SteemSports Presenter:@thesportsguySteemSports Editor:@scottybuckets
Welcome back to the MLB Power Rankings. We took a week off last week, between editions, and not a whole lot has changed at the top of the rankings. The big editions were at the back end of the top 10 with the Diamondbacks sliding back in at # 8, and the Dodgers jumping all the way up to 9th. LA is within 1.5 games of Arizona for first in the NL West as they've come on strong the last couple of weeks. The Astros, Red Sox, and Yankees continue to distance themselves, but the AL needs to keep an eye on the Mariners who continue to surprise with how good they've been thus far. The Cubs, Brewers, and Braves continue to battle atop the NL as well, but most of the League remains wide-open after the 70-game mark. Before we get to the rankings, same disclaimer as always - these are the top 20 teams regardless of league and division standings, the top 10 aren’t necessarily the picks to make the postseason, etc., and the rankings fluctuate based on how teams are trending as of late with their play. So, without further ado, lets’ get to it:
1 HOUSTON ASTROS (48-25) -
We all knew that the pitching was going to have to slow down a bit at some point for this unbelievably dominant pitching staff. The Astros continue to lead the majors with a sparkling 2.89 team-ERA, and while it isn't the 2.52 it was a couple of weeks ago, the fact this team is still over a 0.5-run better than the next closest in the American League says all you need to know. The pitching is superb, and 11-consecutive victories have the defending Champs cruising right now. Oh by the way, with the bats coming alive during the win streak, they have now scored the most runs of anyone in the AL as well. Everyone else watch out for Houston.
T-2 BOSTON RED SOX (49-24) -
The Red Sox continue to sit directly behind the Astros for 2nd place in the AL in team-ERA. They've brought it down to just 3.41, just ahead of the Yankees, and offensively continue to put up stellar numbers. They trail only the Astros for most runs scored in the League, are 2nd in Home Runs (104), and 2nd in batting average. They are also 2nd in the AL in slugging, and a 6-4 stretch still has them sitting atop the division with the Yankees. Boston still has more wins than anyone else in the majors with 49 - 1 better than the surging Astros.
T-2 NEW YORK YANKEES (46-21) -
It's time to bump the Yankees up into a tie with the Red Sox for second behind the Astros. There just isn't much separating these two, as they sit tied atop the AL East once again. Even though New York has played 6 fewer games than Boston, they both sit at identical marks of 25 games above .500. For the Yankees, their stellar pitching (3.43 ERA - 3rd in the AL) and incredible power numbers (first in the league in HRs with 113 despite playing in 6 fewer games and first in slugging). The power surge doesn't seem to be slowing down at all, and New York seems destined for another long pennant race with the division-rival Red Sox.
4 MILWAUKEE BREWERS (42-29) -
The Brew Crew find themselves sitting in the same spot, occupying the 4 spot in the latest Power Rankings. Milwaukee is tied with Atlanta for the best record in the National League, and while their play has been a bit more mediocre of late, 5-5 in their past 10, dropped their last 2, they still sit atop the very difficult NL Central. The offense continues to improve, as they now find themselves 6th in the NL in runs scored. Power is still what drives the run-scoring for the Brewers and their 90 Home Runs are tied for the most in the league. They also find themselves 4th in the league in slugging, and for now, still atop the National League.
5 CHICAGO CUBS (40-28) -
The Cubbies are closing in and nipping at the heals of the Brew Crew. Chicago is within a 0.5 game of the Brewers in the difficult NL Central, and continue to lean on an outstanding balance of superb pitching and very good hitting. They have an NL-best ERA of just 3.19, and second in the NL in runs scored and tied for first in team batting average. The pitching and hitting numbers are there, and while the home runs are lacking (11th in the NL) it hasn't hindered them from being one of the top slugging teams in the league at .417 - good for 3rd. Here come the Cubbies!
6 SEATTLE MARINERS (46-26) -
What Seattle has now been able to do in such a difficult division, with Robinson Cano out serving his suspension, is truly amazing. The Mariners currently sit at 20 games above .500, and own the fourth best record in baseball behind the aforementioned Astros, Red Sox, and Yankees. They continue to play well as they're 7-3 in their past 10. They own the # 5 ERA in the American League, and are tops in the league in saves as well. As the pitching has continued to improve, so has the overall hitting, as they are now up to 3rd in the AL in batting average at .260. Seattle appears to have firmly established themselves in the middle of the American League race.
7 ATLANTA BRAVES (42-29) -
Atlanta continues to fend off the likes of the Nationals and Phillies to remain in first place in the NL East. They've now caught the Brewers for best record in the NL, and continue to lean on their offense, which continues to carry them. They are still atop the league in runs scored, are tied for 1st in batting average, are 3rd in on-base %, and tied for first in slugging at .424. The best hitting lineup from top to bottom in the NL continues to produce, the question is, whether the pitching can continue to improve as they now rank 5th in the NL in team-ERA. The Braves appear in it for the long haul.
