What’s new for rugby’s top 10 nations this November series?
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Sam Bruce
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ESPN Associate Editor- Sam was brought up on long drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, where he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPNscrum after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage.
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Tom Hamilton
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Senior Writer- • Joined ESPN in 2011
• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours
• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018
Welcome back to the November Test series.
After last year’s Autumn Nations Cup and the delayed Tri Nations, the northern and southern hemisphere nations will finally come together across Europe for a busy schedule of Test matches.
As it stands, the top three spots in the rankings are all held by the southern powerhouses. However, playing at home in conditions they know and love, the Home Unions and France will each fancy their chances of a rise up the Test ladder.
So what’s been going on this year? And exactly what shape is each nation from the current top 10 in?
Read on as we bring you up to speed.
No. 1 – South Africa
Tests: Wales, Nov. 6; Scotland, Nov. 13; England, Nov. 20.
Having emerged triumphant from a dramatic British & Irish Lions series, and back-to-back wins over the Pumas, an unusually inaccurate Springboks team then failed to adapt to Australia’s width and speed of recycle in successive defeats to the Wallabies. But South Africa raised their game again to face the All Blacks, with late penalty goals deciding two hugely physical and memorable encounters that finished one win apiece.
The Springbok blueprint for success hasn’t changed, and no matter of online chatter about the style of their play will force coach Jacques Nienaber and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus into a change of thinking. When it is executed with accuracy, the Springboks’ mixture of tactical kicking, relentless breakdown pressure from the “bomb squad”, and lineout superiority, is incredibly tough to wear down, as the All Blacks discovered in the closing weeks of the Rugby Championship.
The Boks will be hoping Handre Pollard has shaken off the worst of his form slump from his time in Australia, however, particularly with the indefatigable Faf de Klerk missing the November Tests through a hip injury. The Boks are also still without brilliant winger Cheslin Kolbe and 2019 World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit, who were both badly missed during the Rugby Championship. At their very best, the Boks are capable of a November sweep.
No. 2 – New Zealand
Tests: Wales, Oct. 30; Italy, Nov. 7; Ireland, No. 14; France, Nov. 21.
Last week’s training run in Washington D.C. extended the All Blacks’ season record to 10-1 for 2021, with a last-gasp loss to the Springboks in the Rugby Championship finale the only blemish in what is Ian Foster’s second season in charge. The coach was mid-year granted a two-year extension through to the next World Cup, just reward for retaining the Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations/Rugby Championship crowns in each of the past two years.
On the paddock, the All Blacks are without their key backline lynchpin, Aaron Smith, for their northern tour. The veteran No. 9, who had been in sensational touch this year, remained in New Zealand for the birth of his second child after the Bledisloe Cup, and then was given the chance for some extended family time. Finlay Christie started against the States as a result, but you should expect Brad Weber and TJ Perenara to fight out the starting position for bigger Tests later in November.
Sam Cane, meanwhile, cautiously made his return from a pectoral injury on the weekend after six months out; Sam Whitelock, however, has been installed as the tour captain. Just where Foster lands on his back-row composition for the Tests against Ireland and France carries huge intrigue – so too whether the All Blacks can better manage the aerial assault that brought the Springboks success in both Townsville and the Gold Coast. Lock Brodie Retallick has also spoken of the need for greater focus and execution in the All Blacks’ lineout drive, after the pack had little success with the rolling maul against South Africa.
Nipping at the Boks’ heels, the All Blacks will be ready to pounce for the No. 1 ranking should South Africa slip up in any of its three November Tests.
No. 3 – Australia
Tests: Scotland, Nov. 7; England, Nov. 13; Wales, Nov. 20.
Dave Rennie has brought significant improvement to the Wallabies in just his second year in charge, coupled with changes on and off the field that have propelled Australia to a five-match winning streak. While it was far from convincing, the Wallabies’ 32-23 win over Japan last weekend reflected the team’s set-piece growth and ability to close games out, something that was badly missing in Rennie’s first season.
Earlier in the year, Australia boosted their confidence with a 2-1 series win over France in July. They then however quickly received a reality check from the All Blacks who romped away with a sweep of the Bledisloe Cup.
But the return of Samu Kerevi in the series’ final Test in Perth was to prove a turning point as the Wallabies then went on to record four straight wins to close out the Rugby Championship on the back of the centre’s powerhouse running. Quade Cooper’s return also provided backline stability.
