Jane Njoku

The MLB power rankings for this week, feature the Cincinnati Reds who made the playoffs in 2020, which is nothing, even with the expanded format. Still, they have not won a postseason game since 2012, when they were managed by Dusty Baker, and have not won a postseason series since 1995. The winning pitcher for that series was David Wells when he was 32 years old before he became a Yankee.

It has been a while since the Reds have experienced the type of pure joy they felt in the past week. They were unbeaten this week, all on the road, winning three games in Kansas City and then three more in Houston against the Astros. 

Cincinnati has won eight in a row and is only a half-game out of first position. Out of all the National League Central teams, they are the highest in MLB Power Rankings. And when fans watch them play it becomes clear why.

Here are the MLB power rankings for this week:

1. Rays 51-24 (last week: 1)

The Tampa Bay Rays began the week with two losses in Oakland but bounced back to win three games in a row before dropping the last two games of their series in San Diego. They still have a comfortable five-game lead in the AL East, but the lurking Orioles who have two games at the Trop to start the week should be watched.

They should put some good distance between themselves and the rest of the division with a sweep.

2. Braves 46-27 (last week:3)

Atlanta had quite the easy schedule this week three in Detroit and three at home against the Colorado Rockies but the Braves did what was expected of them. They won five of six and expanded their lead in the NL East. 

They have had to keep up with the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies who have won four in a row and six in a row, respectively. The Braves have quite a week ahead of them: three against Philadelphia and three against the Reds.

3. Rangers 44-27 (last week: 2)

Third on the list of MLB power rankings is the Texas Rangers who already gave their fans many highlights this season, and when the reel of their best moments are played at the end of the season, you can expect Texas’ win over the Blue Jays to be added.

After trailing behind, 6-0, they outscored the wobbling Jays 11-1 the rest of the way to win the series. Corey Seager is definitely earning every ounce of his contract: Seager has a 1.076 OPS on the season.

4. Orioles 44-27 (last week: 3)

The Fangraphs Playoffs Odds may still not have faith in the Baltimore Orioles they have lower odds to reach the postseason than the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres, but they stopped listening to reports from outsiders, computers or otherwise a long time ago.

If they are going to play against the Rays, their two-game set this week is a good chance to start.

5. D-backs 43-28 (last week: 5)

No matter what is said about Ichiro Suzuki and Fred Lynn; the two players to win MVP their rookie year but they were no records of them getting MVP chants from the home crowd two months into that rookie season.

That is what played out this week with Corbin Carroll, who has the Arizona Diamondbacks holding steady on top of the NL West. Arizona has a funky week coming up: three matches in Milwaukee, then a makeup match on Thursday in Washington, and then three all the way out in San Francisco.

6. Dodgers (6)

7. Astros (7)

8. Yankees (8)

9. Marlins (11)

10. Angels (10)

11. Blue Jays (9)

12. Giants (17)

13. Phillies (18)

14. Twins (10)

15. Reds (22)

16. Brewers (14)

17. Padres (15)

18. Red Sox (19)

19. Mariners (16)

20. Pirates (13)

21. Mets (20)

22. Guardians (21)

23. Cubs (23)

24. White Sox (26)

25. Cardinals (24)

26. Tigers (25)

27. Rockies (28)

28. Nationals (27)

29. A’s (30)

30. Royals (29)

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5 MLB series to watch for the week of June 19 2023

The 5 MLB series for the coming week features smoking hot teams facing off in head-to-head and red-hot hitters who intend to continue their prodigious production at the plate. Something is bound to give when a pair of America League East giants fight, two National League East clubs both ride big win streaks face-offs, etc.

These are 5 MLB series to keep an eye out for this week:

Padres (35-36) at Giants (39-32)

4 games (Monday – Thursday)

Head-to-head: These two National League West open the 5 MLB series this week. The rivals met in Mexico City from April 29-30, with San Diego sweeping the short series with a 16-11 slugfest victory in the first game and a 6-4 win the next day.

