MLB Power Rankings: An Updated Look at Where All 30 Teams Stand
There are just two weeks remaining in the 2015 MLB regular season, and the postseason picture is still far from decided around the league.
The AL East and AL West division titles are both still up for grabs, and the same goes for the second AL wild-card spot where four teams are within four games of one another.
On the National League side, the five postseason teams appear to be set, but the three NL Central contenders are still jockeying for position and trying to avoid the Wild Card Round game.
That should make for an exciting final two weeks, but for now, let's take an updated look at how all 30 clubs currently stack up.
When putting together this list, we considered the following factors:
- Last week's record
- Quality of opponent
- Key injuries/trades
- Recent performance beyond the last week
The goal, as always, is to be as objective as possible. But a certain amount of subjectivity will always come into play with something like this.
Just remember: This is a fluid process. Teams will rise and fall on a weekly basis relative to where they ranked previously. If you keep winning, you keep climbing—it's as simple as that.
30. Philadelphia Phillies (56-94, Previous: 29)
1 of 30
Last Week: 0-6
The battle for the No. 1 pick in next year's draft wages on, but the Philadelphia Phillies have stormed into the lead after the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves swept them last week.
Not much was made of Jerad Eickhoff being included as part of the return package for Cole Hamels that included three top prospects, but the 25-year-old has posted a 3.16 ERA and 1.135 WHIP in six starts since joining the Phillies rotation.
Unfortunately, the offense did nothing to support him or the rest of the pitching staff last week, as they hit a collective .160 and scored just 12 total runs while striking out a whopping 69 times in six games.
Hitter of the Week
- C Cameron Rupp (4-for-13, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jerad Eickhoff (ND, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)
29. Milwaukee Brewers (63-86, Previous: 28)
2 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
After a sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals and a series loss to the Cincinnati Reds, the Milwaukee Brewers have returned to the NL Central cellar at a half-game behind the aforementioned Reds.
As the NL Central contenders continue to jockey for position, they'll look to play spoiler this coming week when they face the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals both on the road.
The big story of the week for the team came Sunday when it officially named 30-year-old David Stearns the next general manager, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. Now the youngest GM in baseball, he served as assistant GM of the Houston Astros for the past three seasons and has a background in analytics so it will be interesting to see what impact that has on a rebuilding club.
Hitter of the Week
- LF Khris Davis (8-for-18, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Ariel Pena (W, ND, 10.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 10 K)
28. Atlanta Braves (60-90, Previous: 30)
3 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The Atlanta Braves climb out of the bottom spot in the rankings, thanks to a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies at home over the weekend, and as a result they now trail the Phillies by four games in the chase for the No. 1 pick.
As the team continues to evaluate its in-house talent down the stretch, 25-year-old Ryan Weber has turned some heads, as the former 22nd-round pick back in 2009 has a 3.26 ERA in three starts.
"He moves the ball, he follows the glove, he fields his position. He does a lot of good stuff," manager Fredi Gonzalez told Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I say let’s slow play it because he’s a young kid; you don’t want to all of a sudden make him Greg Maddux. But you know what? He competes. He changes speeds. He does a lot of good things out there."
Hitter of the Week
- RF Nick Markakis (7-for-20, 2 2B, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Ryan Weber (ND, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)
27. Oakland Athletics (64-86, Previous: 27)
4 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Oakland Athletics don't have anything left to play for as far as their own record is concerned, but with three games against the Texas Rangers to kick off the week, they can still affect the AL West race.
On a team-specific level, ace Sonny Gray remains the biggest story as he looks to put the finishing touches on a potential run at AL Cy Young honors.
The 25-year-old is 13-7, with a 2.72 ERA and 1.079 WHIP in 202 innings of work, but he's struggled of late, with a 6.75 ERA in his last five starts, and both Dallas Keuchel and David Price have pulled away a bit as a result.
Hitter of the Week
- LF Danny Valencia (7-for-20, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- RP Drew Pomeranz (3 G, W, 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
26. Colorado Rockies (63-86, Previous: 26)
5 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Colorado Rockies have not finished higher than fourth in the NL West since 2010 and not reached the playoffs since 2009, but they finally appear to be headed in the right direction after pulling the trigger on trading Troy Tulowitzki at the deadline.
