MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand with 1 Week Remaining
We've reached the final week of the 2014 MLB regular season, and there are still five playoff spots up for grabs.
Only the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers have officially punched their ticket to the postseason to this point, so there will be no shortage of action in the season's final days.
With the season on the line for some, and a chance to play spoiler for others, there was once again plenty of shuffling in this week's rankings.
When putting the following rankings together on a weekly basis, the following 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 with one week remaining. Be sure to check back here every Monday morning for the most recent edition of our MLB power rankings.
30. Arizona Diamondbacks (62-94, Previous: 28)
1 of 30
Last Week: 1-6
With a four-game sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies over the weekend, the Arizona Diamondbacks have dropped to last place in the NL West and are now a half-game worse than the Texas Rangers in the race for the No. 1 overall pick.
Positives have been few and far between for the team this season, but there is no ignoring the way Josh Collmenter has thrown the ball down the stretch. Over his last six starts, the right-hander is 2-2 with a 1.24 ERA and 0.779 WHIP.
The Diamondbacks open the week against the Minnesota Twins on the road before wrapping things up with a three-game series against the playoff-bound St. Louis Cardinals.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Mark Trumbo (7-for-24, 1 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Josh Collmenter (1 GS, L, 8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)
29. Texas Rangers (62-93, Previous: 30)
2 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
The Rangers continue to relish the role of spoiler, as they swept the Athletics in Oakland at the beginning of last week before taking two of three from the Los Angeles Angels for perhaps their best week of the season.
At 8-1 in their last nine games, they are playing by far their best baseball of the season right now, but that's not necessarily a good thing. In the process, they have moved out of position for the No. 1 pick in next June's draft, so the best thing for them at this point might just be a rough final week.
They will have a chance to play spoiler once more, as they finish up the season with a four-game series against the A's at home as Oakland battles to avoid an epic collapse by securing a wild-card spot.
Silver Slugger of the Week
3B Adrian Beltre (9-for-23, 5 2B, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Nick Tepesch (2 GS, W, 13 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K)
28. Colorado Rockies (65-91, Previous: 29)
3 of 30
Last Week: 6-1
Their four-game sweep of the Diamondbacks over the weekend gave the Rockies a three-game lead over Arizona for fourth place in the NL West. Avoiding a third consecutive last-place finish in the division would be a small victory in what has been a trying season.
The biggest positive of last week may have been the quality start turned in by top pitching prospect Eddie Butler, who went six innings and allowed just five hits and one earned run in his second big league start. He gave up 10 hits and six runs in 5.1 innings in his June debut, so last week's outing marked a vast improvement as he looks to prove he deserves a shot at the 2015 rotation.
The team finishes out the season on the road, where it has gone just 20-55 on the year, against the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Silver Slugger of the Week
C Wilin Rosario (14-for-20, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jorge De La Rosa (1 GS, W, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)
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27. Boston Red Sox (68-88, Previous: 24)
4 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
The Pittsburgh Pirates swept Boston to begin last week, but the Red Sox rallied to take two of three from a Baltimore Orioles team looking to catch the Los Angeles Angels for the best record in the American League.
With three home runs and five RBI last week, David Ortiz has quietly pulled to third in the league in homers (35) and fourth in RBI (104). His 35 home runs represent his highest single-season total since 2007, when he also tallied 35.
Big Papi will look to add to those impressive totals as the team welcomes the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees to town for the final week of the season.
Silver Slugger of the Week
DH David Ortiz (4-for-13, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Joe Kelly (1 GS, W, 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K)
26. Minnesota Twins (66-89, Previous: 27)
5 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
At 34-38 against AL Central opponents this season, the Minnesota Twins have made it tough on their division rivals even while they sit in last place, and last week was no different. They took two of three from a Detroit Tigers team battling to secure the division title but dropped two of three to the Cleveland Indians over the weekend.
It does little to erase what has been a disastrous first season with the team, but it was still nice to see Ricky Nolasco toss a gem his last time out, as he allowed just five hits in eight shutout innings against the Tigers on Tuesday. The Twins are on the hook for $37 million with him over the next three years.
