MLB Power Rankings: Mariners Soar, D-Backs Surge, Yankees Hit Rock Bottom
After two weeks in the No. 1 spot, the Baltimore Orioles have again been overtaken by the Atlanta Braves in our weekly MLB power rankings, and there was plenty of other shuffling up and down the list.
The Seattle Mariners continued their climb up the rankings, and the Arizona Diamondbacks have seemingly righted the ship after a rough start to the month. But the New York Yankees have hit rock bottom following a series sweep against the rival Boston Red Sox to run their losing streak to eight games.
With September fast approaching, there are still 19 teams within six games of a postseason spot.
Keep in mind, these rankings are a fluid process, with teams rising and falling based on their recent performance relative to where they landed in the previous week's rankings.
Nos. 30-29
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30. Oakland Athletics (34-90)
Previous Rank: 30
Last Week: 1-2 @ STL, 0-3 vs. BAL
Positives have been few and far between for the Athletics this season, but the play of rookie Zack Gelof has been a major bright spot. Since making his MLB debut on July 14, the 2021 second-round pick is hitting .308/.376/.617 with 11 doubles, eight home runs and seven steals in 31 games.
29. Kansas City Royals (40-86)
Previous Rank: 29
Last Week: 1-3 vs. SEA, 1-2 @ CHC
In 33 games since the All-Star break, Bobby Witt Jr. is hitting .343/.374/.650 with 21 extra-base hits, 10 home runs, 32 RBI, 23 runs scored and 10 steals. The former top prospect dealt with some ups and downs early in his career, but he is looking more and more like a bona fide superstar and franchise cornerstone with each passing day.
Nos. 28-27
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28. Chicago White Sox (49-75)
Previous Rank: 27
Last Week: 1-1 @ CHC, 1-2 @ COL
The White Sox pitching staff gave up 30 runs in three games against the Colorado Rockies, and that will likely be a trend over the final month after they gutted their rotation at the deadline. That said, Mike Clevinger continues to pitch well with seven scoreless innings last time out. He now has a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings since returning from a six-week stint on the injured list on July 29.
27. Colorado Rockies (48-76)
Previous Rank: 28
Last Week: 1-2 vs. SD, 2-1 vs. CWS
The Rockies finally returned home last week following a 3-7 road trip, and they managed to pick up just their fourth series win since the All-Star break by taking two of three from the Chicago White Sox. Veteran Charlie Blackmon returned to action last Monday after spending 52 games on the injured list with a fractured hand, and he went 9-for-20 in his first six games back.
Nos. 26-25
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26. Pittsburgh Pirates (55-69)
Previous Rank: 24
Last Week: 1-2 @ NYM, 1-2 @ MIN
Remember when the Pirates went 20-9 in April? That was wild. Since that unexpected start, they have been one of the worst teams in baseball from a win-loss standpoint, but a number of young players have gained invaluable experience as the season has unfolded. The future is bright in Pittsburgh, even if the present is a bit of a slog.
25. St. Louis Cardinals (55-70)
Previous Rank: 26
Last Week: 2-1 vs. OAK, 1-3 vs. NYM
The Cardinals are all but assured of their first losing season since 2007, and they have some work to do if they want to avoid their first 90-loss campaign since way back in 1990 when Willie McGee led the team in WAR. Left-hander Drew Rom—one of three prospects acquired from Baltimore in the Jack Flaherty trade—will make his MLB debut on Monday.
Nos. 24-23
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24. New York Mets (58-67)
Previous Rank: 25
Last Week: 2-1 vs. PIT, 3-1 @ STL
The Mets just had one of their most successful weeks of the season, but it's almost certainly too little, too late for a team that sits eighth in the NL wild-card standings. After a slow start, Kodai Senga is putting together a fantastic rookie season with a 3.19 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 154 strikeouts in 129.2 innings, and his five-year, $75 million contract is shaping up to be one of the better bargains of the offseason.
