MLB Power Rankings: An Updated Look at Where All 30 Teams Stand
The final week of the 2015 MLB season is upon us, and there is still a lot to be decided.
The National League playoff picture is fairly clear, with the Los Angeles Dodgers close to clinching the final spot and the Pittsburgh Pirates pulling ahead of the Chicago Cubs for the right to host the Wild Card Game. The Dodgers will meet the New York Mets, while the St. Louis Cardinals will await the wild-card winner.
Over in the American League, things aren't nearly as clear.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals have both clinched, but with identical records, they are still battling for the best record and No. 1 seed.
The Texas Rangers have taken control of the AL West standings and the New York Yankees are firmly entrenched in the No. 1 wild-card spot, but the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins are still battling it out for the last postseason slot.
All of that should make for an exciting final week, but for now, let's take an updated look at how all 30 teams stack up around the league.
When putting together this list, we considered the following factors:
- Last week's record
- Quality of opponent
- Key injuries/trades
- Recent performance beyond the last week
The goal, as always, is to be as objective as possible. But a certain amount of subjectivity will always come into play with something like this.
Just remember: This is a fluid process. Teams will rise and fall on a weekly basis relative to where they ranked previously. If you keep winning, you keep climbing—it's as simple as that.
30. Philadelphia Phillies (59-97, Previous: 30)
1 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Philadelphia Phillies have not lost 100 games in a season since 1961, but they will need to close out the year with a winning record in the final week against the New York Mets and Miami Marlins here in 2015 if they hope to avoid that mark.
Meanwhile, the team currently holds a three-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for the worst record in baseball and the right to select No. 1 overall in next year's draft.
There have been a number of young standouts since the team began the rebuilding process, and right-hander Jerad Eickhoff is certainly among them. The 25-year-old is 2-3 with a 3.07 ERA and six quality starts in seven games since coming over in the Cole Hamels deal.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Aaron Altherr (7-for-23, 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jerad Eickhoff (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
29. Cincinnati Reds (63-92, Previous: 25)
2 of 30
Last Week: 0-7
The Cincinnati Reds have not finished last in the NL Central since 2008, but they currently trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 2.5 games from the division cellar.
Sweeps at the hands of a pair of contenders in the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets dropped them below the Brewers, and things don't get any easier as they close out the year against the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The team was outscored by a combined 51-16 last week, though Joey Votto managed to up his average to .318 and is now tied for fourth in the NL in that category.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Joey Votto (10-for-24, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- RP Ryan Mattheus (3 G, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)
28. Oakland Athletics (65-91, Previous: 27)
3 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
The Oakland Athletics have already clinched last place in the AL West, capping off what has been a significant fall for a team that legitimately looked like the best team in baseball for much of 2014.
It will be an interesting offseason ahead for general manager Billy Beane, as the team really doesn't have much in the way of tradeable assets, yet he always finds a way to be busy in the winter months.
The unexpected performance of guys like Billy Burns, Mark Canha, Danny Valencia and others on the offensive side of things have really been a testament to the organization's ability to find cheap production.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Billy Burns (8-for-26, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Sonny Gray (W, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
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27. Atlanta Braves (62-94, Previous: 28)
4 of 30
Last Week: 2-4
After taking two of three from the New York Mets and helping prolong their clinching of the NL East title, the Atlanta Braves were swept by the Marlins in Miami over the weekend.
With a solid performance last week (6-for-17, 2 2B, 1 HR), deadline pickup Hector Olivera is now hitting .264/.316/.417 with three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI in 72 at-bats—a solid showing from a player expected to step into a significant role for the offense next year.
They close out the year at home against the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals and look to avoid their worst record since 1990, when they went 65-97.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Freddie Freeman (5-for-18, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Matt Wisler (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)
26. Milwaukee Brewers (66-90, Previous: 29)
5 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Milwaukee Brewers managed to split a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals after dropping two of three to the Chicago Cubs, and they are now 31-42 against NL Central opponents on the year.
