When you think you have the 2024 Major League Baseball season figured out, that's likely when you're the farthest away from the truth. It was yet another topsy-turvy week around the league and accordingly, there were some big shakeups in the MLB Power Rankings.
The big winners of the week were the St. Louis Cardinals, who leaped 10 spots mostly because the other teams in the National League playoff race seem to be crumbling like pastries. On the other side of the coin, the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs dropped seven places, both because they don't seem to be able to build or sustain any momentum despite a left-handed ace carrying their team all season long.
Where did your team land in this week's MLB Power Rankings? Read on to find out!
1. New York Yankees (+1)
After an emotional win Friday night, the Yankees may have gotten a little too big for their britches. They blew tons of opportunities with runners in scoring position over the weekend and allowed the Red Sox to run rampant, surrendering a Boston record nine stolen bases Sunday night. But they still have the best record in baseball and oh, by the way, Gerrit Cole will pitch for them this week.
2. Baltimore Orioles (+1)
The Orioles made one big statement in taking down the Phillies at home over the weekend. They'll have a chance to make an even bigger one when they head to the Bronx for three huge games with the Yankees. It wouldn't hurt if Gunnar Henderson adds to his league-leading eight leadoff home runs when he heads to The Stadium.
3. Philadelphia Phillies (-2)
The Phillies aren't playing their best baseball right now, but that's not necessarily the worst thing. Trea Turner has been missing for over a month (though he should be activated Monday) and J.T. Realmuto will be out a long time too. They've built themselves a nice cushion in the NL East and can afford to allow everyone as much time as they need to get healthy for the playoff push.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (no change)
There may be no more irreplaceable player in MLB than Mookie Betts, but suddenly, the Dodgers are going to have to figure out how to replace him. It's certainly a good sign that Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman went off Sunday because they'll have to start their own rallies now without Betts constantly aboard in front of them. And to make matters even worse, Yoshinobu Yamamoto landed on the injured list just a day earlier.
5. Cleveland Guardians (no change)
The Guardians are undeniably good. But they'd be foolish to think they can keep up their current win pace with a starting rotation that is, to put it mildly, not good at pitching. They have the power-speed combo to keep up with the top dogs in the American League, but they've got to have a fighting chance at preventing those top dogs from scoring at will.
6. Seattle Mariners (+3)
The Mariners have to take advantage of the golden opportunity sitting in front of them. They just swept the Rangers to take an 8.5-game lead in the AL West, but they need to set their sights higher. This pitching staff is good enough to win a championship, but the front office needs to supplement the offense enough that it isn't lifeless when facing ace pitchers in October.
7. Milwaukee Brewers (-1)
As of the writing of these MLB power rankings, William Contreras' status is unknown, as the backstop suffered a potential concussion on the game-winning out at the plate Sunday afternoon. So much has gone right for the Brewers this season, but losing their MVP in Contreras would be a brutal break after a big series win against Cincinnati.
8. Kansas City Royals (no change)
The Royals just finished up a two-week stretch of playing only first-place teams and thanks to a series win over the Dodgers, they came out the other end still in second ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central. MJ Melendez finally showed up to the 2024 season, cracking a grand slam to power K.C. to their decisive win in game two. Their reward? Series against the Athletics, Rangers, and Marlins await.
9. Atlanta Braves (-2)
Something is clicking for the Braves offense at long last. They answered a five-game losing streak with three straight wins, and Austin Riley has now homered in three in a row as well. It hasn't been the season Atlanta would have hoped to have thus far, but they still have all kinds of time left to make some noise.
10. Minnesota Twins (+1)
Juan Soto and Aaron Judge? Sure, if you like last week's news. Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis have been the most electric lineup duo in the league since Lewis returned from his lengthy IL stint. Correa is in the midst of his hottest stretch ever at the plate with a five-hit game and a two-homer game punctuating this past week. And the Twins swept the Oakland Athletics out of town to creep up on the Royals for that second wild card spot in the AL. That means they've also crept into the top 10 of the 2024 MLB power rankings.
11. Boston Red Sox (+3)
Somehow, the kings of .500 finished their week two games above .500 after facing the two best teams in baseball! Sunday night was a showcase of all that this Red Sox team can be if things are truly clicking, an enthralling combination of timely hitting and havoc on the basepaths. But until they prove that this week was the new norm, they'll remain just outside the top 10 of all future MLB power rankings.
12. St. Louis Cardinals (+10)
It sounds crazy, but if the playoffs started today, the St. Louis Cardinals would have a ticket to the dance. That doesn't mean they'll remain a staple of the top half of the MLB power rankings all summer, but it's good to see people in St. Louis get excited about their baseball team again. And hey, if Sonny Gray keeps dealing and the Cards add some bats at the deadline, who knows??
13. San Diego Padres (-3)
If you want to take anything positive away from this week, it's Jackson Merrill's power swing making a dramatic entrance. Hitting a walk-off home run against Mason Miller is what kids in their backyards are closing their eyes and imagining all across America right now. Merrill is barely older than those kids, but he did that in real life on Wednesday.
14. Arizona Diamondbacks (+7)
It doesn't feel like the Diamondbacks had an amazing week, but they gained a ton of ground on their mediocre NL rivals. Christian Walker is perhaps the most underappreciated first baseman in the game today. He socked three home runs this week, giving him 16 on the season, and his glove is always the best in the business. Hopefully, Corbin Carroll's injury is nothing serious, because there have been a few signs he might be coming around with the bat in the past few weeks.
