MLB Power Rankings 2012: Teams Guaranteed to Rebound After Slow Starts

One month of MLB action is in the books. April provided baseball fans with its fair share of great performances. From Philip Humber's perfect game to the dominance of Matt Kemp, there were plenty of reasons to get excited for another summer of America's pastime.

Not every team enjoyed April, however. Several teams that were expected to contend for the playoffs got off to slow starts, meaning they will have to dig out of a hold to make the postseason.

Let's take a look at three teams that will bounce back in May. There's also a complete power rankings list at the end of the article.

Boston Red Sox

The first month for Boston can be summed up by blowing a nine-run lead against the rival New York Yankees. A combination of bad luck, injuries and a tough schedule exposed the Red Sox's weaknesses. So they currently sit in the AL East basement, 4.5 games behind at 11-12.

The Red Sox have too much talent to stay there for much longer, however. The team's offense hasn't been a problem, ranking second in runs scored. Pitching has been a different story as Boston has given up the most runs in the league.

It's not a lack of starting pitching talent that's holding them back. Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Daniel Bard give them three solid options. Lester and Beckett should turn things around soon, and everything else, including the bullpen, should fall into place.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels sit six games below .500 so far at 9-15, proving money doesn't automatically buy wins. At least not in the season's opening month. Albert Pujols hasn't hit a home run and his on-base percentage is more than 160 points below his career average.

It's more than just Pujols holding the Angels back. Erick Aybar, Howard Kendrick and Vernon Wells have all struggled to live up to expectations. Recent call-up Mike Trout—an elite prospect—has yet to provide a spark, either.

Los Angeles' pitching staff has been holding up its end of the bargain. All four starters other than Ervin Santana have pitched really well and should continue to do so. Once the offense wakes up—and there's no reason it shouldn't—the Angels will start racking up wins.

Milwaukee Brewers

Most people expected the Brewers to take a step back after losing Prince Fielder during the offseason, but Milwaukee really struggled in April and already sits 4.5 games out in the NL Central. The Brewers have too much depth to fade away that quickly.

The starting rotation, which was supposed to carry the team on its back, hasn't been able to do so. The biggest reason is Yovani Gallardo. He's been terrific in each of the past three seasons, but has a 6.08 ERA through five starts.

He will improve and the team's rock-solid bullpen should strengthen too. Even though they probably need to make a deadline deal for a hitter to make the playoffs, the Brewers should start winning more consistently soon.

MLB Power Rankings – May 2

1. Texas Rangers

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

3. Tampa Bay Rays

4. St. Louis Cardinals

5. Baltimore Orioles

6. Arizona Diamondbacks

7. Atlanta Braves

8. Washington Nationals

9. New York Yankees

10. Toronto Blue Jays

11. Chicago White Sox

12. New York Mets

13. Detroit Tigers

14. Philadelphia Phillies

15. Cincinnati Reds

16. San Francisco Giants

17. Cleveland Indians

18. Boston Red Sox

19. Oakland Athletics

20. Houston Astros

21. Colorado Rockies

22. Milwaukee Brewers

23. Pittsburgh Pirates

24. Los Angeles Angels

25. Seattle Mariners

26. Miami Marlins

27. San Diego Padres

28. Chicago Cubs

29. Kansas City Royals

30. Minnesota Twins