RISERS AND FALLERS: This past weekend’s series between the Red Sox and Tigers saw a clash of two teams headed in opposite directions. Photo courtesy Michael Dwyer
Sadly, I don’t have any special title for today’s edition of the Power Rankings. I know I had the Patriots’ Day one followed by Cinco De Mayo, but sadly, there’s just nothing that special about May 19th. Don’t bother racking your brain to see if there was some obscure holiday I missed, because there’s not. I googled it.
So fresh, hot-off-the-presses Power Rankings will have to do to make May 19th worth getting up for. And if you’re awake, that’s good, because there are several MLB teams asleep at the wheel.
It’s not time to panic just yet if you’re a ballclub and you’re season isn’t exactly going according to plan, but we’re getting close. The 2012 Marlins, last year’s Blue Jays. We’ve seen the talented teams that struggled early on and never righted the ship.
And for some, the gun is smoking. But to find them, you’ll have to read through all the Power Rankings starting at the top. Which begins. Right. Now.
MLB POWER RANKINGS – MAY 19TH
1. Detroit Tigers | 27-12 (13-8 Home, 14-4 Road) [Change From Last Ranking: ± 0]
They have given absolutely NO reason to be demoted. They are lighting the league up right now.
2. Oakland Athletics | 28-16 (12-10 Home, 16-6 Road) [+ 1]
Lead the league in runs allowed in the first inning, yet so far it’s been a virtual non-issue.
3. Milwaukee Brewers | 27-17 (14-10 Home, 13-7 Road) [- 1]
5-5 in their last 10. I smell a whiff — just a whiff — of a possible cool-down coming for the Brewers.
4. San Francisco Giants | 28-17 (14-8 Home, 14-9 Road) [± 0]
Here’s a scary thought: where would this team be WITHOUT Pablo Sandoval struggling?
5. Atlanta Braves | 23-19 (13-8 Home, 10-11 Road) [± 0]
Honestly, they should be dropped for the way they rolled over in St. Louis, but I just can’t.
6. New York Yankees | 23-20 (11-11 Home, 12-9 Road) [+ 2]
Their record isn’t glorious, but they lead the A.L. East. And that will always count for something.
7. Colorado Rockies | 25-20 (15-6 Home, 10-14 Road) [+ 2]
You can’t deny what the Rox have done so far, but their road play suggests it’s unsustainable.
8. Los Angeles Angels | 24-19 (11-11 Home, 13-8 Road) [+ 4]
How about this? There’s a team white-hot in L.A., but it’s not the Dodgers.
9. Washington Nationals | 23-20 (13-10 Home, 10-10 Road) [+ 1]
19-1 when they score at least 4 runs. Zimmerman, Harper, LaRoche all on the DL. Do the math.
10. St. Louis Cardinals | 23-21 (11-7 Home, 12-14 Road) [+ 3]
Nearly swept the Braves. The return of Motte should help an overtaxed bullpen.
11. Los Angeles Dodgers | 23-22 (9-13 Home, 14-9 Road) [- 5]
We’ll see if the return of Hyun-Jin Ryu is just the shot in the arm this team needs.
12. Baltimore Orioles | 22-20 (9-10 Home, 13-10 Road) [+ 2]
They’d be leading the A.L. East if Detroit hadn’t reminded them just how hot they are right now.
13. Toronto Blue Jays | 23-22 (10-11 Home, 13-11 Road) [+ 4]
Hot, cold, hot, cold. Katy Perry must be a huge fan of the lone team north of the border.
14. Texas Rangers | 21-23 (12-12 Home, 9-11 Road) [- 7]
Just 4-9 since Cinco de Mayo. That’s no bueno.
15. Kansas City Royals | 22-21 (12-9 Home, 10-12 Road) [+ 5]
Already 6.5 games behind Detroit, it would appear the race for a Wild Card berth has begun.
16. Cincinnati Reds | 19-23 (11-10 Home, 8-13 Road) [- 1]
It’s getting harder and harder to give this team the benefit of the doubt. Anyone miss Dusty yet?
17. Miami Marlins | 23-22 (17-5 Home, 6-17 Road) [+ 4]
Winning record. .500 since last ranking. 3-7 in their last 10. I project a big fall very, very soon.
18. New York Mets | 20-23 (9-12 Home, 11-11 Road) [- 7]
I must’ve been smoking something to put them so high. Luckily, their play reminded me it’s the Mets.
19. Minnesota Twins | 21-21 (12-11 Home, 9-10 Road) [+ 3]
Even with this sort of rejuvenation of their stars, the team is only playing .500 ball.
20. Seattle Mariners | 21-22 (8-10 Home, 13-12 Road) [+ 3]
Apparently being just okay is plenty fine while other teams continue to struggle.
21. Boston Red Sox | 20-23 (19-14 Home, 10-9 Road) [- 5]
They’re continuing ever so slightly to slide. And more and more teams in the East are leapfrogging.
22. Philadelphia Phillies | 19-22 (8-12 Home, 11-10 Road) [- 3]
Thanks to the Mets and Marlins not being completely awful, the Phils are cellar dwellers.
23. San Diego Padres | 21-24 (12-11 Home, 9-13 Road) [+ 3]
They’ll be in this bad-but-not-awful territory of the rankings all season.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates | 18-25 (12-11 Home, 6-14 Road) [+ 3]
Remember my whole spiel about good teams starting to run out of time? Well, yeah.
25. Tampa Bay Rays | 19-26 (8-12 Home, 11-14 Road) [- 7]
The preseason darlings are drowning. Is that even possible for marine life?
26. Chicago White Sox | 21-24 (11-10 Home, 10-14 Road) [- 2]
Utterly forgettable. What else can you say about them?
27. Cleveland Indians | 19-25 (12-11 Home, 7-14 Road) [- 1]
I’m not sure even Dennis Haysbert and Charlie Sheen could turn this club around.
28. Arizona Diamondbacks | 18-28 (6-18 Home, 12-10 Road) [+ 2]
The long, slow road out of rock bottom has begun. Probably too late for 2014, though.
29. Chicago Cubs | 15-27 (9-12 Home, 6-15 Road) [- 2]
Worst record in baseball. That’ll have to change if they don’t want to be last next rankings.
30. Houston Astros | 16-28 (10-15 Home, 6-13 Road) [± 0]
They’re just perplexed that they can say they’re on a winning streak (two games!) right now.
