MLB Power Rankings Week 5: Minnesota Twins are surging

One month has been completed in the long and grueling MLB season and there have been a few teams that have stood out among the others, while some other teams, like the White Sox, can’t wait for the year to be over.

Here are Week 5’s MLB Power Rankings.

1. Atlanta Braves (20-9, 1st in NL East)

Ozzie Albies has returned to the Atlanta lineup and Sean Murphy appears to be nearing his return.

It’s impressive that the Braves have been able to maintain such a high level of offense even without the two sluggers, so once they get their entire lineup back to full health, it’s going to be must-watch television.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (20-13, 1st in NL West)

The Dodgers went through a little bit of a slump last week, but they’re back to normal now. Los Angeles has won eight of the last 10 games and their lineup is the primary reason for the success.

Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani both have an OPS above 1.000, while Freddie Freeman and Will Smith are both hitting at least .290. Plus, rookie Andy Pages has been a pleasant surprise in the lineup.

3. Baltimore Orioles (19-11, 1st in AL East)

Gunnar Henderson has entered the American League MVP discussion. The shortstop is hitting .281 with a .949 OPS and has already launched 10 home runs.

However, the problem is their pitching. Grayson Rodriguez is the latest O’s pitcher to land on the injured list, but luckily for the Orioles, Kyle Bradish returned on Thursday.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (21-11, 2nd in NL East)

The Phillies can sometimes be overshadowed by the Braves in the division, but Philly was dominant in the first month of the season.

Philadelphia’s offense is incredibly balanced from the one to nine spots and Alec Bohm is in the midst of a career year. Plus, their starting rotation might be one of the best in baseball this season. 

5. Cleveland Guardians (20-10, 1st in AL Central)

With one of the best records in baseball, the Guardians have been impressive in the first few weeks of the season.

However, Cleveland faced their biggest test of the season earlier this week against the Braves and lost the series. The Guardians are still a great team, but they’ve been beating a lot of sub .500 teams lately. 

6. New York Yankees (20-12, 2nd in AL East)

The Yankees are in a weird situation right now. The season is already a month old and Aaron Judge still hasn’t performed like his usual self. Plus, Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, and Giancarlo Stanton have been disappointing at the plate.

That has put a lot of pressure on Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto, but two players can’t win a baseball game. New York needs their lineup to step it up.

7. Milwaukee Brewers (19-11, 1st in NL Central)

Milwaukee remains in first place in the division despite having the Cubs and Reds on their heels.

While the rotation hasn’t been spectacular, the offense has been more than impressive as William Contreras and Willy Adames are leading a young but talented Milwaukee team. Not many right-handed pitchers are safe against this lineup.

8. Chicago Cubs (19-12, 2nd in NL Central)

Shota Imanaga is starting to look like the steal of the offseason. The new Cubs ace has a 0.78 ERA after 6 starts and has dazzled in his first few weeks in the Majors.

Once Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki come back from injuries, the Cubs are going to be a real threat in the NL Central.

9. Kansas City Royals (19-13, 2nd in AL Central)

With a young lineup and a talented starting rotation, the Royals have been one of the top teams in baseball so far.

Bobby Witt Jr. is having a phenomenal season at shortstop and Salvador Perez is still providing plenty of power from behind the plate. With a few additions before the trade deadline, the Royals could be a dark horse down the road.

10. Boston Red Sox (18-13, 3rd in AL East)

The Red Sox led the MLB in ERA and players on the injured list in April.

Heading into May, the Red Sox are without Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock, and Nick Pivetta in the starting rotation and Trevor Story, Vaughn Grissom, Masataka Yoshida and Triston Casas in the lineup, but somehow, Boston is several games above .500 and on a roll.

11. Minnesota Twins (17-13, 4th in AL Central)

It was a slow start to the season for the Twins, who were projected to win the division in 2024.

Losing Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis early in the year was difficult, but Minnesota has made the most of it and has won 10 games in a row.

The Twins are now several games above .500 and Correa has returned to the lineup in the midst of the winning streak.

12. Detroit Tigers (18-13, 3rd in AL Central)

Just above the Twins in the division are the Tigers, who have won seven of their last 10 games.

Detroit has an excellent 1-2 punch in the starting rotation with Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, plus their lineup has been surprisingly productive, even with Spencer Torkelson having a poor season.

13. Seattle Mariners (17-14, 1st in AL West)

Seattle has captured first place in the AL West because of their strong pitching and has been lucky thus far as Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Bryce Miller have all stayed healthy.

If their lineup - particularly Julio Rodriguez - can be a little more productive at the plate, the Mariners could widen the gap between them and the Rangers in the division.

14. San Diego Padres (16-18, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres have been terribly inconsistent this season, but they’ve won two in a row and are now in second place in the division.

San Diego’s lineup has been the strength of the team and Jake Cronenworth, Luis Campusano, and Jackson Merrill have been excellent in the middle of the order.

15. Texas Rangers (16-15, 2nd in AL West)

With Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom out, the Rangers starting rotation hasn’t been too strong. However, their lineup has picked up some of the slack.

Besides Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Adolis Garcia at the top of the lineup, Josh Smith, Wyatt Langford, and Evan Carter have been solid in the middle of the order. Once the entire team puts it together, the Rangers will be a solid contender.

The remainder…

16. Cincinnati Reds (16-15, 3rd in NL Central)
17. New York Mets (15-15, 3rd in NL East)
18. Washington Nationals (15-15, 4th in NL East)
19. Toronto Blue Jays (15-17, 4th in AL East)
20. Arizona Diamondbacks (14-18, 4th in NL West)
21. San Francisco Giants (14-17, 3rd in NL West)
22. Oakland Athletics (15-17, 3rd in AL West)
23. St. Louis Cardinals (14-17, 4th in NL Central)
24. Tampa Bay Rays (14-18, 5th in AL East)
25. Pittsburgh Pirates (14-18, 5th in NL Central)
26. Los Angeles Angels (11-20, 4th in AL West)
27. Houston Astros (10-20, 5th in AL West)
28. Miami Marlins (8-24, 5th in NL East)
29. Colorado Rockies (7-23, 5th in NL West)
30. Chicago White Sox (6-25, 5th in AL Central)