Cole Hamels

Last week's ranking in parentheses 1. Rangers (1): Ran their top three pitchers at the Red Sox in an impressive weekend sweep started by Derek Holland and finished by Yu Darvish, with Alexi Ogando in between. Looking very smart for letting Josh Hamilton...

Last week's ranking in parentheses 1. Rangers (4): They're 6-1 in starts by No. 5 and 6 starters Nick Tepesch and Justin Grimm. Move to the first spot because other teams ranked in the top 5 were 9-17 last week. 2. Tigers (6): Very impressive in...

PHILADELPHIA — Charlie Manuel doesn't want Carlos Ruiz to feel like he has to be the savior when he comes back. To that, I say, "Good luck, Chooch." With the way the Phillies played in their first 23 games, how can the Phillies catcher, who...

A.J. Pierzynski had one of the great quotes of the season. "He had all seven of his pitches working,'' said Pierzynski, who jumped from the White Sox to the Rangers last winter. Pierzynski wasn't kidding. The catcher was giving an honest account of Yu...

When the trade deadline rolled around at the end of July, the Phillies were 46-57, which put them only 21/2 games better than the Cubs in the National League's wild-card playoff standings. They were in ninth place, 13 games behind the Braves for the...

Will the third time be the charm for the World Baseball Classic? Not if the underwhelming U.S. roster is any indication. While many of Commissioner Bud Selig's innovations have enjoyed immediate success — especially expanded playoffs and...

Statistics through Sunday (last week's ranking) 1. Rangers (1): There have many issues, including a lack of production since early in the season from Michael Young and the highly regarded lineup, but a soft schedule has kept those issues from showing...

Thirteen pitchers eligible to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic received points in Cy Young voting. That, sports fans, should largely be the pitching staff for the team Joe Torre will manage. Imagine a starting rotation of R.A. Dickey,...

Say this for the Phillies. They got a World Series title and five consecutive playoff seasons out of their payroll escalation. But are they about to suffer Cubs-like pain? That's the question that faces general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. as he faces a...

PHILADELPHIA — At 29, Anthony Recker isn't considered a newbie anymore. The Catasauqua graduate has played for three in the big leagues for organizations and has now made two Opening Day rosters, including the 2013 New York Mets'. The path there...

The Royals expect James Shields to be a difference maker. But were they close enough to being a playoff team before they added him? That's the question about the deal in which the Royals sent future All-Star Wil Myers to the Rays. It's too early to...

It's OK to be disappointed in Cliff Lee. Even being flat-out ticked off is fair. The $120 million-dollar man has not done his part. You might be tempted to argue that the offense is to blame for him having gone this long without getting a win. That...