Pirates slotted into top ten after a rollercoaster week of divisional results

The Pittsburgh Pirates, along with the rest of the NL Central division, have put their right foot forward to start the season. It is the most competitive division in all of baseball right now, as it's the only division where all five teams have a winning record. 

It's been an all-around effort for this club so far. The pitching has been great, while the offense is new and improved with Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn. And if Marcell Ozuna can get it going, this would be a tough lineup to navigate through. 

They were tested last week with two divisional series. They had a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals in which they struggled but were able to bounce back in their three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. 

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Pirates slotted into top ten after a rollercoaster week of divisional results 

Pittsburgh couldn't get much of anything going against the Cardinals, who have been one of the most surprising teams this season. They were swept in the four-game series, but recovered against the Reds. 

They were able to deliver a three-game sweep against Cincinnati. They could have been bumped down in the latest power rankings, but Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller is high on this team, bumping them up one spot to No. 8. 

"With the Pirates, though, it just kind of makes sense to slot them directly behind the team who swept them. Prior to Sunday's 1-0 win over the Reds, the Buccos had one heck of a week at the plate, triple-slashing .313/.406/.516 in those first six games with eight different players homering."

Now, the Pirates have a good opportunity to keep climbing in those rankings. They have a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks early this week before taking on the struggling San Francisco Giants over the weekend. Then, a series with the Colorado Rockies, and then one against the Philadelphia Phillies.

More MLB news:

• Athletics maintain their rank despite significant home pitching struggles
• Guardians rise in latest power rankings behind red-hot Chase DeLauter
• Cardinals turn heads after dominating the defending World Series champs
• Reds slide down the rankings after a dismal road trip against the Pirates
• White Sox find an unlikely home run hero from their backup catcher