Sunday Power Rankings: The Top 10 Teams as of May 19th

 

 

MLB Power Rankings

 

 

The Rangers Lead the Majors with 28 Wins as of Sunday.

 

     

     1) Rangers (28-15)- They have won 8 of their last 10 games and are 13-5 at home this season. The offense is not missing Josh Hamilton so far, averaging almost 5 runs per game. Yu Darvish could be in line for a 20 win season with all that support.

 

     2) Cardinals (27-15)- Their pitching over the last couple of weeks has led them to one of the best records in baseball. They did have to place SP Jaime Garcia on the DL Saturday (5-2; 3.58 ERA), but the rest of the staff is still throwing well, which includes Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, and Shelby Miller, all with 5+ wins.

 

     3) Yankees (27-16)- This is what big market teams do. They go out and fill holes due to injuries to star players. It has worked out for the Yankees, as they went out and got guys like Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, and Lyle Overbay, who were given an opportunity to succeed and have so far. Watch out for the Yankees as their notable players inch back to returning to the field later in the season.

 

     4) Indians (24-17)- After a slow start, Francona has the team rolling. They have scored a lot of runs in their recent wins, led by hot batters Jason Kipnis, Mark Reynolds, Ryan Raburn, and Carlos Santana. However, their upcoming schedule is tough with their next three series against the Tigers, Red Sox and Reds. Let's see if they can keep it rolling. 

 

     5) Reds (26-17)- This just might be the best offense in the league. It seems like Choo and Votto are always on base, both top 5 in OBP, and Brandon Phillips gets them in, as he leads the National League with 36 RBI's. Adding Jay Bruce into that mix when he has it going makes this lineup even scarier. The game is also most likely over when Aroldis Chapman gets in. He. Is. Filthy. 

 

     6) Red Sox (26-17)- Have won their last 4 after a little rough patch. Big Papi has brought a huge boost to the lineup since his return from the DL. Buchholz and Lester are both throwing the ball well and are still undefeated to this point.

 

     7) Diamondbacks (25-18)- Also winners of their last 4, the D-backs have gotten the job done so far mostly with solid pitching. A name you will want to get familiar with is Paul Goldschmidt. He is an emerging superstar (.335/12 HR/35 RBI).

 

     8) Giants (24-19)- Hard to believe the defending champs actually have this many wins. Starters Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain have struggled to start the year, but this team just seems to always find a way to win. They take professional at-bats and work hard to win ballgames. Expect their starting pitching to pick it up.  

 

     9) Braves (24-18)- After a strong start, the Braves have certainly cooled off. They will most likely be a streaky team this year, due to their hit- or- miss offense. They are going to hit their homers and put runs on the board, but they will also strikeout and go into cold spells. The pitching will have to step up to avoid some of those long losing streaks later in the season. 

 

     10) Pirates (25-18)- The offense has been steady for the most part led by star hitter Andrew Mccutchen and breakout second year player Starling Marte, who are both off to stellar starts. Their bullpen has been outstanding, which features Mark Melancon, who has an ERA under 1.00 in 22 appearances, and closer Jason Grilli, who has converted all 16 of his save opportunities.