MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers, Orioles and Rangers Make Their Case for the No. 1 Spot
The Tampa Bay Rays have now held the No. 1 spot in our MLB power rankings for seven straight weeks, but the gap between them and the rest of the league narrowed last week. The Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers are all nipping at their heels.
Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates have crashed back to earth after impressive climbs up the rankings in past weeks, while the St. Louis Cardinals are finally showing some signs of life and looking more like a team capable of contention.
All of that made for plenty of shuffling once again in this week's MLB power rankings.
Keep in mind, these rankings are a fluid process, with teams rising and falling based on their recent performance relative to where they landed in the previous week's rankings.
Note: Statistics and analysis reflect games through Sunday. Team records have been updated to include Monday's results.
Nos. 30-26
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30. Oakland Athletics (9-34)
Previous Rank: 29
After briefly climbing to No. 29 last week following a series win over the Kansas City Royals, the Athletics are back at the bottom after going 1-6 against the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. A player worth watching is breakout slugger Brent Rooker, who has accounted for 22.9 percent of the team's home runs (11) while hitting .308/.420/.650 for a 202 OPS+ that leads the majors.
29. Chicago White Sox (14-28)
Previous Rank: 26
Dropping three of four to the Royals moves the White Sox down to their lowest ranking of the year, and it won't be long before the vultures start circling their roster looking for potential trade chips. On a positive note, Luis Robert Jr. is hitting .422/.509/.933 with six home runs in 53 plate appearances since the calendar flipped to May.
28. Kansas City Royals (12-31)
Previous Rank: 30
The Royals took three of four from the White Sox to begin last week, but that was immediately followed by a three-game sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. Former top prospect Nick Pratto is hitting .377/.468/.585 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 16 games since he was recalled from the minors on April 28 while splitting his time between first base and the corner outfield spots.
27. San Francisco Giants (18-23)
Previous Rank: 23
After moving up in last week's rankings, the Giants tumble back down following series losses to the Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks. They rank sixth in the majors with a 3.47 ERA from their starting pitchers, yet they are playing sub-.500 baseball due to an inconsistent offense and a bullpen that ranks 28th with a 5.95 ERA and has seven blown saves in 17 chances.
26. Washington Nationals (18-23)
Previous Rank: 25
The Nationals picked up their second series win of the month when they took two of three on the road against the Giants, and while contention is likely not in the cards, this team continues to modestly exceed low expectations. The starting rotation has been a surprise strength with a 4.44 ERA that ranks 15th in the majors, led by young up-and-comers Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Colorado Rockies (18-24)
Previous Rank: 24
After closing out the month of April in a 4-14 tailspin, the Rockies picked up three straight series wins, including taking two of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates last week. That run ended with a series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, but this team is still playing much better baseball than they were a month ago.
24. Cleveland Guardians (19-21)
Previous Rank: 21
The Guardians have the fifth-worst run differential in the American League at minus-23. An anemic offense that ranks dead last in the majors with a .645 OPS is to blame, as the starting rotation has rounded into form behind ace Shane Bieber. They managed to take two of three from the Los Angeles Angels thanks to the heroics of Josh Naylor, who hit a late-game, go-ahead home run in each contest of the series.
23. Cincinnati Reds (18-23)
Previous Rank: 27
The Reds just had one of their most successful weeks of the season with series wins over the New York Mets and Miami Marlins; outfielder Jake Fraley led the charge by going 7-for-17 with three home runs and 10 RBI in six games. The foursome of Jonathan India, TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer and Fraley at the top of the lineup is providing some hope for the future offensively.
22. Detroit Tigers (18-21)
Previous Rank: 22
The Tigers are slowly clawing their way back toward a .500 record after starting 2-9 in their first 11 games. They went 3-3 last week with a series win over Cleveland and a series loss to the Seattle Mariners, and with their next 12 games against the Pirates, Nationals, Royals and White Sox, they have a golden opportunity to build some momentum.
21. Chicago Cubs (19-22)
Previous Rank: 19
The Cubs had a tough week against Midwestern foes, dropping two of three to the rival St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins to dip below .500 on the year. After starting the season at Triple-A and crushing minor league pitching, Christopher Morel has gone 8-for-21 with three home runs in five games since he was recalled on May 9.
Nos. 20-16
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20. St. Louis Cardinals (17-25)
Previous Rank: 28
After a disastrous 10-24 start to the year, the Cardinals are finally showing some signs of life with a 6-1 record in their last seven games following series wins over the Cubs and Boston Red Sox on the road last week. Likewise, third baseman Nolan Arenado has finally snapped out of a season-long funk by going 7-for-14 with three home runs over the weekend against the Red Sox.
19. San Diego Padres (20-22)
Previous Rank: 15
The Padres fell to 1-7 in their last eight games after getting shut out by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, and they have scored more than three runs just once during that stretch. A lineup loaded with star power is currently one of only six teams averaging fewer than four runs per game (3.93). Until that changes, the Padres will continue to slide.
