MLB Power Rankings: Yankees climb to No. 1; Cubs continue to slide

Tim Brown
·MLB columnist

World Book Day was a couple weeks back. Our required summer reading:

The rankings (records through Wednesday’s games):

1. New York Yankees (21-10; Previous: 7): The Runaway Girardi.

2. Washington Nationals (22-12; Previous: 1): Lobatonement.

3. Houston Astros (23-11; Previous: 2): The Gurriel on a Train.

4. Baltimore Orioles (22-11; Previous: 3): The Green Miley.

5. Colorado Rockies (22-13; Previous: 6): The Color Purple.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have won five straight and jumped by the Chicago Cubs in our Power Rankings. (Getty Images)

6. Los Angeles Dodgers (20-14; Previous: 10): The Old Man and the Seager.

7. Boston Red Sox (17-16; Previous: 5): One Fish, Two Fish, Red Sox Fish, Blue Fish.

8. Cleveland Indians (18-15; Previous: 8): Yan Quixote.

9. Chicago Cubs (17-17; Previous: 4): Maddon Libs.

10. Arizona Diamondbacks (19-16; Previous: 9): Lovullo in the Time of Cholera.

11. St. Louis Cardinals (19-14; Previous: 15): Aledmys Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

12. Cincinnati Reds (18-15; Previous: 17): Of Price and Men.

13. New York Mets (16-17; Previous: 11): The Five People You Meet in Blevins.

14. Chicago White Sox (15-16; Previous: 21): Hahn with the Wind.

15. Minnesota Twins (16-14; Previous: 27): The Sano Also Rises.

16. Detroit Tigers (16-16; Previous: 13): 1984.

17. Milwaukee Brewers (18-16; Previous: 19): The Thaming of the Shrew.

18. Tampa Bay Rays (17-19; Previous: 14): The Catcher in the Ray.

19. Seattle Mariners (17-17; Previous: 20): Haniger Games.

Texas Rangers
The Rangers continue to slide, falling eight spots in this week’s rankings. (Getty Images)

20. Texas Rangers (15-20; Previous: 12): A Tale of Yu Cities.

21. Miami Marlins (13-20; Previous: 16): Bour and Peace.

22. Los Angeles Angels (17-19; Previous: 25): The Tender Escobar.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates (14-20; Previous: 18): The Fault in Our Starling.

24. Oakland Athletics (16-18; Previous: 24): Winnie the Doo.

25. Philadelphia Phillies (13-19; Previous: 26): Angela’s Altherr.

26. San Diego Padres (13-22; Previous: 29): Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margot.

27. San Francisco Giants (12-23; Previous: 22): The Boys in the Bochy.

28. Toronto Blue Jays (13-21; Previous: 23): Pillars of the Earth.

29. Atlanta Braves (11-20; Previous: 30): The Great Dansby.

30. Kansas City Royals (12-21; Previous: 28): Yost Horizon.

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