2010 MLB Power Rankings: June

June was interleague month, and while there's a sense that this month usually benefits AL teams, not all the AL contenders could take advantage. In fact, some NL teams were able to make some ground this month.

Records are as of the games played on June 30th.

SLR = team's record Since Last Rankings | Prev = Previous Ranking (April/May)

1) New York Yankees (47-30 | 16-10 SLR | Prev: 3/3)
Robinson Cano has been New York's best hitter. Does this speak well of Cano, who leads all of baseball with his .353 batting average, or poorly of the other Yankees who have underperformed this year? Probably both.

2) Texas Rangers (47-30 | 21-6 SLR | Prev: 10/15)
The Rangers were June's hottest team. Granted, they had an easy interleague schedule that included 6 games against hapless Houston with 3 against hapless Pittsburgh inbetween, but even so they're on fire and so are their hitters, most notably Vladimir Guerrero and Josh Hamilton.

3) Boston Red Sox (47-32 | 18-9 SLR | Prev: 23/9)
Boston continues to rise, but expect them to falter a bit in July, having lost Dustin Pedroia for an extended period of time. Their pitching staff is still fighting the injury bug as well.

4) San Diego Padres (46-32 | 15-12 SLR | Prev: 6/4)
The Padres have allowed the fewest runs in baseball thanks in large part to having the league's best bullpen, a bullpen that might've been broken up and shipped to different teams had San Diego fallen apart. Thankfully for them, that has not happened.

5) Atlanta Braves (46-33 | 17-11 SLR | Prev: 19/6)
The Braves are baseball's best home team, the only team that has yet to lose 10 times on their home diamond. They've had a bit of a problem with injuries, the latest one involving Jason Heyward, but their other guys have stepped up thus far.

6) New York Mets (44-34 | 18-8 SLR | Prev: 9/17)
Having Baltimore and Cleveland back-to-back was a nice boost but even discounting those games the Mets went through a rather difficult schedule that included the Yankees, Twins and Tigers and still went 12-8.

7) Tampa Bay Rays (45-32 | 11-14 SLR | Prev: 1/1)
Tampa has fallen back a bit, having been passed in the division by both New York and Boston. Their biggest problem? Their hitting, which has been so inconsistent they've been no-hit against three times within a calender year.

8) Cincinnati Reds (44-35 | 14-13 SLR | Prev: 18/7)
The Reds are locked in a tough division battle with St. Louis. Aroldis Chapman is due to be called up this month to help, but signs point to him starting off in the bullpen.

9) Los Angeles Dodgers (43-35 | 14-13 SLR | Prev: 20/8)
The Dodgers probably don't want to recall their interleague debacles, going 2-10 in June for such games, but despite that they are still within 3 games of division-leading San Diego.

10) St. Louis Cardinals (43-35 | 13-13 SLR | Prev: 2/10)
Matt Holliday had an excellent June, hitting .302 and driving in 16 in the month. If he can stay hot and Pujols returns to form, the Cardinals can once again do some damage.

11) Los Angeles Angels (44-36 | 18-9 SLR | Prev: 17/20)
Since losing Morales, the Angels have gone 20-9, and that included a stretch without Erick Aybar as well.

12) Minnesota Twins (43-35 | 12-15 SLR | Prev: 4/2)
The Twins had a tough interleague schedule, which included the Phillies, Rockies, Mets and Braves. Yet, they got through it and now they can go back to styling on their division opponents, especially...

13) Detroit Tigers (41-36 | 15-12 SLR | Prev: 8/16)
...the Tigers, whose bullpen was shook up with the loss of Joel Zumaya for the rest of the season. If the Tigers look for anything to trade for, it'll be for bullpen help, but the bottom of their lineup could use a new bat or two as well.

14) Philadelphia Phillies (41-35 | 13-13 SLR | Prev: 5/12)
The Phillies have lost both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco (again) for some time. Jimmy Rollins is back, however, so it seems like it should be his turn to pick up the slack.

