Updated MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Your Favorite Team Stand?

Where does your favorite MLB team stand in the middle of May?

1: Texas Rangers (23-12, Previous: 1)

Who else but the Rangers in the top spot, a spot they have held all season? They took two of three from the upstart Orioles before taking three of four from the Angels, as they piled up 61 runs on the week.

Josh Hamilton (.402 BA, 18 HR, 44 RBI) had an absolutely ridiculous week (14-for-30, 9 HR, 18 RBI) including a four-homer game, as he has officially surpassed Matt Kemp as the most impressive hitter of 2012.

2: Los Angeles Dodgers (23-11, Previous: 7)

The Dodgers reclaimed the best record in the NL with a 5-1 week, as they took two of three from the Giants before sweeping the Rockies.

While Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have been the story of the season, catcher A.J. Ellis has been quietly productive with a ..317/.462/.512 triple-slash and 15 RBI. Strikeout machine Kenley Jansen (30 Ks, 18.2 IP) takes over as closer for Javy Guerra (8-of-11 saves, 4.80 ERA).

3: Baltimore Orioles (22-13, Previous: 3)

It doesn't get much tougher than the Orioles week last week, as they faced the Rangers and Rays, dropping three of four to Texas before taking two of three from the Rays to remain one game up in the AL East.

Nolan Reimold, Endy Chavez and Mark Reynolds all hit the DL this past week, and 22-year-old Xavier Avery will get a chance to show what he can do atop the lineup. The Nationals vs. Orioles series at the end of next week is as intriguing a matchup as any in interleague play.

4: Atlanta Braves (22-13, Previous: 6)

Playing on the road, the Braves dropped two of three to the Cubs, but bounced back and swept the NL Central-leading Cardinals to move into first place in the NL East.

The team continues to win despite a 4.21 team ERA that ranks 21st in baseball. Their rotation is seemingly too talented and deep to continue to struggle like they have, and the Braves' best baseball is likely ahead of them.

5: Tampa Bay Rays (21-14, Previous: 2)

The Rays matched up against the two teams fighting for the top spot in the AL East in the Orioles and Yankees and struggled to a 2-4 record, taking one game from each team. They were, however, on the road for both series.

As the starting pitching continues to round into form, the fact that the Rays have a vastly improved offense (ninth in runs scored) will become even more evident and the team continues to play without superstar Evan Longoria.

 6: Washington Nationals (21-13, Previous: 4)

The Nationals started the week dropping two of three to the Pirates but bounced back for a 3-3 finish by taking two of three from the Reds.

The team was dealt a blow when Wilson Ramos tore his ACL, as he will likely be out for the season. However, Ryan Zimmerman is back, which will be a huge boost to the offense. Meanwhile, the pitching staff continues to dominate with a combined 2.73 ERA.

7: St. Louis Cardinals (20-14, Previous: 5)

The Cardinals started the week hot by sweeping the Diamondbacks, but they were swept by a good Braves team to close out the week for a 3-3 finish.

The offense will get a big boost from the return of Lance Berkman, who was activated from the disabled list on Monday. That will move Allen Craig (.359 BA, 5 HR, 16 RBI) to a super-utility role and should make the entire offense better as a whole.

8: New York Yankees (19-15, Previous: 11)

The Yankees opened the week taking two of three from the Rays before closing things out by also taking two of three from the Mariners, as they kept pace in the AL East.

Andy Pettitte made his return (6.1 IP, 4 ER) and should only get better moving forward, and with that the pitching staff will certainly be improved. Despite the injuries the team has suffered, it should still be OK.

9: Toronto Blue Jays (19-16, Previous: 8)

The Blue Jays completed a 3-3 week by splitting a four-game series with the Twins, after taking one in a quick two-game series with the Athletics.

Another week has passed and the Blue Jays have continued to win games despite the struggles of Jose Bautista (.198 BA). Whenever he gets hot, they could be one of the best teams in all of baseball, as their starting rotation has been great.

10: New York Mets (19-15, Previous: 16)

The Mets swept the Phillies to open the week but dropped two of three to the Marlins in Miami. It was still enough to propel them into third place in the division and up the list several spots.

