MLB Power Rankings: An Updated Look at Where All 30 Teams Stand

The first day of summer is here, and the MLB landscape continues to shift on a weekly basis as teams look to establish themselves as bona fide contenders.

At this point, the Chicago Cubs remain in a tier of their own at the top, but a handful of teams look like viable title contenders in their own right. The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants are both red-hot right now, and the Washington Nationals certainly opened some eyes when they took two of three from the Cubs in Washington last week.

The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox continue to battle for AL East supremacy, while it's a three-team battle in the AL Central between the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox continue to slide down the rankings, and the New York Mets will need to bounce back from being swept by the Atlanta Braves as their offense continues to struggle mightily.

One thing remains true: These rankings are a fluid process, with teams moving up or down based on where they ranked the previous week. If a club keeps winning, it will keep climbing—it's as simple as that.

Here's a look at where all 30 MLB teams stand heading into the week of June 20.

Last Week: 2-5

Since winning four straight and sweeping the Seattle Mariners at the end of May, the Minnesota Twins have gone 6-14 over their last 20 games.

They did manage to snap a five-game losing streak and avoid another series sweep with a win over the New York Yankees on Sunday, but they still have an MLB-worst minus-116 run differential.

The struggles to this point have made it easy to identify them as early sellers, but there's not much in the way of movable parts on the roster.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, relievers Fernando Abad and Kevin Jepsen are candidates to be moved, while third baseman Trevor Plouffe and the surprisingly productive Eduardo Nunez could also be shopped.

Hitter of the Week

• RF Max Kepler (8-for-26, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Ricky Nolasco (W, ND, 13.0 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)

Last Week: 2-5

The Oakland Athletics peaked at No. 18 in these rankings at the end of April and beginning of May, but a recent downward spiral brings them to their lowest spot yet.

With series losses to the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels last week, they've now gone a combined 3-12 in their last 15 games while dropping five straight series in the process.

Injuries have dragged down what was already a middle-of-the-road team at best. Ten different pitchers have started at least one game, they've used 21 total pitchers and arguably their best hitter in Josh Reddick has been shelved since May 20 with a fractured thumb.

The health of injured starter and prime trade chip Rich Hill remains perhaps the biggest story surrounding the team. He threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Sunday, per John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group, but there is still no timetable for his return.

Hitter of the Week

• LF Khris Davis (6-for-21, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Kendall Graveman (ND, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

Last Week: 5-2

For the first time all year, the Atlanta Braves find themselves ranked somewhere other than No. 29 or 30.

They're riding a five-game winning streak, and ace Julio Teheran closed out last week by twirling a one-hit shutout Sunday to finish off a sweep of the New York Mets.

"Obviously, I didn't want to be the one that lagged behind now that we're playing well. So, I just wanted to do my part," he told reporters after the game.

Following that gem, Teheran is now 3-7 with a 2.66 ERA, 0.908 WHIP and 92 strikeouts in 98 innings of work.

After a disappointing 2015 season, it's safe to say he's rebuilt his value. It bears watching whether anyone will be willing to meet the extremely high asking price for the young right-hander come July.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Freddie Freeman (17-for-31, 5 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Julio Teheran (W, L, 16.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 15 K)

Last Week: 3-4

In what has been an otherwise trying season, Adam Duvall continues to give Cincinnati Reds fans a reason to cheer.

The team turned in another losing week by splitting a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves and then dropping two of three to the Houston Astros, but Duvall continued his torrid home run pace with three more long balls. That brings his season total to 20, keeping him tied atop the NL leaderboard with Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Upside for the 27-year-old Duvall is obviously limited, as evidenced by his .287 on-base percentage and 3.7 percent walk rate, but he's having a terrific season nonetheless.

Hitter of the Week

• LF Adam Duvall (6-for-25, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP John Lamb (ND, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K)

Last Week: 3-4

The San Diego Padres are expected to be one of the busiest sellers in baseball between now and the Aug. 1 trade deadline, and another losing week only further cements the likelihood that a number of veteran pieces will be on the move.

However, it came as a surprise to hear Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball report they're open to trading first baseman Wil Myers in the right situation.

The 2013 AL Rookie of the Year was limited by injuries the past two years, but he's finally healthy again and is in the midst of a solid offensive season with a .292/.336/.535 line that includes 16 doubles, 16 home runs and 44 RBI. 

