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MLB Power Rankings - May 25: Giants climb to No. 8; Slumping Yankees fall out of top 10

Bob Stanton / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

1. St. Louis Cardinals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
28-16 29-15 1 (-)

The Cardinals may have the most underappreciated bullpen in the National League, as Trevor Rosenthal, Kevin Siegrist, and Matt Belisle (no, really) have authored a combined 1.54 ERA with a 26.3 percent strikeout rate over 58 1/3 innings.

2. Kansas City Royals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
28-15 28-15 4 (+2)

The Royals own the best run differential in baseball this season and, as it happens, they've also enjoyed the largest attendance boost from 2014 of all 30 MLB clubs. Apparently, sustaining a high level of performance over an extended period of time makes fans flock to the ballpark. Shocking.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
26-17 26-17 2 (-1)

It may not have been the most prudent move for the Dodgers to suspend Erisbel Arruebarrena. Incumbent shortstop Jimmy Rollins, after all, is hitting just .201 with a 70 OPS+ through 42 games this season and has played a large role in Los Angeles's recent offensive skid.

4. Washington Nationals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
26-18 25-19 3 (-1)

No player has posted an isolated power above .329 in his age-22 season since Ted Williams who hit .406/.533/.735 over 606 plate appearances back in 1941. Bryce Harper, for the record, leads the majors with a .395 ISO thus far in 2015.

5. Houston Astros

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
29-16 25-20 6 (+1)

There's no shortage of homer-smashin', bag-swipin', and apostrophe-droppin' going down in Houston, but the Astros' bullpen has been absolutely lights out this season. The club's relief corps owns a 2.14 ERA - trailing only Kansas City for the best mark in baseball - and boasts the best strikeout rate in the American League at 28.7 percent.

6. Detroit Tigers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
26-19 24-21 5 (-1)

Of the nine Tigers players with at least 100 plate appearances this season, all but two are creating offense at least eight percent better than league average. Shockingly, one of the two players not pulling their weight is Victor Martinez, who managed a .578 OPS before landing on the disabled list Tuesday.

7. Chicago Cubs

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
24-19 22-21 7 (-)

"So far, I don't feel good about what I'm doing," Jorge Soler said before Saturday's game in Arizona. Soler, though, ranks seventh in on-base percentage (.342) among rookies with at least 60 plate appearances this season and, if you can believe it, has a better batting average than Kris Bryant.

8. San Francisco Giants

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
25-20 23-22 15 (+7)

The reigning champions continue to pile up the wins ever so quietly, emerging victorious in eight of their last 10 games thanks to a sustained offensive surge. No team has managed a better wRC+ than San Francisco over the last two weeks, throughout which Madison Bumgarner became the first pitcher to ever hit a home run off Clayton Kershaw.

9. Tampa Bay Rays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
24-21 24-21 10 (+1)

Last year, the Rays received an unexpected breakout from Kevin Kiermaier. This season, it appears Logan Forsythe has emerged as the club's surprising success story, leading the Rays with a 142 wRC+ thus far while consistently hitting right-handed pitching for the first time in his career.

10. New York Mets

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
24-21 22-23 9 (-1)

The Mets need Travis d'Arnaud back yesterday. Relying on Kevin Plawecki, Anthony Recker, and Johnny Monell, the Mets have received less value behind the plate over the last month than all but four teams, their catchers combining to hit .185/.226/.333 over that span.

11. Minnesota Twins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
25-18 23-20 11 (-)

No team's success has been more puzzling than the Twins, who haven't created runs or prevented them with particular success. They have, however, managed some timely hits while pitching extremely well in high-leverage situations - a formula that isn't sustainable but has nevertheless kept the Twins relevant through May.

12. Pittsburgh Pirates

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
21-22 25-18 14 (+2)

According to his most recent pay stub, Andrew McCutchen takes home just north of $427,000 every other week. After a slow start, though, the former MVP has been earning his hefty salary of late, hitting .386/.486/.754 with five home runs and a pair of stolen bases in his last 16 games.

13. New York Yankees

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
22-22 22-22 8 (-5)

The notion that the Yankees are a good team was aggressively dispelled this month. With just one win in their last 11 games, the Yankees have averaged only 3.09 runs per game since May 12, while the club's injury-riddled rotation owns a disastrous 6.13 ERA in the last two weeks.

14. Los Angeles Angels

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
22-22 22-22 12 (-2)

The Angels are 13-7 this season when Mike Trout reaches base safely at least twice in a game. However, when the 23-year-old gets on base only once or, somehow, doesn't reach at all, Los Angeles is 9-15. Mike Scioscia ought to consider doing everything in his power, then, to make sure Trout gets on base at least twice per game.

15. San Diego Padres

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
21-24 21-24 13 (-2)

Matt Kemp's prolonged fall from grace - amazingly, the 30-year-old is hitting .162/.213/.189 over his last 20 games - has underscored a much larger problem: The Padres are useless against right-handed pitching. Only four teams own a worse OBP versus righties than the Padres (.293), who have lost seven of their last nine games.

