Power Rankings: NL rivals ready to challenge Dodgers for No. 1
David Ross and Tim Kurkjian break down this week’s MLB Power Rankings and Ross makes a case for the Braves to climb the list. (1:26)
Another week into the season, the Dodgers might still be on top of the pile, but they’re no longer the easy choice. This week, our voters split their allegiances among three teams for the No. 1 slot, two going to the Dodgers, two more to the Astros, and the fifth vote going to the Twins. Could the Twins be the team that breaks up the Dodgers/Astros supremacy we’ve seen so far this season?
But even as the Dodgers face that kind of challenge, they’re also faced with an expanding field of rivals within the National League. The Braves made the big gain this week, rising to No. 6 overall while taking the lead in the NL East, and skipping past the Cubs for the privilege of being the second-highest NL team in our polling.
But the Cubs still have plenty of fight left in them, as shown by their dramatic comeback win in L.A. on Saturday (though the Dodgers won the series). And powered by slugging star Christian Yelich, the Brewers, the team that almost took down the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series last year, aren’t far behind. And nobody should be sleeping on the Phillies, Rockies or Diamondbacks, all of whom are keeping themselves in the contention conversation. The Snakes made the single biggest gain with this week’s voters, moving up seven spots to No. 11 overall.
Every team obviously can’t improve, however, and we saw several tumble this week. The Rockies fell from the top 10 after sneaking in just a week ago, losing three spots, as did the Phillies as they saw the Braves blaze beyond them in the standings. But the biggest drop was suffered by the Padres, down four rungs after going 5-10 so far in June to fall below .500 overall.
For Week 10, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.
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2019 record: 48-24
Week 10 ranking: 1
Corey Seager‘s hamstring injury suffered early in the week puts a damper on the team’s great start as Seager had hit .354/.409/.646 over his previous month, looking again like the Seager of 2016 and 2017. Luckily, the strain wasn’t as bad as initially feared, a Grade 1-slash-2, as manager Dave Roberts called it, instead of the more severe Grade 3. In the meantime, Chris Taylor will get the majority of the time at shortstop and regular at-bats to see if he can start producing at the plate. By the way, the Dodgers’ rotation in its past 40 games before Sunday night: 2.27 ERA, 253 SO, 36 BB, .210 batting average allowed. Hyun-Jin Ryu isn’t the only starter lighting it up. — David Schoenfield
ICYMI: Dodgers must address their one glaring weakness
2019 record: 48-24
Week 10 ranking: 2
Those who had been clamoring for the promotion of slugger Yordan Alvarez have not been disappointed, as the 21-year-old masher is off to a soaring start in his big league career. Alvarez clubbed four homers and drove in eight runs over his first five career games. Perhaps more impressive than that, he has added four singles and six walks and has reached base in 14 of his first 23 career plate appearances. He won’t keep up this pace, but it is going to be difficult to pry Alvarez out of the talented Astros lineup. — Bradford Doolittle
2019 record: 47-23
Week 10 ranking: 3
Keep calm and mash: How the relaxed Twins are rewriting HR-hitting history Story »
The team’s designated hitters hardly struggled in the absence of injured Nelson Cruz, but it is nice to have the elder statesman back as he seeks his sixth consecutive season with 37 or more home runs. Cruz and his once-injured wrist returned to active duty and provided immediate power and lineup presence, with nearly a homer per day. While general manager Thad Levine will likely look to upgrade the rotation and bullpen in the next six weeks, the offense is one of the deepest in the sport. — Eric Karabell
ICYMI: How the relaxed Twins are rewriting HR-hitting history
2019 record: 43-28
Week 10 ranking: 5
There really isn’t a clear front-runner so far in the American League Cy Young race but any short list of leading contenders has to include Charlie Morton. Morton thus far has hit yet another career-high level in strikeout rate (11.0 K/9) and is allowing a career-low 6.1 hits per nine. The shape of Morton’s career has been remarkable, if somewhat emblematic of baseball in 2019. Through age 32, Morton had nearly 900 career innings with a 4.54 ERA and 6.3 K/9. Since then, he’s at 3.14 and 10.6 over 401 frames. — Doolittle
ICYMI: How Wander Franco became MLB’s next can’t-miss kid
2019 record: 43-27
Week 10 ranking: 4
