2023 MLB Power Rankings - Week 13 - All-Star Starters edition
The Friday morning edition of "Ten things to know before 10 AM" is here!
James Harden heading to the Los Angeles Clippers? Kyrie Irving joining the trio of Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix? Damian Lillard going to South Beach and hoop up with the reigning Eastern Conference champions in the Miami Heat? The NBA rumors are at high mast as we are just hours away from the start of the free agency period. But… The NBA content will be on hold until reporters like Adrian Wojnarowski and/or Shams Charania tweet out the official stories Saturday-onwards.
We are also almost nearing the traditional halfway point of the MLB season. The MLB All-Star starters were just announced last night, and the full rosters for both the National and American Leagues will be named this Sunday. I will be listing the All-Star starters for those Playoff Ranking teams, now that those have been posted.
Biggest jump: Los Angeles Dodgers (+3 from Unranked —> #8)
Biggest tumble: Arizona Diamondbacks (-2 from #4 —> #4)
Dropped from rankings: Los Angeles Angels (lost five of their last nine games)
1. Atlanta Braves (53-27) | Last Week: 2 | Change: +1 | L10: 9-1
At long last, a new number one! The Braves have continued their sizzling summer, only losing one game since last week’s Power Rankings, while the Rays have stumbled (5-5 record in their last 10 games). National League MVP favorite Ronald Acuna Jr. has continued to rake (19 home runs and 35 stolen bases), and is projected to hit 40 HRs and steal 70 bases! Only four players all-time have had a 40/40 season (Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Alfonso Soriano), and A-Rod led the pack with 46 bases. So, this is rarified air for the current Braves’ outfielder. I also have to add that first baseman Matt Olson has been on a home run tear, leading the NL with 26 HRs of his own, after hitting seven long bombs over the past 10 days.
All-Star starters: C Sean Murphy; SS Orlando Arcia; and OF Ronald Acuna Jr.
Toughest upcoming series: This weekend series against the Miami Marlins (48-34)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (56-28) | Last Week: 1 | Change from last week: -1 | Last 10 games: 5-5
The Rays’ slide continues, as they have had a win-loss pattern for the past six games following their season-worst three-game losing streak, prior to last night. The Rays now only stand a full game ahead of the near-unstoppable Braves. The Rays surprisingly split (2-2) the last weekend series against the second-worst team in baseball in the Kansas City Royals (22-57), and got shellacked by the Arizona Diamondbacks (48-32) 8-4 on Tuesday night. What has gone wrong? Well, their starting pitchers have only gone 4.8 innings deep during this 3-6 run over the past nine games, giving up 3.9 runs during this span. Yonny Chirinos has been the biggest culprit, as he has allowed 15 hits and 13 runs, while walking four batters and striking out only six in two starts during this tumble.
All-Star starters: 1B Yandy Diaz and OF Randy Arozarena
Toughest upcoming series: Fourth of July weekday series (July 4-6) against the Philadelphia Phillies (43-37)
3. Texas Rangers (49-32) | Last Week: 5 | Change: +2 | L10: 5-5
The Rangers still hold a commanding 5.5 game lead in the AL West, and just won two straight against the Detroit Tigers (34-45), before dropping last night’s game. However, in fantastic news, the team has a 2023 MLB-best four starters selected for the All-Star game in two weeks - and all deservedly get the honor. To note - the entire AL infield (minus first base) is all composed of Rangers’ starters.
All-Star starters: C Jonah Heim; 2B Marcus Semien; SS Corey Seager; and 3B Josh Jung
Toughest upcoming series: This weekend series against the Houston Astros (44-37)
4. Baltimore Orioles (48-32) | Last Week: 3 | Change: -1 | L10: 5-5
Although the Orioles dropped two straight to the Cincinnati Reds (43-38) this week, they did promote two players to their starting lineup for the foreseeable future. One was outfielder Cedric Mullins, who returned on Saturday after missing a month due to a groin injury. The other was their best prospect in 2020 first round pick Jordan Westburg. The latter made his MLB debut on a rainy, muddy Camden Yards on Monday, and he went 1 for 4 with a walk and an RBI. In three games so far, the all-around utility player (Westburg has played 2B and 3B) has gone 5 for 12 (0.417) with a double, two walks and 2 RBI and only one strikeout. Not too shabby for the rookie.
Toughest upcoming series: Fourth of July weekday series (July 3-6) at the New York Yankees (45-36)
5. Miami Marlins (48-34) | Last Week: 7 | Change: +2 | L10: 7-3
The Marlins have quietly won five straight games - two straight against the Pittsburgh Pirates (37-42) and a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox (40-41) - and won 11 of their last 14 games to hold the top NL Wild Card spot. Starting pitching has been their calling card as of late, as the trio of Jesus Luzardo, Eury Perez and Braxton Garrett have allowed a combined 10 earned runs and only three home runs in nine total starts (53 innings pitched) over each starter’s last three games. Just look at the numbers below:
You can clearly see that the Marlins’ ace has been Perez over the last three starts, as he has allowed zero runs and only two walks across 18 innings pitched. In comparison, take a look at 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara’s statistics over his last three spots, as the supposed ‘ace’ of the Marlins:
His ERA is at a career-worst 4.82 this season, compared to his career-best 2.28 ERA in 228 innings pitched last season. But in other good Marlins’ news, they got back MLB: The Show cover player and second baseman-turned-outfielder Jazz Chisholm from injury, as he missed the past month-plus due to a turf toe injury back in mid-May.
