MLB Power Rankings: Yankees Reclaim No. 1 Spot, Angels' Struggles Continue
The 2022 MLB season is already two months old, but the battle rages on atop our weekly MLB power rankings as there is a new No. 1 team for the third week in a row.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets have been the cream of the crop in the early going, while the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays are all lurking on the periphery of that conversation.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels continue to struggle after enjoying some early success, and the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Guardians are showing signs of emerging from the middle of the pack.
As always, if a team keeps winning, it will keep climbing the rankings. If a team is losing, a slide is inevitable. The beauty of this exercise is that it's a fluid process and things will continue to change.
Note: Statistics and analysis reflect games through Sunday. Team records have been updated to include Monday's results.
Nos. 30-26
1 of 10
30. Kansas City Royals (17-36)
Previous Rank: 30
Their win-loss record isn't pretty, but the Royals can at least hang their hat on the fact that young up-and-comers Bobby Witt Jr. (.829 OPS, 16 XBH), MJ Melendez (.807 OPS, 9 XBH) and Brady Singer (3 GS, 1.37 ERA, 19.2 IP) all put together strong performances in May.
29. Oakland Athletics (20-36)
Previous Rank: 26
The Athletics have lost six in a row, and they are now 1-9 with a minus-35 run differential in their last 10 games. Ace Frankie Montas put together another strong start last week, and he now has a 3.06 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 78 strikeouts in 70.2 innings. Where will he be pitching in August?
28. Cincinnati Reds (19-35)
Previous Rank: 28
The Reds quietly went 14-13 in May after their absolutely brutal first month, but they started June on a sour note by dropping three of four to the Washington Nationals over the weekend. Joey Votto is hitting .275/.383/.667 in 15 games since he was activated from the injured list.
27. Washington Nationals (21-35)
Previous Rank: 27
Over the past two weeks, the Nationals have picked up series wins over the Colorado Rockies and the Cincinnati Reds, en route to a 7-5 record in their last 12 games. However, they were shut out twice by the New York Mets in between and outscored 28-5 in a three-game sweep.
26. Detroit Tigers (21-33)
Previous Rank: 29
The Tigers took four of five from the Minnesota Twins last week to climb three spots in the rankings, but they crashed back to earth over the weekend when they were swept by the New York Yankees. Left-hander Tarik Skubal deserves more national attention with a 2.15 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 58.2 innings over his first 10 starts.
Nos. 25-21
2 of 10
25. Colorado Rockies (23-31)
Previous Rank: 25
The Rockies' 15-10 start to the season is now a distant memory as they've since gone 8-21 with a minus-54 run differential. They did snap a string of seven straight series losses by taking two of three from the Miami Marlins, but they followed that up by losing four in a row at home to the Atlanta Braves.
24. Los Angeles Angels (27-29)
Previous Rank: 11
With a walk-off defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, the Angels' losing streak extended to 11 games, and over the last four weeks, they've fallen from No. 4 to No. 24 in these rankings. With the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers up next, things could get worse before they get better.
23. Chicago Cubs (23-32)
Previous Rank: 23
The Cubs played nine games last week and held their own with a 4-5 record against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. Catcher Willson Contreras is having the best season of his career with free agency looming, and his 157 OPS+ ranks 14th among all qualified hitters.
22. Baltimore Orioles (23-33)
Previous Rank: 22
For some perspective, the Orioles closed out May with a 14-game losing streak last year, so while they're still not contending, they have taken a significant step toward relevance. Trey Mancini is now hitting .305/.377/.437 for a 136 OPS+ after another strong week.
21. Miami Marlins (22-30)
Previous Rank: 20
Despite having two bona fide NL Cy Young candidates in Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez, the Marlins continue to sputter along as a sub-.500 team. The offense has improved from a year ago. But the bullpen has gotten worse, and the back of the rotation has been inconsistent.
Nos. 20-16
3 of 10
20. Texas Rangers (25-28)
Previous Rank: 15
The Rangers went 17-10 in May and briefly peaked at No. 15 in these rankings, but they dropped four of five to begin June. The youth movement is officially on as infielder Ezequiel Duran and outfielder Steele Walker both debuted over the weekend.
19. Arizona Diamondbacks (26-30)
Previous Rank: 17
The D-backs fell to 3-7 in their last 10 games with a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, though they did take two of three from the Atlanta Braves early in the week. The starting pitching has regressed over the last few weeks, but Zac Gallen is still having an excellent season with a 2.40 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 56.1 innings.
