1. Chicago Cubs (17-6) – No Change

Worries of a possible DL stint for Kris Bryant quickly went by the wayside after he hit the field on Sunday, failing to start in only four games. No problem for the Cubs as they remain entrenched in the #1 spot for the time being.

Full 7 game slate this week with 3 games in Pittsburgh, followed by 4 at home against the Nationals. This will be a solid test for the Cubs as they kick off the month of May.

2. Chicago White Sox (18-8) – Up 1 

The White Sox join the Cubs as the state of Illinois reigns supreme this week. Chris Sale moved to 6-0, while Todd Frazier has two HRs in his last four games. Is it crazy to say they are just beginning to get production offensively?

Six game home stand versus the Red Sox and Twins in the week ahead.

3. Washington Nationals (17-7) – Down 1

The Nationals played some up and down baseball this week, getting swept by the red hot Phillies and taking three from the Cardinals on the road. Trea Turner, a projected impact bat and glove remains roadblocked in AAA as he currently has a .337 batting average for the season.

Seven game road trip as the Nationals try to push their win streak forward. First Kansas City, then to Chicago over the weekend.

4. New York Mets (15-8) – Up 3

This is quite possibly the best team in baseball when everything clicks. Apologies to the NL East, as an 8-2 record in their last 10 means exactly that is happening. Michael Conforto is on absolute fire in the 3-hole, while the fearsome foursome in their rotation is just getting their feet off the ground.

A 5-2 week or better looks like a possibility as the Mets host the Braves for three, then head to San Diego for 4.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates (15-10) – Up 9

A 6-1 week quietly pushes the Pirates past the Cardinals and only 3 games behind the Cubs. McCutchen, Marte, and Polanco look great. They have depth at all positions and Jung-ho Kang looks like he’ll play two of every three games once he comes off the DL.

Divisional games are on tap – three in Chicago followed by three in St. Louis.

6. Boston Red Sox (15-10) – Up 6

8-2 in their last 10, and even though the teams they took care of are struggling (Yankees & Braves), the surging Dustin Pedroia and Mookie Betts combine for one of the most stable bases for offense in the bigs. Sunday night baseball next weekend features a rematch between BOS and NYY back in New York – get the popcorn ready, its bound to be a good matchup. Did we mention they swept the Yankees in Fenway? Boston is also set to activate Carson Smith from the DL on Tuesday.

Big road trip for the Sox as they travel to the White Sox for three and then to New York for another three.

7. Baltimore Orioles (14-10) – Down 2

Why isn’t Manny Machado stealing bases? Well, for one he’s hitting for too much power, with a .667 SLG. Zach Britton on the other hand may be sidelined for a short period of time – leading to a guessing game for who gets saves. Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, and Michael Givens are all possibilities.

Home stand for the O’s – three with both the Yankees and Oakland.

8. Philadelphia Phillies (15-10) – Up 11

The Phillies are five games above .500. Let that sink in for a second. In case you haven’t been watching them, our founder Lance won’t stop pushing this article until you do!

Seven game road trip for the Phils – four in St. Louis and three in Miami.

9. Texas Rangers (14-11) – No Change

10. Detroit Tigers (14-10) – Up 6 

Justin Upton is 7 for his last 13, a much needed boost after a stone cold month of April. Jordan Zimmermann has only allowed two earned runs over his five starts. His contract, while pricey, looks like one of the better offseason moves in the early going.

Three in Texas followed by three in Cleveland for the week.

11. Los Angeles Dodgers (13-13) – Down 5

Their week started with a 4 game sweep at the hands of the Marlins, and ended with a Clayton Kershaw gem (CG, 14 K, 1 RBI). Dave Roberts hopes the latter results continue through the coming week.

Only five games this week – two in Tampa followed by three in Toronto.

12. Oakland Athletics (13-13) – Down 2

Sean Manaea got the call while a flurry of DL moves make the bottom half of the A’s starting five very different. While Manaea lacked command in his first start, expect him to settle in as an extended look is in order for the young stud.

Three at home versus Seattle followed by three in Baltimore round out the week ahead.

13. Kansas City Royals (13-11) – Down 9

They’re human! A rough week highlighted by a lack of consistent pitching pushes the Royals further behind the streaking White Sox and Tigers. Watch out for some Ned Yost magic in the next few weeks as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are raking in the middle of this lineup.

Home against Washington for three, in Cleveland for three.

14. Toronto Blue Jays (12-14) – Down 6

15. San Francisco Giants (13-13) – Up 2

Hunter Pence looks healthy and so does a star studded rotation that is just getting off the ground. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a slow climb to the top 5 from Bochy’s Giants in the near future.

Three in Cincinnati followed by four at home against the Rockies sets up the Giant’s week.

16. Tampa Bay Rays (11-13) – Up 2

One of the better teams currently under the .500 mark, Tampa has a wild card in Blake Snell who should be back up in the majors next week. Why not make the AL East more complex then it already is with a winning streak or two Tampa?!