After a three-game matchup at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Twins head to Detroit for a four-game tilt to finish out the year. There will be plenty on the line for the Tigers in that one, giving the Twins a prime opportunity to play spoiler once again.
Silver Slugger of the Week
2B Brian Dozier (7-for-22, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Ricky Nolasco (1 GS, 8 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
25. Philadelphia Phillies (71-85, Previous: 20)
6 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
We are now just a week from what will almost certainly be a very busy offseason in Philadelphia. Series losses on the road to the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics made for another poor showing for the team last week.
Journeyman right-hander Jerome Williams made history last week when he picked up the victory in his start against the Oakland A's. With that, he became the first pitcher ever to beat one opponent while pitching for three different teams in the same season. He picked up wins against the Phillies as a member of the Astros and Rangers earlier this year.
The Phillies face the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves this week as they look to avoid their first 90-loss season since 2000, when the team went 65-97. That was also the last time the team finished in last place in the division.
Silver Slugger of the Week
2B Freddy Galvis (7-for-24, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jerome Williams (2 GS, W, L, 14.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K)
24. Houston Astros (69-87, Previous: 23)
7 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Astros have looked like a different team in the second half this season, going 29-31 since the All-Star break and proving to be a consistently tough draw for the trio of AL West teams battling for a playoff spot.
With another big week, Jose Altuve holds an 11-point lead over Victor Martinez in the AL batting title race, and his .345 mark is tops in all of baseball this year. He also leads the league with 54 steals and 220 hits, with that hit total representing a franchise record.
The Astros should have a decent chance at securing a winning record in the second half with series against the Texas Rangers and New York Mets to end the season. If nothing else, this is certainly a franchise trending up heading into 2015.
Silver Slugger of the Week
2B Jose Altuve (14-for-30, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Collin McHugh (2 GS, 2 W, 12.2 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)
23. Chicago Cubs (69-87, Previous: 26)
8 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
Trailing the Cincinnati Reds by just three games, a team they swept in a three-game series last week, the Chicago Cubs actually have an outside shot at finishing fourth in the NL Central if they can finish the year strong.
Ace Jake Arrieta made another run at a no-hitter last week, losing the no-no with one out in the eighth, but he did manage to finish a one-hit shutout that included just one walk and 13 strikeouts. That was good for what ranks statistically as the third-most dominant start of 2014, based on his Game Score of 97 (subscription required).
The Cubs welcome the rival St. Louis Cardinals to town to kick off this coming week. The Cards will be looking to wrap up the NL Central title, so that series carries some weight. They then finish things out with a three-game tilt against the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Chris Coghlan (12-for-26, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jake Arrieta (1 GS, W, 9 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)
22. Miami Marlins (74-81, Previous: 21)
9 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
The Miami Marlins are just 3-7 since losing slugger Giancarlo Stanton for the season. They will need to win out to avoid posting a losing record, but this season still marked a big step forward after a disastrous 100-loss season a year ago.
Despite not playing since Sept. 11, Stanton still leads the NL with 37 home runs, 299 total bases and a .950 OPS. If nothing else, the team's struggles since he went down have only further illustrated just how important he was to the Marlins' success. He remains the biggest competition to Clayton Kershaw for NL MVP honors.
The Marlins close out the season against the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. There is still a chance they can finish as high as second in the NL East standings if they end the year strong.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Reed Johnson (6-for-14, 4 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Henderson Alvarez (1 GS, W, 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
21. Chicago White Sox (71-84, Previous: 22)
10 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
There might not be a team in a better position to play spoiler over the final week of the year than the Chicago White Sox. They finish the year with series against the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, two teams currently separated by just 1.5 games atop the AL Central standings.
They have played the Tigers to an even 8-8 record so far this season, while the Royals have gotten the better of them at 5-10, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
On the individual side of things, ace Chris Sale figures to have one more start to add to his Cy Young resume, though he looks like a distant No. 2 candidate to Felix Hernandez at this point. The big left-hander is currently 12-4 with a 2.20 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 168 innings of work.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Avisail Garcia (9-for-25, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP John Danks (2 GS, W, 12 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 7 BB, 11 K)
20. Cincinnati Reds (72-84, Previous: 18)
11 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
The free fall continued for the Cincinnati Reds last week. The Chicago Cubs swept them before they dropped two of three to the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. That puts the Reds at 6-13 here in September and 13-27 in their last 40 games, as the second half has really been a struggle.
