MLB Power Rankings: Padres, Dodgers, Rays are on fire

Welcome to the fifth edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2021 season.

1. San Diego Padres

The Padres - winners of nine in a row and the first team to 30 victories - were firing on all cylinders even before Fernando Tatis Jr. returned from COVID-19 protocol this past Wednesday. Tatis hit .786 with four homers and 12 RBIs in the four games since coming off the IL, and San Diego outscored Seattle 31-7 over the weekend.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have won 10 of 11 since dropping a three-game series to the Angels on May 9. That run included a dominant sweep of the Giants in San Francisco that helped the club leapfrog its longtime rivals into second place. And more help may be on the way, with Cody Bellinger beginning his rehab assignment this weekend. It's starting to feel like that early May tailspin might turn out to be a mere speed bump for the defending champs.

3. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have to be more than satisfied with their starting pitching this campaign - especially after last year's disaster - but it might be time to start being concerned with Eduardo Rodriguez. The left-hander owns a 5.06 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and .290 opponents average in 48 innings this season while also allowing a team-high seven homers. E-Rod may be feeling some fatigue after missing the 2020 campaign due to myocarditis. If Boston wishes to fight for the division, the club will need to correct his struggles.

4. Tampa Bay Rays

Life, death, taxes, and the Rays finding ways to win despite constant roster turnover. Tampa Bay's once again contending thanks to a 10-game winning streak fueled by an offense that's scored 81 runs during that stretch. Randy Arozarena is also rolling, hitting .313/.405/.656 with three homers and eight RBIs over his last seven games. And it also may just be a matter of time before baseball's top prospect Wander Franco joins the club after Willy Adames was dealt to the Brewers.

5. New York Yankees

Remember the Yankees' early April woes? It seems like so long ago now. The team has won six in a row, including a huge sweep of the White Sox, and is not only closing in on first place in the AL East but also resembling the juggernaut many prognosticators expected. There are still pieces missing, especially in center field where Aaron Hicks has left a gaping hole, but New York can fix those in time.

6. Chicago White Sox

Chicago has gone 12-8 in May, but all the attention is on manager Tony La Russa after he publicly scolded rookie Yermin Mercedes for breaking baseball's unwritten rules. The White Sox apparently don't have a clubhouse rift even though Tim Anderson and Lance Lynn openly defended Mercedes' actions. However, the damage might already be done - Mercedes is 4-for-18 (.222) without an extra-base hit since La Russa's criticism. It will be interesting to see if this brings the club closer together or causes further tension with the veteran skipper.

7. San Francisco Giants

Gabe Kapler's team has been a wonderful early surprise, but the Giants got a rude wake-up call from their bitter rivals over the weekend. A three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers dropped San Francisco into third place in the NL West, making success on this week's road trip to Arizona and Los Angeles all the more critical. The Giants can recover from this setback - they're still just two games out of first, after all - but for a side that's already faced long odds in the division, this weekend could be a massive turning point for this club.

8. Oakland Athletics

The big news surrounding the Athletics has come off the field, as the team has started talking to other cities about possibly relocating if the franchise can't get a new ballpark in Oakland. None of this seems to be ruffling any feathers between the lines, though, as the club continues to lead the AL West while winning five of its last six series. There's nothing flashy about the A's - in true Oakland fashion, they simply go to work and grind out the wins.

9. Houston Astros

After winning eight of nine, including a series victory over the first-place A's, the Astros stumbled against the lowly Rangers over the weekend and now sit 1 1/2 games behind Oakland. Houston's bullpen couldn't hold onto leads in two of its three losses to Texas and has been unreliable this year, combining for minus-0.1 fWAR and the fourth-worst FIP in the American League. Luckily, the lineup is picking up the slack. The Astros rank second among AL clubs in run differential thanks to 248 runs scored.

10. St. Louis Cardinals

Losing two of three to the Cubs before a 10-game road trip with stops against the White Sox and L.A. had to hurt for the Cardinals, who have seen their lead atop the NL Central shrink to two games. St. Louis has been outscored 50-38 while hitting only 11 home runs over its last 11 contests. That has to change in a hurry if the Cardinals are going to keep the Cubs and Brewers at bay.

