Zilla Jr. does deserve the rank.
Godzilla: The Series showcased how the 1998 design could be used well. I have no problems with the design-it's actually kind of cool-but the incarnation is what I have some issues with. Zilla Jr. showcased that the design was pretty cool and could be used for a much more faithful adaptation of Godzilla. Godzilla: The Series was, more or less, what Toho was expecting the Zilla design to do in the 1998 film. That's really the only reason they gave the go-ahead on the design-they were hoping for a much more faithful plot, and thought that a design like that, as long as it had Godzilla's standard abilities, could work very well.
