MLB Power Rankings: Making sense of the first three weeks
With three weeks in the books, it is getting easier to trust the standings. How does that affect this week’s MLB power rankings?
The MLB power rankings over the first few weeks of the season are always in a state of flux. Teams get off to a hot or cold start, defying those expectations from the offseason. Usually, it takes approximately a month for teams to really find themselves, and start to establish what they are.
As that threshold approaches, the standings are beginning to sort themselves out. The top tier is emerging, as are the teams on the bottom. Of course, that does not mean that injuries or a drastic change to the lineup will not shake things up. Or, in the case of the Yankees, actually getting their starting lineup on the field could make a huge difference.
For the most part, barring injury, teams are finding their level. There will be surprises along the way, such as how the A’s exploded in the second half last year, but such runs are few and far between. It is easy to see which teams could get hot and improve their rankings, but that is a subject for another day.
In the interim, let us take a look at this week’s MLB power rankings.
82. Let’s face it – the Marlins did not have high expectations heading into 2019. However, the starting rotation has been relatively decent so far. If Miami could get anything in terms of a consistent offense, they could be a difficult team. A perfect example is how the Marlins scored 14 runs in their six games last week, with nine runs coming in one game. Naturally, it was against Max Scherzer.. . Previous: . Miami Marlins. 30. team
. Previous: . Baltimore Orioles. 29. team. 11. Since breaking out of his hitless streak, Chris Davis has been on fire for the Orioles. He even made his second pitching appearance, and recorded a strikeout while on the mound. Dwight Smith Jr has been a find off the waiver wire, and has been one of the Orioles most productive bats this season. However, the Orioles still cannot find any starting pitching. Maybe Davis could take a turn?
Previous: . Boston Red Sox. 28. team. 14. Very simply, the Red Sox will not be staying in this tier for long. They have finally addressed their rotation by getting rid of Blake Swihart and bringing back Sandy Leon. Chris Sale’s velocity immediately returned, even if the results were not there. It is likely not a coincidence that Boston has a three game winning streak and just swept the Rays..
team. 7. Hunter Dozier has six home runs this season. Every single one of those homers has come with the game timed, including his home run to give the Royals a brief 6-5 lead over the Yankees on Sunday. If Kansas City had anything that resembled a functional bullpen, they would be close to .500 at this point in the season. At least Richard Lovelady has been the pitcher that the Royals had hoped he would be.. . Previous: . Kansas City Royals. 27
26. team. 128. Maybe the Yoan Moncada breakout is for real. He is making more contact this year, decreasing his strikeout rate by over nine percent, while still drawing walks. His .365 batting average on balls in play is high, but not that far from his career .345 BAbip. His home run rate is likely unsustainable, but if he continues to hit the way he has in the first part of the season, the White Sox will have the player they hoped for.. . Previous: . Chicago White Sox
40. Although the Giants have made some moves to improve their roster, they could be looking to sell. According to reports, virtually everything in the bullpen can be had for the right price. In the case of Mike Melancon, that price could be anything from a used sweat sock to a bag of batting practice balls. Chances are, if he does end up being moved, the Giants will either need to pay a significant portion of his remaining salary, or send along a decent prospect.. . Previous: . San Francisco Giants. 25. team
. Previous: . Colorado Rockies. 24. team. 108. It is time for the Rockies to move Ian Desmond to the bench. With David Dahl healthy once more, the ideal outfield alignment would be Dahl, Raimel Tapia, and Charlie Blackmon. Instead, Desmond has made nearly every start in center. He would still have a use as a super utility player, but should not be in the starting lineup every day.
. Previous: . Los Angeles Angels. 23. team. 102. One has to wonder how much longer of a leash Cody Allen will have with the Angels. While he comes with the Proven Closer label, he has not been close to a light’s out reliever since the end of 2017. Meanwhile, Ty Buttrey has been dominant, allowing 12 baserunners in 9.1 innings, but also striking out 13 batters. A change may not be immediately forthcoming, but Allen’s grasp on the closer role has to be getting a bit weaker.
22. team. 127. The young Padres have endured their first real tough stretch of the 2019 season, snapping a six game losing streak on Sunday. Luis Urias was sent back to AAA to get more regular playing time, as he had an incredibly slow start after his promotion. Although he really does not have much left to prove at the AAA level, he also does not have a clear path the playing time with the Padres currently.. . Previous: . San Diego Padres
63. The Detroit Tigers have played 20 games on the year, and have won ten of those contests. Meanwhile, Shane Greene has saved every single one of those games, and has only made two appearances this season where he was not called upon in a save situation. As much as it is easy to say that this pace cannot continue, Greene is on pace for 80 saves, which would shatter the MLB record.. . Previous: . Detroit Tigers. 21. team
. Previous: . Oakland Athletics. 20. team. 96. One could forgive the A’s for splitting their brief two game series against the Astros, but being swept by the Blue Jays was a shock. Kendrys Morales made his second appearance on the mound, as he got to face Toronto, the team that gave him his first pitching experience. The A’s still have not quite figured out what they are, but if 2018 is any indication, it is too early to be concerned about that.