11. New York Mets

The battered Mets are keeping their heads above water despite a wave of injuries. Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis, and Kevin Pillar are just a few of the players who joined Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard on the injured list. Missing all that offensive firepower - Cameron Maybin hit third on Saturday - has left the team sitting in a tie with the Pirates for the fewest homers in the majors.

12. Toronto Blue Jays

Injuries to high-leverage relievers are starting to catch up to the Blue Jays. The club's bullpen, which has been a strength this campaign, has given up 15 earned runs during a five-game losing streak. On a positive note, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continues to look like an MVP candidate. The 22-year-old leads the majors with 2.9 fWAR. Marcus Semien has also been a monster in May, with his 1.122 OPS representing the third-best mark in MLB.

13. Atlanta Braves

Austin Riley is certainly on a heater. The Braves third baseman is hitting .462/.464/1.308 with six homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven matchups, with nine of those RBIs coming over the weekend against the Pirates. If the 24-year-old keeps this up, it'll be a huge boon for Atlanta.

14. Chicago Cubs

Kris Bryant's renaissance couldn't have come at a better time for Chicago, which is breathing down St. Louis' neck in the NL Central. Though he's hit only three homers in May, Bryant has been scorching the ball overall and had a big hand in his team's series wins against the Tigers, Nats, and Cardinals. Bryant is still the kind of player who can change a club's fortunes, and if you look at the rest of the Cubs' offense, it's easy to see how the unit might be lost without him.

15. Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers entered the season focused on run prevention, so it's no surprise they aren't blowing up the offensive charts. Plating the third-fewest runs in the league, however, just won't cut it. Playing so many games without Christian Yelich has been problematic, but Jackie Bradley Jr. (.294 SLG), Lorenzo Cain (.670 OPS), and Luis Urias (.216 AVG) haven't helped much either. Trading for Adames should add a spark to the lineup, but don't expect him to single-handedly fix Milwaukee's scoring woes.

16. Cleveland Indians

An Indians team that's already struggled to score lost an important piece over the weekend when Franmil Reyes was diagnosed with an oblique strain, keeping him out for five-to-seven weeks. Reyes and Jose Ramirez have accounted for 34% of Cleveland's RBIs, so it looks like it's up to the pitching to keep things afloat yet again.

17. Philadelphia Phillies

J.T. Realmuto's hurt and Bryce Harper's not hitting. Not surprisingly, the Phillies have only won twice in their last eight games without their stars producing. Harper is in a 2-for-25 slump with no extra-base hits and 13 strikeouts. The only bright spot might be that Philadelphia hasn't lost much ground in the division due to the Mets' injury woes.

18. Miami Marlins

The Marlins have kept pace in their division thanks to starting pitching. The young trifecta of Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Trevor Rogers continues to impress. The latter's emerged as a Cy Young dark horse, posting a 1.74 ERA with 11.3 K/9 over nine starts. The rotation could get another boost when right-hander Elieser Hernandez potentially returns in early June.

19. Cincinnati Reds

You'd think the Reds would be better with the way Jesse Winker is swinging the bat - 13 home runs and 1.096 OPS - but there are a lot of problems on the pitching end, most notably with Luis Castillo. Cincinnati's ace has allowed four or more runs in six of his 10 starts, with Sunday's outing ballooning his ERA to 7.61. The bullpen has also been a disaster, with Reds relievers combining for a 5.34 ERA.

20. Kansas City Royals

The Royals' lethargic offense, which ranks 26th in total production, has caused their fast start to fade, but that's hardly Carlos Santana's fault. In fact, Santana is turning out to be a very smooth pickup for Kansas City, where he's emerged as an offensive leader with his unique brand of patience and on-base skills (.396 OBP). If he had even a bit more help, the Royals might still be on top of the AL Central.