Story: The San Francisco Giants enter this series red-hot on a seven-game win streak and off a sweep at Dodger Stadium where they outscored the LA Dodgers, 29-8. Sunday’s 7-3 victory took San Francisco into second position in the division. The Padres have been paying well as well, they also won seven of 10 after taking two of three from the Rays at Petco Park over the weekend.

Look out for: Fernando Tatis Jr. had a .743 OPS at the end of May. In 16 games this month, he raised that OPS to .912 thanks to 10 doubles and five homers. He is also continuing to handle right field with aplomb, with the latest example coming in Suanday’s series finale against Tampa Bay.

In the eighth inning, Tatis prevented the tying run from scoring thanks to a 99.5 mph toss to home plate.

Dodgers (39-33) at Angels (41-33) 

2 games (Tuesday – Wednesday)

Head-to-head: This week’s renewal of the Freeway Series will mark the first head-to-head meeting between the Dodgers and Angels this season. Last year, the Dodgers took all four head-to-head games. 

Storyline: Both teams are in unfamiliar territory, the Dodgers find themselves in third position in the NL West after a sweeping by the Giants, and the Angels are in second position in the AL West near the halfway mark of the regular season. The two clubs are moving in opposite directions, with Los Angeles losing 10 of 15 games this month and the Angels winning  11 of their previous 14.

Look out for: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani always stuns at the plate and on the mound, but he is on an offensive run that launched him into the Major League lead for home runs (24) and he is locked as ever with the bat. Over his last 15 games, Ohtani is hitting .446 with nine home runs, plus multiple awe-inspiring shots to the opposite field.

Orioles (44-27) at Rays (51-24)

2 games (Tuesday – Wednesday)

Head-to-head: The Baltimore Orioles took two of three games against the Rays in Baltimore from May 8-10. Last year, the season series was even, with the Tampa Bay Rays winning 10 and the Orioles winning nine.

Storyline: Although it was not expected during Spring Training, this matchup is now a clash of AL East titans, with the Rays maintaining the best record in the Majors, while Baltimore is five matches in the division. Tampa Bay began the season on a tear, but fell on hard times lately, only having completed a losing road trip through Oakland and San Diego. The Orioles, on the other hand, have won seven of 10.

Look out for: To surprise a team like the Orioles, the Rays will need certain breakout performances. That is what Baltimore continues to get from Tyler Wells right-hander and left-fielder Austin Hays. Wells is making a strong All-Star bid with his 3.20 ERA and MLB-leading 0.86 WHIP, and Hays owns a .875 OPS on the season after batting .480 with three doubles and a homer over his last six games.

Braves (46-26) at Phillies (38-34)

3 games (Tuesday – Thursday)

Head-to-head: The two teams divided a four-game series in Atlanta from May 25-28. Last season, the Braves won 11 of 19 meetings.

Storyline: Both teams have played well lately, with each winning 13 out of 15 games heading into this week’s head-to-head matchup. The Phillies are off a 6-1 road trip where they took three of four from the NL West-leading Diamondbacks before sweeping the Athletics in Oakland. The Braves, on the other hand, just swept the Rockies and outscored Colorado by 28 runs, tied for the second-highest run differential in any four-game set in Braves history.

Look out for: Philadelphia sluggers J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber had strong road trips, with Realmuto hitting .409 with two doubles, two triples, three homers and five walks in six games (not to include the first Phillies cycle in 19 years), and Schwaber who was batting .171/.323/.430 before the trip hitting .310 with three homers.

On Atlanta’s side, Michael Harris II is enjoying a resurgence at the plate after a slow start to the season, posting a .978 OPS since May 25, including a five-hit game Sunday against the Colorado Rockies that included a 453-foot homer.

Rangers (44-27) at Yankees (39-33)

3 games (Friday-Sunday)

Head-to-head: The Rangers won three of four against the Yankees at Globe Life Field from April 28-30, after the Yankees won four of the seven games in the season series last year.

