MLB Power Rankings: Yankees among the best around, Mariners let us down
By Tim Boyle
15) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox
Hey, the Boston Red Sox aren’t ready to give up yet. They can thank their lucky stars that Trevor Story decided to show up. His bad start in Boston will hardly be a chapter in this season. Just as everyone was about to start picking the Red Sox apart and find which players would be nice midseason trade fodder, they go and start winning games.
In any other division, the Red Sox might be able to climb into first place far quicker than they will in the American League East. Right now, they’re spoiling the hopes of fans in other cities to trade for J.D. Martinez or Nathan Eovaldi. The Red Sox are winning and that’s horrific news for every team left on their schedule.
14) MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves
It must be frustrating to follow the Atlanta Braves this season. They’re a lot like the Phillies. They have some really talented players but not enough to actually make much of an advancement in the standings. They lose too many games they shouldn’t.
Atlanta’s offense just won’t wake up this year. They have more in common with the all of the average teams than they would like to admit. Luckily for them, there’s a lot of baseball left to play. Someone splash some cold water on these players already.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox should probably be further down this list. They just can’t piece together anything consistent together. They’re beginning to look like the unofficial mascot of .500 baseball. Having decided to move on from Dallas Keuchel, it will be interesting to see how they proceed with other moves.
Many were under the belief that the White Sox were serious World Series contenders in 2022. While not written off yet, it’s not looking so promising. They have enough pitching to get them far. If the hitting doesn’t turn things around, the best they might be able to hope for is an early playoff exit. In that case, the year would be considered a failure.
12) MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are one of those teams that might be punching above their weight. Because they were so successful last year, they should get a bit of the benefit of the doubt. Lineups of some average players plus poor pitching performances make them a team that may luck into a playoff spot rather than win it.
Perhaps the best attribute of this team is how they never seem to go into a prolonged slump. They lack superstars. There are some questionable players in big roles. Everything seems to suggest a losing streak could happen at anytime. Until it does happen, Giants fans should have some trust this team can stay in the race.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Toronto Blue Jays
Baseball’s most dangerous team that hasn’t turned it on quite yet, the Toronto Blue Jays are hiding in the brush and ready to pounce. Things haven’t gotten off to a terrific start but they’re also not bad either.
A surprising note on the season so far: it has been the offense struggling to win them games. This team was built to score a lot and they just aren’t producing. If not for Kevin Gausman and Alek Manoah, the feeling in Toronto would be far more negative. They are struggling in the same way the Braves are but getting much better pitching performances. For this reason, they are just outside of our top ten this week.