MLB Power Rankings: Who's on Top at Season's Quarterpole?

The MLB season has officially hit its stride as we near the end of May. 

After a crazy offseason which saw several stars swap teams (Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder just to name a few), it has been fascinating to see younger teams such as the Orioles, Dodgers, Nationals and Mets come out of nowhere to reach near the top of the standings.

But will they be able to keep it up as the season continues? Or will the teams we expected to be on top such as the Yankees, Tigers, Angels and Phillies figure it out?

Let's take a look at how each team ranks at the quarter point of the season in this week's MLB power rankings.

30. Chicago Cubs (16-32)

It's far from happy days in the Windy City as the Cubs were losers of 12 straight games before today, and now, have the worst record in the major leagues.

Chicago is already 11 games back in the division, and after getting swept by the Astros and Pirates, things have never looked bleaker in the Dale Sveum era. 

What's possibly most troubling, is that during their 12-game losing streak, six of their losses were decided by one run, and the Cubs just can't seem to figure it out late in games. 

The only positive for the Cubs has been the continued production of Starlin Castro and Brian LaHair, who seem to be a future that this team can build around. 

29. Minnesota Twins (16-32)

Battling it out with the Cubs for worst team in the big leagues is the Minnesota Twins who are a measly 16 games under .500 as well on May 28th. 

Minnesota was building a losing streak of their own, dropping five consecutive games against division rivals Chicago and Detroit before snapping out of it today with a win over Oakland.

With Denard Span, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham in the lineup, you wouldn't expect the Twins to be so bad, but the lineup has not been the issue.

Minnesota is last in the big leagues with an ugly 5.47 team ERA this season with a .289 batting average against. 

If that number doesn't get better quickly, the Twins could be in for a historically bad year.

28. San Diego Padres (17-33)

San Diego seems to be a team who plays hard under manager Bud Black, but the problem is they're just severely lacking talent. 

The Padres lost three out of four to the Mets this week and then lost their opener against the Cubs to drop them down to 16 games under .500 on the season. They are 29th in the majors in runs scored and 28th in batting average making their offense one of, if not, the worst in the big leagues. 

Ever since losing Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres offense has just not been able to produce as they heavily rely on inexperienced young players to play major roles which they have not been able to do. 

It's a rebuilding year in San Diego and don't expect it to get better any time soon. 

27. Colorado Rockies (17-29)

Just a little ahead of the Padres in the National League West are the lowly Colorado Rockies who sit 13.5 games out of the first place Dodgers. 

Juan Nicasio is the team leader in ERA with a 4.85 mark. Let that sink in. He is the team leader among starters in ERA, and it's at nearly 5. 

The Rockies sit only above the Twins in team ERA, and they are wasting a good lineup that features Carlos Gonzales and Troy Tulowitzki with their awful pitching staff. 

26. Seattle Mariners (21-30)

The M's can't quite seem to stay consistent so far this season.

After starting out the year 10-10 in the first 20 games, they have been unable avoid going on losing streaks, having streaks of six out of seven twice, a streak of four in a row and their current five-game losing streak. 

The Mariners have a decent enough pitching staff with an ERA under four, but their young lineup has really struggled. Casual fans may have a hard time identifying the majority of the Mariners starters as they are relying on unknown players who have been unable to produce so far this season, which is why they are nine games under .500. 

25. Milwaukee Brewers (20-28)

The Brewers just don't seem to be the same ballclub without Prince Fielder in the lineup as they sit nine games out of .500 and eight games out of first place after winning 96 games and a division title a year ago.

After hovering around .500 for the month of April, The Brewers are just 8-16 in May, and that is in large part due to their struggling pitching staff which ranks 15th in the National League in team ERA.

It hasn't only been their pitching however as key hitter in their lineup such as Aramis Ramirez, and Nyier Morgan have really struggled this season. 

24. Oakland Athletics (22-27)

The A's need to be commended for being anywhere near .500 with their god-awful lineup this season.

The Athletic pitching staff led by Tommy Malone and Brandon McCarthy have been solid all year long, but other than Josh Reddick, their lineup has been terrible.

The A's rank 28th in runs, last in batting average and 29th in OBP and slugging percentage. With the Rangers seeming to run away with things in the AL West, if the Athletics want any chance at a wild card, they will need to improve their lineup drastically. 

23. Kansas City Royals (19-28)

The Royals are not as bad of a team as many people think they are. Despite being nine games under .500, they are only seven-and-a-half games out of the division lead and respectably took two of three on the road from the Orioles this weekend.

Kansas City has been getting solid production from their lineup, having the ninth-best batting average in the majors. However, they rank just 25th in runs scored which shows they have struggled in RBI situations.

