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MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand on July 4
July 4, 2016MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand on July 4
The Chicago Cubs finally relinquished their stranglehold on the No. 1 spot in our MLB power rankings last week. Now, for the second straight week, we have a new top team.
With one week to go until the All-Star break and teams starting to get a better picture of whether they'll be buyers or sellers at the deadline, trade talks figure to heat up once the second half of the season begins.
For now, there continues to be a good deal of shuffling in these rankings, with a handful of teams separating themselves from the pack but the vast majority hovering around the .500 mark.
One thing remains true: These rankings are a fluid process, with teams moving up or down based on where they ranked the previous week. If a club keeps winning, it will keep climbing—it's as simple as that.
Here's a look at where all 30 MLB teams stand.
30. Cincinnati Reds (30-53, Previous: 29)
- Jay Bruce (.291/.328/.600, 32 H, 9 2B, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 17 R)
- Anthony DeSclafani (4 GS, 2-0, 1.52 ERA, 7 BB, 15 K, 23.2 IP)
Last Week: 1-6
The Cincinnati Reds had their best month of the season so far in June with a 12-16 record, but they've struggled mightily of late at 2-10 in their last 12 games.
The pitching staff has been largely to blame, as they currently boast an MLB-worst 5.51 team ERA and a disastrously bad 5.95 bullpen ERA with 17 blown saves in 30 chances.
On the plus side, Jay Bruce has continued to build his trade stock and should net the Reds a handsome return once he's inevitably moved.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
29. Atlanta Braves (28-54, Previous: 28)
- Freddie Freeman (.346/.426/.654, 36 H, 9 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 13 R)
- Julio Teheran (5 GS, 2-2, 1.91 ERA, 4 BB, 37 K, 37.2 IP)
Last Week: 2-5
It was a strange month of June for the Atlanta Braves.
At one point they followed up a 2-10 stretch with a six-game winning streak, but they remain in last place in the NL East by a significant margin at 26 games under .500 and 21.5 games back in the standings.
Despite a lack of protection in the lineup, Freddie Freeman continues to enjoy a strong season at the plate. He's hitting .292/.375/.516 with 19 doubles, 14 home runs and 31 RBI.
However, he'll likely be watching from home when the All-Star Game rolls around, with Julio Teheran (2.72 ERA, 112.2 IP) looking like the lead candidate to be the team's lone representative.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
28. Minnesota Twins (27-54, Previous: 30)
- Brian Dozier (.369/.435/.728, 38 H, 9 2B, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 19 R)
- Ryan Pressly (14 G, 3 HLD, 1.98 ERA, 1 BB, 14 K, 13.2 IP)
Last Week: 3-3
The Minnesota Twins closed out last week with their best series win of the year, taking two of three from the Texas Rangers and outscoring them 24-12 over the course of the three-game series.
Amid the sinking ship that has been the Twins for the past few months, second baseman Brian Dozier has quietly been one of the hottest hitters in baseball with a 1.163 OPS and 19 extra-base hits in the month of June.
The pitching was a complete mess, though, as their 5.50 ERA last month was the worst in all of baseball, and no starting pitcher has an ERA below 4.50 on the year.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
27. Los Angeles Angels (33-49, Previous: 24)
- Mike Trout (.333/.426/.576, 33 H, 7 2B, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 18 R)
- Matt Shoemaker (6 GS, 0-3, 2.14 ERA, 5 BB, 45 K, 42.0 IP)
Last Week: 1-5
The Los Angeles Angels wrapped up a trying month of June at 8-19, and they have struggled of late with a 2-11 record in their last 13 games.
Even if they decide to sell at the trade deadline, they don't have much in the way of movable parts outside of secondary pieces like Yunel Escobar and Fernando Salas.
One player who could generate significant interest if he's made available is right-hander Matt Shoemaker. The 29-year-old is under team control through the 2020 season and has been terrific, posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.059 WHIP and 10.3 K/9 in his last nine starts.
If the team intends on rebuilding any time soon, he's one of its most valuable chips.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
26. Milwaukee Brewers (35-46, Previous: 22)
- Scooter Gennett (.322/.390/.478, 29 H, 5 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R)
- Zach Davies (6 GS, 3-1, 2.89 ERA, 8 BB, 39 K, 37.1 IP)
Last Week: 1-5
With a series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and a sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers are now just six games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds in the battle for fourth place in the NL Central.
