MLB Power Rankings Week 11: Cardinals, White Sox on the rise

As we inch closer to the halfway point of the season, a number of teams have mostly settled into their respective places. Our top five is proof of that, as it saw no movement from last week to this one and has featured the same five teams since Week 8.

Teams outside the top five saw a bit more movement in Week 11, though, with the Cardinals rising to their highest ranking of the season at No. 9 after sweeping the Reds, who dropped to 22nd, their lowest ranking of 2026. The Phillies have risen all the way back to sixth after dropping as low as No. 21 in Week 5.

Things are also heating up in Chicago -- and it's not just the summer sun. After a thrilling walk-off win on Tuesday night, the White Sox sit at No. 13, not far from their crosstown rival, the Cubs, who are 11th.

Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Alden Gonzalez, Jorge Castillo and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 10 | Preseason rankings

1. Atlanta Braves

Record:45-23

Previous ranking:1

Just when Ronald Acuna Jr. was resembling his peak form, another injury could sideline him. This time, the former NL MVP left Tuesday's game against the White Sox with a left hamstring injury after trying to beat a throw at first base. Acuña already was on the injured list last month with a Grade 1 strain in the same hamstring. Braves manager Walt Weiss said this setback doesn't appear as serious, but hamstring injuries are perilous. Acuña was hitting .281 with five home runs and a .913 OPS in 25 games since April 26. The Braves have plowed through various setbacks to create enough room in the standings to absorb another absence. But a dialed-in Acuña could be the difference in October. -- Castillo

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record:43-25

Previous ranking:2

The Dodgers are without two of their frontline starters, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, and also their most important reliever, Edwin Diaz. And yet, their pitching staff has been dominant of late,posting a major-league-best 2.86 ERA since May 13. The Dodgers are 19-7 in that stretch, once again exerting their dominance as they run away from the rest of the National League West. The biggest bright spot of all: Roki Sasaki, who unveiled a harder version of his splitter, got back to throwing his fastball in the triple digits and is starting to look like the guy he was promised to be out of Japan. -- Gonzalez

3. Milwaukee Brewers

Record:41-25

Previous ranking:3

One of Milwaukee's unsung heroes has been first baseman Jake Bauers, hitting .277/.376/.515 with 12 home runs and a club-leading 43 RBIs. Once a top prospect with the Padres and Rays, Bauers went to Cleveland, Seattle, Cincinnati and the Yankees before the Brewers acquired him. They kept him around even after he hit .199 in 2024. With platoon mate Andrew Vaughn crushing left-handers, Brewers first basemen rank in the top three in the majors in batting average, RBIs and OPS. -- Schoenfield

4. New York Yankees

Record:41-26

Previous ranking:4

Losing Aaron Judge for a long stretch is never good, but the Yankees are better equipped than most clubs to handle such a setback. Outfielder Spencer Jones, one of the sport's top power prospects, was called up to replace Judge on the roster and looks more comfortable in his second major league stint. And other options are coming. Jasson Dominguez is nearing a return from a shoulder injury, and Giancarlo Stanton could come off the IL by the end of the month. The Yankees are considering Domínguez for right field -- he made his second pro start there in Triple-A on Tuesday -- but they could also have him stick to left field and move Cody Bellinger to right field. -- Castillo

5. Tampa Bay Rays

Record:40-25

Previous ranking:5

Yandy Diaz might just be the most overlooked hitter in baseball. The designated hitter is batting an AL-best .331 with 12 home runs. His .940 OPS ranks tied for fifth in the majors, and his 160 wRC+ is tied for fourth.He's a virtual lock for his second All-Star nod. A free agent after the season, Díaz had been the subject of trade rumors the last two years as the Rays failed to reach the postseason. They've come back to Earth after a hot start to the 2026 season, but they should be fine in a mediocre American League. -- Castillo

6. Philadelphia Phillies

Record:37-31

Previous ranking:9

The Phillies have stormed back into the wild-card race with an extremely top-heavy lineup. They had three regulars with an OPS+ over 80, and all three were well over league average: Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber ... and Brandon Marsh? The bearded left fielder is en route to an All-Star appearance in his home ballpark next month with the fifth-highest batting average in the majors (.326) and a 138 wRC+ that is 13th among major league outfielders. Harper and Schwarber get the shine -- and rightfully so -- but Marsh leads Phillies position players in bWAR and has become indispensable while others, including Trea Turner, have been mired in months-long ruts. -- Castillo

