MLB Power Rankings: An Updated Look at Where All 30 Teams Stand
The focus of the baseball world will turn to the amateur ranks and the MLB draft for the next few days, but the 2015 MLB season will continue plugging along.
It was an interesting seven days around the league, with eight of last week's top 10 teams posting a losing record, so there is plenty of shuffling in the rankings once again.
When putting together this list, we considered the following factors:
- Last week's record
- Quality of opponent
- Key injuries/trades
- Recent performance beyond the last week
The goal is to be as objective as possible, but a certain amount of subjectivity will always come into play with something like this.
Just remember: This is a fluid process. Teams will rise and fall on a weekly basis relative to where they ranked previously. You keep winning, you keep climbing—it's as simple as that.
30. Philadelphia Phillies (22-36, Previous: 30)
1 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Philadelphia Phillies snapped a seven-game losing streak on their way to taking two of three from the Cincinnati Reds at the beginning of last week, giving them their first series win since they swept the Arizona Diamondbacks from May 15 to 17.
Rookie third baseman and top prospect Maikel Franco showed why he's such a highly regarded young player with a big performance, and he remains one of the team's few legitimate long-term building blocks.
Another is right-hander Aaron Nola, and it's been one year since the team took him with the No. 7 overall pick in last year's draft. The former LSU ace is currently 7-3 with a 1.76 ERA and 0.865 WHIP in 11 starts at the Double-A level.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Maikel Franco (10-for-25, 3 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Cole Hamels (ND, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K)
29. Milwaukee Brewers (20-37, Previous: 29)
2 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Milwaukee Brewers held their own with as tough a schedule as anyone last week, as they faced the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins on the road. While their opponents shut them out twice, they managed to escape the short road trip with a .500 record, capping things off by taking two of three from the Twins.
Among last week's highlights was the big league debut of right-hander Tyler Cravy, who allowed four hits and one earned run in seven innings of work against the Cardinals on Tuesday but took the loss.
Cravy, 25, entered the season as the team's No. 24 prospect according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook.
Despite that performance, the Brewers will turn to another right-hander to make his debut this coming Tuesday when they hand the ball to 2011 first-round pick Taylor Jungmann. That's according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Adam Lind (9-for-22, 1 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Matt Garza (W, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)
28. Colorado Rockies (25-30, Previous: 26)
3 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
Don't look now, but Troy Tulowitzki is finally getting things going for the Colorado Rockies.
The star shortstop was hitting .266/.286/.403 with two home runs and 18 RBI in 154 at-bats after an 0-for-3 performance on May 27.
He's caught fire the past seven games, though, improving his triple-slash numbers to .306/.328/.497 while adding four home runs and 11 RBI.
As long as the team continues to hover around .500, chances are the Rockies won't be quick to shop the face of their franchise, but his stock is undoubtedly on the rise.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Troy Tulowitzki (10-for-21, 1 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Chris Rusin (W, 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)
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27. Chicago White Sox (25-30, Previous: 22)
4 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
With series losses to the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox have started off June with a thud.
An 18-17 team at the end of a six-game winning streak back on May 18, the White Sox have since gone 7-13 with a minus-28 run differential. That leaves them with a minus-56 run differential overall, the worst total in the American League and better only than the Milwaukee Brewers (minus-63) and Philadelphia Phillies (minus-74).
On the plus side, ace Chris Sale has really settled in after a rough start to the season.
With seven terrific innings on Wednesday, he has now gone 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA, 0.646 WHIP and 53 strikeouts in 38.2 innings over his last five starts.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Adam Eaton (7-for-25, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Chris Sale (W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K)
26. Cincinnati Reds (24-31, Previous: 21)
5 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
The Cincinnati Reds made some noise two weeks ago with a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals. But two more series losses last week to the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres have them ever closer to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central cellar.
With Marlon Byrd on the disabled list with a fractured wrist, the team is set to try All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco in the outfield once he returns from his own DL trip. A hip impingement has kept him from catching most of the season, but this could be a way to get his bat into the lineup.
Right-hander Jon Moscot made his debut on Friday against the Padres, allowing four hits and four runs in five innings of work.
