New York Yankees Rise One Spot in Power Rankings Despite Under .500 Week

The New York Yankees played losing baseball last week, but still found a way to rise one spot in the power rankings.

May 4, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) doubles during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are the only team over .500 in their division. The Yankees are 19-15 to begin the year and in first place in the American League East. Still, they hold just a two-game lead over the team in second place.

This past week, New York lost both their series against divisional opponents. They dropped two of three games on the road against the Baltimore Orioles to begin the week. They then lost a three-game series at home versus the Tampa Bay Rays.

Despite the losing week, the Yankees were able to rise one spot to No. 6 in the latest MLB.com power rankings.

One of the main reasons for their success this year has been Aaron Judge.

Judge is putting up video game numbers this year. He has slashed .423/.510/.777 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored in 33 games played. The two-time AL MVP has been worth 3.1 Wins Above Average, as well.

He is well on his way to a third MVP award, but he is also putting up a strong case to win a Gold Glove. Judge has been the best player in the MLB this season and he is going to lead New York all season.

Along with the captain, the Yankees have Trent Grisham and Ben Rice. Both of these players have hit eight home runs this year. Paul Goldschmidt has also seen a revival at Yankee Stadium. Judge has been the best player on the team, but he is not the only player hitting well.

On the mound, Max Fried has been pitching like a Cy Young.

Fried has made seven starts and he is 6-0. In those games, the left-hander has thrown 44.2 innings, allowed opponents to hit just .187 off him and he has struck out 39 batters. His ERA of 1.01 is the second-lowest in the MLB among pitchers with at least 30.0 innings pitched.

Along with Fried, Carlos Rodon has been unhittable in 2025. He has thrown 42.0 innings and opponents are batting .152 off him. That is the lowest opponent batting average among pitchers with at least 30.0 innings pitched.

The Yankees have two aces on their team, but they are lacking depth in the starting rotation. As the season continues, there is no doubt New York will have to go get a starting pitcher via trade to help bolster the rotation.

Looking ahead to this week, the Yankees will host the San Diego Padres beginning on Monday. The weekend will see New York head to Sacramento to take on the Athletics in a ballpark that they should be able to score plenty of runs in.