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Fox News
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott move up after strong Mexico runs
Print Close Published June 17, 2025 The drivers who finished second and third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez moved up in these power rankings. The winner? Well, that was Shane van Gisbergen but he will need to put a few solid finishes together before he cracks this list. Christopher Bell (second) and Chase Elliott (third) should feel good about their performances heading into this weekend at Pocono. Here are the power rankings following the Cup debut in Mexico City: Dropped out: Tyler Reddick (Last Week: 9) On the verge: Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick 10. Chase Briscoe (LW: Not Ranked) Briscoe didn't win a fourth consecutive pole. But he'll take the finish from Sunday, as he placed seventh in Mexico City. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was involved in an early incident and rallying for that result was a good sign that his team remains resilient. 9. Ross Chastain (LW: 6) Chastain took the stage points in the first stage by finishing third. However, he ended up with a 16th-place finish on a day when his Trackhouse Racing teammate van Gisbergen won. 8. Bubba Wallace (LW: 8) Wallace has consistently improved on road courses. The 23XI Racing driver didn't qualify well (25th) but he brought home a respectable 12th-place finish. 7. Chris Buescher (LW: 7) Buescher is one of the more underrated road-course drivers in the series. He finished seventh in the second stage and after losing the track position to pit, drove his RFK Racing car to 12th at the finish. 6. Chase Elliott (LW: 10) Quite a solid day for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, as he finished third in Mexico City. He started 12th, got the car better during the weekend and survived some of the beating and banging on the restarts. 5. Denny Hamlin (LW: 2) Hamlin didn't race at Mexico City after the birth of his son earlier in the week. He is expected to return at Pocono. 4. Ryan Blaney (LW: 4) Blaney didn't have a winning car so he took the stage points. He finished second in the opening stage and fourth in the second stage. That — combined with a 14th-place finish — gave the Penske driver the fifth-highest point total on the day. 3. Kyle Larson (LW: 3) Larson was an innocent bystander in getting collected in a wreck on Lap 7. He ended up 36th, making the trip to Mexico a frustrating one for the championship contender. 2. Christopher Bell (LW: 5) Bell finished second in the second stage behind van Gisbergen, and that's also where they ended up at the finish of the race. The JGR driver will carry momentum into Pocono. 1. William Byron (LW: 1) Byron's ninth-place finish wasn't great, but it was better than many of the other top drivers on this list. The Hendrick driver should be a threat for the win at Pocono. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. Print Close URL
Fox News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
INDYCAR Power Rankings: There's a new No. 1 and his name is Kyle
Alex Palou still has a dominating lead in the INDYCAR point standings, but with Kyle Kirkwood capturing the last two races, there's a new driver on top of this power rankings list. Kirkwood earned his first career oval victory Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway (commonly known as Gateway). That followed his win on the streets of Detroit. With three wins this year, Kirkwood has shown the growth needed to be a major factor in the series. If not for a penalty at Indianapolis, he'd be just 51 points (instead of 75) behind Palou. Here are this week's power rankings heading into back-to-back races on permanent road courses at Road America and Mid-Ohio. Dropped out: Josef Newgarden (Last Week: 9) On the verge: David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Felix Rosenqvist 10. Scott McLaughlin (LW: 7) McLaughlin's day ended 44 laps before the finish when he broke something in the left rear. The Team Penske driver had started second on the grid. He continues to have speed. He led 51 laps Sunday night. But he's not having the finishes he would like. 9. Marcus Armstrong (LW: Not Ranked) Armstrong finished ninth at Gateway, his third top 10 in the last four races. For the young Meyer Shank Racing driver, that type of consistency is key. 8. Colton Herta (LW: 6) Herta couldn't follow up his third-place run at Detroit with a solid finish. He placed 17th at Gateway, while Kirkwood — an Andretti teammate — won the race. 7. Santino Ferrucci (LW: 10) Ferrucci placed fifth at Gateway for his third consecutive top-five finish. The AJ Foyt Racing driver has moved up to 11th in the standings and would be eighth without the penalty for a driver's compartment weight violation in Detroit. 