MLB power rankings: Yankees hold tough while Dodgers, Padres climb

Another week, another set of overall solid performances by the New York Yankees, who maintain their spot as the top team on our MLB power rankings this week despite an emotional end to the week.

While the Yankees kept their grip on the top spot, the Houston Astros slid back from their spot as No. 2 as the Los Angeles Dodgers reclaimed the position with a week that included them expanding their lead as the MLB team with the widest run differential.

Let’s take a look at where each of the 30 MLB teams ended up this week in our most recent MLB power rankings

1. New York Yankees (last week: 1)

An emotional end to the week in the Bronx ended with the Yankees scoring a combined one run in a pair of Sunday games. Still, the Yankees are 24-7 in their past 31 games. This week, the Yankees have three at home against Baltimore and then a four-game series starting on the road against the Rays before their next off day on Memorial Day (May 30). That will be New York’s first off day since May 5 and a likely much-needed break.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (last week: 4)

Philadelphia snapped L.A.’s seven-game winning streak with a come-from-behind extra-inning win on Sunday. Freddie Freeman continues to fit in nicely in Dodger blue, going 10-for-31 over the last seven games. Even an 0-for-5 performance on Sunday, Freeman’s average is at .301, the only Dodgers player over the .300 mark.

3. Houston Astros (last week: 2)

The Astros got some good news on the injury rehab front on Sunday as Lance McCullers Jr. threw off the mound for the first time since suffering a flexor strain in the 2021 American League Division Series. There is still “a long way to go” for McCullers to get back on the mound, but it would be a boost for an Astros team that continues to pitch well, sporting a combined 2.86 ERA heading into Sunday’s action (the second-lowest mark in MLB).

4. New York Mets (last week: 3)

Kudos to Mets pitching for two big performances at Coors Field this past weekend. First the Mets snapped Colorado’s home streak of scoring two runs or more in 84 straight games in a 5-1 win on Saturday afternoon, then shut out Colorado 2-0 on Sunday, marking the first time that had happened to the Rockies in Denver on six hits or fewer since the Braves turned the trick on April 8, 2018.

5. San Diego Padres (last week: 6)

San Diego blasted San Francisco by a 10-1 score on Sunday, giving the Padres their first three-game sweep in San Francisco since September 12-14, 2016. Over the last 16 games in San Francisco, the Padres are 8-8 against the Giants, something to consider as the very competitive NL West standings continues to evolve and the Padres return for the final time to Oracle Park from August 29-31.

6. Los Angeles Angels (last week: 5)

Taylor Ward been a difference-maker for the Angels, reaching base safely in 27 consecutive games and 29 of 30 games overall this year. However, the Angels are keeping a close eye on Ward, who didn’t play on Sunday, with an MRI scheduled on his shoulder and neck on Monday. He’s hoping to be back in the L.A. lineup on Tuesday and avoid a trip to the injured list.

7. Tampa Bay Rays (last week: 7)

Tampa may have lost the series finale in Baltimore on Sunday in extra innings, but the Rays have feasted on the Orioles on the road in recent games. Tampa Bay is now 10-2 in their last 12 games inside Oriole Park. The Rays have also scored at least six runs in five straight games, so the offense is certainly doing its part.

8. Milwaukee Brewers (last week: 8)

The Brewers have won three consecutive series and have Andrew McCutchen back in the lineup after missing two weeks on the COVID-19 injured list. Milwaukee is also glad to have Luis Urías back after missing the beginning of the season while dealing with a quad injury. In 16 games since his return, Urías has slashed .293/.408/.466 with three home runs.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (last week: 9)

A lot is going right for St. Louis right now, including the debuts of top prospects Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore. However, Steven Matz leaving Sunday’s start after just four pitches because of shoulder stiffness is certainly something to keep an eye on as the Cardinals rotation has been patchwork because of injuries early in the campaign.

10. Minnesota Twins (last week: 12)

Minnesota has won seven straight and is 7-3 over their last 10 games, tying for the best mark in baseball during that stretch. With the next 12 games against Detroit and Kansas City, the American League Central leaders could well pad their division lead.

11. Toronto Blue Jays (last week: 11)

As we discussed in this article, the extra bases still aren’t coming for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has just one home run and two doubles in the entire month of May. The bat will wake up, and it could be a jumpstart for the Blue Jays, who have been outscored by their opponents by 10 runs overall this season.

12. Chicago White Sox (last week: 14)

By winning two of three in the Bronx against the Yankees, Chicago has now won 13 of its last 21 games and went 5-3 on its road trip through Kansas City and New York. The White Sox now return home, get an off day, then welcome in Boston and the Cubs for the rest of the week. Can the White Sox keep the momentum going a Red Sox squad that seemed to find itself this weekend at Fenway Park?

13. San Francisco Giants (last week: 10)

The Giants were swept by San Diego at home, extending their losing streak to four games. Part of San Francisco’s problems in the early part of the season have come from losing the close games. The Giants are 7-10 this season in games decided by two runs or less. Last season, they were 51-30 in those scenarios.

