MLB Power Rankings: The Elite Further Distance Themselves
In this week’s edition of the MLB Power Rankings, the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers continue to prove why they are easily the top two teams in baseball.
At times, filling out the top of the MLB Power Rankings feels like a formality. Over the past few weeks, there has not been a lot of movement there, with the top teams separating themselves. In fact, the top eight teams did not change their standing from last week, as there has been a settling in as we head to the All Star Break.
Yet, while the top of the rankings stayed fairly static, two teams have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. The Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to be the clear favorites in the American and National Leagues respectively. Right now, the only question that remains is whether or not both teams will make the World Series.
We also had quite the logjam at the bottom of the rankings. For the first time, there was a four team tie for one of the spots. After using two tiebreakers, the 21st through 24th ranked teams sorted themselves out. Yet, that goes to show how close the bottom of the league is as well.
Let us now move on to the latest installment of the MLB Power Rankings, and see how the league stacks up.
On Sunday, Jerad Eickhoff finally looked like the pitcher the Phillies hoped he would be this season. If the youth movement is going to succeed, Eickhoff will need to develop into a top of the rotation starter. Otherwise, the Phillies may take even longer to contend than they expect.. . Previous: 30th. Philadelphia Phillies. 30. team. 6
team. 127. Maybe the Padres are not the most talented team out there, but they are going to battle until the final out. Taking two of three from Cleveland may not matter this season, but it can give the young Padres a dose of confidence as they continue the rebuild.. . Previous: 29th. San Diego Padres. 29
San Francisco Giants. 28. team. 40. In some ways, the Giants may be in the worst spot of any of the teams in the basement. Not only did they expect to contend, but their trade chips are not considered all that valuable around the league. San Francisco may need to pin their hopes on improved health and Madison Bumgarner for 2018.. . Previous: 28th
Previous: 27th. Oakland Athletics. 27. team. 96. If the Oakland Athletics make the right moves, their rebuild could get a huge boost this month. Players like Sonny Gray, Jed Lowrie, Sean Doolittle, and Yonder Alonso could bring significant returns in the trade market, helping to spur Oakland forward..
Toronto Blue Jays. 26. team. 39. Speaking of disappointment, we have the Blue Jays. At this point, it is time to dismantle the roster, sending pitchers Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano elsewhere. And if they can find someone to take the animated remains of Troy Tulowitzki off their hands, so much the better.. . Previous: 25th
New York Mets. 25. team. 3. Maybe someday, the Mets roster will be healthy. Of course, that seems unlikely to happen before 2018. Until then, continue to invest heavily in bubble wrap manufacturers in the New York area, as the Mets injury woes have gone beyond a curse.. . Previous: 19th
Detroit Tigers. 24. team. 63. While the Tigers have struggled this season, they have to be surprised by the turnaround Anibal Sanchez has displayed since his return to the majors. In his four outings, he has a 3.09 ERA and a 0.857 WHiP, striking out 22 batters against four walks in 23.1 innings, Suddenly, he may be a useful trade piece.. . Previous: 23rd
As the White Sox continue to plummet down the standings, the Jose Quintana trade rumors are set to begin once again. Five teams were in Colorado to watch his most recent outing, and offers could be coming soon. But will Quintana be traded at the deadline?. . Previous: 21st. Chicago White Sox. 23. team. 128
team. 11. Another international signing period, another flurry of trades for minor prospects as the Orioles unload signing slots. For a team without a true impact prospect, the refusal to dip into that pool is starting to become akin to the definition of insanity,. . Previous: 22nd. Baltimore Orioles. 22
. Previous: 26th. Cincinnati Reds. 21. team. 61. After two horrendous outings when he came off the disabled list, Homer Bailey had two excellent outings last week, in Colorado and Arizona of all places. He allowed just two runs in his 12.2 innings, getting ground ball after ground ball. He is still allowing too many hits, but it is great to see some positive signs.
20. team. 17. The Braves were deader than Mili Vanilli’s music career, but all of a sudden, they came back from the depths of the National League. Now, they are hovering around the .500 mark, and are starting to become interesting. Maybe they are not a playoff team, but they are no longer pushovers.. . Previous: 18th. Atlanta Braves
team. 4. Speaking of comebacks, how about Andrew McCutchen? He appeared to be a shadow of his former self for almost a full calendar year, but is now back to his former MVP status. If he is indeed on the trade block, the Pirates could get quite the return for his services.. . Previous: 24th. Pittsburgh Pirates. 19
. Previous: 20th. Miami Marlins. 18. team. 82. The Marlins may not be going anywhere this season, but they are still a fun group to watch. Ichiro, despite not being the player he had been, continues to make history, as he became the all time leader for major league hits by a foreign born player.
