Major League Baseball is a little more than a third of the way through the season, giving fans a pretty good idea of who are contenders, and who are pretenders. Let’s break it all down in our third edition of the SAN baseball power rankings.
Who’s the new team in the top spot?
The Detroit Tigers fit the bill of contenders. Just a month ago, they were No. 1 on this list but they have continued to win. They sport the best record in baseball at 43-24. Over the last month, the Tigers have racked up 16 wins and nine losses, which has helped them stay clear of any challengers. 2024 Cy Young award-winning pitcher Tarik Skubal has been electric. Fourth in strikeouts, second in WHIP, he’s allowed just a single run over his last three outings.
However, the New York Mets could give him trouble. They have put together some great at-bats lately, even if it has come at the expense of the historically bad Colorado Rockies. The Mets have won 12 of their last 15, and their run differential this season is fourth in the majors at +88. They’re getting contributions from Pete Alonzo, Jeff McNeil and after a bit of a wait, superstar Juan Soto — just as intended.
“We know we got a good team,” Manager Carlos Mendoza said. “There’s going to be stretches where it’s not going to be easy.”
At No. 3, the San Francisco Giants quietly continue to win with a 38-28 record. They have won 7 of 10 and five straight. Former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray is tied for the league lead in wins with 8. They also have the best bullpen in baseball, with seven walk-off wins in 32 home games this year.
Can the Cubbies stay near the top all season?
The 40-win Chicago Cubs are No. 4 on our list. They’ve been in the top two in scoring this season, and are just behind the Dodgers at 366 runs thus far. The outfield of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki has been carrying the load. They combined for 46 homers and 151 RBI in their 66 games.
Speaking of the Dodgers, they’ve cooled off a little since being ranked No. 1 on our list a month ago. Pitching depth is still a concern. Blake Snell, Tony Gonsolin, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani are all nursing their way back from injury. In Ohtani’s case, the offense is still amazing, but he likely won’t take the mound until the second half of the season. Enter future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who banked his first win of the season Sunday, June 8, after allowing just one run to the St. Louis Cardinals in five innings of work.
“The results haven’t always been there,” Kershaw said. “But I feel like there’s been a little bit of progress with each one. So, this was another one that I felt like my stuff was starting to trend up a little bit. Gave up a few too many hits, two strikes, 3-2 counts a lot. So, some things that I’d like to clean up, overall.”
Who are the usual contenders in the middle of the pack?
Monday night, June 9, Los Angeles played the first of 13 games against the division rival San Diego Padres, No. 6 on our list. It was a barn burner, with the Dodgers winning 8-7 in 10 innings. The Padres still hold a fantastic home record this season, with 20 wins and 11 losses.
At No. 7, we head back to the American League, where the New York Yankees and Aaron Judge have continued to show off. A 15-8 record in the last month has them four games up in the AL East. Judge tops the list in batting average, slugging and OPS, second in homers with 23 and third in RBI.
Which new teams join the rankings in the bottom half?
At No. 8 are the surprising Tampa Bay Rays, right on the Yankees’ heels in the division race. They have won 15 of their last 19 games, which included some close ones like the extra-inning 10-8 affair over the Boston Red Sox Monday night. Rays manager Kevin Cash was reveling after the win.
“The guys are pretty energized,” Cash said. “They’re pulling for each other, supporting each other, whether it’s a pat on the butt or coming up with a big at-bat and getting a big hit for a pitcher. Our pitchers do a tremendous job of supporting us on a daily, nightly basis. It was nice that we were offensively able to repay the favor,”
At No. 9, the Houston Astros. They have taken advantage of the Mariners’ slump to move back into first place in the AL West. They’ve won the last seven division titles, and their 16-9 record over the last month is tied for third best with the Tigers.
And at No. 10 is our third straight new entry, the Toronto Blue Jays. They have won 10 of their last 12, and have scored at least five runs in eight of those wins. Yet, they have just one player, George Springer, on pace for 25 homers this season.
We’ll give a shout-out to the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, too. They were on the cusp of making the list, but have each lost two straight. There are just about five weeks to go before the All-Star Break on July 15, we’ll have our fourth edition of the SAN power rankings just before that seasonal milestone.