Ryan Braun has been shut down for the remainder of the season and appears to he headed for offseason back surgery, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Despite an injury-plagued season, Braun managed a decent number with an .854 OPS, 27 doubles, 25 home runs and 84 RBI.
It will be interesting to see how the team's starters fare over the final week, as every outing is an audition for what figures to be a crowded rotation battle next spring with as many as eight guys potentially in the running as things currently stand.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Jason Rogers (5-for-8, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Zach Davies (W, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
25. Colorado Rockies (66-90, Previous: 26)
6 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Colorado Rockies were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates at home to begin the week before returning the favor to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. The Rockies wrapped up their home schedule at 36-45.
Breakout star Nolan Arenado enters the week tied with Bryce Harper for the NL home run lead with 41 on the year, so that battle could come down to the final game of the season. He already has the RBI title locked up with 126, giving him 21 more than Paul Goldschmidt in second place.
With six more RBI, Carlos Gonzalez would also reach 100 on the year, which would give the Rockies their first 100-RBI teammates since 2007, when Matt Holliday (137), Brad Hawpe (116) and Garrett Atkins (111) all reached the mark.
Hitter of the Week
- LF Corey Dickerson (13-for-27, 5 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP David Hale (W, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
24. Chicago White Sox (73-83, Previous: 23)
7 of 30
Last Week: 3-5
The Chicago White Sox will wrap up what has been a disappointing 2015 season at home against the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.
They currently lead the Tigers by a half-game in the standings, so they'll need a solid performance over the final week to avoid finishing in the AL Central cellar for the second time in three years.
Jeff Samardzija continued his up-and-down season with a brilliant start his last time out, as he needed just 88 pitches to twirl a one-hit shutout against the Tigers last Monday. His upcoming free agency will be an interesting case, as he still has front-line stuff but has been more bad than good this year with a 5.04 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
Hitter of the Week
- LF Melky Cabrera (8-for-28, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jeff Samardzija (W, 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
23. Miami Marlins (69-87, Previous: 24)
8 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
At 17-8 in their last 25 games, the Miami Marlins are finishing the year strong, and with four of their five current starting pitchers 25 years old or younger, that's a positive sign for the future if nothing else.
The team will have an interesting decision to make with right-hander Henderson Alvarez this winter. After going 12-7 with a 2.65 ERA in 30 starts last year, he's 0-4 with a 6.45 ERA in just four starts this season. He could earn as much as $4 million in arbitration, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but the team is leaning toward tendering him at this point.
That won't be the only big decision to be made this offseason, though, as the team continues in their efforts to build a contender around Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Miguel Rojas (7-for-19, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Justin Nicolino (W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K)
22. Seattle Mariners (74-82, Previous: 16)
9 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
As the Seattle Mariners limp home on what has been a terribly disappointing season, they are in line to finish 10 games worse than they did a year ago if they go 3-3 over the final week.
Nelson Cruz enters the week tied with Chris Davis for the AL home run crown with 43 long balls, while his .306 average is good for sixth in the league. Cruz has been one of the few bright spots on the team.
Hisashi Iwakuma has gone 8-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 14 second-half starts ahead of hitting free agency this coming offseason. It appears re-signing the 34-year-old will be among their top offseason priorities, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Mark Trumbo (5-for-14, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Hisashi Iwakuma (W, L, 14.1 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)
21. Detroit Tigers (72-83, Previous: 21)
10 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
With their loss on Saturday, the Detroit Tigers clinched their first losing season since 2008, and with so much money tied up in a handful of veterans, it will be interesting to see how they approach the upcoming offseason.
New GM Al Avila made his first big decision over the weekend when he announced manager Brad Ausmus would be back for the 2016 season, according to Katie Strang of ESPN.
"I'm happy to be back for sure," Ausmus told reporters. "It's been a disappointing season like Al said, but the core group that is here afford the opportunity for a quick turnaround."
