MLB Power Rankings: Cardinals and Royals rivalry expands to top of the rankings

1. team. 33. The pitching has been phenomenal all season, and with the offense finally starting to take shape, the Cardinals could be ready to separate themselves further from the rest of the NL Central. However, while the Cards have been impressive, it is worth noting that their collective strength of schedule thus far ranks just 22nd in baseball. That’ll change when the schedule breaks away from the divisional match-ups, but for now, the Cardinals are a winning the games they should be winning.. . Previous: . St. Louis Cardinals

7. Baseball’s best bullpen just got better with the return of Greg Holland. It was perfect timing too, with Kelvin Herrera serving his six-game suspension. The way the Royals come out of this stretch of suspensions will cement their standing as a new power in the game. Ideally, you’d like to see the Royals getting some better contributions from its rotation, but when you can shorten the game with that bullpen, it may not even be a necessity. . . Previous: +2nd. Kansas City Royals. 2. team

team. 71. What can you say about Zack Greinke, who has stepped up and given the Dodgers seven straight quality starts to start the season. That’s been huge for a rotation that struggled with injuries and had to endure a slow start from ace Clayton Kershaw.With an opt-out clause looming, Greinke could be positioning himself to be the top pitcher on the market next winter.. . Previous: -1th. Los Angeles Dodgers. 3

Previous: +3rd. New York Mets. 4. team. 3. Jeurys Familia has quickly become one of the best closers in baseball, but the Mets will face an interesting choice when Bobby Parnell, who is currently on rehab assignment, is ready to return to the roster. Undoubtedly, Parnell will only deepen what has been a surprisingly solid Mets bullpen, but Familia has likely earned the right to keep the role..

The pine tar incident and the subsequent injury overshadowed Michael Pineda’s solid 2014 season, but nothing has stood in the way in 2015. With a ridiculous 18:1 K/BB ratio, Pineda is off to a 5-0 start with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.91 FIP. Needless to say, Pineda is on pace to be better in 2015 than he was as an All-Star in his rookie season of 2011, and that’s precisely what the Yankees need.. . Previous: . New York Yankees. 5. team. 43