Cue another twist in the Wallabies’ season, as Kerevi and Suntory teammate Sean McMahon decided to withdraw from the U.K. leg of Australia’s spring tour. Quade Cooper is expected to follow suit. How the Wallabies manage Kerevi’s absence, in particular, will go a long way to deciding whether their current 7-4 record for 2021 takes a hit or potentially even finishes with a squared ledger.
Northern rugby fans should keep an eye on back-rower Rob Valetini, who has grown with every Test in the gold jersey this season, while the return of Will Skelton and Rory Arnold should stiffen up the Wallabies pack.
No. 4 – England
Tests: Tonga, Nov. 6; Australia, Nov. 13; South Africa, Nov. 20.
Eddie Jones has drawn a line in the sand with his England squad for the November Tests. Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola and George Ford are all exiled, while he has welcomed in a host of young prospects as he moves this England team onto their next stage.
They have Tonga, Australia and South Africa lying in wait, and will be captained by Owen Farrell, who will likely feature at inside centre alongside the outstanding Marcus Smith at No. 10. Smith is just one of several exciting prospects to keep an eye on over the course of the November Tests with Sale scrum-half Raffi Quirke likely to feature, as is Newcastle winger Adam Radwan and Leicester fullback Freddie Steward. But their build-up was tainted by injuries to Luke Cowan-Dickie and Anthony Watson.
After a Six Nations which saw England finish fifth, and comfortable wins in the summer over the USA and Canada, England expect three from three this November from their new-look side. It’ll also be a new-look England coaching set-up behind the team, with Jones now joined by Martin Gleeson, Richard Cockerill, Matt Proudfoot and former Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold.
No. 5 – Ireland
Tests: Japan, Nov. 6; New Zealand, Nov. 13; Argentina, Nov. 21.
After a summer which saw them defeat Japan 39-31 and ease past the USA 71-10, expect to see a few of those fresh faces thrown into the mix for the November internationals, but this will be evolution, rather than revolution for Ireland. The Andy Farrell blueprint was laid out against England back in the final match of the Six Nations – a game Ireland won 32-18. That’s the Ireland the fans will want to see in their three Tests this autumn against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
Ireland have their injury concerns with captain Johnny Sexton currently nursing a hip injury, so Harry Byrne or Joey Carbery will be in the mix to start at least one of the three Tests at fly-half. Of the returning British & Irish Lions, Robbie Henshaw is yet to play this season due to a foot injury. But Simon Zebo earns a recall having last featured for Ireland in 2017.
Six of the players who won their first caps during the summer series have been included in the squad, with Robert Baloucoune, Byrne, Gavin Coombes, James Hume, Tom O’Toole and Nick Timoney all named, while there are two uncapped players named in Leinster duo Dan Sheehan and Ciaran Frawley. Expect to see a similar spine of the team that dominated England back in March as Ireland look to make it three from three this autumn.
No. 6 – France
Tests: Argentina, Nov. 6; Georgia, Nov. 14; New Zealand, Nov. 20.
With their home World Cup two years out, Fabien Galthie’s side will look to put down a statement this autumn against Argentina, New Zealand and Georgia. They fell 2-1 to Australia in a thrilling summer series but will look for a clean sweep this November.
With Charles Ollivon injured, Antoine Dupont will captain the side, having been picked ahead of Gael Fickou, Gregory Alldritt and Julien Marchand. Elsewhere, keep an eye on the fly-half situation and whether Matthieu Jalibert will get the not ahead of Romain Ntamack. Then there’s also the interesting subplot of which uncapped players will force their way in, with second-row Thibaud Flament at the forefront there.
France will be without Uini Atonio and Virimi Vakatawa through injury. This will be a true acid test of where France are, with the match against the All Blacks the barometer to judge whether they are on the right path to be challengers for rugby’s biggest prize in 2023.
No. 7 – Scotland
Tests: Tonga, Oct. 30; Australia, Nov. 7; South Africa, No. 13; Japan, Nov. 20.
This autumn will see us learn more about Scotland’s depth ahead of the 2023 World Cup, with Gregor Townsend’s men facing four matches. Up first is Tonga on October 30 – a match falling outside the international window – so Townsend is unable to pick Scotland players based in England or France. As a result, there will be plenty of new faces on show for that opener, and expect that to continue in their remaining three matches with 12 uncapped players in their 42-man squad for the autumn series as a whole.
