The Cleveland Guardians have improved their position in the USA TODAY Sports’ MLB power rankings after winning four straight games against the Minnesota Twins, their division rivals.
The Guardians, who changed their name from Indians this season, are now ranked 15th, up from 18th last week. They are only two games behind the Twins, who lead the AL Central with a 39-38 record.
Cleveland’s offense has been boosted by the return of star third baseman José Ramírez, who missed 10 games with a shoulder injury. Ramírez hit two home runs and drove in six runs in the four-game sweep. He is now tied for second in the majors with 23 homers.
The Guardians also got solid pitching performances from Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac and Cal Quantrill, who combined to allow only nine runs in 27 innings against the Twins.
Cleveland will face a tougher test this week, as they host the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox, who are ranked second and third in the power rankings, respectively.
