Chicago’s White Sox are already winning differently than their standings suggest, climbing seven spots to No. 9 in league power rankings after a month that flipped their season—highlighted by Colson Montgomery’s surge and a decisive sweep of the Detroit Tigers
When the White Sox walk into the next stretch. they’re not just chasing wins—they’re trying to explain how fast the ground moved under them. In June. with Chicago a game out of first place in the AL Central. the franchise that lost 121 games just two years ago and 102 games last season has already turned a season that looked headed the wrong way.
The shift was brutal in its clarity: Chicago won 18 of 28 games in a month and then capped it by sweeping the American League Central’s overwhelming favorite. sending the Detroit Tigers further into a summer of irrelevance. The climb seven spots to No. 9 in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings reflects how upside down things feel for a team that once struggled to find its footing.
The swing that made the sweep believable had a name: Colson Montgomery. He hit his 15th home run in the month. his 36th since the 2025 All-Star break. and only Kyle Schwarber has more. The White Sox don’t get much time to settle into the moment. They travel to Philadelphia for a three-game set, with a three-game set at Minnesota before then.
That turnaround is happening while the rest of the league sorts itself into different stages—some steady. some wobbling. some celebrating and some bracing. Atlanta remains locked into the top gear in the power rankings, sitting at No. 1 on a 108-win pace through 60 games. In the minors-to-major-league pipeline. top prospect Josue De Paula is on a 20-for-37 tear at Class AA. raising the question of whether he’ll figure into “’26 plans.”.
The Tampa Bay Rays sit at No. 3, where Shane McClanahan is almost all the way back—going 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA in May. The New York Yankees remain at No. 4 as the focus stays on whether Anthony Volpe can sustain his production and truly reclaim the shortstop job.
For Cleveland, the rise comes with a reminder that nothing stays perfect for long. Tanner Bibee became the first pitcher in Cleveland’s 125-year history to go winless in his first 13 starts. Craig Stammen—described as affable—earned his first ejection ever as a player or manager. And then the joy ride hit a break when Cleveland got swept in Milwaukee.
Chicago’s position, meanwhile, isn’t being treated as a fluke. At No. 9. the White Sox move with the sense that the clock matters: Roch Cholowsky’s season is over. leaving the team truly on the clock. The ranking jump also comes with unfinished business in their own schedule—getting swept by the Mariners isn’t the kind of appetizer you want before the Dodgers come to town.
Even the emotional swings around the league are showing up in the rankings. For Philadelphia, Nick Castellanos makes his return this week. And for Cincinnati, a Queen City gasp has followed Elly De La Cruz exiting with a hamstring issue.
Outside the playoff chase, teams are still fighting different versions of the same struggle. The Athletics sit at No. 16 after being swept by bigger forces. with the note that as it gets hotter in Yolo County. the home team is starting to melt just a little bit. The Washington Nationals sit at No. 17, where an over-.500 run “just might be permanent,” while their problems included an outfielder injured by an opposing fan.
Baltimore’s momentum is visible at No. 19, where three walk-offs in six days have shifted the vibe. But the Rangers at No. 20 are dealing with a rehab timeline for Corey Seager this week. alongside an injury that’s creating doubt around the rotation. Bailey Ober and Zebby Matthews combined to give up 15 runs in consecutive starts; Ober hits the IL with elbow inflammation. The result: pulled within six games of .500 for the first time since April 22.
The White Sox’s climb sits inside a larger picture—one where streaks and timing decide who looks stable and who looks exposed. And for Chicago, the timing is doing most of the talking. They can look like the third-best team in the NL Central one week, and then the schedule keeps pressing.
On the Braves-to-White Sox spectrum. the details keep stacking up: Josh White struck out first batter in his major league debut. then gave up a grand slam five batters later. The White Sox have been swept four times since May 10, and Jarren Duran blasted nine homers in May. Even the question of Tarik Skubal’s return has hung over the conversation—when you go 1-5 against the Angels and the White Sox. does it matter when Skubal comes back?.
Elsewhere in the rankings, some teams are already looking ahead to injury timelines. Colorado sits at No. 30, where top prospect Ethan Holliday is expected to miss the rest of the season with a stress reaction in his left foot.
Chicago White Sox Colson Montgomery MLB power rankings AL Central Detroit Tigers Kyle Schwarber Shane McClanahan Tanner Bibee Craig Stammen Anthony Volpe Elly De La Cruz Nick Castellanos Tarik Skubal Corey Seager
No. 9 already? That’s wild like 2 years ago they were basically last forever lol.
I didn’t even realize they were sweeping anyone. Power rankings are so fake though, it’s like one hot month and suddenly they’re contenders??
Colson Montgomery has 36 since the All-Star break? Isn’t that the dude who got injured last year or am I mixing him up with someone else. If they can score like that vs Philly then ok, otherwise it’s gonna cool off.
So they went from 121 losses to sweeping the Tigers and now they’re at No. 9?? I swear the schedule matters more than anything. Like Tigers were “overwhelming favorite” so doesn’t that mean Detroit just choked? Also why does Atlanta still get No. 1… probably cause they always cheat with pitching or whatever.