Nolan Arenado gives them a new superstar to build around, and don't be surprised if Carlos Gonzalez winds up on the move before the start of next season as well.
Their farm system recently checked in at No. 5 in my updated farm-system rankings, so the future looks bright. It's still just a question of whether or not they'll ever assemble a good enough pitching staff to return to contention.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Nolan Arenado (9-for-26, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jorge De La Rosa (L, 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
25. Cincinnati Reds (63-85, Previous: 25)
6 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
After an 8-21 month of August, the Cincinnati Reds have gone a respectable 9-9 here in September as their offense has come to life to average 5.06 runs per game over an 18-game stretch.
However, the big story in the second half has been the young starting pitching, as Anthony DeSclafani (25), John Lamb (25), Raisel Iglesias (25), Brandon Finnegan (22), Michael Lorenzen (23) and Keyvius Sampson (24) have all earned starts since the Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake trades.
Add in some good arms down on the farm, led by Robert Stephenson, as well as top outfield prospect Jesse Winker, and the future looks fairly bright for a Reds team that has sold aggressively since the end of last season.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Jay Bruce (6-for-26, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Brandon Finnegan (W, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
24. Miami Marlins (64-86, Previous: 24)
7 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Miami Marlins promised "sweeping changes" this coming offseason, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, and with a good young core in place but another disappointing season set to conclude, it's the right move.
Sorting out the pitching staff behind ace Jose Fernandez will likely be a top priority, and one guy making a case to be part of the future is left-hander Adam Conley.
The team's No. 18 prospect entering the season, according to Baseball America, Conley has gone 4-1, with a 2.96 ERA over his last five starts, and that includes seven scoreless innings against a red-hot New York Mets team his last time out.
Hitter of the Week
- LF Christian Yelich (12-for-31, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Adam Conley (W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
23. Chicago White Sox (70-78, Previous: 21)
8 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
As the Chicago White Sox put the finishing touches on what has been a disappointing year, it will be interesting to see how they approach the upcoming offseason.
After adding the likes of Jeff Samardzija, Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche, David Robertson and others last offseason, they were expected to be in the thick of things in the AL Central, but instead they are on their way to a third consecutive losing season.
The core is in place to contend with Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon, Jose Abreu, Avisail Garcia and Adam Eaton, with all looking like building blocks. It's just a matter of how aggressively they continue to pursue pieces to fill in around that group.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Jose Abreu (11-for-24, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Carlos Rodon (W, 7.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
22. San Diego Padres (70-80, Previous: 22)
9 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
At 6-13 in September and 9-18 overall in their last 27 games, the San Diego Padres are limping down the home stretch of what has been an incredibly disappointing season.
After mortgaging a good deal of the team's young talent in an effort to put a winner on the field in 2015, restocking the prospect pool could be a top priority during the upcoming offseason, as they took the No. 30 spot in my recent rankings of each team's farm system.
Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, James Shields and Craig Kimbrel could all wind up on the trade block at some point this winter, while sorting out the middle infield and finding a legitimate everyday center fielder will likely be atop the to-do list as far as adding players is concerned.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Wil Myers (7-for-21, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP James Shields (2 W, 13.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 14 K)
21. Detroit Tigers (69-79, Previous: 23)
10 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The AL Central was expected to be a dog fight this season, and the Detroit Tigers were by no means favorites to claim the title for a fifth straight season, but few would have predicted them falling this far in a year's time.
Now the new front office is left to pick up the pieces of a team with a ton of money tied up in a handful of aging veterans and a farm system that while improved is still among the worst in all of baseball.
One of the few positives has been the resurgence of Justin Verlander, who has posted a 2.13 ERA, 0.896 WHIP and nine quality starts in his last 11 games. Considering he's owed $112 million over the next four years, it's good to see he still has something left in the tank after a rough start to the year.
