We’ve taken some time in the early going of the 2015 MLB season to gauge who the favorites are to win the MVP and the World Series. Now it’s time to slow things down and check the pulse of the league for the here and now. Fans of the best and worst teams want (and need) to know if their team is ascending to be a big part of the MLB playoff race, or if they can bank on this truly being a long, grueling season. We’ll try to answer those questions and more as we funnel through every MLB team and where they stand as the month of June gets started:
30. Philadelphia Phillies
Philly doesn’t have the worst record, but they’re close, went 0-6 last week and might have the worst roster in baseball. Okay, they just do. Cole Hamels is surely on his way out of town and he might be the last big asset they have left on their team. It was predicted to be a long year for the Phillies this year and that hasn’t changed, as they kick off our first MLB Power Rankings of the year in the final spot.
29. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers aren’t any better, as they continued their downward slide with a 1-5 mark last week and currently hold the worst record in the major leagues. They have more talent than Philadelphia and hypothetically could still turn things around. That’s extremely unlikely from what we’ve seen to this point, however, and it’s possible the Brew Crew could start taking part in some blockbuster trades to build for the future.
28. Miami Marlins
Miami’s would-be solid pitching rotation has left them for dead in 2015, while their power hitting is just too inconsistent to keep up with the top offenses they’ve come to battle. Dee Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton carry the offense, but Gordon lacks power and Stanton lacks efficiency. That sounds about right for this Miami squad, in general.
27. Colorado Rockies
Colorado oddly had a great 5-1 run last week, but their hot and cold offense hasn’t been enough to withstand their awful defense. They could keep fighting the good fight, but it appears fruitless with the other competition loaded up in the NL West.
26. Oakland Athletics
Oakland has just been terrible at winning close games, as they’re 3-15 in games decided by one run. That explains why they’re just 20-33, as they have the pitching talent up top and still have the bats to keep games close. They could easily turn things around if they found a way to close tight games, of course.
25. Boston Red Sox
Boston somehow stayed competitive early in the year but they’ve fallen flat lately with three wins in their last 10 and just a 1-6 mark last week. The Bo Sox have neither the bats nor pitching they were once known for and are destined to miss the playoffs in 2015.
24. Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto is a fantastic offensive team that simply lacks consistency and anything resembling defense. Jose Bautista’s “all or nothing” game defines them perfectly. Drew Hutchinson turned in a game last week which offered a glimmer of hope, but it’s not the norm for a Blue Jays squad that has given up 243 runs.
23. Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona has largely been about offense, but they’ve been walking in the murky waters of mediocrity all year long. That won’t do in the tough NL West. Paul Goldschmidt is AZ’s reason for hope, but he can’t do it all on his own.
22. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds stormed back last week with a solid 4-2 run but still remain back in the standings at just 22-27. The Reds continue to put up consistent runs and don’t have the defense to match the top offensive teams. There is enough here to hang around for another month, but we can probably expect a steady decline not too long after.
21. Chicago White Sox
Chicago has been a grand disappointment, as they were supposed to have a roster built to contend, yet to this point they sit at the bottom of the AL Central. The saving grace there is that the division is pretty tough and they’re only 23-26, but the offense just isn’t there. The pitching and bats should be better and so far there really isn’t an answer for why they’re not.
20. Baltimore Orioles
The story of the Orioles in 2015 is a lack of consistency, and we probably can’t see it any better than with power hitter Chris Davis, who can smack homers but can’t connect on a regular basis. This is Baltimore in a nutshell, as they do everything right, but only half of the time.
19. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays continue to struggle to produce runs as a consistent rate, but they’re not giving up many on the other side. No one expected much out of Tampa Bay, but they continue to have life in a tight division and if their offense can wake up they might have a shot at first place.
18. Seattle Mariners
Seattle is hanging around as a competitive team for the moment, but it’s tough to cover much ground when you can’t score runs. Seattle brings decent defense to the table in spurts thanks to some good pitching up top, but their rotation as a whole isn’t great and their offense continues to leave them stranded too often.
17. San Diego Padres
Ever the inconsistent bunch, the Padres are merely keeping their heads above water in a very tough NL West division. They have the bats with Justin Upton leading the way, but pitching continues to be their main weakness. That’s unlikely to change in 2015.
