2015 MLB Power Rankings: Role reversal
Jun 30, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (49) scores on a single by first baseman Jose Abreu (not pictured) as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) looks on during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Role reversal. That is what this week’s edition of my power rankings are all about.
Of the 16 teams in the league who currently have winning record, eight of them won two games or less last week. Of the 14 teams who have records below .500, nine won at least four games.
The Milwaukee Brewers were a perfect 7-0. The Chicago White Sox swept a series against the St. Louis Cardinals and only lost once for the week.
The San Francisco Giants were the only team in baseball who didn’t win a game this week. The Tampa Bay Rays won just once and were swept by the Cleveland Indians at one point.
This is why we love baseball right? Any team can be beat by anyone on any given day, even when everything we have seen from their body of work says otherwise.
Here are the power rankings for the week.
Next: Pirates, Nats, inch closer to the Cardinals
Jul 5, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper (34) celebrates after scoring a run in the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
If there is any team that can afford to have a bad week, it is the Cardinals. They still remain as baseball’s best team and are six games up on the next best team.. 53-28. Previous: 1st. St. Louis Cardinals. 1. team. 33
135. The Houston Astros were not one of the good teams taking losses this week. In fact, they went toe to toe with the AL-best Kansas City Royals and came out with a sweep.. 48-36. Previous: 3rd. Houston Astros. 2. team
3. team. 4. Behind the bat of <strong><a href=. 47-34. Previous: 5th. Pittsburgh Pirates
90. The Washington Nationals continue to pitch their way into one of the elite teams in all of baseball. Unfortunately they will once again be without <strong><a href=. 46-36. Previous: 7th. Washington Nationals. 4. team
7. Despite a sweep last week at the hands of the Astros, the Royals remain percentage points ahead of them for the AL’s best record. Congratulations are also in order as the Royals will have a MLB-best four starters in the All-Star game next week.. 46-33. Previous: 2nd. Kansas City Royals. 5. team
Previous: 4th. Los Angeles Dodgers. 6. team. 71. The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to be led by <strong><a href=. 46-37
44-38. Previous: 15th. Los Angeles Angles. 7. team. 102. The Los Angeles Angels seem to be finally hitting their stride and now trail the Astros by just three games in the AL West. They are even getting some offensive help as both <strong><a href=
9. There is nothing like when you are struggling to hit and then you come across the part of the schedule where you face two teams that can’t hit at all. The Chicago Cubs hopefully have their confidence back just in time for their two biggest rivals, the Cardinals and White Sox.. 44-36. Previous: 12th. Chicago Cubs. 8. team
Previous: 10th. New York Yankees. 9. team. 43. The New York Yankees are back in first place this week behind bad week’s for the rest of the division. Their offense however took a hit as <strong><a href=. 44-38
43-39. Previous: 8th. Baltimore Orioles. 10. team. 11. The Baltimore Orioles were one of many good teams to underperform last week. If they can get <strong><a href=
Next: Giants, Rays take big steps back.
Jul 1, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. The Jays won 11-2. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Previous: 11th. Toronto Blue Jays. 11. team. 39. The acquisition of <strong><a href=. 43-41
2. The Minnesota Twins are currently tied with the Orioles for the AL’s second Wild Card and once will turn to a rookie to help them keep pace. Third base prospect <strong><a href=. 43-39. Previous: 14th. Minnesota Twins. 12. team
In their series against the Indians, the Rays were nealy no-hit by a rookie in just his second career start and then struckout 14 times two days later against <strong><a href=. 43-41. Previous: 6th. Tampa Bay Rays. 13. team. 21
San Francisco Giants. 14. team. 40. We can all understand getting swept by a team that is the caliber of the Nationals. But there is no excuse for the Giants to be swept by the Miami Marlins, without <strong><a href=. 42-41. Previous: 9th
Despite their good pitching, run support continues to plague the New York Mets in the win/loss column this season. Over their last 30 games, no team in the NL has scored less runs.. 42-41. Previous: 13th. New York Mets. 15. team. 3
If things weren’t already bad enough for the underachieving Detroit Tigers, they reached the lowest point possible with the news that <strong><a href=. 41-40. Previous: 16th. Detroit Tigers. 16. team. 63
If the Texas Rangers could beat an AL West team, they could be competing for a playoff spot. After being swept by the Angels this past weekend, they are 11-23 against the West which is the least amount of wins of any team in baseball against their own division.. 41-42. Previous: 17th. Texas Rangers. 17. team. 126
Previous: 18th. Arizona Diamondbacks. 18. team. 8. The Arizona Diamondbacks are just 3.5 games back in a wide open NL Wild Card race. What was supposed to be a down year still has the potential to be more if general manager <strong><a href=. 40-42
19. team. 17. The Atlanta Braves are in the same boat as the Diamondbacks but are in desperate need of offense as opposed to pitching. With <strong><a href=. 40-42. Previous: 20th. Atlanta Braves
127. If you are the San Diego Padres, do you believe in <strong><a href=. 39-45. Previous: 19th. San Diego Padres. 20. team
Next: Red Sox within reach in the East?
Jul 2, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) sits in the dugout during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
14. Don’t look now but amongst all the chaos that is the AL East, the Boston Red Sox sit just six games back of first place after a strong week. It looks like some of the bats are finally waking up and <strong><a href=. 39-45. . Boston Red Sox. 21. team
team. 62. The Seattle Mariners pitching staff has been carried lately by rookie starters <strong><a href=. 38-44. Previous: 22th. Seattle Mariners. 22
96. It looks like the Oakland Athletics have found another starting pitcher in <strong><a href=. 38-47. Previous: 21st. Oakland Athletics. 24. team
36-43. Previous: 27th. Chicago White Sox. 25. team. 128. A week ago I talked about the White Sox needing to sell off everything not named <strong><a href=
The Brewers are winners of eight straight and 11 of their last 13. They are finally starting to get offense from <strong><a href=. 36-48. Previous: 29th. Milwaukee Brewers. 26. team. 76
108. It will be interesting to see if Colorado Rockies shortstop <strong><a href=. 35-47. Previous: 26th. Colorado Rockies. 27. team
61. The Cincinnati Reds will have <strong><a href=. 36-44. Previous: 23rd. Cincinnati Reds. 28. team
Marlins fans came out in packs last week (32,598 in attendance) to see the season debut of <strong><a href=. 35-48. Previous: 28th. Miami Marlins. 29. team. 82
30. team. 6. The Philadelphia Philles are once again the worst of the worst this week and it’s not even close. The next closest team, recordwise to the Phillies (the Marlins) are 7.5 games better in the standings.. 28-56. Previous: 30th. Philadelphia Phillies
Next: Should White Sox Abreu be an all-star this season?