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MLB Power Rankings: Astros Jump Mets, Phillies Fall After Bryce Harper Injury

Joel Reuter

With a 2-0 record against the New York Mets last week, the Houston Astros have officially crashed the New York party and moved into the No. 2 spot in our weekly MLB power rankings.

Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers also moved into the top five, the Seattle Mariners climbed seven spots following a strong week, and the Philadelphia Phillies slid to No. 15 in the wake of the Bryce Harper injury.

As always, if a team keeps winning, it will keep climbing these rankings. If a team is losing, a slide is inevitable. The beauty of this exercise is that it's a fluid process and things will continue to change.

Note: Statistics and analysis reflect games through Sunday. Team records have been updated to include Monday's results.

Nos. 30-26

Javier Baez (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

30. Kansas City Royals (26-46)

Previous Rank: 29

The Royals took two of three from the Athletics in Oakland two weeks ago, but the A's returned the favor last week, knocking KC back down to the No. 30 spot in the process. First baseman Carlos Santana was hitting .357/.478/.554 in June before he was flipped to the Seattle Mariners on Monday, and he could be the first of several veterans moved.

29. Oakland Athletics (25-50)

Previous Rank: 30

It's hard to believe now that the Athletics started the season 10-9 before a nine-game losing streak sent them tumbling down the standings. They have just three series wins since the beginning of May, one of which came last week when they took two of three from the Royals in Kansas City.

28. Detroit Tigers (28-44)

Previous Rank: 26

The Tigers were swept by the Boston Red Sox last week, but they rebounded to take two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend. Shortstop Javier Baez is playing his best baseball of the season right now, hitting .375/.412/.875 with four home runs in his last eight games.

27. Cincinnati Reds (25-47)

Previous Rank: 27

The Reds lost seven straight before taking two of three from the San Francisco Giants on the road over the weekend. Former top prospect Nick Senzel has tallied three multi-hit games in his last four, raising his average 33 points in the process. Getting him going at the plate would be a huge in-house boost.

26. Washington Nationals (28-48)

Previous Rank: 28

The Nationals went 3-2 on the road last week against the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers, though they were actually outscored 15-13 in those five games. The pitching staff ranks 29th in the majors with a 5.16 ERA, and the offense has largely been unable to pick up the slack.

Nos. 25-21

Bligh Madris (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

25. Chicago Cubs (28-45)

Previous Rank: 25

Even when they're not contending for a playoff spot, the Cubs always seem to bring it against the rival St. Louis Cardinals, and they took two of three at Busch Stadium over the weekend. Despite that series win, the Cubs are still just 8-16 with a staggering minus-70 run differential in June.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates (29-44)

Previous Rank: 24

The Pirates took three of four from the Chicago Cubs to begin last week, but they were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, including a pair of walk-off losses. Outfielder Bligh Madris made his MLB debut on June 20, and he's gone 9-for-25 with four doubles, one home run and six RBI in his first six games.

23. Colorado Rockies (32-42)

Previous Rank: 17

After showing signs of life with a sweep of the San Diego Padres two weeks ago, the Rockies went 1-5 with series losses to the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins on the road last week. They continue to be a tough draw at home, but they have fallen to 12-23 away from Coors Field.

22. Los Angeles Angels (36-40)

Previous Rank: 22

The Angels began last week with some momentum after taking four of five from the Seattle Mariners, but series losses to the Kansas City Royals and Mariners quickly extinguished that spark. If things don't improve in the coming weeks, they'll need to seriously consider selling off short-term pieces like Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen.

21. Chicago White Sox (34-38)

Previous Rank: 21

The White Sox are playing sub-.500 baseball at home this year after losing four in a row to the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles last week. Despite strong individual performances up and down the roster, it has been a wildly disappointing first three months for a team that began the year with World Series aspirations.

Nos. 20-16

Dean Kremer (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

20. Texas Rangers (35-37)

Previous Rank: 20

After a 17-10 month of May, it's been a far more inconsistent June for the Rangers who continue to hover around .500. They'll be one of the more interesting teams to watch at the trade deadline, as left-hander Martin Perez would be an in-demand rental arm, but it's just as likely they stand pat or even look to add controllable pieces.

19. Arizona Diamondbacks (33-41)

Previous Rank: 16

The D-backs were one game below .500 when June began, so it's been a tough month for a team that few expected to be relevant in the NL West. Veteran outfielder David Peralta quietly has a 115 OPS+ with 24 extra-base hits in the final season of a three-year, $22 million deal, and he's an under-the-radar name to keep an eye on at the trade deadline.

18. Miami Marlins (33-39)

Previous Rank: 18

The Marlins swept the Colorado Rockies last week before dropping two of three to the New York Mets, and they'll now play 11 of their next 13 games on the road where they've gone 14-22 on the year. If Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez both make the NL All-Star team, it will be the first time since 1996 that two Marlins starting pitchers get the nod.