8 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (39-32) ↑
The D-Backs jump 4 spots and back into the top 10 for the first time in weeks. They continue to play solid ball, and are now 12-6 in their past 18 games after a dismal stretch that saw them go just 3-14. That long losing spell appears to be well behind them, and Arizona's pitching continues to be solid as they are 4th in the NL in team-ERA at 3.54. Improved hitting is definitely helping as well as they have climbed to 7th in the NL in runs scored. This is still a team that ranks 14th out of 15 teams in the league in batting average, however, and will have to continue to improve in that category if they are to hold off the Dodgers in the NL West.
9 LOS ANGELES DODGERS (37-33) ↑
Speaking of the Dodgers, here they come! It's been quite a stretch for last year's NL World Series representatives as they are the big mover this week, rising 5 spots and all the way into the top 10 for the first time this season. They are 8-1 in their past 9 games, and are now 15-4 in their past 19 games overall, as the bats have finally woke. They've climbed to 3rd in the league in runs scored, tied for 1st in HRs, 5th in on-base %, and tied for 1st in slugging. Those are numbers that sound more like the Dodgers we expected to see this season.
10 WASHINGTON NATIONALS (37-31) ↓
The Nationals drop a couple of spots, but remain in the top 10 after going 4-6 in their past 10 games. Washington seems to be continually battling inconsistency, and right when it seems like they are poised to take over the division, they take a step back. It's been that kind of of up-and-down season thus far for the Nats, who had an 18-6 stretch before their recent 7-9 stretch. The bats just can't seem to stay consistent and rank in the middle of the league in most categories. The pitching continues to be the strong-point as they are now 2nd in the NL in team-ERA at just 3.38.
11 CLEVELAND INDIANS (37-33) -
The Indians stay put at number 11 for this week. Even though they've managed to climb a couple more games above .500 since our last edition, they haven't been able to use that to put more distance between themselves and the rest of the very weak AL Central. If the pitching can catch up to the hitting (4th in runs scored, 3rd in HRs, 5th in batting average, and 4th in slugging), look for the Indians to pull away and once again find themselves in the middle of the post-season mix in the AL.
12 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (37-32) ↓
The Cardinals drop a couple of spots and back out of the top 10 for this week. They are just 5-7 in their past 12 games, and now trail the Brewers by 4.0 games in the NL Central, but are still well-within striking distance. The problem is, the Cubs are also 3.5 games better than them, and it is going to be difficult for St. Louis to beat out both clubs. They are third in the NL in HRs, but if their is a power outage, it could spell trouble for the Cardinals, as they rank mediocre at-best in the rest of the offensive categories. The pitching has been stellar, but not the overwhelming strength that the Cards can usually rely upon, as they currently rank 7th in the NL in team-ERA. St. Louis is solid, but some editions might be needed for them to keep pace in a very difficult division.
13 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (37-32) ↓
The Phillies drop 3 more spots this week to 13, but remain in the top 15. They remain right in the thick of things in the NL East, where they've been all season long, as they trail the Nationals by just a 0.5 game, and the Braves by 4.0 games. A couple of wins over the Brewers to cap off the weekend, has them going back in the right direction. The pitching numbers are mediocre overall, although the starting rotation remains formidable, but the offense ranks toward the bottom of the league in most categories. They are good in close games (15-11 in games decided by 2 runs or less), and will look for the bats to be more consistent going forward.
14 LOS ANGELES ANGELS (38-34) ↓
The Angels continue to battle in the very difficult AL West, but have now fallen off the pace of the scorching-hot Astros and very impressive Mariners. They are now 8.0 games behind the Mariners for 2nd place in the division, and with the Red Sox and Yankees owning the two best records in baseball, that leaves them a long way out, looking in as far as the post-season goes. This is still a very good team, even with the lingering injury news of first-year phenom Shohei Ohtani, causing everyone to hold their collective breath.
15 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (36-36) -
The Athletics continue to round out the top 15 as they continue to linger either slightly above or at the .500 mark. They are 7th in the AL in team-ERA, but have suffered a rash of injuries to their starting rotation, with Trevor Cahill, Andrew Triggs, Kendall Graveman, and Daniel Gossett all on the Disabled List at the moment. Oakland isn't flashy on offense either, but continue to find ways to win games with their young talent. If they can withstand the injury storm in tact, and get healthy again, this team could still surprise down the second half of the season.
16 DETROIT TIGERS (36-37) ↑
17 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (35-36) -
18 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (35-37) -
19 COLORADO ROCKIES (34-37) ↓
20 SAN DIEGO PADRES (34-40) ↑
Congratulations to the San Diego Padres who crack the top 20 for the first time this season. Their inclusion means that all 5 NL West teams are in the top 20, but the Giants, Rockies, and Padres just squeaked in at #'s 18-20. The Pirates stay put at 17 as they continue to fade a bit in the very competitive NL Central, and the Detroit Tigers move all the way up from # 20 to just outside of the top 15 at # 16 after they've been able to get within 1 game of .500 and continue to keep pace with the first-place Indians in the AL Central. The American League picture has already became quite clear, but the National remains muddled as most of the League - 10 out of the 15 teams find themselves within 5.0 games of first in their respective divisions.
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