It’s been awhile since the last Power Rankings update (as goes the story of this entire summer regarding my writing), but it’s raining and I’m bored, so you’re getting a fresh list on a Saturday.
The division battles across the entire MLB are really starting to heat up, and there is no denying the fact that it should be an interesting dash to October in the coming weeks. Five of the six divisions have at least two teams that are separated at the top by less than five games. Twenty teams are within 10 games of their respective division lead (that number counts teams that are currently leading a division as well).
In hopes that this is the last irregularly spaced out post of the season, here is a new Power Rankings list.
As always, the number in parenthesis next to the team name is the position that team was in for the last Power Rankings.
1. St. Louis Cardinals (11)- Of the 8 major statistical categories that ESPN lists on their team clubhouse pages, St. Louis ranks in the top 10 in six of them. Oh, and they have a 99.2% chance of making the playoffs currently, also according to ESPN’s page.
2. Tampa Bay Rays (14)
3. Oakland Athletics (4)- The Athletics may be unbalanced, but a lack of offensive power may not be a huge issue if Texas continues to slide.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates (1)
5. Boston Red Sox (2)
6. Atlanta Braves (3)- It appears as though the Washington we thought we knew will ever arrive this season. The Braves are the only team in baseball with a division lead of over five games.
7. Los Angeles Dodgers (15)- Look who showed up to the party! As the rest of the country is still enamored with Puigmania, teams in the NL West now must face the reality that Los Angeles is not only at the top of the division, but also the most talented team in it.
8. Detroit Tigers (7)
9. Cincinnati Reds (9)- Assuming that Pittsburgh hangs around, the Cincinnati Reds could end up being the best 3rd place team the NL Central has ever had. It’s amazing to think that the division could steal both Wild Card spots for the National League.
10. Baltimore Orioles (5)
11. Cleveland Indians (10)
12. Arizona Diamondbacks (13)
13. Texas Rangers (6)- Last night’s walk-off homer by Cleveland’s Ryan Raburn is just a small taste of the woes that Texas has dealt with the past two weeks. However, the Rangers could claw their way back thanks to a manageable stretch of games starting the second week of August.
14. Colorado Rockies (17)
15. New York Yankees (12)- As the media continues to document the Biogenesis scandal that just keeps developing new limbs, highlighting A-Rod’s involvement, little attention is being paid to the fact that the Yankees are falling quickly in the AL East. New York’s playoff chances look bleak at this juncture.
16. Washington Nationals (8)
17. Seattle Mariners (22)- It’s unfortunate that Seattle doesn’t get enough credit for actually being a decent team. Oakland’s success over the past two seasons really overshadows the more gradual improvement by the Mariners.
18. Kansas City Royals (18)
19. Toronto Blue Jays (20)
20. Los Angeles Angels (16)
21. San Francisco Giants (23)- On one hand, the Giants are in the weakest division in the MLB overall. On the other hand, the hottest team in baseball is also in it. If I was a betting man, I’d say the Giants won’t make it back to the top, but a lot has happened in the NL Central already to confirm my suspicion that betting is a good way to lose all of your money.
22. Philadelphia Phillies (19)
23. Minnesota Twins (26)
24. New York Mets (25)
25. Chicago Cubs (24)
26. San Diego Padres (21)
27. Milwaukee Brewers (27)- Do not be surprised if Milwaukee is the worst team in baseball for the rest of the 2013 season.
28. Chicago White Sox (28)
29. Miami Marlins (29)
30. Houston Astros (30)
– K. Becks