Ace Johnny Cueto was roughed up last time out, allowing six runs in 5.2 innings to raise his ERA from 2.15 to 2.33, but he still looks to be in good shape to finish second to Clayton Kershaw in NL Cy Young voting. His return to form this season after an injury-plagued 2013 has been one of the few positives.
The Reds welcome the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates to town for the season's final week as they look to avoid slipping behind the Cubs and into last place in the NL Central standings.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Jay Bruce (4-for-15, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Alfredo Simon (2 GS, W, 13 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K)
19. Atlanta Braves (76-79, Previous: 16)
12 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
The Atlanta Braves were tied with the Washington Nationals for first place in the NL East at the All-Star break, but they've gone a disastrous 4-14 here in September, dropping them out of the NL wild-card race and sending them spiraling down these rankings.
Those struggles are due in large part to the offense. The Braves have scored an MLB-low 192 runs here in the second half, and they are averaging 2.22 runs per game this month. On the individual level, three more RBI in the final week will give Justin Upton the first 100-RBI season of his career.
The Braves face the Pirates and Phillies in the season's final week, and they could actually fall as far as last in the NL East standings if their struggles continue.
Silver Slugger of the Week
SS Andrelton Simmons (7-for-22, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Alex Wood (1 GS, W, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)
18. Tampa Bay Rays (75-81, Previous: 19)
13 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Tampa Bay Rays took a series from the New York Yankees last week but dropped one to the Chicago White Sox. They are now 31-28 since the All-Star break. This season has certainly not played out how they hoped it would, but the Rays have nonetheless rebounded nicely from a horrible 24-42 start to the season.
Nick Franklin showed last week why the Rays were so set on acquiring him in the David Price deal, going 6-for-13 with three extra-base hits in his first action with the team. It will be interesting to see how the team opens up playing time for him in 2015, as a trade of Ben Zobrist or Yunel Escobar this offseason is a real possibility.
The Rays are finished playing at The Trop here in 2014, as they close out the year on the road against the Red Sox and Indians.
Silver Slugger of the Week
SS Nick Franklin (6-for-13, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Chris Archer (1 GS, W, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K)
17. San Diego Padres (74-81, Previous: 25)
14 of 30
Last Week: 6-1
The San Diego Padres completed a weekend sweep of the San Francisco Giants with an 8-2 win Sunday, outscoring the wild-card co-leader 16-4 in the series. That should give you an idea of what this team is capable of when it is playing up to its potential and why it could be a real sleeper to contend next year.
Opening Day starter Andrew Cashner is now 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 0.923 WHIP in six starts since returning from a shoulder injury that cost him over two months. With Cashner alongside Tyson Ross, Odrisamer Despaigne and Ian Kennedy, the team looks to have a formidable staff for next season.
The Padres have a chance to burn the Giants again this coming week, as they close out the season with a four-game series in San Francisco. They also need just three more wins to improve on the 76-86 record they have posted each of the past two seasons.
Silver Slugger of the Week
SS Alexi Amarista (7-for-23, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Andrew Cashner (2 GS, 2 W, 17 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K)
16. New York Mets (76-80, Previous: 17)
15 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The New York Mets have put together a nice 16-10 stretch here to close out the season, including a three-game sweep of the reeling Atlanta Braves this past weekend.
Jacob deGrom may very well have clinched NL Rookie of the Year honors with two impressive starts last week, including a game against the Miami Marlins where he struck out the first eight batters of the game to tie a major league record. He's now 9-6 with a 2.63 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 140.1 innings over 22 starts.
"I understand what a year Billy [Hamilton]'s had and what a year Kolten Wong has had," manager Terry Collins told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, "but I don't know if theirs is as good as my guy has done."
The Mets close out the year against the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros. DeGrom is in line to make one more start unless he's shut down for the year, having already thrown a career-high 178.2 this season, including his time in the minors.
