MLB Power Rankings: The surprising starts continue for another week
Several teams have surprised, either positively or negatively, thus far in the 2019 season. How do those starts affect their place in this week’s MLB power rankings?
Early in the season, the MLB power rankings can be chaotic. Teams get off to a hot start, or slump at the beginning of the year, causing their ranking to be higher or lower than would normally make sense.
Yet, that is, in a way, the purpose of the power rankings. They are a snapshot of the season up to that point in time, reflecting how well a team has performed. Should a team struggle, or conversely, perform well, they move up and down the rankings. At the start of the year, that can lead to some interesting placements.
In several cases, those starts, whether hot or cold, have continued through the second week of the season. There are plenty of surprises, such as the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox. Right now, they appear to be two teams going in different directions, but their final status at the end of the season remains to be seen.
Where does your favorite team rank in this week’s edition of the MLB power rankings? Take a look below!
30. team. 82. Maybe the Marlins can’t hit, but the pitching has some pieces for the future. It is early, but the duo of Trevor Williams and Caleb Smith have looked very good thus far. Pablo Lopez and Sandy Alcantara may be struggling right now, but they are still showing signs of promise. If Miami can find some bats, they could be an interesting spoiler later in the year.. . Previous: . Miami Marlins
Chris Davis’ nightmare is over, as he broke out of a 0-54 slump in a big way. Davis had three hits and four RBI on Saturday, a key factor in the Orioles victory over the Red Sox. Although he did not carry that momentum over to Sunday, he should be in a much better place mentally when he steps into the batter’s box.. . Previous: . Baltimore Orioles. 29. team. 11
Colorado Rockies. 28. team. 108. The Rockies pitching has been okay, as they rank solidly in the middle of the National League in ERA. However, in a strange twist of fate, the Rockies cannot score any runs, ranking dead last in the NL. In nine of their 16 games this season, Colorado has scored two or fewer runs, a stark departure from what we have all been used to.. . Previous:
Chicago White Sox. 27. team. 128. On the plus side, the White Sox took two out of three from the Yankees over the weekend. Carlos Rodon appears to be taking the steps needed to be a top of the rotation arm, and Alex Colome has been perfect as the closer. However, the White Sox haven’t been able to beat any other team, with just three wins in their other 11 games.. . Previous:
7. On the heels of a 10 game losing streak, the Royals swept the Indians. Yup. It’s already been that kind of season. Amazingly, Homer Bailey (?!) turned the clock back to 2013, firing seven shutout innings on Saturday. Richard Lovelady has provided a viable arm in the bullpen, and Alex Gordon is back to 2014 form. If only the rest of the bullpen was competent.. . Previous: . Kansas City Royals. 26. team
. Previous: . Toronto Blue Jays. 25. team. 39. The youth movement is not going quite how the Blue Jays would have hoped. Loudres Guirrel has been sent to the minors, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is still in AAA. At least Matt Shoemaker and Clay Buchholz have performed well thus far, leading to the hope that Toronto can flip those two pitchers for more prospects when the deadline gets closer.
. Previous: . Boston Red Sox. 24. team. 14. Here it is, two weeks into the season, and the Boston Red Sox are still showing signs of trouble. Chris Sale and Rick Porcello are a combined 0-6, and the bullpen has been a major trouble spot. Perhaps this is just an early season hiccup, and the pitching staff will be fine as the weather warms up. Thus far, however, there are not many positives, especially from the duo of Sale and Porcello.
The Giants have been making an effort to improve the roster, acquiring Kevin Pillar and Tyler Austin in trades since the start of the year. Madison Bumgarner is starting to look like the pitcher he used to be, especially as he is improving his spin rate. San Francisco may be down in the standings for now, but at 7-10, they still have time to make up ground.. . Previous: . San Francisco Giants. 23. team. 40
Previous: . Detroit Tigers. 22. team. 63. Shane Greene has had an utterly amazing start to the season. He has notched a save in every single one of the Tigers eight victories this season, which have also been the only appearances he has made. In his eight innings, Greene has allowed three baserunners and struck out seven batters. If he keeps this up, Greene will be a hot commodity at the deadline..
21. team. 126. After a disappointing 2018 campaign, the Rangers were hoping that Elvis Andrus would right the ship this season. Thus far, in the first two and a half weeks of 2019, he has done exactly that, hitting two homers and three doubles while stealing three bases. Now they need the rest of the offense to wake up, and for the pitching staff to perform.. . Previous: . Texas Rangers
Arizona Diamondbacks. 20. team. 8. Robbie Ray has had an odd start to the 2019 campaign. In his 15.1 innings, he has struck out 22 batters, and allowed only seven hits. However, he has issued 11 walks, keeping him from pitching deep into games and limiting his effectiveness. His start on Wednesday, when he struck out ten batters in 5+ innings, allowing just two hits and a walk, may be a sign that his command is getting back on track.. . Previous:
19. team. 9. Don’t look now, but in the early going, Jason Heyward has completely reinvented himself. He is tied for second on the Cubs in homers, has already stolen three bases, and is once again looking like the player he was in Atlanta. If this hot start can continue, his contract may not be the disaster it had appeared to be.. . Previous: . Chicago Cubs
Thankfully, the Angels have Mike Trout. Aside from his otherworldly offense, the next best hitter on Los Angeles is…Brian Goodwin. Andrelton Simmons has been a dumpster fire, and Zack Cozart has been even worse. This offense desperately needs Shohei Ohtani to return and provide actual protection for Trout.. . Previous: . Los Angeles Angels. 17. team. 102
. Previous: . Cincinnati Reds. 16. team. 61. The two way experiment for Michael Lorenzen has gotten off to a quiet start. He has a total of four plate appearances, recording a hit, recording an RBI, and scoring two runs. In theory, Lorenzen would get some action in center, which he has – for a total of three innings. If he is to truly be a two way weapon, Lorenzen will need to get more action in the outfield.