The veteran group of Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Victor Martinez, Anibal Sanchez and Ian Kinsler will make a combined $104.8 million next season. That's more than the current payroll of seven MLB teams, according to Spotrac.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Rajai Davis (10-for-24, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Derek Norris (ND, 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
20. San Diego Padres (73-83, Previous: 22)
11 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The San Diego Padres managed to take a series from the San Francisco Giants last week before dropping two of three to the Arizona Diamondbacks, moving them to 35-38 against NL West opponents.
After getting shelled (3.0 IP, 9 H, 7 ER) by the Colorado Rockies in his first start of the season on Sept. 19, left-hander Robbie Erlin bounced back nicely with seven shutout innings of two-hit ball against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
If the team decides to shop one or more of its starters this offseason or simply doesn't add a replacement for free agent Ian Kennedy, the 24-year-old Erlin could wind up with a rotation spot in 2016.
Hitter of the Week
- C Derek Norris (7-for-17, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Robbie Erlin (W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
19. Tampa Bay Rays (75-81, Previous: 20)
12 of 30
Last Week: 3-4
The Tampa Bay Rays hung around on the fringe of contention longer than most expected them to, but a 10-15 record in September has left them a half-game behind the Boston Red Sox in last place in the AL East standings.
They close out the year at home against a Toronto Blue Jays team that could be looking to wrap up their first AL East title since 1992, so they could certainly find themselves in a position to play the role of spoiler.
A healthy Drew Smyly has been one of the few positives of a rough month, as he's gone 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in five starts and again looks like a potential front-line arm alongside Chris Archer if he can avoid injury going forward.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Kevin Kiermaier (7-for-18, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Drew Smyly (W, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
18. Arizona Diamondbacks (75-81, Previous: 19)
13 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
The Arizona Diamondbacks have already made an 11-win improvement over last season, and if they can win out they would have their third 81-81 season in the past four years.
Don't let that potential repeat of their 2012 and 2013 records fool you, though. This is a team on the rise, and if it can find a front-line starter and a reliable closer, it has the core in place to make some serious noise in the NL West in the not-too-distant future.
Paul Goldschmidt won't win NL MVP, but he's having another MVP-caliber season with a .316/.431/.558 line that includes 36 doubles, 31 home runs and 105 RBI along with 114 walks and 21 stolen bases.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Paul Goldschmidt (8-for-24, 1 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Robbie Ray (W, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
17. Baltimore Orioles (76-79, Previous: 17)
14 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Baltimore Orioles pulled back to .500 with a sweep of the Washington Nationals to begin last week, but they were then swept by the Boston Red Sox and in the process had their elimination number cut to just two.
It will be a busy offseason with Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, Wei-Yin Chen, Darren O'Day and Steve Pearce all headed for free agency, and it's unlikely the team will be able to retain all of those players.
On a bigger level, they will need to find a way to improve their starting pitching if they are going to have a chance to climb back into contention. This is generally not a team that spends big in free agency, and after missing on Ubaldo Jimenez, they could be even more hesitant to make a run at any pricey starters.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Manny Machado (5-for-21, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Ubaldo Jimenez (W, L, 13.0 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 11 K)
16. Boston Red Sox (75-80, Previous: 18)
15 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
Since hiring Dave Dombrowski as new president of baseball operations back on Aug. 19, the Boston Red Sox have gone 20-14 and climbed out of the AL East cellar.
This remains a lost season, as their elimination number stands at one, but it's still a promising sign for the organization going forward with a number of young players proving they are capable of stepping into larger roles.
Clay Buchholz threw a bullpen session on Sunday as he works his way back from an elbow issue, and proving he's healthy before the season is over could help the Red Sox with their decision on whether or not to exercise his $13 million option for next year.
Tip of the cap to 35-year-old Rich Hill, who was pitching in the independent league earlier this year but has made an impressive comeback. He's now 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts, including a brilliant two-hit, 10-strikeout complete-game shutout on Friday that was his first shutout since 2006.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Xander Bogaerts (10-for-28, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Rich Hill (W, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
15. Washington Nationals (79-76, Previous: 11)
16 of 30
Last Week: 1-5
The Washington Nationals were finally officially eliminated from the postseason when the New York Mets clinched the NL East title Saturday, and they capped things off by dropping a series to the Philadelphia Phillies with a loss on Sunday.
