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MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox and Phillies surge – Metro US
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MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox and Phillies surge

MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox and Phillies surge
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1. Chicago Cubs (17-6, previously No. 1) – With a plus-78 run differential and winners of seven of their last 10 games, the Cubs remain at the top of the rankings. Along with solid pitching, the Cubs have Dexter Fowler with a .350 average, the fourth-highest in the NL and then Anthony Rizzo’s 24 RBIs, second-most in the NL.

2. Chicago White Sox (18-8, previously No. 3) – The White Sox are arguably the surprise of the season so far. Many expected them to be better than last year, but not this good. Jose Quintana and Chris Sale are leading the way with the fourth and fifth-best ERA’s in the American League.

3. Washington Nationals (17-7, previously No. 2) – Washington has won three games in a row and continue to be led by Bryce Harper and his nine home runs and 24 RBIs, both in the top-five in the NL. Aside from Harper, Daniel Murphy is hitting .365, which is third in the National League.

4. New York Mets (15-8, previously No. 7) – The Mets are one of the hottest teams in the game as they have won eight of 10 games and now only trail the Nationals by a game and a half in the NL East. Neil Walker continues his hot start at the plate with nine home runs, which are third-most in the NL.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (15-10, previously No. 18) – While some teams are hot, no team is hotter than the Phillies as they have won six games in a row and nine of the last 10. Starter Vince Velasquez continues to dominate with a 1.44 ERA, the fifth-best in the National League.

6. Boston Red Sox (15-10, previously No. 17) – Coming off a sweep of the Yankees, the Red Sox are heading in the right direction. The biggest thing for them moving forward is to get starters David Price and Clay Buchholz going in the right direction as they have ERAs over 6.00.

7. Pittsburgh Pirates (15-10, previously No. 10) – Pittsburgh is another team on fire as it has won eight of its last 10 games to trail the Cubs by three games in the NL Central. They do have just a plus-18 run differential, so there are areas to tighten up, but they are getting solid production from both the offense and from the mound.

8. Detroit Tigers (14-10, previously No. 22) — It was only a matter of time before the Tigers got things going, as they have now won five straight to get within striking distance of the White Sox. Jordan Zimmermann has been outstanding as he has a 0.55 ERA, the best in the majors.

9. Baltimore Orioles (14-10, previously No. 6) – The Orioles have been led by their offense in the early going this season. Manny Machado is hitting .350, tied for the second-best in the AL. Also, Mark Trumbo has been one of the biggest surprises as he has driven in 19 runs, fourth-most in the American League.

10. Texas Rangers (14-11, previously No. 11) – Although it may be one of the worst divisions in baseball, the Rangers are leading the AL West. Closer Shawn Tolleson is tied for the American League lead for saves with eight. They will need to get more production from the plate to stay where they are at the top of the division.

11. Seattle Mariners (13-11, previously No. 13) – Seattle has won seven of 10 games to now be right behind Texas at the top of the AL West. Robinson Cano has been one of the best hitters in the game with eight home runs and 24 RBIs to lead the AL and Felix Hernandez has a 1.38 ERA, third-best in the AL.

12. Kansas City Royals (13-11, previously No. 4) – It wasn’t the best of weeks for the Royals, as they fell to third place in the AL Central. Mike Moustakas continues to do damage at the plate as he now has nine home runs, which are tied for third in the American League, but he needs help from the rest of the lineup.

13. San Francisco Giants (13-13, previously No. 21) – San Francisco has won six of its last 10 games to move into a three-way tie for first in the NL West. Hunter Pence has been one of the best overall hitters in the NL as his 22 RBIs are fifth-most in the league.

14. Oakland Athletics (13-13, previously No. 12) – Oakland is just 1.5 games out in the AL West after a tough start. Rich Hill has been one of the biggest surprises in the game, as after coming over from Boston in the offseason, Hill is along the league leaders in strikeouts.

15. Colorado Rockies (12-12, previously No. 14) – The Rockies have won three straight games to get to the top of the NL West standings. They do have a minus-6 run differential because of poor pitching, which will obviously need to change if they want to stay at the top.

16. Los Angeles Dodgers (13-13, previously No. 5) – Uncharacteristically, it was a bad week for the Dodgers as they have lost seven of their last 10 games. Clayton Kershaw did turn things around Sunday as he tossed a shutout to end their losing streak. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back.

17. Miami Marlins (12-12, previously No. 26) — The Marlins are 12-12, but the biggest story with them is Dee Gordon being suspended 80 games. He is one of the biggest names to ever be suspended for PED use, which was quite surprising.

18. Los Angeles Angels (12-13, previously No. 24) – The Angels have won six of their last 10 games and tightened things up in the AL West as they only trail the Rangers by two games. They do have a negative run differential, which clearly needs to improve.

19. St. Louis Cardinals (12-13, previously No. 8) – St. Louis is struggling as it has dropped four straight games and now are in third place in the NL Central. At the plate, one of the biggest surprises for them has been Aledmys Diaz with his .405 average, good for second-best in the NL.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (12-14, previously No. 15) – After a hot start, the Blue Jays have cooled off, partly due to their 5-7 record at home. Toronto has one of the best lineups in baseball, but need to get better outings from the mound on a consistent basis.

Bottom 10

21. Arizona Diamondbacks (12-15, previously No. 16)

22. Cleveland Indians (10-12, previously No. 9)

23. Cincinnati Reds (10-15, previously No. 19)

24. Tampa Bay Rays (11-13, previously No. 20)

25. Milwaukee Brewers (9-15, previously No. 23)

26. San Diego Padres (9-16, previously No. 28)

27. New York Yankees (8-15, previously No. 25)

28. Houston Astros (8-17, previously No. 27)

29. Minnesota Twins (7-18, previously No. 29)

30. Atlanta Braves (6-18, previously No. 30)