Major League Baseball

MLB power rankings: San Francisco Giants reign supreme as October approaches

Published Sep. 20, 2021 12:00 p.m. ET

By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Writer

The MLB postseason is beginning to take shape.

With the exception of the NL East, most of the divisions appear well on their way to being wrapped up, but the wild-card races are as intense as ever coming down the stretch.

Let’s take a look at the updated power rankings. From the lowly No. 30 to the cream of the crop, here's how it shakes out.

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30. Baltimore Orioles (previous rank: 30)

Yep. Not good.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks (29)

It's still not pretty in the desert.

28. Texas Rangers (28)

The Rangers are pretty tough to watch these days.

27. Pittsburgh Pirates (27)

Go to their games to enjoy the beautiful PNC Park. That's it.

26. Washington Nationals (26)

Still not good since they traded away their best pieces at the deadline.

25. Miami Marlins (25)

Not much is good now, but this starting rotation will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

24. Minnesota Twins (24)

I just don't understand what happened with this team this season.

23. Kansas City Royals (23)

The Royals disappointed this season and are now looking toward next year.

22. Chicago Cubs (22)

At least Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel are bringing some energy to the Friendly Confines.

21. Colorado Rockies (21)

Kudos to the Rockies for not playing awful baseball of late. However, it doesn’t much matter, as their season is long since over.

20. Detroit Tigers (20)

I am excited for the future of this club. What the Tigers and AJ Hinch have done in his first season at the helm is truly impressive.

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19. Los Angeles Angels (18)

Without Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon for much of the season, the Angels had little chance of making the playoffs. I'd hate to see where they'd be without Shohei Ohtani, my pick for AL MVP.

18. New York Mets (17)

Things have gotten ugly in Queens.

17. Cleveland Indians (19)

The soon-to-be Cleveland Guardians have their sights set fully on 2022.

16. Seattle Mariners (14)

The Mariners weren't expected to do much this season, but they've been competing the whole way. They're unlikely to finally end their playoff drought, but kudos to them for keeping it this close.

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15. Oakland Athletics (13)

Time is running out for the A’s to go on their classic September run. They can’t afford to lose too many more games if they want to make the playoffs.

14. Cincinnati Reds (12)

The Reds have been in the thick of the NL wild-card race for a while now. They're still in a great spot but just haven't been playing their best baseball lately. They need to get hot again to make the postseason.

13. San Diego Padres (11)

The Padres are too talented to be this far down the list, yet they are battling for — and very much at risk of losing — the second NL wild-card spot.

12. Atlanta Braves (10)

The Braves have cooled off significantly since their summer hot streak. Now, hot on their heels are the Phillies, who are outplaying Atlanta at the moment. This was the Braves' division to lose, and they might be doing just that. It’ll be a battle down the stretch.

11. Philadelphia Phillies (16)

The Phillies got hot just when the Braves got cold. Bryce Harper, a solid NL MVP candidate, has propelled this team back into contention for the NL East crown.

10. New York Yankees (7)

The Yankees have some work to do if they want to make the playoffs. This team doesn’t have the best pitching, so it needs to put up runs in bunches, and the Yankees just aren’t getting that every night. They are, however, still right there on the edge of a wild card.

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9. St. Louis Cardinals (15)

Weeks ago I would’ve said there was no way the Cardinals could make the playoffs. Well, now they just might be the hottest team in baseball, and with their competition really falling off, they sit in the second NL wild-card spot.

8. Toronto Blue Jays (9)

The Blue Jays couldn't have gotten hot at a better time. Putting up runs at a historic pace has put this team in a great spot in the AL wild-card race.

7. Boston Red Sox (8)

The Red Sox have found another gear over the past week and are now in control of their destiny, holding on to a wild-card spot and heading into a huge week in which they take on the Yankees at home.

6. Chicago White Sox (6)

This is still, in my opinion, the most complete team in the American League. The Sox will coast to a division title and into the playoffs.

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THE TOP FIVE

The Houston Astros (5) are coasting into the playoffs. Look for them to be a force when the playoffs begin. This team knows how to win in October.

The Tampa Bay Rays (3) are the best team in the American League. With three other AL East teams battling it out for two wild-card spots, the Rays have first place in the division all wrapped up. This squad is the cream of the crop in the AL.

This is my pick to win the National League. The Milwaukee Brewers (4) have incredible rotation, an incredible back end of the bullpen, a great offense — it’s all there.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (2) have officially clinched a playoff spot, but that has been merely a formality for a while now. For this team, it all comes down to the battle with the Giants for the NL West division.

The San Francisco Giants (1) have been the best team in baseball all season, but unfortunately for them, the second-best team is right on their heels. Whoever loses the NL West will have a one-game, win-or-go-home playoff waiting for them, but I have no reason to believe that'll be the Giants.

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Buckle up! Just two weeks of regular-season baseball remain!

BIGGEST JUMP: Cardinals up six

BIGGEST DROP: Yankees down three

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.