Alfonso Soriano Traded to Yanks

By John Alvarado (@theeinfamouss)

Early Friday morning it was announced that the Chicago Cubs finalized a trade that would send Alfonso Soriano to the New York Yankees; after a week of rumors the trade finally went through. The Cubs will receive class A pitcher Cory Black from the Yankees and cash considerations. 

Soriano started his major league career with the Yankees back in September 14, 1999, becoming a fan favorite and seeming to come through with a big hit whenever the club needed him to. We all remember the 2001 world series when he took Curt Schilling deep with a solo homer to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the 8th inning of game 7. 

Soriano is a seven time all star and two time world series champion, winning with the Yankees in 1999 & 2000. 

In 2004 Soriano was traded from the Yankees to the Rangers in exchange for 3B Alex Rodriguez. Since then Soriano has played for the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals & most recently the Chicago Cubs. But now in 2013 his career has gone full circle as he is back where it all began for him; wearing pin stripes. 

Soriano is batting .254 with 17 home runs and 51 RBIs this season and has heated up in July, with eight homers and 16 RBIs. He's 11 hits shy of 2,000 for his career and 11 home runs short of 400.

Since June 28 the Yankees have only hit eight homeruns, while Soriano has hit 10. "We've obviously been trying to improve our offense this season, to no avail," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "By far, he was the best available bat to date."

The Cubs are going to pick up about $17.7 million and the Yankees will cover the remaining $6.8 million of the estimated $24.5 million Soriano is owed through the end of next season. Soriano is scheduled to make $18 million next season, $5 million of which will be paid by the Yankees.

It is reported that Soriano is close friends with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano, so coming back to the Bronx should be like a homecoming. The Yankees have Soriano in Friday's lineup, where he is batting fourth and playing left field. I assume he will get a standing ovation as most Yankee fans are thrilled to have him back on the team. 

Kuroda Dominates in Yankees Win

yankees.lhblogs.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 25^th, 2013

New York Yankees Texas Rangers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Rangers 0

The New York Yankees were able to a big win on Thursday afternoon in Texas against the Rangers behind a strong pitching performance by Hiroki Kuroda, which allowed the Yankees to split the four-game series. The win moves the Yankees to (54-48), and are now 6.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Offensively the Yankees weren’t very good, but the two runs they scored were enough to get the win in this game against Derek Holland. It took until the sixth inning for the first run of the game, but a Brent Lillibridge double scored Austin Romine for the first run of the game. The second and final run for the Yankees came in the eighth inning giving the bullpen a nice insurance run to work with, as Eduardo Nunez grounded into a fielders choice which scored Robinson Cano. For Holland he picked up his six loss of the season, but he did pitch well enough to earn the win, as he went 7.1 innings allowing just two runs on eight hits and one walk.

Garza Shines in Debut with Rangers

sbnation.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 24^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Texas Rangers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 1 Rangers 3

After a great come from behind win on Tuesday night the New York Yankees offense was shutdown on Wednesday in the loss to the Texas Rangers. The loss moves the Yankees to (53-48) on the season, and with the Boston Red Sox losing the Yankees stay at seven games behind them.

Andy Pettitte gave the Yankees a very good start, but like so many times this season the Yankees offense couldn’t help a Yankees Starter get a win, and for Pettitte he got his eighth loss of the season. The Rangers got to Pettitte in the first inning, as A.J. Pierzynski had a RBI single to score Ian Kinsler for the first run of the game. Pierzynski would get the best of Pettitte again in the sixth inning for the Rangers final run off the lefty, as Pierzynski hit a solo-home run, which was his 10^th of the season.

