Jackson 5: MLB Power Rankings

By Aaron Jackson,

Believe it or not we are now two months through the Major League Baseball season. It certainly doesn’t feel that way to me, but here we are. That means we can really start to form opinions on which teams are the best, and which teams are the worst. Considering very few people probably care who the worst teams are, lets focus on the best. Here are my power rankings for the top teams in MLB. Please note, these are based on my beliefs and, as always, are subject to scrutiny.
1. Houston Astros: I DARE you to pick someone other than the Astros or Los Angeles Dodgers. You can’t. I put the Astros here because I think they have players with a better track record of success. They are absolutely loaded across the board with players that are proven major league stars, and even their role players (Josh Reddick, Michael Brantley) are lights out. They don’t have the best record in the league, that mark belongs to the Twins, but the ‘Stros are currently the team to beat.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers: The 1B to the Astros 1A, I have LA number two just because I feel like they’re relying on a lot of pieces that still have to prove themselves long term. Players like Cody Bellinger and Hyun Jin Ryu are playing out of their minds right now, and while both are talented, I think expecting them to continue their incredible starts is a bit of fools gold. Again, that’s not to say I think they’ll fall off a cliff, just that their level of absurd production is unsustainable. And when they come back to earth a little bit I expect the Dodgers will suffer some because of it.
3. New York Yankees: It’s actually quite amazing how well the Yankees are playing despite losing almost an entire major league team. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have been injured most of the year and combined for 5 total home runs. Rookie sensation Miguel Andujar is out until next year. Didi Gregorious hasn’t played this year. Their top of the rotation acquisition James Paxton has been gone for a month. Ace Luis Severino isn’t back until after the All-Star break. The list goes on, but I won’t bore you. Despite all that they’re 32-17 and own the 2nd-best record in the majors. One has to wonder if/when those players come back just how good they could be.
4. Minnesota Twins: Flying under the radar as a team that’s built to last, Rocco Baldelli’s club has already hit the 30-win mark and looks like a legit contender. They’ve got good not great talent at just about every position, which means very little to no weaknesses. If you get a chance to watch them pay attention to Jorge Polanco, a shortstop who has a middle of the order bat and may be an MVP contender. Oh, and last night they slugged eight homers to move to a ML-best 33-16.
5. Chicago Cubs: Quietly one of the most consistent teams in baseball, the Cubs have won at least 92 games every year under manager Joe Maddon. Jon Lester continues to make the Red Sox look like idiots. Anthony Rizzo continues to make Red Sox fans wish they had held onto him. Javier Baez looks like an MVP candidate at shortstop. And the rest of the roster fills in nicely. They’re not the most splashy team, but they might be the most consistent of the last 5 years.
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The Drive is a sports talk show focused on the New England favorites including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics, along with University of Maine, Husson University and high school sports. The Drive is hosted by Jim Churchill, Mark Paulette, Aaron Jackson and Ernie Clark. The Drive is listener-focused, interactive, informative and opinionated. The slogan says it all to Maine sports fans – “Your sports. Your teams. Your show!”