MLB Power Rankings: Braves Clinch, Rangers Continue Slide, NL Wild-Card Race Heats Up
The Atlanta Braves officially clinched their spot in the 2023 MLB postseason, and there are a few other no-brainer playoff teams that will punch their tickets in the coming days and weeks, but the October landscape is still far from set.
There are four teams vying for the three wild-card berths in the American League, while the National League picture is even more clouded with six teams still capable of playing their way into the projected field and separated by just a handful of games.
All told, 16 teams can still be considered legitimate contenders for the league's 12 playoff berths. And with less than a month remaining in the regular season, every series counts for those clubs still in the mix.
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. Kansas City Royals (44-100)
Previous Rank: 30
Last Week: 2-1 vs. CWS, 0-3 @ TOR
Not enough people are talking about left-hander Cole Ragans. Since the Royals acquired him on June 30 in the deal that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers, the 2016 first-round pick has a 1.69 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 53.1 innings, and he tossed six scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Chicago White Sox last Monday.
29. Oakland Athletics (44-99)
Previous Rank: 29
Last Week: 1-2 vs. TOR, 1-2 @ TEX
Who would have guessed during Oakland's horrendous 12-50 start that it would not be the first team to 100 losses? That's a small consolation in an otherwise dismal season, and luckily the draft lottery means it will still have a shot at securing the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft even if it doesn't finish with the worst record.
Nos. 28-27
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28. Colorado Rockies (51-91)
Previous Rank: 28
Last Week: 1-2 @ ARI, 0-3 @ SF
The Rockies have lost nine of their last 10 series, and with the sixth-toughest remaining schedule, per Tankathon, they could be headed for the first 100-loss season in franchise history. Right-hander Germán Márquez signed a two-year, $20 million extension, buying out his $16 million club option for 2024 as he will spend the bulk of next season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
27. Chicago White Sox (55-88)
Previous Rank: 27
Last Week: 1-2 @ KC, 1-2 @ DET
The White Sox are in danger of losing their season series against a 100-loss Kansas City Royals team, with the two AL clubs tied 5-5 going into their final three games head-to-head to kick off the week. Yoán Moncada homered in three straight games last week as he tries to prove he can still be an impact player ahead of the final season of his five-year, $70 million contract.
Nos. 26-25
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26. New York Mets (65-77)
Previous Rank: 23
Last Week: 1-1 @ WAS, 1-2 @ MIN
The Mets will need to finish 14-6 to have a better record than their 2021 finish, and even if they don't hit that mark, they can really impact the NL wild-card race as they close out the season against the Phillies (x7), Marlins (x6), Diamondbacks (x4) and Reds (x3) who are all in the thick of the postseason hunt.
25. Detroit Tigers (66-77)
Previous Rank: 25
Last Week: 1-2 @ NYY, 2-1 vs. CWS
A strong return from flexor tendon surgery by Tarik Skubal has been a major bright spot for the Tigers during the second half of the season. The 26-year-old tossed five shutout innings against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, and he now has a 3.47 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 75 strikeouts in 62.1 innings. With club control through 2026, he will be a fixture in the starting rotation.
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Nos. 24-23
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24. Pittsburgh Pirates (66-77)
Previous Rank: 24
Last Week: 2-1 vs. MIL, 1-2 @ ATL
David Bednar is having one of the best seasons by a relief pitcher in Pirates franchise history, and he added two more saves last week. The 28-year-old has converted 33-of-36 save chances with a 1.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 10.2 K/9, and his 2.4 WAR is tied for fourth among all relievers this season.
23. Washington Nationals (64-79)
Previous Rank: 22
Last Week: 1-1 vs. NYM, 1-2 vs. LAD
The Nationals went 17-11 in August and briefly looked like they might push for a winning record, but at 3-10 in their last 13 games, they have decisively crashed back to earth. The development of CJ Abrams, Lane Thomas, Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore and others has still made this a successful season in the early stages of rebuilding.
