Over the past week, several teams had a chance to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division. Those failures had an impact upon this week’s edition of the MLB power rankings.
Heading into this week, there was an opportunity for several teams to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division. The Cleveland Indians were set to face the reeling Minnesota Twins, who they annihilated the previous weekend. This time, the Twins got their revenge, sweeping the three game set and retaking the division. In doing so, the streaking Kansas City Royals also pulled ever closer in the Central, as they finally got to the .500 mark.
Staying with the Central, over in the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers had a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Chicago Cubs. As the Brew Crew were set to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves, it was a great chance to gain some momentum and increase their lead. Instead, they struggled, going 3-4 in the week to fall back to the pack.
The Tampa Bay Rays were another team to miss their chance this week. Facing a Baltimore Orioles team that was unable to get anyone out, they lost two of three in the series. However, as the Red Sox and Yankees both lost two in a row to end the week, the Rays did not lose any ground.
How much did these missed opportunities impact this week’s MLB power rankings? Let us find out.