7. Seattle Mariners

Record:36-33

Previous ranking:6

It's been a roller coaster for the Seattle bullpen. On Sunday, Andres Munoz blew a 4-3 lead in the ninth, which was part of a blown 4-1 lead in the final three innings. It was already Munoz's fifth blown save on the season. On Tuesday, with Munoz, Eduard Bazardo and Matt Brash all unavailable, Jose Ferrer blew a 4-2 lead in the ninth. The Mariners managed to win 6-5 on Randy Arozarena 's 10th-inning home run as Nick Davila, called up that day, escaped a first-and-third, no-out jam. Part of the issue, aside from Munoz's struggles: The six-man rotation leaves the bullpen a man down, and manager Dan Wilson is reluctant to use Brash on back-to-back days, so Bazardo and Ferrer are being used heavily. -- Schoenfield

8. Cleveland Guardians

Record:37-33

Previous ranking:7

The Guardians'4-game cushion in the AL Central has turned into a half-game deficit after they've lost three of their past four series. The road ahead seems quite treacherous. The Guardians will next host a weekend series against a Detroit team that has been better lately (and might have Tarik Skubal back for it), then hit the road for a three-city trip in which they'll face the first-place Brewers, an Astros team that is rounding back into health, and, finally, the White Sox, the team that has suddenly passed them. At some point along the way, they hope to get Steven Kwan on track. His slash line is down to just .213/.323/.262. -- Gonzalez

9. St. Louis Cardinals

Record:37-28

Previous ranking:14

Not all of the Cardinals' young players have taken off like Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt. When Nathan Church returned from the IL on Tuesday, the corresponding move was to send down Victor Scott II, with Church taking over as the regular center fielder. Scott was hitting .194/.276/.258. Meanwhile, Nolan Gorman has seen his average fall under .200 without enough power to justify a spot in the lineup. He's now 26 years old and in a third straight season in which he hasn't matched his offensive level from 2022 and 2023, his first two major league seasons. Time is running out before the Cardinals consider another direction at third base. -- Schoenfield

10. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record:35-33

Previous ranking:8

The Pirates have now lost five straight Paul Skenes starts following Tuesday's 12-3 loss to the Dodgers, in which Skenes allowed two runs in six innings before the bullpen imploded in a 10-run seventh. Skenes hasn't had great run support, but he also hasn't dominated in this stretch, with a 4.50 ERA and 31 hits in 26 innings. The start against the Dodgers was the first time he completed six innings since May 12 as he has struggled with his efficiency. In his previous start against the Astros, he threw a career-high 109 pitches -- but lasted just 4 innings. He went to his fastball more against the Dodgers, and it induced 11 swing-and-misses, maybe a sign that he needs to trust the fastball a little more. -- Schoenfield

11. Chicago Cubs

Record:34-34

Previous ranking:12

As the losses piled up, the Cubs slid in our rankings: from fourth in Week 7 to seventh to 10th to 12th, and now back up to 11th. It has been ugly losing, too, including an 18-3 loss to the Giants on Friday. In a 2-1 loss in 10 innings on Sunday night, the Cubs had Pete Crow-Armstrong on third base with one out, but the final two batters popped out, continuing Chicago's seasonlong issues with runners in scoring position. Alex Bregman was the final out. "I need to be better with runners on base, plain and simple," Bregman said after the game, adding he has been "terrible." "They brought me here to play good baseball, and I haven't played good baseball. I need to figure it out." -- Schoenfield

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record:34-33

Previous ranking:11

The D-backs got some bad news recently with front-line starter Corbin Burnes experiencing a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and being ruled out until sometime around September with a teres major strain. But other reinforcements are on the way. Outfielders Jordan Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are expected back within the next week or two. Lefty-reliever A.J. Puk should be, too, assuming a recent setback in Triple-A doesn't evolve into a bigger deal. And closer Justin Martinez should follow shortly after the All-Star break. In short: The D-backs remain in contention and will only be getting stronger. They'll target bullpen help and left-handed bats before the trade deadline -- and hope their rotation continues to hold up. -- Gonzalez

13. Chicago White Sox

Record:36-31

Previous ranking:13

It's starting to feel like a special season in the South side of Chicago, and the clearest evidence occurred Tuesday night. Braden Montgomery, another promising prospect acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade, hit a walk-off home run in his major league debut, in a win that pushed the White Sox a half-game out of first place in the AL Central. Before Montgomery, the White Sox had already received inspiring performances from other young players like Miguel Vargas, Davis Martin, Colson Montgomery, Tristan Peters and, of course, Munetaka Murakami. The future looks bright, but the present does too. -- Gonzalez

14. Texas Rangers

Record:33-34

Previous ranking:16

The Rangers won three series in a row before this current series against Kansas City, sweeping the Royals at home and then taking two of three against each of the Cardinals and Guardians. The offense finally got going, with Josh Jung leading the way over that span, hitting .342 with two home runs and seven RBIs, while Ezequiel Duran hit .333 with nine RBIs. Both are potential All-Stars. Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford both returned to the lineup on June 5, with Seager out since May 13 and Langford out since April 21. After ranking near the bottom of the majors in runs scored through the first two-plus months, the Rangers have reason to be more optimistic moving forward. -- Schoenfield