Nos. 22-21
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22. St. Louis Cardinals (63-80)
Previous Rank: 26
Last Week: 2-1 @ ATL, 2-1 @ CIN
With series wins on the road against the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, there's a case to be made that the Cardinals are coming off their best week of the entire season. Veteran Adam Wainwright is still stuck on 198 career wins, and he'll make his next start against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. Assuming there is no rotation shuffling, he should get four more starts this year.
21. San Diego Padres (67-77)
Previous Rank: 20
Last Week: 1-2 vs. PHI, 1-2 @ HOU
Blake Snell's pursuit of the NL Cy Young is really all Padres fans have left to cheer for over the final few weeks, and he added to his resume on Friday with a quality start against the Houston Astros. With an NL-leading 92 walks and a 1.26 WHIP, he figures to be a polarizing candidate, but his 2.52 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 161 innings are difficult to ignore.
No. 20: Cleveland Guardians
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Record: 68-76
Previous Rank: 18
Last Week: 1-2 vs. MIN, 1-3 @ LAA
The Guardians' slim hopes of tracking down the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central race were dealt a major blow last week when they dropped a series head-to-head at home and followed that up by losing three of four to the Los Angeles Angels.
Props to the front office for attacking the waiver wire and spending a few million dollars to try to bridge the gap in baseball's weakest division, but it doesn't look like it's going to pan out.
No. 19: Los Angeles Angels
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Record: 67-77
Previous Rank: 21
Last Week: 0-3 vs. BAL, 3-1 vs. CLE
At 15 games back in the AL West standings and 12.5 back in the AL wild-card race, a strong showing this weekend from the Angels is too little, too late.
The final few weeks will likely serve as a farewell tour for Shohei Ohtani, given a recent report from Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
He wrote: "According to an industry source briefed on Ohtani's thinking, although he prefers the West Coast, the potential to win championships will be given more weight than geography, as long as a team is willing to at least match the best offer he receives in free agency."
An Angels team that has missed the playoffs 13 times in the last 14 years simply doesn't fit the bill.
No. 18: New York Yankees
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Record: 71-72
Previous Rank: 19
Last Week: 2-1 vs. DET, 1-2 vs. MIL
The Yankees briefly climbed back above .500 with an 8-1 stretch of games before losing two of three to the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, but even with that hot streak their postseason hopes are still a long shot at best with an eight-game deficit and three teams to overtake to move into the third wild-card position.
Phenom Jasson Dominguez went 8-for-31 with four home runs over his first eight games in the big leagues, but his season came to a premature end over the weekend when he was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow. The 20-year-old is expected to miss the first half of next season as well.
No. 17: Boston Red Sox
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Record: 73-70
Previous Rank: 15
Last Week: 1-2 @ TB, 1-2 vs. BAL
The Red Sox have lost four of their last five series, with the outlier being when they took two of three from the Kansas City Royals. That has effectively squashed any remaining hopes of making the playoffs, as they now face a six-game deficit and sit in fifth place in the AL wild-card standings.
Through the ups and downs of this season, the emergence of Brayan Bello as a rising star in the rotation will be one of the biggest positive takeaways. The 24-year-old has a 3.61 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 113 strikeouts in 137 innings, and he has racked up 3.8 WAR in 24 starts.
No. 16: San Francisco Giants
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Record: 73-70
Previous Rank: 15
Last Week: 0-3 @ CHC, 3-0 vs. COL
Getting swept by a Chicago Cubs team they are chasing in the NL wild-card standings was a less-than-ideal start to last week for the Giants, but they did some nice damage control over the weekend with a sweep of their own.
Rookie catcher Patrick Bailey suffered a concussion last week and has been on the injured list since Tuesday. His importance to the team's success as one of baseball's best defensive catchers can't be overstated.
No. 15: Cincinnati Reds
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Record: 74-71
Previous Rank: 14
Last Week: 2-1 vs. SEA, 1-2 vs. STL
The Reds ranked 23rd in the majors with a 5.03 ERA in August, and they have allowed 55 runs in 10 games this month while going 5-5 and clinging to wild-card contention in sixth place in a six-team race.
