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Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Pitcher Power Rankings: Zack Wheeler climbs to No. 1 as three new faces crack list
Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images A new No. 1 sits atop Sportsnaut's MLB Pitcher Power Rankings as three fresh faces make the list. Check out how the rankings shake out. **All stats as of Friday, July 4** 1. Zack Wheeler (Previously: 3) Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler moved up to the top spot in the MLB Pitcher Power Rankings after his dominant month of June. He allowed only two earned runs in five starts and 31 innings, posting a 0.58 ERA. Wheeler also struck out 42 during that span while allowing just seven walks, earning him National League Pitcher of the Month honors. Advertisement 2. Tarik Skubal (Previously: 1) Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Tarik Skubal's Baseball Savant page tells the story of why the reigning American League Cy Young winner remains one of baseball's elite pitchers. The Detroit Tigers ace ranks in the top 7% in whiff percentage (33.3) and fastball velocity (97.5), top 5% in chase rate (34.7) and strikeout percentage (33.4), top 4% in average exit velocity (85.8), and top 2% in walk percentage (3.4). Add in his 2.15 ERA, 4.0 bWAR, 0.835 WHIP, and 138 strikeouts in 109 innings, and you have a dominant force. 3. Hunter Brown (Previously: 4) Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown will challenge Skubal for the AL Cy Young award. Brown earned AL Pitcher of the Month honors after allowing just four earned runs in 30 1/3 innings across five starts while striking out 39. He leads all of baseball in ERA (1.82), ERA+ (223), and hits per nine innings (5.625). Advertisement 4. Paul Skenes (Previously: 2) Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The reigning NL Rookie of the Year continues putting up electric numbers for the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates. Paul Skenes leads the NL in ERA (2.03), WHIP (0.835), hits per nine (5.838), and ERA+ (209), while tying with Wheeler for pitching bWAR (4.4). 5. Jacob deGrom (Previously: Not ranked) Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Finally healthy for the first time in years, Jacob deGrom is showing why the Texas Rangers handed him a five-year, $185 million contract before the 2023 season. In 17 starts, the two-time Cy Young winner is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA, 179 ERA+, 3.08 FIP, and 0.888 WHIP. His fastball velocity also ranks in the top 10% of baseball at 97.2 mph. Advertisement 6. Garrett Crochet (Previously: 6) Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Garrett Crochet has been a strikeout machine this season. The Boston Red Sox ace leads all of baseball with 144 strikeouts, including four double-digit strikeout games. Despite the Red Sox's down year, Crochet has delivered everything they hoped for when they traded for him, sporting a 3.5 bWAR, 2.34 ERA, 1.040 WHIP, 179 ERA+, and 2.55 FIP. 7. Max Fried (Previously: 7) Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Max Fried has anchored a depleted New York Yankees rotation with Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil on the shelf. Fried is tied with Skubal for the AL lead in wins with 10, while posting a 2.13 ERA, 188 ERA+, 3.02 FIP, and 0.939 WHIP. Advertisement 8. Ranger Suarez (Previously: Not ranked) Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images Ranger Suarez missed the first month due to lower back soreness and surrendered seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in his season debut. Since then, he's allowed just nine earned runs in ten starts. Suarez has a 2.00 ERA, 212 ERA+, 2.88 FIP, 1.000 WHIP, and 3.2 bWAR. Are the Phillies really going to let him walk in free agency at season's end? 9. Logan Webb (Previously: Not ranked) Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Logan Webb eats up innings. The San Francisco Giants starter leads the NL with 113 2/3 innings pitched and a 2.32 FIP. He also carries a 2.61 ERA in 18 starts with 127 strikeouts, a 148 ERA+, and 1.144 WHIP. Advertisement 10. Kris Bubic (Previously: 5) Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images Rounding out the list is Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic. He ranks in the top ten among all pitchers in bWAR (3.3), ERA (2.25), home runs per nine (0.469), and FIP (2.66). **Pitchers who fell out: Carlos Rodon, MacKenzie Gore, and Nathan Eovaldi** Related Headlines
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 MLB Power Rankings Update: Astros Climb as Phillies Fall
