D.S. Williamson
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One team on my MLB Power Rankings May Week 2 has solidified itself as being better than all other teams. The New York Yankees are as solid as it gets. The Yankees have discovered how to win games with defense. They’re also great at manufacturing runs.
See below for my entire MLB Power Rankings May Week 2!
MLB Power Rankings May Week 2
American League
** All records as of May 7
1. New York Yankees 20-9
Last Week: 2
The Yankees swept the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. That’s how good New York has become. If you hate the Yankees, and there are a lot of you, maybe you should shut your eyes the rest of this season. The batting line-up is monstrous while the rotation has come together nicely.
2. Houston Astros 21-11
Last Week: 4
I leap-frogged the Astros over a couple of teams in this week’s power rankings because they went 2 and 2 versus the Angels at Angel Stadium after dominating Texas. When you can beat up your division foes, you impress me!
3. Baltimore Orioles 20-10
Last Week: 2
The O’s drop a spot. They’re ridiculous 3-game series versus Boston, where they not only lost 2 but got a few players thrown out in one of the games, is a sign that Baltimore must get it together if they hope to stick with the Yankees in the AL East.
4. Cleveland Indians 17-13
Last Week: 3
I saw no reason to drop the Indians more than a single spot. Sure, they lost their first 2 games of a 4-game series to Detroit last week. But, Cleveland beat Detroit in the third game while the fourth game got rained out. Trouncing KC to end the week doesn’t necessarily impress me. It definitely doesn’t depress me, though.
5. Boston Red Sox 17-14
Last Week: 5
It’s hard to get a bead on the Red Sox. When you’ve got to ban a fan for life for making racial slurs at Adam Jones and one of your best players of all time is named Big Papi from the Dominican Republic, you might have issues as an organization. Why? Because you know as well as I do that it wasn’t the first-time Boston fans had hurled racial slurs at opposing players.
6. Minnesota Twins 15-14
Last Week: 7
How do you lose 3 out of 4 to end the week and still jump a spot in the rankings? Everybody behind you plays worse than you do. If they had beaten Boston in 2 out of 3 to end the week, I may have made them fifth.
7. Chicago White Sox 15-15
Last Week: 6
The White Sox switched spots with the Twins. There’s a reason why. Simply put, the Twins had a better week. Don’t be surprised if Chicago blows by Minnesota and grabs the fifth spot after this week.
8. Detroit Tigers 15-15
Last Week: 10
Detroit hopped 2 spots from number 10 to number 8. The Tigers played .500 ball winning 3 out of 6 last week. One of their games was postponed. What the Tigers did well last week was beating Cleveland in 2 out of 3. What the Tigers didn’t do well last week was losing to the A’s in 2 out of 3.
9. L.A. Angels 16-17
Last Week: 8
The Angels lost 4 of their last 5 games to end the week. What’s worrisome is that 2 losses were to Seattle, and the other 2 losses were to Houston. You must win in your division to have any hope of making it to the post-season.
10. Tampa Bay Rays 16-17
Last Week: 9
Tampa Bay went 4 and 3 last week. That’s not bad. The problem is that the Rays play in arguably the best division in MLB with the Yankees, Orioles, and Red Sox. If the Rays played in the AL West or Central, they might be a division crown contender.
11. Seattle Mariners 15-17
Last Week: 13
The Mariners finished off the week by beating the Angels in 2 and 3 and beating the Rangers in 2 out of 3. Because they’re en fuego, they get to move up 2 spots from last week.
12. Oakland Athletics 14-17
Last Week: 12
I didn’t see any reason to move the Athletics. They did win 3 out of their last 4 games last week. The problem is that they had gone 2 and 9 straight up before winning 3 out of their last 4. 7 of the 9 losses were to division foes.
13. Texas Rangers 13-19
Last Week: 11
The Rangers are a mess. They’ve lost 6 out of their last 8 as of May 7. Cole Hamels is on the DL. There’s not a whole lot to like about the Rangers moving forward.