Joey Votto and Jonathan India were activated from the injured list on Sunday, and they both homered in a 7-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals to avoid a series sweep.
With the sixth-easiest remaining schedule, this team still has a chance to play in October, even with all the question marks in its starting rotation.
No. 14: Miami Marlins
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Record: 74-69
Previous Rank: 16
Last Week: 2-1 vs. LAD, 2-1 @ PHI
Despite a 21-30 record since the All-Star break, the Marlins are still alive in the NL wild-card race. And after a series win over the Philadelphia Phillies on the road over the weekend, they sit just a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the No. 3 spot.
Left-hander Jesús Luzardo has tossed three straight quality starts, and he has a 3.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 155.1 innings. Still only 25 years old, he has emerged as a legitimate second frontline option alongside Sandy Alcantara atop the rotation.
No. 13: Texas Rangers
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Record: 78-64
Previous Rank: 12
Last Week: 0-3 vs. HOU, 2-1 vs. OAK
The Rangers went 4-16 over a brutal 20-game stretch before picking up back-to-back wins over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday and Sunday. And if the season ended today, they would miss the postseason by a half-game.
They have gone just 33-34 on the road this year, and they'll try to buck that trend this week against the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Guardians. Can they avoid having this promising season slip through their fingers?
No. 12: Chicago Cubs
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Record: 77-67
Previous Rank: 8
Last Week: 3-0 vs. SF, 1-3 vs. ARI
The Cubs just wrapped up a crucial 14-game stretch against the Brewers, Reds, Giants and Diamondbacks, and they went 7-7 during that span to stay in the thick of the NL wild-card race with a two-game cushion in the No. 2 spot entering play on Monday.
Left-hander Justin Steele furthered his NL Cy Young case on Saturday with seven innings of six-hit, one-run ball against the D-backs, and he is now 16-3 with an NL-best 2.49 ERA in 159 innings. He has a handful of starts remaining to overtake current NL favorite Blake Snell.
No. 11: Arizona Diamondbacks
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Record: 75-69
Previous Rank: 13
Last Week: 2-1 vs. COL, 3-1 @ CHC
Since opening August with nine straight losses, the Diamondbacks have gone 18-10, which is the second-best record in the National League during that span behind only the Atlanta Braves.
First baseman Christian Walker has an .850 OPS with 12 home runs and 33 RBI in 53 games since the All-Star break, and he has helped carry the Arizona offense alongside the one-two punch of Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte at the top of the lineup.
No. 10: Minnesota Twins
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Record: 75-68
Previous Rank: 11
Last Week: 2-1 @ CLE, 2-1 vs. NYM
With a series win over the Guardians in Cleveland last week, the Twins are now in complete control of the AL Central race, and FanGraphs gives them a 99.6 percent chance of winning the division title.
Longtime top prospect Royce Lewis is hitting .314/.365/.530 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI in 49 games since returning from a 36-game stint on the injured list with an oblique strain. The 24-year-old has moved into the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
No. 9: Philadelphia Phillies
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Record: 78-64
Previous Rank: 10
Last Week: 2-1 @ SD, 1-2 vs. MIA
The Phillies reached the World Series as a wild-card team a year ago, and they look poised to take a similar path into October with a four-game cushion atop a crowded NL wild-card picture and an insurmountable deficit in the NL East standings.
Zack Wheeler has pitched at least six innings in each of his last 11 starts, recording 10 quality starts during that span. And if anyone is going to crash the Blake Snell vs. Justin Steele battle for NL Cy Young honors, the 33-year-old looks like a reasonable dark-horse candidate.
No. 8: Seattle Mariners
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Record: 79-64
Previous Rank: 6
Last Week: 1-2 @ CIN, 1-3 @ TB
After setting the franchise record for wins in a month by going 21-6 in August, the Mariners are just 3-7 with three straight series losses to begin September.
After briefly sitting atop the AL West standings, they are now clinging to a half-game lead over the Texas Rangers for the No. 3 wild-card spot.
