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MLB Power Rankings: Giants surge to No. 2, Indians rise again

Joe Sargent / Getty Images Sport / Getty

This was an eventful week in baseball, and one that inspired change in MLB's upper echelons. Washington's been ousted from No. 2 for the first time this year, and the junior circuit's starting to get a presence in the top five - but which red-hot AL teams made it that high?

The composite rankings were compiled by theScore MLB editors Jonah Birenbaum, George Halim, Bryan Mcwilliam, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, Dan Toman, and Brandon Wile.

1. Chicago Cubs

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
48-26 53-21 1 (-)

The Cubs were swept by the Cardinals at the Friendly Confines, then dropped three of four in Miami. Maybe they are human after all.

2. San Francisco Giants

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
49-28 46-31 3 (+1)

The Giants are making a push to become the best team in baseball and they're doing it without any pop or pizzazz and on the backs of their strong pitching. It must be an even year.

3. Washington Nationals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
44-32 46-30 3 (-1)

Another powerhouse in the midst of a rare losing streak. Washington has lost 7 of its last eight with Stephen Strasburg aching and Bryce Harper struggling.

4. Texas Rangers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
49-27 43-33 4 (-)

A struggling Prince Fielder was benched in early June. On June 6 he admitted the benching hurt his feelings. Since June 6 he's hit .270/.347/.492 with eight homers, and the Rangers have pulled away from the AL West pack.

5. Baltimore Orioles

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
45-30 42-33 7 (+2)

Mark Trumbo smashed homer No. 22 on Sunday to retake the league lead. This is a good moment to remember that the Orioles acquired their offensive anchor for the low price of backup catcher Steve Clevenger.

6. Boston Red Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
41-34 44-31 5 (-1)

Steven Wright may need to teach the knuckleball to the rest of the starting staff because Boston can't do it all with their bats if they want to win the AL East.

7. Cleveland Indians

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
44-30 45-29 9 (+2)

Cleveland just can't seem to lose. Nine straight and counting. Everyone is hitting and the Tribe's pitching staff is so good, it barely needs to use the bullpen.

8. New York Mets

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
40-34 39-35 6 (-2)

Sighs of relief were heard across Queens last week when both Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes received clean bills of health. Now both can contribute to this week's crucial series in Washington.

9. Toronto Blue Jays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
41-36 42-35 8 (-1)

Josh Donaldson through 75 games in 2015: .299/.358/.530, 17 homers, 18 doubles, 57 runs, 27 walks. Through 75 in 2016: .288/.398/.562, 17, 18, 62, 49. Where would the Jays be without the MVP?

10. Los Angeles Dodgers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
41-36 43-34 10 (-)

The Dodgers haven't enjoyed life on the road this year (.462), as evidenced by their play in Pittsburgh this weekend (they'll try to avoid a sweep Monday afternoon). Good news, though: After a midweek stop in Milwaukee they're home until the break.

11. St. Louis Cardinals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
39-35 44-30 11 (-)

Sweep the nearly unstoppable Cubs at Wrigley, drop a series to the sinking Mariners in Seattle. It's just that kind of up-and-down year for St. Louis.

12. Miami Marlins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
41-35 39-37 14 (+2)

Is Giancarlo Stanton waking up? The slumping slugger produced a .304/.360/.652 week with a pair of homers to help keep the Marlins on the periphery of the playoff race.

13. Houston Astros

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
39-37 39-37 15 (+2)

A solid week has the Astros above .500 again, and just 1 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot. But those early-season struggles are biting them now, as the Astros remain 10 games behind Texas.

14. Seattle Mariners

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
38-38 42-34 12 (-2)

The series wins against St. Louis helped a bit, but the Mariners have sunk like a stone with three-fifths of their rotation hurt. At least their fans are still having fun, though.

15. Kansas City Royals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
39-35 35-39 13 (-2)

Royals pitching gave up 13 runs in two straight games and Edinson Volquez had a historically awful performance, but on the bright side that Butera kid looked okay on the hill.

16. Detroit Tigers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
38-38 37-39 17 (+1)

If the Tigers are going to stay in the AL Central race they have to beat the Indians at least once. This weekend's three-game sweep in "The Land," in which Justin Verlander gave up four Tribe homers in one inning, didn't help - Detroit's now 0-9 against Cleveland.

17. Pittsburgh Pirates

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
37-39 36-40 16 (-1)

As Andrew McCutchen goes, so do the Pirates. The struggles of both the Bucs and their franchise player continued this week, and questions have enveloped the sub-.500 club.

18. New York Yankees

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
37-37 34-40 18 (-)

The Yankees are treading water at this point, and getting crunched by the Twins at home on Sunday is only going to fuel the Chapman and Miller trade fires.

19. Chicago White Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
38-38 37-39 19 (-)

James Shields pitched five full innings and gave up only three runs in Boston on Thursday. That's ... an accomplishment?

20. Colorado Rockies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
36-39 37-38 20 (-)

Tyler Chatwood was having a really nice season for the Rockies before he went on the DL, leaving the falling team without an "ace" - though they're used to that by now in Denver.

21. Arizona Diamondbacks

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
36-42 37-41  22 (+1)

Winners in seven of their last 10, the Diamondbacks continue to crawl towards respectability despite the notable handicap of having the Diamondbacks' rotation (4.79 ERA; 4.51 FIP).

22. Tampa Bay Rays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
31-43 33-41 21 (-1)

It's hard to believe a team with Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi could lose 11 straight games, but, then again, their lineup has hit like recently optioned Mariners outfielder Nori Aoki (.664 OPS) for two straight weeks now.

23. Milwaukee Brewers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
34-41 32-43 25 (+2)

The Brewers' rebuild will receive a nice boost if they can get something at the deadline for Matt Garza, who boasts a 2.81 ERA in three starts since returning from the DL.

24. Los Angeles Angels

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
32-44 34-42 23 (-1)

Even though they're not contending for a postseason berth, it's still very, very alarming that Garrett Richards ranks second among Angels pitchers in WAR, seeing as he hasn't thrown a pitch since May 1.

25. Philadelphia Phillies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
32-45 27-50 24 (-1)

After two shockingly competent months, the Phillies are showing their true colors in June, going 6-19 with a minus-57 run differential that's much more befitting of a rebuilding team.

26. Oakland Athletics

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
32-43 31-44 26 (-)

Dillon Overton, recalled to bolster Oakland's rotation, put himself in exclusive company Saturday, becoming the fourth starter ever to allow three homers and win his MLB debut. That's something, right?

27. San Diego Padres

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
33-44 34-43 27 (-)

The Padres should start shopping Drew Pomeranz posthaste, as the 27-year-old left-hander has allowed 17 runs in his last 35 innings, raising his season ERA from 1.70 to 2.76.

28. Cincinnati Reds

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
29-47 28-48 28 (-)

Pete Rose had his number retired Sunday, but the Reds probably should've pencilled him into the lineup instead, seeing as their hitters have gone .223/.297/.365 over the last week.

29. Atlanta Braves

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
26-49 27-48 29 (-)

Having turned Shelby Miller into Dansby Swanson et al this winter, what do you think the Braves could get for Julio Teheran, who owns a 2.46 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP through 16 starts in 2016?

30. Minnesota Twins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RK (CHANGE)
24-51 27-48 30 (-)

As if Twins fans didn't already have enough to weep about, the American League has totally figured out Byung Ho Park, who's hitting .107/.188/.268 with a 35.9 percent strikeout rate since June 3.

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