MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs Clinch, Races Tighten
As the MLB season has only two weeks left, the postseason chase should be getting clearer. Instead, while teams are being eliminated, the Wild Card races are getting even tighter.
At this point in time, we know a few things about the race for the MLB postseason. The Chicago Cubs will be in, having clinched the National League Central and are only a few games away from nailing down the top seed in the Senior Circuit. Meanwhile, eight teams have already been eliminated from the postseason, leaving them to wonder what went wrong and to focus on next year.
Typically, while teams are still mathematically alive for the playoffs, this would be the point in time when the postseason picture becomes clearer. Well, given the performance of a few teams over the past week, it has been anything but. Yes, teams have imploded, but the Wild Card races have gotten tighter as well.
So, with two weeks left, where do we stand? What teams are poised to make a move up the standings, and could potentially steal one of those coveted postseason spots? Which teams are beginning to collapse, endangering their odds of making the final cut and to have a chance at advancing on into the playoffs?
Let us take a look as we enter this week’s edition of the MLB Power Rankings.
2. The Minnesota Twins quest to revamping their front office has hit a few snags, as few people are interviewing with the team. One has to wonder if the mandate that Paul Molitor comes back is hindering that search. Nonetheless, whoever takes over as the president of baseball operations and the new general manager will have their work cut out for them on a team with not enough Major League caliber talent.. . Previous: . Minnesota Twins. 30. team
29. team. 8. Heads have already begun to roll in response to this year’s fiasco, as the Diamondbacks are cutting ties with De Jon Watson, who headed up their international scouting. Even though that does not necessarily mean that Tony LaRussa and Dave Stewart are in trouble, this may be the first of several moves in Arizona.. . Previous: . Arizona Diamondbacks
28. team. 17. The Braves may not be playing well this season, but they are showing a lot of hope for the future. The team has also responded very well to Brian Snitker, who has a 48-63 record. It may not be the sexy move to keep Snitker on as the manager next year, but it may be the right decision.. . Previous: . Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies. 27. team. 6. Was it really four months ago since the Phillies appeared as though they could be the surprise team of the year? Now, they have the worst run differential in baseball, and are plummeting like a rock down the standings. While this will help with the rebuilding effort, it is surprising how rapidly the fall from grace came after April.. . Previous:
Previous: . Oakland Athletics. 26. team. 96. It’s too little, too late, but the A’s have been much better since getting rid of the dead weight that was Billy Butler. With a breath of fresh air in the locker room, and the potential of some solid young pitching, Moneyball may not be dead after all. There could be a lot to look forward to next year..
team. 127. It turns out that A.J. Preller has not been acting Friar-like in his dealings with other teams, as he was suspended without pay for 30 days for withholding medical information. The Padres say he has their full support, but backlash from other general managers and the rest of the league may change that in a hurry.. . Previous: . San Diego Padres. 25
team. 21. Given the current state of the American League East, one has to wonder what the Rays season would have looked like if they played in another division. They have only been outscored by 22 runs, yet could have a top five pick in the draft. With a lack of impact talent on the verge of reaching the Majors, the Rays stay in the cellar may last a while.. . Previous: . Tampa Bay Rays. 24
Perhaps the best development for the Reds this season has been the emergence of Billy Hamilton over the second half of the season. Not only has he learned to take a walk, but he’s given up trying to be a power hitter and is using his speed to cause havoc. If he keeps this up, Hamilton might be ready to become the special player the Reds expected him to be.. . Previous: . Cincinnati Reds. 23. team. 61
Previous: . Chicago White Sox. 22. team. 128. Why are the White Sox running Chris Sale into the ground? Despite being virtually eliminated from the postseason, Sale has thrown 50 innings in his last six starts, lasting at least eight innings in each outing. With this type of usage, and their refusal to protect him for next year, it would seem unlikely that he will be back in Chicago in 2017..
76. Milwaukee may have found something to build with. Bringing the stolen base back into style, the Brewers have 164 steals, 40 more than the second place Reds. Meanwhile, their 76.64% success rate is the sixth best in the game. If the Brewers can find a couple more power arms, they could be a fun team to watch next year.. . Previous: . Milwaukee Brewers. 21. team
102. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, the only reason to watch the Angels may be to see Albert Pujols make history, and to watch Mike Trout continue to be the best player in the game. Unless the Angels open the vaults, it could be a long time until they can contend. Of course, that spending is what got them into this mess in the first place….. . Previous: . Los Angeles Angels. 20. team
7. It has been a nice run for the Kansas City Royals, with consecutive World Series appearances and a World Series win last year. However, injuries, ineffectiveness, and Joakim Soria’s continual implosions have conspired to turn 2016 into a lost year. Right now, the Royals have to look for health as they may have one last shot at a title next year.. . Previous: . Kansas City Royals. 19. team
Pittsburgh Pirates. 18. team. 4. Languishing around the .500 mark, this is not the season the Pirates expected to have. Quite a few changes may be in the works, and questions are starting to be asked about Andrew McCutchen’s future. This coming offseason, and the decisions made, could determine the fate of the Pirates for the rest of the decade.. . Previous:
17. team. 108. Right now, it seems unlikely that the Rockies bring back Walt Weiss as their manager next year. As the team has improved in each of the past three seasons, and appears to finally have a solid young core to build a pitching staff around, letting him walk may be a big mistake.. . Previous: . Colorado Rockies
82. Amid reports that the Marlins and Scott Boras have yet to begin extension talks for Jose Fernandez, it may be time for Miami to put him on the block. If that happens, considering the extremely thin free agent pitching market, the Marlins might get a franchise altering return for his services.. . Previous: . Miami Marlins. 16. team
Previous: . New York Yankees. 15. team. 43. After climbing back into the Wild Card hunt, the Yankees are starting to struggle. They had lost four in a row heading into last night’s action, and injuries have derailed what appeared to be a wonderful story. With castoffs like Billy Butler hitting cleanup, one has to wonder if the Yankees have anything left in the tank..
