MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers, Orioles and Rays Battle for Positioning Within the Top 5
Just two weeks remain in the 2023 MLB regular season. While the postseason picture is starting to take shape, there is still a lot to be sorted out before the playoffs begin.
The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are the only teams that have clinched in the AL side of the bracket, though the Minnesota Twins are a virtual lock to claim the AL Central title. That leaves the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers all vying for the AL West crown, with the two teams that miss out fighting with the Toronto Blue Jays for the final two wild-card spots.
The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have both clinched their respective division titles on the NL side, and the Milwaukee Brewers have a 6.5-game cushion in the NL Central, but the wild-card race is still a crowded mess. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants are all separated by just a few games with three spots up for grabs.
For now, it's time for another updated version of our weekly MLB power rankings.
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 article.
Nos. 30-29
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30. Oakland Athletics (46-103)
Previous Rank: 29
Last Week: 2-1 @ HOU, 0-3 vs. SD
The Athletics picked up an unlikely series win on the road against the Houston Astros behind strong outings from Ken Waldichuk (6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER on Monday) and JP Sears (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER on Tuesday). They will need to finish 9-4 or better to avoid matching the worst record since the team moved to Oakland in 1968.
29. Kansas City Royals (48-102)
Previous Rank: 30
Last Week: 2-1 @ CWS, 2-1 vs. HOU
With one more home run, Bobby Witt Jr. will become the first 30/30 player in Kansas City Royals history, and he has emerged as a legitimate star in his second MLB season. With back-to-back series wins last week, the Royals are playing some of their best baseball of 2023 right now, which could prove to be a useful springboard into next season.
Nos. 28-27
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28. Chicago White Sox (57-93)
Previous Rank: 27
Last Week: 1-2 vs. KC, 1-3 vs. MIN
The White Sox have lost 100 games only four times in franchise history. With a 4-12 record in September and a six-game road trip coming up this week, there's still a chance they could reach that mark in 2023. Outfielder Luis Robert Jr. had been one of the team's few bright spots, but he is hitting just .159/.191/.205 with two extra-base hits in September.
27. Colorado Rockies (56-93)
Previous Rank: 28
Last Week: 2-1 vs. CHC, 3-1 vs. SF
The Rockies continue to be a tough matchup at Coors Field, picking up a pair of series wins against teams battling for a wild-card berth last week. They have a .293 winning percentage on the road this year, which equates to a 47-115 record over a full season if they played all their games away from home. All of the injuries they have been forced to navigate on the pitching side of things made their recent success all the more impressive.
Nos. 26-25
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26. Washington Nationals (66-84)
Previous Rank: 23
Last Week: 1-3 @ PIT, 1-2 @ MIL
An impressive month of August has devolved into a disastrous September for a young Nationals team building toward the future. They lost five in a row last week to fall to 4-11 in their last 15 games, and nine of their final 12 games are against the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles. Good luck!
25. Los Angeles Angels (68-82)
Previous Rank: 19
Last Week: 1-2 @ SEA, 0-3 vs. DET
The Shohei Ohtani era almost certainly came to an unceremonious end last week when the two-way superstar was shut down for the remainder of the season with an oblique injury and then cleaned out his locker at Angel Stadium. This is the lowest they have been ranked the entire season, and what briefly looked like a promising potential playoff push in July looks a lot more like rock bottom here in September.
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Nos. 24-23
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24. St. Louis Cardinals (66-83)
Previous Rank: 22
Last Week: 2-1 @ BAL, 1-2 vs. PHI
Franchise icon Adam Wainwright finally picked up career win No. 199 against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. It will be a two-start week for him this week as he squares off against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday and the San Diego Padres on Saturday. At this point, that's about all the Cardinals have to play for in a lost season.
23. New York Mets (69-80)
Previous Rank: 26
Last Week: 3-1 vs. ARI, 1-2 vs. CIN
The Mets are using the final few weeks of the 2023 season to take a look at top prospect Ronny Mauricio at third base. After a solid season at Triple-A, he is hitting .313/.353/.417 with 15 hits in 13 games since making his MLB debut on Sept. 1. It will be fun to see how the roster takes shape this offseason on the heels of their trade deadline sell-off.
Nos. 22-21
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22. Pittsburgh Pirates (70-80)
Previous Rank: 24
Last Week: 3-1 vs. WAS, 1-2 vs. NYY
The Pirates are 12-7 in their last 19 games, and they will have a golden opportunity to play spoiler in the coming weeks as they close out their schedule against the Cubs, Reds, Phillies and Marlins, all of whom are battling for a postseason berth. Deadline pickup Bailey Falter has a 3.62 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 37.1 innings since he was acquired from Philadelphia.