18. Pittsburgh Pirates (24-28)
Previous Rank: 24
Bold prediction: This year's Pirates team is not going to lose 101 games. A three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road last week was as impressive as this team has looked in years, and Pittsburgh followed that up with a series win over the D-backs. How high can this squad climb?
17. Seattle Mariners (25-30)
Previous Rank: 19
The Mariners have won three straight series, including taking two of three from the Orioles and Rangers on the road last week. Much of the buzz centers around rising stars Julio Rodriguez and Logan Gilbert, but tip of the cap to Eugenio Suarez, who has a 133 OPS+ with 11 home runs and 32 RBI after a dreadful 2021 season in Cincinnati.
16. Philadelphia Phillies (25-29)
Previous Rank: 18
The Phillies have won four in a row after losing five straight, and that has been the last several seasons in a nutshell. Manager Joe Girardi was fired Friday amid another disappointing start, and now the hunt for his replacement is on as Rob Thomson steps into the interim manager role.
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Nos. 15-11
4 of 10
15. Chicago White Sox (25-27)
Previous Rank: 14
Now that we've seen our first managerial change of the season, how much longer is Tony La Russa going to be at the helm of an underperforming White Sox team? The South Siders slipped from second to third in the AL Central standings last week while getting swept by the Toronto Blue Jays, though they did rebound to take two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays.
14. Cleveland Guardians (24-25)
Previous Rank: 21
The Guardians went 5-1 against the Kansas City Royals and Orioles last week, and that helped separate them from a large middle-of-the-pack group. Everyone knows Shane Bieber and Emmanuel Clase, but tip of the cap to Triston McKenzie, Sam Hentges, Eli Morgan and Enyel De Los Santos, who are also having strong seasons on the mound.
13. Atlanta Braves (28-27)
Previous Rank: 16
With an 8-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, the Braves moved above the .500 mark for the first time since April 9 when they were 2-1. Matt Olson and Austin Riley did the heavy lifting in the middle of the lineup last week, and both found their way onto our Team of the Week as a result.
12. San Francisco Giants (29-24)
Previous Rank: 13
The Giants went 13-14 with a minus-18 run differential in May, so they have some work to do to prove they belong in the contender column going forward. The starting rotation (4.16 ERA, 20th in MLB) and bullpen (4.47 ERA, 25th) both rank in the bottom half leaguewide after San Francisco finished second in team ERA a year ago.
11. Boston Red Sox (28-27)
Previous Rank: 12
After a lackluster 3-4 showing against the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds, the Red Sox put together an impressive series sweep of the Athletics over the weekend, outscoring them 20-4 in three games. Nathan Eovaldi (6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER) and Nick Pivetta (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER) both threw gems in that series.
Nos. 10-6
5 of 10
10. Tampa Bay Rays (31-23)
Previous Rank: 8
The Rays have not won a series of more than two games outright since they took two of three from the Detroit Tigers on May 18. Since that time, they've gone 8-8 and slipped from second to third in the AL East standings. A tough stretch against the St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees awaits in the coming weeks.
9. Minnesota Twins (32-24)
Previous Rank: 7
The Twins picked up a nice road series win against the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend but only after they dropped four of five to the Detroit Tigers. They still entered play on Monday with a 4.5-game lead in the AL Central standings, and that division is shaping up to be a free-for-all.
8. Milwaukee Brewers (33-23)
Previous Rank: 4
With Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta both on the injured list, the Brewers' starting pitching depth is being put to the test. That said, the bigger concern still might be their offense after they were shut out in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday en route to a three-game sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres.
7. Toronto Blue Jays (32-22)
Previous Rank: 9
With a 9-2 record in their last 11 games, the Blue Jays are playing some of their best baseball of the season right now, but they stumbled over the weekend when they lost two of three to the Minnesota Twins. With the Royals, Orioles and Tigers up next on the schedule, they're in a great position to climb into the top five.
6. San Diego Padres (33-22)
Previous Rank: 6
After getting swept by the Cardinals, the Padres took three of four from the Brewers in Milwaukee to close out the week. Joe Musgrove outdueled Corbin Burnes on Friday to move into the driver's seat in the NL Cy Young race with a 1.64 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 66 innings and an MLB-leading 10 quality starts.
Nos. 5-1
6 of 10
5. St. Louis Cardinals (32-23)
Previous Rank: 10
A top-five team for the first time this year, the Cardinals swept the San Diego Padres last week before taking three of five from the rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Rookie Brendan Donovan is hitting .319/.439/.447 with 10 extra-base hits in 35 games, and he's already played six different positions.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (35-19)
Previous Rank: 1
It's been an up-and-down last few weeks for the Dodgers, and getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates at home was the biggest "down" of the year. That said, they recovered to split a four-game series with the New York Mets, and they still lead all of baseball with a plus-113 run differential.