Previous: . Pittsburgh Pirates. 15. team. 4. The Pirates may have another change to the lineup on their hands. Jung Ho Kang had earned the starting third base role out of Spring Training, but he has struggled to produce, with just four hits in 42 plate appearances heading into Sunday. Colin Moran, meanwhile, is showing some pop and could take that role back in the near future..
San Diego Padres. 14. team. 127. The biggest surprise for the San Diego Padres? That may be relatively unheralded Nick Margevicius, who had never pitched above high-A before this year. In his 16.1 innings, he has allowed just three runs on nine hits and a walk, striking out 12 batters. Even though regression is likely, Margevicius has been a great story on a surprising Padres team.. . Previous:
Previous: . Milwaukee Brewers. 13. team. 76. Josh Hader has essentially been the same pitcher he was last year, which is exactly what the Brewers have needed. Aside from Zach Davies, the starting rotation has been a disaster, placing even more of a burden on the bullpen. Jimmy Nelson cannot return from his injury fast enough to stabilize this unit..
team. 3. deGromination has not happened over the past week. In those starts, spanning nine innings, he has allowed nine runs on 13 hits and five walks. Last year, his worst two game stint happened at almost the same time, when he allowed seven runs on 13 hits and two walks in 13.1 innings. We all remember how last year went for deGrom, so there is no reason to panic at this point.. . Previous: . New York Mets. 12
Stop the presses – Trevor Rosenthal actually got someone out! After allowing each of the first ten batters to face him to reach, Rosenthal managed to record three outs in his last appearance. He still allowed a run and issued three walks, but progress has to begin somewhere. Although, his seven walks, two wild pitches, and a hit batter may signify that there are other issues at work.. . Previous: . Washington Nationals. 11. team. 90
New York Yankees. 10. team. 43. How many more players can the Yankees lose? Gary Sanchez became the latest player to be placed on the Injured List, the 11th such member of the Yankees already this year. TO make matters worse, Austin Romine, who had taken over as the starting catcher, had an undisclosed ailment that kept him out of the past two games.. . Previous:
Previous: . Philadelphia Phillies. 9. team. 6. It really does not matter how many runs the Phillies score if they cannot find any pitching. While Jake Arrieta has been his typical self, and Aaron Nola is likely to come out of his early season struggles, the rest of the rotation is a question mark. Is it time to pick up the phone and call Dallas Keuchel to fortify the rotation?.
Previous: . Atlanta Braves. 8. team. 17. It didn’t take long for Touki Toussaint to announce his presence. He entered Saturday’s game after starter Sean Newcomb allowed four runs in 1.1 innings, and proceeded to slam the door shut. In six innings of relief, he allowed an unearned run on four hits and two walks, striking out seven. Now that he has a spot in the rotation, he may never let go..
Oakland Athletics. 7. team. 96. Let’s all take a moment to step back and appreciate Khris Davis. While he has gained notoriety for his penchant for hitting .247, he has also become one of the great sluggers in the game today. He has hit five homers in the past seven days, and already has ten home runs on the season. He had more homers (4) in 24 hours in Baltimore than Chris Davis has hits this year (3). He is locked in, and it is a beautiful sight to see.. . Previous:
6. team. 2. He is still getting himself back in game shape, but the early returns have been promising for Michael Pineda. In his three starts covering 15 innings, he has allowed five runs on 13 hits and two walks, striking out 15 batters. If he can return to the form he showed in 2017, then the Twins may have that second starter they need to pair with Jose Berrios.. . Previous: . Minnesota Twins
5. team. 71. This week could not end soon enough for the Dodgers. A six game losing streak, where the bullpen cost Los Angeles three of those games, was brutal. However, a win on Sunday, and the impending return of ace Clayton Kershaw on Monday could make a tremendous difference going forward. It is just a minor slump…for now.. . Previous: . Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous: . St. Louis Cardinals. 4. team. 33. Miles Mikolas appeared to have turned the corner on Sunday, cruising through the first four innings against the Reds. Then, those struggles returned in the fifth, as he allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits and an error in a no decision. If the Cardinals are going to reach the postseason as expected, they will need Mikolas to return to form..
Seattle Mariners. 3. team. 62. Is this the beginning of the end? The Mariners hot start was the talk of baseball, but they may have crashed back to Earth after being swept by the Astros over the weekend. The offense is still hitting home runs, as they have homered in every game this season, but has gone quiet in the past two games.. . Previous:
Houston Astros. 2. team. 135. After a slow start to the year, the Houston Astros are showing why they are the team to beat in the AL West. Riding a nine game winning streak, they swept the A’s and Mariners, as well as earned their first ever sweep of the Yankees. The Astros are firing on all cylinders right now, which may spell trouble for the rest of the league.. . Previous:
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Tampa Bay Rays. 1. team. 21. Yes, it is unconventional. And yes, the Rays success may not make sense to baseball purists. Yet, there is no arguing the results, as they have changed the way that the game is played. Tyler Glasnow appears to be taking a step forward, and Ryne Stanek has once again performed well as The Opener. With the best ERA in the AL, and a strong offense, the Rays are showing that 2018 was not a fluke.. . Previous: