MLB Power Rankings: Phillies flexing, Twins struggling and we look on the bright side

New York Times

5 hours ago

By Grant Brisbee, Johnny Flores Jr. and Andy McCullough
Every week,​ we​ ask a selected group of our baseball​ writers​ — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.
Perhaps you're in the mood for a distraction these days. You don't need to get into the details. We get it. So let's let the baseball season occupy your attention for a little while.
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For this week's edition of the Power Rankings, we decided to focus on the positives. Every team has something to feel good about, right? Maybe your team is surging into first place. Maybe your new favorite player is having a breakout campaign. Maybe the trade deadline is approaching and your team is closer to refurbishing its farm system.
There is something for everyone this week. We hope.
Record: 48-31
Last Power Ranking: 2
Something to feel good about: Shohei Ohtani pitching
Two-way Ohtani is back, suckers. Until now, the Dodgers have been stuck with the boring version of Ohtani, the one who's only capable of offering a 1.000-plus OPS, 50 homers and 50 stolen bases 🙄🙄🙄. Now witness the firepower of this surgically repaired arm and operational battle station.
It comes at a good time, too. Clayton Kershaw is helping the Dodgers win without Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki, but they could use at least one more arm. Here's a guy. He happens to be the best hitter in the league, too, and he's on the 40-man roster already. That's awfully convenient. – Grant Brisbee
Record: 47-31
Last Power Ranking: 6
Something to feel good about: Brandon Marsh has turned his season around
There is a lot to feel good about in Philadelphia these days. The Phillies snatched first place away from the Mets over the weekend. J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos created a base-running highlight that'll be aired for years to come. Jesús Luzardo has recovered from a bizarre, ERA-destroying pair of starts and turned in 6 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball on Sunday. Cristopher Sánchez has stayed healthy. Bryce Harper will be back soon. All good things. As for Marsh, he has revived himself after an awful April. Since then, Marsh has posted an .844 OPS in 41 games, including three hits on Friday night. — Andy McCullough
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Record: 49-30
Last Power Ranking: 3
What they can feel good about: Everything
As of this writing, the Tigers own baseball's best record and are one win shy of becoming the first team to 50 wins this season. So much has gone right for Detroit that everything is feeling good. Seriously.
Tarik Skubal has a 2.06 ERA through 15 games. Casey Mize has finally put it together. Riley Greene should make his second AL All-Star team. Heck, there's even a guy firing 88 mph knuckleballs in the minors!
Yes, the pitching is on thin ice, but with a rather comfortable lead in the AL Central, and the All-Star break on the horizon, the team has a little bit of wiggle room. The vibes are high. — Johnny Flores Jr.
Record: 45-33
Last Power Ranking: 4
Something to feel good about: Clarke Schmidt is on a roll
With seven no-hit innings against Baltimore on Saturday, Schmidt put an exclamation point on an excellent stretch of pitching. Schmidt has given up a run in only one of his past five outings. The offense has been scuffling as all-world slugger Aaron Judge enters a slump, so stout pitching is almost mandatory for the Yankees. The team continues to miss Gerrit Cole and will be happy when Luis Gil makes his 2025 debut. With Schmidt surging, though, the team has a solid third man to trust atop the rotation with Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. — McCullough
Record: 46-33
Last Power Ranking: 1
Something to feel good about: Francisco Lindor will be an All-Star
Strange but true: Lindor has finished in the top-10 in National League MVP balloting in each of the last three seasons, including a runner-up finish in 2024, but has never made the All-Star team as a Met. That odd streak is likely to end this summer. Lindor ranked first in the opening round of fan voting for the Midsummer Classic. He avoided the miniature slumps that affected him in the first half of previous seasons, entering Monday's games with an .816 OPS. He remains a bright light for a contender going through a rough patch. The Mets got swept by Tampa Bay, swept in Atlanta and then dropped another series in Philadelphia. Along the way, former top catching prospect Francisco Álvarez was demoted. At least they still have Lindor. — McCullough
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Record: 46-32
Last Power Ranking: 5
Something to feel good about: The return of October baseball
The last time the Cubs made the playoffs in a full 162-game season, 'A Star is Born' was on its third remake, Albert Almora Jr. was Chicago's regular center fielder and many of us were debating whether we heard 'Yanny' or 'Laurel.'
Flash forward to today, Superman is the one getting a remake and the internet moves too rapidly for any debate to linger longer than a few hours.