Sale’s Ewan Ashman, Bath’s Josh Bayliss, Glasgow’s Rory Darge, Sharks’ Dylan Richardson, and Edinburgh quartet Luke Crosbie, Jamie Hodgson, Marshall Sykes and Pierre Schoeman are all included as forwards. Glasgow Warriors’ Jamie Dobie, Rufus McLean, Ross Thompson, and Sione Tuipulotu are the other four uncapped players.
Once Tonga have visited Murrayfield, Townsend’s side have Australia, South Africa and Japan up next, where the likes of Chris Harris, Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell, Jonny Gray, Rory Sutherland, Duhan van der Merwe, and Adam Hastings will come back into the mix. Scotland will be without and Mark Bennett due to injury.
Given Scotland’s gradual improvement under Townsend, they’ll expect at least three victories from four this autumn but like the other home unions, they face the challenge of getting their Lions contingent up to speed after their delayed start to the season.
No. 8 – Argentina
Tests: France, Nov. 6; Italy, Nov. 13; Ireland, Nov. 21.
It was not a happy Rugby Championship campaign for the Pumas, who were again forced to complete the entire tournament on the road. Six straight defeats have all but wiped the memory of their stellar performances of 2020 when, despite significant hurdles, they defeated the All Blacks, and twice drew with the Wallabies in a truncated Tri Nations. Six players and two staff were also caught up in a state border breach ahead of their Test with Australia on the Gold Coast.
Former skipper Pablo Matera was among those border busters, but he has still been included in the Pumas touring squad alongside prop Santiago Medrano. Fly-half Nico Sanchez should also be available, after he missed the closing three rounds of the Rugby Championship through injury.
Two years out from the World Cup, coach Mario Ledesma won’t want his side’s losing streak to really take root, putting huge pressure on the second of their three November Tests, against Italy, as matches against France and Ireland appear tough assignments. The Pumas were well off the pace in the Rugby Championship, but should be better suited to the style of play up north.
No. 9 – Wales
Tests: New Zealand, Oct. 30; South Africa, Nov. 6; Fiji, Nov. 14; Australia, Nov. 20.
Wayne Pivac’s Six Nations champions face a brutal November with New Zealand, South Africa and Australia all coming to town, and the squad will have a familiar look with just two uncapped players in the 38-man party. Scarlets prop WillGriff John and Exeter Chiefs’ 19-year-old second-row Christ Tshiunza will both hope to make their debuts, but Wales have got the spine of their team already established ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Alun Wyn Jones will look to add to his astonishing tally of 148 caps this autumn, and he is joined in the squad by their British & Irish Lions contingent. There’s also a recall for Rhys Priestland, who last featured for Wales in 2017, while Gareth Anscombe will look to play his first Test for Wales in two years after recovering from the major knee injury he suffered in August 2019.
But that first Test against the All Blacks will be an even tougher task for Wales given they won’t have their England-based players available, which will see them be without Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau and Louis Rees-Zammit, plus the likes of Nick Tompkins and Callum Sheedy.
For Pivac, the challenge will be to get this team back up to their 2021 Six Nations standards. By his own admission, several of the squad haven’t played that much rugby this season and haven’t yet found form, while they also have issues in the back-row with Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi, James Botham, Josh Macleod and James Davies all injured, while Ellis Jenkins is unlikely to face New Zealand.
So, while Wales will be aiming for a clean sweep, this will be a true test of their depth.
No. 10 – Japan
Tests: Ireland, Nov. 6; Portugal, Nov. 13; Scotland, Nov. 20.
Japan have been one of the big losers of the pandemic in rugby’s Test arena, with the Brave Blossoms having played just three internationals since they exited their home World Cup in the quarterfinals. They were a late scratching from last year’s Autumn Nations Cup, before at last returning to the field against the British & Irish Lions and then Ireland in mid-2021
Given it was basically four months between those games and the weekend’s Test with the Wallabies, the 32-23 defeat was a fine effort against an Australian team hardened by the Rugby Championship. Jamie Joseph’s side were just four points adrift of the Wallabies with five to play, too, showing they are truly capable of mixing it with world rugby’s top 10.
