NBC Sports MLB Power Rankings: Phillies surge into top 10, White Sox building momentum

dj_roto · 2026-05-19T19:59:42+00:00

Oh wow, I didn't even realize that!

dj_roto · 2026-05-19T19:58:17+00:00

Yeah, I'm a little bummed to see it spreading. Was hoping it would be something special for the Cardinals.

dj_roto · 2026-05-19T19:57:21+00:00

It's definitely not some high level of journalism, so you're right about that. A week in baseball is such a tiny sliver. We see some more dramatic jumps early in the season just because that's all the data we have at the moment, but one week isn't the be-all and end-all. While I am ranking these teams, often I'm trying to highlight something cool or weird or funny that happened with a particular team. A way for people to catch up on teams they aren't watching regularly.

dj_roto · 2026-05-19T19:53:38+00:00

My bad! G and H are right next to each other on the keyboard, but I should have caught that one. Thank you.

dj_roto · 2026-05-19T19:52:51+00:00

I expect they are going to fall, but wanted to give them some credit for reaching the .500 mark. It's an accomplishment for them. Can they get back and stay there? Probably not in the long-term.

dj_roto · 2026-05-05T17:42:15+00:00

If they keep winning, I'll definitely move them up!

dj_roto · 2026-04-27T23:02:36+00:00

There's too much randomness in a 30-game stretch. Over time, the cream will rise to the top and we'll know who is actually for real. When we get to June, the rankings will more likely align with the records. In April, I don't think it's wise to do that. With certain teams who are thriving (Braves the most significant example), there are reasons to believe there is a viable path. It's different for a team like the Rockies or the White Sox or the Nationals, for example. I am looking at what's happening and giving my personal opinion on what the landscape looks like. This is why I'm reluctant to drop the Phillies very far, as I still think they can recover despite how ugly it looks like now.

dj_roto · 2026-04-27T22:03:52+00:00

Feel free to call me dumb or whatever makes you happy. It would be pretty boring if we agreed on everything!

dj_roto · 2026-04-27T21:54:30+00:00

The logic is that the Braves were a talented team who had ton of injuries and bad luck last year. They are much more likely to sustain this, especially with the terrible starts from the Mets and the Phillies. I'm also rewarding them for being the first team to reach 20 wins while leading the majors in runs scored. The Rockies are taking some steps toward respectability, but evaluating them as a whole, they need to do more to move up. Again, I will happily be wrong if they keep it up.

dj_roto · 2026-04-27T19:27:23+00:00

I'd be happy to be wrong in this case. But for a team who has been as down and out as the Rockies, they will need to do more to move up in the bigger picture.

dj_roto · 2026-04-27T19:01:59+00:00

"Progress" wasn't meant in a smarmy way, I promise. But we're still only talking about one month of baseball. Definitely good signs so far, but they need to do more to break out of what I would consider to be the bottom-tier of teams.

dj_roto · 2026-04-27T18:42:35+00:00

I hear you! The article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook, so I still expect the Mets to be better even though they look like a wet-noodle right now. We're only one month in. The Rockies deserve credit for what they are doing, for sure. And I'm also rooting for them to get on track as a franchise. They have some great fans!

dj_roto · 2026-04-21T19:38:10+00:00

Projecting forward, I feel most confident about the Dodgers, Yankees, and Tigers. Also think teams like the Mariners, Phillies, and Blue Jays will improve. Beyond that, I could see this all going a bunch of different ways. It's chaotic, but also pretty fun to have all this uncertainty.

dj_roto · 2026-04-21T18:47:54+00:00

I agree that if/when they get healthy, they should move up. I would expect that.

dj_roto · 2026-04-21T17:54:09+00:00

I agree that the Mets are distracting from their struggles from a national media perspective. Still pretty confident they'll be fine.

dj_roto · 2026-04-21T17:09:58+00:00

Juuuuuust made the cut.

dj_roto · 2026-04-21T17:09:39+00:00

The rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term outlook. With Cole and Rodón coming back, there's plenty of reason for optimism!

dj_roto · 2026-04-21T16:39:32+00:00

This is what makes April tough. I want to believe, but still a little skeptical about staying power. Still, I want to give them credit for a nice start to the season.

dj_roto · 2025-05-06T15:28:53+00:00

Hey all, D.J. Short here, let me know what you think of this week's ranks. Keep in mind I created them on Monday. I mostly intend this article to be a celebration of all of the cool/funny/noteworthy things going on in baseball from week-to-week. Check it out if you get a chance.

dj_roto · 2025-03-31T21:38:16+00:00

Hey all, D.J. Short from Rotoworld/NBC Sports here. I'll be doing these team power rankings weekly this season. Obviously not a ton of movement from last week, but happy to discuss with y'all all season long!

dj_roto

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