It might be like this all season among baseball's power trio. Riding the strength of their 11-game win streak, the Astros reclaimed the top spot in our rankings in the latest reshuffling of the top three teams. Houston's stretch of dominance was enough to convince four voters to put them No. 1, with the Yankees retaining the remaining first-place vote.
But look past that three-legged race for bragging rights as baseball's best and you'll find some different clubs cementing their spots at the top of the MLB pecking order. The Mariners cracked the top five on the strength of a sweep of the Angels, while going 2-2 against the Red Sox. And the slate of contenders in the National League is starting to firm up beyond the Cubs and Nationals -- the usual suspects. The Braves and Brewers have made it clear they're not going anywhere anytime soon, while the Dodgers, in making their successful return to the top 10, have almost entirely recovered from their slow start to the season. And the Diamondbacks, who looked doomed just a few weeks ago, have proved resilient enough to climb back on top in the NL West race.
That said, there's still some significant jockeying for position going on. The Rockies made the biggest move, climbing up three rungs in the rankings, while the Nationals took the biggest fall, dropping three spots, yet clinging to their top-10 status for the time being. And we wound up with our fourth different team cycling through the bottom spot in four weeks, as the Orioles burrowed beyond the Royals (and the White Sox and Marlins) to be the latest inhabitant of baseball's basement. It's a sign of the times that three of those teams are on pace for 100-plus losses this season.
This week, our panel of voters is composed of David Schoenfield, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian, Bradford Doolittle and Sarah Langs.
Week 10 rankings | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason
1. Houston Astros
Record: 48-25
Week 10 ranking: 3
The Astros have put together their longest win streak of the season at 11 games and counting. Last week, we discussed the emergence of Evan Gattis; this week he became the first player in Astros history to record back-to-back games with five RBIs. Gattis had never had a five-RBI game in his career before last week. -- Jacob Nitzberg, ESPN Stats & Information
2. New York Yankees
Record: 46-21
Week 10 ranking: 1
On May 4, Gleyber Torres hit his first home run in the majors; since that game, he has been one of the most productive middle infielders in baseball. His .608 slugging percentage ranks third among middle infielders, and his 13 home runs have paced the group. He has been a run producer as well: His 29 RBIs since May 4 are the most on the Yankees. -- Dan McCarthy, ESPN Stats & Information
3. Boston Red Sox
Record: 49-24
Week 10 ranking: 2
David Price has rebounded after a slow start to the season to put together a commanding stretch. Over his first seven starts, Price was 2-4 with a 5.11 ERA, but he has not lost a start since May 4, posting a 6-0 record and 2.64 ERA over his past seven starts. Price has been especially effective with runners in scoring position, allowing a .208 average and .681 OPS since May 4 (against a .323 average and 1.195 OPS prior). -- McCarthy
4. Chicago Cubs
Record: 40-28
Week 10 ranking: 4
While there isn't much to complain about when it comes to Kris Bryant, he has just one home run in June, and his .340 slugging percentage this month ranks 132nd in MLB. Bryant is slugging .483 overall, but even that is slightly disappointing. When he came into the league, many complained about his strikeout percentage, which he has worked to cut by more than 10 percentage points from his rookie season. However, his home run percentage is down to 3.1 percent from 5.6 percent in his 2016 MVP campaign. -- Kenneth Woolums, ESPN Stats & Information
5. Seattle Mariners
Record: 46-26
Week 10 ranking: 9
The Mariners more than held their own last week as they kicked off their toughest 13-game stretch of the season. Seattle started the week by sweeping the Angels, then followed it up by splitting a four-game set with the Red Sox. That included a dramatic come-from-behind, one-run victory on Friday night, followed by a 1-0 win on Saturday. The Mariners have now won 23 one-run games this season, seven more than any other team. -- Paul Casella, ESPN Stats & Information
6. Atlanta Braves
Record: 42-29
Week 10 ranking: 8
Atlanta's 3.24 rotation ERA ranks third in MLB, but that group took a significant hit after Mike Foltynewicz landed on the disabled list with triceps tightness. His 2.16 ERA this season ranks fifth in MLB. Despite the ERA, his team is just 6-8 when he starts this year. If the Braves want to keep pace in the NL, they'll eventually have to start winning more games when his spot in the rotation comes up. -- Woolums
7. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 42-29
Week 10 ranking: 7
After losing the opening game of their series against the Cubs on Monday to extend their losing streak against Chicago to seven games, the Brewers shut out the Cubs in back-to-back games to win the series. It was only the second time they have shut out the Cubs in back-to-back games, with the other time being in 2006. Jhoulys Chacin got the win for Milwaukee in the rubber match; the Brewers have won 12 of his 15 starts this season, including 10 of the past 11. -- Nitzberg
8. Washington Nationals
Record: 37-31
Week 10 ranking: 5