Hitter of the Week
- DH Victor Martinez (9-for-21, 1 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Justin Verlander (ND, 8.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)
20. Tampa Bay Rays (72-77, Previous: 20)
11 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
A game over .500 and just t 62-61 and just 1.5 games back for the second wild card on Aug. 22, the Tampa Bay Rays have gone an AL-worst 10-16 since and have fallen out of contention as a result.
Considering they are averaging just 3.85 runs per game on the year, it's a surprise they were able to hang around that long. The focus of their offseason will once again be on finding low-cost ways to upgrade the offense.
Meanwhile, Matt Moore finally looked like pre-injury Matt Moore for the first time in his last start, as he allowed just two hits and struck out nine in seven scoreless innings. It marked his first quality start of the year, as he'd gone 1-4 with an 8.42 ERA in his eight previous starts.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B James Loney (11-for-22, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Matt Moore (ND, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)
19. Arizona Diamondbacks (71-78, Previous: 19)
12 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
For a short time, it looked like the Arizona Diamondbacks were not only in position for a winning record but also had an outside chance at climbing into the wild-card race. A 9-17 record in their last 26 games has put the kibosh on that.
That's not to say this season hasn't been positive for the team. It looks to be on the upswing, with plenty of high-end young arms down on the farm led by Aaron Blair, Braden Shipley and Yoan Lopez who could all see the majors next season.
Meanwhile, while Paul Goldschmidt is the unquestioned face of the franchise, A.J. Pollock has been one of the breakout stars of 2015. On top of hitting .319/.368/.495, with 35 doubles, 17 home runs, 67 RBI and 36 stolen bases, he's also been a stud defensively (14 DRS, per FanGraphs) on his way to a 6.8 WAR.
Hitter of the Week
- CF A.J. Pollock (11-for-23, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Patrick Corbin (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
18. Boston Red Sox (71-77, Previous: 16)
13 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
You've got to wonder what Dave Dombrowski is plotting for the Boston Red Sox in his first offseason as president of baseball operations, because you know it's not going to be a subtle, under-the-radar winter.
Upgrading the starting rotation and figuring out what to do with the ill-advised Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval contracts would seem to be atop the to-do list, but in the meantime the organization will continue to evaluate in-house.
One player auditioning for a significant role next season is rookie left-hander Henry Owens, who has gone 3-2 with a 4.33 ERA in eight starts. That ERA is skewed by one really bad start (1.2 IP, 7 ER) earlier this month, and it stands at a much more impressive 3.00 over his other seven appearances.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Dustin Pedroia (8-for-19, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Henry Owens (W, 7.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
17. Baltimore Orioles (73-76, Previous: 17)
14 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
After a disastrous 3-15 stretch all but eliminated them from contention, the Baltimore Orioles have gone 8-4 in their last 12 games to remain on the fringe of the wild-card picture at 5.5 games back for the second spot.
A big offseason lies ahead for the Orioles with a number of key players set to hit free agency, headlined by slugger Chris Davis who leads all of baseball with 43 home runs and is hitting .305/.416/.682 with 24 long balls since the All-Star break.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe gave a quick overview of the current team outlook, and it's not pretty:
"According to major league sources, there’s tension over Orioles owner Peter Angelos not allowing (GM Dan) Duquette to pursue the higher-profile and higher-paying team president job in Toronto.
There’s also been talk of friction between Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, both of whom are signed through 2018. And there’s key free agents — Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, and Wei-Yin Chen — whom the Orioles may cheapen out on and not re-sign.
"
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Chris Davis (7-for-25, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Wei-Yin Chen (W, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K)
16. Seattle Mariners (73-77, Previous: 18)
15 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
Where has this Seattle Mariners team been all season?
With series wins against the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers last week, the Mariners are now 16-9 in their last 25 games, and they have pulled within six games of the second wild-card spot.
It's likely too little, too late for a team many predicted to be a World Series contender, but with much of the same roster expected back next season, it could at least be a springboard into a better 2016 performance.
