
Papers: Man Utd ready to spend £150m on three midfielders this summer
Manchester United plans to invest £150m in three midfielders this summer.
The Cubs maintain their dominance at Wrigley Field, while the Phillies are off to a strong start under Don Mattingly. The latest MLB Power Rankings highlight these trends along with other team performances.
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MLB Power Rankings: Cubs continue Wrigley Field dominance, Phillies off to hot start with Don Mattingly
Featured in this weekās MLB Power Rankings, the Cubs continue to rise, Fernando TatĆs Jr. is suffering a power outage, the Phillies find momentum after switching managers, thereās a notable change in Miami, and the Reds probably just walked another guy.
As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.
Letās get started!
Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, May 4
MLB: Cleveland Guardians at Atlanta Braves
Eric Samulski lists his favorite streaming starts of the week and discusses some key pitch mix changes.
The Cubs continue to dominate at Wrigley Field, maintaining a strong home performance in the latest MLB Power Rankings.
Under Don Mattingly, the Phillies have found momentum and are off to a hot start this season.
Fernando TatĆs Jr. is currently experiencing a power outage, which is noted as a concern in the latest MLB updates.
There is a notable change in the Miami MLB team, although specific details are not provided in the rankings.

Manchester United plans to invest £150m in three midfielders this summer.

Arsenal can clinch the Premier League title if they beat West Ham, says Carragher.
Geno Auriemma expressed regret over his heated exchange with Dawn Staley after UConn's Final Four loss to South Carolina. He felt embarrassed and acknowledged his behavior as a mistake.
Michigan State football extends offer to 3-star LB Rome Ewell from Texas
Pablo Torre's podcast wins Pulitzer Prize for investigating Clippers' salary cap circumvention.
Braves designate Jonah Heim for assignment after 2-for-5 game
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
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Last week: 1
The Braves swept the Rockies over the weekend, giving them their best 35-game start (25-10) in the Modern Era. Theyāve already opened up an 8.5 game lead in the NL East, for goodness sakes. It's a nice cushion as the club waits for Ronald AcuƱa Jr. to return from a hamstring injury.
Last week: 3
R.I.P to longtime Yankees radio voice John Sterling, who passed away at the age of 87.
Sterling was the quintessential showman in the radio booth. He cared about his craft, and he cared about making the game feel important and fun. I always enjoyed his play-by-play during long drives because it felt like someone was keeping me company. There will never be another one like him.
Last week: 2
Justin Wrobleski is headlining the Dodgersā rotation, just like we all expected. The 25-year-old reeled off another scoreless outing Sunday against the Cardinals and he has now allowed one earned run or fewer in all five of his starts. The craziest thing is how heās doing it. He didnāt strike out a single batter on Sunday and has just 15 strikeouts in 36 innings overall this season. How is that possible in 2026?
Last week: 5
In completing a sweep over the Diamondbacks this weekend, the Cubs have now won 11 consecutive games at Wrigley Field. Thatās their longest home winning streak since 2008. Michael Busch got off to a miserable start this season, but he's hitting .288 with two homers and 15 RBI over his last 19 games.
Last week: 7
Itās easy to look at this roster and say it shouldnāt last, but we have a history of saying that when it comes to this franchise. The Rays have won nine out of 10 during which Shane McClanahan has a pair of scoreless starts.
Last week: 4
Want to hear something shocking? The calendar just flipped to May and Fernando TatĆs Jr. has yet to connect for his first home run of the season. Heās still hitting the ball very hard, so thereās reason to believe better days are ahead, but heās currently sporting the lowest launch angle of his career while also pulling the ball less often than ever before.
Last week: 8
Five straight losses followed by a dominant weekend sweep against the Reds where they outscored them 27-8 in the three games.
Fun moment here from Fridayās game as Paul Skenes was on the mic when Henry Davis hit his first of two homers on the day.
The Pirates are on MLB Sunday Leadoff on Peacock on May 24 against the Blue Jays. Just saying, Paul. You are welcome to join us.
Last week: 6
The Reds tied a major league record with seven consecutive walks on Saturday and somehow they didnāt burn the tape.
Believe it not, the Pirates were also the opposing team the last time it happened on May 25, 1983 against the Braves.
Last week: 9
The Tigers used six pitchers to defeat the Rangers on Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock/NBCSN, which makes them 12-3 at home this season compared to 6-14 on the road. That needs to change for them to take charge in the AL Central. It's going to be tough without their ace Tarik Skubal, who is reportedly undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. Yikes.
Last week: 16
The Cardinalsā six-game winning streak ended Sunday, but this club continues to surprise relative to preseason expectations. I definitely keep being wrong about them. Jordan Walker has started to heat up again in recent days with two homers and 11 RBI over his last six games.
Last week: 14
Travis Bazzana is here! Itās no secret that the Guardians have struggled to develop bats to complement Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, but they have some hope with Bazzana and Chase DeLauter in the fold.
Last week: 12
The pitching has exceeded expectations so far, but the lineup is poised to get a boost to begin the week with Andrew Vaughn slated to return from the injured list. Jackson Chourio fouled a ball off his left ankle in what was expected to be his final rehab game on Saturday, so it will take a bit longer to get him back. Still, things are looking up.