team. 3. The Mets starting rotation has been a disaster thus far. While no one expected Jason Vargas to suddenly morph back into an All Star, the struggles of Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler have been a shock. Changes may be coming to the rotation, at least in regards to Vargas’ spot, but the Mets have to hope that their stars can return to form soon.. . Previous: . New York Mets. 19
61. it took a little over 12 years, and 6828 plate appearances, but Joey Votto popped out to first base this past week. Of course, he followed that up by hitting a leadoff homer in the next game. Nonetheless, there is concern regarding Votto going forward, as his 27% strikeout rate and his 9.5% walk rate are far from his career norms. He may be able to figure things out again going forward, but at 35 years old, age may be catching up to him.. . Previous: . Cincinnati Reds. 18. team
8. Now that he is finally getting a chance to play nearly every day, Christian Walker is looking like the prospect he was expected to be. Walker has crushed the ball to the tune of a .367/.429/.706 batting line, hitting six homers and even stealing three bases. Now that he is no longer blocked at first, Walker is showing the ability that made him such an intriguing player.. . Previous: . Arizona Diamondbacks. 17. team
Atlanta Braves. 16. team. 17. Given that the Braves feature a young rotation, and are missing ace Mike Foltynewicz, some bumps in the road were to be expected. That was the case this past week, as the Braves were swept by the Diamondbacks before taking two out of three from Cleveland. With Folty expected back this weekend, the Braves rotation should begin to solidify.. . Previous:
Previous: . Milwaukee Brewers. 15. team. 76. It turns out that Josh Hader is human after all, at least against the Dodgers. After Kike Hernandez had the first two strike homer against Hader in his career, Cody Bellanger did the same on Sunday. The Brewers need Hader to be virtually untouchable every time out, especially given the lack of firepower in their rotation. It is just two games, and may be just a blip on the radar, but it is still a bit concerning..
Previous: . Toronto Blue Jays. 14. team. 39. One has to feel bad for Matt Shoemaker. He has had moments of brilliance throughout his career, only to struggle with injury. That injury bug once again cropped up, as the snakebitten pitcher tore his ACL during a rundown on Saturday. Shoemaker showed what he is capable of in 2014, but has struggled to remain healthy ever since..
90. The Nationals slow start to the season has had two rather unlikely sources. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburgh have combined to post a 2-4 record, while allowing 32 runs in 55 innings. It is still very early in the season, and both pitchers have an extensive track record of success, but this was not the start that Washington expected from two of their trio of aces.. . Previous: . Washington Nationals. 13. team
team. 126. While the Texas Rangers have not given any indication that they would be willing to trade Mike Minor, he just keeps improving his stock. On Tuesday, Minor threw the second complete game of his career, and first career shutout. He leads all AL pitchers with a 1.3 WAR, and is eighth in ERA and seventh in WHiP.. . Previous: . Texas Rangers. 12
Chicago Cubs. 10. team. 9. The Cubs pitching staff is finally starting to come together. Last week, they gave up a total of ten runs over six games, with even Yu Darvish having a solid outing. Yes, he followed that up by struggling on Saturday against the Diamondbacks, but hey, it’s progress. If the pitching staff is starting to round into form, then the Cubs could be ready to compete once again.. . Previous:
9. team. 6. At some point, the Phillies are going to need to be concerned with Aaron Nola. Yes, he is 2-0, but the Phillies lost the other three contests that he has started. Nola has only completed six innings twice, and has only one quality start on the year. While he says that he feels healthy, his command is not what it had been, leading to the worst hit and walk rates of his professional career.. . Previous: . Philadelphia Phillies
4. Have yourself a debut Cole Tucker! In his first major league game, Tucker’s first career hit was a two run home run in the bottom of the fifth on Saturday. That proved to be the game winning shot, as the game was called after five innings due to rain. With the Pirates looking for production at short, he may never return to the minors.. . Previous: . Pittsburgh Pirates. 8. team
Now that was the Miles Mikolas that the Cardinals expected. On Saturday, he had his best outing the season, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over eight innings. More importantly, he did not allow a home run for just the second time this season. Mikolas is never going to be a high strikeout pitcher, and needs to get weak contact to survive. On Saturday, he did just that, and may have turned a corner.. . Previous: . St. Louis Cardinals. 7. team. 33
Previous: . Houston Astros. 6. team. 135. Houston was flying high, winners of ten in a row, until they ran into the Rangers. Gerrit Cole has not been right this season, allowing 21 runs on 26 hits and nine walks over his 29.1 innings after an All Star campaign last year. Perhaps his impending free agency is weighing on his mind, but for whatever reason, Cole has not been that second ace thus far..
Previous: . New York Yankees. 5. team. 43. How many injuries can the Yankees endure? Aaron Judge became the latest star to hit the Injured List, bringing the list of casualties to 13 already. Yet, although their injured list would likely beat majority of the other teams in the game, the Yankees are over .500. Once they get healthy, they will be in position to do a lot of damage..
Previous: . Minnesota Twins. 4. team. 2. Blake Parker has, at first glance, had a strong season as the Twins closer. He has been perfect in his four save opportunities, and has allowed just one run in his 6.1 innings. However, the well traveled 33 year old also has five walks in that timeframe as well. Regression is likely to be coming soon, but at least Minnesota has plenty of options to take over in the ninth inning when it happens..
Los Angeles Dodgers. 3. team. 71. So far, so good for Clayton Kershaw. he made his first two starts of the year this past week, and looked like the ace the Dodgers need him to be. Over his 13 innings, Kershaw has allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out 13 batters. As the Dodgers pitching staff has been in a bit of flux in the early going, having Kershaw healthy will make a great deal of difference.. . Previous:
Previous: . Seattle Mariners. 2. team. 62. A six game losing streak, where the Mariners were swept by the Indians and Astros, was supposed to spell the beginning to the end of their surprising start to 2019. Although their consecutive games with a homer streak ended at 20, they were back up to their tricks against the Angels. Maybe, just maybe, the Mariners aren’t going away after all..
Next. Looking back on the past ten first overall picks. dark
21. Yandy Diaz has no interest in anyone’s talk of launch angles. With his ability to crush the ball and hit bullets for line drives, he has begun to tap into his tremendous power, having hit five homers already. Even though the Rays have lost four in a row, they have the perfect chance to right the ship against the Royals before heading back to Boston at the end of this week.. . Previous: . Tampa Bay Rays. 1. team