Nine Weeks In - MLB: Power Rankings, Matchups, Highlights and more

“Hanley Ramirez?! Why?!”

That was the question collectively screamed at the Boston sky this weekend as fans of the Boston Red Sox struggled to come to terms with the tragic news. Hanley Ramirez was designated for assignment on Friday morning to make room for the return of Dustin Pedroia and I’m not happy about it.

We have three catchers, all carrying with them various levels of disappointment, and yet Hanley was the guy who got the axe. Despite a recent hitting slump, Hanley Ramirez is still as dangerous as anyone in this lineup. He also seems to be an emotional catalyst for the Red Sox; a locker room leader. And screwing with team chemistry after such a successful season can be risky. I’m not even going to get into the money – Red Sox owe more than $15 million on his contract – because I actually agree with the whole sunk cost notion, but this simply wasn’t the right guy to DFA.

In brighter news, the Red Sox won back-to-back series this week, including a 2-1 series win against the red hot Atlanta Braves. So let’s just focus on that and try to ignore all that other stuff. Onto some highlights!

Top Three Plays

A Pitcher’s Nightmare

It Still Hasn’t Landed

Another Marathon At-Bat

What To Watch

Memorial Day is upon us and the power rankings are beginning to level out. We have fewer big-movers each week and the very best and worst ball clubs seem to be established. But while the division leaders in the American League are essentially sorted out, there are still some major questions in the National League.

This week, we’ll be focusing on the NL East, who currently have four teams above .500, all within striking distance of the lead. The Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets will be the first to hash things out. At the time of writing this, the Mets have a 2-0 lead in the first game of a Memorial Day double-header. That, part of a four game series for the Braves.

Atlanta goes on to play the Washington Nationals in the second part of the week, another four-game series. And though the Braves are at home, the Nationals are boasting one of the best road records in baseball at 17-8. Atlanta fans are excited about what they’ve got in their young talent, but will it be enough to carry them through the season? After all, the Nats still have a guy named Bryce Harper in their lineup.

With the Philadelphia Phillies scheduled for a California road trip, it’s likely they end up in the top spot by this time next week. It certainly seems preferable to face the middling San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers while the rest of your division rivals take each other out.

Still, the series to watch is Washington at Atlanta.

Power Rankings