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The Times’ MLB power rankings

St. Louis Cardinals starter Lance Lynn delivers a pitch against the New York Mets on Friday.

St. Louis Cardinals starter Lance Lynn delivers a pitch against the New York Mets on Friday.

(Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
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Last week’s ranking in parentheses, statistics are through Friday:

1. ST. LOUIS: After the Cardinals were swept by Pittsburgh before the break, it’s suddenly a thrilling divisional race. (1)

2. KANSAS CITY: Kendrys Morales hasn’t had half a season this good since breaking his leg at home plate in 2010. (2)

3. PITTSBURGH: How’s this for an All-Star break statement: The sweep of a division rival included two walk-off wins. (3)

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4. DODGERS: Well, at least Dodgers fans are very familiar with blacked-out games. (4)

5. WASHINGTON: Nobody has an easier remaining schedule than the Nationals. (5)

6. ANGELS: Mike Trout could become the first player to sweep the MVP and All-Star game MVP awards twice. (6)

7. NEW YORK YANKEES: Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira combined for 40 home runs in the first half. (8)

8. CHICAGO CUBS: For all of their youthful hitting, the Cubs are 24th in runs per game. (9)

9. HOUSTON: That sound? It’s Astros stock being furiously sold. They had a nice run, now it’s time to trade for some help. (7)

10. MINNESOTA: The Twins haven’t had a winning record since 2010, but they’re a legitimate contender this year. (10)

11. NEW YORK METS: They could really use David Wright, but he hasn’t played since April and still hasn’t been cleared. (11)

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12. SAN FRANCISCO: Pitching staff is the oldest in baseball. Do the Giants have enough for a second-half run? (16)

13. TEXAS: Shin-Soo Choo wasn’t in the lineup in the first game after the break. It has been an ugly year for him. (14)

14. ARIZONA: Paul Goldschmidt is having possibly the quietest season ever for a Triple Crown candidate. (12)

15. DETROIT: The Tigers need to trade for pitching but with what? Their farm system has been tapped out. (13)

16. BALTIMORE: Ubaldo Jimenez is having his best year since 2010. He was 7-4 with a 2.81 ERA in the first half. (15)

17. CLEVELAND: The Indians are playing better but have the third-toughest second-half schedule. (17)

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18. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: No team has scored fewer runs than the White Sox. Per game, only Philadelphia is worse. (18)

19. TORONTO: Please send pitching. (20)

20. TAMPA BAY: The Rays haven’t blown a ninth-inning lead and haven’t overcome a ninth-inning deficit all year. (22)

21. BOSTON: The American League East is so tight that even the hapless Red Sox are still alive. (21)

22. ATLANTA: The Braves had a solid first half but they’ll likely be sellers to keep building their young core. (19)

23. CINCINNATI: Now the league knows what the Reds already did: Todd Frazier is the real deal. (23)

24. SEATTLE: Can a healthy Hisashi Iwakuma inject some energy into the floundering Mariners? (24)

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26. SAN DIEGO: The Padres traded away a lot last off-season. In hindsight, probably shouldn’t have. (26)

25. OAKLAND: Athletics keep losing but remain within shouting distance in the AL West. (25)

27. MILWAUKEE: Taylor Jungmann has been a bright spot. He’s 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in his first seven big league starts. (27)

28. COLORADO: The Rockies are well on their way to a fifth consecutive losing season. (28)

29. MIAMI: Without Giancarlo Stanton or Dee Gordon, there’s really no reason to watch the Marlins anymore. (29)

30. PHILADELPHIA: The Phillies’ top-pitching prospect, Aaron Nola, will debut next week. See, there’s hope. (30)

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