The MLB All-Star Break is near, meaning the rest of the season will be decided by a shade over 65 games, the trade deadline and an all-important home stretch. In the last week alone, teams like the surging Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and those pesky Boston Red Sox have made their first moves up the MLB standings.
However, MLB Power Rankings don't just take into account where teams currently sit on the MLB leaderboard, but rather how they stack up against the rest of the league. If the All-Star team announcements taught us anything, it's that behemoths like the Los Angeles Dodgers aren't going anywhere, even if they dropped in this week's rankings ever so slightly.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
30. Colorado Rockies
Record: 21-70
The worst two teams in baseball played over the weekend, with the Rockies splitting a four-game set with the White Sox. There isn't much to be excited about in Colorado, as Dick Monfort's son was just promoted to a leadership role. You know what was missing from this historically-bad Rockies season? Nepotism!
Truth be told, the MLB trade deadline will be the most interesting part of the Rockies remaining season. Colorado isn't exactly brimming with trade assets, but what they choose to do with players like Ryan McMahon, for example, could very well determine how long their next competent rebuild lasts. Now, notice I said competent.
Colorado remains on pace for records no franchise wants to reach. Taking two games against another dreadful opponent doesn't change that.
-Mark Powell, FanSided.com
29. Chicago White Sox
Record: 30-61
The most noteworthy thing the White Sox did last week was do us all the favor of allowing Clayton Kershaw to notch his 3,000th strikeout in front of a home crowd. (When the White Sox and Rockies play each other, does anyone really win?)
The rebuild did take one big step forward, though: Top infield prospect Colson Montgomery made his big-league debut and continued to build on his torrid recent hitting at Triple-A, notching five hits in his first 10 big-league at-bats. The next contending team on the South Side is still a way’s away, but at least Montgomery’s arrival gives fans something else to monitor – and some hope that there’s light at the end of this tunnel. With Montgomery looking the part and plenty of pitching at both the MLB and Minor League level, a good trade deadline from Chris Getz could help catapult things sooner than expected.
-Chris Landers, FanSided.com
28. Washington Nationals
Record: 37-53
It was another ugly week for the Washington Nationals, as they went 1-5 on their home turf and wound up firing both GM Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez on Sunday night. The timing of the firings was strange with the Nationals set to pick No. 1 overall just next week, but it’s hard to argue against the decision.
The Nationals were a team many, including myself, thought would take a step forward this season, and it simply hasn’t happened. The return from the Juan Soto trade continues to flourish, but the rest of Washington’s roster leaves a lot to be desired. Their struggles have the team in last place in the NL East and holding the fourth-worst record in MLB - not great! Hey, at least James Wood is sure to put on a show in the Home Run Derby, right?
-Zach Rotman, FanSided.com
27. Athletics
Record: 37-55
The Athletics playing .500 baseball this week should be considered a win, since they were matched up against a pair of postseason-caliber teams in the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants. The A’s got Shea Langeliers back and their offense played well, averaging five runs per game over the week.
While their offense was fun to watch for the most part, their pitching, particularly with Luis Severino, continues to be a concern. Severino has made it clear that he isn’t in love with being part of the Athletics organization, and he’s now allowed 17 earned runs over his past 13 innings of work spanning three starts. Whether the Athletics trade him will be an intriguing storyline to follow.
-ZR
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 38-54
It felt as if two different Pirates teams played this week. At the beginning of the week, the Pirates capped off what might’ve been one of the best homestands in franchise history by sweeping the Cardinals and not giving up a single run in those three games. To finish the week, the Pirates were swept in Seattle and did not score a single run. There’s no shame in getting shut down by an elite Mariners’ pitching staff, but no runs in three games? After what you just did on your home turf? I guess the Pirates just can’t let their fans get too excited.
It was nice to see the Pirates play well for a change, but this weekend reminded the fan base where this team is right now. Paul Skenes is absurd, and he had another absurd week, not allowing a single run in 10 innings of work and striking out 15 batters. The rest of the team, though, leaves a lot to be desired. The fact that Skenes walked out of those two starts with a pair of no-decisions proves just that.
With the road trip extending to Kansas City and Minnesota this week, it’ll be interesting to see how the Pirates perform. Let’s just say hopes aren’t high after what just went down in Seattle.
