MLB Power Rankings Heading Into June

These teams are the hottest and prospectively most likely to get hot squads in all of baseball. Tristin Clint and Ryan Supple break down their rankings.

This article was written in dual-authorship by Tristin Clint and Ryan Supple.

There have been dominant forces in the coastal divisions as of late, and that lack of balance has resulted in a pecking order that sees six of the top ten teams reside in the NL West and AL East in Tristin's rankings and five of the top ten in Ryan's.

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Our staff compiled a list that is clearly very similar, with Clint giving the Yankees a top ten spot and Supple having the AL West leading A's in his top 10.

Power rankings are a somewhat ambiguous form of listing a sport's top teams, and it's commonplace to have different opinions on what exactly these rankings entail. For the purposes of this scenario early in the season, these lists factor together current dominance with the balancing act that baseball brings in the summer months. In other words, these teams in the top 10 have all been good so far, some without their fair share of struggles, but are also expected to remain strong as the season carries on. For example, the Dodgers are listed at 5 and 6, but can be expected to move up in the rankings as they gain their footing. The same can be said for the Yankees, at least for Tristin, who isn't a Red Sox fan like Ryan.

Here's a little summary of Ryan's rankings:

The Rays occupy the number one spot in the June Rankings as they have won 17 of their last 18, and show no signs of slowing down. The Red Sox are keeping pace right behind, currently looking for Eduardo Rodriguez to start pitching like the ace he was promised to be. The White Sox come in at third, having recovered nicely from that sweep against the Yankees two weeks ago. The next three NL West teams are all so talented and really could come in at any order, but the Giants recent hot streak currently places them at number four, with the Padres and the Dodgers rounding out the stellar top six. To me, it seems like the top six is pretty clear but those teams could be ranked in any order. The Astros, Athletics, Cardinals, Cubs, and Mets certainly look like teams poised to make a run in the latter portion of the season, but for now, remain firmly behind the top six. I think I can speak for us all when I say I’m excited to see where the rest of this season takes us!

If Boston can bump up Rodriguez's ERA from its current 5.64 standing, their division rival Rays might take a back seat in the AL East standings. The top six is indeed very solid and a step up from the next four, and Tristin had the same six, in a different order. Here's his summary:

San Diego has been a powerhouse out west, earning the top spot due to their MLB-leading 2.77 ERA, which is miles above the next best Mets, who are shutting down hitters with a collective 3.06 ERA. The White Sox are the lone AL Central team in the top 10, who are performing way better than their two division rivals in the Indians and Twins who finished above the ChiSox last season in the playoff race. Chicago is top five in both Batting Average and Earned Run Average, leading the American League in Run Differential at +80 entering June 1st. The Rays, as Ryan noted, have won 17 of 18, and are not 1 or 2 in the power rankings simply because of their schedule, which included recent sweeps of the Orioles and Phillies, and a series win over the Royals. The Rays are still a serious contender in the AL, and a top 3 ranking is nothing to be upset about. The Red Sox have been a great story all year with their incredible play following a rough 2020, and have not cooled down. The Dodgers and Giants have been neck and neck in the division race along with the Padres, and could not be omitted from the top six despite LA's up and down year and SF's less favorable roster compared to their rivals moving forward. Houston looks like themselves again following a rough start, and the Cubs are the only team in their division with a positive RDIFF. They're 8-2 in their last 10. The Yankees are 5.5 games back of Tampa Bay but remain competitive, and the Cardinals are slightly better than the A's as far as winning percentage goes.

Now that the top 10 has been covered by both our guys, here is the rest of the field.

Ryan Supple's full list:

1. Rays

2. Red Sox

3. White Sox

4. Giants

5. Padres

6. Dodgers

7. Astros

8. Athletics

9. Cardinals

10. Cubs

11. Mets

12. Brewers

13. Blue Jays

14. Indians

15. Yankees

16. Braves

17. Mariners

18. Phillies

19. Reds

20. Marlins

21. Twins

22. Angels

23. Royals

24. Tigers

25. Nationals

26. Rockies

27. Rangers

28. Diamondbacks

29. Pirates

30. Orioles

Tristin Clint's full list:

1. Padres

2. White Sox

3. Rays

4. Red Sox

5. Dodgers

6. Giants

7. Astros

8. Cubs

9. Yankees

10. Cardinals

11. Athletics

12. Mets

13. Blue Jays

14. Brewers

15. Braves

16. Indians

17. Royals

18. Mariners

19. Phillies

20. Marlins

21. Angels

22. Twins

23. Reds

24. Nationals

25. Rangers

26. Tigers

27. Pirates

28. Rockies

29. Diamondbacks

30. Orioles