MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand Heading into June

The month of June has officially arrived, and we once again have a new No. 1 team in this week's MLB power rankings.

When putting together these rankings, 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 (19-33, Previous: 26)

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 0-6

The Philadelphia Phillies had managed to avoid the bottom spot in these rankings for quite some time heading into last week, but after being swept by the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies, they're back at No. 30.

They were outscored 31-11 on the week, bringing their MLB-worst run differential to a staggering minus-73. By comparison, they were a minus-68 team all of last year on their way to 89 losses.

There are a few positive takeaways from the veteran core. Cole Hamels (5-4, 2.91 ERA) is improving his trade stock with each start, and Chase Utley has raised his batting average 50 points (.138 to .188) over the past two weeks.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Chase Utley (6-for-21, 2 RBI, 1 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Cole Hamels (L, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)

29. Milwaukee Brewers (17-34, Previous: 25)

Butch Dill/Getty Images

Last Week: 1-5

Another tough week for the Milwaukee Brewers, and one can't help but wonder just how soon the fire sale will begin. This club is going nowhere this season and has a number of attractive trade chips.

Tyler Wagner, a fourth-round pick in 2012 who had gone 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 1.118 WHIP in Double-A to start the season, earned a spot start Sunday. He allowed nine hits and five runs in 3.2 innings of work and was optioned back to the minors, but he's one to keep an eye on for later in the season and moving forward.

One player who has thrived despite the team's rocky start is reliever Michael Blazek, who was originally acquired in the deal that sent John Axford to the St. Louis Cardinals. The 26-year-old has made 21 appearances, posting a 1.27 ERA, 0.918 WHIP and 8.3 K/9.

Hitter of the Week

• LF Khris Davis (6-for-12, 2 3B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R). However, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Davis suffered a knee injury striking out and will require surgery.

Pitcher of the Week

• RP Michael Blazek (3 G, 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

28. Miami Marlins (20-31, Previous: 27)

Al Bello/Getty Images

Last Week: 2-4

The Miami Marlins are now 4-9 since firing manager Mike Redmond, as the change in leadership has not provided the spark they were looking for to kick-start their season.

With 10 more hits last week, Dee Gordon now has an MLB-high 78 on the year, and his .377 batting average is still tops in baseball. He's also gone 20-for-27 on stolen-base attempts, trailing only Billy Hamilton (21) in that category.

It's tough to gauge just how good/bad this team is when Jose Fernandez, Mat Latos, Henderson Alvarez and Jarred Cosart are on the disabled list. All things considered, the fact that their starting rotation has been middle of the pack (4.17 ERA, 17th in MLB) is surprising, to say the least.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Dee Gordon (10-for-26, 4 R, 3 SB)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Dan Haren (W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

27. Oakland Athletics (20-33, Previous: 30)

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Last Week: 4-3

By taking three of four from the New York Yankees to close out the week, the Oakland Athletics claimed their first series win since they bested the Texas Rangers during a three-game set from May 1-3.

It was a decent finish to what wound up being an 11-19 month of May. It's been a strange season, to say the least, as the team is 13 games under .500 with a plus-one run differential.

A 3-15 record in one-run games, worst in the majors, has played a big role in their inability to string together wins. So too has the league's worst bullpen, as the relief corps has gone 4-13 with a 4.76 ERA and eight blown saves in 16 chances.

Hitter of the Week

• C Stephen Vogt (10-for-25, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jesse Chavez (W, L, 16.0 IP, 12 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K)

26. Colorado Rockies (22-26, Previous: 29)

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Last Week: 5-1

The Colorado Rockies had their first good week in a while last week, taking two of three from the Cincinnati Reds before sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend. Not the toughest of opponents, but both series did come on the road.

Surprisingly enough, the strength of the team last week was the starting pitching, led by Chad Bettis (8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER) and Chris Rusin (7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER). With three more quality starts, they now have 14 on the year, which is still worst in the league.

With a big week at the plate, Nolan Arenado is now hitting .284/.326/.563 with 11 doubles, 12 home runs and 35 RBI on the year. The 24-year-old was already known around the league for his terrific glove work, but he's breaking out as a legitimate all-around star so far this year.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Nolan Arenado (8-for-24, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 4 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Chad Bettis (W, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K)

25. Boston Red Sox (22-29, Previous: 15)

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 1-6

Let's start with the good news.

