After another brief hiatus (let’s go ahead and blame the power-play) here we go with the return of the 2011 WEEI.com Major League Baseball Power Rankings. Each week (or as close as we can get) throughout the season we will be bringing you an updated version of the list, which will be determined by record, ranking within each team’s division and which team would have the best chance at winning if participating in a best-of-seven series.

Feel free to pick apart the admittedly imperfect rankings by emailing kminihane@weei.com or sending a message via Twitter to twitter.com/kirkmin. Have at it.

(Note: Team record and last ranking are in parentheses and all stats are through 6/2.)

1. Phillies (34-23, 2). Since the start of the 2007 season, Roy Halladay has walked a total of 165 batters in 1,052 IP. During that same span, Daisuke Matsuzaka has walked 301 batters — in 429.1 fewer innings pitched.

2. Indians (33-22, 1). Fair to ask if this recent skid is more than just that and maybe the beginning of a return to reality. The Indians need more from Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana, each with a slugging percentage of less than .400.

3. Cardinals (34-25, 6). We talk about this all the time, but it’s guys like Fernando Salas — 10 saves, a 1.05 WHIP, 25 Ks and a 1.82 ERA — that make it awfully tough to believe that the Sox are going to cough up $45 million for Jonathan Papelbon.

(Oh, and have you urinated in the last hour or so, or do you have food or water in your mouth? No? We’re good? OK, I guess it’s safe for me to tell you what nickname Chris Berman came up with for Salas. Ready? Fernando “Tossed” Salas! Done laughing yet? One of these days I suppose Berman’s act is going to get tired, but I just don’t see it happening for at least another 30 years.)

4. Yankees (31-24, 15). Wow, has the Cano vs. Pedroia debate ever been an easier call? Just a monster gap between the two at this point. After a third-place MVP finish last season, Cano has an OPS of .839 in 2011, which down from 2010 but still 151 points higher than Pedroia’s this season.

5. Marlins (31-24, 5). Josh Johnson leads the National League in WHIP (0.59) and is second in ERA (1.64) and has exactly one more win his nine starts than John Lackey — last in WHIP and ERA in the American League — has in his seven starts.

6. Giants (32-25, 8). Losing Buster Posey is a killer, but Pedro Sandoval is expected back in the next 10-14 days, and even if he doesn’t match his 2010 production I don’t see how a rotation (Matt Cain has the highest ERA at 3.88) this good doesn’t keep the Giants on top of the NL West.

7. Braves (32-26, 3). How about Dan Uggla (first year of five-year, $62 million contract) vs. left-handed pitching this season? In 52 at-bats, he has six hits (.107 BA) and one RBI. The good news is that he’s nearly twice as productive vs. righties, batting .199 in 156 AB.

8. Red Sox (31-26, 11). I’m stealing this one from Rob Bradford: Since May 1, 2010 David Ortiz has as has many home runs (44) as Albert Pujols.

9. Diamondbacks (32-26, 25). Winners of 13-of-16, the bullpen has been the story. J.J. Putz has 16 saves and a 1.88 ERA, and David Hernandez, Esmerling Vasquez, Sam Damel and Joe Paterson all have ERA’s under 2.00.

10. Brewers (31-26, 17). On May 6, the Brewers lost 6-0 to the Cardinals — their seventh straight defeat –to drop to 13-19 on the season. They had a serious 70-92 vibe going at the time, but have really battled back go get right into the NL Central picture, thanks in large part to Yovani Gallardo, who posted a 5-1 record with an ERA of 2.25 in May.

11. Tigers (29-27, 12). The pinch-hit HR by Ortiz against Jose Valverde last Sunday was his second homer off the Detroit closer in two career at-bats. The last time Ortiz hit a HR as a pinch hitter? April 27, 2003. It was in fact the first HR hit by Ortiz in a Red Sox uniform, pinch-hitting for Jeremy Giambi (hitting .125 at the time) and taking Mickey Callaway (out of baseball since 2004) deep in a 6-4 Sox win over the Angels.

12. Mariners (30-27, 29). If he keeps this up, there has to be a spot on the AL All-Star Team for 22-year-old rookie Micheal Pineda, who has a 6-2 record, 2.30 ERA (fourth in league) and 9.3 K’s per nine innings (leads the AL) for the Mariners. He’s been the best pitcher on that staff this season, no small feat when you realize the guy many think is the best pitcher in baseball is on that same staff and having a pretty good season himself.

13. Rangers (32-26, 13). Adrian Beltre is on pace for 31 HR and 122 RBI, but ranks 147th in the AL with an on-base percentage of .297. Call it what you want, but I like to think of it as a nifty tribute to Dave Hostetler.

