Overrated? Yankees' surge leads them to top spot for first time

An SI poll of 185 current major leaguers released this week indicated that the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, Joba Chamberlain and Derek Jeter were the most overrated players in the majors. That news that didn't sit too kindly in New York City, where it was plastered on the front page of Wednesday's New York Daily News, which therein questioned whether the Yankee Stadium Bleacher Creatures needed to add a chant of "O-ver-rated."

Recently, however, it's been hard not to overrate what the Yankees have done on the field, which is why they have vaulted to No. 1 in the Power Rankings for the first time this season after winning four straight entering Thursday and 11 of their last 15.

New York will put that ranking to the test this weekend by facing the Angels in Anaheim before hosting two of the AL's best in the Red Sox and Indians. No matter where they play, expect the Yankees to keep slugging. New York averages almost as many longballs at their homer haven by the Harlem River (1.6 per game) as it does away from Yankee Stadium (1.5 per game).

What's more, the Yankees' overall total of 83 homers is 18 more than the next-closest team and have accounted for 140 of New York's 283 runs (49.5 percent). Curtis Granderson has hit 17 home runs and Mark Teixeira has 16, and their two-man total of 33 is as many as the Padres have and more than the A's and Mariners. That doesn't include Robinson Cano's 11 or the nine each from Russell Martin and A-Rod.

NOTE: All stats are updated through Wednesday, June 1.

MLB Power Rankings