MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After 13 Weeks
For the third week in a row, there's a new No. 1 team in our weekly MLB power rankings.
Will it be the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres or Boston Red Sox who unseat the Houston Astros to move atop the rankings?
As you dig in to this latest update, remember it 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 and things 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 (22-58)
Previous Rank: 30
The D-backs finally snapped their road losing streak at 24 games with a win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Saturday. They also beat the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, giving them two wins in the same calendar week for the first time since the week of May 10. It's a start.
29. Baltimore Orioles (25-54)
Previous Rank: 28
The Orioles were outscored by an absurd 42 runs in seven games last week, with the pitching staff surrendering double-digit runs three times and the offense shut out twice. Ryan McKenna, Domingo Leyba and Ramon Urias were all recalled from the minors before Sunday's game, while Freddy Galvis was placed on the injured list with a quad strain.
28. Colorado Rockies (32-47)
Previous Rank: 25
The Rockies suffered their fifth series sweep of the year when they dropped three in a row to the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. Trade candidate German Marquez pitched a season-high eight innings on Wednesday, allowing just two hits and one earned run to lower his ERA to 3.99 on the year. The 26-year-old has three team-friendly years left on his contract, and he could net a big return if he's made available next month.
27. Kansas City Royals (33-44)
Previous Rank: 24
The Royals won their first three games in June as part of a five-game winning streak to move to three games over .500 on the year, but they've gone just 4-17 since after series losses to the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers last week. Danny Duffy returned from the injured list last week with five strikeouts over three no-hit innings in one start and one relief appearance. Can he rebuild his stock enough to be a hot commodity at the trade deadline?
26. Texas Rangers (30-48)
Previous Rank: 29
A four-game split with the Oakland Athletics and a series win over the Rangers is enough to move the Rangers up a few spots in the rankings. Veteran Kyle Gibson allowed two hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings on Saturday, and he now has an AL-best 2.00 ERA in 90 innings of work. His team-friendly $7.7 million salary for 2022 is looking more and more valuable.
Nos. 25-21
2 of 10
25. Pittsburgh Pirates (29-48)
Previous Rank: 27
The Pirates are 6-3 with a pair of series wins since stumbling through a 10-game losing streak earlier this month, and they took three of four from the Cardinals in St. Louis over the weekend. Adam Frazier (10-for-23) and Bryan Reynolds (11-for-25) led the way at the plate last week, and both players are worthy of consideration for a spot on the NL All-Star team.
24. Minnesota Twins (33-43)
Previous Rank: 26
Pitching has been the big issue for the Twins this season. The starting rotation ranks 25th in the majors with a 4.92 ERA and the bullpen checks in at 23rd with a 4.77 ERA and 11 blown saves in 30 chances. They are 7-2 in their last nine games after taking two of three from Cleveland over the weekend, but they have a long way to go to climb back into contention.
23. Miami Marlins (33-44)
Previous Rank: 21
The Marlins are the only team in baseball with a positive run differential (plus-17) and a losing record. That would suggest they are playing better than their win-loss record indicates, but these rankings are about what teams have done, not what they have the potential to do. After a 2-4 showing last week, they slid two more spots down to No. 23.
22. St. Louis Cardinals (38-41)
Previous Rank: 20
Take away a three-game sweep of the Marlins in mid-June and the Cardinals have gone 4-17 with a minus-48 run differential this month entering play on Monday. The narrative is quickly shifting from "who can they target at the trade deadline" to "will they be sellers at the trade deadline," and their upcoming 10-game road trip could decide their season as they've struggled away from Busch Stadium.
21. Detroit Tigers (34-45)
Previous Rank: 23
The Tigers have played roughly .500 baseball since an 8-19 month of April, and they held their own in a four-game split against the Houston Astros over the weekend. The Detroit rotation ranks 17th in the majors with a 4.03 ERA with rookies Casey Mize (88.1 IP, 3.46 ERA) and Tarik Skubal (77.2 IP, 4.06 ERA) leading the way. The future is bright, and the present is better than a lot of people realize.
