1. Houston Astros (54-28) | Last week: 1
The Astros lead the majors in just about every major pitching category, and the lineup remains one of the most imposing in baseball.
2. Boston Red Sox (54-27) | Last week: 3 (+1)
Boston has scored nine runs in each of the first two games of their series with the Angels, and they could sweep LA tonight before facing the Yankees in a huge series to close out the month.
3. New York Yankees (52-26) | Last week: 2 (-1)
Alex Boone’s club was shutout last night and couldn’t sweep the Phillies in Philadelphia, but they get a day off today before a huge matchup with the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
4. Seattle Mariners (50-31) | Last week: 4
Seattle is the only other team besides the “big three” to have 50 wins, and they will look to keep pace in the division with series against the Royals and struggling Angels on deck.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (43-36) | Last week: 9 (+4)
The Dodgers continue to rise in the power rankings after a 5-1 week in which they swept the Mets and took two of three from the Cubs, and they can avoid a split with Chicago this afternoon.
6. Milwaukee Brewers (46-33) | Last week: 7 (+1)
Milwaukee did enough over the past seven days to take a 2.5 game lead over Chicago in the NL Central, but can they keep it going against the suddenly white-hot (but still last-place) Reds?
7. Atlanta Braves (45-34) | Last week: 6 (-1)
Atlanta, too, holds a 2.5 game lead in the division heading into a difficult road stretch (@ STL, @ NYY, @ MIL), but Ronald Acuna (knee) could return to the lineup tomorrow.
8. Chicago Cubs (43-35) | Last week: 5 (-3)
The Cubs fall out of the top five after a 1-6 week, but they could salvage their short trip away from Wrigley with a win over the Dodgers today. After that, they return home for eight very winnable games.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks (46-34) | Last week: 13 (+4)
A 6-1 record over the past week vaults Arizona into the top ten, but they barely gained any separation over Los Angeles atop the division. Perhaps that will change with a ten-game home stand starting this weekend.
10. Cleveland Indians (44-35) | Last week: 10
Cleveland doesn’t move one way or the other after a three-game sweep of Detroit followed by a series loss to the Cardinals. Hopefully the Indians are focused for a quick road matchup with the emerging Athletics.
11. Philadelphia Phillies (42-36) | Last week: 11
Philly’s momentum was halted with a collapse on Sunday Night Baseball against the Nationals that prevented a huge sweep, but Zach Elfin could have turned the momentum back in their favor with a dominant 7.0 shutout innings against the Yankees last night; if so, it’s just in time with another series with Washington.
12. Washington Nationals (41-37) | Last week: 8 (-4)
Daniel Murphy’s game-winning hit against the Phillies could have given the Nats a jolt, but they were shutout twice in a short two-game series against Tampa Bay. I don’t think Washington can waste their opportunity to establish themselves in the NL East this weekend.
13. St. Louis Cardinals (42-37) | Last week: 14 (+1)
I have no choice but to move St. Louis up after surviving ghosts in Milwaukee last week.
14. Oakland Athletics (43-38) | Last week: 15 (+1)
No one is talking about Oakland, but they have been great in June and continue to gain ground in the loaded AL West. If they keep it up, the three series in August and September between the A’s and Mariners could decide a wild-card spot.
15. San Francisco Giants (42-39) | Last week: 16 (+1)
San Francisco is currently the best team in the National League at home (26-13) and the worst team in the NL on the road (16-26), so they will need to pick it up away from AT&T Park over the final three months of the season.
16. Los Angeles Angels (41-40) | Last week: 12 (-4)
The Angels are spiraling, and there is no end in sight after Zack Cozart was ruled out for the season due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Even Mike Trout can only do so much.
17. Tampa Bay Rays (39-40) | Last week: 24 (+7)
Tampa Bay makes the biggest jump in the power rankings following a 5-0 week, especially because it came against the Yankees and Nationals. If they sweep the Astros over the next four days, then we’ll really have something here.
18. Colorado Rockies (38-42) | Last week: 17 (-1)
Madison Bumgarner and the Giants held Colorado to just two hits last night, and a walk-off by Brandon Crawford gave the Rockies their fourth loss in a row. The future isn’t too promising, either, as Colorado doesn’t face a team with a losing record until the first week of August.
19. Pittsburgh Pirates (38-42) | Last week: 19
And that team would be Pittsburgh. A strong start was never thought to last for Clint Hurdle’s club, but they would do well to stay around .500 all year.
20. Texas Rangers (36-46) | Last week: 23 (+3)
Mike Minor flirted with a perfect game last night as his great month continued (ERA dropped from 5.76 to 4.64), and a 9-2 record for Texas over the past 11 games could give them a bit of leverage in upcoming trade negotiations.
21. Minnesota Twins (34-42) | Last week: 18 (-3)
A 1-5 week could be the end for Minnesota’s playoff hopes if Cleveland continues to play well. The Twins will look to avoid a sweep against the White Sox this afternoon and before staying in Chicago to face the Cubs.
22. Toronto Blue Jays (37-43) | Last week: 22
Not even five runs in the first inning were enough for Toronto last night against the Astros, as Alex Bregman’s walk-off gave Houston a series win. The Blue Jays need to sweep the Tigers and Mets over the next week to keep any hope alive in 2018.
23. San Diego Padres (36-47) | Last week: 21 (-2)
The hot start in June for San Diego started cooling off before last week’s power rankings, and now it’s ice cold after four straight series losses.
24. Cincinnati Reds (34-46) | Last week: 27 (+3)
This is not a joke: the Cincinnati Reds are the hottest team in baseball with a 9-1 record over the past ten games. I think interim manager Jim Riggleman has earned the full-time gig already.
25. Detroit Tigers (36-45) | Last week: 20 (-5)
Nothing is going well for the Tigers recently, and their bad week was capped off by pitching coach Chris Bosio being fired for “insensitive comments.”
26. Miami Marlins (32-49) | Last week: 26
Miami had another solid week that gets them ahead of New York in the power rankings, and they could soon top the Mets in the NL East as well.
27. New York Mets (32-46) | Last week: 25 (-2)
After a 1-6 week, the only thing interesting about the Mets is whether or not they will trade Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom—and what kind of package they get back in return if they do.
28. Chicago White Sox (28-51) | Last week: 28
It’s good to see Chicago bounce back from an 0-7 week last week with a 4-2 week, but they are won’t be competitive until 2019 or 2020 at the earliest.
29. Kansas City Royals (25-55) | Last week: 30 (+1)
Kansas City held their own against the Astros, Angels, and Brewers, so they move out of the bottom of the power rankings.
30. Baltimore Orioles (23-56) | Last week: 29 (-1)
All eyes are on Manny Machado and potential trade with Baltimore sitting a whopping 30.0 games back in the AL East.
Reds are hot.. Wow!
Top of the AL is insane
smh we should be #1