As good as Andrew Miller is, last year's trade of him to the Baltimore Orioles for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez is one we could be talking about five years from now as an absolute steal.

The 22-year-old made his big league debut Thursday, scattering three hits and two walks in 7.2 scoreless innings to pick up the win. That's earned him a second start, and he could give the rotation a shot in the arm.

The bad news...

That was the only win the Boston Red Sox picked up last week, and at 22-29 they now find themselves in the AL East cellar. Their minus-48 run differential is now worst in the American League, as what was expected to be a stacked offense has not made up for the ineffective pitching staff.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Dustin Pedroia (10-for-30, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Eduardo Rodriguez (W, 7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)

24. Toronto Blue Jays (23-29, Previous: 24)

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Last Week: 3-3

Despite a plus-25 run differential that stands as tops in the AL East and second best in the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays are currently six games under .500 on the year.

Josh Donaldson was an absolute animal at the plate, and he is now hitting .312/.372/.604 with 14 doubles and 15 home runs. He currently leads the AL in RBI (39) and runs scored (43), and he ranks second to Nelson Cruz in home runs and total bases (122).

On the pitching side of things, a guy many viewed as a potential breakout candidate in Drew Hutchison turned in his best individual performance of the season with a four-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox last Monday.

The 24-year-old remains frustratingly inconsistent, though, and is now 4-1 with a 5.26 ERA on the season after allowing seven hits and four runs in 5.1 innings of work Sunday.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Josh Donaldson (11-for-25, 2 2B, 6 HR, 11 RBI, 11 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Drew Hutchison (W, ND, 14.1 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)

23. Arizona Diamondbacks (23-26, Previous: 19)

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

Last Week: 2-4

The St. Louis Cardinals swept the Arizona Diamondbacks to begin last week. The D-Backs rebounded to take two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers, keeping them from tumbling any further down the rankings after finally climbing into the top 20 last week.

Paul Goldschmidt continued his torrid start with another big week at the plate, and he's now hitting .354/.463/.680 on the year with 12 doubles, 15 home runs, 43 RBI and 39 runs scored.

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson has now strung together three consecutive quality starts, going 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA during that span. That comes after he began the year 1-3 with a 5.92 ERA and just one quality start in his first seven games.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Paul Goldschmidt (12-for-25, 3 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jeremy Hellickson (W, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)

22. Chicago White Sox (23-26, Previous: 23)

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Last Week: 4-4

The Chicago White Sox have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball to this point after a busy offseason had them expecting to legitimately contend in the AL Central.

That said, last week ended on a strong note when the team took two of three from the Houston Astros over the weekend and John Danks threw a shutout Sunday.

It was the first shutout for a White Sox pitcher since Chris Sale threw a one-hitter over two years ago on May 12, 2013. It was also the first for Danks since the 2011 season.

However, the biggest positive may have been a 10-hit, two-homer week from Adam LaRoche. Expected to be a big bat in the middle of the lineup, LaRoche entered last week hitting just .213/.351/.346 with four home runs and 16 RBI on the year.

Hitter of the Week

• DH Adam LaRoche (10-for-30, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Chris Sale (W, 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K)

21. Cincinnati Reds (22-27, Previous: 28)

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Last Week: 4-2

It was an odd week for the Cincinnati Reds. They kicked things off by losing two of three to a struggling Colorado Rockies team but followed that up with a three-game sweep of a red-hot Washington Nationals club over the weekend.

Todd Frazier slumped badly after the All-Star break last season after a big first half, leading some to question just how good he'd be in 2015. The short answer: really good.

With an 11-for-22 showing last week that included four home runs, Frazier is now hitting .287/.372/.624 with 11 doubles, 16 home runs and 31 RBI.