Nos. 20-16
3 of 10
20. Los Angeles Angels (38-40)
Previous Rank: 17
The Angels have poked their heads up above the .500 mark a few times this month, but they can't seem to build any sort of momentum toward legitimate contention. They went 1-4 against the San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays in a tough week on the schedule last week. Can they make up enough ground in the coming weeks to be buyers at the deadline?
19. Atlanta Braves (37-40)
Previous Rank: 22
The Braves managed to split a pair of four-game series on the road against the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds, and they are still just five games back in the NL East standings. Left-hander Max Fried is expected to return from the injured list on Wednesday, and call-up Kyle Muller has made a strong first impression with a 2.70 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10 innings. The starting rotation might finally be rounding into form.
18. Philadelphia Phillies (36-40)
Previous Rank: 19
Right-hander Aaron Nola tied an MLB record with 10 consecutive strikeouts last week. The trio of Nola, Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin continues to be the biggest strength for a Phillies team underperforming once again relative to expectations. The bullpen has blown 20 saves in 37 chances, and Hector Neris was removed from the closer's role last week.
17. Cincinnati Reds (39-38)
Previous Rank: 16
The Reds are 14-10 in June with a positive run differential, and they split with the Twins and Braves last week to remain at .500 on the year and in striking distance of the NL Central lead. After a brutal start to the year, right-hander Luis Castillo has a 1.71 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 32 strikeouts in 31.2 innings in June. His presence as staff ace can't be understated.
16. Washington Nationals (38-38)
Previous Rank: 18
After climbing six spots in last week's rankings, the Nationals are on the rise once again following a 4-2 performance against the Phillies and Marlins. Sluggers Kyle Schwarber (7-for-24, 4 HR) and Josh Bell (5-for-16, 2 HR) are finally starting to live up to expectations in helping Trea Turner and Juan Soto shoulder the offensive load. Don't sleep on this Nationals team.
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Nos. 15-11
4 of 10
15. New York Yankees (40-38)
Previous Rank: 13
The Yankees appeared to be back on track with a 7-2 stretch of games before they were swept by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park over the weekend. That's the type of series that can bring a club's momentum to a screeching halt, and another big weekend series against the New York Mets awaits this week. DJ LeMahieu (11-for-26, 2 HR) is finally heating up at the plate.
14. Seattle Mariners (41-38)
Previous Rank: 14
With a 10-3 record in their last 13 games, the Mariners are suddenly just 5.5 games back in the wild-card standings. After sweeping a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays last week, they took two of three from the Chicago White Sox this past weekend. The one-two punch of Yusei Kikuchi (14 GS, 3.34 ERA) and Chris Flexen (13 GS, 3.87 ERA) has been one of the biggest surprises of 2021.
13. Cleveland (42-33)
Previous Rank: 12
Aaron Civale became the latest Cleveland starter to land on the injured list when he suffered a sprained finger last week. The starting rotation is now made up of Cal Quantrill, Sam Hentges, Eli Morgan and J.C. Mejia, which puts a ton of pressure on an offense that has underperformed for much of the year. An upcoming seven-game stretch against the Rays and Astros is going to be tough.
12. Chicago Cubs (42-37)
Previous Rank: 10
Despite a combined no-hitter started by Zach Davies and a terrific start from Kyle Hendricks (6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER), the Cubs went just 2-4 last week. They dropped three of four to the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out the week after splitting a pair of games with Cleveland, and a big in-division road trip awaits this week with trips to Milwaukee and Cincinnati. After a 19-8 month of May, they are just 12-13 in June with a minus-15 run differential.
11. Toronto Blue Jays (40-36)
Previous Rank: 15
The Blue Jays are 7-1 in their last eight games, and that momentum will serve them well with six of their next 12 games against the Tampa Bay Rays. They have gone just 19-25 against teams with a winning record, so they still have something to prove as far as being a bona fide contender. Right-hander Jordan Romano has settled into the vacant closer's role with six saves and a 1.29 ERA in 29 appearances.