23. Cleveland Guardians (59-66)
Previous Rank: 21
Last Week: 1-1 @ CIN, 1-3 vs. DET
With a 10.5-game deficit in the AL wild-card standings, it's AL Central title or bust for the Guardians, and they lost more ground last week to fall to six games back of the Minnesota Twins. They have zero momentum right now with a 6-12 record in August, and 21 of their next 25 games are against teams with a winning record.
Nos. 22-21
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22. Detroit Tigers (57-67)
Previous Rank: 23
Last Week: 1-1 @ MIN, 3-1 @ CLE
The Tigers are 18-17 since the All-Star break, and while a postseason push is a long shot at best, there is plenty of value in putting together a strong finish they can build on for next season. Spencer Torkelson has an .866 OPS with 10 home runs and 23 RBI in 35 games since the break as he looks to shed a premature bust label.
21. Washington Nationals (57-68)
Previous Rank: 22
Last Week: 2-1 vs. BOS, 2-1 vs. PHI
With three straight series wins, the Nationals now have a 21-14 record since the All-Star break. Outfielder Stone Garrett is hitting .381/.429/.667 with eight extra-base hits in 47 plate appearances in August, and with control through the 2028 season, he could play his way into being a piece of the puzzle in 2024 and beyond with a strong finish.
No. 20: New York Yankees
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Record: 60-64
Previous Rank: 18
Last Week: 0-3 @ ATL, 0-3 vs. BOS
The Yankees wrapped up a disastrous 2-7 road trip, only to return home to Yankee Stadium and get swept by the rival Boston Red Sox over the weekend. They now enter the new week riding an MLB-worst eight-game losing streak, and this looks like rock bottom for the 2023 season.
Ace Gerrit Cole allowed seven hits and six earned runs in four innings on Saturday, and while he still looks like the front-runner in the AL Cy Young race, he will need to bounce back quickly against the Washington Nationals on Thursday.
No. 19: San Diego Padres
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Record: 59-66
Previous Rank: 20
Last Week: 2-1 vs. BAL, 1-3 vs. ARI
A series win over the Baltimore Orioles is enough for the Padres to move up one spot in this week's rankings, but any momentum created by that series was quickly erased when they dropped three of four to the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend.
Outfielder Juan Soto is just 7-for-52 with seven walks in his last 59 plate appearances, and he is simply too important to the team's offense to go into a prolonged slump like that during the stretch run.
No. 18: Los Angeles Angels
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Record: 61-64
Previous Rank: 17
Last Week: 1-2 @ TEX, 1-2 vs. TB
The Angels have not been above .500 since Aug. 4, and a pair of series losses last week has their postseason hopes on the brink once again. After their three upcoming games with the Cincinnati Reds, they begin a nine-game road trip, and they've gone just 29-34 with a minus-15 run differential away from Angel Stadium this year.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel became the first player from the 2023 draft class to reach the majors when he made his MLB debut on Friday, reaching the big leagues less than two months after going No. 11 overall. He is 3-for-12 with two walks and four runs scored in his first three games.
No. 17: Cincinnati Reds
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Record: 64-61
Previous Rank: 16
Last Week: 1-1 vs. CLE, 1-2 vs. TOR
The Reds opted against making any major additions to a sketchy starting rotation at the trade deadline, instead banking on the impending returns of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo from the injured list to bolster their staff.
Greene finally made his long-awaited return to action on Sunday, but it could not have gone much worse, as he allowed 10 hits and eight earned runs in three innings in his first start since June 17. He'll take the ball again on Friday, while Lodolo could be activated later this week as well.
No. 16: Miami Marlins
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Record: 64-61
Previous Rank: 15
Last Week: 1-2 vs. HOU, 1-2 @ LAD
It has been a roller-coaster August for the Marlins. They began with a 1-6 stretch of games, followed by a 5-1 hot streak, only to stumble again with a 1-4 showing in their last five contests.
