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MLB Power rankings, Vol. 15: Panic time for Yankees and Mets?
The post MLB Power rankings, Vol. 15: Panic time for Yankees and Mets? appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 MLB Power Rankings are back after another thrilling week on the diamond. Rafael Devers faced off against the Boston Red Sox for the first time, a heat wave sent balls flying out of Wrigley Field, and Shohei Ohtani was back on the mound. Advertisement But the MLB Power Rankings are headlined by the New York Yankees and New York Mets, who have Big Apple baseball fans panicked about a June swoon. How do the rankings shake out this week? #1: Los Angeles Dodgers (-) Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports He's pitching again. A year without it makes it even more surreal that Shohei Ohtani, the guy who invented the 50/50 club, also pitches. He's made two starts, throwing one inning in each, with the intent of ramping up as the summer wears on. The Los Angeles Dodgers took three of four from the San Diego Padres, with a hit-by-pitch controversy to boot, and took two of three from the Washington Nationals. In those seven games, Ohtani had eight RBIs and pitched two innings. They have opened a 3.5-game lead in the NL West with a road trip to Colorado and Kansas City coming next. #2: Philadelphia Phillies (+1) The Philadelphia Phillies took three of four from the Miami Marlins and two of three from the Mets to take the lead in the NL East. They are 47-31, a game above the Mets, and 9-3 in their last 12 games. Advertisement After slipping in the MLB Power Rankings in May, they have gotten back on track of late. Nick Castellanos hit .360 with four RBIs, including a homer against the Mets on Friday, to lead the way offensively. The Phillies look to stay hot against the Astros and Braves on the road this week. #3: New York Mets (-1) The Mets have lost eight of their last nine games with only a Saturday win over the Phillies saving them from an epic slide. They have squandered what was a 5.5-game lead in just 10 days. They were swept by the Atlanta Braves before losing the two games in Philadelphia. Young catcher Francisco Alvarez was sent down to the minors amid a miserable slump. He has a .652 OPS in 35 games this season compared to .710 in 100 games last year. But good news, Mark Vientos is raking on his rehab assignment and could come back soon. The Mets have to get back on track with four games against the Braves and three against the Pirates this week. #4: Chicago Cubs (-) The Chicago Cubs had an opportunity to rise in the MLB Power Rankings with the Mets' struggling this week. But Chicago split two games with the Milwaukee Brewers and lost a series to the Seattle Mariners, so they stay at four. Their offense was far from the problem with 27 runs in the five games. Advertisement But they could not contain Cal Raleigh and the Mariners' offense. Their starting pitching got tattooed, with Jamison Taillon allowing five runs in four innings and Colin Rea allowing seven runs in 5.1 innings. They hit the road for three-game sets against the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros this week. #5: Detroit Tigers (-) David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports The Detroit Tigers keep their spot as the top American League team in the MLB Power Rankings despite a 3-3 week. They took two of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates before losing two of three against the Tampa Bay Rays. Riley Greene was a bright spot, going 11-for-23 with 10 RBIs in the six games this week. Tarik Skubal was solid in his start, allowing two runs in 5.2 innings against the Pirates on Thursday. The Tigers host the Athletics and the Minnesota Twins for three games each this week. #6: San Francisco Giants (-) The San Francisco Giants welcomed in the Boston Red Sox for what would usually be a regular interleague matchup. But Rafael Devers was playing just his second series with the Giants after nearly a decade in Boston. Advertisement Devers is hitting .217 with three RBIs as a Giant so far, but those numbers should improve. The team went 3-3 in their first week with their new designated hitter. They are hoping for better than that this week against the Marlins and White Sox. #7: Houston Astros (+1) The Houston Astros move up a spot after splitting four games with the Athletics and taking a series from the Los Angeles Angels. Those are the wins that kept them comfortably ahead of the Mariners this week in the AL West. Josh Hader closed out Sunday's win against the Angels, continuing his perfect season with 18 saves in 18 opportunities. Mauricio Dubon's two homers helped bring that game home. His heating up would be huge for Houston's infield. This week, the Astros host the Phillies and the Cubs. #8: New York Yankees (-1) The Yankees only drop a spot after a miserable stretch ended this week. They lost a series to the Red Sox over Father's Day Weekend, dropped three of four to the Angels, and then lost the first game to the Baltimore Orioles. But their offense came alive over the weekend, outscoring Baltimore 13-2 to take the series. Advertisement Jazz