MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand at the Start of June
Another week, another new No. 1 team in our MLB power rankings.
The red-hot Tampa Bay Rays climbed to No. 2 last week behind the San Diego Padres, while the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees were also both playing well enough to be in the "best team in baseball" conversation.
Which of those teams has now taken up residence atop the rankings?
As you dig in to this latest update, remember that this is all about performance rather than potential and future outlook.
If a team is winning, it's going to climb the rankings. If a team is losing, a slide is inevitable. The beauty of this exercise is that it's a fluid process that will continue to change.
Off we go.
Statistics and analysis reflect action through Sunday's games. Records include Monday's results.
Nos. 30-26
1 of 10
30. Baltimore Orioles (17-37)
Previous Rank: 29
The Orioles wrapped up a disastrous 0-10 road trip on Sunday, running their losing streak to 13 games in the process. Bright spots have been few and far between, but at least Trey Mancini (140 OPS+, 11 HR, 42 RBI) and John Means (11 GS, 2.05 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 68 K, 70.1 IP) have been two of the best players in the American League.
29. Arizona Diamondbacks (19-36)
Previous Rank: 28
The D-backs snapped a 13-game losing streak with a 9-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, and at this point, it's hard to believe this team was above .500 when the calendar flipped to May. After a 13-for-22 week at the plate, 2017 first-round pick Pavin Smith is now hitting .289/.337/.447 with 19 extra-base hits while also providing some valuable defensive versatility.
28. Colorado Rockies (20-34)
Previous Rank: 26
The Rockies were shut out three times last week and outscored by 14 runs in series losses to the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. To make matters worse, star shortstop Trevor Story was placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation, though that will open the door for former top prospect Brendan Rodgers to see regular time at his natural position.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (20-33)
Previous Rank: 30
A series win over an equally awful Rockies team was enough to boost the Pirates a few spots in the rankings, but it's unlikely they'll be moving off this first slide any time soon. One of the enduring lowlights of the 2021 Pirates will be first baseman Will Craig inexplicably chasing Javier Baez in a rundown between home plate and first base while a run scores rather than just stepping on the bag to end the inning.
26. Washington Nationals (21-29)
Previous Rank: 21
The Nationals had clawed their way back to three games under .500 with a sweep of the Orioles two weeks ago, but after a 1-5 showing last week, they are once again facing a wide gap to escape the NL East cellar. Last week, I suggested moving Josh Harrison, who is hitting .324 with runners in scoring position, up to the No. 3 spot in the batting order. Something needs to be done to shake things up.
Nos. 25-21
2 of 10
25. Texas Rangers (22-33)
Previous Rank: 20
Last week, I called the Rangers season a "roller coaster" as they shook off a 1-9 stretch with a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros to climb to No. 20 in the rankings. It appears we've arrived at another dip in the track as a 0-6 week sends them tumbling once again.
24. Minnesota Twins (22-31)
Previous Rank: 27
With a 7-3 record in their last 10 games entering play on Monday, the Twins are showing some signs of life after a brief stay in the No. 30 spot. Slugger Nelson Cruz and Jorge Polanco both returned to action last week, but they were replaced on the IL by Luis Arraez and Max Kepler as injuries continue to be a drain on the roster.
23. Los Angeles Angels (24-30)
Previous Rank: 25
A two-game sweep of the Rangers and a four-game split with Oakland was enough for the Angels to climb a few spots. Alex Cobb had his best start in an Angels uniform on Saturday, allowing three hits in seven shutout innings against the Athletics, and Shohei Ohtani (6.0 IP, 3 ER) and Griffin Canning (6.0 IP, 3 ER) also put together quality starts for a staff that has not gotten much length out of its starters this year.
22. Cincinnati Reds (24-28)
Previous Rank: 23
Nick Castellanos (176 OPS+, 12 HR, 31 RBI) and Jesse Winker (172 OPS+, 13 HR, 29 RBI) rank third and fourth, respectively, among NL OPS+ leaders. With those offensive weapons, pitching is the biggest question mark for a Reds team that is still alive in a wide-open NL Central. It was a promising sign to see Vladimir Gutierrez throw five innings of two-hit, one-run ball in his MLB debut.
