The start of the MLB season has not begun as I thought it would. The most disappointing team so far has to be the Chicago Cubs. After their historic World Series win last year, the Cubs have started a mediocre 19-19 and are currently third in the NL Central. The Blue Jays, who have one of the best offenses in the game on paper, have also gotten off to a slow start to the season and sit last in the AL East. One team that has had a tremendous start to the season is the Colorado Rockies, who stand at the top of the NL West with a record of 25-15.

Speaking of the Rockies, I have them as #5 in my MLB Power Rankings. This is due in large part to Mark Reynolds’ ridiculous hitting. Reynolds, usually only known for his power, has shown that he can hit for average and power. He has a .317 batting average with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs. Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado are also both off to hot starts. Combined, they have 18 home runs and 57 RBIs. This Rockies team has a ton of offense, and not many teams can keep up with the number of runs they put up on the board.

Coming in at #4 in my Power Rankings are the Houston Astros. Dallas Keuchel is back! After a disappointing 2016-2017 season, Keuchel is looking like the Cy Young pitcher he was in the 2015-2016 season. So far, Keuchel is 7-0 with an ERA of 1.84. Whenever Keuchel is on the mound, it is an almost automatic win for the Astros. Jose Altuve is the most consistent hitter in the MLB, so you know that you’re always going to get a .300 or above batting average and many stolen bases and runs from him. This young Astros team can be very good, because they are one of the most balanced teams in baseball.
Choosing the #3 team in the Power Rankings was a tough one. It was between the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles. However, since the Orioles just beat the Nationals, I have to put the Nats at #3. The Nationals have a great pitching staff led by Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, and Stephen Strasburg. Ryan Zimmerman has gotten off to a red hot start, batting .385 with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs. And yes, Bryce Harper is pretty good too.

The Orioles are the most surprising team so far and sit at #2 in the Power Rankings. Many experts picked them to end up 4th or even last in the AL East. Right now, they are atop the East with a 23-14 record. The Orioles have had tremendous pitching so far this season. Their starters give the team six solid innings a night, and then the bullpen completely shuts down the opposing team’s offense. I’m perplexed at the Orioles’ record because all of their star players (Manny Machado, Chris Davis, and Mark Trumbo) have gotten off to really slow starts. I think if they get hot at the plate, the Orioles will be a team that no one wants to face.

The Yankees are the best team in baseball right now and are at #1 on the list. Aaron Judge, who I predicted to be the rookie of the year in our last issue, is tearing it up right now. He is hitting .320 with 14 home runs and 29 RBIs. Starlin Castro is hitting well, with a batting average of .340 with 7 home runs and 25 RBIs. Just like the Orioles, the Yankees’ bullpen is lights out. If the Yankees have a lead going into the 7th, 8th, or 9th inning, good luck scoring against their bullpen.