For the most part, this past week did not change much. However, it may have proven that a few teams have more staying power in regards to the MLB postseason than we would have expected.
Heading into the 2017 season, there were a few teams that seemed to be consensus postseason favorites. The Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians all appeared to be destined to be playing in October. It made sense, as the Cubs and Indians had faced off in the previous World Series, and the Red Sox had acquired Chris Sale. A playoff berth seemed all but assured.
Then, the season began. The Cubs and Indians have struggled to find some semblance of consistency this year, as they have performed far below expectations. Meanwhile, teams like the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks started off hot, and have continued their surprising campaigns.
Meanwhile, the trends that we have seen since the beginning of the season have remained close to the same. Short of a couple of surprises, and a team getting hot, not much has changed overall in the majors. As Denny Green would say, they are who we thought they were.
Nonetheless, let us take a look at this week’s edition of the MLB Power Rankings, and see where the different teams ended up this week.