Monday, April 26th -

Three weeks of the MLB regular season are in the books. Since our last update, the Yankees lost their first series of the year, the Padres went on an 8-game winning streak, there’s a new team at the top of these rankings, and I turned 21 years old. Big news for everyone. Let’s check out this week’s movers.

This Power Rankings takes into account season performance thus far, but also accounts for expected future performance and reasons for past performance (such as a major injury, etc). Therefore, current team records won’t always correspond with a team’s spot in the rankings. Like always, debate is encouraged. Here is the Week 4 MLB Power Rankings, with Last Week’s Rank in parentheses:

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1. (4) Tampa Bay Rays, 14-5 - Welcome our new #1 team. The Rays have the best record and run differential in baseball. They have the most runs scored and stolen bases. They also have a top 5 staff ERA. Right now, there’s nothing that this talented young team can’t do. Matt Garza and David Price are both Cy Young candidates of the early season.

2. (1) New York Yankees, 12-6 - They just lost their first series of the year to the Angels. Once A-Rod and Teixeira get going, the Yankees should be able to take back the top spot. Robinson Cano leads the team in almost all hitting categories, Phil Hughes is pitching like a stud through 3 starts, and Brett Gardner leads the AL in stolen bases. Andy Pettitte is having a tremendous season, but Javier Vazquez is not. There’s still room for improvement in a couple of areas.

3. (2) Philadelphia Phillies, 11-7 - Roy Halladay is completely dominating the National League. He’s 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 28:3 K/BB ratio. The offense has actually been slumping a bit, but don’t expect that to last much longer. The Phillies still have the best lineup in the NL, and Ryan Howard just signed a monster 5-year extension.

4. (5) Minnesota Twins, 13-6 - Justin Morneau is having quite a comeback from his killer back injury that cut his ’09 season short. He has a .500 OBP and 1.150 OPS. Francisco Liriano also appears to be in full comeback mode from his disastrous ’09. Add these two to the rest of the consistent Minnesota ballclub, and we have ourselves the runaway favorite for the AL Central.

5. (3) St. Louis Cardinals, 11-7 - This offense has gone into a few slumps in the early season. When you have lots of hit-or-miss sluggers in the lineup, that’s going to happen. But Chris Carpenter is hot again, giving them the unreal 1-2 punch (with Adam Wainwright) that makes them the second scariest team in the NL.

6. (6) San Francisco Giants, 10-8 - The Giants are officially for real. Any team with this good of a rotation from 1 through 5 is going to be competitive all season long. Lincecum, Cain, Zito, and Sanchez are all pitching like All-Stars early on. However, they simply need another bat. The offense is not nearly explosive enough. They’re relying on post-prime veterans Bengie Molina and Edgar Renteria for major run production.

7. (7) Oakland Athletics, 12-8 - It’s unclear who the favorite in the AL West is going to be. But for now, the A’s are at the top and continue to play well. All 5 of their starters have a sub-4.00 ERA, and their young hitters are playing typical Oakland baseball by getting on base and playing effective small ball. Daric Barton is the centerpiece of the lineup and just suffered a finger injury, so hopefully he’s not going to miss much time.

8. (11) Colorado Rockies, 10-9 - The explosive lineup has been a bit inconsistent but continues to scare opponents. Ubaldo Jimenez followed up his no-hitter with a 7-inning shutout performance, and they’ve officially found their ace. Team President Kelli McGregor passed away last week, and the Rockies will honor him this week and rally as a team.

9. (14) Los Angeles Angels, 10-10 - Kendry Morales is proving that his monster ’09 campaign was not a fluke or statistical anomaly. He’s been raking all year, including a big 3-run homer yesterday to beat the Yankees. Jered Weaver is pitching like the ace they need him to, and the bullpen has been a pleasant surprise. They are right on the A’s heels.

10. (9) Detroit Tigers, 10-9 - While our man Austin Jackson continues to hit over .300 and steal bases while showing some pop, he now leads the league in strikeouts. Not a good stat to boast as a leadoff hitter. Young stud starter Rick Porcello is struggling mightily early on. Miguel Cabrera leads all of baseball in RBI’s and is keeping this team going.

11. (8) Florida Marlins, 10-9 - Jorge Cantu’s hot start continues, and he leads the NL in RBI’s (20). Hanley Ramirez, however, has yet to get hot. The rotation continues to pitch well, and Ricky Nolasco has pitched consecutive 8+ inning victories.

12. (12) Seattle Mariners, 9-10 - Cliff Lee returns on Friday, and then we can really start evaluating this team fairly. The friendly confines of their ballpark combined with their tremendous defensive outfield has allowed for solid starting pitching, even from their end of rotation guys like Doug Fister. Lee should love pitching for this team. The bullpen, however, has not had the same success. They must be better.

13. (24) San Diego Padres, 11-7 - San Diego is getting great pitching that led to an 8-game win streak last week. Their team ERA is 3rd in baseball at 2.87. Adrian Gonzalez has homered in 4-straight games, and they are getting some timely hitting with runners in scoring position. They also lead the NL in stolen bases and have only been caught 4 times. We’ll see if they can keep it up.

14. (13) Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-10 - The Dodgers have the highest batting average in the National League, but the second worst team ERA in the NL. They’re looking like a team that needs to slug out victories. Luckily, they have the tools to get it done that way with their powerful outfield. If Chad Billingsley can start pitching well, they can move up in the ranks.

15. (10) Atlanta Braves, 8-10 - Jason Heyward has the highest batting average with runners in scoring position in baseball. A nice stat to have for a 20-year-old. The hitting is fine, but the pitching is struggling. They just got swept by the Mets and Derek Lowe cannot throw strikes. Expect a better showing from the rotation, but for now they must be dropped in the rankings.