The difference in their level of success at home (37-27, .578) and on the road (27-34, .443) this season could be a major factor. They play 14 of their next 22 games away from LoanDepot Park, and if they can manage to weather that storm, they also close out the year with six games on the road.
No. 15: San Francisco Giants
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Record: 65-59
Previous Rank: 12
Last Week: 1-2 vs. TB, 1-2 @ ATL
With five straight series losses, the Giants' postseason outlook has changed considerably over the last few weeks, and they are now clinging to a 1.5-game cushion in the NL wild-card standings. Things won't get any easier this week as they take on the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.
Top prospect Kyle Harrison will make his MLB debut on Tuesday. The left-hander checked in at No. 14 on B/R's most recent Top 100 prospect list, and while his command remains a work-in-progress, he has racked up 109 strikeouts in 67.2 innings at Triple-A this year.
No. 14: Arizona Diamondbacks
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Record: 64-61
Previous Rank: 19
Last Week: 2-1 @ COL, 3-1 @ SD
The D-backs kicked off August with a nine-game losing streak, but with three straight series wins and a 7-2 record during that span, they are right back in the thick of the NL wild-card race. Their next 12 games are against the Rangers, Reds, Dodgers and Orioles, so this will be a make-or-break stretch on their schedule.
First baseman Christian Walker is hitting .354/.417/.662 with six home runs and 16 RBI in August, and he has a 1.365 OPS in his last 10 games.
No. 13: Boston Red Sox
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Record: 66-58
Previous Rank: 14
Last Week: 1-2 @ WAS, 3-0 @ NYY
The Red Sox have the most difficult remaining schedule of any American League team, according to Tankathon, so they will need to ride the momentum they built with their weekend sweep of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Third baseman Rafael Devers went 9-for-13 with two home runs and four RBI in the Yankees series after hitting .222 in 14 games to begin August, and getting him going at the plate would be a major boost.
No. 12: Minnesota Twins
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Record: 65-60
Previous Rank: 12
Last Week: 1-1 vs. DET, 2-1 vs. PIT
The Twins have the biggest division lead of any AL team with a six-game advantage over the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, and while the two teams still have six games remaining head-to-head, the Twins have a much easier road ahead.
Right-hander Pablo López tossed six scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, and he is now working on a 19-inning scoreless streak. Over his last five starts, he has a 0.84 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 35-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 32 innings.
No. 11: Philadelphia Phillies
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Record: 67-57
Previous Rank: 7
Last Week: 1-1 @ TOR, 1-2 @ WAS
After an 8-3 start to August, the Phillies have gone 2-5 in their last seven games, including a 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals in the Little League Classic on Sunday night. That's enough to knock them out of the top 10 for now, even though they still hold the No. 1 NL wild-card spot.
Center fielder Brandon Marsh returned to action on Sunday after two weeks on the injured list with a knee injury, and he went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
No. 10: Toronto Blue Jays
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Record: 69-56
Previous Rank: 10
Last Week: 1-1 vs. PHI, 2-1 @ CIN
The Blue Jays improved to 10-8 in August with a weekend series win over the Cincinnati Reds, and after their upcoming three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles, their next 15 games are all against teams with a losing record.
After spending the first four months of the season on the injured list recovering from Tommy John surgery, left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu has a 1.89 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in four starts since returning to action.
No. 9: Chicago Cubs
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Record: 64-59
Previous Rank: 9
Last Week: 1-1 vs. CWS, 2-1 vs. KC
The Cubs offense was the driving force in their surge up the standings, but they have been held to four or fewer runs eight times in their last 11 games. Despite that dip in production, they still have an 11-6 record in August.
All-Star starter Marcus Stroman is still sidelined with what has been diagnosed as a right ribcage cartilage fracture, and he has no timetable to return at this point. In his absence, Javier Assad has turned in back-to-back quality starts.
