Cleveland Guardians remain near top of MLB Power Rankings

It would not be a stretch for one to believe that the Cleveland Guardians would fall a few spots in a power ranking of MLB teams following their series loss to the Braves in Atlanta. However, that is not the case, as the young Guardians continue to hold one of the spots near the top of a recent ranking appearing on MLB.com. 

Coming in ranked fourth overall is the Guardians, the exact same position that Cleveland held one week ago. This remains the highest rank that the Guardians have held all season and is a significant improvement over their lowest rank of 21. Author Will Leitch had the following to say about the Guardians' performance over the last week.

"The Guardians lost two out of three against the Braves, and while there is no category on the MLB.com standings page for “moral victories,” the upstart Guardians have to feel good about how they measure up with the top team in baseball. They were one eighth-inning Braves comeback away from winning the series on the road. It’s clear that they measure up. "

- Will Leitch on the Cleveland Guardians

The series in Atlanta this past weekend was a way to judge just how ready the Guardians are for elite competition and if their early season success is an accurate depiction of their talent level. While they did lose the series two games to one, they were not far off from winning by that same margin. This is an encouraging sign for a team that many were counting out before the season started, with most expecting to be an also-ran in the American League Central division.

Cleveland still has to make some decisions regarding a few players on their roster who are not doing enough from an offensive standpoint. Once the dead weight is removed from the roster and is replaced by promising young players who are expected to be difference-makers, it would not be surprising to see the Guardians end up on top in a series against a team that has similar or better talent than Atlanta.

The Guardians will have a chance to prove they are among the best teams in baseball during the month of May. With the upcoming series against the Astros, Angels (twice), Tigers, White Sox, Rangers, Twins, Mets, Rockies, and Nationals, they will have a chance to build on their impressive start and add some series wins to their resume next month.