The fifth week of the 1995 DBL season brings our first true showdown at the top, as the Montreal Expos edge out the San Francisco Giants to take over the No. 1 spot. While some early-season darlings are falling back, a few new challengers are climbing fast. With league-wide parity tightening, this week’s rankings show how quickly fortunes can shift.
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Montreal Expos (141.6, +)
2) San Francisco Giants (141.2, -)
3) Kansas City Royals (116.7, o)
4) St. Louis Cardinals (111.8, +)
5) New York Mets (111.2, ++)
6) Texas Rangers (108.5, ++)
7) Chicago Cubs (105.3, ++)
8) Colorado Rockies (105.2, –)
9) Pittsburgh Pirates (104.2, +)
10) Cincinnati Reds (101.5, –)
11) Minnesota Twins (95.5, –)
12) Toronto Blue Jays (86.6, –)
13) Los Angeles Dodgers (85.5, ++)
14) Washington Senators (85.4, –)
15) San Diego Padres (85.3, o)
16) Boston Red Sox (81.3, +)
17) New York Yankees (78.7, –)
18) Seattle Pilots (78.1, +)
19) Cleveland Spiders (68.1, +)
20) Orlando Sun Rays (62.1, –)
21) Oakland Athletics (53.8, +)
22) Baltimore Orioles (53.4, +)
23) Detroit Tigers (46.2, –)
24) Chicago White Sox (45.1, o)
Top Tier: A New No. 1
1) Montreal Expos (141.6, +)
Montreal reclaims the top spot after several weeks trailing the Giants. Their balanced attack and steady pitching staff continue to carry them, and now they’ve finally made up the ground to lead the league.
2) San Francisco Giants (141.2, -)
By the slimmest of margins, San Francisco slips to second place. The Giants have been remarkably consistent, but a modest dip opens the door for Montreal to leap ahead. This looks like a developing two-team battle for early-season supremacy.
3) Kansas City Royals (116.7, o)
Kansas City holds firm at No. 3. They’ve found stability in recent weeks and remain one of the more complete rosters. Still, they’ll need a big push to catch the league’s elite.
4) St. Louis Cardinals (111.8, +) / 5) New York Mets (111.2, ++)
The Cardinals continue their quiet climb with another solid week. The Mets, however, are surging, jumping two spots and proving they’re for real. Their offense has kicked into gear, and if their pitching holds, they’ll stay in the conversation.
Climbers and Sliders
6) Texas Rangers (108.5, ++) / 7) Chicago Cubs (105.3, ++) / 8) Colorado Rockies (105.2, –)
The Rangers and Cubs are on the rise, both showing consistency and depth. Meanwhile, the Rockies stumble after climbing into the top five last week, hurt by pitching regression and uneven results.
9) Pittsburgh Pirates (104.2, +) / 10) Cincinnati Reds (101.5, –)
The Pirates move up one spot and continue to hover just outside the upper tier. The Reds drop a bit but remain competitive.
11) Minnesota Twins (95.5, –)
A down week drops the Twins out of the top 10. They’ll need to tighten up defensively to stay relevant in the race.
Middle of the Pack: In Flux
12) Toronto Blue Jays (86.6, –) / 13) Los Angeles Dodgers (85.5, ++) / 14) Washington Senators (85.4, –) / 15) San Diego Padres (85.3, o)
Toronto continues its slow descent, while the Dodgers jump up on the strength of improved pitching. Washington is trending down after an early-season surge, and the Padres hold steady for now.
16) Boston Red Sox (81.3, +)
Boston edges upward, trying to stop the bleeding after a rough April. Signs of life are welcome, but questions remain.
17) New York Yankees (78.7, –) / 18) Seattle Pilots (78.1, +)
The Yankees continue their slide, while the Pilots have quietly moved out of the bottom tier. Seattle’s recent form suggests potential for more.
Lower Tier: Small Gains, Big Gaps
19) Cleveland Spiders (68.1, +) / 20) Orlando Sun Rays (62.1, –)
Cleveland and Seattle are showing incremental improvement. Orlando, on the other hand, takes a noticeable step back after a strong April showing.
21) Oakland Athletics (53.8, +) / 22) Baltimore Orioles (53.4, +)
Both Oakland and Baltimore make modest gains. While they’re still far from relevance, progress is progress.
23) Detroit Tigers (46.2, –) / 24) Chicago White Sox (45.1, o)
Detroit continues to fall after a promising start, while the White Sox remain stuck at the bottom. The South Side needs answers—and fast.
Final Thoughts
The Expos finally leap past the Giants, signaling that this may not be a one-team race after all. Meanwhile, the Mets, Rangers, and Cubs are climbing steadily into contention. As we head deeper into May, every series is starting to matter more—and the window for struggling teams to reverse course is narrowing quickly.