Storyline: While the Rangers keep impressing out west, retaining the lead position in their division under the steady guidance of Bruce Bochy, the Yankees continue to founder without their captain. Aaron Judge injured his toe in a clash with Dodger Stadium outfield fence on June 3, the Bronx Bombers lost eight of 12 games, plus five to the Red Sox alone following a weekend sweep in Boston.

Look out for: Corey Seager is blowing hot at the plate. After his 4-for-5 performance with two doubles and three RBIs in Sunday’s win over the Blue Jays, Seager leads the Majors (minimum 150 plate appearances) with a 193 wRC+. He is batting .486 with five doubles and four homers over his past nine games.

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MLB power rankings: hottest baseball clubs move up 7 spots

The Vegas Golden Knights have always put on a flashy show every time they are on the Las Vegas Strip. The team’s sword-fighting mascot takes the ice before an army of players marches out through the mirrored entrance into the roaring crowd.

If they were ever going to win the Stanley Cup, it would be with the Vegas dazzle.

Vegas brought that energy from stunning passes to Mark Stone’s unmistakable hat trick to all-out goal celebrations, which marked their first title win a 9-3 game over the beat-down and exhausted Florida Panthers last Tuesday night.

Recap: NHL Expert Picks; Florida Panthers VS Vegas Golden Knights Predictions Today

THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS ARE YOUR 2022-23 #STANLEYCUP CHAMPIONS!!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/MR2sAf3KLb

— NHL (@NHL) June 14, 2023

Coach Bruce Cassidy, paid homage to the Golden Knights’ brief history, by starting five of the original Vegas players tagged as the Misfits and putting the sixth one on the second shift. Cassidy was confident the day before the match that his team will perform well, and the certainly lived up to this expectation, blowing open a one-goal game in the second period to take a 6-1 lead. The nine goals tied the record for the most in a Cup Final. 

“Vegas, you certainly know how to throw a party,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said to the crowd. “What’s going on inside this arena and outside is incredible and a testament to what a great hockey market this is.”

The Knights ended the series in five games to win the cup before a whopping franchise-record crowd of 19,058 at T-Mobile Arena that overshadowed the pregame introductions of forward Jonathan Marchessault and goalie Adin Hill and kept cheering until the final buzzer. 

Marchessault who finished the postseason with a 10-game points streak, got the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our team, our organization,” Marchessault said. “Everybody stepped up at different times and that’s why we’re winners.”

Dreaming with eyes wide open. 🥰 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/9Ecxo6z00h

— NHL (@NHL) June 15, 2023

Mark Stone’s hat trick with the third into an empty net with 5:54 left was the first in a Stanley Cup Final since Colorado’s Peter Forsberg in 1996, which was also against the Florida Panthers.

Nic Hauge, Alec Martinez, Reilly Smith, Michael Amadio, Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy delivered the rest of Vegas’ scoring. Martinez’s second-period goal was scored nine years to the day after he delivered the double-overtime goal in Game 5 to earn the Los Angeles Kings the cup.

Hill delivered another strong performance with 31 saves that quickly garnered him favour with the Knights’ fans, even eliciting  “MVP! MVP!” chants in the third period. Jack Eichel, the 8-year pro playing in his first postseason, had three assists.

“This is what everyone dreams of,” Eichel said. “You come to an organization like this and the expectation is to win this thing. It’s a special place to play.”

As captain of the Vegas crew, Ston was the first player to hoist the cup before handing it over to the six Misfits to each get their turn skating with the trophy before handing it to the rest of the team.

Can’t help falling in love pic.twitter.com/eVM36s0kBr

— The Stanley Cup (@StanleyCup) June 14, 2023

“Unbelievable,” Stone said. “The look in my teammates’ eyes when I got it, was one of the craziest feelings I’ve ever had. I can’t even describe the feelings in my stomach right now. It’s everything you can imagine.”

Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett scored goals for Florida, while Sergei Bobrovsky was overwhelmed in another tough performance against Vegas, permitting eight goals on 30 shots on goal after carrying the Panthers to the final. 

The Panthers’ star forward Matthew Tkachuk was missing from the lineup after playing with an injury in Game 4.