MLB Power Rankings: Are Red Sox the best team in baseball?
No one saw this coming.The Boston Red Sox currently boast the best record in Major League Baseball more than one month into the 2021 season. Meanwhile, the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers lately have been one of the worst teams in the league.There are more surprises where that came from, and they're all noted in our latest edition of MLB Power Rankings. Let's take a look at how all 30 teams currently stack up.
The Tigers actually put up a fight in their recent series vs. Boston, but overall they've been abysmal. They rank dead-last in run differential with a -68.
Tomase: First-place Red Sox striking a more defiant tone
The Rockies' home/away splits are wild. They're 10-8 at Coors Field and 2-14 on the road.
Trevor Story remains a stud with a .853 OPS so far. Will the pending free agent still be the Rockies' shortstop after the trade deadline?
Pittsburgh was surprisingly competitive through April but it has shown its true colors over the last couple of weeks. The Pirates are 2-8 in in their last 10 games.
What a rough start it's been for Minnesota. Not only are the Twins one of the worst teams in the league record-wise, but they also lost red-hot center fielder Byron Buxton due to a right hip strain. Buxton (.370/.408/.772 through 24 games) was on pace to compete for the AL MVP award.
John Means is the real deal. The Orioles southpaw tossed a no-hitter (that should have been a perfect game) Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners. He's been one of the few bright spots for an O's team that's weirdly 4-13 at home and 11-6 on the road.
The D'Backs were surprisingly hot in April, then they went and lost their last six games. Looks like they're regressing to the mean.
Juan Soto's return from injury will help, but the Nats really need more from their offense if they're to make any noise in the wide-open NL East. They have the fourth fewest runs scored per game in MLB.
The Royals have come crashing back down to earth after their hot start to the season. They've lost eight games in a row to suddenly fall under .500.
It's the same old story for the Angels. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are must-watch material every single night, but their pitching does them absolutely no favors. They currently rank 28th in rotation ERA (5.12).
It wasn't exactly a shock to see the Mariners get no-hit by John Means last week. Seattle ranks toward the bottom of the league in pretty much every meaningful offensive category. It'll be interesting to see when they finally decide to call up top prospect Jarred Kelenic to help fix that.
The Rangers are sort of an enigma, but they've found a way to be .500 and in the thick of things in the AL West despite their low expectations. Texas is an impressive 7-3 in its last 10 games.
The Cubs have heated up a bit after their sluggish start to the season, though they now have to overcome a bunch of injuries. Outfielders Ian Happ and Jake Marisnick are hurting, plus Jake Arrieta and Nico Hoerner are on the injured list.
Chicago is 7-3 in its last 10.
Do not sleep on the Marlins. Their pitching staff is legit with Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Trevor Rogers leading the way. They currently boast a +20 run differential, which is the best mark in the NL East.
The defending AL champs are trending upward after a rocky start to the season. They've won six of their last eight games and head into a series vs. a Yankees team they've owned in recent years.
Not to be outdone by John Means, Wade Miley made history of his own by no-hitting the Cleveland Indians on Friday. He's been great for a Reds team that needs more from pretty much everyone else on the pitching staff as they rank toward the bottom of the league in runs allowed.
The Phillies' bullpen remains an issue so far in 2021 as its 4.92 ERA ranks 25th in MLB. Philadelphia has mostly been able to overcome those woes and stay in the NL East mix, but don't expect it to work out that way all season long.
The Braves are one of the most inconsistent teams in baseball this season. Most of that is due to their pitching, which has allowed the fifth-most runs in the league to this point. Max Fried's return to the rotation will help, but it sure has been a rollercoaster so far for Atlanta.
Since starting the season 13-2, the Dodgers somehow have gone 5-15. Their bullpen has been depleted by injuries and losing Dustin May for the year doesn't make things any easier, but this team is built to overcome those setbacks. Expect L.A. to surge back to the top sooner rather than later.
The Brewers' pitching staff has done its part, but the offense has left plenty to be desired. It certainly doesn't help that former NL MVP Christian Yelich is back on the injured list.
The Yankees offense finally has woken up and Giancarlo Stanton's hot streak has a lot to do with that. New York has won nine of its last 12 games and will really turn heads if they can take their upcoming series against a Rays team that has had their number.
This team can flat-out rake, so it's disappointing they haven't been able to add to their lethal offense by having George Springer in the lineup consistently.
It's a good thing Toronto can hit, because their pitching staff hasn't fared nearly as well. The starting rotation needs someone other than Hyun Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray to step up.
Jacob deGrom's injury is frightening, and that Francisco Lindor-Jeff McNeil "rat or raccoon?" thing was bizarre, but the Mets have won five straight games and are finally waking up offensively. That's all that matters, right? ... Right? ...
Yes, they were no-hit by Wade Miley and the Reds, but the Indians quietly have won 10 of their last 13 games and their offense has looked decent. The dominant pitching staff should continue to do its thing.
Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack returning to the rotation should provide a big boost to the Padres pitching staff. Yu Darvish has been ace-like for San Diego, but it needs more from fellow newcomer Blake Snell (1-0, 4.15 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 30 1/3 IP in seven starts).
The Astros have the third-best run differential (+33) and second-most runs scored (172) in baseball. Yordan Alvarez has been an absolute monster with a .362 batting average, six homers and 1.033 OPS in 27 games.
Talk about streaky. The A's lost five straight to begin the season, later won 13 straight, and now have gone 5-5 in their last 10. They should be in solid shape going forward, especially if Matt Chapman can keep up his recent pace.
What is this, 2012? The Giants are playing great baseball and Buster Posey is raking. The veteran backstop is hitting .400 with eight homers and a 1.231 OPS. That's already the most homers he's hit in a season since 2017.
The Cardinals have really turned it around since their inconsistent start to the campaign. What was an abysmal pitching staff suddenly has become one of the better groups in the bigs. Nolan Arenado is heating up too, and it's only a matter of time before Paul Goldschmidt follows suit.
The Red Sox still have the best record in baseball through a month and a half, just as we all expected.
They've proven they're no fluke. They're a legitimately good baseball team with one of the most fearsome lineups in baseball led by Alex Verdugo, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts. The pitching staff has drastically improved over last year as well. Nick Pivetta has been a pleasant surprise with a 5-0 record and 3.19 ERA through seven starts.
Boston has the second-best run differential in MLB at +36. Playing three series against the Orioles certainly helps, but make no mistake, this is a team that suddenly looks like a real AL East contender.
Tomase: Grading Bloom's biggest trades with Red Sox
Despite Tony La Russa's managerial blunders, the White Sox have found a way to win 10 of their last 15 games and boast a league-leading +53 run differential. That's without stud outfielder Eloy Jimenez, and recently without Luis Robert. The rotation has been the best in baseball with a 2.66 ERA.
