2014 MLB Power Rankings: Week 3 Edition

By David Miller

2014 MLB Power Rankings: Week 3 Edition

Carlos Gomez Milwaukee Brewers — It is a very exciting season in MLB so far in 2014. We have the surprise team of the year riding a 9 game winning streak. The defending champions are still struggling to rise towards the middle of the rankings. Perhaps the team that made the best improvements over the offseason cannot buy a victory or many scoreless frames from their pitching staff. Take a look at the MLB Power Rankings for week 3 of the 2014 season.

30 – Arizona Diamondbacks - .164

Arizona Diamondbacks

30 – Arizona Diamondbacks - .164

Arizona Diamondbacks — Here is the team that added Mark Trumbo and Bronson Arroyo along with closer Addison Reed and absolutely cannot get a win. They have been shockingly bad early during the season. Anything is possible but they have to get good pitching from somewhere if they want to climb even one place in these rankings.

29 – Kansas City Royals - .245

Kansas City Royals

29 – Kansas City Royals - .245

Kansas City Royals — Another season has come and we are seeing another season where the Royals are struggling to knock in the big runs. It is early and the Royals look to be better than this showing but they certainly have work to do.

28 – Houston Astros - .276

Houston Astros

28 – Houston Astros - .276

Houston Astros — Ranking next to next to last might not seem impressive but watching the games will tell you that the Astros are playing pretty tough this year. No matter who they have faced, they have played hard and played right. Don't be surprised if they slowly climb over the first couple of months of the year.

27 – Chicago Cubs - .301

Chicago Cubs

27 – Chicago Cubs - .301

Chicago Cubs — The Cubs should be better than this but as is often the case, they just aren't quite playing well enough to win many games. A good week with a blowout or two would climb them nicely.

26 – New York Mets - .344

New York Mets

26 – New York Mets - .344

New York Mets — Whether or not the Mets play well and win seems to depend on who they play. They struggled against the Angels but won the series against a team ranked in the top five this week.

25 – Cincinnati Reds - .346

Cincinnati Reds

25 – Cincinnati Reds - .346

Cincinnati Reds — The good news for the Reds this week was that Devin Mesoraco showed up and seemed to help things instantly. Also rookie Billy Hamilton showed just how quickly he can change a game with his incredible speed.

24 – Boston Red Sox - .349

Boston Red Sox

24 – Boston Red Sox - .349

Boston Red Sox — The champs had a hard fought week that ended in not so great fashion against their rival Yankees. The AL East is close this year so far so they have plenty of time to get their stuff together.

23 – San Diego Padres - .357

San Diego Padres

23 – San Diego Padres - .357

San Diego Padres — The Padres rose nicely up the rankings this week with a few good wins. The biggest moment was the way ace Andrew Cashner slammed the door shut on the Detroit Tigers offense. That was an incredible game that continues to show how great Cashner really is.

22 – Baltimore Orioles - .368

Baltimore Orioles

22 – Baltimore Orioles - .368

Baltimore Orioles — Right now Baltimore is hanging in there nicely with the others in the crowded AL East. They don't need to be on top of the power rankings to be in that fight right now though it certainly would show them as power-favorites if they were.

21 – Miami Marlins - .393

Miami Marlins

21 – Miami Marlins - .393

Miami Marlins — Want to know what kind of damage a winless week can do? Take a look at the Marlins who were ranked second last week and looked to have everything going their way. All it took was a tough couple of series with the Nationals and Phillies to ruin that awesome start. They are still in okay shape as long as they resume winning soon.

20 – Cleveland Indians - .453

Cleveland Indians

20 – Cleveland Indians - .453

Cleveland Indians — For the most part the Indians look this year like they probably should look at basically how they should have looked last year. That isn't say they are bad, just that they certainly are underdogs in the AL Central. Time will tell what they can do with their season but the bullpen could be an issue.

19 – Texas Rangers - .455

Texas Rangers

19 – Texas Rangers - .455

Texas Rangers — The Rangers look like a tough team this year. They don't look like the best or the worst, just a team that really fights and is looking for a reason to have a chip on their shoulders.

18 – Colorado Rockies - .465

Colorado Rockies

18 – Colorado Rockies - .465

Colorado Rockies — Look for the Rockies to kind of hang around the middle this year at least for a while. They might have ups and downs but in the end, a strong middle of the road kind of season could land them in the wild card picture if not in the fight for the division.

17 – Philadelphia Phillies - .475

Philadelphia Phillies

17 – Philadelphia Phillies - .475

Philadelphia Phillies — The Phillies looked to be an improved team last week and with another week under their belts, they still look like that. The NL East already has the Nationals and Braves at the top but the Phillies are right there in the mix with the Braves on their calendar this week.

16 – Pittsburgh Pirates - .506

Pittsburgh Pirates

16 – Pittsburgh Pirates - .506

Pittsburgh Pirates — For now the Pirates look pretty good but are being victimized by the same thing everyone else in the NL Central is hurting from. That would be the amazing play of the top ranked team this week.

