MLB Power Rankings put Seiya Suzuki in the spotlight as Cubs climb, while Marlins own June momentum

When midseason power rankings refresh, the emphasis usually lands on front-of-the-order hitters or ace-level pitching. In FOX Sports’ latest MLB Power Rankings, the recurring theme is different: teams are being judged, in part, by the work of “unsung” contributors who make the rest of the lineup and rotation play better. The spotlight in Chicago is Seiya Suzuki, as the Cubs are described as having surged into the top 10 in this week’s rankings.

FOX Sports frames the Cubs’ rise as part of a broader “biggest risers” group. Alongside Chicago, the Astros, Rangers and Marlins are also identified as major movers in the rankings from the prior look. The implication is that the league’s evaluation is not only rewarding peak performances, but also teams that have been moving in the right direction over a short stretch, enough to change their position week to week.

The most eye-catching standings storyline in the same ranking package is Miami. With just two days left in June, FOX Sports says the best record in baseball this month belongs to the Miami Marlins. That is the kind of statement that tends to shift the league conversation quickly, particularly late in June when early playoff positioning starts to feel tangible even before the trade deadline noise peaks.

What this type of power-ranking exercise does, at its best, is turn a team-building process into a set of visible outcomes. Suzuki’s inclusion as the “unsung hero” for the Cubs suggests a role player or high-leverage everyday figure is being credited for more than just traditional box-score categories. For Chicago, the practical takeaway is that consistency from the middle of the lineup and behind the scenes often separates teams that can move up quickly from teams that are stuck waiting for a single breakthrough.

For the Astros and Rangers, being tagged as “biggest risers” places them in the same conversational lane as teams that are improving their overall profile, not simply benefiting from favorable schedules. The rankings package does not, in the excerpt available here, specify the statistical drivers behind those rises, but the placement indicates that FOX Sports believes their form over the past week has been strong enough to reclassify their overall power rating.

In the Cubs’ case, the focus on Suzuki also changes what fans are likely to watch next. If Chicago is indeed climbing into the top 10 because of the kind of production or impact that can be described as “unsung,” that means opponents and scouts will pay closer attention to how Suzuki affects at-bats and run creation, not just whether he hits highlights. The bigger question heading into July is whether the Cubs can sustain the momentum that earned them their ranking jump.

As always, power rankings are subjective and reflect an editorial judgment of team quality at a moment in time. Still, they provide a useful map for the month ahead: who is gaining traction, whose storyline is accelerating, and what kind of everyday contributions might be quietly driving results rather than the traditional stars alone.