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Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers Rise, Yankees Plummet, More
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The past week of the 2025 Major League Baseball season could end up going down as the most exciting one when it's all said and done. Out of nowhere on Sunday, Boston Red Sox All-Star designated hitter Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants in one of the most surprising trades in recent memory. Days later, Devers was at his introductory press conference in San Francisco saying he was open to playing wherever the Giants needed him — a complete 180 from his comments in Boston the last few months. Read more: Rafael Devers Makes Surprising Announcement Regarding Position With Giants Following Red Sox Trade That blockbuster deal officially kicked off trade season, which could feature plenty of surprises as a majority of teams still remain in the hunt with six weeks until the deadline. Elsewhere around the league, the Dodgers asserted their dominance over their National League West counterparts, while the New York Yankees endured a brutal slump that included a 30-inning scoreless streak. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 12: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 12, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.... KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 12: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 12, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. MoreWith all that being said, here is the 12th edition of Newsweek Sports' MLB Power Rankings, with tons of movement among the top 10 teams — but no change at No. 1. More news: Red Sox Shockingly Demoting Top Prospect Amid Struggles 1. Detroit Tigers (48-28) 2. Chicago Cubs (45-29) 3. Los Angeles Dodgers (46-30) 4. New York Mets (45-30) 5. New York Yankees (43-31) 6. Philadelphia Phillies (45-30) 7. Houston Astros (43-32) 8. San Francisco Giants (42-33) 9. Tampa Bay Rays (41-34) 10. San Diego Padres (40-34) 11. Milwaukee Brewers (40-35) 12. Toronto Blue Jays (40-34) 13. St. Louis Cardinals (40-35) 14. Cincinnati Reds (39-36) 15. Boston Red Sox (39-37) 16. Minnesota Twins (37-37) 17. Cleveland Guardians (37-36) 18. Seattle Mariners (37-36) 19. Arizona Diamondbacks (37-37) 20. Kansas City Royals (37-38) 21. Texas Rangers (36-39) 22. Atlanta Braves (34-39) 23. Los Angeles Angels (36-38) 24. Baltimore Orioles (32-42) 25. Washington Nationals (31-44) 26. Pittsburgh Pirates (30-46) 27. Miami Marlins (29-44) 28. Athletics (31-46) 29. Chicago White Sox (23-52) 30. Colorado Rockies (17-58) Biggest Riser Boston Red Sox (+5) The Red Sox were coming off five straight wins and a series sweep of the Yankees when they shocked the league and moved off of Devers and the remainder of his 10-year contract. Since, they took a series against the Mariners in which they scored a total of five runs. For now, they move up the rankings from their dominant stretch of play. But the offense is a big concern at this point in the year without Devers. Biggest Faller Minnesota Twins (-4) The Twins lost six in a row before stopping the bleeding with a win over the Reds to avoid a sweep. In the tight AL Central — three teams are within one game of .500 — they can't afford many stretches like that as the year goes on.
NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
MLB Power Rankings: Rays and Astros rising, Giants in strong position after Rafael Devers trade
Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, the tremors of a shocking blockbuster trade, a Contreras brothers showdown, familiar faces return for the Yankees and Mariners, another rapid ascension for an Angels prospect, and the best catch of the young season. (Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook) Let's get started! Matthew Pouliot, Note: Rankings are from the afternoon of Monday, June 16. Last week: 1 Riley Greene homered and knocked in four runs in Friday's win over the Reds and now boasts 49 RBI for the season. He's currently on pace to be the first Tigers player to drive in 100 runs since Nick Castellanos in 2017. That's a long time! Last week: 2 Swept by the Rays over the weekend and missing Kodai Senga with a hamstring strain. This week, the Mets will begin an important 10-game stretch where they'll play the Braves seven times and the second-place Phillies three times. Last week: 3 The Cubs' bullpen has a 0.93 ERA over the last 30 days. Ryan Pressly has turned his season around in this timespan with a spotless ERA to go along with a 11/2 K/BB ratio in 12 2/3 innings. Daniel Palencia has emerged as a late-inning arm and Porter Hodge is making his way back from injury, so the Cubs' bullpen is likely to remain a strength. Last week: 5 The Dodgers won two out of three against the Giants over the weekend, including a throwback performance from Clayton Kershaw. Now they'll get Shohei Ohtani back on the mound to begin the week. It remains to be seen how far they'll push him initially, but