SweetSpot

          Thursday's power rankings

          • Richard Bergstrom
          Jun 12, 2015, 01:15 AM ET

          1. Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels. The Angels might have floated around .500 all season, but one thing that shouldn’t be frustrating for fans is watching Trout and Pujols battle each other for the team lead in home runs. They’ve been the backbone of an offense that otherwise has been inconsistent.

          Both players stepped up Thursday night, driving in two runs apiece to power the Angels to a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Each capped his efforts by hitting his 17th home run of the season. Pujols passed Mickey Mantle for 16th place on the career home run list with No. 537. With a slugging percentage for the season at .523, this would be Pujols’ best mark as an Angel. That being said, Trout leads the Angels in batting average and RBIs. His home run Thursday was his sixth long ball in the past 11 games.

          2. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins. While we’re on the subject of offense, Stanton faced Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chris Rusin just last Saturday. The results were pretty offensive as Rusin became the first pitcher to strike Stanton out four times. With the rematch Thursday, there was some discussion on what adjustments Stanton might make. That inquiry didn’t last all that long as Stanton hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, giving the Marlins the lead on the way to a 6-0 victory over the Rockies. After that, he managed an RBI infield single, then struck out in his next two at-bats, but a 2-for-5 night with 4 RBIs is nothing to sneeze at.

          3. Brandon Maurer, San Diego Padres. If you’re not a closer or have some epic facial hair, there’s a decent chance you won’t be noticed as a reliever. Those who follow the Padres, though, know the kind of run that Maurer has been on. The 24-year-old, acquired from the Mariners during the offseason for Seth Smith, had allowed just one run, nine hits and a mere three walks in his last 20 innings leading into Thursday, a stretch of time that covers not just June but all of May. He prevented runners from scoring Thursday night against the Atlanta Braves, pitching around a walk and an error to take the game into extra innings. Don’t worry, Brandon, we noticed you.

          4. Scott Kazmir, Oakland Athletics. Kazmir tossed eight innings of one-hit, two-walk ball against the Texas Rangers to earn just his third win of the season and his first win since back on April 13. After a stellar April, he muddled through May with a 4.65 ERA while failing to win a game. Part of that meh May was caused by a walk rate reminiscent of less-than-vintage Kazmir as he walked a total of 16 batters through 31 innings.

          It might seem like Kazmir has been around forever. Fans might think he’s still the “wild lefty” of yesteryear. Yet it’s worth noting that he’s a mere 31 years old, right when many pitchers hit their prime. Furthermore, since he returned to professional baseball in 2013, he’s only walked 2.7 batters per nine innings. With a 2015 ERA of 2.79 ERA and perhaps with a few more years of good performance, he’ll leave a new impression in fans’ minds.

          5. Michael Cuddyer, New York Mets. Cuddyer hit a single that drove in the winning run Thursday, taking the Mets to a 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. His teammates thanked him for his effort by giving him a fat lip and a chipped tooth while celebrating. Who said New York wasn’t a rough place to play?