Nos. 10-6
5 of 10
10. New York Mets (40-34)
Previous Rank: 8
The Mets split a pair of four-game series with the Braves and Phillies last week as they continue to make up for all their early cancellations. After their upcoming three-game series against the Braves in Atlanta, they won't play a division foe again for the better part of a month. Outfielder Michael Conforto was the most recent player to return from the injured list, going 2-for-4 with a double on Wednesday after 34 games on the sidelines.
9. Oakland Athletics (47-33)
Previous Rank: 6
A four-game split with the Rangers and a series loss to the San Francisco Giants drops the Athletics a few spots in the rankings, and they have struggled a bit of late with a 3-6 record in their last nine games. Despite the struggles of Jesus Luzardo and an injury to Mike Fiers, the A's still rank 10th in the majors with a 3.76 ERA from the starting rotation.
8. Chicago White Sox (45-32)
Previous Rank: 3
Over the past two weeks, the White Sox offense has scored three or fewer runs nine times in 12 games. They are 4-8 with a minus-25 run differential during that stretch, and in the process they lost their stranglehold on a spot inside the top three after seven straight weeks. Can the starting rotation keep this team afloat while they sort out the lineup?
7. Milwaukee Brewers (46-33)
Previous Rank: 11
After a brief hiccup two weeks ago, the Brewers are rolling once again following a 5-1 week against the D-backs and Rockies behind their stacked rotation. First baseman Keston Hiura went 4-for-13 with one double and two home runs in his first four games back on the MLB roster after briefly being demoted to Triple-A Nashville for the second time.
6. Boston Red Sox (48-31)
Previous Rank: 7
The Red Sox swept the rival Yankees over the weekend, but they also dropped two of three to the Rays to start the week, including a 1-0 shutout on Wednesday when they squandered 6.2 no-hit innings from Nick Pivetta. Unheralded relievers Josh Taylor (31 G, 9 HLD, 3.16 ERA), Garrett Whitlock (22 G, 6 HLD, 1.42 ERA) and Hirokazu Sawamura (29 G, 4 HLD, 2.67 ERA) deserve a lot of credit for the vastly improved relief corps.
Nos. 5-1
6 of 10
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (48-31)
Previous Rank: 4
Another chapter in the budding rivalry between the Dodgers and Padres was written last week when the Dodgers suffered a three-game sweep. Their losing streak stretched to four games before they won three in a row against the Cubs to wrap up the week. A tough week awaits against the first-place San Francisco Giants and a red-hot Nationals team on the road.
4. San Diego Padres (47-33)
Previous Rank: 9
The Padres are now 7-3 on the year against the Dodgers after last week’s three-game sweep. They are 9-1 in their last 10 games following a rocky 4-11 start to the month of June, and they once again look like one of baseball's elite teams with the infield trio of Jake Cronenworth, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado powering the offense and the pitching staff firing on all cylinders.
3. Tampa Bay Rays (47-32)
Previous Rank: 5
After a rough 1-6 week, the Rays bounced back with series wins over the Red Sox and Angels. Top prospect Wander Franco went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in his MLB debut last Tuesday, but he went just 1-for-18 with five strikeouts in his next five games to close out his first week in the big leagues. Off days on Monday and Thursday this week will allow their pitching staff some much-needed rest.
2. Houston Astros (48-31)
Previous Rank: 1
A four-game split with the Tigers was enough to bump the Astros from the No. 1 spot in these rankings, but they still have the best run differential in baseball at plus-142, and they tacked another 30 onto that number last week. The offense was always going to pile up runs. But it's the performance of Luis Garcia (76.1 IP, 2.83 ERA), Jose Urquidy (76.0 IP, 3.32 ERA), Lance McCullers Jr. (67.1 IP, 2.94 ERA) and Framber Valdez (38.1 IP, 2.11 ERA) that has vaulted this team to the top of the AL pecking order.