-ZR
25. Atlanta Braves
Record: 39-50
Things haven’t gotten much better for the Atlanta Braves as they sit at a season-worst 11 games under .500 ahead of the All-Star break. The starting rotation was already without Chris Sale, but Spencer Schwellenbach was shockingly placed on the IL with a fractured elbow. It seems like this season just isn’t meant to be for Atlanta.
They sit 13.5 games back of first place in the NL East, and nine games back from a Wild Card spot. Something has to change if they hope to sneak their way into the playoffs. Matt Olson, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Drake Baldwin have been the only parts of the offense worth tuning in for. Braves insider Grant McAuley pointed out the offense is 5-11 since sweeping the Mets on June 19th, with 3.1 runs per game.
It’s starting to look like Atlanta may become sellers at the trade deadline. They will hope to turn things around on their final road trip before the first half ends against the A’s and Cardinals. However, the problem with that is they cannot seem to win games on the road with a 15-28 record.
-Steven Teal, House That Hank Built
24. Cleveland Guardians
Record: 41-48
If you’ve come looking for good news about Cleveland baseball, you’ve come to the wrong place. The Guardians enter play on Monday in the midst of a 10-game losing streak. And while there’s no good 10-game losing streak, Cleveland’s may be one of the worst in all of baseball considering they’ve only scored 15 runs across that span and have been shutout in half the defeats.
Their pitching has been great, but their offense has all the punch of a toddler with a pool noodle.
All of this sets up what should be an interesting month. While they’re still somehow only seven games out of a Wild Card spot, all signs are pointing toward the Guardians selling their veterans at the trade deadline and (hopefully) pivoting toward their younger talent like Chase DeLauter and CJ Kayfus. There’s only so long they can roll out a lineup that features Austin Hedges and Johnathan Rodríguez before a sense of apathy sets in across the fanbase (if it hasn’t done so already).
This week will be a huge litmus test of how the rest of the season could go, as they have a three game midweek series against the Astros before heading to Chicago for a four-game series against the lowly White Sox. If they can manage to go 5-2 or 6-1 across that roadtrip, then maybe there could be a chance that the front office could elect to add to their roster. But if they lose…
-Henry Palattella, Away Back Gone
23. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 40-49
It’s tough to know what to make of the O’s. On the one hand, they’re undoubtedly playing better of late, 18-13 since the start of June. On the other hand, moving from “truly awful” to “decent” doesn’t feel like all that much to write home about, and while Baltimore hopes to get Adley Rutschman back soon – and they finally get to see what Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill all look like in the same lineup – this remains a battered team that probably doesn’t have enough pitching to go on the run they’ll need to down the stretch.
So where does that leave Mike Elias ahead of the trade deadline? Will he go big? Will he opt to punt entirely, even making Rutschman himself available? Or will he tread the middle ground, refusing to tear things down but also not adding the sort of impact talent that will allow the O’s to make up a 7.5-game deficit in the Wild Card standings. I know where I’m putting my money.
-CL
22. Miami Marlins
Record: 41-48
It was another productive week for the Miami Marlins. Yes, their eight-game winning streak was snapped on Wednesday, and they did lose a hard-fought series to the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, but there’s no shame in fighting tooth and nail against a team currently sitting in the second Wild Card spot in the NL.
All-Star Kyle Stowers had another big week, Edward Cabrera added two more dominant starts to his impressive recent tally, and Eury Perez had by far his best outing since returning from Tommy John Surgery. Whether Stowers and Cabrera will be in town come August remains to be seen, but the Marlins, especially with Perez looking as great as he did, are trending upwards, which is all you can really ask for from a rebuilding team.
-ZR
21. Minnesota Twins
Record: 43-47
At some point, you figure that the Twins will pull the plug. Minnesota is admittedly just five games back of a playoff spot as things stand, but that comes with a 43-47 record that the team’s run differential suggests it’s fully earned. It’s hard to invest in a team that can’t even get back above .500, and if the Twins aren’t buying, what good is it in playing out the string?
That doesn’t necessarily mean a Pablo Lopez trade, although it should certainly be on the table. But it should absolutely mean deals for, say, Willi Castro, and even Jhoan Duran considering how hot the market figures to be for a star reliever with multiple years of team control remaining. And at this point, Minnesota needs more foundational talent rather than a very good closer.