Alcides Escobar and Billy Butler continue to shine for KC, but it has been their starting pitching which has let them down. 

The Royals surprisingly have the 10th-best bullpen in the majors, but like the Rockies, their top starting pitcher (Bruce Chen) has an ERA of nearly five—not a winning recipe.

22. Houston Astros (22-26)

The Astros have been fighting an uphill battle trying to get back to the .500 mark for the entire month of May, and they almost got there after a win over the Dodgers on Friday night.

After that game, Houston sat at 22-23, just one game below, but they have since lost three in a row, dropping them back to 22-26.

The Astros have to be pleased with the production they have got out of their lineup with players like Jose Altuve and Jed Lowrie, having standout seasons, the Astros also have the seventh-best team ERA in baseball so if they can keep that up maybe Houston can get back into things in a relatively weak NL Central this season. 

21. Arizona Diamondbacks (22-27)

After winning the NL West last season, Diamondback fans have to be disappointed in how the team has performed so far this year.

While Arizona isn't awful at any one particular facet of the game, they have not exactly excelled at anything either. 

Partially, the D-backs have struggled thanks in part to the mediocrity of two of their best offensive players, Justin Upton and Ryan Roberts, who haven't quite been able to get it together yet.

From a pitching standpoint, Ian Kennedy has been unable to match his Cy Young-caliber performance from last year, going just 3-5 with an ERA of 4.65 which has hurt their cause as well. 

20. Pittsburgh Pirates (24-24)

For the Pirates in 2012, it has been all about pitching.

Pittsburgh has, top to bottom, been one of the best staffs in the national league, led by Erik Bedard and James McDonald. Overall, the team has the No. 3 ERA in the majors, only behind the Rangers and Dodgers, who unsurprisingly have the best record in their respective leagues.

So why haven't the Pirates been able to match that success? Because the offense hasn't been able to keep pace. 

In fact, the Pirates rank dead last in runs scored, and if it wasn't for Andrew McCutchen, who knows how woeful Pittsburgh's offense would be this year. 

If they could somehow sneak into the postseason, Pittsburgh could be a very dangerous team with their pitching staff, but they will not get there unless their offense picks up the pace. 

19. Toronto Blue Jays (25-24)

Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, they seem to be headed in the wrong direction. 

After beating the Rays on May 21st, Toronto was five games over .500 and looked like they would be in the thick of things in the AL East this season.

While there's still time for them to get back in the hunt, they have lost five out of six since then to drop back to 25-24 on the year. 

The other bad news is that it does not get easier any time soon either. Toronto does not play a series with a team currently under .500 until June 18th when they visit the Brewers. 

Before that time, the Jays must go up against the Orioles, Red Sox, White Sox, Braves, Nationals and Phillies. By the end of that stretch, we will have a much better understanding of exactly what the Blue Jays are going to be this season.

18. Detroit Tigers (23-25)

The Tigers have been an up-and-down team all season long, and that has continued over the last week.

Detroit was swept by division-leading Cleveland, but then, made up for it by sweeping the bottom-feeding Twins before losing the first two games in Boston.

In order for the Tigers to become more consistent, a good place to start would be addressing their bullpen which ranks 25th in the majors with an ERA of 4.41.

The AL Central should be theirs for the taking this season, as they clearly have the most talent with Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera. But the Tigers need to put it all together before Cleveland or Chicago get too big of a lead if they want to make it to the postseason. 

17. Boston Red Sox (24-24)

The Bo Sox are another team that seems to be figuring things out two months into the season.

Boston, despite their horrendous start to the season, sits at 24-24 and just four-and-a-half games out of Baltimore and Tampa Bay for the division lead.

All five teams in the AL East are competitive and have the ability to make the postaseason, so for Boston to separate themselves, they will need the front of their rotation to step it up.

Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Bucholz all have ERA's over four (Bucholz's is over seven), and they will need to get back into championship form for Boston to catch up in the division.

16. Atlanta Braves (26-24)

The Braves were breathing down Washington's neck for the lead in the NL East just one week ago, but now, they have fallen back into the pack after one of their worst losing streaks in recent memory.

Atlanta has now lost eight in a row after today's loss against St. Louis and has fallen to just two games over .500 and a tie for last place in the division.

When the Atlanta lineup is healthy, it can be dynamic, as evidenced by the fact that the Braves have the fourth-most runs scored in the majors this season.

However, the Braves have struggled with injuries to key players including Chipper Jones who has been on the DL for the entire Braves' losing streak.

15. Los Angeles Angels (24-25)

Slowly but surely, the Angels seem to be figuring it out this season.

Los Angeles is now just one game under the .500 mark after winning six straight divisional games over the A's and Mariners. 

