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As the baseball season gets deeper, the weather will continue to get warmer and brighter. Speaking of bright, some teams are playing bright baseball right now, while other teams are not.
Here are this week's top 10 MLB teams:
10. Cleveland Indians: The Indians were out of the top 10 last week, but they are back in it this week. They have an 18-18 record so far in 2018 and Cleveland lead the AL Central. The Indians don't play in a strong division, but Cleveland at some point turn on the switch and get rolling. They snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-2 win on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers. Carlos Carrasco pitched a complete game with 14 strikeouts.
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Last week's ranking: not ranked.
9. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers continue to stay afloat in the NL Central Standings. They continue to be one of the most underrated teams in baseball. Milwaukee's record is 21-16 and they are just 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Brewers split a two-game homestand with the Cleveland Indians.
Last week's ranking: 8.
8. St. Louis Cardinals: After getting off to a bad start, the Cardinals have clawed their way back into the standings and they lead the NL Central by 0.5 games over the Milwaukee Brewers. St. Louis's record is 20-14 to start the 2018 season. Catcher Yadier Molina will be out for a month because of groin surgery. He had a .272 batting average with six homeruns and 17 RBIs, along with two stolen bases.
Francisco Pena and Carson Kelly will take care of the catching duties in his absence but they both aren't great hitters. Paul DeJong leads the Cardinals in homeruns with seven and Marcell Ozuna leads the Cardinals in RBIs with 19.
Last week's ranking: not ranked.
7. Atlanta Braves: The Braves continue to surprise people. They have a 20-14 record to start the season and currently lead the NL East by 0.5 games over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves have players who play hard every night and they also have one of the most underrated pitching staffs in baseball.
Last week's ranking: 7.
6. Seattle Mariners: The Mariners might be one of the best teams in baseball, but they wouldn't even be in the playoffs if the season ended right now. Seattle have a 20-14 record and they could be dangerous as the season progresses. They have a good mix of players in the lineup.
Seattle have some power in the likes of Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz. Dee Gordon is a contact hitter and he adds speed at the top of the lineup. Gordon has already stolen 15 bases this season and also has a .353 batting average. James Paxton pitched a no-hitter for the Mariners in a 5-0 win on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays on the road.
He struck out seven batters in that contest and walked three. Paxton's record is 2-1 with a 3.40 ERA. In 47.2 innings pitched, he has given up 35 hits and 18 runs. Paxton has walked 19 batters and struck out 67. Felix Hernandez has had a rough start to 2018. His record is 4-3 with a 5.28 ERA. Hernandez has pitched in 44.1 innings and has given up 40 hits and 26 runs. He walked 20 batters and has only struck out 38.
Last week's ranking: 9.
5. Los Angeles Angels: The Angels continue to be ahead of the Houston Astros in the AL West standings. Los Angeles (22-14, 0.5 games back of Houston) won a 8-0 game on Wednesday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies on the road. The Angels split the series with the Rockies. Los Angeles also won two-out-of-three over the weekend on the road against the Seattle Mariners.
Shohei Ohtani continues to be a spark plug in the Angels' lineup. He has a .385 batting average with four homeruns and 14 RBIs. Mike Trout continues to play at an MVP level with a .331 batting average, 12 homeruns and 25 RBIs, along with seven stolen bases. Aldreton Simmons is one of the most underrated players for Los Angeles. He has a .339 batting average with three homeruns and 22 RBIs, along with three stolen bases.
Last week's ranking: 10.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks: The Arizona Diamondbacks are probably the best team in the National League over the first month of the regular season. They continue to take care of business and that's why they are in first place in the NL West and have a 24-11 record. Arizona took two-out-of-three at home against the Houston Astros. That was a big series win for the Diamondbacks because it showed they can compete with anyone in the MLB and the National League isn't as strong as people think it is.
Last week's ranking: 2.
3. Houston Astros: The Astros are one of the most dynamic teams in the MLB. Houston play in a tough division with the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners. The American League is tough and it hasn't stopped Houston from being strong and leading the AL West with a 24-15 record. Gerrit Cole continues to pitch dominantly for the Astros. He pitched six strong innings and struck out nine, in Houston's 4-2 win on the road against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon.
Cole has a 4-1 record with a 1.43 ERA. In 56.2 innings pitched, he has given up 30 hits and 10 runs. Cole has only walked 12 batters and struck out 86.
Last week's ranking: 3.
2. Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox's lead in the AL East has evaporated at the moment because of how hot the New York Yankees are. Boston lost 3-2 on Tuesday Night on the road against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox still have one of the best offenses in baseball. Boston still have two more games against them and they took three-out-of-four on the road this past weekend against the Texas Rangers. Alex Cora continues to be an influence in the dugout for Boston. The Red Sox's record so far this season is 25-10.
Last week's ranking: 1.
1. New York Yankees: The New York Yankees have caught fire by winning 16 out of their last 17 games. New York's pitching has been a lot better. Luis Severino continues to lead by example in the Yankees clubhouse, especially when it comes to pitching. He has a 5-1 record with a 2.21 ERA. In 53 innings pitched, Severino has given up 34 hits and 13 runs. He has only walked 12 batters and struck out 63.
Didi Gregorius might be the AL MVP at the moment with a .301 batting average and 10 homeruns and 30 RBIs, along with two stolen bases.
Last week's ranking: 4
