MLB Uber Power Rankings

In the second edition of the MLB Uber Power Rankings, the Braves take a big leap forward while the Diamondbacks, Angels, and Red Sox slide back. All records and statistics are through Thursday, April 26. Last edition's rankings are in parentheses.

1 (1). Texas Rangers (15-4): They're easily the best team in baseball, and it's not even close. At all.
2 (2). New York Yankees (10-8): They have two advantages over Texas: C.C. Sabathia and Mariano Rivera. The weak links are Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia, only one of whom can be replaced by Andy Pettitte.
3 (4). St. Louis Cardinals (12-7): The fragility of the team's health is mitigated by their impressive depth pieces, like Lance Lynn and Matt Carpenter.
4 (3). Tampa Bay Rays (12-7): The biggest weakness is the bullpen, where the Rays have somehow turned Fernando Rodney back into a solid closer.
5 (5). Detroit Tigers (10-9): They've cooled off after a hot start as they look for consistency behind Justin Verlander. Drew Smyly looks like he'll be a part of that.
6 (13). Atlanta Braves (12-7): The Braves have gone 12-3 since an 0-4 start thanks to the usual: strong pitching and streaky hitting.
7 (9). Washington Nationals (14-5): A stingy rotation has been the best in baseball, though concerns about the lineup persist.
8 (10). Los Angeles Dodgers (13-6): Absolutely nothing can stop Matt Kemp right now.
9 (11). Toronto Blue Jays (10-9): They've been middle-of-the-pack statistically, but Jose Bautista won't hit .203 all year.
10 (6). Arizona Diamondbacks (9-10): They've been hit hard by injuries, as Chris Young and Daniel Hudson have hit the DL and Justin Upton is dealing with a nagging thumb injury.
11 (7). Los Angeles Angels (6-13): A nightmarish start for the Angels. Albert Pujols has been quiet, the offense is slumping, and the bullpen is terrible. Things have to turn around...right?
12 (8). Boston Red Sox (8-10): A sweep of the lowly Twins has pulled the Sox out of their tailspin. The bad news? Carl Crawford is out for three months as he rehabs his elbow.
13 (14). Philadelphia Phillies (9-10): Losing Cliff Lee to the DL hurts badly considering how inept the offense is.
14 (12). Cincinnati Reds (9-10): Surprisingly, scoring runs has been the problem. Meanwhile, Aroldis Chapman in relief: 20 K's and 2 BB's in 11.1 innings, zero runs allowed.
15 (15). Milwaukee Brewers (9-10): They score in bunches, and can't stop other teams from scoring in bunches.
16 (20). Chicago White Sox (10-9): The Three Bad Contracts--Adam Dunn, Alex Rios, and Jake Peavy--are off to good starts. The rotation is underrated. The 'pen looks good. Sleeper team??
17 (21). San Francisco Giants (10-9): Amazingly, the offense has been competent. As long as Aubrey Huff never plays second base again, they'll compete for a wild card.
18 (18). Cleveland Indians (9-8): Their last four series have been against the Royals, Mariners, and Athletics. Stretches like that sure help your record.
19 (17). New York Mets (11-8): They won't make the playoffs, but they're going to be a lot more competitive than anyone thought they'd be.
20 (16). Miami Marlins (7-11): Everything, everything, everything has gone wrong for them in the early goings.
21 (19): Colorado Rockies (9-9): Jamie Moyer has been their best starter. Repeat: Jamie Moyer has been their best starter.
22 (25). Oakland Athletics (10-10): Yoenis Cespedes, OPSing .904 with 5 HRs and a cannon for an arm, is rapidly becoming one of the game's most exciting players.
23 (23). Seattle Mariners (10-10): Last Thursday, Felix Hernandez threw eight shutout innings, struck out twelve, allowed five hits...and got a no-decision. So goes life for a Mariners pitcher.
24 (28). Baltimore Orioles (12-7): Great starts for Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Nolan Reimold. But it's safe to say that the O's won't finish the season with a 3.29 ERA.
25 (27). Minnesota Twins (5-14): Josh Willingham is red-hot, and Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are healthy. Unfortunately, none of them can pitch.
26 (26). Pittsburgh Pirates (8-10): Amazingly, they've only scored 41 runs in 18 games. Erik Bedard has a 2.63 ERA and is still stuck with an 0-4 record.
27 (30). Houston Astros (7-12): There have been bright spots, namely Wandy "Trade Bait" Rodriguez's 1.42 ERA and the young offensive duo of J.D. Martinez and Jose Altuve.
28 (22). Kansas City Royals (5-14): A brutal 12-game losing streak has left the Royals winless at home.
29 (24). Chicago Cubs (6-13): The fire sale has already begun, kickstarted by Marlon Byrd's trade to the Red Sox.
30 (29). San Diego Padres (6-14): Only one San Diego regular has a slugging percentage above .400. No wonder they're finally considering moving in the Petco fences.

This weekend, four of the top five teams are in action against each other, as the Rangers are in Tampa and the Tigers visit the Yankees. In the NL, the Nationals face the Dodgers in a matchup of the young season's most surprising teams.