14. Toronto Blue Jays 11-20
Last Week: 14
The Blue Jays should turn to the method that they used to beat Tampa Bay 2 to 1 this past Sunday. Toronto used 5 different pitchers. Forget this stuff about pulling your pitcher after the 6th inning. Pull him sooner! If you’re Toronto, you know your starters can’t last that long. Just make everyone a reliever and get on with it.
15. Kansas City Royals 10-20
I’m so happy the Royals won the World Series in 2015 because now they’re just really, really, really bad again.
National League
** All records as of May 7
1. Washington Nationals 21-10
Last Week: 1
They went 4 and 2 in their 6 games during the week. Don’t hold your breath waiting for these guys to fall. They won those 4 games last week with Harper out due to a groin injury.
2. Colorado Rockies 20-12
Last Week: 2
If you get a chance look at the stats and see how Colorado pitcher Antonio Senzatela performed this past Monday night against the Chicago Cubs. If he was solid versus the Cubs, forget it. The Rockies should win the NL West.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers 17-14
Last Week: 5
The Dodgers moved up big time this past week. The reason is because LAD has won 7 of their last 9 as of May 7. They should have no trouble handling the Pirates this week at Chavez-Ravine in a series. Unless, of course, putting Hyun-Jin Ryu on the DL messes up the rotation.
4. St. Louis Cardinals 16-14
Last Week: 6
St. Louis got the bailout series over the weekend. The Cards had gone 1 and 3 straight up in their 4 previous games before tackling the Atlanta Braves at home in a 3-game series to end the week. Yep. The Cards beat Atlanta in all 3 games.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks 18-15
Last Week: 4
First, the Nationals roughed up the D’Backs when they beat them in 2 out of 3. Then, the Rockies roughed up the D’Backs when they beat them in 2 out of 3. The 2 losses to the Rockies stung way more than the losses to the best team in the National League.
6. Cincinnati Reds 17-14
Last Week: 10
Cincinnati became the biggest mover on my power rankings by winning 6 out of 7. But, before you start high-fiving each other, Cincinnati fans, 3 of the wins were versus Pittsburgh and the other 3 were versus San Francisco.
7. Chicago Cubs 16-15
Last Week: 4
I had to drop the Cubbies 3 spots after the Yankees swept them over the weekend. They also lost 1 game to the Phillies in a 4-game series last week. It’s not time to panic just yet because nobody in the NL Central is playing all that well.
8. New York Mets 14-16
Last Week: 13
My apologies. The Mets are my highest climber this week, not the Reds. Just when you think the Mets are done, they start winning again. NYM is only 4 games behind Washington in the NL East Division. They won 4 out of 6 games played last week. Yes, all 4 wins were against suspect squads Atlanta and Miami. But, they still won.
9. Milwaukee Brewers 16-16
Last Week: 7
The Brewers were 13-13 last week. This week they’re 16-16. If they play .500 ball they might have a shot in the NL Central where everybody is jockeying for position.
10. Pittsburgh Pirates 14-17
Last Week: 11
Pitt moves up a spot even though they started last week by losing 3 out of 4 to the Reds. They did finish the week winning 2 out of 3 versus the Brewers.
11. Philadelphia Phillies 13-17
Last Week: 9
They beat the Cubs once in a 4-game series. Then, they beat the Nationals once in a 3-game series. That’s not crazy bad if you’re the Philadelphia Phillies.
12. Miami Marlins 13-17
Last Week: 8
1 and 2 versus the Rays and 1 and 2 versus the Mets just isn’t all that great. I know 4 spots is a big drop. But, that’s what happens when you go 2 and 4 in a week.
13. Atlanta Braves 11-18
Last Week: 12
The Braves lost 5 out of their 6 games last week. It might only be a matter of time before Atlanta grabs spot 15 in my NL Power Rankings.
14. San Diego Padres 12-20
Last Week: 14
The Padres continue to be horrible. They ended the week by losing 4 straight: 2 to the Rockies, and 2 to the Dodgers.
15. San Francisco Giants 11-21
Last Week: 15
The Reds, yes, the Cincinnati Reds swept the Giants in 3 games last week. That’s the San Francisco Giants. I don’t see any miracle rush to the playoffs this season from the G-Men.
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