18. Miami Marlins (20-21)
Previous Rank: 20
The Marlins went 3-3 last week to continue hovering around the .500 mark, but the organization is buzzing following Friday's MLB debut of touted pitching prospect Eury Pérez. The 20-year-old struck out seven of the 20 batters he faced over 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while averaging 97.4 mph with his fastball and generating a 53.3 percent whiff rate with his slider.
17. Seattle Mariners (21-20)
Previous Rank: 17
The Mariners have three series wins in May after going 12-16 to start the year, but they are still searching for offensive consistency. They rank near the bottom of the league in batting average (.225, 30th) and OPS (.675, 27th), while Jarred Kelenic (149), Ty France (110) and J.P. Crawford (108) are the only regulars with an OPS+ above 100.
16. New York Mets (20-22)
Previous Rank: 16
The Mets finally snapped a streak of five straight series losses by winning two of three against the Washington Nationals over the weekend, but a tough follow-up test awaits when they welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to town. On Wednesday, Justin Verlander became the 21st pitcher in MLB history to record a win against all 30 teams when he beat the Cincinnati Reds in his third career start against them.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Los Angeles Angels (22-20)
Previous Rank: 13
The Angels have faced a tough stretch of games of late. They dropped three straight series against the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Cleveland Guardians, steadily sliding them down the rankings in the process. After going 3-for-23 in his first seven games, rookie shortstop Zach Neto is hitting .290/.338/.435 with 20 hits in his last 20 games.
14. Philadelphia Phillies (20-21)
Previous Rank: 18
It's been a tumultuous stretch for the Phillies, who lost six in a row before ripping off a five-game winning streak last week. That run came to an end when they were shut out on Sunday by the Colorado Rockies, leaving them at an even 20-20 through their first 40 games of the year. They are 9-13 with a minus-39 run differential on the road.
13. Pittsburgh Pirates (22-19)
Previous Rank: 8
The Pirates peaked at No. 3 in these power rankings three weeks ago, but they have stumbled to a 2-11 record in their last 13 games and are dropping down the list as a result. Both of their wins last week came with Mitch Keller on the mound, including a four-hit shutout against the Rockies on Monday. The 27-year-old is 5-1 with a 2.38 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 56.2 innings.
12. Milwaukee Brewers (23-18)
Previous Rank: 12
The Brewers struggled through a 2-8 stretch of games before sweeping the Royals over the weekend to move back into first place in the NL Central standings. Outfielder Christian Yelich is hitting .348/.400/.630 with five multi-hit games in May, setting the table out of the leadoff spot in the batting order.
11. Boston Red Sox (22-20)
Previous Rank: 6
The Red Sox had as much momentum as any team in baseball during an eight-game winning streak that vaulted them into the top 10 in these rankings, but after going 1-4 last week and getting swept by the Cardinals over the weekend, they dropped five spots. Chris Sale had his best start of the year on Friday, allowing just three hits and one run over eight innings.
Nos. 10-6
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10. Arizona Diamondbacks (24-18)
Previous Rank: 9
The D-backs won three in a row against the San Francisco Giants to close out last week, walking things off with an RBI double from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on Sunday. Outfielder Dominic Fletcher made his MLB debut on April 30 and he's quickly playing his way into the NL Rookie of the Year conversation, hitting .429/.455/.690 with six extra-base hits and 13 RBI in 13 games.
9. New York Yankees (24-19)
Previous Rank: 14
The Yankees return to the top 10 after sweeping the Oakland Athletics and splitting a four-game series with the first-place Tampa Bay Rays during a 5-2 week. The offense piled up 52 runs in seven games, with Anthony Rizzo going 12-for-27 with three home runs hitting out of the No. 3 spot in the lineup. The veteran first baseman is hitting .312/.395/.526 for a career-high 154 OPS+ through 177 plate appearances.
8. Minnesota Twins (23-19)
Previous Rank: 11
While they are by no means running away with the division title, the Twins have sat atop the AL Central standings since April 11. They also just had a strong week overall with series wins over the Padres and Cubs. After missing the first 33 games of the season with a wrist injury, Alex Kirilloff is hitting .409/.536/.773 in 28 plate appearances since returning to action.
7. Houston Astros (22-19)
Previous Rank: 10
After three straight series losses, the Astros appear to be back on track following a week in which they took two of three from the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox on the road. Second baseman Jose Altuve began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, moving closer to making his season debut.
6. Atlanta Braves (26-15)
Previous Rank: 2
The Braves hit a bump in the road last week with a four-game losing streak that included getting swept by the Toronto Blue Jays on the road. With Max Fried and Kyle Wright both landing on the injured list earlier this month, the starting rotation has been stretched thin. But they can work around a day off on Thursday between series against the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.
Nos. 5-1
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5. Toronto Blue Jays (24-17)
Previous Rank: 7
Inside the top five for the third time in five weeks, the Blue Jays moved up two spots after sweeping the Atlanta Braves, though that came after they lost back-to-back games to the Philadelphia Phillies to start the week. Chris Bassitt tossed his second career complete game shutout on Friday, and after a rocky start, he is now 5-2 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 49 innings.
