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MLB Power Rankings - May 4: Surging Astros climb into top 10; White Sox plummet to No. 26

Troy Taormina / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

1. St. Louis Cardinals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
18-6 17-7 3 (+2)

Blessed with a pitching staff that limits the opposition to two runs or fewer on a nightly basis, it's not all that surprising when the Cardinals win a 10-inning game in which they tally just six hits. Impending regression, however - the Cardinals' left-on-base rate and HR/FB percentage are unsustainably good - isn't nearly as disconcerting as having to play the rest of the season without Adam Wainwright.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
16-8 16-8 1 (-1)

Only seven hitters have struck out more frequently than Joc Pederson this season, but when the rookie puts the ball in play, he does so with authority. Pederson ranks ninth in the majors with a 1.022 OPS thus far and remains an integral part of baseball's strongest offense.

3. Detroit Tigers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
17-9 14-12 2 (-1)

Miguel Cabrera must really love living out of his suitcase and revel in hotel amenities, because the two-time MVP is hitting .440/.509/.800 with five home runs in 13 road games this season.

4. San Diego Padres

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
14-12 14-12 5 (+1)

Maybe Craig Kimbrel wasn't cut out for life on the West Coast. The 26-year-old has allowed six earned runs - and two homers - over his last six appearances and has not looked like himself thus far in San Diego. The Padres' bullpen, consequently, owns a 4.93 ERA (4.82 FIP) and is tied for third in the National League with 14 meltdowns.

5. Washington Nationals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-14 12-14 6 (+1)

The Nationals reasserted their authority in their division by taking three of four games from the Mets this week, and their vaunted rotation is beginning to click after a rough start to the season. Over the last two weeks, only five National League teams have received more innings from their starters than Washington.

6. Kansas City Royals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
16-9 17-8 7 (+1)

Mike Moustakas looks like a completely different hitter this year, putting the ball in play more frequently while also driving the ball to the opposite field with unprecedented regularity. Amazingly, he hasn't sacrificed any of his power amid profound changes to his offensive profile, and he'll head into Monday's contest hitting .324/.384/.471 with three home runs.

7. New York Yankees

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
16-9 16-9 13 (+6)

The Yankees' bullpen is downright terrifying and A-Rod's comeback remains the best story in baseball, but Chris Young deserves some recognition, too. All he's done through his first 23 games this season is hit .313/.380/.688 with six homers and six doubles while obliterating left-handed pitching.

8. New York Mets

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
16-10 15-11 10 (+2)

The scary thing about the Mets is that their rotation ranks among the best in baseball without Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard, the 22-year-old who stands 6-foot-6 and owns a 1.66 ERA with 26 strikeouts in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League this season.

9. Chicago Cubs

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
13-10 12-11 9 (-1)

With so much youth in the lineup on a nightly basis, the Cubs' offense will likely be volatile all season. The rotation, however, hasn't disappointed thus far: the Cubs' starting corps owns the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in baseball while averaging just 0.79 homers per nine innings. 

10. Houston Astros

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
18-7 16-9 18 (+8)

Many pundits expected Houston to lead the majors in strikeouts this season, and the Astros haven't disappointed in that department. However, it's unlikely, that many experts picked the Astros to lead the majors in home runs and stolen bases through the first weekend in May. After adjusting for park effects, only three teams have fielded a stronger offense thus far than the Astros, who haven't lost a game since April 22.

11. Pittsburgh Pirates

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-13 14-11 4 (-7)

Andrew McCutchen has to be hurt, right? The former MVP is hitting just .193/.291/.307 with no stolen bases through 24 games, and his struggles have factored prominently into Pittsburgh's offensive woes thus far.

12. Baltimore Orioles

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-11 13-10 16 (+4)

Amid civil unrest in Baltimore, the Orioles endured a wacky few days that included the first game in history closed to the public and a "home" series in Tampa Bay. Still, the Orioles won three of four during their abbreviated week and continue to rely heavily on Jimmy Paredes, who outranks Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and Matt Holliday in win probability added.

13. Toronto Blue Jays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-14 14-12 11 (-2)

Tempting as it to lavish praise on Josh Donaldson and rookie sensation Devon Travis, the Blue Jays are 2-12 this season when scoring fewer than six runs in a game and there isn't a pitcher John Gibbons can summon with confidence right now.

14. Los Angeles Angels

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
11-14 12-13 9 (-5)

No team fielded a more prolific offense last season than the Angels. Through the first month of the new campaign, however, Johnny Giavotella trails only Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun for the team lead in on-base plus slugging. Not surprisingly, the Angels own the third-worst wRC+ in the American League. It's fair to be concerned about the state of their lineup.

