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MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand in Week 4 of 2020 Season
August 17, 2020MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand in Week 4 of 2020 Season
While a few teams have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, the 2020 MLB landscape remains largely up in the air with 14 teams hovering within three games of a .500 winning percentage.
As the season progresses, teams will continue to rise and fall in our weekly power rankings relative to their placement the previous week and based on their recent production. In other words, if a team keeps winning, it will keep climbing. If it keeps losing, the slide will continue.
Ahead, you'll find a quick breakdown of each of the 30 teams, along with our highlight of the week, the top individual performers of the week and a look at the leaders for MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year, which will be updated weekly.
Let's get started.
Nos. 30-26
30. Pittsburgh Pirates (4-14)
With a schedule that sandwiched them between a St. Louis Cardinals team set to return from a COVID-19 outbreak and a Cincinnati Reds also forced to postpone, the Pirates only played two games last week. Erik Gonzalez went 3-for-7 with three doubles to continue his strong start.
29. Seattle Mariners (7-16)
After series losses to the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros last week, the Mariners now have an MLB-worst minus-47 run differential. Taijuan Walker (6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER on Wednesday) and Justus Sheffield (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER on Sunday) turned in strong starts for a pitching staff that ranks 28th in the majors with a 5.60 ERA.
28. Boston Red Sox (6-16)
The Red Sox continue their slide toward the bottom of the rankings after an 0-7 week against the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. The offense has been mediocre (.730 OPS, 20th in MLB), the starting rotation has been horrendous (7.13 ERA, 29th in MLB), and the bullpen has been lackluster (5.18 ERA, 23rd in MLB). All of that has resulted in a minus-42 run differential that is the third-worst mark in the majors.
27. San Francisco Giants (8-15)
The Giants are now 3-11 with a minus-36 run differential in their last 14 games after a 5-4 start to the season. The pitching staff has an NL-worst 5.69 ERA, and the offense ranks 22nd in the majors with a .710 OPS. Mike Yastrzemski (.305/.430/.634, 14 XBH) and Donovan Solano (.403/.429/.569, 10 XBH) have at least provided some entertainment value.
26. Toronto Blue Jays (7-11)
Despite a pitching staff that ranks seventh in the majors with a 3.99 ERA, the Blue Jays have not strung together consecutive wins since beating the Washington Nationals on July 27 and 28. Rookie reliever Jordan Romano (10 G, 5 HLD, 0.90 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 11.7 K/9) is having a stellar season that no one is talking about.
Nos. 25-21
25. New York Mets (9-14)
The Mets were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, pushing their season run differential to an ugly minus-21 and putting them squarely at the bottom of the NL East pecking order. This team would be even worse off without the contributions of rookie left-hander David Peterson (4 GS, 3-1, 2.91 ERA) in the starting rotation.
24. Los Angeles Angels (7-15)
A tough week on the schedule saw the Angels face off against the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers, and while they managed to take two of three from the A's, they were swept by the Dodgers over the weekend. Mike Trout has eight home runs and 15 RBI in 12 games since returning from the birth of his son.
23. Kansas City Royals (9-13)
The Royals will look to salvage a four-game split with the Minnesota Twins on Monday, and despite their current position in the AL Central, they have played some solid baseball with a minus-seven run differential. Right-hander Brad Keller has tossed 11 scoreless innings over two starts since making his season debut on Aug. 6, silencing the Cincinnati Reds offense for six innings on Wednesday.
22. Washington Nationals (8-11)
With four-game series splits against the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles last week, the Nationals spun their tires at three games below .500 on the year. They will be without Stephen Strasburg for the immediate future as he's continued to battle the nerve issue in his right hand that sidelined him to start the season. He'll undergo testing on Monday, at which point a timetable for his return could become more clear.
21. Philadelphia Phillies (8-9)
A weekend sweep of the Mets is enough to move the Phillies up a few spots in the rankings and ahead of two other NL East foes. Bryce Harper went 12-for-25 with five extra-base hits last week and he's now batting .364/.493/.673 on the year. Overrated? Not so much.
Nos. 20-16
20. Detroit Tigers (9-10)
Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Tigers have tumbled back to earth after a 9-5 start to the year. Losing slugger C.J. Cron to season-ending knee surgery is a blow to the offense. With Jeimer Candelario moving across the diamond to first base, prospect Willi Castro should get an extended look as he tries to prove he can be a long-term piece of the infield puzzle.