Filling the vacant general manager spot will be the Mariners' top priority this offseason, but re-signing Hisashi Iwakuma also appears to be on the to-do list, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The 34-year-old has gone 7-3, with a 3.42 ERA in the second half, and is 46-24 overall, with a 3.22 ERA in four seasons, with Seattle.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Ketel Marte (10-for-24, 5 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Taijuan Walker (W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K)
15. Minnesota Twins (76-73, Previous: 11)
16 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
Despite a wildly inconsistent starting rotation and an offense leaning heavily on young talent, the Minnesota Twins remain just 2.5 games back for the second wild-card spot.
Their postseason hopes took a hit last week, though, when they dropped series to the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels.
While their run at contention has been a nice story, it's also been something of a mirage, as their 20-7 month of May is a big reason they've managed to stick around in the playoff hunt as long as they have.
Since June 1 they've actually been below .500, at 46-54, and only the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics have a worse record among American League teams during that span.
Hitter of the Week
- LF Eddie Rosario (9-for-25, 3 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Tyler Duffey (2 W, 13.1 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 14 K)
14. San Francisco Giants (78-71, Previous: 12)
17 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
With a favorable schedule that has seen them play five consecutive series against teams with a losing record, the San Francisco Giants have gone 9-7 in their last 16 games.
That's not been nearly enough to catch a pair of red-hot teams in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs to climb back into the NL West or NL wild-card races.
A busy offseason awaits the team as it looks to rebuild the starting rotation around Madison Bumgarner and rookie standout Chris Heston, as Tim Hudson is set to retire, while Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong will both be a free agents.
Fingers are crossed that both teams find a way to make a Tim Hudson versus Barry Zito matchup happen this coming weekend when the Giants head to Oakland to take on the Athletics.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Matt Duffy (8-for-23, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Madison Bumgarner (L, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
13. Cleveland Indians (74-74, Previous: 14)
18 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
A four-game split with the Kansas City Royals and a series win over the Chicago White Sox would generally constitute a solid week for the Cleveland Indians, but they are going to need to pick up the pace if they hope to sneak into the postseason.
Few teams have been hotter in recent weeks, as they've gone 19-10 in their last 29 games to pull within four games of the second wild card. They have a tough week ahead, though, as they go on the road to take on the two teams they're chasing in the AL Central in the Twins and Royals.
And for those of you who think Houston Astros phenom Carlos Correa already has AL Rookie of the Year honors wrapped up, I'll just leave this here:
Hitter of the Week
- SS Francisco Lindor (11-for-28, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Josh Tomlin (W, L, 14.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 14 K)
12. Los Angeles Angels (76-73, Previous: 13)
19 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
With the Houston Astros ranking as one of the top stories of 2015 and the Texas Rangers coming on strong down the stretch, the Los Angeles Angels have been viewed as something of a disappointment, sitting in third in the AL West standings.
However, they're still very much in the playoff picture at 2.5 games back for the second wild-card spot, and they'll have a chance to make up significant ground with a three-game series against the Astros this coming weekend.
While the offense continues to disappoint as a whole, the starting rotation, and really the pitching staff as a whole, has stepped up here in September with a 3.83 ERA that ranks ninth in the majors and fourth in the American League.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Mike Trout (7-for-25, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Andrew Heaney (ND, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
11. Washington Nationals (78-71, Previous: 15)
20 of 30
Last Week: 6-1
The Washington Nationals continue to take full advantage of a cupcake schedule down the stretch, as they swept the Philadelphia Phillies and took three of four from the Miami Marlins, but it all looks like too little, too late as they trail the New York Mets by six games.
Stephen Strasburg has finally flipped the switch after a disappointing season as a whole, going 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 22.1 innings over his last three starts.
Looking further back, he's 5-2 with a 2.24 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 52.1 innings since coming off the disabled list in early August, as he's once again looked like a front-line arm.
On the offensive side of things, Bryce Harper is looking to put the finishing touches on an MVP season as he launched five home runs last week to bring his season total to an NL-best 41.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Bryce Harper (14-for-27, 1 2B, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Stephen Strasburg (2 W, 15.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 24 K)
10. Houston Astros (79-71, Previous: 10)
21 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
The late-season slide continues for the Houston Astros, as they've gone 5-12 in September and are now holding onto the second AL wild-card spot by the skin of their teeth, with a 2.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels.