Including Anthony DeSclafani and Michael Lorenzen, the rotation now features three rookies behind a pair of free-agents-to-be in Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Joey Votto (9-for-23, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Johnny Cueto (W, ND, 13.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 K)
25. Oakland Athletics (23-36, Previous: 27)
6 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Oakland Athletics began last week with a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers but quickly had the tables turned when the Boston Red Sox handed them a three-game sweep of their own.
In a season full of wildly inconsistent performances up and down the roster, the one constant has been ace Sonny Gray atop the rotation.
With another brilliant start Wednesday, the 25-year-old is now 7-2 while leading the American League in ERA (1.65), WHIP (0.915) and BAA (.186).
A big week at the plate from third baseman Brett Lawrie (9-for-19, 3 2B, 1 HR) was also a positive sign, as he has raised his batting average 19 points (.266 to .285) since the start of June.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Brett Lawrie (9-for-19, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Sonny Gray (W, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)
24. Miami Marlins (24-33, Previous: 28)
7 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
With Jose Fernandez, Henderson Alvarez, Mat Latos and Jarred Cosart all currently on the disabled list, it's no surprise that the Miami Marlins limped to a 4-12 finish to the month of May.
That being said, they're off to a solid start so far in June, kicking things off with series wins against the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies.
The duo of Dan Haren (6-2, 3.18 ERA) and Tom Koehler (4-3, 3.72 ERA) has been huge in helping to bring at least some level of stability to the top of the rotation in the wake of all of these injuries.
The team also finally pulled the trigger on optioning struggling former closer Steve Cishek last week, as he'll attempt to get things sorted out at the Double-A level.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Adeiny Hechavarria (7-for-18, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Tom Koehler (W, 7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
23. Seattle Mariners (25-32, Previous: 17)
8 of 30
Last Week: 1-6
Just as they were finally starting to climb up the rankings, the Seattle Mariners go tumbling back down after series losses to the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays last week put them at 2-9 in their last 11 games.
Felix Hernandez was uncharacteristically shelled against the Yankees on Monday, allowing seven runs in 4.2 innings of work. He bounced back with a strong start Saturday, though, allowing two hits and one run in seven innings.
The star of last week was center fielder Austin Jackson, who wrapped up the month of May hitting .236/.277/.301.
With a 12-for-26 performance that included six extra-base hits, he raised those numbers to .275/.316/.389 in the course of a seven-game span.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Austin Jackson (12-for-26, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP J.A. Happ (ND, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
22. Atlanta Braves (27-29, Previous: 15)
9 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
Imagine the kind of numbers Freddie Freeman would have if he had some help in the Atlanta Braves lineup.
The 25-year-old is hitting .300/.367/.521 on the year with 17 doubles, 10 home runs and 34 RBI, while the rest of the Braves lineup is batting a combined .248/.312/.354 on the year.
With series losses to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates, the team is back under .500. Freeman's statistics aside, it's actually the pitching staff that deserves the most blame, as it allowed 58 hits and 34 runs six games last week.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Freddie Freeman (9-for-23, 1 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Alex Wood (W, L, 13.0 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)
21. Arizona Diamondbacks (27-29, Previous: 23)
10 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
Despite a young roster that underwent a good deal of turnover in the offseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks continue to hover around .500, and they wrapped up another solid seven days last week.
Pitching remains the big issue, as they rank 24th in the league with a 4.55 starter's ERA and have a bullpen that has converted just 11 of 24 save chances on the year.
One player who has helped out in that area of late is Jeremy Hellickson, who is 3-0 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.013 WHIP over his last four starts.
Meanwhile, 2013 All-Star Patrick Corbin continues on the comeback trail from Tommy John surgery, as he will begin a rehab assignment at the High-A level on Monday, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com.
Hitter of the Week
- CF A.J. Pollock (11-for-29, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jeremy Hellickson (W, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K)
20. Cleveland Indians (27-29, Previous: 14)
11 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Cleveland Indians split the week, taking two of three from the division-rival Kansas City Royals but dropping two of three to the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend.
The coaching staff has finally seen enough of the underperforming left side of the infield, as the team optioned both shortstop Jose Ramirez (.180 BA, .487 OPS) and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall (.209 BA, .585 OPS) to Triple-A Sunday night.
While many expected that to lead to a call-up of top prospect Francisco Lindor, it was instead Zach Walters and Giovanny Urshela who received the call.