15. Boston Red Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-13 11-14 12 (-3)

At this point, the Red Sox ought to consider transitioning Koji Uehara back into a starting role. Drastic measures are necessary when Justin Masterson "leads" the rotation with a 4.71 ERA after a month of play. Admittedly, regression should help reduce the gap between the rotation's peripheral stats and ghastly earned run average.

16. Tampa Bay Rays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
13-12 12-13 15 (-1)

Following an early offensive outburst, the Rays are finally starting to show their true colors at the plate. Over the last two weeks, the Rays are hitting just .233/.296/.347 with seven home runs, and the club hasn't notched more than five runs in a game since April 24.

17. Cincinnati Reds

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-13 12-13 17 (-)

Maybe the Reds should've invested in Johnny Cueto two winters ago instead of handing Homer Bailey a six-year deal worth upwards of $100 million. Bound for free agency at season's end, Cueto boasts a 135 ERA+ with a 0.86 WHIP through six starts this season while Bailey is headed for a 12-month sabbatical.

18. Miami Marlins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-13 14-11 25 (+7)

Mike Redmond's job shouldn't be in jeopardy anymore, as the Marlins have lost just twice in their last 10 games amid some seriously impressive - albeit unexpected - performances from Dee Gordon (.440/.463/.510) and Adeiny Hechavarria (.312/.337/.462).

19. Seattle Mariners

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
10-15 10-15 14 (-5)

Nelson Cruz leads the majors in home runs (13), slugging percentage (.788), isolated power (.444), and weighted runs created plus (222). Imagine how good the Mariners could be if they employed other hitters!

20. Oakland Athletics

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
11-15 15-11 20 (-)

The absence of Sean Doolittle (and Luke Gregerson) is really hurting right now, as the Athletics own a disastrous 0-6 record in one-run games while their bullpen ranks dead last in the American League in win probability added.

21. San Francisco Giants

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-13 10-15 24 (+3)

Only seven teams are collecting extra-base hits less frequently than the Giants, who have yet to score more than six runs in a game in 2015. And it's really difficult, by the way, to expect Brandon Crawford to keep hitting for more power than Josh Donaldson.

22. Colorado Rockies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
11-13 9-15 22 (-)

The Rockies ought to just slap a Groucho Marx mask onto a pitching machine and hope for the best. Anything would be an improvement over what they're currently getting from their pitching staff, which owns a 6.77 ERA with an appalling 1.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the last two weeks.  

23. Cleveland Indians

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
9-15 10-14 21 (-2)

Bad luck continues to plague the Indians, whose team ERA (4.64) is a full run higher than its fielding independent pitching (3.64). The pitching staff's .349 batting average on balls in play, meanwhile, leads the majors by a huge margin.

24. Atlanta Braves

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
12-13 12-13 23 (-1)

Embroiled in a season with no delusions of postseason contention, the Braves would probably prefer to see their young, core assets take steps forward and not, you know, regress. Julio Teheran, though, owns a 5.43 FIP through six starts amid declines in both velocity and most meaningful statistical categories.

25. Minnesota Twins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
13-12 12-13 28 (+3)

How have the Twins scraped together seven wins in their last 10 games despite ranking in the bottom third of the American League in almost every meaningful statistic category? Timely hitting, mostly. The Twins own a .674 OPS thus far in 2015, but are hitting .291/.372/.423 with runners in scoring position.

26. Chicago White Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
8-14 7-15 19 (-7)

For all the buzz generated by Chicago's rotation this winter, not one of the team's starters has produced a game score higher than 69 this season. In addition to their abysmal starting pitching, the White Sox are also scoring fewer runs per game than all but two teams. That's not exactly a good combination.

27. Arizona Diamondbacks

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
10-14 12-12 26 (-1)

Archie Bradley, the rookie with a 1.80 ERA through his first four starts, somehow avoided a major injury despite taking a line drive off his face Tuesday night. The 22-year-old still landed on the disabled list, though, complying with the league policy that dictates the Diamondbacks aren't allowed to have good starters.

28. Texas Rangers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
8-16 9-15 27 (-1)

No team has blown more saves this season than the Rangers, who also can't hit at all and were compelled by a lack of depth to add Wandy Rodriguez to their rotation last month. If it's any consolation, the temperature is expected to approach 85 degrees in Arlington this week.

29. Milwaukee Brewers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
7-18 8-17 29 (-)

Ron Roenicke's stint as manager of the Brewers ended Sunday following a truly catastrophic stretch that started around last year's All-Star break. Craig Counsell is set to take over as manager - a necessary personnel change for a team with a record that belies its talent base.

30. Philadelphia Phillies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
9-17 7-19 30 (-)

Chase Utley, 36, owns a .398 OPS through 24 games. Ryan Howard, 35, is hitting .193 over 23 contests. Ruben Amaro Jr., 50, is in big trouble.

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