MLB power rankings Week 11: Dodgers, Blue Jays, Pirates and Reds climb

By Matt Johnson

·Updated: June 9, 2024

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Who is the best team in MLB? We’re over two months into the 2024 MLB season with two full calendar months of action behind us. June is now underway and with each team having played 60-plus games, it’s time to take a look at the worst and best MLB teams right now with our MLB power rankings for Week 11.

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Let’s dive into our MLB power rankings for Week 11.

MLB power rankings: Worst MLB teams right now

30. Chicago White Sox (30)

The Chicago White Sox are the worst MLB team in 2024. It’s also possible we could be looking at one of the worst teams in modern baseball history. We’ll compare Chicago to the 2003 Detroit Tigers, who finished with a 43-119 record (.265 winning percentage). Chicago is worse (.250) right now and we have to note that by June 10, 2003, the ’03 Tigers had a better record (16-45) than the White Sox

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29. Miami Marlins (26)

The good news is, the Miami Marlins and many of the other worst MLB teams aren’t even in the same ballpark of ugly as the White Sox. Of course, that’s burying a bar in the ground and asking the other clubs to just walk over it. Miami won consecutive games four times in May and quite frankly, we’re not sure it will match that mark in June.

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28. Los Angeles Angels (28)

A sweep of the San Diego Padres came out of nowhere from the Los Angeles Angels. There are some bright spots on this pitching staff (Hunter Strickland and Tyler Anderson), but both probably won’t still be on the Angels roster by late July.

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27. Colorado Rockies (27)

The five-game stretch when the Colorado Rockies won four times against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians feels like a distant memory. The good news for Colorado, in another lost season, is that top prospect Adael Amador has been on a tear as of late, entering the weekend with a .333/.422/.741 slash line with 7 home runs in his last 13 contests at the Double-A level.

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26. Oakland Athletics (28)

As if things couldn’t get worse for the Oakland Athletics, one of their most productive players in 2024 gets a year-long suspension for betting on baseball. Hey, at least it wasn’t Mason Miller. While we understand why the Athletics want a monumental haul for the top closer, it might be wise to take the best offer that comes considering Miller’s history of arm injuries could blow up his value at any moment.

25. New York Mets (25)

At least the London Series will provide the New York Mets roster with something to remember for the 2024 season. The trade buzz has started with reports already emerging regarding which Mets players are trade candidates this summer. Meanwhile, New York’s dead money is higher than the A’s payroll in 2024.

24. Washington Nationals (18)

We’ve accepted who the Washington Nationals are now, getting swept by the Mets helped. Washington is going to show small flashes of being competitive, mixed in with some fo its young players offering promising signs for the future. However, this is still one of the worst MLB rosters and that leads to the results we’ve seen in recent weeks.

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23. Arizona Diamondbacks (22)

It’s just not going to be the Arizona Diamondbacks’ year. When a team is nearly 70 games into the regular season, you have to start accepting them for what they are. Arizona is certainly more talented than its record indicates and it might keep clawing back toward the .500 line, but this isn’t a playoff threat.

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MLB power rankings Week 11: Cardinals, Giants and Padres drop

22. Houston Astros (24)

The Houston Astros will continue ascending up consensus MLB power rankings as they beat up on teams like the Angels, Athletics and White Sox. Those series victories are enough to erase a bit of the damage this club did early in the season, but no one should really be buying into the Astros being “back” until they show it against the Baltimore Orioles (June 21-23), Toronto Blue Jays (July 1-4) and Minnesota Twins (July 5-7).

21. Chicago Cubs (19)

After recording one of the best records in baseball in April, the Chicago Cubs collapsed in May. The Cubbies did handle their business against the White Sox, but those were only one-run victories. We’re still big believers in Chicago’s pitching, but something needs to change for the Cubs lineup (.658 OPS since May 1) because it has been one of the worst in the sport for over a month now.

20. St. Louis Cardinals (13)

The St. Louis Cardinals clawed their way back to .500, working up from 15-24 to 28-29 entering the first week of May. Then, just as hope returned to St. Louis, the Cardinals fell back down to earth. We’re not writing St. Louis off completely because teams outside the top 10 of our MLB power rankings are all fighting for .500 right now. However, the Cards will have to show a lot more in upcoming sets against hungry Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs teams.