4. Texas Rangers (25-16)
Previous Rank: 4
The Rangers improved to 10-3 against the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals by taking two of three from Oakland over the weekend, but they have also gone 14-7 against teams with a winning record on the year. Adolis García has an MLB-leading 42 RBI in 39 games thanks to a .400 average with runners in scoring position.
3. Baltimore Orioles (26-15)
Previous Rank: 3
A top-five team for the third straight week, the Orioles cemented their status as one of baseball's top dogs by taking two of three from Tampa Bay while also winning a series against the Pirates. After struggling to a 6.67 ERA in six April starts, Dean Kremer has allowed just one earned run in 12 innings in May after tossing six scoreless frames against the Rays last time out.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (27-15)
Previous Rank: 5
The Dodgers went 5-1 last week to improve to 13-2 in their last 15 games entering play on Monday. It's hard to believe this was a .500 team just a few weeks ago. Mookie Betts (1.066 OPS, 5 HR, 13 RBI) and Freddie Freeman (1.023 OPS, 10 XBH) are both raking since the start of May, hitting 1-2 in the batting order.
1. Tampa Bay Rays (31-11)
Previous Rank: 1
The Rays hold on to their No. 1 ranking, but the gap between them and the rest of the league narrowed considerably last week after they suffered a series loss to the Orioles and split a four-game series with the Yankees. Interleague action against the Mets and Brewers awaits this coming week.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Texas Rangers
5. Toronto Blue Jays
6. Atlanta Braves
7. Houston Astros
8. Minnesota Twins
9. New York Yankees
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
11. Boston Red Sox
12. Milwaukee Brewers
13. Pittsburgh Pirates
14. Philadelphia Phillies
15. Los Angeles Angels
16. New York Mets
17. Seattle Mariners
18. Miami Marlins
19. San Diego Padres
20. St. Louis Cardinals
21. Chicago Cubs
22. Detroit Tigers
23. Cincinnati Reds
24. Cleveland Guardians
25. Colorado Rockies
26. Washington Nationals
27. San Francisco Giants
28. Kansas City Royals
29. Chicago White Sox
30. Oakland Athletics
Highlight of the Week: Josh Naylor Has a Weekend to Remember
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It has been a disappointing start to the season for the Cleveland Guardians, who went 19-21 through their first 40 games after running away with the AL Central title and winning a playoff series as the youngest team in baseball a year ago.
With back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday and Sunday, they'll have some momentum heading into their road series with the Chicago White Sox, and first baseman Josh Naylor is largely to thank.
The 25-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, posting a 121 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 20 home runs and 79 RBI. However, he was hitting just .191/.244/.304 with three home runs in 127 plate appearances heading into Friday's game.
In three games, he doubled his home run total and raised his OPS by 112 points. Not a bad 72 hours of work.
Team of the Week
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C Salvador Perez, KC
(7-for-19, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
1B Anthony Rizzo, NYY
(12-for-27, 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
2B Christopher Morel, CHC
(8-for-21, 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI)
3B Nolan Arenado, STL
(9-for-22, 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI)
SS Casey Schmitt, SF
(11-for-24, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
OF Luis Robert Jr., CWS
(9-for-26, 2 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI)
OF Dominic Fletcher, ARI
(9-for-21, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI)
OF Jake Fraley, CIN
(7-for-17, 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
DH Yordan Alvarez, HOU
(8-for-23, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
SP Mitch Keller, PIT
(2 GS, 2 W, 16.0 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 21 K)
SP Chris Bassitt, TOR
(1 GS, W, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)
SP Nathan Eovaldi, TEX
(1 GS, W, 8.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K)
SP Jon Gray, TEX
(2 GS, 2 W, 15.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 K)
SP Framber Valdez, HOU
(1 GS, W, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K)
RP Will Smith, TEX
(3 G, 3/3 SV, 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
Way-Too-Early Award Rankings
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AL MVP
1. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
2. Wander Franco, TB
3. Matt Chapman, TOR
4. Jonah Heim, TEX
5. Yandy Díaz, TB
6. Randy Arozarena, TB
7. Bo Bichette, TOR
8. Yordan Alvarez, HOU
9. Mike Trout, LAA
10. Brent Rooker, OAK
NL MVP
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
2. Sean Murphy, ATL
3. Paul Goldschmidt, STL
4. Brandon Nimmo, NYM
5. Freddie Freeman, LAD
6. Juan Soto, SD
7. Brandon Marsh, PHI
8. Ian Happ, CHC
9. Luis Arraez, MIA
10. Mookie Betts, LAD
AL Cy Young
1. Sonny Gray, MIN
2. Eduardo Rodriguez, DET
3. Gerrit Cole, NYY
4. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
5. Joe Ryan, MIN
NL Cy Young
1. Justin Steele, CHC
2. Zac Gallen, ARI
3. Clayton Kershaw, LAD
4. Spencer Strider, ATL
5. Alex Cobb, SF
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Masataka Yoshida, BOS
2. Hunter Brown, HOU
3. Yennier Cano, BAL
NL Rookie of the Year
1. James Outman, LAD
2. Corbin Carroll, ARI
3. Spencer Steer, CIN
