Click here for my latest observations about the Orioles. Here are my power rankings.
1. Tampa Bay Rays (42-19, No. 1 last week): They finally got a starting pitcher back. Manager Kevin Cash had to be ecstatic to get Tyler Glasnow back after losing Jeffrey Springs (Tommy John surgery) for the season and Drew Rasmussen (flexor strain in his throwing elbow) to the 60-day injured list. Interesting week ahead: The Rays finish a wraparound series at Fenway before coming home to face back-to-back division leaders in Minnesota and Texas.
2. Texas Rangers (38-20, No. 3): Because of a .345 team on-base percentage, the Rangers have scored 21 more runs than the Rays despite hitting 26 fewer homers. Their lofty position couldn’t come at a better time, as they go to St. Petersburg this coming weekend.
3. Baltimore Orioles (37-22, No. 2): The Orioles earned a big series win in San Francisco and now face a tough series in Milwaukee. Before we start planning the parade, they have scored 63 fewer runs than Tampa Bay and 84 fewer than Texas. Manager Brandon Hyde will see how life is without Cedric Mullins, but it looks like there may be some life left in Aaron Hicks.
4. Houston Astros (35-24, No. 5): These are clearly not the trash-can-banging Astros, who could hit the cover off the ball. They have only scored 267 runs and are hitting just .246/.318/.396 as a team this year. However, their 3.24 ERA is No. 1 in baseball. José Altuve developed oblique discomfort shortly after returning from the fractured thumb he suffered during the World Baseball Classic.
5. New York Yankees (36-25, No. 4): Right now, the Yankees’ rotation is in tatters. Only Gerrit Cole and Domingo Germán can be counted on. Nestor Cortes has had trouble recovering after starts and it looks like an MRI and IL stay are in order. Clarke Schmidt and Luis Severino can’t be counted on to give manager Aaron Boone quality starts. The good news is Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson are back, but Harrison Bader is also back — as in back on the IL, this time 10 days for a hamstring strain.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers (35-25, No. 6): The Dodgers are one of only two teams to have hit more than 100 homers (101). They lead the National League in runs with 331. Their team batting average is just .242, but their on-base percentage is .330 and slugging percentage is .459. The Dodgers are fourth in the majors in OPS at .789, behind only Atlanta, Texas and Tampa Bay. It’s a good week for them to get on a roll, as they play three in Cincinnati and three in Philadelphia.
7. Atlanta Braves (35-24, No. 7): The two most surprising things about the Braves? They are just 15-14 at Truist Park and the team closest to them is the upstart Marlins, not the Mets or Phillies. They’ll measure themselves against the Mets with three midweek games at Truist.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks (35-25, No. 9): Through 60 games, the Diamondbacks are scoring 4.95 runs per game and have posted a 4.34 ERA. It seems as if they are doing a lot of little things right. They have a decent chance this week to keep the good times rolling with three in D.C. against the No. 28 Nationals and three in the Motor City against the No. 23 Tigers.
9. Toronto Blue Jays (33-27, No. 11): The Jays are 7-2 in their last nine games and the pitching has been good. Seven of the top eight earned-run averages reside in the AL (the one exception Atlanta). Aside from Alek Manoah, the Jays’ rotation has been very solid and then some. Each of the five rotation members has made 12 starts. Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi have combined for 21 wins.
10. Minnesota Twins (31-29, No. 12): The Twins are just 8-11 in the past three weeks, but the good news is the pitching staff is second in baseball with a 3.42 ERA. They also have the best WHIP in all of the majors at 1.17 and batting average against at .225. Royce Lewis is back off the IL. Manager Rocco Baldelli is getting very little out of Carlos Correa, the feel-good story of Joey Gallo has fizzled and presumed third base fixture José Miranda is struggling at Triple-A. On the flip side, Willi Castro has been a great find and Michael A. Taylor is playing great outfield defense and has supplied some speed. The Twins get an identity check this week with three in St. Petersburg and three north of the border at the Rogers Centre.
11. Milwaukee Brewers (32-27, No. 13)
12. Boston Red Sox (30-29, No. 8)
13. Miami Marlins (32-28, No. 16)
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (31-27, No. 17)
15. New York Mets (30-30, No. 14)
16. San Diego Padres (27-32, No. 15)
17. Seattle Mariners (29-30, No. 10)
18. San Francisco Giants (29-30, No. 18)
19. Los Angeles Angels (31-30, No. 19)
20. Cleveland Guardians (27-32, No. 20)
21. Chicago White Sox (26-35, No. 24)
22. Philadelphia Phillies (27-32, No. 22)
23. Detroit Tigers (26-31, No. 21)
24. St. Louis Cardinals (25-35, No. 23)
25. Chicago Cubs (26-32, No. 27)
26. Cincinnati Reds (26-33, No. 25)
27. Colorado Rockies (26-35, No. 26)
28. Washington Nationals (25-34, No. 28)
29. Kansas City Royals (18-41, No. 29)
30. Oakland Athletics (12-49, No. 30)