FLYING HIGH: The red birds are the new kings of the Power Rankings. Oh, and they have the best record in baseball. Photo courtesy SI.com
We are now one and a half months into the season and there is starting to become an heir of legitimacy to teams’ hot and cold starts.
Miami seems to think their cold start isn’t just a fluke, because they did something about it yesterday afternoon: they sent their skipper (and bench coach) packing. Anyone whose followed this team even semi-closely since its genesis knows that Mike Redmond is most likely an unfair scapegoat for an owner and front office whose practices border on criminal, but that’s a column for another day.
And then there’s Cleveland. Some pundits’ darling pick to win it all this year, the Indians remain squarely in the cellar of the AL Central and no apparent plans to do anything about it. Being seven games under .500 isn’t an insurmountable obstacle, but it’s big enough that everyone should have their doubts.
Another team people may be doubting is Houston, but for the opposite reason. Seattle did a great job pointing out last season that anyone can compete in the AL West, and this led most people to rope Seattle in with Oakland and Texas (and to a lesser extent Los Angeles) as legitimate contenders for the division. Well, they should’ve just lassoed all five teams in because Houston is winning and, news flash, it’s looking less and less fluky every day.
And that’s just some of the action in one of the leagues. Here’s how all 32 teams shake out six weeks into the season.
MLB POWER RANKINGS – MAY 18TH
- St. Louis Cardinals | 25-12 (15-5 Home, 10-7 Road) [Net Change From Last Ranking: + 1]
Consider last night’s Sunday Night Baseball a battle for who would be atop these rankings today. - Kansas City Royals | 24-14 (13-6 Home, 11-8 Road) [+ 2]
The Tigers really haven’t missed a beat in the division, the Royals are just running faster. - Detroit Tigers | 23-15 (11-8 Home, 12-7 Road) [- 2]
The top dogs for the first two rankings, the Tigers remain very much in the hunt. - Los Angeles Dodgers | 24-13 (17-5 Home, 7-8 Road) [- 1]
The only reason the Dodgers take a step back is they haven’t played well on the road. - Houston Astros | 25-13 (13-9 Home, 12-4 Road) [+ 3]
How well they’ve played may not be sustainable, but until I see otherwise, I’m on board. - New York Yankees | 22-17 (9-7 Home, 13-10 Road) [- 1]
They’ve cooled ever-so-slightly, but the division still looks like theirs to lose for now. - New York Mets | 22-16 (15-4 Home, 7-12 Road) [- 1]
The beast that is the Nationals have awakened, and the Mets are starting to slip. - Chicago Cubs | 21-16 (13-8 Home, 8-8 Road) [+ 1]
It took longer than some expected, but it looks like Theo Epstein has built a winning formula in Chicago. - Washington Nationals | 22-17 (10-6 Home, 12-11 Road) [+ 9]
How do you climb 9 spots in between rankings? Nearly doubling your win total in that time span. - Tampa Bay Rays | 21-18 (12-11 Home, 9-7 Road) [+ 1]
I’d be lying if I said I expected the Rays to still be nipping at the heels of a division leader come fall. - San Francisco Giants | 20-18 (11-9 Home, 9-9 Road) [+ 9]
The Giants continue to turn around their season and now they’re gunning for the Dodgers. - Minnesota Twins | 21-17 (14-6 Home, 7-11 Road) [± 0]
I think there’s room for only one surprise playoff contender this year and I don’t think it’s the Twins. - San Diego Padres | 19-20 (10-10 Home, 9-10 Road) [- 3]
Could’ve still been over .500 had they not dropped three of four to Washington. - Los Angeles Angels | 19-18 (10-9 Home, 9-9 Road) [+ 8]
The Angels have come alive, but Houston still remains out of arm’s reach. - Boston Red Sox | 18-20 (7-9 Home, 11-11 Road) [- 1]
The Sox were hoping to bounce right back from a disastrous 2014. Those plans have been delayed. - Baltimore Orioles | 16-19 (9-7 Home, 7-12 Road) [- 9]
They should have 20 wins by now, but instead they’re three games under .500. - Atlanta Braves | 18-19 (8-8 Home, 10-11 Road) [- 4]
They’re hanging in there so far, but I doubt they’ll be playing meaningful baseball come September. - Pittsburgh Pirates | 18-20 (9-7 Home, 9-13 Road) [- 3]
It’s hard to be only two games under .500 in May, but already 7 games behind the division leader. - Chicago White Sox | 17-17 (10-5 Home, 7-12 Road) [+ 8]
If the White Sox want to maintain this hot streak, they’ll have to play much, much better on the road. - Cincinnati Reds | 18-20 (9-9 Home, 9-11 Road) [- 4]
Yesterday they came all the way back but couldn’t quite get over the hump and win. Sound familiar? - Seattle Mariners | 17-20 (11-10 Home, 6-10 Road) [+ 4]
They’ve used some home cookin’ to their advantage. Now they need to maintain it. - Toronto Blue Jays | 17-22 (9-7 Home, 8-15 Road) [- 3]
The trajectory of the Blue Jays are waning like R.A. Dickey’s career. - Texas Rangers | 16-22 (6-13 Home, 10-9 Road) [+ 5]
They’re about to get Hamilton back, then we’ll find out if he can help their modest upward momentum. - Miami Marlins | 16-22 (8-10 Home, 8-12 Road) [- 3]
I actually think they’ll get even worse without Mike Redmond. - Arizona Diamondbacks | 15-21 (9-12 Home, 6-9 Road) [- 1]
How do you give up ten runs in two innings? Like, seriously, how is that possible? - Philadelphia Phillies | 16-23 (12-10 Home, 4-13 Road) [+ 3]
Before this current five-game winning streak, they were 12 games under .500. Yeah, that bad. - Colorado Rockies | 13-21 (4-9 Home, 9-12 Road) [- 10]
Walt Weiss may become the next manager to get fired mid-season. - Cleveland Indians | 14-22 (6-12 Home, 8-10 Road) [- 2]
This season isn’t going well even by Indians standards. - Oakland Athletics | 13-26 (5-14 Home, 8-12 Road) [- 6]
I’ve been wrong to question Billy Beane before, but this is getting out of hand. - Milwaukee Brewers | 13-25 (8-15 Home, 5-10 Road) [± 0]
Yes, they don’t have the worst record (for now), but they’re still the worst team in baseball.
