Los Angeles Dodgers: Do the Dodgers Deserve Top Spot in MLB Rankings?

To determine the top team in MLB is not a simple task.

Taking into account records is one approach, but rarely does the team with the most regular season wins triumph at the end of the World Series. That feat is regularly accomplished by the team which gains the most momentum to that point, combined with being healthy and getting the most from key players.

In looking at the opinions expressed by my top MLB analyst at GuysNation in his power rankings, it seems as though the top spot should go to one of five teams:

• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Texas Rangers
• Washington Nationals
• Baltimore Orioles
• Tampa Bay Rays

Each of those teams is a series sweep away from getting the highest win total in the league, though unless the Dodgers lose three straight at the time, they'd still be at the top.

In the aforementioned power rankings, it's the Dodgers who take the No. 1 position, citing that the squad is winning without Matt Kemp while the Rangers have stumbled against the lowly Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners, ranked 26th and 23rd respectively.

The strongest measure of these squads when making the final sort between those nearest the top should take into consideration two primary factors that win championships:

• recent performance
• home-field advantage

At that point, it comes down to the Nationals, Rangers and the Dodgers, as the other teams have looked average in recent performance:

Baltimore Orioles: 5-5 in their last 10, only 14-13 at home this season.

Tampa Bay Rays: 5-5 in their last 10, with a 7-6 record at home in May.

The Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals both make decent cases for themselves, going 6-4 in their last 10, each on three-game winning streaks. The difference between the two squads in their home-field records is essentially even, with Texas at 14-9 at their stadium and the Nationals at 15-8 when playing in D.C.

You have to be impressed with the Dodgers, though. They're 8-2 in their last 10 games and are sporting a record of 21-5 at home. They won five of their three-game series in May, two of which were sweeps.

Perhaps it is the year when the World Series will be won by the team with the most wins, as the Dodgers seem to have all the pieces in place and can only benefit by the return of Kemp.