MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand at the 2022 All-Star Break
The 2022 MLB All-Star break is here, and with it, we've reached the unofficial midpoint of the season.
The few short weeks between the break and the Aug. 2 trade deadline will be make-or-break for teams straddling the line between contender and non-contender, which will inevitably have an impact on the MLB landscape for the remainder of the season.
As you dig into this latest power rankings update, remember that it is all about performance rather than potential and future outlook.
If a team is winning, it will climb 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.
Statistics and analysis reflect action through Sunday's games.
Nos. 30-26
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30. Washington Nationals (31-63)
Opening Day: 27; High: 22; Low: 30
Things are only going to get worse for a Nationals team that is prepared to shop superstar Juan Soto after he turned down a $440 million extension. The club was already expected to move upcoming free agents Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz, and now the offense stands to be absolutely gutted.
29. Chicago Cubs (35-57)
Opening Day: 21; High: 7; Low: 29
The Cubs staggered into the All-Star break with a 1-9 record in their last 10 games, and the offense managed just 27 runs during that stretch of futility. The expectation is that All-Star catcher Willson Contreras will be on the move before the deadline, and other veteran pieces could be dealt as well here in the early stages of retooling.
28. Oakland Athletics (32-61)
Opening Day: 30; High: 13; Low: 30
With an abysmal 11-31 record at home, it's never been more clear that the Athletics need a new ballpark. Following their offseason fire sale, more pieces will likely be on their way out the door in the coming weeks, with starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn atop their list of trade chips.
27. Detroit Tigers (37-55)
Opening Day: 19; High: 18; Low: 29
The Tigers won 77 games in 2021 and appeared ready to turn a corner after some flashy free-agent signings and with several top prospects ready to make an impact. Instead, it's shaping up to be another lost year. Offseason additions Javier Baez (.213 BA, 78 OPS+) and Eduardo Rodriguez (restricted list) have combined for 0.3 WAR while earning $34 million, and uber-prospect Spencer Torkelson was just optioned back to Triple-A.
26. Kansas City Royals (36-56)
Opening Day: 22; High: 16; Low: 30
The rebuild continues in Kansas City, though solid first-half performances from Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez and Brady Singer have provided optimism that there may finally be a light at the end of the tunnel. Expect outfielder Andrew Benintendi to be dealt at the deadline, and shopping pitchers Brad Keller and Scott Barlow could also be on the table.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Los Angeles Angels (39-53)
Opening Day: 15; High: 4; Low: 26
The Angels were 27-17 on May 24 before a 14-game losing streak cost manager Joe Maddon his job and torpedoed the team's hopes of returning to the postseason for the first time since 2014. All told, they've gone 12-36 since that impressive start to the year, and barring a miracle, Mike Trout will be watching the playoffs from his couch once again.
24. Cincinnati Reds (34-57)
Opening Day: 23; High: 14; Low: 30
Since a historically bad 3-22 start, the Reds have played roughly .500 baseball with a 31-35 record in their last 66 games. That has made them more watchable, but it's not good enough to make them a viable contender in the NL Central or in the wild-card standings. All signs point to ace Luis Castillo being flipped at the deadline.
23. Arizona Diamondbacks (40-52)
Opening Day: 26; High: 13; Low: 29
The D-backs were three games over .500 on May 13 thanks to a rotation that ranked among the best in baseball, but that bubble has since burst, and the starting staff now sits 20th in the majors with a 4.35 ERA. Strong first-half performances from Alek Thomas and Daulton Varsho give the front office some pieces to build around going forward.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (39-54)
Opening Day: 29; High: 16; Low: 29
Despite an offense that ranks last in the NL with a .660 OPS and 340 runs scored, the Pirates have been more competitive than expected, especially of late with a 14-15 record in their last 29 games to close out the first half. If nothing else, the young core of Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz is a lot of fun to watch.
21. Texas Rangers (41-49)
Opening Day: 25; High: 15; Low: 29
Don't be surprised if the Rangers stand pat or even look to add some controllable pieces at the deadline as they continue to build toward contention following their free-spending offseason. Shortstop Corey Seager entered the All-Star break on fire with a 1.159 OPS and seven home runs in 16 games this month.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Miami Marlins (43-48)
Opening Day: 17; High: 11; Low: 27
The Marlins' record is a bit deceiving. They've gone 12-1 against a bad Washington Nationals team and 31-47 against everyone else, which makes it difficult to justify any major additions in the name of pushing for a playoff berth. A breakout season from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a Cy Young-caliber first half from Sandy Alcantara has given them some much-needed star power.