21. Detroit Tigers (70-79)
Previous Rank: 25
Last Week: 1-2 vs. CIN, 3-0 @ LAA
The second-half performances of Tarik Skubal (11 GS, 3.67 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 73 K, 61.1 IP) and Spencer Torkelson (.847 OPS, 16 HR, 38 RBI) give the Tigers two pieces to build around next season alongside a presumably healthy Riley Greene. They have already improved on last year's 66-96 finish.
No. 20: Boston Red Sox
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Record: 74-76
Previous Rank: 17
Last Week: 1-3 vs. NYY, 0-3 @ TOR
With a 2-10 record in their last 12 games, the Red Sox's slim playoff hopes have been extinguished in all but the mathematical sense. However, they could still play a role in sorting out the AL East winner as they close out the season against the Orioles and Rays.
A breakout rookie season from first baseman Triston Casas may have come to an end last week when he was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. The 23-year-old got off to a slow start, but he ended up hitting .263/.367/.490 for a 128 OPS+ with 24 home runs in 132 games.
No. 19: Cleveland Guardians
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Record: 72-78
Previous Rank: 20
Last Week: 1-2 @ SF, 3-0 vs. TEX
A three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers looks like too little, too late for the Cleveland Guardians. That successful weekend was preceded by a 3-8 stretch of games that dropped them to 7.5 games back in the AL Central standings, and they are on the cusp of being mathematically eliminated in the wild-card race.
With a .978 OPS in September, first baseman Josh Naylor is now hitting .314/.354/.507 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs and 91 RBI in a career year.
No. 18: San Diego Padres
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Record: 72-78
Previous Rank: 21
Last Week: 2-1 @ LAD, 3-0 @ OAK
With a 10-5 record and plus-28 run differential in September, the Padres are still hanging around on the fringe of wild-card contention at six games back with four teams to overtake for a spot in the projected field.
Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. With Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (6.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER) getting shelled in his most recent start, Snell is now the clear favorite for NL Cy Young honors.
No. 17: San Francisco Giants
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Record: 76-74
Previous Rank: 16
Last Week: 2-1 vs. CLE, 1-3 @ COL
Between an 0-6 start to September and three straight losses against the Colorado Rockies over the weekend, the Giants have been trending in the wrong direction in the NL wild-card race. They enter play on Monday two games back in the standings, but sitting in sixth place in a wide field of contenders.
The pitching staff has a 4.72 ERA in September, and the bullpen has four blown saves in seven opportunities. A middling offense has been carried by strong pitching for most of the season, so they will need to sort things out on the mound to make a push up the standings.
No. 16: New York Yankees
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Record: 76-74
Previous Rank: 18
Last Week: 3-1 @ BOS, 2-1 @ PIT
The Yankees have been playing some of their best baseball of the season the last few weeks, but at 6.5 games back in the AL wild-card standings, they still have just a 0.4 percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to FanGraphs.
Gerrit Cole has a 1.71 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 31.2 innings over his last five starts as he looks to put the finishing touches on his first Cy Young win.
No. 15: Chicago Cubs
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Record: 78-72
Previous Rank: 12
Last Week: 1-2 @ COL, 0-3 @ ARI
The Cubs went from comfortably in the NL postseason field to tied for third in the NL wild-card standings following a brutal West Coast trip that ended with a 6-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday Night Baseball.
Home series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies should give them a chance to regain some of the ground that they lost, but momentum is not on their side right now. The return of Marcus Stroman in a relief role could help ease the loss of closer Adbert Alzolay, who is sidelined with a forearm strain.
No. 14: Miami Marlins
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Record: 78-72
Previous Rank: 14
Last Week: 1-3 @ MIL, 3-0 vs. ATL
The Marlins swept the Atlanta Braves in Miami over the weekend for the first time since 2015. In the process, they gave their NL wild-card hopes a nice boost on the heels of dropping three of four to the Milwaukee Brewers.
With a 43-32 record at home compared to 35-40 on the road, they need to capitalize on their final six home games of the regular season this week. On an individual level, Luis Arraez (.353 BA) has a comfortable lead over Ronald Acuña Jr. (.337) and Freddie Freeman (.335) in the NL batting title race.
No. 13: Arizona Diamondbacks
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Record: 79-72
Previous Rank: 11
Last Week: 1-3 @ NYM, 3-0 vs. CHC
The D-backs have built a half-game cushion for the No. 2 spot in the NL wild-card standings after sweeping the Chicago Cubs—one of the teams they were chasing in that race—in a three-game series over the weekend.