15. San Diego Padres

Record:35-32

Previous ranking:10

The Padres beat the Dodgers in the series opener from Petco Park on May 18, taking a half-game lead in the division. Since then, they are 7-14 and their offense has posted a .615 OPS, the lowest in the majors in that stretch. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a walk-off home run on Wednesday, but it went for just his second homer this season. Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill, meanwhile, have continued their woeful struggles. And with Ramon Laureano and Jake Cronenworth both out, the Padres' offense looks incredibly shallow these days. -- Gonzalez

16. Toronto Blue Jays

Record:33-36

Previous ranking:15

It's June, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on pace for fewer than 10 home runs on the season. Toronto's $500 million cornerstone isn't a one-trick power source -- he hasn't hit more than 32 home runs in a season after banging 48 in 2021 -- but three home runs in 67 games is alarming. Guerrero's batted ball profile isn't too different from 2025: His fly ball percentage is down 1.8 percentage points, his line drive rate is down 2.6 and his popup percentage is up 2.3. The problem is he's not hitting the ball as hard as last season, with his hard-hit and barrel rates both tumbling. On Tuesday, he batted leadoff for just the second time in his big league career. He went 1-for-4. -- Castillo

17. Washington Nationals

Record:35-34

Previous ranking:18

James Wood and CJ Abrams are fulfilling expectations with All-Star seasons, but don't forget about Keibert Ruiz. The former top prospect is having a career year, batting .274 with five home runs and a .785 OPS. His 113 wRC+ is eighth among players with at least 130 plate appearances as a catcher. The breakthrough is noteworthy not just because of his prospect status, but also because the Nationals signed him to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension before the 2023 season and he responded by posting an 83 OPS+ over the next three years. Now he's a legitimate building block for what is becoming one of the best offenses in the majors. -- Castillo

18. Baltimore Orioles

Record:32-37

Previous ranking:20

Last season, Rico Garcia made a career-high 29 relief appearances while getting designated for assignment three times. This year, the right-hander might be an All-Star with his brilliant dominance extending into a third month. Garcia owns a 1.29 ERA and 322 ERA+ in 28 innings across 30 games. He has held opponents to a .092 batting average and .372 OPS. Those are jaw-dropping numbers for just about anybody, let alone a 32-year-old journeyman. -- Castillo

19. Athletics

Record:33-35

Previous ranking:17

Shea Langeliers continues his bid to become the first A's catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach in 1989, blasting one of the team's seven home runs in a 15-14 loss to the Brewers on Monday in a wild game played in Las Vegas -- perhaps a preview of what to expect when the A's eventually move to their new park (they hit five more home runs on Tuesday and another three on Wednesday). Since Steinbach started in 1989, only four A's catchers have been All-Stars: Steinbach in 1993, Ramon Hernandez in 2003, Derek Norris in 2014 and Stephen Vogt in 2015 and 2016. Jacob Wilson started last year's game, the first A's starter since Josh Donaldson in 2014. -- Schoenfield

20. Houston Astros

Record:31-39

Previous ranking:22

After falling 11 games under .500 on May 12, the Astros have played better since then as they continue to get a little closer to full strength. The key guy is Hunter Brown, who made his fourth rehab start on Wednesday, after which he is expected to rejoin the rotation after initially going on the IL following just two starts. Meanwhile, with Yordan Alvarez chasing a Triple Crown, general manager Dana Brown squashed trade rumors surrounding his star slugger on Monday, telling MLB.com: "We've had zero conversations internally about moving Yordan. Zero." -- Schoenfield

21. Miami Marlins

Record:33-35

Previous ranking:24

While Sandy Alcantara's performance -- and the impact it has on his trade status -- has garnered most of the attention, Max Meyer has emerged as one of the top starters in the NL. The right-hander has a 2.85 ERA in 14 starts after giving up two runs across 5 innings against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. At 27 years old with three years of control remaining after this season, Meyer, unlike Alcántara, figures to be part of the puzzle as the Marlins slowly build toward contention. -- Castillo

22. Cincinnati Reds

Record:32-35

Previous ranking:19

The Reds went 2-9 over an 11-game stretch before finally winning an extra-inning game on Tuesday. Indeed, their 6-3 record in extra innings is keeping the season afloat, as only the Rockies have a worse run differential. Elly De La Cruz 's injury didn't help the offense, but the pitching wasn't good over that 11-game stretch anyway, with a 5.68 ERA and 19 home runs allowed. Brady Singer, in particular, has really struggled: The Reds have lost the last six of his starts, as the club allowed nine, seven, 10, 10, five and 10 runs in those games and Singer's ERA ballooned to 5.89 (although he did pitch better in Wednesday's loss). -- Schoenfield

