MLB Power Rankings: Phillies Take Control of NL East Standings
The National League East race has been a rollercoaster so far, with the New York Mets storming out to a five-game lead by the end of April, only to see the Philadelphia Phillies take control in recent weeks. According to USA Today, the Phillies have baseball’s best record at 34-19, having just had a nine-game winning streak snapped.
The Phillies will face a big test this week as they welcome the Atlanta Braves to Citizens Bank Park for a three-game set. The Braves, who started the season 0-8, battled back to .500 and are primed to take off with the return of Ronald Acuña Jr., back in the Atlanta lineup a year after suffering a season-ending injury. As noted by USA Today, Acuña Jr. has made a strong return, homering in his first two games.
MLB Power Rankings
Here is a look at this week’s rankings, as reported by USA Today:
-
Los Angeles Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani touched 97 mph in his first live batting practice, according to USA Today.
-
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies have moved up two spots, with Zack Wheeler giving up just two earned runs (0.68 ERA) in four May starts, as reported by USA Today.
-
Detroit Tigers: The Tigers have dropped one spot, having lost three of four vs. Cleveland and facing a tough week ahead with series against Giants and Royals, according to USA Today.
-
New York Mets: The Mets have dropped one spot, but Brett Baty is playing himself into an everyday role, with five homers and 11 RBIs through 40 at-bats in May, as noted by USA Today.
-
San Diego Padres:
-
New York Yankees: The Yankees have moved up two spots, with Devin Williams finding his footing in the Bronx with seven consecutive scoreless outings since May 7, according to USA Today.
-
San Francisco Giants:
-
Minnesota Twins:
-
St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals have moved up three spots, with Long Island native Steven Matz thriving in a hybrid role (1.99 ERA in 31⅔ innings), as reported by USA Today.
- Cleveland Guardians: The Guardians are tied, with Hunter Gaddis (0.86 ERA) tied for the MLB lead with 13 holds, according to USA Today.
Other Notable Teams
- Seattle Mariners: The Mariners have dropped two spots, with George Kirby getting hit hard in his first start of 2025, as noted by USA Today.
- Houston Astros: The Astros have moved up one spot, with Jeremy Peña quietly off to a stellar start with career-bests in average, slugging, and OPS, according to USA Today.
- Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays have moved up seven spots, riding a five-game win streak into Memorial Day, with 38 steals in the first 22 games of May, as reported by USA Today.
The rankings are based on information provided by USA Today, a reputable news source.
