MLB Power Rankings: A shakeup at the top of the rankings
The top five teams may be the same in this week’s MLB power rankings, but the order has changed.
As the season continues, teams are starting to show their true colors. Hot starts are fading fast, and those cold beginnings to the year have begun to thaw. Those changes in fortune have led to quite a few changes when it comes to the MLB power rankings this week.
And yet, there are those teams whose performance does not match their capabilities. Teams like the Reds and the Royals are drastically under their Pythagorean record, which indicates that Cincinnati should be a contender and that the Royals should be near .500.
On the opposite side of the coin, there are teams like the Pirates and Tigers. Based on their Pythagorean records, they should be close to the bottom of the league, fighting for one of the top picks in the draft next year. instead, at least in the Pirates case, they find themselves battling for a playoff berth at this stage of the season.
What does all of this mean for the MLB power rankings this week? While there has been a good amount of shakeup, the names at the top are familiar.
*guest blurbs by David Levin – MarlinManiac.com (Marlins) and Drew Koch – BlogRedmachine.com (Reds)
82. The Marlins were 1-5 this week, having lost their last five games. The low watermark was an 11-2 rout by the New York Mets on Friday night. The Marlins did win the first game of their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. Miami is still struggling at the plate. Caleb Smith is still dominant but still does not get the run support he needs. If there is a silver lining in the bullpen, Wei-Yin Chen has been more consistent and may have found a real niche as a middle reliever.. . Previous: . Miami Marlins. 30. team
11. Since breaking out of his horrific slump, Chris Davis has been a man possessed. Heading into Sunday, he had produced a .293/.369/.552 batting line in 65 plate appearances, hitting four homers and three doubles. If he can even produce at 70% of that rate over the rest of the season, the Orioles could actually find themselves with a league average player.. . Previous: . Baltimore Orioles. 29. team
40. The Giants highlight of the week had to involve Pablo Sandoval. On May 6, he became the first player since Christy Mathewson to hit a home run, steal a base, and pitch a scoreless inning in the same game. One has to wonder what Mathewson would think about the rotund third baseman matching that feat.. . Previous: . San Francisco Giants. 28. team
Toronto Blue jays. 27. team. 39. Marcus Stroman deserves better than what he has received this season. Despite a solid 3.12 ERA and a 1.288 WHiP, he has a meager 1-6 record. The problem has been the offense, which ranks 15th in on base percentage, 14th in OPS, and 13th in runs in the American League. In a powerhouse AL East, that is simply not good enough.. . Previous:
. Previous: . Detroit Tigers. 26. team. 63. Last season, Ronny Rodriguez had 206 very non-descript plate appearances in a utility role. This season, as injuries have given him an opportunity, Rodriguez has been hitting the cover off the ball. In just 72 plate appearances heading into Sunday, he already tied his previous marks in doubles (7) and homers (5). This hot start is not likely to continue, but in a lineup bereft of an actual threat, Rodriguez has been what Detroit needed.
90. Remember at the start of the season, when it was expected that the Nationals wouldn’t miss Bryce Harper and the rotation would bring them to the postseason? Well, the Nationals are 10th in the NL in OPS heading into Sunday, the back of the rotation has been a disaster, and the bullpen has been a dumpster fire. Derek Lilliquist will not be the only person to have the axe fall on them.. . Previous: . Washington Nationals. 25. team
Kansas City Royals. 24. team. 7. Congrats to Alex Gordon on his 1500th career hit. The past three years had been a disaster offensively, but he has found his way once again at the plate. He ranks second on the Royals in OPS, and is driving the ball with authority. If Gordon is not ready to walk away and spend more time with his family, a return in 2020 could be worth discussing.. . Previous:
23. team. 128. 2019 was essentially a make or break season for Lucas Giolito. The one time top prospect needed to prove that he was not a bust, and so far, he has done fairly well. Even with two rough starts, Giolito has posted a 3.55 ERA and a 1.18 WHiP, striking out 46 batters in 38 innings. Maybe, just maybe, he has turned the corner.. . Previous: . Chicago White Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates. 22. team. 4. Yes, the Pirates are over .500. And yes, they are on the periphery of a playoff berth at this point in the season. However, they have had a great deal of luck to get there. The Pirates have been outscored by 31 runs this year, and rank 25th in the game in run differential. They have outperformed expectations by five games already. The bubble is likely to burst soon.. . Previous:
team. 3. The Mets recent struggles prompted a meeting between ownership, manager Mickey Callaway, and GM Brodie Van Wagenen. Since then, the Mets have played better, winning their last two games. It is possible that the Mets have turned the corner, but this could also be just a brief upswing before bottoming out again.. . Previous: . New York Mets. 21
Seattle Mariners. 20. team. 62. Another disappointing week, and another shakeup for the Mariners. This time, it is the infield that is getting some fresh blood, with J.P. Crawford and Shed Long coming to the majors. Meanwhile, Felix Hernandez had the 2500th strikeout of his major league career, but was pounded on Saturday and sent to the Injured List. It is sad seeing such a great pitcher struggle these days.. . Previous:
Maybe this is the week that spurs the A’s forward. They were 4-2 this week, including two victories in extra innings. Maybe the Reds and Pirates are not considered to be the best of competition, but teams can only play what is on the schedule. After all, sometimes, it take just one game to change a season.. . Previous: . Oakland Athletics. 19. team. 96
108. Well, the Rockies offense started to show up again this week, as they scored 41 runs in five games, and had ten or more runs in each of their three victories. The problems have been a rotation that has seen Kyle Freeland take a major step backwards, and a bullpen that has just three reliable options. So, you know, the usual when it comes to Colorado.. . Previous: . Colorado Rockies. 18. team
