MLB Power Rankings: Mets, Orioles, Red Sox, Phillies in top 10

1. Chicago Cubs (24-6, previously No. 1) – Will the Cubs ever lose this season? They have won seven straight games and an astonishing plus-102 run differential. Even if they played just .500-ball the rest of the season, they will still finish with 90 wins, which shows just how good their start has been.

2. Chicago White Sox (22-10, previously No. 2) – The White Sox have carried their hot start from April over to May as they have won three games in a row and have a five-game lead in the AL Central. Pitching has carried them thus far with Jose Quintana’s 1.38 ERA being second in the AL and Chris Sale’s 1.79 ERA being fourth.

3. New York Mets (19-11, previously No. 4) – New York has won six of its last 10 games to jump to the top of the NL East over the Nationals. Matt Harvey seems to be turning a corner and Yoenis Cespedes is now swinging a hot bat. He has 11 home runs and 30 RBIs, second and first respectively in the National League.

4. Washington Nationals (19-12, previously No. 3) – The Nationals were atop the NL East, but losing four straight games has taken them out of the top spot. Starter Tanner Roark is enjoying a great start to the year with a 2.03 ERA, good for fifth in the NL.

5. Baltimore Orioles (18-12, previously No. 9) – Many picked the Orioles to finish in last place in the AL East, but they have flipped the script and are leading the division. Mark Trumbo has been one of the biggest surprises in the lineup as he’s hit nine homers, which are second in the American League.

6. Boston Red Sox (18-13, previously No. 6) – Although the Red Sox are five games over .500 and right behind the Orioles in the AL East, there are still concerns with the rotation. David Price and Clay Buchholz both have ERA’s over 6.00, but the biggest surprise has been knuckleballer Steven Wright, who has allowed two runs or less in all six of his starts this year.

7. Seattle Mariners (18-13, previously No. 11) – Led by its offense, Seattle is atop the AL West standings just over a month into the season. As expected, Robinson Cano is leading the way with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs, both of which lead the American League.

8. Texas Rangers (18-14, previously No. 10) – The Rangers have won three games in a row and are just behind the Mariners in the AL West. They don’t have many superstars – besides Cole Hamels – but are playing solid complimentary baseball and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

9. Philadelphia Phillies (18-14, previously No. 5) – Somehow the Phillies are four games over .500 with a minus-27 run differential. This may be an indication they aren’t as good as their record shows, but nonetheless they are one of the biggest surprises in baseball to this point in the season.

10. Pittsburgh Pirates (17-14, previously No. 7) – Pittsburgh is three games over .500 but because of the Cubs, they are already 7.5 games out in the NL Central. Mark Melancon continues to be one of the better closers in the game as his nine saves are tied for fourth in the NL.

11. San Francisco Giants (17-16, previously No. 13) – It’s been an up-and-down season for the Giants, which goes along with their plus-1 differential. They are being led by starters Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, who each have four wins, but need the rest of the staff to help out.

12. Miami Marlins (16-14, previously No. 17) — Miami has won seven of its last 10 games to get back into the thick of the NL East. They are being led by Martin Prado and his .397 batting average, which is the best in the National League.

13. Los Angeles Dodgers (16-15, previously No. 16) – One way for the Dodgers to improve on their record is to play better at home, as they are just 5-8. Kenta Maeda continues to impress everyone in baseball as his 1.66 ERA is third in the National League.

14. St. Louis Cardinals (16-16, previously No. 19) – Despite losing six of 10 games, the Cardinals still have a plus-40 run differential. They are third in the NL Central, but having a run differential like that is an indication they are better than their current record indicates. Aledmys Diaz is tied for first in the NL in batting average, hitting .396.

15. Toronto Blue Jays (16-17, previously No. 20) – With a lineup like Toronto has, it should be better than third place in the AL East. A big reason for this is a 9-10 record at home. Josh Donaldson has nine home runs and while offense will never be an issue for the Blue Jays, they need better performances from the mound.

16. Cleveland Indians (15-13, previously No. 22) – Cleveland has won six of its last 10 games, but unfortunately for them because of the White Sox’ start they are five games out of first in the AL Central. Besides Corey Kluber, the Indians have Danny Salazar in their rotation who has a 1.91 ERA, which is good for fifth in the AL.

17. Tampa Bay Rays (15-14, previously No. 24) – After a slow start, the Rays are starting to get it together. Tampa Bay is always known for its pitching, which is again the case this year as Erasmo Ramirez has six wins, tied for second in all of baseball.

18. Kansas City Royals (15-15, previously No. 12) – Kansas City has lost seven of its last 10 games to fall back in the standings in the AL Central. First baseman Eric Hosmer is enjoying a solid season to this point, batting .336, which is good for third in the American League.

19. Colorado Rockies (15-16, previously No. 15) – If the Rockies could improve on their 4-8 record at home, they would easily climb up the NL West standings. Nolan Arenado is off to one of the hottest starts at the plate in the league as his 12 home runs lead the National League.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks (15-18, previously No. 21) – Arizona has won three games in a row, but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt as those wins came over the lowly Braves. They still have a minus-20 run differential, which shows they really aren’t that good.

Bottom 10

21. Detroit Tigers (14-16, previously No. 8)

22. Oakland Athletics (14-18, previously No. 14)

23. Milwaukee Brewers (13-18, previously No. 25)

24. Los Angeles Angels (13-18, previously No. 18)

25. Cincinnati Reds (13-19, previously No. 23)

26. San Diego Padres (13-19, previously No. 26)

27. Houston Astros (12-20, previously No. 28)

28. New York Yankees (11-18, previously No. 27)

29. Minnesota Twins (8-23, previously No. 29)

30. Atlanta Braves (7-23, previously No. 30)