It may be hard to believe, but we’re already a quarter of the way through the MLB season.
There has been some excellent baseball in the first month and a half and certain teams have separated themselves from the pack. Let's get into Week 7's MLB Power Rankings.
29-16, 1st in NL West
Another week, another Power Rankings with the Dodgers at the top of the list. Between their prolific offense, solid starting rotation, and above-average bullpen, the Dodgers have been extremely hard to beat this season. If the bottom half of the lineup can improve with runners in scoring position, the league could be in more trouble than it already is.
31-13, 1st in NL East
The Philadelphia Phillies not only are above the Braves in the division, but they also hold the best record in baseball. The balanced and powerful lineup has exceeded all expectations, especially Alec Bohm, and the starting rotation is arguably the best in baseball with Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sanchez. The only knock to their hot start to the season is they've only played one team with a winning record so far.
29-15, 1st in AL East
Aaron Judge looked like a shell of himself in April. He hit just .220 in April with 6 home runs, but in just the first two weeks of May, Judge is hitting nearly .400 with 5 homers. Between him, Juan Soto, and Anthony Volpe all catching fire at the same time, New York has become a wrecking ball of an offense.
27-14, 2nd in AL East
The fountain of youth, or more commonly known as the Baltimore Orioles, have been phenomenal recently. Adley Rutschman appears to have his power back and the rest of the lineup is still producing at a high level. The O's and Yanks have been neck and neck all season long, and it looks like it will stay that way for the near future.
26-14, 2nd in NL East
I didn't expect to drop the Braves out of the top three this early in the season, but here we are. It has nothing to do with their starting rotation since Chris Sale is back to ace form, Max Fried has been lights out, and Reynaldo Lopez is in the running for lowest ERA. It's been the lineup that has struggled which is uncharacteristic for the Braves. It'll be interesting to see how quick they can bounce back.
27-17, 1st in AL Central
The Guardians could have been in the top five, but Cleveland lost three out of four to the White Sox before taking the series from the Rangers. If the Guardians lost the series to Texas, they would be a lot lower than six. However, the Cleveland lineup and bullpen have been their strengths so far and have carried the team to the record they have today.
26-19, 2nd in AL Central
April wasn't a fluke - the Royals are good. There are two main reasons the Royals are winning: speed and pitching. Kansas City has been running wild on the basepaths this season and has put plenty of runners in scoring position because of that. Plus, Michael Wacha, Brady Singer, Alec Marsh, and Seth Lugo have been incredible on the mound.
26-17, 1st in NL Central
Milwaukee's offense continues to find a way to keep them involved in every game. The Brewers average the third most runs per game which has helped cover up their mediocre starting pitching. However, scoring five runs per game won't be easy to maintain, so the Brewers pitching will need to improve.
25-19, 2nd in NL Central
Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger are back plus Shota Imanaga and Javier Assad are shutting down lineups left and right - it's a good time in the North Side of Chicago. The Cubs are pushing all the right buttons right now as their lineup has been producing at a high rate and their starting pitching has been nearly perfect. This could be an excellent first half of the year for the Cubbies.
24-18, 3rd in AL Central
It wasn't too long ago that the Twins were on a double-digit win streak. Although that is over and the Twins have come back to reality, Minnesota is still an above-average team. With a star-studded rotation of Pablo Lopez, Bailey Ober, and Joe Ryan, and a lineup that is close to getting Royce Lewis back, the Twins are prepared for another winning streak.
24-20, 1st in AL West
If only the Mariners could score runs. Seattle ranks 23rd in runs per game which makes it pretty incredible that they hold a winning record. Fortunately for the Mariners, they've gotten to play a lot of divisional games which has helped their record. But if Seattle wants a chance at the playoffs, they need to start producing on offense.
22-21, 3rd in AL East
The Red Sox are in a weird spot. They have some young talent that's good enough to win games, but not enough to make the playoffs. Their starting rotation still holds the lowest ERA in baseball and their bullpen has been excellent. With that said, their offense is poor. It will be interesting to see if the Sox make any moves to strengthen the lineup at the trade deadline.
22-22, 4th in AL East
The Rays are on the upswing as their lineup is back to health. Plus, Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena appear to remember how to hit a baseball, so the Tampa Bay lineup is finally producing. If the Rays can improve their starting pitching a little bit, they could overtake the Sox in the division very quickly.
23-22, 2nd in AL West
The Rangers have a winning record, but they haven't been playing like it. Texas was just swept by the Rockies and then lost a series to the Guardians. The Rangers need Marcus Semien and Corey Seager to improve a little bit or else they are in danger of falling deeper in the division.
21-23, 3rd in NL West
Arizona had one of the hardest schedules in April. Fortunately for Arizona, the schedule appears to get a little easier in the future. In the lineup, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, and Joc Pederson have been the heart and soul of the team. Also, Paul Sewald just came back from injury, so this could be the start of a good few weeks for the Snakes.
Washington Nationals (20-22, 3rd in NL East)
San Diego Padres (22-24, 2nd in NL West)
Detroit Tigers (21-22, 4th in AL Central)
San Francisco Giants (20-25, 4th in NL West)
Toronto Blue Jays (19-23, 5th in AL East)
Houston Astros (18-25, 4th in AL West)
New York Mets (19-23, 4th in NL East)
Pittsburgh Pirates (19-25, 3rd in NL Central)
Oakland Athletics (19-26, 3rd in AL West)
Cincinnati Reds (18-25, 4th in NL Central)
Colorado Rockies (15-28, 5th in NL West)
St. Louis Cardinals (18-25, 5th in NL Central)
Los Angeles Angels (16-28, 5th in AL West)
Miami Marlins (13-32, 5th in NL East)
Chicago White Sox (14-30, 5th in AL Central)