MLB Power Rankings: Red-hot Oakland A’s crack the top-10
By Brad Weiss
2021 MLB Power Rankings: Red-hot Oakland A’s crack the top-10
No. 10 and 9
. 8-8. Previous: . Tampa Bay Rays. 10. team. 21
The Tampa Bay Rays made a stunning run to the World Series last season and based on the first half of April, they should be right back in the mix again in 2021. The Rays are fresh off a three-game sweep inside Yankee Stadium and have looked like one of the more complete teams in the American League.
On the mound, Tyler Glasnow has taken over where Blake Snell left off, posting a 0.73 earned run average across his first four starts. Glasnow has struck out better than a batter per inning, and he is in the early consideration for AL Cy Young.
Joey Wendle leads the Rays in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in, and has stepped up as Randy Arozarena has struggled out of the gate. Diego Castillo has been a monster out of the pen, striking out 13 in nine innings of work.
9. team. 127. . 10-7. Previous: . San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres made big waves this offseason, as they signed budding superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. to a monster contract. Tatis struggled with injuries early on, but he is back in the lineup now and is still getting comfortable at the plate as the team heads to the middle of April looking to catch up to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Eric Hosmer has been the man at the dish for the Padres early on this season, as he is batting well over .300, and is proving to be the veteran leader that this young team needs. He leads the team with 14 runs batted in, which is three better than Wil Myers.
On the hill, Joe Musgrove made all the headlines this season, as he pitched the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history. Yu Darvish has been everything this franchise could have hoped for as well, so looking at this team as a whole, they are going to be a problem the rest of the way.