Ace pitcher and top trade chip Johnny Cueto had his last start skipped with a sore elbow, but an MRI revealed no structural damage. He's scheduled to face the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday after a successful bullpen session Sunday.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Todd Frazier (11-for-22, 4 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Michael Lorenzen (2 ND, 13.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 9 BB, 7 K)

20. Baltimore Orioles (23-26, Previous: 17)

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Last Week: 4-4

The Baltimore Orioles have been spinning their tires for a few weeks now, and they wrapped up the month of May at 13-16 with a minus-nine run differential.

Luckily, the AL East remains wide open, and despite being three games under .500 on the year, they are still just two games back in the standings.

Slugger Chris Davis is probably never going to match his huge 2013 numbers, but he's quietly enjoying a nice bounce-back season. After a big week, the free-agent-to-be now has an .814 OPS and leads the team with 12 home runs and 30 RBI.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Chris Davis (7-for-22, 2 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Miguel Gonzalez (ND, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)

19. Tampa Bay Rays (26-25, Previous: 12)

Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Last Week: 2-4

The Tampa Bay Rays entered last week knocking on the door for a spot in the top 10 in these rankings, but a six-game losing streak was enough to send them back down to the No. 19 spot.

They were able to rebound and take the final two games of their weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles, and despite the rough patch, they are still tied atop the AL East standings with the New York Yankees entering the week.

Chris Archer continued his terrific start to the season with eight shutout innings of two-hit, 12-strikeout ball Wednesday. However, he found himself matched up with Felix Hernandez, who managed a complete-game shutout of his own.

Going pitch-for-pitch with arguably the best hurler in the game should only further boost the young right-hander's confidence.

Hitter of the Week

• RF Steven Souza (5-for-12, 2 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Chris Archer (ND, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K)

18. New York Yankees (26-25, Previous: 22)

Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Last Week: 4-3

The New York Yankees entered last week mired in a terrible 1-10 stretch and set to face a hot Kansas City Royals team that had just climbed to the No. 1 spot in these rankings.

They quickly righted the ship to pull off a three-game sweep of the Royals. But they followed that up by dropping three of four to an Oakland Athletics team positioned on the other end of the spectrum in the No. 30 spot last week.

This coming week will bring the much-anticipated return of Masahiro Tanaka from the disabled list, as he is scheduled to face the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Getting him back healthy could be the key to the entire season for the Yankees, as their starting rotation has missed him greatly at the top.

Hitter of the Week

• C Brian McCann (7-for-17, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Michael Pineda (W, 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)

17. Seattle Mariners (24-26, Previous: 18)

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Last Week: 4-3

The Seattle Mariners began last week by sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays and in the process improved their record to .500 for the first time since they started the season at 3-3. That would be short-lived, though, as they followed it up by dropping three of four to the Cleveland Indians.

Felix Hernandez picked up his second shutout of the season Wednesday when he out-dueled emerging Rays ace Chris Archer. King Felix is now 8-1 with a 1.91 ERA, 0.892 WHIP and 71 strikeouts in 70.2 innings.

While that sort of performance has come to be expected from Hernandez, the big story last week was Taijuan Walker (8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 8 K) turning in by far his best start of the season. The young right-hander was 1-5 with a 7.33 ERA over his first nine starts.

"I think he's taken a step forward in his last two outings," manager Lloyd McClendon told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. "He worked fast, he threw strikes and worked ahead in the count. He did everything we asked of him."

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Kyle Seager (7-for-25, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Felix Hernandez (W, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)

16. San Diego Padres (25-27, Previous: 20)

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 4-3

The San Diego Padres went into last week in a 2-7 slide, but they were able to take two of three from the Angels in Los Angeles before splitting a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Shortstop production continues to be a problem area, as the position has posted a .212/.286/.288 line with two home runs and 10 RBI. The team tried Will Middlebrooks there a few weeks ago, but for the time being, it remains a platoon of Alexi Amarista and Clint Barmes.

With Brandon Morrow on the disabled list and no sure thing to bounce back from his latest arm issue, Odrisamer Despaigne has become a key piece of the puzzle. It was certainly a plus to see him turn in a pair of strong starts last week.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Will Middlebrooks (9-for-27, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Odrisamer Despaigne (W, ND, 14.0 IP, 12 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)

15. Atlanta Braves (25-25, Previous: 13)

Todd Kirkland/Associated Press

Last Week: 3-4

The Atlanta Braves have held their own so far on their recent West Coast road trip. If they can take two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks to start off this coming week, they'll head home with a 5-5 record on the trip and one game over .500 on the year.

