MLB Power Rankings: The rise of the expected contenders
Over the past week, two teams that were expected to have a strong 2018 campaign began to find their stride. How will this shake up the MLB Power Rankings?
Heading into the 2018 season, it was expected that the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs would find their way towards the top of the MLB Power Rankings. It certainly made sense that they would have a strong performance, with the Cubs improving their rotation and the Yankees stellar lineup.
Instead, the Yankees and Cubs stumbled out of the gates. What had been a rough week or two continued, and as the calendar continued towards May, those stumbles became more concerning. Eventually, it was expected that these teams would come out of their malaise, and ascend to the top of the standings.
Well, as April is about to turn into May, two of those teams have begun to round into form. The Yankees and Cubs have been on a tear, shooting up the standings as they have put themselves back into the early playoff picture. Meanwhile, the Nationals have continued to struggle, sitting in an expected fourth place in the division.
There is still plenty of time left in the season for these teams to move up the standings and reclaim their expected place atop their divisions. For now, let us see how these recent runs have impacted the MLB Power Rankings.
30. team. 11. It appears as though the Orioles are beginning to become resigned to their fate, as the expectation that <a rel=. . Previous: . Baltimore Orioles
7. At this point in time, the Royals have to be glad to see <a rel=. . Previous: . Kansas City Royals. 29. team
. Previous: . Cincinnati Reds. 28. team. 61. <a rel=
. Previous: . Chicago White Sox. 27. team. 128. The White Sox have eight wins on the year, five of which have come against the Royals. Considering that sheer level of dominance, it is not just Matt Davidson who will be sad to see Kansas City disappear from the schedule until mid-July.
82. The Marlins may not be a good ballclub, but one can see what <a rel=. . Previous: . Miami Marlins. 26. team
25. team. 2. The Minnesota Twins were expected to be the class of the AL Central, and for a time, they were. Then, the Twins came crashing to Earth, being swept by the Rays and Yankees before losing a series to the lowly Reds. The Twins can still turn their season around, but this recent performance has to be concerning.. . Previous: . Minnesota Twins
24. team. 126. It only seems as though <a rel=. . Previous: . Texas Rangers
San Diego Padres. 23. team. 127. There are going to be a few bumps in the road during the rebuild for the Padres. There always are. However, the brighter days appear to be getting closer by the week, as San Diego continues to play hard and learn from their mistakes. That rebuild could be over in the next year or two, especially as the youngsters take that next step.. . Previous:
. Previous: . Detroit Tigers. 22. team. 63. Surprise! It is the Detoit Tigers who find themselves in second place in the AL Central. Aside from the remains of <a rel=
108. As it stands, the Colorado Rockies are above .500, treading water in the NL West. Yet, if they are to have any hopes of returning to the postseason, they need to get more from their pitching staff. <a rel=. . Previous: . Colorado Rockies. 21. team
90. The beginning of the 2018 season has been the perfect storm against the Washington Nationals. Not only have they struggled to find consistency on offense, but the bullpen has been a disaster outside of <a rel=. . Previous: . Washington Nationals. 20. team
team. 40. It seems that the Giants may have weathered most of the storm. <a rel=. . Previous: . San Francisco Giants. 19
Tampa Bay Rays. 18. team. 21. After stumbling out of the gates, and dealing with a three man rotation, the Tampa Bay Rays have found their stride. They won eight in a row before losing to the Red Sox on Sunday, with <a rel=. . Previous:
team. 71. Any day now, right? At some point, the Dodgers are going to turn their season around, and become that juggernaut everyone was expecting. However, losing a pair of series to the Marlins and the Giants will not help their cause.. . Previous: . Los Angeles Dodgers. 16
96. Typically, sending the Opening Day starting pitcher to the minors before the end of the first month is not optimal. However, the Oakland A’s have been surging, especially as <a rel=. . Previous: . Oakland Athletics. 15. team
102. It has not been quite as easy for <a rel=. . Previous: . Los Angeles Angels. 14. team
76. When thinking about the best bullpens in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers need to be in that conversation. <a rel=. . Previous: . Milwaukee Brewers. 13. team
Previous: . New York Mets. 12. team. 3. It took long enough, but the Mets finally sent <a rel=.
11. team. 39. <a rel=. . Previous: . Toronto Blue Jays
Seattle Mariners. 10. team. 62. <a rel=. . Previous:
<a rel=. . Previous: . St. Louis Cardinals. 9. team. 33
6. While the Phillies are still working towards sustainable success, that moment may not yet be there. <a rel=. . Previous: . Philadelphia Phillies. 8. team
4. Although <a rel=. . Previous: . Pittsburgh Pirates. 7. team
17. <a rel=. . Previous: . Atlanta Braves. 6. team
. Previous: . Chicago Cubs. 5. team. 9. It took long enough, but <a rel=
. Previous: . Boston Red Sox. 4. team. 14. <a rel=
team. 8. <a rel=. . Previous: . Arizona Diamondbacks. 3
43. <a rel=. . Previous: . New York Yankees. 2. team
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team. 135. The Houston Astros are already one of the best teams in baseball, but they could be even better. <a rel=. . Previous: . houston Astros. 1