Here are my MLB power rankings:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (96-43, No. 1 last week): The Dodgers continue their dominance, especially against the division rival Padres. They have to be solid betting favorites going into the postseason.
2. Houston Astros (90-50, No. 2): In light of Justin Verlander’s calf injury, Lance McCullers’ timing in coming back from a strained flexor tendon couldn’t have been any better. Don’t kid yourself — despite the amazing season Verlander was having, his calf injury is a tricky one to come back from.
3. New York Mets (89-52, No. 3): Manager Buck Showalter’s bunch gave up first place for a night, on Sept. 9, but the Mets got some big help from the Mariners, who took the last two from Braves in a three-game series in the Pacific Northwest.
4. Atlanta Braves (87-53, No. 4): The three-game set in Seattle this past weekend had a postseason feel. Somehow, even as hot as they’ve been, the Braves quickly relinquished first place back to the Mets. The Michael Harris II and Vaughn Grissom gambles — bringing them up from Double-A — are still paying huge dividends. And if the postseason stage isn’t too much for Scott Strider, the Braves will be awfully tough to knock out.
5. New York Yankees (85-56, No. 6): Just when they looked dead, the Yankees gathered themselves enough to post a 5-2 week, winning home series against the Twins and Rays. Now they take the show on the road with two in Boston and three in Milwaukee. Giancarlo Stanton’s return has got to take some pressure off pressing players.
6. St. Louis Cardinals (83-58, No. 5): You have to love the pluck of this team, along with the retirement tour of Albert Pujols. Despite all the fun stuff, this smells of a team that won’t go very far in the postseason. Note that four of my top six teams are from the National League.
7. Seattle Mariners (79-61, No. 7): This is a feel-good story authored by GM Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais. Robbie Ray and Luis Castillo are damn good at the top of the rotation. The depth of the rotation with Logan Gilbert and George Kirby makes the Mariners hard to beat.
8. Tampa Bay Rays (78-60, No. 8): The Rays put the heat on the Yankees with their win Sept. 9, which brought them to within 3.5 games of New York, but they let the Yankees escape with a big series win and maybe gave the Pinstripers some of their mojo back. Still, the Rays continue to get healthier.
9. Toronto Blue Jays (78-61, No. 9): The Jays took care of wild-card business, taking three of four in Baltimore and two of three in Texas. While it seems highly unlikely they could blow that last wild-card spot, the Jays do have a tricky five-game series at home against the Rays followed by three more against the O’s, who play two against the Nationals Sept. 13-14. Let’s not pop the champagne just yet.
10. Philadelphia Phillies (78-62, No. 10): The Fightin’ Phils round out my top 10. Ace Zack Wheeler last pitched Aug. 14 and 20, allowing 10 earned runs on 19 hits and walks in 11.1 innings against the Mets. The diagnosis is forearm tendinitis. He might be back in the next 10-14 days. Without Wheeler, the Phillies’ postseason stay would be very short.
11. Cleveland Guardians (73-65, No. 11)
12. Chicago White Sox (72-69, No. 14)
13. San Diego Padres (77-64, No. 13)
14. Baltimore Orioles (73-67, No. 12)
15. Milwaukee Brewers (75-66, No. 15)
16. Minnesota Twins (69-70, No. 16)
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (66-73, No. 18)
18. Boston Red Sox (69-72, No. 17)
19. San Francisco Giants (67-73, No. 19)
20. Colorado Rockies (61-80, No. 25)
21. Los Angeles Angels (61-79, No. 22)
22. Texas Rangers (60-79, No. 20)
23. Chicago Cubs (58-82, No. 21)
24. Miami Marlins (57-82, No. 23)
25. Cincinnati Reds (56-82, No. 25)
26. Detroit Tigers (54-86, No. 27)
27. Kansas City Royals (57-84, No. 26)
28. Pittsburgh Pirates (51-88, No. 28)
29. Oakland Athletics (51-90, No. 29)
30. Washington Nationals (49-92, No. 30)