MLB Power Rankings: Angels, Yankees are legit and Mariners, Red Sox showing quit
By Tim Boyle
15. MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies
A four-game sweep against the Rockies helped the Philadelphia Phillies regain a respectable record. However, they were no-hit by the division rival New York Mets only a day later.
The Phillies are playing about exactly where they should be in the standings: the middle. Their hitters have been a huge disappointment with only a handful of clutch hits to make up for the slumps. Pitching has been about average, too. Climbing into the top 10 of future MLB Power Rankings is possible. Falling into the 20s is just as likely for this incredibly flawed roster that continues to stay afloat.
14. MLB Power Rankings: Seattle Mariners
Who are the real Seattle Mariners? They’re fading in the American League West. A team with Ty France as its best hitter and Logan Gilbert as its best pitcher shouldn’t be anywhere near contention.
Fortunately, magical things can happen early on in the season. The problem with the Mariners is it remains unclear just how good, bad, or average they are. Several of their young guys have been slow to start. Even the veterans they brought in, like Eugenio Suarez, and Jesse Winker, haven’t done much to help the club. The team will definitely need to find an improvement or two at this year’s trade deadline. From what we’ve seen early on, it’s a good roster yet not quite up there with the elite teams in baseball.
13. MLB Power Rankings: Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins have taken over as the biggest surprise of the season. Sitting with a record over .500 at the beginning of May, it’s not something too many people expected.
The Marlins have been building for several years. This season has started off favorably for the rotation they put together. Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez are in an early race to see who the ace of the staff is. Things have been bumpy for Trevor Rogers but there’s plenty of hope for him to turn things around positively. The Marlins shouldn’t find themselves getting too much higher on this list. Their strong beginning, though, should catch a few eyeballs.
12. MLB Power Rankings: Houston Astros
The season hasn’t started off the way the Houston Astros had hoped. There’s a lot of baseball left to play. Their underperforming lineup will have a chance to actually start hitting.
Houston has looked wise for bringing back Justin Verlander. Their weakness, however, may be some poor depth behind him. The Astros didn’t bring in any other starting pitchers of note over the offseason. They also neglected to aggressively add players to a lineup that included some young talent which has thus far showcased they may not be ready for the pressure.
11. MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins
The only team in the American League Central over .500, the Minnesota Twins have a starting lineup of players actually performing closer to their averages than most teams. Nobody is off to an exceptionally great start. A few guys do need to improve with Miguel Sano standing out as one of the biggest culprits.
With a roster still shy of reliability, they have managed to climb to the number one spot in the division mostly because of their starting pitching. Chris Archer was given another chance with them this year and has made the most of it. In the absence of an injured Sonny Gray and Bailey Ober whose own hot start shouldn’t be ignored, the Twins are finally beginning to benefit from an aggressive offseason.