The biggest news of the week in the MLB ironically came off of the field. Pitcher Trevor Bauer was suspended for two years without pay for conduct detrimental to the league stemming from his civil case in regards to an alleged sexual assault. On the field, however, there were some big headlines you may have missed as well, including the Mets throwing a combined no-hitter against the Phillies. The no-hitter was only the 315th in the entire history of the MLB and once again showed that every night in the MLB will show you something special. With plenty easily missed this week, let’s recap and give you our updated MLB power rankings.
Week 4 MLB Power Rankings
1) New York Mets (16-7) (Last Week: 2)
The New York Mets have shown this season that they are more than just smoke and mirrors. Their talent on paper finally seems to be translating to the field, as they have been one of the most consistent teams this season. With not much competition in the NL East to this point, the division seems to be ripe for the taking. As Mets fans would surely tell you, there’s a long way to go before the Mets are locked in the postseason picture. With the team batting average sitting at .255 and the team ERA at 2.85, there are truly no flaws to their game, which is why they top our MLB power rankings.
The one question that still remains, however, is can they finish the job.
2) New York Yankees (16-6) (7)
The New York Yankees are the hottest team in baseball right now, shooting up our MLB power rankings. The Yankees have won nine of their past 10 games and currently hold the best record in baseball. With that in mind, their competition has been pretty weak, as they’ve only played four games against a team with a record at or above .500. Anthony Rizzo is in prime form right now, with nine homers and 21 RBIs. If he can maintain anything close to that pace this season, the Yankees’ offense will be one of the best in baseball.
3) Los Angeles Dodgers (14-7) (1)
The Los Angeles Dodgers slipped up a little bit this week, as they lost two of three games on the road against the lowly Diamondbacks. It wasn’t just that they lost two games, it was that they scored just eight runs over three games. While they did bounce back against the Tigers, their offense has been inconsistent as of late which is certainly something to keep an eye on.
4) San Francisco Giants (14-8) (3)
The week started off well enough for the San Francisco Giants by taking two of three games from the Brewers and Athletics, respectively. Their series loss to the Nationals, though, was a headscratcher, as they gave up an absurd 28 runs over three games. San Francisco better hope it’s simply a fluke, as they have a shortened two-game series against the Dodgers to kick off the week.
5) Milwaukee Brewers (15-8) (10)
For as bad as the Milwaukee Brewers started the year, they have certainly roared back. While their level of competition has also been low to this point, a large part of that is thanks to an incredibly weak NL Central. The Brewers won five straight before being blanked by the Cubs on Sunday. Hunter Renfroe and Christian Yelich are starting to heat up for Milwaukee. If they can just play at their average level, this offense will be plenty for the best pitching staff in baseball.
6) Toronto Blue Jays (15-8) (5)
The Toronto Blue Jays may be the most inconsistent team in baseball, but it’s worked for them to this point. On any given night, Toronto can either win a slugfest or a pitcher’s duel. If Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman can wake up and improve on their batting averages of .214 and .220, respectively, this offense will be an absolute wagon this season.
7) Los Angeles Angels (15-8) (11)
Could this finally be the year that Mike Trout’s supporting cast is competent enough to hold up their end and get the Los Angeles Angels to the playoffs? Trout is on an MVP pace right now, with a .344 average to go along with six homers and 11 RBIs. If guys like Shohei Ohtani, Jared Walsh and Anthony Rendon can just give the Angels a little more offensively, they have a real shot to make the postseason for the first time since 2014.
8) Minnesota Twins (13-9) (13)
Byron Buxton might be the most underappreciated player in the MLB right now thanks in most part to his brutal injury history. The Minnesota Twins have won nine of their last 10 games and already hold a lead of three games in the AL Central. In an incredibly weak division and a very underwhelming White Sox team, the Twins just need to stay healthy to make a run at their first postseason series win since 2002. For now, they’re early risers in the MLB power rankings.
9) San Diego Padres (15-8) (8)
Nothing’s better for a team than to play the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates for six games. San Diego took five of the six this past week to jump up into a tie atop the NL West standings. The one concerning part of this past week was how bad the pitching was even against lower competition. The Reds scored five or more runs in each of their three games while the Pirates averaged four per game. While every team can certainly get hot, the Padres will not be able to rely on simply outscoring the more elite teams in the MLB. Luckily for them, they don’t have a true test until the end of May against San Francisco.
10) Colorado Rockies (13-9) (6)
Much like the Padres, the Colorado Rockies were bailed out this past week by playing Cincinnati for three games. While beating up on lesser opponents is always good, being swept in their four-game series on the road at Philadelphia is concerning. Was their quick start to the season a mirage or did they simply hit a speed bump against the Phillies? Either way, this team has an extremely tough path to the playoffs in the NL West. It’s early, but it’s hard to believe the Rockies continue to make a serious push late into the season without some big moves.
