MLB Power Rankings: Red Sox stay put, Mets and Phillies stumble

1. Chicago Cubs (43-18, previously No. 1) – There is no let up with the Cubs as they have won seven of their last 10 games and have an unbelievable plus-162 run differential. The next best in baseball are the Red Sox at plus-85. The offense has been just as good as the pitching with Ben Zobrist batting .324, good for third in the NL and Anthony Rizzo’s 47 RBIs, second in the NL.

2. Washington Nationals (39-24, previously No. 4) – The Nationals have won three straight games and seven of their last 10 to open up a 4.5-game lead in the NL East. Stephen Strasburg continues to do his thing as his 10 wins are tied for the lead in all of baseball.

3. Texas Rangers (39-24, previously No. 3) – Texas is one of the hottest teams in the game as it has won eight of its last 10 games and has jumped out to a five-game lead in the AL West. Cole Hamels has proven to be one of the better acquisitions the team has made in many years, as they desperately needed an ace like him.

4. San Francisco Giants (38-26, previously No. 2) – After splitting a two-game series with the Red Sox, the Giants went on to win two out of three over the weekend to get back to being up five games in the NL West. Madison Bumgarner continues to dominate as his 1.88 ERA is third overall in the National League.

5. Boston Red Sox (36-26, previously No. 5) – It wasn’t the greatest of road trips as the team went 3-2 in San Francisco and Minnesota, but they are still tied for the lead in the AL East. Xander Bogaerts leads the best offense in the AL, but the pitching still remains a concern, as the offense cannot carry the team all season.

6. Baltimore Orioles (36-26, previously No. 6) – Even though the Orioles have dropped three games in a row, they are still tied for lead with the Red Sox in the AL East. The two teams will meet at Fenway Park this week, which is a pretty big series for the middle of June. Mark Trumbo continues to lead all of baseball with 20 home runs.

7. Cleveland Indians (35-27, previously No. 8) – The Indians have won seven of their last 10 games to open a three-game lead in the AL Central. Led by their pitching, they have a plus-47 run differential – the best in the division. Besides Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin is enjoying a good year with eight win, tied for second in the AL.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (35-28, previously No. 14) – It’s pretty amazing the Cardinals have won five straight and seven of their last 10 games, but are still nine games out in the National League Central. Matt Carpenter is having a solid year as he has a 2.8 WAR, which is third in the National League.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (35-30, previously No. 10) – Toronto has won three straight and is now just 2.5 games out in the AL East. The Blue Jays are led by their offense as is always the case, especially Edwin Encarnacion who has 54 RBIs, which is second in the AL.

10. New York Mets (34-28, previously No. 7) – The Mets have lost two straight games to fall 4.5 games out in the NL East. They will be looking to improve their plus-21 run differential as they need to get better performances at the plate. From the mound, Noah Syndergaard has a 2.00 ERA, which is good for fifth-best in the National League.

11. Seattle Mariners (34-29, previously No. 9) – Seattle is sliding as it has dropped two straight games and seven of its last 10 as it is now five games out in the NL West. With Felix Hernandez on the DL, the pitching has suffered. At the plate, Robinson Cano continues to lead the way with 18 homers and 51 RBIs, both good for third in the American League.

12. Los Angeles Dodgers (33-31, previously No. 11) – The Dodgers haven’t been playing their best ball of late as they have dropped two straight games and are now five games out in the division. Clayton Kershaw does continue to dominate with his 1.52 ERA, the best in baseball.

13. Kansas City Royals (32-30, previously No. 13) – Kansas City had a chance to regain the lead in the AL Central, but they have lost eight of its last 10 games and are currently three games out in the division. The real lone bright spot from the mound this season has been closer Wade Davis and his 17 saves, fourth in the AL.

14. Detroit Tigers (32-30, previously No. 17) — The Tigers have turned things around following a poor start to the year. Winners of seven of their last 10, they have moved into a tie for second in the AL Central. Victor Martinez is fourth in the AL in hitting, batting .333.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (32-31, previously No. 12) – It’s been the worst week of the year for the Pirates as they have lost five games in a row and maybe more concerning is the health of starter Gerrit Cole and his triceps injury. There’s the chance he gets placed on the disabled list so it’s a situation worth monitoring.

16. Miami Marlins (32-31, previously No. 15) – Miami has dropped two straight and six of its last 10 games to currently fall seven games out in the NL East. It cannot afford too many stretches like this moving forward if it has any chance of making the postseason.

17. New York Yankees (31-32, previously No. 20) – It’s been a strange and uncharacteristic season for the Yankees as they are in fourth place in the AL East and currently have a run differential of minus-20, the only negative one in the division. The Yankees could be a team that looks to sell at the deadline, as they have some players, namely Andrew Millers, that teams could be interested in.

18. Chicago White Sox (31-32, previously No. 16) – Things have changed very quickly with the White Sox as once one of the best teams in the AL, they have now gone to one of the worst. They have lost seven of their last 10 and now are in fourth place in the AL Central. Some have even wondered if they will be sellers at the deadline, seeing what they can get for Chris Sale.

19. Milwaukee Brewers (30-33, previously No. 22) – The Brewers have actually come along strong of late, winners of six of their last 10 games, but are still 14 games out in the NL Central. It’s a long-shot for the team to have any chance at the postseason.

20. Colorado Rockies (30-33, previously No. 24) – The Rockies are doing everything in their power to stay somewhat in the playoff race. It does help they play in one of the worst divisions in baseball, but they need to get better performances from the mound.

Bottom 10

21. Houston Astros (30-35, previously No. 19)

22. Tampa Bay Rays (29-32, previously No. 23)

23. Philadelphia Phillies (29-34, previously No. 18)

24. Arizona Diamondbacks (28-37, previously No. 26)

25. Los Angeles Angels (27-36, previously No. 21)

26. Oakland Athletics (26-36, previously No. 25)

27. San Diego Padres (26-38, previously No. 27)

28. Cincinnati Reds (24-39, previously No. 28)

29. Minnesota Twins (19-43, previously No. 29)

30. Atlanta Braves (18-44, previously No. 30)