23. New York Mets

Record:29-38

Previous ranking:25

Carson Benge was overwhelmed over his first month as a big leaguer. Unable to catch up to high velocity, he was slashing .136/.219/.197 with two extra-base hits in 21 games through April 22. Since then, he is batting .309 with 15 extra-base hits and an .838 OPS in 43 games. He had his best game as a big leaguer Sunday in a win over the Padres, going 5-for-5 with a triple, home run and three runs scored. Coupled with Juan Soto and fellow rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing's strong all-around first impression, the Mets appear to have their outfield established for years to come. -- Castillo

24. Boston Red Sox

Record:27-39

Previous ranking:23

Bryan Bello's disastrous performance as a starter led to his demotion to Triple-A Worcester over the weekend. In eight starts, the right-hander tallied a 10.35 ERA across 35 innings -- more than two full runs worse than any pitcher with at least 30 innings as a starter this season. In contrast, he compiled a 0.71 ERA over 25 innings in four games out of the bullpen following an opener. Bello met the constant -- and warranted -- questions about his role with anger after yielding eight runs in five innings last Thursday. This Thursday, two years removed from signing a $55 million contract extension, he'll take the mound for Worcester for the first time. -- Castillo

25. Detroit Tigers

Record:28-40

Previous ranking:26

Tarik Skubal threw five scoreless innings in a rehab start Sunday, just one month and one day after undergoing the Nanoscope procedure to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Suddenly, he's on track to rejoin the Tigers' rotation as soon as this weekend. How long he'll remain there is anybody's guess. The trade deadline will be roughly seven weeks away by that point, and Skubal, a free agent at season's end, will be at the forefront of those talks -- unless the Tigers can somehow change the narrative. They have begun June by winning six of their first eight games. But even in a wide-open AL, they are 8 games out of first place and 5 games back -- with six teams to jump -- in the wild-card standings. -- Gonzalez

26. Minnesota Twins

Record:31-38

Previous ranking:21

Royce Lewis was sent to the minor leagues after a prolonged slump that saw him begin the season with a .163 batting average. Two and a half weeks later, after he had slashed .340/.417/.818 in Triple-A, he was back up with the Twins but in a new role. Lewis started at second base, then moved over to first. Those will be his new positions moving forward, along with his usual one of third base and, inevitably, designated hitter. Lewis, the former No. 1 pick whose career has been defined by inspired play that was continually interrupted by injury, said he's good with it. "Playing in the big leagues is comfy," Lewis told reporters. "Let's just start with that." -- Gonzalez

27. San Francisco Giants

Record:28-41

Previous ranking:28

The Giants have had four double-digit-scoring games over the past week and a half, including a 19-run explosion in Colorado on May 31. In that same stretch, though, there have been seven games in which they scored three runs or fewer. On back-to-back nights against the Nationals earlier this week, they stranded a combined 25 baserunners. Jung Hoo Lee has been a very notable bright spot of late, carrying a 18-game hitting streak and going 20-for-40 this month. But the Giants as a whole continue to be wildly inconsistent in every aspect. -- Gonzalez

28. Kansas City Royals

Record:28-40

Previous ranking:27

The Royals ended May with six straight losses but began June with six wins in their first nine games. And for as far back as they are, their front office still believes there's enough season left and enough talent on their roster to make a run in the summer months and prevent them from trading away veteran players before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. But they need to get it going now. And a big part of that will be Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic, who are expected to rejoin the rotation at some point this month. The Royals' bullpen has been a disaster, but their rotation has remained steady and their offense has shown signs of getting it together lately. -- Gonzalez

29. Los Angeles Angels

Record:27-42

Previous ranking:30

A rash of injuries has suddenly piled up for the Angels. Jack Kochanowicz will have Tommy John surgery, which could put his 2027 season in jeopardy, and third baseman Yoan Moncada will undergo knee surgery and was placed on the 60-day IL. Jorge Soler, Vaughn Grissom and Adam Frazier were already on the IL. Then Nolan Schanuel and Sebastian Rivero exited Tuesday's game, with Rivero undergoing a CT scan on his hand on Wednesday. It will mean a chance for some young players, most notably Denzer Guzman, who was called up to replace Moncada. One of the team's top prospects, Guzman was hitting .336/.403/.571 at Triple-A Salt Lake. -- Schoenfield

30. Colorado Rockies

Record:26-42

Previous ranking:29

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer recently lamented the large number of rival fans who routinely invade Coors Field, traveling to root on the Dodgers and Cardinals and so many others. "Does it bother me?" Schaeffer asked rhetorically. "Absolutely it bothers me. Do I notice it? You absolutely notice it. ... Now, how much is that on us? I would say all of it's on us. I would say that when we start winning a ton of games, which isn't that far into the future, that the [Dodger] blue is going to morph into purple."

The Rockies are coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, but there is a belief -- this year's record aside -- that things are going to start to run. -- Gonzalez

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