Veteran Tommy Pham has ended up being one of the most impactful trade pickups of this year's deadline, hitting .256/.310/.463 with six home runs and 26 RBI in 40 games since joining the D-backs while hitting out of the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
No. 12: Cincinnati Reds
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Record: 78-73
Previous Rank: 15
Last Week: 2-1 @ DET, 2-1 @ NYM
With a 4.91 ERA in September that ranks 22nd in the majors, the Cincinnati Reds continue to walk the tightrope of a shaky pitching staff while staying in the thick of the NL wild-card race. They enter Monday's game against the Minnesota Twins a half-game back for the No. 3 spot in the standings.
Hunter Greene had a shaky first few starts after he was activated from the injured list, but he had a 1.59 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 17 innings over his last three outings. They need him to pitch like the ace of the staff down the stretch.
No. 11: Texas Rangers
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Record: 82-67
Previous Rank: 13
Last Week: 4-0 @ TOR, 0-3 @ CLE
Just when it looked like the Texas Rangers might be righting the ship after a rough few weeks with a four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, they had the favor returned by the Cleveland Guardians over the weekend when they were outscored 23-6 in three games.
The Rangers will play seven of their final 13 games against the Seattle Mariners, who currently sit one game behind them for the No. 3 AL wild-card spot, though both teams are also still in the mix for the AL West title with the Houston Astros. There's a good chance only two of those teams are going to make the playoffs.
No. 10: Minnesota Twins
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Record: 79-71
Previous Rank: 10
Last Week: 1-2 vs. TB, 3-1 @ CWS
The Twins' magic number in the AL Central sits at six entering play on Monday, and they could be the next team to clinch a division title. After three games on the road against a contending Reds team, they close out the regular season against the Angels, Athletics and Rockies.
The rookie trio of Royce Lewis (56 G, .915 OPS, 14 HR, 51 RBI), Matt Wallner (65 G, .854 OPS, 12 HR, 33 RBI) and Edouard Julien (98 G, .843 OPS, 14 HR, 30 RBI) has completely transformed the offense.
No. 9: Seattle Mariners
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Record: 81-68
Previous Rank: 8
Last Week: 2-1 vs. LAA, 0-3 vs. LAD
The Mariners were outscored 18-6 in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. With their final 10 games of the regular season all against the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, they control their own destiny in the three-team AL West battle.
They currently lead the majors with a 3.74 ERA, and a starting staff of Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller with Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz shortening games at the back of the bullpen could be awfully tough in October.
No. 8: Philadelphia Phillies
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Record: 81-68
Previous Rank: 9
Last Week: 1-3 vs. ATL, 2-1 @ STL
The Phillies sit atop the NL wild-card standings with a 3.5-game cushion following a weekend series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. After a tough three-game series on the road against the Atlanta Braves, they close out the season against the Mets, Pirates and Mets again.
High-priced shortstop Trea Turner has a 1.104 OPS with 16 home runs and 41 RBI in 40 games since the beginning of August, and he has raised his season OPS almost 120 points during that span. My preseason pick for NL MVP didn't quite play out as expected, but he has looked the part for the last six weeks.
No. 7: Houston Astros
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Record: 84-66
Previous Rank: 5
Last Week: 1-2 vs. OAK, 1-2 @ KC
It doesn't get much worse than consecutive series losses to the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals in 2023—two teams that have both already reached the 100-loss mark on the season. It's tough to drop the Astros any lower than the No. 7 spot, but it's not a stretch to say they had the worst week of any team in baseball.
Despite that stumble, they still hold a 1.5-game lead over the Texas Rangers and a 2.5-game cushion over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West standings. They play their final regular-season home games of the year against the Orioles and Royals this week.
No. 6: Toronto Blue Jays
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Record: 83-67
Previous Rank: 7
Last Week: 0-4 vs. TEX, 3-0 vs. BOS
The Blue Jays have an AL-best 3.59 ERA since the All-Star break, and their strong starting rotation coupled with the bullpen trio of Erik Swanson, Jordan Hicks and Jordan Romano could make them a dangerous team in October.
First things first, they need to reach the postseason, and a road trip to take on the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays awaits this week. With three home runs in his last four games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been swinging the hot bat of late.
No. 5: Milwaukee Brewers
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Record: 84-65
Previous Rank: 6
Last Week: 3-1 vs. MIA, 2-1 vs. WAS
The Brewers have not lost more than two consecutive games in over a month, and with three straight series wins, they are inching ever closer to the NL Central title. They enter play on Monday with a 6.5-game lead over the Chicago Cubs and a seven-game edge over the Cincinnati Reds.
Veteran Josh Donaldson is 5-for-20 with one double, one home run and three RBI in six games of action since he was plucked from the scrapheap. Since he was signed to a minor league deal before the end of August after being released by the New York Yankees, he is eligible for the postseason roster.
No. 4: Los Angeles Dodgers
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Record: 91-57
Previous Rank: 3
Last Week: 1-2 vs. SD, 3-0 @ SEA
For the 11th time in the last 12 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers are NL West champions following a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. The question now is whether they can chase down the Atlanta Braves for the best record in the National League. With a 48-26 record at Dodger Stadium, the more games they can host, the better.
