After last week’s success, we figured we better make this a staple. Somehow, for a couple of days, when you searched “ESPN MLB Power Rankings” on Google, our rankings were even ahead of ESPN themselves in the news tab. If you ask me, that’s pretty damn cool. I want to thank the people who called me out and said that there “is no such thing as unbiased rankings/reporting.” You are 1000% right and I apologize for ever saying that my rankings would be “bias free.” Rankings at their core are extremely biased. So, with that being said, let me change my stance. These MLB power rankings are going to be as unbiased as possible. Better?
Lastly, I would like to apologize for a previous error. In last week’s rankings, I said the Mariners took three out of four against the Boston Red Sox when, in reality, they split the four-game series. I will be the first to admit I’m far from perfect, but that needs to be correct. That’s on me 100% and I will make sure for every one in the future I double, triple, hell, even quadruple check the stats I’m giving you. With all that out of the way, let’s jump into the Week 6 MLB Power Rankings.
Week 6 MLB Power Rankings
1) Milwaukee Brewers (17-11) (Previous Ranking: 3)
The Milwaukee Brewers had a tough start to the week, losing two out of three to Miami. They bounced back with a statement series win over the Dodgers, three games to one. When you take into account this team has 16 players on the injured list right now, including their best player in Christian Yelich, you have to wonder how long they’ll be able to keep it up.
2) San Francisco Giants (17-11) (Previous Ranking: 2)
The San Francisco Giants still find themselves top of the NL West, with a series win over the Rockies and taking one out of three against San Diego. This upcoming week will be almost a carbon copy of last week, with another three games against Colorado and San Diego. They need another good week to keep San Diego at bay.
3) Kansas City Royals (16-10) (Previous Ranking: 4)
Kansas City still boasts the highest winning percentage in the majors, even with a somewhat underwhelming week. They were able to complete a three-game sweep against Detroit on Monday, but were only able to win two out of their next five against Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
4) St. Louis Cardinals (16-12) (Previous Ranking: 13)
The Cardinals are the hottest team in the MLB, with an 8-2 record over their past 10 games. They split with the Phillies, before sweeping the Pirates in three games. This team has the firepower to win the NL Central and, after this past week, even with a lackluster start, they find themselves only one game out of first place.
5) Oakland Athletics (17-12) (Previous Ranking: 1)
The Athletics had to cool down sometime sooner or later, and they still managed to have a semi-productive week. They split their four-game series with Tampa, before losing two out of three to Baltimore. They still have one of the best records in the league, but with a run differential of -8, one has to wonder if they’ve been more lucky than good.
6) Chicago White Sox (15-12) (Previous Ranking: 7)
The White Sox, like many other high-ranked teams last week, didn’t do much to catapult themselves higher into the MLB Power Rankings. However, they took care of business against the Tigers and were able to avoid the sweep against the Indians. While this week was far from ideal for Chicago, they have still won seven of the last 10. Chicago has a golden opportunity to take the AL Central lead, with a short two-game stint against Cincinnati before another three against the division-leading Royals.
7) Houston Astros (15-13) (Previous Ranking: 14)
The Astros had a tough week of games, and they showed up. They started the week by taking three out of four from Seattle, before taking two of three from the Rays. They have another tough week ahead of them, with a series against Toronto and the Yankees, who have both won seven of the last 10. This week could do a lot to solidify their standing as contenders.
8) San Diego Padres (16-13) (Previous Ranking: 8)
San Diego was only able to split with Arizona in a shortened two-game series, but Arizona has looked better as of late, in their defense. They were able to take two out of three from the division-leading Giants, which is a positive sign for a team that had a bad start to the season when you take into account the talent from top to bottom on this roster. Their next six come against the Pirates and Giants. They could theoretically catch up to the Giants by next week.
