The Dodgers' reign atop our rankings has been extended another week, as our panel of voters once again unanimously put them in the top perch. But with the Yankees winning 13 of their past 14 games, has a new challenger risen that could unseat L.A. by the All-Star break?
Beyond that power duo, much remained stable in the rankings. The single biggest gain was made by the Rangers, who are up seven slots to crack the top 10. But we also saw significant declines, as the Cardinals sank six slots and out of the top 10 after a five-game losing streak. Whether Texas can make good or the Cardinals rebound, we still have a week before the break to find out.
The other interesting, significant development is that we now have two divisions with three teams in the top 10. While the AL East's trio of the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays has been reliably among MLB's top-ranked teams, the AL West now has the Astros, A's and Rangers there, with Oakland and Texas moving into the top third of the majors. The other four spots are taken by the other four division leaders.
For Week 13, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.
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1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 record: 57-29
Week 12 ranking: 1
Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler were named to the All-Star team, making the Dodgers the fifth team in the past 20 years to have three starting pitchers make it (2018 Astros, 2011 Phillies, 2011 Giants, 2010 Yankees). Not making it but on a roll of late: Julio Urias, who pitched three more scoreless innings in relief in Sunday's win. He hasn't allowed a run in 17 innings in his past seven appearances, which includes four three-inning outings. -- Schoenfield
ICYMI: On pace for 110 wins, is this finally the Dodgers' year?
2. New York Yankees
2019 record: 54-28
Week 12 ranking: 2
The Yankees went to London, and their starting pitchers allowed 10 runs in the first inning in two games -- and the Yankees won both games, thanks to 29 runs of offense. They had two six-run innings on Saturday and a nine-run inning on Sunday. The team's final June hitting stats: .286/.361/.499 and 6.77 runs per game, helping the team to a 17-9 record. -- Schoenfield
ICYMI: Yankees say Stanton likely out until August
3. Minnesota Twins
2019 record: 53-30
Week 12 ranking: 3
The loss of Eddie Rosario for the final week of the first half depletes the outfield depth, but at least a healthy Byron Buxton returns to handle center field. The Twins will miss Rosario's power numbers, but his ankle injury is not serious. A more aggressive Rosario -- fewer walks but fewer whiffs -- is making more and harder contact, has made strides to produce more power and is no longer a liability against left-handed pitching. He broke out in 2017, but this version could be even better. -- Eric Karabell
ICYMI: Twins' Max Kepler leading baseball's charge into Europe
4. Houston Astros
2019 record: 53-32
Week 12 ranking: 4
Houston is as talented and deep as any club in the majors, but even the Astros can absorb only so many injuries. The position players have been especially hard hit the past few weeks, which doesn't explain a pitching staff with an ERA over 6.00 during an ongoing downturn. The relievers (6.40 ERA since June 15) have been especially troublesome. The Astros have dropped nine of 12 and suddenly find themselves looking over their shoulders at the hard-charging Rangers in the AL West race. -- Bradford Doolittle
5. Atlanta Braves
2019 record: 50-35
Week 12 ranking: 5
Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his 20th home run on Sunday, making him the 13th player in MLB history with multiple 20-homer seasons before turning 22 (Tony Conigliaro had three; the others had two). Acuna is also the youngest player to reach 20 HRs and 10 SBs before the All-Star break. Acuna will be joined in the NL starting lineup for the All-Star Game by teammate Freddie Freeman (his second straight All-Star start). Freeman's two-run double on Sunday gave him 33 RBIs for June, the most by a Braves player in a calendar month since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966. (Mark Teixeira had 32 in August 2007.) -- Schoenfield
ICYMI: Where does Acuna rank on Law's 25 under 25?
