2024 MLB Power Rankings 10.0 (Week of June 2): Phillies, Yankees duking it out for top spot

Please welcome the New York Yankees to the top spot of amNewYork’s MLB power rankings as the local side continues to club its opposition into submission.

Overtaking an equally hot Phillies team that boasts the same MLB-best record as them, the Yankees’ claim of being a legitimate World Series contender is crystal clear and it is only June. 

Don’t mind the gap between them and the other New York club across town.

2024 MLB Power Rankings 10.0

1. New York Yankees (Previous #2): Everything is clicking for the Yankees, who have gone 18-4 in their last 22 games. Juan Soto and Aaron Judge are scorching hot and Luis Gil is pitching like one of the best hurlers in baseball. He is 8-1 with a 1.82 ERA — that’s Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award-worthy. Oh, and Gerrit Cole is close to returning, too. It does not get much better than this for the Bombers.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (Previous #1): The Phillies shook off surprising series losses to the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants with a series win over the Cardinals and a sweep of a very solid Brewers team. They head to London to face the struggling Mets with some injury issues cropping up. Brandon Marsh and Kody Clemens joined Trea Turner on the injured list.
   

   

3. Cleveland Guardians (Previous #3): David Fry is embodying a surprising Guardians club in 2024. He slashed .383/.513/.750 in May to force his way into the lineup as a catcher, left fielder, first baseman, and DH. Cleveland is 7-3 in its last 10 games and was just the third team in the majors to reach the 40-win mark.
4. Baltimore Orioles (Previous #4): It isn’t easy keeping up with the red-hot Yankees, but the Orioles are trying to do just that. Entering Thursday’s action just 3.5 games out, they are 3.5 games out of first place in the AL East. They are 7-3 in their last 10 despite getting the difficult news of lowing starters John Means and Tyler Wells for the season — both of whom need Tommy John surgery.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous #5): After a sweep of the Mets and two of three against the Rockies, the Dodgers have been slowed down by the Pittsburgh Pirates to remain stuck in neutral on our list. Shohei Ohtani has been mired in a slump of his own, batting just .212 over his last 17 games.
6. Seattle Mariners (Previous #9): On the backs of one of the best starting rotations in baseball, the Mariners are 8-2 in their last 10 games to open up a 4.5-game lead in the AL West.
7. Atlanta Braves (Previous #7): Atlanta’s powerful offense has been inconsistent at times, but the starting rotation has done more than make up for it. Reynaldo Lopez has a 1.73 ERA in 10 starts, Max Fried has a 2.93 ERA in 12 starts, and Chris Sale had a seven-start stretch in which he posted a 1.17 ERA before he was bopped for eight runs by the A’s on Saturday. 
8. Milwaukee Brewers (Previous #8): Despite getting swept by the Phillies, the Brewers still hold a 5.0-game lead in the NL Central thanks to three-straight series wins over the Red Sox, Cubs, and White Sox (sweep).
9. Kansas City Royals (Previous #6): Kansas City has slowed down a bit in its pursuit of Cleveland in the AL Central. It is 3-7 in its last 10 games as the starting rotation has slowed and a weak bullpen has been exposed.
10. Minnesota Twins (Previous #11): The Twins took three of four from the Royals and two of three for the Astros before running into the powerhouse Yankees. They are a streaky bunch, so an ability to avoid an extended swoon should see them put more pressure on KC for second place in the AL Central.
11. Boston Red Sox (Previous #14): Remarkably enough, the Red Sox are still flirting with .500 despite the onslaught of injuries that has blown up the roster. Promising rookie Wilyer Abreu slipped on the dugout steps and Fenway Park and landed on the IL in a week that also saw Vaughn Grissom and Romy Gonzalez shelved as well. They join a concerning list that includes reliever Chris Martin, starter Lucas Giolito, shortstop Trevor Story, pitcher Garrett Whitlock, outfielder Masataka Yoshida, and first baseman Triston Casas. 
12. Detroit Tigers (Previous #15): The Tigers took two of three from the Rangers to get back to .500, but they are in danger of falling out of contention already. The Guardians lead them by 10 games in the AL Central.
13. San Diego Padres (Previous #10): Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are on the IL and San Diego’s progress was slowed by getting swept by the lowly Angels.
14. Chicago Cubs (Previous #12): The Cubbies’ offense was practically a non-factor in May, but they appear to be coming around in June. Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki are showing signs of life, but Chicago has still lost six of its last 10.
15. Texas Rangers (Previous #20): It looks as though the Rangers’ World Series-winning offense has dried up. Over their last 16 games, they are batting just .210. In their last 23 games, they have been held to three or fewer runs 14 times.
    