But for the Cubs, center field is being patrolled by one Pete Crow-Armstrong, owner of baseball's third-most fWAR (3.9), Craig Counsell is making bullpen decisions and Kyle Tucker is every bit the star Chicago traded for. With a 69.4 percent chance to win the NL Central and a 85.4 percent chance to make the playoffs, the Cubs can feel good about a return to an old October feeling. — Flores
Record: 45-33
Last Power Ranking: 9
Something to feel good about: The Kyle Tucker trade
Imagine this: The Astros are close to .500 and rolling around in the mud with the Mariners and Rangers for AL West supremacy. They're such a mediocre bunch that they've even given the Angels a little hope. The Angels! While this is happening, both Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are All-Stars with more than three WAR apiece before the break. Embarrassing doesn't even begin to describe it.
As is, the Astros have been much better than that, with Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith partially responsible for the healthy cushion atop the division. I mean, they'd be better with Tucker and Bregman right now, but they aren't so hosed that it's all you can think about. That's a feel-good story from here. Kind of. — Brisbee
Record: 44-34
Last Power Ranking: 7
Something to feel good about: A settled rotation
Having too many competent starting pitchers is never an actual problem, but the uncertainty hanging over the Giants' starting staff was a little distracting. They have an obvious starting five now, with Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Hayden Birdsong, Landen Roupp and Justin Verlander. Everyone knows their role, and the last three can stop looking over their shoulders.
The way they cleared this logjam is by literally trading for Rafael Devers, the best source of power the organization has had since Barry Bonds. They can also feel good about that. Seems like maybe that should have been the pick here, but that's old news by now. Be a hipster and get excited about the settled rotation instead. — Brisbee
Record: 41-36
Last Power Ranking: 10
Something to feel good about: First place is within reach
Tampa Bay has been one of the hottest teams in baseball this month. The club took two of three from Detroit over the weekend. Powered by the trio of first baseman Jonathan Aranda, designated hitter Yandy Díaz and third baseman Junior Caminero, the offense ranked seventh in runs heading into Monday's games. Even more surprising: the starting rotation entered Monday ranked second in baseball in innings. (Innings! Yes, the Rays, once the purveyors of the opener, are pushing their starters deeper into games.) After a couple of down seasons, Tampa Bay is competing for a postseason spot once again. — McCullough
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Record: 43-36
Last Power Ranking: T-13
Something to feel good about: Jacob Misiorowski
Do you know who owns the modern (since 1900) record for most consecutive no-hit innings by a starting pitcher to begin a career? It's not Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Tom Seaver or Clayton Kershaw. Nope. It's one Jacob Misiorowski, who, over two starts, fired 11 hitless innings. That's not to mention he also owns Milwaukee's five fastest pitches in the pitch-tracking era. The 23-year-old consensus top-100 prospect has been everything the Brewers could have hoped for when they called him up earlier this month, and figures to continue Milwaukee's recent knack for ace-level starters frontlining a rotation. — Flores
Record: 42-36
Last Power Ranking: 8
Something to feel good about: Manny Machado's very nice season to date
There's a surprising amount of unpleasant developments in Padres land. Dylan Cease is pitching like an All-Star, according to FIP and other pitching-independent statistics, but he's allowing runs like a fifth starter. Nick Pivetta has become rather ordinary over his last few starts. Xander Bogaerts has been a below-average hitter, and he's under contract for the next few decades, give or take.
All of that could change for the better in the second half, and if it doesn't, the Padres can feel good about having an ultra-effective Manny Machado back. He's been helpful over the last two seasons, but he hasn't been 'the guy' in the lineup. If he's back to that standard, it'll help keep them in the race long enough to hope the other players can fix themselves. — Brisbee
Record: 41-36
Last Power Ranking: 12
Something to feel good about: Max Scherzer will return this week
Signed for $15.5 million this past winter, Scherzer has thrown only 45 pitches as a Blue Jay, after leaving his first outing because of issues stemming from an injured thumb. He has already received two cortisone injections to repair the digit, and has been open about his uncertainty related to managing the pain. So it goes. The Blue Jays will activate Scherzer on Wednesday. The Toronto rotation needs him. While Chris Bassitt and José Berríos have been solid, Kevin Gausman has struggled and Bowden Francis has been a wreck. — McCullough
Record: 40-37
Last Power Ranking: 11
Something to feel good about: Cal Raleigh's home run chase
The Mariners didn't do much to address their offensive woes in the offseason, getting Donovan Solano and Miles Mastrobuoni and little else. Their biggest offseason acquisition might have been Rowdy Tellez, both literally and figuratively, but he's since been designated for assignment. If you pointed this out before the season, nobody was going to retort with, 'Oh, yeah? Well, maybe Big Dumper hits 60 homers this season, you ever think about that?'
