MLB power rankings: Astros flex muscles, Red Sox sink even deeper

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros both made strong statement against their rivals coming out of the All-Star Game break, but was it enough to knock the New York Yankees off the top in our latest MLB power rankings?

In our latest MLB power rankings, the teams at the top look very familiar, but the difference between those teams is shrinking after some statement games by the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.

In our first MLB power rankings after the All-Star Game, the New York Yankees still hold on at the top spot, despite dropping a double-header in Houston to the Astros in the first action after the All-Star break. New York rebounded by taking two of three in Baltimore over the weekend against the Orioles.

That doubleheader win, as well as a three-game sweep in Seattle against the red-hot Mariners, was enough to push the Astros back into the second spot in this week’s rankings. The Dodgers won their eighth consecutive game on Sunday by finishing off a four-game sweep at home against the rival San Francisco Giants.

While it’s hard to move a team that has won eight games in a row down in the power rankings, Houston’s six-game win streak is impressive enough to make it happen.

While those teams are flying high, the Boston Red Sox continue to sink on our list, getting swept at home by the Toronto Blue Jays, who put up some historic numbers in the process.

Below is the week’s MLB power rankings as we leave the 2022 All-Star Game in the rearview mirror. As always, we are including one note of interest about one team in each of the thirds of our list.

1. New York Yankees (last week: 1)

Aaron Judge hit his 37th home run of the season in a win over Baltimore on Sunday, his seventh home run in his last nine games (and ninth in his last 12) against the Orioles. By the way, the last member of the Yankees to have as many home runs as Judge currently has through the team’s first 97 games was Mickey Mantle when he hit 39 in 1961.

2. Houston Astros (last week: 3)

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (last week: 2)

4. New York Mets (last week: 4)

5. Atlanta Braves (last week: 5)

6. San Diego Padres (last week: 8)

7. Milwaukee Brewers (last week: 9)

8. Toronto Blue Jays (last week: 11)

9. Tampa Bay Rays (last week: 7)

10. Minnesota Twins (last week: 10)

11. Seattle Mariners (last week: 6)

12. St. Louis Cardinals (last week: 13)

13. Philadelphia Phillies (last week: 12)

14. San Francisco Giants (last week: 15)

15. Cleveland Guardians (last week: 17)

16. Chicago White Sox (last week: 18)

The starting pitching for the White Sox has been something to note over the previous 10 games, with the rotation posting a 6-2 with a 2.84 ERA over that stretch. White Sox starters have allowed three earned runs or less in eight of those games.

17. Baltimore Orioles (last week: 14)

18. Boston Red Sox (last week: 16)

19. Miami Marlins (last week: 19)

20. Colorado Rockies (last week: 20)

21. Texas Rangers (last week: 21)

22. Arizona Diamondbacks (last week: 22)

The youth movement is alive and well in the desert. Heading into Sunday’s series finale against the Washington Nationals, Diamondbacks rookie position players have totaled a Major League-leading 363 games so far this season. Kansas City was second on the list with 327 games, the only other MLB team with more than 300 this season.