With four more strikeouts, Matt Brash will become just the fifth pitcher in Mariners history to record 100 strikeouts while working exclusively as a reliever, joining Bill Caudill (1982), J.J. Putz (2006), Edwin Díaz (2018) and Paul Sewald (2021).
The 25-year-old has a 36.1 percent strikeout rate, and he has logged 22 holds in 69 appearances with a 3.25 ERA.
No. 7: Toronto Blue Jays
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Record: 80-63
Previous Rank: 9
Last Week: 2-1 @ OAK, 3-0 vs. KC
The Blue Jays played their last 12 games against the Nationals, Rockies, Athletics and Royals, so it should come as no surprise that they have made a push up the rankings.
They went 9-3 during that favorable stretch of games, and they turned a 2.5-game deficit in the wild-card standings into a one-game cushion in the No. 2 spot.
Veteran Chris Bassitt has finished eight innings in back-to-back starts, and he has somewhat quietly gone 14-7 with a 3.69 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 158 strikeouts in 173.1 innings in the first season of a three-year, $63 million deal he signed during the offseason.
No. 6: Milwaukee Brewers
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Record: 79-63
Previous Rank: 5
Last Week: 1-2 @ PIT, 2-1 @ NYY
The Brewers successfully weathered a red-hot stretch from the Chicago Cubs without ever falling more than 1.5 games back in the NL Central standings, and they currently hold a three-game edge as they push for their second division crown in the last three years.
After a strong run of starts from Freddy Peralta, it was Brandon Woodruff who was the star of the rotation last week, tossing seven shutout innings of two-hit ball on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The trio of Peralta, Woodruff and All-Star Corbin Burnes will make this team an extremely tough draw in October.
No. 5: Houston Astros
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Record: 82-62
Previous Rank: 7
Last Week: 3-0 @ TEX, 2-1 vs. SD
The Astros made a major statement when they swept the Texas Rangers in Arlington last week, outscoring their high-powered offense by a 39-10 margin while putting up double-digit runs in all three games.
It took until game No. 140 of the season for the Astros to finally claim sole possession of first place in the AL West standings, and the defending World Series champions are now in the driver's seat to claim their sixth division title in the last seven years.
This is simply a different team when Yordan Alvarez and José Abreu are swinging it well in the middle of the batting order.
No. 4: Tampa Bay Rays
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Record: 88-56
Previous Rank: 4
Last Week: 2-1 vs. BOS, 3-1 vs. SEA
With a 14-5 record in their last 19 games, including a pair of series wins against fellow wild-card contenders last week, the Rays are once again playing like legitimate title contenders.
A huge series with the Baltimore Orioles this weekend will give them an opportunity to reclaim the AL East lead for the first time since July 21.
Tyler Glasnow racked up a season-high 14 strikeouts in six innings against the Red Sox on Wednesday, and with a 2.17 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 58 innings since the All-Star break, he is pitching like a Game 1 postseason starter right now.
No. 3: Los Angeles Dodgers
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Record: 87-55
Previous Rank: 2
Last Week: 1-2 @ MIA, 2-1 @ WAS
The Dodgers lost back-to-back series for the first time since the end of July when they dropped three of four to the Atlanta Braves and then lost two of three on the road against the Miami Marlins.
They still have a commanding 13-game lead in the NL West standings, but they now trail the Braves by six games for the best record in the National League.
With terrific starts on Aug. 30 (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER vs. ARI) and Sept. 7 (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER @ MIA), Ryan Pepiot could be pitching his way into a significant role in the playoffs.
The 26-year-old made his season debut on Aug. 19 after missing significant time with a nagging oblique injury.
No. 2: Baltimore Orioles
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Record: 90-52
Previous Rank: 3
Last Week: 3-0 @ LAA, 2-1 @ BOS
With a victory on Saturday, the Orioles reached 90 wins for the first time since the 2014 season when they reached the ALCS.