-CL
20. Texas Rangers
Record: 44-47
The Texas Rangers’ offense remains as inconsistent as ever. They scored six runs or more four times this week but scored just one run combined in their other two contests. With that in mind, their 3-3 record from this week shouldn’t be seen as a surprise. Now, at 44-46, the Rangers remain in the postseason hunt, but are 4.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot and are all but out of AL West contention.
The Rangers have the pieces in place to go on a run, but have yet to show consistency on either side of the ball to make fans believe a run is coming. Can the pitching stay healthy? Can guys who have had down years like Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Adolis Garcia (to name a few) stay hot for a while?
This upcoming week against the Angels and Astros, two teams they’re in direct competition with, could prove to be huge. A good week could put them in good position in the playoff race. A bad one could lead to them being trade deadline sellers.
-ZR
19. Kansas City Royals
Record: 44-48
Kansas City took two of three from the Diamondbacks over the weekend, a solid end to a rugged West Coast road trip. But the picture remains much the same: Kansas City is well back of the Tigers in the AL Central, and they’re 5.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot with five teams they need to leapfrog.
That’s tough to swallow, especially given how dreadful this team’s offense has been for much of the year. There’s plenty here worth investing in, though, and if the Royals can come away from this trade deadline with a controllable outfielder – they arguably make the most sense for Jarren Duran – who can help them both in 2025 and beyond without giving up the farm that has to be seen as a huge win. Until then, it’s likely that K.C. will simply continue being OK but pretty far from good enough.
-CL
18. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 44-46
The Angels ran into a buzzsaw over the weekend in Toronto – they got themselves swept by the Blue Jays, despite two of the three games going to extras and the Halos’ margin of defeat in each game being one run. The 43-46 Angels did what they did best in Canada: shoot themselves in the foot after a promising showing the series prior (they took two of three from the Braves in Atlanta).
The Angels have been exactly .500 ten separate times, and are .500 (20-20) at the Big A this season. The team will have to scratch and claw to get themselves back to an even record with upcoming series against Texas and Arizona at home. Knowing the Angels, they will play well in their four-game series against their division rival Rangers…only to no-show against the Diamondbacks. Or vice versa. This squad is so hot and cold.
The Angels’ roller coaster ride of a season has revolved around their eternal battle against being a .500 ballclub – a fight the organization has perpetually lost the past decade. Their -49 run differential, horrible defense, top-heavy rotation & lineup and lack of a MiLB pipeline indicate that they will go even further below .500 at some point in the future. However, the 2025 Angels have bounced back before after looking dead. They’re clearly better than the masses believe they are, but need to stop Angelsing so much to get back in the AL wild card race.
Evan Roberts, Halo Hangout
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 45-46
The Arizona Diamondbacks had a chance to make up some ground in the NL Wild Card race this week, but only went 3-4 at home against the Giants and Royals. They’ve now lost eight of their last 11, and have allowed six or more runs in seven of those games. They now sit at 44-46 on the year, 11.5 games back of the first-place Dodgers in the NL West, and 4.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot.
They’re still alive in the playoff race, but their path is getting tougher. They’d need to jump four teams to get into the playoffs, and it feels like the odds of them doing so, especially given the state of their pitching are slim. They did get Corbin Carroll back, and Zac Gallen pitched well his last time out.
Perhaps those two playing at the elite levels they’re capable of can help the Diamondbacks earn some much-needed wins this week against the Giants and Angels. Without them, there’s a good chance Arizona will only lose more ground.
-ZR
16. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 46-45
The Cincinnati Reds entered this week with six series wins in their last seven tries, but dropped consecutive sets against the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies on the road. Sure, those are tough road ballparks to play in, but Reds fans had higher hopes than a 2-4 week for a team they hoped will be postseason bound.
Spencer Steer continues to turn his season around, and Austin Hays hasn’t missed a beat since his return from injury, but the Reds’ best hitters - Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl, and Matt McLain all had a subpar week. Those three hitting at the top of the order and failing to produce much offense puts this Reds team in a tough spot. The Reds scored a total of two runs in their final two games, and had Hays not hit a home run on Sunday, they might’ve had a Perfect Game thrown against them.
With home series’ against the Marlins and Rockies coming up this week, the Reds must take advantage to remain in the postseason hunt. The National League is stacked, so the Reds must take advantage of any winnable games on their schedule. A 4-2 week, at the very least, feels like an absolute must for Cincinnati.