6. Will Power (LW: 5) Power blew a tire and hit the wall early in the race at Gateway, ending a promising event where he had won the pole — the 71st of his career and the series record. The Penske driver fell to seventh in the standings. 5. Christian Lundgaard (LW: 4) Lundgaard finished 14th, the last driver on the lead lap at Gateway. The Arrow McLaren driver started 14th, too. 4. Scott Dixon (LW: 8) Dixon finished fourth at Gateway, as he led 43 laps with a fast car and solid fuel strategy. The Ganassi driver is fifth in the series standings. 3. Pato O'Ward (LW: 3) O'Ward ran among the leaders the entire race and finished second. The Arrow McLaren driver might have been a tick off the fastest cars but made the right moves to secure the runner-up finish. 2. Alex Palou (LW: 1) Palou started ninth and finished eighth on what is arguably his worst track on the circuit. Plus, considering the points position he is in, he just needed a respectable finish. The Ganassi driver did just that. 1. Kyle Kirkwood (LW: 2) Who says Kirkwood can't win on ovals? Kirkwood won for the first time on an oval, showing his versatility. The Andretti driver continues to be the biggest threat to Palou for the championship. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox News
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
NASCAR Power Rankings: Ross Chastain is back after impressive Charlotte win
Ross Chastain had dropped out of the top-10 rankings after Kansas, but he's back in after his thrilling victory Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600. As is typical for the longest race on the NASCAR calendar, the field had its comers and goers. The toughest decision for this list might have been at No. 1. Does Kyle Larson keep it despite crashing out of the 600? Yes he does. Because while the first wreck was his fault, he was on his way to a potentially decent finish, when he was collected in the wreck that ended his day. Here are this week's power rankings heading into Nashville Superspeeedway. Dropped out: Joey Logano (Last Week: 7) On the verge: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Michael McDowell 10. Tyler Reddick (LW: 9) Reddick was 26th, his fifth consecutive finish of 14th or worse. He probably shouldn't even be on this list. But he was second, third and fourth in the stages and sits fifth in the standings. The 23XI driver and defending regular-season champion is still looking to match the success of last year. 9. Ross Chastain (LW: NR) Chastain won at Charlotte for his fifth top-seven finish in the last seven races. The Trackhouse driver seems to have found a groove after a slow start to the season. 8. Alex Bowman (LW: 5) An early spin for Bowman resulted in a 29th-place finish, three laps down. The Hendrick driver has seven top 10s this year and six finishes of 26th or worse. 7. Chase Briscoe (LW: 10) A third-place finish at Charlotte gave Briscoe his second consecutive top-five finish and his fifth top five of the season. He continues to show the Joe Gibbs Racing ride should suit him. 6. Chase Elliott (LW: 8) Elliott placed sixth at Charlotte for his seventh top-10 finish of the year. The most important aspect of this top-10 finish is that it was the Hendrick driver's first on a mile-and-a-half track this season. 5. Ryan Blaney (LW: 2) Blaney had four top-fives in the last five races, but a wreck at Charlotte ended his day early in 38th. The Penske driver didn't finish in the top 10 in the first two stages, either. That was probably just as frustrating. 4. Denny Hamlin (LW: 6) Hamlin's team had a fueling issue that required him to make a pit stop late in the race. The JGR driver ended up 16th after being second at the end of the second and third stages. 3. Christopher Bell (LW: 3) Bell wound up eighth on a day when he was the first to pit in trying to force other teams to decide on strategy. It wasn't a great night for the JGR driver. 2. William Byron (LW: 4) Byron won the opening three stages and led 283 laps but came up short as Chastain passed him with six laps remaining. It had to stink, but the speed is there in his Hendrick car. 1. Kyle Larson (LW: 1) Larson had a forgettable Sunday, as both his Indy 500 and Coke 600 races ended with crashes. The second of his two crashes in Charlotte wasn't his fault, and he had speed early. He's got to hope he has a better Nashville. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
MLB Power Rankings: Cubs, Rays struggle, Twins make a big leap; It's ‘Wish You Were Here' week
By Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Andy McCullough Every week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results. The baseball season is more than six weeks old, but all of the stars have not yet appeared — at least not in full capacity. Shohei Ohtani still has not thrown a pitch. Ronald Acuña Jr. still has not taken an at-bat. Rafael Devers still has not played the field. Advertisement Yes, even as the season takes shape, each team is missing something. It could be a player lost to injury, to ineffectiveness, or to the attrition of trades and free agency. Which player does each team wish were here? Some may return soon. Some may be gone for good. This week's power rankings assess each club's most acute absence at this moment. Record: 27-14 Last Power Ranking: 1 Wish you were here: Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell The two talented right-handers were expected to meet with Dodgers team doctor Neal ElAttrache on Monday. Each man is on the injured list with a shoulder injury. When it comes to Glasnow being available in the postseason, Dodgers fans may have to see it to believe it, given his injury history. The situation with Snell is also worrisome. He shelved the scheduled resumption of his throwing program last week after lingering arm soreness. Meanwhile, Ohtani isn't expected to pitch in games until after the All-Star break. Yet again, the Dodgers find themselves somehow facing a pitching shortage, which makes Clayton Kershaw's upcoming activation all the more intriguing. — Andy McCullough Record: 27-15 Last Power Ranking: 2 Wish you were here: Sean Manaea A shorthand for how well things have gone for the Mets early in the season is that Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill, the fill-ins for Manaea and Frankie Montas, have compiled a 2.72 ERA and a 10-6 team record in their starts. But when you're gaming out the rest of 2025 for the Mets, a team with aspirations beyond just making the dance in October, Manaea is a critical figure. He was New York's best starter last October, the only one capable of going seven innings and owning a game. As good as the Mets' rotation has been to this point, that kind of pitcher isn't there right now. — Tim Britton Advertisement Record: 25-15 Last Power Ranking: 3 Wish you were here: Yu Darvish Darvish has not pitched for San Diego this season, but the rotation still looks strong. Michael King is setting himself up for a nine-figure payday as a free agent. Nick Pivetta looks like a bargain. There is reason to believe Dylan Cease, he of the 3.36 FIP but 4.91 ERA, will achieve better results soon. Darvish is close to returning from elbow inflammation and should be back by the end of this month, as the Padres embark on series against the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Giants. — McCullough Record: 27-15 Last Power Ranking: 4 Wish you were here: A center fielder A lot has gone right for the 2025 Tigers, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly who Detroit wishes were here. That said, Wenceel Perez, Matt Vierling or Parker Meadows patrolling center field would be a massive upgrade for the Tigers. Yes, Javier Báez has essentially resurrected his career since moving to center, but any one of those three coming off the IL would allow manager AJ Hinch to shift Báez to the left side of the infield, where the Tigers could almost certainly use an upgrade. Doing so would then free up Scott Harris and Co. to pursue another upgrade at the July 31 trade deadline, when the Tigers figure to be major buyers. — Johnny Flores Jr. Record: 24-17 Last Power Ranking: 5 Wish you were here: Jeff Hoffman Philadelphia's pitching staff has been notably healthy, especially now with Ranger Suárez back. But the bullpen has drifted to the bottom third of the league thanks to a series of changes from last year, none bigger than Hoffman's signing in Toronto. The Phillies essentially swapped him out with the Blue Jays' former closer, Jordan Romano, and they're losing that trade. Romano entered Monday having allowed more runs than innings pitched, though he's been much better of late (five straight scoreless appearances, including a save on Sunday) and the Phillies have been remarkably resilient in his bad outings. The club is 4-1 in games Romano has allowed a run. — Britton Record: 23-17 Last Power Ranking: 8 Wish you were here: Gerrit Cole This is why they pay us the big bucks: to point out that the New York Yankees, owners of the best run differential in baseball entering Monday despite a squeamish back half of the rotation, would be better with one of the game's few remaining aces. New York is in first place thanks largely to Max Fried's otherworldly performance to start the season; the Yankees are 8-0 when he starts, and under .500 behind anyone else. And if you take Fried and fellow lefty Carlos