Yankees Get Shutout in Texas

nytimes.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

July 22, 2013

New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 0 Rangers 3

The New York Yankees series against the Texas Rangers didn’t start very well on Monday night, as they were shutout in the loss. The loss to the Rangers moves the Yankees to (52-47) on the season, and is seven games behind the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

Ivan Nova gave the Yankees another good start, but with the Yankees anemic offense he got his third loss of the season. The Rangers offense gave Darvish a quick lead, which he never looked back after, as Adrian Beltre had a RBI single to score Ian Kinsler for the first run of the game. Geovany Soto would get the next run for the Rangers, by knocking in Elvis Andrus with a double in the sixth inning. In the seventh inning Nelson Cruz would get the final run of the game for the Rangers with a solo-home run, which was his 23rd of the season. Nova finished the day going seven innings allowing three runs on seven hits, one walk, and had three strikeouts. 

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

washingtonpost.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 13

1.) Pittsburgh Pirates (51-30) – The Pirates after 81 games have the best record in baseball, and have a two-game lead in the NL Central. They are on a nine-game winning streak, as after a great West Coast trip they returned home to sweep the Brewers this past weekend.

2.) St Louis Cardinals (49-32) – St Louis had a bit of a tough week against the AL West, losing three out of five games to the Athletics and Astros. The Cardinals are still in the top 10 in most batting and pitching categories, and still have the second best record in baseball.

3.) Boston Red Sox (50-34) – A good week for the AL East leading Red Sox keeps them on top of their division, and they cooled off the Toronto Blue Jays, taking three out of four games against them this weekend. They are the number one in runs scored with a lineup led by Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.

4.) Texas Rangers (48-34) – The Rangers are rolling, and are in first place in the AL West going (8-2) in there last 10 games. Elvis Andrus is having a disappointing first half of the season however batting just .243

5.) Atlanta Braves (48-34) – Atlanta has built a very good pitching staff once again, as they are second in team ERA and quality starts. The main concern for the Braves has to be their team batting average, which is just .245.

Derek Holland Tosses Gem Against Yankees

espn.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 27^th, 2013

Texas Rangers vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rangers 2 Yankees 0

The New York Yankees finished up their series with the Texas Rangers in very disappointing fashion, as they were shutout by the Rangers in the rubber game of the series. The loss moves the Yankees to (42-36) on the season, and are now in third place in the AL East four games behind the Boston Red Sox.

Phil Hughes was figured to be pitching for his spot in the rotation in this game, and actually came thru with a really solid start, but with zero run support he picked up his seventh loss of the season. Hughes went eight innings allowing just two runs on five hits, one walk, and he struck out five batters. The Rangers first run off Hughes came in the third inning, as Ian Kinsler hit a sac-fly to Left Field which scored Jurickson Profar. Profar would also score the second run of the game in the fifth inning, as he hit a solo-home run, for his third of the year off Hughes.

Errors Cost Yankees in Loss to Rangers

dallasnews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 26^th, 2013

Texas Rangers vs New York Yankees Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rangers 8 Yankees 5

The New York Yankee were unable to keep up their momentum from a big walk-off win on Tuesday, as the Texas Rangers got revenge against the Yankees with a 8-5 win on Wednesday night. The loss moves the Yankees to (42-35) on the season, which is 3.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Justin Grimm got the start for the Rangers, and even though he had a mediocre start, the run support was enough to give him his seventh win of the season. Grimm went just five innings allowing three runs on six hits. Lyle Overbay got the first run of the game off Grimm in the second inning, as he hit his ninth home run of the season, which was a welcomed site with the news that Mark Teixeira is out for the season. After allowing and infield single to Brett Gardner and then a double by Ichiro Suzuki, Grimm was pulled for Robbie Ross, who allowed both those runners to score on a singles by Robinson Cano and Travis Hafner.

Yankees Get Walk-Off Victory Against Rangers

sportingnews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 25^th, 2013

Texas Rangers vs New York Yankees

Final Score: Rangers 3 Yankees 4

The New York Yankees were able to get a walk-off victory against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night thanks to Ichiro Suzuki. The 4-3 Yankees win moves them to (42-34) on the season, and are back in second place in the AL East 2.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox.

