We near the midpoint of the 2008 baseball season, and we’ve seen things change course suddenly and without warning. If the playoffs began today, the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks would continue playing, while the big payrolls of the New York Mets, Yankees and Detroit Tigers would be watching from home.

The question is, is today’s state of affairs indicative of what will happen come September? In some cases, yes. In others, no. Today, we’ll put some of the hotter issues under the microscope and take a stance one way or the other. Read more »

After a five-week absence, our player rankings are back in time for the 12th week of the fantasy season. With his torrid June, Alex Rodriguez has re-claimed the top spot from Florida’s Hanley Ramirez in just one of the many changes in our top 20.

Also on the rise are New York’s Jose Reyes and Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury for their significant contributions in stolen bases and solid production across the board. Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton overtook teammate Carl Crawford as the top Rays’ hitter on the list, and he moved within one spot of a wide open top 10. Read more »