Myers is under team control through the 2019 season and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this coming winter.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Wil Myers (9-for-27, 4 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• RP Fernando Rodney (2/2 SV, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)

Last Week: 1-6

It was another rough week for the Philadelphia Phillies, who are now 6-23 in their last 29 games following series losses to the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks.

The wheels have fallen off for what was surprisingly one of the best pitching staffs in baseball through the first two months of the season, as they've posted a 5.67 ERA this month that ranks 27th in the majors.

Among those running into problems this month is Jeremy Hellickson, who is 0-2 with a 7.41 ERA and 1.765 WHIP in his last three games after opening the year 4-3 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.147 WHIP through his first 11 starts. That no doubt hurts his stock as one of the team's top potential trade chips, and the main attraction now appears to be the bullpen duo of David Hernandez and Jeanmar Gomez.

Hitter of the Week

• RF Peter Bourjos (6-for-13, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jerad Eickhoff (W, L, 11.2 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 11 K)

Last Week: 1-6

The West Coast was not kind to the Milwaukee Brewers last week, as they were swept by the San Francisco Giants before dropping three of four to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They finish off their current road trip with a quick two-game series in Oakland before finally heading back to Miller Park, where they've gone 19-17 on the year.

Matt Garza returned from the disabled list with a pair of starts last week, and he threw a gem on Sunday against Los Angeles, allowing five hits and no walks in six shutout innings. If the 32-year-old can string together a few more quality starts, he has a chance to emerge as an intriguing trade chip in an incredibly thin market for quality arms.

Garza is still on the books for $12.5 million next year with a $13 million vesting option in 2018, so the Brewers would need to eat some of that money in any situation.

Hitter of the Week

• C Jonathan Lucroy (9-for-24, 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Zach Davies (ND, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

Last Week: 2-4

The Chicago White Sox finally picked up another series win last week when they took two of three from the Detroit Tigers, but their overall struggles continued as the Cleveland Indians swept them over the weekend.

The James Shields era has been nothing short of a disaster to this point, as he's yet to turn in a quality start in three appearances and has allowed a staggering 24 hits and 21 earned runs in just 8.2 innings of work for a 21.81 ERA.

The one-two punch of Chris Sale (11-2, 2.94 ERA, 1.010 WHIP) and Jose Quintana (5-7, 2.63 ERA, 1.083 WHIP) remains the one constant on an otherwise free-falling team. Quintana has been one of the most underrated players in the game for years, and he's in line to be a deserving first-time All-Star, as his 2.63 ERA ranks fourth in the American League.

Hitter of the Week

• CF Adam Eaton (13-for-26, 2 2B, 2 3B, 3 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jose Quintana (ND, 7.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

Last Week: 2-3

After the Miami Marlins swept them over the weekend, the Colorado Rockies once again slide down into the bottom third of teams after clawing their way up to No. 20 last week.

As if pitching were not already a big issue in Colorado, breakout star Tyler Chatwood landed on the disabled list over the weekend. He left his Saturday start after just two innings with back spasms and is now dealing with a back strain, according to ESPN.com.

The 26-year-old Chatwood has gone 8-4 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.226 WHIP, helping bring some stability to the top of the rotation. Eddie Butler will likely fill his spot in the rotation for the time being, but keep an eye on top prospect Jeff Hoffman, who is 4-4 with a 3.53 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 71.2 innings for Triple-A Albuquerque.

Hitter of the Week

• RF Carlos Gonzalez (10-for-21, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Chad Bettis (W, 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

Last Week: 4-2

Slowly but surely, Zack Greinke has rounded into the ace that the Arizona Diamondbacks were expecting when they shelled out $206.5 million to sign him this offseason.

After a disastrous April and an up-and-down May, he's gone 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA, 0.710 WHIP and a .156 opponent's batting average in four June starts.

"I feel like I've been throwing more quality strikes. Instead of just throwing strikes, it's been where I want it to be, kind of. That's the biggest difference," Greinke told reporters Saturday after throwing eight innings of one-run, three-hit ball against the Philadelphia Phillies.