Rodón out of the equation, the rest of the starting staff has posted a 5.38 ERA entering the week. — Britton Record: 24-18 Last Power Ranking: 7 Wish you were here: Tyler Fitzgerald Fitzgerald, the 27-year-old second baseman, looked in April like he was on his way to replicating his surprising rookie season — until he broke his rib diving for a ball. He has missed all of May as he heals. The duo of Christian Koss and Brett Wisely has not been able to replace Fitzgerald's production. Fitzgerald should return soon enough, but his absence stings for a team jockeying for position with the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks. — McCullough Advertisement Record: 24-18 Last Power Ranking: 6 Wish you were here: Justin Steele It would be easy to put Ryan Pressly in this spot, but before his historic blowup against the Giants, he had lowered his ERA to 2.08, so we'll give him a pass. But what the Cubs surely will miss, especially down the stretch, is an ace like Steele. Ace-level starters don't just grow on trees, you know? Having a dependable No. 1 could mean the difference between winning the NL Central and sitting out another October. It also creates a tall task for Jed Hoyer's front office, as the Cubs won't be the only team in search of a starter (see No. 1), and through the early parts of the season, it looks like it'll be slim pickings come July. — Flores Record: 22-17 Last Power Ranking: 9 Wish you were here: George Kirby and Logan Gilbert Well, duh. The Mariners have surged into first place in the American League West on the strength of, surprisingly, the offense. Cal Raleigh has been a two-way force at catcher. J.P. Crawford is having a bounce-back campaign. Randy Arozarena keeps getting on base. Jorge Polanco may have provided enough value to pay off his $7.75 million contract. Just wait until the team's expected strength, its starting rotation, becomes whole again. Kirby (shoulder inflammation) has been making rehab starts and is expected to return before Gilbert (elbow flexor strain), who has not yet begun a throwing program. — McCullough Record: 22-20 Last Power Ranking: 10 Wish you were here: Justin Martinez Do you think the Diamondbacks were missing their closer on Friday evening as they watched Shohei Ohtani's ninth-inning blast soar out of sight? Martinez, who inked a five-year, $18 million deal just before the season began, started a throwing program to rehab his sore right shoulder over the weekend. The bullpen has not been a strength for Arizona, which is facing the annual uphill battle that is the National League West. — McCullough Record: 20-21 Last Power Ranking: 11 Wish you were here: Ronald Acuña Jr. Atlanta knew it would miss Acuña's all-around game, but it probably didn't expect to miss it this much. That's because it also misses Jurickson Profar in the other outfield corner, and pretty much all of its backup plans haven't worked as planned. Jarred Kelenic is in Gwinnett, Bryan De La Cruz is with the Yankees, Eddie Rosario and Stuart Fairchild and Alex Verdugo haven't quite cut it. Those five players have combined to produce 1.4 wins below replacement level. Eli White has been the one reserve who's stepped up, though his career track record doesn't provide a lot of confidence that will continue in perpetuity. — Britton Record: 22-21 Last Power Ranking: 12 Wish you were here: Triston Casas We could be snarky and suggest 'A telephone' with which to communicate potential defensive plans to star players or 'Foresight' to think through possible changes to said plans back in spring training. Instead, we can just say that had Casas not ruptured his patella tendon, there would not have been any additional drama with Rafael Devers last week. Teams will often tell you that having a lot of good players that you struggle to fit into an everyday lineup is 'a good problem to have.' The Red Sox have managed to defy that cliche. — Britton Record: 20-20 Last Power Ranking: 13 Wish you were here: Yordan Alvarez You could argue that either Alex Bregman or Kyle Tucker could fit in this spot. But Isaac Paredes, who was acquired from the Cubs as part of the Tucker trade, has been fine at Bregman's former position at third base. The Astros are using Cam Smith, the centerpiece of the Tucker deal, as the replacement in right field. Smith is experiencing growing pains, but his ceiling is still quite high. So let's go with Alvarez, who had posted a .646 OPS before the team shut him down with right hand inflammation on May 5. The Houston lineup already features several dead spots, due to underperformance from Jose Altuve, Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz. The team can scarcely afford an extended absence from its most prolific hitter. — McCullough