Here are my MLB power rankings. To read my latest on the Orioles, click here.
1. New York Yankees (66-31, No. 1 last week): It’s nice to go wire-to-wire in your division. It’s nicer to win the World Series. Will GM Brian Cashman have the vision and owner Hal Steinbrenner the stomach to really get it done?
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (64-30, No. 2): I know there is a lot of talent hanging out at Dodger Stadium and the budget is like an accordion, but manager Dave Roberts deserves a lot of credit for keeping this show together year in and year out.
3. Houston Astros (64-32, No. 3): There is only one team in the American League that can keep these guys out of the World Series, and that’s the Yankees. Houston has a 5-2 regular-season mark against the Bronx Bombers. Going up against this lineup harkens back to fighters going in against Mike Tyson: “Everybody has a plan, until they’re punched in the mouth.” And oh yeah, the rotation is great, too.
4. New York Mets (59-37, No. 4): The Mets’ lead has been shrinking over the Braves and it’s now down to a game and a half. I feel like I am beating the same drum over and over. Sure, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom are a dynamite 1-2 punch. But, it’s not as if manager Buck Showalter is getting them at the very height of their respective careers. As such, I have to believe this team will try to do something big at the deadline. Unfortunately for the Mets, I don’t think Nationals GM Mike Rizzo will deal Juan Soto to a division rival.
5. Atlanta Braves (58-39, No. 5): I am honestly not sure which team I think is better, the Mets or Braves. Much like when I say the Astros or Yankees will win the American League, I see the National League as a three-horse race between the Dodgers, Braves and Mets.
6. San Diego Padres (54-43, No. 6): If you see the Padres the way I do, we are entering GM A.J. “Svengali” Preller’s latest sales job, and it’s a big one. Preller is going to have to sell San Diego’s ownership group on his deadline goals in the coming days, and it seems like ownership drinks whichever flavor of Kool-Aid he serves up. How about a we-have-to-have-Juan-Soto sales job? If the Padres get Soto, then they have to pay him, too, along with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and all of those pitchers.
7. Milwaukee Brewers (53-43, No. 11): Every time I want to give up on the Brewers, they seem to go streaking just to prove me that they’re still here. But are they? They are the first part of the NL falloff.
8. Tampa Bay Rays (52-43, No. 8): This has been a maestro-like performance out of manager Kevin Cash. The following players have missed significant time, in no particular order: Wander Franco, Tyler Glasnow, Shane Baz, Andrew Kittredge, Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot, Harold Ramirez, Josh Fleming, Yonny Chirinos, JP Feyereisen, Nick Anderson and Mike Zunino. They’ll probably still make the playoffs and that is pretty remarkable.
9. Toronto Blue Jays (53-43, No. 12): Manager John Schneider took over the stumbling, bumbling Blue Jays when they were 46-42. Eight games later, they are now turning their car in the right direction of being a good team. The Jays are 7-1 under Schneider. I rest my case. Not sure he’ll be the man long term. One of the dangers of firing the current manager and replacing him with someone on staff is that there is a chance you can get backed into a corner where the replacement does too good a job to pick anyone else. That should be the biggest problem for club president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins. They did what they had to do.
10. Minnesota Twins (52-44, No. 13): I don’t think the Twins will win their division — one of the two weakest in baseball — and if they don’t, they will not be in the playoffs. Look, starters Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray are doing their parts. But aside from them, the Twins’ pitching staff is an incendiary list of pitchers. Not a great recipe for a deep playoff run.
11. Seattle Mariners (51-45, No. 9)
12. Philadelphia Phillies (49-46, No. 7)
13. Cleveland Guardians (48-46, No. 15)
14. St. Louis Cardinals (51-46, No. 14)
15. Boston Red Sox (48-48, No. 10)
16. San Francisco Giants (48-47, No. 16)
17. Baltimore Orioles (47-48, No. 18)
18. Chicago White Sox (48-48, No. 17)
19. Miami Marlins (45-50, No. 19)
20. Texas Rangers (43-51, No. 20)
21. Arizona Diamondbacks (42-52, No. 22)
22. Colorado Rockies (43-53, No. 21)
23. Pittsburgh Pirates (40-56, No. 23)
24. Kansas City Royals (38-57, No. 24)
25. Chicago Cubs (38-57, No. 27)
26. Detroit Tigers (38-58, No. 25)
27. Los Angeles Angels (40-55, No. 26)
28. Cincinnati Reds (36-58, No. 28)
29. Oakland Athletics (35-63, No. 29)
30. Washington Nationals (32-65, No. 30)