Short five game slate – two at home agains the Dodgers, three back in L.A. against the Angels.

17. Miami Marlins (12-12) – Up 11

Seven game winning streak snapped over the weekend, but does it come as any surprise Giancarlo Stanton’s four HR week synced up nicely with the streak? On top of that, Adam Conley and Justin Nicolino have been pleasant surprises while Jose Fernandez tries to find his rhythm. Here is our favorite picture from the week in baseball…

Six game home stand features the Diamondbacks and Phillies.

18. Seattle Mariners (13-11) – Up 5

A nice week for the Mariners, with a solid boost from a hot Ketel Marte and the emerging Taijuan Walker is nothing to scoff at. The AL West is WIDE open right now and the Mariners have an early case for some stability.

Seven game road trip in Houston and Oakland is coming up.

19. St. Louis Cardinals (12-13) – Down 6

While this may seem low for the Cardinals, we would like to point out a clear gap after the Cardinals that leads to the next 11 teams. Being swept by the Nationals at home hurts, even as their offense continues to surge. Hopefully this Carlos Martinez legal battle doesn’t linger around one of the few consistent arms in their rotation.

Hopes to right the ship start with a seven game home stand – Phillies for three, Pirates for four.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks (12-15) – Down 9

Possibly a premature jump up for the Diamondbacks in last week’s ranks, sends them tumbling backwards to the bottom half in baseball. The blame falls heavily on Zach Greinke, Shelby Miller, and Patrick Corbin.

Six game road trip in Miami and Atlanta for the week.

21. Cleveland Indians (10-12) – Down 6

The loss of Carlos Carrasco opens the door for Trevor Bauer to show that he has honed his control. An otherwise mediocre offense hopes to see a spark with the return of Michael Brantley. The 1-5 week doesn’t help their early bid at the AL Central.

Six game home stand against Detroit and Kansas City for the week.

22. Colorado Rockies (12-12) – Down 1

Nolan Arenado. His 2015 wasn’t a fluke and he’s making sure we all realize that with an MLB leading 11 HRs. Who is right behind him? Teammate Trevor Story with 10. The offense is there, but unfortunately the pitching is not. On a positive note, they don’t own the worst team ERA – that belongs to the Brewers!

No games at Coors this week – three in San Diego followed by four in San Francisco.

23. Los Angeles Angels (12-13) – Up 1

Mike Trout quietly put together a great month, batting just under .300 with a HR pace that puts him just north of 35. Not vintage 30HR/49SB Mike Trout, but Angels fans need to be worried about their rotation after Andrew Heaney’s injury as Trout can only do so much.

Three in Milwaukee, followed by three in Tampa Bay set up their week.

24. Cincinnati Reds (10-15) – Down 4

Rasiel Iglesias to the DL sums up the Red’s week – regardless of how they played, this is a blow. Joey Votto is struggling, Anthony DeScalfani suffered a setback, and only Eugenio Suarez has been a rare bright spot. The early season surge may in fact have been a mirage.

A seven game home stand aims to bring hope – three against San Francisco, four versus Milwaukee.

25. New York Yankees (8-15) – Down 3

It’s no surprise the Yankees finish the month as one of the bottom teams in baseball. While the bullpen has been great to start the year – as expected – there has been little use for it as the offense and lack of pitching depth is the major issue early. If the bats get going soon, we can see some uptick in their play, but they would need a lot from Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner, and Jacoby Ellsbury – time to wake up in the Bronx.

Three in Baltimore precedes a rematch against the Red Sox at home for the weekend.

26. San Diego Padres (9-16) – Up 1

As bad as they were to start the season, the Padres haven’t done too much to change the tune of their 2016. Hang in there San Diego, Tyson Ross’s return could provide some much needed quality starts to back the emergence of Drew Pomeranz.

Seven game home stand featuring Colorado and the Mets is on tap.

27. Houston Astros (8-17) – Down 1

Rough start to the year for the Astros is an understatement. 3-7 in their last ten is not exactly what A.J. Hinch and company expected, but the odds are good that with May comes a bit of rejuvenation for a very young ball club.

Seven game home stand featuring three with Minnesota and four with Seattle is the schedule.

28. Milwaukee Brewers (9-15) – Down 3

We feel slightly jaded by Sunday’s 18 hit rout of Miami, but in reality the Brew Crew are striking out too much to show any serious promise through the first month of the season. Rotoexperts thinks Orlando Arcia is due up soon, and we agree as a Jonathan Villar slump will come sooner than later.

Seven game slate with three against the Angels followed by four in Cincinnati.

29. Minnesota Twins (5-14) – No Change

Blown saves and a lacking bullpen have not been able to buoy an offense that has woken up thanks to the bats of Miguel Sano and Eduardo Nunez. Joe Mauer has also been a pleasant surprise with his .453 OBP – the AL Joey Votto? Crazier things have happened!

Six game road trip starts in Houston and heads to Chicago.

30. Atlanta Braves (4-14) – No Change