.jpg?w=2560 "MLB Power Rankings")
MLB Power Rankings as Blue Jays Soar Into Wild Card Mix While Mariners, Orioles Nosedive
The field of viable MLB playoff teams is starting to narrow, and with three full weeks of regular-season baseball remaining, it's make-or-break time for teams on the postseason bubble.
The Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners were both dealt a major blow last week, while the Toronto Blue Jays are on the come-up and back in the wild-card race.
More shuffling on the fringe awaits in the coming weeks, but teams not currently on the right side of the cut line are running out of time to make their move.
For now, an updated look at the MLB landscape awaits with our weekly power rankings.
In case you missed it, B/R's MLB Power Rankings from last week and all of the power rankings throughout the season can be found at the new MLB Power Rankings hub.
Nos. 30-23: Is It 2027 Yet?
1 of 10
30. Los Angeles Angels (54-89)
29. Colorado Rockies (55-88)
28. San Francisco Giants (59-85)
27. Athletics (57-87)
26. Kansas City Royals (64-80)
25. Detroit Tigers (65-78)
24. Washington Nationals (67-78)
23. New York Mets (65-78)
Notes
-After a 2-5 week on the road against the Twins and Guardians, the Tigers' slide to the bottom group is complete. They had a brief surge immediately after their trade deadline sell-off, but have since dropped seven straight series with a 5-17 record during that stretch.
-The Athletics taking three of four from the Mariners over the weekend could prove to be the final crushing blow to Seattle's playoff hopes. Despite their ugly overall record, the A's have a 23-20 mark against the rest of the AL West.
-Giants slugger Rafael Devers went 10-for-28 with six home runs and 13 RBI in seven games last week, and he is quietly putting together an excellent first full season in San Francisco. The 29-year-old has an .855 OPS with 35 home runs and 91 RBI, leaving him four long balls short of a new career high.
Nos. 22-19: Still Alive...Technically
2 of 10
22. Cincinnati Reds (69-74)
21. Minnesota Twins (68-75)
20. Seattle Mariners (67-77)
19. Baltimore Orioles (69-75)
Notes
-The Orioles and Mariners both went from squarely on the playoff bubble to fighting for their postseason lives in the span of a week. The O's went 1-6 against the Rockies and Red Sox, while the M's dropped three straight to the Athletics before avoiding a sweep on Sunday.
-The playoffs may be out of reach, but the Twins at least appear to have found a long-term building block in shortstop Kaelen Culpepper. The 23-year-old is hitting .300/.354/.456 with five doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in 25 games since making his MLB debut on Aug. 7.
-The Reds are still trapped in the NL Central cellar, but series wins over the Padres and Brewers last week were enough for them to climb out of the bottom tier leaguewide. Elly De La Cruz went 10-for-22 last week with two home runs as he puts the finishing touches on a terrific all-around season.
Nos. 18-16: Facing an Uphill Battle
3 of 10
18. Miami Marlins (72-72)
17. St. Louis Cardinals (72-72)
16. Pittsburgh Pirates (71-73)
Notes
-The Marlins dropped below the .500 mark for the first time since Aug. 7 with their loss to the Cubs on Saturday, and while they rebounded with a win on Sunday, they are running out of time to make a legitimate playoff push. The second-toughest remaining schedule does not help their outlook.
-With four consecutive series victories, the Pirates have clawed their way back to the fringe of relevance. Can they survive a road trip to Chicago to face a pair of contending clubs? If they do, their reward is a three-game home series against the Brewers.
-Since the Cardinals recalled him from the minors on Aug. 29, Thomas Saggese is 13-for-24 with three doubles, three home runs and eight RBI in eight games while filling in for the injured Masyn Winn at shortstop.
Nos. 15-11: Fighting on the Fringe
4 of 10
15. Texas Rangers (71-73)
14. Cleveland Guardians (73-71)
13. Toronto Blue Jays (72-72)
12. Houston Astros (73-71)
11. Chicago White Sox (75-68)
Notes
-With the Astros and Rangers both posting a 4-3 record last week, Houston maintained its two-game lead in the AL West standings. The two clubs are finished playing head-to-head, and the difference in remaining schedule difficulty is negligible, so the Rangers might need to get hot.
-On the flip side, the Guardians trimmed a game off the White Sox advantage in the AL Central race, and the South Siders are now just 2.5 games up as they try to go worst-to-first in the division standings. The Guardians also hold a one-game lead for the No. 3 wild-card spot.
-The Blue Jays were 52-60 heading into deadline day and opted to sell off some veteran pieces, but they are tied for the AL's best record since then at 20-12. With a .691 OPS that ranks 27th in the majors, they are an entirely different team than the one that reached the World Series a year ago on the strength of their high-powered offense.