19. Cincinnati Reds (23)

The Cincinnati Reds are trying to make us believers again. This was an exciting team early in the season, posting a strong record that was immediately followed by one of the biggest slides in baseball this season. Volatility lands you at .500 in a best-case scenario, which is where Cincinnati is headed right now. On the bright side, that’s a lot better than performing like one of the worst MLB teams which the Reds looked like just weeks ago.

18. Tampa Bay Rays (21)

The Tampa Bay Rays easily swept the Marlins and handled their business at the end of May against the Athletics. However, Tampa Bay is also 9-16 against clubs with winning records this season and they have upcoming sets against the Orioles, Braves and Twins. We’re just going to have to see the Rays prove themselves against legit competition before thinking any of this is for real.

17. Texas Rangers (14)

Just as you start to think the Texas Rangers might finally be treading water, they start sinking again. There seemed to be a little light with the Rangers’ forecast after taking out Arizona and Miami, but those victories evidently said a lot more about the Diamondbacks and Marlins. The results at home against Detroit and San Francisco, that speaks to where the Rangers are right now.

16. Pittsburgh Pirates (20)

Buy metaphorical stock in the Pittsburgh Pirates while you can. The Pirates’ pitching staff has a strong 3.85 ERA in its last 18 games, culminating in a 10-8 record. The series against the Los Angeles Dodgers showcased Jared Jones (3.25 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) and we even saw some surprising production from the Pirates lineup. We’re not saying Pittsburgh will play a postseason game in 2024, but you’re seeing the ingredients for a perennial contender in the seasons to come.

15. San Francisco Giants (12)

One step forward, one step back. Such is life for the San Francisco Giants. Blake Snell hasn’t pitched well enough in 2024 for his latest injury to even matter, but dropping that series to Arizona wasn’t a great look considering how bad the Diamondbacks have been for most of the year. This upcoming set against the Texas teams will really be a litmus test for all three clubs.

14. Detroit Tigers (16)

The Detroit Tigers lineup has the 11th-best OPS (.713) in MLB since May 26, even with an awful OBP (.272). It’s probably part of the reason why Detroit has the seventh-best record (6-4) in the last 10 games. At least the Tigers finally made one necessary change, demoting Spencer Torkelson. However, it’s tough to believe Detroit will hang around .500 without making significant additions to the roster at the MLB trade deadline.

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13. San Diego Padres (11)

just as the San Diego Padres start showing glimpses of being one of the best MLB teams, they fall back down. What is quite interesting about the Padres in 2024 is the fact that they have a winning record (13-11) versus winning teams and a losing record against some of the worst MLB teams this season. That also means there could be a wide range of outcomes against the Athletics (June 10-12), Mets (Juen 14-16) and Phillies (June 17-19) over the next week-plus.

12. Toronto Blue Jays (17)

The Toronto Blue Jays have the fourth-best record in MLB over the last 11 games (7-4). On the surface, that seems great. However, over that same span, the Blue Jays pitching staff owns a 4.69 ERA (23rd) and the Blue Jays lineup ranks 16th in OPS (.689) over that duration. All of that is to say, while splitting a series with the Baltimore Orioles is nice, we’re going to need to see a lot more before believing in Toronto fully.

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11. Boston Red Sox (15)

The Boston Red Sox are 10-7 since May 19. Being just three games above .500 certainly doesn’t sound great, but it’s the eighth-best record in MLB over that span. Boston’s pitching (4.14 ERA in the last 17 games) has really cooled off, but it is stringing some wins together. With that said, the MLB trade rumors about Tyler O’Neill and Kenley Jansen being available to suggest this ranking is very temporary.

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10. Minnesota Twins (9)

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time to talk about Pablo López. Many are panicking over his 5.45 ERA and a career-worst 1.65 HR/9 rate in his first 71 innings pitched this season. However, as FanGraphs highlights, Lopez’s 20.7 percent K-BB rate, 3.16 expected ERA and a 75th percentile expected batting average allowed (Baseball Savant) all point to positive regression coming. When that. happens, the Twins can have a top-10 pitching staff and that’s enough when combined with league-average run production to make the playoffs.