No. 8: Milwaukee Brewers
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Record: 68-57
Previous Rank: 11
Last Week: 0-3 @ LAD, 3-0 @ TEX
The Brewers rebounded from getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a sweep of the Texas Rangers over the weekend, and they enter the new week with a three-game lead atop the NL Central standings.
Over his last five starts, Freddy Peralta has gone 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 30.2 innings, and he has tallied double-digit strikeouts three times during that stretch. The 27-year-old is throwing the ball as well as any pitcher in baseball right now.
No. 7: Houston Astros
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Record: 70-55
Previous Rank: 5
Last Week: 2-1 @ MIA, 0-3 vs. SEA
The Astros have spent much of the year dominating within their own division with a 26-14 record against the rest of the AL West, but they were swept by the Seattle Mariners over the weekend and now hold just a half-game lead over them for second place in the division race.
They have just nine games left against AL West teams the rest of the way, and they will see plenty of the AL East in the coming weeks with 10 of their next 13 games against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
No. 6: Seattle Mariners
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Record: 69-55
Previous Rank: 8
Last Week: 3-1 @ KC, 3-0 @ HOU
The Mariners were one game above .500 at the All-Star break, but they have been steadily climbing the standings over the past month and lead the American League with a 14-4 record in August.
Outfielder Julio Rodríguez is swinging the hottest bat in the majors right now, hitting .412/.444/.659 with 13 extra-base hits and 22 RBI in 18 games this month. The 22-year-old is quickly turning what was a mildly disappointing second season into another standout campaign.
No. 5: Texas Rangers
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Record: 72-52
Previous Rank: 3
Last Week: 2-1 vs. LAA, 0-3 vs. MIL
Despite getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, the Rangers are still 13-5 in August thanks to an eight-game winning streak to start the month.
With a 2.5-game lead over the Houston Astros and a three-game lead over the Seattle Mariners, they remain in the driver's seat in what is shaping up to be an exciting AL West race.
In three starts since joining the Rangers at the deadline, Max Scherzer has gone 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and a 26-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 20 innings.
No. 4: Tampa Bay Rays
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Record: 75-51
Previous Rank: 6
Last Week: 2-1 @ SF, 2-1 @ LAA
It looked like the Tampa Bay Rays might have peaked too early when they struggled through an 8-16 month of July, but they have now won six of their last seven series after taking two of three from the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels last week.
Between the ongoing Wander Franco investigation, Manuel Margot being sidelined for a month following surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow and Shane McClanahan lost for the year to Tommy John surgery, their roster depth will be put to the test.
No. 3: Baltimore Orioles
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Record: 77-47
Previous Rank: 1
Last Week: 1-2 @ SD, 3-0 @ OAK
A series loss to the San Diego Padres was enough to knock the Orioles out of the No. 1 spot, but they still have a 12-6 record and plus-29 run differential in August. Their fall this week is more about two other teams passing them than anything they did to deserve slipping.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish has now pitched enough innings to qualify for pitching leaderboards, and he ranks second in ERA (3.03), eighth in WHIP (1.10) and fourth in opponents' batting average (.225) among Al pitchers.
No. 2: Los Angeles Dodgers
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Record: 76-47
Previous Rank: 4
Last Week: 3-0 vs. MIL, 2-1 vs. MIA
The Dodgers are rolling right now with a 17-2 record and plus-55 run differential in August, and they rattled off an 11-game winning streak before losing to the Miami Marlins on Friday in what still ended up being a series win.
Mookie Betts is hitting .408/.462/.789 with 13 extra-base hits in 18 games in August, and he now leads the NL in WAR (6.4).
It's shaping up to be an exciting race between Betts, fellow Dodger Freddie Freeman and Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. for NL MVP honors.
No. 1: Atlanta Braves
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Record: 80-43
Previous Rank: 2
Last Week: 3-0 vs. NYY, 2-1 vs. SF
The Braves spent five straight weeks in the top spot before dropping to No. 2 the last two weeks, and they are back on top following a 5-1 week that has pushed them to 10-3 in their last 13 games.