Hiroki Kuroda was pretty solid against a talented Rangers lineup, but despite pitching well didn’t earn himself a decision. The Rangers struck first in this game in the third inning, as Leonys Martin hit a solo-home run in the third inning, which was his first of the season. In the fourth inning the Rangers would get one more run, on a Mitch Moreland RBI ground out with the bases loaded that scored Adrian Beltre. Martin would get the best of Kuroda again in the fifth inning with another solo-home run, which was the final run Kuroda would give up. Kuroda finished going 6.2 innings allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits, one walk, and struck out six batters.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 12

stltoday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 12

1.) St Louis Cardinals (47-29) – The Cardinals had a tough end to the week being swept at home by the Rangers, but they still have the best record in baseball. Their lead in the NL Central however has been trimmed to just one game.

2.) Pittsburgh Pirates (46-30) – The Pirates are coming on strong, as they split a four- game series on the road against the Reds, and then went out to the West Coast and swept the Angels. Pedro Alvarez is is having a great month of June with nine homeruns, and has 19 now on the season.

3.) Texas Rangers (44-32) – Texas after hitting a rough patch the last few weeks seem to be back on track, as they are now on a five-game winning streak, and are back on top of the AL West. Getting Ian Kinsler back in the lineup was much needed, as he hit .407 in the last seven days.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 11

redbirdrants.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 11

1.) St Louis Cardinals (44-25) – The Cardinals are once again in the top spot for the Power Rankings, as they have established themselves as the best team in baseball with a run differential of a plus 102. Their hitting has been great and their pitching has been great, and they look like the most complete team in baseball.

2.) Cincinnati Reds (42-28) – The Reds would be in first place in any other division in baseball, but unfortunately for them they have the Cardinals in theirs. Jay Bruce is getting hot, which may help the Reds get closer to first place in the NL Central.

3.) Pittsburgh Pirates (41-28) – Gerrit Cole made his much anticipated debut this week, and is (2-0) now this season, but A.J. Burnett torn his calf muscle, so the Pirates will need Cole to continue pitching well if they want to be in the mix in the NL Central.

4.) Oakland Athletics (42-29) – Josh Donaldson continues his awesome start to the season, as he is leading the Athletics in batting average and RBIs. Bartolo Colon is looking like a Cy Young pitcher this season, with nine wins, and a 2.89 ERA.

5.) Boston Red Sox (42-29) – The Red Sox are still in first place in what is probably the toughest division in baseball, but the hot start from Jon Lester has ended it seems, as his ERA is now over four, and he hasn’t won a game in six starts.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 10

stltoday.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings: Week 10

1.) St Louis Cardinals (41-22) – The Cardinals are once again in the top spot in the Power Rankings, as they just keep on winning, and are now 19 games over .500. A series win on the road against the Reds this weekend was huge for St Louis solidify their top spot in the Power Rankings.

2.) Atlanta Braves (39-24) – The Braves have opened up a nice lead already in the NL East despite having three everyday starters batting .200 or less, which makes the fact that the Braves are 15 games over .500 in more impressive.

3.) Boston Red Sox (39-25) – The Red Sox weren’t picked by many people to have as good a season as they are having, but the have the best record in the AL, and have the lead in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, as this Red Sox team is showing that they are legit.

4.) New York Yankees (37-26) – A sweep at home of the Indians and then taking three out of four against the Mariners to start their West Coast trip has to have the injured Yankees feeling good. Long time Yankee Andy Pettitte also reached the 250 win milestone this week.

5.) Texas Rangers (37-25) – A bit of a tough week on the East Coast has slimmed the Rangers lead the in AL West down a bit, as they lost four out of six to the Blue Jays and Red Sox this past week. Yu Darvish is still dealing, and heading back to Texas should get the Rangers on track.

6.) Oakland Athletics (38-27) – Bartolo Colon has been great of late leading the Athletics rotation, which is starting to get hot. Colon now has seven wins this season, and his only given up six runs in his last five starts, which is remarkable.

7.) Cincinnati Reds (37-26) – The Reds bullpen has cost them a lot of games already this season, and their last home-stand was when they may have been at their worst this season allowing 23 runs in those games.

