It’s been a weird month of May in Queens.
The Mets, who have barely been able to keep their heads above water in a very competitive NL East, have been struck with a series of injuries so intense that it might lead the superstitious fan to think that this team is cursed.
Robinson Cano and Jeff McNeil joined Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Jed Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes on the injured list Thursday — Lowrie has yet to play this year and Cespedes underwent a season-ending ankle surgery after suffering an accident at his ranch.
New York lost five consecutive games earlier in the month — including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Marlins — before seemingly getting back on track and sweeping the Nationals in its last series. The team is currently in third place in MLB’s most intriguing division, as the Phillies have played consistently enough to keep first place, but the Braves have kept it a close contest with two consecutive wins.
The Dodgers have continued their campaign as the second-best team in the MLB and the undisputed first place team in the NL West, while the Padres swept the Diamondbacks to rise above .500 and take control of second place. Arizona was seven games above .500 on May 4 and now sits at 25-25 in the season.
In the NL Central, the Cubs and the Brewers have gone neck-and-neck for first place, but Christian Yelich’s back issues — which have caused him to miss two games already — give the Cubs a momentary advantage. Chicago’s starting pitching has also been solid, with the fourth-lowest combined ERA in baseball (3.48).
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After going 19-9 to start the season, the Rays have started to lose momentum, and enter Friday with a 9-9 record in May. A schedule of 47 games in 48 days will likely prove less than ideal for a team trying to bounce back, but the good news is they’re still two games ahead of the Red Sox for second place in the AL East, and their starters currently have the best combined ERA in the entire MLB (2.46).
The Twins have continued their steady climb in the rankings, as they’ve scored the most total runs in all of baseball. Case in point, Thursday’s 16-run win over the Angels. Minnesota leads the AL Central as the Indians’ offensive woes continue, the White Sox prospects become acquainted with the majors and the Tigers and Royals proceed with their private contest to decide who’s tanking harder.
As for the AL West, there lies the best team in baseball so far. The Astros have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, and the team’s .278 collective batting average is the best in baseball. The Rangers have risen up the ranks unexpectedly to take second place in the division, going 5-1 since last Friday, including a sweep of the Mariners. Their .811 OPS ranks third MLB-wide. With A’s slugger Khris Davis headed to the IL with a hip contusion, the Rangers could be in a good spot to gain some ground in the division and in this week’s MLB Power Rankings.
1 (1) 
Houston Astros
2 (2) 
Los Angeles Dodgers
3 (3) 
New York Yankees
4 (6) 
Chicago Cubs
5 (4) 
Boston Red Sox
6 (5) 
Tampa Bay Rays
7 (8) 
Minnesota Twins
8 (9) 
Philadelphia Phillies
9 (7) 
Milwaukee Brewers
10 (12) 
Atlanta Braves
11 (17) 
San Diego Padres
12 (15) 
Arizona Diamondbacks
13 (11) 
Cleveland Indians
14 (10) 
St. Louis Cardinals
15 (23) 
Texas Rangers
16 (14) 
New York Mets
17 (16) 
Colorado Rockies
18 (19) 
Los Angeles Angels
19 (21) 
Pittsburgh Pirates
20 (22) 
Cincinnati Reds
21 (18) 
Oakland Athletics
22 (13) 
Washington Nationals
23 (20) 
Seattle Mariners
24 (25) 
Chicago White Sox
25 (24) 
San Francisco Giants
26 (26) 
Toronto Blue Jays
27 (28) 
Kansas City Royals
28 (27) 
Detroit Tigers
29 (30) 
Miami Marlins
30 (29) 
Baltimore Orioles
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