OK, we’re in.
With four seasons of at least 97 losses since 2018, the Kansas City Royals were placed on extended probation in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings. A couple astute signings here, a little hot streak there? Nope, that wouldn’t be sufficient to convince the rankings cabal of their legitimacy.
But we’ve seen enough.
Nearly 50 games into the season, the Royals are 29-19. Their plus-55 run differential is better than the Braves and Brewers and Cubs, to name just a few. They’re playing .500 on the road, dominating at home.
And now the Royals slide up two spots to No. 8, their highest ranking since, surely, trucking the Mets with five runs in the 12th inning of World Series Game 5 in 2015. (If any of you sickos actually track the weekly rankings, do let us know).
Sure, things can still go sideways. But with Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. producing like 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’ve earned that much.
A look at ths week’s rankings:
- Walker Buehler rounding into form, with six shutout innings in just 78 pitches.
- Pretty good year when “20-game winner Clarke Schmidt” seems like a decent possibility.
- 9-3 against NL East palookas New York, Washington and Miami.
- With five leadoff homers, Gunnar Henderson nearly halfway to Brady Anderson’s single-season record of 12.
- Suddenly, they have a pair of three-game losing streaks this month.
- Pitching-centric? Hey, they trail only the Yankees in runs scored among AL teams.
- 3-3 since Rhys Hoskins got hurt.
- Seth Lugo has posted consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts.
- Shota Imanaga threatening to force statisticians to carry ERA out to the thousandths.
10. Seattle Mariners (-1)
Sterling rotation gets stiff test with four games at Yankee Stadium.
- Perhaps the streakiest club in the majors – including 0-5 mark vs. first-place Cleveland.
- Hall of Famer Yu Darvish? Notches 200th career win between NPB, MLB.
- At 25-23, are they finally above .500 for good?
- AL’s best offense in championship season merely middle of the pack … at least for now.
- Is Javy Baez’s nice weekend simply a tease?
- Might find out who they are in nine-game stretch vs. Rays, Brewers, Orioles.
- Luis Matos: 30 at-bats, 17 RBI.
- Corbin Carroll’s .191 batting average is second-worst among qualified NL hitters.
- “Don’t let us get hot,” they warned. (Narrator: You did, in fact, let them get hot).
20. New York Mets (-2)
Edwin Díaz has blown three straight leads, and now his closer role is “fluid.”
- Paul Skenes kickstarts three wins in four games at Wrigley Field.
- After hot start, Spencer Steer in a 13-for-90, one-homer rut.
- Phillies sweep shows how far they have to go.
- Tyler O’Neill blasts a homer at Busch Stadium – in win for the other team.
- Back to earth after losing last eight games of road trip.
- Series win against Rangers is their first against a team with winning record.
- Drop to 5-22 at San Francisco since 2021.
- Sixto Sanchez has a 19.80 first-inning ERA in five starts.
30. Chicago White Sox (-)
- Out-homered 8-1 at Yankee Stadium. Yeah, that tracks.