Cleveland acquired Walters from the Washington Nationals last season in the Asdrubal Cabrera trade, and he will likely serve in a utility role with Mike Aviles sliding in as the primary shortstop.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Urshela will take over at the hot corner after entering the season as the team's No. 11 prospect, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Brandon Moss (6-for-21, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Danny Salazar (W, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
19. Baltimore Orioles (26-30, Previous: 20)
12 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
After dropping three of four to the Houston Astros to begin the week, the Baltimore Orioles rebounded to take a series from the Cleveland Indians over the weekend, and they remain just 5.5 games back in a wide-open AL East.
Catcher Matt Wieters finally returned to the lineup Friday with a 2-for-3 performance that included a double and two RBI. The three-time All-Star had missed the first 53 games of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Adam Jones also appears to have regained his stroke at the plate after a rough May, going 10-for-28 with two triples and three home runs last week.
The star center fielder was as hot as any hitter in the league in April when he batted .400/.440/.707, but that preceded a .239/.272/.284 line last month that included just three extra-base hits and seven RBI.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Adam Jones (10-for-28, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 8 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Bud Norris (W, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
18. Los Angeles Angels (28-29, Previous: 9)
13 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
When a middle reliever who pitched 3.2 innings over three appearances claims "Pitcher of the Week" honors, it probably wasn't a great seven days for your team.
After leading the majors in scoring last season, the Los Angeles Angels have actually leaned more heavily on their starting rotation this year. But they struggled mightily last week.
They struggled to the tune of a 9.50 ERA while allowing 36 hits and 32 earned runs in 30.2 innings of work.
On the bright side, Albert Pujols continued his recent offensive surge. With a first-inning home run off CC Sabathia on Sunday, he passed Jimmie Foxx to move into 17th place on the all-time list with 535 career bombs.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Albert Pujols (9-for-25, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- RP Jose Alvarez (HLD, 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)
17. Boston Red Sox (27-31, Previous: 25)
14 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
No one was as happy to put May in the rearview as the Boston Red Sox, as they went 10-19 for the month with an awful minus-42 run differential along the way.
They kicked off last week by splitting a four-game series with the red-hot Minnesota Twins before picking up their first series sweep of the year against the Oakland Athletics.
It appears the team has found a good one in left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, as he followed up his fantastic debut with another stellar outing last week. The 22-year-old has provided a much-needed shot in the arm to what was a struggling rotation.
Veteran Justin Masterson will make his third rehab start Wednesday, and he could rejoin the team shortly thereafter. But there's a good chance he'll be headed to the bullpen once that time comes.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Dustin Pedroia (14-for-29, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Eduardo Rodriguez (W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
16. Toronto Blue Jays (28-30, Previous: 24)
15 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
Mark Buehrle has still got it, even as a soft-throwing 36-year-old.
The veteran left-hander threw his 10th career shutout on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals, giving him three complete games in his first 11 starts. He's factored into the decision in each of those starts and is now 7-4 on the year.
That shutout was the highlight of a terrific week for the Toronto Blue Jays, as they took two of three from the Washington Nationals (No. 4 in last week's rankings) before sweeping the Houston Astros (No. 6 in last week's rankings) over the weekend.
Slugger Jose Bautista is also back to playing right field after serving primarily in a DH role in May while nursing a shoulder injury. He's coming off a four-homer week,and may finally be hitting his stride here in June.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Jose Bautista (9-for-23, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 9 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Mark Buehrle (W, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)
15. Detroit Tigers (30-28, Previous: 10)
16 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
The No. 1 team in these rankings not all that long ago, the Detroit Tigers entered the weekend riding an eight-game losing streak before taking two contests from the Chicago White Sox.
The starting rotation remains the biggest issue, as it currently ranks 18th in the league with a 4.16 ERA.
Outside of the one-two punch of David Price (12 GS, 5-2, 2.70 ERA) and Alfredo Simon (11 GS, 6-3, 2.76 ERA), the rest of the team's starters have combined to go 10-18 with a 5.26 ERA on the year.
Reinforcements are on the way, though, in the form of All-Star Justin Verlander, who is rehabbing a strained triceps. He struck out nine and allowed one unearned run in 5.2 innings in his latest rehab start in Triple-A, getting his pitch count up to 93.
