MLB Power Rankings: Astros surging, Jays hit skids

Welcome to the fourth edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2022 season.

1. New York Yankees

The Yankees continue to fire on all cylinders. New York owns the best record in baseball, thanks to an offense ranking first in wRC+. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are becoming the Empire State's version of the Bash Brothers, while Anthony Rizzo continues to look like a bargain re-sign. The pitching has also been stellar, with New York's starters owning an AL-best 2.93 ERA and the bullpen also leading the Junior Circuit by WAR, according to FanGraphs.

2. New York Mets

There hasn't been much movement with the Mets in the last two weeks. However, Pete Alonso's bat came alive. The star slugger has recorded five multi-hit games this month with four homers and 12 RBIs to go along with a 1.025 OPS. On the flip side, Francisco Lindor has come back down to Earth slightly. He's registered just eight hits in the same period with a pair of long balls. New York will need both guys at their best to reach its full potential.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

It wasn't a pretty week in Tinseltown for the Dodgers as they dropped series to the Pirates and Phillies. Despite the losses, the bigger concern is Clayton Kershaw's injury. The 34-year-old is optimistic he'll spend the minimum 15 days on the injured list. But it's hard not to worry about his absence extending beyond two weeks with his recent injury history. With Andrew Heaney also on the shelf, Los Angeles is suddenly looking very thin in the rotation and will need its vaunted lineup to carry the club to victories after recently dropping two of three to the lowly Pirates and only winning a pair of games in the last seven.

4. Los Angeles Angels

The big question entering the season was whether the Angels had enough pitching to contend in the AL West. The early returns are very promising as Los Angeles ranks inside MLB's top five in ERA (3.17). Shohei Ohtani is leading the pack atop the rotation. But strong contributions from free-agent signings Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen combined with positive results from young arms Patrick Sandoval and Reid Detmers should have Angels fans feeling good about the team's prospects moving forward.

5. Houston Astros

The Astros took a big jump thanks to an 11-game winning streak. Yordan Alvarez and Justin Verlander played significant roles in the surge. Alvarez went deep five times with a 1.071 OPS during the stretch. Meanwhile, Verlander looks like he hasn't missed a beat after coming back from Tommy John surgery, giving up just two earned runs over 14 2/3 innings during his team's hot stretch. He owns a 1.38 ERA in seven starts this season.

6. Milwaukee Brewers

It's been quite a week for the Brew Crew. Josh Hader broke another saves record, and Christian Yelich hit for his third career cycle. After two down years, the former NL MVP is showing glimpses of his 2018-19 dominance. Yelich either leads or ranks second among qualified Milwaukee players in average, OBP, wRC+, and WAR, while Hader looks untouchable yet again with zero runs allowed and a 0.57 WHIP over 13 consecutive saves to start the year.

7. San Francisco Giants

The Giants are quietly taking care of business in a similar fashion to last season. It'll never be particularly flashy, but San Francisco has built an extremely well-balanced roster that consistently applies tremendous pressure on opponents. LaMonte Wade Jr.'s return has been a welcome one for the Giants. The 28-year-old is giving the club a jolt, registering a 136 wRC+ through his first eight games of the campaign.

8. San Diego Padres

Manny Machado is an early-season NL MVP favorite thanks to a blazing start. The five-time All-Star leads the majors in batting average (.359), OBP (.443), WAR (2.8), and is second in OPS (1.029). It'll also be interesting to see if Robinson Cano has anything left in the tank as a bench player/designated hitter.

9. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays closed the gap on the Yankees and leaped past the Blue Jays in the standings after winning three of their four series in May. With upcoming sets against the Tigers, Marlins, and Rangers, things should only get easier for them. A four-game showdown with the Yankees near the end of the month should be a true test of how good this club is. Still, Tampa Bay's annual process of winning without stars continues to be successful.

