MLB Power Rankings: An Updated Look at Where All 30 Teams Stand
The final month of the 2014 MLB season is here, and this year's playoff race is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory.
A handful of teams have started to separate themselves from the pack, but three division races (AL Central, NL Central and NL West) are still very much up for grabs, and the same can be said for all four wild-card spots.
When putting the following rankings together on a weekly basis, these four factors are considered:
- Previous week's record
- Recent performance beyond the last week
- Quality of opponents
- Key injuries/trades
With that in mind, here is an updated look at where all 30 MLB teams stand one week into September. Be sure to check back here every Monday morning for the most recent edition of our MLB power rankings.
30. Texas Rangers (54-89, Previous: 30)
1 of 30
Last Week: 1-6
A rough week against a pair of contenders in the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners, coupled with a solid 5-1 week from the Colorado Rockies, has all but sealed the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft for the Texas Rangers at this point.
The team did manage to snap an eight-game losing streak with a win Sunday, as left-hander Derek Holland tossed seven shutout innings in his second start of the season. He's looked great in two starts since returning from knee surgery and will again be looked to as a front-line option next season.
That came on the heels of manager Ron Washington resigning Friday after eight seasons and a 664-613 record at the helm. Tim Bogar, who was the team's bench coach, steps in as interim manager the rest of the way.
Silver Slugger of the Week
2B Rougned Odor (7-for-20, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Derek Holland (2 GS, W, 14 IP, 12 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)
29. Arizona Diamondbacks (59-84, Previous: 28)
2 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
After Arizona split a four-game series with the Padres in San Diego, the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks over the weekend, leaving them tied for last place in the NL West.
The team did welcome back four players from the disabled list, as Daniel Hudson, Cody Ross, A.J. Pollock and Chris Owings were all activated at the beginning of last week.
Hudson pitched an inning of relief Wednesday in his first action since June 26, 2012, with two Tommy John surgeries in between. The 27-year-old was 16-12 with a 3.49 ERA in 2011, his last full season in the majors.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF David Peralta (7-for-20, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Josh Collmenter (1 GS, W, 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)
28. Minnesota Twins (61-82, Previous: 27)
3 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
As the Minnesota Twins come down the home stretch of what has been another disappointing season, there are a handful of positive takeaways from the 2014 season.
Chief among them is the resurgence of Phil Hughes, who is 15-9 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, after going 4-14 with a 5.19 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in his final season with the New York Yankees a year ago. He's an absolute steal at $16 million over the next two years.
On the offensive side of things, rookie Danny Santana (.320/.358/.475, 32 XBH) has swung a terrific bat all year and provided some nice defensive versatility as well. He'll be a nice secondary piece in the team's continued rebuilding efforts.
Silver Slugger of the Week
SS Danny Santana (10-for-24, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 7 R, 3 SB)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Phil Hughes (2 GS, W, 15 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 13 K)
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27. Chicago White Sox (63-79, Previous: 26)
4 of 30
Last Week: 1-4
A sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Indians over the weekend dropped the Chicago White Sox to 18-28 since the All-Star break, and they are now just 2.5 games up on the Minnesota Twins in their efforts to avoid a last-place finish.
Jose Abreu needs three more home runs to break the team's rookie record of 35 set by Ron Kittle back in 1983, and he'll also reach the century mark with his next RBI. There's a good chance he becomes the ninth player to win AL Rookie of the Year unanimously.
The remaining schedule will be about player evaluation, as guys such as Andy Wilkins, Carlos Sanchez and Marcus Semien look to start building their cases now for a big league job in 2015.
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Tyler Flowers (4-for-11, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Chris Sale (1 GS, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
26. Colorado Rockies (59-84, Previous: 29)
5 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
The Rockies came through with a pair of series wins at home last week, topping the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres to move into a tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second-worst record in baseball.
Rookie left-hander Tyler Matzek, who has finally reached the majors this season after being taken with the No. 11 pick in the 2009 draft, delivered the pitching performance of the year with a complete game, three-hit shutout Friday.
