This week's MLB Power Rankings takes a look at winning percentage for all 30 teams against clubs with a .500 or better record.
Run differential is one way to differentiate the frauds from the teams with something serious to play for. In this week's MLB Power Rankings, we look at a different way to separate the contenders from pretenders.
How teams perform against clubs with a .500 record or better is a good indication of who is truly dominant and who isn't. Anyone can beat the bad ball clubs. What about the elite?
This week's MLB Power Rankings will take a look exclusively at the winning percentage of all 30 teams as of Memorial Day morning. Whose wins are the most legitimate? Any tie-breakers will be settled by total wins.
30) MLB Power Rankings: Oakland Athletics, .139, 6-37
It comes as no surprise for the Oakland Athletics to have the worst winning percentage against teams .500 or better. Somehow, more than half of their 10 wins have actually been against teams who fall into this category. Don't set off any fireworks in celebration. The .139 winning percentage against good teams barely tops the .182 against everyone.
29) MLB Power Rankings: Kansas City Royals, .228, 8-27
Again, things are just going in order. The Kansas City Royals have the second-worst record in MLB. They naturally fall in 29th place in this week's MLB Power Rankings focused on winning percentage against teams .500 or better. It's somewhat of a surprise to see them have this many games against even or winning ball clubs thus far given the division they play in.
28) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago White Sox, .312, 10-22
The Chicago White Sox are playing .400 baseball this season but fall down to a .312 winning percentage when going against teams at .500 or better. They've dug themselves into an early hole. We can only imagine how bad their team record would be if they didn't play in the league's worst division. This team desperately needs a rebuild.
27) MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals, .363, 12-21
The Washington Nationals may be a little ahead of where we expected them to be at 23-30, but they are getting knocked around plenty by winning ball clubs. At 12-21 with a .363 winning percentage, they actually share this place in the MLB Power Rankings with an underachieving division rival who only edges them because of a superior regular season record.
26) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies, .363, 12-21
How can this be spun positively? Maybe the Philadelphia Phillies are just getting the losses out of the way early? Either way, it is somewhat of a surprise to see them own such a ridiculously bad record against the better teams in baseball. They're going to need to figure out a way to actually find victories versus tough competitors. Although a wild card berth is within reach, this team needs to play up to its competition.
25) MLB Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Pirates, .370, 10-17
Sitting at .500 themselves, MLB's other Pennsylvania team is only a little bit better. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 26-26 and losing a lot of games to the better ball clubs. Their hot start is now a thing of the past. Where is the 60-game MLB schedule when they need it? It was their only hope of lasting the whole stretch.
24) MLB Power Rankings: Seattle Mariners, .375, 9-15
With a regular season record of 28-25, it's definitely a shocker to see the Seattle Mariners take so many losses on the chin against good teams. The division they play in is a factor as they do have to deal with three .500 or better ball clubs. The Mariners are one of those teams who have yet to decide if they're good or not. Based on the .375 winning percentage, the "not" feels more appropriate.
23) MLB Power Rankings: Cincinnati Reds, .400, 10-15
We're in the .400 winning percentage range which still isn't all that great. It matches the 22-33 overall record of the Chicago White Sox. This is where the Cincinnati Reds are after 25 games versus teams at .500 or better. They've played okay this year. They're not nearly the worst team in the league against quality ball clubs.
22) MLB Power Rankings: Detroit Tigers, .406, 13-19
A shocker of all shockers are the 25-26 Detroit Tigers. They're apparently not doing it by beating up on good ball clubs. They've gone 13-19 against them. It's easy to see where the Tigers have gotten their wins. The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox are jobbing this season. Even the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins can be beaten.
21) MLB Power Rankings: St. Louis Cardinals, .410, 16-23
The St. Louis Cardinals haven't become completely irrelevant this year. Still with a tall hill to climb, their winning percentage against .500 or better ball clubs is pretty pathetic. This makes their march closer to an even record look a little more fraudulent. For anyone to start taking them seriously, the Cardinals are going to need to improve this.
20) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs, .419, 13-18
Nobody has a worse record in the National League right now than the Chicago Cubs. Their .423 winning percentage against everyone is almost an exact match to how they've done against the .500 or better ball clubs at .419. The Cubs have been a hard team to read all year. They have a +4 run differential which would suggest they're much closer to .500 than they truly are. Instead, their 22-30 record has made them the worst among the 15 teams in the league.
19) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians, .428, 12-16
This is about where the Cleveland Guardians should be. They've gone 12-16 against .500 or better ball clubs. They show flashes of being able to win but are also equally capable of rolling over and letting everyone beat up on them. This year's Guardians team doesn't have the same kind of magic past ones have had. A nearly average winning percentage against the "good" teams can be spun positively. Don't spin it too hard because it's your record against everyone that matters most.
18) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins, .428, 12-16
Repeat everything said about the Cleveland Guardians except say it about the Minnesota Twins. They win the tie-breaker because of their superior overall record. However, they match their AL Central rivals with a 12-16 record against the winning or even ball clubs. The Guardians can use this as motivation. The Twins are beatable.
17) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Angels, .428, 15-20
This .428 winning percentage sure is popular. Another team with it, the Los Angeles Angels have more wins against .500 or better teams and also more victories overall this season than the Cleveland Guardians or Minnesota Twins. Are they actually any better, though? The Angels play in one of the tougher divisions in baseball and for them to have this record should be taken as a positive.
16) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres, .432, 16-21
Maybe the San Diego Padres aren't so terribly bad? The .432 winning percentage against teams with a .500 or better record is the leader of the bottom half of baseball. They might share a record with the Cincinnati Reds at 24-29, but are very much still in this thing. Every season seems to have a couple of teams who turn it around in the early part of the summer. The Padres are definitely capable of it.
15) MLB Power Rankings: Colorado Rockies, .433, 13-17
It looks like some compliments have to be thrown the way of the Colorado Rockies are, by the way, only a half-game behind the San Diego Padres in the standings. They have a slightly better winning percentage than their NL West rivals against the .500 or better teams. This is definitely worth a victory lap. Keep it slow. The thin Denver air can be tough to breathe in sometimes.
14) MLB Power Rankings: Miami Marlins, .468, 15-17
Here come the Miami Marlins?! Maybe not. It's early. Their 28-26 record is surprisingly impressive for a club no one expected to compete. They are second in the National League East after all. A .468 winning percentage against .500 or better ball clubs is worth tipping our caps in their direction. Maybe this is a team of destiny after all. Or maybe those sleeping giants called the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets are going to ruin the Marlins' summer.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers, .482, 14-15
If we're going to praise the Miami Marlins for playing so well against .500 or better ball clubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers might need to get roasted. A game below even in 29 chances, this isn't necessarily a good or bad thing. You'd expect to finish around .500 against the better ball clubs. All this means is the Dodgers aren't elite just yet. Wait for it.
12) MLB Power Rankings: New York Yankees, .486, 18-19
The New York Yankees are third in the AL East yet last in winning percentage against teams with a .500 or better record. As you'll see soon after in the MLB Power Rankings, it's more of a math thing than an indication of them being any better or worse than the Boston Red Sox or Toronto Blue Jays. A quick spoiler, those two clubs are next on our list.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Toronto Blue Jays, .487, 19-20
Simply because they have one more win yet an extra loss, the Toronto Blue Jays are ahead of the New York Yankees. It's kind of a "so what?" for the Blue Jays who are 3-7 in their last 10 games and fighting to stay above .500. They play the Milwaukee Brewers next. If you lost track, the Brewers have yet to make an appearance in the MLB Power Rankings.
10) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox, .500, 19-19
Nice and even. The only team in baseball with as many wins and losses against .500 or better ball clubs are the Boston Red Sox. This puts them tenth on this list. We know they'll have plenty more games against teams in this category. Until then, they get to beat up on the Cincinnati Reds starting on Tuesday as they look to improve upon their 28-25 record.
9) MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants, .515, 17-16
The San Francisco Giants are suddenly good. They're a game over .500 overall at 27-26 and versus teams with a .500 record or better. This does mean their record against teams below .500 is 10-10. Currently occupying the third wild card spot, the Giants have played up to their competition at times and down to it at others.
8) MLB Power Rankings: Milwaukee Brewers, .516, 16-15
A little ahead of the San Francisco Giants by one percentage point, the Milwaukee Brewer would also break any tie-breaker anyway. They're 28-25 with a top spot in the NL Central. They've done well against teams with an even or positive record. Although they've failed to fully pull away from the Pittsburgh Pirates who are clinging to dear life, the Brewers have proven they're made of some tough stuff.
7) MLB Power Rankings: New York Mets, .521, 12-11
The New York Mets are an even 27-27 this season yet hold a 12-11 record against teams with a .500 record or better. The big concern here is they've only logged 23 games against teams who fall into this category. Can they keep up this impressive .521 winning percentage as the season goes along or will they falter?
6) MLB Power Rankings: Houston Astros, .533, 16-14
The mighty Houston Astros have handled themselves well after a somewhat surprisingly weak start. First place continues to elude them. So does having the best winning percentage in the AL West versus teams with a .500 record or better. Yep. They're second there, too. More on that team the Astros continue to chase shortly.
5) MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves, .533, 16-14
The Atlanta Braves can practically skip their way to the postseason. A 16-14 record against teams with a .500 or better record might not look fantastic yet it's the fifth-best on the planet. There's no magic trick here. The Braves are one of the best ball clubs in the National League. We might need to start saying the same against this next ball club.
4) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks, .551, 16-13
Holy cow! The .566 winning percentage the Arizona Diamondbacks have against everyone is no joke. They have practically an identical record versus the winning and even ball clubs at .551. They mean serious business this season. Finding them fourth on this list is the biggest positive surprise of all, but should we really be that shocked? They're one of only a handful of teams to have reached 30 wins already this year. Only the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are outperforming them in the National League.
3) MLB Power Rankings: Baltimore Orioles, .558, 19-15
The Baltimore Orioles continue to impress. A .558 winning percentage against .500 or better ball clubs confirms they are here to stay. They have the second-best winning percentage of all at .642. They're beating up their tough AL East opponents often enough to help them in this week's MLB Power Rankings and in an attempt to help baseball fans return to Baltimore.
2) MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers, .592, 16-11
These Texas Rangers are good. This is true against bad teams. This is true against the good ones. At 16-11, they've held their own even when they've had a tough opponent staring at them from across the diamond. In case you're keeping count at home, their +123 run differential is also the best in MLB heading into Memorial Day.
1) MLB Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rays, .611, 22-14
The Tampa Bay Rays may no longer have the best run differential by three runs, but they remain atop this week's MLB Power Rankings thanks to how well they've done against winning teams. It would be impossible for the Rays to have a .709 winning percentage versus the elite clubs; the one they have against everyone. However, at .611, their winning percentage against .500 or better teams would be good enough for a playoff spot and for third place in the AL East.