"You just got to go through the process, you can't try to rush things," Verlander told reporters, via ESPN.com. "That's how you re-injure yourself. I would like to be there and help, but like (manager) Brad (Ausmus) told me, the best way to help is to be healthy."
Hitter of the Week
- LF Yoenis Cespedes (10-for-22, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP David Price (W, 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K)
14. New York Mets (31-27, Previous: 12)
17 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
Despite a losing record last week, the New York Mets remain atop the NL East standings with a half-game lead over the Washington Nationals.
The roster should get a shot in the arm in the near future with the returns of catcher Travis d'Arnaud (finger) and reliever Bobby Parnell (elbow), with both players expected back at some point during the upcoming homestand, according to Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com.
D'Arnaud was hitting .317/.356/.537 in 11 games when he suffered a fractured finger on April 19.
Kevin Plawecki has done the bulk of the catching in his absence, hitting .211/.256/.312 with seven extra-base hits in 109 at-bats.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Juan Lagares (11-for-29, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jacob deGrom (2 W, 15.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 18 K)
13. San Diego Padres (29-29, Previous: 16)
18 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The San Diego Padres suffered through a rough 1-7 stretch toward the end of May, but they have recovered to go 9-5 in their last 14 games, climbing back to .500 in the process.
Wil Myers, who has been sidelined since May 10 with wrist tendinitis, began a rehab assignment for Triple-A El Paso and is close to returning to the lineup.
Once he's activated, the team will have a roster decision to make, and it could be Jedd Gyorko who winds up optioned to the minors. The 26-year-old has not started a game since May 31, with Cory Spangenberg and Yangervis Solarte seeing the bulk of the playing time at second base.
After a four-game set in Atlanta, the Padres have a big weekend series with the Los Angeles Dodgers as they look to cut into L.A.'s 3.5-game lead.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Matt Kemp (7-for-22, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP James Shields (W, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
12. Tampa Bay Rays (31-27, Previous: 19)
19 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
Missing their top three starters and with an offense bereft of household names outside of Evan Longoria, the Tampa Bay Rays continue to find ways to win.
After taking series from the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners last week, the team is now just 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East standings.
Leading the way is right-hander Chris Archer, who has a legitimate case for being the best pitcher in baseball.
On Sunday, Archer became the first pitcher in more than 100 years with double-digit strikeouts and no walks in three consecutive starts, according to the Associated Press (via Fox Sports).
"It's cool, man. It shows you the power of your mind. The less you focus on things you can't control, a lot of times the better the outcome is," Archer said. "When I'm out there, I'm not thinking about strikeouts even when I `need' a strikeout. I'm just trying to execute every pitch, and if you do that and simplify it to that, you start to do great things."
Whatever he's doing, it's working. The 26-year-old is now 7-4 with a 1.84 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 83 innings of work.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Kevin Kiermaier (5-for-11, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Chris Archer (2 W, 15.0 IP, 12 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 26 K)
11. New York Yankees (32-25, Previous: 18)
20 of 30
Last Week: 6-0
Just a few weeks ago, the New York Yankees were battling through a 1-10 rough patch that had dropped them out of the lead in the AL East.
Now they again look like the team to beat in the division after sweeping the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels last week to build a 1.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Masahiro Tanaka remains the key to their season.
The right-hander returned from the disabled list Wednesday, allowing three hits and a run with nine strikeouts and zero walks in seven innings.
Fellow B/R MLB writer Zachary Rymer highlighted the importance of a healthy Tanaka in a recent article:
"With Tanaka's fastball back to normal, the Yankees have every reason to be excited about what he can do going forward...If Tanaka can be anything close to the pitcher he was in 2014 the rest of the way, the Yankees' rotation would get a huge boost. That's good news for them and bad news for the AL East teams looking up at them.
"
Hitter of the Week
- LF Brett Gardner (8-for-26, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 8 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Masahiro Tanaka (W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)
10. Los Angeles Dodgers (32-25, Previous: 7)
21 of 30
Last Week: 3-5
The St. Louis Cardinals remain a thorn in the Los Angeles Dodgers' side. L.A. dropped three of four at home against the team that has eliminated it from the playoffs the past two seasons.
