Cleveland Indians ranked No. 5 overall in ESPN power rankings

The Cleveland Indians played solid baseball over the past week, and dropped down one spot to No. 5 overall in ESPN’s MLB power rankings.

Cleveland Indians fans were gifted a great weekend by the team in the form of three straight wins against the Tampa Bay Rays. Plenty of Indians fans were in attendance down in Florida, making it feel like a home game based on the crowd noise in the dome.

The Indians picked up those three wins thanks to some amazing starting pitching, along with perfect outings by the bullpen.

It was a week dominated by pitching, but the biggest storyline has to be the addition of Jay Bruce. He came in and picked up hits in each of his first three starts with the team over the weekend, and figures to remain a key piece even once Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley return.

The week was good, but the Indians did slide down to the No. 5 spot in ESPN’s MLB power rankings.

From the article:

"With ongoing worries over Jason Kipnis‘ health added to Michael Brantley going to the DL, the Indians were wise to grab Jay Bruce from the Mets to reinforce a lineup that has yet to really hit on all cylinders. Until that happens, starting pitching has sustained the Indians’ hold on first place in the AL Central, reflected in their AL-best 3.21 ERA since the break. — Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com"

While fans want the team to be a bit more consistent, being ranked No. 5 overall is nothing to be upset about.

The team remains in first and now holds a 4.5 game lead over the Minnesota Twins heading into play today, while the Kansas City Royals remain five games back.

The Indians are in a great place, but the three-game series against the Twins beginning Tuesday will likely dictate the stress levels of fans moving forward. A sweep by the Indians would open up a nice division lead, while being swept or losing two of three would keep the race close.

Next: Best prospects from the first half of the season

That series then leads into one against the Royals, so there is no time for another stretch of inconsistent play. So if the Indians are truly the fifth-best team in the league, they must prove it with wins in these important games.