The Washington Nationals retained their claim on the top slot in this week's Power Rankings, and the cast of the top 10 didn't change. Which is not to say there was not some reshuffling this time around; the New York Yankees made a move up to No. 2 to claim top honors in the American League, while there was more jostling among the NL West's power trio of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Outside of the top 10, the biggest surprise might be the Reds moving up nine spots, while the Twins wound up ranked higher still by making their own eight-slot jump as they keep up in the AL Central's initially tight race. With their move back toward the AL West's basement, the Rangers took the biggest fall, tumbling from the top 20 by dropping nine spots. The National League's top drop was in Milwaukee, as the Brewers slumped six slots, more a symptom of how many teams are grouped around .500 than a sudden turn in their fortunes.
This week's voters are Bradford Doolittle, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian, David Schoenfield and Mark Simon.
Week 4 rankings | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason
1. Washington Nationals
Record: 21-10
Week 4 ranking: No. 1
The Nationals look like a team that could win the NL East by 20 games, especially given how Trea Turner has looked since he returned from the disabled list, a couple of oh-fers notwithstanding. In his first 13 games back (12 starts), Turner hit .368 with 10 extra-base hits, 13 RBIs and three stolen bases. His success makes the Nationals' lineup the deepest in the National League. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
2. New York Yankees
Record: 20-9
Week 4 ranking: No. 4
The Yankees have had three separate winning streaks of four games or more. Last year, they didn't win more than two in a row until May 18-24 (winning six in a row), and their third winning streak of at least four games didn't start until July 17. Their 167 runs scored are most in the American League and second most in the majors behind the Nationals. Aaron Judge is playing a big role, but so is Starlin Castro, who's hitting .355, best in the American League. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
3. Houston Astros
Record: 21-11
Week 4 ranking: No. 2
Keith Law had Charlie Morton as a breakout pick heading into the season, and Morton's past two starts make it look like Keith was on to something. Morton struck out 12 and walked none in a win over the Athletics, then pitched six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts against the Rangers. Morton's curve has been a great putaway pitch, getting misses on nearly half of the swings against it. He should face the Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
4. Chicago Cubs
Record: 16-15
Week 4 ranking: No. 3
Conventional wisdom suggested the Cubs' offense would be even better this year than last because of Kyle Schwarber's return from injury. But his .198/.321/.379 line and below-average defense have produced a negative WAR total as the Cubs continue to miss Dexter Fowler's production atop their lineup. -- Paul Hembekides, ESPN Stats & Information
5. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 20-10
Week 4 ranking: No. 6
The O's are just a half-game behind the Yankees in the division, but they're a very different team. The Orioles' run differential is plus-11, compared to the Yankees' plus-52 mark. Baltimore is scoring 4.4 runs per game, more than a run less than the Yankees' 5.8. No Orioles regular is hitting above .300 -- their leader among qualifiers is Jonathan Schoop at .296. The O's margin for error is very slim, and Zach Britton's return to the DL won't help. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
6. Cleveland Indians
Record: 17-13
Week 4 ranking: No. 5
Ace Corey Kluber landed on the DL after leaving a start against the Tigers on May 2 with lower-back discomfort, and the bats have been quiet lately. After a hot start, Francisco Lindor has struggled, while Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion have struggled all season. With three other teams clustered atop the AL Central, the Indians need to start scoring runs to get some separation from the pack. -- Michael Bonzagni, ESPN Stats & Information
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 17-14
Week 4 ranking: No. 8
In the 11 games since top prospect Cody Bellinger was called up, the Dodgers have gone on an 8-3 tear, and he's quickly ripped five home runs to tie for the team lead. While injuries, first among their outfielders and now to Adrian Gonzalez, created Bellinger's initial opportunity, with production like that you'd better believe that the kid stays in the picture. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com
8. Colorado Rockies
Record: 20-12
Week 4 ranking: No. 10
The first-place Rockies owe a lot to their remarkable 9-0 start in one-run games, but winning tight games with their deep pen was part of their preseason plan. One thing that could help make it stick? Getting Trevor Story back on track. Beyond his NL-worst whiff rate pushing 38 percent, he's struggling to make hard contact in Coors Field, seeing his well-hit average at home drop to .137 while generating a ton of weak fly balls and popups. A Rockies lineup firing on all cylinders will keep the NL West race interesting. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 18-15
Week 4 ranking: No. 7
