After a perfect 6-0 week, the San Francisco Giants moved past the Washington Nationals for the second-best record in the National League and moved up to No. 2 in the rankings. Can they make any kind of a serious run at the Cubs?
The American League's best record belongs to the Texas Rangers, who stayed at No. 4 this week.
This week's voters are Eric Karabell of ESPN Fantasy, Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, David Schoenfield of the SweetSpot Blog Network/ESPN.com, Christina Kahrl (ESPN.com editor and SweetSpot blogger) and Mark Simon of ESPN Stats & Information. Most of the team comments come courtesy of the SweetSpot Blog Network.
Past rankings: Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason
1. Chicago Cubs
Record: 47-20Week 10 ranking: No. 1
The Cubs ended the week with a sweep of the Pirates and currently have their largest division lead (12½ games) since 1929. -- ESPN.com
2. San Francisco Giants
Record: 44-26Week 10 ranking: No. 5
Don't look now, but the Giants have made a run at the Cubs for the best record in the NL, ripping off nine wins in their past 10 games. Johnny Cueto continues to dazzle while Buster Posey and Brandon Belt are driving the offense for San Francisco yet again. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the 'Zona
3. Washington Nationals
Record: 43-27Week 10 ranking: No. 2
Shawn Kelley replaces the injured Jonathan Papelbon as closer, but the question: Should he keep the job even when Papelbon returns? He has allowed a .548 OPS this season compared to Papelbon's .738 mark. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot
4. Texas Rangers
Record: 45-25Week 10 ranking: No. 4
Texas has been finding ways to come from behind late in games, culminating in building a 8½ game lead in the AL West after Sunday's win in St. Louis. The last time the Rangers had that kind of lead in the division? At the end of 2011, their last World Series season. -- Brandon Land (@onestrikeaway), One Strike Away
5. Boston Red Sox
Record: 39-29Week 10 ranking: No. 3
Is Dustin Pedroia a Hall of Famer? It's his 11th full season at the keystone, and yet again, he has been above average at the plate and in the field. Almost a third of the way through it, the eight-year, $110 million extension he signed before 2014 is looking like a sound investment for the Red Sox. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the 'Zona
6. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 39-33Week 10 ranking: No. 13
From May 27 to June 18, Toronto averaged over six runs per game, slashing .273/.359/.513 and going 15-7 in the process. Through Saturday they were playing .580 ball versus righty starters (29-21) but were one game under .500 against lefties (10-11). -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit
7. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 40-28Week 10 ranking: No. 6
Out of the leadoff spot, Adam Jones isn't getting on base a ton (.310 OBP). But he is hitting for power, with eight home runs in June (tied for second in the majors). -- Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer), Camden Depot
8. Cleveland Indians
Record: 38-30Week 10 ranking: No. 10
The Indians started the week getting swept by Kansas City, including wasting a fantastic start by Josh Tomlin on Thursday. However, the regained their equilibrium and sole possession of first place by taking out their frustrations against the White Sox with a Carlos Santana walk-off home run on Friday and a 13-2 romp on Saturday. -- Susan Petrone, It's Pronounced Lajaway
9. New York Mets
Record: 36-32Week 10 ranking: No. 7
The Mets were tied for first going into the last weekend of May; they're 8-11 since and have slipped to third place, six games behind the division-leading Nationals. The Mets' offense is 28th in MLB in runs scored (250), 27th in batting average (.236) and dead last in batting average with runners in scoring position (.210). -- Joe Janish (@metstoday), MetsToday.com
10. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 35-33Week 10 ranking: No. 8
Fans were calling for Mike Matheny's job after he intentionally walked the go-ahead run on Sunday ... and had the move backfire. They lost all three games to the Rangers by one run and now head to Wrigley Field for a three-game series. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot
11. Kansas City Royals
Record: 38-31Week 10 ranking: No. 15
They've followed an eight-game losing streak by winning eight of nine, including three of four from the Tigers over the weekend. They're a half-game behind the Indians even though the rotation has allowed the most home runs in the majors. Not surprisingly, the bullpen is second in the majors in win probability added. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot
12. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 38-33Week 10 ranking: No. 11
Los Angeles needs better contributions from the back end of its rotation. Through Saturday, Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda were a combined 16-5 with a 2.06 ERA and 0.829 WHIP. All other starters were 9-16 with a 4.74 ERA and 1.366 WHIP. -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit
13. Seattle Mariners
Record: 36-33Week 10 ranking: No. 9
Seattle is just 6-12 in June as they've fallen 8½ games behind Texas in the division, with Houston gaining ground on them too. With King Felix already on the shelf, the M's were dealt another blow when Wade Miley hit the DL with shoulder trouble this week, adding to the team's early-summer woes. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the 'Zona
14. Miami Marlins
Record: 37-32Week 10 ranking: No. 16
Rockies pitching seems to cure what has been ailing Giancarlo Stanton this season. His five hits in the first two games of the weekend series versus Colorado brought his career line against them to .356/.458/.738. Miami's 36-32 mark through Saturday is their best 68-game start since 2004. -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit
15. Detroit Tigers
Record: 34-35Week 10 ranking: No. 17