3. Houston Astros (35-20)
Previous Rank: 5
The Astros have won four of their last five series, including sweeping the Oakland Athletics and taking two of three from the Kansas City Royals on the road last week. Yordan Alvarez had a huge week at the plate and inked a six-year, $115 million extension. The 24-year-old is now hitting .295/.391/.624 with 16 home runs and 34 RBI in 48 games.
2. New York Mets (38-19)
Previous Rank: 3
The Mets won six straight before dropping the first two games of their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they knocked around Walker Buehler on Saturday and won in extra innings on Sunday to split the four-game set. Pete Alonso enters play on Monday as the MLB leader in RBI (54) and tied for the NL lead in home runs (16).
1. New York Yankees (39-15)
Previous Rank: 2
The Yankees won 11 in a row earlier this year, and they're currently working on a six-game winning streak after sweeping the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers at home last week. The pitching staff allowed a combined seven runs in those six games, and they currently lead the majors with a 2.74 ERA.
Complete Rankings
7 of 10
Complete Rankings
1. New York Yankees
2. New York Mets
3. Houston Astros
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. St. Louis Cardinals
6. San Diego Padres
7. Toronto Blue Jays
8. Milwaukee Brewers
9. Minnesota Twins
10. Tampa Bay Rays
11. Boston Red Sox
12. San Francisco Giants
13. Atlanta Braves
14. Cleveland Guardians
15. Chicago White Sox
16. Philadelphia Phillies
17. Seattle Mariners
18. Pittsburgh Pirates
19. Arizona Diamondbacks
20. Texas Rangers
21. Miami Marlins
22. Baltimore Orioles
23. Chicago Cubs
24. Los Angeles Angels
25. Colorado Rockies
26. Detroit Tigers
27. Washington Nationals
28. Cincinnati Reds
29. Oakland Athletics
30. Kansas City Royals
Highlight of the Week: Josh Hader Ties MLB Record
8 of 10
The last time Josh Hader allowed a run was July 28, 2021.
He has since rattled off 40 straight scoreless appearances, tying the MLB record for consecutive scoreless appearances on Sunday with a perfect inning against the San Diego Padres. Current Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly was the first to get to 40 straight in 2019.
During his record-tying stretch, he has converted 31 of 31 save opportunities while striking out 65 of the 142 batters he has faced. He has also allowed just 11 hits and 16 walks in 38 innings of work.
The 28-year-old is quickly becoming a legitimate NL Cy Young candidate in a season filled with terrific individual pitching performances.
Team of the Week
9 of 10
C Willson Contreras, CHC
(11-for-30, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
1B Matt Olson, ATL
(9-for-31, 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI)
2B Brendan Rodgers, COL
(10-for-29, 2 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI)
3B Austin Riley, ATL
(11-for-31, 2 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI)
SS Trea Turner, LAD
(9-for-29, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
OF Yordan Alvarez, HOU
(13-for-23, 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBI)
OF Mookie Betts, LAD
(11-for-31, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
OF Andrew Vaughn, CWS
(11-for-26, 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI)
DH Trey Mancini, BAL
(9-for-26, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
SP Joe Musgrove, SD
(1 GS, W, 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K)
SP Adam Wainwright, STL
(2 GS, 2 ND, 14.0 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K)
SP Max Fried, ATL
(1 GS, ND, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
SP Luis Severino, NYY
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
SP Martin Perez, TEX
(2 GS, W, ND, 13.0 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K)
RP Josh Hader, MIL
(3 G, 2/2 SV, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
Award Rankings
10 of 10
AL MVP
1. Aaron Judge, NYY
2. Jose Ramirez, CLE
3. Rafael Devers, BOS
NL MVP
1. Paul Goldschmidt, STL
2. Manny Machado, SD
3. Mookie Betts, LAD
AL Cy Young
1. Nestor Cortes, NYY
2. Martin Perez, TEX
3. Shane McClanahan, TB
NL Cy Young
1. Joe Musgrove, SD
2. Sandy Alcantara, MIA
3. Pablo Lopez, MIA
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Jeremy Pena, HOU
2. Julio Rodriguez, SEA
3. Joe Ryan, MIN
NL Rookie of the Year
1. MacKenzie Gore, SD
2. Spencer Strider, ATL
3. Brendan Donovan, STL
Stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
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