The Brave Blossoms are superbly coached, understand how they want to play the game and boast a growing list of players of genuine attacking quality. With a little improvement at set-piece, Japan could worry both of Ireland and Scotland — whom they beat at RWC 2019 — and the Brave Blossoms should be far too strong for Portugal. Building squad continuity this November will set Japan up nicely for the two-year run to France, where they will again fancy their chances of getting out of pool that features England and Argentina.
Here comes the American League!
The Detroit Tigers have retaken the No. 1 spot and are one of four AL teams in the top 10 in Week 10 alongside the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros — who cracked the top 10 for the first time this season.
The National League is still well-represented at the top of our list, with the usual powerhouses battling Detroit for first place.
Meanwhile, a number of clubs have continued their fall down our rankings this week, including the Boston Red Sox dropping to No. 22 and the Arizona Diamondbacks to No. 19, with each at its lowest ranking of 2025. Will they be able to overcome their struggles and bounce back?
Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 41-22
Previous ranking: 2
After serving up four home runs to the Rangers on May 10 and seeing his ERA rise to 4.61, Jack Flaherty has reeled off a 2.22 ERA over his past four starts. He is looking much more like the pitcher the Tigers had in the first half of 2024 before they traded him to the Dodgers then re-signed him as a free agent over the winter. In three of those four recent games, Flaherty threw his fastball just over 50% of the time, which he hadn’t done in any of his first eight starts. The Tigers also received consecutive scoreless starts from Keider Montero filling in for the injured Reese Olson. This rotation isn’t just Tarik Skubal. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-25
Previous ranking: 3
The Dodgers’ offense has kept L.A. in its familiar first-place perch despite widespread pitching struggles. The attack might be getting even more potent thanks to the sudden resurgence of Max Muncy, perhaps baseball’s hottest hitter. Muncy capped a seven-game stretch in which he hit .409/.500/1.227 with a game-tying homer in Tuesday’s dramatic extra-inning win over the Mets. It was Muncy’s sixth long ball of that stretch, during which he lifted his season OPS from .653 to .781. For the season, Muncy has a .945 OPS at Dodger Stadium, but an anemic .593 mark on the road. — Doolittle
Record: 39-23
Previous ranking: 6
Ronny Mauricio is back in the big leagues. The former top prospect debuted with the Mets in September 2023, but he tore an ACL in winter ball then had a second surgery last summer, ultimately missing the entire 2024 season. After hitting .515 with three home runs in nine games in Triple-A this year, the Mets called him up to replace the injured Mark Vientos on the roster. He went 0-for-4 on Tuesday while playing third base. The switch-hitter could get time at third, second and DH, although the Mets do have Brett Baty, Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña capable of playing the infield, as well. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-23
Previous ranking: 4
Take 2 for Devin Williams. The Yankees righty is back in his closing role after Luke Weaver went down with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. Will Williams be better this time around? The Yankees think so after he had a decent run as a middle man. He hadn’t given up a run in 10 of his previous 11 appearances before returning to the closer job. Just as important, Williams walked only one hitter during that time frame while striking out 15. His first test back at closer came on Tuesday. And while he passed — New York beat Cleveland 3-2 — he did give up a run in the ninth. So, stay tuned. — Rogers
Record: 37-24
Previous ranking: 1
After a hot stretch against the Pirates, Rockies, A’s and Braves that saw the Phillies win 11 of 12 games, Philadelphia got swept at home by the Brewers over the weekend, losing the three games by a combined score of 28-11. Jesus Luzardo allowed 12 hits and 12 runs in a 17-7 loss, seeing his ERA climb from 2.15 to 3.58. He became just the 12th pitcher in MLB history to allow as many as 12 runs while pitching 3⅓ innings or fewer. On the bright side, while Ranger Suarez allowed seven runs in his 2025 debut, he has since had three scoreless starts in five appearances (although he picked up a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Milwaukee as the bullpen blew a 2-1 lead). — Schoenfield
Record: 38-23
Previous ranking: 5
The Cubs are managing just fine without Shota Imanaga (hamstring) and Justin Steele (elbow), but they probably will look to augment their staff via trade come July. Chicago got a huge outing from second-year player Ben Brown over the weekend when he threw six shutout innings against the Reds, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out nine. It came after the team used lefty Drew Pomeranz as an opener. That trend could continue, as Brown is a two-pitch pitcher who has trouble going through a lineup three times and sometimes gets into first-inning trouble. An opener addresses both issues. — Rogers