David Wright (.400 BA, 4 HR, 21 RBI) has continued his terrific season, but the team has a trio of starters on the DL now in C Josh Thole, SS Ruben Tejada and LF Jason Bay. It may be time for Frank Francisco to be removed from the closer's role too, as he has an 8.56 ERA.

11: Miami Marlins (18-16, Previous: 18)

The Marlins won a pair of series last week, beating the Astros on the road and the Mets at home, finishing the week with a 4-2 record. However, that was not enough to move them out of fourth in the NL East.

Giancarlo Stanton (.289 BA, 7 HR, 22 RBI) has continued to heat up, capping off the week with a walk-off grand slam. The pitching staff ranks fifth in the NL with a 3.38 ERA and the offense should continue to come around moving forward. However, Heath Bell continues to struggle mightily in the closer's role.

12: Cleveland Indians (18-16, Previous: 9)

Despite a 3-5 week, the Indians managed to hold on to first place in the AL Central. They split a four-game series with the White Sox before dropping three of four to the Red Sox.

Offensively, eight players have tallied double-digit RBI as it has been a complete team effort to score runs. The pitching staff has a 4.39 ERA, but has managed to do enough to win games. 

13: Cincinnati Reds (17-16, Previous: 12)

After winning two of three against the Brewers, the Reds lost two of three to the Nationals at home as they maintained second place in the NL Central.

The Reds stars are finally playing like they should, but their offense has faltered outside of Jay Bruce and Joey Votto, the rest of the lineup struggling for a .237 team average. The offense should get better and be a strength of the team, and it is the pitching that will need to hold up.

14: Detroit Tigers (17-17, Previous: 10)

The Tigers spent the week matched up with the AL West, dropping two of three to the Mariners before splitting a four-game series with the Athletics.

Doug Fister (6 IP, 1 ER, 8 Ks) was terrific in his return from injury, and the pitching staff has been solid, but offensively there are a number of holes with four regulars hitting under .250.

15: San Francisco Giants (17-17, Previous: 15)

The Giants spent the week on the road, dropping two of three to the Dodgers before winning two of three against the slumping Diamondbacks.

As with past seasons, the Giants pitching is good enough to win them games, but their offense is clearly holding them back. Conor Gillaspie was demoted, moving Joaquin Arias (.400 BA at Triple-A) to the starting third base role.

16: Oakland Athletics (18-17, Previous: 17)

The A's continued their solid play, going 3-3 on the week as they split series with a pair of good teams in the Blue Jays and Tigers.

Yoenis Cespedes hit the DL with a strained hand, and the lineup will be shuffled in his absence. Brandon Inge (4 HR, 17 RBI) has been a terrific pickup, and the offense as a whole has been vastly improved of late.

17: Boston Red Sox (15-19, Previous: 22)

The roller coaster of a season continued for the Red Sox, as they bounced back from a 1-5 week to go 3-3 last week, taking two of three from the Indians losing two of three to the Royals.

The offense has gotten a boost from Daniel Nava (6-for-10, 4 doubles) and is starting to round into form, but the pitching staff remains one giant question mark.

18: Chicago White Sox (16-19, Previous: 19)

After splitting a four-game series with the division-leading Indians, the White Sox dropped two of three to the Royals for a 3-4 week.

Chris Sale returned to the rotation after a week to rest his arm, and it looks as though rookie Addison Reed will assume the closer's role for the time being at least. The team still has far too many dead spots in the lineup to contend, with four regulars hitting .208 or lower.

19: Los Angeles Angels (15-20, Previous: 20)

The Angels continued their middling play, taking two of three from the Twins before losing two of three to the division-leading Rangers, as they were outscored 25-13.

No team has under-performed more than the Angels, starting with prized signing Albert Pujols (.195 BA, 1 HR, 11 RBI). He is far from the only offender though, as the team ranks in the lower half of baseball across the board offensively.

20: Pittsburgh Pirates (16-18, Previous: 26)

A good week by the Pirates ended with a good-sized climb up the rankings, as they opened the week taking two of three from the Nationals and completed a 4-2 week with a series win against the Astros.

The offense continues to be terrible (.222 BA, 2.9 runs-per-game), but they Pirates are finding ways to win games and certainly have room to improve on how they are currently playing.