16. (15) Toronto Blue Jays, 10-9 - The Blue Jays are having a crazy start to this season. After starting 7-2, they are 3-7 since. They have the second lowest team batting average in the AL (.223), but they have the most home runs with 26. Ricky Romero continues to pitch lights out, but no other starter has been consistent. This team has the ability to go in either direction.

17. (16) Texas Rangers, 8-10 - They need Ian Kinsler back. There’s no consistency with the lineup on a daily basis. This team of “sluggers” has just 13 home runs on the season. But they are staying in games and have gotten some solid pitching from unexpected sources. Rich Harden, however, has not been one of them. His spot in the rotation is in jeopardy.

18. (19) Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-10 - The D’Backs lead the National League with 26 home runs, but their team ERA is above 5.00. Mark Reynolds and Kelly Johnson are hot, but Justin Upton is not. They need their young star to be a consistent force in the 3-hole of the lineup. Their starting pitching has shown flashes, but is very inconsistent right now, especially Edwin Jackson.

19. (28) New York Mets, 10-9 - The Mets are gaining some momentum and just swept the Braves. So why do I have them 4 spots lower than Atlanta, despite being half a game better in the standings? I have a hard time believing that Mike Pelfrey will continue his 0.87 ERA start, and the team is hitting just .230 with 13 home runs on the season. If the hitting can get better, the Mets can keep moving on up.

20. (18) Boston Red Sox, 8-11 - The Sox played much better last week, but there’s still concerns. For a team built on pitching, defense, and some small ball, it’s not good to see them with only 6 stolen bases and being very easy to run on. None of their catchers can throw anyone out. Daisuke Matsuzaka returns on Saturday and could provide a boost to the rotation.

21. (27) Washington Nationals, 10-9 - The Nats should have beef with this ranking. They are much improved from last season, and are playing great defense behind solid starting pitching. However, their lineup is being led by Pudge Rodriguez (batting .400), and their rotation is being led by Livan Hernandez (0.75 ERA). Good luck with that continuing. Matt Capps leads all of baseball with 8 saves, which is huge for their success.

22. (23) Chicago White Sox, 8-11 - Paul Konerko leads baseball with 8 home runs, but the rest of the lineup has been inconsistent. The White Sox have the lowest team average in baseball at .222. The rotation has been mediocre, but John Danks is pitching very well early on. There’s room for improvement here.

23. (20) Milwaukee Brewers, 8-10 - Welcome to the muddled middle of the NL Central. After the Cardinals, this division is full of mediocrity. I have teams 2-5 in the Central slotted in the next 4 places in this rankings, and will be hoping for one team to breakout so this trend doesn’t continue. The Brewers just got swept by the Cubs and cannot pitch right now. Ryan Braun is officially one of the 3 best hitters in all of baseball, but the rest of the lineup is inconsistent.

24. (22) Cincinnati Reds, 8-11 - The Reds aren’t doing much well right now. They have 1 win from their starting pitchers, and need Aroldis Chapman to be called up soon. Jay Bruce is wildly inconsistent right now, and their team ERA is 6.02, the second worst in baseball. But they still sit at a modest 8-11 and have the potential for improvement.

25. (21) Chicago Cubs, 9-10 - The Cubs just swept the Brewers and might have a beef with being ranked below them. But they just sent their ace (Carlos Zambrano) to the bullpen, which is never a good sign. They need Ted Lilly to be great when he returns this week. They also need to continue to slug the ball, because nobody on the team is stealing bases besides Ryan Theriot.

26. (30) Houston Astros, 8-10 - The ‘Stros have moved out of the cellar thanks to winning 6 of their last 7 games. Getting Lance Berkman back was huge for them. But they have just 7 team home runs and must continue to rely on strong starting pitching to get them wins.

27. (25) Cleveland Indians, 8-10 - The Indians are playing pretty well and could have a serious beef with this ranking. They are pitching well, thanks to a resurgent Fausto Carmona. Their defense is also above-average. Unfortunately, nobody is hitting the ball except Shin-Soo Choo. Grady Sizemore used to be the franchise player, but he hasn’t been hitting above .250 since the end of 2008. He is at .220 with no home runs this season.

28. (26) Kansas City Royals, 7-11 - The Royals have the highest batting average in the American League, but the worst team ERA in the AL. That’s not a trade-off you want to make as a team without much power or explosiveness offensively. Jose Guillen continues to rake for them and leads MLB in total bases. But nobody else is joining him, and their rotation is weak.

29. (17) Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-11 - The Pirates were looking like a pretty good story early on, but 6 straight losses has completely changed the outlook of this team. Their 7.04 team ERA is insanely high and by far the worst in MLB. They have some good offensive players in the top half of the lineup, and then the bottom half is filled with very average hitters. The Pirates might be the worst team in the NL now.

30. (29) Baltimore Orioles, 3-16 - I still think there’s hope for the O’s. But too many injuries and poor performances in the lineup have led to a woeful start. They have the second worst ERA in the American League, and their 5 stolen bases are the lowest in baseball. Manager Dave Trembley is firmly on the hot seat.

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BIGGEST RISERS -
San Diego Padres (Currently 13th, up 11 from last week)
New York Mets (19, up 9)
Washington Nationals (21, up 6)
Houston Astros (25, up 5)

BIGGEST FALLERS -
Pittsburgh Pirates (29, down 12)
Atlanta Braves (15, down 5)

Disagree with any of these rankings? Drop a comment and let me know. Be on the lookout for a new update every Monday.