MLB Power Rankings 12.0 (Week of June 16): Yankees stay on top, Mets make big jump

Our latest edition of 2024 MLB Power Rankings continues to bode well for the Yankees, who top our lists for a third straight week.

However, the other New York team took a major leap as the Mets are scorching. They are one of three teams to make considerable leaps in our rankings while we continue to parse through some underwhelming and disappointing clubs that we expected so much more from.

2024 MLB Power Rankings 12.0

New York Yankees (Previous #1): After taking three of four from the Royals, they lost two of three at Fenway Park to the Red Sox and lost Anthony Rizzo for at least a month. But Gerrit Cole is coming back Wednesday and a monstrous series against the Orioles will dictate where they land next week.
Baltimore Orioles (Previous #3): Baltimore continues to hum along to put pressure on the MLB-best Yankees atop the AL East. They took care of the NL East’s best last week, going 4-2 against the Braves and Phillies. They are 8-2 in their last 10.
Philadelphia Phillies (Previous #2): Two straight series losses to the Red Sox and Orioles have cooled the Phillies off a bit, but this is the month of Kyle Schwarber — the slugger already has five homers and 12 RBI in June.
Cleveland Guardians (Previous #4): The Guardians keep chugging along even with a down week, dropping a series to the Blue Jays and splitting a quick set with the Reds. They still have a five-game lead over the Royals atop the AL Central.
Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous #5): The Dodgers are safe in a weak NL West but they were dealt two significant injury blows in recent days as both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mookie Betts are expected to be shelved for a bit.
Milwaukee Brewers (Previous #6): If you had the Brewers holding the third-best record in the National League as we near the halfway point of the season, congratulations. They went 4-2 against the Jays and Reds last week and have won three consecutive series.
Seattle Mariners (Previous #8): A slow start to the season feels like forever ago for Seattle as they have taken advantage of a putrid AL West. They are 7-3 in their last 10 after taking three of four from the White Sox and sweeping the Rangers to open up a nine-game lead in the division.
Kansas City Royals (Previous #7): Two straight series losses against the Yankees and Dodgers are nothing to be ashamed of. It was, however, their first real measuring stick and will be a great lesson to hold on to as the season progresses.
Minnesota Twins (Previous #10): Carlos Correa is red-hot (18-for-30 over his last seven games) and the Twins took full advantage of poor opposition. They took two of three from the Rockies and swept a four-game tilt against the Athletics. They are now just a half-game back of the Royals for second in the AL Central.
Atlanta Braves (Previous #9): Their offense finally showed up in their series against the Rays, helping wash out the sour taste of five straight losses in which they were held to a combined 11 runs. They’re still eight games back of the Phillies in the NL East.
Boston Red Sox (Previous #12): The Brewers, Guardians, and Royals are great stories this season, but what the Red Sox continue to do is just remarkable given all of the injuries they have dealt with. Last week they won two of three against the Phillies before taking two of three over the rival Yankees. They have five of their last six and are in third in the AL East, a division in which most of us believed they would finish dead last in.
San Diego Padres (Previous #11): They swept the Athletics but followed it up by getting swept by the Mets. They scored just eight runs in three games in New York and six of them came in the finale on Sunday.
St. Louis Cardinals (Previous #22): The Cardinals beat up on division rivals last week, taking series against the Pirates and Cubs to move into second place in the NL Central. For a team that looked lost at the start of May, the Cardinals 20-11 record since May 12 is the best in the National League.
San Francisco Giants (Previous #16): Simply staying afloat gets you brownie points in the National League, which says a lot about the state of things in the senior circuit. They took two of three from the Astros but lost two out of three to the Angels. Still, they are 6-4 in their last 10 and are in second in the NL Central despite being one game under .500.
Cincinnati Reds (Previous #14): Despite losing five of their last seven, the Reds are 14-8 in their last 22 which is good for top three in the National League since May 23.
Arizona Diamondbacks (Previous #17): Corbin Carroll continues to come around and the Diamondbacks are playing better. They went 4-2 last week against the Angels and White Sox.
Washington Nationals (Previous #24): For as hot as the Mets are, the Nationals are not far behind to remain in front of them in the NL East standings. They are 8-2 in their last 10 and are dominating some of their divisional rivals as of late, going a combined 13-2 against the Marlins and Braves this season.
New York Mets (Previous #23): The Mets are the hottest team in baseball right now. They have won six straight and are 10-2 in their last 12 games. JD Martinez has sparked the offense while Francisco Alvarez has become the pitching whisperer. They are just one game out of the Wild Card.
Toronto Blue Jays (Previous #20): After losing two of three against the Brewers, they won a three-game set from the AL Central-leading Guardians. But the Orioles remain just a middle-of-the-pack team. They are 5-5 in their last 10 and two games under .500 this season — quite a disappointment from preseason expectations.
Detroit Tigers (Previous #13): The Tigers continue to sink, losing three straight series. Last week they were swept by the Nationals and then lost two of three to the Astros. They are 3-8 in their last 11 and have sunk to fourth in the AL Central.
Pittsburgh Pirates (Previous #19): Pittsburgh continues to hang around, entering Tuesday night 1.5 games out of second in the NL Central. They lost two of three to the hot Cardinals but followed it up with a series win against the inept Rockies. They are 6-4 in their last 10 while Andrew McCutchen continues to turn back the clock amidst a hot streak.
Houston Astros (Previous #25): The Astros have yet to kick it into gear but even at six games under .500, they are in second in the division and nine games out of first. They are 5-5 in their last 10, which is better than the other team with the identical 33-39 record in their division.
Texas Rangers (Previous #18): That’s right, the defending champions continue to be as unimpressive as ever. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games and were ripped apart for 14 runs on 22 hits by the Mets on Monday night. Good thing Max Scherzer’s return is on the horizon.
Chicago Cubs (Previous #15): There have not been many worse teams in baseball than the Cubs, who continue to freefall after a fun start to 2024. They have won just 10 of their last 31 games — only the A’s and White Sox have won less.
Tampa Bay Rays (Previous #21): The Rays have not been this bad in six years. After losing two of three to the Braves, they are 3-7 in their last 10 and are now five games under .500. It’s starting to slip away.
Los Angeles Angels (Previous #26): Logan O’Hoppe can hit the ball really far (he mashed a 467-foot home run over the weekend against the Giants). Besides that and a rare series win over San Francisco, the Halos are playing out the schedule.
Oakland Athletics (Previous #27): They did their best to hang around, but the A’s are sagging despite being one of the top power-hitting teams in baseball. They are 1-9 in their last 10.
Colorado Rockies (Previous #28): Kris Bryant is out for a while after suffering an oblique strain. What a disastrous decision to sign there.
Miami Marlins (Previous #29): The only team playing worse than the Braves in the NL East is the Marlins, who have been horrendous all season. They are 2-13 in their last 15 games.
Chicago White Sox (Previous #30): They have won four of their last 10, which puts them at 19 wins through 73 games. That’s a 162-game pace of 42 wins. The 1962 Mets’ futile record remains safe for now.