MLB Power Rankings: Astros, Red Sox flex while White Sox continue to perplex
By Tim Boyle
25) MLB Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Pirates
What can we say about the Pittsburgh Pirates that hasn’t already been said about the teams below them on the MLB Power Rankings? Jack Suwinski is keeping pace with Bryan Reynolds for the club’s 2022 home run crown. It’s not exactly Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998 but it’ll do.
The main culprit for their quick demise this season has been a lack of starting pitching and a bullpen limited to pretty much David Bednar and anyone else they can find. On a weekly basis, there seems to be a bloodbath against the Pirates. This past week, there were two with them winning one and losing the other. It’s always the same team, too. They just happen to be one spot ahead of Pittsburgh.
24) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs
Measuring the Chicago Cubs against the Pirates this year is like trying to compare the size of one yard stick to three one-foot rulers. Maybe to the naked eye one might look longer or thicker. We all know the truth. They are the same.
The Cubs love feasting on the Pirates. Beyond that, they can’t do much other than prepare themselves to trade Willson Contreras, David Robertson, and maybe Ian Happ. Their once good-looking bullpen has collapsed out from under them. Innings caught up with many of the players they brought in this offseason. The rebuild continues at Wrigley.
23) MLB Power Rankings: Colorado Rockies
Signing Kris Bryant did very little to put the Colorado Rockies back on a winning path. C.J. Cron remains their best hitter on an offense that has underperformed compared to so many others in this franchise’s history.
The Rockies are far closer to being the worst team in the National League than they are to becoming a .500 club. A strong early stretch at the beginning of the year has kept them from joining the duds in the National League Central. They are still one bad week away from falling further down behind teams like the Cubs and Pirates.
22) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are barely better than the Rockies. Two months ago, while each was playing competitive baseball, this wouldn’t have been such a damning statement. Now, as we wrap up June, it’s a little more insulting.
The Diamondbacks still boast one of the better rotations in the league yet it’s all for nothing because of their weak offense. This team cannot hit. Their lineup is also loaded with lefties which certainly puts them at a disadvantage versus a southpaw starter. Christian Walker, one of the few righties they do have on the roster, can hit for some great power but isn’t capable of doing much else. The Diamondbacks, like the Rockies, benefit on this week’s MLB Power Rankings from a good start to the year. They could soon drop into the bottom five.
21) MLB Power Rankings: Miami Marlins
It’s another Miami Marlins season where all they can do is hope to spoil someone’s season. They are dropping further below the .500 mark. In a year where the offense has been weak and the pitching staff is a two-man band headlined by Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez, the Marlins are looking at another lost campaign.
As completely average as the National League East can be at times, the Marlins have no chance of competing with four clubs that consistently have a willingness to spend. They’re not as bad as the Nationals this year. It’s hardly a compliment because not many clubs are worse.