2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 17: The Yankees are in freefall

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2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 17: The Yankees are in freefall

Christopher Hennessy · ClutchPoints

Mon, Jul 7, 2025 ·

15 min read

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The post 2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 17: The Yankees are in freefall appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The 2025 MLB All-Star Break is just around the corner, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. Another edition of the MLB Power Rankings is here, and the New York Yankees are about to tumble . After losing the division lead and dropping the Subway Series, the Bombers are headed down. But who is headed up as a result? We have the first MLB Power Rankings of July ready to roll.

#1: Philadelphia Phillies (+1)

The Philadelphia Phillies are the new top team in the MLB Power Rankings. It is their first appearance in the top spot, which they earned with series wins over the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds . Zach Wheeler got the ball on Sunday with a chance to take the series. He threw a complete game shutout, facing only 28 batters, and finishing one solo homer short of a perfect game. They are at the top of the NL East with a 53-37 record and head west for tilts against the Giants and Padres this week.

#2: Los Angeles Dodgers (-1)

The Los Angeles Dodgers fall from the perch of the Power Rankings after a dismal weekend at home. They were swept by the Houston Astros , which was a tough way to chase the sweep of the Chicago White Sox . Clayton Kershaw picked up his 3,000th strikeout on Wednesday , finishing off six innings against the Southsiders with the milestone punch out. But Houston came to town and smoked LA, leading to questions about the pitching once again. The Dodgers head to the break with road sets against the Brewers and Giants.

#3: Chicago Cubs (+1)

The Chicago Cubs swept the Cleveland Guardians and took two of three from the St Louis Cardinals this week. They ended the holiday weekend with an 11-0 win over the Cards on national television to put an exclamation point on it. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the National League in bWAR after hitting .400 this week. After a disappointing 2024 season, Craig Counsell and the Cubs are blistering hot. They look to coast into the break with road sets against the Twins and Yankees.

#4: Detroit Tigers (-1)

The Detroit Tigers lost a series to the Washington Nationals but came back to sweep the Cleveland Guardians this weekend. They have the best record in baseball and have the Cy Young favorite once again in Tarik Skubal . He went seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits to Cleveland on Sunday. Skubal's ERA dropped to 2.02 on the day he was named to his second consecutive All-Star team. Detroit looks to hit the break with the best record after series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners .

#5: New York Mets (-)

The New York Mets are back on track, taking two of three from the Brewers and the Yankees. Juan Soto was a big reason why, with a .333 average, four RBIs, and a homer against his former team. Later in the day, he was snubbed from the All-Star Game despite his .401 on-base percentage and .915 OPS. Pitching is still a concern for the Mets, especially after the Griffin Canning injury, but the Amazins are back on track. The Mets are on the road against the Orioles and Royals to finish the first half.

#6: Houston Astros (-)

The Astros are one of the hottest teams in the league, with a 5-1 week and a 19-5 record in their last 26 games. That is without Jeremy Peña , who has been out for the last seven games. Christian Walker stepped up to fill the gap in the Dodgers series , with a .400 batting average and two homers at Chavez Ravine. The Astros are back, even without Yordan Alvarez for most of the season. Houston hosts the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers before the All-Star Break.

#7: San Francisco Giants (+1)

The Giants won both of their series this week, taking two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Athletics . While the division may be a long shot with the Dodgers pulling away, San Francisco has been great of late. Willy Adames has been red hot, hitting .455 in the six games with two homers and nine RBIs. After a dreadful start to the season, their prized free-agent acquisition has finally turned it around. His season OPS is .684, up from .584 on June 7. The Giants host the Phillies and Dodgers in six important games before the break.

#8: San Diego Padres (+1)

The Padres lost a series to the Phillies but responded by taking two from the Texas Rangers over the weekend. After starting 7-0, they are exactly .500, 41-41. Will an 84 or 86-win season be enough to get the Padres a coveted spot in the National League Wild Card? It is good enough for now, as they are tied with the Giants for the final Wild Card spot. Manny Machado is sitting two hits shy of 2,000 in his career despite a hitless Sunday. San Diego hosts the Diamondbacks and Phillies heading into the All-Star Game.

#9: Toronto Blue Jays (+3)

The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the biggest risers in the MLB Power Rankings. They swept the Yankees in a four-game series for the first time in franchise history. And then, they swept the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game set. The Canada Day celebrations went all the way through the weekend , as the Jays are in first place in the AL East. George Springer hit .429 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in the seven games, leading Toronto's offense. They look to get the division lead over the line with road sets against the White Sox and Athletics.

#10: New York Yankees (-3)

The Yankees were swept by the Blue Jays in a four-game set for the first time in franchise history. It sent Toronto rocketing up the standings, while the Bombers waded into the Wild Card pool. Jazz Chisholm sat out Sunday's game with shoulder pain that has been bothering him for three weeks. Luke Weaver continues to struggle since returning from injury. And Clarke Schmidt is set to undergo Tommy John surgery . Things are bleak in The Bronx, and they have to turn it around at home against the Mariners and Cubs.