It wasn't all bad for the Dodgers last week, though, as Yasiel Puig is finally back in the lineup after missing 39 games with a strained left hamstring.
They should also have Howie Kendrick back in the lineup soon, after he missed the past four games with a knee sprain.
The back of the Dodgers rotation will kick off the week against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke scheduled to throw the first two games of a big weekend series against the San Diego Padres.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Adrian Gonzalez (10-for-27, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Clayton Kershaw (2 W, 15.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 18 K)
9. Kansas City Royals (31-23, Previous: 5)
22 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
The Kansas City Royals climbed to the No. 1 spot in these rankings when they took two of three from the St. Louis Cardinals from May 22 to 24, but since then they have gone just 3-8 in their last 11 games.
That leaves them one game behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central, and those two teams will kick off a three-game series in Minnesota on Monday.
With the offense hitting .271/.321/.409 and averaging 4.39 runs per game and the bullpen posting an MLB-best 1.75 ERA, the starting rotation remains the big question mark.
The team's starters currently rank 25th in the league with a 4.55 ERA, and they have certainly missed the steadying presence of a workhorse ace like James Shields atop the staff.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Eric Hosmer (6-for-20, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jeremy Guthrie (2 ND, 12.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K)
8. Texas Rangers (30-27, Previous: 13)
23 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The Texas Rangers entered the season with the No. 11 farm system in baseball, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, and two of their top young talents were on full display last week.
Slugger Joey Gallo (No. 1 prospect) was the first, as he received the call to replace the injured Adrian Beltre (sprained thumb) at third base, and his big league career started off with a bang as he went 3-for-4 with a double and a towering home run Tuesday. He's still a work in progress, evidenced by his 13 strikeouts in 24 at-bats, but that 80-grade power is legit.
The other was right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez (No. 7 prospect), who followed up a strong debut last week with a three-hit shutout against the Kansas City Royals on Friday. He's allowed five hits and zero runs in 14.2 innings to begin his big league career.
While a pair of young prospects make a name for themselves, the Rangers have now gone 24-13 with a plus-33 run differential since the beginning of May.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Joey Gallo (7-for-24, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Chi Chi Gonzalez (W, 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)
7. Washington Nationals (30-27, Previous: 4)
24 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
With series losses to the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, the Washington Nationals are now a half-game behind the New York Mets in the NL East standings.
Last week saw Anthony Rendon make his season debut and right-hander Joe Ross make his big league debut, as the Nationals continue to deal with their fair share of injuries.
Rendon is 3-for-15 with a double in his first four games back after missing the first 53 contests of the season, first with a sprained MCL in his left knee and then with a strained oblique.
Ross, whom the team acquired from San Diego in the deal that sent Steven Souza to the Tampa Bay Rays and Wil Myers to the Padres, allowed six hits and three runs in five innings filling in for Stephen Strasburg.
"It was better than I expected," Ross told Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. "The second time through the lineup, they kind of I guess picked up what I was doing, what I was throwing, put some better barrels on the ball."
Hitter of the Week
- RF Bryce Harper (8-for-24, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jordan Zimmermann (W, L, 13.0 IP, 16 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
6. Chicago Cubs (30-25, Previous: 11)
25 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
With so many top teams suffering through losing weeks over the last seven days, the Chicago Cubs slide up to the No. 6 spot after taking three of four from the Washington Nationals over the weekend.
Lost among the signing of Jon Lester, addition of manager Joe Maddon, debuts of Kris Bryant and Addison Russell and a huge season from Anthony Rizzo has been a really impressive campaign thus far from Jason Hammel.
Traded to Oakland in the Russell deal, Hammel re-signed with the Cubs in the offseason on a two-year, $20 million pact. Two-plus months into the year, he's been their best starter, going 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA and an MLB-best 0.893 WHIP.
"He’s been unbelievably good, consistent, deep into the game, strike-thrower. He’s just been outstanding," Maddon told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. "You talk about pitching at an All-Star quality level, he has."
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Anthony Rizzo (11-for-26, 5 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jason Hammel (2 W, 14.2 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 18 K)
5. Minnesota Twins (33-23, Previous: 3)
26 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Minnesota Twins squandered an opportunity to extend their lead in the AL Central by dropping two of three to the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, but they still hold a one-game lead over the Kansas City Royals.