The Angels have stayed competitive in spite of their struggling offense which ranks only 26th in runs scored this season. That is, of course, a large part of the struggles at the plate of Albert Pujols who, despite getting hot lately is only hitting .227 with seven home runs.

Still, if Pujols and the rest of the offense can continue to turn it around, they certainly have the staff to be a competitive team. The Angels rank second in the AL in team ERA only behind the Rangers.

14. San Francisco Giants (26-23)

Unsurprsingly, the Giants' pitching staff has been on top of their game so far this season. Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong, Barry Zito and Madison Bumgarner have been great this year, and if Tim Lincecum was on his usual form, the Giants could easily have the best starting rotation in baseball.

Lincecum hasn't been though, posting only a 2-5 record with a 6.41 ERA thus far. Despite this, San Francisco has the eighth-best pitching staff in the majors in terms of earned runs against.

The offense predictabily has not been the Giants strong suit, but then again, it wasn't when the Giants won the world championship in 2010 either.

Still the Giants offense has been in no way bad, as they have the eighth-best batting average in MLB, behind the solid production of Melky Cabrera and Pablo Sandoval. 

13. Philadelphia Phillies (26-24)

Few expected to almighty Phillies to be on the bottom of the NL East this season, but for the first two months of the season, that's exactly where the Phillies found themselves.

However, it seems as though they are finally beginning to figure it out, and if and when they start to get their injured players back, the rest of the division better take notice.

Even without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the lineup, Philadelphia has managed to win five of their last six to get them back over .500, including today's win over the Mets. 

With a pitching staff that includes Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, it was unlikely that the fightin' phils would stay down for long, and their staff, (especially Hamels) is really going strong.

However, with a recent injury to Roy Halladay, that staff could be in jeopardy. If Doc is out for a significant amount of time, that would be a huge blow to the Phillies' season.

12. Cleveland Indians (27-21)

After getting swept by division rival Chicago, the Indians stranglehold on first place on the American League Central has loosened a considerable amount. 

Cleveland now sits just a half game up on the White Sox, but despite the sweep, their 2012 season has been a success so far.

The Indians' lineup isn't going to blow anyone away, but the team gets the job done, ranking fifth in the big leagues in on-base percentage. 

Although their pitching has struggled, posting an ERA of 4.40, the Indians have been helped by the performance of their ace Derek Lowe and their All-Star closer Chris Perez.

11. New York Mets (27-22)

If you look up and down the Mets' lineup, you may not recognize many of the names, but it doesn't mean they aren't producing.

With breakout players like Kirk Nuwenheis, Daniel Murphy and Ruben Tejada joining David Wright and his outstanding numbers, the Mets' lineup has been surprisingly formidable. 

Their staff is led by two of the better pitchers in the NL East in Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey who are both putting up All-Star caliber numbers so far to complement the good lineup.

However, the Mets Achilles' heel has been their awful bullpen which ranks last in the major leagues. If the Mets want to stay competitive with teams like the Phillies, Marlins and Nationals, they will need to address that problem very soon.

10. Miami Marlins (27-22)

With all the talent on the Miami Marlins, it was really only a matter of time before they start picking up wins at a rapid pace.

After going just 8-14 in the month of April, Miami is 19-8 in May, much closer to the pace they were expected to be on when they were picked by many to win the division.

With a new name, stadium and ballpark, this franchise looks to be invigorated in 2012, and they are rock solid in every aspect of the game.

Their lineup has been inconsistent, but with Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez and Giancarlos Stanton leading the lineup, they should be good for many years to come.

Miami will be right in the thick of things in the stacked NL East for the remainder of this year.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (27-22)

The defending World Series champions got off to a scorching start, and although they have since cooled off, they still are right in the mix in the National League Central.

The Cards are currently just a half game behind the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the division, and that's thanks in large part to their offensive production.

The Cardinals are tops in the national league in batting average, runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage even without Albert Pujols.

St. Louis has made up for the loss of their franchise player by replacing his production with veterans such as Carlos Beltran, Rafael Furcal and Matt Holliday who are all producing at a high level. 

Losing six games recently to Philadelphia and the Dodgers have hurt the Cardinals in the standings, but the defending champs have the staying power to be in the race for the long haul.

8. Chicago White Sox (27-22)

Winners of 10-of-11 overall, the White Sox are one of the hottest teams in baseball and are coming of the heels of a very impressive sweep over the Indians and a victory over the Rays. 

In the sweep against Cleveland, Chicago scored a staggering 35 runs in the three-game set, showing how explosive their offense can be.

Paul Konerko has been unbelievable hitting at .400 with 11 home runs for the White Sox while A.J. Pierzynski and Alejandro De Aza have also been impressive.

In terms of pitching, Chris Sale has been the standout, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.50 ERA in eight starts.