Chisholm scored a run and knocked in the game-winning run in the eighth inning to clinch the series win. They still have the AL East lead, but the Yankees need to get hot again. They visit the Cincinnati Reds before welcoming in the Athletics over the weekend. #9: San Diego Padres (-) The Padres lost three games to the Dodgers and took two from the Kansas City Royals, finishing the week at 3-4. They went through all of the hit-by-pitch drama with the Dodgers, losing manager Mike Shildt for one game and closer Robert Suarez for three games. San Diego has gone 2-5 against LA in June, digging a deep NL West hole. Jose Iglesias finished a three-RBI day with a walk-off on Sunday in a 3-2 win. The Padres need to kick it into gear to catch the Dodgers, but they are sitting comfortably at nine. This week, they host the Washington Nationals and visit the Reds. #10: Seattle Mariners (+2) Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The Mariners missed the playoffs last year because their offense fell apart down the stretch. Cal Raleigh is trying to make sure that doesn't happen this year. His four-homer series at Wrigley brought him to 31 long balls on the season, the best in baseball. Advertisement Their pitching struggled at points, including a tough Sunday start from Logan Gilbert. They started the week losing a series to the Red Sox, but the Wrigley win bumps them up. They need to stay hot with the road trip continuing in Minnesota and Texas. #11: Texas Rangers (-1) The Texas Rangers were swept by the Royals before taking two of three from the Pirates over the weekend. They avoided Paul Skenes, which helped them win that series and helped the offense come alive. Texas scored 12 runs in the three games of that series after scoring just five in three games against Kansas City. The Astros keep winning, so Texas has to kick it up a gear before this season slips away. They visit the Baltimore Orioles before hosting the Mariners in a big weekend series. #12: Milwaukee Brewers (+2) The Brewers split two games with the Cubs and swept the Minnesota Twins to stay as one of the hottest teams in baseball. They are 8-3 in their last 11, 13-7 in June, and are just 3.5 games back in the NL Central. Jacob Misiorowski has been sensational in his first two starts, carrying a no-hitter through five again. Advertisement He allowed the first earned run of his career in his 11th inning. That should help Milwaukee's pitching concerns as the summer heats up. The Brewers host the Pirates and Rockies this week, so they have an opportunity to string together more wins. #13: Toronto Blue Jays (-2) The Toronto Blue Jays were flying high coming into the week and kept it rolling with two wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks. But they lost a chance at a sweep and then lost a series to the Chicago White Sox. The biggest difference between the series was Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who had six hits against Arizona and one against the White Sox. They are only four games behind the Yankees in the AL East and firmly in a Wild Card spot. They hit the road this week for series against the Cleveland Guardians and Red Sox. #14: Arizona Diamondbacks (+1) The Diamondbacks lost that series to the Blue Jays but did take two of three from the Rockies to salvage the week. With all of their issues this year, the Snakes are just 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot. There may be too many teams to jump, but Arizona is hanging around for now. Advertisement Their trade deadline pieces have been a big conversation topic, and Eugenio Suarez made that even louder with his 300th career homer this week. Next, the Diamondbacks visit the White Sox and host the Miami Marlins. #15: Atlanta Braves (-2) Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports The Braves did sweep the Mets this week, but they lost a series to the Marlins to drop them in the MLB Power Rankings. They need to win every series against non-playoff teams to become a playoff team themselves. Losing those two games to Miami put them seven games out of the final Wild Card spot. And now, Chris Sale is on the injured list with a fractured rib. Their pitching staff gets even thinner with another injury. The Braves visit the Mets for four before hosting the Phillies. By the end of that, Atlanta could be way out of it or all the way back in. #16: Tampa Bay Rays (-) The Rays had a solid week but did not have a lot of space to go up in the MLB Power Rankings. They split four games with the Orioles and took two from the Tigers, moving to 43-35. That is just 2.5 games behind the Yankees and three games clear of the final Wild Card spot. Advertisement Jonathan Aranda has continued his hot season, currently sporting an eight-game hit streak and had an .858 OPS with two RBIs in the last two series. They looked like they were out of it when they were 21-26 on May 19. Since then, they are 22-9. They hit the road for sets against the Royals and Orioles this week. #17: Cleveland Guardians (-) The Guardians won both of their series this week, taking two of three from the Giants and Athletics. They held Rafael Devers at bay in his San Francisco debut and