15) Chicago White Sox (40-37 | 18-9 SLR | Prev: 27/22)
The White Sox went 13-2 in interleague play (those losses both against the Cubs), and their starting pitching has righted itself. We'll see how they do with their newfound confidence against opposition that isn't the Cubs, Pirates, or Nationals, however.

16) Colorado Rockies (41-37 | 14-13 SLR | Prev: 15/13)
Ubaldo Jimenez did not enjoy his starts against the AL East, though the Rockies won both of those games anyway. Jimenez should be without question the National League starting pitcher for the All-Star game.

17) San Francisco Giants (40-37 | 13-14 SLR | Prev: 7/14)
The Giants have lost four straight series, including being swept against the Dodgers. In a division where every team except Arizona is good, the Giants can ill afford to keep losing games to divisional foes.

18) Toronto Blue Jays (40-39 | 9-17 SLR | Prev: 12/5)
The Blue Jays have fallen back to earth, because trying to hit home runs every game can only get a team so far. Probably didn't help to have a home series against the Phillies get played in Philly, but that's not among the top of their problems right now.

19) Oakland Athletics (38-41 | 10-17 SLR | Prev: 16/11)
Remember when Oakland took the division lead from Texas? Since then Texas has blown away everyone they've played. Meanwhile, the Athletics have only won one series in June, and that was against Pittsburgh.

20) Florida Marlins (37-41 | 11-15 SLR | Prev: 11/18)
Why were the Marlins playing a series against the Mets in Puerto Rico? Oh right, because this way people will actually attend their games. Though the last time a team hosted games in Puerto Rico they got moved to Washington so watch out, Marlins.

21) Milwaukee Brewers (35-43 | 14-13 SLR | Prev: 24/23)
Oddly enough, if the Brewers can find a spark and get real hot they could still make a run for the division. Their July schedule includes what should be easy games as well as key matchups against division leaders Cincinnati and St. Louis.

22) Chicago Cubs (34-44 | 10-16 SLR | Prev: 14/21)
Oh, look. Its that team that keeps losing to Pittsburgh. Carlos Zambrano is so fed up he got himself suspended from the team with possibly no way to return in good graces.

23) Kansas City Royals (34-45 | 13-14 SLR | Prev: 26/24)
The Royals lead baseball in batting average. They are 25th in ERA. Guess which one proves to be a bigger factor in their current record.

24) Washington Nationals (34-45 | 8-19 SLR | Prev: 13/19)
They were 27-31 before Stephen Strausburg's first start. They gone 7-14 since, including two losses credited to Strausburg after the team scored 0 runs for him both times. They can't call Bryce Harper up fast enough.

25) Seattle Mariners (33-44 | 14-13 SLR | Prev: 21/26)
Cliff Lee has been dealing. He's been dealing so hard, he might get dealt before the trade deadline.

26) Houston Astros (31-48 | 14-14 SLR | Prev: 30/29)
Interleague was not kind to the Astros, going 3-11 overall in interleague but even so they still went 14-14 in June.

27) Arizona Diamondbacks (31-48 | 11-16 SLR | Prev: 22/27)
Even with Edwin Jackson's no-hitter, in which he allowed eight walks, the Diamondbacks are still dead last in runs allowed. In an ultra-competitive NL West, its probably safe to say that the Diamondbacks are already done.

28) Cleveland Indians (30-47 | 12-16 SLR | Prev: 25/28)
The Indians had a 1-11 stretch during interleague play, a stretch that started by losing to Strausburg and finally ended at the end of the month with the team actually winning 4 in a row.

29) Pittsburgh Pirates (27-51 | 6-20 SLR | Prev: 29/25)
I brought up these poor fellows a lot in these rankings, but rightfully so. They have scored the fewest runs in baseball and won the fewest games in June, three of those six wins coming against the Cubs.

30) Baltimore Orioles (24-53 | 9-17 SLR | Prev: 28/30)
Adam Jones has been tearing it up this month, hitting 8 home runs and driving in 21. That's all for your positive Orioles news for the month.