Adding AL home run leader Edwin Encarnacion to a lineup that will soon add Giancarlo Stanton (set to return Tuesday) and Aaron Judge could create one of the most devastating 1-through-9 power lineups ever seen. When everyone is back, Encarnacion will be the DH, pushing Stanton to left field and Brett Gardner to the bench (and Clint Frazier to the minors). That still leaves five infielders and with Gio Urshela continuing to excel on both sides of the ball, look for DJ LeMahieu to assume a full-time utility role, playing first, second and third base. And while the lineup still leans to the right side, consider three of the best starters in the AL East are Blake Snell, Chris Sale and David Price. — Schoenfield
ICYMI: Yankees can overpower all rivals after Encarnacion trade
2019 record: 42-30
Week 10 ranking: 11
How soon could Ronald Acuña Jr. claim Best Player in Baseball title? Jeff Passan
Sunday’s 15-1 romp over the Phillies gave the Braves the series victory and concluded a 5-1 week (and 9-1 over their past 10 games). During that 10-game stretch, the Braves went from two games behind the Phillies to 2½ in front of them. In those 10 games, the Braves have hit .312 and averaged 7.8 runs per game, with Ozzie Albies leading the way with a .410/.489/.821 stretch and Ronald Acuna Jr. hitting .375 with four home runs. — Schoenfield
ICYMI: GM Anthopoulos on Keuchel signing, young stars
2019 record: 39-32
Week 10 ranking: 6
Kyle Hendricks had a run of eight starts during which he went 6-0 with a 1.99 ERA and .538 OPS allowed. Then he got hammered by the Dodgers in his most recent turn and ended up on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Hendricks leads the Cubs in innings pitched, so as we wait to learn the severity of Hendricks’ injury, the rising momentum of Chicago’s season is suddenly in limbo. — Doolittle
ICYMI: Epstein: Zobrist could return to Cubs this season
2019 record: 39-34
Week 10 ranking: 9
Nothing like a trip to Baltimore to make a team feel better about itself. After five consecutive victories, the past three against the hapless Orioles, the Red Sox face a much tougher foe with a three-game set at Minnesota. And that has been a problem for the Sox, who haven’t won a series against a team that currently has a winning record since April 29-May 1, when they swept a three-game set with Oakland. — Steve Richards
ICYMI: Which AL wild-card contenders should go for it before the trade deadline
2019 record: 40-31
Week 10 ranking: 8
Remember that “let the kids play” promo early in the season in which Christian Yelich awkwardly declared that he was going to hit 50 home runs this year? Turns out he was being as humble as usual. Yelich is on pace to fly past the 50-homer mark and threaten 60 dingers. The Brewers have had one 50-homer season in franchise history, that coming when Prince Fielder hit that number exactly in 2007. As for Yelich, his rate of improvement continues to be staggering. His career-high 36 homers last season were 15 more than he’d ever hit before, but now he’s making that total look quaint. — Doolittle
2019 record: 39-32
Week 10 ranking: 7
The Phillies have rotation issues and veteran Jake Arrieta, in his second season with the club, is not helping much. Arrieta is scheduled to start twice this week, and beat the Diamondbacks last Tuesday but allowed three runs and four walks over six innings. His ERA and WHIP rose to 4.31 and 1.45, even worse than last season, and his strikeout rate continues to be one of the lesser ones among starters. The Phillies need help, but they need a better Arrieta too. — Karabell
ICYMI: Real or not? This home run thing has gotten out of hand
2019 record: 38-35
Week 10 ranking: 18
Over the past two weeks, the D-backs are tied for the major league lead with 29 home runs. Leading the way? Ketel Marte, who has seven long balls over that span and is becoming a poster child for the out-of-whack homer surge this season. Marte, whose HR-to-fly ball rate of 20.9 percent is double his previous career high, has 20 homers in 317 plate appearances this year; in the previous three seasons combined, he had 20 home runs in 1,301 plate appearances. — Richards
2019 record: 38-33
Week 10 ranking: 13
Texas keeps plugging along despite playing the offensive black hole that is Rougned Odor every day at second base. On the bright side, Odor snapped a three-week homerless stretch Friday and June has been his best month (he’s slashing .232/.338/.375). On the down side, he entered Sunday ranking in the bottom five in baseball among qualifiers in average (.184, second worst), OBP (.265, fourth worst), OPS (.613, fifth worst), K rate (30.3 percent, fourth worst) and wRC+ (56, second worst). — Richards
ICYMI: Taken down by rising Rangers, Red Sox have lost their way
2019 record: 37-34
Week 10 ranking: 10
After missing 14 games due to a calf injury, Charlie Blackmon has picked up right where he left off, batting .500 (22-for-44) with six home runs, 16 RBIs and 14 runs scored in his past nine games. He played a large part in the team totaling 65 runs during its homestand during the past week, but now that the Rockies hit the road with key series at Arizona and Los Angeles during the upcoming week, we’ll see whether he can improve upon his .233/.272/.357 road triple-slash line this season. — Tristan H. Cockcroft