Change is coming for this team, with Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Denard Span and Doug Fister all set to hit free agency and manager Matt Williams very much on the hot seat, and rightfully so after this team fell so far short of expectations.
If there's been one positive takeaway from their play of late, it's a healthy Stephen Strasburg, as he is now 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 30.1 innings over four September starts.
Hitter of the Week
- SS Ian Desmond (8-for-23, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Stephen Strasburg (ND, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)
14. Cleveland Indians (77-77, Previous: 13)
17 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Cleveland Indians continue to fight for that second AL wild-card spot, and with eight games left to play, they are just three games behind the Houston Astros in the loss column entering the final week of the season.
That being said, an awful lot will have to break right for them to slide into the postseason picture, as they have two other teams to pass, the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels, on top of chasing the Astros.
While they fell short of expectations this year, all of the important pieces should be back in 2016, and they will have some extra money to spend as well after dumping the contracts of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in their August trade with the Atlanta Braves.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Jose Ramirez (8-for-22, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Carlos Carrasco (W, 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 15 K)
13. San Francisco Giants (81-74, Previous: 14)
18 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The San Francisco Giants enter the week with an elimination number of two, as they trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by six games in the NL West standings and have already been eliminated from the wild-card race.
An offseason of rebuilding the starting rotation behind Madison Bumgarner lies ahead, while they may also look at reworking the bullpen. While the relief corps currently ranks seventh in the league with a 3.27 ERA, they have not been as dominant as in years past, and the core is getting old.
The big story right now, though, is Jarrett Parker, who had a three-homer game and five home runs total last week. The 26-year-old had an .889 OPS and 23 home runs in Triple-A before being promoted in September.
"When we go into meetings this winter, we’ll be talking about him,” manager Bruce Bochy told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Jarrett Parker (7-for-12, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jake Peavy (ND, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
12. Minnesota Twins (80-75, Previous: 15)
19 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The Minnesota Twins are still very much alive in the AL wild-card hunt after series wins against the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers last week.
They close out the year with four games against the Indians in Cleveland and three with the Kansas City Royals at home, and they enter the week trailing the Houston Astros by 1.5 games for that second AL wild-card spot.
Should they make their way into the Wild Card Game, they'll have a tough decision to make on who takes the ball. Ervin Santana has been their best pitcher of late, but he's ineligible for the postseason after serving an 80-game suspension for PEDs earlier this year.
Rookie Tyler Duffey has been impressive (9 GS, 5-1, 3.14 ERA), but chances are it would come down to Phil Hughes or Kyle Gibson for the do-or-die start.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Brian Dozier (9-for-24, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Ervin Santana (2 W, 14.0 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K)
11. Houston Astros (82-74, Previous: 10)
20 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Houston Astros remain in the No. 2 wild-card spot by the skin of their teeth, as they hold a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels took two of three in their series against the Astros last week.
After a 3-3 performance last week, the team is now 9-15 in September after entering the month with a four-game lead in the AL West standings.
Ace Dallas Keuchel improved to 19-8 with a 2.47 ERA with a pair of strong starts last week, and he'll make his final start of the regular season on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will be looking to make his final case for deserving AL Cy Young honors over David Price.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Jose Altuve (10-for-25, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 6 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Dallas Keuchel (2 W, 14.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 16 K)
10. Los Angeles Angels (81-74, Previous: 12)
21 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
A disappointing team with a struggling offense for much of the year, the Los Angeles Angels have come on strong in September with a 16-8 record that has pulled them to within a half-game of the second AL wild-card spot.
After averaging just 3.97 runs per game over the first five months of the season, they have upped their production to 4.29 runs per contest this month.