9) Boston Red Sox (17-12) (Previous Ranking: 10)
Boston was able to get a nice two-game sweep over the Mets, thanks to their pitching only giving up one run over the two games. Unfortunately, they then proceeded to lose three out of four to the Rangers, where they gave up over four runs per game. It’s not the end of the world, and the final two games were close, but far from the ideal output. They have a get-right three-game series with Detroit next.
10) Los Angeles Dodgers (17-12) (Previous Ranking: 6)
The Dodgers have a hell of a team, but you couldn’t tell by looking at them now. They started off losing two of three to the lowly Reds at home, before losing three out of four to Milwaukee. Sure, they have a decent amount of injuries, but so do many other teams, and they’re able to find a way to win with much less on the field. Their next six come against the Cubs and Angels which gives them a perfect opportunity to bounce back.
11) Seattle Mariners (16-13) (Previous Ranking: 5)
The Astros are no slouch, but Seattle still needed to do better than win only one out of four. They were able to win two out of their next three games against the Angels, but that’s what they were really supposed to do. They face Baltimore and Texas for three this week, and they need to at least go 4-2 so as not to be at risk of falling in the MLB Power Rankings again.
12) Arizona Diamondbacks (15-13) (Previous Ranking: 17)
Arizona found a way to split with San Diego, before taking care of business against Colorado, taking three of four. Beating Colorado is not exactly a statement, but the better teams in the league need to take care of business in those series, which the Diamondbacks did. Their next six come against the lowly Marlins and the .500 Mets, so they need to continue to prove they can beat the teams they should.
13) Toronto Blue Jays (14-12) (Previous Ranking: 16)
Just like San Diego, Toronto was blessed with two off days this past week and were able to make the most of it. They split with Washington before sweeping Atlanta in three games. Toronto has an absolute gauntlet ahead, with their next seven coming on the road against Oakland and Houston. Like many other teams, this will be a great barometer week for Toronto, showing where they stack up in the AL.
14) Tampa Bay Rays (14-15) (Previous Ranking: 9)
The Rays had a tough schedule and, while they didn’t wow anybody, they were able to fight for a few good wins. Tampa split with Oakland in four to start the week, before losing two of three to Houston. While a 3-4 record in a given week is normally not ideal, given who they played, it’s good enough to keep them afloat for now.
15) New York Yankees (14-14) (Previous Ranking: 23)
Although their competition wasn’t great, the Yankees still seem to be moving in the right direction. They could only manage a split of a four-game series to Baltimore, but were able to sweep the pathetic Detroit Tigers. They have three against Houston and Washington this upcoming week, which will certainly tell us if they’re finally back, or if they can only show up against bad teams.
16) Los Angeles Angels (13-13) (Previous Ranking: 20)
A team this consistently average deserves to sit at the middle spot among the MLB teams. While they could only take one out of three from Seattle, they were able to take two of three from Texas to stay at .500. Despite their batting average being first overall, their ERA is worse than everybody in the MLB but Detroit. They need pitching help now, if they want to even sniff the playoffs this season.
17) Washington Nationals (12-12) (Previous Ranking: 19)
Going 4-1 over their last five, Washington was able to sweep a Miami Marlins team that had just taken a series against Milwaukee, while also splitting with Toronto. While .500 is far from good, they are tied for first in a pathetic NL East division.
18) New York Mets (11-11) (Previous Ranking: 12)
Although the Mets lost three straight to start the week, they bounced back with two straight wins against Philadelphia, including a come-from-behind 8-7 win on Sunday night. Don’t be surprised if they drop again this upcoming week, as they have four in St. Louis before three more against Arizona. For once, a week where they can go around .500 would be a huge win for them as Washington is closing in on them.
19) Cleveland Indians (13-13) (Previous Ranking: 27)
The problem with doing MLB Power Rankings early in the season is some teams are just naturally slow out of the gate. If this past week was any indication, that is exactly what we have with the Cleveland Indians. They took care of business, winning two of three against the Twins and the White Sox. Seeing that Lindor is hitting below the Mendoza line right now, maybe their trade with the Mets wasn’t quite as bad as we thought after all?