10. Minnesota Twins

The Twins are scuffling a little bit as injuries mount to their core roster. Minnesota is without Carlos Correa, Miguel Sano, and Chris Paddack, and it's managing the workload of Byron Buxton, who is hampered by a knee issue. Still, the Twins sit atop the AL Central thanks to recent contributions from Royce Lewis and Jorge Polanco. A soft upcoming schedule should help keep a gap between them and the White Sox while their stars heal.

11. Toronto Blue Jays

It's been a rough stretch for the Blue Jays, who ended a five-game skid in Tampa over the weekend. They still haven't won a series in May on top of losing nine of 12. This month has been ugly for the Blue Jays' bullpen, with their conglomerate posting an 8.0 strikeout-minus-walk ratio (which ranks third-last) and negative-1.19 win probability added. Toronto's offense has also struggled the entire season, ranking dead last with a .562 OPS and dismal .185 AVG.

12. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals need more from Steven Matz. St. Louis handed the lefty a four-year, $44-million deal in free agency, but the 30-year-old has struggled to a 6.40 ERA through seven starts. On the offensive side of the ball, outfielder Juan Yepez looks like a keeper. The 24-year-old slugger is off to a torrid start in his rookie campaign, posting a 193 wRC+ with a pair of home runs in his first 11 games.

13. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are getting healthier, and the wins are coming too. The South Siders won seven of nine before running into the buzzsaw Yankees. Luis Robert has been in fine form since returning from a groin strain, and Tim Anderson is making an early push for another batting title. Losing Lucas Giolito to COVID-19 came at a bad time, but playing 10 of their next 14 games against sub-.500 teams should help supplement losing their ace.

14. Philadelphia Phillies

Despite being unable to play the outfield due to a small tear in his right elbow, Bryce Harper continues to mash out of the DH spot for the Phillies. The lineup is one of the toughest in baseball, ranking fifth in home runs (44), third in runs scored (172), and sixth in wRC+ (112). If the pitching can be even league average, the Phillies should soon be able to apply pressure on the Mets in the NL East.

15. Atlanta Braves

The defending champions haven't found their footing yet. Atlanta sits 17th in offensive rating, according to FanGraphs, while the pitchers have posted a weak 4.15 ERA despite strong peripherals. The club has also played most of the season without Ronald Acuna Jr., who's currently sidelined again with a groin injury. The best is yet to come for the Braves.

16. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners lost nine of 13 games and have dropped in the rankings as a result. Compounding matters, they've demoted former top prospect Jarred Kelenic after he slashed .140/.219/.291 in 30 contests to start the season. Right-hander Logan Gilbert also returned to Earth, giving up seven earned runs over his last two starts after surrendering two in his first five games combined.

17. Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-Backs appear to have a real formidable duo atop the rotation in right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Both hurlers have already amassed 1.2 WAR with sub-2.00 ERAs. Offensively, Daulton Varsho looks like an extremely valuable piece as he can play catcher and outfield while possessing an intriguing blend of power and speed.

18. Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians entered 2022 with low expectations, but they're playing better than advertised due to contributions from the always-stellar Jose Ramirez and a bunch of surprises. Steven Kwan and Owen Miller got off to torrid starts to begin the year, but it's been Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez stepping up lately. The pair have combined for five homers, 12 runs, 24 RBIs, and 1.4 WAR in 78 plate appearances this month. Franmil Reyes has also woken up, posting a .333 batting average and 154 wRC+ over his past 11 games.

19. Colorado Rockies

Colorado's early-season success was quickly exposed at the hands of a three-game sweep by the Giants. It shouldn't surprise that the Rockies rank in the top 15 in MLB in homers and runs scored since they play half of their games at Coors Field. Consequently, the pitching has been taxed yet again. Rockies hurlers rank 29th in ERA (4.91) and dead last in strikeout rate (17.9%).

20. Miami Marlins

It's been a lackluster stretch for the Marlins, who have lost 11 of 14, including five of six to the D-Backs. After signing him to a four-year deal in the offseason, Miami is getting absolutely nothing from Avisail Garcia (.211/.244/.289). Jorge Soler, another big-ticket addition by the Marlins, is producing a .188 batting average and 0.2 WAR. To make things worse, Jesus Luzardo, who finally seemed to be breaking out, went on the IL with a forearm strain, which is always a red-flag injury for a pitcher.

