Surging golf equipment closing in on Power Rankings Top 5

While there have been no adjustments inside the Top 5 this week, issues are definitely tightening up atop the Power Rankings.

A group aside from the Rays acquired a first-place vote for the primary time in months, and eight groups earned Top 5 consideration — together with three NL West golf equipment that discovered themselves locked in a good battle for the No. 5 spot.

Here are this week’s rankings:

Biggest bounce: The Reds made the most important bounce for the second straight week, transferring up one other seven spots to No. 8. They additionally jumped seven spots in final week’s rankings, going from No. 22 to No. 15. Cincinnati’s 12-game profitable streak got here to an finish Saturday in a one-run loss in opposition to the NL-leading Braves. Rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz is hitting .333 with three homers, eight stolen bases and a .989 OPS by way of his first 17 profession video games — oh, and he hit for the cycle Friday in opposition to Atlanta.

Biggest drop: The Yankees received 4 of six this week, together with taking two of three from the AL West-leading Rangers to shut the weekend, but it surely’s nonetheless been a tough couple of weeks within the Bronx that resulted within the membership dropping 4 spots, from No. 8 to No. 12. New York is simply 7-10 over its previous 17 video games, Aaron Judge has no timetable to return from his toe harm, and it stays unsure how the Josh Donaldson state of affairs will play out. That mentioned, the Yanks are in an important spot to make a run this week with three video games apiece in opposition to the struggling A’s and Cardinals.

1) Rays, 54-27 (final week: 1)

Tampa Bay is scuffling for possibly the primary time all yr. Along with benching famous person Wander Franco for 2 video games this week (although he homered in his return to the lineup Saturday), the Rays haven’t received any of their previous 4 collection. Their final collection win got here once they took two of three from the Rangers from June 11th of September. Since that set, Tampa Bay cut up a four-game set with the last-place A’s, misplaced two of three to the Padres, cut up two with the O’s and cut up 4 video games in opposition to the last-place Royals. The Rays nonetheless maintain the finest document within the Majors, however they’re simply two video games forward of the Braves — and solely 4 1/2 forward of the Orioles within the AL East.

2) Braves, 50-27 (final week: 2)

The Braves simply carry on profitable. They acquired one first-place vote from our panel after per week during which they went to Philadelphia and received each video games in opposition to the rival Phillies, then snapped the Reds’ 12-game profitable streak by profitable back-to-back video games in Cincinnati to shut the weekend. Overall, Atlanta has received 10 of its final 11 to maneuver inside two video games of the Rays for the perfect document within the Majors. The Marlins (six video games again) are the one group within the NL East fewer than 10 video games again of Atlanta.

3) Rangers, 47-30 (final week: 3)

It’s onerous to not surprise what Corey Seager’s numbers may appear to be had he not missed greater than a month earlier this season on account of a strained left hamstring. The Rangers’ shortstop is hitting .349 with a 1.028 OPS. He has 10 homers and 46 RBIs in simply 46 video games — that’s a 35-homer, 162-RBI tempo over 162 video games. Seager has had loads of assist up and down the Texas lineup — and from the pitching employees — on a group that finds itself with a 5 1/2-game lead within the AL West.

4) Orioles, 47-29 (final week: 4)

It was an up-and-down week for the O’s, who began by splitting a pair with the Rays earlier than dropping a 13-1 determination within the collection opener in opposition to the Mariners. Still, Baltimore closed the weekend with a pair of wins, led by the red-hot Anthony Santander. Santander not solely robbed Julio Rodríguez of a house run on Sunday afternoon, however he hit certainly one of his personal — his fifth prior to now six video games. The O’s have a troublesome stretch to finish the primary half, with 4 video games in opposition to the surging Reds, six in opposition to the first-place Twins and three in opposition to the rival Yankees.

5) D-backs, 47-32 (final week: 5)

The D-backs nonetheless sit atop the NL West regardless of dropping two of three to the Giants over the weekend. Arizona received the finale Sunday to keep away from the sweep, however issues received’t get any simpler this week because the D-backs welcome the MLB-leading Rays to Chase Field on Tuesday to start a three-game set. National League Cy Young candidate Zac Gallen figures to be on the mound for the collection opener, which ought to bode nicely for the D-backs, contemplating he’s 7-0 with a 1.00 ERA in eight house begins this season.

The remainder of the sphere of 30: