MLB Power Rankings 6.0 (Week of May 5): There’s a new top dog, Yankees, Mets drop

There’s a new, familiar No. 1 in our sixth MLB Power Rankings of the 2024 season, but it was not easy to get there. 

Three teams are hitting their strides while the Yankees were bumped down a peg because of it. The same can’t be said about the other New York team, the Mets, as they are slumping — especially the offense.

2024 MLB Power Rankings 6.0

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous #2): This really was a three-horse race between the Dodgers, Orioles, and Phillies, but we give the edge to the Dodgers after taking two of three from the struggling defending NL champions before sweeping the powerhouse Braves — the former No. 1 team on this list which has fallen. 
2. Baltimore Orioles (Previous #3): The Orioles are starting to win at home, which is promising. They took three of four from the Yankees to snag first place in the AL East before continuing their impressive play away from Camden Yards, sweeping the Reds. Baltimore’s young guns are 11-4 on the road this season.
3. Philadelphia Phillies (Previous #6): Good teams take advantage of easier portions of their schedule and that’s exactly what the Phillies are doing. They have wrenched first place away from the Braves in the NL East as they are off to their best 35-game start (24-11) in franchise history. The Phillies are in their 142nd season. Do you know how hard it is to set franchise records when you’re that old? 
4. Atlanta Braves (Previous #1): An ugly week for the Braves saw them lose two of three to Seattle before getting swept by the Dodgers. They enter Monday 2.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East — their largest deficit in the division in two years.
   

   

5. New York Yankees (Previous #4): The Yankees bounced back well from losing three of four to the Orioles by sweeping the Tigers, but they’ve been stuck in neutral as of late, going 6-5 in their last 11. 
6. Cleveland Guardians (Previous #5): Cleveland has lost four of seven, including a series loss to the disappointing Astros. But they’ve built up too much good credit here to tumble too far down the power rankings, especially with the Tigers and White Sox coming up. 
7. Chicago Cubs (Previous #8): The Cubs took two of four close ones with the Mets before winning a series in Milwaukee to move into a tie for first in the NL Central. Shota Imanaga is having one heck of a start to life in the majors (0.78 ERA in his first six starts) but Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon also have sub 2.00 ERAs this season.
8. Milwaukee Brewers (Previous #7): They were thumped for 30 runs in two games by the Yankees, took two of three from the Rays, but lost the ensuing series against the Cubs. Things are slowing down for the Brew Crew, but they’re still at the top of their division.
9. Seattle Mariners (Previous #13): A slow start to 2024 is well in the rearview mirror and these Mariners are fun. They picked up series wins against the Braves and Astros and continue to cruise, going 13-5 in their last 18 games.
   

   

10. Minnesota Twins (Previous #20): Minnesota is our largest leapers this week and rightfully so. They capped off a 12-game win streak by sweeping the White Sox and taking the first two from the Red Sox before finally losing on Sunday. They were 7-13 two weeks ago. Now they’re 19-14 and 2.5 games back of Cleveland for the AL Central lead.
11. Texas Rangers (Previous #9): The defending champs are still sputtering but they had a positive week with series wins over the Nationals and Royals. They’re 6-4 in their last 10 but need more from Corey Seager. 
12. Kansas City Royals (Previous #11): If the Royals continue to play .500 ball after a hot start to the season, they’ll stay in the playoff picture. That’s what they did last week, taking two of three from Toronto before losing two of three to Texas. 
13. Detroit Tigers (Previous #10): Detroit’s progress was halted by a sweep at the hands of the Yankees. Detroit is 4-6 in their last 10 and have the Twins level with them for second in the AL Central
14. Boston Red Sox (Previous #14): The afterthought of the AL East is still sticking around in the middle of the pack. At 19-16, they’re 3.5 games back of the Yankees for second in the division at 19-16. They can thank their starting rotation for that, as they own a remarkable 2.10 ERA this season.
15. Cincinnati Reds (Previous #12): When the Reds are on, they’re electric. When they’re not, they’re a snooze-fest. We saw more of the latter last week with a series loss to San Diego before getting swept by the O’s.
16. San Diego Padres (Previous #18): San Diego’s series win followed by taking two of three from the Diamondbacks has them nearly meeting Cincinnati in the middle. They got a lot more exciting by swinging a trade for one of the game’s best natural hitters in Luis Arraez. 
17. Washington Nationals (Previous #22): The Nationals are quietly humming along to stay at the .500 mark, which can’t be said for the likes of the Mets and the Marlins. After losing two of three to the Rangers, they took two of three from the Blue Jays and are 7-3 in their last 10.
    

    

18. Tampa Bay Rays (Previous #24): Was I too harsh on the Rays last week? Absolutely. You don’t get swept by the White Sox and avoid the wrath. They rebounded to get back to a more respectable position even after losing two of three to the Brewers. Sweeping the Mets helps. 
19. New York Mets (Previous #15): The offense has gone cold and Pete Alonso is the poster boy of it. He’s batting .056 in his last 10 games which is a big reason why the Mets are 3-7 during that stretch. 
20. Toronto Blue Jays (Previous #16): Toronto has sunk to last place with four consecutive series losses. 
21. Oakland Athletics (Previous #25): What the Athletics are doing just to stay near .500 (17-18) is incredibly commendable. They’re playing in empty stadiums nearly every night, their ownership is a joke, a move is on the horizon, and their roster is pretty unimpressive. Yet here they are taking two of three from the Pirates and Marlins to go 8-5 in their last 13 games. Good for them.
22. San Francisco Giants (Previous #17): If they played all of their games at home, they could be a Wild Card team. That’s not how this works, though. San Francisco has the fifth-worst record on the road this year at 6-13 after losing two of three to the Red Sox and getting swept by the Phillies.
23. Arizona Diamondbacks (Previous #21): Corbin Carroll continues to look lost and the Diamondbacks lost seven of nine before a win on Sunday against the Padres. Lost 2/3 Dodgers, Lost 2/3 Padres. The defending NL Champs are already 7.5 games back of first in the NL West.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates (Previous #23): This is where the Pirates will probably be for the rest of the season, which was expected, but the dream was fun while it lasted when they started the year 11-5. Since then, they’ve gone 5-14 and could not take advantage of an easy schedule last week. They went .500 against the A’s and Rockies.
25. St. Louis Cardinals (Previous #19): We thought the Cardinals might have turned a corner two weeks ago, but that notion was crushed when they lost two straight series to the Tigers and lowly White Sox at home.
26. Houston Astros (Previous #27): Congratulations to the Astros, who went up in our rankings rather than down for the first time this season. Winning two of three from Cleveland will help only because there isn’t really anywhere else to go for them. 
27. Miami Marlins (Previous #28): They swept the Rockies, which is not saying much, and lost two of three to the Athletics. They traded Luis Arraez to San Diego, they’re 10-26, and they’re already seven games back of the fourth-place Mets in the NL East. These guys made the Wild Card last year?
28. Los Angeles Angels (Previous #26): In another cruel, seemingly unfair twist of fate, Mike Trout underwent knee surgery and will miss at least three months. The Angels responded by losing four of six last week. They’re 3-12 in their last 15. Yikes.
29. Chicago White Sox (Previous #29): I’ll give Chicago a pass because everyone got swept by the Twins for a minute, there. They rebounded to take two in St. Louis and are 5-4 in their last nine games. They had three wins in their first 17 games. Progress, I suppose.
30. Colorado Rockies (Previous #30): I have nothing to say other than the Colorado Rockies are an insult to the game of baseball and somewhere amongst the cosmos, Alexander Cartwright is dry-heaving. 

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