Power Rankings: Cardinals, Dodgers battle for top spot; Royals up to No. 3
One point: That's all that separated the Cardinals and the Dodgers for first place in this week's Power Rankings. Ultimately, it was St. Louis that came away with the top spot, picking up four of the seven first-place votes to hold onto No. 1 for the third straight week. Los Angeles grabbed the remaining three first-place votes and stays at No. 2. The Royals jumped up to No. 3, leapfrogging the Yankees, who remained No. 4 for a second straight week. The Mets move up from No. 7 last week to round out the top five, pushing the Astros down to No. 6.
We're No. 1: Cardinals
Cardinals dominate Cubs series, but rivalry may be primed for a revival
St. Louis still has the majors' best record at 22–9 and boasts a 6 1/2-game lead over the Cubs in the National League Central, but are there cracks appearing in the Cardinals' facade? The team's pitching took a beating last week, giving up 36 runs in seven games, and while the Redbirds managed to go 4–3 in that span thanks to some timely hitting, manager Mike Matheny has to be concerned about some of his starters. In particular, Carlos Martinez was hammered for 14 earned runs in two starts while walking eight men in nine innings. The two disaster outings ballooned his ERA from 1.73 to 4.89, and his control continues to be an issue, as he carries an unsightly walks-per-nine rate of 3.7. Fellow young starter Michael Wacha has some dispiriting peripherals of his own: Despite tossing six scoreless frames in his last turn, Wacha struck out just one batter and has only 19 on the season in 38 2/3 innings. Those two need to get untracked if the Cardinals are to remain the best team in baseball.
Cellar Dweller: Phillies
Yankees' Michael Pineda looks like an ace with 16 strikeouts against Orioles
As bad as Philadelphia is, it should be even worse. The Phillies are 11–21, but its Pythagorean record—which calculates wins and losses based on runs scored and allowed—is 9–23. That's thanks to a -60 run differential, far and away the game's worst. The lack of offense has been especially glaring: The Phillies are averaging just 2.84 runs per game and have hit only 17 home runs, both worst in the majors. Only two Philadelphia hitters—Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis—have an OPS+ over 100, and only Howard and Chase Utley have broken the double-digit mark in RBIs. There isn't much hope for the Phillies' offense to perk up, either: Their lineup is comprised of over-the-hill veterans and flawed youngsters. In short, don't expect to see Philadelphia leave this spot in our rankings any time soon.
Biggest Riser: Blue Jays
Awards Watch: Vogt, Keuchel among surprising early-season leaders
Toronto climbed eight spots this week, shooting all the way up to 10th, on the strength of a 4–2 week that saw it win series against the Yankees and Red Sox. The offense has carried the load for the Blue Jays—they lead the majors with 5.38 runs per game, and the team's 113 OPS+ is fourth-best in baseball—but unless the pitching improves this may be a short stay in the top 10. Toronto is giving up a horrible 4.78 runs per game and has a collective ERA of 4.59. Most of that blame can go to the rotation, which has a 5.20 ERA in 174 2/3 innings so far. The Jays' combination of untested young arms and veterans hasn't worked to plan: Of the rookies, Daniel Norris is already back in Triple A after struggling with his control (12 walks in 23 1/3 innings), and the similarly challenged Aaron Sanchez (a whopping 25 free passes in 32 1/3 innings) may soon join him if he doesn't improve. R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle, meanwhile, are showing their age: Buehrle, 36, has a 6.00 ERA and six homers allowed in 33 innings, while the 40-year-old Dickey has allowed 20 walks and seven home runs in 45 frames.
Biggest Faller: Orioles/Athletics
Both of these teams took a tumble: Baltimore went from No. 10 to No. 18, and Oakland fell from No. 15 to No. 23. The Orioles managed just one win in six tries last week, dropping a pair to the Mets and three of four to the Yankees, as the team's offense fell asleep. Baltimore scored just 18 runs in its six contests and ended the week by striking out 16 times against New York's Michael Pineda in a 6–2 loss. But for as bad as the Orioles looked, things are far worse in the Bay Area. The A's have lost five straight, dropped six of seven last week and sit in last place in the AL West at a sobering 12–21, already 8 1/2 games behind the Astros.