Nos. 10-9
5 of 10
10. San Diego Padres (75-68)
Previous Rank: No. 11
Last Week: 1-2 @ CIN, 2-1 vs. NYY
The Padres have not won consecutive games since Aug. 23, and they suffered three straight series losses before taking two of three from the Yankees over the weekend. Michael King tossed six shutout innings in the series clincher on Sunday, and he now has a 2.26 ERA and seven quality starts in 10 games since the All-Star break.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks (76-68)
Previous Rank: No. 10
Last Week: 1-2 vs. PHI, 2-1 @ HOU
Former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes is expected to make his long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery on Tuesday against the Royals, giving the D-backs a huge September X-factor. As they continue to jockey for position with the Padres in the wild-card race, their season-ending matchup in San Diego is shaping up to potentially be huge.
Nos. 8-7
6 of 10
8. Boston Red Sox (79-65)
Previous Rank: No. 8
Last Week: 1-2 vs. SEA, 4-0 @ BAL
The legend of Mickey Gasper added another chapter on Friday when his solo home run was the difference in a 1-0 victory over the Orioles. The veteran journeyman went 12-for-30 with six home runs in August, and he is one of a long list of players making a surprise impact for the Red Sox this year.
7. Philadelphia Phillies (80-63)
Previous Rank: No. 6
Last Week: 2-1 @ ARI, 1-2 vs. ATL
A six-game winning streak had the Phillies within three games of the Braves in the NL East race, but they lost three of four to close out last week, including two head-to-head with Atlanta. They have a five-game cushion in the wild-card standings, but also play the third-toughest remaining schedule, so there is still work to do.
Nos. 6-5
7 of 10
6. New York Yankees (81-62)
Previous Rank: No. 5
Last Week: 2-1 @ LAA, 1-2 @ SD
The biggest story for the Yankees last week was undoubtedly Aaron Judge taking live batting practice with the team on Friday at Petco Park, as he took another step toward returning from a fractured rib that has sidelined him since May 31. Home series against the Rockies and Mets next week provide a golden opportunity to cut into Tampa Bay's four-game division lead.
5. Chicago Cubs (81-63)
Previous Rank: No. 7
Last Week: 2-2 vs. MIL, 2-1 @ MIA
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 40th home run of the season on Sunday, giving the Cubs their first 40-homer slugger since Derrek Lee in 2005. He is now seven steals away from joining the illustrious 40/40 club with 18 games remaining. Zooming out, the Cubs lead the majors in runs scored (768), home runs (201) and OPS (.771).
Nos. 4-3
8 of 10
4. Tampa Bay Rays (85-58)
Previous Rank: No. 4
Last Week: 1-2 vs. NYM, 2-2 @ TEX
With 16 of their final 19 games against teams with a winning record, the Rays still need to get what would be the fifth division title in franchise history across the finish line. Deadline pickup Freddy Peralta has allowed five hits and one earned run in 12 innings over his last two starts, as he is building some nice momentum toward October.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (86-57)
Previous Rank: No. 3
Last Week: 1-2 vs. STL, 3-0 vs. WAS
Despite a bumpy 3-6 stretch prior to sweeping the Nationals over the weekend, the Dodgers still hold baseball's biggest division lead at 10.5 games. Mookie Betts is hitting .333/.404/.595 with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI in his last 10 games, and getting him producing at a high level after a modest season overall would be a boon to their already rosy October outlook.
Nos. 2-1
9 of 10
2. Atlanta Braves (85-58)
Previous Rank: No. 2
Last Week: 0-1 vs. SF, 1-1 @ WAS, 2-1 @ PHI
The Braves have the best record in the NL since the All-Star break at 30-18, and a series victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park helped pad their lead to five games in the NL East standings. It has been a down year overall for Ronald Acuña Jr., but he is getting hot at the perfect time after going 11-for-25 with three home runs last week.
1. Milwaukee Brewers (88-56)
Previous Rank: No. 1
Last Week: 2-2 @ CHC, 1-2 @ CIN
A 3-4 week on the road against a pair of division foes was not enough to keep the Brewers from occupying the No. 1 spot for the fifth straight week. With a 2.13 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and a 59-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 55 innings since the All-Star break, Logan Henderson has made a compelling case to be the No. 2 starter in October.
Complete Rankings
10 of 10
Complete Rankings
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Chicago Cubs
6. New York Yankees
7. Philadelphia Phillies
8. Boston Red Sox
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
10. San Diego Padres
11. Chicago White Sox
12. Houston Astros
13. Toronto Blue Jays
14. Cleveland Guardians
15. Texas Rangers
16. Pittsburgh Pirates
17. St. Louis Cardinals
18. Miami Marlins
19. Baltimore Orioles
20. Seattle Mariners
21. Minnesota Twins
22. Cincinnati Reds
23. New York Mets
24. Washington Nationals
25. Detroit Tigers
26. Kansas City Royals
27. Athletics
28. San Francisco Giants
29. Colorado Rockies
30. Los Angeles Angels
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