MLB Power Rankings, Award Tracker: Yankees move up, Ohtani leads star-studded Cy Young race

Each week, The California Post will power rank MLB’s 30 teams and check in on one intriguing awards race. Here is this week’s edition (records through Friday afternoon):

1.) Braves (39-19)

Chris Sale certainly seemed fired up in his return to Fenway Park this week, throwing his fastball almost two ticks harder than normal in a rubber-match win over the Red Sox. The victory helped the Braves avoid what would have been back-to-back series losses for the first time this year. Thus, they remain our top-ranked team. (Last week: 1st)

2.) Dodgers (37-20)

Shohei Ohtani was dropping F-bombs on the mound, and Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández were injured … but nothing to be worried about here, as the Dodgers are starting to widen their lead in the National League West. (Last week: 2nd) 

3.) Yankees (35-22)

The Yankees move up thanks to the return of Gerrit Cole. After missing all of last year with Tommy John surgery, the former Cy Young winner has pitched 12 ⅔ scoreless innings in his first two starts since returning. (Last week: 4th)

4.) Rays (35-19)

Nerdball is back. As detailed in a viral video from Baseball Doesn’t Exist, the Rays are finding market inefficiencies in small-ball offense and untraditional starting staff. How sustainable it proves to be, however, remains the question, with the Rays having suffered a four-game losing streak after a 22-4 stretch. (Last week: 3rd)

5.) Brewers (34-20)

If these were pearl-clutching rankings, the Brewers would be No. 1, as manager Pat Murphy said he was “embarrassed” by Abner Uribe’s crotch-chop celebration in a win over the Cardinals this week. (Last week: 5th)  

6.) Phillies (29-28)

For all the attention the Phillies’ offense got during their poor start to the season, their rotation had suffered an equally dismal opening month, ranking third to last in ERA. This month, however, the unit has the league’s third-best ERA — thanks largely to a club-record 44 ⅔-inning scoreless streak by Cristopher Sanchez. (Last week: 8th)

7.) Cubs (31-27)

The mercurial Cubs are having quite the roller-coaster season. They are just the second team in MLB history with two 10-game winning streaks, and a 10-game losing streak, and they’ve done it all within the first two months of the season. You never know which way their campaign is turning next. (Last week: 6th)

8.) Cardinals (30-25)

Dustin May took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Brewers, and the Cardinals found a way to lose. Yeah, the Cardinals have become that team –– though they continue to outpace expectations. (Last week: 7th)

9.) Guardians (34-25)

Our sincerest condolences to Taylor Swift, as fiancé Travis Kelce’s purchase of a minority stake in the franchise means she might have to spend time in Cleveland. At least the team remains a winning product on the field. (Last week: 9th)

10.) Diamondbacks (31-25)

The Dbacks did exactly what they were supposed to with a 13-game stretch against the Rockies and Giants, winning 11 times to inject life back into their season. Uncoincidentally, Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll have ranked top 10 in OPS in the majors during that stretch. When they are going, that’s what the Dbacks can do. (Last week: 15th)

11.) Padres (32-24)

As expected for a team with a negative run differential and the worst team batting average in baseball, the Padres have come back to earth. A recent four-game losing streak and 2-6 stretch have sent them from first place to 4 ½ games back in the NL West in less than two weeks. (Last week: 10th)

12.) Pirates (30-28)

This tells you everything you need to know about the still-above-.500 but also suddenly last-place Pirates: The leading story on their official website on Friday morning was about No. 1 prospect Seth Hernández’s start in Class A. (Last week: 11th)

13.) Reds (29-27)

A Reds television reporter tried a limited-edition Skyline Chili Egg Roll at Citi Field and described it as “below mid.” Well, duh. Skyline Chili is gross. (Last week: 12th)

14.) White Sox (30-27)

Just when the whole industry was looking so wrong on a player, including the White Sox, who signed Munetaka Murakami for only two years, the 20-homer Japanese slugger is likely headed for the IL with a hamstring injury. (Last week: 14th)

15.) Mariners (29-29)

Someone has to win the AL West, which almost two months into the season has zero teams above .500. So why not the Mariners, who have so many good starters that they are using three-time All-Star Luis Castillo in a piggyback role; albeit to his chagrin. (Last week: 16th)

16.) Blue Jays (29-29)

The slowly resurgent Blue Jays have continued to right the ship lately, winning two more series this week to claw themselves back to .500. In the last two weeks, they have a top-five team ERA (Last week: 19th)

17.) Athletics (27-30)

Highly regarded prospect Gage Jump was called up to majors this week. Unfortunately, that means he’s now pitching in a worse home ballpark than he did in Triple-A. (Last week: 13th)

18.) Nationals (29-29)

We’ve been hesitant to believe in the Nationals, but two months into the season, they are only 2 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot. They remain MLB’s highest-scoring offense (Last week: 21st)

19.) Rangers (26-31)

You know what doesn’t help a struggling offense? Playing from behind. Too bad the Rangers — who have lost six of their last seven –– have the highest first-inning ERA in the majors this year. (Last week: 17th)

20.) Astros (26-33)

This week in Just Baseball Things: Not only did the team with the worst team ERA in the American League throw the majors’ first no-hitter since 2024. But they did so with a starting pitcher, Tatsuya Imai, who previously had an ERA over 8.00 and a reliever, Alimber Santa (great name alert), who was making his MLB debut. Suddenly, Houston is just three games out of first place. (Last week: 26th)

21.) Mets (24-33)

Juuuuust when the Mets seemed to be turning a corner, they got swept in Miami and dropped two of three at home to the Reds. Injuries might be most to blame now. But time is nonetheless running out on this $379 million roster. Maybe the MLBPA should use them as a counterexample to MLB’s salary cap proposal. (Last week: 18th)

22.) Red Sox (23-33)

Speaking of struggling big-market teams that have failed to sustain momentum, the Red Sox have lost five of six and were swept at home by the Twins. Worse than that, the iconic Citgo sign is going dark for the next six months in preparation for being moved. Apparently, even it knows this season is looking like a lost cause. (Last week: 20th)

23.) Twins (27-31)

Frankly, the Twins should probably be ahead of the Red Sox given their recent head-to-head matchup. Alas, they have much more ground to make up to be anything other than sellers at the deadline. (Last week: 22nd)

24.) Orioles (26-32)

Will the emergence of rookie catcher Samuel Basallo lead to former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman being shipped out at the trade deadline? (Last week: 23rd)

25.) Marlins (26-32)

At what point do these losers apologize to former general manager Kim Ng and beg her to return? (Last week: 25th)

26.) Royals (22-35)

Bobby Witt Jr. is in danger of becoming the Mike Trout of his generation. (Last week: 24th)

27.) Giants (22-35)

The Giants have been pretending to be contenders for much of the last half-decade. Now, local media are starting to ask if it’s time for a real rebuild — and with good reason. (Last week: 27th)

28.) Angels (22-36)

A sincere thank-you from all of us at The California Post to the Angels — or, more accurately, reviled owner Arte Moreno — for providing excellent back-page fodder in the paper this past week. (Last week: 30th)