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MLB Power Rankings Week 9: Atlanta Braves slip with loss of Ronald Acuna Jr.

Two months of the Major League Baseball season are in the books, and there has been plenty of movement in the power rankings already.

The month of May was huge for certain teams (like the Yankees), and terrible for others (looking at you, Cubs). Let’s get into the Week 9 Power Rankings.

1. Philadelphia Phillies (41-19, 1st in NL East)

The Phillies have built a commanding lead in the NL East with their stellar play in the last few weeks.

Philadelphia's lineup continues to crush the ball, the starting rotation has two Cy Young contenders, and the bullpen is finally starting to take shape. Plus, shortstop Trea Turner should be nearing a comeback.

2. New York Yankees (42-19, 1st in AL East)

Aaron Judge has been out of his mind at the plate. After hitting just .207 with six home runs in April, the Captain had a .361 batting average with 14 home runs in May. He’s been a huge reason for New York’s success and their solo lead of first place in the division.

The only bad news is that right-handed starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt is out for the next month or so.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (38-23, 1st in NL West)

After a sluggish week in the middle of May, the Dodgers are back to normal. Los Angeles has won five of its last six games and their starting rotation has been much improved.

The only thing that needs working on is the bottom half of their lineup, but that’s not a new problem.

4. Baltimore Orioles (37-20, 2nd in AL East)

The O’s have had a phenomenal start to the season. The only issue is that the Yankees have been even better and have taken over first place in the division.

The good news is that it’s a long season with plenty of time for Baltimore to pass New York, but to do that, the Orioles need to stay healthy in the rotation and bullpen.

5. Cleveland Guardians (39-20, 1st in AL Central)

Last season, the Guardians struggled with power. Cleveland had a below-average offense and couldn’t find the recipe for success at the plate. In 2024, the Guardians average the third most runs per game.

Jose Ramirez is in the midst of a career season, and Cleveland is getting fantastic production from David Fry, Andrés Giménez, and Josh Naylor. Steven Kwan, who had a .903 OPS in 32 games before suffering an injury, is close to a return.

6. Kansas City Royals (36-25, 2nd in AL Central)

The Royals are young, fast, and a lot of fun to watch. Bobby Witt Jr. has entered the MVP race, Salvador Perez is having a career year at 34 years old, and Vinnie Pasquantino has been the perfect cleanup hitter. And did I mention their starting rotation is top five in baseball right now?

7. Atlanta Braves (33-24, 2nd in NL East)

The Braves were a popular World Series pick before Opening Day. Fast forward to the end of May, and the Braves are in deep trouble.

Atlanta just lost Ronald Acuna Jr. to a season-ending injury, and the effects are already starting to show with the team going 4-6 in its last 10 games. Is it time to panic in Atlanta?

8. Milwaukee Brewers (36-23, 1st in NL Central)

The Cubs have hit a massive skid and lost their chance to pass the Brewers in the division. Milwaukee has also been playing great baseball recently as they took a series from the Red Sox in Boston and won three of four games against the Cubs this week.

Even more importantly, the Brew Crew hammered Shota Imanaga to become the first team to do so this year.

9. Seattle Mariners (34-27, 1st in AL West)

Seattle is coming off a huge series win against divisional rival Houston. The Astros appeared to be making a slight comeback after a terrible first few weeks, but the Mariners took three of four games and widened their lead in the AL West.

However, the Mariners won the four-game series by scoring just nine total runs. That’s not going to cut it against stronger teams, but Seattle did sweep the lowly Los Angeles Angels with 19 runs in three games.

10. Minnesota Twins (33-26, 3rd in AL Central)

The Twins just took three of four games from the Royals in Minnesota which put them back into the thick of things in the division. The Minnesota lineup has been clicking recently and Royce Lewis has begun his rehab assignment.

Once the Twins can fix their shaky bullpen, they are going to be a threat to the Royals.

11. San Diego Padres (32-30, 2nd in NL West)

It’s been an up-and-down few weeks for the Padres, but the potential is there. San Diego’s lineup has become extremely tough to beat with a balance of contact and power hitters throughout the order.

Luis Arraez has been the perfect addition to the team, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Padres make another move before the deadline for their rotation or bullpen.

12. St. Louis Cardinals (28-29, 2nd in NL Central)

The Cardinals were sort of forgotten about in April. But in the last few weeks, the rotation has become fantastic, Paul Goldschmidt remembered how to hit the ball, and the bullpen has become a top 3 unit in baseball.

St. Louis has won seven of their last 10 games - including a hard-fought extra-innings win over the top-ranked Phillies - and might be the hottest team in the league right now.

13. Boston Red Sox (28-29, 3rd in AL East)

Just when I think the Red Sox are turning the corner, they hit a slump. Following their four-game sweep of the Rays, the Red Sox lost a series to the Brewers and then the Orioles before splitting four games with the Detroit Tigers.

Their problem is simple: they can’t beat good teams. Boston is just 10-22 against teams with a winning record.

14. San Francisco Giants (29-31, 3rd in NL West)

The San Francisco lineup has come alive in the last two weeks. Jorge Soler has returned to the offense and the Giants are relying on their youth to keep them afloat.

It’s pretty impressive that San Francisco has had this much success even with Kyle Harrison and Blake Snell underperforming. That said, Snell just went down injured and the Giants got swept in three games by a strong Yankees team.

15. Detroit Tigers (29-30, 4th in AL Central)

Just below .500, the Tigers find themselves 4th in the division. The lineup has been mediocre, but the rotation has been incredible. Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, and Casey Mize have formed an elite rotation that should be feared.

All that Detroit needs is a little more production from guys like Spencer Torkelson and Javier Baez at the plate.

The remainder...

16. Texas Rangers (29-30, 2nd in AL West)

17. Toronto Blue Jays (28-30, 5th in AL East)

18. Tampa Bay Rays (29-31, 4th in AL East)

19. Chicago Cubs (29-31, 3rd in NL Central)

20. Washington Nationals (27-31, 3rd in NL East)

21. Arizona Diamondbacks (27-32, 4th in NL West)

22. Houston Astros (26-34, 3rd in AL West)

23. Pittsburgh Pirates (27-32, 4th in NL Central)

24. New York Mets (24-35, 4th in NL East)

25. Cincinnati Reds (26-33, 5th in NL Central)

26. Oakland Athletics (24-37, 4th in AL West)

27. Los Angeles Angels (21-38, 5th in AL West)

28. Miami Marlins (21-39, 5th in NL East)

29. Colorado Rockies (21-37, 5th in NL West)

30. Chicago White Sox (15-45, 5th in AL Central)

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