MLB Power Rankings: A Pre-Postseason Look at Where All 10 Teams Stand

With the 2014 MLB regular season officially wrapped up and the 10-team playoff field now set, this week's power rankings will be trimmed to just those 10 teams. The playoffs are set to begin with the Wild Card Round games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Looking at last week's performance is not necessarily the best indicator of which direction each of these teams is headed, as some of them clinched prior to last week and were resting guys and setting up their playoff rotation, while others were battling just to make it in.

As a result, the criteria for this week's rankings will be a bit different. The following factors were taken into account this time around.

• Outlook for success in October

• Performance over the final month of the season

• Key injuries heading into October

Along with a postseason outlook, a Silver Slugger, Cy Young recipient and Rookie of the Year also appear for each of the 10 teams featured here.

So here is a pre-postseason look at where this year's 10 playoff-bound teams stand, as we get set for what should be another exciting October.

10. Oakland Athletics (88-74, Previous: 10)

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

September Record: 10-16

Postseason Outlook

The only playoff team with a losing record over the final month of the season, the Oakland Athletics needed a win on the final day to officially clinch after looking like the best team in baseball by a wide margin for much of the year.

Jon Lester will take the ball in the AL Wild Card Round game on Tuesday night, squaring off against James Shields and the Kansas City Royals. The left-hander was 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA in three starts against the Royals this season and is 2-3 with a 3.10 ERA in five career starts at Kauffman Stadium.

If the Athletics can advance from there, it will be a date with the division-rival Los Angeles Angels in the NLDS, with the Halos winning the season series, 10-9.

Getting the offense going will be the key for the A's, as outside of Josh Reddick there is really no one with any sort of offensive momentum heading into October. They have the pitching to make some noise, but those guys can't do it alone.

Team Silver Slugger

3B Josh Donaldson (158 G, .255/.342/.456, 31 2B, 29 HR, 98 RBI, 93 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Sonny Gray (33 GS, 14-10, 3.08 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 183 K, 219.0 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

OF Billy Burns (1-for-6, 4 R, 3 SB)

9. San Francisco Giants (88-74, Previous: 8)

Leon Halip/Getty Images

September Record: 13-12

Postseason Outlook

It was an up-and-down season for the San Francisco Giants to say the least, and they closed out the year 6-9, but it's a whole new ballgame now that the postseason has arrived.

Madison Bumgarner gets ball in the Wild Card Round game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after going 18-10 with a 2.98 ERA during the regular season. The left-hander was touched up for six hits and five runs in four innings during his only start against the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, and he has just one career start at PNC Park.

A stacked Washington Nationals team awaits the winner of that one-game playoff, with the Giants dropping their series against them, 5-2.

The Giants offense will be without Angel Pagan for the entire postseason, while Michael Morse is also limited, so they will need guys such as Buster Posey and Hunter Pence to continue producing. Meanwhile, the rotation behind Bumgarner and deadline-pickup Jake Peavy is far from a sure thing, with Ryan Vogelsong and Tim Hudson both struggling with consistency in the second half.

Team Silver Slugger

C Buster Posey (147 G, .311/.364/.490, 28 2B, 22 HR, 89 RBI, 72 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Madison Bumgarner (33 GS, 18-10, 2.98 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 219 K, 217.1 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

2B Joe Panik (73 G, .305/.343/.368, 10 2B, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 31 R)

8. Kansas City Royals (89-73, Previous: 9)

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

September Record: 15-11

Postseason Outlook

With a win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night, the Kansas City Royals clinched their first postseason berth since they won it all back in 1985, and they will meet the Oakland Athletics in the Wild Card Round.

Workhorse James Shields gets the ball with the season on the line, and he was 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in two starts against the A's this season. He had a 2.14 ERA and .199 opponents batting average over his final six starts of the regular season.

As for a potential ALDS matchup with the AL-best Los Angeles Angels, the Royals split their season series with them 3-3, with both teams winning their homestand.

A dominant bullpen and solid starting pitching makes the Royals a tough matchup in October, but their offense looks like the worst of the 10 teams still standing, and their ability to push across runs will likely be the deciding factor in how long their postseason trip lasts.

Team Silver Slugger

LF Alex Gordon (156 G, .266/.351/.432, 34 2B, 19 HR, 74 RBI, 87 R)

Team Cy Young

RP Greg Holland (65 G, 1-3, 46-of-48 SV, 1.44 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 90 K, 62.1 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

SP Yordano Ventura (30 GS, 14-10, 3.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 159 K, 183.0 IP)

7. Pittsburgh Pirates (88-74, Previous: 7)

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

September Record: 17-9

Postseason Outlook

The Pirates won six straight series in September before dropping two of three to the Cincinnati Reds to close out the season, as they finished two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.