All-Star starters: 2B Luis Arraez
Toughest upcoming series: This weekend series at the Atlanta Braves (53-27)
6. Arizona Diamondbacks (48-34) | Last Week: 4 | Change: -2 | L10: 5-5
I have already talked quite a bit about rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll tearing up the basepaths en route to a potential NL Rookie of the Year award. However, his teammate in second baseman Ketel Marte has been on a home run tear as of late. This nine-year pro (his seventh with the Diamondbacks) has had a resurgent season, after a career-worst 0.240 batting average and a career-high 101 strikeouts a year ago. Marte homered in three straight games (June 24-27) against the San Francisco Giants (45-35) and the Rays, and has collected at least one RBI in each of his last six games during this six-game hitting streak. I would be pleasantly surprised if his name was not among the NL All-Star reserves revealed on Sunday.
All-Star starters: OF Corbin Carroll (rookie)
Toughest upcoming series: This weekend series at the Los Angeles Angels (44-39)
7. San Francisco Giants (45-36) | Last Week: 6 | Change: -1 | L10: 6-4
Remember the Giants - the team that won 10 straight at this point last week? Well, that run of good luck came to a screeching halt last Thursday, as they got blasted, 10-0, to the NL West rival San Diego Padres (37-43). The Bay Area team is 3-3 since that blowout loss, as they took two of three against the Diamondbacks over the weekend, but lost the season series to the Blue Jays. If I were to pick an All-Star to represent the Giants in Seattle next month (each MLB team is guaranteed at least one All-Star), I would select closer Camilo Doval, who leads all NL relief pitchers with 23 saves this season, with 52 strikeouts and a sub-2.00 (1.95) ERA.
Toughest upcoming series: None (next three pre-All Star break opponents all have a losing record)
8. Los Angeles Dodgers (44-35) | Last Week: Unranked | Change: +3 | L10: 5-5
The Dodgers are back in the Power Rankings, and are the third consecutive AL West team here. The Southern Californian team has won five of its last seven games, including a weekend series win over the Astros. 16-year veteran Clayton Kershaw continues to tell the world that ‘father time is undefeated,’ as he has allowed zero runs and only five hits in three of his last four starts. He is clearly one of the favorites, yet again, to win the NL Cy Young award - he’s been that good. Just look at his game log over his past four starts below:
The Dodgers, like other teams in this Power Rankings, are getting reinforcements back, as star pitcher Julio Urias (5-4, 4.59 ERA | Last season: 17-7, 2.16 ERA) also returns after a six-week absence on the Injured List with a torn hamstring, as he will be making a start against the Royals on Saturday.
All-Star starters: 1B Freddie Freeman; OF Mookie Betts; and DH J.D. Martinez
Toughest upcoming series: Two-game early July (July 7-8) series against the Los Angeles Angels (44-39)
9. Cincinnati Reds (43-38) | Last Week: 8 | Change: -1 | L10: 7-3
That 12-game winning streak the Reds had last week? That ended this past weekend, as the Reds dropped consecutive 7-6 scores to MLB’s top team in the Braves on Saturday and Sunday. However, despite this minor three-game slide, the Reds are still 14-3 over the past 17 games and 16-5 since promoting potential superstar and rookie shortstop Elly De La Cruz to the roster on June 6. The top of the lineup, which includes 3B Spencer Steer, shortstop Matt McLain and outfielder TJ Friedl, has been torching opposing pitchers. Just look at their well-rounded batting statistics over the past seven days:
McLain has three multi-hit games over his last five, including hitting home runs in three of four games against the Braves and Orioles. Friedl went ham against the Orioles this week, going 6 for 13 at the plate, with two HRs in back-to-back games during this three-game series. He has also collected an impressive six steals against the Braves and Orioles.
Toughest upcoming series: Pre-All Star break weekend series at the Milwaukee Brewers (43-38)
10. Philadelphia Phillies (43-37) | Last Week: 9 | Change: -1 | L10: 7-3
This is the second consecutive week that the three NL East members are in the Power Rankings. The Phillies have won five of their last six games, including a series win against their NL East rivals in the slumping New York Mets (36-44 and NL-worst 7-17 in June) over the weekend and another in a sweep of the Chicago Cubs this week. I have not mentioned the Phillies’ pitching, but starting pitcher Ranger Suarez could be the best pitcher in June. In all five starts against teams like the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks and the Braves, he has gone at least six innings deep, allowing exactly four hits and striking out at least seven batters in four of those starts, and giving up no worse than one earned run in each game during that span. Here is visual proof of those numbers:
Suarez’s next start is on Sunday afternoon at home against the Washington Nationals (32-48). He gave up a June 2023-worst eight hits and struck out a June 2023-worst three batters in his last matchup against the NL East-worst team. Let’s see if he continues his dominance this weekend.
Toughest upcoming series: Fourth of July weekday series (July 4-6) at the Tampa Bay Rays
That will do it for this Friday morning edition of my Snippets. Stay tuned for NBA free agency signees in the coming days and a Wimbledon preview that should be live on Monday morning.
Until next time, signing off.