Record: 24-17 Last Power Ranking: 14 Wish you were here: Josh Naylor Over the winter, the Guardians sent Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks in exchange for reliever Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance pick, only to turn around and sign a 39-year-old Carlos Santana to a $12 million deal. For reference, Naylor inked a one-year, $10.9 million deal in his final year of arbitration. Cecconi has not pitched this season and Santana has been anything but smooth, putting up a 92 WRC+ so far. Meanwhile, Naylor has a 124 WRC+. Sure, it's incredibly unlikely that Cleveland would have re-signed Naylor in the offseason but Santana was anything but a lateral move. — Flores Advertisement Record: 25-18 Last Power Ranking: 16 Wish you were here: The Cincinnati version of Jonathan India When the Royals parted with former first-round pick Brady Singer in exchange for 2021 Rookie of the Year Jonathan India, they almost certainly envisioned landing a dependable leadoff hitter to pair with Bobby Witt Jr. in the middle infield. Yeah, about that. India has a .626 OPS through 38 games, and has been worth minus-0.3 bWAR. He didn't hit his first home run until May 4 and has yet to steal a bag. The Royals were always going to be an offensively starved team in 2025, but the addition of India was made with the intention of providing just one more competent bat. If it's any consolation, Singer has a 4.97 ERA. — Flores Record: 21-20 Last Power Ranking: 21 Wish you were here: The 2024 version of Carlos Correa After stumbling to a 7-15 start, the Twins have climbed back to 21-20, with eight straight wins, tied for the longest ongoing streak in the majors. The starting pitching has been as advertised, the bullpen has done its part, and Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis are in the lineup at the same time. For a team that has largely refused to spend, that's about as much as you can ask for. That said, Carlos Correa has a .598 OPS in 39 games. Things have not gone well for the three-time All-Star, and if the Twins want to make the AL Central interesting, they'll need every bit of their marquee shortstop, especially with Buxton and Lewis around, a rarity in Minnesota. The trio only appeared together in 22 games last season. — Flores Record: 23-19 Last Power Ranking: 23 Wish you were here: Tommy Edman The Cardinals have received a grand total of 0.3 bWAR from right fielders, with Jordan Walker putting up a particularly ugly minus-0.4 bWAR as the club's primary right fielder. In 30 games with the Dodgers, Edman has put up 1.2 bWAR, with a 129 OPS+. While the 2024 NLCS MVP did help the Cardinals land Erick Fedde, who recently went the distance against the Nationals for his first complete game shutout, Edman's bat would have helped a 22-19 club further close the gap in the NL Central in what has been a surprising start for a team many expected to be early sellers. — Flores Record: 20-22 Last Power Ranking: 15 Wish you were here: Anyone on the IL This exercise is predicated on picking one player, but the injury bug has not been kind to Cincinnati this season. Hunter Greene, Jeimer Candelario, Noelvi Marte and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are all on the IL, and that's just a small sampling. In a particularly cruel twist of fate, outfielder Tyler Callihan broke his forearm attempting to make a catch in just his fourth big league game. That the Reds have been able to hover around the .500 mark and still be just 3 1/2 games back of the NL Central crown with so many injuries at various points is rather remarkable. In other words, take your pick with who you wish were here because there's a lot to choose from. — Flores Record: 20-22 Last Power Ranking: 18 Wish you were here: The May 2024 version of Joey Ortiz One year ago, Joey Ortiz was setting MLB on fire, becoming the first Brewers player since 2019 to win MLB's Rookie of the Month award. In 23 games, he batted .307/.391/.587 with four homers, one triple, seven doubles and 12 RBIs. Flash forward to this year, and he's hitting .176/.233/.228 through 40 games. Over the weekend, he snapped a 46-game streak without a homer. Those contributions have been worth minus-1.1 bWAR. Suffice it to say, Milwaukee would love the May 2024 version of Ortiz right about now. — Flores Record: 20-20 Last Power Ranking: 22 Wish you were here: Max Scherzer The strength of Toronto's back-to-back playoff teams earlier this decade, the rotation has become a weakness as it's aged. And yes, we understand the irony of saying the rotation might be too old, so it could really use the 41-year-old Scherzer to stabilize it. But short of Alek Manoah emerging from Tommy John surgery later this season as the 2022 version of himself, the starting staff is what it is for the Jays, and Scherzer is the closest piece to helping it. As uneven as the last three seasons have been for him, Scherzer still owns a 3.84 ERA when he does pitch in that time. That would represent a step forward from Easton Lucas and José Ureña. — Britton Record: 21-21 Last Power Ranking: 20 Wish you were here: The lineup fans expected When the Rangers brass drew up plans for 2025, the group could not have expected the offense would enter the middle of May ranked 27th in on-base percentage and 23rd in slugging, as they were heading into Monday's games. Texas planned to mash. It hasn't exactly worked out that way. Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford are doing their part. The rest of the crew? Not so much. Marcus Semien can't get on track. Joc Pederson nearly went 0-for-April. Jake Burger has already been demoted. But the season is long and slumps don't last forever — maybe the return of Evan Carter will conjure up on-field re-creations of the 2023 run. — McCullough Record: 21-20 Last Power Ranking: 19 Wish you were here: José Leclerc Signed for $10 million, Leclerc was part of the Athletics' low-level spending splurge this winter. Only starting pitchers Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs are being paid more by the club this season. Severino has led the rotation. Springs has bounced back after a rocky April. Brent Rooker, the homegrown slugger, has stabilized after an ugly start of his own. But the bullpen will be without Leclerc until July as he recovers from a strained lat muscle. — McCullough Advertisement Record: 18-22 Last Power Ranking: 17 Wish you were here: Shane McClanahan Unlike some of the other rotations discussed here, there's no glaring weakness in Tampa Bay's — no flashing sign demanding improvement over an eight ERA. But the rotation as a whole is a bit too close to meh, and that's never been McClanahan. The 2022 All-Star Game starter for the AL, McClanahan was an emerging Cy Young candidate before a back injury, Tommy John surgery and a triceps injury that has delayed his return this season. — Britton Record: 15-24 Last Power Ranking: 24 Wish you were here: Kyle Bradish The Orioles have an honest-to-goodness major-league starting rotation on the injured list, so we have our choices here. But it's hard to ignore how much has changed for the organization since Bradish's last start in June of last season. Even though Baltimore lost that day, it was 45-24 on the season and 61 games over .500 over the prior season and a half. Since, it's 10 games under .500, dragged down this season by a rotation among the game's worst. — Britton Record: 17-25 Last Power Ranking: 25 Wish you were here: Josiah Gray No one pitcher could save the albatross that is the Nationals' bullpen. But it's not like Washington's starting rotation has been lights out, and pairing Gray with MacKenzie Gore at the top of it would go some way toward solving the club's run prevention issues. Gray, of course, is rehabbing from last summer's Tommy John surgery with an eye on the 2026 season. The Nats are pretty much eyeing next year already as well. — Britton Record: 14-28 Last Power Ranking: 26 Wish you were here: Spencer Horwitz It's been a revolving door of sorts for first basemen in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have cycled through Jared Triolo, Matt Gorski, Enmanuel Valdez and Endy Rodriguez to extremely mixed results. None of the quartet has been good offensively, and defensively, the first base bag has seen better days. There is no shortage of problems in Pittsburgh, but having Spencer Horwitz, the player the Pirates traded for in the offseason with an eye on playing first, would provide some sort of stability. Instead, the 27-year-old has spent the early parts of the season on the IL after undergoing wrist surgery. — Flores Record: 17-23 Last Power Ranking: 28 Wish you were here: Mike Trout Trout, the 11-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP, told reporters over the weekend that he was making progress in the recovery of his injured left knee. Except he still hasn't been cleared to run. Maybe this year will be different. Maybe this time he will make a swift return from the injured list and turn back the clock to the 2010s. Or maybe this will be like the previous four summers, when he averaged only 67 games per season. With Trout set to turn 34 in August, the actuarial tables suggest the latter is more likely than the former. — McCullough Record: 15-25 Last Power Ranking: 27 Wish you were here: 2022 Sandy Alcantara Given where the Marlins are competitively, the best thing that could happen this season for them was a return to Cy Young form for Alcantara, who could then be