MLB Power Rankings: Week 6
12. Boston Red Sox (17-13)
Heading into May, the Red Sox are playing much better than most people thought and are in the conversation for contending for a wild card spot. They still own the best team ERA in baseball and the offense is well balanced. They are overachieving but there might be something to this team that we shouldn’t count out.
11. Detroit Tigers (18-13)
The Tigers have entered May with a winning record for the first time since 2016. They have won 4 straight series heading into a big matchup this weekend against the Yankees. Tarik Skubal is the early favorite for AL Cy Young.
10. Seattle Mariners (17-13)
The Mariners make their first appearance on the power rankings after winning 11 of their last 14 games and taking the top spot in the AL West. The offense is still a concern for this team, even their best hitter, Julio Rodriguez, is off to a slow start. However, the Mariners arguably have the deepest pitching staff in the league, ranking 1st in quality starts, WHIP, and BAA.
9. Chicago Cubs (18-12)
The Cubs continue to stay in the hunt for the top spot in the NL Central. They swept the Astros but lost a series to the Red Sox last week. They will have a big opportunity to take the lead in the division with the weekend series against the team they are chasing, the Brewers.
8. Milwaukee Brewers (18-11)
The Brew Crew keeps silencing the doubters and have maintained their first place position in the NL Central for the first month of the season. This weekend’s series against the Cubs will be a big one. So far, the Brewers have done a great job of beating teams in their own division.
7. Kansas City Royals (18-13)
The Royals have done a great job of beating bad teams. However, when it comes to winning series against good teams, the Royals have fallen short of most opportunities. This was evident last weekend when they lost the weekend set against the Tigers, a team they are trying to separate from. They’ll need to step up against better teams to rise in these rankings.
6. New York Yankees (19-12)
It was tough having the Yankees this low but the teams above them have just been on more of a tear of late. Juan Soto looks like the new star in the Bronx and the pitching has done a great job with unexpected depth. They lost their first place position in the division to the Orioles, a team that has had their number in recent years.
5. Baltimore Orioles (19-10)
Baltimore has won 11 of their last 15 games and are in first place in the AL East. The offense continues to thrive under their young stars. They have 6 hitters in their lineup hitting .290 or better.
4. Philadelphia Phillies (20-11)
The Phillies are on an absolute tear right now in the middle of a 13-4 run to close out the first month of the season. Alec Bohm and Ranger Suarez are adding much needed depth to this team. If they can continue to get big performances like that, the issue with this team being top heavy might go out the window.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (19-13)
After a small slump, the Dodgers have won 7 of their last 9 games. The pitching is still trying to get healthy but Tyler Glasnow has been the consistent ace they have hoped for. LA’s bats are not an issue as they are best in baseball in batting average, on base percentage and runs. Mookie Betts has already accumulated 3.1 WAR after a month of games.
2. Cleveland Guardians (19-10)
The leaders of a very competitive AL Central heading into May are the Cleveland Guardians. They are probably the biggest surprise early in the season and time will tell if they can keep up the great pace.
1. Atlanta Braves (19-9)
The Braves have looked good despite their big stars, Ronald Acuna and Matt Olson, getting off to slow starts. That’s what makes this team so great though, they have the depth not many teams can match. They will meet the Dodgers this weekend in Los Angeles in a battle for National League supremacy.