By Douglas Benton The top teams didn?t change much this past week and neither did the bottom teams, but the middle ground is full of influx. With long win streaks being the only key for a fast rise up the charts, check out which teams took this path in the last week in April. 1. (2) Boston Red Sox (16-8) The Red Sox are in first place by four games and outfielder Manny Ramirez is just starting to get hot. Watch out for Boston. 2. (11) Cleveland Indians (14-8) He doesn?t get the publicity of designated hitter David Ortiz, but Travis Hafner is just as good (.338-5-16) if not better than the Boston slugger. 3. (1) Atlanta Braves (15-9) The bats are coming alive, but rotation depth and a trip to the DL for Bob Wickman should have people in Atlanta early heading into May. 4. (3) New York Mets (15-8) Veteran outfielders Shawn Green and Moises Alou are both hitting over .345, providing the stopgap needed for young outfield prospect Lastings Millegde. 5. (6) Milwaukee Brewers (15-9) Three solid starters in Ben Sheets, Jeff Suppan and Chris Capuano to go with two hard throwers in the bullpen with Derek Turnbow and Francisco Cordero has the look of a contending pitching staff. 6. (16) Arizona Diamondbacks (15-11) Five straight wins signal a big climb in the rankings for Arizona, but poor hitting from their young hitters should be cause for concern. 7. (5) Minnesota Twins (14-11) Starter Ramon Ortiz has five quality starts in as many games and has a sub-1.00 WHIP. I guess they are staying alive without Francisco Liriano. 8. (15) Los Angeles Angels (14-11) They have won eight out of 10 games, but a lack of identity through the first month makes you question if they can keep it up. 9. (7) Detroit Tigers (13-11) They have five starters hitting .270 or better, but this pitching staff is really missing the veteran presence of Kenny Rogers. 10. (12) San Francisco Giants (12-11) Being swept in Arizona over the weekend dampened any momentum they had from sweeping the Dodgers in Los Angeles earlier in the week when they had won eight in a row. 11. (4) Los Angeles Dodgers (15-10) One of the best kept secrets in baseball is catcher Russell Martin, who is solid behind the plate, is hitting .314 and already has five stolen bases. 12. (17) Cincinnati Reds (12-13) Starters Kyle Lohse and Matt Belisle have been good additions to the rotation with proven veterans Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. 13. (13) Chicago White Sox (13-11) The White Sox haven?t found their stride yet in 2007 and the loss of designated hitter Jim Thome to the DL won?t help that cause. 14. (28) Seattle Mariners (10-10) Felix Hernandez is out and Jeff Weaver has been a huge bust, but quietly, the Mariners have won five out of six. 15. (14) Oakland A?s (12-13) The A?s have been hit hard by injuries to pitchers Rich Harden and Esteban Loaiza, as well as outfielders Mark Kotsay and Milton Bradley. It is tough to win with four prominent players out. 16. (24) Toronto Blue Jays (12-12) Two wins at Boston and another one at Yankee Stadium highlighted a good bounce-back week for Toronto. 17. (22) Florida Marlins (11-13) The offense is white hot early, leading all of baseball in runs and second in team batting average. 18. (23) Philadelphia Phillies (11-13) A dreadful start has been turned around in part by the improved hitting of second baseman Chase Utley and slow turnaround of first baseman Ryan Howard. 19. (9) San Diego Padres (13-12) Starter Jake Peavy is 3-0 with four quality starts and is averaging more than a strikeout per inning. Can somebody say Cy Young candidate? 20. (20) Pittsburgh Pirates (11-12) Remember that second baseman Freddy Sanchez won the batting title last season? His .206 batting average in 2007 though makes you wonder if it was a one-year wonder. 21. (26) Chicago Cubs (10-13) First baseman Derek Lee is back to his all-star form by hitting at a .391 clip and having an OPS of over a 1.000. 22. (8) Baltimore Orioles (12-13) They have lost six out of seven and also saw starter Jaret Wright head to DL once again with shoulder problems. 23. (21) Texas Rangers (10-14) They have four starters with above-average to good potential, but the team ERA of 5.37 shows the potential hasn?t been realized yet. 24. (27) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (11-14) For those who don?t follow the Devil Rays, outfielder Carl Crawford is one of the best all-around players in the game and has legitimate five-tool potential. 25. (18) St. Louis Cardinals (10-13) The loss of pitcher Josh Hancock is devastating for any team and especially one that has struggled to come together in the first month. 26. (26) Colorado Rockies (10-15) The Rockies don?t have the boppers anymore and the pitching isn?t good enough to carry the team. Another long year can be expected in Denver. 27. (19) New York Yankees (9-14) Joe Torre and Brian Cashman are on notice and the pitching is even worse than expected. Does anyone have Roger Clemens? number handy? 28. (10) Houston Astros (10-14) They have lost eight out of nine and are digging another early season hole. It could be time for manager Phil Garner to start cleaning out of his office. 29. (29) Kansas City Royals (8-17) They aren?t hitting and outside of Gil Meche, they aren?t pitching. Can someone say another top pick for the Royals in 2008? 30. (30) Washington Nationals (8-17) There is talk Washington will look to trade closer Chad Cordero. Don?t because closers with his stuff and mental approach aren?t in surplus and should be held onto. Douglas Benton can be reached at [email protected]