-ZR
15. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 48-43
My oh my, what a terrible week it was for the St. Louis Cardinals. Following what was perhaps their best series of the year, the weekend prior against the Cleveland Guardians, the Cardinals followed that up with failing to score a single run in their next series while getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and followed that up with two embarrassing losses to the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.
While the Cardinals are still very much in the Wild Card race, their rotation is imploding before their very eyes, as both Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas look unplayable at this moment, and John Mozeliak is now forced to either make a roster move or continue to see the club spiral. It also doesn’t help that their offense has gone ice-cold as of late. The club desperately needs Ivan Herrera to return to the lineup, but that doesn’t excuse the slumps that most of the bats in their lineup find themselves in.
The Cardinals have an interesting week ahead of them, as they are slated to take on the Nationals, who just fired their GM and manager, as well as a struggling Braves team. The Cardinals have to win both series to get fans to walk away from the cliff going into the All-Star Break. Otherwise, the Cardinals may quickly turn their “shock the world” season into a seller’s deadline.
-Josh Jacobs, Redbird Rants
14. Boston Red Sox
Record: 47-45
Boston did what it needed to do, taking five of six from the Reds and Nationals (while ending the Mike Rizzo/Davey Martinez era in Washington while they were at it). The Red Sox are now back above .500, just 2.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot with a series against the Rockies on tap.
Despite all that, though, it continues to feel like Craig Breslow is approaching this deadline looking to solve long-term problems, not short-term ones. Rafael Devers is already gone; could Jarren Duran follow before the month is through, as the team looks to finally settle its outfield logjam once and for all? It’s hard to see Boston as full sellers at the deadline unless the bottom well and truly falls out over the next couple of weeks, but it also doesn’t seem like “full-throttle” is in the cards. This is a decent team, but it’s also a flawed one, and Breslow isn’t really the type to get reckless.
-CL
13. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 49-42
Are the cracks starting to show a little bit in Tampa? The team dropped four of six games against the A’s and Twins this week, and All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe left Sunday’s game against Minnesota with side discomfort. (Lowe insists it was strictly precautionary, but his own injury history and the nature of oblique strains would beg to differ.)
The Rays have now lost three series in a row, and while this remains a deep and dangerous team, it’s fair at this point to wonder whether this pitching staff will look as good in real life as it does in theory – especially as the team throttles back on Drew Rasmussen’s usage, pairing him with Joe Boyle moving forward in an effort to preserve him for the stretch run. Tampa probably needs a piece or two to really make some noise in the AL; will this front office get it done, or will it continue to keep one eye on the future despite being in the thick of the division and Wild Card races?
-CL
12. San Diego Padres
Record: 48-42
It's been a tough week for the Padres, who have lost six of their last 10 games and fallen seven games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. While winning the division likely isn't in the cards for this team, they should and will push for a Wild Card spot under the right circumstances. Those circumstances include the return of Yu Darvish, who made his season debut on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Darvish threw just a shade under four innings, giving up three hits and two earned runs while striking out three Arizona hitters.
There's no denying it – AJ Preller will be busy at the end of July hoping to work his magic once again. The Padres need pitching, outfield help and a catcher if they can find one. While milestones like Darvish's return or Manny Machado's 2000th hit will keep them afloat for now, the Friars are running on fumes.
-MP
11. Seattle Mariners
Record: 48-42
The Mariners are hot again, having won 15 out of their last 23 games to further strengthen their grip on the American League’s third wild card spot.
And yet, what feels even more important is that the Mariners are hot off the kind of series fans had been waiting for all season: three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and three shutouts. Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby absolutely shoved, with each logging six-plus shutout innings. The staff as a whole racked up 36 strikeouts against only 12 hits and four walks.
Granted, the Pirates are not what you’d call an offensive juggernaut. The Mariners aren’t one of those in their own right, as they won each of the last two games against Pittsburgh by the narrowest of margins (1-0). Sooner or later, there will need to be a positive offensive storyline that does not concern Cal Raleigh (35 homers and counting) and his march toward home run history.
This said, pitching was supposed to be the Mariners’ whole thing in 2025. This hasn’t been the case for most of the season, but anything that feels like a turning of the tide (e.g., this past weekend) is a welcome feeling indeed.