17. Baltimore Orioles (35-40)

Previous Rank: 19

The Orioles have not had a losing streak longer than two games since May 18, and while that may not sound like much, it's a significant step forward for a team that lost 110 games a year ago. Right-hander Dean Kremer has a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings over four starts since joining the starting rotation at the beginning of June.

16. Seattle Mariners (34-41)

Previous Rank: 23

The Mariners climbed seven spots after a 5-1 week against the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels, improving their record against in-division AL West foes to 17-15. Rookies Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby have settled in nicely as impact players, while Logan Gilbert is arguably the breakout pitcher of 2022.

Nos. 15-11

Ryan Jeffers and Jhoan Duran (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

15. Philadelphia Phillies (39-35)

Previous Rank: 11

Losing Bryce Harper indefinitely to a broken thumb is a major blow that overshadows anything the Phillies did in the win-loss column last week. The 29-year-old was already playing through a slight UCL tear that kept him from playing in the outfield, and Tommy John surgery could also be on the docket if his thumb injury proves to be season-ending.

14. Cleveland Guardians (36-33)

Previous Rank: 12

The Guardians went 15-4 to begin the month of June before losing four in a row to close out last week, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. Despite their recent success, it's difficult to ignore their 10-17 record against teams with a winning record, and that will be put to the test this week against the New York Yankees.

13. Tampa Bay Rays (40-32)

Previous Rank: 15

The Rays are 3-7 against the New York Yankees and 37-25 against everyone else after losing two of three to the AL East leaders. Infielder Isaac Paredes hit five home runs in five games last week, and he has a 167 OPS+ and 10 homers in 34 games after he was acquired during the offseason from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Austin Meadows.

12. San Francisco Giants (39-33)

Previous Rank: 9

It was a tough week for the Giants, who went 2-5 with series losses to the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, and they have three walk-off losses in their last eight games. That's the type of stretch that can take a toll on a team emotionally, but they'll have a chance to regroup a bit this week with scheduled off days on Monday and Thursday.

11. Minnesota Twins (42-33)

Previous Rank: 13

The Twins lost a series to the Guardians at home last week, and now they travel to Cleveland for a huge five-game series that will determine who sits atop the AL Central standings. Relievers Jhoan Duran (26 GS, 5 SV, 2.18 ERA, 12.5 K/9) and Griffin Jax (25 G, 7 HLD, 2.80 ERA, 10.7 K/9) have been invaluable contributors at the back of a retooled bullpen.

Nos. 10-6

Dansby Swanson (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

10. St. Louis Cardinals (42-34)

Previous Rank: 10

The Cardinals split a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers and then dropped two of three to the Chicago Cubs at home in a disappointing week. Finding relievers they can rely on outside of Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera figures to be a priority at the deadline, as 17 different pitchers have made at least one relief appearance.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (41-32)

Previous Rank: 5

Series losses to the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers dropped the Blue Jays four spots, and they were playing .500 baseball in June following Sunday's loss. Something of a forgotten man, Cavan Biggio is hitting .269/.415/.519 with nine extra-base hits in 66 plate appearances this month.

8. Milwaukee Brewers (42-33)

Previous Rank: 14

The Brewers slipped all the way down to No. 15 in these rankings when they lost eight games in a row earlier this month, but they've gone 9-5 in their last 14 games to climb back into the top 10. After getting shut out four times earlier this month, the offense has looked much better of late, despite being without Hunter Renfroe and Kolten Wong.

7. San Diego Padres (45-30)

Previous Rank: 7

For the ninth straight week, the Padres fall somewhere between the No. 5 and No. 7 spot in these rankings, and they've been a consistent presence among the second tier of teams leaguewide. Their loss on Sunday concluded a stretch of 31 games in 31 days, during which time they went 17-14, and Monday was their first day off in 18 days.

6. Atlanta Braves (42-32)

Previous Rank: 3

The Braves climbed all the way up to No. 3 in the midst of a 14-game winning streak to begin the month of June, but they've gone just 5-5 with a pair of series losses since that impressive streak was snapped. Shortstop Dansby Swanson is hitting .370/.432/.630 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 24 games in June as he's playing his way into the NL MVP race.

Nos. 5-1

Freddie Freeman (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (45-27)

Previous Rank: 8

It's been an up-and-down month of June for the Dodgers, but they are trending in the right direction once again following series wins on the road over the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves. Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith are shouldering a lot of the offensive load right now, and someone else beyond that trio needs to step up.

4. Boston Red Sox (42-32)

Previous Rank: 6

With series sweeps of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians last week, the Red Sox improved to 19-4 in June, though they remain double-digit games back in the AL East standings. Despite being without Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock, the starting rotation continues to be a strength behind emerging ace Nick Pivetta.

3. New York Mets (47-27)

Previous Rank: 2

The Mets lost a quick two-game series with the Houston Astros last week, so flip-flopping those two teams at No. 2 and No. 3 in the rankings is only fair. With a 13-10 record and a minus-five run differential in June, the Mets have started to level off a bit in recent weeks, though they remain comfortably atop the NL East standings.

