MLB Power Rankings: the Top 5 Teams

We are now over a third of the way through the MLB season, and there have been many surprises this so far this year. First, it was the red Sox starting off 2-10, and the Indians starting off as the best team in baseball.

Also, many predictions had the Cardinals outright winning the NL Central, but the Brewers have surprised many.

Now, the Red Sox have heated up to grab to AL east lead, and the Indians have cooled off. Here are the power rankings for the season so far:

1) Boston Red Sox

The Hottest team in baseball right now has soared to first in the AL East, grabbing the lead of their hated rivals, the New York Yankees. Boston has won nine games in a row, and in their recent series with Toronto, they outscored the Blue Jays 35-6.

Jon Lester is pitching the best baseball of his career at a league leading 9-2, and Adrian Gonzalez has a league leading 60 RBI.

Carl Crawford is still slumping, but Jacoby Ellsbury along with Gonzalez are playing solid baseball. Ellsbury is hitting .318 while Gonzalez is hitting .348. David Ortiz is hitting well above his career average at .325 and also has contributed 17 HR.

The Sox got off to a slow start, but for sure will but a force to be reckoned with come October.

2) Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies came in to the 2011 season with the highest expectations out of any team in the MLB. They have lived up to these expectations, owning the best record in baseball at 40-26, with a .5 game lead over the Red Sox.

The reigning Cy Young award winner, Roy Halladay, is tied with Jon Lester for the league lead in wins at 9. He has a 2.39 ERA, and his teammate Cole Hamels is 8-2 with a 2.58 ERA.

Not to mention, Cliff Lee and Halladay are first and second in the league in strikeouts with 107 and 106 respectively.

The offense has been heating up lately, scoring seven runs in each of there last two games. Ryan Howard is third in the league with 53 RBI, and is starting to hit lefties very well.

Another great sign for the Phillies, Chase Utley hit his second home run last weekend and drove in five runs. If he starts to heat up, watch out MLB.

3) Atlanta Braves

Watch out, Phillies. When the media handed the NL East to the Phillies before the season even started, the Braves were motivated.

They have won six games in a row, and Dan Uggla has started to heat up after a slow start. He has five hits in his last eleven AB.

On top of Uggla, the ever-reliable Brian McCann has a solid 37 RBI and is hitting .307.

Tommy Hanson has been great this season, having a 8-4 and a 2.48 ERA. After an early stint on the DL, Jair Jurrjens has been brilliant with a 8-2 and posting an unbelievable league leading 1.82 ERA.

4) Milwaukee Brewers

One surprise team this season, the Brewers have a .5 game lead over the Cardinals after sweeping them. The Brew Crew have won 8 of their last 10 games to become one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Huge offseason addition Zack Grienke has recovered from an early DL stint, to post a 6-1 record. Another offseason addition, Shaun Marcum has a 7-2 record and a 2.68 ERA.

Prince Fielder has been brilliant this season, with 19 HR and is second in the league with 58 RBI. He is also hitting a solid .305. Ryan Braun has posted his usual all-star stats with a .309 AVG, 14 HR, and 48 RBI.

Milwaukee is a greatly improved team, and can be a threat come Septmeber.

5) New York Yankees

The Yankees are currently in a cold streak, and the Red Sox have taken the lead in the AL East, but they still are a very good team.

Derek Jeter has struggled this season, but he has picked his AVG up to .269 and is nearing a huge milestone: his 3,000th hit. Curtis Granderson is having a great season, and is second in the league in HR with 20. Mark Teixeira is not far behind with 19 HR.

A big blow to the bullpen, Joba Chamberlain has to undergo Tommy John surgery. Joba was starting to come around and pitch well. CC Sabathia looks like he is ready to turn in another spectacular season, he is 7-4 with a 3.15 ERA.

Also, their surprise pitcher, Bartolo Colon, has been very good with a 5-3 record and a 3.10 ERA. However, he is heading to the DL.

Alex Rodriguez has only 13 HR and 40 RBI, but he IS A-Rod and always seems to end the season with solid stats.

Who knows, maybe he and Jeter have hit their ceilings, and age has been a recurring problem for the Yankees. However, the Yankees always seem to find themselves in the hunt for a World Series come September, so look out for the Bronx Bombers.