A three-game sweep of the Phillies over the weekend brought the D-backs to 9-8 with a plus-13 run differential this month as they inch back toward .500.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Paul Goldschmidt (9-for-26, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Zack Greinke (2 W, 15.0 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 12 K)

Last Week: 4-2

The Los Angeles Angels made the most of a favorable schedule last week with series wins against the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics.

That's a step in the right direction after a 1-6 performance two weeks ago, and they'll look to keep it up this coming week as they head to Houston for a three-game series with the Astros before hosting the Athletics for another weekend matchup.

Tim Lincecum made his Angels debut on Saturday, and it went as well as anyone could have imagined. He allowed four hits and one earned run over six innings, walking two and striking out two to earn the victory.

"I didn't necessarily see this game going as well as it did. But it panned out and it gave me a little more confidence knowing I can push through to the next game," Lincecum told reporters after the game. "I know it's kind of hard to accept for a pitcher who has been through a lot and done a lot, but like I said I'm trying to move on and try to become a different player."

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Johnny Giavotella (11-for-25, 2 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Hector Santiago (W, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)

Last Week: 2-4

The Tampa Bay Rays suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants over the weekend, which leaves them at risk of once again falling outside of the top 20 in these rankings.

Blake Snell's triumphant return to the rotation did not go as planned on Thursday. He lasted just 3.1 innings and threw 92 pitches while allowing eight hits and five runs, though only one of those runs was earned.

It was, however, a good week for left-hander Drew Smyly, who struck out a season-high 12 batters on Wednesday in what was his best start since April.

Getting the starting rotation firing on all cylinders will be the key for the Rays' chances of climbing back into the AL East mix. They're 8.5 games back in the standings.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Logan Forsythe (10-for-29, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Drew Smyly (ND, 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 12 K)

Last Week: 1-5

The Pittsburgh Pirates are quickly falling out of the NL Central race. After a 28-19 start saw them climb as high as No. 5 in these rankings, they've now gone 5-17 in their last 22 games and plummeted to No. 18 in the process.

They followed up a series loss to the New York Mets by suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. In the process, they slipped to three games under .500 and 15 games back in the NL Central standings.

Something is going to have to change in the starting rotation.

Jon Niese (4 GS, 1-2, 5.56 ERA), Francisco Liriano (3 GS, 0-3, 6.60 ERA), Juan Nicasio (4 G, 3 GS, 1-2, 8.82 ERA) and Jeff Locke (3 GS, 1-2, 12.06 ERA) have all been shelled this month, and Gerrit Cole is still nursing a strained right triceps.

Jameson Taillon has pitched well since being promoted from the minors, and they can't keep dragging their feet on promoting fellow prospect Tyler Glasnow (6-2, 1.75 ERA, 1.182 WHIP, 92 K, 77.0 IP in Triple-A) with the season quickly slipping away.

Hitter of the Week

• LF Starling Marte (5-for-11, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jameson Taillon (W, L, 12.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 10 K)

Last Week: 3-3

It would have been nice for the New York Yankees to walk away from a week where they faced the Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins with better than a 3-3 record.

Instead, they remain one game under .500 and sit 6.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East standings. They're facing the Rockies and Twins once again this coming week, only this time the Yankees will play host, so they'll need to seize the opportunity to make up some ground.

Consistent starting pitching beyond Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia remains the big issue, and the trio of Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova and Nathan Eovaldi struggled once again last week.

Luis Severino has gone 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA, 0.880 WHIP and a 24-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since being demoted to the minors, so perhaps he can provide a spark once he's recalled.

Hitter of the Week

• SS Didi Gregorius (10-for-24, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Masahiro Tanaka (W, 8.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

Last Week: 4-1

A quick two-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and a series victory over the Cincinnati Reds has the Houston Astros once again challenging for a spot in the upper half of these rankings.

Since turning in an awful 7-17 month of April, they've gone 27-19 with a plus-27 run differential and will have a chance to climb back over .500 this coming week for the first time since they won on Opening Day.

Reliever Ken Giles remains one of the most disappointing offseason additions in baseball, but moving Will Harris into the closer's role has stabilized the bullpen, as he's a perfect 5-for-5 on save chances so far.

