MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After Week 2
The first full week of the 2018 MLB season is in the books, and another Monday morning brings with it an updated version of our MLB power rankings.
It's important to remember in the early going that a team's potential and overall outlook will still carry significantly more weight than anything it has shown over a handful of games. With that in mind, teams were limited to moving no more than five spots in either direction.
It's a fluid process, with teams rising and falling based on where they were ranked the previous week. If a team keeps winning, it will keep climbing—it's as simple as that.
Here's an updated look at where all 30 teams stand heading into this week's action.
| 1 |  Houston Astros (8-2) |  |
| 2 |  Boston Red Sox (8-1) |  4 |
| 3 |  Chicago Cubs (5-4) | |
| 4 |  Arizona Diamondbacks (7-2) | 4 |
| 5 |  Los Angeles Angels (7-3) | 4 |
| 6 |  Washington Nationals (4-5) |  4 |
| 7 |  New York Yankees (5-5) | 2 |
| 8 |  Los Angeles Dodgers (3-6) | 4 |
| 9 |  Cleveland Indians (4-5) | 2 |
| 10 |  New York Mets (7-1) | 5 |
| 11 |  Toronto Blue Jays (6-4) | 5 |
| 12 |  Colorado Rockies (5-5) | 1 |
| 13 |  St. Louis Cardinals (4-5) | 1 |
| 14 |  Minnesota Twins (4-3) | 3 |
| 15 |  Milwaukee Brewers (5-5) | 5 |
| 16 |  Seattle Mariners (4-3) | 2 |
| 17 |  Atlanta Braves (6-3) | 1 |
| 18 |  Texas Rangers (4-7) | 1 |
| 19 |  Baltimore Orioles (4-6) | |
| 20 |  Pittsburgh Pirates (7-2) | 4 |
| 21 |  Oakland Athletics (4-7) | 1 |
| 22 |  San Francisco Giants (4-4) | 1 |
| 23 |  Philadelphia Phillies (3-5) | 1 |
| 24 |  Tampa Bay Rays (1-8) | 3 |
| 25 |  Detroit Tigers (4-4) | 5 |
| 26 |  Miami Marlins (3-6) | |
| 27 |  Chicago White Sox (3-5) | 2 |
| 28 |  Kansas City Royals (2-5) | 1 |
| 29 |  Cincinnati Reds (2-6) | 1 |
| 30 |  San Diego Padres (2-8) | 3 |
Teams That Impressed
The Pittsburgh Pirates are one team that has significantly exceeded expectations in the early stages of the 2018 season. After opening the season in the No. 26 spot in these rankings, they are off to a 7-2 start with a plus-19 run differential that ranks second in the NL.
After falling to the No. 30 spot last week, the Detroit Tigers jumped up to No. 25 following a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox. There's always a good deal of movement at the bottom of the rankings during the first month of the season, so they are not out of the woods yet. It's been a good start, though, especially on the pitching side of things, with a 3.51 ERA that ranks 10th in majors.
Further up the rankings, the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays have climbed to the head of the pack among the large cluster of teams that were viewed as fringe contenders when the season began.
The Mets went 5-0 last week while facing off against the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. Their 2.40 ERA is tops in the NL, and that's even with Opening Day starter Noah Syndergaard (5.40 ERA) off to a forgettable start after two outings.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have been propped up by an offense that is averaging 5.2 runs per game. Justin Smoak (.351 BA, 1.080 OPS, 2 HR, 10 RBI) has had a strong start as he looks to prove his breakout 2017 season was the real deal.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels have pushed their way into the top tier of teams after beginning the season on the cusp.
The D-backs swept the Los Angeles Dodgers and took two of three from the St. Louis Cardinals last week, with the pitching staff leading the way early. Their 2.72 ERA ranks sixth in the game. And the bullpen, in particular, has been nearly untouchable, with a 1.62 ERA and .172 opponents' batting average.
