Major League Baseball Power Rankings

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 26 April 2013 | 22.49

1. ATLANTA BRAVES [up from 3]
Record: 15-6
Last 10: 5-5

Not only are the Braves pitching better than anyone else -- half a run a game better than NL teams -- they're getting incredible production from Justin Upton. The younger Upton was the first Atlanta player to have eight home runs in the season's first 13 games. Then he soared into double digits in Denver with his 10th and 11th blasts, the latter right after big bro B.J., who has smacked three but is still batting just .150.

2. TEXAS RANGERS [up from 4]
Record: 15-7
Last 10: 7-3

Despite some bad news in the pitching department, the Rangers continue to roam among baseball's elite. Matt Harrison is out after back surgery and Joakim Soria's return to the bullpen was delayed, but closer Joe Nathan, 38, has been steady as ever, successfully converting his first seven save opportunities.

3. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS [up from 5]
Record: 13-9
Last 10: 5-5

Seven is the charm for the re-born Barry Zito of the Giants. In three of his first four starts he threw seven innings without allowing a run, all at home. On the road he bombed, getting knocked out in the third inning. Pablo Sandoval is quickly rounding into form -- something he does well, leading the Giants' offence.

4. BOSTON RED SOX [up from 9]
Record: 15-7
Last 10: 7-3

Hip, hip hooray for the Red Sox' Mike Napoli. Boston restructured his contract from three years to one when they found a degenerative hip condition, but the sturdy first baseman knocked in 26 runs in his first 21 games. He's shooting for the club record for April of 31, set by Manny Ramirez.

5. COLORADO ROCKIES [up from 22]
Record: 14-8
Last 10: 6-4

With Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez combining for 10 homers and 29 RBI in the first 20 games, there's no doubt the Rockies can rake. Their pitchers have also been pretty decent, led by Jhoulys Chacin, off to a 3-0 record and 1.46 earned run average.

6. BALTIMORE ORIOLES [up from 13]
Record: 13-9
Last 10: 7-3

After 17 consecutive extra-innings wins going back to last season, the Orioles and closer Jim Johnson finally proved mortal when they lost at Camden Yards to the Blue Jays. Johnson, who had 51 saves last year, was eight-for-eight in 2013 before surrendering his first run of the year in the loss.

7. CINCINNATI REDS [down from 6]
Record: 13-10
Last 10: 7-3

In a very tight National League Central division, the Reds are rolling along nicely without their ace Johnny Cueto, who strained a lat muscle. Joey Votto's getting his homer stroke in order with homers in back-to-back games after last season's power shortage due to injury.

8. OAKLAND ATHLETICS [down from 7]
Record: 13-10
Last 10: 4-6

Those swinging A's have been piling up the runs to the tune of a league-leading 124 through their first 22 games. They've been particularly potent against the AL West with an 11-2 record in their division. Jed Lowrie, who wrested the starting shortstop job in spring training, had nine multi-hit games in the early going.

9. WASHINGTON NATIONALS [down from 1]
Record: 11-11
Last 10: 4-6

It's been a rough stretch for the Nationals, who dropped series against the Mets and the Cardinals. Bryce Harper's been the lone bright spot for the offence, leading the regulars in average, homers and RBI. Starters Dan Haren and Gio Gonzalez have ugly ERAs through the first month of the season.

10. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS [up from 14]
Record: 13-8
Last 10: 6-4

It took until his 34th inning before the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright gave up his first walk. By that time he had 37 strikeouts and a 4-1 record with a 1.93 ERA. With rookie Shelby Miller (3-1, 2.16 ERA) inserted into the rotation, the Cards had the third-best pitching in the league.

11. KANSAS CITY ROYALS [up from 18]
Record: 11-8
Last 10: 5-5

It's been a Royal display of executing their game plan after Kansas City finally upgraded their starting pitching, allowing their talented hitters and fielders a chance to win. James Shields, Wade Davis and Ervin Santana moved to the top of the rotation and it's made the Royals look like contenders.

12. MILWAUKEE BREWERS [up from 25]
Record: 11-9
Last 10: 9-1

That was a Major League record for the Brewers, who became the first team to start 2-8 and then win nine consecutive games. It's been all or nothing for Ryan Braun, who endured a 7-for-36 stretch that included 17 strikeouts. The good news was that five of the seven hits were home runs.

13. NEW YORK YANKEES [up from 16]
Record: 12-9
Last 10: 6-4

Until running into some stiff pitching in Tampa Bay, the Bronx Bombers, even without all their injured stars, were leading the league in home runs (they're still second). While it was a surprise that Derek Jeter turned up with another cracked bone in his ankle, it was no surprise that Mariano Rivera was perfect in his first seven save chances.

14. DETROIT TIGERS [down from 2]
Record: 10-10
Last 10: 5-5

Even though they had the second-best batting average in the American League, the Tigers have been toothless when hitting with runners in scoring position. Detroit dipped down to their Toledo farm team to call up flame-thrower Bruce Rondon but also brought back dancing Papa Grande, Jose Valverde, as their closer.

15. PITTSBURGH PIRATES [up from 24]
Record: 13-9
Last 10: 7-3

Want a recipe for late-inning success? Send a tweet to @GrillCheese49. That would be Jason Grilli, who melted opposition bats with nine saves in nine tries, allowing just three hits. The 36-year-old Grilli had five lifetime saves entering this season.

16. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS [up from 17]
Record: 13-9
Last 10: 5-5

Cody Ross may be a D-Back, but he didn't forget how to torment the Yankees after playing last season for the Red Sox. Ross, coming off a calf injury, cranked out seven hits in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. 23-year-old lefty starter Patrick Corbin was off to a 2-0, 1.71 ERA ledger.