He's the first Rockies pitcher to throw a shutout since Ubaldo Jimenez on June 1, 2011, and just the 12th Rockies pitcher ever to twirl a complete-game shutout in Coors Field.
"I feel like I've been finding my groove the last two or three games," Matzek said (via Nick Groke of The Denver Post). "Just everything is working—fastball location, slider, changeup, curveball. Everything feels right right now."
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Corey Dickerson (11-for-24, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Tyler Matzek (1 GS, W, 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
25. Boston Red Sox (63-80, Previous: 25)
6 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Boston Red Sox may not be in a position to contend themselves, but they are still capable of playing spoiler, as evidenced by their series win over the Toronto Blue Jays this past weekend. All of their remaining games, aside from a three-game tilt with the Tampa Bay Rays, are against contenders, so it's a role they could relish down the stretch.
Top prospect Mookie Betts is back in the everyday lineup in center field, and he's hitting .311/.393/.527 in 74 at-bats since being recalled on Aug. 18.
He'll compete with Jackie Bradley and recent signing Rusney Castillo for the everyday job next season in what should be one of the more interesting spring position battles to watch.
Silver Slugger of the Week
CF Mookie Betts (11-for-30, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 8 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Clay Buchholz (1 GS, W, 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)
24. Chicago Cubs (64-79, Previous: 23)
7 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
After sweeping the reeling Milwaukee Brewers to open the week, the Chicago Cubs suffered a sweep of their own against the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend.
The Cubs' decision to claim Jacob Turner off waivers from the Miami Marlins is already looking like a brilliant one. He's allowed four earned runs in 10 innings in his first two starts with the team, flashing the stuff that made him such a highly regarded prospect just a few years ago.
He joins Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and Tsuyoshi Wada in forming what has been a surprisingly good Cubs rotation here in the second half. If the team can add a front-line arm to that group in free agency this offseason, it could be in for a quick turnaround next year.
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Welington Castillo (7-for-18, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jacob Turner (1 GS, W, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)
23. Houston Astros (63-80, Previous: 24)
8 of 30
Last Week: 4-1
The Houston Astros picked up right where they left off after a 15-14 month of August, as they bested the division-leading Los Angeles Angels in a quick two-game series and then took two of three from the Oakland Athletics over the weekend.
Chris Carter just continues to rake, as he leads all of baseball with 17 home runs and 45 RBI since the All-Star break. There was a point this season where it looked like he could be a trade candidate, following the call-up of Jon Singleton, but the 27-year-old is quickly playing his way into the team's long-term plans.
Jose Altuve (.340 BA) enters the week with a narrow lead over Victor Martinez (.335 BA) in the race for the AL batting title. He also leads all of baseball with 198 hits, putting him 12 short of tying the franchise record of 210 set by Craig Biggio back in 1998.
Silver Slugger of the Week
DH Chris Carter (8-for-18, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Collin McHugh (1 GS, W, 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K)
22. San Diego Padres (66-76, Previous: 20)
9 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
After going 16-11 in August and looking like they had a chance at pushing for a winning record, the Padres stumbled last week, splitting a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks before getting swept by the Rockies in Colorado.
Prospect Cory Spangenberg has seen a decent amount of time at third base since being included among the September call-ups, and it will be interesting to see how he fits into the team's plans for next year.
He was hitting .331/.365/.470 with 27 extra-base hits in 281 at-bats in Double-A at the time of his promotion, and he's shown a solid hit tool at every level since being taken with the No. 10 pick in the 2011 draft. A natural second baseman, he could move back there next season, with Jedd Gyorko sliding to the hot corner.
Silver Slugger of the Week
UT Cory Spangenberg (6-for-17, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Odrisamer Despaigne (1 GS, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
21. Cincinnati Reds (67-76, Previous: 17)
10 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
The wheels really fell off for the Cincinnati Reds this year, as they were 51-44 and just 1.5 games back in the NL Central at the All-Star break, but they have gone a disastrous 16-32 here in the second half.
