FanHouse TrevorCahill

MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

The second half of the season is in full swing and lo and behold if capitalism hasn't reared it's ugly head once again. Billy Beane was spun off Matt Holliday (as expected of course) and the eleventy billion dollar payroll machine that is the New York Yankees are in first place in the AL East. (Of course, that can't explain why the Mets are horrible but that's a whole other thing.)

Will the Yankees' surge be enough to propel them into the critically important No. 1 slot of the FanHouse MLB Power Rankings? Find out after the jump.

MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

So, quick apology on my part: the Power Rankings were supposed to go live Wednesday, but things happened, I'm a jerkstore, excuses, etc., and here we are. It's not Wednesday! So please note that the records reflect Wednesday -- not Thursday, not Friday, not Saturday. Don't freak out in the comments and call me names. Please. I can't take that in my fragile emotional state right now. I might turn into Raul Ibanez, at which point I would yell at you and then strain my groin. And that wouldn't be good for anyone.

OAKLAND -- The future has arrived a little early for the A's pitching staff.

A team that looked awful as recently as a few weeks ago is suddenly on a roll, having won six games in a row, largely on the strength of the youngest rotation in the majors.

"It's extremely exciting, not just as a player, but as a fan of the game, to watch what these young guys are doing, " 25-year-old lefty Dallas Braden, the senior member of the group, told FanHouse.

And that was before 22-year-old Vin Mazzaro, the most recent addition to the rotation, pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings on Sunday. Mazzaro, who pitched 6 1/3 innings to beat the White Sox on Tuesday, is the first pitcher in Oakland history to start his career with consecutive scoreless starts.

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

The Mets are beginning to look like the Patriots when it comes to injury information. Just a couple of weeks ago, I told you to be worried about Jose Reyes' bum leg when we found out he had a "calf strain." Thursday night, the team confirmed Reyes has a torn right hamstring tendon and this is believed to be something new. Excuse me for being cynical, but this is the latest in a long line of sketchy diagnoses. Let's take a look at what else New York bungled, shall we ...

MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.

Sorry for the delay, kiddos, on the Power Rankings. I'm sure you spent the entirety of Wednesday wondering "WHERE IN GOD'S NAME ARE THEY??? WITHOUT THEM I'LL HAVE NOTHING TO BANTER SENSELESSLY ABOUT TO MY CO-WORKERS!!!1" Or something like that. Either way, it's time to debate the worthlessness of your favorite baseball team in numerical form once again. Do enjoy.

OAKLAND -- Billy Beane, whose team hit Memorial Day in last place, with the second worst record in the American League, is willing to overlook such pesky details.

"The most important thing we had to do this year was to start to develop the youngest rotation in the big leagues," Beane told FanHouse. "I think some of those young guys are starting to show some progress and that's ultimately where our future lies."

The A's general manager spent most of the winter trying to beef up the offense with acquisitions like Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra. The point was not so much to get the A's to the playoffs in 2009 as it was to help provide an offensive cushion to support the pitchers who the A's hope will get them to the promised land in 2010 and beyond.

As if the Angels didn't have enough problems this year with their tragedy- and injury-stricken pitching staff, now they've lost their best hitter. Vladimir Guerrero is going to be out indefinitely with a tear in the right pectoral.

"Obviously, short of needing surgery, this is a big blow," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Vlad will be reevaluated in a month, and we'll see where we are with it.

"We don't have a timetable right now. We'll see how it progresses. There are some optimistic windows we're getting, and some that might take longer."

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Braves manager Bobby Cox did not get ejected at any point during the seventh-inning fiasco his pitchers created on Wednesday. If ever there were a time that the all-time leader in early managerial exits would want to get the boot, this was it. The Braves blew a 10-3 lead to the Phillies in the seventh inning, on the way to a 12-11 loss. Worse, three of the eight runs the Phillies scored came on consecutive bases-loaded walks. Blaine Boyer was responsible for two of them.

"It's the worst inning I've seen," said Boyer. "Talk about your ultimate. I mean, we were [rolling] there for a while, 10-3, and it just blows up like that. I take the brunt of the blame for that one."

As you set your fantasy lineups for week one remember that there are 43 starting pitchers this week who will start twice. I've broken these 43 pitchers into three categories. There are 19 "must start" pitchers, nine solid options, and 15 risky hurlers throwing twice.

For the record, since there is only one game tonight featuring the Braves and the Phillies, and it's a Sunday night game, you'll find that in most weekly leagues Derek Lowe and Brett Myers (tonight's starters) will only have one start in week one, even though they'll be starting twice in their teams first seven games.

Tim Lincecum looks to have a cake walk first week as he faces Milwaukee and San Diego. While Paul Maholm, Ian Snell, John Lannan and Scott Olsen have some of the toughest two-start schedules as they face tough teams in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Florida.

PHOENIX -- Justin Duchscherer is going to have arthroscopic surgery on his balky right elbow, most likely knocking him out of action for at least the first month of the season.

The A's haven't yet worked out the details on when or where Duchscherer will have the surgery and they won't know exactly how long he'll be out until doctors get in there and see what needs to be done. Typically, a pitcher would miss at least six weeks with even the most mild arthroscopic cleanup on his elbow.

Duchscherer, a two-time All-Star and the only pitcher in the A's rotation with any sort of successful track record, did not talk to reporters today, directing them to manager Bob Geren for comment.

"Anytime you lose a guy it's disappointing, especially a guy who was pegged as a possible No. 1 guy," Geren said.