Last week: 15
We all know about Shea Langeliersā prodigious power, but did you know that heās tied for the major league lead with 45 hits? The Aās backstop slugged two homers on Saturday (his wife Raeganās birthday) and he became a dad on Sunday after his wife gave birth to a baby boy. Are you ready for Langeliers with dad strength?
Last week: 11
What do you do when you are pitching on the day Randy Johnson gets his number retired? Strike out 14 batters, of course.
Hancock has been outstanding this season, with a 2.59 ERA through seven starts. The Mariners will soon have more pitchers than rotation spots with Bryce Miller on the verge of returning from the injured list. It might be the struggling Luis Castillo who ends up with a different role.
Last week: 10
Merrill Kelly got a late start on the season due to intercostal nerve irritation in his back and heās really struggled since making his return. Including a loss on Sunday, heās posted a 9.95 ERA with 29 hits allowed (including six homers) and 15 walks in 19 innings. That amounts to a 2.32 WHIP, which is the opposite of a cool WHIP. I'm so sorry. My only excuse is that I'm a dad.
Last week: 13
The bats have gone quiet lately, as they have scored just 20 runs over their last nine games. The Rangers were originally hoping that Wyatt Langford would be able to return over the weekend, but heās been shut down for a week due to continued soreness in his right forearm.
Last week: 20
Coincidence or not, the Phillies are 5-1 under new manager Don Mattingly. This roster is too good to think they would stick among the dregs of the league. How interesting would it be if Mattingly finally gets closer to that elusive World Series championship, but has to face the Yankees to get it? Of course, the Phillies have a lot more work to do to even get back to .500, but it seems they are on their way.
Last week: 18
It's safe to say that Kazuma Okamoto is beginning to find his comfort level against MLB pitching. Heās homered in three straight games (including a two-homer game on Friday) and is slashing .296/.387/.704 over his last 15 games.
Last week: 21
Big news to begin the week, as AgustĆn RamĆrez has been demoted while top prospect catcher Joe Mack is being called up from Triple-A. Itās well known that RamĆrez is not great defensively and itās harder to live with when heās not producing offensively. Mack is an upgrade behind the plate at the very least, while early-season standout Liam Hicks figures to see more time at first base and designated hitter.
Last week: 17
The Orioles enter the week with four straight losses and a 15-19 record despite a host of changes this offseason. The hope was that Kyle Bradish would lead the rotation this year, but heās sporting a rough 5.03 ERA with 21 walks in 34 innings across his seven starts.
Last week: 28
With a weekend sweep of the Mariners, the Royals are starting to turn things around. Theyāll play their next 10 games against division opponents, including a four-game series against the Guardians at home to begin the week.
Last week: 19
It was a brutal Sunday for the Twins. In addition to right-hander Joe Ryan leaving his start due to elbow soreness, top prospect outfielder Walker Jenkins was forced to exit a game in Triple-A after injuring his shoulder while crashing into the outfield wall to make a catch.
Last week: 27
The Nationals signed left-hander Foster Griffin to a one-year, $5.5 million deal this offseason after a successful three-season stint in Japan. While the move didnāt get much attention at the time, heās been the teamās best starter so far. With a deep bag of seven (!) pitches, Griffin sports a shiny 2.27 ERA through seven starts.
Last week: 24
There was plenty of speculation this offseason about the Astros shopping Christian Walker, but heās looked like a different hitter to start off his second season with Houston. After being hit in the head by a 93 mph fastball on Saturday, he notched two hits and a walk Sundayās extra-inning win over the Red Sox. The 35-year-old is hitting .317 with eight homers and 26 RBI through 35 games.
By the way, look out world: The Astros have won their out of their last four games. Up next are the defending World Series champion Dodgers.
Last week: 30
I wanted to give some credit to the White Sox, who are 10-5 over their last 15 games. Munetaka Murakami is understandably getting most of the attention nationally, but Sean Burke (2.72 ERA) and Davis Martin (1.95 ERA) have been outstanding to begin the year.
Last week: 26
As opposed to the Phillies, switching managers hasnāt paid off in the win column for the Red Sox. Theyāve lost four out of their last five as the lack of power continues to stand out. Only the Brewers and the Giants have hit fewer home runs. And they are missing staff ace Garrett Crochet to boot.
Last week: 25
The Mets just won their first road series in nearly a month, but now theyāre down another shortstop after Ronny Mauricio fractured his thumb on a dive into first base over the weekend. Bo Bichette should see more time at his natural position until Francisco Lindor is ready to return, but recent call-up Vidal Brujan will also be in the mix.
Last week: 23
A big slide for the Angels, who have lost 12 out of their last 14 games. The bullpen has been one of the biggest culprits with a 5.62 ERA. Only the Astros (6.20 ERA) have been worse.
Last week: 29
The Rockies have lost five out of six since sweeping the Mets. The good news is that they get to face the Mets again to begin the week.
Last week: 22
The Giants have been swept by the Phillies and the Rays over the past week and have scored the fewest runs of any team in baseball. Theyāve scored 12 fewer runs than the next-closest team, the Mets. The Giants are calling up prospects Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez in hopes of giving a jolt to their beleaguered offense.