21: Philadelphia Phillies (16-19, Previous: 14)

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.

22: Milwaukee Brewers (15-19, Previous: 21)

The Brewers stayed in the NL Central this past week, dropping two of three to the Reds before taking two of three from the Cubs as they are now tied for fourth with the Astros.

Ryan Braun had a strong week (9-for-21, 2 HR) but the rest of the offense continues to struggle in the absence of Prince Fielder. Career minor-leaguer Edwin Maysonet provided the highlight of the week with a grand slam in his first big-league start since 2009.

23: Arizona Diamondbacks (15-20, Previous: 13)

A disaster of a week was drops the Diamondbacks down significantly, as they were swept by the Cardinals before dropping two of three to the Giants, both series at home, for a 1-5 week.

The starting pitching has been solid and the bullpen has been dominant, but the lineup continues to struggle. Justin Upton (.225 BA, 3 HR, 9 RBI) has been particularly disappointing, but it has been a team effort in struggling at the dish. Cody Ransom (.295 BA, 4 HR, 12 RBI) has provided a spark in a utility role.

24: Seattle Mariners (16-20, Previous: 25)

The Mariners had a tough draw this past week and held their own, winning two of three against the Tigers at home before losing two of three to the Yankees in New York.

Their entire offense (.235 BA) continues to struggle, although Kyle Seager (.295 BA, 4 HR, 20 RBI) has been a bright spot. Their pitching has been inconsistent, but Felix Hernandez (3-2, 2.29 ERA) and Jason Vargas (4-2, 2.79 ERA) have been tough at the top.

25: Houston Astros (15-19, Previous: 23)

The Astros dropped two of three to the Marlins and Pirates, as they failed to build off a 5-1 performance last week and dropped down to fourth in the NL Central.

Despite a tough week, there is no ignoring that the Astros have been much better than expected and they could very well avoid a last-place finish in the NL Central if they maintain their current level of play.

26: Kansas City Royals (13-20, Previous: 28)

It was a stellar week for a scuffling Royals team, as they took two of three from the Red Sox and White Sox, and are now 9-6 since snapping their 12-game losing streak.

Billy Butler (.285 BA, 6 HR, 25 RBI) continues to lead the offensive charge, as slowly but surely things have begun to turn around in Kansas City. They will need to find a spot starter this week, after Jonathan Sanchez hit the 15-day DL with bicep tendinitis.

27: Chicago Cubs (14-20, Previous: 27)

The Cubs opened the week taking two of three from a good Braves team, but dropped two of three to the Brewers on the road to split the week 3-3.

Bryan LaHair (.340 BA, 8 HR, 18 RBI) and Starlin Castro (.331 BA, 20 RBI, 12 SB) have continued their terrific season, but holes in the lineup and bullpen continue to keep the Cubs from being anything more than a .500 team at best.

28: Colorado Rockies (13-20, Previous: 24)

After dropping two of three to the Padres in a battle for last in the NL West, the Rockies were outscored 20-9 in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.

Drew Pomeranz was sent down to work on his command, opening the door for Christian Friedrich to make his first start (6 IP, 1 ER) and he was solid enough to earn another. The team will need a replacement for Pomeranz and anyone should be an upgrade as the staffs 5.10 ERA ranks dead last in the NL.

29: San Diego Padres (12-23, Previous: 29)

The Padres posted a decent 3-3 week, taking two of three from the Rockies at home before dropping two of three to the Phillies on the road.

Both Joe Wieland and Huston Street hit the DL this past week and Carlos Quentin is still no closer to returning. However, starter Tim Stauffer, who was originally slated to be the Opening Day starter but has yet to pitch so far this season, will be activated from the DL in time to make his season debut on Monday.

30: Minnesota Twins (10-24, Previous: 30)

All things considered it was a decent week for the Twins, as they split a four-game series with the Blue Jays after dropping two of three to the Angels for a 3-4 week.

The team shook things up to close out the week, moving Francisco Liriano (9.45 ERA) to the bullpen, sending third baseman Danny Valencia (.190 BA) to the minors and inserting Brian Dozier at shortstop. Also, Scott Diamond has been terrific after being added to the rotation last week, going 2-0 through 14 scoreless innings of work in his first two starts.