The New York Yankees fell from No. 4 a week ago to No. 11 in the MLB Power Rankings released today by Sports Illustrated. The New York Mets tumbled even farther, falling all the way from No. 9 a week ago to No. 23.
Here is what SI said about the Yankees:
Mark Teixeira’s struggles are beginning to become a concern. After posting the second lowest walk rate and wRC+ of his career in 2011, Teixeira has seen those numbers drop even further this year (6.9% walk rate and 78 wRC+). And that’s not all. Teixeira’s power seems to have evaporated, with an ISO of just .159 compared to his career mark of .248. The fact that the Yankees have been able to stay afloat without any contributions from their first baseman speak volumes to their depth, but it likely can’t continue. New York will need him before the year is over.
Here are SI’s thoughts on the Mets:
Fellow NL East players Jair Jurrjens and Gaby Sanchez are already in triple-A, and Ike Davis may be joining them soon. He maintains just a 40 wRC+ after posting marks of 115 and 152 in each of the past two years, respectively, and his walk rate has plummeted to 6.9 percent from a career rate of 11.1 percent. His strikeout rate has also skyrocketed: It’s at 26.9 percent, a sizable jump from his career 23.2 percent rate.
Here are the top five teams in major-league baseball at the present time, per SI:
1. Texas Rangers
2. Washington Nationals
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Philadelphia Phillies