MLB Power Rankings: Braves leapfrog Mets for top-five spot

By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst

We’re on the midway mark of the 2022 MLB season, and no division has my eye greater than the NL East.

Just one month in the past, the Mets held a ten.5-game lead over the Atlanta Braves. At the beginning of July, the Braves have minimize that result in 3.5 video games.

The Braves put collectively among the best months in crew historical past with a 21-6 report, which matched their most wins in a month since they moved to Atlanta in 1966. They are definitely taking part in higher than the Mets in the intervening time, however the Mets are on the verge of getting again two of the very best pitchers within the sport.

This race is heating up, and I can’t wait to observe it play out.

MLB Power Rankings: Yankees, Astros, Dodgers lead this week’s listing

Ben Verlander offers us his MLB Power Rankings after Week 13, which embody the Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres.

Watch “Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander” on YouTube, or subscribe on podcast platforms, together with Apple Podcasts

10. Minnesota Twins

The Twins are atop the AL Central, however the division-favorite White Sox are taking part in significantly better of late. The Twins want some arms to assist full their crew, and if they’re severe about successful the division, they should be big-time consumers on the commerce deadline. For now, they’re a enjoyable crew to observe, and so they’re holding down the highest spot within the division by a thread.

9. St. Louis Cardinals

Last week, the Cardinals hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs for simply the eleventh time in historical past. They would profit from one other arm within the rotation, however their offense — led by MVP front-runner Paul Goldschmidt — is holding them within the thick of issues within the NL Central.

The Cardinals hit 4 house runs in a row for the eleventh time in MLB historical past

The St. Louis Cardinals hit 4 house runs in a row for the eleventh time in MLB historical past within the first inning, with Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carlson all going deep.

8. Toronto Blue Jays

This season, the Blue Jays’ offense leads MLB in OPS, and within the month of June, they scored a league-leading 170 runs. Their offense is why Toronto might be taking part in baseball in October; the pitching, however, has some questions.

7. Milwaukee Brewers

Unlike the groups behind the Brewers on this week’s energy rankings, Milwaukee does it in a distinct trend: by dominating on the pitching aspect. For some time, the Brewers have been with out two of their large three pitchers within the beginning rotation, however now they’ve Brandon Woodruff again to kind a 1-2 punch with Corbin Burnes, and so they have not skipped a beat.

6. San Diego Padres

The Padres bumped into the Dodgers this previous weekend and located themselves simply a few outs from getting swept in a four-game sequence. Luckily for them, they battled again and located a approach to win Sunday, saving themselves from a disastrous sequence in opposition to their division rivals. The Padres’ pitching has been great, as they lead baseball in strikeouts. But in the event that they wish to compete with the Dodgers within the NL West, they want Fernando Tatis Jr.

5. New York Mets

The Mets want Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer again in a rush now that the Atlanta Braves are respiration down their necks. I needed to bump the Mets down after a tough exhibiting in opposition to the Houston Astros over the previous week and a half, however they might shortly bounce again with their co-aces poised to return.

Battle for the NL East crown heats up

Ben Verlander talks concerning the battle between the Mets and Braves within the NL East. The Braves are again in enterprise with key performances from Dansby Swanson, Ronald Acuna Jr. and others, whereas the Mets anticipate the returns of Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom.

4. Atlanta Braves

For the primary time because the first week of the season, the Braves are forward of the Mets in my Power Rankings. They received 21 video games in June, which ties a franchise report, and minimize the Mets’ division lead by eight video games over that stretch. The Mets are nonetheless in first within the NL East, however proper now, the Braves are the crew you’d least wish to run into.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers undoubtedly have some points with the accidents they’re coping with, however we noticed how good they’re and the way a lot depth they’ve after they performed the Padres over the weekend. It was the largest sequence of the season thus far for each groups, and the Dodgers dominated. They didn’t have the very best month, however there is no doubt that they’re among the best groups in baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ depth is unparalleled in baseball

Ben Verlander dives into the depth of the Dodgers and their success even with out Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Dustin May and Walker Buehler.

2. Houston Astros

The Astros have been a pressure recently, and that was on full show the previous week and a half. In a bizarre stretch of their schedule, the Astros needed to play the very best crew in every league for 9 straight video games: first at house, then on the highway, after which at house in opposition to each the Yankees and the Mets. During that stretch, the Astros confirmed simply how good they’re. They went 7-2 and dominated in each aspect of the sport.

1. New York Yankees

Despite the Yankees’ dropping three of 5 video games to the Astros, I’m not overthinking the highest spot this week. The Yankees are on tempo to interrupt the MLB wins report, and regardless of the narrowing hole between the primary and second spots, the Yankees are nonetheless the very best crew in baseball. They have an astonishing 34-9 report at house this season, by far the very best in 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 earlier than he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round decide of the Tigers in 2013. He spent 5 years within the Tigers group. Follow him on Twitter @BenVerlander.