snagged two from the slumping A's. Kyle Manzardo has been solid for Cleveland when he plays, hitting .357 in five games this week. His lefty swing has been a great change of pace for the Guardians recently, especially with Carlos Santana's .430 OPS in June. The Guardians can soar in the MLB Power Rankings with home sets against the Blue Jays and Cardinals. #18: St Louis Cardinals (-) The Cardinals got hot this week, sweeping the White Sox and taking two of three from the Reds. Yohel Pozo hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning on Saturday, clinching a series win. Advertisement That embodies the Cardinals' season: a lot of younger players without marquee names getting it done. Nolan Arenado is helping, too, with a .300 average and .991 OPS this week. The Cardinals are just a game behind the Brewers for the last NL Wild Card spot. They host the Cubs for four and visit the Guardians for three. #19: Cincinnati Reds (+1) The Reds move up a spot after a 3-3 week that featured a series win over the Twins. They dealt with some incredible heat that had Elly De La Cruz getting sick just before hitting homers. The Reds are firmly in the middle tier of the National League and have the talent to steal a postseason spot. They could also be sellers at the trade deadline with Nick Martinez in a contract year. Anything is possible for the Reds this season, with pressure mounting as De La Cruz gets closer to free agency. Cincy hosts the Yankees and Padres this week. #20: Boston Red Sox (-1) John Jones-USA TODAY Sports The Red Sox went out west for the week, snagging a series from the Mariners and losing a series to the Giants. They sent Kristian Campbell down to AAA after a miserable stretch on both offense and defense. Since the beginning of May, he is hitting .159 with a .465 OPS and has been dreadful at second base. Advertisement Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony remain with the big club, looking to usher Boston into a new era. The conversation about the Red Sox was about the future this week after trading Rafael Devers. It will continue to be future-oriented unless they get scorching hot or make a big deadline deal. Boston finishes their trip in Anaheim before hosting Toronto. #21: Kansas City Royals (+1) The Royals move up a spot after sweeping the Rangers, even after losing two of three to the Padres. While they can't seem to stay above .500, they are far from out of it in the American League. Seth Lugo put together two amazing starts, allowing two earned runs in 12.1 innings and striking out 18. Bobby Witt Jr. hit .375 with a 1.173 OPS this week, continuing a stellar season at shortstop. The Royals are not on the playoff trajectory they were on last year, but they are getting excellent performances from their best players. This week, they host the Rays and Dodgers. #22: Los Angeles Angels (+2) The Angels move up in the MLB Power Rankings after taking a series from the Yankees. They shut out the Bronx Bombers in the first two games and snagged an impressive win in Game 3. But they could not complete the sweep and then lost two of three to the Astros. Advertisement The Angels are 37-40 and, even with Mike Trout heating up, don't have the firepower to get wicked hot. That's what they would need to truly compete for the postseason. They host the Red Sox and Nationals, looking to prove that wrong. #23: Baltimore Orioles (-) The Baltimore Orioles split a series with the Rays and lost a series to the Yankees to stop their momentum in the MLB Power Rankings. Even with a decent run of late, they are way behind in the playoff race and running out of time. They had an opportunity to take a series from the Yankees but blew a lead late in Sunday's game. Adley Rutschman has hit the injured list, marking the 21st unique player to spend time there for Baltimore this season. #24: Minnesota Twins (-3) The Twins are big losers in the MLB Power Rankings this week, going 1-5 to drop to 37-40. While that is a disappointing record for Minnesota, it gets even worse when you remember they had a 13-game winning streak earlier this year. They are 24-40 outside of those games, which is dreadful. Advertisement They are 3-13 in their last 16 and tumbling out of playoff contention. Byron Buxton is healthy and raking, with a 1.215 OPS and 17 RBIs in June. But there are not many other positives to take from Minnesota so far. They host the Mariners and visit the Tigers this week. #25: Athletics (-) Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports The Athletics split four games with the Astros and lost a series to the Guardians to continue their epic slide. They are 9-12 in June, a significant increase from their 7-21 record in May. Their offense has been solid, with Nick Kurtz joining the group of solid hitters, but pitching continues to be a problem. Luis Severino has a 6.00 ERA in 24 innings in June, continuing a disappointing season for the new ace of the staff. The problems start there and will likely continue as long as they play in Sacramento. The Athletics hit the road for sets against the Tigers and Yankees this week. #26: Washington Nationals (-) The Nationals ended an 11-game losing streak and avoided