#11: Seattle Mariners (-1)

The Mariners move down in the MLB Power Rankings only as a result of Toronto's rise. It was a solid week for Seattle, splitting four games against the Kansas City Royals and sweeping the Pirates . They shut out Pittsburgh in all three games, a first in franchise history, to move to 48-42. They hold the final Wild Card spot, a game behind the Rays and 2.5 games above the Red Sox . Cal Raleigh leads the majors with 35 homers and leads the AL with 74 RBIs. The Mariners have a tough week ahead, with road sets against the Yankees and Tigers.

#12: Milwaukee Brewers (-1)

The Brewers also fall thanks to the Blue Jays' rise. Milwaukee lost a series against the Mets and took two of three from the Miami Marlins to maintain a playoff spot. Brandon Woodruff made his first start since September 2023 , throwing six shutout innings on Sunday to help secure the series win. Jackson Chourio has turned his season around, hitting .270 with a .806 OPS since June 1, and hit a big homer Sunday that served as the game-winner. Milwaukee finishes the first half against the Dodgers and Nationals at home.

#13: Texas Rangers (-)

The Rangers took two of three from the Baltimore Orioles but dropped two against the Padres over the weekend. Texas got a poor start from Jack Leiter again on Sunday, marking their 11th loss in Leiter's 15th start of the season. He has a 6.17 ERA in his last five starts, all team losses. Backup catcher Kyle Higashioka had five RBIs against the Padres in their lone win against his former team. The Rangers are 44-46 heading into a road trip against the Angels and Astros this week.

#14: Tampa Bay Rays (-)

The Rays stopped their meteoric rise with a decent week, losing two of three against the Athletics and the Minnesota Twins . Minnesota walked them off in the first two games, including a Harrison Bader extra-inning bomb, but Tampa is still in a Wild Card spot. Brandon Lowe ended his 20-game hitting streak when he left Sunday's game with side soreness. Jonathan Aranda celebrated his first All-Star nod with a three-hit day on Sunday. The Rays finish the first half on the road against the Tigers and Red Sox.

#15: St Louis Cardinals (-)

The Cardinals were swept by the Pirates and dropped two of three against the Cubs this week. They got two horrendous starts from Erick Fedde , allowing ten runs in 6.1 innings in two losses. That brought his ERA to 4.79 on the season and 4.39 with the Cardinals since joining them at last year's trade deadline. The Cardinals will have to add at the deadline if they want to contend in the NL playoff picture, but are they willing to do so? They host the Nationals and Braves before hitting the break.

#16: Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

Why did the Cardinals not fall in the MLB Power Rankings after a 1-5 week? Because the Diamondbacks refuse to heat up, even with time running out. They have 19 games left before the trade deadline, at which point they will be the most interesting team. Eugenio Suarez made the All-Star team amid massive trade rumors that could end his time in Arizona. Corbin Carroll came back from injury this week , which may be the spark they need. Arizona visits the Padres and Angels before the break.

#17: Cincinnati Reds (+1)

The Reds slide in at number 17 in the MLB Power Rankings despite a poor week on the field. They lost a series to the Red Sox and lost another to the Phillies to fall to 46-44. Cincinnati only rises because of the murky group they are in, which is full of teams that also did not win this week. It was a poor week for Elly De La Cruz , with no extra-base hits and a .509 OPS. The Reds need to turn it around this week against the Marlins and Rockies at home.

#18: Boston Red Sox (+3)

The Red Sox took two of three from the Reds and swept the Nationals to finish the week 5-1. They are back over .500 for the first time since the Rafael Devers trade and 2.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot. Garrett Crochet allowed five earned runs for only the second time this year, and Boston won that game against Cincinnati. He responded with five innings of two-run ball against Washington, putting his Cy Young candidacy back on track. Three games against the Rockies and four against the Rays at Fenway Park finish out the first half in Boston.

#19: Cleveland Guardians (-)

The Guardians lost every game they played this week, losing three to the Cubs and three to the Tigers. They were one strike away from breaking the streak on Sunday until Emmanuel Clase threw a wild pitch that continued the game. Detroit won 7-2 in the tenth inning. Cleveland has lost ten games in a row and is seven games out of the Wild Card. The attention should turn to who they could trade away at the deadline, with Clase as the biggest name . They need wins on the road against the Astros and White Sox this week.

#20: Atlanta Braves (-3)

The Braves are hosting the All-Star festivities this week, but they just hit their lowest point in the MLB Power Rankings. They lost two of three to the Angels before getting swept by the Orioles this weekend. Even with Jurickson Profar back in the lineup , who hit .286 with a .857 OPS, they could not get on the winning side. Spencer Schwellenbach hit the injured list with a fractured elbow, adding insult to their miserable season so far. They are 39-50 and need wins against the Athletics and Cardinals this week.