-Zachary Rymer, SoDo Mojo
10. New York Yankees
Record: 49-41
The Yankees are battered, but still breathing. It was another brutal week overall, beginning with a four-game sweep in Toronto that cost New York what remained of its lead in the AL East and concluding with a Subway Series loss to the Mets at Citi Field. Oh, and Clarke Schmidt will likely need Tommy John surgery, as if this rotation needed any more adversity to overcome.
The problems remain the same: The bullpen is a dumpster fire right now, as is the defense, and the lineup can’t seem to find a way to reliably deliver with runners in scoring position. (Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the ballgame?) Aaron Boone insists on keeping Jazz Chisholm Jr. at third base and letting LeMahieu languish at second, even though Chisholm is currently dealing with a shoulder injury. It is, to quote a former manager, not what you want.
That said, this is still a dangerous lineup, especially if Jasson Dominguez continues to blossom, and the Yankees still occupy the top Wild Card spot in the AL. Hope is far from lost, especially if Brian Cashman can work some magic at the trade deadline. The tide better turn soon, though, and fast, or else the deadline might not matter much.
-CL
9. San Francisco Giants
Record: 50-42
After the Giants were at a low point last week following getting swept by the Marlins at home and then losing a series to the White Sox, they rebounded nicely this week by splitting a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and then taking two out of three against the A’s in Sacramento.
Thankfully, the team got back their star third baseman Matt Chapman after nearly a month on the IL and a very brief rehab stint. Chapman brings so much to the table offensively, defensively, on the base paths, and just from a leadership standpoint that the importance of his return truly cannot be overstated.
His return comes just in time as the Giants now have to take on the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers at home before the All-Star Break. They may also need to decide what they are going to do with a struggling Justin Verlander soon.
-Nick San Miguel, Around the Foghorn
8. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 51-40
It was an up-and-down week for the Brew Crew that couldn’t have ended on a higher note. The week began with a frustrating series against the New York Mets that included a postponement, a doubleheader, and the first blip on Jacob Misiorowski’s major league resume. After dropping the rubber match with the Mets on Thursday night, the Brewers traveled to South Florida for a match-up with the red-hot Miami Marlins.
Milwaukee scratched out a close 6-5 win on Independence Day thanks to 2.1 no-hit innings from Aaron Ashby, whose season ERA is down to 0.93, in the middle of the game. A disappointing late-inning loss on Saturday afternoon set up the Crew’s second rubber match of the week. This time, they turned to Brandon Woodruff, who was making his first major league start in nearly two years.
Woodruff delivered, tossing six innings and allowing just one run while striking out eight. Three RBI from Jackson Chourio gave Woody and the Brewers the win, sending them back home with a 3-3 road trip record. The team now faces three games apiece against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals before the All-Star Break commences.
-Owen Jonas, Reviewing the Brew
7. New York Mets
Record: 52-39
Chicken Little was originally scheduled to throw out the first pitch for the New York Mets this week. After getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who better to alert the fans that the sky was falling?
A rainout on Tuesday didn’t match up with his schedule so the Mets moved on in more ways than one. They took back-to-back series versus the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees. In the process, they kicked a fellow New York team while they were down. Mets fans thought their team had problems. Oreos dipped in milk crumble more slowly than the Yankees lately.
It was a fantastic bounceback week for the Mets. They’re getting their money’s worth out of Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo can’t stop clobbering grand slams regardless of where they put him in the lineup. Yes, the Mets are imperfect. Certain players at-bat or on the mound seem way too prone to failure. But hasn’t that always been the situation with the 2025 ball club? It’s a part of their identity and structure of the team.
-Tim Boyle, Rising Apple
6. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 53-38
Zack Wheeler pitched 17 innings this week, allowing one run on seven hits and striking out 22 without issuing a single walk in victories over the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. Somehow, at age 35, he just keeps getting better.
This Phillies team certainly has its flaws. The bullpen isn’t great, the lineup is top-heavy, and Taijuan Walker is (somehow) back in the rotation. Still, the high-end talent is good enough to have led this team to a 4-2 week and a 1.5 game lead in the NL East to this point. Dave Dombrowski has to make the proper additions, but this team is seen as true World Series contenders, and for good reason.