traded for a huge prospect package sometime in the summer. Instead, Alcantara owns an ERA over eight (and a FIP well above five). His stuff has looked pretty solid coming off Tommy John surgery — he's gone from a 110 to a 108 in Stuff+ — but his location has been significantly worse, and that's what's cost him, particularly against left-handed batters. This should all improve over time, though the magnitude and timeline of that improvement will dictate whether Miami still moves him this summer and, if so, what it could receive back. — Britton Record: 12-29 Last Power Ranking: 29 Wish you were here: Garrett Crochet Since landing in Boston over the winter, Crochet has been absolute nails for the Red Sox. Through a league-leading nine starts, Crochet has put up a 1.93 ERA, good enough for seventh best in all of baseball, with 65 strikeouts (fourth best). Yes, Chicago's starting pitching has a collective 3.66 ERA, which is better than the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants and Braves, but ace-level pitchers don't come around often. The quartet of Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Wikelman Gonzalez and Chase Meidroth that the White Sox received in exchange for the lefty could be anything, including the next Garrett Crochet. But there's only one Garrett Crochet, and he's not on the White Sox and he really should be. — Flores Advertisement Record: 7-34 Last Power Ranking: 30 Wish you were here: The prospect of a brighter future It was quite the weekend on Blake Street. On Saturday afternoon, general manager Bill Schmidt publicly backed manager Bud Black. Then Colorado suffered through a 21-0 humiliation by San Diego. A day later, after a rare Rockies win, the team dumped Black. Fair enough — the club is playing wretched baseball, and some responsibility for that goes to the manager. But the idea that firing Black, a highly regarded manager and pitching coach, will alter the club's future is absurd. It is simply hard to envision a future in which the club contends. The team plays in one of baseball's toughest divisions. Owner Dick Monfort doesn't spend much. The roster doesn't change much. The farm system ranks in the bottom third of the sport. And, oh, by the way, the team still plays at altitude. Hope for better is hard to find. — McCullough
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 MLB rookie power rankings 2.0: Who takes the top spot one month in?
Our preseason Major League Baseball rookie power rankings were based primarily on the players we expected to make an immediate impact. Now, after more than a month of action on the field, the top 10 list looks a lot different. Kristian Campbell and Jacob Wilson have emerged as the top rookies on the diamond, but the rest of the players on the list below may come as more of a surprise. Of course, plenty of time remains for some of MLB's top prospects to either get the call or find their rhythm. For now, though, here are the latest FOX Sports rookie power rankings. (Note: The rankings below will be updated once a month throughout the season.) Honorable mentions It's not often we're discussing a 35-year-old rookie, but Sugano is building a strong argument for a spot on this list. His 3.00 ERA is tied for second among rookies who've made at least five starts and stands out in the Orioles' dismal rotation, but the underlying numbers — a 5.11 FIP, 5.45 expected ERA, .297 expected batting average against and an overall inability to miss bats — suggest regression ahead. Ramírez already has 11 extra-base hits in just 53 at-bats, leading all rookies with a .963 OPS. He has only played in 14 big-league games, which is why he hasn't quite cracked the top 10 yet, but he'll find his way on it in short order if he keeps this up. Gusto, an 11th-round pick in 2019, is emerging as a valuable swingman in Houston. Opponents are hitting just .151 with 15 strikeouts against his four-seamer. The top 10 10. AJ Smith-Shawver, SP, Atlanta Braves We're early enough into the season that eight innings of one-hit ball on Monday, which dropped Smith-Shawver's ERA down to 3.00, warrants the final spot on the list. 9. Justin Sterner, RP, Athletics Sterner and Mariners closer Andres Muñoz are the only MLB pitchers who haven't allowed an earned run in more than 15 innings of work this year. Control can sometimes be an issue for Sterner, but opponents have just seven hits against him in 18.2 innings. He hasn't allowed a single barreled ball this year and leads all rookies in Baseball Reference's version of WAR (1.3), and the underlying numbers support his dominance. Sterner has the lowest expected batting average and expected slugging percentage against of any qualified MLB pitcher. 