It's a valid response now, though, as Raleigh's nonsensical power surge is carrying the Mariners and single-handedly keeping them relevant in the division. They'll need others besides Raleigh (and J.P. Crawford) to contribute, but the biggest reason the Mariners still have a shot at winning the AL West is a catcher doing things that catchers shouldn't do. — Brisbee
Record: 43-36
Last Power Ranking: 18
Something to feel good about: The prospect pipeline
The 2025 Cardinals have been quite the roller-coaster ride for fans, going from May world-beaters (19-8) to June unevenness (9-11), making the upcoming July trade deadline all the more confusing. Do the Cardinals sell off or push their chips in for a last run with impending free agents and older veterans?
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Whatever the St. Louis front office decides, it can feel good about the level of talent that has been produced in the minors. Quinn Matthews, Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby all figure to factor into the rotation, while JJ Wetherholt has the makings of an on-base machine.
As Katie Woo noted in her latest mailbag, the Cardinals have some decisions to make come July, but they do set up St. Louis nicely in either direction, a spot that many teams certainly envy. — Flores
Record: 40-38
Last Power Ranking: 16
Something to feel good about: At least they tried to find pitching?
Here the Diamondbacks are again, with one of the best lineups in baseball, but without the pitching to do much with it. Unlike other teams, like the Orioles, that were almost guaranteed to have a similar problem, the Diamondbacks were proactive and opened up their wallets for the second offseason in a row. But instead of Corbin Burnes and Eduardo Rodríguez batting for rotation-topping supremacy with Zac Gallen, they're all either hurt or struggling.
They can feel good about trying, then. They can't feel great about it, but at least they can still laugh at the Orioles for doing nothing. And they can keep mashing baseballs and hope that the previously effective pitchers can rediscover their effectiveness. It's not an implausible plan. — Brisbee
Record: 40-40
Last Power Ranking: 20
Something to feel good about: Despite everything, the Red Sox are still in the Wild Card race
Look, there are a lot of problems with the Sox these days. Maybe you heard about the thing with Rafael Devers. That was last week. This week featured Kristian Campbell getting demoted, Hunter Dobbins getting hurt and the team losing a frustrating weekend series to Devers' new club in San Francisco. Alex Bregman is still on the injured list. Jordan Hicks looked terrible in his first rehab outing for Boston. And yet. And yet!
The team entered Monday only a half game back in the wild-card race. There are plenty of games left. The club needs to clean up its play. The rookie trio of Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer will require some time to adjust to big-league pitching. Perhaps they can put it all together as the summer progresses. — McCullough
Record: 36-41
Last Power Ranking: 15
Something to feel good about: Ronald Acuña Jr. hasn't missed a beat
The Braves can't get out of their own way. The club was rolling heading into this weekend after sweeping the Mets, and then Atlanta managed to lose two of three to the Marlins. The team can only spin its wheels for so long. The Phillies and the Mets aren't expected to concede the National League East any time soon, and there are plenty of clubs ahead of Atlanta in the wild-card race. If the Braves want to return to October, they'll need the rest of the lineup to perform like Acuña, who has been dynamite since making his 2025 debut on May 23. He has slowed up on the bases, which makes sense after he tore his ACL last year. But Acuña continues to crush the baseball, with a 1.202 OPS heading into the week. — McCullough
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Record: 39-37
Last Power Ranking: 22
Something to feel good about: José Ramírez's continued brilliance
No matter how many times we write about the need to appreciate Ramírez more, it still feels like it's not enough. Over the weekend, JRam notched his 900th RBI, which made him just the fourth player in Cleveland history to tally that mark. By season's end, there's a good chance he ties Jim Thome (937) for second most in franchise history. Jim Thome!
