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To mark the first official weekend of summer, the MLB has arranged some truly scintillating matchups over the next week. With June wrapping up, several of the league's top teams are looking to stay ahead as the postseason approaches.
Today, we will be profiling MLB's top-performing teams and levying some predictions as to how the MLB standings might look at the culmination of Week 13 of action.
MLB Power Rankings Predictions - Week 13
10. Minnesota Twins
Since June 12, the Minnesota Twins' .312 batting average has led MLB. In that span of time, the team has also seen its fortunes turn. Although it remains third in the AL Central, manager Rocco Baldelli's team has shown a poise that could very well land it within the league's top 10 by the end of the week.
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9. Kansas City Royals
Last year, the Kansas City Royals only managed to win 54 games. For this reason, people around the league were shocked when they put up a 33-22 record in April and May. Though the Royals have cooled down a bit, they still possess a top-10 rotation. Additionally, Bobby Witt Jr., with his 12 home runs and .312 batting average, has made a huge impact.
"Bobby Witt Jr. connects for his tenth homer of the season!" - Foul Territory
8. Seattle Mariners
The more the season goes on, the more the Seattle Mariners look like they are destined to win the AL West for the first time since 2001. Now 7.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros in their division, pitching continues to be the big story for Seattle.
The team's 3.40 ERA over the past month is the second-best in the AL, and pitchers like Logan Gilbert and George Kirby are having especially strong showings lately.
7. Atlanta Braves
After a slow start to the season that saw multiple injuries to the team's top names, the Atlanta Braves continue to battle it out. Having now put together a handy, four-game winning streak, Atlanta has hit 14 home runs over the past seven days, constituting the most in the National League.
In the absence of Ronald Acuna Jr., DH Marcell Ozuna has stepped up and continues to place very near the top of MLB in terms of homers and RBIs.
"MLB #BravesCountry Marcell Ozuna HR #19 !!!!" - Bastards of Fantasy
6. Milwaukee Brewers
Manager Pat Murphy has had a positive effect on the Milwaukee Brewers since assuming his position at the start of the season. Milwaukee's 105 steals and 278 walks rank second and third in MLB, respectively, and speak volumes about the strategic game that Murphy is employing.
Underwhelming pitching campaigns from Colin Rea and Freddy Peralta have been supplemented by good hitting from Christian Yelich, Willy Adames and especially William Contreras, whose 90 hits rank him fifth in MLB in the category.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
The success of the Los Angeles Dodgers this season is not particularly difficult to understand. Even with Mookie Betts set to miss significant time with a fractured wrist, bookmakers still have LA finishing strong.
"Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 94mph Fastball and 80mph Curveball, Overlay" - Pitching Ninja
The reason is fundamental. The team has combined top-level pitching with Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with a diverse array of potent hitters. Although Shohei Ohtani's .322 average currently leads MLB, the fact that the Dodgers rank third in the category overall shows they have got production from several sources.
4. Cleveland Guardians
Now on a three-game winning streak, the Cleveland Guardians have not relinquished their spot at the rarified end of the MLB standings for months. For Cleveland, the effectiveness of the bullpen is a huge reason the team owns a 47-26 record.
Closer Emmanuel Clase is leading the league in saves for a third straight season, and the team's league-best 2.33 combined reliever ERA is the best in baseball by a considerable margin.
3. Baltimore Orioles
The fact that the Baltimore Orioles outscored the Yankees 26-13 in their three-game series this week speaks volumes. Baltimore is a scary team. The MLB leaders in home runs and slugging percentage, the O's have 172 runs over the past month, which is more than any other team.
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson continues to lead the way and is now hitting .284/.381/.610 with 24 home runs and 53 RBIs on the season.
"Gunnar Henderson swats his second homer of the game, his 24th of the year." - MLB
2. New York Yankees
While the New York Yankees continue to sit atop the American League standings, their series loss to the Orioles this week was telling. Now having to deal with injuries to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, as well as several ailments in their bullpen, some are beginning to think the team is over-reliant on the high-producing tandem of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
With a record of 49-26, the Phillies are a game behind the Yankees in the overall standings at the time of writing. However, upcoming series against the Tigers and Marlins will provide a chance for Philly to get back on top.
Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm are all hitting over .350 for the past fortnight, and the Phillies' pitching corps is, frankly, the best in the league. Expect manager Rob Thomson's team to regain its spot at the top in Week 13.