a sweep when they beat the Rockies on Thursday. Then they went out west and lost a series to the Dodgers. With solid young players on the team, the Nationals are building for the future. Advertisement Fans should not be bothered by a low ranking in the MLB Power Rankings. They should be fired up about James Wood, who has an .867 OPS in 20 games this June. Washington has only won four of those games. The Nationals finish out their road trip against the Padres and Angels. #27: Pittsburgh Pirates (-) The Pirates lost the first two games to the Tigers before avoiding a sweep in Game 3 and repeated that formula against the Rangers. They won their Paul Skenes start this week, winning 8-4 in extras after the ace went six innings and allowed two runs. The Pirates' offense continues to put up dreadful numbers with the second-worst OPS of any team in the majors, ahead of only the White Sox. The season is slipping away, and they look to save it against the Brewers and Mets. #28: Miami Marlins (-) The Marlins lost three of four to the Phillies and took two of three against the Braves this week. They aren't going to secure a playoff spot in the deep National League, but they are winning some games. Advertisement Sandy Alcantara has been great in his last four starts with a 2.74 ERA and a 2-1 record. That could mean a big return coming for the Marlins at the trade deadline or in the offseason. Otherwise, it is a bleak future for Miami this season. They play the Giants and Diamondbacks on a West Coast road trip this week. #29: Chicago White Sox (-) The White Sox got swept by the Cardinals but bounced back with a series win over the Blue Jays over the weekend. Their first win over Toronto ended an eight-game losing streak, which is their second such streak of the season. They are on pace for 52 wins, which would be a drastic improvement over last year. But they could be massive sellers at the MLB trade deadline and end up back in the 40s. Could Luis Robert and Andrew Benintendi be on the way out? The White Sox play the Diamondbacks and Giants at home this week. #30: Colorado Rockies (-) Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports The Rockies are hot! They are 5-3 in their last eight games and won their second series of the season by beating the Nationals. They are 18-60 and still on pace to smash the 2024 White Sox's record of 121 losses. Advertisement While the Rockies continue losing games, they are looking ahead to the trade deadline. Could they sell off everyone? Or are they so bad that they do not have valuable pieces? This week, they host the Dodgers and visit the Brewers. Related: MLB rumors: Yankees, Giants monitoring Pirates for trade Related: MLB rumors: Cubs among 5 other teams Red Sox talked Rafael Devers trade with before Giants deal
USA Today
4 days ago
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- USA Today
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever tumble in latest WNBA power rankings from The Athletic
The Indiana Fever are coming off a 1-2 record over the past week, dropping their overall record to 6-7. They picked up a testy home win over the Connecticut Sun to begin the week before dropping back-to-back road games against the Golden State Valkyries and Las Vegas Aces, blowing second-half leads in both games. Following the return of Caitlin Clark and a big win over the New York Liberty, the Fever came in third in last week's WNBA power rankings from The Athletic. After a 1-2 record this past week, where did The Athletic place the Fever in this week's power rankings? Where do the Fever rank in this week's WNBA Power Rankings? The Fever took a tumble in the power rankings this week, falling from third to eighth after a pair of road defeats. The Athletic dove deeper into the Fever's second-half struggles this season and why they've had problems closing games so far. Indiana went on the road with a chance to build off its statement win over New York, but it came up short twice. Despite building double-digit second-half leads against the Valkyries and the Las Vegas Aces, the Fever's defense fell apart in those fourth quarters, dropping them below .500 yet again. Although Indiana has an above-average defensive rating for the season, it is mostly propped up by blowout wins over the Chicago Sky. Against Golden State, the Fever were undone by poor defensive rebounding and an inability to defend without fouling (a problem that also existed in 2024). Against Las Vegas, fouling was again an issue, as was transition defense. The Aces took the lead for good on Aaliyah Nye's transition 3-pointer when Caitlin Clark sank a little too far back, leaving a clean look for Nye from the wing. Indiana may withstand poor defense on the road if their offense traveled, but the Fever's league-best offensive rating of 111.9 points per 100 possessions drops to 94.6 (11th in the WNBA) away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark has made 44 percent of her 3s at home and is 1-of-22 on the road. If that normalizes, perhaps Indiana can resolve its road woes.- Sabreena Merchant The rest of the WNBA power rankings for this week are as follows: What's next for the Fever? The Fever return to action Tuesday night when they face the Storm in Seattle. That tip-off is at 9 p.m. on NBA TV. After that, they return home to host the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. Tip-off against the Sparks is at 6 p.m. on Prime Video. To end the week, they'll travel to Dallas to face the Wings on Friday night. That tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on ION. The Fever will look to bounce back and rise back up the power rankings. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Yahoo