2019 record: 36-34
Week 9 ranking: 12
Who’d have pegged Dakota Hudson, the final Cardinals starter to claim his Opening Day rotation spot, as the team’s most reliable hurler during the past month-plus? Through Sunday’s turn, he’s riding a streak of seven consecutive quality starts, with the team winning each of the past six of those games. Hudson’s 3.55 ERA for the season ranks 13th in the NL. — Cockcroft
2019 record: 37-33
Week 10 ranking: 15
In a season that has seen the Tribe’s top asset, its rotation, wracked by injuries, there should at least be some satisfaction over Shane Bieber‘s breakthrough season. His 3.89 FIP is best on the team, he’s sixth in the league in his swinging strike rate. At least rotation reinforcements are on the way — after a pair of rehab appearances, Mike Clevinger returns to action to face the Rangers on Monday. — Christina Kahrl
ICYMI: Ace Kluber cleared for strength work in recovery
2019 record: 36-36
Week 10 ranking: 14
After notching his ninth win of the season, the emergence of Frankie Montas into a power/ground ball starter could not perhaps have come in a better season. He’s in the top five in the AL in grounders generated (51.4 percent) and lowest home run rate allowed, and he has allowed three runs or fewer in all 10 of his quality starts in 14 turns. He might get crowded out of All-Star consideration, but he has earned a place in the conversation. — Kahrl
ICYMI: What A’s must do to stay in wild-card race
2019 record: 33-38
Week 10 ranking: 20
Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg are hardly the biggest issues with the Nationals, but both had terrible starts last week as Corbin allowed seven runs in five innings against the White Sox while Strasburg allowed four home runs and six runs in a loss to the Diamondbacks. After shutting out the Marlins on May 25, Corbin has given up 20 runs and 22 hits in 12⅔ innings in losing three straight games. Corbin blamed fastball command for his recent struggles, and if he isn’t throwing the fastball in good spots, it makes his slider less effective because he’s not getting ahead often enough. — Schoenfield
2019 record: 34-37
Week 10 ranking: 19
Subpar production at the middle infield spots continues to be a problem for the Mets, who just got Robinson Cano back from the IL and still have received nothing from free-agent addition Jed Lowrie. Shortstop Amed Rosario struggles to reach base and field dependably. The Mets presume Cano, a career .303 hitter, will hit as he did a season ago in Seattle and — based on his history — stay on the field. As for Lowrie, out with knee and hamstring woes, it might be a while. Rosario, still only 23, has time to develop, but after more than 1,000 career plate appearances and a sub-.300 OBP, is this all there is? — Karabell
2019 record: 31-38
Week 10 ranking: 16
Joey Votto‘s poor performance continues to define the Reds’ offensive struggles in 2019. His six home runs matches his worst output through 69 team games of any of his 12 big league seasons, and his 15 multihit performances are fewer than he has had through that many games in all but 2014 (11), during which he was injured, and 2007 (seven), his big league debut year in which he played just 24 games total. — Cockcroft
2019 record: 35-37
Week 10 ranking: 22
Do not blame Shohei Ohtani for the team’s middling record. The team’s DH hit for the cycle against the Rays last week and he continues to look like one of the AL’s better hitters. Would the Angels consider making Ohtani the full-time DH in 2020, when he has recovered from Tommy John surgery and is ready to resume pitching? Should they do this? It is a fair question as Ohtani more than capably protects Mike Trout in the lineup. — Karabell
ICYMI: Ohtani is baseball’s forgotten source of wonder
2019 record: 35-37
Week 10 ranking: 17
Nothing seemed to go right for Padres pitchers during the past week. Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Paddack was demoted to Class A Lake Elsinore, while the team saw its seasonal ERA swell by nearly one-third of a run during a weekend series against the Rockies in which they allowed a combined 48 runs in four games. Paddack should be back soon, his demotion meant to keep his innings in check, and the Rockies series was played at hitters’ heaven Coors Field. Still, there’s that early-week series against the Brewers looming. — Cockcroft
ICYMI: Tatis among phenoms following in dads’ footsteps
2019 record: 34-36
Week 10 ranking: 23
Chicago climbed back to .500 this week for the first time since early in the season but are still trying to get over the hump and above the break-even level. The White Sox last had a winning record when they were 2-1 after the games of April 2 of last season. Chicago is in a tough stretch of its schedule, with the crosstown Cubs piggybacking a four-game series with the Yankees, so climbing over .500 at this juncture would be a nice steppingstone for this emerging squad. — Doolittle
ICYMI: Which teams just drafted their No. 1 prospect?
