Updated MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Your Favorite Team Stand?
Where does your favorite MLB team stand as we head enter the middle of May?
1: Texas Rangers (18-10, Previous: 1)
A 2-4 week marked the worst stretch of the season for the Rangers, as they dropped two of three to the Blue Jays and Indians. Those are two good teams, so that was not enough to drop them from the top spot, but the gap between the Rangers and the rest of baseball has certainly been narrowed.
The starting pitching stumbled a bit this week, but they still have a solid staff led by Yu Darvish (4-1, 2.54 ERA), one of the best bullpens in baseball and as potent a lineup as there is, so for now they keep the top spot.
2: Tampa Bay Rays (19-10, Previous: 2)
While the Orioles lead the AL East by a half game, the Rays didn't do anything to justify moving them down a spot so they remain at No. 2, following a 5-2 week in which they swept the Mariners.
The team continues to piece together the third base position while Evan Longoria is out, but getting B.J. Upton (.333 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI) back at full strength certainly helps. Meanwhile, the pitching continues to impress with plenty of room to get even better moving forward.
3: Baltimore Orioles (19-9, Previous: 7)
New week, same story for the Orioles as they had no trouble against AL East foes this past week, taking two of three from the Yankees in New York before sweeping the Red Sox in Boston for a 5-1 week.
Their pitching staff (2.78 ERA) is the best in the AL right now, and their offense continues to thrive even while J.J. Hardy, Mark Reynolds and Nick Markakis struggle. Anyone who was not a believer in the Orioles heading into the week should certainly reconsider after yet another dominant stretch of games left them with the best record in baseball.
4: Washington Nationals (18-10, Previous: 6)
The Nationals took two of three from the Diamondbacks and Phillies on the week to maintain their lead in the NL East.
The pitching continues to be fantastic (2.36 team ERA), and Bryce Harper (8-for-26, 5 doubles) is doing his best to keep from being sent back down once Ryan Zimmerman returns from injury. A lot to like about the Nationals right now, as they are the real deal.
5: St. Louis Cardinals (17-11, Previous: 3)
The Cardinals took two of three from the Pirates to open the week, exploding for 25 runs over three games, before losing two of three to the Astros in Houston to close things out.
Allen Craig (6-for-16, 1 HR, 7 RBI) made his season debut last week after opening the season on the DL, and he has picked right up where he left off last postseason. As long as the pitching stays as strong as it's been, the NL Central belongs to the Cardinals.
6: Atlanta Braves (18-11, Previous: 5)
The Braves overcame a 1-3 start to the week by sweeping the Rockies in Colorado, as they kept pace with the Nationals in what is a tight NL East.
Scoring runs looked to be the Braves' biggest concern entering the season, but they have put any fear of that to rest as they lead baseball in runs scored. Their pitching, on the other hand, which was expected to be terrific, has struggled as three starters have ERAs north of 5.00.
7: Los Angeles Dodgers (18-10, Previous: 4)
The Dodgers entered the week tied for the best record in baseball at 16-6 but dropped back-to-back series on the road to the Rockies and Cubs for a 2-4 week.
That said, they still have the best player in the game right now, Matt Kemp (.388 BA, 12 HR, 27 RBI), as well as the NL RBI leader, Andre Ethier (28 RBI). Those two, paired with a fantastic pitching staff, make the Dodgers legitimate contenders moving forward.
8: Toronto Blue Jays (16-13, Previous: 10)
The Blue Jays out-slugged the Rangers to take two of three at home before splitting a four-game series with the increasingly competitive Angels.
Edwin Encarnacion (.279 BA, 9 HR, 25 RBI) continues to carry the offensive load as the team patiently waits for Jose Bautista (.183) and Adam Lind (.194) to come around. The pitching continues to be an asset, as four starters have an ERA under 4.00.
9: Cleveland Indians (15-11, Previous: 17)
The Indians opened the week by taking two of three from the division rival White Sox before impressing in winning two of three against a stacked Rangers team.
The team has now held or shared the AL Central lead since April 24th, and although no one in particular stands out as a star, the Indians continue to find ways to win as a team.
10: Detroit Tigers (14-13, Previous: 9)
After a 1-5 week two weeks ago, the Tigers got back on track last week as they went 3-2 and took two of three from the White Sox at home.
The team should get a boost with Doug Fister returning from injury and Delmon Young from his suspension, and despite their hiccup last week they still have to be considered one of the best teams in the AL.
