Rays stumble a bit but remain atop Power Rankings

Although the Tampa Bay Rays are the only team with 50-plus wins, they stumbled a bit this week. With the reverse boycott happening in Oakland, the Athletics split the four-game series with the best team in baseball. The Ray lost the first two games of the series by only one run before taking the next two. 

The Rays then dropped a series to the fourth place San Diego Padres. However one bad week doesn’t define how well the Rays have been playing. Their 51-24 record has them first in this week’s Our Esquina Power Rankings.

No. 2. Atlanta Braves

The Braves were near perfect for two consecutives weeks. They took two of three against the Tigers in Detroit and destroyed the Rockies at home. They swept the four-game series against Colorado.  

The Braves outscored the Rockies 40-12. They scored no less than eight runs in each game. Atlanta had double digit hits in three out of four games in that series. 

The resurgence of Michael Harris II and the continued success of Ronald Acuña Jr. have the Braves atop of the NL East.

No. 3. Texas Rangers 

The Rangers are now tied with the Orioles for the second best record in MLB. Although they lost to Shohei Ohtani and the Angels, Texas rallied back and defeated the Blue Jays twice to take the series. 

Their high-powered offense continues to be a factor. They hold the highest team batting average in baseball at .272. The Rangers also are the only team with over 400 RBIs.

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The Rangers have two players with over 50 RBIs. Adolis Garcia is third in the majors with 56 RBIs. Marcus Semien is fifth with 54. The Rangers are away to face the White Sox and a tough Yankees team at Yankee Stadium.

No. 4. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They defeated the Blue Jays this week, but lost their series to the Cubs. 

With a 44-27 record, the O’s would be atop a few other divisions. However, playing in the AL East has them second in their division.

On a team full of young players, veteran Austin Hays is carrying Baltimore’s offense. He leads the team in batting average, runs scored, slugging and OPS. 

When the Orioles have a late lead there is usually no looking back. They have relied on their two Latino relief pitchers to seal the win. Yennier Cano has been great. He has 16 holds and four saves, while closer Felix Bautista has registered 19 saves. They have been near perfect this season. 

As the season approaches the midway point, the Birdland continues to show that they are contenders this year. 

No. 5. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks hold firm at the No. 5 spot in the Power Rankings for consecutive weeks. By going 6-4 in their last 10 games they have created a 3.5 game separation in the NL West. 

With a great mixture of talented young players and veterans such as Ketel Marte, manager Torey Lovullo has the Diamondback exceeding expectations. 

No. 6. Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins have surged from 10th to sixth in the Power Rankings. Luis Arraez is trying to achieve something that hasn’t been done since 1941 by Ted Williams. With Arraez batting an exceptional .388 he is trying to be on the short list of players who have hit over .400. 

Since the shift has been banned in the major leagues, Arraez has taken full advantage. He has multiple 5-hit games and is finding all the holes in the infield. 

Arraez couldn’t supply the offense all by himself. Jorge Soler has been tearing the cover off the ball. He leads the Marlins in home runs, RBIs, runs and slugging. The 2021 World Series champion is giving the Marlins a chance to compete for a wild card spot or even the division. 

No. 7. Angels, No. 8. Toronto Blue Jays, No. 9. Astros, No. 10 Dodgers

The Shohei Ohtani-led Angels are second in the AL West and are back in the Power Rankings. At the moment Ohtani leads all hitting and starting pitching categories for the Angels.

The Blue Jays, Astros, and Dodgers all fell after tough performances.