That being said, the Brewers have played some surprisingly good baseball ever since a rough 8-15 month of April. Since then, they've gone 27-31 and given contenders all they can handle.
The big story surrounding the team is the status of top trade chips Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy, but the recent success of Zach Davies is worth keeping an eye on.
The right-hander was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at last season's trade deadline in the Gerardo Parra deal. He had gone 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA over a six-start stretch prior to allowing eight hits and six earned runs in 4.1 innings his last time out.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
25. Oakland Athletics (35-47, Previous: 27)
- Khris Davis (.278/.333/.494, 22 H, 2 2B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 14 R)
- Daniel Mengden (4 GS, 1-3, 2.81 ERA, 9 BB, 26 K, 25.2 IP)
Last Week: 3-4
Despite an 11-15 record and myriad injuries, the Oakland Athletics had a run differential of minus-six during the month of June, continuing to battle even in a losing season.
In fact, over their last 21 games, they've gone 10-11, and that stretch looked even better prior to being swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend.
There was one positive takeaway this past weekend, though.
Rich Hill returned on Saturday after missing over a month with a groin injury and picked up right where he left off, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out six in six innings of work. Scouts will be watching closely between now and the deadline.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
24. Tampa Bay Rays (33-48, Previous: 25)
- Evan Longoria (.324/.389/.667, 33 H, 8 2B, 9 HR, 18 RBI, 18 R)
- Matt Moore (6 GS, 2-2, 3.72 ERA, 9 BB, 34 K, 38.2 IP)
Last Week: 2-5
The Tampa Bay Rays snapped an 11-game losing streak with a victory last Monday and wound up taking two of three from the Boston Red Sox.
That run of success was short-lived, though, as they followed it up with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers.
After a strong month of June, Evan Longoria is now hitting .278/.330/.524 with 23 doubles, 18 home runs and 45 RBI. He may not get an All-Star nod at the stacked third base position in the AL, but he's back to producing at an elite level this year.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
23. Colorado Rockies (37-44, Previous: 21)
- Carlos Gonzalez (.364/.417/.687, 36 H, 8 2B, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 19 R)
- Jorge De La Rosa (5 G, 3 GS, 4-0, 1.96 ERA, 9 BB, 19 K, 23.0 IP)
Last Week: 1-5
The roller-coaster ride continues for the Colorado Rockies, as they're not quite a contender but continue to hover around the .500 mark.
A three-game winning streak pulled them within two games of that .500 mark last week before they closed things out with five consecutive losses, including being swept by the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
The pitching staff is still shaky at best, but the offensive trio of Carlos Gonzalez (.939 OPS, 18 HR, 51 RBI), Nolan Arenado (.931 OPS, 22 HR, 66 RBI) and Trevor Story (.883 OPS, 19 HR, 50 RBI) has at least made it interesting while pacing an offense that is averaging 5.19 runs per game.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
22. Arizona Diamondbacks (37-47, Previous: 20)
- Paul Goldschmidt (.350/.432/.563, 36 H, 8 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 16 R)
- Zack Greinke (6 GS, 4-0, 1.63 ERA, 7 BB, 31 K, 38.2 IP)
Last Week: 1-5
After slowly climbing in the rankings the past few weeks, the Arizona Diamondbacks are once again headed in the other direction after series losses to the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants last week.
Zack Greinke was finally starting to put it together with a 1.47 ERA over a five-start span, but a strained oblique forced him out of his last start and eventually placed him on the disabled list.
It has not necessarily lived up to expectations, but the starting rotation has managed to stay relatively healthy to this point. There's certainly plenty of room for improvement in the second half, but at 10 games under .500, the Diamondbacks may have already dug themselves into too big of a hole.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
21. San Diego Padres (35-47, Previous: 23)
- Wil Myers (.327/.429/.765, 32 H, 10 2B, 11 HR, 33 RBI, 25 R)
- Drew Pomeranz (5 GS, 3-2, 3.30 ERA, 10 BB, 33 K, 30.0 IP)
Last Week: 2-3
The San Diego Padres may not be a contender, but they're getting plenty of attention on the national scene with a roster full of potential trade chips.
Wil Myers (.888 OPS, 18 2B, 19 HR, 57 RBI) and Drew Pomeranz (7-7, 2.65 ERA, 109 K, 95.0 IP) are atop that list of trade targets if they are in fact made available, and their status will be monitored closely in the weeks to come.
