MLB Power Rankings: Week Four Update

Is everyone excited for the week four update of the Major League Power Rankings? Anyone?

Well, you should be. I’ll leave this top part short for all you Mets fans to dive into. The Phillies barely held on. And the Reds and Rangers barely fell short.

Meanwhile, last week was dominated by the Mets. A seven-game win streak, a perfect homestand, and an 18-8 record on Saturday morning. Everything’s sitting nicely on the East Coast.

That can’t, however, be said for the West Coast. Every single team in the NL West is on a losing streak, including the mighty Dodgers, who have dropped four in a row.

1. Mets

The Amazins’ find themselves sitting atop the rankings for the first time this season.

Last week was highlighted by a seven-game winning streak and perfect homestand. Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are having an MVP-like April, and the pitching comes into Saturday with a major league-best 2.45 ERA. Plus, they finally put the light schedule narrative aside by sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies.

2. Dodgers

The Dodgers are always going to be high on the list barring some cataclysmic injury bug. The roster is too good. But they’re currently on a three-game losing streak, and third in the division.

Still, there’s no reason to panic. They’ve clubbed a major league-leading 41 homers, have the sixth-best team OPS in the majors, and haven’t gotten regular production from Mookie Betts yet.

It’s the 12th-best ERA in the majors that’s holding them back. They need the rotation to get healthy. And unless someone goes down for the season, they’ll slow push that.

3. Cubs

It feels like the Cubs are in 10-10 games every single day. Okay, I can’t take credit for that observation, but something a very close friend pointed out to me.

The Cubs sure do score runs. They’ve scored a major league-leading 167 and hold the best team OPS in the majors! But they’ve also given up 120. The pitching at times looks scary, but still holds a pedestrian team 4.13 ERA (18th in MLB). It helps to have Kyle Tucker, who’s slashing a ridiculous .308/.414/.617 with seven homers.

4. Padres

San Diego fell down to four, but that speaks to how tight the top four on these lists will be the entire summer.

They’re 4-6 since last week and are on a two-game losing streak, but still hold the best run differential in the NL West and first place. It’s mostly been the pitching that’s dominated, holding the second-best ERA in the majors (2.80) with only 75 runs allowed. Nick Pivetta, yes you read that correctly, is making an early bid for NL Cy Young, holding a 1.20 ERA through 30 innings.

5. Yankees

The Yankees might be doomed for fifth place on this list the entire season. Which hey, isn’t that bad of a destiny.

They’re easily the best team in the AL, with only a few teams trailing them to dethrone them. Aaron Judge is the greatest hitter we’ve all seen since Barry Bonds, and he’s doing it without a balanced breakfast. The man is batting .408 and slugging .714. We could be witnessing the greatest, clean, season ever by a position player. They just need Devin Williams to stop blowing saves.

6. Tigers

The Tigers have a top-five uniform in the game. Anyone disagree?

Anyways, Detroit’s sophomore season after last year’s postseason run continues to be successful. They’re 6-4 in their last ten games and are 15-10 atop the AL Central. They’re also the only club in the division with a positive run differential at +30.

This is another club being led by their pitching staff, which is third in the majors and best in the AL with a 2.94 ERA. It’s actually been insanely impressive. Only Keider Montero and Reese Olson have ERAs in that rotation that start above 3, with Olson’s sitting at 3.29. Not one mainstay in the bullpen has an ERA that starts with a two.

7. Diamondbacks

The D-backs continue their rollercoaster ride in our top-10. At six last week, the snakes fell down a spot due to a three-game losing streak and 5-5 record in their last 10 games.

But most teams in the division are skidding, and the D-backs are 14-12. They’ve hit the seventh most homers in the league (35) and are third in OPS (.770). It’s still the rotation that’s holding them back, but it is worth mentioning Corbin Burnes has had two solid back-to-back starts.

8. Giants

Have you guys heard about how every team in the NL West is skidding?

Well, that includes the Giants. They’re also 5-5 in their last 10 games and lost 2-0 Friday night to the Rangers in the Bruce Bochy Bowl.

San Francisco has still done enough to get back in the top-10. I dropped them because I thought they were fraudulent and don’t believe in the roster. But they continue to win and bounced back from a rough week. So here they are.

The club has the 18th best team OPS in the majors at .693, the 12th most homers in the league with 28, and have the 22nd best team average at .227. Yet they’ve scored 129 runs. The team ERA is 3.50 and seventh best in the majors, which has been a pleasant surprise.

9. Mariners

Seattle is here to stay for week four.

The Mariners had a modest week, going 6-4 to improve to 14-12. They’ve allowed the same amount of runs they’ve scored, something the first-place Rangers can’t say with their -13 run differential.

The offense is having a nice year, led by Cal Raleigh‘s league-leading nine homers and Jorge Polanco‘s 193 OPS+. The pitching staff has been modest with a 13th-best team ERA, but Andrés Muñoz has a major league-leading 9 saves and hasn’t allowed a run. That’ll work.

10. Phillies

Philadelphia is hanging on by a thread.

The roster is too good to leave them off the top-10. But nothing is going right for the Phils. They’re on a five-game losing streak. They got spun around by the first-place Mets. And they’re in danger of falling behind the third-place, 12-13 Marlins. The Phillies’ offense is loaded, but they’re 22nd in the league with 21 homers and 12th in OPS (.712).

Something’s gotta give in the city of Brotherly Love. Rob Thomson should absolutely be on the hot seat.

Rest of the Field

11. Rangers
12. Reds
13. Red Sox
14. Braves
15. Brewers
16. Blue Jays
17. Orioles
18. Guardians
19. Astros
20. Rays
21. Royals
22. Athletics
23. Nationals
24. Cardinals
25. Pirates
26. Angels
27. Marlins
28. Twins
29. White Sox
30. Rockies

 

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