The All-Star break has arrived with the standings packed tighter than usual in several places, and the American League Central is the one grabbing the loudest attention. The Chicago White Sox, fresh off a sweep of the Athletics by a combined 24-2, are tied with the Cleveland Guardians atop the division and have become the biggest surprise of the first half.
That surge looks nothing like what the White Sox were dealing with a year ago, when they were 32-65 at the break. It also stands in sharp contrast to their 27-71 mark on the way to a record 121 losses in 2024. Now they’re up to No. 10 in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings, and the confidence inside the clubhouse is rising with the results.
“In our heads,” White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery told reporters, “we just are like, ‘How are we not going to be a playoff team if we just play like we are playing right now?’”
At the top, the Los Angeles Dodgers keep their grip on the National League and the No. 1 spot, while the Milwaukee Brewers sit second despite getting swept at Pittsburgh to close the first half. The Tampa Bay Rays hold at No. 3, followed by the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees.
The Cubs move up to No. 6 after another strong stretch, with the Phillies dropping one spot behind them. The Marlins stay at No. 8, and the Cardinals round out the top 10 after being praised for their draft, including Tennessee right-hander Tegan Kuhns falling to them with the second pick.
The Guardians are still right there with Chicago in the AL Central, landing at No. 11, while the Pirates jump two spots to No. 12 after losing Konnor Griffin, gaining Jacob Gonzalez and finishing the half with a sweep of the Brewers. The Rangers sit at No. 13, with reliever Jacob Latz drawing first-half MVP consideration, and the Mariners fall to No. 14 after X-rays on Emerson Hancock’s hand came back negative as Kade Anderson waits.
Here’s the full updated ranking:
- Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
- Milwaukee Brewers (-)
- Tampa Bay Rays (-)
- Atlanta Braves (-)
- New York Yankees (-)
- Chicago Cubs (+1)
- Philadelphia Phillies (-1)
- Miami Marlins (-)
- Chicago White Sox (+1)
- St.
Louis Cardinals (-1)
11.
Cleveland Guardians (-)
12.
Pittsburgh Pirates (+2)
13.
Texas Rangers
14.
Seattle Mariners (-2)
15.
Washington Nationals (-2)
16.
Arizona Diamondbacks (+1)
17.
San Diego Padres (-1)
18.
Minnesota Twins (+1)
19.
Boston Red Sox (+3)
20.
Houston Astros (-2)
21.
Baltimore Orioles (-1)
22.
Toronto Blue Jays (-1)
23.
Detroit Tigers (+1)
24.
Cincinnati Reds (-1)
25.
Athletics (-)
26.
San Francisco Giants (+1)
27.
New York Mets (-1)
28.
Colorado Rockies (+2)
29.
Los Angeles Angels (+1)
30.
Kansas City Royals (-1)
Elsewhere in the middle and lower half, the Nationals’ sweep by the Yankees likely cools any thought of adding this month, the Diamondbacks are left weighing how much to invest in an eight-way wild card derby, and the Padres are noted for taking a high school pitcher first for the sixth time in 10 years.
The Twins climb to No. 18 with a reminder that they’re tied for the third wild card in the AL, the Red Sox rise to No. 19 and are within two games of .500 for the first time since March 30, and the Orioles finally string together four straight wins before the break.
The Blue Jays slide to No. 22 as a last-place team entering the break, while the Tigers move up behind Jack Flaherty’s strong pitching. The Reds continue to sink against division foes, now 6-22 against NL Central opponents, and the Athletics have dropped nine in a row, the first eight without holding a lead, dating back to the Dodgers’ visit to Yolo County on July 1.
At the bottom, the Giants get a nod for Luis Arraez heading to the All-Star Game, the Mets are swept by the Red Sox, the Rockies get a bump with Paul DePodesta going back to college on draft day, the Angels’ two-way prep pick is framed as the clearest sign yet that the Perry Minasian era is over, and the Royals remain last with only the Athletics owning a worse run differential than Kansas City’s minus-88.
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For Chicago, the bigger intrigue is how this new setup will play for the clubs own entrant, especially with the Derby landing in a year when the field includes names like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber and a $1 million prize is on the line. The format adds a different kind of pressure from the start, since every swing matters more than ever, and the White Sox will be watching closely to see whether the new structure helps or hurts their chances once the competition begins. [Read more 🡒]