Did Athletics push Parker too hard in recovery from second Tommy John?
Oakland has been terrible in one-run games, going 1–10, and while that record tends to even out over the course of a full season, the main culprit for it—a struggling bullpen—may not. A's relievers have an unsightly 5.16 ERA and have surrendered 13 home runs in 99 1/3 innings. Manager Bob Melvin has no one in the 'pen he can trust beyond closer Tyler Clippard and Evan Scribner, a 28-year-old righty and former 28th-round draft pick who has struck out 20 in 18 innings. Aside from those two, it's been a wasteland: Dan Otero has a 4.73 ERA in 13 1/3 innings and top lefty Fernando Abad has a 5.79 mark to date. Sean Doolittle, an All-Star closer last year, remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, so the A's will simply have to go forward with a shaky unit for the time being and hope things improve.
1. St. Louis Cardinals
PREVIOUS: 1
RECORD: points207
Low Vote: 2nd (3x)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
PREVIOUS: 2
RECORD: points206
Low Vote: 2nd (4x)
3. Kansas City Royals
PREVIOUS: 5
RECORD: points187
Low Vote: 11th
4. New York Yankees
PREVIOUS: 4
RECORD: points182
Low Vote: 7th
5. New York Mets
PREVIOUS: 7
RECORD: points181
Low Vote: 6th
6. Houston Astros
Low Vote: 10th
7. Detroit Tigers
PREVIOUS: 6
RECORD: points165
Low Vote: 12th (3x)
8. Washington Nationals
PREVIOUS: 13
RECORD: points159
Low Vote: 11th
9. Tampa Bay Rays
PREVIOUS: 12
RECORD: points135
Low Vote: 22nd
10. Toronto Blue Jays
PREVIOUS: 18
RECORD: points134
Low Vote: 20th
11. San Diego Padres
PREVIOUS: 8
RECORD: points133
Low Vote: 15th (2x)
12. Minnesota Twins
PREVIOUS: 19
RECORD: points131
Low Vote: 22nd
13. Pittsburgh Pirates
PREVIOUS: 11
RECORD: points118
Low Vote: 17th (2x)
14. Miami Marlins
PREVIOUS: 14
RECORD: points116
Low Vote: 19th
15. Chicago Cubs
PREVIOUS: 9
RECORD: points112
Low Vote: 19th (3x)
16. Los Angeles Angels
PREVIOUS: 17
RECORD: points107
Low Vote: 18th (4x)
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
PREVIOUS: 23
RECORD: points98
Low Vote: 26th
18. Baltimore Orioles
PREVIOUS: 10
RECORD: points96
Low Vote: 22nd
19. San Francisco Giants
PREVIOUS: 20
RECORD: points91
Low Vote: 25th
20. Cincinnati Reds
PREVIOUS: 21
RECORD: points84
Low Vote: 28th
21. Seattle Mariners
PREVIOUS: 24
RECORD: points80
Low Vote: 23rd (2x)
22. Boston Red Sox
PREVIOUS: 16
RECORD: points70
Low Vote: 26th (3x)
23. Oakland Athletics
PREVIOUS: 15
RECORD: points62
Low Vote: 28th
24. Atlanta Braves
PREVIOUS: 22
RECORD: points60
Low Vote: 28th
25. Cleveland Indians
PREVIOUS: 25
RECORD: points45
Low Vote: 26th (2x)
26. Texas Rangers
PREVIOUS: 27
RECORD: points43
Low Vote: 27th
27. Chicago White Sox
PREVIOUS: 28
RECORD: points40
Low Vote: 27th (4x)
28. Milwaukee Brewers
PREVIOUS: 29
RECORD: points19
Low Vote: 30th
29. Colorado Rockies
PREVIOUS: 26
RECORD: points15
Low Vote: 30th
30. Philadelphia Phillies
PREVIOUS: 30
RECORD: points10
Low Vote: 30th (5x)