They will host the San Francisco Giants in the Wild Card Round, and that's significant after they went 51-30 at PNC Park compared to just 37-44 on the road.

Edinson Volquez gets the ball in the elimination game, and while he didn't face the Giants during the regular season, he did finish the year strong with a 1.08 ERA in five September starts, so it looks like a good matchup for the Pirates.

Finding consistent offense outside of the Big Three of Andrew McCutchen, Josh Harrison and Neil Walker and winning on the road look like the biggest question marks for the Pirates here in October. The Nationals are an awfully tough draw if the Pirates do advance to the NLDS, as they were swept in Washington back in mid-August.

Team Silver Slugger

CF Andrew McCutchen (146 G, .314/.410/.542, 38 2B, 25 HR, 83 RBI, 89 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Francisco Liriano (29 GS, 7-10, 3.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 175 K, 162.1 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

RF Gregory Polanco (89 G, .235/.307/.343, 9 2B, 7 HR, 33 RBI, 50 R)

6. Detroit Tigers (90-72, Previous: 6)

USA TODAY Sports

September Record: 16-10

Postseason Outlook

It took until the final day of the regular season, but the Detroit Tigers managed to clinch their fourth straight AL Central division title.

The Tigers will meet the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS as they look to reach the ALCS for the fourth consecutive time as well. Detroit had Baltimore's number during the regular season, taking five of six games.

Starting pitching is the clear strength of this Tigers team, as it will trot out a postseason rotation of Max Scherzer, David Price, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello. With Verlander picking his game up down the stretch, that looks to be as good as any foursome in the AL.

The question mark is the bullpen, as it has been all year, with the team ranking 27th in the MLB with a reliever's ERA and converting just 41 of 57 save chances. They have the horses atop the rotation and the punch in the middle of the lineup to make a legitimate run at the AL pennant; they just can't afford to give away games late.

Team Silver Slugger

DH Victor Martinez (151 G, .335/.409/.565, 33 2B, 32 HR, 103 RBI, 87 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Max Scherzer (33 GS, 18-5, 3.15 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 252 K, 220.1 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

3B Nick Castellanos (148 G, .259/.306/.394, 31 2B, 11 HR, 66 RBI, 50 R)

5. St. Louis Cardinals (90-72, Previous: 5)

Brian Kersey/Getty Images

September Record: 17-9

Postseason Outlook

After trailing the Milwaukee Brewers for most of the season and falling well short of expectations, the St. Louis Cardinals once again turned things on when it mattered most, claiming the NL Central title and reaching the postseason for the 11th time in the last 15 years.

They will meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, a rematch of last season's six-game thriller in the NLCS, but it's the Dodgers who may hold the upper hand this time around, with Clayton Kershaw pitching out of his mind in the second half.

Adam Wainwright gives the Cardinals a legitimate ace of their own, and Lance Lynn is enjoying the best season of his career, but behind them, the staff is a question mark. John Lackey has the track record but has been inconsistent since joining the Cardinals, while Shelby Miller's next playoff start will be his first.

On top of that, the bullpen has not been nearly as reliable this season, and the offense has struggled to consistently score runs all year. All that said, you can never count the Cardinals out in October, as they have proven time and again that they simply know how to win.

Team Silver Slugger

LF Matt Holliday (156 G, .272/.370/.441, 37 2B, 20 HR, 90 RBI, 83 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Adam Wainwright (32 GS, 20-9, 2.38 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 179 K, 227.0 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

2B Kolten Wong (113 G, .249/.292/.388, 14 2B, 12 HR, 42 RBI, 52 R)

4. Baltimore Orioles (96-66, Previous: 2)

Rob Carr/Getty Images

September Record: 17-10

Postseason Outlook

After running away with the AL East to claim their first division title since 1997, the Baltimore Orioles have set themselves up for an ALDS matchup with the Detroit Tigers, a team that took five of six from them during the regular season.

A lack of front-line starting pitching has been pointed to as a weakness for the Orioles for the past few seasons, but that's a tired argument at this point. Chris Tillman (13-6, 3.34 ERA) and Wei-Yin Chen (16-6, 3.54 ERA) both had great seasons, and Miguel Gonzalez was one of the best pitchers in the AL in the second half with a 2.19 ERA in 11 starts.

A lack of experience is the biggest issue with those guys, not a lack of talent, and if they prove they can handle the big stage, this team could be awfully dangerous.

The offense led all of baseball with 211 home runs, and the bullpen was one of the best around in the second half behind the trio of Zach Britton, Darren O'Day and Andrew Miller.