Offseason acquisition Justin Upton has almost as many strikeouts (89) as total bases (92) through Saturday, but he may finally be turning things around. He brought a nine-game hitting streak into Sunday's game and has four extra base hits, including two home runs, in the past week. -- Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers
16. New York Yankees
Record: 34-35Week 10 ranking: No. 14
Yankees fans were hoping their team could make up some ground by beating up on the lowly Rockies and Twins, but instead the Yanks managed to go only 3-3 on their road trip. Now, they return home to play two more against the Rockies and three against the Twins, so maybe this week will be different. And maybe this time, if the Yankees get to .500 again, they can actually stay there. -- Stacey Gotsulias (@StaceGots), It's About the Money
17. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 33-36Week 12 ranking: No. 12
In his second big league start, Jameson Taillon faced the Mets (again) -- holding them to two hits, one walk and no runs in eight sparkling innings, the lone bright spot for Pittsburgh this week. The team dropped to 4-14 in June following Sunday's loss to the Cubs. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the 'Zona
18. Houston Astros
Record: 34-36Week 10 ranking: No. 19
After stumbling out of the gate to a 7-17 record in April, they're 27-19 since. Despite the struggles of Ken Giles in some key moments, the bullpen actually leads the majors in win probability added (a 7-4 record in extra innings has helped). -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot
19. Chicago White Sox
Record: 33-36Week 10 ranking: No. 18
After a surprisingly good start to the season, Mat Latos looked like the weak spot in an otherwise strong Chicago rotation. But his replacement, James Shields, has pitched to a 21.80 ERA in three starts and the White Sox were swept over the weekend by Cleveland. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the 'Zona
20. Colorado Rockies
Record: 32-36Week 10 ranking: No. 21
The Rockies have drawn at least three walks in each game since June 11. They're now fifth in the league in on-base percentage at .332 and second in home OBP at .365, However, their road OBP is just .302. -- Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers
21. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 31-36Week 10 ranking: No. 20
Striking out 30.5 percent and walking only 8.6 percent of batters over the past week, the Rays starters have started to get back on track, but it comes at a time when the offense has regressed back to a home run or bust mentality. Another issue is that their second-best reliever, Erasmo Ramirez, hasn't been his dominant self in over a month. -- Jason Hanselman, The Process Report
22. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 32-39Week 10 ranking: No. 25
On the verge of falling out of the playoff picture entirely, the D-backs have snagged wins in six of their past eight contests. The pitching staff has started to click while the bats have netted five runs per game of late, making Arizona's position as a buyer or seller unclear as the trade deadline approaches. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the 'Zona
23. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 31-39Week 10 ranking: No. 23
The Brewers didn't begin their West Coast trip in the prettiest of ways as they were swept in a three-game series by the Giants. However, with Matt Garza now inserted back into the starting rotation, the team will look to rebound moving forward -- Gabe Stoltz (@Stoltzy3), Disciples of Uecker
24. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 31-38Week 10 ranking: No. 24
Tim Lincecum's debut was a success as he allowed one run and four hits in six innings (although he recorded just two strikeouts). Considering the Angels' record, however, you wonder if he ultimately ends up as trade bait. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot
25. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 30-40Week 10 ranking: No. 22
On May 18, the Phillies were seven games over .500 at 24-17. Up to that point, they'd received stellar pitching while facing a soft schedule. Since then? They are 6-23 as the schedule got tougher, the pitching got a bit less shiny and the hitting remained corroded. -- Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers
26. Oakland Athletics
Record: 28-41Week 10 ranking: No. 26
Daniel Mengden, a fourth-round pick in 2014, has looked good in his first two starts, and we don't just mean the Rollie Fingers-esque mustache. He'll hit 95 on his fastball and has 12 K's in 12 innings after posting a 1.32 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot
27. San Diego Padres
Record: 29-42Week 10 ranking: No. 27
Since the start of June through Saturday, the Padres had scored 91 times in 17 games, tying them for the second most in the league and fifth in the majors. San Diego was batting .282/.329/.458 since June 1 and Wil Myers leads the majors with nine homers in June. -- Diane Firstman (@dianagram), Value Over Replacement Grit
28. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 27-43Week 10 ranking: No. 28
Top prospect Cody Reed (23 years old) struck out nine batters in seven innings in his major league debut over the weekend. Currently, three-fifths of the Reds' rotation is comprised of the three pitchers Cincinnati received in last summer's Johnny Cueto trade. All are age 25 or younger. -- Chad Dotson (@dotsonc), Redleg Nation
29. Atlanta Braves
Record: 23-46Week 10 ranking: No. 30
The Braves have won four in a row while riding the red-hot Freddie Freeman, whose first-ever cycle at the beginning of the streak may have lit the fire that's currently fueling the team. Atlanta also has gotten three straight quality starts from the young trio of Matt Wisler, John Gant and Aaron Blair. -- Martin Gandy (@gondeee), Chop County
30. Minnesota Twins
Record: 21-48Week 10 ranking: No. 29
The Twins learned last week that three-time All-Star Glen Perkins, long bothered by shoulder issues, has a torn labrum and will require surgery. His season is over, his future is in doubt, and the Twins can add "closer" to the list of places they now must find answers going forward. -- Nick Nelson (@NickNelsonMN), TwinsDaily
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