It’s been an incredible month of April in the MLB. There have been some fantastic stories like Eric Thames and the rise of the Colorado Rockies. However, the World Series futures haven’t changed all that much. The Chicago Cubs still lead the way for our weekly power rankings, but the two teams beneath them have switched spots and one more has made a hard charge to the top five.
1. Chicago Cubs
Last Week: 1
World Series Championship Odds: +350
The Cubs had won six of their last seven going into their series finale in Pittsburgh on Wednesday before heading to Boston for a big weekend series with the Red Sox. After a few early-season slip-ups, the Cubs are hitting their stride, ranking fourth in the majors in runs scored and sixth in ERA, which is a deadly combination. The Cubs’ rotation is 22nd in quality starts, although they’re not pitching badly, but once they get rolling, the defending World Series champions are going to be even tougher.
2. Cleveland Indians
Last Week: 3
World Series Championship Odds: +600
The Indians have jumped over the Red Sox and like the Cubs, they look like they’ve had a bit of a hangover from last year’s insanely emotional World Series, which they lost. The Indians are 11th in runs scored in the MLB, but the pitching has to pick it up as they’re 22nd in ERA, even though they’re 10th in quality starts. Corey Kluber’s last start was encouraging as he pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout in Chicago over the White Sox last Friday.
3. Boston Red Sox
Last Week: 2
World Series Championship Odds: +650
The Red Sox lost two of three in Baltimore before their series opener with the rival New York Yankees was postponed on Tuesday. The Red Sox are 7-2 in their first nine games at home and they’re being held up in the American League East by their pitching as they’re eighth in ERA. The Red Sox are 19th in runs scored in the MLB, but they’ve had some injuries that have hurt them.
4. Houston Astros
Last Week: 6
World Series Championship Odds: +800
The Astros have won five of their last six going into Wednesday’s second game in Cleveland and they’ve made some big gains in the World Series odds over the last two weeks. They’re 14th in runs scored, but the big question coming into the season was their pitching and now that Dallas Keuchel is back on form, going 4-0 in five starts with an ERA of 1.22 and coming off a complete game, they have their ace back in the hole.
5. Washington Nationals
Last Week: 4
World Series Championship Odds: +1000
The Nationals had won eight of their last nine going into Wednesday’s third game in Colorado, and after a 15-12 win on Tuesday, they’re second in the majors in runs scored. Bryce Harper has absolutely been on fire to start the season, batting .400 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs, coming up on an arbitration-eligible year and of course, he is a free agent in 2019. If he keeps playing like this, the Nationals might have to get on those negotiations as soon as possible.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
Last Week: 5
World Series Championship Odds: +1000
The Dodgers have been up and down over the last week, and gave up 24 runs in two losses in a three-game series in Arizona. However, the Dodgers can always count on Clayton Kershaw to be the stabilizer and he did so on Tuesday, tossing a six-hitter with one earned run over seven innings of a 2-1 win in San Francisco over the rival Giants.
7. Baltimore Orioles
Last Week: –
World Series Championship Odds: +1500
The Orioles are the only new team to enter the power rankings, and their big test comes over the next week. After finishing a three-game set at home against Tampa Bay (in which they’ve split the first two games), the Orioles head to New York for three games with the Yankees and then four games in Boston. Last week’s dust-up with the Red Sox over a Manny Machado slide into Dustin Pedroia, and the subsequent throw at Machado by Matt Barnes caused a four-game suspension for Barnes and some talking in the media.
8. New York Yankees
Last Week: 8
World Series Championship Odds: +1500
The Yankees had alternated wins and losses over six games with the Chicago White Sox and in Pittsburgh going into their series with the Red Sox, but their pitching is still holding up, which has been one of the big surprises in the league. C.C. Sabathia’s start has everyone smiling in the Bronx as he is 2-1 in four starts with an ERA of 2.70. Sabathia will never be the Cy Young winner he once was again, but as long as he can be a solid #3 behind Masashiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda (who might be behind Sabathia in the pecking order now), the Yankees’ rotation might be alright.
9. New York Mets
Last Week: 7
World Series Championship Odds: +1500
The Mets are sliding after losing eight of nine going into Wednesday’s home game with Atlanta (their Tuesday series opener was postponed), and it looks like runs are the problem. The Mets scored more than four runs just once during those nine games, and they won that game against Philadelphia. Seven of those games have been decided by one or two runs, but a loss is a loss and the Mets need to get some momentum going into this weekend’s trip to the nation’s capital for three games with the Nationals.
10. San Francisco Giants
Last Week: 9
World Series Championship Odds: +2000
The Giants are also in a rut with five losses in six games going into their third game of four at home against the rival Dodgers. They have scored more than three runs once during that stretch, a game they lost 6-5 in Colorado, and the Giants are 26th in runs scored overall, which is more than only Toronto, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Kansas City. The Giants are also 26th in ERA, and ace Madison Bumgarner is on the disabled list for two months. It might get worse in San Francisco before it gets better.
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