MLB Power Rankings
As we approach the summer months, the weather starts getting hotter and so too does the competition that we see amongst every team. Baseball has long been a sport where anyone can win at any time and that’s no different this year as we’ve seen a multitude of teams face an unlikely upset or a much-needed trounce of an opponent. Such is life in this beautiful game.
Below are the power rankings for week 11. We are inching ever closer to the impending all-star break and trade deadline and are already seeing teams recognize what their needs will be. We are in a lull of jam-packed baseball that remains as fun as ever. There is not nearly as much movement on this list as in recent weeks as teams have remained relatively consistent, outside of the few streaks of luck or misfortune. Where does your team rank?
Biggest Riser: Cincinnati Reds (+5), Biggest Faller: San Francisco Giants (-8)
1. New York Yankees (2): This is just a reaction to the last 2 weeks of play. The Yankees have played better than the Phillies in every major area that I use to calculate these rankings. They are tied for the best record in the majors, again with the Phillies, so they get the edge here.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (1): They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have been slumping a bit at the plate. They’ll be fine.
3. Baltimore Orioles (5): The O’s are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. 7-3 in their last 10, top-5 in ERA and WHIP, and 2nd in OPS and AVG. The only downside is they play in the AL East.
4. Cleveland Guardians (3): At the end of the day, the Guardians aren’t doing anything wrong. They win games and their stats are great, just not elite in the last 2 weeks. They drop 1 spot this week while remaining atop the AL Central.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (7): They are .500 in their last 10 but still boast some of the best team stats over the last 2 weeks. 4th in ERA and WHIP, 5th in OPS, and 8th in AVG is a surefire way to jump back into the top-5. No concerns here after dropping half of their games.
6. Kansas City Royals (4): They dropped out of the top-5 but you can expect that going 3-7 over their last 10. The bats have been red hot and they have a bonafide MVP candidate at shortstop. Hopefully, the pitching can remain as dominant as they were for the first part of the season.
7. Milwaukee Brewers (6): The Brewers aren’t in any immediate danger of losing their stranglehold on the NL Central, but they are going to have to stay above that .500 line (6-4 in their last 10 games). Both offense and defense have cooled off of late for them, but there shouldn’t be much concern they won’t continue winning.
8. Seattle Mariners (11): A tale of two metrics. That’s the story of this team. They boast some of the best pitching in the MLB and Bryan Woo is at the forefront of it. However, they are one of the worst teams in hitting metrics over the last 2 weeks. Still, they’re winning and that’s all that matters.
9. Boston Red Sox (9): One of my biggest surprises for the season, Boston just keeps winning. They are finding ways to do it even with injuries. Boasting stats that are top-10 in both AVG and OPS and top-5 in ERA and WHIP will certainly lead to their sustained success. Unfortunately, like the Orioles, they are competing in the AL East.
10. Atlanta Braves (8): While they haven’t fallen out of the top 10 yet, you can see the tailspin coming. They’re 5-5 over their last 10 but this this offense is not nearly as potent with Ronald Acuna Jr. missing the rest of the season. Their pitching is their saving grace, but this offense is sputtering of late.
11. Minnesota Twins (14): You might not believe this, but the AL Central has as many teams over .500 as the entire National League. This is absurd and the exact reason why we have 3 of these teams in the top 11. Minnesota may be deserving of a top-10 spot, but over the last 2 weeks, they are in the bottom 1/3rd of the league in AVG and ERA. The Braves have been better.
12. San Diego Padres (10): As disappointing as it may be to not be over .500 on the season, this team is not one to scoff at. They have a rather tough schedule that features the Dodgers, Phillies, and Braves and tough competition from St. Louis, Chicago (N), and Cincinnati. This team is playing at a high level according to all their metrics and it should remain that way.
13. Detroit Tigers (15): Our final AL Central team that is above .500, these Tigers are intriguing. Tarik Skubal is the Cy Young favorite and the rest of the pitching staff is pitching lights out. However, their offense can just never seem to click at the same time together. Spencer Torkelson was sent down to AAA, but how much does this help this ball club?