19. Cincinnati Reds (9-11)
The Reds went 2-2 last week before becoming the latest team to have multiple games postponed following a positive COVID-19 test. They will be out of action again on Monday, but there have been no further positive tests following contact tracing, so there's a chance they'll return to action in short order. Prior to the shutdown, Sonny Gray (6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 10 K) continued his Cy Young-caliber start with another strong outing.
18. San Diego Padres (11-12)
The Padres have lost five in a row, and in that stretch they were outscored 34-13 by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks on the road. This coming week will be telling if they're serious about contending in 2020 as they wrap up their current road trip against a solid Texas Rangers team before heading home for a three-game series against the Houston Astros.
17. Chicago White Sox (11-11)
The White Sox have scored three or fewer runs eight times in their last 12 games, undermining a pitching staff that has largely done its part to keep the team competitive. An offensive explosion on Sunday that featured four consecutive home runs could be a turning point. Eloy Jimenez went 9-for-23 with four home runs and nine RBI last week.
16. St. Louis Cardinals (4-4)
After a 17-day layoff amid a COVID-19 outbreak, the Cardinals finally returned to action on Saturday, taking both games of a doubleheader against the White Sox. The offense wasted no time getting back in the swing of things, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning in their first game back, and they picked up their first series win of the year. This team could climb quickly in the weeks to come.
Nos. 15-11
15. Arizona Diamondbacks (11-11)
A 6-10 start and a scuffling starting rotation had the Diamondbacks slotted near the bottom of these rankings a week ago. However, a series win over a red-hot Colorado Rockies team and a weekend sweep of the San Diego Padres sends them vaulting into the No. 15 spot. The offense exploded for 51 runs in six games and Merrill Kelly (6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 7 K) threw a gem on Friday.
14. Miami Marlins (9-6)
The Marlins remain atop the NL East standings based on winning percentage, but dropping two of three to the Atlanta Braves over the weekend has them trending in the wrong direction. Slugger Lewin Diaz made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter on Saturday and he was penciled into the cleanup spot in the lineup on Sunday. The No. 24 corner infielder in B/R's positional prospect rankings, he's one to watch.
13. Texas Rangers (10-10)
With series wins over the Mariners and Rockies last week, the Rangers have clawed their way back to a .500 record while improving to 7-4 at the new Globe Life Field. Lance Lynn allowed just two hits and one earned run in a complete game victory on Friday and he's now 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 32.1 innings on the year.
12. Milwaukee Brewers (10-10)
After a 7-9 start to the year that included just one series win over the lowly Pirates, the Brewers marched into Wrigley Field and took three of four from the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. While the starting rotation remains a huge question mark with a 5.44 ERA that ranks 26th in the majors, the bullpen has been excellent with a 3.01 ERA in 89.2 innings of work.
11. Baltimore Orioles (12-9)
The Orioles have been one of the biggest surprises of 2020, and following a series sweep of the Phillies and a four-game split with the Nationals, they are once again knocking on the door for a spot inside the top 10 in these rankings. Their patchwork starting rotation has posted a respectable 4.70 ERA (17th in MLB), and the offense ranks third in the majors with a .798 OPS.
Nos. 10-6
10. Houston Astros (11-10)
After muddling through a five-game losing streak two weeks ago, the Astros bounced back with a 5-1 showing last week, picking up a series win over the Giants before sweeping the Mariners. Not the toughest week on the schedule, but they took care of business nonetheless. Lance McCullers Jr. was brilliant on Monday (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER) and solid on Sunday (5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER), and he has a chance to be a huge X-factor in the No. 2 starter role while Justin Verlander is sidelined.
9. Colorado Rockies (13-8)
Since starting the season 11-3, the Rockies have gone 2-5 with a minus-18 run differential in their last seven games. A bump in the road or an unsustainably hot start leveling off? With the Astros and Dodgers awaiting this coming week, we should have a good idea of how they measure up by next Monday.
8. Cleveland Indians (13-9)
The Indians lead the majors in starters' ERA (2.58) by nearly half a run, and an off-day on Monday allowed them to navigate the poor decisions made by Zach Plesac and Mike Clevinger by simply moving swingman Adam Plutko into the starting rotation for the time being. Rookie reliever James Karinchak has now struck out 22 of the 42 batters he's faced this year while allowing just four hits.
7. Atlanta Braves (13-10)
Despite picking up a weekend series win over the Marlins, a 2-4 record overall last week and the glaring questions surrounding the starting rotation are enough for the Braves to slide out of the top five in the rankings. The rotation's inability to eat up innings is going to start to take a toll on the bullpen if they can't find some answers behind emerging star Max Fried, who is 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 29 innings over five starts.