Record: 35-25
Previous ranking: 7
As the Padres keep trying to patch up their hole-riddled lineup, Manny Machado continues to put up All-Star numbers in his 14th season. Machado has never hit .300 in a full season (he hit .304 in the shortened 2020 campaign), but he might get there this year as he suddenly has become a line-drive force. He is striking out less than at any time since 2021, yet his average exit velocity is the highest it’s been during that span. Machado is 32, but he shows every sign of graceful aging as he approaches the 2,000-hit milestone for his likely Hall-of-Fame career. — Doolittle
Record: 32-28
Previous ranking: 8
Seattle slipped behind Houston in the AL West since we last convened, but the news out of the Great Northwest is getting brighter. Starter Bryce Miller was activated from the injured list after a three-week stay. Even better, Logan Gilbert was slated for a second rehab start as his recovery from a balky elbow nears completion. If Gilbert is activated soon, the Mariners’ projected five-man rotation — Miller, Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo — will be intact for the first time all season. That Seattle spent so much time in first place despite that fact could portend a happy summer for Mariners fans. — Doolittle
Record: 34-28
Previous ranking: 9
The Giants have slid in the standings and the win-loss column of late, as their robust pitching staff hasn’t been able to carry an increasingly foundering offense. With Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski and Jung Hoo Lee all slowing after good starts, first-year general manager Buster Posey has started to shuffle the roster, most notably designating LaMonte Wade Jr. for assignment. In the minors, top prospect Bryce Eldridge was moved from Double-A to Triple-A, so perhaps he could help later in the season. For all the shuffling, the key remains free-agent splash Willy Adames, who continues to labor with a sub-80 OPS+. — Doolittle
Record: 33-28
Previous ranking: 12
The Astros returned to the top of the AL West for the first time since the initial few days of the campaign. They accomplished this despite an ongoing plague of pitching injuries and the lingering unavailability of star slugger Yordan Alvarez. Perhaps the biggest reason for the Astros’ ability to remain afloat has been shortstop Jeremy Peña‘s emergence into a top-10 overall player in the AL. The 27-year-old has morphed from a high-strikeout, low-walk power threat to a complete package at the dish. Peña has slashed his whiff rate to elite levels, losing no power in the process while continuing to shine on defense. — Doolittle
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 10
The Cardinals are holding steady in the NL wild-card race despite an up-and-down week. But the question continues to linger in St. Louis: Can the Cardinals stay in the race long enough to convince the front office not to trade away their pending free agents? Inside the clubhouse, undoubtedly that answer is yes. It might get to the point that outgoing top decision-maker John Mozeliak decides to add. Why not take one more kick at the can? — Rogers
Record: 34-27
Previous ranking: 11
Chris Paddack is turning into one of the pleasant surprises of 2025. After the Twins acquired him from the Padres in 2022, he underwent Tommy John surgery after just five starts, wiping out nearly two full seasons. He had a 4.99 ERA last year in 17 starts, allowing a .283 average. He allowed nine runs in his first start this year, but he has posted a 2.47 ERA since then. He then enjoyed his best outing of the season on Sunday in Seattle, allowing one run in eight innings with 10 strikeouts while throwing 110 pitches (although he came away with a no-decision in a 2-1 loss). — Schoenfield
Record: 34-29
Previous ranking: 20
Finally. The Brewers are showing some life. An eight-game win streak that ended Tuesday night vaulted them into the playoff picture. Their offensive surge has been led by Christian Yelich — who hit .414 with a 1.1313 OPS during the win streak — but he’s not the only one doing damage. Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick also had big weeks, contributing to a sweep in Philadelphia for the team’s signature series win so far this season. — Rogers
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 14
Jose Ramirez has been on extended hot streak. He had a 21-game hitting streak in May that included 11 multihit outings. After a hitless game on Friday, he followed with three straight two-hit games, raising his average to .330. Ramirez last hit .300 back in 2017, and his current OPS+ would be the second highest of his career, behind only the shortened 2020 season. He might not approach a 40/40 season like last year, when he fell one home run short, but he could be headed for a third 30/30 campaign. He should be the easy All-Star starter at third base for his fourth start in the Midsummer Classic and seventh selection. — Schoenfield