Silver Slugger of the Week
1B Lucas Duda (8-for-21, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jacob deGrom (2 GS, W, 13 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 23 K)
15. Toronto Blue Jays (78-77, Previous: 12)
16 of 30
Last Week: 1-6
A rough week with series losses to the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees all but eliminated the Toronto Blue Jays from the playoff hunt, as they are now 6.5 games back in the wild-card standings with their elimination number sitting at two.
The big news last week, outside of the on-field struggles, was the declaration that the team intended to extend a qualifying offer to outfielder Melky Cabrera, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. After posting a .682 OPS and minus-0.3 WAR in his first season with the team, Cabrera hit .301 with 54 extra-base hits and an .808 OPS this year.
The Blue Jays face the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles in the season's final week as they look to at least lock down a winning record for the season.
Silver Slugger of the Week
1B Edwin Encarnacion (10-for-28, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP R.A. Dickey (1 GS, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)
14. Milwaukee Brewers (80-76, Previous: 13)
17 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
A month ago, the Brewers held a 1.5-game lead in the NL Central standings, but they have gone just 9-19 since. That has left their postseason hopes hanging by a thread, as they are 4.5 games back for the No. 2 NL wild-card spot entering the week.
The offense is averaging just 2.65 runs per game in September, and the veteran trio of Yovani Gallardo, Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza has not been sharp atop the rotation. All of that has been a recipe for disaster and left the Brewers looking far from postseason-worthy.
They face the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs this week with the season on the line. Their elimination number in the wild-card standings sits at three entering play Monday.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Gerardo Parra (5-for-17, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Yovani Gallardo (1 GS, 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)
13. New York Yankees (80-75, Previous: 15)
18 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
The Yankees still have life at 4.5 games back for the No. 2 AL wild-card spot, but MLB.com Postseason Probabilities paints a good picture of their postseason chances, giving them a 0.2 percent chance to be playing in October.
Masahiro Tanaka took the mound Sunday for the first time since opting for rest/rehab over surgery for a partially torn UCL, and he looked good, throwing 70 pitches and allowing five hits and one run in 5.1 innings of work.
"It's been a while since I've been back out there, but overall I'm pretty satisfied with how I pitched today," Tanaka told reporters after the game. "I felt like I was able to do all the things I wanted to do on the mound."
The Derek Jeter farewell tour wraps up this week, with his final game in Yankee Stadium scheduled for Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles before the Yankees close out the season against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Silver Slugger of the Week
SS Derek Jeter (9-for-23, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Shane Greene (1 GS, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
12. Cleveland Indians (81-74, Previous: 14)
19 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
With series wins against the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins last week, the Cleveland Indians are now just 3.5 games back for the second AL wild-card spot. There is still a long shot of a chance they could sneak into the playoffs with some final-week magic.
Carlos Carrasco continued what has quietly been a brilliant stretch of starts with a two-hit shutout against the Astros on Wednesday. The right-hander is now 5-1 with a 1.17 ERA and 0.759 WHIP in eight starts since rejoining the starting rotation Aug. 10.
The Indians' remaining games are with the Royals and Rays at home as they look to stay hot and hope some things break their way in their efforts to return to the playoffs.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Michael Brantley (13-for-31, 4 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Carlos Carrasco (1 GS, W, 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K)
11. Seattle Mariners (83-72, Previous: 10)
20 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
After splitting a four-game tilt with the Angels, the Mariners dropped a series to the Astros over the weekend, leaving them 1.5 games behind the Royals for the No. 2 AL wild-card spot.
Veteran starters Hisashi Iwakuma (4 GS, 1-3, 9.35 ERA) and Chris Young (4 GS, 0-3, 8.59 ERA) have struggled mightily in September, and without an elite offense, that is a big problem for the Mariners. Meanwhile, AL Cy Young front-runner Felix Hernandez has an 0.96 ERA this month, and he is slated to make two more starts, including the final game of the regular season.
A four-game series with the Blue Jays in Toronto, followed by a three-game tilt with the Angels at home, will determine whether or not the Mariners reach the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
Silver Slugger of the Week
1B Logan Morrison (8-for-21, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Felix Hernandez (1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K)
10. Oakland Athletics (85-70, Previous: 8)
21 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
After getting swept by the cellar-dwelling Texas Rangers to open up last week, the Oakland A's managed to rebound with a series win against the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, leaving them with a half-game lead over the Kansas City Royals for the No. 1 wild-card spot.
