MLB power rankings Week 13: Orioles, Braves and Mariners rise, worst and best MLB teams

By Matt Johnson

·Updated: June 22, 2024

John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Who is the best team in MLB? We’re right near the halfway point of the 2024 MLB season, providing us clear evidence of who the worst and best MLB teams are right now. With another week behind us, it’s time to take a look at our latest MLB power rankings with evaluations on every team.

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Let’s dive into our MLB power rankings for Week 13. As always, we’ll provide analysis on the worst MLB teams on Saturday. Statistics via FanGraphs and ESPN.

MLB power rankings: Worst MLB teams right now

30. Chicago White Sox (30)

The Chicago White Sox are the worst team in MLB. Three victories within the past week have slowed down Chicago’s pursuit of infamy. Fortunately, the worst team in baseball will still have all of July yo trade away its best players, flipping them for prospects to start a rebuild that’s probably going to take at least 4 years.

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29. Colorado Rockies (28)

The latest IL stint for Kris Bryant is a reminder of the Colorado Rockies organization having no clear direction. Bryant never should’ve been signed in the first place and the Rockies should be devoted sellers this summer. Yet, history tells us Colorado will be passive at the MLB trade deadline, which is fitting for where this franchise is right now.

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28. Miami Marlins (29)

The recent win streak won’t change anything, the Miami Marlins will be devoted to selling at the MLB trade deadline. Miami’s farm system certainly needs work and with Jesus Luzardo, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Tanner Scott among the Marlins trade chips this summer, there’ll be a lot of exciting, young talent joining the farm in August.

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27. Oakland Athletics (27)

It appears the Oakland Athletics won’t make a Mason Miller trade this summer. Keeping a hard-throwing reliever with injury concerns instead of trading him at maximum value seems like a foolish decision, especially since Oakland doesn’t have much else to offer. Unfortunately, it’s also the kind of decision-making you’d expect from the Athletics organization.

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26. Los Angeles Angels (26)

The Los Angeles Angels have fought their way to some wins as of late, but the bottom line remains the same. Mike Trout is out indefinitely and even when he was available, Los Angeles didn’t have the depth or talent to contend. Without Trout, it becomes apparent why this franchise needs a complete reset. It just isn’t coming.

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25. Detroit Tigers (15)

The Detroit Tigers have the fifth-most losses since May 20, posting a 12-18 record. Detroit’s hurlers (4.74 ERA) have fallen back to earth after a promising start and the Tigers lineup is one of the worst in baseball. To make matters worse, Spencer Torkelson (.254 batting average) is even struggling against Triple-A pitchers.

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MLB power rankings Week 13: Mets, Cardinals, Astros climb

24. Washington Nationals (24)

After dropping to 27-35, the Washington Nationals have spun an impressive 10-4 record with series victories over the Braves, Tigers and Marlins. Washington has proven it is better than some of the worst MLB teams, but we’re near the halfway point of the season and it’s also apparent the Nats can’t win a Wild Card spot.

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23. Toronto Blue Jays (18)

It’s time. While the Toronto Blue Jays might give it until the All-Star Break, there’s more than enough 75 games into the year to call for the white flag to be waved. The Blue Jays’ top hitters just aren’t all producing and the starting pitching has had quite a few letdowns. Toronto needs to think about its future, which means being sellers in July.

22. New York Mets (24)

Suddenly, the New York Mets are back. Even the Mets’ front office seemed to be leaking rumors about players it would move this summer. A few weeks later, New York has improved from 22-33 to 36-38. The National League is weak enough outside the top teams that grabbing a playoff spot is possible for New York. It will just come down to making a move for the future (trading away veterans) or pushing some chips in as buyers at the MLB trade deadline.

21. Texas Rangers (16)

The good news is that the Texas Rangers are starting to get healthy. Max Scherzer rejoined the Rangers rotation on Saturday, Jacob deGrom is working his way back and third baseman Josh Jung will be back in the Rangers lineup after a length IL stint. Unfortunately for Texas, all of those players are returning to a sub-.500 team with an upcoming slate that includes the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres.