-ZR
5. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 53-38
The Toronto Blue Jays were just getting on a roll when the week started. They were coming off a 4-2 road trip against Boston and Cleveland and were just three games back of the Yankees in the AL East. They swept the Bronx Bombers in four straight games, then proceeded to take care of the LA Angels in three straight as well. It’s the first time in franchise history where they swept a four game series against the Yankees at home, and the first time in franchise history they went 7-0 in a home stand.
It’s a truly remarkable turnaround for a Blue Jays team that seemed like they were just going to be fighting to stay above .500 for the first two months of the season.On May 28, Toronto was eight games behind the Yankees with a 27-28 record. Now, they are undefeated in the month of July and have overcome that eight-game deficit in the span of five weeks.
George Springer had a home stand he won’t soon forget, hitting .428 over the seven games with five home runs and 13 RBI. Addison Barger had three multi-hit games, drove in nine runs and then made two huge defensive plays at third in the top of the ninth to secure the win against the Angels on Sunday.
-Matthew Sookram, Jays Journal
4. Chicago Cubs
Record: 54-36
Put the word out. The Cubs are back. Chicago decimated the rival Cardinals at Wrigley this weekend, out-scoring the Redbirds by a lopsided 28–11 margin, led by the exploits of All-Star Game snub Michael Busch.
Busch clubbed three homers on Friday, as part of a team-record eight-homer game for the Cubs, then followed it up with another shot in a three-hit effort on Saturday. A 5-1 homestand against Cleveland and St. Louis have Craig Counsell’s club firing on all cylinders heading into a road trip to close out the first half.
Oh, and let’s just pause to tip our caps to first-time All-Star Matthew Boyd. It’s been a long road for the left-hander and it’s safe to say that, without him the outlook of the 2025 Cubs would be very different. He added an exclamation point on Sunday, striking out a season-high nine over five scoreless frames, lowering his ERA on the year to 2.52.
-Jake Misener, Cubbies Crib
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 56-36
This week got off to a great start for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they swept the Chicago White Sox and got to watch Clayton Kershaw record his 3,000th strikeout. The week ended as poorly as it could’ve, though, as the Dodgers were swept on their home field by the Houston Astros. They were outscored 29-6 in the three games, and 18-1 in the series opener.
It’s important to put things into perspective. Even with that disastrous weekend, the Dodgers are 56-35, holding the best record in the National League and the second-best record in the majors. They’ve been as good as any team in the game despite having only two starters, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dustin May, make more than nine starts this season.
Getting embarrassed on their home field by an Astros team they can’t stand and might see in the World Series hurts, but it’s early July, and the Dodgers have 12 (!) pitchers on the IL. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them bounce back this week against the Brewers and Giants.
-ZR
2. Houston Astros
Record: 55-36
The week began with the worst possible news for the Houston Astros, with breakout star shortstop Jeremy Peña being placed on the 10-Day IL on June 30 with a fractured rib. He joins franchise cornerstone, Yordan Alvarez, whose injury return odyssey seems to have no end in sight, and a litany of other battered Astros' players.
The hope is that Peña can return quickly; he's eligible to come off the IL on July 8, but he may be playing in pain for some time. Fortunately, the Astros were otherwise able to ease into their week, matching up against the Colorado Rockies and taking two of three from the league's most pathetic team.
The real show, however, was the holiday weekend showdown with the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Astros brought out the fireworks with an 18-1 drubbing of the mighty Dodgers on July 4 to set up the sweep.
If the Astros keep this up and continue defying the odds, look for them to factor prominently in the season-end awards race. Everyone knows Hunter Brown is a Cy Young front-runner, but rotation mate Framber Valdez has quietly joined him, while manager Joe Espada definitely deserves some AL Manager of the Year love.
-Stephen Parello, Climbing Tal’s Hill
1. Detroit Tigers
Record: 58-34
No one in the Motor City saw this coming, but then again none of us believed the Tigers would make a postseason run, defeat the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round and then push the Guardians in the ALDS. Perhaps we should stop doubting this team.
The Tigers certainly have holes – every contender does – but after a weekend sweep of those same Guardians it's impossible to ignore what Detroit have achieved up until this point. They have the best record in baseball by two full games, the reigning AL Cy Young winner on their side, along with All-Star starters Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene and Javier Baez. The AL Central is theirs for the taking.
Over the next few weeks, Scott Harris will have to make savvy additions that balance the club's obvious goal to win a pennant this season, but not sell the farm in the process.