5 days ago
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Chicago Sky Drop in WNBA Power Rankings After Dream Loss
Chicago Sky Drop in WNBA Power Rankings After Dream Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky lost their third-straight game on Sunday, dropping them to 3-10 during the 2025 WNBA season. The 93 to 80 loss against the 10-4 Atlanta Dream also marked their sixth defeat in the last seven games. Advertisement New Sky head coach Tyler Marsh has hit a few roadblocks early in his first WNBA season, as Chicago is giving up a league-worst 88.4 points per game. They are also scoring just 76.5 points per contest, good for second-worst in the WNBA. (via Pro Basketball Reference). Chicago has also lost eight of its 10 games by 13 points or more, giving them a -11.9 point differential per contest, which is 12th in the WNBA out of 13 teams. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5).Brett Davis-Imagn Images Last week, on the heels of their 78 to 66 win against the Connecticut Sun in the Commissioner's Cup, The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant ranked the Sky at No. 11 in the WNBA power rankings. Advertisement However, after suffering three losses last week, including two blowouts to the Dream and the Phoenix Mercury, Chicago dropped even further this week. On Monday, Merchant ranked the Sky at No. 12 in the WNBA power rankings, just behind the Dallas Wings and Los Angeles Sparks, and ahead of the Sun. By record, Chicago ranks 11th in the league standings, and fifth in the Eastern Conference. They are currently 3.0 games out of eighth place, which would put them in the playoffs for the 2025 season. The Sky will take on the Sparks on Tuesday evening at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET, and the winner will sit alone in 10th place of the WNBA standings. Advertisement Related: Satou Sabally Had Seven Words for Hailey Van Lith Related: Angel Reese Sends 3-Word Message to Teammate After Chicago Sky Post This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
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Tampa Bay Rays Move Up in MLB Power Rankings
Tampa Bay Rays Move Up in MLB Power Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Just take a look at what has been happening with the Tampa Bay Rays over the past couple of weeks. They have been one of the hottest teams in the American League, overcoming their slow start with a bunch of wins. Advertisement Their offense has shown signs of improvement and the Rays' pitching staff has been performing much better. Rays manager Kevin Cash must be overjoyed with what he's been seeing on the field. Thanks to their improved play, Tampa Bay has bumped up to the No. 10 spot in the latest MLB Power Rankings from The Athletic. Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen has been a major contributor to team's recent success In offering his views on the Rays' recent play, Chad Jennings of The Athletic pointed toward starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen emerging at the right time. "Drew Rasmussen has stepped into the No. 1 starter role while Jonathan Aranda is the latest multi-position Rays hitter to emerge from obscurity," Jennings wrote. "The Rays endured loads of injuries in their outfield, but once again, they've found a way to stay competitive. They have a winning record in their temporary home ballpark." Advertisement Rasmussen, a right-hander, is 6-4 with a 2.55 ERA. He has 62 strikeouts with a 0.946 WHIP. He's been a guy who has stepped up to help the Rays get out of their early-season hole. What about Aranda? He's hitting .323 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs. His batting average is far and away much better than his career .266 average. Let's not leave out the contributions from Yandy Diaz, too. Tampa Bay is 40-33 on the season, sitting in second place in the American League East Division. Right now, they are in the middle of a home series at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Baltimore Orioles. If the Rays can add some more wins at home, then they can possibly look to move on up those MLB Power Rankings again next week. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
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Jameson Taillon fans Isaac Collins
Rich Eisen's Power Rankings: Players & Coaches Most in Need of a Title Rich Eisen dusts off his Power Rankings to list the top 10 athletes and coaches who need to win a championship most, including Aaron Judge, Dak Prescott, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Kyle Shanahan and others. 15:01 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
