MLB Power Rankings: Teams That Have Risen from Mediocrity

We're a month into the Major League Baseball season, as teams begin to take form and either assert their dominance or fall flat.

Several teams have soared this season and appear ready to take the next step. But for every rising team, there's a former contender who disappoints mightily.

Here are my latest 2012 MLB power rankings, complete with teams that have risen from mediocrity (in italics).

1. Texas Rangers (18-10)

The Rangers are still explosive offensively, they still have a solid pitching rotation and their bullpen is fantastic. It's not hard to peg down why they've been to the World Series the past two years.

2. Tampa Bay Rays (19-10)

The Rays lost their last two games, but they've still won 12 of their last 15. They have a good offense with solid pitching, and they're legit contenders for the AL East crown this season.

3. Washington Nationals (18-10)

It's phenomenal what's happened to the Nationals. Their starting pitching has been spectacular. They've won 18 games despite scoring the fourth-fewest runs in baseball. Oh, and Bryce Harper has arrived.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (18-10)

The Dodgers' offense is good enough with Matt Kemp leading the way and their starters have fared well, but they need to do something about their inability to close games.

5. Baltimore Orioles (19-9)

Another rising team this season, the Orioles have done what people expected them to last season. They are scoring a decent amount of runs and they hold a 2.78 ERA as a team, second-best in baseball.

6. Atlanta Braves (18-11)

Brandon. Beachy. How spectacular has he been? The Braves have also scored the most runs in baseball. Their young studs are coming around.

7. St. Louis Cardinals (17-11)

So much for the Cardinals missing Albert Pujols. They've scored the second-most runs in baseball and hold a 3.08 ERA as at team. They look like a complete team right now, but those losses against the Astros had to have hurt.

8. Toronto Blue Jays (16-13)

The Blue Jays went 2-1 against the Rangers last week. They're pitching decently and they've scored the seventh-most runs in baseball.

9. New York Yankees (15-13)

The Yankees split their series with the Royals, and they look like they are on the outside looking in. It doesn't help that they lost Mariano Rivera. 

10. Detroit Tigers (14-13)

After a rousing start to the season, the Tigers have dipped a bit. They need to find another solid starter by the trade deadline.

11. Cincinnati Reds (14-13)

The Reds, ironically, have mainly been winning with their pitching. If their pitching stays this way, their offense should rebound soon enough.

12. Arizona Diamondbacks (14-15)

Justin Upton has been a disappointment so far and the Diamondbacks look like a .500 team from here on out.

13. Cleveland Indians (15-11)

Jason Kipnis has proven to be all he was cracked up to be, and Ubaldo Jimenez's performance was encouraging on Sunday. The Indians have been a surprise this season. Perhaps they are on their way up.

14. Philadelphia Phillies (14-15)

The Phillies aren't scoring many runs these days, which was predictable, but their pitching is keeping them in games.

15. New York Mets (15-13)

The Mets have surprised me this season. They haven't scored that many runs and they haven't been pitching very well, yet they've won 15 games. It probably has something to do with the fact that they are hitting .287 with runners in scoring position.

16. San Francisco Giants (14-14)

The Giants' last series against the Brewers was very encouraging. They have some young players that are beginning to step up and their starting pitching is solid as usual.

17. Colorado Rockies (12-15)

You simply can't win a lot of games when you pitch this poorly, no matter how many runs you score. The Rockies need a serious upgrade in pitching.

18. Los Angeles Angels (12-17)

The Angels could use Pujols right about now. He finally has a home run, but the team simply isn't scoring a lot of runs right now.

19. Milwaukee Brewers (12-16)

The Brewers' offense has dropped off since the departure of Prince Fielder, and they aren't pitching well, either. That's a recipe for disaster.

20. Oakland Athletics (15-14)

The Athletics have gotten a bit lucky this season, given that they haven't scored a lot of runs, but winning four of six against Boston and Tampa Bay is impressive.

21. Miami Marlins (14-14)

The Marlins, winners of their last six, have bounced back since a rough beginning. They are pitching well, which bodes well for them moving forward.

22. Boston Red Sox (11-16)

It's amazing what has happened to the Red Sox. They've picked up right where they left off last season, and that's a bad thing. They have a lot of injuries and their starters aren't playing well.

23. Chicago White Sox (13-15)

John Danks has been a disappointment, and the White Sox are predictably not scoring a lot runs. Their record matches who they are: a mediocre team.

24. Houston Astros (13-15)

The Astros' bullpen deserves a lot of credit for rebounding this season, but the starting pitching has been disappointing thus far. Still, the Astros look better than they did last season.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates (12-16)

The Pirates have a solid bullpen, but they're scoring the fewest runs in baseball. They need a serious jump start on offense before they even think about contending.

26. Seattle Mariners (13-17)

The Mariners are at the middle of the road in hitting and pitching. They don't have a dominant aspect of their team, which hurts them in the win column.

27. Chicago Cubs (11-17)

Scoring the fifth-fewest runs in baseball isn't going to get it done. That's all there is to it. 

28. Kansas City Royals (9-18)

The Royals' pitching has been a disaster, and they aren't scoring a lot of runs, either. They have been a disappointment after high preseason expectations. They aren't ready to win consistently yet.

29. San Diego Padres (9-20)

The Padres have predictably had trouble scoring runs this season. The pitching has been decent, but that means nothing if you can't score enough runs.

30. Minnesota Twins (7-20)

The Twins have hit a new low. They set the modern era record for fewest hits in a four-game stretch last week. They can't hit and they have the worst pitching in baseball.

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