2. Houston Astros (45-27)

Previous Rank: 3

The Astros faced the New York Mets and New York Yankees last week and walked away with a 4-2 record, including the fourth no-hitter of the 2022 season on Saturday. The team's high-powered offense and excellent rotation get the bulk of the attention, but the relief corps has also been excellent with an MLB-best 2.75 ERA and only six blown saves.

1. New York Yankees (54-20)

Previous Rank: 1

The Yankees lost consecutive games for the first time since May 29 when they were no-hit by the Houston Astros on Saturday, but they came from behind to win on Sunday and salvage a four-game series split. Aaron Judge delivered the walk-off blow in the 10th inning on Sunday for his MLB-leading 28th home run of the season.

Complete Rankings

Al Bello/Getty Images

Complete Rankings

1. New York Yankees
2. Houston Astros
3. New York Mets
4. Boston Red Sox
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Atlanta Braves
7. San Diego Padres
8. Milwaukee Brewers
9. Toronto Blue Jays
10. St. Louis Cardinals
11. Minnesota Twins
12. San Francisco Giants
13. Tampa Bay Rays
14. Cleveland Guardians
15. Philadelphia Phillies
16. Seattle Mariners
17. Baltimore Orioles
18. Miami Marlins
19. Arizona Diamondbacks
20. Texas Rangers
21. Chicago White Sox
22. Los Angeles Angels
23. Colorado Rockies
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
25. Chicago Cubs
26. Washington Nationals
27. Cincinnati Reds
28. Detroit Tigers
29. Oakland Athletics
30. Kansas City Royals

Highlight of the Week: Cristian Javier, Astros No-Hit Yankees

Ryan Pressly, Martin Maldonado, Hector Neris and Cristian Javier (Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

Entering play on Saturday, the New York Yankees had not been no-hit since all the way back in 2003, when six different Houston Astros pitchers combined on a no-no.

This time around, it only took three Astros pitchers to make history.

Cristian Javier did the heavy lifting, tossing seven innings and walking just one while striking out 13 of the 23 batters he faced. The 25-year-old began the year in the Houston bullpen before moving into the rotation in May.

"He doesn’t show any emotions, no matter how big the stage—playoffs, World Series,” catcher Martin Maldonado told reporters of Javier. “The guy’s the same. He can give up five [runs], he can throw a no-hitter—he’s still the same guy. Was I surprised he did it? No, just because I know how good he is."

Setup man Hector Neris walked two batters in the eighth inning but escaped unscathed with the no-hitter intact, and closer Ryan Pressly slammed the door with a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save of the year.

Jose Urquidy then held the Yankees without a hit for 6.1 innings on Sunday before Giancarlo Stanton finally broke things up with a home run.

Team of the Week

Isaac Paredes (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

C Alejandro Kirk, TOR
(9-for-20, 4 HR, 9 RBI)

1B Freddie Freeman, LAD
(11-for-25, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI)

2B Isaac Paredes, TB
(11-for-19, 2 2B, 5 HR, 9 RBI)

3B Evan Longoria, SF
(8-for-24, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI)

SS Nico Hoerner, CHC
(12-for-25, 2B, HR, 5 RBI)

OF Brandon Nimmo, NYM
(11-for-26, 3 2B, HR, 5 RBI)

OF Jesse Winker, SEA
(9-for-18, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI)

OF Julio Rodriguez, SEA
(7-for-22, 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI)

DH Yordan Alvarez, HOU
(6-for-19, 4 HR, 7 RBI)

SP Cristian Javier, HOU
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)

SP Dylan Cease, CWS
(2 GS, W, ND, 13.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 24 K)

SP Shohei Ohtani, LAA
(1 GS, W, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)

SP Gerrit Cole, NYY
(2 GS, ND, L, 14.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 20 K)

SP Logan Webb, SF
(2 GS, W, ND, 13.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 K)

RP Tanner Rainey, WAS
(3 G, 3/3 SV, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)

Award Rankings

Sandy Alcantara (Eric Espada/Getty Images)

AL MVP

1. Aaron Judge, NYY
2. Jose Ramirez, CLE
3. Rafael Devers, BOS
4. Mike Trout, LAA
5. Yordan Alvarez, HOU

NL MVP

1. Paul Goldschmidt, STL
2. Manny Machado, SD
3. Pete Alonso, NYM
4. Mookie Betts, LAD
5. Dansby Swanson, ATL

AL Cy Young

1. Shane McClanahan, TB
2. Alek Manoah, TOR
3. Martin Perez, TEX
4. Justin Verlander, HOU
5. Logan Gilbert, SEA

NL Cy Young

1. Sandy Alcantara, MIA
2. Joe Musgrove, SD
3. Tony Gonsolin, LAD
4. Corbin Burnes, MIL
5. Max Fried, ATL

AL Rookie of the Year

1. Jeremy Pena, HOU
2. Julio Rodriguez, SEA
3. Joe Ryan, MIN

NL Rookie of the Year

1. Spencer Strider, ATL
2. Brendan Donovan, STL
3. Michael Harris II, ATL

Stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.

   

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