1  Rays 1 - 1/24 There's no place like home for the Rays. Literally. No team has won more in their home ballpark than the Rays. But putting a nice touch on their body of work before the break will mean winning road series in the Bronx and Cleveland. With Troy Percival on the DL and the rest of the 'pen looking quite ordinary, the Rays have an easy assignment at the trade deadline.
 2  Angels 4 (+2) 2/12 The Angels haven't gotten what they wanted from their outfield this season, in terms of offensive production. That's prompted many to speculate that Matt Holliday is headed to Anaheim. Vlad Guerrero is on-pace for just 24 homers. Unless he picks it up in the second half, he'll also probably fall short of the 100-RBIs mark for the first time this decade. Either Vlad is due for a monster second half, or we've just witnessed him turn the corner on the downside of his career.
 3  Cubs 3 - 1/13 The Cubs are starting to falter a bit, but good news could be on the way with Alfonso Soriano expected back earlier than expected. It's been a fairly quiet season for Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, both of whom are on pace to finish with less than 30 homers. All that probably means is both are due for big second halves. Home dates against the Reds and Giants should allow the Cubs to recover a bit before the break.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
4  Red Sox 2 (-2) 1/4 Swept by the Rays, the BoSox found the perfect elixir to their woes — a trip to the Bronx where they took the first two. Unfortunately for Red Sox Nation, it appears the Rays are a problem that's not going away. The Red Sox should know this week just how much longer David Ortiz will need on the DL. That news should help them set a game plan for the upcoming trade deadline.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
5  White Sox 5 - 5/19 With four hitters posting double-digit homers, the White Sox appear to be just fine in the power department. With three members of the rotation owning sub-4 ERAs, the White Sox probably don't need outside help there either. It's indeed starting to look like the South Siders will be the quietest of the contenders at the trade deadline. And why shouldn’t they be? With the Twins staying power in the standings suspect, it's not like Chicago should fear what it sees in the rear view.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
6  Cardinals 6 - 4/20 The Cards would be comfortably in first in any other NL division. While that may be hard to take, it does mean good things about their wild-card chances. Road trips to Philly and Pittsburgh ensure a difficult end before the break. The Cards could use a boost to their rotation later this month, although we doubt it will be anything major, per the season M.O.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
7  Phillies 10 (+3) 5/16 What a way to finish before the break — three against the Cards and D-backs. The Phils have held up well against what's been a very difficult schedule over the past month. It's no secret that Philly needs another arm (or two) to solidify itself down the stretch. Now out of the mix for C.C. Sabathia, the Phils may opt for a strong No. 2 like A.J. Burnett. The good news is that no other team in the East is likely to improve itself much via trade in the next few weeks.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
8  Twins 7 (-1) 7/26 Taking a series against the Tigers certainly had to make Twins fans rest a bit easier. The Twins are showing no signs of slowing down, but this week's schedule may take care of that. Road dates at Boston and Detroit could provide an effective barometer as to whether they should get busy during trade time. If the Twins are able to somehow make it to the break with a lead in the Central, that could be the type of confidence boost to ensure outside help is on the way.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
9  Brewers 9 - 6/23 A well-timed hot streak put the Brewers in the thick of the wild-card and NL Central races. Management rewarded the team by trading for C.C. Sabathia. Coupled with Ben Sheets, Sabathia gives the Brewers one of the NL’s most formidable 1-2 punches. But they better make it worthwhile because neither is likely to be with the team next season.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
10  Athletics 8 (-2) 7/25 It's hard to imagine the A's ever passing the Angels if they never win a series against them. But Oakland followed its latest setback against its rivals to the south with a split against the first-place White Sox. With four games against the M's and a home set vs. the Angels coming up before the break, the A's have a shot to make a statement going into the second half. Make no mistake, this is a big week.
Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy
11  Yankees 11 - 3/23 The Yanks could do themselves and the rest of the AL East a favor this week by cooling the Rays during their pair in the Bronx. Strangely, there’s one last bit of interleague business to deal with at Pittsburgh before the weekend set in Toronto. The stage is set for the Yanks to muddy the East picture if they c