8. Jake Mangum, OF, Tampa Bay Rays Mangum ranks in the top three in WAR and steals and top 10 in hits and OPS among all rookie position players despite being out since April 24. The 29-year-old is finally getting his first opportunity in the big leagues, and despite going on the injured list with a groin sprain, the 2019 fourth-round pick delivered immediate production. His plus speed, miniscule strikeout rate and above average outfield defense have all stood out quickly, but he'll probably need to return to the field before next month to maintain a top-10 spot. 7. Ben Casparius, SP/RP, Los Angeles Dodgers A year after being thrust into postseason duty, Casparius is taking on an unexpected role again early this season, needing to provide bulk innings for another decimated Dodgers rotation. And he is producing. The 2021 fifth-round pick is 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.99 FIP that is the best mark among all qualified rookie pitchers. He has 28 strikeouts and just five walks in 25.2 innings, putting him in the top five among rookie pitchers in strikeout-to-walk ratio. Righties are slashing just .186/.197/.254 against him. 6. Kameron Misner, OF, Tampa Bay Rays Misner has fallen off over the last couple of weeks, but those types of lulls can be expected for a rookie with some swing-and-miss in his game. He still ranks second in extra-base hits, fourth in slugging percentage and fWAR and fifth in hits among qualified rookie position players, and his strong defense adds to his value when he's not swinging a hot bat. 5. Luisangel Acuña, 2B, New York Mets OK, so we had a decent idea that last season's small sample where he hit three homers in 14 games was not really indicative of the type of offensive profile to expect from Acuña, but he continues to hit for a high average and make an impact on the basepaths. The reigning NL Rookie of the Month is tied for second among qualified rookies in steals and third in batting average. His low strikeout rate gives him a chance to use his wheels. 4. Chad Patrick, SP, Milwaukee Brewers The reigning International League Pitcher of the Year won the Triple-A Triple Crown last year, but it wasn't until this year that the 26-year-old made his big-league debut. Patrick worked his way into the Brewers rotation as injuries ravaged the group, and he has helped stabilize the unit with a 3.08 ERA. He leads all rookie pitchers in fWAR and has allowed three runs or fewer in all seven of his starts, most recently delivering a quality start Tuesday against the Astros. 3. Shane Smith, SP, Chicago White Sox The top pick in the Rule 5 Draft, Smith leads all rookies — both position players and pitchers — in bWAR. His 2.41 ERA and .207 batting average against are both the best marks among all qualified rookie starters. Even though he doesn't rack up strikeouts, the right-hander's extensive arsenal gives him the weapons to limit damage against both righties (.632 OPS) and lefties (.532). He has surrendered just one home run all season, has gone at least five innings in six of his seven starts and has not allowed more than three earned runs in an outing this year. 2. Kristian Campbell, 2B, Boston Red Sox Campbell is earning the eight-year extension he signed early last month and rewarding Boston's faith after they made him the everyday second baseman from the jump. He leads all qualified rookies in slugging, OPS, doubles and walks. The underlying numbers are encouraging as well. A strikeout rate of over 25% in the early going is somewhat mitigated by a 15% walk rate that's nearly double the league average. The 22-year-old reigning AL Rookie of the Month was at Georgia Tech just two years ago and is already more than holding his own in the big leagues. 1. Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics Is it too early to definitively declare that Wilson will be the rookie hit leader this year? He already has 15 more hits than the next closest rookie and also leads all qualified rookies in batting average (.341) and RBI (20). Most amazingly, in over 140 plate appearances, Wilson has just six strikeouts and six walks. The 23-year-old will put the ball in play, and it's fair to say the 2023 No. 6 overall pick's contact skills — which helped him hit over .400 in two minor-league seasons — are translating at the highest level. Also considered: Roki Sasaki (SP, Los Angeles Dodgers), Jackson Jobe (SP, Detroit Tigers), Edgar Quero (C, Chicago White Sox), Chandler Simpson (OF, Tampa Bay Rays), Chase Meidroth (SS, Chicago White Sox), Jasson Dominguez (OF, New York Yankees), Dylan Crews (OF, Washington Nationals), Cam Smith (OF, Houston Astros), Jack Leiter (SP, Texas Rangers), Jack Dreyer (RP, Los Angeles Dodgers), Drake Baldwin (C, Atlanta Braves), Tim Tawa (2B, Arizona Diamondbacks)