#21: Kansas City Royals (+1)

The Royals needed some wins and got them this week. They split four games with the Mariners and took two of three from the Diamondbacks. Bobby Witt Jr. is riding a ten-game hitting streak, with a .395 batting average and 1.027 OPS in that stretch. They even got good news on Cole Ragans, who will start throwing this week in hopes of returning soon. The playoffs are slipping away from Kansas City, but a hot summer could send them back to October. They host the Pirates and the Mets this week, needing all six wins to finish the first half above .500.

#22: Baltimore Orioles (+1)

The Orioles bottomed out in late May at 19-36, 16 games out of first place in the AL East. They are 21-13 since then, bringing their record to 40-49 and 11.5 games out of the division lead. Even with that hot streak, FanGraphs says they have a 4.1% chance of making the playoffs. Gunnar Henderson has turned his season around, with a .298 batting average and an .818 OPS in those 34 games. They lost a series to the Rangers before sweeping the Braves to move up in the MLB Power Rankings. They can end the first half on a heater if they take care of business against the Mets and Marlins at home.

#23: Los Angeles Angels (-3)

The Angels worked their way back to .500 after taking two of three from the Braves this week. Then, they went north to face the blistering hot Blue Jays and were crushed . The sweep sent them back down the Wild Card standings, as they sit 4.5 games behind the Mariners for the final spot. The Halos host the Rangers and the Diamondbacks this week, needing wins to be a part of the season moving forward. If they continue to stumble, it will be another deadline as sellers in Anaheim.

#24: Minnesota Twins (-)

The Twins dropped two of three against the Marlins and took two of three from the Rays this week. That shows the roller coaster nature of this season in Minnesota. They have some impressive wins, with series wins against the Rays, Mets, and Giants on their resume. They also have confounding losses, losing series to the Braves, Cardinals, and Marlins. Byron Buxton is going to the All-Star Game, and Minnesota is wasting a healthy season from its star CF. The Twins finish the first half against the Cubs and Pirates at home.

#25: Miami Marlins (+1)

The final tier of the MLB Power Rankings is topped by the Marlins, who recently won eight consecutive games . They started the week by taking a set against the Twins, but dropped two of three against the Brewers to end the week. Kyle Stowers continued his excellent season with a .286 batting average and 1.000 OPS in the six games this week. He is their lone All-Star representative, as he was named as a reserve on the NL team, marking his first Mid-Summer Classic appearance. Miami finishes the first half on the road against the Reds and the Orioles.

#26: Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)

Even though the Pirates swept the Cardinals this week, they drop one spot in the MLB Power Rankings. They did not score a single run in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Mariners this weekend. They picked up only 12 hits in the three games against a great Seattle pitching staff. But still, Pittsburgh should be embarrassed by the results of this weekend. That includes a blown Paul Skenes start, which featured five shutout innings. They continue their road trip against the Royals and Twins this week.

#27: Athletics (-)

The Athletics took a series from the Rays and lost a series to the Giants this week to stay in the bottom tier of the rankings. Brent Rooker was named to his second All-Star team amid a 24-game stretch with a .284 average and .928 OPS. But their pitching is still a massive problem, as Luis Severino logged his third consecutive start allowing five or more earned runs. He now has an AL-leading ten losses and a 5.30 ERA. They host the Braves and the Blue Jays to finish out the first half.

#28: Washington Nationals (-)

The Nationals became the fourth team to fire their manager this year when they canned Dave Martinez . General manager Mike Rizzo was also fired, ending his two-decade run with the organization. The duo that led the Nats to their lone World Series title is gone, and a new era is starting in the Nation's Capital. That includes All-Star and Home Run Derby participant James Wood, who hit .364 with a .962 OPS this week. Washington took two from the Tigers but were swept by the Red Sox, ending Martinez's run with the team. They visit the Cardinals and Brewers before the break.

#29: Chicago White Sox (-)

The White Sox were swept by the Dodgers, but took two of three against the Rockies to finish the week. They are 30-60 on the season, good enough for last place in the American League, and don't appear to be heading up. The MLB Trade Deadline should heavily feature the White Sox again, even if Luis Robert Jr. is hurt when it comes around. They host the Blue Jays and Guardians, looking to end the first half on a high note.

#30: Colorado Rockies (-)

The Rockies continue to be the worst team in the history of organized baseball. Before the season, the 2024 White Sox held that distinction with 41 wins. Colorado is 21-69, which is a 162-game pace of 37.9, on pace to beat that record. That includes two losses to those White Sox this weekend, smashing another chance to even gain momentum. Hunter Goodman is their lone All-Star representative, with an .843 OPS. Colorado finishes the first half on the road against the Red Sox and Reds.

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