Sat May 17 03:30:00 UTC 2025: **MLB Power Rankings: Tigers Surge, Can Cardinals and Athletics Sustain Momentum?**

**NEW YORK** – The National League continues to dominate ESPN’s MLB Power Rankings, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets holding onto the top two spots. However, the American League is making a push, led by the surging Detroit Tigers, who have leapfrogged to No. 3, boasting the AL’s best record. The New York Yankees have also re-entered the top five.

ESPN MLB experts Alden Gonzalez and Dave Schoenfield are now discussing whether the Cardinals and Athletics can keep up their hot play.

The Dodgers have had some injuries in their pitching staff to Snell, Glasnow and Sasaki. Clayton Kershaw will be making his return to the rotation. Brett Baty went to Triple-A and was called back up on May 5 when Jesse Winker went to the IL and has homered four times since then.

The San Diego Padres were sitting at No. 4 on the list and Fernando Tatis Jr. has been having a good season batting .316/.389/.574 with 11 home runs and eight stolen bases. Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill are also having good season batting at .340/.410/.490 and .412/.438/.676, respectively.

The Cleveland Guardians are in 10th and Emmanuel Clase has been dealing with some shoulder soreness.

The Cardinals are now sitting at 15. St. Louis ran off nine wins in a row heading into Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Phillies. The pitching staff had a 2.00 ERA over that nine-game stretch and the offense hit .267 with 10 home runs.

Jacob Wilson’s two home runs at Dodger Stadium helped to propel the Athletics to an 11-1. Wilson’s slash line is at .363/.389/.513

Meanwhile, questions linger: Can the Tigers maintain their high level of play? Which New York team will win the weekend Subway Series?

The rankings are based on a combination of performance this season and preseason expectations, offering a comprehensive view of the MLB landscape.

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