MLB Power Rankings Week 2

By: Chandler Ragsdale

Man, what a week of baseball! We have already been able to witness the first walk-off in SunTrust Park history in Atlanta. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies are flying high to some people’s surprise. The New York Yankees had their winning streak come to an end, and the Toronto Blue Jays are off to a historically bad start (the worst in franchise history). Don’t forget to email me your questions at chootie51@gmail.com so your questions can be answered in my weekly power rankings post!

Fan Question:
“If this were the end of the season, who would you see playing for the World Series and winning the championship?”

Answer: This question is a little hard to answer right now, being that it’s so early in the season and not every team is completely healthy yet. Based off of how teams have performed so far, however, I would have to say that I can see the Houston Astros playing the Washington Nationals in the World Series, with the Astros winning in 7 games. Both of these teams are finally looking like we thought they would in previous seasons, and are establishing themselves as premiere teams. Although, I wouldn’t count out the Chicago Cubs or Boston Red Sox either. The Cubs just seem to be off to a slow start, and the Red Sox are still waiting for David Price to return. By the end of the season, I believe that we will definitely be looking at an exciting postseason!

Power Rankings
1. Houston Astros (Last week: 6)- The Astros have already taken their spot at the top of the AL West, and if the Texas Rangers don’t start performing, I see the Astros remaining there with ease throughout the season. This team is 4th in the Major Leagues when it comes to both batting average and ERA. That sounds like a pretty well-balanced team to me, which they are. They have a chance to pile up a lot of wins with the division that they’re in. Something that I question with this team, however, is the fact that they haven’t really played any good teams yet. We will get to find out a lot more about this team next week as they battle the Cleveland Indians.
2. Washington Nationals (Last week: 7)– The Nationals are looking pretty good right now. Bryce Harper hit two homers against the Braves earlier in the week, and their lineup as a whole leads the MLB in batting average. We all know many of the names in this lineup, from Bryce Harper to Daniel Murphy, to Jayson Werth, and the newest addition, Adam Eaton. They have a star-studded pitching staff as well with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. My concern with this team is the same as it has been the last couple of seasons, can they stay consistent and win the big games?
3. Boston Red Sox (Last week: 8)– The Red Sox are starting to get everything together, and most importantly everyone together, in the clubhouse. After battling the flu bug, and losing players to the bereavement list and paternity leave, the majority of this Red Sox team is back and ready for action. David Price is throwing again, and he is set to return soon also. Not to mention, Chris Sale has been absolutely spectacular so far for Boston. He already has 42 strikeouts on the season! With everyone healthy and playing, this team has the potential to do some serious damage.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last week: 4)– The Diamondbacks didn’t necessarily make an overwhelming statement against the Dodgers last weekend, but they did stand their ground, and that’s huge for this team moving forward. I don’t see the Rockies being able to stay on this hot start that they’ve had, and if this team can consistently beat the Dodgers and Giants, I believe that they can win the NL West. They have all of the pieces to compete, and they find themselves so far this season in the top 10 in the league in both hitting and pitching. The west seems ready for a change.
5. Chicago Cubs (Last week: 1)– The Cubs are still a very good team, but they have not looked so good since last week, They got swept by the Pirates over the weekend, and even dropped a game to the Brewers after that. This team is much better than that, and we all know it. I believe that they’ll get back on track and continue their winning ways, and they’ve shown signs of that by winning their last two against the Brewers before the weekend. The pitching needs to become more consistent for Chicago, and when that happens, the Cubs will look back to form.
6. New York Yankees (Last week: Not Listed)
7. Baltimore Orioles (Last week: 3)
8. New York Mets (Last week: 2)
9. Cleveland Indians (Last week: 9)
10. Colorado Rockies (Last week: Not Listed)