21. Washington Nationals

The Nationals have been underwhelming this season due to a lack of production from their big bats. Juan Soto owns an .812 OPS over 33 games, which would be great for any other hitter but doesn't live up to his lofty expectations, while newcomer Josh Bell is hitting .203/.264/.381. Washington should get a jolt to its starting rotation with Stephen Strasburg back from a lengthy stint on the IL.

22. Seattle Mariners

The future continues to arrive in Seattle, with prized prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert making their big-league debuts last week. And yet, it still feels very much like the same old, same old for this Mariners squad. Since calling up Kelenic and Gilbert, Scott Servais' side has gone 3-7, been no-hit for the second time this month - by the Tigers, of all teams - and gotten swept aside with ease in San Diego. Seattle isn't in last place and isn't too far out of first, but the club's hardly inspiring confidence.

23. Minnesota Twins

The free fall continues for the hapless Twins, who sit last in the AL Central after losing nine of their last 14. Things keep getting worse for Minnesota, too, with Kenta Maeda and Michael Pineda both hitting the injured list over the past week. At least Miguel Sano is beginning to look like his old self with five homers and 10 RBIs in his last seven games.

24. Texas Rangers

The Cardinals watched Arozarena burst into a star last postseason, and now the organization's seeing another one of its former outfielders break out. Adolis Garcia, acquired from St. Louis for cash in 2019, has a team-leading 14 home runs, 38 RBIs, and .932 OPS in 39 games with the Rangers. Garcia would lead all Cards players in those categories. In fact, St. Louis outfielders Tyler O'Neill, Harrison Bader, and Dylan Carlson have combined for 15 homers and 46 RBIs in 95 games in 2021.

25. Los Angeles Angels

Albert Pujols is gone, finally freeing up first base for a productive player in Jared Walsh. Shohei Ohtani is dazzling all over the field and doing things baseball fans haven't seen since ballparks were made of wood. But none of that matters if Mike Trout is hurt ... and he is. A calf strain suffered this week will keep Trout sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, and with that, the Halos' fate may be sealed yet again. You can't fault a club for injuries, but it's still sad for baseball to watch Ohtani's brilliance likely go to waste as the Angels flail their wings about for yet another season.

26. Baltimore Orioles

It's been a rough go for the Orioles in May. Baltimore's gone 5-15, including a current six-game losing skid, to fall to the bottom of the division, and the team's 4.87 ERA is second-worst in the AL. Despite the overall struggles, Trey Mancini has been one of the best stories of the campaign. The 29-year-old slugger leads the majors with 41 RBIs after no Orioles player had more than 32 during last year's shortened season.

27. Arizona Diamondbacks

An eight-game losing streak has dropped the D-Backs into last place. Certainly, Arizona is hurting, with multiple players - most notably burgeoning ace Zac Gallen - on the IL. But this slide is hardly due to injuries. This is a deeply flawed club stuck in a difficult division. Things are probably going to get a lot worse for the D-Backs before they get better.

28. Detroit Tigers

Spencer Turnbull's no-hitter against the Mariners gave the Tigers a much-needed celebration during another difficult rebuilding season. Turnbull's one of several Detroit pitchers who have turned in stellar starts to their 2021 campaigns, including Casey Mize and Matthew Boyd. For the first time in a while, you can start to see the pieces of something potentially special taking shape with the Tigers. Now it's time for the offense to catch up to the arms.

29. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are expected to be sellers ahead of the deadline, and while things look bad now, the team could leverage solid seasons from Jon Gray and Trevor Story into future assets. Gray owns a 3.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts over 57 2/3 innings and looks to have fully rebounded from an awful 2020 campaign. The 29-year-old is a free agent at the end of this season, so Colorado would be wise to start shopping him now.

30. Pittsburgh Pirates

The last couple of weeks have been ugly for the Pirates, who have lost nine of 14 - including getting outscored 37-9 over four games against the Braves in an absolute butt-kicking over the weekend. Starting pitching has been an issue for Pittsburgh, with every one of its starters owning an ERA over six in May.