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers continue to remain the top two teams in baseball while the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox are spiraling. Here's how the latest Sportsnaut MLB Power Rankings shake out. **Statistics as of Monday June 30** 1. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last week: 1) Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images On top of leading the National League in home runs (29), runs scored (82), slugging (.633), OPS (1.021), OPS+ (182), and total bases (207), Shohei Ohtani is throwing 100 mph from the mound as he's well on his way to winning his third straight MVP. But don't overlook what center fielder Andy Pages is doing, blasting 16 home runs with an .828 OPS and 130 OPS+. Advertisement 2. Detroit Tigers (Last week: 2) Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher on the planet and it's not even close. On Sunday night against American League Central rival Minnesota Twins, he struck out 13 over seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Over his last 15 starts, Skubal is 10-0 with a 1.74 ERA. 3. Houston Astros (Last week: 5) Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images The Houston Astros had a fantastic week, taking five of six against the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, including sweeping the NL East leaders while holding them to one run. However, they are now dealing with a big loss as shortstop Jeremy Pena has been placed on the injured list with a fractured rib after getting hit by a pitch on Friday. Advertisement 4. Chicago Cubs (Last week: 4) Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Cubs are feeling some heat in the NL Central. They are two games up on the Milwaukee Brewers and 2.5 games in front of the St. Louis Cardinals. After splitting a four-game series with St. Louis last week, they have another pivotal three-game series with them July 4 weekend, this time at Wrigley Field. 5. New York Yankees (Last week: 6) Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The New York Yankees lineup has been inconsistent this month, putting up big numbers one game and then getting shut down the next. Aaron Judge hit two home runs against the Athletics on Sunday in their 12-5 win, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. continues to produce at the plate since coming off the IL with a right oblique strain. Advertisement 6. Philadelphia Phillies (Last week: 3) Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images The Phillies are receiving a boost to their anemic lineup as Bryce Harper is officially off the injured list and will play in Monday night's game against the San Diego Padres. During their 2-4 road trip against the Astros and Atlanta Braves, they scored just four runs total in five of those games, including getting shutout back-to-back by Houston. 7. Tampa Bay Rays (Last week: 7) Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images The Tampa Bay Rays have the second-best record in the month of June at 17-9 as they sit just 1.5 games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East. They've been carried by their offense, which has posted a .796 OPS and scored 147 runs, averaging 5.65 runs per game. Advertisement 8. Milwaukee Brewers (Last week: 10) Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Brewers rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski has been nearly unhittable in his first three starts. Over 16 innings, he's allowed just three hits and two earned runs while striking out 19 and walking seven. 9. St. Louis Cardinals (Last week: 11) Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The Cardinals won't go away. They've won seven of their last ten, swept the Cleveland Guardians, and are just 2.5 games behind the Cubs for first place in the NL Central. They also hold a one-game lead for the last NL Wild Card spot. 10. New York Mets (Last week: 8) Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Mets are spiraling. They have lost 13 of their last 16 games and the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates swept them, outscoring the Mets 30-4 in the process. The Mets held a players-only meeting after Saturday's 9-2 loss, only to get blown out 12-1 on Sunday. Their schedule doesn't get any easier as they face the Brewers and Yankees in their next six games. Advertisement 11. Cincinnati Reds (Last week: 17) Credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Despite being in fourth place in the NL Central, the Cincinnati Reds are in the thick of the playoff race. They've gone 15-10 this month, are four games over .500 at 44-40 and just 2.5 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot. 12. Toronto Blue Jays (Last week: 13) Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images The Toronto Blue Jays are three games behind the Yankees for first in the AL East and begin a critical four-game series against them at home beginning Monday night. If they somehow sweep, they will be at the top of the division. 