MLB: Monthly Power Rankings
1. Tampa Bay Rays (14-7): The Rays are in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and lead the second place New York Yankees by 3.5 games. It's been a great start to the year for the Rays as they're 7-2 on the road and a league-best +43 run differential. Despite losing three straight games, Tampa Bay still deserves to be at the top of the rankings (at least for now). Tyler Glasnow leads the team with a 4-0 record and 1.53 ERA thus far.
2. Houston Astros (13-7): The Astros are poised to win 100+ games for the third year in a row and they have gotten off to another hot start this time around. Houston is 6-0 at home with a +21 run differential. They're one game back in the AL West, but are 8-2 in their last 10 games. That's the best record in the league in that stretch. Jose Altuve leads the team with eight home runs. Meanwhile, Alex Bregman is hitting .318 with 10 runs scored.
3. Seattle Mariners (16-8): The Mariners are a game up on the Astros and have played the most games (24) in the league to this point. They might finally be ready to end the playoff drought as they have scored a league-leading 154 runs while giving up 120. Seattle is also an outstanding 11-1 on the road, while winning their last three games heading into Easter Sunday. Jay Bruce has a team-high nine home runs, while Marco Gonzales is 4-0.
4. Philadelphia Phillies (12-8): The Phillies are trying to get back to the postseason after barely missing out on it last year. After the addition of Bryce Harper, Philadelphia seems like they're the favorites in the NL East, and they currently hold a one game lead over the New York Mets. The Phillies are 8-4 at home. Although they are just 5-5 in their last 10, Philly looks like one of the best teams in the league. Harper has a team-high .418 on-base percentage.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (14-9): The Dodgers are one of just five teams with a run differential greater than +20 as they have outscored their opponents 130-102 through 23 games. Even though Los Angeles is just 5-5 on the road, they have made sure to take care of business at Dodger Stadium, going 9-4. The Dodgers lead the Arizona Diamondbacks by two games atop the NL West. Bellinger leads the team with 11 home runs and 36 hits to his name.
Next Up:
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (12-6)
7. Milwaukee Brewers (13-9)
8. St. Louis Cardinals (11-9)
9. New York Mets (11-9)
10. New York Yankees (10-10)
Photo Credit: CBS Sports.