8.) Pittsburgh Pirates (37-26) – Starling Marte has really struggled of late, and sweep to the Braves didn’t help the Pirates gain ground in the NL Central this week. Gerrit Cole is going to making his debut soon, which should help a rotation that has been banged up lately.

9.) Detroit Tigers (35-26) – Justin Verlander has eight wins, but is fourth on the Tigers rotation in ERA at 3.71, which isn’t what people are use to seeing from Verlander. Austin Jackson is making a rehab start on Monday, so expect him to be back in the powerful Tigers lineup very soon.

10.) Baltimore Orioles (35-28) – Starting Pitching has been an issue for the Orioles so far this season, but their good offense led by Chris Davis is still winning games for the Orioles. Wei-Yin Chen is getting healthier and will be a welcomed sight back in the rotation.

11.) Arizona Diamondbacks (35-28) – Patrick Corban is still dealing for the Diamondbacks with nine wins and an ERA under two, but Wade Miley has really struggled lately, as he is now (4-5) with an ERA closing in on five.

12.) Tampa Bay Rays (34-28) – Matt Moore has struggled in his last two starts allowing 15 runs in those two appearances, which has to be a little concerning for the Rays. David Price is due back towards the end of the month, as the Rays look to keeping playing well without their ace.

13.) San Francisco Giants (33-29) – The Giants only had five games this week, but did go (3-2), as they continue to hope that their pitchers will figure things out and get back on track. The offense has still been very good with five starters hitting .285 or higher.

14.) Colorado Rockies (34-30) – A powerful offense for the Rockies has kept the over .500 still this season, and they used their bats to get a nice series win to start the week on the road in Cincinnati. Troy Tulowitzki is having an MVP type season hitting .354 with 16 homeruns and 51 RBIs.

15.) Washington Nationals (31-31) – Washington is trying to tread water with their two young phenoms on the DL in Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. A trip to Colorado to start the week may spark an offense that has been showing signs of coming alive finally.

16.) Philadelphia Phillies (31-33) – For whatever reason the Phillies seem to have a problem beating the Brewers, and after making it over .500 in the middle of the week, three straight losses to Milwaukee put them right back under .500.

17.) Kansas City Royals (28-32) – The Royals pitching is finally getting some help from their lineup, which has resulted in the Royals going on a five-game winning streak. A big series to start the week against the Tigers can really help or hurt the surging Royals.

18.) San Diego Padres (29-34) – The Padres may have had a losing week, but they are getting great play from rookie Jedd Gyorko at Second base, as he is hitting .284 with a team-leading eight homeruns to go along with 25 RBIs.

19.) Cleveland Indians (30-32) – The Indians are free falling right now losing seven straight games, and injuries to Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera wont help them win games. Next week the Indians start with a series against the Rangers, which may make the losing streak even worse.

20.) Minnesota Twins (27-33) – Minnesota doesn’t seem to have a whole lot going for them right now a (2-4) week was capped off with losing both games to the Nationals in their double-header on Sunday.

21.) Los Angeles Dodgers (27-35) – Yasiel Puig's first week in the majors was a memorable one, as the young Outfielder has sparked the Dodgers. Puig is hitting .464 with four homeruns and 10 RBIs in his first seven games.

22.) Toronto Blue Jays (27-35) – Things might be on the up for the Blue Jays, as their pitching was very good this week, as they got good starts from R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle. A nice series win a home against the Rangers is a start in the right direction for Toronto.

23.) Chicago White Sox (27-34) – The White Sox are the second worst team in baseball in scoring runs, and that in large part is due to the struggles on Paul Konerko, who is having a bad year in the middle of the lineup. Konerko is hitting just .235 with six homeruns and 23 RBIs.

24.) Los Angeles Angels (27-36) – Huge week is coming up for the Angels with series against the Orioles and Yankees. If the Angels want to make the playoffs they need to start winning games against teams ahead of them in the standings, and really just games against anyone.