The first notable trade of the season involved the Braves last week, as they shipped Alberto Callaspo, Eric Stults, Juan Jaime and Ian Thomas to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Juan Uribe and Chris Withrow.

Uribe will give them another option at third base along with recently activated Chris Johnson, and he is also known as one of the better clubhouse guys around the league.

As for notable performers, 24-year-old Williams Perez made a pair of quality starts last week, and he's now 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings of work over his first three big league starts.

Hitter of the Week

• SS Andrelton Simmons (10-for-25, 2 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Williams Perez (W, ND, 13.0 IP, 11 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 10 K)

14. Cleveland Indians (24-26, Previous: 14)

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Last Week: 4-3

The Cleveland Indians have come on strong to close out the month of May, going 12-5 over their last 17 games and winning four out of the five series they played.

Second baseman Jason Kipnis led the way at the plate, hitting .429/.511/.706 with 22 extra-base hits and 30 runs scored in 29 May games. He's returned to All-Star form after a disappointing 2014 season.

The starting rotation also picked its game up this past month, though the No. 5 starter spot remains a major question mark after Shaun Marcum was hit hard in his two starts last week.

On the injury front, Yan Gomes is coming off his first week back after being sidelined for six weeks with a knee sprain. He was 3-for-19 with one RBI, as the team continues to ease him back into the fold.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Jason Kipnis (10-for-29, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Carlos Carrasco (W, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)

13. Texas Rangers (26-25, Previous: 21)

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 5-2

With series wins over the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox last week, the Texas Rangers are now 11-3 in their last 14 games. With a victory over the Red Sox on Sunday, they are now over .500 for the first time in over a year.

The starting rotation continues to hold its own despite all of the injuries it has suffered, while Prince Fielder has been as hot as any hitter in baseball over the past few weeks.

The slugger wrapped up the month of May with a .377/.430/.656 line that included seven doubles, nine home runs and 28 RBI in 30 games. With that, he now leads the American League with a .359 average and ranks second with 38 RBI.

Josh Hamilton capped off his first series back in Texas with a walk-off double Sunday. He was 5-for-21 with two home runs and three RBI in his first week back.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Prince Fielder (11-for-30, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Yovani Gallardo (W, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K)

12. New York Mets (28-23, Previous: 11)

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Last Week: 4-2

The New York Mets took care of business with a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies to open last week. They were unable to further take advantage of some favorable scheduling, though, dropping two of three to the Miami Marlins over the weekend.

Dillon Gee is set to be activated from the DL Tuesday, at which time he'll rejoin the rotation (the team will go with a six-man staff). That should help limit the innings for Matt Harvey as well as Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.

Manager Terry Collins talked with Brian Costello of the New York Post about the team's rotation plans:

"

We have to watch the workload of basically three young pitchers. They’re on somewhat of an innings limit through the season. At the particular rate they are going right now, every one of them would supersede that limit quite a bit. We needed to cut their starts back. 

The only way we thought we could do it without shutting them down at some time was to add a sixth pitcher. It takes basically four starts away from them. When you add that seven innings a start, you’re looking at basically 30 innings that we short them.

"

It's certainly a proactive move—and is preferable to shutting those three guys down in the middle of a potential playoff push—but it will take some getting used to.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Lucas Duda (7-for-21, 2 2B, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Noah Syndergaard (W, 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)

11. Chicago Cubs (26-22, Previous: 7)

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Last Week: 2-3

The Chicago Cubs had as tough a schedule as anyone last week. They faced the Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals, albeit with both series coming at home.

They wound up dropping two of three to the Nationals, but the Bryce Harper vs. Kris Bryant matchup trumped the on-field results in terms of attention. Both players finished the series with three hits, two home runs and two RBI.

The bullpen remains the big issue on the North Side, as the relief corps currently ranks 24th in the league with a 3.93 ERA and has converted just 11-of-19 save chances.

