Photo courtesy USA Today Sports
Happy June! We are now just about a third of the way through the season, and baseball is heating up right along with the weather. Unless you’re one of the record number of pitchers sitting out either waiting for or recovering from Tommy John surgery. In which case, you probably have plenty of free time to read somebody’s power rankings. Nudge nudge.
We have a new top seed this week after the Tigers have stumbled a bit, and that is the mighty San Francisco Giants. The last two times they made the postseason, they won the World Series. Right now, just in June, they’re already up 7.5 games on the next team in the division, the Dodgers. Is it time to start paying attention to them? Well, what do you think.
Also, we have the draft coming up in a few days, which always has us looking at the worst teams in the league (you know, the kind where George Springer is something of a savior). For a while there, it looked like the Pirates — based on their play, anyway — were interested in having a top pick in next year’s draft. But even they, slowly but surely, are turning their season around. So it’s back to the usual suspects. The Cubs. The Astros. I guess the new-to-the-basement Diamondbacks are the exception to the rule there.
Anyways, let’s bang out these rankings real quick.
MLB POWER RANKINGS – JUNE 2ND
1. San Francisco Giants | 37-20 (19-9 Home, 18-11 Road) [Change From Last Ranking: + 4]
Could just as easily be Oakland here, but the Giants are white-hot right now.
2. Oakland Athletics | 35-22 (17-12 Home, 18-10 Road) [± 0]
Getting leapfrogged by the Giants isn’t a knock against this team. Do not underestimate them.
3. Milwaukee Brewers | 34-23 (18-12 Home, 16-11 Road) [± 0]
Still kickin’, still leading the N.L. Central. The longer this goes, the longer they look legitimate.
4. Detroit Tigers | 31-22 (14-11 Home, 17-11 Road) [- 4]
They’ve stumbled just a teeny bit, but no worries. The pennant isn’t in any danger.
5. Atlanta Braves | 31-25 (18-12 Home, 13-13 Road) [± 0]
Just as other teams in the East got close to them, the Braves have started to pull away. Again.
6. Toronto Blue Jays | 34-24 (18-13 Home, 16-11 Road) [+ 7]
And this week’s big mover is the men from up north. Such is the roller coaster season that is Toronto.
7. Los Angeles Angels | 30-26 (15-13 Home, 15-13 Road) [+ 1]
Like the Jays, a year later, they’re starting to live up to expectations. And Josh Hamilton is still out.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers | 30-28 (12-17 Home, 18-11 Road) [+ 3]
The Clippers were sold for $2 billion, forcing out an embattled owner. Sound familiar, Chavez Ravine?
9. St. Louis Cardinals | 30-27 (16-12 Home, 14-15 Road) [+ 1]
The old veterans have a new kid in the clubhouse, and so far Taveras is living up to the hype.
10. New York Yankees | 29-26 (12-13 Home, 17-13 Road) [- 4]
They were probably feeling pretty good before Toronto just blew right past them.
11. Texas Rangers | 29-28 (13-13 Home, 16-15 Road) [+ 3]
They had a pretty nice little road trip before running into Washington. Thank god for Yu, yeah?
12. Baltimore Orioles | 28-27 (11-12 Home, 17-15 Road) [± 0]
Only 12 teams with winning records? Oy, so much for the need for an expanded postseason.
13. Colorado Rockies | 28-28 (16-7 Home, 12-21 Road) [- 6]
We get it, Colorado. You’re very good at home and you can’t do jack on the road.
14. Miami Marlins | 28-28 (20-11 Home, 8-17 Road) [+ 4]
How? How is this team second in the NL East? Oh, right, everyone below them is also mediocre.
15. Washington Nationals | 27-28 (16-15 Home, 11-13 Road) [- 6]
One of the worst Mays in recent years for the club. They’ll be happy to flip the calendar.
16. Seattle Mariners | 28-28 (14-15 Home, 14-13 Road) [+ 4]
Thanks to the league’s best division, .500 is only good enough for fourth.
17. Boston Red Sox | 27-29 (15-17 Home, 12-12 Road) [+ 4]
First they lose ten in a row, then they win seven. Who the hell knows where this team will finish.
18. Chicago White Sox | 29-29 (17-14 Home, 12-15 Road) [+ 8]
Don’t read too much into their big jump up. It comes as a result of being “least disappointing”.
19. Pittsburgh Pirates | 26-30 (16-13 Home, 10-17 Road) [+ 5]
Why do I put them ahead of the Reds? Because at least the Bucs are showing signs of life.
20. Cincinnati Reds | 26-29 (12-12 Home, 14-17 Road) [- 4]
Just 7-6 since our last ranking. Just about the only “winning” thing about this team right now.
21. Minnesota Twins | 26-28 (13-14 Home, 13-14 Road) [- 2]
Is it too early to change our focus to the Vikings? That wasn’t mean, was it?
22. New York Mets | 27-29 (13-17 Home, 14-12 Road) [- 4]
Just imagine where they could be if they had Matt Harvey back.
23. Cleveland Indians | 27-30 (18-11 Home, 9-19 Road) [+ 4]
Cut their games behind .500 in half since last ranking. Let’s see if they can keep it up.
24. Kansas City Royals | 26-30 (13-14 Home, 13-16 Road) [- 9]
It might be time to put Hosmer — and many others on this team — into the “bust” bin.
25. San Diego Padres | 26-31 (14-15 Home, 12-16 Road) [- 2]
This is a team who should tank to get any kind of premier prospect into their farm system.
26. Philadelphia Phillies | 24-30 (12-18 Home, 12-12 Road) [- 4]
I would say it’s time to blow this roster up, but that would be elderly abuse.
27. Tampa Bay Rays | 23-34 (12-14 Home, 11-20 Road) [- 2]
As bad as they’ve been, I just don’t have the heart to put them any lower. Is this rock bottom?
28. Houston Astros | 24-34 (12-17 Home, 12-17 Road) [+ 2]
Somehow, inexplicably, the Astros are winning. Wait, no, George Springer. That’s why. I forgot.
29. Arizona Diamondbacks | 23-36 (9-22 Home, 14-14 Road) [- 1]
I guess Tony La Russa is now expected to turn this team around?
30. Chicago Cubs | 20-34 (10-13 Home, 10-21 Road) [- 1]
Last rankings I said they couldn’t avoid being last if they still had the worst record. So, here you go.
