The MLB.com Power Rankings is a very serious enterprise in which we track which teams are rising (the Mariners, the Twins) and which teams are falling (the Padres, the Angels) with focus and seriousness of purpose. But sometimes it’s important to remember that what matters the most is ... hugs.

After entering the 2024 season projected to miss the playoffs, the Guardians have almost inarguably been MLB’s biggest surprise thus far. Entering Monday, the Guardians lead the AL with a 19-9 record and +46 run differential -- both of which rank second in MLB behind Atlanta this year, and both

ST. PETERSBURG -- On and off the field, the Rays dare to be different. They have become the modern example of small-market success by creatively defying conventional thinking, boldly going against the grain and unapologetically embracing what makes them unique. That attitude inspired the theme and design of their City

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Orioles have a reputation for developing young, quality big league hitters. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have already blossomed into young stars -- and Jackson Holliday (MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect) -- could certainly get there sometime soon. But the young talent doesn’t

CHICAGO -- We take a break from your regularly scheduled sausage-related programming to bring you news of health. Or maybe not, because it looks like Carlos Correa is buying into sausage-mania, too. “The vibes, as you guys can tell, are great,” Correa said. “We’ve got a sausage now and all

The end of April is a good first checkpoint in a long MLB season. A lot can change from May to October, but a strong start is certainly coveted to put a team in position to make a postseason run. This week, as the calendar flips to May, there are

DENVER -- Rockies No. 4 prospect Jordan Beck, a power-hitting outfielder who is ranked No. 73 overall by MLB Pipeline, flew to Miami on Monday to join the team for its series against the Marlins starting on Tuesday. The club made no official announcement, although Major League sources confirmed Beck

NEW YORK -- The Citi Field pregame routine took on an unusual air Monday, as a crowd gathered in the dugout shortly after 3 p.m. President of baseball operations David Stearns was there alongside a smattering of front-office officials. Manager Carlos Mendoza kept an eye on the proceedings, as did

NEW YORK -- The green thumbs were on full display on April 20 during MLB’s Earth Day Volunteer Event at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York. Over a dozen MLB employees gathered at the historic park to aid in a mass cleanup effort of its baseball fields. The event

The Tigers and Cardinals saw their series opener, scheduled for Monday night at Comerica Park, postponed due to forecasted inclement weather. They'll make it up Tuesday with a traditional doubleheader beginning at 3:40 p.m. ET, with 40 minutes between games. It's the fourth postponement -- and third doubleheader -- the

On April 13, the Braves announced that right-handed starting pitcher Spencer Strider would miss the rest of the season due to an elbow injury. Losing not only the ace of your staff but one of the best pitchers in the game would be a season-ruining moment for most teams. And

We come right out of a cool weekend series between the first-place Guardians and the first-place Braves with four games that start on Monday night between the Yankees and Orioles, ones that end April in the American League East and then take us into May. The two teams get ready

Let’s start with a caveat: Ronald Acuña Jr. will almost certainly start hitting like Ronald Acuña Jr. before too long. It could be today, it could be tomorrow. But it's very, very likely to happen. Second caveat: This prediction is based on his track record — the unanimous NL MVP

LATEST NEWS

This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- Some things are bigger than baseball. But Angels right-hander Zac Kristofak knows how the power of baseball can heal. He's used it as his platform since going through an unthinkable tragedy in 2012, when his father murdered his mother outside Atlanta when he was only 15 years old.

ARLINGTON -- Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford saw the ball hit off the right-center-field wall and turned on the jets. Once he saw third-base coach Tony Beasley aggressively windmilling, he knew he was home free -- quite literally. Langford, the Rangers’ top prospect, is mostly known for his 70-grade power, so

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays' outfield came through in Sunday's 3-1 win at Rogers Centre over the Dodgers, helping Toronto end its five-game slide. First, it was Daulton Varsho, who crashed into the center-field wall to take a hit away from Shohei Ohtani in the first inning. And in the

ANAHEIM -- Baseball's a sport where if you have a good thing going, you don't dare mess with whatever might be providing those positive vibes -- perishable or not. Last week in Chicago, while the Twins were looking for anything to reverse their early-season struggles, Kyle Farmer put out a

LATEST NEWS

TORONTO -- Left-hander Brandon Barriera, the Blue Jays’ No. 4 overall prospect, underwent a combination Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow, the club confirmed on Monday. The procedure addressed a Grade 2 UCL tear, said Barriera’s agent, Nate Heisler, on social media. The Blue Jays

ATLANTA – Austin Riley couldn’t have picked a better time to get his first RBI of the Braves’ weekend series against the Guardians at Truist Park. After going 0-for-8 on the series heading into Sunday’s rubber match, the slugging third baseman tallied two hits -- including a 10th-inning walk-off single

MEXICO CITY -- The biggest reason the Astros have struggled in April is the health of their pitching staff. Six starters have already spent time on the injured list this season, including five at the same time. That forced Houston to call up some young arms who weren’t quite ready,

This is a great week for two-start pitchers, as many borderline starters are set to make one or two outings against the weakest offenses in baseball. On the hitting side, managers who are willing to take the less-traveled path could find surprising production from the Marlins and Twins.