MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After 10 Weeks
Even with 10 weeks of the 2021 MLB season in the books, there is still shuffling to be done up and down our power rankings on a weekly basis.
How far did the New York Yankees fall after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox? Where do the three NL West contenders fall as they continue to jockey for position? Were the Tampa Bay Rays unseated from the No. 1 spot?
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. Arizona Diamondbacks (20-41)
Previous Rank: 29
The D-backs are 3-22 with a minus-60 run differential in their last 25 games, putting them a staggering 18 games back in the NL West standings. It's only a matter of time before the vultures start circling their roster. After missing time early, Ketel Marte is hitting .382/.417/.607 in 96 plate appearances, and he could be a game-changing addition to a contender's roster this summer.
29. Texas Rangers (23-38)
Previous Rank: 25
The Rangers have struggled to a 9-23 record on the road this year, and that includes a three-game sweep against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field last week. They managed to steal a win from the first-place Tampa Bay Rays on Friday with ace Kyle Gibson on the mound, and he's now 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 11 starts.
28. Colorado Rockies (24-36)
Previous Rank: 28
The Rockies matched a season-high four-game winning streak last week with a sweep of the Rangers, but they dropped two of three against the Oakland Athletics over the weekend. Former top prospect Brendan Rodgers went 5-for-7 with a home run in the series against Oakland, and he'll continue to get a long look at shortstop with Trevor Story on the injured list.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (23-35)
Previous Rank: 27
After missing two months with a wrist injury, Ke'Bryan Hayes finally returned to action last week, and he went 7-for-18 with a double, triple and home run in his first four games back. Colin Moran was also activated from the injured list on Sunday, and those two big bats will go a long way in anchoring the Pittsburgh lineup. The Pirates took three of four from the Miami Marlins to close out the week on a high note.
26. Washington Nationals (24-32)
Previous Rank: 26
With a 3-4 showing against the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies last week, the Nationals are now 9-13 against the rest of the NL East. It's going to be a long season if they can't use those in-division games to make up ground in the standings. Trea Turner and Juan Soto are once again being asked to shoulder too much of the offensive load with an inconsistent lineup around them.
Nos. 25-21
2 of 10
25. Minnesota Twins (24-35)
Previous Rank: 24
At some point in the next few weeks, the Twins are going to need to string together some wins if they have any hope of climbing back into contention. A series loss to the Baltimore Orioles and a four-game split with the Kansas City Royals was simply more sub-.500 water treading. If that hot stretch doesn't come, upcoming free agents Nelson Cruz and Michael Pineda could be on the move at the deadline.
24. Baltimore Orioles (21-38)
Previous Rank: 30
After an ugly 5-23 record in May that included a 14-game losing streak to close out the month, the Orioles have begun June with a 4-1 record and a pair of series wins over Minnesota and Cleveland. That's enough for them to at least temporarily leapfrog some of the other bottom-tier teams. Ryan Mountcastle is hitting .309/.333/.582 with seven home runs and 23 RBI in his last 30 games.
23. Miami Marlins (25-34)
Previous Rank: 18
The Marlins were knocking on the door of a winning record when a 9-6 victory over the Phillies on May 24 moved them to 23-24 on the year, but they have now gone 2-9 in their last 11 games. With six innings of four-hit, two-run ball on Saturday, rookie Trevor Rogers is now 6-3 with a 1.97 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 68.2 innings.
22. Detroit Tigers (24-35)
Previous Rank: 20
The Tigers quietly went 14-13 with a plus-three run differential in May, and despite what the record indicates, this is a better team than most expected it to be. Rookies Casey Mize (7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 6 K) and Tarik Skubal (5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 11 K) both looked sharp again last week, and 28-year-old catcher Eric Haase has now slugged seven home runs in 74 plate appearances.