The team already pulled the trigger on one trade, as it sent closer Fernando Rodney to the Miami Marlins last week. In exchange, the Padres received right-hander Chris Paddack, whom I recognized as a prospect on the rise in my recent farm system rankings.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
20. Philadelphia Phillies (37-46, Previous: 26)
- Peter Bourjos (.410/.455/.623, 25 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 11 R)
- Jerad Eickhoff (6 GS, 3-2, 2.23 ERA, 12 BB, 33 K, 36.1 IP)
Last Week: 5-1
There's no quit in the 2016 Philadelphia Phillies—that much has become clear over the first three months of the season.
It was a rough June, as the team went 9-19 and slid down the standings after an unexpected hot start, but the Phillies were back at it last week with a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks and a series win over the Kansas City Royals.
It appears that outfielder Odubel Herrera will be headed to San Diego as the team's All-Star representative, and he's deserving of the honor. The 24-year-old has hit .301/.390/.430 on the year and transformed himself into a different hitter by raising his walk rate from 5.2 to 12.3 percent.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
19. New York Yankees (40-41, Previous: 16)
- Carlos Beltran (.366/.422/.659, 30 H, 3 2B, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 15 R)
- Michael Pineda (6 GS, 1-1, 2.75 ERA, 8 BB, 49 K, 36.0 IP)
Last Week: 3-4
Despite a 15-12 record in June, the New York Yankees are slowly slipping out of contention in the AL East, and that's good news for teams hoping to deal for one of their relief aces.
They continue their current road trip with series against the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians heading into the All-Star break. With a 17-23 road record on the year, they will need to improve away from Yankee Stadium or risk falling even further back in the standings.
They're currently in fourth place in the division, seven games out of first place and 3.5 games back, trailing six teams for the second wild-card spot.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
18. Chicago White Sox (42-40, Previous: 19)
- Jose Abreu (.306/.355/.531, 30 H, 7 2B, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 9 R)
- Chris Sale (5 GS, 4-1, 3.93 ERA, 7 BB, 33 K, 34.1 IP)
Last Week: 4-2
The Chicago White Sox have managed to pull themselves out of the downward spiral they were stuck in for a few weeks, and after a strong performance last week, they're once again over .500 on the year.
All told, they've gone 9-4 in their last 13 games, but they have actually lost two games in the AL Central standings during that span, as the red-hot Cleveland Indians simply weren't losing.
Chris Sale picked up his MLB-leading 14th win of the season last time out, and he's well on his way to becoming the team's first 20-game winner since Esteban Loaiza won 21 during the 2003 season.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
17. Pittsburgh Pirates (41-41, Previous: 17)
- Starling Marte (.345/.382/.548, 29 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 16 R)
- Jameson Taillon (5 GS, 2-1, 3.86 ERA, 5 BB, 21 K, 28.0 IP)
Last Week: 4-2
The Pittsburgh Pirates have managed to briefly right the ship with a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics, but there are some legitimate questions about the team's chances of contending for a playoff spot this season.
A 5-18 stretch of games brought those concerns to the forefront, and even after going 7-2 in their last nine games, the starting rotation is still far from a sure thing going forward.
After ranking fifth in the majors with a 3.53 starter's ERA last season, they've slipped to 20th in that category this season with a 4.73 ERA and just 37 quality starts.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
16. Miami Marlins (45-39, Previous: 11)
- Justin Bour (.317/.411/.651, 20 H, 3 2B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 14 R)
- Jose Fernandez (4 GS, 2-1, 1.67 ERA, 5 BB, 42 K, 27.0 IP)
Last Week: 2-4
For the second time this season, the Miami Marlins looked to be charging toward a spot inside the top 10 of these rankings, only to slide back down just before breaking that barrier.
A series loss to the Detroit Tigers and a split of their four-game series with the Atlanta Braves was enough to knock the Marlins down five spots, but the month of June as a whole was a relatively successful one, as they went 14-13 with a plus-10 run differential.
With the injury to Clayton Kershaw and recent struggles of Jake Arrieta, ace Jose Fernandez has to be in the mix to start for the NL side in the All-Star Game. He's gone 10-4 with a 2.69 ERA, 1.027 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 100.1 innings.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
15. Kansas City Royals (43-38, Previous: 14)
- Kendrys Morales (.402/.453/.655, 35 H, 7 2B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 15 R)
- Danny Duffy (6 GS, 3-1, 3.25 ERA, 9 BB, 45 K, 36.0 IP)
Last Week: 4-3
The Kansas City Royals looked poised to climb a few spots in the rankings after taking three of four from the St. Louis Cardinals, but a series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend sent them in the other direction.
