Well, we’re in.
With four seasons of at least 97 losses since 2018, the Kansas City Royals were placed on extended probation in Keynote USA Sports’ power rankings. A couple of shrewd signings here, a little hot streak there? No, that wouldn’t be enough to convince the ranking clique of its legitimacy.
But we have seen enough.
Nearly 50 games into the season, the Royals are 29-19. Their plus-55 run differential is better than the Braves, Brewers and Cubs, to name just a few. They are playing .500 on the road, dominating at home.
And now the Royals move up two spots to No. 8, their highest ranking since, arguably, sweeping the Mets with five runs in the 12th inning of Game 5 of the World Series in 2015. (If any of you, crazy, really follow the weekly rankings, let us know).
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Sure, things can still go wrong. But with Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. producing as MVPs, Seth Lugo pitching like a Cy Young winner and a young lineup in full bloom, the Royals are in the high-rent district until further notice. They have won that.
A look at this week’s rankings:
- Walker Buehler is coming into his own, with six scoreless innings on just 78 pitches.
- A pretty good year in which “20-game winner Clarke Schmidt” seems like a decent possibility.
- 9-3 against NL East rivals New York, Washington and Miami.
- With five home runs to open the season, Gunnar Henderson is almost halfway to Brady Anderson’s single-season record of 12.
- Suddenly, they’re on a pair of three-game losing streaks this month.
- Focused on launching? Hey, they trail only the Yankees in runs scored among American League teams.
- 3-3 since Rhys Hoskins was injured.
- Seth Lugo has had consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts.
Detroit Tigers during a game on April 26, 2024.”>
- Shota Imanaga threatens to force statisticians to take the ERA down to thousandths.
10. Seattle Mariners (-1)
Sterling’s rotation is tested with four games at Yankee Stadium.
- Perhaps the longest streaking club in the majors, including an 0-5 mark against first-place Cleveland.
- Hall of Famer Yu Darvish? He achieves his 200th career victory between NPB and MLB.
- At 25-23, are they finally above .500 for good?
- The American League’s best offense in the championship season is barely in the middle of the pack… at least for now.
- Is Javy Báez’s good weekend simply a provocation?
- We might find out who they are in a nine-game stretch against the Rays, Brewers and Orioles.
- Luis Matos: 30 at-bats, 17 RBIs.
- Corbin Carroll’s .191 batting average is second-worst among qualified National League hitters.
- “Let’s not let ourselves get too hot,” they warned. (Narrator: You actually let them warm up.)
twenty. New York Mets (-2)
Edwin Díaz has blown three leads in a row and now his role as closer is “fluid.”
- Paul Skenes starts three wins in four games at Wrigley Field.
- After a good start, Spencer Steer on a streak of 13 for 90 and a home run.
- The Phillies’ sweep shows how far they still have to go.
- Tyler O’Neill hits a home run at Busch Stadium, in the other team’s victory.
- Back to earth after losing the last eight games of the tour.
- The series victory against the Rangers is the first against a team with a winning record.
- Falls to 5-22 in San Francisco since 2021.
- Sixto Sánchez has a 19.80 first-inning ERA in five starts.
30. Chicago White Sox (-)
- He outhomered 8-1 at Yankee Stadium. Yes, that tracks.
Keynote USA
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