19. Colorado Rockies (43-50)
Opening Day: 24; High: 4; Low: 25
One of the early surprises this year was a 10-5 start by the Rockies, but they've regressed considerably in the months since and once again look like an also-ran in the NL West. Rental pitchers Chad Kuhl and Daniel Bard should both generate plenty of interest at the deadline, and they could also look to flip All-Star slugger C.J. Cron if the price is right.
18. Boston Red Sox (48-45)
Opening Day: 11; High: 4; Low: 26
After climbing back into the postseason picture with a 20-6 record in June, the Red Sox have given a lot of that ground back with a 5-12 start to July, including a 1-6 showing last week against the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees on the road. That recent skid coupled with another Chris Sale injury could be enough to push them from buyers to sellers at the deadline.
17. Cleveland Guardians (46-44)
Opening Day: 20; High: 12; Low: 22
The Guardians picked up their first outright series win of July when they swept the Detroit Tigers at home heading into the break, and in the process, they closed the gap with the Minnesota Twins to just 2.5 games in the AL Central standings. The offense has been better than expected behind breakout seasons from Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor and another MVP-caliber campaign from Jose Ramirez.
16. Baltimore Orioles (46-46)
Opening Day: 28; High: 15; Low: 30
The Orioles enter the All-Star break six wins shy of their 2021 total after ripping off a 10-game winning streak earlier this month. The cobbled-together pitching staff ranks 16th in the majors with a 3.94 ERA, including a stellar 3.14 ERA from an under-the-radar cast of characters in the bullpen. Can they secure their first winning season since 2016?
Nos. 15-11
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15. Chicago White Sox (46-46)
Opening Day: 5; High: 5; Low: 24
It took a 7-3 record in their final 10 games of the first half for the White Sox to climb back to the .500 mark, and there's a strong case to be made that they have been the most disappointing team of the 2022 season. For better or worse, manager Tony La Russa is expected to remain with the team for the rest of the season.
14. San Francisco Giants (48-43)
Opening Day: 14; High: 2; Low: 16
The Giants have played sub-.500 baseball since going 14-7 in April, but series wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers and a pair of walk-off wins helped them end the first half on a high note. With 14 games left against the Los Angeles Dodgers and nine with the San Diego Padres, there's still a lot to be decided in the NL West race.
13. Philadelphia Phillies (49-43)
Opening Day: 12; High: 5; Low: 24
The Phillies are 27-14 since firing manager Joe Girardi and 12-8 since losing Bryce Harper to a broken left thumb on June 25, so if nothing else, this team has proven capable of overcoming adversity. The one-two punch of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola is once again as good as any in baseball, and there's plenty of thump in the lineup even without Harper, but there are holes to plug at the deadline.
12. Minnesota Twins (50-44)
Opening Day: 18; High: 7; Low: 26
The Twins have gone 20-23 since the beginning of June, and while they still sit atop the AL Central, they've left the door wide open for the White Sox or Guardians to make a run. Luis Arraez is hitting just .194 in his last 35 plate appearances, but he still leads the majors with a .338 batting average.
11. Milwaukee Brewers (50-43)
Opening Day: 10; High: 4; Low: 25
With three straight losses to the San Francisco Giants to wrap up the first half, the Brewers' lead in the NL Central was cut to just a half-game over the St. Louis Cardinals. It's never been more than 4.5 games at any point this season. Closer Josh Hader has a 20.25 ERA with three losses and a blown save in July, so he'll need to right the ship quickly.
Nos. 10-6
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10. St. Louis Cardinals (50-44)
Opening Day: 13; High: 5; Low: 13
The Cardinals have not had a winning or losing streak longer than four games all season, and that's been enough to keep them squarely in the hunt for the NL Central title. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are both having terrific seasons, but props to the 13 different rookies who saw action during the first half and combined for 4.6 WAR.
9. Toronto Blue Jays (50-43)
Opening Day: 2; High: 2; Low: 13
The Blue Jays fired manager Charlie Montoyo with a 46-42 record, which gives you an indication of where expectations are for this team right now. The Jays finished the first half with a 4-1 record under interim manager John Schneider, and with Yusei Kikuchi and Hyun Jin Ryu both on the injured list, they are a prime candidate to add a starter before the deadline.