Record: 30-29
Previous ranking: 16
Junior Caminero is heating up, hitting .400 over a 10-game stretch that ended Tuesday. He hit five home runs and drove in a whopping 17 runs during that span, including a two-homer game against Houston over the weekend. He added another blast in Tuesday’s victory over Texas. He has been all over fastballs lately, hitting .292 on the season against them. His bat has helped push the Rays past .500 and back into the AL playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 27-33
Previous ranking: 15
Ronald Acuña Jr. has been terrific in his return from knee surgery, hitting .341/.413/.610 with three home runs in his first 11 games back. But the Braves also need a lift from Spencer Strider — and he hasn’t delivered it just yet. Strider made one start in April in his return from Tommy John surgery, but a hamstring injury caused him to miss a month. In three starts since coming off the IL, he has allowed 10 runs in 14 innings while walking seven batters and hitting three. He also served up three home runs in a loss to Arizona on Tuesday. It hasn’t helped that the lineup continues to scuffle, scoring just one run in each of two losses to the Red Sox. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 17
After tearing through Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .322 with 15 home runs in 50 games, Jac Caglianone made his highly anticipated MLB debut on Tuesday, going 0-for-5 in a 10-7 win over St. Louis. He hit sixth and served as the DH (after beginning to see some outfield reps in the minors). Despite the hitless outing, Caglianone showed off his potential, as he had four hard-hit balls of 95-plus mph. Three of those were groundouts, and one was a drive into right-center in his first at-bat that Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II made a fine running catch on. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 22
Toronto’s offense came to play against the A’s during a four-game sweep last week. The Blue Jays totaled 39 runs, led by Addison Barger, Bo Bichette and George Springer. Each had three home runs during Toronto’s five-game win streak, which ended on Tuesday in a loss to the Phillies. Thanks to the series against the pitching-challenged A’s, Toronto boasted the highest OPS of any team last week. The question is whether it can continue against better opponents. That hasn’t always been the case this season for the Jays; see Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Phillies as evidence. — Rogers
Record: 30-31
Previous ranking: 13
The Diamondbacks appeared to be most likely to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West. That could still happen. But for now, Arizona might challenge L.A. for the title of most disappointing starting rotation, at least among expected contenders. Arizona’s 23rd-ranked rotation ERA is bad enough. Then came this zinger: Ace Corbin Burnes, he of the $210 million contract, is on the IL with an elbow problem, the specific diagnosis of which has initially proved to be elusive. Not great. — Doolittle
Record: 29-33
Previous ranking: 21
The Rangers’ up-and-down start to the season has left them almost precisely mediocre, which isn’t exactly what they were shooting for. It has felt like every positive development that’s happened for Texas since Opening Day has been accompanied by an equivalent gut punch. The pattern continued last week, when Marcus Semien showed signs of catching fire after foundering the first two months as one of baseball’s least productive hitters. Alas, ace Nathan Eovaldi hit the IL with triceps fatigue, weakening a rotation big three (Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle) that has kept Texas in the realm of contention. And so on it goes. — Doolittle
Record: 30-33
Previous ranking: 19
TJ Friedl has given the Reds a needed boost at the plate, collecting 10 multihit games since May 19. The 29-year-old outfielder is having a resurgent season after seeing his OPS drop below .700 last year. This year, he has hit more in line with his 2023 campaign, when he smacked 18 home runs and compiled a .352 on-base percentage. He is showing a little less power than two years ago, but his on-base has shot up over .380, and he is hitting over .360 off fastballs. — Rogers
Record: 30-34
Previous ranking: 18
The Red Sox’s offense looks pedestrian without Alex Bregman, who’s been out with a right quad injury since late last month. The team ranks in the bottom third in run scoring during that time frame. Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story have struggled the most, striking out about six times more than they’ve walked over the past half-month. That’s a recipe for some ugly at-bats. Fortunately, Rafael Devers has picked up the slack, averaging more than an RBI per game during Bregman’s absence. But Boston needs someone else to step up, as Bregman is going to be out for a while. Boston’s record as of late reflects its struggles. — Rogers
Record: 29-32
Previous ranking: 24