21. Boston Red Sox

Things have been so woeful at Fenway Park that manager Alex Cora shaved his beard in hopes of sparking something in his team. Boston has since won four of six, but it still sits last in the AL East behind the Orioles. If things don't turn around, Xander Bogaerts could be gone by midseason. Trade rumors involving the three-time All-Star are starting to surface.

22. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have a 7-7 record this month thanks to some pretty good baseball. Bruce Zimmermann leads the way for the pitchers, allowing just six earned runs over 17 innings during the stretch. The left-hander owns a 2.72 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP this season and is emerging as the club's No. 1 starter with John Means out for the rest of the campaign.

23. Texas Rangers

It's been a winning month for the Rangers so far, and their victories haven't been cakewalks either. Texas took two games from the Phillies before playing well against the Yankees in New York. Brad Miller's and Eli White's recent performances have helped, but the Rangers' biggest surprise might be Martin Perez. The southpaw was terrific Sunday in a win against the Red Sox, lowering his ERA to 2.01 - sixth-best in the AL among qualified starters.

24. Oakland Athletics

With Ramon Laureano's return from suspension, the Athletics may now possess one of the most athletic outfield duos in the league in Laureano and Cristian Pache. Those two could save the team a handful of runs throughout the rest of the season. However, there are some real concerns about Oakland's ability to score runs. The A's rank 27th in home runs (22), 25th in runs scored (122), and dead last in wRC+ (77).

25. Chicago Cubs

It shouldn't be a reason to panic, but Seiya Suzuki has hit the skids of late following a torrid start to his rookie campaign. The talented Japanese outfielder is hitting a paltry .170/.228/.283 with zero homers and three RBIs over his past 15 games. Perhaps more discouraging is the 19-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio during that stretch. Pitchers were always going to adjust; can Suzuki minimize those weaknesses?

26. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers lost 10 of 12 games before winning a series against the Orioles. Detroit's biggest issue this season has been a toothless offense. The club's hitters own the second-worst slugging percentage in the majors while going deep an MLB-worst 16 times with their home games at cavernous Comerica. The struggles have caused 2021 breakout Akil Baddoo to get sent down already, and Spencer Torkelson might be next if he can't lift his 68 wRC+. The team isn't this bad, but a horrible start might be the difference at the end of the year for a group with playoff aspirations.

27. Kansas City Royals

Despite finally connecting on his first homer of the season, Whit Merrifield continues to rank as one of the worst hitters in baseball in 2022. The two-time All-Star owns a 32 wRC+, better than only two other qualified hitters. Zack Greinke is also still among baseball's most interesting players to watch, but for increasingly odd reasons. The 38-year-old somehow finds himself pitching to an impressive 3.52 ERA despite a laughably low and league-worst 8.9% strikeout rate.

28. Washington Nationals

When will Juan Soto get some help? Seven of his eight homers this season have come with nobody on base. The 2021 NL MVP runner-up isn't getting much from Nelson Cruz. The 41-year-old slugger finally looks like he's at the end of his road, slashing .194/.279/.298 through 33 games.

29. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have a winning record in May thanks to the offensive prowess of Ben Gamel and Daniel Vogelbach. Seven multi-hit games this month, including two three-hit contests, have pushed Gamel to an .816 OPS. Vogelbach has gone deep three times this month to add to his team-leading total of six. File 'taking two of three over the Dodgers in May' as Pyrrhic victories this team can look back on when they hit the century mark in losses.

30. Cincinnati Reds

The Reds went 6-4 following a dreadful 3-22 start to their season. Brandon Drury has come out of nowhere to pick up the offense with Joey Votto and Jonathan India sidelined. The veteran has seven round-trippers with an .854 OPS. Meanwhile, Connor Overton has been a spark for a struggling rotation. The right-hander posted a 1.59 ERA with 1.05 WHIP across three starts.