AJC’s MLB power rankings: Will Phillies challenge Braves’ run atop NL East?

There’s frustration here given several key bats have underperformed. Still, it’s too early for any type of real panic or concern. The Braves are winning despite Ronald Acuña, Matt Olson and Austin Riley each posting a sub .710 OPS. If those three aren’t seeing results a month from now, it’ll be worth more conversation.

Max Fried in his last two starts: 15 innings, three hits, no runs. His ERA has dipped from 7.71 to 4.02 in that time. It seems he’s on the right path, and the Braves sure need him.

2. Philadelphia Phillies (+3)

Finally, the Phillies haven’t put themselves in a hole to begin a season. The schedule has played a part, but the Phillies are rolling right now. Their rotation might be the National League’s best. Everyone knows the lineup has star power.

The Phillies make a jump up to No. 2 here and they could be primed for their best regular season in quite a while. The Phillies haven’t won more than 90 games in a season since 2011 (102). Entering Friday, the Braves and Phillies had MLB’s best winning percentages.

3. Baltimore Orioles (+1)

The standings will change, injuries will occur, player performance will fluctuate, but the Orioles truly appear to be the best-positioned team in the American League. They’re extremely well-rounded and will get healthier. Gunnar Henderson is a box-office talent, on pace for over 50 homers as a 22-year-old. It’s great to see Baltimore mattering again. It’s one of the long-time good baseball markets.

4. New York Yankees (-2)

The Yankees will challenge Baltimore’s AL East crown. Ace Gerrit Cole has said he’s targeted a June return; will that happen? The Yankees are clearly better than a season ago. And their division seems to be worse, with the Rays flailing and the Blue Jays underwhelming (the Red Sox, however, are a pleasant surprise to this point). As impressive as Cleveland has been, the Orioles and Yankees simply have more All-Star talent.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (+1)

The Dodgers, at their best, are marvelous. That doesn’t mean they don’t have weaknesses, though. Their bullpen has been hurt by injuries and they’ll almost certainly be exploring upgrades there in the coming months. They could use another bat to lengthen the lineup. But this team, fresh off a series win in Arizona and hosting the Braves this weekend, is nonetheless in a great position.

6. Cleveland Guardians (-3)

Braves fans were treated to an uber competitive series against the Guardians at Truist Park last weekend, and it showed why this team keeps winning. Cleveland does the little things so well, constantly putting itself in position to capitalize. The Braves raved about the pitching they faced during that series. The Guardians are the favorites in the improved Central and if they stay relatively healthy, they should win a lot of games.

7. Milwaukee Brewers (-)

The teams that were hoping to add infielder Willy Adames at the trade deadline might need to look elsewhere. The Brewers keep winning, looking like they’ll be around for the summer. Jackson Chourio has undergone rookie pains that’ll pay dividends later. Former Braves catcher William Contreras might be baseball’s best backstop. Christian Yelich (back) has been sidelined for three weeks and there’s still no timetable for his return.

8. Chicago Cubs (-)

The Craig Counsell effect here is real. The Cubs have overcome injuries to be battling for pole position in the NL Central. This should just be the beginning for this franchise, which possesses deep pockets and a top-tier farm system. The Cubs and Brewers facing off this weekend is superb; that rivalry will be juicy as long as Counsell, the former Brewers head man and once-adored Wisconsinite, is managing Chicago and both teams are competitive.

9. Seattle Mariners (+1)

The Braves saw how effective the Mariners can be this week. Seattle’s offense leaves much to be desired, especially if Julio Rodriguez isn’t hot. But the pitching is tremendous. Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo both looked like aces against the Braves’ struggling bats, but they’re capable of quieting the most electric offenses. The AL West is off to a pedestrian start, so perhaps the Mariners can build a cushion atop the standings. A Mariners-Rangers race through the summer sounds compelling.

10. Kansas City Royals (-1)

This spot came down to the Royals, Red Sox, Tigers and Rangers. The Royals have been in our top 10 and haven’t done anything to deserve being bumped, so they stayed. This team’s success has been extremely quiet. While the Guardians have received their props, the Royals have remained over .500 in relative obscurity. There’s natural skepticism they’ll keep this up, but there’s no reason to believe they’re due to fade anytime soon.