20. Chicago Cubs (23)

The Chicago Cubs are slowly making their way back up the MLB power rankings, but there’s a lot of ground left to be made up. Chicago desperately needed that home series victory over the San Francisco Giants, but there are far bigger challenges ahead with the Milwaukee Brewers (June 28-30) and Philadelphia Phillies (July 2-4) looming.

19. Pittsburgh Pirates (21)

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a shot at shaping their postseason drought in 2024, but that does say a lot more about the state of the National League. Still, we have to highlight a pitching staff that ranks 12th in ERA (3.72) in June. While the Pirates lineup still isn’t generating much output (26th in OPS since May 1), good pitching makes the Pirates a more competitive team in nearly every series.

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18. Tampa Bay Rays (19)

The Tampa Bay Rays are going to be mone of the more fascinating clubs to watch in July. Part of the reason for this perennial contender’s sudden decline (36-39) this season is many of its key players are having career-worst seasons at the same time. Although, there have been some signs of a few of them turning it around. Still, the Rays roster has a lot of holes and it’s fair to wonder if the best long-term move for Tampa Bay is to operate as sellers this summer with eyes on a rebound in 2025.

17. Houston Astros (22)

Maybe, just maybe, there’s some hope for the Houston Astros. Houston entered June 21 with a 10-7 record this month, tied for the eighth-best record in June. Houston’s pitchers (3.46 ERA) have been much better as of late, but it just lost Justin Verlander. Still, starting pitching remains the Astros’ priority in trade talks and it appears that the club is prepared to operate as cautious buyers.

16. Cincinnati Reds (14)

The Cincinnati Reds continue to put their fans on a roller-coaster ride of a 2024 campaign. From a seven-game winning streak to losing six of their last nine games, Cincinnati is the epitome of a hot and cold team. During this latest stretch (June 9 -19) the Reds lineup has scored just 23 runs with an ugly .203./.266/.332 slash line.

15. San Francisco Giants (13)

The inconsistency from the San Francisco Giants continues. After looking good against the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, San Francisco fell flat against the Angels and Cubs. Pitching (4.75 ERA in June) has been a big problem, wasting some solid production from the Giants lineup (.737 OPS) this month.

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14. St. Louis Cardinals (17)

The St. Louis Cardinals won’t be mistaken for one of the best MLB teams this season, but they look a lot better than they did early on. St. Louis is 22-13 in its last 35 games, putting it in company with the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners. If the front office gets approval to be aggressive on the trade market, there are some bats who can upgrade the Cardinals lineup.

13. Arizona Diamondbacks (20)

The Arizona Diamondbacks lineup is hotter than the temperatures within the state this month. Arizona sports a spectacular .290/.361/.472 slash line in June, which is a big part of the reason why the Diamondbacks are tied for the second-best record (12-6) this month. It’s now opening the door for Arizona to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline, ideally finding some pitching to stabilize this unit.

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12. San Diego Padres (9)

It’s been a bad week for the San Diego Padres. There was an inexcusable sweet at Citi Field to the Mets, which spilled over into a poor showing against the Philadelphia Phillies. What’s so unusual is the fact that the Padres have a losing record at home this season. Fortunately for San Diego, the National League is bad enough outside of the top teams that the Padres can stumble multiple times and remain a playoff contender.

11. Minnesota Twins (9)

The Minnesota Twins slip outside the top 10 in our MLB power rankings for the first time in more than a month. While the Twins are 17-13 in their last 30 games, that mark sits at 9-9 in June with a 4.67 ERA. The losses are overshadowing a Twins lineup (.283/.347/.477) that has been great this month. Upcoming sets against the Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners are great tests for Minnesota to close out June.

