MLB Power Rankings on Memorial Day
By Matt Veasey
The 2nd TBOH Power Rankings reveal the Top 10 teams in Major League Baseball as Memorial Day arrives after two full months of play.
A month ago when the first TBOH Power Ranking was released the surprising Philadelphia Phillies were in the #9 slot.
Unfortunately, a recent stretch of losing baseball in which the club has dropped three straight series has left them off the latest ranking.
Frankly, I would be surprised to see them return to the Top 10 teams in Major League Baseball again this season. But then, I would never have anticipated when the year began that we would have seen them on it at all in 2016.
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The 10-6 spots this time around are listed here, and the Top 5 presented in the slideshow by clicking on the link at the bottom of this piece. That is the format that I will use to present each Power Ranking for the rest of the season.
Unlike the 2015 season, when I began first producing the TBOH Power Ranking, this year will see the list released every two weeks. Those who followed will recall that last year it was a monthly feature.
Here are the teams in my 10-6 slots on this Memorial Day:
10. TORONTO BLUE JAYS: at 26-26 the Jays are in 3rd place in the AL East, five games back of the front-runners. They may be heating up, however. The Jays had a four game win streak, and won 7 of 9, before dropping yesterday’s decision to Boston.
9. SAINT LOUIS CARDINALS: the Cards have just a pair of winning streaks all season, and have fallen 9.5 games back in the NL Central race. However, they are just 3 back in the NL Wildcard battle. The key for the Redbirds will be putting a legitimate run of victories together.
8. PITTSBURGH PIRATES: the Bucs are tied as an NL Wildcard team, 3 ahead of the Cards. But they are 6.5 behind the division leaders. It looks as if the Bucs will have to settle for one of those Wildcards once again, which means another single elimination win-or-go-home game in early October, assuming they get there.
7. BOSTON RED SOX: the Bosox have bolted out to the American League’s best record, third best in baseball, and lead the AL East by one game. Boston is just 6-6 over their last dozen games, however, and just yesterday put an end to their first losing streak since mid-April.
6. CLEVELAND INDIANS: the Tribe were swept in Philly, and following the third of those defeats sat at 10-12 on May 1st. But a hot month blasted them up the AL Central standings. They now sit at 26-22, just a half game back, going 16-10 over the last four weeks.
Next: TBOH POWER RANKING: #5