14. Rays (29-28, 7). Matt Joyce led all American League regulars with a .414 batting average in May, and his 1.229 OPS was second only to Jose Bautista’s 1.267.

15. Angels (30-29, 14). When did it become Howard Kendrick? I don’t like it — Howie Kendrick is a spunky baseball player that is loaded with intangibles and energy. Howard Kendrick is an earnest but ultimately doomed candidate for State Assembly

16. Blue Jays (29-28, 16). I know they were burned on B.J. Ryan, but given the fact that John Farrell is there and Jon Rauch is what he is as a closer (OK, but just) and has a 350K buyout at the end of the season I sure wouldn’t count out Toronto if there is indeed a Papelbon sweepstakes in the offseason.

17. Reds (30-28, 4). Rough last three starts for Saturn Nuts, who has allowed 19 ER in 12.2 IP to see his ERA go from 3.78 to 5.74.

18. Pirates (27-29, 22). The last time the Pirates finished a season over .500, Tim Wakefield had eight career major-league wins and 24-year-old Mark Recchi was getting ready to start his fifth season in the NHL.

19. Athletics (27-31, 1o). The A’s — you know, the team with the GM who is going to be portrayed by Brad Pitt in an upcoming movie — do not have a regular in the lineup with a batting average over .270 or an OBP (a stat that I think you can find if you look really, really hard in Moneyball) over .330.

20. White Sox (28-31, 28). Paul Konerko – having another terrific season — has 370 HR with the White Sox, second behind Frank Thomas (448) on the franchise list. He’s signed through 2013 and without injury or a Jim Rice fall of the cliff decline is going to set that record. Is it the kind of thing that’s going to lead SportsCenter? Nope, but this is a franchise that has been around since 1901. Just thought it interesting that its most significant career record will be held by a guy that won’t get near Cooperstown.

21. Dodgers (26-32, 20). James Loney since 2007: Batting average, .331, .289, .281., .267, .245. Slugging percentage, .538, .434, .399, .395, .320. OPS, .919, .772, .756, .723, .608.

22. Mets (26-31, 24). I know this would never happen, but if the Mets call you tomorrow and offer Jose Reyes (off to by far the best start of his career — his OPS is 30 points higher than any season) for Felix Doubront, Jed Lowrie and another mid-level prospect or two are you gonna say no? We’re not talking Daniel Bard or Anthony Ranaudo here. I know, I know, Jose Iglesias (and his .248 slugging percentage at Pawtucket) makes this a non-starter, but Reyes is an absolute game-changer when he’s right.

23. Rockies (26-30, 9). On April 21, the Rockies held the top spot in the rankings. Since, they are 13-24 and have gone from four games up to four and a half games out in the NL West. Turns out my plan worked out perfectly. Your move, Jim Tracy. Your move.

24. Royals (25-32, 18). Joakim Soria — as good a bet as any to assume Alpha Dog closer status if Mariano Rivera ever decides to retire — allowed 12 earned runs in 67.1 IP in 2008, 13 ER in 53 IP in 2009 and 13 ER in 65.2 IP in 2o10. This season he has pitched 24 IP and has already given up 16 ER. His walks and hits per nine innings are way up and his K rate has dropped dramatically. In case you were wondering, there is only one Mariano Rivera.

25. Nationals (25-32, 19). At his current pace, Adam LaRoche (batting .172) would need 1,516 at-bats to break Ichiro’s single-season record of 262 hits.

26. Orioles (25-30, 21). Mark Reynolds had a 110-point drop in slugging percentage from 2009 to 2010 (.543-.433) and his .369 slugging percentage is 57th in the American League this season.

27. Cubs (23-32, 23). There just isn’t any pitching. None. The Cubs are last in the National League in ERA and WHIP and I don’t see where it turns around. Is Doug Davis going to get better? Ryan Dempster? Casey Coleman?

28. Padres (25-33, 22). Probably you haven’t checked in too much with the Padres as of late, so I thought I’d give you a very quick briefing: Turns out Brad Hawpe (.239/.294/.368) isn’t Adrian Gonzalez. It’s why I’m here, folks.

29. Astros (23-35, 29). Brad Mills is going to be Terry Francona’s bench coach in 2012. Book it. And that’s not a knock on Mills, just turns out the job he had to take was a really, really crappy one. Take a look at that lineup. No manager in history would win 90 games with this team.

30. Twins (19-37, 30). Six players in the Twins’ everyday lineup — Drew Butera, Luke Hughes, Alexi Casilla, Delmon Young, Denard Span and Jim Thome — have a combined total of 56 RBI in 810 plate appearances.