"Woah Braves at 7 lets calm down" - Criticisms abound after Ben Verlander releases his newest MLB Power Rankings

As we approach the two-month mark of the 2023 MLB season, the table is beginning to take shape. So far, we have seen several high highs and low lows.

On May 29th, Ben Verlander, MLB analyst and younger brother of defending Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, released his latest power rankings.

Although the list is Verlander's own educated opinion, there is no numerical standard to judge his convictions against. As such, fans wasted no time in volunteering their opinions regarding who should be higher on the list and who should not be on the list at all.

Rounding off Verlander's 10-team list are the Tampa Bay Rays. With a record of 39-16, the Rays hold the title of the league's best team by a considerable margin. However, some fans took issue with the fact that four out of the ten teams belong to the AL East, which is the same division as the Rays.

The Atlanta Braves were the team to arguably draw the most criticism from online observers. After posting a 17-9 record in April, the Braves have cooled to a 14-12 record in May, but they still remain on top of the NL East. According to many Twitter users, the general feeling is that the team should be placed higher based on their performance this season.

As always, the New York Yankees also received their fair share of flak from fans. Despite putting up 99 wins last season, the Bronx Bombers are lagging in third place in the AL East, seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Aaron Judge's team has, however, posted seven victories across their last ten games.

Additionally, a few trolls were happy to chime in on the action. A few comments backed teams like the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics, who both look extremely unlikely to get anywhere near the 2023 postseason.

Ben Verlander's MLB power rankings will be very fluid over the coming months

While criticism is always sure to come on the internet, Ben Verlander has done a good job of showing the who's who of the current MLB.

However, with the first two months of the season being an indicator, we are almost certain to see some significant movement up and down this list as the season progresses.

About the author

Adrian Dorney is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda. Having worked over five years in the industry, Adrian strives to combine statistical analysis with the human side of baseball reporting. Since a lot of his briefs involve publishing content with urgency, he has perfected a process involving a combination of trustworthy sources and assessment with intuition.

His lifelong tryst with baseball began with growing up in Toronto and watching the Blue Jays regularly. His favorite player is Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., and Jose Bautista's go-ahead home run in 2015 ALDS Game 5 remains his favorite baseball memory to date.

When not working, Adrian is constantly looking to learn new things and he also loves playing golf and chess.

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