    

16. Tampa Bay Rays (Previous #16): Winning six of their last 10, the Rays have also gotten back to the .500 mark, but the struggles of Randy Arozarena remain alarming.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (Previous #17): The defending NL champs have stabilized just a bit with series wins over the Mets and Giants, but trouble still remains ahead. Ace Zac Gallen is on the 15-day IL with a right hamstring strain.
18. St. Louis Cardinals (Previous #18): St. Louis has lost four of its last six but looks like it has something special brewing with rookie shortstop Masyn Winn.
19. San Francisco Giants (Previous #13): The Blake Snell signing has turned out to be a disaster and the Giants have lost six of their last seven games to halt their rise up the National League standings.
20. Houston Astros (Previous #20): Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy are done for the rest of the season which will put further pressure on a rotation that will rely heavily on the likes of Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, and Spencer Arrighetti to support Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander.
21. Cincinnati Reds (Previous #26): The Reds are stabilizing after a miserable May in which they went 9-18. They swept the Rockies and took two of three from the Cubs.
    

    

22. Pittsburgh Pirates (Previous #24): Rookie starters Paul Skenes and Jared Jones are providing a light at the end of the Pirates’ tunnel as they continue to wade in the middle of MLB’s pack. They shook off a miserable stretch with recent series wins over the Braves and Dodgers.
23. Toronto Blue Jays (Previous #22): Alek Manoah is injured again and an underachieving Blue Jays club is already 14.0 games out of first place in the AL East.
24. New York Mets (Previous #25): The Mets went 9-19 in May and continued to struggle to start June. The bullpen is in shambles, losing six games this season in which they entered the ninth inning with a lead. But a sweep of the Washington Nationals is offering a glimmer of hope which could be strengthened with a solid showing in London against the Phillies.
25. Washington Nationals (Previous #21): Washington hast lost six of its last 10 and just lost one of its top starters, Trevor Williams, because of a right flexor strain.
26. Oakland Athletics (Previous #23): The A’s might have found a diamond in the rough with Miguel Andujar, who is batting .341 with an .870 OPS and 12 RBI in 10 games. The problem is that they have lost three consecutive series.
27. Colorado Rockies (Previous #28): The Rockies went 14-13 in May but are 0-5 to start June.
28. Los Angeles Angels (Previous #29): The Trout-less Angels swept the Padres to pump the brakes on a five-game losing streak. Anthony Rendon’s return is getting closer, but the mercurial third baseman is just as capable of adding further drama to the club than helping it.
29. Miami Marlins (Previous #27): Everything the Marlins have touched has become rotten. Avisail Garcia was designated for assignment just two years after signing a four-year, $53 million deal. A former star in Tim Anderson is a liability at the plate as the legitimacy of his future remains a major question mark. They are saving the Mets and Nationals from last place in the NL East, losing seven of their last 10. They’re 20 games under .500 at 21-41.
30. Chicago White Sox (Previous #30): The White Sox haven’t won a game since May 21. That is a 13-game losing streak. They are 15-47 and on pace to win just 39 games this year. That would set a new MLB mark for the worst 162-game record ever.

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