25.) Seattle Mariners (27-37) – Seattle's offense continues to struggle and spoil good starts from Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. Poor pitching from the other three Starters and poor hitting has led to the Mariners being 10 games under .500

26.) Milwaukee Brewers (25-37) – Brewers pitching showed up on the weekend against the Phillies, which resulted in them taking three out of four in their weekend series. Kyle Lohse had one of his best starts of the year on Sunday in earning his second win, something the Brewers need him to keep up.

27.) Chicago Cubs (25-35) – Cubs star Shortstop Starlin Castro is still having a bad season, which is really hurting the Cubs offense right now. Castro is only hitting .243 with three homeruns and 21 RBIs, numbers which are way down for him.

28.) Houston Astros (22-42) – After an impressive week last week by the Astros the Royals gave them a reality check on the weekend holding them to just four runs in three games, which resulted in the Astros being swept.

29.) Miami Marlins (18-44) – Marcell Ozuna is an exciting young player to watch, as he had a huge throw getting Daniel Murphy out at the plate in the 20-inning game against the Mets on Saturday, and he is also hitting very well batting .331 this season.

30.) New York Mets (23-35) – The Mets have lost five straight games to the Marlins now who certainly have their number. Ike Davis struggles have finally gotten him sent down to the minors, but there is now viable option to replace him at First Base.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 9

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 9 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (37-19) – The Cardinals are certainly looking like the best team in baseball with a run differential of +84. It doesn’t seem to matter who the Cards use in the starting rotation, but they all have success, with a majors best team ERA of 2.99.

2.) Texas Rangers (35-21) – Texas looks good once again this year, as Yu Darvish is having a great sophomore season. Darvish is (7-2), with a ERA of 2.77, and a ridiculous 111 strikeouts already. Having an ace like Darvish should keep the Rangers high in the rankings from here on out.

3.) Cincinnati Reds (35-22) – Considering they play in one of the more hitter friendly ballparks in all of baseball it is amazing that the Reds have the third best team ERA in baseball. Good pitching and a talented lineup is the Reds recipe for playing so well thus far.

4.) Pittsburgh Pirates (35-22) – The Pirates started the week with an impressive series win over the Tigers taking three out of four games, and they finished the week with a thrilling extra-innings win over the Reds, as their bullpen went 10 scoreless innings in relief. The Pirates are 13 games over .500, and seem like a real threat to the Cardinals and Reds in the NL Central.

5.) Oakland Athletics (34-24) – The young arms for the Athletics seem to be looking like they did last year, which is why they have one nine out of their 10 ball games. The great stretch of baseball the Athletics have been on has put them right back behind Texas for the division lead.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 8

insidesportsillustrated.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 8 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (32-17) - The Cardinals seem to have the best pitching in baseball no matter who is on the mound with a team ERA of 3.11. Their lineup isn’t to shabby either, as they are 10th in runs scored. Good hitting and even better pitching is why the Cardinals are back in the top spot.

2.) Texas Rangers (32-18) - Even with Ian Kinsler on the DL the Rangers are still winning, with a little help from and easy schedule. Top Prospect Jurickson Profar has been called up, so when Kinsler is back Manager Ron Washington will have some decisions to make.

3.) Pittsburgh Pirates (31-19) - The young exciting Outfield combination of Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen are both playing very well right now, as they are looking to lead the Pirates to an above .500 record, and the playoffs.

Week 7 MLB Power Rankings

dallas.culturemap.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 7

1.) Texas Rangers (29-15) - The Rangers are back in the number one spot in the rankings after a great week of baseball. They won five games this week, which included taking three out of four against the Tigers to finish the week.

2.) St Louis Cardinals (28-15) - The Cardinals are still playing good baseball and have the best record in the National League. The pitching has been magnificent for the Cardinals all season, but Jaime Garcia is heading to the DL.

3.) New York Yankees (27-16) - The Yankees continue to find ways to win in large part due to their pitching staff. They got Curtis Granderson back in the lineup this week, but lost Andy Pettitte to a back injury, which is sending him to the DL.

MLB Power Rankings Week 6

msn.foxsports.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

Week 6 MLB Power Rankings

1.) St Louis Cardinals (23-13) - The Cardinals have made the jump into first place in the Power Rankings this week for the first time this season. Pitching has been what’s gotten them into the top spot, as they have the best team ERA, and the most quality starts in baseball.