In the past, injuries and poor performance left regular MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt without much of a supporting cast, but this year's D-backs are getting consistency in the rotation and in a reinforced lineup that goes seven-deep with A.J. Pollock and David Peralta healthy. But can their bid to win survive a questionable defense and Fernando Rodney's save opportunities? -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com
10. Boston Red Sox
Record: 17-14
Week 4 ranking: No. 9
The Red Sox scored 10-plus runs in a game for the first time all season on Saturday in Minnesota. Not to be outdone, they scored 10 runs in the 9th inning alone on Sunday, a franchise record for runs scored in the 9th inning, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Overall, they're still scoring 4.5 runs per game, which ranks 17th in the majors. They averaged 5.4 runs per game last season, the best mark in the majors. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
11. Detroit Tigers
Record: 15-15
Week 4 ranking: No. 17
The Tigers' West Coast road trip continues with series in Arizona and Anaheim, two teams that have played much better at home this year. Can they get turned around on the road with Miguel Cabrera healthy and back in the middle of a potent lineup? Despite dropping two of three in Oakland, Detroit could make some noise this week and upset early expectations that the AL Central belongs to the Indians. -- Michael Bonzagni, ESPN Stats & Information
12. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 16-14
Week 4 ranking: No. 11
Losing Stephen Piscotty to a hamstring strain while Dexter Fowler deals with a shoulder issue could have spelled bad news, but three-homer weekends from both Tommy Pham and Matt Carpenter powered a sweep of the Braves. For all of the extended diagnoses for what ails the Cards, they're above .500. If they get Adam Wainwright turned around, who says they can't take back the NL Central? -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com
13. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 16-17
Week 4 ranking: No. 13
Jake Odorizzi has looked good in two starts since returning from the disabled list. He was eased back into the rotation with five innings of two-run ball against the Marlins, then pitched seven innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays on Saturday. He's had two strong starts against Toronto this season, largely because of his cutter, as Blue Jays hitters have made 12 outs and netted one baserunner on the 42 he has thrown. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
14. New York Mets
Record: 14-16
Week 4 ranking: No. 18
Go figure that a team that couldn't score when Yoenis Cespedes was in the lineup started scoring in bunches while he's out. Beyond dealing with the drama surrounding Matt Harvey's suspension, the Mets need to figure out how to get their starting pitching back to top form. One instance in which you'd like to see a turnaround? When former Giants prospect Zack Wheeler faces his old team Tuesday. Since his Tommy John surgery, Wheeler has the same issue as he did before surgery -- inefficiency. He's averaging 17.7 pitches per inning. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
15. Minnesota Twins
Record: 15-14
Week 4 ranking: No. 23
Ervin Santana led the majors in ERA, opponent batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage entering his Sunday start. He went on to allow six earned runs to the Red Sox, double the total he'd allowed all season to that point in 41 innings pitched. He allowed four home runs Sunday after having allowed just two all season to that point. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
16. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 16-17
Week 4 ranking: No. 19
The Angels have won an AL-best nine one-run games this season, and their bats have come alive late. In the ninth inning, they're second in hitting (.319) and lead MLB in OPS (.925), which has supported their 12 comeback wins. Mike Trout is currently day-to-day with a hamstring injury, which the team will monitor closely in the days to come. -- Paul Hembekides, ESPN Stats & Information
17. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 17-14
Week 4 ranking: No. 26
The Reds' lineup is sizzling, and it starts at the top with leadoff man Billy Hamilton. The 26-year-old speedster has racked up nine steals and six extra-base hits in May for the league's third-best offense (5.3 runs per game). Joey Votto is on pace to produce his highest pre-All-Star Break OPS (.998) since 2012. -- Paul Hembekides, ESPN Stats & Information
18. Seattle Mariners
Record: 15-17
Week 4 ranking: No. 16
The Mariners head east for six games, always a challenge for a West Coast team but especially so because they'll be without James Paxton and possibly Hisashi Iwakuma, who would join Felix Hernandez and Drew Smyly on the sideline with injuries. The Mariners will be starting a group of understudies and fourth-starter types in two hitter-friendly places, Philadelphia and Toronto. Their bullpen might get a significant amount of use, and that's far from good news when their relief crew has a 5.43 ERA, 27th in MLB. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
19. Chicago White Sox
Record: 15-15
Week 4 ranking: No. 15
After two frustrating seasons, Jose Abreu has apparently recaptured his 2014 form, when he won AL Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. Abreu has nine multihit games since April 23, raising his batting average from .203 to .286. Jose Quintana has also turned a corner, notching three consecutive quality starts after a rough beginning to his season. -- Paul Hembekides, ESPN Stats & Information
20. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 16-16
Week 4 ranking: No. 14
Eric Thames snapped a nine-game homerless streak on Sunday while running the Brewers' record in games he's gone yard to 9-1. Thames' outage combined with Ryan Braun's injury helped rob Brewers pitching from cashing in on a good week; their 2.87 ERA and 8.9 K/9 both cracked MLB's top 10. If they keep that up, hanging around .500 for more than a month starts to sound plausible. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com
21. Texas Rangers
Record: 13-19
Week 4 ranking: No. 12
Yu Darvish has a 2.76 ERA, and Cole Hamels has a 3.03 mark (but is on the shelf). The rest of the Rangers' starters have combined for a 3.85 ERA and are averaging just over five innings pitched per game. It's the innings that are the bigger problem, because the real bad news is in the Rangers' bullpen, which has a 5.63 ERA, 29th in the majors. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 14-17
Week 4 ranking: No. 22
The Pirates have been hard-pressed to find offensive force. They're 23rd in the majors with a .236 batting average and rank 23rd in OPS with a .700 mark. Their 3.8 runs per game are more than the averages of only the Padres, Giants and Royals. Not the company that a team looking to compete with the Cubs and Cardinals wants to keep. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
23. Miami Marlins
Record: 13-17
Week 4 ranking: No. 20
The Marlins have had an incredibly odd past 11 games. They are 2-0 when scoring 10 runs and 1-8 in all other games. They had a bizarre meltdown on Friday, blowing a 7-1 lead to the Mets, then did little right in an awful loss the next day. Wei-Yin Chen's latest injury puts more pressure on a rotation that doesn't really have a No. 1, or even a true No. 2, starter. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
24. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 13-17
Week 4 ranking: No. 21
It's not surprising that last week was a rough one, given that the opponents were the Cubs and Nationals. The best thing to emerge from it was the play of Aaron Altherr, whose game-tying, three-run home run helped the Phillies win on Sunday. Altherr went 9-for-21 (.429) with eight RBIs in six games. He's looked much more legit at the plate this season, with four home runs in 65 at-bats after hitting four in 198 at-bats in 2016. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
25. San Francisco Giants
Record: 11-21
Week 4 ranking: No. 24
After they won two of three in Los Angeles, the Giants' road trip quickly went downhill. In the first two games against the Reds, they allowed 13 and 14 runs, respectively; those 27 runs combined are the most the Giants have allowed in back-to-back games since September 2006 in Colorado. The starting staff has not risen to the occasion to make up for Madison Bumgarner's injury. The Giants' starters have a 5.97 ERA, which ranks 28th in the majors since losing Bumgarner. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
26. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 11-20
Week 4 ranking: No. 27
The Blue Jays still aren't scoring many runs, but Kendrys Morales has been a clutch addition. Of his six home runs this season, four have come in the seventh inning or later, and each of those late home runs has either tied the game or given the Blue Jays the lead. On Friday, he hit a game-tying, seventh-inning homer off Chris Archer and followed it up with a go-ahead blast in the eighth off Jumbo Diaz. Between this year and last, he has 18 home runs in the seventh inning or later, the second most in the majors behind Edwin Encarnacion (19).-- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
27. Atlanta Braves
Record: 11-18
Week 4 ranking: No. 28
You had to figure that when the Braves signed Bartolo Colon, they had at least a thought of trading him to a contender on July 31. But Colon is not helping matters. He has allowed 15 runs in 16 innings in his past three starts. Colon still ranks among MLB's leaders in called strike rate, but the pitches getting hit are getting tattooed, as his 26 percent hard-hit rate is the worst in the majors. -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information
28. Oakland Athletics
Record: 14-17
Week 4 ranking: No. 25
Despite Yonder Alonso's hot start and all of the homers from Khris Davis, the A's offense ranks in the bottom 10 in runs scored and OPS this season. Oakland's young starting staff has also struggled, but Sonny Gray is back and Sean Manaea is making a rehab start this week. The A's next three series are against divisional opponents, and there's a chance the rotation gets it together, but we're not counting on it. -- Michael Bonzagni, ESPN Stats & Information
29. Kansas City Royals
Record: 10-20
Week 4 ranking: No. 30
The Royals are the only team to score fewer than 100 runs in the majors this season. Kansas City has some pieces it can deal to help improve a farm system that Keith Law ranked 26th in the majors entering this year, and if the Royals don't start scoring, the time to deal is sooner rather than later. -- Michael Bonzagni, ESPN Stats & Information
30. San Diego Padres
Record: 12-20
Week 4 ranking: No. 29
It might be a moral victory that the Padres haven't owned the bottom slot in the early going; eight of their 20 losses have been by five runs or more, reflecting a pitching staff and a lineup without much depth. Count the performance of rookie Manuel Margot on both sides of the ball among the few positives not automatically associated with Wil Myers. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com