MLB Power Rankings 2015: Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers The Cream Of MLB Crop


MLB power rankings for 2015 heavily favor the Detroit Tigers so far. Atop just about every power ranking for baseball, the 10-2 Tigers are receiving the royal treatment. The teams that follow the Tigers include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals. It all depends on which web site readers are perusing for the latest power rankings from April 20.

At Sports Illustrated, the Tigers are the repeat-holders of the No. 1 spot. Following the Tigers, SI has the Dodgers, Cardinals, Mets, and Royals (in that order). A big mover on this MLB power rankings list was the New York Yankees, as the team jumped from No. 27 up to No. 15. The biggest drop is owned by the Toronto Blue Jays, as the team fell from No. 5 all the way down to No. 14 after losing 5-of-7 games during the week.

The ESPN MLB power rankings kept the same top two teams as in Week 2, placing the Detroit Tigers first and the Kansas City Royals second. The site is giving a lot of credit to the defending American League champions (Royals), especially after a hot 9-3 start to open the 2015 campaign. Following the top two teams, ESPN has the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals (in that order). The inclusion of the Red Sox is a bit surprising, especially since the team is just 7-5 on the season, but the New England link appears to have won out here. The site gives a quick synopsis on that choice.

“After a dominant Opening Day and a record-setting failure, Clay Buchholz split the difference in his third start, gutting out a quality start despite allowing 11 hits in six innings. The Red Sox offense has gone mostly quiet in the last week as balls in play haven’t found holes — other than the one Hanley Ramirez put in the outfield wall in batting practice.”

The ESPN power rankings have also punished the San Francisco Giants for starting out with a 4-10 record. The team is ranked down at No. 26, showing the Giants have a lot of work to catch up to teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers. The anecdote about the team wasn’t kind, either.

“Receiving their World Series rings has been the only bright spot for the defending champions in losing nine of their last 10 games. Jake Peavy is the fifth Giants player to go on the disabled list, and the team is going to utilize an off day on Monday to use four starters this week.”

When it comes to the MLB.com power rankings, the experts and fans each get a say in how the rankings play out. Currently, the site also favors the Detroit Tigers as the best team out there, with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and New York Mets comprising the next four (in that order). The Washington Nationals, a favorite to win the National League, are down at No. 10, and the Seattle Mariners, a favorite to win the American League, are down at No. 19.

As previously reported on the Inquisitr, the Nationals opened up the checkbook this past offseason to make a run at the World Series. Signing Max Scherzer to a huge free agent deal was a step in the right direction, but now the team needs to play up to its potential. If the latest 2015 MLB power rankings are any indication, the team still has a lot of work to do.

[Image Source: Jason Miller/Getty Images]

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