Top pitching prospect C.J. Edwards has been working in relief this season with an eye on limiting his innings and perhaps giving him a call-up. He was promoted to Triple-A Iowa on Friday.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Kris Bryant (6-for-18, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jon Lester (L, 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K)

10. Detroit Tigers (28-24, Previous: 5)

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 2-5

The Detroit Tigers have been in the No. 1 spot in these rankings more than once this season, but after a four-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels to finish up last week, they are in danger of falling out of the top 10.

After going 15-8 with a plus-10 run differential in April, they have fallen off to 13-16 with a minus-11 differential in May. Inconsistent starting pitching is the obvious culprit.

It looked like Shane Greene could be an impact arm after three brilliant starts to open the season. He's gone 1-4 with an 8.12 ERA in eight starts since, though, and the team really needs someone else to perform alongside David Price and Alfredo Simon.

Hitter of the Week

• LF Yoenis Cespedes (5-for-25, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP David Price (W, L, 14.2 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 9 K)

9. Los Angeles Angels (27-24, Previous: 16)

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 5-2

The Los Angeles Angels storm into the top 10 after a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers to finish up the week. Their offense has finally started to show some signs of life outside of Mike Trout.

Albert Pujols (9-for-27, 3 HR, 7 RBI), Matt Joyce (6-for-19, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI), Johnny Giavotella (9-for-24, 3 2B, 1 3B) and Chris Iannetta (6-for-19, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI) all enjoyed big weeks at the plate.

On the mound, Hector Santiago might be the best pitcher no one is talking about this season. Another strong start moved him to 4-3 with a 2.18 ERA, 1.117 WHIP and 8.3 K/9 through 10 starts.

Matt Shoemaker delivered two strong starts last week, lowering his ERA from 6.29 to 5.08. He now has quality starts in three of his last four outings.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Albert Pujols (9-for-27, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Hector Santiago (W, 7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)

8. Pittsburgh Pirates (26-24, Previous: 10)

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 5-2

The Pittsburgh Pirates were a better team than their record showed for much of the first two months of the season, but they have finally started to play up to their potential at 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Francisco Liriano continues to look like one of the biggest bargains of the offseason, after re-upping with the Pirates on a three-year, $39 million deal. His .189 opponents' batting average ranks third in the NL, and he's struck out an impressive 75 hitters in 59.2 innings of work.

The Pirates currently stand at seven games back in the NL Central, and they will look to trim that gap this coming week when they take on the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves on the road.

Hitter of the Week

• RF Gregory Polanco (8-for-23, 1 3B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Francisco Liriano (ND, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)

7. Los Angeles Dodgers (29-20, Previous: 8)

Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 3-3

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a chance to vault back into the top five in these rankings with a weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, they dropped two of three as the Cardinals lucked out and missed both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the rotation.

It will be interesting to see what impact the trade of Juan Uribe has on the team, if any, as he was a leader in the clubhouse and a key figure in the continued maturation of Yasiel Puig.

Speaking of Puig, the star outfielder could begin a minor league rehab assignment this coming week, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. He's been sidelined since April 24 with a strained left hamstring.

His absence has opened up playing time for Alex Guerrero and Scott Van Slyke, and it's given Andre Ethier a chance to win back an everyday job.

Hitter of the Week

• CF Joc Pederson (9-for-24, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Clayton Kershaw (W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K)

6. Houston Astros (31-20, Previous: 2)

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Last Week: 2-4

Series losses to the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox bump the Houston Astros out of the top five for the time being, but it should take nothing away from what has been a terrific first two months of the season.

The clear need remains for another front-line arm to join early AL Cy Young candidate Dallas Keuchel at the top of the rotation, though it's worth noting that Lance McCullers (3 GS, 1-0, 2.40 ERA, 18 K, 15 IP) has looked awfully good since being promoted.

The bullpen remains the single biggest difference between this year's team and last, as it ranks third in the league with a 2.28 ERA and has converted 19-of-24 save chances. That's after ranking dead last with a 4.80 ERA in 2014 and blowing a whopping 25 saves.