Team Silver Slugger

DH Nelson Cruz (159 G, .271/.333/.525, 32 2B, 40 HR, 108 RBI, 87 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Chris Tillman (34 GS, 13-6, 3.34 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 150 K, 207.1 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

SP Kevin Gausman (20 GS, 7-7, 3.57 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 88 K, 113.1 IP)

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (94-68, Previous: 4)

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

September Record: 17-8

Postseason Outlook

The Los Angeles Dodgers struggled to live up to the lofty expectations set for them for much of the season, but they still managed to win the NL West title, and they finally seemed to be hitting their stride over the past few weeks.

The offense in particular woke up late in the season, averaging an MLB-best 6.24 runs per game in September. Adrian Gonzalez won the NL RBI title with 116, Yasiel Puig finally snapped out of a lengthy second-half slump and a resurgent Matt Kemp hit .309/.365/.606 in the second half while launching an NL-best 17 home runs.

Then there's the pitching staff, fronted by perhaps the best one-two punch in all of baseball in Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Good as those two are, they can't start every game, and with Hyun-Jin Ryu battling shoulder problems and Dan Haren having an up-and-down year, there are some questions.

Outside of the health of Ryu, the bullpen is probably the biggest question mark, but this team still looks to be in a good position to avenge last year's NLCS loss with a rematch against the St. Louis Cardinals in this year's NLDS.

Team Silver Slugger

1B Adrian Gonzalez (159 G, .276/.335/.482, 41 2B, 27 HR, 116 RBI, 83 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Clayton Kershaw (27 GS, 21-3, 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 239 K, 198.1 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

RP Pedro Baez (20 G, 0-0, 5 HLD, 2.63 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 18 K, 24.0 IP)

2. Los Angeles Angels (98-64, Previous: 1)

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

September Record: 15-11

Postseason Outlook

It's probably best not to put too much stock in the Los Angeles Angels finishing the season at 3-7 in their last 10 games, considering they clinched a playoff spot weeks ago and were resting their regulars for much of that stretch.

They will have the league's top offense at their disposal in October, after averaging 4.77 runs per game on the year. Mike Trout should finally claim AL MVP honors after leading the AL in RBI and runs scored, but it's the contributions of guys such as Kole Calhoun, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick who have really made a difference.

The starting rotation is the big question here, as it will have veterans Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson on the mound for the first two games of their ALDS matchup with the Wild Card Round winner, but it's cloudy from there.

The health of rookie Matt Shoemaker is probably the single biggest X-factor in the Angels postseason run. If he's healthy, he gives the team a second front-line starter alongside Weaver. If he's not, it will be a struggling Hector Santiago and rookie Cory Rasmus filling out the rotation in October.

Team Silver Slugger

CF Mike Trout (157 G, .287/.377/.561, 39 2B, 36 HR, 111 RBI, 115 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Garrett Richards (26 GS, 13-4, 2.61 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 164 K, 168.2 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

SP Matt Shoemaker (27 G, 20 GS, 16-4, 3.04 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 124 K, 136.0 IP)

1. Washington Nationals (96-66, Previous: 3)

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

September Record: 19-8

Postseason Outlook

The Washington Nationals finished the season in dominant fashion, and heading into the playoffs, they look like the most complete team in baseball from top to bottom.

"The more I see of the Nats, the more I believe they are the best team in baseball. Very hard to find a flaw with them," tweeted Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.

Their rotation features a trio of aces in Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister, who combined to go 11-2 with a 1.44 ERA over their final five starts. The No. 4 starter spot is a choice between veteran Gio Gonzalez (10-10, 3.57 ERA) and a guy named Tanner Roark (15-10, 2.85 ERA) who finished the season ranked 12th in the NL in ERA and tied for seventh in WHIP.

The bullpen had to deal with the implosion of closer Rafael Soriano and did so in stride with former closer Drew Storen stepping in and continuing his dominant season. Throw in Tyler Clippard and Matt Thornton, the latter of which has yet to allow an earned run since coming over in a waiver deal, and the bullpen is a weapon as well.

Finally there's the offense, which may be the best in the NL at 1-8 after shoring up second base with the acquisition of Asdrubal Cabrera. There's no clear-cut MVP candidate in the bunch, just a collection of productive hitters who have been consistent all year.

The Nationals have teased us before with their potential, posting the best record in the NL with 98 wins back in 2012, but they look like the team to beat with the 2014 postseason set to kick off.

Team Silver Slugger

3B Anthony Rendon (153 G, .287/.351/.473, 39 2B, 21 HR, 83 RBI, 111 R)

Team Cy Young

SP Jordan Zimmermann (32 GS, 14-5, 2.66 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 182 K, 199.2 IP)

Team Rookie of the Year

RP Aaron Barrett (50 G, 3-0, 8 HLD, 2.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 49 K, 40.2 IP)

Unless otherwise noted, all individual and team stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and accurate through the end of the 2014 regular season. 

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