On Wednesday, Juan Soto became the fourth-youngest player (19 years, 231 days old) in MLB history with a multihomer game on the road, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He also became the third-youngest player to hit multiple home runs in a game at Yankee Stadium, including the postseason (Andruw Jones in 1996 and Ken Griffey Jr. in 1989 were the only two who were younger). -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats & Information
9. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 37-33
Week 10 ranking: 11
While most of the rotation is on the mend, the lineup might have finally started to stabilize with a Joc Pederson-Enrique Hernandez platoon beginning to jell in center, letting Cody Bellinger resume his regular duties at first base. The problem? It's costing red-hot Max Muncy at-bats, but with Bellinger, Muncy, Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig all producing OPS marks north of 1.000 in June, somebody's going to lose playing time. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com
10. Cleveland Indians
Record: 37-33
Week 10 ranking: 9
Just when you thought the Tribe might break away, they find a new way to slow down and give the rest of the American League Central's weak field some hope. In the rotation, you can add Carlos Carrasco to the list of injured Indians after taking a line drive off his pitching elbow over the weekend, forcing him to the disabled list. Relief ace Andrew Miller is being slowly worked back in his recovery from a knee injury. And in the lineup, Jason Kipnis has gotten his OPS north of .600 on just one day since April 1. -- Kahrl
11. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 39-32
Week 10 ranking: 13
One of the D-backs' most reliable assets has been their MLB-best performance in the pen. They lead the majors in ERA (2.57) and are tied for second in OPS allowed (1.12). Brad Boxberger might get most of the saves and fireman Archie Bradley might be the relief star, but Japanese leagues vet Yoshihisa Hirano has been excellent in setting both of them up. Hirano has stranded every baserunner he has inherited, and he ranks in the NL's top five in first-batter OPS among relievers (.389). -- Kahrl
12. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 38-34
Week 10 ranking: 12
Shohei Ohtani obviously grabbed the headlines, but now he has plenty of company on the disabled list in Anaheim. The Angels currently have 14 players on the DL, easily the most in the majors. Along with Ohtani, the Angels placed Garrett Richards and Nick Tropeano on the DL last week, joining fellow starters Matt Shoemaker and JC Ramirez. They already are without relievers Keynan Middleton, Blake Wood and Jim Johnson. At least Mike Trout remains on pace to break Babe Ruth's record for the most single-season WAR in MLB history. -- Casella
13. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 37-32
Week 10 ranking: 12
Marcell Ozuna and Jose Martinez have been carrying the Cardinals' offense lately. Since the calendar turned to June, Martinez (.450) and Ozuna (.404) are first and tied for third, respectively, in the majors in batting average. Ozuna's turnaround has been particularly notable. Entering June, he was hitting .260 with a .645 OPS and 20 percent strikeout rate and 65.3 at-bats per home run. In 14 June games, he's hitting .404 with a 1.293 OPS, with a 9 percent strikeout rate and 7.4 at-bats per home run. -- Langs
14. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 37-32
Week 10 ranking: 14
On Saturday, Rhys Hoskins hit his ninth home run of the season and is halfway toward his 2017 total. But it wasn't any ordinary home run. The shot, off Junior Guerra, had an exit velocity of 112.0 mph, according to Statcast. That made it the hardest-hit ball of the more than 250 batted balls in Hoskins' young career. His prior hardest-hit batted ball was 111.6 mph, according to Statcast, on a double off Trevor Richards on April 8. -- Langs
15. Colorado Rockies
Record: 34-37
Week 10 ranking: 18
What an up-and-down season in the National League West. The Rockies entered June with a 30-26 record and a 1½-game lead in the division. Colorado, however, is just 4-10 this month and has seen that division lead turn into a 5½-game deficit behind the D-backs. The Rockies continue to struggle at home, going 0-6 at Coors Field this month to bring their home record to 11-19 on the season. The good news for the Rockies is that they face the struggling Mets and Marlins this week, but all seven of those games are at home. -- Casella
16. Oakland Athletics
Record: 36-36
Week 10 ranking: 15
It took three trades to find a major league home, but Frankie Montas might hang around with the Athletics. Before taking his lumps against the Astros, his mix of mid-90s heat and a slider had produced three quality starts (and wins) after his call-up at the end of May. The Astros waited out the slider early to get into fastball counts; if Montas is going to stick in the rotation, he might need to mix things up. -- Kahrl
17. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 35-36
Week 10 ranking: 17
Have we already seen this club's peak? Pittsburgh has proved to be a pretender since a 26-17 start in mid-May. Since May 26, the only teams with a worse record than the Pirates are the Royals, Mets and Orioles. Josh Bell has been arguably their biggest disappointment; after a 26-homer campaign in 2017, he has just four homers and a .708 OPS so far. -- Woolums
18. San Francisco Giants
Record: 35-37
Week 10 ranking: 16
Brandon Belt returned from his appendectomy on Saturday to resume his pursuit of several career bests. His batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage would each currently be career-high marks. He has 11 home runs, and he has never hit more than 18 in a season (2017 and 2015). And of course, the last Giants hitter to notch 30 home runs in a season was Barry Bonds, with 45 in 2004. During that span, every other team has had at least two players hit 30 in a season. -- Langs