A 5.13 ERA from the pitching staff this month is the biggest reason for their struggles, and ace Dallas Keuchel is coming off his worst start of the season, as he allowed 11 hits and nine runs in 4.2 innings of work against the Texas Rangers Wednesday.
They head home this coming week where they're an impressive 50-25 on the year, but it won't get any easier from a matchup standpoint, as they take on the Angels and Rangers.
Hitter of the Week
- DH Evan Gattis (10-for-28, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Mike Fiers (ND, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
9. New York Mets (84-65, Previous: 5)
22 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
The New York Mets entered last week riding an 18-5 hot streak, all but locking up the NL East title in the process, but they were finally slowed down as they dropped series to the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees.
A cold streak for what had been the best offense in baseball in recent weeks was the culprit, as they scored just 14 runs in six games and hit .200 as a team.
An eight-hit, five-double week for third baseman David Wright was a positive sign, though, and moving forward the offense should be just fine. It'll have a great opportunity to get back on track against two National League bottom feeders in the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds this coming week.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B David Wright (8-for-22, 5 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Matt Harvey (ND, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)
8. Kansas City Royals (87-62, Previous: 7)
23 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
Unlike a year ago when they used a 34-21 record over the final two months of the season to claim a wild-card spot, the Kansas City Royals have little in the way of momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.
What they do have is a comfortable 11-game lead in the AL Central and a magic number of three to clinch the division title, but with a 5-11 record in their last 16 games, they're limping down the home stretch.
One positive takeaway from last week was a strong start from Johnny Cueto, who allowed eight hits and two runs in seven innings of work after going 0-5, with a 9.57 ERA and 1.975 WHIP in his previous five starts. There's no question the team needs him in top form if it hopes to make a return trip to the World Series.
Hitter of the Week
- DH Kendrys Morales (9-for-30, 1 3B, 4 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Kris Medlen (2 W, 11.1 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K)
7. New York Yankees (82-66, Previous: 9)
24 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
With series wins over the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets last week, the New York Yankees climbed to within 2.5 games of the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East title and built their cushion for the No. 1 wild-card spot to four games.
Losing Mark Teixeira for the season to a leg injury looked like a big blow at the time, but rookie Greg Bird has come through big with a .987 OPS, six home runs and 14 RBI in 56 at-bats here in September.
In other injury news, Masahiro Tanaka was scratched from his upcoming start Wednesday after suffering a hamstring strain running the bases in his last start. The hope is that he'll just miss that one start, but as the likely starter for the Wild Card Round game should the Yankees find themselves in that position, his health will be monitored closely.
"I'm not looking at it as something very serious," Tanaka told Wallace Matthews of ESPN. "The reason I say that is because I hurt it early in the game and felt strong enough to continue. If I felt that it was something that I could not have handled, then I would not be in that game."
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Greg Bird (6-for-20, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP CC Sabathia (W, ND, 12.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 13 K)
6. Texas Rangers (80-69, Previous: 8)
25 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
The Texas Rangers left little question they were the best team in the AL West when they swept a four-game series with the Houston Astros last week, but after dropping two of three to the Seattle Mariners, their division lead still stands at just 1.5 games.
Those two teams meet up for another big three-game series this coming weekend, and the Rangers have Cole Hamels, Derek Holland and Martin Perez lined up to start those games.
At 25-12 in their last 37 games the Rangers have a ton of momentum, and it's fair to say no one wants to face them come October. Avoiding the Wild Card Round game and winning the AL West outright would go a long way toward positioning them for a lengthy postseason run.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Adrian Beltre (13-for-26, 4 2B, 7 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Cole Hamels (W, ND, 14.0 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 16 K)
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (85-63, Previous: 3)
26 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
Prior to dropping two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers had gone 17-6 in their previous 23 games and won seven consecutive series.
Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw continue to dominate the opposition, but a gem from left-hander Alex Wood his last time out is a great sign as the team looks for someone to perform well behind their two aces.
