USA Today's Weekly MLB Power Rankings

There is no other way to slice it, the New York Yankees had a tough week last week. The team started out the week strong with another series victory over the Boston Red Sox before the Toronto Blue Jays came to town and left with a smile on their face. New York was shutout in consecutive games for the first time in what feels like my lifetime and was swept away in the three-game series. How would this propel the Blue Jays in the rankings and what would it do the Yankees? Keep reading.

First and foremost the biggest rise of the week went to the Chicago Cubs who climbed an amazing five slots all the way to the #6 position that the Yankees held in last week’s rankings. The biggest fall went to the Houston Astros who only fell by three slots but currently sit in the 8^th position, one position behind the New York Yankees. The Yankees came in 7^th in this week’s rankings and will look to rebound this week with a big set of road series against the Cleveland Indians and those same Toronto Blue Jays inside the Rogers Centre.

The Top Five teams according to the rankings are the St. Louis Cardinals, the Kansas City Royals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The five worst teams according to the rankings are the #26 Boston Red Sox, the Colorado Rockies, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Miami Marlins.

To catch up with the rest of the American League East we have the Toronto Blue Jays in the #4 position, the New York Yankees at the #7 position, the Baltimore Orioles finished the week at #13, the Tampa Bay Rays weren’t that far behind finishing #15 and the Boston Red Sox are bringing up the rear at the #25 position.

The trade deadline has severely shaped these rankings, hasn’t it? The Yankees stood pat and they are falling and the Toronto Blue Jays are climbing after selling the farm and acquiring big named and players. The Astros made moves and are still the biggest fallers of the week so no list or situation is perfect but for the most part the teams that made moves needed to and are benefiting from it while the teams that sold or stood pat are suffering. One of those teams, unfortunately, is the New York Yankees.