Red Sox Make Huge Leap in MLB Power Rankings
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The Boston Red Sox are red hot.
They take a 13-game winning streak into their Monday night clash with the Baltimore Orioles, who happen to be on a seven-game win streak of their own.
Those who keep track of MLB league-wide have certainly noticed.
Bleacher Report's latest power rankings have the Red Sox ranked No. 5 among all teams in baseball.
They've got the Los Angeles Dodgers first, followed by the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs at two and three. The No. 4 spot goes to the Atlanta Braves, and then the Red Sox are fifth.
That has Boston ahead of the Nos. 7 and 8 Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees, despite the Red Sox being third in the AL East Division behind those two teams.
The Red Sox rose up from 13th in the last Bleacher Report power rankings, and this is how B/R explains the rise:
"Yes, they are in third place in the AL East, but power rankings are not standings and the Red Sox are the hottest team in baseball right now with a 13-game winning streak. Wilyer Abreu went 5-for-14 with four home runs in the four-game sweep of the Rays, and they are now a season-high two games above .500 following Sunday's victory."
MORE: Nothing unlucky for Red Sox about 13 in a row
It does make sense in a lot of ways. The Red Sox just swept the Rays to grow their nine-game streak entering the All-Star Break to 13 in a row and still cooking heading into a new week.
Maybe it's a tad overzealous, but it's fair to rank the Red Sox this high while they're this hot.
For what it's worth, the Orioles have risen from 23rd to 15th on the back of their own winning streak, and that'll make for a fun series starting Monday at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox are on the second-longest winning streak in franchise history, just two games behind the all-time franchise mark. If they sweep Baltimore, they set a new record.