21. Philadelphia Phillies (25-29)
Previous Rank: 19
With two blown saves and a pair of losses, the Phillies bullpen was once again an issue last week, undermining a solid showing from the starting rotation. They enter the week just four games back in third place in the NL East, so despite their sub-.500 record, they are still a viable contender if they can get things sorted out at the end of games.
Nos. 20-16
3 of 10
20. Detroit Tigers (22-32)
Previous Rank: 24
After three straight weeks in the No. 30 spot, the Tigers have steadily climbed the rankings over the last three weeks thanks to a 12-7 record and a plus-14 run differential during that span. The worst rotation in baseball a year ago with a 6.37 ERA, the Tigers young staff ranks 12th in the majors with a 3.77 ERA after another strong week from Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Spencer Turnbull.
19. Atlanta Braves (25-26)
Previous Rank: 18
With off days on Monday and Thursday and a pair of rainouts against the New York Mets on Friday and Sunday, the Braves only ended up playing three games last week. One of the most disappointing teams in baseball relative to preseason expectations, there is still time to right the ship; they sit in second place in the NL East standings despite a sub-.500 record.
18. Miami Marlins (24-28)
Previous Rank: 17
The Marlins have been much better at home (12-12, +17 RD) than on the road (12-16, -7 RD), and they'll look to buck that trend with seven games remaining on their current road trip that began with consecutive losses at Fenway Park. One of these days, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Starling Marte are both going to be healthy at the same time, and the top of the lineup is going to be dangerous.
17. Kansas City Royals (26-26)
Previous Rank: 16
Since suffering through an 11-game losing streak at the beginning of May, the Royals are once again hovering around the .500 mark after taking two of three from the Twins over the weekend. With series against the Pirates, Twins and Angels coming up, they have a golden opportunity to make up some of the ground they lost during that skid.
16. Seattle Mariners (28-27)
Previous Rank: 22
There are inevitably going to be some ups and downs as the Mariners continue to shuffle in-house veterans and rising prospects to find a roster that works. They followed up a 0-6 performance two weeks ago with a 6-1 record last week, and that has them knocking on the door for a spot in the upper half of the rankings once again.
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Nos. 15-11
4 of 10
15. Houston Astros (29-24)
Previous Rank: 9
Since briefly climbing to the top of the AL West standings by a half-game on May 20, the Astros have lost a pair of series and split a quick two-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They managed to avoid a sweep with a 7-4 victory on Sunday over the Padres, but this team is trending in the wrong direction. Things won't get any easier with four games against the Boston Red Sox followed by a nine-game road trip.
14. Cleveland (29-24)
Previous Rank: 13
With slugger Franmil Reyes on the injured list, Cleveland continues to search for answers offensively, and Harold Ramirez is the latest player tasked with helping Jose Ramirez and Eddie Rosario shoulder some of the run-production load. A big four-game series against the Chicago White Sox awaits this week, and that will be a good litmus test of where things currently stand in the AL Central.
13. New York Yankees (29-25)
Previous Rank: 4
The Yankees entered last week riding a six-game winning streak with a 12-3 record in their last 15 games. Another strong week would have put them in the conversation for the No. 1 spot. Instead, they dropped two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays before getting swept by the Tigers over the weekend. As has often been the case when they've struggled this year, Gerrit Cole was the only starter who completed six innings.
12. Toronto Blue Jays (27-25)
Previous Rank: 15
The Blue Jays snapped a six-game losing streak on Tuesday and picked up series wins over the Yankees and Cleveland on the road last week. Top prospect Alek Manoah debuted with a bang on Thursday, allowing just two hits in six scoreless innings against the Yankees to pick up the win.
