Cleveland Indians move up to No. 5 in ESPN’s MLB power rankings

The Cleveland Indians had a solid week and as a result moved up one spot in the latest edition of ESPN’s MLB power rankings.

The Cleveland Indians gave fans plenty to cheer about this past week, going 4-2 at home and besting two AL West foes in the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners.

It capped off an impressive two-week stretch of baseball that has seen the Indians win four series in a row.

This success has seen the Indians make a minor jump in the latest edition of ESPN’s MLB power rankings, moving up to No. 5 after being in the No. 6 spot a week ago.

The Indians are behind the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals, but the recent success may lead to a further climb in the upcoming weeks.

From the article:

"The Indians’ rotation has gotten it together — they’re top-five in ERA in the past two weeks after ranking dead last in the first two. In the pen, closer Cody Allen has whiffed half of the 40 batters he’s faced. The top of the AL Central is surprisingly tight with the White Sox, Twins and Tigers hanging around, but if the Indians’ staff continues to pitch like this, they’ll take control of the race. — Michael Bonzagni, ESPN Stats & Information"

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The pitching has indeed been the driving force behind the great baseball seen by fans over the past two weeks, as the game is essentially over if the offense can grab a lead heading into the seventh inning, where Andrew Miller and Cody Allen await.

The starters have turned it around as a unit and no one stands out as a weak link. The same goes for the bullpen, as even the last guy in terms of the depth chart, Nick Goody, is one of the top pitchers in the ‘pen right now.

The success shows just how deep this team is and how great they can be if those struggling on offense can break out of their respective slumps.

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But a 14-10 record is nothing to worry about, while a No. 5 overall ranking gives fans an idea that this team remains a top contender to return to the World Series in 2017.