Orioles in Power Rankings: Week 16

We know computers hate the Orioles, and national broadcasters hate the Orioles, but do the folks who make power polls/rankings hate the Orioles? This week, they like them more than we expected. And one poll think they’re the best team in MLB.

SI.com: The 30 (3rd; Last Week: 6th)

Jonah Keri has the Orioles in his top three. Wow. That was unexpected, especially after the lost week in New York. Sweeping the Indians must have impressed him..

USA Today Power Rankings (4th; LW: 6th)

The Nation’s Newspaper elevates the O’s to 4th, the highest ranking A.L. team. “Gausman, Bundy could be an inexpensive solution to starting pitching needs.” Technically, wouldn’t they be no-added-cost improvements, since we’re already paying them?

Bleacher Report Power Rankings (2nd; LW: 5th)

Slideshow Central has the Orioles in the penultimate poll position, just behind the Chicago Cubs. “The Baltimore Orioles briefly held the No. 3 spot in these rankings back in May, but they now climb to the top spot among AL teams once again after sweeping the Cleveland Indians. After getting rocked in his first career start, former top prospect Dylan Bundy looked sharp last week as he allowed five hits, no walks and one unearned run in five innings of work. He has a chance to be a real X-factor in a starting rotation that desperately needs one.”

MLB.com (5th; LW: N/A)

Oh, hey old friend! Nice to see you again! MLB.com uses analysts for 75% of their polls’ composition, and fan votes for the other 25%. That lands the Orioles solidly in the Top Five.

CBS Sports (1st; LW: 7th)

What sorcery is this? Matt Synder ranks the Orioles as the #1 team in MLB? Preach on, Matt: “Sweeping the Indians was a nice way to make a statement that the Orioles might well be the best team in baseball right now. Who are the Official Power Rankings to argue otherwise?”

Power Rankings Guru (3rd; LW 5th)

PRG is an aggregate of several national power rankings/polls, and they have the O’s at 3rd. I’m guessing this was before the Rockies series. I now has a sad.

reddit’s Power Poll (6th; LW: 8th)

The community editors over at reddit still agree the O’s are better than the Blue Jays, but still not as good as the Red Sox. The standings, they mean nothing, I suppose. “While the beginning of the week sucked, the end was anything but. A three game sweep of the Indians where we saw 2011 and 2012's 4th overall picks Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman have starts with no earned runs and pick up wins on back to back days. I've honestly been waiting for this moment since the 2012 draft. It legitimately made Nolan Reimold's pinch hit walk off homer on Sunday to clinch the sweep only the 3rd most exciting part of the series.”

OddsShark.com (21st; LW: 12th)

Ranks are based on rolling past 20 games overall. And yes you read that right, OddShark has the O’s at #21. This is why I stopped betting money on sporting events in college. I just don’t get it.

The Baltimore Sun's MLB Power Rankings (2nd; LW: 5th)

The Sun’s Jon Meoli has the Orioles in 2nd. Pretty impressive. “These Orioles are in another of their crazy stretches of home perfection, with Monday’s win clinching their fifth winning streak of at least five games this season. A majority of them have come at home, where they’re 37-14 and are on pace for 59 home wins this year. That would be the most since the New York Yankees won 62 in 1998.”

ESPN.com Power Poll (6th; LW: 6th)

The World-Wide Leader has the O’s right behind Boston, whom they lead by almost three games in the standings as of the writing of this column Tuesday. Hmm…. “Despite starting rotation concerns, a couple of injury issues and a stomach virus that recently swept through the clubhouse, the Orioles keep winning and currently own the best record in the American League. The team's remaining schedule is daunting, but it's impossible to argue with the results. -- Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer), Camden Depot”

Any egregious slights or wild overestimation of this team? Any polls you’d like to see included? Add your thought down below and hit me up on Twitter @Bill_Duck21804 where you will find way, way too much discussion of politics and MMA for any baseball fan’s liking.