6. Tampa Bay Rays
2019 record: 48-36
Week 12 ranking: 6
Things can change quickly in baseball. Early on, it looked like Tampa Bay might run away with the AL East. Then it looked like the Rays would at least be going toe-to-toe with the Yankees, with one team angling for the division and the other home field for the coin-flip game. But with injuries wreaking havoc on the Rays' pitching staff and ace Blake Snell suffering through a brutal month of June, Tampa Bay has suddenly rejoined the scrum for the AL wild-card slots, and it's now the Yankees who threaten to run away with the East. The Rays need to right the ship in a hurry, a project that would be greatly helped if Snell can rediscover his form. -- Doolittle
ICYMI: McKay takes perfect game into sixth in his MLB debut
7. Chicago Cubs
2019 record: 45-39
Week 12 ranking: 8
In Cole Hamels and Craig Kimbrel, the Cubs pair up two of the pitching stars of the current decade, with Hamels ranking fourth among starting pitchers by WAR and Kimbrel ranking first among relievers. They were teammates on the active roster exactly one day, a brevity stemming from Hamels' oblique injury that landed him on the IL. The Cubs have said all along that they like their pitching depth. We're going to find out if they had good reason. -- Doolittle
ICYMI: Answering key questions after Kimbrel's first Cubs save
8. Boston Red Sox
2019 record: 44-40
Week 12 ranking: 7
It's hard to talk about the Red Sox these days without talking about their bullpen. For the season, Sox relievers have 17 saves -- and 17 blown saves (only the Mets have more). That matches the highest total of blown saves Boston has had before the All-Star break since the stat became official in 1969. Last year, the Sox had 20 blown saves the entire season. It's safe to assume that Dave Dombrowski is working the phones -- hard. -- Steve Richards
ICYMI: It's time for Red Sox to fix their bullpen issues
9. Oakland Athletics
2019 record: 46-39
Week 12 ranking: 13
The author of the 300th no-hitter in MLB history earlier this season, Mike Fiers is coming off an excellent June to cement his rep as the Athletics' top starter this season. For the month, Fiers went 4-0 with quality starts in all five turns, all games the A's won, and each of them a win after an A's loss. He has an eight-start streak of quality starts, and in his past 10 -- beginning with his no-hitter -- his ERA is 2.39. -- Kahrl
ICYMI: Are the A's MLB's version of the NHL's St. Louis Blues?
10. Texas Rangers
2019 record: 46-38
Week 12 ranking: 17
Maybe the Rangers are going to hang in there after all. Despite losing two of three to the Rays, Texas had a 5-2 week, and Mike Minor, an AL All-Star, keeps rolling along. Minor leads MLB in pitcher WAR (5.7) and the AL in ERA (2.40) and ERA+ (209). Minor's previous career high in ERA+ as a starter was 117 in 2013 with the Braves. So, yeah, this is a career year. -- Richards
ICYMI: Who's the Rangers' first-half unsung hero?
11. Colorado Rockies
2019 record: 44-40
Week 12 ranking: 9
Wade Davis' struggles since his return from the injured list have put the Rockies in a tough spot. He's just 4-for-6 converting saves with a 10.45 ERA in his 11 appearances since activation, costing his team four losses in games the Rockies either led or were tied entering the ninth inning. Meanwhile, Scott Oberg, who filled in during Davis' absence, has been effective during that time span, creating questions about whether a change is in order. -- Tristan H. Cockcroft
ICYMI: Even for homer-happy 2019, offense is out of control at Coors Field
12. Milwaukee Brewers
2019 record: 45-39
Week 12 ranking: 12
The past three weeks have been rough for the Brewers, a slump with one silver lining: The Cubs haven't caught fire, so the NL Central still looks wide-open. There hasn't been one glaring sore spot for Craig Counsell's group. Since the onset of the slump with a loss on June 11, Milwaukee has ranked 22nd in both runs per game and staff ERA. There's no one group to blame, but there are a whole lot of leaks that suddenly need plugging. -- Doolittle
ICYMI: Brewers recall top prospect Hiura, option Shaw
13. Cleveland Indians
2019 record: 45-38
Week 12 ranking: 11
Rookie Oscar Mercado has been the answer the Indians needed to find in center field; they're 10-4 in his starts up the middle, and his .844 OPS and .356 wOBA in June ranked third in the lineup, trailing just Carlos Santana and Francisco Lindor. June also saw Jason Kipnis' bat come back to life but not that of Jose Ramirez (.269 wOBA). -- Kahrl
