MLB Power Rankings Week 3

It is time, officially, for baseball to take the spotlight. And start earning the power rankings treatment.

We're getting into the swing of the 2016 season on the diamond and that means it's time to start thinking about which squads are the bet in the league and which squads might be trying to find their way. Or their swing. We'll stop. That's not true. There will be plenty of puns to come. 

Just a few short weeks into the season there's already a handful of squads that are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the competition. That's right, we're looking at you Washington Nationals. The Bryce Harper-led squad is sitting at No. 1 in our first round of rankings and for good reason; they're led by Bryce Harper. Of course, there are other teams to talk about as well. The White Sox are turning triple plays, the Mets are rolling and let's not forget the Baltimore Orioles' impressive home record either. 

Keep clicking through the gallery to check out how this week's power rankings shaped up. It's only going to get more fun from here. (Getty)

10. Oakland Athletics

Record: 10-9, The Breakdown: Ok, sure the Athletics dropped back-to-back games this weekend, falling to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday and Sunday. But - and this is a vaguely positive but - prior to those losses, Oakland was riding a serious wave of momentum. In fact, prior to those losses, Oakland had notched six straight wins. Friday's win over the Jays was particularly impressive, marking the first time in six games the A's didn't make an error and a performance that set a season-high mark in runs (8) and hits (14). That streak has now been snapped, but don't overlook this Oakland team quite yet. (Getty)

9. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 10-10, The Breakdown: The Blue Jays grabbed a pair of back-to-back wins at home over Oakland this weekend, outscoring the Athletics 15-to-6 in the process. It's a return to offensive form for Toronto, which went through a bit of a slow start to get the season going. How exactly did the Blue Jays get back on track? Troy Tulowitzki hit a pair of solo home runs and Josh Donadlson chipped in a three-run blast on Saturday night, while Jose Bautista connected on a two-run homer on Sunday afternoon. Yeah, we'd say that's a pretty strong offensive performance from the reigning AL East champions. (Getty)

8. Texas Rangers

Record: 10-9, The Breakdown: The Rangers are sitting in a tie for first in the AL West with Oakland after being swept in the series with the Chicago White Sox this weekend. It was, to say the least, a strange series that included everything from a triple play to some serious bullpen blunders. It's those bullpen blunders that have us a bit worried. Texas manager Jeff Banister told The Dallas News that he's trying to preserve arms for the long haul, pointing out that the bullpen boasts a less-than-impressive AL-worst 5.40 ERA and has given up an AL-worst 14 home runs. That's certainly something to be concerned about. (Getty)

7. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 11-6, The Breakdown: The Orioles went 2-for-3 on their recent road trip to Kansas City, and are a less-than-ideal 4-6 in their last 10, but it hasn't done much to dent their standing in the AL East. Baltimore is sitting two and a half games ahead of the Blue Jays in the division standings and a big part of the reason for that is how good this team has been at home so far this season. The O's have just one loss at home this spring; a 4-3 showing on April 19 to Toronto. If Baltimore's bats can keep up, there's no reason to not start feeling pretty darn confident in this squad. (Getty)

6. New York Mets

Record: 10-7, The Breakdown: Sunday afternoon was a bit emotional for the Mets as Jacob deGrom officially returned to the rotation, fresh off the news that his newborn son is free of any medical issues. The New York standout had missed his two pervious starts following the birth of his son, Jaxon, who had remained hospitalized when doctors were concerned about his breathing. Still, it didn't appear that deGrom was battling through any rust, pitching 5 2/3 innings as New York defeated the Braves 3-2 to complete a three-game sweep on the road. The Mets have now won six of their last seven, with the lone loss coming April 20 at Philadelphia. (Getty)

5. Kansas City Royals

Record: 12-6, The Breakdown: The reigning World Series champs are making a run and starting to settle into their game. The Royals are 6-4 in their last 10, including an impressive 6-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. It's also got Kansas City sitting just half a game behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central. Now, we know it's easy to think that KC lost a few bats from last year's championship run and while that's true, the Royals roster is still stacked. Take for example Mike Moustakas. The third baseman already has six home runs to his name this season, while catcher Salvador Perez boasts a pretty impressive 13 RBIs in 18 games. (Getty)

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 12-7, The Breakdown: There are roster changes coming. Outfielder Carl Crawford and pitcher Louis Coleman are both expected to rejoin the Dodgers on Monday ahead of the squad's seven-game homestand and, if you're an L.A. fan, this is a good thing. Crawford had been on the 15-day DL with a back issue and got back on the field in a pair of rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma City. In 11 at bats with the Dodgers, Crawford had three hits and two runs and his return could help provide some stability in a lineup that's still trying to find some consistency. (Getty)

3. Chicago White Sox

Record: 13-6, The Breakdown: Are the White Sox an under the radar team? Maybe. Should they be? Probably not. Chicago, sitting in first place in the AL Central, officially seized the well-deserved spotlight this weekend by making one of the most impressive plays in recent MLB history. The Sox turned a triple play against the Texas Rangers on Friday night. And not just any triple play. A 9-3-2-6-2-5 triple play with the bases loaded. This is a team that's more than a highlight reel, however. Chicago is 6-4 in its last 10, with an impressive 7-3 showing on the road. The question is though, can the Sox keep this up? (Getty)

2. Chicago Cubs

Record: 14-5, The Breakdown: That's one way to respond. After dropping a 13-5 showing at Cincinnati on Saturday, the Cubs bounced back with a 9-0 showing on Sunday afternoon, connecting on a whopping 14 hits along the way. In the end it was an offensive series for Chicago which, despite Saturday's loss, out-scored the Reds 38-to-14 with two shutout victories. Of course, during the course of that series a bit of history was also made. You might have heard about it? Jake Arrieta threw the second no-hitter of his career. Oh, and he also improved to 4-0 on the season. (Getty)

1. Washington Nationals

Record: 14-4, The Breakdown: Here's a fun fact, which will tell you a lot about how the Nationals' season is going so far. Bryce Harper is 4-for-7 on 3-2 counts. Three of those hits have been home runs. In other words, Harper is pretty darn good at this whole playing baseball thing. And, so far this season, so is Washington. It isn't just hitting either. Including Tanner Roark's performance on Saturday (15K's, two hits in seven innings), the Nationals starters boast a collective 2.20 ERA. That's the second-lowest number in the entire major league. It's only April, but this is a Nationals team to be excited about. (Getty)