8. San Diego Padres (52-42)
Opening Day: 9; High: 1; Low: 11
The Padres were just 2.5 games back in the NL West standings at the start of July, but a 6-10 record this month and a hot streak from the Los Angeles Dodgers has seen that deficit swell to 10 games heading into the break. Getting Fernando Tatis Jr. back in the lineup during the second half will be bigger than any outside addition they can make at the deadline.
7. Tampa Bay Rays (51-41)
Opening Day: 8; High: 2; Low: 15
With 15 players currently on the injured list—including Wander Franco, Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Mike Zunino, Shane Baz, Tyler Glasnow, Nick Anderson, J.P. Feyereisen and Andrew Kittredge—it's impressive the Rays are still sitting at 10 games above .500. They have a 23-17 record against the rest of the AL East, and that will need to continue in the second half as the division race heats up.
6. Seattle Mariners (51-42)
Opening Day: 16; High: 6; Low: 23
The Mariners won 14 straight to close out the first half, going from a sub-.500 team treading water in the middle of these rankings to knocking on the door for a spot inside the top five. With Robbie Ray rounding into form and Logan Gilbert in the midst of a breakout season, the rotation has become a legitimate strength, and the offense led by underrated star Ty France and rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez continues to impress.
Nos. 5-1
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5. Atlanta Braves (56-38)
Opening Day: 4; High: 3; Low: 21
The Braves won 14 in a row during a 21-6 month of June, and outside of dropping two of three to the rival New York Mets last week, they have continued to play at a high level in July. General manager Alex Anthopoulos did a great job solidifying the roster with a handful of under-the-radar moves at the deadline last year, so it will be interesting to see what he has up his sleeve this time around.
4. New York Mets (58-35)
Opening Day: 7; High: 2; Low: 10
The Mets jump back into the No. 4 spot after a series win over the Atlanta Braves last week, and those two are poised to battle it out for NL East supremacy the rest of the way. With Max Scherzer pitching to a 1.40 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 19.1 innings since returning from the injured list and Jacob deGrom close to finally joining him in the rotation, things are looking up after an inconsistent month of June.
3. Houston Astros (59-32)
Opening Day: 3; High: 2; Low: 18
The pitching staff that the Astros have assembled after losing Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton and Zack Greinke to free agency and Lance McCullers Jr. to injury over the last few seasons is nothing short of remarkable. The return of Justin Verlander has certainly helped, but the entire pitching staff deserves credit for an AL-best 2.98 ERA during the first half as they've built a nine-game cushion in the AL West standings.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (60-30)
Opening Day: 1; High: 1; Low: 23
After briefly surrendering their division lead in June and closing out the month with a 2.5-game advantage, the Dodgers have ripped off a 13-2 record to begin July and now have a commanding 10.0-game lead in the NL West standings. The trio of Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith closed out the first half on fire at the plate, and the rotation has done an excellent job weathering the loss of Walker Buehler.
1. New York Yankees (64-28)
Opening Day: 6; High: 1; Low: 16
The Yankees enter the break leading the majors in OPS (.776), home runs (157) and runs scored (497), and they also sit third in team ERA (3.08) and second in bullpen ERA (2.89) behind breakout seasons from Clay Holmes and Michael King. They have done a much better job avoiding the injury bug than in past years, and as long as that continues, it's going to be hard to chase them down.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. New York Yankees
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Houston Astros
4. New York Mets
5. Atlanta Braves
6. Seattle Mariners
7. Tampa Bay Rays
8. San Diego Padres
9. Toronto Blue Jay
10. St. Louis Cardinals
11. Milwaukee Brewers
12. Minnesota Twins
13. Philadelphia Phillies
14. San Francisco Giants
15. Chicago White Sox
16. Baltimore Orioles
17. Cleveland Guardians
18. Boston Red Sox
19. Colorado Rockies
20. Miami Marlins
21. Texas Rangers
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
23. Arizona Diamondbacks
24. Cincinnati Reds
25. Los Angeles Angels
26. Kansas City Royals
27. Detroit Tigers
28. Oakland Athletics
29. Chicago Cubs
30. Washington Nationals
Biggest Remaining All-Star Snubs
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As players dropped out due to injury or other reasons, many of the biggest All-Star snubs were rectified with a replacement spot. However, there are still several deserving players on the outside looking in for tonight's festivities. Here are the three biggest remaining All-Star snubs:
1B Josh Bell, Washington Nationals
Bell ranks eighth among all qualified hitters with a 159 OPS+, and he's the only player inside the top 15 on that list who is not an All-Star. The free-agent-to-be is batting .311/.390/.504 with 21 doubles, 13 home runs and 50 RBI, and he figures to be one of the most sought-after bats on the market at the trade deadline.