15 – Minnesota Twins - .511

Minnesota Twins

15 – Minnesota Twins - .511

Minnesota Twins — The Twins were right in the middle last week and they find themselves right there again in week 3. Chances are that they would be pleased with that spot as a steady starting place this season. They are not bad. Certainly in the odd mix that the AL Central has become early in 2014, anything could happen.

14 – New York Yankees - .514

New York Yankees

14 – New York Yankees - .514

New York Yankees — Overcoming few injuries to win the week is always encouraging and the Yankees did pretty well at that this week. It allowed them to at least leapfrog over the Twins if nothing else. They appear to be ready to hang in there in the AL East but they do need their captain healthy.

13 – Tampa Bay Rays - .544

Tampa Bay Rays

13 – Tampa Bay Rays - .544

Tampa Bay Rays — The Rays find themselves ending the week in a three-way tie for first in the AL East along with the Yankees and the team that outranked them this week. Here's hoping this division stays this fun all season long at least with three of the teams involved.

12 – Chicago White Sox - .551

Chicago White Sox

12 – Chicago White Sox - .551

Chicago White Sox — There are no superstars in the AL Central right now and that has left the refurbished White Sox with a chance to hang close to the top of the division. Their young team looks very good just as it is right now.

11 – Los Angeles Angels - .554

Los Angeles Angels

11 – Los Angeles Angels - .554

Los Angeles Angels — Four wins this week put the Angels higher in the rankings and their blowout of the Mets on Sunday surely helped a little bit as well. Any time they can get Trout and Pujols going long-ball, they'll be tough to beat for a few days.

10 – Toronto Blue Jays - .564

Toronto Blue Jays

10 – Toronto Blue Jays - .564

Toronto Blue Jays — It was a good week for the Blue Jays beginning with the strong finish to the first week All in all they have to be pleased with a week good enough to land them in the top 10 of anyone's power rankings. They certainly look strong enough for the divisional fight so far.

9 – St. Louis Cardinals - .572

St. Louis Cardinals

9 – St. Louis Cardinals - .572

St. Louis Cardinals — Even though the Cardinals are clearly not as good as they were at the end of last season right now, they seemed to be able to stay close in most games and seek out any way they can find to win. Doing that when things aren't firing on all cylinders is a good way for this team to make champs out of themselves.

8 – Detroit Tigers - .606

Detroit Tigers

8 – Detroit Tigers - .606

Detroit Tigers — The Tigers fell from their top position last week quite a few spots downward but they are still doing okay. No matter how guaranteed they might seem to win this division, they need to improve if they want to walk away with it.

7 – Seattle Mariners - .628

Seattle Mariners

7 – Seattle Mariners - .628

Seattle Mariners — There was little fall off for the Mariners this week as they still look like one of the best teams in baseball. Their power rankings position suggests that they remain just that at least for now.

6 – Washington Nationals - .629

Washington Nationals

6 – Washington Nationals - .629

Washington Nationals — No team in the game is hanging tough through injuries like the Nationals are. Even with their numerous injuries they still are undefeated for the season against everyone except the Braves. Unfortunately they have lost five of six to their closest inner-divisional rivals.

5 – San Francisco Giants - .656

San Francisco Giants

5 – San Francisco Giants - .656

San Francisco Giants — Last week saw the Giants hanging around the top of MLB and they are doing the same thing in week 3. Standing strong at the number five spot is not that easy and the Giants are doing it well this week.

4 – Atlanta Braves - .749

Atlanta Braves

4 – Atlanta Braves - .749

Atlanta Braves — Even after a tough series versus the Mets, the Braves rallied back and swept the Nationals to end the week and did so with a lot of runs which places them higher this week. Having had their pitching staff hit by injuries has not slowed them down one little bit.

3 – Los Angeles Dodgers - .751

Los Angeles Dodgers

3 – Los Angeles Dodgers - .751

Los Angeles Dodgers — A really good week has thrust the Dodgers upwards towards the top of the power rankings. To be sure, when they get the bats of a few of their guys working regularly, they are tough to beat no matter who is on the mound.

2 – Oakland Athletics - .781

Oakland Athletics

2 – Oakland Athletics - .781

Oakland Athletics — Battling successfully against the tough Seattle Mariners was not easy this week but the A's did it like champs and look to be already beginning to up their game as the early struggle for divisional position heats up.

1 – Milwaukee Brewers - .996

Milwaukee Brewers

1 – Milwaukee Brewers - .996

Milwaukee Brewers — The fact that the Brewers area almost at a power percentage of 1.000 speaks volumes to the start they have had. Apparently the best thing the Braves have done this year is to beat the Brewers two out of three in the season's opening series because the Brew crew have not lost since. With a winning streak at nine, how long can they sit atop the rankings? Keep checking back each week to see.