14. Chicago Cubs (13): Buzzsaws. That’s what the Cubs have been dealing with. They are playing good baseball of late, according to their metrics, but they are just 4-6 in their last 10. It stinks when you are doing everything you can to win, but still losing. Just some bad luck that shouldn’t continue, but always can.
15. Texas Rangers (18): Similar to the Cubs, the Rangers haven’t been playing horrible baseball, but they just aren’t winning games. Frustrating to say the least. Stay the course.
16. Tampa Bay Rays (19): 21st in OPS, 25th in AVG, and 24th in ERA. That’s just a few metrics over the last 2 weeks. How are the Rays still winning games? They are 31-31 on the season but boast a -47 run differential. I just don’t understand.
17. Cincinnati Reds (22): I refuse to believe that the Reds aren’t going to push for the NL Central title. Call me a homer all you’d like but over the last 2 weeks this team this team led the MLB in AVG and OPS while being no lower than 15th in ERA and WHIP. OH! And they are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Only 2 teams have a better record in that span.
18. St. Louis Cardinals (17): For all intent and purposes, the NL Central has been one of the hottest divisions recently and it is no different for the Cardinals. They seem to have found a groove and just keep pushing forward. Nolan Gorman is tied for 7th in the MLB with 14 homers which is just a fraction of the revived Cardinals offense boasting a 10th overall OPS.
19. Pittsburgh Pirates (16): I talk about the pitching for Pittsburgh every week, but it has shockingly been middle-of-the-pack over the last 2 weeks. They are getting hits which has contributed some to a lackluster offense, but they are still tied for 8th in runs scored over that period. They may be 5-5 over 10, but something is working.
20. San Francisco Giants (12): Unfortunately, baseball is a fickle game. As quickly as you rise, you can just as quickly fall. This time last week they had won 8 of their last 10, but now they have only secured 11 of their last 20. Still better than 50% of games, I expected to see more from a rising team.
21. Toronto Blue Jays (25): I feel like I dog on this team every week, but it truly is disappointing seeing a team filled with such young talent perform the way Toronto is. Winners in 7 of their last 10, they are stringing together wins to stay alive in a tight Wild Card race (3 GB), but they will need to find more consistency if they hope to make it in.
22. Arizona Diamondbacks (20): The Diamondbacks have underperformed all year aside from a handful of players. The loss of Zac Gallen will truly hinder this ball club moving forward. They are 22nd and 27th in ERA and WHIP, respectively, over the last 2 weeks.
23. New York Mets (23): I mean, what do you even say about this team? Money can’t buy everything? Again? Same story but a different week. They’ve been knocking the cover off the ball but that’s about it.
24. Washington Nationals (26): The Nationals have quietly ranked 10th in AVG which eventually leads to runs being scored (14th in the last 2 weeks), but it just isn’t enough to make up for their hapless pitching staff.
25. Houston Astros (21): Just when you thought they were turning a corner, they dropped 6 of their last 10. Ranking 23rd and 25th in ERA and WHIP, respectively, will do that. They have promise at the plate, but they have to click at the same time to see this team turn things around.
26. Oakland Athletics (24): To be fair, this season feels as much like a win for the A’s than any. Many had them pegged as the worst team in the majors but that’s not been the case. They are roughly middle-of-the-road in all categories.
27. Los Angeles Angels (27): Remember when I wrote about regression to the mean? This is a perfect example. They are ranked 23rd in WHIP over the last 2 weeks and that’s their highest statistical category. Woof.
28. Miami Marlins (29): Despite being tied for the 2nd worst record in the MLB, the Marlins are consistently putting the bat on the ball ranking 4th in AVG over the last 2 weeks. Everywhere else is pretty tough to look at.
29. Colorado Rockies (28): Getting swept at home by the Reds is a hard pill to swallow. What’s even harder pill to swallow is the Rockies being in the top half of the league in AVG and OPS, but dead-last in ERA and WHIP.
30. Chicago White Sox (30): S.T.D.D. Same team, different day.