1. San Francisco Giants (50-28)
Previous Rank: 2
The Giants have not lost consecutive games since May 23, and they are 16-7 with a plus-31 run differential during a convincing month of June that has cemented their place as bona fide contenders. For all that's been made of Kevin Gausman and Anthony DeSclafani at the top of the starting rotation, an aging Johnny Cueto (2 GS, 3.63 ERA) and the oft-injured Alex Wood (13 GS, 3.91 ERA) have been equally important cogs in a rotation that ranks third in the majors with a 3.11 ERA.
Complete Rankings
7 of 10
Complete Rankings
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Houston Astros
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. San Diego Padres
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Boston Red Sox
7. Milwaukee Brewers
8. Chicago White Sox
9. Oakland Athletics
10. New York Mets
11. Toronto Blue Jays
12. Chicago Cubs
13. Cleveland
14. Seattle Mariners
15. New York Yankees
16. Washington Nationals
17. Cincinnati Reds
18. Philadelphia Phillies
19. Atlanta Braves
20. Los Angeles Angels
21. Detroit Tigers
22. St. Louis Cardinals
23. Miami Marlins
24. Minnesota Twins
25. Pittsburgh Pirates
26. Texas Rangers
27. Kansas City Royals
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Baltimore Orioles
30. Arizona Diamondbacks
Highlight of the Week: You Guessed It, Another No-Hitter!
8 of 10The seventh no-hitter of the 2021 season is in the books, tying the record for no-nos in a single season.
This time around, it was a joint effort between Chicago Cubs starter Zach Davies and a trio of relief pitchers to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers out of the hit column on Thursday.
Davies blanked the Dodgers for six innings, striking out four while walking five and piling up 94 pitches before giving way to Ryan Tepera and Andrew Chafin.
The two setup relievers each pitched a scoreless inning of relief, allowing one walk each, before turning the ball over to closer Craig Kimbrel to face 3-4-5 in the Dodgers order: Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger and Albert Pujols.
After walking Taylor on four pitches, Kimbrel struck out Bellinger, Pujols and Will Smith in order for the 17th no-hitter in Chicago Cubs franchise history.
The real highlight came after the game when it was revealed that Kimbrel had no idea he had been tasked with closing out a no-hitter.
"When [Willson Contreras] gave a big fist bump, I knew something was up," Kimbrel told reporters. "And [Ryan] Tepera ran out there and whispered and he's like, 'You have no idea what happened.' And then [Javier Baez] put me in a headlock. I had no clue when I came into the game that we had a no-hitter."
It was the 15th combined no-hitter in MLB history.
Team of the Week
9 of 10
C Christian Vazquez, BOS
(7-for-18, HR, 4 RBI)
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
(9-for-23, 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
2B Jake Cronenworth, SD
(9-for-23, 2 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI)
3B Eduardo Escobar, ARI
(7-for-14, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
SS Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
(8-for-21, 2 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI)
OF Adolis Garcia, TEX
(8-for-23, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
OF Kyle Schwarber, WAS
(7-for-24, 4 HR, 8 RBI)
OF Aaron Judge, NYY
(8-for-24, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
DH Shohei Ohtani, LAA
(6-for-17, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
SP Merrill Kelly, ARI
(2 GS, 2 W, 13.0 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
SP Kyle Gibson, TEX
(2 GS, 2 W, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 13 K)
SP Yu Darvish, SD
(2 GS, W, ND, 12.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 18 K)
SP Nick Pivetta, BOS
(1 GS, ND, 6.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)
SP German Marquez, COL
(1 GS, W, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K)
RP Ryan Pressly, HOU
(3 G, 2/2 SV, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 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. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
3. Nick Castellanos, CIN
AL Cy Young
1. Kyle Gibson, TEX
2. Carlos Rodon, CWS
3. Gerrit Cole, NYY
NL Cy Young
1. Jacob deGrom, NYM
2. Kevin Gausman, SF
3. Brandon Woodruff, MIL
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. Ian Anderson, ATL
3. Yonathan Daza, COL
Stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
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