Phillies Wrongly Jumped by NL Foe in MLB Power Rankings

A National League team has surprisingly surpassed the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB power rankings.

Jul 6, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) calls to the bullpen during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies have been arguably the best team in baseball since Don Mattingly took over as interim manager in place of Rob Thomson.

A veteran-laden team that was failing to live up to expectations in the early going, Thomson was fired 28 games into the campaign when the team was 9-19. They are now 50-41, only three games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East race.

Despite the sustained success, the Phillies actually dropped in this week’s MLB power rankings over at The Athletic (subscription required) and were put together by Chad Jennings, Grant Brisbee and Levi Weaver.

Philadelphia was No. 6 in the rankings last week, but finds itself coming in at No. 7 in the latest edition. It was the Chicago Cubs, who were ranked No. 7 last week, that have surpassed them, moving into a tie with the New York Yankees for No. 5 in the rankings.

Phillies drop behind Cubs in MLB Power Rankings

Jul 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8), center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) and right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Yankees were No. 3 last week but have been jumped by their American League East rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Braves, who have been mired in a tough stretch yet still find themselves moving up the rankings.

For the Phillies, dropping one spot isn’t a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. They are a half-game behind the Cubs for the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the NL, which could have certainly played a part in the decision to have the NL Central squad ahead of them in the power rankings.

However, just like Philadelphia, Chicago lost its most recent series against the St. Louis Cardinals. They were defeated 17-0 in Game 1 before being shut out in Game 2, 3-0. The Cubs did win the finale 6-4 before embarking on a road trip that will take them into the All-Star break with a visit to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Phillies are coming off a disappointing series of their own. After beating the Kansas City Royals 6-1 in their opener, they lost Game 2 with Aaron Nola starting by a score of 5-2. The rubber game was disastrous, with Cristopher Sanchez having the worst start of his career in a 15-1 loss.

That was the first series Philadelphia has lost since June 12-14, when they dropped two out of three games on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago has been hot in its own right, but making a two-spot jump up the power rankings despite ending the week with a series loss doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

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