14. Philadelphia Phillies (last week: 13)

The Phillies are tied with the Braves for second place in the National League East and the two squads square off in Atlanta for a four-game series this week. Bryce Harper is back in the lineup after missing five games with right elbow soreness, a good sign for a Phillies team trying to keep pace with the Mets and separate itself from the Braves.

15. Atlanta Braves (last week: 17)

Ronald Acuña Jr. has now reached base in 29 consecutive games. While the Braves dropped Sunday’s finale to the Marlins, they still won two of three in south Florida thanks in part to Acuña, who was 5-for-11 in the series, his first time in Miami since tearing his ACL there last July.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks (last week: 19)

Sunday’s loss was the first time this season Arizona has dropped a game when leading after the seventh inning. They’re now 16-1 on the season after the Cubs hit a pair of eighth-inning homers off Ian Kennedy, who had held opponents scoreless in nine of his last 10 outings before the Wrigley Field implosion.

17. Colorado Rockies (last week: 16)

Tyler Kinley continues to be one of the most solid under-the-radar relievers in all of baseball, posting an ERA of 0.59 through 17 games. That’s the lowest ERA for a Colorado pitcher through his first 17 games of a season since Adam Ottavino’s minuscule 0.50 ERA during the same span in 2018.

18. Cleveland Guardians (last week: 15)

The best thing for the Guardians this week (aside from Shane Bieber’s 10-strikeout performance on Sunday against Detroit) was the weather. A pair of games against the Reds and Tigers were postponed and the Guardians went 1-3 in the contests that were actually played against two languishing teams.

19. Boston Red Sox (last week: 25)

Apparently all Trevor Story needed to get his season kickstarted was to face the Mariners. Heading into Sunday’s action, in 19 career games against Seattle, including 16 during his days with Colorado, Story owned a 1.108 OPS against them. (h/t to @MattGross87)

20. Seattle Mariners (last week: 18)

It was a nightmare trip for the Mariners through the American League East, dropping six of seven in Toronto and Boston. In fourth place in the AL West, Seattle will welcome Oakland and Houston to the Emerald City this week in hopes of turning things around.

21. Miami Marlins (last week: 20)

Going 5-5 in their last 10 games, Miami has a tough road trip coming up, with two against in-state rival Tampa Bay, three in Atlanta, and three in Colorado. Will Jazz Chisholm Jr. miss any of those games after exiting Sunday’s contest early with left hamstring tightness?

22. Texas Rangers (last week: 24)

Marcus Semien is slashing .182/.243/.234 this season, but is 8-for-27 (.296) over his last seven games. He still hasn’t hit a home run in a Rangers uniform, but could he be starting to turn it around at the plate. Could the power come soon? Texas fans certainly hope so.

23. Baltimore Orioles (last week: 22)

How about the late-inning drama for the Orioles? Baltimore has scored a walk-off win in three of its last four games, the first time that has happened since September 25-29, 1974. Rougned Odor has been the hero in two of the last three walk-off wins, including scoring Adley Rutschman in the 11th on Sunday.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates (last week: 21)

After getting blasted 18-4 by the Cardinals on Sunday, Pittsburgh now has the worst run differential in MLB, being outscored by its opponents by 88 runs heading into Monday’s action.

25. Chicago Cubs (last week: 23)

Patrick Wisdom has hit a home run in three consecutive games for the first time in his career after hitting a solo shot in Sunday’s home win over Arizona. He’s also found the extra-base magic in all areas it seems as five of his last six hits have gone for extra bases (four home runs and a double).

26. Kansas City Royals (last week: 26)

Tough times in Kansas City as the Royals suffered a three-game sweep by Minnesota at home, marking the first time that has happened since July 26-28, 2010. Sunday’s loss was also the seventh blown lead loss of the season already as Minnesota rallied for all seven runs in the game’s final two frames.

27. Oakland A’s (last week: 27)

Oakland is now 1-7-1 over its last nine series. After starting the season 8-6, the A’s are now 9-20 since then. Part of the reason is the lack of offense as Oakland has scored 59 runs in 22 May games (2.68 runs per game).

28. Detroit Tigers (last week: 28)

There hasn’t been much that has gone right for Detroit early on, but the pitching of Tarik Skubal continues to be a bright spot for the Tigers. His 2.22 ERA through his first eight starts is the sixth-lowest total in franchise history during that span. He’s also thrown 19 scoreless innings, the longest streak of that kind since 2016.

29. Washington Nationals (last week: 29)

Juan Soto entered Sunday’s game in a 3-for-25 slump. He went 1-for-5 in the series finale against Milwaukee on Sunday, but the Nationals need much more from him than just the two-run single he produced against the Brewers.

30. Cincinnati Reds (last week: 30)

The Reds have gone 6-4 in their last 10, including winning one of three in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Cincinnati’s 12 wins are the fewest in all of baseball, but they return home for a seven-game homestand this week. Four of those games are against the Cubs, a team four games ahead of them in the NL Central standings.