Kendrys Morales was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in June with a .402 average, 1.108 OPS and 18 RBI in 24 games. He's come a long way since a rough April, in which he hit just .226 with a .637 OPS.
It will be interesting to see what the Royals do to try to upgrade their roster at the trade deadline. They could certainly use help in the starting rotation, and a stopgap replacement for Mike Moustakas at third base could also be on the shopping list.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
14. Houston Astros (43-39, Previous: 13)
- Jose Altuve (.420/.492/.620, 42 H, 6 2B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 19 R)
- Will Harris (11 G, 7/7 SV, 1.64 ERA, 2 BB, 8 K, 11.0 IP)
Last Week: 4-2
After an inauspicious start to the season, the Houston Astros played as well as anyone during the month of June, going 18-8 with a plus-47 run differential.
While they remain 8.5 games back in the AL West standings, they are currently just one game removed from the second AL wild-card spot, and their stock is certainly trending in the right direction.
The entire pitching staff was vastly improved, as its 3.11 team ERA trailed only the Cleveland Indians (2.42) for the month.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
13. Seattle Mariners (43-39, Previous: 18)
- Nelson Cruz (.269/.331/.593, 29 H, 5 2B, 10 HR, 18 RBI, 19 R)
- Edwin Diaz (12 G, 5 HLD, 2.03 ERA, 5 BB, 23 K, 13.1 IP)
Last Week: 5-1
The Seattle Mariners have looked like bona fide contenders at times this season, and that was certainly the case over the weekend when they swept a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles.
With that, they wrapped up their nine-game homestand at 7-2 and once again have some momentum heading into series with the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals to close out the first half of the season.
The All-Star break also brings the expected return of ace Felix Hernandez from a calf injury, and he drew rave reviews from manager Scott Servais following a bullpen session on Friday.
"I thought it was outstanding. As good as I've seen him throw the ball at any point this year, including spring training. It was that fresh and clean," Servais told reporters, including Brent Stecker of 710 ESPN Seattle.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
12. Toronto Blue Jays (45-39, Previous: 12)
- Josh Donaldson (.368/.487/.705, 6 2B, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 26 R)
- Aaron Sanchez (6 GS, 4-0, 2.72 ERA, 11 BB, 38 K, 39.2 IP)
Last Week: 4-3
The Toronto Blue Jays stepped in front of a runaway freight train and lived to tell about it, snapping the Cleveland Indians' 14-game winning streak on Saturday and picking up another win against them on Sunday to split a four-game series.
Marcus Stroman continues to struggle, as he pitched to a 7.76 ERA in five starts last month, but the rest of the starting rotation has rounded into form. The one-two punch of Marco Estrada and Aaron Sanchez has quietly been among the best in baseball.
Looking to the bullpen, veteran Jason Grilli has been a terrific addition, as he's posted a 2.31 ERA and 16.2 K/9 with four holds in 13 appearances since being acquired from the Atlanta Braves at the end of May.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
11. Boston Red Sox (44-37, Previous: 10)
- Xander Bogaerts (.324/.377/.438, 34 H, 3 2B, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 17 R)
- Steven Wright (5 GS, 3-1, 1.62 ERA, 13 BB, 23 K, 33.1 IP)
Last Week: 3-3
The Boston Red Sox have looked like a juggernaut when their offense is clicking on all cylinders, but a lack of consistent starting pitching remains a prevalent Achilles' heel.
That weakness was exploited a good deal in June, as they went 10-16 and posted a 4.88 ERA for the month, recording a minus-16 run differential despite the aforementioned offensive attack.
The hope was that Eduardo Rodriguez could give the starting rotation a shot in the arm after missing time early with a knee injury. Instead, he's gone 1-3 with an 8.59 ERA in six starts since coming off the disabled list, including a shellacking his last time out in which he allowed 11 hits and nine earned runs in 2.2 innings.
The trade market is relatively thin on quality starting pitching, but the Red Sox have to add someone.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
10. Detroit Tigers (44-38, Previous: 15)
- Miguel Cabrera (.292/.359/.513, 33 H, 7 2B, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 16 R)
- Michael Fulmer (5 GS, 3-1, 0.61 ERA, 13 BB, 24 K, 29.2 IP)
Last Week: 6-0
When the Detroit Tigers are at their best, the starting rotation is pitching well enough to back one of the most dangerous offensive attacks in baseball. In other words: They have the look of a serious contender.