This team has seemingly done everything in its power to author a historic collapse this season, limping to a 14-26 record in its last 40 games. The offense has fallen off drastically, and the starting rotation has not been nearly as dominant as expected, yet here the A's are, still in solid position to reach the postseason.
They have a three-game series with the Angels at home to open next week before they look to take some revenge against the Rangers with a four-game series in Arlington. The A's have fared much better at home (47-31) than on the road (38-39) this year, so locking up that No. 1 wild-card spot will be important.
Silver Slugger of the Week
3B Josh Donaldson (7-for-25, 3 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jeff Samardzija (1 GS, 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K)
9. Kansas City Royals (84-70, Previous: 11)
22 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
Considering the way the Tigers have dominated them head-to-head this season, especially in Kansas City, avoiding a sweep with a win Sunday was big for the Royals. That leaves them 1.5 games back in the AL Central standings and 1.5 games up for the second wild card.
With the offense still averaging just 3.37 runs per game this month, this will continue to be a team that leans heavily on the strength of its pitching staff, as it ranks eighth in MLB with a 3.21 ERA here in September.
It's an exciting time to be a Royals fan as they look to reach the postseason for the first time since 1985, with series on the road against the Indians and White Sox this coming week.
"I want 'em caught up in the moment," manager Ned Yost told Richard Justice of MLB.com. "You gotta be caught up in the moment. This is great fun."
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Nori Aoki (14-for-22, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Yordano Ventura (1 GS, W, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
8. San Francisco Giants (84-71, Previous: 6)
23 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
A sweep at the hands of the Padres this past weekend leaves the Giants 4.5 games back in the NL West standings, so they'll need to sweep the Dodgers this week if they are going to have a chance at winning the division.
Meanwhile, the red-hot Pirates have pulled into a tie with the Giants atop the NL wild-card standings, so at the very least, they will be looking to lock down home field in the Wild Card Game.
Jake Peavy is now 6-4 with a 2.16 ERA in 10 starts since joining the Giants, and he takes the ball for Game 1 of the Dodgers series, followed by Madison Bumgarner and Tim Hudson. From there, the Giants have a four-game series with the Padres at home to close out the season, and those games could prove to be even more important, depending on what the Pirates do.
Silver Slugger of the Week
SS Brandon Crawford (9-for-21, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Jake Peavy (1 GS, W, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
7. Pittsburgh Pirates (84-71, Previous: 9)
24 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
The Pirates are now 13-6 with an NL-best plus-37 run differential in September. Dating back to mid-August, they are on an impressive 20-9 hot streak that has seen them pull into a tie atop the NL wild-card standings with the Giants.
Francisco Liriano has gone 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his last five starts, and it looks like there is a good chance he'll be taking the ball in the Wild Card Game for the second straight season. He picked up the win last year, allowing four hits and one run in seven innings against the Cincinnati Reds.
Securing home field for the Wild Card Game will be important, as the Pirates have one of the best home record in baseball (51-30) but are actually well below .500 on the road (33-41). That may be tough, considering they finish the season on the road with series against the Braves and Reds.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Starling Marte (8-for-23, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Vance Worley (1 GS, W, 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
6. Detroit Tigers (86-69, Previous: 5)
25 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Tigers were unable to complete a sweep of the Royals on Sunday, but they did improve to 13-6 against them head-to-head this year with their series win. They hold a 1.5-game lead in the AL Central standings in their pursuit of a fourth consecutive division title.
A big week at the plate from Torii Hunter was a nice bonus, as the trio of Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez continues to rake. Given the shaky performance of the Tigers rotation lately and the questionable bullpen situation, the more offense the better.
On paper, their matchup this week looks good, as they take on the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins at home, but they have actually gone a combined 15-16 against those two teams on the year. Fair to say there's more on the line this time around than any other time they've matched up this year, though.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Torii Hunter (11-for-27, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Justin Verlander (1 GS, W, 7.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
5. St. Louis Cardinals (87-69, Previous: 7)
26 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The Cardinals officially clinched a playoff spot last week, but they still have some work to do to lock up the NL Central crown, as they lead the Pirates by just 2.5 games entering the final week of the season.
