In a season filled with surprises, the cream is starting to rise to the top in Major League Baseball and particularly in the stacked AL East. Here is how I see the power rankings as of June 14th.

5. Minnesota Twins. Fans in San Diego and Cincinnati would probably like to see the Padres or Reds here (or higher), but the Twins are a better bet for the long-term. They’re the only team in their division that has scored more runs than they’ve let up and they won the division last year as well. Justin Morneau is having another MVP-caliber season and Francisco Liriano has been one of the nicest stories so far this season. They have Joe Mauer to sell plenty of MLB tickets, but they also have a very solid club from top to bottom. The Twins look to be built for the long haul this season, giving them a slight edge over other teams with similar records.

4. Atlanta Braves. The Braves simply didn’t get the memo that the Phillies already had the division wrapped up before the season even started. Guided by young stars Jason Heyward and Tommy Hanson and resurgent vets like Troy Glaus and Tim Hudson, the Braves are playing inspired baseball in manager Bobby Cox’s last season. They don’t have the upside of the Phillies, but they do have a very solid club. That might just be enough to win the division if the Phillies don’t snap out of it.

3. Boston Red Sox. How quickly things can change in baseball. At the end of April, there were rumors that Boston needed to start making major changes to their roster to get things going. Move forward to mid-June and all of a sudden the Sox have one of the best records in baseball. David Ortiz remembered how Kamagra Gold to hit and Kevin Youkilis is quietly putting together an MVP-type season in the middle of their lineup. After a slow start, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have also come alive, Cialis Professional giving the Sox a very formidable starting rotation. Even though the Sox are on the outside of the playoffs looking in, they finally have gelled and figure to be in the playoff hunt all season long.

2. Tampa Bay Rays. It was inevitable that the Rays would come back to Earth at least a little bit after starting the season in ludicrous speed. Still, the Rays are a very talented team that would be leading every other division in baseball. With big bats throughout their lineup and plenty of speed, the Rays should continue to score enough runs to pile up the wins for their starters, who continue to be a very impressive group front to back. In David Price, the Rays also have a legit Cy Young candidate who can be a very dangerous pitcher to face in the postseason. The Rays will be right there to fight it out with the Yankees all season long, it seems.

1. New York Yankees. Everyone knew that the Yankees were going to be good and possibly the best in the league, but it took a while for it to show up in the standings. After 63 games, the Yankees were tied with the Rays for the best record in the league, mostly thanks to strong starting pitching, Mariano Rivera’s dominance in the ninth inning and Robinson Cano’s breakout offensive season. C.C. Sabathia is having another good season and Phil Hughes is looking to be the guy that everyone thought that he might be – a cerebral starter with great control and poise. The Yankees are also rumored to be in the market for either Roy Oswalt or Cliff Lee, both of whom should be available at the trade deadline. And all of this is without Mark Teixeira doing much offensively. Sorry, Boston, but New York is the best team in the league again, possibly for a while.

Best of the rest:
Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have been playing very well so far this year, though they don’t have the type of roster that’s going to scare a whole lot of teams. Still, with Mike Leake pitching very well so far this year and Scott Rolen having a huge comeback season, the Reds are a serious threat to win the NL Central.
San Diego Padres. Everyone keeps waiting for the Padres to slide down the standings, but they simply continue to win. Closer Heath Bell has been very good and Adrian Gonzalez has quietly been one of the best power hitters in the league so far. It’s getting more and more difficult to doubt the Padres in the NL West, though I still wouldn’t bet they’ll be able to finish ahead of the Dodgers.

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