20) Cincinnati Reds (13-14) (Previous Ranking: 28)
The Reds are really going to change week to week. I don’t think anyone in the clubhouse even knows whether this team is good or bad. Cincinnati was in first place in the Central before dropping seven in a row. Now, this week, they followed that up with a series win against the Dodgers and Cubs. I really don’t know what else to say other than this team makes no sense and I can’t wait to see what they do this week.
21) Baltimore Orioles (13-15) (Previous Ranking: 25)
When Baltimore broke Oakland’s crazy win streak last Sunday, it looked like nothing more than a fluke. Since then, however, they’ve been able to split a four-game series with the Yankees and take their three-game rematch series against Oakland. They are far from proven, but maybe this team isn’t as bad as originally thought?
22) Philadelphia Phillies (13-15) (Previous Ranking: 26)
The Phillies were able to split against a red hot Cardinals team before losing two out of three to the Mets. Although this team’s record is far from where they should be, they’ve only lost one of their last four by more than one run. Eventually, luck is going to break their way.
23) Pittsburgh Pirates (12-15) (Previous Ranking: 11)
Just as I give this team props, they make me look like an absolute fool for thinking they’d do anything but be the same old Pirates we’ve seen for the last however many years. Yes, they were able to take one of two from Kansas City. And yes, St. Louis is red hot right now. With all that being said, you can’t be handed the brooms in a four-game series, even against a team like the Cardinals.
24) Atlanta Braves (12-16) (Previous Ranking: 21)
Looking at their roster, I don’t know why this team is this bad. Nevertheless, Atlanta is really struggling right now. They seemed to gain momentum by taking three of four from the Cubs, until they got swept by Toronto at home. It seems this team is in the business of one step forward and two steps back. Luckily for them, they’re still right in the thick of things in the NL East.
25) Miami Marlins (11-16) (Previous Ranking: 22)
Much like the Braves, Miami went one step forward and two steps back. They were able to take two from the Milwaukee Brewers to start the week. Then, they proceeded to lose three straight to the Nationals. While their team batting average is 20th in the MLB, their team ERA is eighth, so this team really should be better than 11-16. Miami just can’t seem to string hits together at the right time.
26) Chicago Cubs (12-16) (Previous Ranking: 15)
The Cubs have two serious problems, and they need to solve at least one of them fast. They are 26th in team ERA and 25th in team batting average. The Brewers (26th in team batting average) are a prime example that you don’t need elite hitting and pitching to succeed. You do, however, need one of the two, and the Cubs aren’t looking good in either. They have a three-game series to start the week against the Dodgers. This could get ugly.
27) Texas Rangers (13-16) (Previous Ranking: 18)
The Rangers are a weird team, much like the Reds, but much less volatile. They couldn’t win a series against a .500 Angels team, but were able to take three of four from an AL East-leading Boston Red Sox squad. They play the Twins for four and Seattle for three. Given how they performed this last week, don’t be surprised if they lose three of four to Minnesota, then take the series against Seattle.
28) Colorado Rockies (10-18) (Previous Ranking: 24)
I’ll admit it, I put too much stock into their series win over the Phillies and the two-game sweep of Houston two weeks ago. While losing two of three to the first place Giants isn’t anything to cry about, losing three of four while giving up almost seven runs per game to Arizona is.
29) Minnesota Twins (10-16) (Previous Ranking: 29)
Like the Reds and the Rangers, the Twins make no sense. They have all the talent in the world, then will go out and lose two of three to Cleveland. Then, just when you think you know what you have with them, they take two of three from the team with the best record in all of baseball. The Twins and frustrating inconsistency for their fans, who would’ve guessed from a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since LeBron was 20?
30) Detroit Tigers (8-21) (Previous Ranking: 30)
Detroit has won just two of their last 15 games. The Tigers as a team are having trouble simply staying over the Mendoza line, and they give up over five earned runs a game. This team is almost already a lock to lose 100 games.