13. San Diego Padres (Last week: 12) Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The San Diego Padres have gone backwards since being 19-11 at the end of April. Since then, they are 26-27, including 13-14 in June. If the season ended today, they would not be in the playoffs. Advertisement 14. Seattle Mariners (Last week: 14) Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Seattle Mariners hold the final AL Wild Card spot by two games and if they want to make a postseason run, they need to add a bat or two around Cal Raleigh and find another high-leverage arm for their bullpen. 15. San Francisco Giants (Last week: 9) Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images It was a brutal week for the San Francisco Giants. They were swept at home by the Miami Marlins and then lost two of three to the Chicago White Sox. Justin Verlander still doesn't have a win in 13 starts this season, making his push for 300 wins nearly impossible at this point for the 42-year-old. 16. Arizona Diamondbacks (Previously: 16) Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images The Giants weren't the only NL West team to have issues with the White Sox and Marlins. The Arizona Diamondbacks lost four straight to the lowly teams, including getting swept at home by Miami. Advertisement 17. Boston Red Sox (Previously: 15) Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images The Red Sox are 4-8 since trading Rafael Devers to the Giants, are three games under .500 on the season, and got swept by the Los Angeles Angels last week. It's not going well in Beantown. 18. Texas Rangers: (Last week: 19) Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Texas Rangers continue to struggle to get back to .500 as they sit at 41-43. They are mired in fourth place in the AL West with the Angels even ahead of them. They are only 2.5 games back for the final AL Wild Card spot, so the next month will be important in determining whether they will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. 19. Cleveland Guardians (Last week: 18) Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images The Cleveland Guardians cannot get anything going offensively. They rank 13th in the AL in runs scored (303), home runs (81), and OPS (.664), with a minus-47 run differential — seventh-worst in baseball. It's hard to see them getting back to the postseason at this point. Advertisement 20. Atlanta Braves (Last week: 20) Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Jurickson Profar is scheduled to return Tuesday from his 80-game PED suspension. Will he still be able to make an impact with his bat and help get the struggling Atlanta Braves back into playoff contention? 21. Minnesota Twins (Last week: 22) Credit: David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins finished the month of June 9-17 after going 18-8 in May. They are currently four games under .500 at 40-44, 12.5 games behind the Tigers for first in the AL Central, and 3.5 games out of the last AL Wild Card spot. It might be time for them to sell at the deadline. 22. Kansas City Royals (Last week: 21) Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals are 8-17 in June, including losing seven of their last eight games. It's been a rough start to Jac Caglianone's career as the 22-year-old has a .482 OPS, 35 OPS+ and two home runs in 23 games. Advertisement 23. Los Angeles Angels (Last week: 23) Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Angels are making some noise as they sit just two games back of the final AL Wild Card spot. In his sixth season, 26-year-old outfielder Jo Adell might finally be putting it all together. He has 18 home runs with an .814 OPS and 125 OPS+ in 76 games. He set his career high in homers with 20 in 2024. 24. Miami Marlins (Last week: 28) Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images The Marlins have won seven straight games! Unfortunately, they're 37-45 and 11 games out of first in the NL East. 25. Baltimore Orioles (Last week: 24) Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images It's only a matter of time before the Baltimore Orioles find new homes for Cedric Mullins and Ryan O'Hearn. Advertisement 26. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last week: 26) Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Pirates have now swept both the Phillies and Mets at home this season and are 23-21 at PNC Park. 27. Washington Nationals (Last week: 27) Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood got the Barry Bonds treatment in their 7-4 win over the Angels on Sunday as he was intentionally walked four times. The last time that happened was with Bonds in September 2004. 28. Athletics (Last week: 25) Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Athletics pitcher Luis Severino is not happy pitching at a minor league ballpark, posting a 6.79 ERA at home compared to 3.23 on the road. Will the A's be able to find someone to take Severino's $67 million contract off their hands? Advertisement 29. Chicago White Sox (Last week: 29) Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Luis Robert Jr., the White Sox's top trade target, is now on the injured list a month before the deadline. Just the cherry on top for his second consecutive disappointing season. 30. Colorado Rockies (Last week: 30) Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The Colorado Rockies won ten games in June after winning nine from March through May. Related Headlines