16. Atlanta Braves
The Braves remain a fairly ho-hum team this year, as they can bring offense in a timely manner, but only half the time. They really don’t seem to have the talent or consistency to be a real player this year, yet they’re still just three games back in their division.
15. Cleveland Indians
Cleveland has turned on the heat lately, as they closed out May on a 17-5 run and at times have boasted solid balance. They’re winning games mostly off of their offense, though, and if their defense can’t pick it up they can probably forget about the playoffs.
14. Texas Rangers
The Rangers are an interesting group, as they’ve stayed afloat with great offense and ended last week hot with a 5-2 record. The return of Josh Hamilton and the stellar play of Prince Fielder makes the Rangers an offensive force, but their weak defense could keep them grounded all year long.
13. New York Yankees
New York has dipped recently with six losses in their last 10 games, but have stayed atop a pretty competitive AL East. Remaining there is possible given their elite offense, but their shaky defense ultimately is what will have them sink or swim in 2015.
12. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have come out of nowhere to be pretty competitive, as they’ve used solid defense and timely offense to stay in most of their games. They remain within striking distance of their division and have gotten some stellar play out of rookie Kris Bryant, but they badly need their bullpen to come through more consistently.
11. New York Mets
Experts basically said that if Matt Harvey could return to form, the Mets could have a chance. Here they are, just 0.5 games back from first in their division and on the brink of a playoff appearance. They have the arms to battle anyone defensively. Whether or not the offense shows up long-term will decide their playoff fate.
10. Detroit Tigers
Detroit stumbled this past week with four straight losses to the Angels and now they’re just the third best team in their division. That speaks to how good their division is, as they’re still one of the more balanced teams in the league. A lack of health being on their side has held them back, but the minute they’re 100% they’ll be a tough team to handle down the stretch.
9. L.A. Angels
The Angels are loaded with talent but the productivity has really only come in spurts. They used a nice four-game sweep of the Tigers recently to vault themselves into our top-10 and if it’s not just Mike Trout out their swinging for L.A., they could be quite dangerous. It’s going to take time to prove that’s a reality, though.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh has been a team on the verge for years now and despite a bit of a slow start over the first two months, they might finally be ready to hit their stride. They had a nice showing last week (5-2) and have some terrific pitching to lean on. If their bats can become more consistent, they could make a strong push for the wild card spot in the National League.
7. L.A. Dodgers
When at their best, the Dodgers can be argued as the most talented team in the league thanks to top-heavy pitching and elite offense. Los Angeles has a tough fight in the NL West on their hands, but to think they’re here with Yasiel Puig down for most of the past month, is quite impressive.
6. Kansas City Royals
After the sick run the big-hitting Royals went on last year (they got to the World Series), no one is shocked to see their offense back in action in 2015. They’ve slowed down a bit this past week, but they’re still one of the best teams around. If their pitching rotation ever rounds into form, they could really be dangerous.
5. Houston Astros
Houston has been fantastic this year, sporting a 31-20 mark and taking care of business both at home and on the road. Their awesome pitching has been a big reason why, while they’re also among the best at closing out wins. The only way they slow down is if they start giving games away.
4. Minnesota Twins
The Twins could be higher if we go simply off of the true definition of power rankings, but let’s not be too much “prisoner of the moment”. The Twins have been very good, and have largely used a 20-7 May to storm up to the top of the league. I’m not sold their pitching stays this hot, but if it does we could be looking at a trip to the playoffs for this Minnesota squad.
3. Washington Nationals
Few teams have the combination of power hitting and studly pitching the Nats do. A preseason favorite to make a run for a World Series, the Nats certainly still could behind the brash Bryce Harper and an extremely balanced Washington bunch.
2. San Francisco Giants
The defending champs came out of the gates as about as slow as a good team can, but they’ve rebounded in remarkable fashion. Their bats have finally come around to meet their solid pitching and it should scare the rest of the league that they’re already at this point after just 52 games.
1. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals seem to always be in the mix for the playoffs and/or a great record and it never seems to make all that much sense. Regardless, the Cardinals sit atop the league with the best record (33-17). It may not stick, but as we enter June, they look like the best team on paper.
Think a different MLB team should be in the top spot? Let us hear about it in the comments below!
