The Philadelphia Phillies have proven week after week that they are the top dog in the National League as they look to take back the NL pennant and bring the World Series trophy home after a disappointing 2023 ending. After a dissatisfying two-game split in the MLB London Series, the Phillies sit at 45-20, tops in baseball.
The Phillies have won consistently and have taken care of the teams that fall behind them in the standings. On June 5, they completed their eighth sweep of the season, a feat they only accomplished seven times all of 2023.
Phillies hold off Yankees in latest MLB Power Rankings
Per Will Leitch, the Phillies came in at No. 1 in MLB.com's Power Rankings once again after another impressive week after sweeping the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. It's the fourth week in a row the Phillies have held the top spot.
A team that has been biting at Philadelphia's heels is the New York Yankees, who settled for the No. 2 spot. The Yankees have been an impressive 47-21 to start the year, even with their ace Gerrit Cole on the shelf with right elbow inflammation.
The @Phillies remain atop of this week's Power Rankings. 🔔
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2024
(MLB x Traveller Whiskey) pic.twitter.com/gg9HIBUzH3
An oddity so far is that only 10 teams currently have a winning percentage over .500. At this point last year, 14 teams had over .500 records. This early separation could give the Phillies that cushion they have been looking to build in the NL. Take a look at the NL East, for example, as the Phillies currently lead the Atlanta Braves by 9.0 games.
The pitching staff that the Phillies roll out each game has been consistently dominant. They have the second-best team ERA in baseball at 2.93, behind only the New York Yankees (2.88). To go along with dominant pitching is their lethal top-five offense which is the continuing reason the Phillies firmly deserve No. 1 recognition.
Even with multiple weeks as the top team in MLB.com's Power Rankings, the July 30 trade deadline is right around the corner, and rumors are already floating around that the Phillies are looking to be buyers at the deadline and possibly reel in a big name.