MLB Power Rankings as Nationals, White Sox Join Top 10, Mariners Roll and Giants Reach New Low

As the calendar flips from May to June, the days of small sample sizes and unsustainable starts are now in the rearview, and teams like the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals are still outperforming expectations by leaps and bounds.

That said, everyone is still chasing the Atlanta Braves, though the Los Angeles Dodgers have started to close the gap, while a long list of teams continues to hover around the .500 mark and toe the line between potential deadline buyer and seller.

That line should become more clear in the upcoming weeks, but for now middle-of-the-pack teams still have a clear runway to rise or fall significantly in our weekly rankings based on recent performance.

In other words, get ready for another week of shuffling the deck.

In case you missed it, B/R's MLB Power Rankings from last week and every fresh power rankings throughout the season can be found at the new MLB Power Rankings hub.

Nos. 30-28

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Logan Webb

30. Detroit Tigers (22-38)

Previous Rank: No. 30
Last Week: 1-2 vs. LAA, 0-3 @ CWS

The Tigers wrapped up a disastrous month of May with a 6-22 record and just 81 runs scored in 28 games while batting .204 as a team. Along the way, they plummeted from tied atop the AL Central standings to 11.5 games back in the cellar, and it won't be long before the vultures start circling their roster ahead of the summer trade market.

29. San Francisco Giants (23-36)

Previous Rank: No. 25
Last Week: 0-3 vs. ARI, 1-2 @ COL

The Giants have tumbled all the way to the bottom of the National League with a 5-12 record in their last 17 games, and things might get worse before they get any better. They have gone just 11-20 away from Oracle Park this year and have seven games left on their current road trip. At least ace Logan Webb is back healthy, as he made his first start since May 5 on Friday.

28. Kansas City Royals (22-37)

Previous Rank: No. 24
Last Week: 0-3 vs. NYY, 0-3 @ TEX

With a 4.54 ERA as a team and 11 blown saves in 25 chances, the Royals simply do not have the pitching to prop up an offense that has been virtually non-existent aside from Bobby Witt Jr., who is off to another terrific start. They have the longest active losing streak in baseball at six games after suffering a pair of series sweeps last week.

Nos. 27-25

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Vaughn Grissom

27. Colorado Rockies (22-38)

Previous Rank: No. 29
Last Week: 0-3 @ LAD, 2-1 vs. SF

It took the Rockies until the final three days of May to record their first series win of the month, taking two of three from the Giants to temporarily climb off the dreaded first slide. Rookie T.J. Rumfield (95 PA, .310/.400/.483 in May) continues to be a bright spot while settling in at first base.

26. Los Angeles Angels (23-37)

Previous Rank: No. 28
Last Week: 2-1 @ DET, 1-2 @ TB

Former Braves phenom Vaughn Grissom went 8-for-24 with 11 RBI in six games for the Angels last week while filling in for an injured Nolan Schanuel at first base and hitting No. 3 in the batting order. Small victories like that will have to suffice for an Angels team that looks destined for an 11th straight losing season.

25. Miami Marlins (26-34)

Previous Rank: No. 21
Last Week: 1-2 @ TOR, 0-3 @ NYM

The Marlins lost Janson Junk (shin inflammation) and Eury Pérez (leg strain) last week from a starting rotation that already ranks 29th in the majors with a 4.89 ERA. After getting outscored 25-9 while getting swept by the Mets over the weekend, things could get ugly quick in the coming weeks.

Nos. 24-22

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Joe Ryan

24. Boston Red Sox (25-33)

Previous Rank: No. 27
Last Week: 1-2 vs. ATL, 2-1 @ CLE

The Red Sox were the only team in baseball with a sub-3.50 ERA and a losing record in May, finishing 13-14 despite a 3.24 mark that checked in seventh in the majors. That is their season in a nutshell, as the pitching staff that was such a weakness last season has been a clear strength, but the offense has not done its part.

