MLB power rankings can't resist snubbing the Cubs in favor of their sweetheart team

Sweep a series. Win the season series. And, until very recently, have the best run differential in the entire National League. Doing all three of those things still isn't enough for the Chicago Cubs to outrank the Los Angeles Dodgers in the latest power rankings from MLB.com.

Wild times, man.

The Cubs, fresh off a series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field over the weekend, climbed up to the #3 spot in the weekly rankings, but the Dodgers took #2 and the New York Mets ascended to the throne. The Mets are white-hot right now, winners of eight of 10 and holders of a four-game edge in the National League East. I have no qualm with their taking the top spot.

I do, however, have a problem with the Dodgers being ranked higher than the Cubs.

MLB love affair with the Dodgers is on full display in power rankings

Chicago leads the Senior Circuit in numerous offensive categories, including OPS, runs and run differential. The team's balanced offensive attack has turned heads around the league, especially when you take the level of competition the Cubs faced in April into account. They plowed through the toughest month any team will face this year and are coming out the other side with a 2-in-3 chance of making the postseason.

Last week, the Dodgers came to town to close out the seven-game season series (despite it still being April), and the Cubs showed their performance in the Tokyo Series was a thing of the past, taking both games at Wrigley Field. They hung 18 runs on Dodgers pitching and Tuesday's walk-off win, courtesy of Ian Happ, was just the latest dramatic win for Craig Counsell's club.

In the power rankings piece, the Cubs are singled out as the 'most likely team in all of baseball to make the playoffs' - and given their recent performance, especially against the Dodgers (winners of four of five post-Tokyo), I don't know how you don't put them in the two-spot behind the Mets.

The league has this sycophantic love affair with Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers, especially on the heels of last year's World Series championship. But the numbers don't lie - and like it or not - even with a disappointing showing against the Phillies this weekend, the Cubs are the better team right now.