There is still some question as to how the rotation will shape up come October, but it's fair to say Adam Wainwright has returned to ace form, as he's gone 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA and a pair of complete games in his last three starts.
The Cardinals close out the season on the road with series against the Cubs and Diamondbacks. Aside from trying to secure the NL Central title, they are also two games behind the Dodgers for home-field advantage in the NLDS.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Randall Grichuk (4-for-12, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Adam Wainwright (1 GS, W, 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (89-67, Previous: 4)
27 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
In a down week for the starting rotation, the Dodgers offense exploded for 54 runs in seven games last week. The team rebounded from a series loss to the Colorado Rockies to take three of four from the Chicago Cubs.
Among the offensive stars was outfielder Yasiel Puig, who snapped a 147-at-bat home run drought Tuesday. Getting him going heading into the playoffs after a lengthy slump would be huge, and finally getting some consistent production from the offense as a whole should give the team a big boost.
The Dodgers already clinched a playoff spot, but they are still looking to nail down the NL West title, as their lead over the Giants sits at 4.5 games. Those two teams open the week with a three-game series against each other, with the Dodgers closing out their schedule against the Rockies at home.
Silver Slugger of the Week
RF Yasiel Puig (13-for-31, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Clayton Kershaw (1 GS, W, 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K)
3. Washington Nationals (91-64, Previous: 3)
28 of 30
Last Week: 6-1
The Nationals have taken full advantage of their NL East counterparts this season, posting a 40-29 in-division record on the year. They added to that with series wins against the Braves and Marlins last week.
They remain the most complete team in the National League heading into the final week, led by a rotation that is as good as any in baseball and an offense that trails only the Dodgers among NL teams with 271 runs scored in the second half.
Stephen Strasburg has picked his game up of late, going 3-1 with a 1.34 ERA in his last five starts. Jordan Zimmermann may still be the best pitcher on this team, though, as he's working on a streak of 11 straight quality starts in which he's gone 7-0 with a 2.11 ERA.
The Nats have a 2.5-game lead over the Dodgers for the best record in the NL, and they'll look to lock down home field with series at home against the Mets and Marlins to finish up the regular season.
Silver Slugger of the Week
SS Ian Desmond (6-for-19, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Stephen Strasburg (2 GS, 2 W, 14 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K)
2. Baltimore Orioles (93-62, Previous: 2)
29 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The Orioles are an impressive 41-20 since the All-Star break, including 14-6 in September, as they have been the class of the AL East and run away with their first division title since 1997.
Alejandro De Aza has quietly been a spectacular pickup, hitting .328/.388/.590 with nine extra-base hits in 61 at-bats since coming over from the White Sox on Aug. 30. He now finds himself hitting in the leadoff spot, with Nick Markakis day-to-day with a shoulder injury.
The Orioles are currently 2.5 games behind the Angels for the best record in the AL. They'll look to overtake them and secure home-field advantage with series against the Yankees and Blue Jays on the road this week.
Silver Slugger of the Week
LF Alejandro De Aza (6-for-20, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 4 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP Chris Tillman (1 GS, W, 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
1. Los Angeles Angels (96-60, Previous: 1)
30 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Angels split a series with the Mariners before dropping two of three to the Rangers over the weekend. But with the division already locked up and a 2.5-game lead for the best record in the AL, there was really no harm done by their first losing week in a long time.
Wade LeBlanc stepped into the rotation for the injured Matt Shoemaker last week and threw 5.1 scoreless innings. That said, the team needs Shoemaker back healthy from the oblique injury he's dealing with and ready to go once October rolls around.
"As much as I want to come back and pitch, we're being smart about it," Shoemaker told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "We're not going to rush it to where I aggravate it. Then it will be worse."
The Angels have their plate full with road series against the Athletics and Mariners this coming week. Both of those teams will be coming with everything they've got in an effort to squeeze out a wild-card berth.
Silver Slugger of the Week
1B Albert Pujols (6-for-19, 1 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 R)
Top Pitcher of the Week
SP C.J. Wilson (1 GS, W, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and cover games from Monday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 21. All injury information comes via MLB Depth Charts team pages, per Roster Resource.
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