RHP Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox
The MLB strikeout leader at the break with 150 punchouts in 104.2 innings, Cease also ranks sixth among qualified starters with a 2.15 ERA. The next-lowest ERA from a pitcher who was excluded from this year's festivities is Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (2.75), who is also worthy of a mention on this list.
2B/SS Tommy Edman, St. Louis Cardinals
Defense is never going to be the sexiest carrying tool, and it's often overlooked when it comes time to name All-Star rosters—just ask zero-time All-Star Andrelton Simmons. That said, Edman ranks third among all players with 4.5 WAR at the break, just ahead of Aaron Judge (4.4) and Rafael Devers (4.3). He has 18 defensive runs saved between second base and shortstop, and it's not like he's been a non-factor offensively with a 102 OPS+ and 20 steals setting the table atop the St. Louis lineup.
First-Half All-MLB Team
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C Alejandro Kirk, TOR
149 OPS+, .315/.395/.487, 24 XBH (11 HR), 37 RBI, 45 R, 3.4 WAR
1B Paul Goldschmidt, STL
186 OPS+, .330/.414/.590, 48 XBH (20 HR), 70 RBI, 64 R, 4.8 WAR
2B Andres Gimenez, CLE
139 OPS+, .296/.357/.478, 24 XBH (10 HR), 43 RBI, 33 R, 3.1 WAR
3B Rafael Devers, BOS
166 OPS+, .324/.379/.601, 51 XBH (22 HR), 55 RBI, 62 R, 4.3 WAR
SS Xander Bogaerts, BOS
133 OPS+, .316/.389/.453, 31 XBH (7 HR), 37 RBI, 54 R, 3.5 WAR
OF Aaron Judge, NYY
177 OPS+, .284/.364/.618, 47 XBH (33 HR), 70 RBI, 74 R, 4.4 WAR
OF Mike Trout, LAA
170 OPS+, .270/.368/.599, 43 XBH (24 HR), 51 RBI, 55 R, 3.7 WAR
OF Julio Rodriguez, SEA
134 OPS+, .275/.337/.477, 36 XBH (16 HR), 52 RBI, 53 R, 21 SB, 3.6 WAR
DH Yordan Alvarez, HOU
196 OPS+, .306/.405/.653, 39 XBH (26 HR), 60 RBI, 57 R, 4.2 WAR
SP Sandy Alcantara, MIA
9-4, 1.76 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 123 K, 138.1 IP, 5.3 WAR
SP Shane McClanahan, TB
10-3, 1.71 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 147 K, 110.2 IP, 3.8 WAR
SP Justin Verlander, HOU
12-3, 1.89 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 108 K, 109.1 IP, 3.0 WAR
SP Tony Gonsolin, LAD
11-0, 2.02 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 86 K, 93.2 IP, 3.2 WAR
SP Corbin Burnes, MIL
7-4, 2.14 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 144 K, 113.2 IP, 3.7 WAR
RP Emmanuel Clase, CLE
19/21 SV, 1.41 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 41 K, 38.1 IP, 1.8 WAR
Full Midseason Award Ballots
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AL MVP
1. Aaron Judge, NYY
2. Rafael Devers, BOS
3. Yordan Alvarez, HOU
4. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
5. Jose Ramirez, CLE
6. Mike Trout, LAA
7. Julio Rodriguez, SEA
8. Xander Bogaerts, BOS
9. Alejandro Kirk, TOR
10. Clay Holmes, NYY
NL MVP
1. Paul Goldschmidt, STL
2. Freddie Freeman, LAD
3. Manny Machado, SD
4. Austin Riley, ATL
5. Pete Alonso, NYM
6. Nolan Arenado, STL
7. Dansby Swanson, ATL
8. Sandy Alcantara, MIA
9. Trea Turner, LAD
10. Juan Soto, WAS
AL Cy Young
1. Shane McClanahan, TB
2. Justin Verlander, HOU
3. Alek Manoah, TOR
4. Dylan Cease, CWS
5. Framber Valdez, HOU
NL Cy Young
1. Sandy Alcantara, MIA
2. Tony Gonsolin, LAD
3. Corbin Burnes, MIL
4. Joe Musgrove, SD
5. Max Fried, ATL
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Julio Rodriguez, SEA
2. Jeremy Pena, HOU
3. Joe Ryan, MIN
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Spencer Strider, ATL
2. Michael Harris II, ATL
3. Christopher Morel, CHC
Stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
