Great eight

Defending champion Yankees still No. 1

Posted: Sunday October 10, 1999 01:37 AM

The calendar has turned to October. That must mean 22 teams are making tee times at the local golf course. Baseball's best begin their race to the World Series, and the CNN/SI Power Rankings will let you know who's on the right track.

The New York Yankees hold the top spot in the first postseason ranking, followed by the Atlanta Braves, who led the majors in regular-season wins. AL Central champion Cleveland, which held the No. 1 spot for two months in the regular season, is third. Follow the Power Rankings all the way to the World Series.

CNN/SI Postseason Power Rankings Rank LW   Team 1 -- New York Yankees Until someone beats them, the Bombers are No. 1. 2 -- Atlanta Braves Are 12-1 entering '99 in Division Series. 3 -- Cleveland Indians Scored more than 1,000 runs in regular season. 4 -- New York Mets Eleven years between postseason appearances. 5 -- Arizona Diamondbacks From expansion team to 100 wins. Not bad. 6 -- Houston Astros Will they ever win a playoff series? 7 -- Texas Rangers Will they ever beat the Yankees? 8 -- Boston Red Sox Will "The Curse" ever end?

LW=Last week