Best MLB teams right now

10. Boston Red Sox (11)

The Boston Red Sox are going to be a fascinating team to watch this summer. Since May 19, the Red Sox are tied for the third-most wins (18) and they’ve been 7 games over the .500 line during that stretch. Yet, it’s impossible to ignore the whispers of Boston potentially trading Nick Pivetta, Tyler O’Neill and Kenley Jansen. There are some wild card spots available in the American League, but the Red Sox might use the MLB trade deadline to prepare for the future.

9. Kansas City Royals (7)

Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The last month of the season hasn’t been particularly kind to the Kansas City Royals. Since May 19,, Kansas City has a 14-15 record that is worse than the Mets, Astros and Pirates. The Royals’ pitchers (4.52 ERA) are a big part of the problem right now, but there are also some glaring holes in the Royals lineup. Kansas City clearly isn’t quite as great as it was a month ago, but a few moves can still easily help the Royals book tickets to play baseball in October.

8. Atlanta Braves (12)

The Atlanta Braves move up the MLB power rankings for the first time in weeks. After a five-game losing streak, Atlanta regained some confidence with series victories over the Rays and Tigers. However, it’s still necessary to note that the Braves are still just 22-22 since May 1. Until proven otherwise, Atlanta belongs multiple tiers below some of the best MLB teams in 2024.

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7. Seattle Mariners (8)

Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners are the hottest team in MLB, carrying a 12-6 record in June. It will come as no surprise that pitching (3.36 ERA) is a big reason for Seattle’s success. It’s great pitching (3.36 ERA in June) that is making a difference. This stretch also highlights why even league-average production from the Mariners lineup makes this team dangerous. Fortunately, Seattle is prepared to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline and one or two moves could make a substantial impact.

6. Milwaukee Brewers (6)

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Since getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies, the Milwaukee Brewers sport an 8-4 record. It certainly helps that the competition during that stretch was the Blue Jays, Reds and Angels, but Milwaukee is doing what is necessary to maintain its ground in the NL Central. With that acknowledged, the Brewers rotation (4.16 ERA, 15th in MLB) has once again demonstrated this month why it needs reinforcements.

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5. Los Angeles Dodgers (4)

Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

From bad to worse for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Already without Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, starting pitcher Walker Buehler just became the latest key contributor to land on the injured list. Keep in mind, this team is already missing Clayton Kershaw and Max Muncy. There’s still more than enough talent on the Dodgers roster for this club to remain competitive through injuries. Unfortunately, the absences just mean we don’t get to see the best version of the Dodgers and that may hurt them for postseason seeding.

4. Cleveland Guardians (5)

Some of the best MLB teams in 2024 are struggling this month. Entering play on June 21, the Cleveland Guardians had just 8 wins in 15 chances, which is about on par with the Angels and Cubs. Cleveland’s pitching (3.57 ERA) is getting the job done for the most part, though, it was a letdown in Toronto. Still, the Guardians have built a strong enough cushion to easily overcome these rough stretches.

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3. Philadelphia Phillies (2)

The Philadelphia Phillies haven’t been playing their best baseball as of late. In June, the Phillies record is 97 which puts them in company with the Angels and Cardinals. Philadelphia’s pitching (3.38 ERA) has been very good over the last 16 contests, but the Phillies lineup ranks 12th in OPS (.733) over that span. Trea Turner is coming back, but the Phillies must use the MLB trade deadline to improve their outfield. Still, this is the best team in the National League.

2. New York Yankees (1)

What matters this week is that Gerrit Cole is back and Aaron Judge (HBP) avoided a major injury. Even after dropping the home series to the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Yankees lineup has produced the second-most runs scored (104) this month. Plus, with Cole rejoining the rotation, the pitching figures to be even better. We just need to see New York add relievers and a corner infielder at the MLB trade deadline.

1. Baltimore Orioles (3)

The Baltimore Orioles are the best team in MLB. When you beat two of the best MLB teams in consecutive matchups, you deserve to sit atop the MLB power rankings. The Orioles have been the best team in June, sporting a 13-6 record thanks to a team-wide 2.68 ERA (1st) with the most runs scored (115). This has been a very tough stretch on the schedule and the Orioles have proven why they are a World Series contender.