They have been involved in a sweep in each of their past four series, coming out on top in three of those, including two last week against the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays.
However, the time they were swept was against the division-rival Cleveland Indians two weeks ago, and they remain 5.5 games back in the AL Central standings.
The Tigers and Indians square off again this coming week in Cleveland, with Daniel Norris, Anibal Sanchez and Michael Fulmer scheduled to take the ball for the Tigers in that series.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
9. St. Louis Cardinals (43-38, Previous: 8)
- Matt Carpenter (.349/.491/.663, 29 H, 9 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 18 R)
- Carlos Martinez (5 GS, 2-0, 1.31 ERA, 10 BB, 23 K, 34.1 IP)
Last Week: 4-3
The St. Louis Cardinals managed to sweep the Milwaukee Brewers at home over the weekend, and that's no small feat, considering how much they've struggled at home this season.
While they've gone an impressive 25-15 with a plus-74 run differential on the road, they're just 18-23 at Busch Stadium after being one of the best home teams in baseball a year ago.
The big news two weeks ago was the removal of a struggling Trevor Rosenthal from the closer's role and his replacement, Seung-hwan Oh, who subsequently nailed down his first two save chances over the weekend.
A 33-year-old rookie who made the move over from the Japanese League in the offseason, Oh has been one of the best relievers in baseball with a 1.71 ERA, 0.905 WHIP and 12.2 K/9.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
8. Baltimore Orioles (47-34, Previous: 4)
- Jonathan Schoop (.355/.402/.607, 38 H, 12 2B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 26 R)
- Zach Britton (12 G, 9/9 SV, 0.00 ERA, 4 BB, 14 K, 12.1 IP)
Last Week: 2-4
Being swept in a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners to close out last week costs the Baltimore Orioles a few spots in the rankings, but they still hold a three-game lead atop the AL East standings.
It was another tough week for the starting rotation last week, as it combined for a 7.76 ERA and tallied just two quality starts in six games.
Amid the dominant offensive performances and questionable starting pitching, closer Zach Britton has flown under the radar, but he's having a phenomenal season.
The 28-year-old is a perfect 23-of-23 on save chances with a 0.80 ERA, 0.772 WHIP and a 41-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 33.2 innings. His sinker continues to be nothing short of dominant, and he's allowed a grand total of four fly balls all season.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
7. New York Mets (44-37, Previous: 9)
- Yoenis Cespedes (.315/.374/.494, 28 H, 4 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R)
- Jeurys Familia (13 G, 10/10 SV, 0.69 ERA, 6 BB, 14 K, 13.0 IP)
Last Week: 4-3
The New York Mets laid an egg against the rival Washington Nationals at the start of last week, as they were swept in a three-game series, but they bounced back in a big way to sweep a four-game series from the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Outfield prospect Brandon Nimmo has provided a nice spark since being called up a few weeks ago, going 8-for-29 with one home run, four RBI and five runs scored.
"This is the big leagues and this is what I've worked for my whole life," Nimmo told reporters (via MLB.com) after hitting his first career home run on Friday. "I'm just having so much fun and enjoying it, especially these last two days, getting these wins and helping contribute."
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
6. Los Angeles Dodgers (47-37, Previous: 6)
- Corey Seager (.343/.409/.676, 35 H, 8 2B, 8 HR, 13 RBI, 20 R)
- Clayton Kershaw (5 GS, 4-1, 2.36 ERA, 4 BB, 40 K, 34.1 IP)
Last Week: 6-1
The Los Angeles Dodgers took advantage of a favorable week on the schedule, picked up series wins against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies and pulled within five games of the San Francisco Giants in the process.
However, the big story last week was ace Clayton Kershaw being placed on the disabled list with mild disk herniation in his back.
"The training staff says he's responded well," manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Jack Baer of MLB.com. "Feels better after getting the epidural. As far as timeline to come back, we don't know."
That injury was reason enough for the team to pull the trigger on acquiring veteran starter Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves, and he threw six shutout innings in his Dodgers debut. Brandon McCarthy has also rejoined the staff, throwing five scoreless innings on Sunday in his first appearance since April 25 of last season.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
5. Washington Nationals (50-33, Previous: 7)
- Wilson Ramos (.364/.414/.636, 32 H, 6 2B, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R)
- Max Scherzer (6 GS, 4-2, 1.96 ERA, 7 BB, 58 K, 41.1 IP)
Last Week: 6-1
The Washington Nationals extended their NL East lead to five games last week, sweeping the rival New York Mets and taking three of four from the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.
