BOMBS AWAY: Despite a rash of injuries, the ole’ Bronx Bombers are slugging like a bona fide championship contender. Photo courtesy Mike Stobe/Getty Images
The second round of power rankings on the season are always the strangest. With our sample size effectively doubled, there is often drastic change. As a point, I try to limit such jumps, but in certain cases it cannot be stopped.
Take the Yankees, for example. Two weeks ago, mired with injuries, they were lucky to be as close to the Top 10 as they were. Now? Now they might be one of the best teams in baseball. Oakland, on the other hand, was 5th with an impressive start. However, having lost eight of their last ten, that hot start has cooled incredibly.
And those are just two teams. 28 others have played just as much baseball each with their own level of expectations. Well, the Power Rankings don’t care about expectations, they just case about who is the best.
MLB POWER RANKINGS – APRIL 29TH
1. Atlanta Braves | 15-9 (6-2 Home, 9-7 Road) [Change From Last Ranking: ±0]
I don’t care that they’ve gone 4-8 since last ranking. Did you really think 11-1 was sustainable?
2. Texas Rangers | 16-9 (7-2 Home, 9-7 Road) [+ 4]
Isn’t it funny to think all those offseason departures might’ve just been them cutting the fat?
3. Boston Red Sox | 18-7 (11-5 Home, 7-2 Road) [+ 5]
Speaking of trimmed fat, this leaner Red Sox team (sans Big Papi) is mean. And, now, emotional.
4. New York Yankees | 15-9 (9-4 Home, 6-5 Road) [+ 7]
They’ll have to prove they can win on the road like their New England counterparts to win the East.
5. Detroit Tigers | 13-10 (8-3 Home, 5-7 Road) [- 2]
These .500-ish past two weeks could prove to be the Detroit equivalent of a slump.
6. St. Louis Cardinals | 14-10 (5-4 Home, 9-6 Road) [- 2]
The loss of Carpenter has been marginalized by the return of Wainwright and the Rise of Miller.
7. Kansas City Royals | 14-8 (7-2 Home, 7-6 Road) [+ 5]
After relying heavily on youth, it seems K.C. might’ve finally figured out the recipe for success.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks | 15-10 (8-5 Home, 7-5 Road) [- 1]
With Upton now gone, it seems it might’ve been off-field distractions that were doing them in.
9. San Francisco Giants | 13-12 (8-4 Home, 5-8 Road) [- 7]
I said before if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, We’ll, at the very least, the G-men have a few holes.
10. Baltimore Orioles | 15-10 (7-5 Home, 8-5 Road) [+ 3]
The fact that they’re winning isn’t surprising. The fact that they’re losing one-run games, though?
11. Colorado Rockies | 15-10 (9-3 Home, 6-7 Road) [+ 4]
The hot start was looking to be legitimized, but now the Rox have started to cool. Let’s wait and see.
12. Oakland Athletics | 14-12 (7-7 Home, 7-5 Road) [- 7]
Even Moneyball isn’t immune to ups and downs. But what if this isn’t them struggling?
13. Pittsburgh Pirates | 15-10 (8-4 Home, 7-6 Road) [+ 6]
They’re winning ballgames in the Spring. Big whoop. We’ve been here before a few times.
14. Washington Nationals | 13-12 (9-7 Home, 4-5 Road) [- 4]
There are just too many good teams out there to give this fledgling squad much benefit of the doubt.
15. Cincinnati Reds | 14-12 (12-4 Home, 2-8 Road) [+ 2]
You can’t play on the road as poorly as they have and expect to make the postseason.
16. Los Angeles Dodgers | 12-12 (6-6 Home, 6-6 Road) [- 7]
I said they needed to win 6 out of every 10 to maintain their rank. They have not, obviously.
17. Tampa Bay Rays | 12-13 (8-4 Home, 4-9 Road) [+ 3]
This is a cushy rank granted on the assumption they will continue to play like they have of late.
18. Philadelphia Phillies | 12-14 (6-8 Home, 6-6 Road) [- 4]
Before the weekend they were 9-14. Consider being ranked even this high a spring Christmas present.
19. Milwaukee Brewers | 12-11 (7-5 Home, 5-6 Road) [+ 7]
They’re on a tear right now, but history shows that’s all it should be. A short-lived high note.
20. Minnesota Twins | 11-10 (7-6 Home, 4-4 Road) [+ 7]
The Twins are playing alright and Joe Mauer isn’t? No comprende.
21. New York Mets | 10-13 (7-8 Home, 3-5 Road) [- 5]
Like I said two weeks ago, I knew better than to buy into a hot two weeks to start April.
22. Chicago White Sox | 10-14 (7-7 Home, 3-7 Road) [- 1]
Consistently lackluster. There’s just nothing to get excited about here.
23. Seattle Mariners | 11-16 (7-7 Home, 4-9 Road) [+ 2]
Third in the AL West is about as good as the Mariners can hope for 2013 to be.
24. Cleveland Indians | 9-13 (2-6 Home, 7-7 Road) [- 2]
They might be half decent if they believed playing at home lent them some kind of advantage.
25. Los Angeles Angels | 9-15 (6-6 Home, 3-9 Road) [- 1]
Playing .500 ball in their last ten is an improvement. Which, in turn, is an indictment.
26. Toronto Blue Jays | 9-17 (5-8 Home, 4-9 Road) [- 8]
If you’re dubbed the winner of an offseason, you’re doomed once baseball actually begins.
27. Chicago Cubs | 9-15 (3-5 Home, 6-10 Road) [- 4]
Oh, the Cubs. Don’t need them, can’t fill out the NL Central without them.
28. San Diego Padres | 9-15 (5-7 Home, 4-8 Road) [+ 1]
Was their sweep of San Fran a result of their good play or the Giants poor play? You decide.
29. Houston Astros | 7-18 (4-8 Home, 3-10 Road) [- 1]
At this rate, they may lose as many as 120 games.
30. Miami Marlins | 6-19 (3-10 Home, 3-9 Road) [± 0]
Stanton’s struggles are either salt on the wound or karma for a bad front office.
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NOTE: This article was originally published on SportsHead. To read this story and others click here.
When Bryan isn’t writing, he is on Twitter! Make sure to give him a follow @bclienesch for MLB updates and other shenanigans!
