MLB Power Rankings: Brewers Pass Yankees, Royals Flushed

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

With the All-Star break arriving next week, Major League Baseball is approaching a natural reset point. Players and coaches will get a few days to recharge, but front offices will quickly shift into one of the busiest stretches of the season. Once play resumes, clubs will have roughly three weeks to determine whether they are buyers, sellers, or somewhere in between before the MLB Trade Deadline reshapes pennant races across the league.

That is why third-order wins remain one of the best tools for evaluating team performance. Based on Clay Davenport's adjusted standings, the metric looks beyond a team's record by incorporating run differential, strength of schedule, and ballpark effects. It provides a clearer picture of which clubs are playing the best baseball and which may be benefiting from favorable sequencing or circumstances.

These rankings are designed to highlight sustainable performance rather than short-term momentum. The arrows below show which teams are trending upward, slipping backward, or holding steady as the race toward October enters its most consequential stretch.

1. Dodgers — 61.0–28.9 (.679)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Shohei Ohtani is unlikely to pitch in MLB All-Star Game with Dodgers' pitching rotation shuffle. On his current rotation, Ohtani would only have three days of rest before the July 14 All-Star Game.

2. Brewers — 54.7–32.3 (.629) ⬆️

Biggest Weekly Storyline:  Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski's four-seamer leads all pitches in run value this season at +19. At 100.4 mph with a 43 percent whiff rate and a .245 wOBA allowed on 987 throws, hitters have no answer for it.

3. Yankees — 52.2–35.8 (.593) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Yankees snapped a seven-game losing streak on Friday. It was their longest of the season and their worst since they endured a nine-game skid in August 2023.

4. Rays — 49.0–37.0 (.570) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Rays star Junior Caminero became the youngest player since at least 1900 to hit a home run in 6 straight games.

5. Marlins — 50.9–39.0 (.566)

Biggest Weekly Storyline: shortstop Otto Lopez broke Miguel Cabrera’s season record with his 37th multi-hit game of the season. Pretty remarkable since it’s not even the All-Star break. 

6. Pirates — 50.8–39.2 (.564) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Braxton Ashcraft won his fourth consecutive start after allowing one run on six hits in 5 2/3 innings and striking out seven. The right-hander has a 3.04 ERA and 32 strikeouts in four starts since June 17 and has won eight of his past nine decisions.

7. Braves — 48.1–38.9 (.553)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: On June 1, the Braves had a 9.5-game lead in the NL East. After a 9-14 month, Atlanta’s lead was trimmed to just 2.5 games.

8. Cubs — 48.0–41.0 (.539)

Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Cubs became the first team since 1894 to win and lose back-to-back games by at least 15 runs. On Wednesday, Chicago beat San Diego 23-3 and then lost on Friday 17-1 to St. Louis. 

9. Mariners — 47.1–42.9 (.523)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez went on 7-day concussion injured list after taking a throw to the back of helmet. He was hit during an attempted double-play in the first inning Thursday and eventually left the game.

10. Tigers — 46.1–42.9 (.518) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Despite a disappointing season, ESPN has two Tigers players, Kevin McGonigle and Dillon Dingler, in the top-five of their AL MVP voting.

11. Rangers — 45.4–43.6 (.510)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Texas lost a pair of veteran relievers with Jakob Junis going on the injured list due to a hip impingement. In addition, the Rangers announced that Jalen Beeks has a strained flexor tendon in his elbow and will undergo season-ending surgery. 

12. Red Sox — 44.1–42.9 (.507)

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Aroldis Chapman broke the MLB all-time strikeout record among relievers with career strikeout No. 1,364.

13. White Sox — 44.4–43.6 (.505) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: White Sox's star rookie Munetaka Murakami began a baserunning progression after 29 games out. He has been out since May 29th with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. 

14. Cardinals — 43.4–42.6 (.505) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Dustin May was hit by a comebacker that hit his right foot and then ricocheted all the way to right field. X-rays were negative on the injury, but May said the ankle area was sore. 

15. Nationals — 44.9–45.1 (.499) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Major League Baseball has handed out seven-game suspensions to both Red Sox Willson Contreras and Nationals Cade Cavalli after their benches-clearing incident on Tuesday. Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas was also suspended five games, and Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton got three games.  

16. Blue Jays — 43.0–46.1 (.483) ⬇️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was voted an All-Star starter despite having a career-worst season. However, he plans to sit out the game as he has dealt with a back issue.

17. Guardians — 43.5–46.5 (.483)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Guardians took the first two games of their pivotal White Sox series in walk-off fashion. Brayan Rocchio hit a walk-off homer on Thursday before Kahlil Watson singled in the 10th inning on Friday. 

18. Phillies — 42.9–46.1 (.482) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Phillies are hosting the 2026 All-Star Game and tied for the most representatives. Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jhoan Duran were announced on Saturday. 

19. Giants — 42.2–45.8 (.480)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Giants placed reliever Matt Gage on IL with elbow strain after 51-pitch relief appearance. Before Friday night, the lefty reliever's previous career high was 41 pitches thrown last July 21.

20. Orioles — 42.8–47.2 (.476) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Closer Ryan Helsley was placed on the injured list with right elbow discomfort. He was on the IL from May 1 to June 16 with right elbow inflammation.

21. Twins — 41.8–48.3 (.464) ⬆️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: On Sunday, Joe Ryan pitched seven shutout innings to help the Twins win a series in the Bronx for the first time since 2014. 

22. Angels — 40.9–49.1 (.454) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Outfielder Mike Trout is hoping to return from injury for Angels next week ahead of the All-Star Game. Trout has been out since June 17, when he strained his right hamstring while running the bases against Arizona.

23. Diamondbacks — 39.7–48.4 (.451)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Reliever Ryan Thompson bounced a throw home in extra-innings that allowed an extra runner to score. He took responsibility after the game but it was a tough play no matter the outcome. 

24. Astros — 40.8–50.2 (.448) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Cristian Javier was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Friday. A Grade 2 right shoulder strain has kept him out since April. 

25. Padres — 39.4–48.6 (.448) ⬆️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Padres are the second team in MLB history to have a 6-game span with an 0-6 record, 75+ hits allowed, 60+ runs allowed, 30+ walks allowed, 15+ HR allowed. The other was the Phillies from June 19-22, 1929.

26. Mets — 39.5–49.5 (.444) ⬇️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Juan Soto made headlines this week when asked about his relationship with Francisco Lindor from last year to this year. He said " When you meet a girl, you don’t start kissing her right away.”

27. Athletics — 37.6–51.4 (.422)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Former All-Star Brent Rooker will undergo season-ending knee surgery. It will take place during the All-Star break and address a cartilage tear in his left knee. 

28. Royals — 36.8–52.2 (.414) ⬇️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. He will be joined by Michael Wacha, who is making his second All-Star selection 11 years after his first. 

29. Reds — 35.6–52.4 (.405)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Hunter Greene returned to Cincinnati's rotation on Saturday. He allowed eight earned runs on seven hits and failed to make it out of the fourth frame. 

30. Rockies — 35.4–54.6 (.393)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: First baseman TJ Rumfield was selected as the NL’s Rookie of the Month for the second straight month. In June, he led all qualified National League rookies in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, doubles (9), extra-base hits (15) and total bases (56).

What storylines stood out this week? Do you agree with the rankings above? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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