23. New York Mets (26-33)

Previous Rank: No. 26
Last Week: 1-2 vs. CIN, 3-0 vs. MIA

The Mets quietly went 16-12 in May to help offset some of the damage done during their pitiful opening month, but they still have a long way to go to climb back into the playoff picture. An 11-20 record against teams with a winning record is not an encouraging sign, though injuries have been a major story in their season thus far.

22. Minnesota Twins (27-33)

Previous Rank: No. 13
Last Week: 1-3 @ CWS, 0-3 @ PIT

A 10-4 stretch of games had the Twins trending up in a major way, but they crashed back to earth and were outscored 52-27 by the White Sox and Pirates during a 1-6 week. In an extreme closer-by-committee bullpen, their 15 saves this year have come from 11 different pitchers.

Nos. 21-19

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Josh Jung

21. Houston Astros (27-34)

Previous Rank: No. 22
Last Week: 3-1 @ TEX, 1-2 vs. MIL

After going 8-for-28 with five home runs last week, Yordan Alvarez is now hitting .301/.416/.634 with 20 home runs, and the only thing holding him back from being the clear AL MVP front-runner is his team's sub-.500 record. They have won three of their last five series and will have a chance to leap frog the Athletics in the AL West standings when they square off this coming weekend.

20. Athletics (28-31)

Previous Rank: No. 16
Last Week: 0-3 vs. SEA, 1-2 vs. NYY

Losing Aaron Civale (shoulder tendinitis) and Luis Severino (shoulder strain) to injury last week was a major blow for the Athletics, while Jacob Lopez was also optioned to the minors after struggling to a 6.75 ERA in 50.2 innings. Top prospect Gage Jump (5.0 IP, 9 H, 4 ER) made his MLB debut last week, and he will likely be sticking around for a few more.

19. Texas Rangers (28-31)

Previous Rank: No. 20
Last Week: 1-3 vs. HOU, 3-0 vs. KC

A three-game sweep over a struggling Royals team helped the Rangers salvage a 13-15 record in May, and they enter the new month just 2.5 games back in a wide open AL West race. Third baseman Josh Jung leads the AL batting title race with a .316 average, and that is backed by a .307 expected batting average that ranks in the 98th percentile.

Nos. 18-16

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Ben Brown

18. Baltimore Orioles (28-32)

Previous Rank: No. 23
Last Week: 3-0 vs. TB, 2-2 vs. TOR

The Orioles were a season-high eight games below .500 on May 20 after the Rays finished off a three-game sweep in Tampa Bay. Since then, they've gone 7-3 over their last 10 games, including a table-turning sweep of their own when the Rays came to town last week. Is this the start of clawing back into contention?

17. Toronto Blue Jays (29-31)

Previous Rank: No. 18
Last Week: 2-1 vs. MIA, 2-2 @ BAL

The Blue Jays rank fourth in the majors with 253.2 innings of work from their relief corps, and they will need to lean even more heavily on the bullpen now that Dylan Cease is sidelined with a hamstring strain. A tough three-game series in Atlanta awaits this week before another showdown with the Orioles fresh off a four-game split.

16. Chicago Cubs (32-28)

Previous Rank: No. 15
Last Week: 2-2 @ PIT, 1-2 @ STL

The Cubs snapped a 10-game losing streak with a win over the Pirates on Wednesday, with that rough patch serving as an unfortunate counterpoint to the two 10-game winning streaks they rattled off earlier in the year. Right-hander Ben Brown tossed seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball on Saturday, and he now has a 1.73 ERA in 26 innings over five starts since joining an injury-plagued rotation.