21. Los Angeles Angels (28-32)
Previous Rank: 23
The Angels are 8-5 in their last 13 games after series splits with the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners last week, and slowly but surely the pitching staff is rounding into form, though it is still far from a strength. A home series against the Kansas City Royals and a road trip to take on the last-place Diamondbacks gives them a chance to build some momentum.
Nos. 20-16
3 of 10
20. Philadelphia Phillies (28-30)
Previous Rank: 21
The Phillies are 11-19 on the road, which means they'll need to make the most of their current homestand against the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees before heading west to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in two weeks. Bryce Harper returned on Saturday from a trip to the injured list with a bruised left wrist.
19. Seattle Mariners (30-31)
Previous Rank: 16
The Mariners finished the month of May on a high note with a five-game winning streak and seven wins in eight games, but they are just 2-4 to start June after splitting a four-game series with the Angels over the weekend. Top prospect Jarred Kelenic is headed back to the minors after going 0-for-15 with nine strikeouts last week, and 8-for-83 with four extra-base hits overall.
18. Atlanta Braves (28-29)
Previous Rank: 19
The Braves have won or split each of their last four series, taking two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend when they beat Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer in consecutive games. Rookie Tucker Davidson allowed one hit in 5.2 scoreless innings in his second start of the year on Thursday, and he has a chance to be an X-factor in the rotation the rest of the way.
17. Cincinnati Reds (28-29)
Previous Rank: 22
Don't sleep on this Reds team. After a four-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis, they are once again on the doorstep of a .500 record, and the wide-open nature of the NL Central means they are just four games out of first place. Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker are the most productive one-two punch in baseball right now, the bullpen is rounding into form, and struggling ace Luis Castillo just tossed six innings of three-hit, one-run ball on Friday.
16. Kansas City Royals (29-29)
Previous Rank: 17
The Royals went 6-3 during a nine-game stretch against the Twins and Pirates, and they matched a season high with 14 runs on Friday. Danny Duffy is working his way back from a minor forearm injury, and hard-throwing reliever Josh Staumont returned from his own injured list stint last week. This team remains a dark-horse contender and currently sits three games back in the AL wild-card standings.
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Nos. 15-11
4 of 10
15. New York Yankees (31-29)
Previous Rank: 13
Nothing sparks an outpouring of frustration from Yankees fans like being swept by the rival Boston Red Sox. The Yankees rank 27th in the majors with 3.72 runs per game, and it appears we've crossed over from "The offense is going to be fine" to "How do we fix the broken offense?" after this past weekend's struggles. Is this team good enough to justify buying aggressively at the trade deadline? That's a big question that will need to be answered in the coming weeks.
14. St. Louis Cardinals (31-29)
Previous Rank: 6
The Cardinals have lost five in a row and seven of eight entering play on Tuesday, and they have slipped from first to third in the NL Central standings. With Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty and Kwang Hyun Kim all on the injured list, the starting rotation is running on fumes. Luckily, with built-in off days on Monday and Thursday this week, they can get by with four starters and a deep bullpen for the time being.
13. Cleveland (31-26)
Previous Rank: 14
Since a 21-14 start to the year, Cleveland is 10-12 with a minus-34 run differential. They looked poised to climb after taking two of three from the White Sox at the start of last week, only to lose two of three to the Orioles over the weekend. Pitching is going to keep this team relevant, but a lack of offensive consistency could be its undoing.
12. Toronto Blue Jays (30-27)
Previous Rank: 12
It feels like this Blue Jays team is right on the cusp of being really good. They won three straight series before dropping two of three to the Astros over the weekend, and now they face a tough test on the road with three games against the White Sox and four with the Red Sox this week. If they hold their own, this could be a top-10 team next week.
11. Houston Astros (33-26)
Previous Rank: 15
The Astros lead the majors in team OPS (.766) and runs scored per game (5.31), which has helped them post a plus-69 run differential. Series wins over the Red Sox and Blue Jays last week have them once again knocking on the door for a top-10 ranking. Rookie right-hander Luis Garcia (12 G, 10 GS, 5-3, 2.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 68 K, 59 IP) is not getting enough attention nationally.
