As we roll into the middle of May, most teams are starting to show their true character. And for some, there are glaring issues that need to be addressed.
The Dodgers suck! The Mets are broken! The Red Sox are going to win it all!
Now that we have our knee-jerk reactions out of the way, let’s get real. Injuries around MLB have taken a serious toll. And consistency hasn’t been there for many teams who were considered to be elite at the beginning of the year.
So let’s update our Power Rankings. Feel free to let us know what we got right or wrong!
1. Chicago White Sox
Before Spring Training began, the Sox were the trendy pick to win the AL Central and, for some, the American League. Then they lost Eloy Jimenez. Then they lost Luis Robert. And yet here they are with the best win percentage in the big leagues. Their +64 run differential is 20 runs better than the second-best mark in the game (Houston). It’s been an impressive start to the year on Chicago’s South Side.
2. Oakland A’s
The biggest question this week for the A’s is whether or not Oakland will be their home in the future. They’re back on a hot streak and trail only the White Sox by percentage points for the best record in the AL.
3. San Francisco Giants
While the Dodgers deal with injuries and inconsistent play, the Giants just keep winning. They’re 14-4 at home, a stunning mark that has pushed them to the top of the NL.
4. New York Mets
After a rough start to the season with plenty of weather-related games missed, the Mets are now the hottest team in the game. They enter Friday on a 7-game win streak and have been getting contributions from all over the roster. How they handle Jacob deGrom’s injury will be important, however.
5. St. Louis Cardinals
Their starting pitching had a really rough stretch of games but the defense has been exceptional. Waino and Yadi continue to mock their ages and the addition of Nolan Arenado has made the team better in every way.
6. Cleveland Indians
The Tribe are surviving with their elite pitching. The back end of their bullpen is absolutely lethal and their rotation has been strong for most of the season. How long they can continue playing this well post-Lindor will be fascinating to watch.
7. New York Yankees
The Yankees having a strong series in Tampa was huge. They got Luke Voit back from the IL this week and have been able to start producing offensively at a relatively consistent rate. There are lingering questions/concerns with Gary Sanchez behind the plate but the guys throwing him the ball have been good.
8. Boston Red Sox
The Yankees have caught the Red Sox and may pass them this weekend. Their bats have cooled off and they took a hit when their surprise pitching star, Nick Pivetta, went on the COVID IL.
9. Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays will move from Florida to Syracuse in a couple weeks for their “home” games, but they’re playing well at the moment. They made a tough call sending top pitching prospect Nate Pearson to the minors for more seasoning but the rest of their staff has been good thus far.
10. Philadelphia Phillies
If you’re sensing an East Coast bias at the top of our rankings, it’s because the top of the two eastern divisions are playing really well right now. Philly’s run differential is still in the red and they’ve been awkwardly mediocre on the road but their bats are warming up with the weather.
11. San Diego Padres
We could have the Padres a little higher on the list but they’ve got three important players — Fernando Tatis, Jr., Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers — on the COVID list right now. How they survive without those three in the coming week(s) will be telling.
12. Houston Astros
The Astros are just above .500 despite having the second-best run differential in the game. Their pitching has been beat up all year and they’re surviving in May with absolutely nothing coming from free agent-to-be Carlos Correa, who’s in the worst slump of his career.
13. Los Angeles Dodgers
We’re starting to see Gavin Lux get comfortable in the majors, which is scary. They’ve dealt with a lot of injuries already this year and have understandably struggled against good teams. When they get Cody Bellinger back they’ll look to start winning big again.
14. Milwaukee Brewers
The injury bug has hit Milwaukee hard this year as well. Christian Yelich has been a non-factor for most of the season and their rotation hasn’t been as consistent as they would like. They’re trying to survive until Yelich can return to lead the offense.
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15. Seattle Mariners
We’re going to over-inflate the Mariners position in the power rankings this week because of two new names on the major league roster: Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert. The team recalled two of its top prospects on Thursday as they try to get out of a losing streak. Mets fans won’t want to watch if Kelenic is as good as advertised.
16. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds started the season red hot with the bats but the offense has cooled. They’re still waiting for Luis Castillo to go back to looking like a bona fide ace; he’s been a mixed bag this season, which is disappointing. The Central is wide open after the Cardinals right now so the Reds still have hope.
17. Tampa Bay Rays
How are the Rays under .500 at home and five games over .500 on the road? They need to get better in front of their home fans quickly as the top of their division is getting healthy. Thankfully they have some strong potential reinforcement appearing to be ready in the minors.
18. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have relied too heavily on Kris Bryant’s bat thus far, and now he’s dealing with a couple injuries. Their starting pitching hasn’t been good enough to keep pace with the top of the division. The “when will they sell” questions are starting to creep up.
19. Atlanta Braves
It’s hard to look at this roster and fathom how they’re playing around .500 baseball right now, but here we are. Their biggest issue has been inconsistent starting pitching; only four teams have allowed more runs than Atlanta thus far.
20. Texas Rangers
The Rangers keep hanging around .500 which makes them an intriguing team as we get closer to the trade deadline. With a new stadium and ownership that has never been afraid to spend when the time is right, they could be a team that pounces on the right deal to make a run at a wildcard spot this year.
21. Arizona Diamondbacks
One of the four teams we mentioned earlier to allow more runs thus far than the Braves, the Diamondbacks have done that with a should-be no-hitter from MadBum in the mix. They’re all over the place offensively, defensively and on the mound. The youth movement could start soon in the desert.
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22. Miami Marlins
The Marlins rank in the top ten in least runs allowed and actually have a positive run differential, which makes them the lowest ranked team on our list to have outscored their opponents. But their offense hasn’t been consistent enough to turn their good pitching into as many wins as it should.
23. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Fightin’ Shohei Ohtani’s have been a highlight machine this year. Ohtani and Mike Trout are having history-making seasons. The rest of their roster has been awful. Their pitching other than Ohtani sucks and Anthony Rendon has spent too much time on the IL to make an impact.
24. Kansas City Royals
If we could put them last we would. The Royals have lost ten straight and their downward spiral continues to beg the question: when will we see Bobby Witt, Jr.?
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25. Baltimore Orioles
The no-hitter from Mr. Means was incredible and the Orioles have shown more life than some thought they would this year. There are still struggles coming and it’s an uphill fight in their division, but there’s hope for Baltimore. Cedric Mullins is a special player to watch.
26. Washington Nationals
Injures galore have crushed their start to the season, but that’s been the model in Washington since their World Series-winning season. The assumption is they’ll get hot at some point, but missing Juan Soto as much as they have early this year put them behind the ball.
27. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers have the worst record in the league but there have been some bright spots. Their young pitching is coming and Miguel Cabrera keeps climbing the historical ranks. The future is bright in the Motor City but right now there are tough stretches to watch.
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Bucs aren’t good and one of the few players we were excited to watch, Ke’Bryan Hayes, has been out most of the year injured.
29. Colorado Rockies
They’re 2-11 on the road to start the year and the For Sale sign is up in front of Trevor Story’s locker. The morale post-Arenado hasn’t been good in Denver.
30. Minnesota Twins
How does a potential division favorite go this bad this fast? The Twins made some changes to their bullpen in the offseason and almost every one of them has backfired. Their defense hasn’t been great and the annual loss of Byron Buxton to injury has been crushing.
