1 surging club on verge of cracking Power Rankings Top 5
This week's Power Rankings feature a big shakeup thanks to teams that are surging and others that have gone into a tailspin. With a surprising 6-1 record last week, one particular American League East club has vaulted up the list with one of the biggest single-week jumps we've ever seen. Meanwhile, several National League teams had weeks they'd rather forget, resulting in dramatic drops down the list.
Here's a look at this week's rankings:
Biggest Jump: The Red Sox reeled off six wins in seven games this past week to leap up the rankings by 14 spots, from No. 20 to No. 6. Boston swept a four-game series from its AL rivals, the Blue Jays, at Fenway Park before taking two of three from the Phillies on the road this past weekend. With Rafael Devers snapping out of an early-season slump at the plate and Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo contributing offensively as well, the Red Sox are rolling.
Biggest drop: The Mets suffered the biggest fall in the rankings, dropping seven spots from No. 8 to No. 15 after a brutal week in which New York was swept by the Tigers and then lost two of three to the Rockies at Citi Field over the weekend. With Max Scherzer struggling in his return to the mound following his suspension and the offense slumping, times are tough in Queens for a club that entered the season with World Series aspirations.
Power Rankings Top 5:
1. Rays, 28-7 (last week: 1)
The Rays continue to reside in a league of their own after another tremendous week in which they went 5-1 by sweeping the NL Central-leading Pirates and then won two of three against the Yankees, capped by a thrilling victory in 10 innings Sunday thanks to Isaac Paredes’ walk-off single. Facing Gerrit Cole, Tampa Bay trailed New York by six runs but came all the way back to win its 28th game of the season.
2. Braves, 24-11 (last week: 2)
The Braves opened the week by splitting a doubleheader on Monday against the Mets in New York, and then swept the Marlins in Miami before winning two of three against the surging Orioles at home. Atlanta secured a series win over Baltimore in thrilling fashion Sunday, when reigning NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II delivered a walk-off double in the 12th inning to lift the Braves to their sixth win in eight games during the week.
3. Orioles, 22-12 (last week: 5)
While their brethren in the "fun early season stories" department, the Pirates, have fallen on hard times, the Orioles have continued to maintain their status in the powerful AL East after going 3-3 last week despite dropping two of three against the Braves in Atlanta. Next on the schedule? A return to Camden Yards to face the best team in baseball in a big early-season series against the Rays.
4. Blue Jays, 21-14 (last week: 3)
The week started off on the wrong note for Toronto, as the Blue Jays were swept in Boston by the suddenly red-hot Red Sox. But they gathered themselves and righted the ship by sinking the Pirates in a three-game sweep at PNC Park over the weekend, doing so in convincing fashion by outscoring Pittsburgh, 22-3. The Blue Jays hope to see their bats stay hot with a challenging stretch coming up -- they'll play two against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park before returning home to host the Braves, Yankees and Orioles.
5. Dodgers, 21-14 (last week: 11)
The Dodgers surged back to stun the rival Padres on Sunday Night Baseball, when Mookie Betts delivered a clutch game-tying homer in the ninth inning, and Los Angeles scored three in the 10th to pick up its eighth win in nine games and finish the week 5-1. After back-to-back three-game home sweeps of the Cardinals and Phillies, the Dodgers dropped the opener of their weekend set against the Padres at Petco Park, but they wouldn't be denied a series victory thanks to a two-run homer by Chris Taylor on Saturday and homers from Betts and James Outman on Sunday night.
6. Red Sox (20)
7. Rangers (10)
8. Brewers (4)
9. Astros (6)
10. Twins (9)
11. Padres (14)
12. D-backs (13)
13. Pirates (7)
14. Yankees (12)
15. Mets (8)
16. Angels (19)
17. Cubs (16)
18. Mariners (21)
19. Guardians (17)
20. Phillies (15)
21. Marlins (18)
22. Giants (23)
23. Tigers (25)
24. Rockies (26)
25. Reds (24)
26. Cardinals (22)
27. Nationals (27)
28. White Sox (28)
29. Royals (29)
30. A's (30)
Voters: Will Leitch, Alyson Footer, Paul Casella, Anthony Castrovince, Mark Feinsand, Nathalie Alonso, Sarah Langs, Arturo Pardavila, Andrew Simon, David Venn, Sweeny Murti, Doug Gausepohl, Travis Miller