The recent decision to move Erick Aybar into the leadoff spot and shift Mike Trout down into the No. 3 hole looks like a smart move, and it could provide a spark similar to what the Kansas City Royals got last season when they moved Alcides Escobar into the leadoff role and Lorenzo Cain into the No. 3 spot down the stretch.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Mike Trout (10-for-23, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Garrett Richards (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K)
9. Texas Rangers (84-71, Previous: 6)
22 of 30
Last Week: 4-2
The Texas Rangers have turned a four-game deficit into a 2.5-game lead in the AL West this month on the strength of a 16-9 record.
However, after sweeping the Oakland Athletics at the beginning of last week, they dropped two of three to the Houston Astros over the weekend to lose a game in that tight AL West race.
Shin-Soo Choo continues to absolutely rake this month, as he's hitting .418/.534/.626 with 23 runs scored in 25 games and perhaps climbing his way into some lower-ballot AL MVP votes.
It's the starting rotation that figures to scare some people come October, though, as the addition of Cole Hamels and a return to health for Derek Holland and Martin Perez has left them with a formidable staff.
Hitter of the Week
- RF Shin-Soo Choo (8-for-23, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Cole Hamels (W, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K)
8. Kansas City Royals (90-65, Previous: 8)
23 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Kansas City Royals have stood atop the AL Central standings since June 9, and their lead in the division has been at double-digit games since Aug. 8, with that all finally leading to them clinching their first division title since 1985 on Thursday.
Now the focus will be on trying to secure the No. 1 seed in the American League, as they are currently tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record.
Looking ahead to October, the big focus will be on sorting out their postseason rotation behind new ace Johnny Cueto and Yordano Ventura. Kris Medlen, Edinson Volquez and Chris Young are all options, while Jeremy Guthrie and Danny Duffy have already made the move to the bullpen.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Mike Moustakas (5-for-17, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Chris Young (W, 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)
7. Los Angeles Dodgers (87-68, Previous: 5)
24 of 30
Last Week: 2-5
At just 2-7 in their last nine games, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still looking to clinch the NL West title, with their magic number sitting at two games entering the week.
Zack Greinke was scratched from his last start with a sore calf, but he'll be back on the hill Monday against Jake Peavy and the San Francisco Giants. He's still the NL Cy Young front-runner, but Jake Arrieta has narrowed the gap considerably with another terrific start Sunday, so Greinke will need to answer.
More importantly, the duo of Alex Wood (11.2 IP, 14 H, 10 ER) and Brett Anderson (8.2 IP, 20 H, 11 ER) were awful in two starts each last week, so serious questions about the postseason rotation behind Greinke and Kershaw persist.
Hitter of the Week
- 2B Chase Utley (5-for-17, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Clayton Kershaw (W, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)
6. New York Yankees (86-69, Previous: 7)
25 of 30
Last Week: 4-3
The New York Yankees enter the week with a 4.5-game cushion for the No. 1 AL wild-card spot and a magic number of three to clinch, but they still have their sights set on catching the Toronto Blue Jays for the division title at four games back.
Dropping two of three to the Blue Jays last week didn't help their cause any, but they still look like a lock to be hosting at least one playoff game. The question is: Will Masahiro Tanaka be healthy to make the start in that game?
Tanaka has not pitched since Sept. 18 while dealing with a strained hamstring he suffered running the bases. It's still unclear at this point if and when he'll take the mound again before the regular season is over, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPN, but he has until Thursday if he wants to still be in line for that Oct. 6 start.
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Greg Bird (6-for-24, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Michael Pineda (W, 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
5. New York Mets (89-67, Previous: 9)
26 of 30
Last Week: 5-2
After scoring just 17 runs total in the eight games leading up to their weekend series with the Cincinnati Reds, the New York Mets offense finally snapped back to life and piled up 36 runs in a four-game sweep.
They finally clinched the NL East on Saturday, giving them their first division title since 2006, when they lost in the NLCS in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Barring something crazy happening, they'll meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division series, and manager Terry Collins is already thinking about the difficult draw of facing Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.