The biggest priority now is getting Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh pitching the way they did last season atop the rotation, or at least getting quality starts out of them regularly.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Marwin Gonzalez (6-for-18, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Doug Fister (W, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

Last Week: 2-4

The Seattle Mariners looked like a force with which to be reckoned when a 7-2 stretch brought them to 28-18 overall near the end of May. Since then, however, they've trudged along to an 8-15 record in their last 23 games.

That leaves them 8.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West standings. The Houston Astros, who are playing much better baseball of late, are threatening to overtake Seattle for second place in the division.

Losing ace Felix Hernandez to a strained right calf was an obvious blow, but James Paxton has pitched well in his absence with three consecutive quality starts. Thus, it's hard to blame the Mariners' recent struggles on that injury.

Now with King Felix potentially returning before the All-Star break, according to Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle, the team won't have an easy time deciding who gets bumped from the rotation.

Hitter of the Week

• RF Franklin Gutierrez (7-for-19, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP James Paxton (W, 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)

Last Week: 2-5

The Detroit Tigers wrapped up their recent 10-game road trip at 4-6, losing three straight games to the Kansas City Royals to close out the week.

Now they head home for nine games, highlighted by a three-game series against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians this coming weekend.

Rookie Michael Fulmer saw his scoreless innings streak halted last time out at a Tigers rookie-record 33.1 innings, but he was the tough-luck loser in allowing five hits and one earned run in 5.2 innings.

Fulmer has helped bring some stability to the starting rotation, but the No. 5 starter job is still far from resolved. Detroit optioned Matt Boyd to the minors Sunday after he went 0-2 with a 7.66 ERA in five starts.

The starter for Thursday's game and Boyd's spot in the rotation has yet to be determined.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Miguel Cabrera (11-for-28, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jordan Zimmermann (W, ND, 15.0 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)

Last Week: 5-1

The Miami Marlins peaked at the No. 12 spot in these rankings back in May, but with another strong showing this coming week, they have a chance to best that and push their way into the top 10 for the first time.

A series win over the San Diego Padres and three wins against the Colorado Rockies moved them to five games over .500, but a tough test awaits this coming week in the form of a four-game series in Chicago against the Cubs.

Paul Clemens will take the ball Monday to close out the series with the Rockies, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), as he becomes the latest to try to lock down the No. 5 starter job. The 28-year-old last pitched in the majors for the Houston Astros in 2014, and he's gone 6-4 with a 4.30 ERA, 1.208 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 75.1 innings for Triple-A New Orleans.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Martin Prado (8-for-24, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Tom Koehler (2 W, 12.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 7 BB, 14 K)

Last Week: 2-4

Last week started out well enough for the New York Mets. They won two of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates, including an 11-run offensive outburst on Wednesday.

Things quickly spiraled over the weekend, though.

The last-place Atlanta Braves swept the Mets, outscoring them 15-4 in the three-game series. Julio Teheran held them to just one hit Sunday, which marked the seventh time in June that they scored one or fewer runs.

All told, the Mets have scored just 56 runs total in 17 games so far this month. When you remove that big game last Wednesday, they've managed a meager 2.81 runs per game in their other 16 contests.

This year's club is starting to look eerily similar to last year's Mets team around this same time.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B James Loney (7-for-21, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Noah Syndergaard (W, 8.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)

Last Week: 0-5

Riding an 11-4 hot streak into last week, the St. Louis Cardinals were swept by the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers at home as their deficit in the NL Central standings grew to 12.5 games.

One of the best home teams in baseball last season with a 55-26 record, they've gone just 15-21 at Busch Stadium so far this year.

Kolten Wong found himself squeezed out of the starting second base job and demoted to the minors after Jhonny Peralta returned to action earlier this month, but he made the most of the situation and hit .429/.529/.929 with four home runs and 11 RBI in seven games for Triple-A Memphis to make a quick return.

He saw his first action in the outfield during that trip to the minors and earned his first MLB start in center field Saturday. St. Louis shipped the struggling Randal Grichuk to the minors over the weekend, so Wong could have a chance to play his way back into regular at-bats in center field.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Matt Carpenter (8-for-15, 1 2B, 1 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Carlos Martinez (ND, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

Last Week: 4-3

The Toronto Blue Jays took three of four from the Philadelphia Phillies last week, but they were unable to cut into the Baltimore Orioles' division lead as they dropped two of three in Baltimore over the weekend.