They have a three-game cushion over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East standings and also for the best record in the American League and No. 1 seed in the AL bracket.
Left-hander John Means will make his season debut on Tuesday after posting a 3.74 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 21.2 innings over six rehab starts in the minors. The 2019 All-Star has not pitched in an MLB game since April 13, 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
No. 1: Atlanta Braves
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Record: 93-49
Previous Rank: 1
Last Week: 1-2 vs. STL, 2-1 vs. PIT
The Braves had a string of seven straight series wins snapped when they lost two of three to the St. Louis Cardinals last week, but that's not enough to knock them out of the top spot in these rankings as they remain baseball's most well-rounded team and the clear World Series favorites.
With one more home run from Ozzie Albies, the 2023 Braves will become just the second team in baseball history with five 30-homer players, joining the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
Matt Olson (48), Ronald Acuña Jr. (35), Austin Riley (34) and Marcell Ozuna (33) have already reached that milestone.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Baltimore Orioles
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Houston Astros
6. Milwaukee Brewers
7. Toronto Blue Jays
8. Seattle Mariners
9. Philadelphia Phillies
10. Minnesota Twins
11. Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Chicago Cubs
13. Texas Rangers
14. Miami Marlins
15. Cincinnati Reds
16. San Francisco Giants
17. Boston Red Sox
18. New York Yankees
19. Los Angeles Angels
20. Cleveland Guardians
21. San Diego Padres
22. St. Louis Cardinals
23. Washington Nationals
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
25. Detroit Tigers
26. New York Mets
27. Chicago White Sox
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Oakland Athletics
30. Kansas City Royals
Highlight of the Week: Atlanta Braves Are 1st Team to Clinch Playoff Berth
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For the sixth consecutive season, the Atlanta Braves are postseason-bound.
With a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, they have secured a spot in the 2023 playoff field, and they will also likely be the first team to clinch their division title with a 15-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
Here's the final out that gave them win No. 93 and officially punched their ticket to October baseball:
With a six-game cushion over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the National League and home-field advantage, they still have plenty of play for in the coming weeks.
Individually, the NL MVP race between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mookie Betts is one of the best in recent memory, and the hardware could end up going to whoever puts together the best finish to the season.
AL Award Rankings
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AL MVP
- Shohei Ohtani, LAA
- Corey Seager, TEX
- Kyle Tucker, HOU
- Julio Rodríguez, SEA
- Luis Robert Jr., CHW
- Yandy Díaz, TBR
- Marcus Semien, TEX
- José Ramírez, CLE
- Adley Rutschman, BAL
- Bobby Witt Jr., KC
AL Cy Young
- Gerrit Cole, NYY
- Luis Castillo, SEA
- Sonny Gray, MIN
- Kyle Bradish, BAL
- Framber Valdez, HOU
AL Rookie of the Year
- Gunnar Henderson, BAL
- Tanner Bibee, CLE
- Josh Jung, TEX
NL Award Rankings
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NL MVP
- Mookie Betts, LAD
- Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
- Freddie Freeman, LAD
- Matt Olson, ATL
- Corbin Carroll, ARI
- Cody Bellinger, CHC
- Juan Soto, SD
- Luis Arraez, MIA
- Ha-Seong Kim, SD
- Christian Walker, ARI
NL Cy Young
- Blake Snell, SDP
- Justin Steele, CHC
- Zack Wheeler, PHI
- Logan Webb, SF
- Zac Gallen, ARI
NL Rookie of the Year
- Corbin Carroll, ARI
- Kodai Senga, NYM
- Matt McLain, CIN
What to Watch for This Week
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Key Series for 1st Half of the Week
- 9/11-14: Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays
- 9/11-14: Miami Marlins @ Milwaukee Brewers
- 9/11-14: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox
Key Series for 2nd Half of the Week
- 9/14-17: Tampa Bay Rays @ Baltimore Orioles
- 9/15-17: Los Angeles Dodgers @ Seattle Mariners
- 9/15-17: Chicago Cubs @ Arizona Diamondbacks
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