9. Milwaukee Brewers (7)

Losing Robert Gasser to an elbow injury, which is requiring a second opinion. Starting pitching was never this team’s strength, as evidenced by the club having the lowest quality starts (14) in the majors. Losing Gasser also jeopardizes this club’s ERA and will put more strain on an already depleted pitching staff. We do still love the Brewers lineup – .254/.330/.408 – which should carry them against weaker opponents. However, when stacking up the best teams in MLB, Milwaukee’s shortcomings in the pitching department hold it back.

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8. Atlanta Braves (8)

The Atlanta Braves have been one of the best MLB teams for years, but they don’t look anything close to it right now. Entering lay on Sunday, the Braves record since May 9 was 13-15, which sits 19th in baseball behind the likes of the Pirates, Diamondbacks and Red Sox. Since May 19, Atlanta has the same amount of wins as the Nationals and Diamondbacks (nine). The 4.10 ERA certainly plays a part, as does the Ronald Acuna injury. Simply put, there’s blame to go around and the only way out of it is through in-season adds.

7. Seattle Mariners (10)

The Seattle Mariners had some nice momentum rolling into the series with the Kansas City Royals, posting a 10-2 record in the last 12 games. Surprisingly, it was the Mariners’ pitching staff that let them down against Kansas City. On the bright side coming out of the weekend, there’s Lazaro Montes. One of the Mariners top prospects in 2024, Montes’ early numbers this season suggest he’ll be one of the best prospects in MLB before long.

6. Kansas City Royals (6)

A nice recovery for the Kansas City Royals. It looked like the momentum from this stunning Royals’ season was grinding to a halt, coming off a poor showing against the Twins and Padres. Something changed on Thursday, as Cleveland took one from the Cleveland Guardians for a series split and then immediately went home and took the three-game set against the Mariners. Of course, two of the best MLB teams in 2024 (Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees) are on deck). Our expectations aren’t high for Kansas City, but this team will still likely be 10 games over .500 by the end of next week.

5. Cleveland Guardians (5)

The Cleveland Guardians have been one of the best MLB teams throughout the first leg of the 2024 season. Cleveland recorded the sixth-most wins in April (16) and the third-most victories in May (19). After splitting the series with the Royals, the Guardians have a favorable stretch upcoming against the Marlins and Reds that should help them stay close to 20 games above the .500 line. Credit where it’s due, this front office always finds ways to win even with the budget restraints put in place by ownership.

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4. Baltimore Orioles (3)

Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Connor Norby homered in his MLB debut, but we still wouldn’t be surprised if the promising slugger struggles in his first taste of the major leagues. It has, unfortunately, been a common trend for many of the top Baltimore Orioles prospects and other top players called up from the minor leagues. With that said Baltimore has played excellent baseball even without its farm system really helping a ton in the majors this year. In 61 games, the Orioles lineup ranks fourth in runs scored (311) and first in slugging (.445) with Baltimore’s pitching staff responsible for the third-best ERA (3.29) and fifth-lowest BAA (.220).

3. Philadelphia Phillies (2)

The Philadelphia Phillies are dominating most of their competition right now. They proved it again this past week, recovering from a bad showing against the San Francisco Giants by taking out the Cardinals and then sweeping the Brewers. We can’t speak highly enough about the Phillies pitching (2.42 ERA in the last 32 games) and it won’t surprise anyone that the Phillies have the second-most quality starts (37) in 63 games. While the London Series was scheduled out long in advance, this Phillies team is especially deserving of this rare trip.

2. New York Yankees (1)

We’ll start with the bad news. It was an ugly showing for the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Not only did it snap an eight-game win streak, it was the first time the Yankees didn’t win a series since May 20-23. Now, we’ll get to the good news. Gerrit Cole return is imminent, meaning things could get even better for New York this summer. Meanwhile, this is the same Yankees lineup is responsible for a .258/.330/.464 triple-splash line and a league-high .794 OPS since May 1. The Yankees are still the best team in the American League.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (4)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in MLB. A head-to-head series victory over the New York Yankees warrants the No. 1 spot in the MLB power rankings, especially with how the Dodgers lineup came alive in this series. We have seen Los Angeles experience bigger dips than the Yankees or Phillies, but the Dodgers’ peak is the best in baseball. As long as all three teams stay healthy, they’ll likely be swapping spots for months to come.