14. team. 3. It has been a matter of good news and bad news on the pitching front for the Mets. On the down side, Jacob deGrom has been shut down for the year, and will be unavailable for the Mets push for the Wild Card. On the plus side, Steven Matz is expected back next week. Getting him back into the rotation could make a huge difference.. . Previous: . New York Mets
13. team. 63. The Tigers may have earned a victory yesterday against the Indians, but it came with a heavy price. Ian Kinsler was hit in the head, and is showing potential signs of a concussion. If he is going to miss any length of time, the Tigers hopes for a postseason berth may have come to an end.. . Previous: . Detroit Tigers
Seattle Mariners. 12. team. 62. Don’t look now, but here come the Seattle Mariners! Winners of eight of their last ten games, the Mariners are only two games behind the Blue Jays for the second Wild Card spot. And, that same Blue Jays team is coming to town for a three game set to start the week. It is not a stretch to say this is the biggest series of the year for Seattle.. . Previous:
Previous: . San Francisco Giants. 11. team. 40. The Giants have been shut out eight times since the All Star Break, but they managed to earn a split with the Cardinals. With their one game lead over St. Louis intact, the Giants historic collapse in the second half may be averted due to the state of the rest of the National League. Right now, it’s a two team race for that last spot..
Alex Reyes may have saved the Cardinals season on Saturday, pitching seven shutout innings. Seung Hwan Oh has been a force in the bullpen, and the Cardinals are starting to get healthy at the right time. Could the Cardinals be tapping in to that magic they used to find late in every season once again?. . Previous: . St. Louis Cardinals. 10. team. 33
Houston Astros. 9. team. 135. A slow start at the beginning of the season may have doomed the Astros hopes this year, but the future remains bright in Houston. With a young core, and a solid rotation in place, the Astros may find themselves back in the postseason next year. While pennants are not won in April, the Astros have proven they can be lost in that month.. . Previous:
39. The Blue Jays may be in a lot of trouble. Yes, they hold a two game lead in the Wild Card, but they face the hot Seattle Mariners for a three game set. A sweep may put an end to the Blue Jays postseason hopes, and with their impending free agents, the window may be getting slammed shut.. . Previous: . Toronto Blue Jays. 8. team
The Orioles have the first Wild Card spot, not so much because they have been playing well, but because the competition has struggled. As long as Mark Trumbo can hit home runs, and the rotation can hold a lead through six innings, that Wild Card berth may be the Orioles to lose.. . Previous: . Baltimore Orioles. 7. team. 11
Perhaps the biggest disappointment surrounding the Dodgers is the announcement that Vin Scully will not be calling any postseason games. If the Dodgers were to win the World Series, it would be great to hear him call that last out in his final game. Perhaps, if that scenario comes up, he can be pursued to reconsider his decision.. . Previous: . Los Angeles Dodgers. 6. team. 71
. Previous: . Texas Rangers. 5. team. 126. The Rangers continue to defy explanation. They are 26 games over .500, but have only outscored their opponents by eight runs. One would have to think that, sooner or later, that luck would come back to bite them. The fact that Jeff Banister has gotten this team where they are should make him a shoe-in for Manager of the Year.
Previous: . Washington Nationals. 4. team. 90. For as much as Trae Turner’s ascension to stardom has taken the focus off of Bryce Harper’s struggles this year, it is time to wonder what has happened. Is he Tony Oliva, who was incredible in his first few seasons, then become nothing more than a fairly good player overall? Is he hiding an injury? Harper may well be the key to the Nationals postseason hopes..
Don’t look now, but the Boston Red Sox may well be the best team in the American League. They swept their four game series with the Yankees, and may have put the final nail in the coffin for their postseason hopes. Surging ahead in the American League East, the Red Sox look like they will give David Ortiz a deep postseason run as their sendoff gift.. . Previous: . Boston Red Sox. 2. team. 14
Next: Ramirez on timely hot streak for Red Sox
1. team. 9. The first team to clinch a playoff spot, the Chicago Cubs could clinch the top seed in the National League sometime this week. 108 years since they last won a World Series, the feeling is that anything less than a championship will be a disappointment. The stakes have never been higher for Joe Maddon and company.. . Previous: . Chicago Cubs