At this point fans can turn their attention to the individual awards races, where Johnny Cueto looks like the front-runner for NL Comeback Player of the Year and Billy Hamilton is among the leading candidates for NL Rookie of the Year.
There is still a lot of talent on this team and a lot of guys locked up for big money long-term, so expect the Reds to make every effort to retool and return to contention in 2015.
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Devin Mesoraco (6-for-17, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Johnny Cueto (1 GS, W, 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K)
20. New York Mets (68-75, Previous: 21)
11 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The New York Mets picked up series wins against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds on the road last week. They look to close out the season strong with an eye on taking a big step forward next season.
Right-hander Jacob deGrom continues to build a compelling case for NL Rookie of the Year, as he's gone 7-6 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 19 starts and allowed just two runs (zero earned) in 13 innings over his last two starts.
His emergence, along with the continued development of Zack Wheeler, may be the biggest positive for the team this season. Once Matt Harvey returns to the mix, that figures to be a deadly trio, and if Noah Syndergaard can live up to his potential, it could be the best young staff in the game in the very near future.
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Travis d'Arnaud (11-for-20, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jacob deGrom (1 GS, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
19. Tampa Bay Rays (69-75, Previous: 19)
12 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Toronto Blue Jays swept Tampa Bay last week, but the Rays rebounded to take two of three from the division-leading Baltimore Orioles over the weekend.
Alex Cobb (10 GS, 5-1, 1.27 ERA) and Drew Smyly (7 GS, 3-1, 1.70 ERA) have both been absolute studs here in the second half, while Jake Odorizzi is working on a 14.1-inning scoreless streak.
The team's pitching staff enters the week with 1,296 strikeouts on the year, leaving it 132 short of tying the single-season record of 1,428 set by the Detroit Tigers a year ago. That is well within reach, and given the way the team's starters have thrown the ball the past couple of weeks, it's a very real possibility.
Silver Slugger of the Week
3B Evan Longoria (7-for-27, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jake Odorizzi (1 GS, 7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)
18. Philadelphia Phillies (66-76, Previous: 22)
13 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The Philadelphia Phillies move up four spots this week, thanks to series wins against the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals on the road. They appear to have embraced the role of spoiler to wrap up what has been a disappointing season.
Ben Revere is hitting .349 since the All-Star break, bringing his average to .315 on the year and tying him for second in the NL batting race with Josh Harrison and trailing Justin Morneau (.316 BA) by the smallest of margins.
Revere also hit his second home run of the season Friday, which is legitimate news considering he went the first 1,465 at-bats of his career without one.
Silver Slugger of the Week
CF Ben Revere (11-for-23, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 3 SB)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Kyle Kendrick (1 GS, W, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
17. Miami Marlins (69-72, Previous: 18)
14 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Miami Marlins took a three-game series from the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. Despite their losing record, they are still just 4.5 games back for the second wild-card spot in the National League.
A postseason trip is still a long shot, but a winning record is not out of the question, which is no small accomplishment after losing 100 games a year ago.
Giancarlo Stanton enters the week hitting .291/.396/.557 with 36 home runs and 104 RBI on the year. Despite the fact the Marlins are on the outskirts of the playoff race, he may be the front-runner for NL MVP right now alongside Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Giancarlo Stanton (7-for-26, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jarred Cosart (1 GS, W, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)
16. Milwaukee Brewers (74-69, Previous: 12)
15 of 30
Last Week: 1-6
With the blink of an eye, the Brewers have gone from one of the better stories of 2014 to being ranked outside the top half of teams in these power rankings, as a 3-14 slide has unraveled their season.
They are still very much in the playoff picture, trailing the Pittsburgh Pirates by a half-game for the second NL wild-card spot, but they are trending in the wrong direction for the stretch run.
After dropping three of four to the St. Louis Cardinals at home, they welcome the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds to Miller Park this coming week. This will probably be their best chance to make up some of the ground they lost, so consider this the most important week of the season for the Brew Crew.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Khris Davis (9-for-27, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Mike Fiers (1 GS, W, 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
15. New York Yankees (73-68, Previous: 16)
16 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Yankees continue to spin their tires on the fringe of contention, as they have gone 12-12 in their last 24 games and currently sit 4.5 games back for the second AL wild-card spot.
