Texas Rangers Rise Again in Power Rankings

The Texas Rangers are considered among the very best teams in baseball in ESPN.com's latest Power Rankings.

Welcome to the top four, Texas Rangers.

The weekly climb hasn’t stopped, as the Rangers moved up another rung in the latest ESPN.com MLB Power Rankings. Texas checks in No. 4 after the seventh edition of the weekly ratings.

The Rangers, leading the American League West at 26-17 and enjoying Thursday off, were No. 5 last week. The club has gone up in the rankings every week this season.

Per ESPN.com:

We’re not quite at Memorial Day – a common time to assess teams’ standings – but it’s looking more and more like Texas is in the race for the long haul. Playing the A’s over the course of four games doesn’t hurt either, as the Rangers took three of four over the weekend, but that doesn’t mean they’ll walk away with a division title. A wild-card spot still seems to be the most likely outcome, despite their current place atop the American League West.

The pundits at ESPN.com obviously still expect the Houston Astros to rise to the top of the division. They’re the defending champs, after all.

But for the Rangers to be considered in the playoff mix, even with the season just hitting the quarter pole, is telling. Texas received a boost this week with the return of star shortstop Corey Seager from the injured list.

The Rangers are still without injured ace Jacob deGrom, who is making progress. ESPN.com noted the Texas pitching situation:

In the absence of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi has emerged as the leader of the rotation. He has gone three straight starts without giving up a run, all lasting at least eight innings. Shutting down the A’s is one thing, but when he did the same against the Yankees and Angels, it made people take notice. Yes, New York had some injuries in its lineup, but Eovaldi passed the eye test either way. His stuff has been electric.

The rankings for rest of the AL West: Astros (8), Seattle Mariners (13), Los Angeles Angels (15) and Oakland Athletics (30).

The Rangers open a three-game interleague series against the Colorado Rockies on Friday night at Globe Life Field. Martín Pérez (4-1, 4.25) is scheduled to start the series opener for Texas.

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