11. Oakland Athletics (31-25)
Previous Rank: 7
Since their 13-game winning streak in April, the Athletics have not won more than three games in a row, and they have essentially been a .500 team since that hot streak. It's still a bit difficult to know what to make of this team as far as their standing relative to other American League contenders, but after a series loss to the Mariners and a four-game split with the Angels, they fall out of the top 10 for the first time in six weeks.
Nos. 10-6
5 of 10
10. New York Mets (26-20)
Previous Rank: 11
With two more rainouts last week, the Mets are now at 11 postponements on the year, and they are set to play three doubleheaders over a seven-day span in June as a result. Navigating those breaks in the schedule and an injured list that currently stands at 16 players while still maintaining a winning record has been no small feat.
9. Milwaukee Brewers (29-25)
Previous Rank: 14
The Brewers are back in the top 10 after splitting a four-game series with the San Diego Padres before sweeping the Nationals over the weekend. Brandon Woodruff tossed 14 scoreless innings in his two starts last week, and he now sports a 1.27 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 83 strikeouts in 71 innings. With four starts and 26 more innings under his belt than Jacob deGrom, he's the current NL Cy Young favorite.
8. Chicago Cubs (30-23)
Previous Rank: 12
The Cubs have won five straight series after sweeping the Pirates in Pittsburgh and then taking two of three from the Reds at home over the weekend, all but erasing a brutal first month in the process. The starting pitching has improved, the bullpen has been lights-out, and they have successfully navigated several key injuries.
7. Los Angeles Dodgers (32-22)
Previous Rank: 3
Just when it looked like the Dodgers were poised to stake claim to the top spot once again, they took a step backward last week by losing three of four to the rival San Francisco Giants at home. It looks like the top three teams in the NL West are going to be jockeying for position all year. Getting Cody Bellinger and rookie Zach McKinstry back from the injured list on Saturday should give the Dodgers a boost.
6. St. Louis Cardinals (30-24)
Previous Rank: 10
The Cardinals won four in a row before falling to the D-backs on Sunday, and that loss came with Yadier Molina, Nolan Arenado and Tommy Edman all getting a day off. The bullpen has been extremely effective slamming the door on victories, converting 19 of 22 save chances, and the trio of Alex Reyes, Giovanny Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera should continue to shorten games.
Nos. 5-1
6 of 10
5. Boston Red Sox (32-21)
Previous Rank: 6
The Red Sox finally surrendered what had been a monopoly on the AL East division lead last week when they were overtaken by the surging Tampa Bay Rays. With two off days built into the schedule and a rained-out game against the Marlins on Sunday, they went 3-1 in a shortened week. Who's ready for the first Red Sox vs. Yankees series of the year this coming weekend?
4. San Francisco Giants (34-20)
Previous Rank: 8
One week after they were swept by the Dodgers at home, the Giants took three of four at Dodger Stadium to climb back into the top five. With two more strong starts last week, Kevin Gausman is now 6-0 with a 1.40 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 83 strikeouts in 70.2 innings. Meanwhile, Buster Posey (190 OPS+), Brandon Crawford (143 OPS+) and Evan Longoria (136 OPS+) have all found the fountain of youth offensively, and manager Gabe Kapler is doing a great job keeping those guys fresh.
3. San Diego Padres (34-21)
Previous Rank: 1
The Padres split a four-game series with the Brewers before taking two of three from the Astros, but that was not enough to hold on to the top spot. With their next 13 games consisting of two series each against the Cubs and Mets, the Padres will have an opportunity to make a statement against two of the NL's best teams. Tip of the cap to 30-year-old catcher Webster Rivas, who made his MLB debut on Friday after 11 years in the minors and then went 2-for-4 with a home run on Sunday.
2. Chicago White Sox (33-21)
Previous Rank: 5
After getting swept by the Yankees on the road two weeks ago, the White Sox bounced back to go 6-1 against the Cardinals and Orioles, outscoring their opponents 31-15 along the way. After a rocky start to the year, Lucas Giolito has strung together three straight quality starts, lowering his ERA from 4.97 to 3.73 in the process. The fact that the White Sox have been this good without him pitching like an ace for much of the year should be a scary thought for the rest of the league.