Series wins over the Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics are enough to push the Angels into a top-five spot. The offense has piled up an AL-high 60 runs through 10 games, and the one-two punch of Tyler Skaggs (11.0 IP, 1.64 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) and Shohei Ohtani (13.0 IP, 2.08 ERA, 0.46 WHIP) has been as good as any in baseball in the early going.
And finally, we have the Boston Red Sox, who went 5-0 against the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays to climb into the No. 2 position overall. The starting staff has been nothing short of brilliant, with an MLB-best 1.70 ERA.
Teams That Disappointed
The Washington Nationals have stumbled out of the gate to a 4-5 record—including a 1-5 showing last week against the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets—despite Bryce Harper's red-hot start. The pitching staff has been the biggest culprit, with a 4.83 ERA that ranks 25th in the majors. The bullpen has struggled, with a 5.40 ERA that includes two losses and a blown save.
Also experiencing a significant slide among top-tier teams was the Los Angels Dodgers, who suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks and a two-game split with the rival San Francisco Giants. Kickstarting a stagnant offense that is hitting just .213/.285/.293 and averaging 3.2 runs per game will be key.
The Milwaukee Brewers lost closer Corey Knebel to a hamstring injury and also lost back-to-back series to the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs last week. A 5.19 starters' ERA is not a promising sign for a team that many thought did not do enough to address the rotation during the offseason.
A brutal 1-8 start from the Tampa Bay Rays includes an AL-worst minus-22 run differential and could be a sign of a long season ahead for a team that sold off a number of key pieces during the offseason. The youth movement could be in full swing by midseason.
And finally we have the San Diego Padres, who drop to the No. 30 spot after entering the year with some hope they might be able to take a step forward this year. Granted, they faced a tough schedule last week, with series against the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals. But there's no ignoring a 2-8 start that includes a 1-6 showing at home.
MVPs of the Week
AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Hitting Stats: 6-for-13, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R
Pitching Stats: W, 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K
Now you see what all the fuss was about.
Ohtani was every bit the two-way superstar the Angels were hoping for when they convinced the Japanese star to sign this offseason.
After hitting home runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, he took the mound Sunday for his first home start in an Angels uniform and dominated the Oakland Athletics.
The 23-year-old took a perfect game into the seventh inning before Marcus Semien singled to left field and he struck out 12 batters on the night. It's telling that this is the second time the A's have seen Ohtani already this year, yet he was still that dominant.
NL MVP: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
Stats: 6-for-18, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 11 BB
Harper has been as hot as any hitter in the game to start the 2018 season.
The free-agent-to-be is hitting .357/.535/1.00 with an MLB-high six home runs and a ridiculous 13 walks against just five strikeouts in 43 plate appearances.
He's no stranger to strong starts, with a .321/.434/.653 career batting line in the month of April, good for a 1.087 OPS that is his best of any month.
Video Highlights of the Week
Longest Home Run: Avisail Garcia, Chicago White Sox
Called a major regression candidate all offseason after posting a .392 BABIP in a breakout season last year, Avisail Garcia is out to prove the doubters wrong and he's off to a good start.
The 26-year-old is hitting .343 with an .837 OPS through his first eight games, and this bomb off Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ was his first home run of the season.
Best Defensive Play: Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
It's easy to forget that Alex Bregman is still relatively new to third base after playing shortstop at LSU and early on in his pro career.
Mediocre defensive metrics last year (-3 DRS, -8.7 UZR/150) show he's still getting the hang of his new position, but it's not hard to see he has the chops to be a Gold Glove-caliber defender at the hot corner.
Must-See Upcoming Matchup
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Friday-Sunday)
The Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers at home last week.
Now they will look to further establish themselves as top dogs in the NL West when they stroll into Dodger Stadium on Friday.
Zack Greinke and Rich Hill square off in Game 1, Taijuan Walker opposes Clayton Kershaw in Game 2 and the series finale will feature a pair of 2017 breakout hurlers, as Alex Wood faces Zack Godley.
Arizona won the season series 11-8 last year with a gaudy plus-28 run differential despite the Dodgers winning the NL West title by 11 games.
That should be all the motivation they need to protect their home field.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
