MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants & LA Dodgers fans will love this week's NL standings | April 19th, 2022
San Francisco Giants fans will be happy about this one. With the season beginning to take form, the clubs that topped the National League in 2021 are starting to take the same places.
Although there is plenty of baseball left in the season, the games lost will now have to be made up later on. It's always a better bet to start strong than to start poorly and have to make up for lost time. With that in mind, here are the NL power rankings.
NL League Power Rankings: LA Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and more
#5 St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals play in a difficult enough division. They very nearly caught the Milwaukee Brewers last season, eventually finishing five games behind them. This season, they are leading the charge with a record of 5-3. Albert Pujols is back with his old club and things are looking up. Three-time home run champ Nolan Arenado is making the most of his second season in St. Louis, where he currently has four home runs and 12 RBIs, good enough for a .433 batting average.
#4 Colorado Rockies
When the Rockies lost Trevor Story in free agency, many thought that the losing would only get worse in the Mile High City. The Colorado Rockies, however, are holding their own so far. Even though they have a record of 7-3, it will be hard for them to stave off their division rival San Francisco Giants.
#3 New York Mets
Ever since New York financier Steve Cohen took the reigns of the ballclub, the New York Mets have not been apprehensive with their checkbook. The team underperformed last year, finishing with a record of 77-85. However, the signing of Max Scherzer — the largest contract in MLB history — looks to be changing that. Scherzer has so far lived up to his hype.
Max Scherzer receives a rousing ovation from the Citi Field crowd. https://t.co/V20BTuv7xF
"Max Scherzer receives a rousing ovation from the Citi Field crowd." - @ SNY
Scherzer is 2-0 with 13 strikeouts in two starts this year.
#2 Los Angeles Dodgers
Even having lost Max Scherzer, who was 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in LA last season, the Dodgers are still strong. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw are picking up his slack. Kershaw is currently third in the league with 20 strikeouts. The signing of Freddie Freeman has also been a key move. He is currently hitting .325 with a home run and five RBIs.
Despite not getting a chance at history, Clayton Kershaw was still magnificent today 👏
(via @MLB)
https://t.co/pNeuQIVL2I
"Despite not getting a chance at history, Clayton Kershaw was still magnificent today" - @SportsCenter
This season is shaping up to be a duel of the ages between the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants.
#1 San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants have an exciting combination of youth and experience. Brandon Belt continues his steady stream of production while Thairo Estrada has a pair of home runs and eight RBIs in 33 at-bats. With respect to pitching, Carlos Rodon is second in strikeouts with 21. The San Francisco Giants have their hearts set on big things this season.
Although these are the standings now, any fan knows how quickly things can change. Do you think any of these teams will fall from grace as we get further into the season? Let us know below.