6. Chicago Cubs (13-6)
The Cubs were sitting at 13-3 with a plus-20 run differential after taking a quick two-game series from the Indians and then Game 1 of their four-game series with the Brewers. However, they lost three one-run games in a row to close out the week. A week of rivalry games against the Cardinals and White Sox awaits as they look to get back on track.
Nos. 5-1
5. Tampa Bay Rays (14-9)
Since stumbling out of the gates to a 6-8 start, the Rays have gone 7-1 with a plus-17 run differential in their last eight games. The offense plated 17 runs on Thursday, and Brandon Lowe is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, going 13-for-29 with four doubles and four home runs last week. Meanwhile, and argument can be made that the pitching staff has yet to truly hit its stride based on last year's performance with largely the same group.
4. Minnesota Twins (14-8)
A 4-2 week was enough to move the Twins back into the top five after a four-game losing streak two weeks ago caused them to slide down to the No. 7 spot. For all the talk of their high-powered offense, it's the pitching staff that has been the strength of the team in the early going, posting a 3.44 ERA that ranks third in the majors. Reliever Tyler Duffey (8 G, 5 HLD, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K) has been virtually unhittable.
3. Oakland Athletics (16-6)
While a series loss to the Angels at the start of last week halted a nine-game winning streak, the Athletics quickly rebounded with a sweep of the Giants over the weekend. They came back from ninth-inning deficits of five runs and three runs, respectively, in the first two games of the series. They managed to overcome an ugly week from the starting rotation, but that's something to keep an eye on going forward.
2. New York Yankees (15-6)
A 4-2 victory over the rival Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball completed a 5-0 week for the Yankees that jumped them back up to the No. 2 spot after a brief slide out of the top five. With Aaron Judge (calf strain) and DJ LeMahieu (sprained thumb) joining Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring strain) on the injured list last week, the team is once again dealing with myriad injuries and succeeding despite them. Clint Frazier went 8-for-15 with three doubles and two home runs in his return to the big leagues last week.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (16-7)
Mookie Betts is looking right at home in Dodger blue after going 11-for-29 with four home runs last week, including the record-tying sixth three-homer game of his career on Thursday. Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa are the only other players in MLB history to accomplish that feat six times, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.
With a plus-60 run differential that is nearly double the next-highest total (Twins and Yankees, +35), the Dodgers are the clear No. 1 team in baseball right now.
Complete Rankings
Complete Rankings
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. New York Yankees
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Tampa Bay Rays
6. Chicago Cubs
7. Atlanta Braves
8. Cleveland Indians
9. Colorado Rockies
10. Houston Astros
11. Baltimore Orioles
12. Milwaukee Brewers
13. Texas Rangers
14. Miami Marlins
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
16. St. Louis Cardinals
17. Chicago White Sox
18. San Diego Padres
19. Cincinnati Reds
20. Detroit Tigers
21. Philadelphia Phillies
22. Washington Nationals
23. Kansas City Royals
24. Los Angeles Angels
25. New York Mets
26. Toronto Blue Jays
27. San Francisco Giants
28. Boston Red Sox
29. Seattle Mariners
30. Pittsburgh Pirates
Team of the Week
C J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies
(9-for-29, 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 6 R)
1B Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks
(9-for-25, 3 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R)
2B Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
(13-for-29, 4 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 10 R)
3B Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels
(8-for-20, 2B, 5 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R)
SS Trea Turner, Washington Nationals
(13-for-30, 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R)
OF Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
(12-for-26, 2B, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R)
OF Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
(12-for-25, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R)
OF Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox
(9-for-23, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R)
DH Jesse Winker, Cincinnati Reds
(8-for-12, 2B, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
SP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
(2 GS, 2 W, 15.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 18 K)
SP Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)
SP Lance Lynn, Texas Rangers
(1 GS, CG, W, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
SP Dylan Bundy, Los Angeles Angels
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
SP Yu Darvish, Chicago Cubs
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K)
RP Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
(2 G, W, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)
Updated Award Rankings
AL MVP
1. Aaron Judge, NYY
2. Mike Trout, LAA
3. Nelson Cruz, MIN
NL MVP
1. Mookie Betts, LAD
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
3. Charlie Blackmon, COL
AL Cy Young
1. Shane Bieber, CLE
2. Lance Lynn, TEX
3. Dylan Bundy, LAA
NL Cy Young
1. Sonny Gray, CIN
2. Aaron Nola, PHI
3. Max Fried, ATL
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Luis Robert, CWS
2. Kyle Lewis, SEA
3. Randy Dobnak, MIN
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Jake Cronenworth, SD
2. Dustin May, LAD
3. David Peterson, NYM
All stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.