17. NEW YORK METS [up from 23]
Record: 10-10
Last 10: 4-6

The Buck stops at Citi Field. Catcher John Buck is recapturing his form of 2010, when he smashed 20 homers with 66 RBIs for the Blue Jays. A seven-homer, 22-RBI surge in April is making up for the .227 and .191 averages he fashioned the last two seasons. He was briefly a Jay again in the off-season, passing through Toronto from Miami on his way to the Mets.

18. TAMPA BAY RAYS [down from 10]
Record: 10-12
Last 10: 6-4

Live penguins and garden gnomes! What will the Rays' Joe Maddon think of next? He gave Yunel Escobar advice to use a longer bat and the struggling shortstop, hitting .119 at the time, homered in back-to-back games. Lefty Matt Moore has been scintillating, with a 4-0 record, allowing 10 hits in 26 innings.

19. MINNESOTA TWINS [up from 26]
Record: 9-9
Last 10: 5-5

4-14 against the White Sox last season, the Twins shocked the Pale Hose with a sweep in the Windy City. Meanwhile Minnesota, along with Colorado, is contending for the worst home-field conditions to numb the nerve endings of the opposition. Joe Mauer enjoyed a recent surge of 20 hits in 10 games.

20. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES [up from 21]
Record: 9-14
Last 10: 3-7

The once pitching-rich Phillies were right down to their Pettibone for starting pitching. 22-year-old Jonathan Pettibone replaced the injured John Lannan. Cole Hamels started 0-3, and Roy Halladay, after two wins, left his latest start with a 3-1 lead after six one-hit innings, but the bullpen coughed up the lead and the victory.

21. TORONTO BLUE JAYS [down from 11]
Record: 9-14
Last 10: 3-7

With shaky pitching, brutal defence and the heart of the order walking the Mendoza line (.200) it's no wonder the Blue Jays can't win a series. Edwin Encarnacion (42 homers last year) finally started getting untracked in Baltimore and New York, going deep in back-to-back-to-back starts, while Joey Bats matched EE's example in a win with his fifth dinger.

22. CLEVELAND INDIANS [down from 19]
Record: 8-11
Last 10: 4-6

Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was a point lower than Yunel Escobar with a .118 average before he managed a four-game hit streak, including the game-winning two RBIs against Chicago. Cabrera, who totaled 41 homers the last two seasons, has been bothered by a sore wrist due to a fall on the dugout steps.

23. LOS ANGELES DODGERS [down from 8]
Record : 10-11
Last 10 : 3-7

Zack Greinke didn't dodge, so he's out with a broken collarbone, compliments of Carlos Quentin. Now the Dodgers have lost Chad Billingsley to Tommy John surgery. Former Jay (and John Gibbons sparring partner) Ted Lily rejoined the L.A. rotation with seven strikeouts and only one run allowed in his first start.

24. LOS ANGELES ANGELS [down from 15]
Record: 8-13
Last 10: 5-5

The "other" L.A. team is on a similar scary ride at Disneyland. That would be the injury parade. Evasive action by Jered Weaver knocked him out of the line-up with that non-throwing shoulder injury, and Albert Pujols, painfully hobbled, is only slightly better than last year's start-of-the-season no-show. Only Houston has a worse team ERA.

25. SEATTLE MARINERS [down from 20]
Record: 9-15
Last 10: 3-7

Is 100 wins at the age of 27 a gift fit for a king? "King" Felix Hernandez reached that mark as his career record became 100-78 with his win over the Astros. Another reason for celebration in Seattle would be the pitching of Hisashi Iwaguma, 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA and a batting average against of .164.

26. CHICAGO WHITE SOX [down from 12]
Record: 9-12
Last 10: 5-5

Not pulling a Tiger Williams here to say that the White Sox are Dunn like dinner, but the Chicago behemoth, Adam Dunn, has reverted back to 2011 form. He was batting half a Mendoza line (that would be .100 for the mathematically challenged) with eight hits and four homers. Not like last year's 41-homer campaign.

27. SAN DIEGO PADRES [unchanged]
Record: 6-15
Last 10: 4-6

Following the second-worst start in team history, the Padres finally got Chase Headley and Carlos Quentin into the line-up together for the first time on Tuesday. Headley, with 31 homers and 115 RBI last year, was coming off knee surgery. Quentin sat eight games for bulldozing the Dodgers' Greinke. Quentin homered in his second game back.

28. CHICAGO CUBS [no change]
Record: 7-14
Last 10: 3-7

The Cubs' first road win since April 4 interrupted their latest skid, a five-game losing streak. The combination of walks, errors and hit batters has been a favourite pattern in their run of inefficiency. On a positive note, Anthony Rizzo is leading the attack with six homers and 14 RBI, despite a sub .200 average.

29. HOUSTON ASTROS [up from 30]
Record: 7-15
Last 10: 3-7

Having reached 200 whiffs the quickest in MLB, the Astros lost centre-fielder Justin Maxwell to a fractured hand. Jose Altuve has lived up to expectations with 30 hits in a 20-game span. Houston has discovered an American League patsy in Seattle, whom they've beaten four times already. That's more than half their wins.

30. MIAMI MARLINS [down from 29]
Record: 5-17
Last 10: 3-7

Apologies to Justin Ruggiano, but when he's the face of your offence, you might be struggling. Seven players had more home runs than the entire Marlins' team, led by Ruggiano's three round-trippers. And they don't score playing small ball either. They're at the bottom in average, runs and these MLB rankings.


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