it's a big boost for a depleted rotation. Last week: 4 What will the Yankees get out of Giancarlo Stanton? The 35-year-old has been out season due to epicondylitis in both of his elbows, but he checked out fine during a brief minor league rehab assignment while going 3-for-11 (.273) with one double, four RBI, and one walk over three games in Double-A. His return means that the Yankees will have to get creative about giving Ben Rice at-bats. Last week: 8 Winners of four straight, the Phillies are set to take on the Marlins in Miami for four games before a huge weekend series against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Jesus Luzardo is set to pitch twice this week after an encouraging return to form last week against the Cubs last Wednesday. Last week: 7 I'll be honest: Until now, I've been a bit skeptical about the Giants' staying power in our Top-10, but their stunner of a trade for slugger Rafael Devers changes all of that. It's a franchise-altering move, and one which makes the Giants a team built to last in the National League playoff race. Well done, Buster Posey. Welcome to The Bay, Raffy! 🌁 Last week: 9 The Astros are still rising and falling with Jose Altuve. The 35-year-old is hitting .297 with six homers and an .827 OPS over his last 35 games. The Astros have gone 23-12 in that time to surge into first place in the AL West. Last week: 6 Jackson Merrill has already missed time this season due to a right hamstring strain, but now he's facing another absence due to a concussion from a tag from Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte on Saturday night. Last week: 11 A steady riser in our ranks, the Rays have 18 out of their last 24 games, including a sweep against the Mets at Citi Field this past weekend. Jonathan Aranda might be the best hitter that the public-at-large doesn't know about. He's tied for second in the AL in-base percentage (.411) and fifth among qualified AL hitters with a .902 OPS. Last week: 12 Alejandro Kirk is second in the majors with a .371 batting average dating back to the start of May. Last week: 14 Jacob Misiorowski lived up to the hype in his major league debut last week, tossing five no-hit innings before leaving due to cramping in his right calf and quadriceps. Fortunately for the Brewers, the rookie fireballer checked out fine and should be ready to face the Cubs in his second career start on Wednesday. MUST SEE: Jacob Misiorowski's first three pitches to start his Major League career: 100 MPH 🔥 102 MPH 🔥 101 MPH 🔥 Last week: 16 The Mariners have faded in our rankings, but they swept the Guardians over the weekend and will get their ace Logan Gilbert back on Monday against the Red Sox. Last week: 10 Everything you can do, I can do better. On the eve of Father's Day, Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras and his brother Brewers catcher William Contreras each hit home runs in the same inning. Josh and Bo Naylor did the same thing last April, but the Contreras brothers are the first to do it as opponents since 1933. Great tidbit here by Sarah Langs. Willson and William Contreras are the second pair of brothers to homer in the same inning as opponents since 1900, joining: 7/19/1933 Rick (BOS) & Wes (CLE) Ferrell (Rick's HR was OFF Wes!) h/t @EliasSports Last week: 18 The Reds have won seven out of their last 10 games and Elly De La Cruz begins the week with a four-game home run streak. Last week: 19 Trading a player who is in his prime and ranks among the league leaders in RBI is something we rarely (if ever) see, especially for a team who fancies themselves as a contender, but the Red Sox apparently think that getting Rafael Devers out of their clubhouse (and off their payroll) will pay off in the end. It's a bold take for a lot of reasons, including the fact that the Red Sox are playing their best baseball of late. Byron Buxton launched a 479-foot home run against the Rangers last Wednesday. Only Mike Trout (484 feet on April 19) has hit a longer home run this season. 479 FEET! BYRON BUXTON LAUNCHES ONE WAY OUT! Last week: 20 Pickle Power! Kumar Rocker had his best start in the majors to date on Sunday with five scoreless innings against the White Sox, apparently aided by multiple shots of pickle juice. Shot of pickle juice anyone? 🤨#AllForTX I smell an endorsement in Kumar Rocker's future. And pickles. Last week: 21 We noted last week that the Diamondbacks were probably in trouble after losing Corbin Burnes due to Tommy John surgery. It's still not looking great, but they won five straight before dropping the series finale against the Padres on Sunday. Last week: 24 The Braves somehow lost to the Rockies on Sunday despite Grant Holmes striking out 15 batters, but still there's some momentum with this team over the past week. They have a chance to make a move in the NL East with seven out of their next 10 games coming against the first-place Mets. Last week: 15 With six wins in their last 19 games — and one of the worst offenses in the majors — It's increasingly likely that the