as you know we have to do uh first episode of the week first half in the book so these are some big ones the end of the first half Power Rankings my friends we're going to go 10 down to number one and we're going to start a 10 with a team that hasn't been ranked this year they play in New York and oh my God it is the New York Mets 49 and 46 they weren't ranked last week they're playing good baseball they're playing great baseball since the day that Jorge Lopez threw his glove in the stands and then said the Mets are the worst team and he's the worst teammate they are 25 and 12 since that moment tied for the best in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros the single best in the National League they're 8-2 so far in one-run games they have the most runs per game in baseball at 5.92 they have 150 extra base hits tied for the most in baseball and since May 30th Brandon nmo should have been an All-Star one of two outfielders with 20 extra base hits and 30 RBI other than Aaron judge he is or the other player being Aaron judge I said at the beginning of the year as I do on uh as I do on Twitter or X every once in a while and say certain questions I'll answer this team I said who do you think could be a surprisingly good baseball team this year I'll start the New York Mets man did they not make me look good for a while but man are they making Baseball look fun right now Grimace the mascot who's the M the McDonald's mascot becomes a theme of their season Grimace and josea glacius is song oh my God have changed around the New York Mets season and maybe franchise for the better it has been a remarkable run that they have been on 40 9 and 46 and currently in a playoff spot as the first half comes to an end but the Vibes with that Jose glacius oh my God song they make it it's their locker room song it's their song when he hits when they're hitting homers they have an OMG sign in The Dugout he performed it post game on the field one time and the team stayed out there this team has the Vibes that you need to make things happen and right now the Mets are in the top 10 for the first time all year long at number nine down one spot the Atlanta Braves by 53 and 42 really disappointing first half if you're the Atlanta Braves you had big expectations you had big injuries pop up you had under performance pop up they're still a good team they're still going to make the playoffs but this team is not the same and they need some help at the trade deadline if they want to compete in the playoffs the Mets they're only I believe three games up they're three games up on the New York Mets right now so we'll see what they look like in the second half and what they're able to do at the end of this month at the trade deadline next up up one spot to number eight the Boston Red Sox 53 and 42 what a fun surprise to this season did I see this absolutely not I was heated at the Red Sox front office I still kind of am all of this is shout out to the players and and Alex K and just what they've been doing out on the field I'm still heated at the front office this team didn't really do much in the off season they're they're not even committed to going forward at the trade deadline they're still uncertain what they're going to do W they're sitting here 53 and 42 and in a playoff spot the front office can't even commit to the fan base and the players and the team and say you know what we're going for it pack the house at finway we're going for it can't even do that but they are in the top the the top 10 power rankings again here at number eight at number seven down two spots the Milwaukee Brewers 55 and 42 3 and seven in their last 10 games just hasn't been pretty they're on a pretty rough stretch of baseball right now they've been up in the top five a couple times this year in the power rankings but for right now had to slide them down uh a couple spots just because it hasn't been pretty for the Milwaukee Brewers so bump them down to number seven and staying the same at number six the Minnesota Twins f 54 and 42 uh a good year a good year so far for them got out of the gates really slow so to be 54 and 42 they have been one of the best teams in baseball after their slow stretch which has been vital what I can't say enough good things about Carlos kareah and what he's meant for that team obviously a bad year last year but we were we're just one year removed from from Carlos karea being a top Short Stop in the game and him hitting the market and all that stuff happening with the Mets and the Giants and then the Twins and him getting that 300 is he going to get a $300 million contract we one year removed from all that talk and one bad year makes you say Carlos kareah just a just an average player in this day and AG no are you kidding me the dude's been a superstar All-Star player this year for them hitting 300 on the year for them I've been really impressed with his ability to just his grit out there honestly I saw a a game and pretty much one week to the next is honestly a couple days later he got drilled in the hand drilled in the wrist ended up playing the next day and he did that twice in the span of two weeks uh I I've been blown away by the year Carlos Kare is having really good for him good for the twins uh Twins playing good baseball okay over the last week or so so they're staying put at number six and number five down one spot the Los Angeles Dodgers they're 56 and 41 but they're three and seven in their last 10 games the Red Sox continue to fall a little bit in these power rankings they do have a good record they are 56 and 41 that is a top five record in the game of baseball but they're five- 10 in their last 10 games that's 28th in baseball third worst in baseball they're 51 they were 51 and 31 through their first 82 games this is they have massive pitching issues Yamamoto injury Clayton Kershaw injury glass now injury concerns injuries have come up they have Walker buer name after name after name they are dealing with pitching depth issues and pitching injuries and the bullpen was never good enough to begin with to compete as as I thought you know we were just chalking up oh Dodgers World Series Champs put it up look at those odds best odds of all time best odds to win the World Series they had pitching issues and that has only gotten worse and worse and worse I don't think the Dodgers are nowhere near as good as they need to be right now to get into the playoffs and win a World Series which is the goal and which will which was again I think a guarantee from Dave Roberts who maybe should stop guaranteeing the World Series um but I'm not going to tell him what to do he's he's the professional but it's not working out well and it's not heading down a good path this year will they make the playoffs yes will they win the NL West I think yes but are they good enough right now no they need some help at