Fox News
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott move up after strong Mexico runs
Print Close Published June 17, 2025 The drivers who finished second and third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez moved up in these power rankings. The winner? Well, that was Shane van Gisbergen but he will need to put a few solid finishes together before he cracks this list. Christopher Bell (second) and Chase Elliott (third) should feel good about their performances heading into this weekend at Pocono. Here are the power rankings following the Cup debut in Mexico City: Dropped out: Tyler Reddick (Last Week: 9) On the verge: Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick 10. Chase Briscoe (LW: Not Ranked) Briscoe didn't win a fourth consecutive pole. But he'll take the finish from Sunday, as he placed seventh in Mexico City. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was involved in an early incident and rallying for that result was a good sign that his team remains resilient. 9. Ross Chastain (LW: 6) Chastain took the stage points in the first stage by finishing third. However, he ended up with a 16th-place finish on a day when his Trackhouse Racing teammate van Gisbergen won. 8. Bubba Wallace (LW: 8) Wallace has consistently improved on road courses. The 23XI Racing driver didn't qualify well (25th) but he brought home a respectable 12th-place finish. 7. Chris Buescher (LW: 7) Buescher is one of the more underrated road-course drivers in the series. He finished seventh in the second stage and after losing the track position to pit, drove his RFK Racing car to 12th at the finish. 6. Chase Elliott (LW: 10) Quite a solid day for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, as he finished third in Mexico City. He started 12th, got the car better during the weekend and survived some of the beating and banging on the restarts. 5. Denny Hamlin (LW: 2) Hamlin didn't race at Mexico City after the birth of his son earlier in the week. He is expected to return at Pocono. 4. Ryan Blaney (LW: 4) Blaney didn't have a winning car so he took the stage points. He finished second in the opening stage and fourth in the second stage. That — combined with a 14th-place finish — gave the Penske driver the fifth-highest point total on the day. 3. Kyle Larson (LW: 3) Larson was an innocent bystander in getting collected in a wreck on Lap 7. He ended up 36th, making the trip to Mexico a frustrating one for the championship contender. 2. Christopher Bell (LW: 5) Bell finished second in the second stage behind van Gisbergen, and that's also where they ended up at the finish of the race. The JGR driver will carry momentum into Pocono. 1. William Byron (LW: 1) Byron's ninth-place finish wasn't great, but it was better than many of the other top drivers on this list. The Hendrick driver should be a threat for the win at Pocono. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. Print Close URL
Fox News
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
INDYCAR Power Rankings: There's a new No. 1 and his name is Kyle
Alex Palou still has a dominating lead in the INDYCAR point standings, but with Kyle Kirkwood capturing the last two races, there's a new driver on top of this power rankings list. Kirkwood earned his first career oval victory Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway (commonly known as Gateway). That followed his win on the streets of Detroit. With three wins this year, Kirkwood has shown the growth needed to be a major factor in the series. If not for a penalty at Indianapolis, he'd be just 51 points (instead of 75) behind Palou. Here are this week's power rankings heading into back-to-back races on permanent road courses at Road America and Mid-Ohio. Dropped out: Josef Newgarden (Last Week: 9) On the verge: David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Felix Rosenqvist 10. Scott McLaughlin (LW: 7) McLaughlin's day ended 44 laps before the finish when he broke something in the left rear. The Team Penske driver had started second on the grid. He continues to have speed. He led 51 laps Sunday night. But he's not having the finishes he would like. 9. Marcus Armstrong (LW: Not Ranked) Armstrong finished ninth at Gateway, his third top 10 in the last four races. For the young Meyer Shank Racing driver, that type of consistency is key. 8. Colton Herta (LW: 6) Herta couldn't follow up his third-place run at Detroit with a solid finish. He placed 17th at Gateway, while Kirkwood — an Andretti teammate — won the race. 7. Santino Ferrucci (LW: 10) Ferrucci placed fifth at Gateway for his third consecutive top-five finish. The AJ Foyt Racing driver has moved up to 11th in the standings and would be eighth without the penalty for a driver's compartment weight violation in Detroit. 