For all the moves this team made last offseason, Martin Prado (.831 OPS, 5 HR, 13 RBI) and Brandon McCarthy (11 GS, 6-4, 2.79 ERA) may be the two best additions to this roster in the last calendar year. Their contributions have been a big reason the team has managed to stick around.
After a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees head to Baltimore for a four-game tilt, as they look to make some serious noise and climb back into the playoff picture.
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Brian McCann (6-for-19, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Michael Pineda (1 GS, L, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
14. Toronto Blue Jays (73-69, Previous: 15)
17 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
A sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays was a nice start to last week for the Blue Jays, but they followed that up by dropping a series to the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. That leaves them five games out in the AL wild-card race.
A broken finger put an end to what has been a terrific bounce-back season for Melky Cabrera on Friday. He will close out 2014 with a .301/.351/.458 line to go along with 35 doubles, 16 home runs and 73 RBI.
The 30-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the year, and he's likely set for a decent raise over the two-year, $16 million contract he signed with Toronto prior to the 2013 season. He has expressed interest in returning next year, according to Barry Davis of Sportsnet.
The Blue Jays take on the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays at home this week with a prime opportunity to gain some ground in the standings.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Jose Bautista (10-for-27, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Mark Buehrle (1 GS, 8 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
13. Cleveland Indians (74-67, Previous: 14)
18 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
The Indians have stormed back into contention thanks to a 17-8 record in their last 25 games, and they capped off last week with a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox.
They will need to continue taking advantage of sub-.500 teams, as 13 of their remaining 20 games are against teams with a losing record. At this point they need to make up 3.5 games in the wild-card standings, so they can't afford any sort of extended losing streak.
It boils down to whether the starting rotation can keep pitching at the incredibly high level it has been for the past month, with Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar in particular stepping up big alongside ace Corey Kluber.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Michael Brantley (12-for-27, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Danny Salazar (1 GS, W, 9 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)
12. Pittsburgh Pirates (74-68, Previous: 13)
19 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Pirates bounced back quickly from a sweep against the Cardinals in St. Louis, turning the tables to sweep the Cubs in Chicago over the weekend.
With their win Sunday they moved into the No. 2 wild-card spot in the NL, a half-game ahead of the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. Now with 10 straight games against non-contenders in the Phillies, Cubs and Red Sox, they have a prime opportunity to widen that gap.
If this team finishes strong and reaches the playoffs, it will be interesting to see where Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison fall in NL MVP voting, as both have been instrumental in the team's success this season. Edinson Volquez and Vance Worley could also both see support for NL Comeback Player of the Year.
Silver Slugger of the Week
2B Neil Walker (9-for-23, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Francisco Liriano (1 GS, W, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K)
11. Atlanta Braves (74-69, Previous: 9)
20 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
The Braves drop out of the top 10 after dropping series to the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins. Things don't get any easier this week, as they open things up with a three-game series against the Nationals in Washington.
It may be time for them to consider bumping Aaron Harang to the bullpen, as he has just one quality start in his last five games and was shelled for 10 hits and six runs in 3.2 innings his last time out. Their margin for error is thin, and David Hale may be the better choice at this point.
Their wildly inconsistent offense went ice-cold again last week after a big couple of weeks, and they will need to snap out of it quickly if they hope to move into one of the wild-card spot. The Braves currently trail the Pittsburgh Pirates by a half-game for the No. 2 slot.
Silver Slugger of the Week
1B Freddie Freeman (5-for-21, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Alex Wood (1 GS, 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)
10. Oakland Athletics (80-62, Previous: 7)
21 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
It was another rough week for the Athletics, as they came up on the short end of home series with the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros and are now 8-18 in their last 26 games.
Adam Dunn has provided a nice spark offensively so far, but the A's are still light years from where they were as a team earlier this year in that department. The pitching has steadily declined as well, though Jason Hammel has finally started to contribute with three straight quality starts.