The offense that was so hyped going into the season finally seems to be hitting its stride. They've scored double-digit runs five times in their last nine games and are averaging an MLB-best 6.22 runs per game in June.

Edwin Encarnacion (1.214 OPS, 8 HR, 21 RBI) and Josh Donaldson (1.191 OPS, 4 HR, 17 RBI) have both caught fire this month, but it's Michael Saunders who continues to be the team's best hitter.

He's batting .362/.424/.793 this month and .309/.385/.596 on the year, and he delivered one of the highlights of the season for the Blue Jays on Friday with a three-homer, eight-RBI performance.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Josh Donaldson (12-for-27, 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP J.A. Happ (W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)

Last Week: 3-3

The Cleveland Indians' lead in the AL Central was trimmed to a half-game last week as they were swept by the Kansas City Royals before rebounding to sweep the struggling Chicago White Sox.

They kick off this coming week by hosting the Tampa Bay Rays before heading to Detroit for a big three-game series with the Tigers, who are 4.5 games back in the standings.

The work Cleveland's front office did upgrading its offense on the cheap this winter has been highlighted as one of the main reasons for their strong start, but the retooled bullpen has been equally important.

The Indians acquired Dan Otero (25 G, 0.98 ERA) from the Phillies for cash, while they signed Joba Chamberlain (17 G, 2.20 ERA), Tommy Hunter (15 G, 3.00 ERA) and Tom Gorzelanny (4 G, 0.00 ERA) for cheap. Each has played a significant role in a bullpen that is tied for eighth in the majors with a 3.38 ERA.

Hitter of the Week

• CF Rajai Davis (7-for-18, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 5 SB)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Trevor Bauer (ND, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K)

Last Week: 6-1

After a two-week hiatus from the top 10, the Kansas City Royals shoot back up to the No. 8 spot this week after sweeping the Cleveland Indians and taking three of four from the Detroit Tigers.

They're still a half-game behind the Indians in the AL Central standings, but momentum is certainly on their side as they get set to take on the New York Mets and Houston Astros this coming week.

Salvador Perez is already considered to be the best catcher in the American League, but he's further laying claim to that title offensively this season.

The 26-year-old is hitting .307/.338/.547 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 35 RBI on the year. He's been on fire this month with a .390/.410/.695 line that includes three doubles, five home runs and 10 RBI.

Hitter of the Week

• C Salvador Perez (14-for-29, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Yordano Ventura (W, 6.1 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

Last Week: 5-2

The Los Angeles Dodgers jump back into the top 10 after series wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers last week, and two walk-off wins in their last three games give them plenty of momentum heading into a big matchup with the Washington Nationals.

Rookie phenom Julio Urias turned in his best start to date last week, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out eight over five shutout innings. The 19-year-old is just scratching the surface of his potential.

On offense, Justin Turner has finally snapped out of it at the plate. He turned in a huge week and is now hitting .281/.329/.609 with three doubles and six home runs in June.

Over the first two months of the season, Turner hit just .235/.335/.343 with 11 extra-base hits and 16 RBI. Getting him going certainly sparks the offense.

Hitter of the Week

• 3B Justin Turner (12-for-26, 1 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Clayton Kershaw (W, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)

Last Week: 3-3

The Boston Red Sox lost two of three to the Baltimore Orioles to begin last week, and while they bounced back to take two of three from the Seattle Mariners, they still lost a game in the standings.

The Orioles now hold a one-game lead in the AL East race, and those two teams won't meet again until Aug. 16 in Baltimore.

Eduardo Rodriguez struggled once again last week, allowing eight hits and five runs in 4.1 innings, and he's now 1-2 with a 6.97 ERA in four starts since returning from a spring knee injury.

Offense is not going to be an issue for the Red Sox, but finding some sort of consistency behind the trio of David Price, Steven Wright and Rick Porcello appears to be the deciding factor in just how dangerous they can be this season.

Hitter of the Week

• DH David Ortiz (8-for-22, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP David Price (W, L, 16.0 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 18 K)

Last Week: 4-2

The Baltimore Orioles flexed their muscles in the AL East last week, taking two of three from the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays to pull into sole possession of the AL East lead.

A strong return from the disabled list from Yovani Gallardo (W, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER) and a career-best outing from Tyler Wilson (W, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER) is a promising sign for a team whose biggest weakness by far has been the starting rotation.