Nos. 15-13

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Eduardo Rodríguez

15. Cincinnati Reds (30-28)

Previous Rank: No. 12
Last Week: 2-1 @ NYM, 1-2 vs. ATL

Even with Chase Burns (5 GS, 1.19 ERA, 30.1 IP) and Andrew Abbott (5 GS, 1.29 ERA, 28.0 IP) ranking among baseball's most effective starters in May, the Reds still finished 29th in the majors with a 5.51 ERA for the month. The end result was a 10-17 record overall in May, and that leaves them teetering between the upper half and lower half of teams.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (31-27)

Previous Rank: No. 10
Last Week: 3-0 @ SF, 0-3 @ SEA

The D-backs logged four straight series wins and went 11-2 overall during that stretch before getting swept by the Mariners over the weekend. Veteran lefty Eduardo Rodríguez (11 GS, 5-1, 2.31 ERA, 66.1 IP) has been a pleasant surprise this year, and he will take the ball against the Dodgers on Monday looking to snap the skid.

13. St. Louis Cardinals (31-26)

Previous Rank: No. 9
Last Week: 0-3 @ MIL, 2-1 vs. CHC

A series win over the rival Cubs was an encouraging response from a young Cardinals team after getting swept by the Brewers in Milwaukee, and this team continues to exceed expectations in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. They were held to one or fewer runs four times in six games last week, so the offense will need to wake up.

Nos. 12-10

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Colt Emerson

12. San Diego Padres (32-26)

Previous Rank: No. 7
Last Week: 0-3 vs. PHI, 1-2 @ WAS

With a .218 average and .656 OPS from the offense, and a 4.63 ERA that ranks 24th in the majors from the starting rotation, the Padres have often felt like a house of cards propped up by an elite bullpen this season. With three series losses in their last four matchups and a 4-8 record during that stretch, things have begun to topple.

11. Seattle Mariners (31-29)

Previous Rank: No. 19
Last Week: 3-0 @ ATH, 3-0 vs. ARI

The Mariners climbed above the .500 mark for the first time since they were 3-2 on March 30 with their victory over the D-backs on Saturday. After his usual slow start to the season, Julio Rodríguez posted an .899 OPS with 10 home runs in May, while rookie Colt Emerson has also provided a spark with an .852 OPS and six extra-base hits in his first 13 games.

10. Chicago White Sox (32-27)

Previous Rank: No. 17
Last Week: 3-1 vs. MIN, 3-0 vs. DET

There is no shortage of evidence to show how vastly improved this White Sox team has been, but the most telling might be that they have yet to record a losing streak longer than three games. The Munetaka Murakami injury is a blow, but former first-round pick Jacob Gonzalez was hitting .317/.419/.668 with 19 home runs and 62 RBI through 52 games at Triple-A, and now he gets a chance to make his mark.

Nos. 9-7

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Cristopher Sánchez

9. Philadelphia Phillies (30-29)

Previous Rank: No. 14
Last Week: 3-0 @ SD, 1-2 @ LAD

Even with a 9-1 loss on Sunday, the Phillies still finished 18-10 with a plus-19 run differential in May. No one on the planet is pitching better than Cristopher Sánchez right now, as he is working on a 44.2-innings scoreless streak that goes back to his final start in April. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday against the Padres.

8. Washington Nationals (31-29)

Previous Rank: No. 11
Last Week: 2-1 @ CLE, 2-1 vs. SD

The Nationals have rattled off four straight series wins, taking two of three from a trio of contenders during that stretch in the Braves, Guardians and Padres. They were one of only four teams to hit 40 home runs in May, while the pitching staff had a respectable 4.04 ERA en route to a 16-12 record for the month. Keep an eye on Triple-A first baseman Abimelec Ortiz as a potential call-up, as he has an .899 OPS with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 44 games.

7. Pittsburgh Pirates (32-28)

Previous Rank: No. 8
Last Week: 2-2 vs. CHC, 3-0 vs. MIN

The return of Jared Jones from the injured list and subsequent move of Carmen Mlodzinski to the bullpen stirred up some controversy in Pittsburgh this weekend, but it didn't stop the Pirates from sweeping the Twins. A healthy Ryan O'Hearn returned to the cleanup spot in the batting order on Sunday after missing 13 games with a quad strain and promptly went 2-for-4 with a home run.

