MLB Power Rankings: August 2017

The MLB Power Rankings of all 30 ball clubs finds no change at the top of each league from a month ago, but a number of teams making a playoff push.

My first MLB Power Rankings in early June found the Houston Astros of the American League at the top. In early July, the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League had taken over the top spot.

Now in early August those two ball clubs have clearly established themselves as still the top teams in their respective leagues. They were 1-2 overall a month ago, and they remain in those positions today.

Los Angeles has captured the NL West Division crown in six of the last nine years and the last four straight. But the Dodgers have not fared well in the postseason. The club has not even reached the World Series in nearly three decades, since last winning the Fall Classic back in 1988.

As the July 31 trade deadline approached, GM Farhan Zaidi took steps to give his ball club a better chance this coming October. He did so by acquiring starting pitcher Yu Darvish and lefty relievers Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani to plug holes in the L.A. pitching staff.

HOUSTON CONTINUES TO DOMINATE IN AL

Meanwhile, over in the AL, Houston GM Jeff Luhnow also brought in some help. He acquired lefty Francisco Liriano, who has been a starting pitcher for much of his career, to bolster the Astros bullpen.

Houston has emerged over the last three seasons as one of the top teams in baseball, but has reached the postseason just once. Still a young team on the upswing, the Astros are looking to capture their first AL West Division crown since the 2001 campaign. They remain one of just eight MLB teams to never win the World Series.

Related Story: Eight MLB teams have never won the World Series

Following games of Saturday, August 6, the Dodgers lead the NL West by 14.5 games. Just 15-14 after the first month of play, manager Dave Roberts‘ squad has fashioned a ridiculous 63-18 record since.

Manager A.J. Hinch and his Astros shuffled out of the gates to a 4-4 start, but have gone 66-36 ever since. Houston also leads its division, the NL West, by that same 14.5-game margin the Dodgers have built.

FOCUS TURNS FROM TRADES TO PENNANT RACES

While teams can still make deals during the month of August for players who have cleared waivers, that July 31 deadline can cause anxiety, even for contenders.

“I think July has turned into month where everybody pays attention to outside the clubhouse,” said Hinch, per Tony DeMarco of FanRag Sports. “Now that this has passed, I’m glad we can get back to focusing on who’s here, and what lies ahead.’’

Roberts’ team has been so good that they have become the team that all others need to measure themselves against this season. It appears that come October, the NL pennant will have to go through Los Angeles.

“We’ve got no problem being a target,” said Roberts, per Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. “And I think our record speaks for itself.”

His team’s record does indeed speak for itself. That 78-32 record and .709 winning percentage mark the Dodgers as the best team in baseball as we move through the dog days of summer. And once again, they are at the top of my MLB Power Rankings.

Now, after the Dodgers and Astros, where do the rest of Major League Baseball’s 28 teams rank? Who might emerge to challenge these two front-runners by the time the September rankings are released? Let’s take a look.

The 2017 season has certainly not gone as planned for skipper Bruce Bochy and the San Francisco Giants. Winners of three World Series crowns this decade, the Giants entered the season as division favorites in my MLB preseason predictions.

But San Francisco stumbled out of the gate, dropping five of their first six contests. They haven’t been within even six games of the .500 mark since mid-May. The Giants are now 43-69 in what has spiraled into a lost season.

The New York Mets started out by winning seven of their first 10 games. They still were at the .500 mark as late as May 9. But after reaching the postseason each of the past two years, there will be no October baseball this season. Decimated by injuries, the Mets are buried.

BOTTOM FEEDERS LOOK TO BRIGHTER FUTURES

The Twins and Braves are each league’s fading ball clubs. Minnesota surprisingly led the AL Central for much of the first half. Atlanta looked to some as if they could fashion a Wild Card push at one point. But both teams are now clearly pointed only toward 2018, and hoped-for better days ahead.

The very bottom of the pile is once again occupied by my hometown Philadelphia Phillies. My team just can’t get up off the mat. Many local fans and scribes still seem to cling to the notion that the losing core group of position players is somehow capable of winning consistently.

Nothing is going to change for the Phillies in the standings until they finally decide to make changes to that core. There is talent ready in the high minor leagues. It’s time for the Fightin’ Phils to begin making those changes, and giving their fans something to dream on.

AUGUST 2017 MLB POWER RANKING: 30-21

30. Philadelphia Phillies

29. Chicago White Sox

28. San Francisco Giants

27. Oakland Athletics

26. New York Mets

25. Cincinnati Reds

24. San Diego Padres

23. Atlanta Braves

22. Minnesota Twins

21. Detroit Tigers

The middle tier of my August MLB rankings finds a number of teams that remain in the Wild Card playoff races. But if those teams are going to want to play meaningful games down the stretch in September, they are going to have to start winning with more consistency.

The Marlins actually belong in the bottom tier of teams, but someone has to occupy the #20 spot. The Fish have no shot this year. The Cardinals are also in a difficult position. Nine off the NL Wild Card pace, five back of the rival Cubs in the NL Central Division race, the time is now for St. Louis to make a push.

REAL CONTENDERS IN MIDDLE TIER

In the AL, the Blue Jays and Orioles are five and three games out in the Wild Card race, and farther back in the AL East Division. The Rangers and Angels are four and three back in the loss column in the AL Wild Card battle. All four must vault multiple teams in order to gain a playoff berth.

Kansas City won back-to-back AL pennants in 2014 and 2015, capturing the 2015 World Series championship. After fading to .500 a year ago, many saw the Royals as a team on the decline. However, a nine-game winning streak in late July pushed KC back into a Wild Card position.

The Royals still control the second AL Wild Card berth as of Sunday morning, August 6. However, they have now gone back to losing, dropping five of their last seven games. Now team leader Salvador Perez may be lost with an injury for a while. If he is gone for any significant time, it would be a huge setback.

With a three-game cushion in the loss column and a handful of AL teams within striking distance, the Royals need to turn it back around quickly.

AUGUST 2017 MLB POWER RANKING: 20-11

20. Miami Marlins

19. Toronto Blue Jays

18. Pittsburgh Pirates

17. Texas Rangers

16. Baltimore Orioles

15. Saint Louis Cardinals

14. Los Angeles Angels

13. Seattle Mariners

12. Tampa Bay Rays

11. Kansas City Royals