It's going to be interesting to see what the postseason rotation looks like beyond the veteran duo of Clayton Kershaw and Lance Lynn. Given his inconsistency this year, even Lynn might not be a lock. Rookies Bobby Miller and Ryan Pepiot could be major X-factors.
No. 3: Tampa Bay Rays
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Record: 92-59
Previous Rank: 4
Last Week: 2-1 @ MIN, 2-2 @ BAL
With a Texas Rangers loss on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth for the fifth consecutive year, despite operating with a $79.3 million payroll that ranks 27th in the majors.
They are still staring up at the Orioles in the AL East standings after the two teams split a four-game series in Baltimore. Home series against the Angels and Blue Jays await this week as they look to bridge the two-game gap in the standings.
No. 2: Baltimore Orioles
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Record: 93-56
Previous Rank: 2
Last Week: 1-2 vs. STL, 2-2 vs. TB
The Orioles are playoff-bound for the first time since 2016. Now they will try to hold on atop the AL East standings for just their second division title in the last 26 years. They kick off this week's slate against the Houston Astros before closing out the regular season with three straight non-contenders.
Gunnar Henderson has a .916 OPS with 12 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 16 games this month. He looks to have AL Rookie of the Year honors locked up, although a few more strong starts from Tanner Bibee could still make things interesting.
No. 1: Atlanta Braves
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Record: 96-53
Previous Rank: 1
Last Week: 3-1 @ PHI, 0-3 @ MIA
Chalk up getting swept by the Miami Marlins as a post-clinch hangover after the Braves made it six straight NL East titles with a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. Even with that small bump in the road, they still have a 4.5-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL's best record.
Ozzie Albies hit his 30th home run of the season on Saturday, giving the Braves their fifth 30-homer player of 2023. That ties the 2019 Minnesota Twins for the most teammates to reach 30 home runs in the same season, and their 288 home runs as a team are 56 more than anyone else.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Baltimore Orioles
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Toronto Blue Jays
7. Houston Astros
8. Philadelphia Phillies
9. Seattle Mariners
10. Minnesota Twins
11. Texas Rangers
12. Cincinnati Reds
13. Arizona Diamondbacks
14. Miami Marlins
15. Chicago Cubs
16. New York Yankees
17. San Francisco Giants
18. San Diego Padres
19. Cleveland Guardians
20. Boston Red Sox
21. Detroit Tigers
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
23. New York Mets
24. St. Louis Cardinals
25. Los Angeles Angels
26. Washington Nationals
27. Colorado Rockies
28. Chicago White Sox
29. Kansas City Royals
30. Oakland Athletics
Highlight of the Week: Matt Olson Sets Braves Single-Season HR Record
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Somewhat overshadowed by the compelling Ronald Acuña Jr. vs. Mookie Betts battle for NL MVP honors, first baseman Matt Olson is having a fantastic season of his own for the Atlanta Braves.
The 29-year-old hit his MLB-leading 52nd home run of the season on Saturday. In the process, he broke the Braves' single-season record, which was previously held by Andrew Jones.
Here's a look at the updated leaderboard:
Matt Olson (2023): 52
Andruw Jones (2005): 51
Eddie Mathews (1953): 47
Henry Aaron (1971): 47
Eddie Mathews (1959): 46
Henry Aaron (1962): 45
Chipper Jones (1999): 45
"It's really cool just to go into the Atlanta Braves' lore," manager Brian Snitker told reporters. "It's awesome. Couldn't have happened to a better guy."
AL Award Rankings
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AL MVP
- Shohei Ohtani, LAA
- Corey Seager, TEX
- Julio Rodríguez, SEA
- Kyle Tucker, HOU
- Yandy Díaz, TBR
- José Ramírez, CLE
- Bobby Witt Jr., KC
- Marcus Semien, TEX
- Adley Rutschman, BAL
- Luis Robert Jr., CWS
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
- Juan Soto, SD
- Cody Bellinger, CHC
- Austin Riley, ATL
- Ha-Seong Kim, SD
- Luis Arraez, MIA
NL Cy Young
- Blake Snell, SDP
- Justin Steele, CHC
- Logan Webb, SF
- Kodai Senga, NYM
- Corbin Burnes, MIL
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
- Mon-Wed-: Minnesota Twins vs. Cincinnati Reds
- Mon-Wed: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves
- Mon-Wed: Baltimore Orioles at Houston Astros
- Tue-Wed: San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks
Key Series for 2nd Half of the Week
- Thu-Sun: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
- Fri-Sun: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays
- Fri-Sun: Milwaukee Brewers at Miami Marlins
- Fri-Sun: Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers
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