Guardians may use this summer as a testing ground for some of their young position players. Last week: 17 Six straight losses and what looks to be a long-term absence for ace left-hander Cole Ragans as he tries to get answers on his shoulder injury. It's not good. Last week: 22 Give the Angels some credit; they are nothing if not consistent. Christian Moore made his way to the majors last Friday after being selected 8th overall in last year's draft. This follows a long line of fast-rising prospects with the Angels in recent years, including fellow infielders Nolan Schanuel and Zach Neto. Angels fans hope this trio will be together for a long time. Last week: 25 Dare I say that the Orioles have been playing better recently? Since falling 17 games under .500 on May 28, the Orioles are 11-4. They still have quite a hill to climb, but it's been nice to see Gunnar Henderson start to take off. Last week: 23 Losers of eight straight, the Nationals have called up top prospect third baseman Brady House. The 22-year-old has seen his ups and downs since being selected No. 11 overall in 2021, but he was hitting .304/.353/.519 with 13 homers over 65 games in Triple-A this season. He's set to take over the starting third base gig in Washington. Last week: 28 The Marlins were one of nine teams to sweep a three-game series over the weekend, as they took down the fading Nationals. Dane Myers went 8-for-13 with a homer, three RBI, and two runs scored during the season as his unexpected breakout continues. Last week: 27 I could say something else here, but what's the point? Rookie Denzel Clarke probably made the best catch of the year last week and we should take a moment here to watch it all over again. Join me, friends. DENZEL CLARKE OMG! 🤯 Last week: 26 Andrew McCutchen has officially moved ahead of Roberto Clemente for third on the Pirates' all-time home run leaderboard. No. 241 for No. 22 👏 There's nobody you'd rather have do it. Last week: 29 The White Sox turned the page on Andrew Vaughn last week by trading him to the Brewers for right-hander Aaron Civale. A former top prospect, Vaughn has regressed in recent years and was hitting .189 with a .531 OPS through 48 games this season. While Vaughn's handling was likely botched in the first place, both sides are probably better off apart. Last week: 30 The Rockies are red hot! Or lukewarm, at least. After going 6-33 to begin the year, they've won five out of their last 12 games. As Bill Murray's character in 'What About Bob?' said, baby steps.
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB Power Rankings: Yankees and Mets Rise, 2 AL East Teams Soar
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Detroit Tigers remain atop the 11th edition of Newsweek Sports' MLB Power Rankings, but both New York teams are right on their tail. More news: Yankees Pitcher Appears to Have UCL Injury in Concerning Development The Yankees, coming off a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals, may just be baseball's best team with an MLB-best run differential of plus-107. The Mets, however, have the league's best record coming off back-to-back series sweeps of the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 11: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees is congratulated by Aaron Judge #99 after scoring a run during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman... KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 11: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees is congratulated by Aaron Judge #99 after scoring a run during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 11, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. MoreElsewhere around the league, two AL East teams are giving the Yankees a run for their money — and it's not the two that were expected to do that heading into the season. As for the National League, the Chicago Cubs are continuing to roll, while the NL West continues its exciting intra-divisional battles this weekend and into next week. More news: Braves Veteran Slams Organization for Craig Kimbrel Decision 1. Detroit Tigers (45-25) 2. New York Yankees (42-25) 3. New York Mets (45-24) 4. Chicago Cubs (42-27) 5. Los Angeles Dodgers (41-28) 6. San Francisco Giants (40-29) 7. Philadelphia Phillies (39-29) 8. San Diego Padres (38-29) 9. Houston Astros (38-30) 10. Tampa Bay Rays (36-32) 11. Toronto Blue Jays (38-30) 12. Minnesota Twins (36-32) 13. Milwaukee Brewers (37-33) 14. St. Louis Cardinals (36-33) 15. Cleveland Guardians (35-32) 16. Cincinnati Reds (35-34) 17. Arizona Diamondbacks (34-34) 18. Seattle Mariners (33-34) 19. Kansas City Royals (34-35) 20. Boston Red Sox (34-36) 21. Texas Rangers (33-36) 22. Los Angeles Angels (33-34) 23. Atlanta Braves (29-38) 24. Washington Nationals (30-38) 25. Baltimore Orioles (27-40) 26. Pittsburgh Pirates (28-42) 27. Miami Marlins (25-41) 28. Chicago White Sox (23-46) 29. Athletics (26-44) 30. Colorado Rockies (13-55) Biggest Risers Tampa Bay Rays (+5) The Rays just never go away. The team many predicted to finish