the trade deadline and they need some help bad but they have been in talks with a couple teams about pitching and that is something that they are going to desperately need but they are at number five down one spot at number four back up three spots they've been number one in the power rankings a bit they've been numbered two a bit and then I bumped them down to like six or seven just CU it wasn't pretty for a while but they've been playing good baseball and are worthy of being back up here at number four the New York Yankees started the year 52 and 31 in their first 83 games that's the fourth best record in baseball last 15 they're six and nine which is 24th best seventh worse in baseball but they do have a 106 run differential that is the single best run differential in the American League and the second best in all of baseball behind only the Philadelphia Phillies they're a really good team and have they had some issues pop up absolutely and that's why I felt they were worthy of dropping down to that six or seven spot where I had them but they showed me this past week by going into Baltimore to who last week was the best team in baseball in the in my power rankings we'll see where they are this week we're getting close but we're not there yet they go into Baltimore top team in baseball and win a series there so uh Yankees back up here at number four after a massive showing against their division rival and one of the best teams in baseball the Baltimore Orioles so they're 58- 40 at the All-Star break and here at number four next up the Cleveland Guardians 58 and 37 not great baseball in their last 10 uh four- six in their last 10 but with the you know second best record in baseball second best record um you're tied for the second best record in baseball second best in the in the American League leading the alc Central by a good bit I mean this team has been a a pleasure to watch I I talked about them earlier on in the Show pitching everything's top 10 in baseball hitting everything's top 10 in baseball and you put all that together and you got a team with the third best record in all of baseball it's not that it's not that complicated do you need to be the best pitching team to win no do you need to have the best offense to win no but if you are across the board doing everything as a top 10 team you are going to be good let's use the Seattle Mariners as a reference and maybe it's not the best reference because they're currently leading the AL West and in a playoff spot but that that lead has shrunk and shrunk and shrunk and this team can't hit the Seattle Mariners have the worst team batting average in baseball they have the best if if not the best the top two or three rotation in the game of baseball and right now we're seeing their division chances dwindle we're saying their playoff chances dwindle unless they can add some offense you are not going to be a playoff team with the worst team batting average in baseball it's just not going to happen they need help I've also speaking of the Red Sox I have been furious at the Mariners front office for not adding offense you have a rotation in their Prime you have Julio Rodriguez not even yet in his prime but an MVP caliber player build a around them I don't even know how I went down this tangent we're talking about the Guardians we're talking about the Guardians being number three in the power rankings I honestly don't I have no idea how I just ended up down that tangent about the Mariners but here we are Guardians number three at number two down one spot from last week the Baltimore Orioles three and seven in their last 10 games that loss uh that tough series at home to the New York Yankees man that was a statement series that was a big series for the Orioles the New York Yan are the New York Yankees they have been they have been the team in the in the AL East for a long time and I'm not saying every year but I'm talking like let's like decades the the New York Yankees are the team that plays in the AL East and everybody knows it the Baltimore Orioles are as we speak becoming becoming the team in the AL East move over Yankees we know the history we know the 27 rings but when was the last time you won one half the people saying well I'm a Yankees fan and we have 27 Rings half of them weren't even alive the last time the New York Yankees won a World Series ring but here are the Baltimore Orioles they're ready they're here they've been here for a year and a half to two years they're going to be here for the next decade and then you have this team neck and neck with the New York Yankees at the top of the division both teams are really good this year you have a packed Camden Yards you have the Yankees come to town and you almost get swept you lose two of three it wasn't a pretty series I love this Orioles team I have them in the World Series I'm going to stick with that but I had to bump them down to number two after a rough weekend series and a rough last 10 games three and seven in their last 10 but they are 58 and 38 at the All-Star break and at number one My World Series champion this year the Philadelphia Phillies the only team in baseball at 60 wins they are 62 and 34 they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers last week again not again I haven't said this yet but a tough week in series losing a series to the Oakland A but they did sweep the Dodgers beforehand all the teams behind them not exactly playing well that sweep of the Dodgers was huge for me big week they ended up going four- two on the week and with what the Orioles did that was enough for me this Phillies team I I think the Phillies are the best team in baseball forget the record forget the play on the week and anybody else's play on the week I think the Phillies are the best team in baseball um I know I and I I had them I predicted them to win the World Series this year but aside from any of that I I just look at them right now they've they've gone through injuries with Bryce Harper and and Kyle schwarber and they both just come back and and put on a show the the pitching has been phenomenal phenomenal Zack Wheeler Rangers Suarez Christopher Sanchez Allstar uh Aaron Nola what this rotation has done has has been unbelievable and uh I I just think by and large top to bottom on that roster pitching offense defense added all together and you have the best team in baseball the Philadelphia Phillies the only team at 60 or more wins sitting at 62 and 34 leading the NL East leading the national league and leading all of Major League Baseball through the first half of the season so 10 to one we go New York Mets for the first time this year Atlanta Braves Boston Red Sox at eight Milwaukee Brewers um Minnesota Twins Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees Guardians Orioles and the Phillies wrap up this week's end of the first half power rankings