Welcome to the seventh edition of the MLB Top 10 power rankings. This week we have a new number one team for the first time in a month and we have the AL East playing ball like we all expected them to before the season. With my rankings, I am taking into consideration the potential of teams over the course of the season, along with the current value of teams, with more emphasis on current value. Let me know how much you agree/disagree.

10. Cleveland Indians (25-20)

Last Week: NR

After falling out of the rankings, the Indians find themselves back in, coming in at the #10 spot. They’ve been a fringe team all season long, but with a couple of National League teams struggling recently, the spot opened up for them and they’ve been playing just good enough to claim it. The Tribe have won 7 of their last 11, which is good, but the competition they’ve faced lately is not. I want to take this moment to shout out Shane Bieber who just threw a 15-strikeout shutout yesterday. Wow!

9. Philadelphia Phillies (27-19)

Last Week: 7

I might catch some slack for this one, but I’m putting the Phillies at #9. They haven’t been playing bad lately, but they haven’t been that great either. They definitely have yet to live up to their potential, and the jury is still out whether they will or not. Either way, they still lead the NL East and are a very good team. But if they squared off against the Red Sox in a do-or-die best of 7 series right now, I’m taking the Red Sox. And that’s why the Sox are ranked ahead.

8. Boston Red Sox (24-22)

Last Week: 10

Man, how the Red Sox have turned things around. This season started out very rough for the ball club, but after hot recent play, they are suddenly back in business in the powerful AL East, just 4.5 games behind the lead. They are currently winning big (12-2) over the Blue Jays right now as I type this, so put another one in the win column. Chris Sale looks to have turned a corner this season as well, so look out. When you’re the defending champions and have a team full of post-season experience, you generally get the benefit of the doubt over teams like the Phillies in rankings.

7. Milwaukee Brewers (28-21)

Last Week: 6

Falling a spot from last week are the Brewers. Still a very good team that I feel very confident will be in the playoffs, they have been just average lately. They will get a little more benefit of the doubt too, however, from an NL Championship series appearance last year and the reigning MVP in the lineup playing just as good this year. It’s going to be back and forth all season long between the Brewers and the Cubs for that division, and possibly the Cardinals as well.

6. Chicago Cubs (27-17)

Last Week: 5

Just in front of the Brewers in the NL Central and this power ranking are the Chicago Cubs. The Cubbies have won 8 of their last 12 games, continuing their hot streak after a slow start to the season. I love the run differential stat when it comes to ranking baseball teams, and they have the fourth best in MLB in that category at +59. They are preparing for a four game series against the NL East-leading Phillies this week, which I am excited for because that series will tell us a lot about both teams. It will take place at Wrigley and I predict a 3/4 Cubs series win.

5. Tampa Bay Rays (27-17)

Last Week: 3

The lowest the Rays have been ranked all season, they come in at #5 on my list. Losing 2 out of 3 to the Yankees over the weekend, they lost the top spot in the AL East to the boys from the Bronx. The Rays are still a very dangerous team though, and I like their chances of at least playing in the 1-game Wild Card game this fall. The thing I love to point out about this team is their phenomenal defense. They’ve given up the least amount of runs in baseball (141), 24 less runs than the next best team.

4. New York Yankees (28-17)

Last Week: 8

The Yankees didn’t really deserve to be ranked #8 last week when it was a tough decision who to put in that spot. But they took over first place in the AL East this weekend and climbed four spots here. In the last two weeks, they have won 4 out of the 6 games they’ve played against the Rays. In addition, they’ve won 10 out of their last 13 games. The AL East is beginning to get really interesting now that the Sox and Yanks are heating up. Those two teams and the Rays will be neck and neck all season long.

3. Minnesota Twins (30-16)

Last Week: 4

The Twins continue to slowly climb this power ranking from week to week. They were my pre-season pick to win the AL Central and so far are making that pick look good with a 4.5 game lead over the Cleveland Indians. In the month of May they are 13-6 and keep demonstrating how deadly their offense is. They lead the entire majors in runs scored with 262 and have the 2nd-best run differential at +74.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (31-17)

Last Week: 1

For the first time in a month, the Los Angeles Dodgers will not be at the top of my ranking. However, it’s not a case of the Dodgers slipping, but instead another team taking it. The Dodgers have won 9 of their last 12 games and are as deadly as ever. Cody Bellinger is still batting over .400 (.405) which is insane, and 23-year old Alex Verdugo continues to impress with his .323 batting average. The Dodgers have experienced a lot of success in recent years, so they have to be the front-runner to represent the National League in the World Series once again this year.

1. Houston Astros (31-16)

Last Week: 2

Houston, we have a problem. Actually, we don’t. Houston has been hot just like the weather its known for. The Astros have won 13 of their last 15 games and have looked very dominant. The most impressive stat of all, to me, is their run differential on the season. It’s at +94, which just speaks to how good their offense and defense both are. To put that run differential stat in perspective, the 2nd-best is the Twins at +74, and the 3rd-best is the Dodgers’ +65. If this team can stay healthy, they will be an extremely tough out in the playoffs.

Garett

MLB Top 10 Power Rankings