Nos. 6-4

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Gerrit Cole

6. Cleveland Guardians (34-27)

Previous Rank: No. 4
Last Week: 1-2 vs. WAS, 1-2 vs. BOS

Even with a pair of series losses last week, the Guardians still went 18-11 in May to seize control of the AL Central race. The offense has been good enough around superstar José Ramírez, the starting rotation has a terrific one-two punch in Gavin Williams and Parker Messick, and the bullpen ranks second in the majors with 23 saves in 28 chances.

5. New York Yankees (36-23)

Previous Rank: No. 6
Last Week: 3-0 @ KC, 2-1 @ ATH

The Yankees have an AL-leading plus-98 run differential, which trails only the Dodgers (+129) and Braves (+109) among all teams. After tossing six scoreless innings in his long-awaited return to the mound on May 22, Gerrit Cole followed it up with 6.2 scoreless frames and 10 strikeouts on Wednesday against the Royals. His strong return coupled with the emergence of Cam Schlittler as a Cy Young candidate makes it one of the most dangerous rotations in baseball.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (36-20)

Previous Rank: No. 2
Last Week: 0-3 @ BAL, 2-1 vs. LAA

The Rays losing streak reached a season-high four games before they righted the ship over the weekend. Now they have a golden opportunity to reclaim some of the ground they lost as their next 12 games are against the Tigers, Marlins, Red Sox and Angels. The Yandy Díaz-Jonathan Aranda-Junior Caminero trio continues to do an excellent job shouldering the load offensively.

Nos. 3-1

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Jacob Misiorowski

3. Milwaukee Brewers (35-21)

Previous Rank: No. 5
Last Week: 3-0 vs. STL, 2-1 @ HOU

The Brewers rotation looked like a potential weakness heading into the season in the wake of the Freddy Peralta trade. Instead, Jacob Misiorowski (12 GS, 1.65 ERA, 108 K, 71.0 IP) and Kyle Harrison (10 GS, 1.57 ERA, 61 K, 51.2 IP) have been a dominant one-two punch, and the starting staff as a whole ranks fourth in the majors with a 3.11 ERA. They went an MLB-best 19-7 in May, and have built a 4.5-game lead in the NL Central standings.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (38-21)

Previous Rank: No. 3
Last Week: 3-0 vs. COL, 2-1 vs. PHI

The Dodgers are 14-3 in their last 17 games and playing as well as any team in baseball right now, though injuries to Teoscar Hernández and Enrique Hernández last week have taken a bite out of their lineup depth. With a 3.18 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 28-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 28.1 innings over his last five starts, Roki Sasaki appears to have turned a corner in his development as a starter.

1. Atlanta Braves (40-20)

Previous Rank: No. 1
Last Week: 2-1 @ BOS, 2-1 @ CIN

The Braves have yet to do anything to warrant falling out of the No. 1 spot, as they recovered from the brief hiccup of a series loss to the Nationals with a pair of series wins on the road last week. Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. went 7-for-21 with five home runs and 10 RBI last week, raising his OPS more than 100 points in the process.

Complete Tier Rankings

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Tier 1

1. Atlanta Braves
2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Tier 2

3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. New York Yankees

Tier 3

6. Cleveland Guardians
7. Pittsburgh Pirates
8. Washington Nationals
9. Philadelphia Phillies
10. Chicago White Sox
11. Seattle Mariners

Tier 4

12. San Diego Padres
13. St. Louis Cardinals
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
15. Cincinnati Reds
16. Chicago Cubs
17. Toronto Blue Jays
18. Baltimore Orioles

Tier 5

19. Texas Rangers
20. Athletics
21. Houston Astros
22. Minnesota Twins
23. New York Mets
24. Boston Red Sox
25. Miami Marlins

Tier 6

26. Los Angeles Angels
27. Colorado Rockies
28. Kansas City Royals
29. San Francisco Giants
30. Detroit Tigers