MLB Power Rankings: Giants down in a hole, everything zen for Dodgers
By Tim Boyle
15) MLB Power Rankings: Baltimore Orioles
Still the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the 2022 MLB season is how well the Baltimore Orioles have played. They move ahead of the Red Sox this week in the MLB Power Rankings both to give them some credit and to punish Boston.
It would definitely be fun to see the Orioles make a playoff push but that does feel more fantasy than anything else. They don’t have nearly enough starting pitching to compete with the elite clubs in the American League.
14) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are in their first year with the current nickname and they have yet to create an identity. This used to be a club built around great young starting pitching and a few big boppers, including Jose Ramirez who has stuck around. This year’s club isn’t quite as special as many of the other recent ones that made noise in the postseason.
Cleveland doesn’t have a “playoff feel” this season. They barely tried in the offseason. So to see them hanging around with a shot at a wild card berth or even the division title does come as somewhat of a surprise. They try to go into rebuild mode by trading away stars like Francisco Lindor. Somehow, maybe it’s some bad luck for the teams they play the most often, the Guardians have been a smidge better than average.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rays
It has been a point made throughout this year when writing up these weekly MLB Power Rankings. The Tampa Bay Rays do things unconventionally and that doesn’t always work. Fans give them a lot of credit for not being a bad team and finding ways to win that other organizations would never think of. They remain highly-respected but it’s their lack of following the norm that looks to be hurting them.
The Rays did add David Peralta to the lineup which is a very Tampa Bay move. He wasn’t having a particularly good year with Arizona nor should he transform the offense. It’s no secret why they haven’t won the ultimate prize. For as brilliant as they are at building up the farm system, they never make those huge obvious trades; just the quieter and savvy ones.
12) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins
The American League Central remains up for grabs. The Minnesota Twins haven’t played all that well. They’re going to need stomp out their opponents often to secure what will almost definitely become the third-seed in this year’s AL playoffs.
Minnesota snuck up behind everyone and snatched Carlos Correa in free agency over the winter. It wasn’t enough for them to put away the rest of the division or even look competent enough to compete with the New York Yankees or Houston Astros. Likely the third-seed in the American League Playoffs, they have a tough road ahead to move up in both the standings and the MLB Power Rankings.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies
The playoffs could have an unfamiliar team in it this year. The Philadelphia Phillies haven’t been to the postseason since 2011. Their drought is the longest in the National League. The return of Bryce Harper in August could be exactly what they need to get there.
The Phillies had an impressive week with two wins against the Atlanta Braves and a four-game sweep versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Many will doubt their staying power. If they can keep it up for another week, they should easily move ahead of the next team on this list.