MLB power rankings for start of August

By Rick Morris

Start of July power rankings in parentheses.

TOP TIER (Playoff Contenders)
1 New York Yankees (1)
2 Tampa Bay (2)
3 Texas (4)
4 Boston (6)
5 San Diego (5)
6 San Francisco (13)
7 Cincinnati (7)
8 Atlanta (3)
9 Chicago White Sox (9)
10 St. Louis (8)
11 Philadelphia (15)
12 Minnesota (17)
SECOND TIER (Playoff Longshots)
13 Toronto (18)
14 Colorado (11)
15 Los Angeles Dodgers (12)
16 New York Mets (14)
17 Oakland (19)
18 Detroit (16)
19 Los Angeles Angels (10)
20 Florida (20)
21 Milwaukee (21)
THIRD TIER (The Dregs)
22 Washington (23)
23 Houston (25)
24 Chicago Cubs (22)
25 Kansas City (24)
26 Cleveland (26)
FOURTH TIER (The Worst of the Worst)
27 Arizona (28)
28 Seattle (27)
29 Pittsburgh (29)
30 Baltimore (30)

BIGGEST RISERS: San Francisco (7 spots), Minnesota and Toronto (5 spots), Philadelphia (4 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Los Angeles Angels (9 spots), Atlanta (5 spots), Colorado and Los Angeles Dodgers (3 spots)