MLB Power Rankings: Cubs Back On Track, Brewers Closing On Yankees

By late June, dramatic movement in the power rankings becomes increasingly rare. The sample size is large enough that the league's true contenders have largely established themselves, while struggling clubs are finding it more difficult to climb out of the holes they created earlier in the season. There are still opportunities for teams to rise or fall, but week-to-week changes tend to be smaller as the standings and underlying metrics begin to stabilize.

That is why third-order wins remain such a useful lens for evaluating the league. Based on Clay Davenport's adjusted standings, the metric goes beyond wins and losses by factoring in run differential, quality of competition, and ballpark effects. The goal is to identify which teams are genuinely playing the best baseball rather than simply riding favorable sequencing or a soft portion of the schedule.

At the top, both leagues feature clubs that have clearly separated themselves from the pack. The American League and National League each boast multiple teams with elite records and strong underlying performance indicators, making it increasingly clear which organizations are built for a deep postseason run.

These rankings are built to highlight sustainable performance over temporary momentum. The arrows below show which teams are trending upward, slipping backward, or holding steady as the postseason race slowly starts to take shape.

1. Dodgers — 53.3–23.6 (.693)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Shohei Ohtani homered on the eve of Father’s Day after the birth of his second child this week. 

2. Yankees — 48.2–26.7 (.644)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Cam Schlittler became the youngest Yankees pitcher with 13 strikeouts and no walks in a 5-0 win over the Reds. His 1.71 ERA after 16 starts is also the lowest since Whitey Ford's 1.47 mark in 1964.

3. Brewers — 46.1–27.9 (.623)

Biggest Weekly Storyline:  In Jacob Misiorowski's last nine starts, he has struck out 87 hitters and allowed just one total extra-base hit, a double. He’s the only pitcher since at least 1900 with 60+ strikeouts and one or no extra-base hits allowed in a 9-game span

4. Braves — 43.5–31.5 (.580)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Braves trade for catching depth by adding former number two overall pick Joey Bart from the Pirates. Atlanta needed a backup catcher, while Pittsburgh had to break up a roster logjam behind the plate.

5. Pirates — 42.3–34.7 (.549)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Bryan Reynolds was scratched from a lineup earlier this week with left groin discomfort. However, he was available to pinch hit in the eighth inning and tied the game with an RBI single. 

6. Cubs — 42.1–34.8 (.547) ⬆️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Pete Crow-Armstrong is the first player in MLB’s modern era to tally 34 hits, five doubles, two triples, nine home runs, and six stolen bases in any 18-game span in a season.

7. Marlins — 42.0–35.0 (.545) ⬇️ 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Miami has won nine of its last 10 home games. Owen Caissie homered in two consecutive games, and he had a stretch with three homers in seven games. 

8. Rays — 39.4–33.6 (.540) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Cedric Mullins has a 69 wRC+ for the season, but has posted a 138 wRC+ since May 15th. He had a back issue he tried to play through early in the season. 

9. Mariners — 40.0–38.0 (.513) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez left a game against the Orioles with a left hamstring spasm. Earlier this week, he became the third-fastest player in MLB history to reach 125 doubles, 125 homers, and 125 steals.

10. Blue Jays — 38.6–38.4 (.501)

Biggest Weekly Storyline: On Thursday, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his first home run since May 17th. Unfortunately, he missed time over the last week with lower back tightness. 

11. Rangers — 38.0–38.0 (.500)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start on Saturday because of left knee soreness. If the Rangers become sellers, he could be a popular trade chip. 

12. White Sox — 37.5–37.5 (.500)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Andrew Benintendi became only the second opposing player in Yankee Stadium history to launch a pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning or later. Tommy Byrne, a pitcher, did it way back on May 16, 1953.

13. Guardians — 38.2–38.8 (.496) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Rookie Travis Bazzana helped Cleveland avoid being swept by the Brewers when he hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning.  

14. Cardinals — 36.6–37.4 (.495) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Matthew Liberatore has a 6.82 ERA over his last seven starts and hasn’t pitched five innings or more in three straight starts. For a contending team, something has to change. 

15. Red Sox — 36.5–37.5 (.493) 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Ranger Suarez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning to help Boston defeat Seattle. He struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. 

16. Tigers — 37.1–38.9 (.488)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Justin Verlander was scratched from his return start with the Tigers after suffering a left hamstring strain. It’s getting close to the end of the road for the future Hall of Famer.

17. Nationals — 37.4–39.6 (.486)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Nationals have been one of baseball’s biggest surprises this year. Washington has won four straight series entering this past weekend against Tampa. 

18. Angels — 37.0–41.0 (.474)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Mike Trout headed to the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain that interrupted a resurgent season. He has 17 homers and ranks in the top-10 in OBP. 

19. Phillies — 35.5–40.5 (.467)⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: On Saturday, Bryce Harper hit for the first cycle of his career, completing the feat in just five innings. It was the 11th cycle in Phillies history. Not to be outdone, Kyle Schwarber hit three homers in the same game. 

20. Orioles — 36.2–41.8 (.464) ⬆️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Infielder Jackson Holliday has struggled since returning from injury. In 27 games, he has a .683 OPS with four homers and 27 strikeouts across 92 plate appearances. 

21. Twins — 35.9–42.1 (.460) ⬆️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Outfielder Byron Buxton continues to hear his name in national trade speculation, but his response has remained constant. This week, he said, “I don’t give a f–k.” and finished the statement with, “I’m a Twin.”

22. Royals — 35.4–41.7 (.459) ⬆️

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Perennial MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr. left Thursday’s game with a knee injury and was diagnosed with a grade 1 MCL sprain. The team is calling it the “best-case scenario.”

23. Diamondbacks — 34.6–41.4 (.455) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Ryne Nelson became Arizona’s latest starter to end up on the IL with an elbow injury. Then Michael Soroka left Friday’s start with a hip injury after just one inning.

24. Mets — 34.4–41.7 (.452) 

Biggest Weekly Storyline: Since May 1st, rookie Carson Benge is batting .291 with five homers and a .351 OBP. He has seven games with at least three hits, the most by any MLB rookie. 

25. Astros — 35.2–42.9 (.451)  ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Tatsuya Imai struck out six batters through his first two innings on Friday. He finished the game with 11 K’s along with zero walks as Houston collected a comeback win over Cleveland. 

26. Athletics — 34.3–42.7 (.445) ⬇️
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Left-hander Gage Jump completed seven scoreless innings and gave up one hit and three walks while striking out seven. The rookie has completed six innings in three of his five big-league starts. 

27. Padres — 32.2–42.8 (.429)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: MLB insider Buster Olney believes Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller is on the hot seat. Recent blockbuster trades for Juan Soto and Mason Miller have decimated the farm system and could leave him with little to move at the trade deadline. 

28. Reds — 29.9–45.1 (.399)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Starter Brady Singer is having a letdown season in 2026. In 14 starts, he has a 5.32 ERA. His 5.6 HR/9 is nearly double his previous career-high. 

29. Rockies — 29.0–48.1 (.376)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: Kyle Freeland struck out eight on Friday, including his 1,000th career strikeout. 

30. Giants — 36.6–39.4 (.482)
Biggest Weekly Storyline: The Giants' “Pride Night” cap controversy from last week has continued to be the focus for a bad baseball team. Multiple San Francisco pitchers inscribed Bible verses on their rainbow-themed caps. MLB issued a warning that it was a violation of team rules. Later in the week, a Civil Rights attorney wrote a letter to Rob Manfred saying she will investigate MLB for religious discrimination.   

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