Nos. 10-6
5 of 10
10. New York Mets (29-23)
Previous Rank: 10
With an 8-3 record in their last 11 games, the Mets have solidified their place atop the NL East standings while continuing to deal with injuries up and down the roster. Catcher James McCann is hitting .367/.387/.867 with three doubles and four home runs in his last eight games, and he has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting offensively.
9. Oakland Athletics (35-26)
Previous Rank: 11
The Athletics are 18-9 on the road after series wins over the Mariners and Rockies away from RingCentral Coliseum last week, but they have been a .500 team with a minus-28 run differential at home. They will welcome the D-backs, Royals and Angels to town over the next two weeks with a prime opportunity to reverse that trend. Sean Manaea threw a four-hit shutout on Wednesday, and he has a 1.69 ERA over his last four starts.
8. San Diego Padres (37-25)
Previous Rank: 3
The Padres have been limited to four or fewer runs in each of their last eight games, going 2-6 during that stretch. If that trend continues, they will need to consider adding a bat ahead of the trade deadline, with a corner outfielder looking like the most logical addition. This team has an MLB-best 2.87 ERA behind a stellar six-man staff and a lights-out bullpen, so it can focus on improving the offense.
7. Los Angeles Dodgers (34-25)
Previous Rank: 7
With a 4-7 record in their last 11 games, the Dodgers have stumbled once again after rattling off a 12-1 stretch that sent them climbing back up the rankings. Starter Tony Gonsolin and reliever Brusdar Graterol are working their way back from injury at Triple-A Oklahoma City, and Gonsolin is expected to return to the MLB rotation on Wednesday, so reinforcement is on the way.
6. Chicago Cubs (33-27)
Previous Rank: 8
The Cubs ran their streak to six straight series wins last week with a three-game sweep of the Padres at Wrigley Field. However, they dropped three of four to the San Francisco Giants to close out the week, which keeps them from climbing any higher for the time being. Patrick Wisdom has provided an unexpected spark offensively, while rookie right-hander Adbert Alzolay has been the team's best starter of late.
Nos. 5-1
6 of 10
5. Milwaukee Brewers (33-26)
Previous Rank: 9
The Brewers are on a roll with a 9-1 record in their last 10 games. Brandon Woodruff (1.42 ERA, 92 K, 76 IP), Corbin Burnes (1.97 ERA, 94 K, 59.1 IP) and Freddy Peralta (2.25 ERA, 92 K, 64 IP) give the rotation a trio of starters that rivals any in baseball. This team will go as far as the pitching staff carries it, and that could be all the way to a division title.
4. Boston Red Sox (37-23)
Previous Rank: 5
The Red Sox have not lost more than three consecutive games all season, and they rebounded from losing three in a row to the Astros early last week with a three-game sweep of the rival Yankees. After tossing 7.2 scoreless innings on Thursday, Martin Perez has a 3.09 ERA in 58.1 innings, and the better-than-expected rotation has four starters with a sub-4.00 ERA.
3. Chicago White Sox (36-23)
Previous Rank: 2
With Lucas Giolito rounding into form and Liam Hendriks pitching lights-out at the back of the bullpen, the White Sox pitching staff is helping pick up the slack for an offense that has been limited to three or fewer runs 25 times in 59 games. The return of Adam Engel helps provide some much-needed depth to the outfield contingent. A series loss to Cleveland bumps them down a spot, but this is still one of baseball's top-tier teams.
2. San Francisco Giants (37-22)
Previous Rank: 4
The Giants are 9-3 with a plus-23 run differential since being swept by the rival Dodgers on May 23, and they took three of four from a red-hot Cubs team this past weekend. Mike Yastrzemski (thumb) and Evan Longoria (shoulder) both went on the injured list last week, joining Brandon Belt (oblique) and Darin Ruf (hamstring), who went down the week before. As long as the pitching staff stays healthy and productive, they should be able to weather the storm.