If the White Sox can continue their dynamic offense and solid pitching, they will be able to hold off the challenging Cleveland and Detroit in the tight AL Central this season.

7. New York Yankees (26-21)

Winners of five in a row, the Yankees are suddenly right behind Tampa Bay and Baltimore in the division.

The winning formula for the Bronx Bombers appears to be very clear, and it isn't what you think. Although the Yankees rank in the top 10 in the majors in runs scored, in their last 10 wins, they have given up more than three runs only once.

When the Yankees are at their best, they are getting solid pitching performances, playing solid defense and scoring runs when they come, not trying to outscore their opponents.

With the re-emergence of Andy Pettitte to join C.C. Sabathia, the Yankees may once again have a top-notch rotation capable of making it to the playoffs complementing their always top-notch offense. 

6. Cincinnati Reds (27-21)

Another red hot team soaring up the power rankings is the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds who are winners of eight out of their last 10.

Cincinnati has been winning games with their pitching, posting the fourth-best NL ERA so far this season. Their bullpen behind Aroldis Chapman is tops on the senior circuit.

Offensively, it always helps to have an MVP-caliber player in Joey Votto in the middle of their lineup, but the Reds have been getting solid production from Ryan Hanigan, Jay Bruce, and recently, Brandon Phillips as well. 

5. Baltimore Orioles (29-20)

It remains to be seen just how long the Baltimore Orioles can continue their unlikely success, but for now, it's one of the best stories in baseball.

The Orioles have been on the bottom of the AL East food chain for quite a while now, and seeing them succeed, especially when the rest of the division is so talented, is refreshing.

However, after three straight losses to the Royals and Blue Jays, Baltimore has lost their outright division lead. They now must share it with Tampa Bay, with the Yankees right behind and the other two teams within striking distance.

Do the O's have the longevity to survive this skid? That remains to be seen, but for now, they still have tied for the second-best record in the American League and deserve credit for it.

4. Washington Nationals (29-19)

With Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper leading the way, the Nationals were expected to be a competitive franchise for years to come.

However, few expected them to do it as quickly as this season. Under veteran manager Davey Johnson, the Nationals have raced out to the division lead and are 10 games over .500 nearly 50 games into their season.

The Nats lead the majors in ERA, behind the brilliant performances of Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and their solid bullpen.

If Washington can score enough runs and generate offense, they will not only be contenders all year long, but have to be looked at as a serious threat to win the pennant.

3. Tampa Bay Rays (29-20)

The Rays may never have an influx of superstar players, or the flashiest statistics, but under Joe Maddon, they just continue to find ways to win games.

Tampa Bay has now settled into a tie for the division lead with Baltimore, and it would be hard to imagine them going away any time soon.

Like most teams near the top of this list, Tampa Bay has had great pitching this season, posting the third-best ERA in the American League of just 3.51.

On offense, they don't have one great hitter, but as a team, they hit the ball very well and always seem to come up with clutch hits when you need them.

Tampa Bay was my pick before the season to win the World Series, and so far, through two months of the season, they have given me no reason to change my mind. 

2. Texas Rangers (31-18)

Try as I might, I couldn't come up with a significant weakness in the Texas Rangers.

They are first across the board in every significant offensive category, have the league's best bullpen, solid starting pitching, and even, MLB's seventh-best defensive unit.

They have also already opened up a seven-game lead on the Angels for the division title, and even though the calendar hasn't quite yet hit June, Texas fans may not be to far away from purchasing their 2012 postseason playoff tickets.

It would take a total collapse for a team with Josh Hamilton, (who is having an unreal year) in the middle of their lineup surrounded by proven hitters like Ian Kinsler, Michael Young and Adrian Beltre to not advance to the playoffs.

In terms of pitching, adding Yu Darvish has been everything the Rangers could have wanted as he leads the team in wins, ERA and strikeouts.

Although they made it to the World Series two years prior, 2012 feels like it's Texas' year.  

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (32-15)

When Magic Johnson announced that he had bought the LA Dodgers this offseason, it was unclear that he'd be rubbing off a little bit of magic on the team as well. 

The Dodgers are currently the best team in baseball, sitting at a whopping 32-15 so far this year, far and away, the best mark in the major leagues.

The Dodgers sit only behind Washington in team ERA which currently sits at 3.15, and they just continue to find ways to win every series that they play in.

In fact, the Dodgers have only lost one series the entire month of May, which ironically they lost to the team who is currently last on these power rankings—the Cubs.

Often times, the best teams are the ones who get production out of not only their star players, but everyone. Great teams have all 25 men on the roster contributing on a daily basis, and that is certainly the case with the Dodgers, who were an easy pick for No. 1 in the MLB power rankings a quarter of the way through the season.