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MLB Power Rankings: Darvish helps Rangers rise to No. 8

Rick Yeatts / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Memorial Day is a perfect time to stop and dissect where your team stands after the early part of the season. For most teams at the very top and bottom of our rankings, nothing has changed. But a few surprising squads have jumped into the top 10 - and they're not planning on leaving any time soon.

The composite rankings were compiled by theScore MLB editors Jonah Birenbaum, Bryan Mcwilliam, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, George Halim, and Dan Toman.

1. Chicago Cubs

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
34-14 37-11 1 (-)

It's almost June, and the Cubs remain on pace for the most wins (114) since the 2001 Mariners (116). That probably has something to do with the fact that only one of their starters has an ERA above 2.93.

2. Washington Nationals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
30-21 32-19 2 (-)

After hitting just two homers between April 28 and May 25 (albeit with a .427 OBP over that span), Bryce Harper now has two in his last four games. Watch out.

3. San Francisco Giants

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
32-20 28-24 5 (+2)

Why fret about Matt Cain's latest ailment when MadBum, Johnny, and The Shark have combined for an 0.81 ERA over the last two weeks?

4. New York Mets

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
28-21 27-22 3 (-1)

Despite hitting just .206/.276/.375 as a team over the last two weeks, the Mets have stormed into first place in the NL East thanks to four lights-out starters, and not Matt Harvey.

5. Boston Red Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
30-20 31-19 4 (-1)

When you've got six hitters in your lineup batting around .300 two months into the season, it's not so concerning that (reliever) Clay Buchholz and (soon-to-be reliever) Joe Kelly can't get anybody out.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
28-21 27-22 8 (+2)

Somehow, inexplicably, Andrew McCutchen is now the third-best outfielder in Pittsburgh. Gregory Polanco and Starling Marte both trump the former MVP in WAR and wRC+ this year.

7. Seattle Mariners

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
28-21 30-19 9 (+2)

The Mariners were a top-five offensive team even with Adam Lind struggling, so imagine how scary they'll be if he can approximate the 1.022 OPS he's posted over his last 44 plate appearances.

8. Texas Rangers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
29-21 26-24 12 (+4)

Yu Darvish pitched in a big-league game for the first time since 2014 and looked pretty good. They're still chasing Seattle, but Darvish could represent a turning point in the AL West race.

9. Los Angeles Dodgers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
27-24 29-22 10 (+1)

Their .140 isolated power is sixth-lowest in baseball, but the Dodgers also employ Clayton Kershaw, so they've still outscored their opponents 39-17 over their last seven games.

10. Baltimore Orioles

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
28-20 26-22 7 (-3)

No more first-place O's, who were swept by the lowly Astros during the week. Coming up: A showdown with the Red Sox that could determine a lot in the muddy AL East race.

11. Toronto Blue Jays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
26-26 26-26 14 (+3)

Russell Martin made a splash this week, and Devon Travis returned with a bang. The vaunted Blue Jays bats are waking up.

12. Cleveland Indians

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
26-22 28-20 13 (+1)

The Indians quietly took three of four from the White Sox to leap into first place. Corey Kluber looked more like himself. Now if only they can get Michael Brantley healthy.

13. Chicago White Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
27-24 28-23 6 (-7)

Hmm. It's almost as if a team with two really good starters and a punchless lineup isn't capable of sustaining that .680 winning percentage they managed in April.

14. St. Louis Cardinals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
26-25 29-22 11 (-3)

John Lackey was obviously the glue keeping St. Louis' rotation together, as the Cardinals' starting corps - the best in the NL last year - owns an unsightly 4.49 ERA with a measly 17.8 percent K rate.

15. Kansas City Royals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
27-22 24-25 15 (-)

One collision cost the Royals Alex Gordon for six weeks and Mike Moustakas for the season. The White Sox bullpen helped them to a good week anyway, but trouble may be brewing.

16. Detroit Tigers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
24-25 23-26 16 (-)

The Tigers are hanging around, but starting pitching has been a killer. If Jordan Zimmermann can't take his turn soon ...

17. Colorado Rockies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
23-26 23-26 17 (-)

Sitting 7.5 games out of first as the calendar hits June is a nice accomplishment for these young Rockies.

18. Miami Marlins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
26-24 24-26 18 (-)

Jose Fernandez's 13.352 strikeouts per nine innings lead the National League. Imagine where the Marlins would be without him.

19. New York Yankees

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
24-25 22-27 19 (-)

Michael Pineda's 6.92 ERA is the worst in baseball among qualified pitchers, and there's not much to replace him with. But hey, that bullpen's alright.

20. Houston Astros

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
22-29 22-29 20 (-)

Dallas Keuchel finally looked like himself Saturday. Another bit of good news for the struggling Astros, to go along with their pounding of Baltimore.

21. Philadelphia Phillies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
26-24 20-30 22 (+1)

Philly is nipping at the heels of both the Nationals and Mets, but losing their last three series isn't a good look.

22. Tampa Bay Rays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
22-26 24-24 21 (-1)

It was a rough week for the Rays, which ended with their fourth loss in five games, despite a one-hitter from Jake Odorizzi.

23. Los Angeles Angels

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
22-28 23-27 24 (+1)

Johnny Giavotella is doing things, but the Angels aren't getting any better. Oh, and C.J. Wilson had another setback, too.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
23-29 24-28 23 (-1)

Shelby Miller hit the DL with an atrocious 7.09 ERA and the pitching remains bad, but at least the bats have turned things around.

25. Oakland Athletics

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
22-29 20-31 25 (-)

Rich Hill and Khris Davis are two reasons to watch the A's, but there isn't much else going right for the Bay Area squad.

26. Milwaukee Brewers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
23-27 22-28 26 (-)

The Brewers had a nice week thanks to Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy, and Aaron Hill, but they still look like a fourth place club in the NL Central.

27. San Diego Padres

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
20-31 21-30 27 (-)

If San Diego deals James Shields to the White Sox, another one of their big-ticket acquisitions from last season will have left the building. Don't always believe the hype.

28. Cincinnati Reds

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
16-34 16-34 28 (-)

Another week, another handful of losses. But hey, Adam Duvall padded some stats, so there's that.

29. Minnesota Twins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
15-34 17-32 29 (-)

The Twins looked like a team capable of playing good baseball, sweeping the AL West-leading Mariners in a three-game set. Maybe they're just really, really slow starters?

30. Atlanta Braves

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
14-35 16-33 30 (-)

Freddie Freeman thinks he's been awful this season, yet he still leads the team in home runs and is tied for second in RBIs. What does that say about the rest of the club?

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