Here are this week’s MLB power rankings.
1. Atlanta Braves (61-31, No. 1 last week): Left-handed starter Max Fried, out since May 9, is ramping up and should be ready soon. He makes the Braves even tougher.
2. Baltimore Orioles (57-35, No. 2): Not to get too far out on our skis, but the playoff probability seems to rise every day. If Grayson Rodriguez is ready and general manager Mike Elias can make the right bullpen acquisitions, the time is now. Liftoff accomplished.
3. Tampa Bay Rays (60-36, No. 3): Usually at this time of year, the Rays are hunting for bats. This time around, GM Peter Bendix has a desperate need for a starting arm. At least one.
4. Texas Rangers (55-39, No. 5): It looked for a good while as if Bruce Bochy’s squad wouldn’t miss Jacob deGrom all that much. But as the season has worn on, Martín Pérez, Jon Gray and Nathan Eovaldi, both injury risks, have clicked down a tick or two. Dane Dunning can’t seem to take that next step. Andrew Heaney? He’s a box of chocolates that you never can figure out.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (53-39, No. 4): Rumors are swirling around the Dodgers wanting an arm. Could they do some one-stop shopping and do a massive deadline deal for starter Lucas Giolito, reliever Kendall Graveman and shortstop Tim Anderson? They have the system to shoot for the moon.
6. Toronto Blue Jays (53-41, No. 9): It really looks like this team is finally heading in the right direction. Keep an eye on old hand George Springer to start to show, because it’s showtime.
7. Arizona Diamondbacks (52-42, No. 6): After a disappointing sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays north of the border, the Diamondbacks are just 5-10 in their last 15 games, when they seemingly took command of the division. It won’t get easier this week with three games in Atlanta and three in Cincinnati.
8. Philadelphia Phillies (51-42, No. 12): The Phillies had a 10-5 record coming into the All-Star break. They lost the first game post-break to the Padres and then took the next three, including both ends of a twin-bill. They now face a tough three-gamer vs. Milwaukee in Philly and then three on the road vs. the light-hitting Guardians.
9. Miami Marlins (53-42, No. 7): After watching the Marlins for three days here in Baltimore, we know what Kim Ng is busy looking for — hitting, hitting and hitting. The team has dangerous pitching but not nearly enough dynamic players in that lineup day-to-day. She knows what to do, will ownership spend some bucks to really try to win?
10. Houston Astros (52-42, No. 11): For the first time in quite a while, the Astros haven’t led the AL West at the break. The schedule gods are shining upon them, as while the first-place Rangers play Tampa Bay and the Dodgers, the Astros go to Colorado for two and Oakland for four.
11. Cincinnati Reds (50-44, No. 8)
12. San Francisco Giants (52-41, No. 13)
13. Milwaukee Brewers (52-42, No. 14)
14. New York Yankees (50-44, No. 10)
15. Boston Red Sox (50-44, No. 16)
16. Minnesota Twins (48-46, No. 17)
17. Seattle Mariners (46-46, No. 18)
18. Cleveland Guardians (45-48, No. 15)
19. New York Mets (43-50, No. 20)
20. San Diego Padres (44-50, No. 19)
21. Los Angeles Angels (46-48, No. 21)
22. Chicago Cubs (43-49, No. 22)
23. Detroit Tigers (41-51, No. 23)
24. St. Louis Cardinals (40-53, No. 25)
25. Chicago White Sox (40-55, No. 26)
26. Pittsburgh Pirates (41-52, No. 24)
27. Colorado Rockies (36-58, No. 27)
28. Washington Nationals (37-56, No. 28)
29. Kansas City Royals (27-67, No. 30)
30. Oakland Athletics (25-70, No. 29)