1. Tampa Bay Rays (35-20)
Previous Rank: 2
With two more series wins over the Royals and Phillies, the Rays are now 21-6 with a plus-72 run differential in the month of May. Anyone who doesn't think this is the best team in baseball right now is not paying attention. Austin Meadows is swinging a hot bat, Mike Zunino has quietly hit 12 home runs with a 155 OPS+, and the pieces have fallen into place on a pitching staff that was a work in progress over the first month with a lot of newcomers.
Complete Rankings
7 of 10
Complete Rankings
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. Chicago White Sox
3. San Diego Padres
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Boston Red Sox
6. St. Louis Cardinals
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Chicago Cubs
9. Milwaukee Brewers
10. New York Mets
11. Oakland Athletics
12. Toronto Blue Jays
13. New York Yankees
14. Cleveland
15. Houston Astros
16. Seattle Mariners
17. Kansas City Royals
18. Miami Marlins
19. Atlanta Braves
20. Detroit Tigers
21. Philadelphia Phillies
22. Cincinnati Reds
23. Los Angeles Angels
24. Minnesota Twins
25. Texas Rangers
26. Washington Nationals
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
30. Baltimore Orioles
Highlight of the Week: Mike Tauchman Robs a Walk-off HR
8 of 10Few plays in baseball register higher on the cool scale than robbing a home run.
San Francisco Giants left fielder Mike Tauchman brought one back with the game on the line Friday night, taking a potential home run away from Albert Pujols in a 5-5 game in the bottom of the ninth.
"That's probably the most fun play you can make as an outfielder," Tauchman told reporters. "You practice it as a little kid over your chain-link fence in the backyard. The opportunities are so few and far between that when you get a chance at one, it's pretty cool."
The Giants had just squandered a 5-2 lead when backup catcher Austin Barnes hit a three-run homer off reliever Tyler Rogers, and it looked like Pujols' drive might end it.
Instead, Tauchman's catch ended the inning, and the Giants scored three runs in the top of the 10th to salvage a victory.
"That was an excellent, very, very, very difficult Major League catch, up against a wall that's not easy to scale," manager Gabe Kapler told reporters. "It was obviously a game-saver, and one of the better catches we'll see all season."
Team of the Week
9 of 10
C James McCann, NYM
(6-for-17, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
1B Jose Abreu, CWS
(9-for-24, 2 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI)
2B Marcus Semien, TOR
(10-for-27, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
3B Evan Longoria, SF
(9-for-23, 2 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
SS Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
(6-for-24, 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI)
OF Tyler O'Neill, STL
(7-for-18, 3 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
OF Randal Grichuk, TOR
(10-for-26, 4 2B, HR, 3 RBI)
OF Tommy Pham, SD
(10-for-31, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
DH Austin Meadows, TB
(6-for-20, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI)
SP Brandon Woodruff, MIL
(2 GS, 2 W, 14.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 18 K)
SP Chris Bassitt, OAK
(1 GS, 1 W, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)
SP Kevin Gausman, SF
(2 GS, 2 W, 11.0 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 16 K)
SP Tyler Mahle, CIN
(2 GS, 2 W, 10.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K)
SP Lance Lynn, CWS
(2 GS, 2 W, 12.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K)
RP Liam Hendriks, CWS
(4 G, 4/4 SV, 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K)
Award Rankings
10 of 10
AL MVP
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
2. Xander Bogaerts, BOS
3. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
NL MVP
1. Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL
2. Max Muncy, LAD
3. Nick Castellanos, CIN
AL Cy Young
1. Gerrit Cole, NYY
2. John Means, BAL
3. Tyler Glasnow, TB
NL Cy Young
1. Brandon Woodruff, MIL
2. Jacob deGrom, NYM
3. Kevin Gausman, SF
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Adolis Garcia, TEX
2. Yermin Mercedes, CWS
3. Casey Mize, DET
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Trevor Rogers, MIA
2. Dylan Carlson, STL
3. Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA
Stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
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