19. Minnesota Twins
Record: 31-37
Week 10 ranking: 19
The American League outfielders with a higher OPS than Eddie Rosario this season are Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, J.D. Martinez, Aaron Judge and Matt Kemp. Since the start of May, Rosario is hitting .367 (third in MLB) and his 1.067 OPS is second only to Trout. Point being, keep an eye on Eddie Rosario. -- Woolums
20. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 33-38
Week 10 ranking: 20
Around a couple of poor outings, Blake Snell has been one of the best starting pitchers this season. His 2.58 ERA ranks fifth in the AL, and that is despite three starts in which he allowed four earned runs without making it into the sixth inning. Snell has 12 starts in which he allowed two or fewer earned runs over at least five innings pitched; the only pitcher in baseball with more is Max Scherzer (13). -- McCarthy
21. San Diego Padres
Record: 34-40
Week 10 ranking: 23
The Padres have been impressive over the past month and a half, and they should get even stronger soon, as Wil Myers, Franchy Cordero, Joey Lucchesi and Austin Hedges all have recently begun rehab assignments. Journeymen Clayton Richard and Tyson Ross have shored up the rotation, cranking out 11 quality starts and a 3.17 ERA in their past 15 turns combined, with the Padres winning 12 of those games. -- Nitzberg
22. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 33-38
Week 10 ranking: 21
Josh Donaldson has not played a game for the Blue Jays since May 29, and the team has slid a little during that span. Toronto is 7-9 since Donaldson was sidelined, with four of the wins against the last-place Orioles. Looking at their games outside of the ones vs. the Orioles, the offense has sputtered, hitting .214 and scoring just 3.4 runs per game. If Donaldson can return and produce, the Jays might at least have an intriguing trade chip. -- McCarthy
23. Detroit Tigers
Record: 36-37
Week 10 ranking: 22
The Tigers suffered a blow when Miguel Cabrera ruptured his biceps tendon on a swing Tuesday and was ruled out for the season. Cabrera hit .299 in 38 games this season with an .843 OPS. And while Detroit will miss him in the lineup, it also has to wonder what it will get going forward from the 35-year-old first baseman, who is owed $162 million over the remainder of his contract. -- Nitzberg
24. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 26-45
Week 10 ranking: 26
One thing the Reds have going for them that could be a pain for contenders in the latter part of the season is the core of a good offense. Since the start of June, Scott Schebler, Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett are all hitting .300 or better. But where does Billy Hamilton fit in? Hamilton's .566 OPS should reduce him to a pinch-running, late-inning defensive sub. -- Woolums
25. New York Mets
Record: 30-38
Week 10 ranking: 24
After a cold start to his June, Michael Conforto has been on fire lately for a Mets offense that went more than a month between three-run homers before Conforto hit one on Saturday. In the first nine games of the month, Conforto hit .065 with a .161 slugging percentage, 11 strikeouts and just five total bases. In the four games since, he's hitting .308 with an .846 slugging percentage. He has 11 total bases in those four games, and he hasn't struck out once. -- Langs
26. Texas Rangers
Record: 29-44
Week 10 ranking: 25
Different league, same result. The Rangers continued racking up losses last week in interleague play. Texas finally managed to pick up a victory on Saturday, but not before losing a season-high seven consecutive games. The Rangers rank in the bottom half of the league in runs per game, and their starting rotation ranks dead last with a 5.64 ERA. -- Casella
27. Chicago White Sox
Record: 24-46
Week 9 ranking: 27
Although the White Sox haven't had a worse record through 70 games since 1948 -- when they started 23-47 en route to a 51-101 season -- there is at least one shred of good news: Starter Reynaldo Lopez has quality starts in five of his past six turns, posting a 3.16 ERA and holding hitters to a .623 OPS in 37 innings. -- Casella
28. Miami Marlins
Record: 28-44
Week 10 ranking: 29
It wasn't supposed to be this way, but more than 250 plate appearances into Lewis Brinson's career as a Marlin, he is among the 10 worst hitters with at least that much playing time in franchise history. The only non-pitcher with a worse OPS mark than Brinson's .545 is catcher Jeff Mathis (.544); ominously, the next-worst outfielder is Darrell Whitmore (.548), a bust the Fish picked 16th overall in the expansion draft. -- Kahrl
29. Kansas City Royals
Record: 22-49
Week 10 ranking: 30
The Royals' offense has struggled in June. They're hitting .183 this month, worst in the AL, and are at the bottom of the AL in OBP and slugging percentage. Kansas City has yet to score more than two runs in an inning this month, which should not be surprising since the Royals have scored more than two runs in a game only five times all month. -- Nitzberg
30. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 20-50
Week 10 ranking: 28
Already on pace for one of the worst win percentages since the 162-game season was adopted, Baltimore is multiple games behind the next-worst team in baseball. The Orioles have five fewer runs than the Miami Marlins, the team that traded away four of their best offensive players before the season started. Manny Machado has maintained his top-10 OPS in baseball and driven in more than 50 runs for a bad team. -- McCarthy