The Nationals had a nice road trip, winning two of three in Seattle and in Phoenix as the offense exploded for at least nine runs in four consecutive games. The highlights included a seven-run 10th inning against the Mariners and a 10-run first inning against the Diamondbacks in which the first 11 batters all reached base and five doubles were tallied. During the latter contest, the Nats scored nine runs before an out was recorded, the second most in a first inning since 1961. (The Red Sox scored 10 against the Marlins in 2003.) Luis Garcia had eight hits and six RBIs over the four outings, while the red-hot James Wood homered twice and drove in seven runs. — Schoenfield
Record: 28-33
Previous ranking: 23
The Angels have played the most road games in the majors, which has made their roller-coaster (but encouraging) start that much more impressive. Even better, they’ve played well away from Anaheim, generally remaining on the happy side of .500. The upside of such a road-heavy slate is that, by definition, the rest of their schedule will be MLB’s most home-heavy. For the Angels to take advantage, though, they need to actually start holding down the fort at the Big A, where they’ve gone 10-15. The hitters rank 5th in scoring on the road but 30th at home. That needs to change — Doolittle
Record: 24-36
Previous ranking: 27
Could a weekend sweep of an AL opponent mean the Orioles are back? Not likely, when you consider it was the lowly White Sox who failed to win a game in Baltimore. Even in taking the trio of games, the O’s only scored nine runs; but at least they pitched well, something that has eluded them for most of the season. That carried over to a 5-1 win at Seattle on Tuesday. Charlie Morton also has had a couple of good outings in a row that have led to wins. Perhaps he can right the ship enough to get traded, since it’s still a huge long shot for Baltimore to get back into the playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 23-39
Previous ranking: 28
OK, time for that annual exercise: Who on the Pirates can be unloaded to help other teams come trade season? Veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa comes to mind. Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Adam Frazier and Andrew Heaney too. In other words, just about anyone this side of Paul Skenes can be had. If the Pirates can acquire even one hitting prospect to pair with Oneil Cruz, it would help. Cruz is their top hitter right now, ranking 40th in OPS in MLB. The next Pirate on the list is the 38-year-old McCutchen, at 81st. — Rogers
Record: 23-37
Previous ranking: 26
The Marlins became the first team to lose a series against the Rockies this season — and then the first to be swept by Colorado after dropping the final game in Miami. Monday’s announced home attendance was 5,894, which was a generous assessment of the actual in-game crowd. Pictures of a nearly empty stadium at first pitch filled social media. The game ended with a 6-4 loss. The Marlins had plenty of scoring opportunities but went just 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. — Schoenfield
Record: 23-40
Previous ranking: 25
After showing some early signs of respectability and even a possible fringe run at a wild-card slot, the Athletics collapsed like the construct of a Jenga player who’s had one too many. The culprit has been pitching, particularly in the rotation, an area the A’s had hoped would be solid. Since the A’s topped out at four games over .500 (20-16), the starters have gone 3-24 with an ERA around 7.00, which is, unsurprisingly, the worst mark in the majors over that span. Double-digit outputs by the opposition have become the norm — as in 10 times over the Athletics’ past 25 games. — Doolittle
Record: 19-43
Previous ranking: 29
Down on the farm, there have been mixed reviews of Chicago’s highly regarded top five prospects. Hagen Smith had pitched just 25 innings in seven starts with 20 walks (although 42 strikeouts) in Double-A before going on the IL with elbow soreness. Colson Montgomery is hitting .191 in Triple-A. Noah Schultz has a high WHIP in Double-A (47 hits and 28 walks in 46 IP). Kyle Teel has hit well in Triple-A (.287/.389/.483) but has 54 strikeouts in 49 games. Braden Montgomery did earn a promotion to High-A but is hitting .246 there after hitting .304 in Single-A. Teel is most likely to make his MLB debut this year, although there’s little need to rush him with Edgar Quero and Matt Thaiss sharing catching duties. — Schoenfield
Record: 12-50
Previous ranking: 30
When a team is on pace to shatter the all-time loss record, you don’t generally expect any facet of that team to actually be good. However, the Colorado bullpen — despite having precious few leads to protect — has been positively not entirely terrible. (It’s all relative, of course.) For the Rockies, this could be more than a moral victory during a tortuously lost season. As the trade deadline approaches, Colorado might be able to capitalize on the always-busy derby for in-season bullpen help. Sure to attract calls are Seth Halvorsen and Jake Bird. — Doolittle
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