last in the AL East this season enter Friday at 36-32 and currently in the playoff picture as a Wild Card team. Their run differential of plus-47 is the seventh-highest in the entire league. Their combined bullpen ERA of 3.21 ranks fourth in MLB, and first in the AL. Toronto Blue Jays (+5) The Blue Jays were a popular preseason pick to be sellers come the trade deadline. Now, they're 38-30, 4.5 games back of the Yankees in the AL East and comfortably in the top Wild Card spot. Their offense has been leading the way, with a team OPS of .728 that ranks eighth in MLB. Biggest Fallers St. Louis Cardinals (-5) June hasn't been kind to the Cardinals, who are 3-8 and have lost five consecutive games. Their pitching has fallen apart, as their team ERA of 3.40 in May has skyrocketed to 5.09 in June. Seattle Mariners (-5) As recent as June 1 the Mariners were in first place in the AL West. Now, they're clinging onto second, and just one game back of fourth. The Mariners are 2-8 in June and have just six wins in their last 21 games.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Baltimore Orioles Jump Three Spots In MLB Power Rankings
Baltimore Orioles Jump Three Spots In MLB Power Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Fans who stroll into Orioles Park at Camden Yards have been waiting for some good news, and good play from the Baltimore Orioles this season. After a horrible start that led to manager Brandon Hyde's firing, it looks like Baltimore is working hard to right their ship. Advertisement And who's been the big cog to help them? None other than Jackson Holliday, whose been making the leadoff spot in the Orioles' lineup his new home. Holliday's efforts, along with some better overall play, helped the Orioles jump from No. 27 to No. 24 in the latest MLB Power Rankings, according to Holliday, from that leadoff spot, is smashing the ball at a .287 clip. That's good news for Baltimore. But it didn't help the good vibes as the Orioles lost two of three games against the Athletics recently. Baltimore Orioles have work to do in order to get back into AL East Division discussion Talk about a downer. Well, Baltimore is still working hard to get out of the hole in the American League East Division. It's going to take a lot of work on the Orioles' part. Advertisement Their starting pitching remains so-so as interim manager Tony Mansolino looks to find some magic among his arms. Thankfully, Mansolino and the rest of the Orioles get to watch Holliday work his magic every night. Holliday is just 22 years old, and he's going to get better. That's something Orioles fans hope to see not only in this current hot stretch, but throughout the summer months. What are the Orioles' goals this week? Probably to keep pulling themselves up and out of the doldrums. That difficult start to the 2025 season didn't do Baltimore any favors. Now, their work this summer begins in earnest this week. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay Rays Get Slight Boost Up MLB Power Rankings List
Tampa Bay Rays Get Slight Boost Up MLB Power Rankings List originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If the Tampa Bay Rays needed a shot in the arm, then they got one by winning a series against the Miami Marlins on Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. But Tampa Bay needs to keep on winning in order to make their presence felt in the American League East Division. Advertisement The Rays closed out a 5-1 homestand with Sunday's 3-2 victory. All of this helped Tampa Bay stay strong in the latest MLB Power Rankings, sitting in the No. 14 spot and moving up two from last week's location, according to Yandy Diaz had a game-tying home run in the game, and José Caballero came off the bench in a key spot. Caballero stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly, providing the winning edge. 'Cabby is about as fearless of a player that I've been around,' Rays manager Kevin Cash said after Sunday's win, Rays website reported. 'He knows the purpose of him going in there.' Tampa Bay Rays have won 14 of their last 18 games, a stellar stretch for the AL East team How hot have the Rays been lately? Let's take a look. With Sunday's victory, Tampa Bay is 14-4 in games since May 20. They are unbeaten in their last six series, solid information that lets other MLB teams know that they need to be taken seriously. Advertisement The victory capped a 5-1 homestand for the Rays, who are an MLB-best 14-4 since May 20 and are unbeaten in their last six series. When talking about the Rays, MLB onlookers better stay tuned to what Jonathan Aranda has been doing, too. His bat has been a great addition to Tampa Bay's recent successful run. They need Aranda to stay healthy and mashing at the plate going further into June. All of this good news helps Tampa Bay enter Monday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox probably feeling pretty awesome. Cash probably hopes his team can keep on putting wins together. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
