MLB power rankings: AL champion Blue Jays flail with Vladdy homerless at home

The Toronto Blue Jays are on the verge of a disastrous 10-game homestand, now losers of six in a row with old friend Bo Bichette and the directionless New York Mets coming to town.

Yet Vladimir Guerrero's failings at Rogers Centre have been a seasonlong affair.

With the season more than halfway over and the calendar flipping to July, Guerrero has yet to hit a home run at Rogers Centre this season - a span of 42 games and 181 plate appearances. His home slugging percentage is .300, down from .436 a year ago, while he's hit just seven home runs overall with an adjusted OPS of 94.

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And the Blue Jays - after finally reaching .500 following a month in the red - dipped right back underwater following a four-game sweep by the Texas Rangers - an outcome that may have significant ramifications come season's end.

"It's no secret we're going to need Vlad," Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Sunday, June 28, "if we want to be good."

The defending division and AL champs are now 10 1/2 games behind East-leading Tampa Bay and 9 1/2 behind the Yankees. At 39-45, they are deep in the thicket of mediocrity in the AL - Texas passed them just this weekend - and tumbled four spots to No. 20 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (+2)

Mookie Betts, officially back-back.

2. Milwaukee Brewers (+1)

Jackson Chourio has hit nine homers in June.

3. Atlanta Braves (-2)

Scored two or fewer runs in four games on 1-5 road trip.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (+1)

Junior Caminero on track to once again threaten Carlos Peña's franchise record of 46 home runs.

5. New York Yankees (-1)

Closer David Bednar hasn't allowed a run in five weeks.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (-)

Now 38-18 under Don Mattingly - and just three games behind Atlanta.

7. Chicago Cubs (+3)

David Peterson a winner in his Cubs debut.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (-1)

Andre Pallante has shaved his ERA from 5.31 last year to 3.59 through 15 starts.

9. Cleveland Guardians (-1)

Top 100 prospect Cooper Ingle called up, delivers key hit in second game.

10. San Diego Padres (+2)

Randy Vasquez has given up seven runs in consecutive start/bulk appearances.

11. Miami Marlins (+4)

Eury Perez makes successful return to mound and club remains majors-best 18-6 in June.

12. Chicago White Sox (-3)

They're plus-18 in run differential - thanks to a 22-1 thwacking of the Royals.

13. Washington Nationals (-)

Luis Garcia Jr. with 11 June home runs, first double-digit month for Nationals since Kyle Schwarber in June 2021.

14. Texas Rangers (+5)

They sniff first place for the first time since April 25.

15. Seattle Mariners (-4)

The piggyback pitching plan is on hold, at least for now.

16. Pittsburgh Pirates (+1)

Climb back to .500 just before starting a stretch of 22 straight agmes against teams with winning records.

17. Arizona Diamondbacks (-3)

Swept at Tampa Bay as Max Kepler, having served his PED sentence, joins the lineup.

18. Athletics (-)

Shea Langeliers will need a voting surge from Yolo County to become first A's catcher to start All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach in 1989.

19. Houston Astros (+3)

That's five consecutive series wins, with .500 in sight.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (-4)

Shane Bieber's return gives rotation a far steadier look.

21. Baltimore Orioles (-1)

Still haven't won four in a row.

22. Cincinnati Reds (-1)

After getting swept at Milwaukee, a do-over at home against division bully.

23. Minnesota Twins (-1)

Bailey Ober nears return as he begins minor league rehab assignment.

24. Detroit Tigers (+1)

Blowing two late leads to Houston kills the little momentum they built up this month.

25. Boston Red Sox (+1)

Jarren Duran sits in the midst of 4-for-37 funk - then hops off the bench and walks off the Yankees.

26. New York Mets (-2)

A six-error game is like lighter fluid on a manager's hot seat.

27. Los Angeles Angels (+1)

You wonder if Temporary Adult In The Room John Mozeliak will hire a GM before the lockout or if the owner will save a few bucks with the industry shuttered.

28. San Francisco Giants (+1)

Utter organizational collapse makes their old June Swoons look quaint.

29. Kansas City Royals (-2)

Elbow surgery coming Wednesday for Cole Ragans. What they find in there will determine his 2027 prospects.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

A three-homer game for Hunter Goodman, in case anyone had forgotten about him.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings: AL champion Blue Jays flail with Vladdy homerless at home