We’re a month into the season and the Texas Rangers find themselves battling for first place in the American League West. And also hovering around .500.

The West looks anything but tough in the early going.

The reigning World Series champs are still considered one of the best clubs in the baseball despite the uneven start. Texas has played four series within the division – three of the five teams have losing records – and has yet to win one of those sets.

In the latest MLB Power Rankings from ESPN’s panel of baseball experts despite a huge injury setback, the Rangers check in at No. 9. That’s a fall of four spots from last week.

ESPN focused on two Rangers that figure prominently in the AL Rookie of the Year race:

Despite leading the AL West, the Seattle Mariners are No. 14 in the latest power rankings. The rest of the division is near the bottom: Houston Astros (22), Los Angeles Angels (26) and Oakland Athletics (27).

The Rangers open a series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Globe Like Field.