Beyond his RBI exploits, Ramírez sits eighth in all of baseball with a 3.3 fWAR, all but guaranteeing him another top-five MVP finish. He already has five of those, plus another three down-ballot nods. At 32, he's accumulated nearly 55 fWAR, putting him on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Point being, he's brilliant, and that statue outside of Progressive Field one day is going to look mighty fine. — Flores
Record: 41-38
Last Power Ranking: 19
Something to feel good about: Starting pitching
On Tuesday, the No. 2 pick in last year's MLB draft, Chase Burns, will make his debut against the Yankees. Provided everyone's healthy, he'll join a rotation that has Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder and Nick Lodolo, plus Andrew Abbott, who's put up a 1.79 ERA through 13 games this season.
It's a surplus of big arms with loads of potential, all set to be in Cincinnati for the long haul. Currently, the Reds boast the 12th-best starting pitcher ERA in the league (3.72), and that's considering both Greene and Lowder are on the IL. Things haven't been perfect in Terry Francona's first year at the helm, but the starting pitching is one thing to feel good about. — Flores
Record: 38-41
Last Power Ranking: T-13
Something to feel good about: The rotation
The Rangers should trade 26 players to be named later for the Diamondbacks' lineup and have the best team in baseball. Then, in the offseason, they should trade their entire rosters back to each other and let the Diamondbacks have the best team in baseball for a while. This sort of roster-sharing might be 'stupid,' 'logistically impossible' and 'almost certainly in violation of 38 provisions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement,' but it would be a lot of fun from the outside. We all like fun, right?
As is, the Rangers have the pitching in place, and they're just waiting for hitters to get hot. It's not an outlandish hope, with Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford all capable of much, much more. If you're going to have a lopsided roster, the Rangers have the hard part out of the way. Now they just need to score more runs. — Brisbee
Record: 37-41
Last Power Ranking: 17
Something to feel good about: A nearly full season of Byron Buxton
In case you haven't been paying attention, Buxton has already played 60 games this season, having put up 2.9 bWAR on 17 homers and 47 RBI to go along with his typically stellar defense.
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To this point, the Twins have played 78 games, and with 84 games remaining, should Buxton play in all of them, it would give him 145 on the season. Do you know how many times Buxton has played 145 games? Never. The last time he even hit 140 was 2017, and since then, his career has been an amalgamation of 'What if' and 'If only.' Finally, at 31, Buxton is putting all of that to bed and showing just why he was baseball's No. 2 pick back in 2012. — Flores
Record: 38-40
Last Power Ranking: 21
Something to feel good about: Everything about Bobby Witt Jr.
By this point, it's been made abundantly clear that the Royals do not have a very good offense, and without Witt around, it'd no doubt be even worse. Which is why they can feel good about him, because he's a franchise star who teams (*cough* Red Sox) fall over themselves trying to find or retain.
If it weren't for the exploits of Big Dumper in Seattle, we'd likely be having another Witt vs. Judge MVP debate, as the 25-year-old has put up 3.9 fWAR on a league-leading 26 doubles, 10 homers and 21 steals. His defense remains as immaculate as ever (100th percentile OAA), and those offensive numbers figure to grow (.866 OPS in June) as the summer goes on.
So, yes, the offense as a whole may be disappointing and the postseason is a slim possibility, but KC has a franchise, MVP-level star. Oh, and he's signed through 2031. — Flores
Record: 38-40
Last Power Ranking: T-24
Something to feel good about: A promising young infield
If there's one team that should care more about 'actually winning games' than a 'promising foundation,' it's the Angels. They had Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout in their prime. That's probably the most promising two-player foundation of all time. It's gonna be a tough fan base to impress.
Still, what are the Angels and their fans supposed to do? Not get excited about the idea of Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Logan O'Hoppe playing together for the next few years? Gotta start somewhere. It's a good troika to do it with, and now it's up to the Angels to find the other 23 players around them. That's been the same solution for about a decade, give or take, so don't hold your breath. Feeling good about it is free, though. Treat yourself. — Brisbee
Record: 34-44
Last Power Ranking: 23
Something to feel good about: Félix Bautista looks like his old self
Yes, we're grasping at straws here. Despite playing better baseball in June, the Orioles are still stuck in last place. Adley Rutschman just landed on the injured list. The prospect core still looks shaky. Some of the team's best trade candidates are leaking oil: outfielder Cedric Mullins and designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn have cooled off, while pitcher Zach Eflin has gotten smashed in his last two outings. At least Bautista, an All-Star closer in 2023 who missed last season after elbow surgery, hasn't given up a run since May 30. The Orioles may be reluctant to trade a player under team control through 2028, but his recent performance should merit some calls from rival executives. The Orioles should at least listen to offers. — McCullough
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Record: 33-46
Last Power Ranking: T-24
Something to feel good about: James Wood? James Wood is pretty good
An 11-game losing streak likely ruined any chances of Washington sneaking into the Wild Card discussion in 2025. Along the way, manager Dave Martinez caught some heat for defending his coaching staff. Blame the coaches, blame the front office, blame the players — there's plenty of blame to go around. But at least Nationals fans can watch Wood as he plays his way into an All-Star appearance next month. He swatted his 21st home run of the season on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, two days after his walkoff blast against Colorado ended the losing streak. — McCullough
Record: 32-48
Last Power Ranking: 26
Something to feel good about: Bubba Chandler
In 2017, the great philosopher Jay-Z asked, 'What's better than one billionaire?' The answer: Two.