For all of their recent struggles, the Athletics still hold the No. 1 wild-card spot in the AL with 2.5 games of breathing room at this point. They can't afford another losing week, though, or they'll be out of the top 10 in these rankings for the first time in a long time.
Silver Slugger of the Week
DH Adam Dunn (5-for-16, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP James Hammel (2 GS, W, 14.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 K)
9. Seattle Mariners (78-64, Previous: 10)
22 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
After a 17-10 month of August that saw them post an impressive plus-43 run differential, the Mariners have stayed hot to kick off September, winning road series against the Oakland A's and Texas Rangers last week.
James Paxton (3-2, 1.76 ERA) and Roenis Elias (3-4, 2.16 ERA) are both having terrific second halves. With the one-two punch of Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma anchoring the rotation ahead of them, this team is awfully deep on the mound.
Add the best bullpen in the MLB (2.41 ERA) and an offense that is undoubtedly improved from years past, and the Mariners have all the pieces to hold on and earn a wild-card berth. They currently hold a half-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the No. 2 spot.
Silver Slugger of the Week
3B Kyle Seager (10-for-26, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Felix Hernandez (1 GS, W, 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
8. Detroit Tigers (78-65, Previous: 6)
23 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
The Tigers took three of four from a surging Indians team in Cleveland to open last week but dropped their weekend series with the San Francisco Giants. They remain two games back in the AL Central and a half-game out of the No. 2 wild-card spot.
The recent struggles of the starting rotation are concerning, but the offense has done its best to step up and shoulder the load. After posting a pedestrian .729 OPS while battling a groin injury last September, Miguel Cabrera is as hot as any hitter in the final month so far this year.
Big picture, though, the rotation has to get on track. Two quality starts in seven games is not going to cut it, considering the starters the Tigers have at their disposal and how shaky their bullpen has been all year.
They open the week with a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at home and look to catch them in the division standings.
Silver Slugger of the Week
1B Miguel Cabrera (15-for-30, 2 2B, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Kyle Lobstein (2 GS, W, 11 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 13 K)
7. San Francisco Giants (78-65, Previous: 5)
24 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
It took them a couple of months, but the San Francisco Giants managed to right the ship, as they are again looking like the team that opened the year 42-21 and appeared to be on its way to a division title.
Buster Posey is quickly pushing his way into the NL MVP conversation, hitting .363/.413/.609 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI since the All-Star break. He's not the only hitter who's been hot since the break, as Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence, Joe Panik and Michael Morse all have an OPS over .800 in the second half.
Meanwhile, the starting rotation again looks like a strength behind Madison Bumgarner and Jake Peavy, and the bullpen has been strong in the second half as well.
"We stand a really good chance, still being in the division race and the Wild Card, too. I like where we're at," Bumgarner told Ryan Hood of MLB.com. "We've turned it on, and it's a good time of year to turn it on. Everybody's starting to come together."
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Buster Posey (13-for-23, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 8 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jake Peavy (1 GS, W, 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)
6. Kansas City Royals (79-62, Previous: 8)
25 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
The Royals took care of business with series wins against the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees last week, and they hold a two-game lead in the AL Central standings heading into this week.
They have a 2.96 ERA as a team in the second half, while saving an MLB-best 21 games in 24 chances, as the pitching staff remains the clear strength of this club. The rotation is solid one through five, and it's capable of shortening games with the trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland at the back of the pen.
Eric Hosmer was 4-for-21 with a pair of doubles in his first week back after missing 28 games with a stress fracture in his hand. If he can get things rolling at the plate, that would certainly provide a spark for the stretch run.
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Salvador Perez (7-for-22, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP James Shields (1 GS, W, 8.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
5. St. Louis Cardinals (79-64, Previous: 11)
26 of 30
Last Week: 6-1
The Cardinals are hitting their stride at the perfect time, going 8-1 in their last nine games and climbing from one game back to 4.5 games up in the NL Central in the process.