Those two square off for a three-game series starting Monday, with Phil Hughes, Trevor May and Kyle Gibson lined up to start.
The team recalled Tommy Milone from the minors to start on Thursday after he went 4-0 with a 0.70 ERA in five Triple-A starts, and he'll look to solidify his place on the roster with Ricky Nolasco (ankle) sidelined.
The team also finally decided to demote the struggling Danny Santana (.218 BA, .525 OPS), recalling Kennys Vargas, who hit .308/.403/.519 with three home runs in 16 games for Triple-A Rochester.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Brian Dozier (9-for-27, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Trevor May (W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)
4. San Francisco Giants (32-26, Previous: 2)
27 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
An impressive 21-7 stretch left the San Francisco Giants with a half-game lead in the NL West on May 29, but the team has now gone 2-6 in its last eight games.
Shaky starting pitching continues to be a major concern.
Tim Hudson was a tough-luck loser despite throwing seven strong innings, but the rest of the rotation combined for a 6.53 ERA with 30 hits and 22 earned runs allowed in 30.1 innings.
Chris Heston has now posted a 6.06 ERA in his last six starts, allowing five or more runs in four of those outings, and his spot could go to Matt Cain once he returns to the active roster.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Joe Panik (11-for-26, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Tim Hudson (L, 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
3. Houston Astros (34-24, Previous: 6)
28 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
You may be asking yourself: How do the Houston Astros move up three spots in the rankings with a losing record last week?
Fair question.
First off, the rotation behind Dallas Keuchel is perhaps the biggest question surrounding the team going forward, so strong starts from Lance McCullers, Collin McHugh and Brett Oberholtzer last week are a big plus.
Second, the team finally pulled the trigger on promoting top prospect Carlos Correa, as reported by ESPN.com, and he should provide an immediate spark at shortstop.
Production has been limited at the position since Jed Lowrie landed on the DL (torn thumb ligament), with Jonathan Villar seeing the bulk of the playing time.
Correa, 20, was hitting .335/.407/.600 with 21 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 44 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 215 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Chris Carter (5-for-19, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Lance McCullers (W, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)
2. Pittsburgh Pirates (31-25, Previous: 8)
29 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
It took them some time to hit their stride, but the Pittsburgh Pirates are now playing as well as any team in baseball.
Nine games back in the NL Central standings and 18-22 overall on May 20, they have gone 13-3 in their last 16 games, including series wins against the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves last week.
After hitting .185/.280/.293 through his first 25 games (92 at-bats), Andrew McCutchen has been as hot as any hitter in baseball, batting .373/.446/.664 over his next 30 games (110 at-bats).
He's far from the only one contributing, though, and the team's offseason decisions in particular have paid huge dividends, according to Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
"The objective of any club, particularly a small-market club, is to produce as much surplus value as possible. Surplus value is the difference between a worker's wages and the actual value they produce.
(A.J.) Burnett, (Jung-ho) Kang, (Francisco) Liriano and (Francisco) Cervelli have exceeded outside expectations and have combined for 5.3 WAR entering the weekend, which is worth $37.1 million on the open market, using industry estimate that one win is worth $7 million. The quartet will earn $28.5 million in 2015.
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Hitter of the Week
- CF Andrew McCutchen (9-for-24, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Gerrit Cole (2 W, 14.0 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 16 K)
1. St. Louis Cardinals (38-19, Previous: 1)
30 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
No Adam Wainwright. No Matt Adams. No Jordan Walden. No problem for the St. Louis Cardinals.
With series wins against the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers last week, they now have a 6.5-game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central and the best record in baseball.
Despite Wainwright's absence, they continue to be the best pitching team in baseball, as their team ERA of 2.58 is almost a half-run better than the second-place Pirates (3.03).
Carlos Martinez has performed well in the rotation, particularly of late, going 3-1 with a 0.84 ERA, 1.021 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in 32.1 innings over his last five starts.
Offensively, it's been Jhonny Peralta who's stood out, as he is now hitting .321/.381/.524 with 16 doubles, nine home runs and 34 RBI on the year.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Jhonny Peralta (10-for-25, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Carlos Martinez (W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 11 K)
All standard and advanced stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted. Hitter and pitcher of the week stats reflect games played from Monday, June 1, through Sunday, June 7.
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