Stephen Strasburg returned from the disabled list on Sunday, and in his first start since June 15, he threw 6.2 hitless innings before being pulled with a pitch count of 109.
"I understand where he's coming from,'' Strasburg told reporters (via ESPN.com) of manager Dusty Baker's decision to pull him from the no-hitter. "There's more important things, hopefully, down the road for this team."
Unfortunately, just as Strasburg is returning to the mix, right-hander Joe Ross was placed on the disabled list after he allowed 10 hits and four earned runs in 5.1 innings on Saturday and showed decreased velocity.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
4. Chicago Cubs (51-30, Previous: 2)
- Anthony Rizzo (.378/.467/.744, 34 H, 9 2B, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 16 R)
- Jon Lester (6 GS, 4-0, 1.41 ERA, 7 BB, 44 K, 44.2 IP)
Last Week: 3-4
At least the Chicago Cubs get to play the Cincinnati Reds again this week.
The Cubs are now 9-1 with a plus-55 run differential against the Reds after sweeping them again last week, but the weekend series that followed with the New York Mets was a rough one.
They were outscored 32-11 in the four-game sweep, with Jason Hammel (4.0 IP, 9 H, 10 ER) and Jon Lester (1.1 IP, 9 H, 8 ER) both turning in their worst starts of the year.
With that, the Cubs are now 4-10 in their last 14 games, and if anyone needs the chance to rest and reboot over the All-Star weekend, it's this team.
Not that the Cubs will get much of a break, though, with five players slated to start and at least one more in Jake Arrieta likely to earn a place on the roster.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
3. Texas Rangers (52-31, Previous: 3)
- Ian Desmond (.358/.423/.596, 39 H, 5 2B, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R)
- Cole Hamels (6 GS, 4-0, 1.51 ERA, 15 BB, 35 K, 41.2 IP)
Last Week: 3-4
It is hard to move the Texas Rangers higher than the No. 3 spot last week after injuries to Derek Holland and Colby Lewis left them scrambling to piece together the starting rotation.
Those concerns weren't alleviated by a pair of rocky outings from Chi Chi Gonzalez, and they spend another week slotted at No. 3 as a result.
This is a Rangers team with the talent to win it all once it is back to full strength, and it will be interesting to see what the team does at the trade deadline as an organization that has never shied away from the big move.
The farm system remains among the best in baseball, and the Rangers have a wealth of position-player prospects who would no doubt interest more than a few rebuilding clubs with veteran assets.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
2. San Francisco Giants (52-32, Previous: 1)
- Brandon Belt (.320/.384/.600, 32 H, 13 2B, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R)
- Madison Bumgarner (6 GS, 3-2, 2.34 ERA, 7 BB, 43 K, 42.1 IP)
Last Week: 3-4
After an impressive charge to claim the No. 1 spot in these rankings for the first time last week, the San Francisco Giants were unable to remain atop the MLB totem pole after a subpar performance last week.
They dropped three of four in a home-and-home series with the Oakland Athletics but were able to bounce back with a series win over the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
The biggest issue for the Giants right now is injuries.
Hunter Pence, Joe Panik and Matt Duffy are all currently on the disabled list, and Denard Span, Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco have all been banged up as well.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
1. Cleveland Indians (49-32, Previous: 5)
- Tyler Naquin (.338/.434/.785, 22 H, 5 2B, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 12 R)
- Danny Salazar (5 GS, 5-0, 1.91 ERA, 15 BB, 35 K, 33.0 IP)
Last Week: 5-2
The Cleveland Indians managed to run their winning streak to 14 games before losing back-to-back contests to the Toronto Blue Jays to close out the week.
All told, they went 22-6 with a plus-68 run differential in June, posting an MLB-best 2.42 ERA and averaging 5.11 runs per game offensively.
The starting rotation was always the team's biggest strength, and the recent emergence of Trevor Bauer has only made the Indians that much more dangerous.
In six June starts, Bauer went 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA, 0.940 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings.
That is enough for them to storm to the No. 1 spot in these rankings, as the teams above them struggled through mediocre weeks, and they have continued to flash the dominant pitching and consistent offense to be an elite team.
Hitter of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
All standard and advanced stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. Team statistics accurate through Sunday, July 3. Hitter and Pitcher of the Month stats reflect games played from Wednesday, June 1 through Thursday, June 30.