching staff.

9. Marlins (18): The numbers had shown these guys were winning with mirrors, but they kept winning, including an impressive sweep of Milwaukee last week. The starting rotation has picked up the pace, with recent wins by Andrew Miller and Ricky Nolasco providing help behind Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson.

10. Rays (10): Tampa Bay had 10 players on the disabled list at one point but is starting to get them back. Scott Kazmir blew away the Angels on Saturday in his second start off the DL.

11. White Sox (11): After regaining steam against Minnesota and Seattle, they will be tested by the Angels. They swung the bats better last week but will need to be sharp in a four-game series against Nick Adenhart, Jered Weaver, Lackey and Jon Garland.

12. Phillies (12): Jimmy Rollins carried Philadelphia while Chase Utley was out a year ago, and Utley has repaid the favor.

13. Indians (16): No one has put together a fast start in the AL Central, allowing Cleveland to buy time after its 7-12 start. Cliff Lee's 6-0 start has been a sanity saver for manager Eric Wedge.

14. Dodgers (9): Back-to-back losses by Brad Penny and Derek Lowe ended a run in which Los Angeles had gone 10-1 and begun to put some heat on Arizona.

15. Astros (21): Cecil Cooper's quiet, steady personality is the right fit for this team. No one panicked at 6-12 and now Houston is over .500 and upwardly mobile. Lance Berkman has been the team MVP.

16. Yankees (15): Robinson Cano is hitting again after a horrible start. But the rotation remains inconsistent, with starters failing to make it through five innings 11 times already.

17. Twins (14): Minnesota's standing atop the AL Central has been amazing given that its hitters haven't produced a single multihomer game.

18. Blue Jays (13): With Vernon Wells on the disabled list, Toronto could use Reed Johnson, whom GM J.P. Ricciardi released. Ditto Frank Thomas, who was also released by Ricciardi. He looks a little desperate picking up Kevin Mench from Texas' Triple-A team and plugging him right into the lineup.

19. Tigers (17): Could Jacque Jones wind up in Minnesota or Toronto after being canned by Detroit? This might have been an impulsive move by management as there's no way Gary Sheffield can last long playing left field at Comerica Park.

20. Orioles (19): A whipping boy entering the season, Daniel Cabrera is delivering for a second-division rotation.