16. Seattle Mariners

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
20-23 19-24 17 (-1)

Robinson Cano's struggles can no longer be ignored, as the 32-year-old owns a .290 OBP thus far while tallying as many home runs as noted sluggers Madison Bumgarner, Jace Pederson, and Freddy Galvis. The Mariners, however, aren't contractually obligated to pay any of those players $192 million over the next eight seasons.

17. Cleveland Indians

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
20-23 21-22 26 (+9)

With eight wins in their last 10 games, the Indians are finally starting to resemble the team many picked to win the division this winter. No player has been hotter throughout the club's torrid stretch than Jason Kipnis, though, who boasts a ridiculous .451/.548/.686 line (248 wRC+) over the last two weeks.

18. Boston Red Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
21-23 19-25 19 (+1)

Their roster is crowded with imposing right-handed hitters - Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, and Mike Napoli to name a few - so the Red Sox must be crushing left-handers, right? Not so much. The club's .206 batting average versus lefties this season ranks dead last in the AL and they simply aren't making a lot of solid contact against southpaws.

19. Baltimore Orioles

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
19-22 21-20 20 (+1)

So much for that bounce back campaign for Chris Davis, right? The 29-year-old has been dreadful of late following a strong start to the season, hitting just .103/.239/.179 with no home runs and 13 strikeouts over his last 11 games.

20. Toronto Blue Jays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
20-26 25-21 21 (+1)

At some point, this team's potent offense will start delivering some timely hits on those nights when the pitching staff manages to keep the game close. Thus far, the Blue Jays have had no luck in tightly contested games, managing a disastrous 2-10 record in games decided by one run.

21. Atlanta Braves

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
22-21 21-22 22 (+1)

The lack of power in Atlanta's lineup hasn't really been an issue of late. Despite being the only team in the majors with less than 10 home runs this month - they also rank third-last in isolated power in May - the Braves still have seven wins in their last nine games.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
21-22 23-20 25 (+3)

Watching the Diamondbacks attempt to pitch is a small price to pay to watch Paul Goldschmidt, who ranks third in the majors in win probability added and owns an obscene .333/.438/.635 line with 12 home runs and eight stolen bases in 43 games thus far.

23. Texas Rangers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
21-23 22-22 24 (+1)

The prince hath reclaimed his royal status. After missing most of the 2014 campaign, Prince Fielder boasts a .964 OPS (167 OPS+) with eight home runs this season, emerging as the undisputed offensive leader on a team that's won five straight games.

24. Chicago White Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
19-22 16-25 16 (-8)

Adam LaRoche characterized his team's recent efforts as "embarrassing" Sunday after the White Sox collected their fifth loss in six games. The veteran first baseman certainly isn't wrong, as Chicago has been limited to three runs or fewer more times this season than all but three AL teams.

25. Cincinnati Reds

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
18-25 18-25 18 (-7)

Not only did the Reds extend their losing streak to eight games Sunday afternoon, but the club was also forced to start Raisel Iglesias in lieu of ace Johnny Cueto due to elbow stiffness. With a rebuild looming, general manager Walt Jocketty should consider enrobing his prized right-hander in bubble wrap until the trade deadline.

26. Miami Marlins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
18-27 21-24 22 (-4)

"Wins are like donuts," newly appointed manager Dan Jennings remarked Sunday after his club's second straight victory. "You like them so much you want to keep eating them." Well, uh, the Marlins won't be eating too many donuts after placing both Mat Latos and Henderson Alvarez on the DL Friday, compromising a rotation that, despite a slow start, owns a 3.83 ERA (3.71 FIP) over the last month.

27. Philadelphia Phillies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
19-27 17-29 28 (+1)

The arrival of Maikel Franco appears to have galvanized the Phillies who boast a 6-4 record since the 22-year-old third baseman was promoted from Triple-A. During this stretch of unexpected success, both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have re-established themselves as at least somewhat intriguing trade assets.

28. Oakland Athletics

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
16-30 22-24 27 (-1)

When Billy Beane inevitably dismantles the current Athletics roster, he might want to consider finding some players who can catch the dang ball. No team in baseball has committed even close to as many errors as Oakland (46), who even hired Ron Washington last week to fix "shortstop" Marcus Semien.

29. Colorado Rockies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
17-25 17-25 29 (-)

Tempting as it is to point fingers at Colorado's dismal rotation, the Rockies have also fielded the seventh-worst offense in the majors this season after adjusting for park effects. Amid measly production from Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies have scored 10 runs in a game just once this season. That happened on Opening Day.

30. Milwaukee Brewers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
16-29 17-28 30 (-)

Will Smith didn't put up a fight when he was ejected from Thursday's game in Atlanta after being caught with a foreign substance on his arm - a combination of rosin and sunscreen. It's rather sad, though, that players will blatantly cheat just so they don't have to play for the Brewers.

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