Meanwhile, Ubaldo Jimenez still managed to do some damage from the bullpen, allowing four hits and five earned runs over 2.1 innings in his first relief appearance since being demoted. He's still owed the remainder of a $13 million salary this year and another $13.5 million next season, so the Orioles will continue to try to find a way to get something out of their investment.

Big picture, though, the pitching staff looks to be headed in the right direction.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Jonathan Schoop (9-for-24, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Tyler Wilson (W, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

Last Week: 4-3

The Washington Nationals kicked off last week with a bang as they took two of three from the Chicago Cubs, but they were only able to split their four-game set with the San Diego Padres.

Stephen Strasburg is having a career year at 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 93 innings, but it's Max Scherzer who has been the team's best pitcher so far this month.

He turned in a pair of dominant starts last week and is now 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA, 0.679 WHIP and a 38-3 K-BB ratio in 28 innings of work.

Those two might be the best one-two punch in baseball right now, but there is some cause for concern about the rest of the rotation. Tanner Roark (3 GS, 5.06 ERA), Joe Ross (3 GS, 5.82 ERA) and Gio Gonzalez (4 GS, 5.84 ERA) have not been nearly as sharp in June.

Hitter of the Week

• CF Michael A. Taylor (7-for-14, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Max Scherzer (W, ND, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 21 K)

Last Week: 6-0

After a shaky 4-6 stretch of games saw their lead in the NL West shrink to just three games, the San Francisco Giants have ripped off eight straight wins, including sweeps of the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays last week.

Jeff Samardzija picked up his eighth career complete game last week as he outdueled Chris Archer. He's now 8-4 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.109 WHIP.

Not bad for the team's No. 3 starter.

The Giants are playing great baseball right now, but they're not without needs. Adding a reliable fifth starter and perhaps some outfield depth figures to be on the deadline to-do list.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Brandon Belt (7-for-17, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jeff Samardzija (W, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

Last Week: 6-1

The Texas Rangers continue to separate themselves from the rest of the American League pack, and this is now their third straight week in the No. 2 spot of these rankings.

With series wins over the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals last week, they still haven't lost consecutive games since the Oakland Athletics swept them from May 16-18.

They're now an impressive 23-6 in their past 29 games, and their lead in the AL West standings has swelled to 8.5 games.

Considering the team has gotten little from Prince Fielder (.200 BA, .579 OPS, 34 RBI), Shin-Soo Choo (.231 BA, .767 OPS, 4 RBI), Yu Darvish (3 GS, 2-0, 2.87 ERA) and Shawn Tolleson (24 G, 8.02 ERA) to this point, it's not out of the question to think they can get significantly better even without any major additions.

Hitter of the Week

• 2B Rougned Odor (11-for-29, 2 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 9 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Colby Lewis (W, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

Last Week: 4-2

The Chicago Cubs have been nothing short of dominant so far this season, but series losses to the San Francisco Giants last month and the Washington Nationals last week served as a stark reminder that there are other teams to fear in the National League.

To their credit, the Cubs bounced back strong once again, as they followed up dropping two of three to the Nationals with a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the Pirates (1-5) and St. Louis Cardinals (0-5) both struggling last week, the Cubs' lead in the NL Central has now ballooned to 12.5 games.

To put that into perspective, the A's (28-41) and Padres (29-42) are among the worst teams in baseball this season, but they're 16.5 and 15.5 games out of first place, respectively.

The Cubs continues to tap into their talented farm system, as Albert Almora (9-for-26, 4 2B, 5 RBI) has provided a huge boost since being called up. Willson Contreras became the latest promotion this past week.

The highly regarded catching prospect will make his first MLB start on Monday, but he's already made an impact as he launched a pinch-hit, two-run home run in his first career at-bat on Sunday.

A visit from the rival St. Louis Cardinals kicks off the upcoming week and closes out the current homestand. The Cubs follow that up with a trip to Miami.

Hitter of the Week

• 1B Anthony Rizzo (7-for-19, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)

Pitcher of the Week

• SP Jake Arrieta (W, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K)

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted, and accurate through Sunday, June 19. Hitter and Pitcher of the Week stats reflect the week from Monday, June 13 through Sunday, June 19.