6. Will Power (LW: 5) Power blew a tire and hit the wall early in the race at Gateway, ending a promising event where he had won the pole — the 71st of his career and the series record. The Penske driver fell to seventh in the standings. 5. Christian Lundgaard (LW: 4) Lundgaard finished 14th, the last driver on the lead lap at Gateway. The Arrow McLaren driver started 14th, too. 4. Scott Dixon (LW: 8) Dixon finished fourth at Gateway, as he led 43 laps with a fast car and solid fuel strategy. The Ganassi driver is fifth in the series standings. 3. Pato O'Ward (LW: 3) O'Ward ran among the leaders the entire race and finished second. The Arrow McLaren driver might have been a tick off the fastest cars but made the right moves to secure the runner-up finish. 2. Alex Palou (LW: 1) Palou started ninth and finished eighth on what is arguably his worst track on the circuit. Plus, considering the points position he is in, he just needed a respectable finish. The Ganassi driver did just that. 1. Kyle Kirkwood (LW: 2) Who says Kirkwood can't win on ovals? Kirkwood won for the first time on an oval, showing his versatility. The Andretti driver continues to be the biggest threat to Palou for the championship. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox News
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
NASCAR Power Rankings: Ross Chastain is back after impressive Charlotte win
Ross Chastain had dropped out of the top-10 rankings after Kansas, but he's back in after his thrilling victory Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600. As is typical for the longest race on the NASCAR calendar, the field had its comers and goers. The toughest decision for this list might have been at No. 1. Does Kyle Larson keep it despite crashing out of the 600? Yes he does. Because while the first wreck was his fault, he was on his way to a potentially decent finish, when he was collected in the wreck that ended his day. Here are this week's power rankings heading into Nashville Superspeeedway. Dropped out: Joey Logano (Last Week: 7) On the verge: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Michael McDowell 10. Tyler Reddick (LW: 9) Reddick was 26th, his fifth consecutive finish of 14th or worse. He probably shouldn't even be on this list. But he was second, third and fourth in the stages and sits fifth in the standings. The 23XI driver and defending regular-season champion is still looking to match the success of last year. 9. Ross Chastain (LW: NR) Chastain won at Charlotte for his fifth top-seven finish in the last seven races. The Trackhouse driver seems to have found a groove after a slow start to the season. 8. Alex Bowman (LW: 5) An early spin for Bowman resulted in a 29th-place finish, three laps down. The Hendrick driver has seven top 10s this year and six finishes of 26th or worse. 7. Chase Briscoe (LW: 10) A third-place finish at Charlotte gave Briscoe his second consecutive top-five finish and his fifth top five of the season. He continues to show the Joe Gibbs Racing ride should suit him. 6. Chase Elliott (LW: 8) Elliott placed sixth at Charlotte for his seventh top-10 finish of the year. The most important aspect of this top-10 finish is that it was the Hendrick driver's first on a mile-and-a-half track this season. 5. Ryan Blaney (LW: 2) Blaney had four top-fives in the last five races, but a wreck at Charlotte ended his day early in 38th. The Penske driver didn't finish in the top 10 in the first two stages, either. That was probably just as frustrating. 4. Denny Hamlin (LW: 6) Hamlin's team had a fueling issue that required him to make a pit stop late in the race. The JGR driver ended up 16th after being second at the end of the second and third stages. 3. Christopher Bell (LW: 3) Bell wound up eighth on a day when he was the first to pit in trying to force other teams to decide on strategy. It wasn't a great night for the JGR driver. 2. William Byron (LW: 4) Byron won the opening three stages and led 283 laps but came up short as Chastain passed him with six laps remaining. It had to stink, but the speed is there in his Hendrick car. 1. Kyle Larson (LW: 1) Larson had a forgettable Sunday, as both his Indy 500 and Coke 600 races ended with crashes. The second of his two crashes in Charlotte wasn't his fault, and he had speed early. He's got to hope he has a better Nashville. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
