MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers Reclaim the Throne

As the 2022 season enters the quarter mark, there was minimal movement in our MLB Power Rankings. The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to hold the top two spots. The former has the most wins, 29. The latter has the best run differential, 88.

This week, the Houston Astros solidify their standing as a top team in baseball. They remain the third best team in the league, boasting the best hitter fWAR in the majors.

Before breaking it all down, let’s explain how these rankings emerged. When preparing for the MLB Power Rankings this season, I forced myself to fight the urge of subjectivity. I wanted to create a list of the top 10 teams by relying on numbers.

I created a spreadsheet using pitcher WAR, batter WAR, team record, and run differential. Teams with the highest combined score are ranked at the top.

Let’s look at the top 10 teams in Week 5 of the 2022 MLB season.

2022 MLB Power Rankings

10. San Francisco Giants (-3)

Of all the teams on this list, the Giants fell the furthest. After spending the first couple of weeks duking it out with the Dodgers for the top spot, San Francisco finds itself in the 10th spot. Last week, they were swept by the Padres and lost four of six games.

9. Minnesota Twins (+2)

The Twins return to the top 10 this week. They swap places with the Philadelphia Phillies. Last week, Minnesota won five of six games, including a sweep of the Kansas City Royals. They have a four-game lead in their division and an AL Central-best +31 run differential.

8. San Diego Padres (+2)

The Padres improved this week, going from 10 to No. 8 in the ranking. They did so by winning five of six games on the back of NL MVP favorite Manny Machado. San Diego’s +29 run differential trails only the Dodgers in the NL West.

7. St. Louis Cardinals (+1)

Look out Milwaukee! The Cardinals are coming. The Cards inched up one spot this week. They ride a three-game win streak. Though they trail the Brewers in the NL Central by three games, St. Louis has a +45 run differential, which is better than the division leaders.

6. Milwaukee Brewers (0)

There was no movement from the Brewers this week. The division favorites continue to boast elite pitching, and their hitting has done just enough to allow the team to continue winning. Milwaukee trails only the Yankees in pitching fWAR – 6.8 fWAR vs. 6.6 fWAR – and they have a top 10 hitter fWAR.

The Top 5

5. New York Mets (0)

The Mets received more bad news last week. After losing Jacob deGrom for at least half the season and Tylor Megill with right biceps tendinitis, Max Scherzer suffered an oblique strain. Fortunately, the team has built enough of a cushion in the NL East and should be able to stay in the top 10 of the league. Look for this team to drop from the fifth spot in the coming weeks.

4. Los Angeles Angels (0)

It’s become clear that the Angels are the real deal. Not only do they have an AL West-best +51 run differential, but they also have a legitimate AL MVP candidate in Taylor Ward. As of today, Ward leads MLB with a .370 batting average, .481 on-base percentage, and a .713 slugging percentage. If this continues, can you name a better top three than Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Ward?

A Three-Headed Monster

3. Houston Astros (0)

Last week, the Astros made a huge leap from outside of the Power Ranking to the three-spot. This week, they proved to be authentic and remain in the top three. They’ve done so by leading MLB with a 9.4 fWAR on the backs of three top-10 hitters in the AL. Jeremy Peña leads his team with a 1.9 fWAR, which is actually 1.3 wins better than the guy he replaced, Carlos Correa (0.6 fWAR).

2. New York Yankees(-1)

The Yankees dropped one spot in the rankings, likely because they lost three of seven games this week, including three of their last four. The Bombers continue to boast the best pitcher fWAR in MLB, but their bullpen has looked a bit shaky of late. Reliever Chad Green will undergo Tommy John Surgery, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Closer Aroldis Chapman currently has the highest ERA of his career and a -0.1 fWAR on the season.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (+1)

We round out this week’s MLB Power Rankings with the Dodgers, who reclaim the top spot after falling behind the Yankees for two weeks. Los Angeles took back the throne by having the best run differential in baseball. This is thanks in large part to Mookie Betts looking healthy and like a top-three player again. Betts trails only Machado in the National League in fWAR. He is just one home run shy of the league lead.