14. Washington Nationals
2019 record: 42-41
Week 12 ranking: 14
Anthony Rendon is hitting .311/.398/.630, ranking fourth in the NL in wOBA, and was rewarded with his first All-Star selection -- long overdue for one of the game's underrated stars. Not underrated: Max Scherzer, who fanned 14 in eight innings in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Tigers, his first game back in Detroit since he left the Tigers. That's four straight double-digit strikeout games, tied for the second-longest streak of his career. He had six in a row back in 2017. -- Schoenfield
ICYMI: How the Nationals have battled back into the playoff picture
15. Philadelphia Phillies
2019 record: 44-40
Week 12 ranking: 16
The return to relevance of third baseman Maikel Franco makes a huge difference to a struggling lineup. Franco hit .170 with one home run in May but homered three times in this week's four-game sweep of the Mets. With the team's center-field depth depleted, emerging Scott Kingery seems a better fit there, but only if Franco, with his career at a crossroad, keeps producing at the hot corner. -- Karabell
ICYMI: Phillies, Mets collide on road to nowhere
16. St. Louis Cardinals
2019 record: 41-41
Week 12 ranking: 10
The Cardinals' rough week began with news that closer Jordan Hicks is out for the remainder of the season (and part of next) due to Tommy John surgery, but it was their starters who couldn't deliver a lead to their bullpen during a five-game losing streak from June 23 to 29. Carlos Martinez, who had five saves and a 1.93 ERA while filling in as the team's closer last September, is expected to step into the role again in Hicks' stead. -- Cockcroft
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
2019 record: 43-43
Week 12 ranking: 18
Arizona failed to take advantage of two recent series against the last-place Giants, going 3-4, with the Dodgers and Rockies on the horizon. Meanwhile, the confounding Robbie Ray, he of tantalizing stuff and mediocre results, took a step back in June. For the month, he went 1-4 with a 5.00 ERA, allowing nine home runs over 36 innings in six starts. In six May starts, he went 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA, allowing just one homer in 30⅓ innings. -- Richards
18. Los Angeles Angels
2019 record: 42-43
Week 12 ranking: 19
The return of shortstop Andrelton Simmons solidifies a key position with arguably the top defender in the game but also adds a high-contact bat to the middle of the lineup. Simmons missed a month with an ankle sprain and returned Thursday. He previously spent much of this season hitting in the No. 4 spot, but with a healthy Justin Upton and Shohei Ohtani, the club has options. Simmons is obviously not Mike Trout, but thanks to his glove, he remains one of the most valuable players in the sport. -- Karabell
ICYMI: Ohtani throws off mound but won't pitch in 2019
19. Cincinnati Reds
2019 record: 38-43
Week 12 ranking: 15
Is there a changing of the guard at closer in Cincinnati? Usual finisher Raisel Iglesias struggled through June for a 7.11 ERA, and he walked seven of the 34 batters he faced, while Michael Lorenzen has stepped in for each of the team's past three saves. Lorenzen had a 2.92 ERA, 15 strikeouts and just two walks in 13 appearances in June. -- Cockcroft
ICYMI: Cubs' Strop: Puig 'stupid' for fuming after HBP
20. San Diego Padres
2019 record: 42-41
Week 12 ranking: 20
Fernando Tatis Jr. missed 38 days with a left hamstring strain earlier this season but hasn't skipped a beat since his activation from the injured list on June 6, hitting .383/.457/.691 with five home runs, 15 RBIs, six stolen bases and 26 runs scored. He and Christian Yelich are the only players who can claim as many homers and steals during that time. -- Cockcroft
ICYMI: Where is Tatis on Law's 25 under 25
21. Pittsburgh Pirates
2019 record: 39-43
Week 12 ranking: 22
The Pirates' offense has been carrying the team during what has been a 9-5 run in their past 14 games, with the team scoring 80 runs in the process. Leadoff man Kevin Newman has played a major part in that, batting .343/.367/.594 in that stretch with 12 RBIs, three home runs and two stolen bases. -- Cockcroft
22. Chicago White Sox
2019 record: 39-42
Week 12 ranking: 23