"A lot of teams talk about playing their best baseball in September. The Cardinals actually do it," wrote Mark Bauman of MLB.com, and he's absolutely right.
Michael Wacha returned to the mound Thursday after missing 68 games with a shoulder injury, allowing three hits and one run in three innings of work. The team will be careful to bring him along slowly, with an eye on him returning to form heading into October.
The offense is still nowhere near where it was a year ago, but it has been better in the past month or so. Keep an eye on Oscar Taveras, who is 5-for-8 with a home run and four RBI in his last three games, as he may poised for a breakout here in the final weeks of the season.
Silver Slugger of the Week
2B Kolten Wong (7-for-22, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Shelby Miller (1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (81-62, Previous: 4)
27 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
After dropping a big three-game series with the Washington Nationals for NL supremacy to kick off last week, the Dodgers bounced back nicely with a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Their lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West race currently stands at three games, and those two teams square off this weekend for a three-game series in San Francisco. By no coincidence, the Dodgers rotation currently stacks up to be Hyun-Jin Ryu, Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw for that series.
With Matt Kemp (.960 OPS, 11 HR, 33 RBI) and Adrian Gonzalez (.962 OPS, 8 HR, 40 RBI) putting up great numbers in the second half to back that terrific starting pitching, the Dodgers are still as scary a matchup as anyone come October.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Matt Kemp (7-for-20, 1 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Clayton Kershaw (1 GS, W, 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)
3. Washington Nationals (80-61, Previous: 3)
28 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
Despite dropping a series to the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, the Nationals maintain the top ranking among NL teams thanks to a series win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the beginning of the week.
The team has cooled off a bit since its 10-game winning streak last month, going 7-8 in its last 15 games, but it still looks to have as complete a roster as any team in baseball. Adam LaRoche getting hot at the plate will only help the offense, and the starting rotation is still one of the best around.
There is some concern at the back of the bullpen, where Rafael Soriano has been removed from the closer's role after a 12-game stretch saw him convert just five of eight save chances with an 8.18 ERA.
Drew Storen (55 G, 1.34 ERA) picked up the save Sunday. He has a 43-save season on his resume back in 2011, so it would appear the Nationals are better equipped to deal with a late-season change in the ninth inning than most teams would be.
Silver Slugger of the Week
1B Adam LaRoche (5-for-15, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Stephen Strasburg (1 GS, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
2. Baltimore Orioles (83-59, Previous: 2)
29 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
It was not the best week for the Orioles, as they closed things out by losing a series to the Tampa Bay Rays after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds earlier in the week, but they have been playing well enough overall of late to hold on to the No. 2 spot.
They are now 23-12 since the beginning of August, building their lead in the AL East from 1.5 games to 9.5 games during that span. They currently sit just four games behind the Los Angeles Angels for the best record in baseball.
Nelson Cruz enters the week leading the AL with 39 home runs. He's already eclipsed his previous career high of 33, and his 101 RBI trail Mike Trout by just one for the AL lead.
The Orioles will look to extend their division lead and push closer to clinching this week as they take on the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Nelson Cruz (11-for-27, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 6 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Miguel Gonzalez (1 GS, W, 9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)
1. Los Angeles Angels (87-55, Previous: 1)
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Last Week: 4-2
A four-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins was enough to offset dropping a quick two-game series to the Houston Astros at the beginning of the week. The Angels remain in the No. 1 spot in these rankings with three weeks to play.
It was a rough week for the rotation, as it managed just two quality starts in six games. That can't continue if the Angels hope to succeed in October. Guys such as Matt Shoemaker and Hector Santiago have been good enough in the second half to get the benefit of the doubt for now, though.
They have a makeup game in Cleveland to begin the week before taking on the bottom of the AL West in the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. They'll look to extend their seven-game lead in the division and reduce their magic number.
Silver Slugger of the Week
2B Howie Kendrick (11-for-25, 3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jered Weaver (1 GS, L, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and cover games from Monday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 7. All injury information comes via MLB Depth Charts team pages, per Baseball Prospectus.
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