In the latest SB Nation New York MLB Power Rankings, it's pretty clear the Mets and Yankees are headed in very different directions. By taking two of three from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Bronx Bombers continued to show why they are the best team in baseball, while the Amazin' Mets were anything in a sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves.
One of the biggest reasons the Yankees were able to handle the Angels is because of Mark Teixeira, who locks down the top spot in this week's edition of our Power Rankings.
1. Mark Teixeira, Yankees - The Yankees first baseman hit two home runs, drove in six runs and batted .333 (4-for-12) in three games against the Los Angeles Angels. Teixeira now has 17 home runs and 59 RBI, and if he stays healthy looks like he will reach 30 home runs and 100 RBI for the ninth straight season. -- Ed Valentine
2. Derek Jeter, Yankees - The Yankee Captain shows no sign of slowing down. He batted .462 in the first three games after the All-Star break, getting six hits in 13 at-bats. -- EV
3. Curtis Granderson, Yankees - Batted .364 (4-for-11) in three games against the Angels and made a spectacular catch Sunday against Mike Trout. -- EV
4. Ruben Tejada, Mets - The shortstop picked up where he left off, by killing the baseball. Tejada went 5-for-14, raising his average to .328. He also provided two highlight-reel plays at shortstop we will see plenty of before the season is over.
5. Robinson Cano, Yankees - The booing by Kansas City fans during the All-Star break does not seem to have affected him. He is 4-for-12 (.333) with a home run and three RBI since the break. -- EV
6. Ike Davis, Mets - One reason the Mets should believe they can prevent a complete collapse as the second half rolls along is the reemergence of Davis. His average has now been over .200 for a whopping eight straight games!
7. Josh Edgin, Mets - Manager Terry Collins said the young lefty would not be handled with kid gloves ("It's fire time," was his response after the call-up), and he was true to his word. Edgin made his debut Friday night trying to clean up another Miguel Batista mess, this time a bases-loaded, no-out jam. All he did was retire the first three he faced, including back-to-back strikeouts. He also got the next two batters out the following inning, before truly becoming a Met by giving up a HR to Chipper Jones.
8. Freddy Garcia, Yankees - The Yankees bats got the attention (and rightfully so), but Garcia settled down after giving up two first-inning runs on Saturday and held a tough Angels lineup to three runs over five innings while picking up his fourth win of the season.
9. Cody Eppley, Yankees - Pitched two shutout innings of relief in a victory on Saturday. -- EV
10. Jon Rauch, Mets - In his only appearance of the weekend, Rauch retired two of the three batters he faced and didn't give up a run. Quite an accomplishment for a Mets reliever!