11: New York Yankees (15-13, Previous: 8)
The Yankees lost two of three to the upstart Orioles to open the week before splitting a four-game series with the lowly Royals, as they dropped to fourth in the AL East.
It was a week of more bad injury news for the Yankees, too, as Mariano Rivera tore his ACL shagging fly balls in batting practice and will miss the rest of the season. A week earlier, the team found out Michael Pineda would not pitch this season. Things are not looking great in the Bronx right now.
12: Cincinnati Reds (14-13, Previous: 15)
The Reds split a two-game series with the Cubs to open the week before taking two of three from the Pirates as they are now just 2.5 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central.
Still one of the most complete teams in the National League, the Reds' biggest issues continue to lie in the starting rotation, and a strong start by Mat Latos (6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 11 Ks) last time out is an extremely positive sign.
13: Arizona Diamondbacks (14-15, Previous: 13)
The Diamondbacks took a game each from the Marlins, Nationals and Mets on their way to a 3-4 week, pulling them within half a game of the Giants for second place in the NL West.
Wade Miley (3-0, 2.33 ERA) looks to be the real deal, but the team continues to look for a reliable fifth starter in the absence of Daniel Hudson. Offensively, no regular is hitting over .300, and the team can't get Chris Young (shoulder) back soon enough.
14: Philadelphia Phillies (13-15, Previous: 16)
The Phillies avoided a sweep at the hands of the Nationals on Sunday, sealing a 4-3 week for what was their first week with a winning record so far this season.
They continue to do what they can offensively without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, as guys such as Laynce Nix (.325 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI) and Ty Wigginton (.289 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI) have performed admirably in expanded roles. With their pitching, they should be able to keep their heads above water until they are back at full strength.
15: San Francisco Giants (14-14, Previous: 12)
The Giants were swept by the resurgent Marlins to open the week before taking two of three from the Brewers to keep from tumbling too far down the rankings.
The trio of Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Melky Cabrera are carrying the offensive load, and the pitching has begun to round into form with a 3.18 ERA that ranks third in the NL.
16: New York Mets (15-13, Previous: 11)
A 5-3 week two weeks ago moved the Mets up to No. 11, but they were swept by the Astros to open last week before taking two of three from the Diamondbacks, to settle for a 2-4 week and earn a drop in the rankings.
David Wright (.375 BA, 3 HR, 14 RBI) continues to enjoy a terrific start, and the offense as a whole has been very good, hitting .263 (third in NL). However, their pitching and lack of a second premier run producer (Ike Davis?) prevent them from being serious contenders as of now.
17: Oakland Athletics (15-14, Previous: 23)
The Athletics enjoyed a solid week against AL East competition, as they took two of three from the Red Sox and Rays to move into second place in the AL West.
Coco Crisp hit the DL, but considering he was hitting just .194, that may not be a bad thing. Meanwhile, Jarrod Parker picked up his first win with the Athletics and has a 1.38 ERA through his first two starts.
18: Miami Marlins (14-14, Previous: 26)
The Marlins are fresh off their best week of the season, as they have won six straight with sweeps of the Giants and Padres on the road last week.
Their starting pitching is carrying them right now, as every starter aside from the still struggling Josh Johnson (6.61 ERA) has an ERA below 3.00. Meanwhile, Heath Bell has been removed from the closer's role after blowing four of seven save chances.
19: Chicago White Sox (13-15, Previous: 19)
The White Sox had a tough week within their own division, as they lost two of three to the Indians and Tigers to drop to third place in the AL Central.
The decision was made to move Chris Sale (3-1, 2.81 ERA in 5 GS) to the closer's role to both protect his arm and to solidify the bullpen. Offensively, Adam Dunn (9 HR, 23 RBI) continues to enjoy a nice bounce-back season while four other regulars are hitting below .225.
20: Los Angeles Angels (12-17, Previous: 21)
The Angels enjoyed their best week of the season last week, as they swept the lowly Twins before taking two of four from a good Blue Jays team, keeping them from falling any further down the rankings.
The highlight was Jered Weaver's no-hitter on Wednesday to close out the Twins series. The week also featured the first home run of the year from Albert Pujols (.196 BA, 1 HR, 7 RBI) and the release of veteran Bobby Abreu.
21: Milwaukee Brewers (12-16, Previous: 18)
The Brewers opened the week dropping two of three to the lowly Padres, then fell to 2-4 on the week when they also dropped two of three to the Giants.
