MLB Power Rankings: Brewers Rising, Twins & Mets Disappearing

Power rankings have never been harder to trust than they are during the middle months of a baseball season. A hot week can launch a mediocre club into the top ten while a rough road trip suddenly turns a contender into a “team in trouble.” Wins and losses still matter, but they rarely tell the full story of how a team is actually performing beneath the surface.

That is where third order wins help separate noise from substance. Based on Clay Davenport’s adjusted standings, this metric strips away some of the randomness that can cloud a team’s record by accounting for factors like run differential, strength of schedule, and ballpark environment. Instead of focusing strictly on what has happened, it provides a clearer picture of how teams should be performing in a more neutral setting.

The result is a ranking system built to be more predictive than reactive. Some clubs continue to validate their place among baseball’s elite, while others are surviving on timely hits, bullpen luck, or favorable scheduling. The arrows below reflect how each team’s standing changed from last week as the season continues to take shape.

1. Dodgers — 27.0–12.0 (.692)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Blake Snell made his season debut over the weekend, while Tyler Glasnow headed to the 15-day IL with low back spasms. One of the benefits on LA’s monster payroll is there is plenty of pitching depth. 

2. Yankees — 26.7–13.3 (.668) 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: New York called up top outfield prospect Spencer Jones after outfielder Jasson Dominguez headed to the IL. Jones posted a .258/.366/.592 slash line in 33 games with 11 homers and a 32.4 K%.

3. Braves — 25.8–14.2 (.645) 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Legendary manager Bobby Cox passed away over the weekend. He won over 2,500 games as manager of the Braves and Blue Jays and won the 1995 World Series. 

4. Cubs — 25.3–14.6 (.634) 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Cubs have two 10-game winning streaks in one season for the first time since 1935. 

5. Pirates — 23.4–16.6 (.585) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Paul Skenes threw eight innings of two-hit ball in one of the best performances of his career. He struck out seven, including striking out the side in his final inning. 

6. Brewers — 21.6–15.4 (.584) ⬆️ 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: On Friday, Jacob Misiorowski’s first inning against the Yankees set velocity records for a starting pitcher. He threw 10 pitches all above 102 mph and had a 103.6 mph fastball that set the record for fastest pitch thrown by a starter in the pitch-tracking era. 

7. Rays — 21.7–16.3 (.571) 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Tampa saw its seven-game winning streak end earlier this week. During that stretch, they set a franchise record of 12 consecutive games giving up three or fewer runs.

8. Marlins — 21.7–18.3 (.543) ⬇️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Joe Mack, a consensus top-100 prospect, was called up this week. Last season, he had an .813 OPS and a 120 wRC+ in 112 games. 

9. Rangers — 21.0–18.0 (.538) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Nathan Eovaldi tossed eight innings and held a red-hot Yankees roster to one run on three hits. He struck out eight and didn’t issue a walk. 

10. Cardinals — 20.0–19.0 (.513) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: JJ Wetherholt  turned a routine single into a “Little League Grand Slam” after the ball slipped under the glove of Fernando Tatis Jr. 

11. Tigers — 20.2–19.8 (.505) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Tarik Skubal underwent left elbow surgery to remove bone chips and is expected to miss up to two months.

12. Guardians — 20.4–20.6 (.498) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Cleveland traded for the two-time Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey from the Giants for the No. 29 pick in this year’s MLB Draft and left-handed pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson. 

13. Blue Jays — 19.3–19.7 (.495) ⬆️ 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Dylan Cease is leading MLB in strikeouts (66 K) after a 10-strikeout performance on Friday. In seven shutout innings, he scattered five hits and didn’t allow a walk. 

14. Royals — 19.7–20.3 (.493) ⬆️ 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Carlos Estevez, the Royals’ closer, will be shut down for the next three weeks with a right rotator cuff strain. Starting pitcher Cole Ragans was placed on the IL with a left elbow impingement. 

15. Mariners — 19.7–20.3 (.493) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Luke Raley hit a grand slam and a three-run homer in the same game to help Seattle score a season-high 12 runs.

16. Nationals — 19.3–20.7 (.482) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Gus Varland has quietly earned the closer job in Washington after bouncing around a lot on the waiver wire. His 2.46 FIP and 4.8 BB% could be signs of better future performance.

17. Angels — 19.1–20.9 (.478) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Walbert Urena went six innings, allowing one earned run on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts. The performance brought Ureña’s ERA down to 3.22.

18. Diamondbacks — 18.0–20.0 (.474) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Eduardo Rodriguez gave Arizona their best start of the year. In seven shutout innings, he limited Pittsburgh to two hits while striking out seven. 

19. Athletics — 18.0–21.0 (.462) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Nick Kurtz extended his on-base streak to an MLB-best 32-games. He is also tied for the MLB-lead in walks (36) with Mike Trout. 

20. Padres — 17.9–21.1 (.459) ⬇️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Jake Cronenworth has been dealing with bouts of fogginess and difficulty focusing during at-bats as he deals with long-term concussion symptoms. Earlier this year, he was hit in the jaw by a pitch. 

21. White Sox — 17.7–21.3 (.454) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Munetaka Murakami has now homered in eight straight series openers, an MLB record that was held by Eddie Murray (1987). 

22. Red Sox — 17.4–21.6 (.446) ⬆️ 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Connelly Early and Payton Tolle may be saving Boston’s rotation and their season. Early has a 130 ERA+ and a 22.0 K%, while Early has a 205 ERA+ and a 34.3 K%. 

23. Phillies — 17.6–22.5 (.439) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Alec Bohm has been one of baseball’s worst hitters this year with a 21 OPS+ and producing -0.8 rWAR. He’s become unplayable for a Phillies team trying to get back into contention. 

24. Mets — 16.8–22.2 (.431) ⬇️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Rumors are already swirling that the Mets have talked to several teams about trading Freddy Peralta. For a team that expected to contend, this is an early white flag. 

25. Twins — 17.2–22.8 (.430) ⬇️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Taj Bradley was placed on the IL with right pectoral muscle inflammation. He was off to a terrific start with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 47 innings.   

26. Astros — 17.0–23.0 (.425) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Carlos Correa has a torn tendon in his left ankle and will miss 6-8 months. He sustained the injury during batting practice when he swung and felt a pop. 

27. Rockies — 16.7–23.4 (.416) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: In a tie game, Colorado loaded the bases against Craig Kimbrel with no outs in a tie game. Jake McCarthy cracked a grand slam to send the Mets to another loss. 

28. Reds — 15.6–24.4 (.390) 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Chase Burns helped the Red snap an 8-game losing streak. In six innings, he allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts. He has the third-best ERA in the NL. 

29. Orioles — 15.4–24.6 (.385) ⬆️ 
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Shane Baz hasn’t lived up to expectations since being traded to Baltimore. In 39 2/3 innings, he has a 4.99 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP. 

30. Giants — 14.8–24.2 (.379) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Logan Webb had made 156 consecutive starts before going on the IL with right knee bursitis. That streak dated back to 2021. 

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