Fernando Tatis Jr.’s preseason injury could have been a death sentence for the San Diego Padres in the National League West race but at 19-10, the team has rolled through the first month of the season without its star shortstop.
Third baseman Manny Machado is among the early MVP favorites early favorites, leading the majors with a .385 batting average through Sunday, hitting seven home runs with 21 RBI and six steals in 29 games.
Across the diamond, first baseman Eric Hosmer is off a great start after being the subject of trade rumors this winter. The 32-year-old, in the fifth season of an eight-year, $144 million contract, is hitting .351 with a .953 OPS and is on pace for more than 100 RBI.
Those performances probably aren’t sustainable and the Padres need more on offense from Jake Cronenworth, Trent Grisham and Wil Myers with Tatis expected out until at least mid-June.
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The second-place Padres trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by 1 ½ games entering Monday, 2 ½ games ahead of the San Francisco Giants.
Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ eight-person panel voted this week:
Rank (movement from last week)
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (–)
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After cold start, Mookie Betts had 5 HR, 10 RBI and a .967 OPS in 15 games from April 19-May 7.
2. New York Yankees (–)
3. New York Mets (–)
4. Milwaukee Brewers (+3)
5. San Diego Padres (+1)
6. Tampa Bay Rays (+2)
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No sophomore slump for Wander Franco: .311 average, four HR, 15 RBI in 26 games.
7. Toronto Blue Jays (-3)
8. Minnesota Twins (+3)
9. Houston Astros (+5)
10. Los Angeles Angels (–)
11. St. Louis Cardinals (-2)
Steven Matz, signed for $44 million this winter, has a 7.01 ERA through six starts.
12. San Francisco Giants (-7)
13. Chicago White Sox (+4)
14. Atlanta Braves (-1)
15. Colorado Rockies (+4)
16. Cleveland Guardians (+4)
17 Miami Marlins (-2)
18. Arizona Diamondbacks (+6)
19. Philadelphia Phillies (-3)
20. Seattle Mariners (-8)
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We’ll learn a lot about this team in the next two weeks with series vs. Phillies, Mets, Blue Jays and Red Sox.
21. Pittsburgh Pirates (+5)
22. Baltimore Orioles (+7)
23. Texas Rangers (+4)
24. Kansas City Royals (+1)
25. Boston Red Sox (-7)
26. Chicago Cubs (-4)
27. Oakland Athletics (-6)
28. Washington Nationals (–)
29. Detroit Tigers (-6)
30. Cincinnati Reds (–)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings: Padres powered by Machado, Hosmer with Tatis out