The Padres continue to chug right along, hovering in the playoff picture, even if they are not going to win the division just yet. For a young team, these games, and the continued winning, will make a tremendous difference going forward. Right now, the biggest question is who should get the NL Rookie of the Year – Chris Paddack or Fernando Tatis Jr?. . Previous: . San Diego Padres. 17. team. 127
The Rangers had to be feeling good about themselves heading into their four game set with the Astros. They were hovering at .500, and even though the closer situation had been in flux, the Rangers continued to battle. Then, Houston utterly eviscerated Texas, outscoring them 33 to 11 in the four game sweep.. . Previous: . Texas Rangers. 16. team. 126
team. 102. It really doesn’t matter that Shohei Ohtani has just four hits in 24 plate appearances since returning from the IL. What does matter is that the Angels are winning, and the offense is looking better, that dud on Sunday notwithstanding. Ohtani makes the lineup deeper, and provides a level of protection that simply is not there otherwise.. . Previous: . Los Angeles Angels. 14
Atlanta Braves. 13. team. 17. Mike Soroka has had an incredible start to his career, becoming the first player in MLB history since 1913 to begin his career by allowing one or fewer earned runs in his first ten starts. In fact, in his five outings in 2019, Soroka has yet to allow more than that one earned run in any of them. The Braves next ace may have already arrived.. . Previous:
Previous: . Cincinnati Reds. 12. team. 61. The San Francisco Giants bookended a week of up and down baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. A 12-4 win at home against the Giants on Monday gave way to a hitless night in Oakland against Mike Fiers and the A’s on Tuesday. The bullpen let go of the rope again on Wednesday in an extra innings loss, but Eugenio Suárez and Derek Dietrich helped the Reds right the ship before leaving Oakland for their Northern California neighbors across The Bay. The Reds took the first two games against the Giants in large part to five scoreless innings from the bullpen on Saturday night..
Previous: . Arizona Diamondbacks. 11. team. 8. On Sunday, the Diamondbacks used Zack Greinke as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the second inning, ending the day for Zack Godley. Interestingly, the gambit worked, as Greinke got a base hit. However, it is just another sign of how far Godley has fallen this season, as the one time rotation building block has been relegated to a long relief/opener role..
76. Gio Gonzalez has been everything the Brewers had hoped he would be. He has picked up where he left off last year, allowing just three runs on 11 hits and four walks in 16 innings, striking out 12 batters. With Gonzalez in the rotation, and Jimmy Nelson getting ever closer to returning, the Brewers biggest weakness could be mitigated.. . Previous: . Milwaukee Brewers. 10. team
9. team. 33. The Cardinals have gotten back the Miles Mikolas they were hoping for. After a rough start to the season, Mikolas has posted a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings thus far in May, allowing just 13 hits and two walks while striking out 16 batters. He is never going to overpower the opposition, but Mikolas appears to be back as that solid second to third starter he was last season.. . Previous: . St. Louis Cardinals
14. Well, here come the Red Sox. One had to expect that they would turn around their season, and the struggles of the first few weeks would come to an end. The bullpen is still a work in progress, but Chris Sale looks like an ace once again, and Rick Porcello has not been a complete disaster. The Red Sox are ready to compete once more.. . Previous: . Boston Red Sox. 8. team
43. The Yankees are starting to get healthy. Aaron Hicks is expected to be activated on Monday, and Miguel Andujar is back. The rotation is still dealing with injuries, but the emergence of Domingo German as an ace has helped. Thus far in 2019, German has posted a 7-1 record with a 2.70 ERA and a 0.95 WHiP, a major reason why the Yankees are vying for the postseason.. . Previous: . New York Yankees. 7. team
6. Who says that the complete game is dead? Over his last three starts, Zach Eflin has completed two games, and pitched seven innings in the third outing. Of course, those two complete games came against the Marlins and the Royals, so it is barely major league competition. It will be interesting to see if Eflin notches any other complete games this year.. . Previous: . Philadelphia Phillies. 6. team
Previous: . Chicago Cubs. 5. team. 9. Anthony Rizzo reached a milestone last week as he clubbed his 200th career home run. That blast was just part of an excellent week for the Cubs first baseman, who had seven hits, including two homers, and four walks in 28 plate appearances. Over his past 13 games, Rizzo has a .340/.429/.755 batting line with six homers..
Los Angeles Dodgers. 4. team. 71. The Dodgers may have a Cy Young candidate in Hyun-Jin Ryu. He has picked up where he left off last year, posting a 1.72 ERA and a 0.726 WHiP. In 52.1 innings, he has issued just three walks while striking out 54 batters. Of course, there is the health caveat, but as it stands, Ryu is making a case as the best pitcher in the game this season.. . Previous:
3. team. 2. Jake Odorizzi is on quite the streak. Since allowing a solo home run to Michael Brantley in the bottom of the sixth inning on April 22. Since then, he has not allowed a run in 20.2 innings, allowing just eight hits and five walks while striking out 21 batters. Odorizzi’s emergence this year has been a key part of the Twins resurgence.. . Previous: . Minnesota Twins
Previous: . Tampa Bay Rays. 2. team. 21. The Rays still lead the AL East, but their margin for error is slipping. Blake Snell has not looked the same since injuring his foot while moving furniture in his bathroom, and Tyler Glasnow is out for the next four to six weeks. This time will be critical for the Rays postseason hopes, especially with the Yankees getting healthy and the Red Sox starting to heat up..
dark. Next. Top hitters from Week Six
Collin McHugh was sent to the bullpen following a rough stretch, but the Astros did not miss a beat with the promising Corbin Martin stepping in. While it is uncertain as to how long he will remain in the majors, striking out nine while allowing just two runs on three hits and a walk over 5.2 innings is a great start.. . Previous: . Houston Astros. 1. team. 135