2. Somehow, despite a -60 run differential, the Twins continue to hang around the postseason picture. However, if a team is pinning their hopes on a 44 year old Bartolo Colon to help the rotation, there are a lot of problems. When does the other shoe drop in Minnesota?. . Previous: 17th. Minnesota Twins. 17. team
Previous: 13th. Seattle Mariners. 16. team. 62. Of all the teams on this list, the Seattle Mariners may face the hardest decision as to whether or not to rebuild. With an aging roster and a rotation that has not been able to stay healthy, Jerry DiPoto may need to rethink his “all-in” plans for this season,.
It was a tale of two series. The Royals swept the Mariners, and were swept by the Dodgers. Given that the Dodgers are the best team in the game right now, the Royals have the moral victory of playing them tough. But that loss on Saturday, where the bullpen imploded, could come back to haunt them.. . Previous: 15th. Kansas City Royals. 15. team. 7
Previous: 14th. Los Angeles Angels. 14. team. 102. At some point, the Angels injuries will have to catch up to them, right? But with Mike Trout set to return after the All Star break, finding an upgrade to their pitching staff could give Los Angeles the push they need to sneak into the postseason..
9. Jon Lester had a game score of -3 on Sunday. Since 1913, only Kevin Tapani and Joe Coleman had a performance that bad. And yet, the outing could have been much worse, as six of the ten runs Lester allowed were unearned due to an error. Either way, it was a disaster.. . Previous: 11th. Chicago Cubs. 13. team
team. 33. Don’t look now, but here come the Cardinals. Seven games under .500 three weeks ago, they are two under now, and are making a push for the Central. If the Cardinals get hot and put some pressure on Milwaukee, it would not be a surprise. It is the Cardinals Way after all.. . Previous: 16th. St. Louis Cardinals. 12
126. The Rangers are another team that is hanging around the playoffs despite their best efforts otherwise. If their seemingly cursed bullpen can get healthy, and the Rangers can find a closer, there is still plenty of time to make a push for a Wild Card berth.. . Previous: 12th. Texas Rangers. 11. team
Tampa Bay Rays. 10. team. 21. Jacob Faria may well be the unsung hero of the Rays season. Tampa Bay has gone 5-1 in his six starts, and the 23 year old rookie has helped stabilize the rotation. Taking three of four from the Red Sox just proved that the Rays are for real this season.. . Previous: 9th
. Previous: 10th. Milwaukee Brewers. 9. team. 76. The Brewers have come to terms with the fact that this season may not be a mirage. In the hunt for help in their rotation, one has to wonder if Josh Hader will get a chance to start this season. If he can harness his command, Hader could be that ace the Brewers need.
team. 108. How strange has this season been? Kyle Freeland came two outs away from throwing a no hitter in Coors Field, an impressive accomplishment for anyone, let alone a rookie. While the Rockies are showing signs of fading, they are still very much in the hunt.. . Previous: 8th. Colorado Rockies. 8
. Previous: 6th. New York Yankees. 6. team. 43. In just over half a season, Aaron Judge has set a Yankees record for home runs by a rookie. At this point, one has to wonder if he is going to surpass Mark McGwire’s rookie record set back in 1987, when McGwire hit 49 homers for the A’s.
14. At this point, the Red Sox claim they are not looking for a starting pitcher. As the rotation is essentially Chris Sale and prayers to the baseball gods, they may want to add a starting pitcher to the shopping list behind third base and bullpen.. . Previous: 5th. Boston Red Sox. 5. team
team. 90. Just as Joe Ross appeared to have gotten back on track, he was forced to leave Sunday’s start and underwent an MRI. If he is out for any length of time, that could be a major blow to the Nationals, who are somewhat coasting along in the NL East.. . Previous: 4th. Washington Nationals. 4
Arizona Diamondbacks. 3. team. 8. The Diamondbacks had a chance to make a statement in the NL West, but were swept by the Dodgers instead. While the postseason seems very likely, that series showed Arizona that they will need some help to be able to get to the World Series.. . Previous: 3rd
135. At this point, the Houston Astros have all but stamped their ticket to the postseason. At this point, it may be in their best interests to look at their potential postseason foes and look for trade targets to counter those teams. . Previous: 2nd. Houston Astros. 2. team
Next: AL West trade deadline preview
71. Pitching concerns? Bullpen issues? Injuries? It doesn’t matter, as the Dodgers are running away from the National League. Easily the class of the NL, anything less than a World Series appearance will be a disappointment in Los Angeles.. . Previous: 1st. Los Angeles Dodgers. 1. team