MLB Power Rankings: Red-hot Oakland A's crack the top-10

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Cincinnati Reds right fielder Tyler Naquin (12) gestures toward the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, April 18, 2021, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Cleveland Indians won, 6-3.Cleveland Indians At Cincinnati Reds April 18 /

2021 MLB Power Rankings: Red-hot Oakland A’s crack the top-10

No. 8 and 7

Oakland Athletics. 8. team. 96. . 9-7. Previous:

The hottest team in baseball plays in the Bay Area, as the Oakland Athletics have shaken off a 1-7 start to the 2021 MLB season to win eight straight games. They have done it due to a nice combination of solid starting pitching on some days, and clutch hitting on others, the recipe for any good run this time of year.

With the streak, the A’s are now sitting atop the AL West and can stay there if they continue to get solid contributions up and down the lineup. Jed Lowrie leads the team with a .333 batting average, and in runs batted in with 15, as the Oakland lineup has blasted 19 home runs as a team already this season.

On the hill, most of the starters have posted earned run averages over 4.00, but they did get Sean Manaea back recently, and that is going to help. Luckily, the bullpen has been lights out this season and will need to be if the A’s will continue to stave off the likes of Houston and Los Angeles in this division.

61. . 9-6. Previous: . Cincinnati Reds. 7. team

The Cincinnati Reds have lost three of their last five games, which has put a dent in their record, but this is one of the best teams in baseball to start the 2021 campaign. Nick Castellanos leads the way with a batting average inching closer to .300, and Tyler Naquin has been the star at the dish all season long.

Naquin is enjoying a monster season, blasting six home runs through the first 15 games, and has already driven in 15 runs so far. On the hill, Cincinnati is getting a great effort from most of their starting rotation, including Wade Miley, Tyler Mahle, and Jeff Hoffman, all of which have earned run averages under 3.00 to start the year.

Also, the Reds are proving to be deep on both offense, and on the hill, as they already have four players with double-digit runs batted in through the first 15 contests. The bullpen has also been lights out, so I would not expect this team to go anywhere anytime soon.

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