AL Power Rankings, Week 5

There are now just 27 games left in the regular season and the only real drama in the AL is which of five teams will grab the two wild card spots. As the Power Rankings have been expecting for months, the NY Bombers are making their move... and given that team's starting pitching and OPS machines in the middle of the lineup, I wouldn't want to see them in the opposing dugout in the playoffs.

1 Madison Massas

Record (Since Last Rankings): 100-35 (13-3)
Last Week: #1
Magic # To Clinch Division: 2
Magic # To Clinch First-Round Bye: 15
Magic # To Clinch Homefield Advantage: 22
Playoff Prognosis: Madison is the first team in either league to clinch a playoff berth. Barring a major collapse, they will have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. They are six games up on OKC for that #1 seed with just 27 to go.

2 Oklahoma City Chickens

Record (Since Last Rankings): 94-41 (8-8)
Last Week: #2
Magic # To Clinch Playoff Berth: 6
Magic # To Clinch Division: 6
Magic # To Clinch First-Round Bye: 21
Playoff Prognosis: Pretty much locked into the #2 seed now-- down 6 on #1, up 7 on #3.

3 Wichita Sizzlers

Record (Since Last Rankings): 87-48 (10-6)
Last Week: #3
Magic # To Clinch Playoff Berth: 12
Magic # To Clinch Division: 12
Playoff Prognosis: Barring a massive hot or cold streak, they will be the #3 seed. They're 7 games do on OKC and 13 games up on #4 Boston.

4 Boston Badasses

Record (Since Last Rankings): 74-61 (13-3)
Last Week: #8
Magic # To Clinch Playoff Berth: 14
Magic # To Clinch Division: 14
Playoff Prognosis: A fantastic week pushes them up four spots in the rankings. That, combined with a total collapse in Washington helped them shave off an almost impossible to believe 26 games off their magic number in just 16 games.

5 New York Bombers

Record (Since Last Rankings): 74-61 (10-6)
Last Week: #5 (tied)
Currently The #1 Wild Card
Magic # To Clinch Playoff Berth: 25
Playoff Prognosis: One of the hottest teams in Ryan World right now-- they were buried in the standings halfway through the season but have finally started getting some bounces. They the head of a five-team pack chasing two wild card spots. They will be mathematically eliminated from their divisional race with any combination of two Madison wins of Bomber losses. Still, they're looking relatively good to get in to the postseason.

6 Monterrey Acero

Record (Since Last Rankings): 72-63 (7-9)
Last Week: #4
Currently Wild Card #2
Magic # To Clinch Playoff Berth: 43
Playoff Prognosis: While the Bombers have been shooting up the rankings, the Acero have started to slide. They are just 16-21 over the last two weeks and have seen what was once a solid lead in the wild card slide down to a real horse race. With three more teams nipping at their heels that once seemingly-safe postseason berth is in real danger.

7 Kansas City McCoys

Record (Since Last Rankings): 71-64 (7-9)
Last Week: #5 (tied)
Playoff Prognosis: A sluggish week cost them three games relative to the Bombers and pushed them a game out of the playoff picture at the moment. Still very much in the race, but they need to take advantage of seven straight games against lowly Baltimore before the schedule gets a lot tougher.

8 Chicago Bearcubs

Record (Since Last Rankings): 69-66 (7-9)
Last Week: #7
Playoff Prognosis: Mathematically eliminated from the divisional race, but just three games out of the last wild card spot. It's basically one step forward, one step back with this team and they're not alone. The top three teams chasing that #2 wild card spot all went 7-9 this week.

9 Charlotte Winstons

Record (Since Last Rankings): 68-67 (11-5)
Last Week: #9 (tie)
Playoff Prognosis: Last week I said that they probably needed something like a 15-5 week to stay in the playoff picture. Since then, they've gone 11-5 and with the three teams ahead of them just spinning their wheels, they've picked up four games of ground.

10 (tie) Washington DC Old School Warriors

Record (Since Last Rankings): 60-75 (3-13)
Last Week: #9 (tie)
Playoff Prognosis: They were four games back of their division just 16 games ago. Now, thanks to a complete implosion this week they're 14 out in the division, 12 back of the last wild card spot and completely done.

10 (tie) St. Louis Stampede

Record (Since Last Rankings): 52-67 (8-12)
Last Week: #11 (tie)
Playoff Prognosis: Mathematically eliminated from the divisional race, more or less eliminated (12 out) from the wild card.

10 (tie) Cleveland Indians

Record (Since Last Rankings): 60-75 (8-8)
Last Week: #10 (tie)
Playoff Prognosis: Same as St. Louis-- Mathematically eliminated from the divisional race, more or less eliminated (12 out) from the wild card.

13 Arizona Rattlesnakes

Record (Since Last Rankings): 56-79 (7-9)
Last Week: #13
Playoff Prognosis: Done.

14 Las Vegas Gamble

Record (Since Last Rankings): 50-85 (3-13)
Last Week: #14
Playoff Prognosis: Flat-lining after an awful week.

15 Durham Bulls

Record (Since Last Rankings): 45-90 (5-11)
Last Week: #15
Playoff Prognosis: Done. Five games "ahead" of Las Vegas in the race for the #2 pick in next year's draft.

16 Baltimore Wiretappers

Record (Since Last Rankings): 37-98 (8-8)
Last Week: #16
Playoff Prognosis: Eight games "up" on Durham, so unless they really screw up and keep winning, they'll have the #1 pick in next year's draft.