June 3rd MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves fall slightly
By James Kunkle
11. Colorado Rockies
Winners of 8 in a row, the Rockies are back in the thick of the NL Wild Card Race. More surprising when you consider they had to send down last years ace Kyle Freeland to Triple-A.
12. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals move up after sweeping the Cubs this past weekend. Adam Wainwright walked 7 but still pitched 8 scoreless innings Sunday. The NL Central will be a roller coaster all season long.
13. Texas Rangers
If the playoffs started today, the Rangers would be in as the 2nd AL Wild Card Team. I will be surprised if that’s the case come July, but who knows? Maybe they want to send Globe Life Park out in style?
14. San Diego Padres
After losing a series to the Yankees, the Padres got beat on back-to-back days by the Marlins both on a score of 9-3. Hopefully the Padres can bounce back and beat up on the Phillies this week.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona is slowly fading back below the .500 mark but don’t blame Eduardo Escobar. The Infielder is making a strong case to represent the National League at this years all star game.
16. Oakland Athletics
One way to contradict a 10-game winning streak is to immediately follow it up with a 5-game losing streak. That is exactly what the Athletics are currently mired in. Let’s see if they can get back on another winning streak.
17. Cleveland Indians
Maybe the most disappointing team so far this year is the Cleveland Indians. They are now tied for 2nd in the AL Central and are below .500. They need to turn things around quickly to have any hope in the second half.
18. Washington Nationals
Maybe we all counted the Nationals out too soon. They are playing better lately and are clawing back in the races. They did indeed whoop up on the Braves in the 2-game series last week.
19. New York Mets
Do you think General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen wants to rethink his “come and get us” comment he made this past Winter? The team is probably better than what the record says but surprisingly the pitching has been subpar this year.
20. Chicago White Sox
Take a look at the standings and realize that the White Sox are only 2 games out of the Wild Card in the American League. That is thanks in large part to Lucas Giolito becoming what he was always expected to become.