Hitter of the Week

• DH Evan Gattis (10-for-24, 4 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Dallas Keuchel (W, L, 17.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 14 K)

5. Kansas City Royals (29-19, Previous: 1)

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Last Week: 1-4

The Kansas City Royals finally climbed to the No. 1 spot in the rankings last week, then were immediately swept by the New York Yankees before splitting a rain-shortened series with the Chicago Cubs.

While a poor week bumps them from the top spot, and from the AL Central division lead, this remains one of the best teams in baseball.

A plus-49 run differential puts them first in the American League by a wide margin, their offense is third in baseball with 4.67 runs per game and their bullpen is the best in baseball with a 1.87 ERA.

The one weak spot has been the starting rotation, which mustered just one quality start last week and ranks 25th in the league with a 4.44 ERA.

Hitter of the Week

• LF Alex Gordon (5-for-17, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Yordano Ventura (ND, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

4. Washington Nationals (28-22, Previous: 3)

PAUL BEATY/Associated Press

Last Week: 2-4

The Washington Nationals entered last week riding a 23-10 hot streak that had all but erased the memory of their 7-13 start to the season. They appeared ready to once again challenge for the No. 1 overall spot.

Taking two of three from the Cubs in Chicago was a good first step, but they were swept by the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend to take some of the wind out of their sails.

Denard Span left Sunday's game with a sore right knee, and with Jayson Werth already sidelined, the team can't afford to lose its center fielder and leadoff hitter.

The Nationals are 20-13 with Span this season, compared to 8-9 when he is out of the lineup. 

Hitter of the Week

• CF Denard Span (7-for-23, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Max Scherzer (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)

3. Minnesota Twins (30-19, Previous: 9)

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Last Week: 5-1

Raise your hand if you saw the Minnesota Twins cracking the top three in these rankings when the calendar turned over to June?

**crickets**

There is no question this Twins team has been the biggest surprise of the year so far, as few had them picked to finish anywhere other than the AL Central cellar on the heels of four straight 90-loss season.

Instead they have used a 20-7 month of May to climb to the top of the division standings. With an improved pitching staff, they might just be for real.

How bad was their starting pitching in recent years compared to this season?

• 2011: 4.64 ERA, 26th in MLB
• 2012: 5.40 ERA, 29th in MLB
• 2013: 5.26 ERA, 30th in MLB
• 2014: 5.06 ERA, 30th in MLB
• 2015: 4.03 ERA, 14th in MLB

That'll make all the difference in the world.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Trevor Plouffe (9-for-25, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Mike Pelfrey (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

2. San Francisco Giants (30-22, Previous: 4)

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Last Week: 5-2

For as bad as the San Francisco Giants looked on their way to a 4-10 start this season, they have done a fantastic job righting the ship.

With a 21-9 record in May, they are now just a half-game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West standings. Hunter Pence's return has provided an undeniable spark.

The team is 12-4 with Pence in the lineup this season, compared to 18-18 without him, so it's hard to argue he's not the team's most important player.

The middle infield tandem of Joe Panik (.300 BA, .823 OPS, 1.5 WAR) and Brandon Crawford (.299 BA, .877 OPS, 2.7 WAR) also deserves some credit, as they have both been among the best at their respective positions offensively and defensively.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Joe Panik (8-for-27, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Chris Heston (7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

1. St. Louis Cardinals (33-17, Previous: 6)

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Last Week: 5-1

With the best record in baseball, and after two more series wins last week, the St. Louis Cardinals are again the No. 1 team in the league as we enter the month of June.

The big story last week was the loss of first baseman Matt Adams for 3-4 months with a torn quad, but the team has a decent in-house replacement in Mark Reynolds. It's not as though Adams was carrying the offense with a .243 average and .656 OPS, anyway.

Instead, the bigger story should be the way Carlos Martinez has been throwing the ball of late, as he is working on a streak of 20.1 scoreless innings.

That included a gem Sunday, when he allowed just one hit over seven shutout innings on the day the Cardinals honored the life of his teammate and good friend Oscar Taveras on the anniversary of his debut.

This team just keeps winning games, and it will look to hold onto the No. 1 spot when it takes on the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hitter of the Week

• SS Jhonny Peralta (9-for-23, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Carlos Martinez (W, ND, 14.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 16 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, May 25, through Sunday, May 31.