Mat Gamel is likely done for the season after tearing his ACL, and Alex Gonzalez also hit the DL with a knee injury as the already offense-strapped Brewers could be even worse moving forward. On the other side of things, their pitching staff continues to struggle with a 4.88 ERA, good for second to last in the NL.
22: Boston Red Sox (11-16, Previous: 14)
A 6-1 week two weeks ago shot the Red Sox into the upper half of the rankings, but they return to the bottom section after going 1-5 last week and getting swept by the Orioles to close things out.
No starting pitcher has an ERA under 4.00, the bullpen has struggled, and the offense has too many holes to offset those problems like they could in years past. On a positive note, the Will Middlebrooks (5-for-16, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI) era has begun with a bang while Kevin Youkilis is on the DL.
23: Houston Astros (13-15, Previous: 27)
It was a banner week for the Astros, as they swept the Mets at home and then took two of three from the division-leading Cardinals to pull into third place in the NL Central.
Their offense has been terrific, led by Jose Altuve (.352 BA) and Jed Lowrie (.333 BA, 4 HR, 12 RBI) as they rank fourth in the NL in runs scored. The starting pitching is still struggling, outside of Wandy Rodriguez.
24: Colorado Rockies (12-15, Previous: 22)
The Rockies took two of three from a good Dodgers team to open the week but were swept by the Braves at home to close out the week at 2-4.
Carlos Gonzalez (.313 BA, 7 HR, 25 RBI) has gotten hot of late and is carrying the offense, but the starting pitching continues to struggle as every starter has an ERA over 4.00, although Drew Pomeranz (2.30 ERA over last 15.2 IP) looks capable of stepping into the role of staff ace.
25: Seattle Mariners (13-17, Previous: 20)
After a week in which they went 4-2 and climbed five spots, the Mariners were swept in a four-game series with the Rays before taking two of three from the Twins.
Mike Carp is back from injury, and Kyle Seager looks to have a firm grasp on the third base job, so Chone Figgins has been relegated to the bench. Also, Felix Hernandez (3-1, 1.89 ERA) is really good, in case you weren't aware.
26: Pittsburgh Pirates (12-16, Previous: 24)
The Pirates took one game each from the Braves, Cardinals and Reds to escape the week with a 3-4 record and are now tied for fourth place in the NL Central.
Pedro Alvarez (8-for-22, 3 HR, 8 RBI) finally broke through this week and was quickly bumped up to the cleanup spot in the order. The rest of the lineup will need to follow suit if the Pirates are to start stringing together wins.
27: Chicago Cubs (11-17, Previous: 25)
The Cubs closed out a 3-3 week with an extra-innings win against the Dodgers, as they took two of three from the NL West leaders at home.
Carlos Marmol (5.59 ERA, 12.1 BB/9) has been removed from the closer's role, and Ryan Dempster is back after a DL stint, so perhaps the pitching will be improved moving forward. Offensively, Bryan LaHair (.370 BA, 7 HR, 16 RBI) continues to do everything in his power to hold off top prospect Anthony Rizzo (.371 BA, 7 HR, 25 RBI at Triple-A).
28: Kansas City Royals (9-18, Previous: 29)
The Royals held their own this week against some tough opposition, splitting a quick two-game series with the Tigers in Detroit before taking two of four from the Yankees at home.
Alex Gordon raised his average 32 points on the week, as he has gotten things on track alongside Mike Moustakas and Billy Butler. However, Eric Hosmer (.185 BA) continues to struggle, and the starting rotation is still wildly inconsistent.
29: San Diego Padres (9-20, Previous: 28)
The Padres started out the week strong as they won their first series of the year in taking two of three from the Brewers, but they were swept by the Marlins to close the week, leaving them with the worst record in the NL.
The pitching continues to be good enough to win games, although they will be without closer Huston Street, who is on the DL. The offense continues to be dreadful, with Yonder Alonso (.271 BA) and Chase Headley (.252 BA) the only two regulars hitting over .250.
30: Minnesota Twins (7-20, Previous: 30)
It was another rough week for the Twins, who were swept by the Angels and dropped two of three to the Mariners. They were shut out three times and outscored 31-8 on the week.
Josh Willingham had been the lone bright spot for the team up to this week, but even he struggled, going 1-for-17 on the week as the Twins were lucky to get the one win that they did.