2.) Texas Rangers (24-13) - The Rangers are playing very good baseball this season, as they are in the top 10 in most pitching and hitting categories. The good balance from the Rangers has given them the best record in the American League.

3.) New York Yankees (23-13) - The Yankees are still finding ways to win despite having almost an entire starting lineup on the DL. They are winning a lot of close games, and having Mariano Rivera at the back end of the bullpen is a sure thing this season, as he is 15 for 15 in save opportunities

MLB Power Rankings: Week 5

zimbio.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

 MLB Power Rankings Week 5

The month of April is over, and some things are starting to shape up in the majors, as teams head into the important month of May. 

1.) Texas Rangers (20-11) - The Rangers have taken the top spot in the Power Rankings, as their pitching has been fantastic. They have given up the least amount of runs in the majors, and that is a major reason they are tied for the best record in baseball.

2.) St Louis Cardinals (20-11) - The Cardinals might be the hottest team in baseball, winning six straight games, and now sitting atop the NL Central. They have played 19 road games already, and are an impressive (13-6).

3.) Boston Red Sox (20-11) - The Red Sox are rolling still behind great pitching from Clay Buchholz, who has six wins already, and the return of David Ortiz has given the lineup a big boost.

MLB Power Rankings Week 3

rantsports.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Power Rankings Week 3

1.) Atlanta Braves (13-5) - The Braves hot start to the season was cooled off a bit at the hands of the Pirates, by losing three out of four games, but they are still tied for the best record in baseball.

2.) Oakland Athletics (12-7) - The Athletics had a strong start to the week, sweeping the Astros, but the beginning to their East Coast road-trip did not start very well, as the Rays swept them, and only scored four runs in three games.

3.) Colorado Rockies (13-5) - The Rockies have established themselves as one of the best home teams in baseball with a (8-1) record, but the Diamondbacks snapped their eight game winning streak on Sunday.

4.) Boston Red Sox (12-6) - The Red Sox despite having what was a horrible week for the city of Boston won their first five games of the week before losing both games of the double-header to the Royals on Sunday.

5.) Texas Rangers (12-6) - Yu Darvish is leading a good Rangers rotation thus far this season, and the Rangers finished week three strong by sweeping the Mariners, in which they only allowed three runs in three games, and two of them the Rangers had shutouts.

MLB Power Rankings Week 2

wrcbtv.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Week 2 Power Rankings

1.) Atlanta Braves (11-1) - The Braves have separated themselves from the rest of the majors early, as they are the only team with double-digit wins, and have only lost one game thus far this season. Sweeping the Nationals this weekend while facing their top two pitchers was extremely impressive for Atlanta.

2.)  Oakland Athletics (9-4) - The Athletics had a nine game winning streak snapped on Saturday by the Tigers, but they have the best record in the American League without their best player Yoenis Cespedes, and seem to be a serious contender in the AL West.

3.) San Francisco Giants (9-4) - The Giants have the lead in the NL West, and have played well on the road so far this year at (5-2). The defending champs are hitting the ball pretty well, which could be a scary combo for the National League, as the Giants pitching are still very good.

MLB Power Rankings Week 1

bleacherreport.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

MLB Week 1 Power Rankings

It is 2013 and baseball is officially back, and with a long season ahead some teams are showing that they are ready to live up to off-season expectations, and some teams didn’t get off to the hot starts that they would have liked to.

1.) Cincinnati Reds (4-2) - The Reds have grabbed the first spot in the opening week for baseball, as they had impressive series wins over two likely playoff teams in the Los Angeles Angels, and then the Washington Nationals. Todd Frazier is the man doing the most damage for the Reds, as he has three homeruns and nine RBIs in the first week.

2.) Atlanta Braves (5-1) - The Braves are off to a hot start, as they took the first series of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies, and then swept the Chicago Cubs. Newly acquired Justin Upton has made an impact early with five homeruns in six games.