With a 13.5-game lead in the NL East standings, they are on track to be the first team to clinch a postseason berth this year. They are slightly ahead of the pace needed to break the franchise record of 106 wins set in 1998, and they have a relatively easy remaining schedule with 19 games left against teams with a losing record and 16 more against teams on the postseason bubble.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Texas Rangers
6. Seattle Mariners
7. Houston Astros
8. Milwaukee Brewers
9. Chicago Cubs
10. Toronto Blue Jays
11. Philadelphia Phillies
12. Minnesota Twins
13. Boston Red Sox
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
15. San Francisco Giants
16. Miami Marlins
17. Cincinnati Reds
18. Los Angeles Angels
19. San Diego Padres
20. New York Yankees
21. Washington Nationals
22. Detroit Tigers
23. Cleveland Guardians
24. New York Mets
25. St. Louis Cardinals
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
27. Colorado Rockies
28. Chicago White Sox
29. Kansas City Royals
30. Oakland Athletics
Highlight of the Week: Julio Rodríguez Raises Batting Average 22 Points in 4 Games
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Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodríguez entered play on Wednesday with a .256 batting average through 116 games.
Then he did this:
- Wednesday: 4-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI
- Thursday: 5-for-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI
- Friday: 4-for-5, HR, RBI
- Saturday: 4-for-6
With that 17-for-22 stretch, he raised his batting average 22 points to .278 in the span of four games, and while he settled for a 1-for-5 showing on Sunday, his hot streak is part of the reason the Mariners are trending up in a big way.
AL Award Rankings
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AL MVP
- Shohei Ohtani, LAA
- Kyle Tucker, HOU
- Luis Robert Jr., CHW
- Adolis García, TEX
- Yandy Díaz, TBR
- Julio Rodríguez, SEA
- Marcus Semien, TEX
- José Ramírez, CLE
- Corey Seager, TEX
- Bo Bichette, TOR
AL Cy Young
- Gerrit Cole, NYY
- Kevin Gausman, TOR
- Luis Castillo, SEA
- Framber Valdez, HOU
- Kyle Bradish, BAL
AL Rookie of the Year
- Gunnar Henderson, BAL
- Josh Jung, TEX
- Masataka Yoshida, BOS
NL Award Rankings
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NL MVP
- Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
- Freddie Freeman, LAD
- Mookie Betts, LAD
- Matt Olson, ATL
- Juan Soto, SDP
- Corbin Carroll, ARI
- Luis Arraez, MIA
- Cody Bellinger, CHC
- Sean Murphy, ATL
- Ha-Seong Kim, SDP
NL Cy Young
- Blake Snell, SDP
- Zac Gallen, ARI
- Justin Steele, CHC
- Spencer Strider, ATL
- Logan Webb, SFG
NL Rookie of the Year
- Corbin Carroll, ARI
- Matt McLain, CIN
- Kodai Senga, NYM
What to Watch for This Week
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Key Series for 1st Half of the Week
- Aug. 21-22: Texas Rangers @ Arizona Diamondbacks
- Aug. 21-23: San Francisco Giants @ Philadelphia Phillies
- Aug. 21-24: Boston Red Sox @ Houston Astros
- Aug. 22-23: Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers
- Aug. 22-24: Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles
Key Series for 2nd Half of the Week
- Aug. 24-27: Texas Rangers @ Minnesota Twins
- Aug. 24-27: Cincinnati Reds @ Arizona Diamondbacks
- Aug. 25-27: Atlanta Braves @ San Francisco Giants
- Aug. 25-27: Los Angeles Dodgers @ Boston Red Sox
- Aug. 25-27: Atlanta Braves @ San Francisco Giants
.jpg?w=600 "Biggest Winners and Losers After 30 Games ⚾")
