MLB Top 10: Yankees, Astros looking nearly unstoppable
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
This was a wild week in baseball. Good teams lost, not-so-great teams won, and that means a shakeup in the power rankings.
Let’s get into this week's MLB Top 10.
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Ben Verlander breaks down his MLB Power Rankings for Week 6, with the New York Yankees at the top once again.
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The Blue Jays have fallen down this list and are barely hanging on to the final spot. Their offense has the potential to be the best in baseball, and their pitching staff has the potential to be great. But as of now, it's just potential. They have been really struggling lately.
The Rays are coming off a big series win against the Jays, whom many picked to win the AL East. But never — and I mean never — count out the Rays. They currently find themselves toward the top of one of the best divisions in baseball.
The NL West is jam-packed with talent, and entering Sunday, the Giants were on pace to win 98 games. Following a season in which many believed the Giants overachieved, they are proving that it was no fluke.
The Brewers are atop the NL Central, even though they've been playing just .500 ball of late. This team, with the starting rotation as good as it is, is capable of staying afloat even without hitting great. Then, when the offense start clicking, the Brewers rattle off a bunch of wins.
Milwaukee's offense can be hit or miss (literally), but the pitching staff will keep the team in it.
I don’t want to give all the credit to the manager, but Bob Melvin certainly deserves a lot of praise for the success of the Padres to start the season. He took over a very talented roster that needed to learn how to win, and now they are doing just that. Manny Machado having an MVP-like season also helps the cause.
The Dodgers saved themselves from a disastrous, four-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies with a miraculous, come-from-behind victory Sunday. They haven’t been playing great, but their record is still impressive, and we know they have the potential to be the best team in baseball.
The Mets keep getting injuries thrown at them but are still tied for the second-most wins in baseball and have a different feel to them this year. They need to get healthy, but this team is extremely talented and a lot of fun to watch.
For the first time in my power rankings, the Angels are higher than their Southern California rivals. They have been so much fun to watch this year and are pitching better than they have in a long time.
The Angels have three legitimate MVP candidates right now in Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Taylor Ward, along with much-needed depth in the lineup. This Angels team is different than its predecessors.
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Ben Verlander discusses Shohei Ohtani’s standout performance against the Tampa Bay Rays and evaluates Ohtani's candidacy for the AL Cy Young Award.
One week after the Yankees' 11-game winning streak, the Astros matched them. And over the course of Houston's 11 victories, the pitching staff compiled six shutouts.
Jose Altuve coming back from the injured list has been exactly what Houston needed, and the entire team is off and running. The Astros are showing why they are and have been the best team in the AL West for years.
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Ben Verlander discusses how the Houston Astros continue to be an elite team. The Astros have been hounded by the Angels all season but keep showing that they are the top team in the AL West.
The Yankees are the best team in baseball right now. Aaron Judge is playing like an MVP, Gerrit Cole is dominating on the mound, and the pieces around them are playing great. In baseball, it’s pretty simple: You throw the ball, you hit the ball, and you catch the ball. If you can do those three things, your team is going to be pretty good.
Well, the Yankees are doing those things better than any other team, they have the most wins in baseball, and they are at the top of my power rankings for the third straight week.
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Ben Verlander's buy or sell for this week includes Josh Naylor's home run celebration, Anthony Rendon's left-handed home run, Aaron Judge as the season's home run king and more.
Here’s to another exciting week of Major League Baseball!
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter at @BenVerlander.