MLB Power Rankings: Giants make a statement vs. rival Dodgers
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
You can feel the tension rising across Major League Baseball.
Division races are getting tighter, and this year's wild-card races are spectacular as we come down the home stretch of the MLB regular season.
Let’s take a look at the updated power rankings. From the lowly No. 30 to the cream of the crop right now at No. 1, here’s how the list shakes out:
30. Baltimore Orioles (previous rank: 30)
The Orioles lost 19 games in a row at one point in August. Yikes. Luckily, they find themselves only 42 games back of first place.
29. Arizona Diamondbacks (29)
It is just not pretty in the desert these days.
28. Texas Rangers (28)
Joey Gallo is gone, and the Rangers are in full rebuild mode. They are rather tough to watch.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (27)
If you’re going to watch the Pirates, just soak in all of the sights and sounds of their beautiful stadium. Other than that, there isn't a lot of good stuff going on with this team.
26. Washington Nationals (23)
To nobody’s surprise, since trading away the likes of Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and others, the Nationals have not been good.
25. Miami Marlins (26)
This season isn't pretty for the Marlins, but you can see the future getting closer. This starting rotation is going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time to come.
24. Minnesota Twins (25)
I will never understand what happened with the Twins this season. A very talented roster yielded very poor results. The Twins are in last place in the American League Central and traded away some key pieces at the deadline to prepare for the future.
23. Kansas City Royals (24)
The Royals underperformed this season and decided to be sellers at the deadline. They are now looking toward next season.
22. Chicago Cubs (22)
Since the trade deadline, it has been ugly on the north side of Chicago, recent hot streak notwithstanding.
21. Colorado Rockies (21)
The Rockies inexplicably didn’t sell at the deadline. They had an awesome opportunity to get something back in return for their best players, whom they are going to lose anyway in free agency. Alas, shortstop Trevor Story and starting pitcher Jon Gray are still in Colorado, and they aren’t playing terrible baseball.
20. Detroit Tigers (20)
I have nothing but great things to say about the Tigers this season. It is truly impressive how they have performed under AJ Hinch in his first season with the club. I'm excited for the future.
19. Cleveland Indians (19)
At this point, the Indians have their eyes set on 2022, when they become the Cleveland Guardians. The White Sox are going to win the AL Central, and nobody else will be very close.
18. Los Angeles Angels (18)
I would hate to see where this team would be without the AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The Angels have been without their other stars for too long this season, and that has cost them any chance at the playoffs.
17. New York Mets (17)
The Mets have just not been very good lately. It has gotten bad in Queens.
16. Philadelphia Phillies (16)
The Phillies still have a chance to win the NL East, and that’s their only chance at the playoffs. They have too many teams to jump to get a wild-card spot.
15. St. Louis Cardinals (15)
This team is only a couple of games out of a wild-card spot. Can the Cardinals do it? They certainly have been playing better since Jack Flaherty has come back. All the talk around the final NL wild card has been about the Reds and the Padres, but the Cards are right on their heels.
14. Seattle Mariners (14)
The Mariners have been a solid team all season. In a year when they were not expected to compete, they are doing just that. They still have a chance to make the playoffs, though I wouldn't expect that to happen. Kudos to Seattle for being in this position, however.
13. Oakland Athletics (10)
It is about that time of year when the A’s rattle off a miraculous stretch of games in which they go, like, 20-3. Are they going to do that this year? If so, they need it to happen soon.
12. Cincinnati Reds (8)
What a run this is going to be for the final playoff spot in the National League. The Reds are in a great spot but haven’t been playing their best baseball of late.
11. San Diego Padres (11)
The Padres are too talented to be playing the way they are, now battling for the second and final wild-card spot.
10. Atlanta Braves (9)
The Braves were hot, but now they are not. Luckily, it doesn’t really look like anyone else in the NL East wants to step up. The Braves are the best team in the division, and their trade-deadline moves gave them a great boost. Look for them to win the NL East.
9. Toronto Blue Jays (13)
This is one of the best offenses in baseball, and when the offense goes, the Blue Jays go as a team. Now, living and dying by your offense isn’t the best recipe for success, but if Toronto can get hot in September, this squad will be tough to beat.
8. Boston Red Sox (12)
The Red Sox are playing better of late, which they desperately needed. After starting to fall off, they’ve pulled it together. After being the leaders in the AL East for the majority of the year, the Sox are now grasping the final playoff spot.
7. New York Yankees (6)
The Yankees certainly look like a better team lately. Are they great? The best team in the American League? Even their division? No. But they're definitely much better and, in my opinion, will grab a playoff spot.
6. Chicago White Sox (7)
This is the clear favorite in the AL Central, with one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. The White Sox are, in my opinion, the most complete team in the American League.
THE TOP FIVE
The Houston Astros (5) have run away with the AL West, and they are on their way to the playoffs for a fifth straight year.
Put some respect on the Milwaukee Brewers' (4) name. This is my pick to win the National League, with an incredible rotation, an incredible back end of the bullpen and a great offense. The Brewers have it all.
This is the best team in the American League. While all the talk is about the Yankees playing better, the Tampa Bay Rays (3) are a casual 7.5 games up and running away with the AL East.
What a battle we're going to see down the stretch between the Los Angeles Dodgers (2) and San Francisco Giants. On paper, the Dodgers have the best roster in the sport. But this game isn't played on paper, and the Giants won the season series against L.A. to remain on top heading into the final month. The Dodgers are for real, and whether they win the division or not, they are a force to be reckoned with.
The San Francisco Giants (1) are the cream of the crop in MLB. In a crucial series that will help decide the NL West, the Giants and Dodgers duked it out, and the best team in baseball all season came out on top.
BIGGEST JUMP: Blue Jays, Red Sox up 4
BIGGEST DROP: Reds down 4
Hold on tight. The pennant races are heating up as we head down the home stretch!
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.