1. Tampa Bay Rays (38-23)
Previous Rank: 1
After a four-game split with the Yankees and a series win over the Rangers last week, the Rays did nothing to lose their hold on the No. 1 spot. Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough threw the team's first complete game in 731 games when he allowed six hits and two earned runs while throwing 113 pitches on Thursday. Circle that June 14-16 series against the White Sox in Chicago on your calendars now.
Complete Rankings
7 of 10
Complete Rankings
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Boston Red Sox
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Chicago Cubs
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. San Diego Padres
9. Oakland Athletics
10. New York Mets
11. Houston Astros
12. Toronto Blue Jays
13. Cleveland
14. St. Louis Cardinals
15. New York Yankees
16. Kansas City Royals
17. Cincinnati Reds
18. Atlanta Braves
19. Seattle Mariners
20. Philadelphia Phillies
21. Los Angeles Angels
22. Detroit Tigers
23. Miami Marlins
24. Baltimore Orioles
25. Minnesota Twins
26. Washington Nationals
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Texas Rangers
30. Arizona Diamondbacks
Highlight of the Week: Lourdes Gurriel Throws a STRIKE from Left Field
8 of 10
Houston Astros center fielder Myles Straw is one of the fastest players in baseball.
Maybe that's why he thought he could easily score from second on a base hit to left field by Jose Altuve in Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Unfortunately for him, left field is where Lourdes Gurriel Jr. lives.
Gurriel had seven outfield assists in 51 games last year, including a memorable heave from the warning track to nail a runner at home that was reminiscent of a similar play from Yoenis Cespedes years earlier.
His throw to cut down Straw was an absolute seed, further bolstering his case for having one of the best outfield arms in the sport.
Maybe Straw will listen next time Carlos Correa tells him to slide.
Team of the Week
9 of 10
C Eric Haase, DET
(7-for-16, 2B, 5 HR, 7 RBI)
1B Ryan Mountcastle, BAL
(11-for-24, 3 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI)
2B Ozzie Albies, ATL
(11-for-28, 6 2B, 10 RBI)
3B Patrick Wisdom, CHC
(10-for-23, 2B, 6 HR, 9 RBI)
SS J.P. Crawford, SEA
(10-for-27, 5 2B, HR, 5 RBI)
OF Cedric Mullins, BAL
(13-for-24, 2 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 4 RBI)
OF Andrew Benintendi, KC
(9-for-24, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI)
OF Jesse Winker, CIN
(8-for-22, 4 HR, 8 RBI)
DH Austin Meadows, TB
(10-for-30, 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI)
SP Jacob deGrom, NYM
(2 GS, 2 W, 13.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 19 K)
SP Corbin Burnes, MIL
(2 GS, W, ND, 13.0 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 20 K)
SP Sean Manaea, OAK
(1 GS, W, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)
SP Zack Greinke, HOU
(1 GS, W, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)
SP Rich Hill, TB
(2 GS, 2 W, 10.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K)
RP Liam Hendriks, CWS
(3 G, W, 2/2 SV, 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
Award Rankings
10 of 10
AL MVP
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
2. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
3. Xander Bogaerts, BOS
NL MVP
1. Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL
2. Nick Castellanos, CIN
3. Kris Bryant, CHC
AL Cy Young
1. Gerrit Cole, NYY
2. John Means, BAL
3. Tyler Glasnow, TB
NL Cy Young
1. Jacob deGrom, NYM
2. Brandon Woodruff, MIL
3. Kevin Gausman, SF
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Adolis Garcia, TEX
2. Casey Mize, DET
3. Luis Garcia, HOU
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Trevor Rogers, MIA
2. Dylan Carlson, STL
3. Adbert Alzolay, CHC
Stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
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