2019 record: 32-39
Week 10 ranking: 21
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Injuries and the Pirates’ inability to plug holes created by them have caused the pitching staff many headaches lately. In their past 27 games, they have an MLB-worst 6.55 ERA. During that same time span, the pitchers recalled by the team have combined to allow a 8.66 ERA, with top prospect Mitch Keller as responsible as any: He has allowed 12 runs in seven innings in two spot starts this season. — Cockcroft
2019 record: 30-39
Week 10 ranking: 24
It might risk getting lost in the disappointment the Giants’ 2019 season has on tap, but Brandon Belt is having the kind of big season while healthy anticipated since his career year in 2016. His .357 wOBA is his best since that season, he has cut his strikeout rate to a career-best 20.4 percent, and with nine home runs already hit, he might surpass his career high of 18 this year. — Kahrl
ICYMI: Giants activate Posey from IL
2019 record: 26-45
Week 10 ranking: 25
Finding an All-Star from Toronto isn’t easy. Marcus Stroman seemed like a semi-reasonable choice, but he’s 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in his past three starts and his overall numbers — 41st among 81 qualifiers in xFIP (4.14), 67th in K/9 (6.98) — certainly don’t scream All-Star. Ken Giles — with a 1.08 ERA, 11 saves in 12 chances, and 42 K’s in 25 innings — would work, but he’s on the injured list with elbow inflammation. Could we just put Vlad Guerrero Jr. in the Home Run Derby and call it even? — Richards
ICYMI: Vladdy Jr., Cavan Biggio among second-generation phenoms whose dads helped them rise
2019 record: 25-44
Week 10 ranking: 27
Since reentering the Marlins’ lineup May 11, Garrett Cooper has given the Fish attack some desperately needed offense, delivering a team-best .406 wOBA on a .327/.403/.522 line to go with the first six home runs of his MLB career, contributing to a 15-14 record when he has been in the lineup in right field or now over at first base. Already 28 years old, Cooper came over in the same trade before 2018 that also brought them Caleb Smith from the Yankees. — Kahrl
ICYMI: MLB draft picks you can watch in College World Series
2019 record: 31-44
Week 10 ranking: 26
Trader Jerry does it again, shipping Edwin Encarnacion (and cash) to the Yankees for pitching prospect Juan Then, a 19-year-old right-hander who hasn’t pitched in the minors after posting a 2.70 ERA in 50 innings in 2018 in the Gulf Coast League. Here’s the thing: Then used to be in the Mariners system, but Jerry Dipoto sent him to the Yankees after the 2017 season for reliever Nick Rumbelow, who had a 7.58 ERA in 16 appearances over two seasons with the Mariners and was recently released. So, umm … the first trade was a big fat zero for Trader Jerry. Maybe his reacquisition of Then will work out better. — Schoenfield
ICYMI: King Felix tires, exits rehab start after 31 pitches
2019 record: 25-43
Week 10 ranking: 28
Closer Shane Greene might be the best asset the Tigers have to offer in trade at the deadline, but one wrinkle to consider is that, used almost exclusively to protect the few leads the Tigers have in the ninth, he hasn’t gotten many chances to pitch on consecutive days this year. He has been excellent in the few chances he has had (no runs allowed in eight games pitching without rest), but after giving up 14 runs and five homers in 18 games in 2018 while pitching without rest, contenders might be wary until they see more. — Kahrl
ICYMI: Top prospect Mize on IL for shoulder inflammation
2019 record: 23-48
Week 10 ranking: 29
Outfielder Jorge Soler, acquired from the Cubs in the Wade Davis trade in December 2016, is on pace to shatter the organization record for home runs in a season. Mike Moustakas holds the Royals home run mark with 38 in 2017, which topped decades-old work by Steve Balboni, Gary Gaetti and John Mayberry. Soler, 27, clearly has power, but he offers little in the way of on-base skills and defense and likely is not a key player when the Royals become good again. However, keep an eye on his power chase. — Karabell
ICYMI: Top 2019 pick Witt hopes to live up to lofty billing
2019 record: 21-50
Week 10 ranking: 30
Another one-win week for the Orioles, who remarkably (or not) have not had more than two wins in any week this season. There’s never a shortage of problem areas for the O’s: This week, the focus is the bullpen. In six games against the Blue Jays and Red Sox, Baltimore relievers allowed nine home runs and 33 runs (30 earned) in 27⅔ innings (9.76 ERA). — Richards