As June gets going, here's where Power Rankings stand
A pair of clubs that started the season strong before hitting a rough patch last month made big moves in this week’s Power Rankings thanks to wins in five of six games last week.
Meanwhile, a postseason club from last fall with high expectations this year saw a significant drop with losses in five of six games.
Here’s a look at just how far those teams moved up or down, along with the rest of our latest Power Rankings:
Biggest jump: The Blue Jays and Pirates each jumped three spots in the rankings, with Toronto going from No. 12 to No. 9, and Pittsburgh going from No. 18 to No. 15. The Jays went 5-1 over the past week, taking two of three from the Brewers in Toronto before sweeping the Mets at Citi Field. The Bucs, meanwhile, righted the ship following a difficult stretch by winning five of six with a series victory in San Francisco and a sweep of the Cardinals at home.
Biggest drop: The Mariners have fallen on hard times, dropping four places from No. 10 to No. 14. Seattle lost two out of three at home against the Yankees and then was swept by the surging Rangers in Arlington. Overall, the M’s were outscored last week, 50-16.
Power Rankings Top 5:
1. Rays, 42-19 (last week: 1)
Tampa Bay remains atop the Power Rankings after taking two of three from the Red Sox at Fenway Park over the weekend. The two division rivals will complete the series with a late afternoon finale Monday. The Rays dropped two of three against the Cubs at Wrigley Field to open the week, but they restored order with a strong weekend in Boston. Following the completion of their series at Fenway, the Rays return to Tropicana Field, where they own an MLB-best 26-6 home record.
2. Rangers, 38-20 (last week: 2)
The Rangers just keep rolling behind a powerhouse offense that matched the 1936 Yankees by scoring 10 or more runs 16 times over their first 58 games of the season -- that’s the most over a team’s first 58 games since 1900. Texas scored 16 runs on Saturday and then 12 on Sunday to complete a sweep of the Mariners at Globe Life Field. At 38-20, Texas is off to the best start through 58 games in franchise history.
3. Orioles, 37-22 (last week: 3)
With a young core that continues to impress and exceed expectations, the Orioles are one of the most exciting clubs in baseball. Baltimore dropped two of three to the Guardians at Camden Yards, but then won two of three against the Giants at Oracle Park, defeating San Francisco in the rubber match on Sunday, 8-3, thanks in large part to a six-run third inning.
4. Dodgers, 35-25 (last week: 5)
Despite a depleted starting rotation due to injuries, the Dodgers have maintained their status as one of the best teams in baseball. Los Angeles took two of three against the Nationals at Dodger Stadium before welcoming the Yankees for a weekend showdown in which a 4-1 decision Sunday night gave New York the series win. The Dodgers have their work cut out for them, with the D-backs playing well and opening the week in a first-place tie with Los Angeles in the NL West.
5. Braves, 35-24 (last week: 4)
Last week began on a sour note for the Braves, who lost two of three against the team with the worst record in baseball, the A’s. But Atlanta bounced back, winning a three-game series against the surging D-backs in Arizona thanks to a thrilling comeback victory in Sunday's series finale -- Eddie Rosario launched a go-ahead grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Braves to an 8-5 victory.
The rest of this week’s rankings:
6. Astros (last week: 6)
7. D-backs (8)
8. Yankees (7)
9. Blue Jays (12)
10. Twins (11)
11. Brewers (13)
12. Red Sox (9)
13. Mets (14)
14. Mariners (10)
15. Pirates (18)
16. Angels (15)
17. Marlins (17)
18. Giants (16)
19. Padres (19)
20. Phillies (21)
21. Guardians (23)
22. Cardinals (20)
23. Reds (24)
24. Cubs (25)
25. Tigers (22)
26. White Sox (27)
27. Rockies (26)
28. Nationals (28)
29. Royals (29)
30. A's (30)
Voters: Will Leitch, Alyson Footer, Anthony Castrovince, Paul Casella, Mark Feinsand, Nathalie Alonso, Mike Petriello, Arturo Pardavila, Andrew Simon, David Venn, Sweeny Murti, Doug Gausepohl, Travis Miller