This week’s MLB.COM Power Rankings are up and once again the Tampa Bay Rays remain on top of the pack. Be sure to checkout the website for all things MLB and plenty of video highlights.
1) Rays, 54-27 (last week: 1)
Tampa Bay is scuffling for maybe the first time all year. Along with benching superstar Wander Franco for two games this week (though he homered in his return to the lineup Saturday), the Rays have not won any of their past four series. Their last series win came when they took two of three from the Rangers from June 9-11. Since that set, Tampa Bay split a four-game set with the last-place A’s, lost two of three to the Padres, split two with the O’s and split four games against the last-place Royals. The Rays still hold the best record in the Majors, but they’re just two games ahead of the Braves — and only 4 1/2 ahead of the Orioles in the AL East.
2) Braves, 50-27 (last week: 2)
The Braves just keep on winning. They received one first-place vote from our panel after a week in which they went to Philadelphia and won both games against the rival Phillies, then snapped the Reds’ 12-game winning streak by winning back-to-back games in Cincinnati to close the weekend. Overall, Atlanta has won 10 of its last 11 to move within two games of the Rays for the best record in the Majors. The Marlins (six games back) are the only team in the NL East fewer than 10 games back of Atlanta.
3) Rangers, 47-30 (last week: 3)
It’s hard not to wonder what Corey Seager’s numbers might look like had he not missed more than a month earlier this season due to a strained left hamstring. The Rangers’ shortstop is hitting .349 with a 1.028 OPS. He has 10 homers and 46 RBIs in just 46 games — that’s a 35-homer, 162-RBI pace over 162 games. Seager has had plenty of help up and down the Texas lineup — and from the pitching staff — on a team that finds itself with a 5 1/2-game lead in the AL West.
4) Orioles, 47-29 (last week: 4)
It was an up-and-down week for the O’s, who started by splitting a pair with the Rays before dropping a 13-1 decision in the series opener against the Mariners. Still, Baltimore closed the weekend with a pair of wins, led by the red-hot Anthony Santander. Santander not only robbed Julio Rodríguez of a home run on Sunday afternoon, but he hit one of his own — his fifth in the past six games. The O’s have a tough stretch to end the first half, with four games against the surging Reds, six against the first-place Twins and three against the rival Yankees.
5) D-backs, 47-32 (last week: 5)
The D-backs still sit atop the NL West despite losing two of three to the Giants over the weekend. Arizona won the finale Sunday to avoid the sweep, but things won’t get any easier this week as the D-backs welcome the MLB-leading Rays to Chase Field on Tuesday to begin a three-game set. National League Cy Young candidate Zac Gallen figures to be on the mound for the series opener, which should bode well for the D-backs, considering he’s 7-0 with a 1.00 ERA in eight home starts this season.
The rest of the field of 30:
- Giants (12)
- Dodgers (6)
- Reds (15)
- Marlins (9)
- Astros (7)
- Angels (10)
- Yankees (8)
- Blue Jays (11)
- Phillies (13)
- Twins (14)
- Brewers (16)
- Red Sox (18)
- Padres (17)
- Cubs (23)
- Mariners (19)
- Guardians (22)
- Mets (21)
- Pirates (20)
- Cardinals (25)
- Tigers (26)
- White Sox (24)
- Nationals (28)
- Rockies (27)
- Royals (30)
- A’s (29)
