The calendar has turned to July and we have officially passed the halfway point of the 2024 Major League Baseball season. There continues to be a pile-up of teams hovering around .500, but some clubs have started to separate themselves from the pack, while others have taken a turn for the worse.
The New York Yankees’ rough couple of weeks has them dropping from the top, while the defending-champion Texas Rangers are continuing to free fall in the standings and in the rankings.
More news: Former Red Sox Pitcher Calls Out Yankees’ Gerrit Cole For Being ‘Weak’
Here is the 13th edition of Newsweek Sports’ MLB Power Rankings, the second-to-last one before the All-Star break.
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
1. Philadelphia Phillies (56-29)
2. Baltimore Orioles (54-31)
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (53-33)
4. Cleveland Guardians (53-30)
5. New York Yankees (54-33)
6. Milwaukee Brewers (51-35)
7. Atlanta Braves (46-37)
8. Kansas City Royals (47-40)
9. Minnesota Twins (48-37)
10. Seattle Mariners (47-40)
11. Boston Red Sox (45-39)
12. San Diego Padres (46-43)
13. Houston Astros (43-42)
14. St. Louis Cardinals (44-40)
15. New York Mets (42-41)
16. Arizona Diamondbacks (41-44)
17. San Francisco Giants (42-44)
18. Tampa Bay Rays (43-42)
19. Cincinnati Reds (30-45)
20. Pittsburgh Pirates (40-44)
21. Texas Rangers (39-46)
22. Washington Nationals (39-46)
23. Chicago Cubs (39-47)
24. Detroit Tigers (38-47)
25. Toronto Blue Jays (39-46)
26. Los Angeles Angels (36-48)
27. Oakland Athletics (31-56)
28. Miami Marlins (30-55)
29. Colorado Rockies (29-56)
30. Chicago White Sox (24-63)
Biggest Risers
Baltimore Orioles (+3)
The Orioles finished June winning four of their last five games and began July with a win, catapulting themselves to the top of the American League East standings. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson is a top AL MVP candidate, while right-handed pitcher Corbin Burnes is looking like one of the best offseason additions.
Pittsburgh Pirates (+3)
The Pirates rising three spots has less to do with their success and more to do with the struggles of the teams below them. However, it’s never a bad thing when you get an opportunity to talk about right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes, who is now 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in nine starts. He appears to be a lock to make the All-Star team in the National League.
Biggest Fallers
Texas Rangers (-4)
What’s going on with the defending champs? The Rangers lost six straight games against the Milwaukee Brewers and Orioles before finally winning on Sunday to stop the bleeding heading into July. They’re seven games back of first place in the AL West and just 2.5 games ahead of the Angels for third place.
New York Yankees (-3)
The Yankees entered June looking like an unstoppable force. They finished June looking like a team bound for an early postseason exit. The Yankees have lost 12 of their last 17 games and enter the month of the trade deadline with more questions than answers. Luis Gil has come down to earth after his scorching start, and the entire Yankees rotation has become pedestrian. Outside of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the lineup has been below average.
More news: Aaron Judge Passes Babe Ruth For Yankees Record Amid Historic Season
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.