MLB Watchability Rankings – 8/2/13

This was the week where the elite teams put their best foot forward, and the pretenders…well, the pretenders fell further down the abyss.

RANK	TEAM	CHANGE	SCHEDULE	COMMENT
1		+2	vs COL vs MIA	Pittsburgh punched St Louis right in the mouth this week and showed the Cardinals they're not going anywhere.
2		— 0	vs SF @ AZ	I went ahead and trashed Roberto Hernandez last week, and he went ahead and nearly threw a shutout this week. I'm really loving this dogfight with Boston at the top of the AL East standings
3		+8	@ PHI @ WAS	After a hotly contested sweep of the Cardinals, the Braves pummeled the Rockies in their four game sweep, outscoring Colorado by 27 runs.
4		-3	@ CIN vs LAD	Getting swept in Atlanta, and then losing four out of five in Pittsburgh? That's not good, Cardinals.
5		-1	vs TEX @ CIN	Oakland is on autopilot right now, but they can't get too comfortable at the top of the AL West.

6		-1	@ CHC @ STL	The Dodgers have napalmed the NL West. I think this race is close to being over.
7		+2	vs CHW @ CLE	Oh look, the Tigers are finally hitting their stride.
8		-1	vs SEA @ SD	Give the Orioles credit for being the only contender that went all-out to upgrade their team, They didn't give up anything substantial, either.
9		-3	vs AZ @ HOU	Boston has a nice opportunity to get some breathing room in the AL East with the Astros on the schedule.
10		-2	@ OAK @ LAA	Three straight walkoff wins against the Angels will do a lot for team morale.
11		+4	@ MIA vs DET	Cleveland has won eight in a row, yet has lost ground since the All-Star Break.
12		+4	@ NYM vs MIN	11-2 since the All-Star Break, and still 6.5 games out.
13		-3	vs STL vs OAK	A 5-6 West Coast road trip isn't the worst thing that could have happened to the Reds, especially with the Cardinals' struggles this week.
14		-2	vs KC vs COL	All things considered, it could be *a lot* worse for the Mets. Their outfield has been shockingly productive lately.
15		+6	vs CLE @ PIT	Miami's young talent is starting to shine, and the Fish are 28-24 since June 1st.
16		-2	@ BOS vs TB	Diamondbacks, I need to reiterate this to you: 85 wins isn't going to cut it this year.
17		-4	vs TOR vs TEX	Before a Melky-fueled win on Thursday, the Angels had lost six in a row. They're in fourth in the AL West.
18		— 0	vs LAD @ PHI	This season also hasn't been a disaster for the Cubs, shockingly enough.
19		— 0	@ MIN vs BOS	Once Erik Bedard inevitably gets dealt this month, the oldest member of Houston's rotation will be 25-year old Dallas Keuchel, assuming another rookie replaces Bedard.
20		-3	@ SD @ CHW	The Yankees remind me a lot of the Diamondbacks, in that they're just not good enough to get into the playoffs but will continue inspiring false hope.
21		-1	@ MIL vs ATL	Washington's season could finally, mercifully be killed when the Braves come to town next week.
22		+8	vs NYY vs BAL	Three straight series wins, including two from contenders? Nice, Padres…nice.
23		+2	vs WAS @ SF	The Brewers are showing a little bit of spunk in the wake of Ryan Braun's suspension. It's a shame their rotation is a dumpster fire.
24		-1	@ LAA @ SEA	Alex Anthopolous' career might be defined by the trade with the Marlins, for better or worse.
25		-3	@ PIT @ NYM	Just a reminder that the third place Rockies didn't sell in the midst of getting the crap kicked out of them by the Braves, and are now eight games under .500.
26		-2	@ BAL vs TOR	What's more painful than losing a 15 inning game? How about blowing a five run lead in the ninth? Felix Hernandez deserves better.
27		— 0	@ TB vs MIL	Wait, you mean bringing back an aging core of players wasn't a good idea?
28		-3	vs ATL vs CHC	2-10 since the All-Star Break, and Michael Young is still a Phillie. Pathetic.
29		-1	vs HOU @ KC	Scott Diamond's 3.54 ERA last year was one of the biggest flukes in baseball. He's back in AAA now, by the way.
30		-1	@ DET vs NYY	Since taking a series from Atlanta coming out of the All-Star Break, the White Sox are 1-10. Oh.