The scorecard for the White Sox's offseason acquisitions has a lot of red on it, something that became more evident this week when Yonder Alonso was designated for assignment. Of the free agents, none of Jon Jay (injury trouble), Ervin Santana or, especially, Kelvin Herrera has worked out. Neither have trade acquisitions Alonso and Ivan Nova. There were a couple of solid additions: closer Alex Colome and catcher James McCann. But going forward, as the White Sox exit rebuilding mode, they'll have to score better on the transaction front. -- Doolittle
ICYMI: Dream job: White Sox PBP announcer Jason Benetti
23. New York Mets
2019 record: 38-47
Week 12 ranking: 21
Changes figure to be coming to the Mets this month, whether with players on the trade market or the manager. However, there are positives, and they start at the top of the lineup with versatile Jeff McNeil and slugger Pete Alonso. The latter is no secret, as he threatens all-time rookie home run marks, but the oft-overlooked McNeil is a legit threat to win a batting title. Why is anyone surprised after he hit .329 as a rookie? The Mets have myriad problems, but the top of their lineup is not among them. -- Karabell
ICYMI: Mets' dysfunction starts at the top
24. San Francisco Giants
2019 record: 36-47
Week 12 ranking: 24
The bullpen was a key element to the Giants' notching their first winning month of the season in June (14-13), as Giants relievers posted a collective 3.77 ERA, good for sixth in the majors, keyed by closer Will Smith nailing down eight save opportunities. Smith is a perfect 21-for-21 in save opportunities on the season, which should only enhance his potential value as the trade deadline approaches. -- Kahrl
25. Seattle Mariners
2019 record: 37-51
Week 12 ranking: 25
Daniel Vogelbach spent most of the past three seasons at Triple-A and began the season in a backup role (he didn't start the first five games of the season), but a two-homer, six-RBI game on April 7 in Chicago earned him regular playing time -- and now he's an All-Star. Vogelbach ranks ninth in the AL in wOBA, sixth in isolated power, second in walk rate and fourth in home run rate. -- Schoenfield
26. Miami Marlins
2019 record: 32-50
Week 12 ranking: 26
The in-season turnaround from third baseman Brian Anderson has helped reboot the Marlins' offense. Since his wOBA bottomed out at .272 on May 15, Anderson is at .385 by hitting .286/.369/.558 with nine home runs while generating more fly balls and more contact by swinging earlier in counts. -- Kahrl
27. Toronto Blue Jays
2019 record: 31-53
Week 12 ranking: 27
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had himself a week -- and is quietly having himself a pretty good season. In his past 10 games, Gurriel is slashing .422/.435/.889 with six home runs, bringing his batting average for the year to .308 and his OPS to .989. The downside during his hot streak: 13 strikeouts with only one walk. -- Richards
ICYMI: Vlad Jr. youngest in history to be named to HR Derby
28. Kansas City Royals
2019 record: 29-55
Week 12 ranking: 28
Brady Singer, the organization's top pick in the 2018 draft, will represent the Royals at the Futures Game this weekend in Cleveland. Singer, a 22-year-old right-hander who attended the University of Florida, thrived at High-A Wilmington, but he has struggled a bit since a promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. The Royals, despite their record, are not pushing Singer in their rebuild. While shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. garners top Royals prospect status, Singer could be the ace the organization needs nearly as much. -- Karabell
29. Detroit Tigers
2019 record: 27-52
Week 12 ranking: 29
The top end of the Tigers' rotation might be the closest thing to a strength that Detroit had, but the Tigers had a particularly tough June. Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris and Spencer Turnbull combined to go 0-10 with a 5.34 ERA for the month and delivered just one quality start apiece across their 16 starts as the Tigers went 2-14 in those games. Even more ominous, Turnbull is dealing with shoulder fatigue. -- Kahrl
ICYMI: Who's the Tigers' unsung first-half hero?
30. Baltimore Orioles
2019 record: 24-59
Week 12 ranking: 30
There haven't been many opportunities to say nice things about the Orioles, but we have one this week: Baltimore's back-to-back 13-0 wins over the Indians this weekend marked the first time in MLB history that a team won consecutive shutouts by 13 or more runs. It also marked the first time that the O's won consecutive games since May 4-6, a stretch of 46 games. -- Richards