Rangers are clicking, sit atop Power Rankings

Josh Hamilton and the high-powered offense of the two-time defending American League champions have picked up where they left off last season and Yu Darvish is growing more comfortable with each start. The Rangers will be tested as they start a 12-game stretch against the Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees and Rays.

The defending World Series champions have taken two of three in each of their past three series and reinforcements are on the way. First baseman Lance Berkman has missed the past four games with a left calf strain, while third baseman David Freese sat out the past two with right ring finger irritation.

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder get all of the attention but Austin Jackson also deserves some credit. Jackson is among AL leaders in on-base percentage, runs scored and batting average. He also has reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander pitching in front of him every five days.

The Dodgers have won six in a row and took a Major League-best 9-1 record into Tuesday. It's their best start since they posted the same mark to begin the 1981 season. That club went on to win the World Series.

Derek Jeter is off to another great start. The Yankees captain is hitting .378 with four doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs in the first 10 games of the season. Jeter's third home run of last season came on July 9, which was also his 3,000th hit.

Kendrys Morales hit his first home run since he was injured following a home run on May 29, 2010, and has found his stroke at the plate. Albert Pujols is hitting .268 with four RBIs but does not have a home run.

Roy Halladay is 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA and still believes there is plenty of room for improvement. That's not good news for the rest of the NL. The Phillies' offense is also coming around, scoring eight runs Sunday and five runs Monday, marking the first time since Sept. 8-9 that they have scored five or more runs in successive games.

The defending NL West champs are playing with confidence and swagger despite trailing the Dodgers in the standings. Chris Young is off to a sweltering start at the plate but Justin Upton has not driven in a run.

Considered a strong point entering the season, the Rays' starting pitching has failed them lately and it has resulted in a taxed bullpen. What's more, the Rays have been outscored 18-0 in the eighth inning, with all 18 runs coming on their current road trip.

Jason Heyward's sophomore slump is just a memory. He is batting .375 with two homers, one double, one triple, five RBIs and three stolen bases. He is riding a six-game hitting streak, going 10-for-21 (.476) over that stretch.

Big Papi continues to come up big. David Ortiz is hitting .410 this season and has nine hits in his past four games. He hit safely in seven consecutive plate appearances over the weekend.

The Nationals' 8-3 record represents their best 11-game record since their arrival in Washington in 2005. Stephen Strasburg is off to a fantastic start, going 2-0 with 1.42 ERA. He has 19 strikeouts in 19 innings.

Hanley Ramirez has adjusted his stance in the batter's box, lowering his hands and moving them closer to his body and the results have been immediate. He went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run Sunday and has seven hits in his past nine at-bats.

Jose Bautista is off to a slow start, hitting .206 with one home run and two RBIs. Overall, the offense and the revamped bullpen have struggled but it's still early and nobody is panicking in Toronto.

Joey Votto is hitting .294 for the season but the rest of the offense is not clicking. Scott Rolen and Drew Stubbs are hitting .121 and .167, respectively. Overall, the team is hitting .205.