Wood allowed just one hit over eight scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies Wednesday, and that came on the heels of a terrible start against the Arizona Diamondbacks where he allowed eight hits and eight runs (six earned) in just 1.2 innings.
Offensively, uber-prospect Corey Seager continues to rake in since stepping into the everyday lineup for the injured Jimmy Rollins, and it's looking less and less likely Rollins has a starting job waiting for him when he returns.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Corey Seager (8-for-24, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Alex Wood (W, 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates (89-60, Previous: 1)
27 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Pittsburgh Pirates had a big bite taken out of their lead for the No. 1 wild-card spot when they dropped three of four to the Chicago Cubs to begin last week, but they rebounded nicely to take a series from a red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers team.
The team was dealt a big blow in the final game of its series with the Cubs, though, as standout rookie Jung-ho Kang suffered a fractured tibia and a torn MCL when he was taken out at second base on a slide by Chris Coghlan.
The Aramis Ramirez and Michael Morse deadline additions and Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer returning to health give the team plenty of infield depth, but Kang was a 4.0 WAR player who had emerged as a legitimate force in the middle of the lineup.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Neil Walker (8-for-19, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Francisco Liriano (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K)
3. Toronto Blue Jays (85-64, Previous: 4)
28 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
Since the beginning of August, the Toronto Blue Jays have dropped two series and gone 2-4 against the Boston Red Sox, while going 32-9 against the rest of the league.
Diving a bit further into head-to-head matchups, they've gone 11-5 against the New York Yankees on the year, and those two teams will kick off their final series of the year Monday, with the Blue Jays currently leading the AL East standings by 2.5 games.
David Price is the clear staff ace at this point, but Marco Estrada and Marcus Stroman are both making a strong case to be a part of the postseason rotation, which would push R.A. Dickey or Mark Buehrle to the bullpen.
Stroman went seven innings and allowed just six hits and one run to pick up the win in his second start since returning from the disabled list, while Estrada is 7-3, with a 2.70 ERA in 12 second-half starts.
A strong showing from a healthy Stroman is enough to move the Blue Jays up in the rankings, even after a 3-3 week.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Edwin Encarnacion (8-for-19, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Marco Estrada (W, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
2. Chicago Cubs (87-62, Previous: 6)
29 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
It was awfully tempting to put the Chicago Cubs in the No. 1 spot in these rankings after a week that saw them take series from the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals to pull within two games of the Pirates for the right to host the Wild Card Round game.
However, the Cardinals still managed to post a winning record last week, thanks to a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, and there are still some legitimate questions that need answering with this Cubs team.
Topping that list is sorting out the No. 3 and No. 4 starter spots should the team reach the Division Series, as Dan Haren (4.1 IP, 3 ER), Jason Hammel (3.2 IP, 4 ER) and Kyle Hendricks (3.0 IP, 4 ER) all turned in underwhelming starts last week and have been more miss than hit of late.
Sorting out bullpen roles ahead of closer Hector Rondon remains a work-in-progress as well, though the relief corps as a whole is coming off a terrific week.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Starlin Castro (8-for-20, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jake Arrieta (ND, 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
1. St. Louis Cardinals (93-56, Previous: 2)
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Last Week: 4-2
Despite losing two of three to the rival Chicago Cubs over the weekend, the St. Louis Cardinals move back into the No. 1 spot in these rankings after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers to kick off the week and becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot.
The team will make a decision Monday whether or not injured ace Adam Wainwright will return this season, but the more important storyline is getting starters Michael Wacha and Lance Lynn back on track after both pitchers have struggled of late.
Tommy Pham, a 27-year-old rookie and former 16th-round pick, is the latest player to emerge seemingly out of nowhere to become a key contributor as he's seen the bulk of the playing time in center field, with Randal Grichuk still on the mend.
The Cardinals can't afford to let up on the gas, as they lead the Pittsburgh Pirates by just four games in the NL Central standings, but their depth continues to be an asset, as they look to get everyone healthy for the playoffs.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Tommy Pham (9-for-20, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP John Lackey (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted. Hitter and pitcher of the week stats refer to games played between Monday, Sept. 14 and Sunday, Sept. 20.