To baseball fans, I ask: 'What's better than one ace?' Also, two.
That's what the Pirates have on their hands down in Indianapolis, and once Pittsburgh finally decides to call up the 22-year-old, it'll have a rotation topped by not one but two aces in Paul Skenes and Chandler. The former Clemson commit, who was the No. 19-ranked prospect by The Athletic's Keith Law, has had a rough June, but the potential is very much still there.
It's another lost season in Pittsburgh, but knowing Chandler is just a phone call away from making his debut is one thing to feel good about. That, and seeing Skenes every fifth day. — Flores
Record: 32-48
Last Power Ranking: 27
Something to feel good about: Jacob Wilson
The A's are currently like Caine in 'Kung Fu,' just walking from town to town, meeting people and getting into adventures. But they will have a permanent home one of these days, and they've been locking players up in anticipation of that. Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker might be in the A's next permanent home, a part of the team's foundation.
Wilson has the best chance of being a star in their new forever home, wherever that might be. His dad was an All-Star without hitting like a right-handed Ichiro. Imagine how far the younger Wilson can go if he keeps doing exactly that. — Brisbee
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Record: 31-45
Last Power Ranking: 28
Something to feel good about: Sandy Alcantara looks like a player worth trading again
When this season began, Alcantara loomed as the highest-profile player likely to get moved at the deadline. But the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner stumbled in his first outings back from Tommy John surgery. After 11 starts, his ERA was 8.47, with shaky command and scant ability to pitch deep into games.
He has looked better this month. After giving up three runs in six innings on Sunday against Atlanta, Alcantara's June ERA was 2.74. His performance creates a conundrum for Miami. Should the Marlins move him next month? Or should the club wait to see if he continues to improve and try to trade him during the winter? Alcantara is still under team control through 2027. It's an interesting question. — McCullough
Record: 25-54
Last Power Ranking: 29
Something to feel good about: Shane Smith
The White Sox leader in fWAR (1.5), Smith, has posted a 2.85 ERA through 14 starts (72 2/3 IP). Barring some rather unforeseen circumstances, he will be Chicago's representative in Atlanta for the All-Star Game.
Perhaps most noteworthy is that Smith wasn't even on the White Sox roster a year ago. A Brewers farmhand, Smith was the first selection in last winter's Rule 5 Draft by Chicago, after Milwaukee failed to add him to its 40-man roster. He made the Opening Day roster out of spring training and has rewarded Chicago's faith with some stellar starts.
As Ken Rosenthal noted last week, if Smith makes the AL All-Star team, he'll be the first Rule 5 pick to do so in the first year after he was selected in that draft since Dan Uggla with the Florida Marlins in 2006. — Flores
Record: 18-60
Last Power Ranking: 30
Something to feel good about: HUNTER GOODMAN
OH, SWEET HUNTER GOODMAN, THANK YOU FOR EXISTING. IT HAS BEEN SO VERY DEMORALIZING TO COME UP WITH NEW WORDS ABOUT THE ROCKIES EVERY OTHER WEEK, BUT HERE'S SOMETHING THEY CAN ACTUALLY FEEL GOOD ABOUT. THEY HAVE A YOUNG, HOMEGROWN CATCHER HITTING THE SNOT OUT OF THE BALL. HE WILL BE AN ALL-STAR.
BLESS YOU, HUNTER GOODMAN, FOR LETTING ROCKIES FANS FEEL GOOD ABOUT SOMETHING. BLESS YOU FOR HELPING THEM FEEL ANYTHING AT ALL. YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE. NO PRESSURE. — Brisbee