MLB Power Rankings: Yankees, Mets hold on to top spots
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
The past couple of weeks have shaken things up in Major League Baseball, with some teams going on the longest win streaks in franchise history.
That caused some significant movement in my power rankings. At No. 10 on this week’s list, we have a team that has been on an absolute tear since June began.
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The Phillies made some changes this offseason by bringing in two big-name free agents, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, but the season didn’t start as planned. Through the first 50 games, the Phillies were sitting at 21-29. Then they made a managerial change and haven’t looked back, with a 15-3 record in the month of June.
It’s safe to assume the Cardinals wouldn’t be here right now if not for Paul Goldschmidt carrying the team. Since the beginning of June, Goldschmidt has been the best hitter on the planet. Last week, he had four homers and 11 RBIs in six games.
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The Cardinals also finally got ace Jack Flaherty back, and if he pitches anything like his pre-injury self, it will be huge for this Cardinals team.
The Braves rolled to a 14-game winning streak last week, the second-longest winning streak in team history. In June, the Braves are 14-2, they’ve scored the most runs per game in baseball, and they’ve made up five games in the division on the New York Mets.
The Blue Jays had a clash with the Yankees this weekend and almost got swept. But Sunday’s game featured an extremely impressive, come-from-behind win that the Jays desperately needed.
Despite being way behind the Yankees in the standings, the Blue Jays hold the top spot in the wild-card standings and are one of the most dangerous teams in MLB.
The Giants have been playing much better baseball of late. Since the start of June, they haven’t lost a series, and they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers. They went through a tough stretch of games in May but appear to be back to playing Giants baseball.
I can’t say it enough: What the Padres have done without Fernando Tatis Jr. is truly incredible. But now they might have to get by for a while without their other star, Manny Machado.
Manny Machado exits game against Rockies due to ankle injury
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado leaves the game due to a left-ankle sprain in first inning. X-rays were negative after the game.
On Sunday, Machado went down with a gruesome injury, and the initial fear was a broken ankle. After some tests, the good news came that there was no break, and there’s optimism that Machado will miss only a few weeks. The Padres’ pitching staff, which has been great this season, is going to have to be even better to make up for the massive loss of production in the lineup.
Through 66 games, the Astros have the best bullpen in baseball and are the only team with a save percentage above 80%. In one-run games, Houston is 12-5, and that’s a stark contrast from what this team has done in past years. The Astros are one of baseball’s elite teams.
Mookie Betts hit the injured list with a fractured rib, and that is cause for a bit of concern. After trading AJ Pollock for Craig Kimbrel from the White Sox in the offseason, the Dodgers’ outfield depth isn’t what it used to be. With Betts out and Cody Bellinger not playing well in the outfield, Pollock’s absence is surely being felt.
On top of that, Kimbrel hasn’t exactly been lights-out in the ninth inning, so I’m sure the Dodgers are wishing they could undo that trade. Even so, the Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, with a 40-25 record.
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Lately, the Mets have been riddled with injuries while their division-rival Braves went on a 14-game winning streak. In that span, the Mets went on their toughest road trip of the year, facing the Dodgers, Padres and Angels and then playing the Brewers at home.
The old Mets would’ve lost most of those games; the new-look Mets went over .500 and kept a decent lead in the division. The Mets are the best team in the National League, even without two of the best pitchers in baseball.
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Not only are the Yankees the best team in baseball, but there’s also a decent-sized gap between them and everybody else. They are the only team with three win streaks of seven or more games this season, and they are 24-10 against their rivals in the AL East, perhaps the best division in baseball. The second- and third-place teams in the division have 22 wins against division rivals — combined.
These Yankees have been historically good.
Here’s to another exciting week of Major League Baseball!
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the “Flippin’ Bats” podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @BenVerlander.
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