Athletics Rank Fifth in SI's Latest Release of Power Rankings

Heading into the weekend, no MLB team has more wins than the Oakland Athletics with 13. The fact that the A's rank fifth in the latest SI power rankings has much to do with the American League West, wehre the A's have a four-game lead heading into Friday and are the only team with a winning record.

The second week of the Sports Illustrated Major League Baseball power rankings looks very much like the first. The A’s are ranked fifth.

Given that Oakland and the suddenly starting pitching-rich Chicago Cubs, who rank third, come into Friday as the only teams to have reached 13 wins this season, the Oakland ranking may seem a little low.

After all, the A’s have won 10 of their lasts 12 games, including a nine-game winning streak that ended Monday night in Anaheim.

The ranking may say less about the A’s than it does about the American League West. The West was supposed to be one of the strongest divisions in baseball, with Houston having won 107 games last year and the A’s 97.

But the Astros, swept last week by the A’s, are just 8-10. And that’s left Oakland as the only AL West team with a winning record. There are seven AL teams who have reached double digits in wins, and only one of them is in the West – Oakland.

Part of that is on the A’s, who are a combined 9-1 against the Astros, Mariners and Rangers. The Angels are the only West team that has been competitive with Oakland, although the A’s do have a winning record at 4-3.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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