"I mean, we like our pitching a lot, but we’re going to face arguably the best two pitchers in the National League,” Collins told Tim Rohan of the New York Times. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, no doubt."
Hitter of the Week
- 1B Lucas Duda (6-for-17, 3 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Noah Syndergaard (W, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)
4. Chicago Cubs (90-65, Previous: 2)
27 of 30
Last Week: 3-3
The Chicago Cubs dropped two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend to fall to 4.5 games back for the right to host the NL Wild Card Game, but they did clinch their first postseason berth since 2008 on Friday night.
Jake Arrieta made what figures to be his second-to-last start of the year Sunday, and he was brilliant once again, allowing one hit in seven shutout innings. With that, he's now 15-1 with a 0.89 ERA and 0.716 WHIP in his last 19 starts, all of which were quality starts.
Will that impressive run be enough to win him NL Cy Young honors?
"I know the other guys are really good and I know I’m his manager, but I’ve never seen anything like that and nobody else has either," manager Joe Maddon said of Arrieta's recent run of dominance, per Tony Andracki of CSN Chicago. "That would normally equal a pretty good reward."
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Kris Bryant (11-for-24, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Jake Arrieta (2 W, 16.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 20 K)
3. Toronto Blue Jays (90-65, Previous: 3)
28 of 30
Last Week: 5-1
With a series win over the New York Yankees and a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays carry a four-game division lead into the final week of the season.
They have already clinched a playoff spot, but they still need to secure the best record in the AL to avoid playing a red-hot Texas Rangers team in the division series. At 90-65 they are currently tied with the Kansas City Royals for the No. 1 seed.
It's almost not fair for someone like Kevin Pillar to go 11-for-21 on the week with seven extra-base hits when the Toronto Blue Jays have so many other weapons offensively.
On the pitching side of things, Marcus Stroman was great again Wednesday, as he went seven innings for the second consecutive start and allowed no runs on five hits. He's making a strong case to be the No. 2 starter behind David Price in October, and he could give the team a legitimate second ace if he keeps pitching like he has of late.
Hitter of the Week
- CF Kevin Pillar (11-for-21, 5 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Marcus Stroman (W, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
2. Pittsburgh Pirates (95-61, Previous: 4)
29 of 30
Last Week: 6-1
After a rough week two weeks ago in which they dropped three of four to the Chicago Cubs and fell from No. 1 to No. 4 in these rankings, the Pittsburgh Pirates once again look to be as good as any team in baseball heading into the final week.
They took two of three against the Cubs over the weekend but were once again shut down by Jake Arrieta, whom they will undoubtedly be facing in the Wild Card Round matchup between the two teams on Oct. 7.
That said, Gerrit Cole was impressive in his own right Friday when he allowed four hits and one run over seven innings to pick up the win.
He's now 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in nine career starts against the Cubs, so that Wild Card Game is shaping up to be an absolutely fantastic pitcher's duel.
Hitter of the Week
- LF Starling Marte (14-for-33, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Francisco Liriano (W, 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K)
1. St. Louis Cardinals (98-58, Previous: 1)
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Last Week: 5-2
With the rival Chicago Cubs knocking on the door for the No. 1 spot in these rankings last week, the St. Louis Cardinals once again proved they belong on top with a 5-2 week that included a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.
Their strong week came at a price, though, as Carlos Martinez was diagnosed with a shoulder strain after leaving his last start early and has been shut down for the rest of the season.
"Just a shame, but he gets it," manager Mike Matheny told reporters, per ESPN. "Such is this game. We're just going to have to keep rolling like so many other times this season."
On the opposite end of things, Adam Wainwright threw a 27-pitch simulated inning on Saturday and is now just awaiting a doctor's OK to return to action, where he is expected to pitch out of the bullpen, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
Hitter of the Week
- 3B Matt Carpenter (9-for-27, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)
Pitcher of the Week
- SP Lance Lynn (W, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted. Hitter and pitcher of the week stats reflect games played between Monday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 27.
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