15. San Francisco Giants (-2)
It must be so frustrating to be a Giants fan this season. It's a constant game of one step forward, two steps back. Dropping a series against the lowly Angels at home was the latest silly setback they've faced in their eternal struggle to crack .500. They also continue to deprive their young players (i.e. Brett Wisely, Marco Luciano, Luis Matos) of opportunities in favor of aging veterans Nick Ahmed and Austin Slater.
16. Cincinnati Reds (-4)
Two things were made clear watching the Reds-Brewers series this weekend. One, Elly De La Cruz is the most athletic player the sport has ever seen. Two, the Brewers are a lot better when the chips are down. It's nothing we didn't already know, but these Reds still have a lot of growing pains to fight through before we can consider them a threat in their own division.
17. Texas Rangers (-1)
When you're trying to climb out of a hole in a divisional race, it's not a great idea to get swept by the team you're chasing. But that's just what the Rangers allowed to happen over the weekend and unless Seattle completely falls apart, Texas' chances at winning their first division crown since 2016 are looking slim. And not to kick a man while he's down, but Andrew Heaney now has eight losses this season, just one behind the league lead.
18. Toronto Blue Jays (+1)
The Blue Jays picked up a crucial series win against the Guardians this weekend and notably, they did so without Bo Bichette in the lineup in either of the two wins. Spencer Horwitz and Ernie Clement have been the spark plugs of the offense of late and with Isiah Kiner-Falefa stepping in at shortstop, it's possible this break is serving as a wake-up call to Bichette that the Jays don't necessarily need him even if they aren't going to be sellers.
19. Washington Nationals (+6)
The Nationals simply aren't losing right now. They swept the Marlins over the weekend (maybe not the toughest task, but job well done) and have taken eight of their last nine. They're now in a virtual tie for the final NL playoff spot, but given that they could make a killing if they sold off veterans at the trade deadline, is all this winning creating a potential hazard?
20. New York Mets (+4)
Where were you when Grimace saved the Mets' season? A magical first pitch by the purple McDonald's mascot was followed by five straight wins at Citi Field, including a J.D. Martinez walk-off and 11-run outburst. Obviously, this team still has major holes, but in a wide-open National League, why couldn't the Mets get a wild card spot?
21. Houston Astros (-4)
Just a ho-hum, .500 week for an Astros team that can't really afford to stay stuck in neutral. For the millionth time this season, Houston is thanking its lucky stars for Ronel Blanco. The incredible 30-year-old almost-rookie won both of his starts this week and came very close to a second no-hitter against the Tigers on Sunday.
22. Detroit Tigers (-7)
It feels like the Tigers are starting to show their true colors of late and unfortunately, that seems to be losing winnable series. If they lose a Tarik Skubal start, as they did on Friday, it ruins their entire week. And they also have an annoying habit of saving all their offense in a three-game series for one blowout win, which does nobody any good if the other two games are going to be a total snoozefest.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates (no change)
They did put up eight runs in a Sunday win over a brutal Rockies team, but it's becoming crystal clear that the Pirates don't have the offensive chops as things currently stand. When you have electric young pitching, you owe it to yourselves to field a lineup that can inflict a bit of damage. The Pirates might think 2024 is just the beginning of their window, but injuries can always creep up nowadays when it's hard-throwing young arms we're talking about.
24. Tampa Bay Rays (-4)
It's officially danger time in St. Petersburg. The Rays did secure a much-needed win in Atlanta Sunday, but after another losing week, you can almost feel the momentum building towards a trade deadline sale. If they can't crawl out of last place and up the MLB power rankings within the next few weeks, the Rays will likely jump at the chance to restock the farm system.
25. Chicago Cubs (-7)
It's hard to come to grips with the Cubs being the sixth-worst team in baseball, but their track record shows that's what they are right now. They've now lost nine of their last 10 series and if they didn't have Shota Imanaga (or is it Mike Imanaga II?), who knows where they'd be? The bats and bullpen have been among the league's worst for well over a month now and if they don't get it together soon, they could be surprise sellers.
26. Los Angeles Angels (+1)
You start to see the blueprint come together for the Angels on occasion. When Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, and Zach Neto are all hitting the ball with authority, this can be a fun offense. Unfortunately, the entire rotation beyond Tyler Anderson has been a mess all season, and Anderson is a guarantee to be traded this year if he stays healthy. But the young Halos just have to establish themselves as big leaguers this season and so far, the results are promising.
27. Oakland Athletics (-1)
Not only did the Athletics fall back down to last place this week (in the standings, not the 2024 MLB power rankings), but they're a full 3.5 games back of the Angels, which is what happens when you lose NINE games in a row in this league. Mason Miller is no longer invincible, while the rest of this pitching staff is flat-out brutal. JJ Bleday has become a sneaky fun watch on both sides of the ball, though.
28. Colorado Rockies (+1)
If you caught any Rockies baseball this weekend, the phrase “touch grass” may well apply. But the Rox did score 16 runs on Saturday, though it was their lone winning effort of the weekend. And we can all pretend like there might be something interesting cooking for Colorado at the trade deadline, but recent seasons have taught us that's almost definitely not the case.
29. Miami Marlins
This might not be the worst team in baseball, but they sure look like the most unwatchable team. Their series against the Nationals, who haven't sniffed the playoffs in five years, looked like a total mismatch. And when Miami inevitably unloads all their serviceable talent by the end of July? Cover your eyes, folks.
30. Chicago White Sox (no change)
The White Sox had some competitive games this week and even a couple of wins. But as is usually the case, they still found a way to sink deeper into last place. Garrett Crochet struck out 13 Mariners and looks like a true ace, but is he worth more to the White Sox in their uniform or as trade bait?
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