MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand 3 Weeks Before 2020 Playoffs
That's not a typo. The 2020 MLB postseason is really just three short weeks away, and with the new 16-team playoff format in place, 23 teams enter play Monday within three games of a postseason berth.
The stretch run is going to be a wild ride.
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
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30. Pittsburgh Pirates (13-26)
The Pirates have just two series wins all season, and after a 3-5 showing last week they now have the worst run differential (-52) in the National League. The organization has picked No. 1 overall in the draft four times, most recently when it took Gerrit Cole in 2011. That's what the Pirates are playing for at this point.
29. Boston Red Sox (14-28)
The Red Sox have used 13 different starting pitchers this year, and that group has gone a combined 4-19 with an MLB-worst 6.51 ERA. It's almost hard to believe this team is just two years removed from 108 wins and a World Series title.
28. Texas Rangers (13-26)
The Rangers have an MLB-worst 3-17 record and a minus-57 run differential in their last 20 games. Veteran Lance Lynn has been one of the few bright spots, but he was shelled against the Houston Astros on Thursday, allowing eight hits and six runs in six innings to spike his ERA from 1.93 to 2.67.
27. Kansas City Royals (14-27)
A 1-6 week sends the Royals tumbling to their lowest ranking of the season, and the remainder of the season will be all about assessing their young talent. Right-hander Brad Keller is now 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in five starts after starting the season on the sidelines.
26. Arizona Diamondbacks (15-26)
The D-backs scuffled through another tough week, going 1-5 with series losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. The biggest takeaway from 2020 will be the emergence of Zac Gallen, who has a 1.80 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 50 innings, as the ace of the present and future.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Washington Nationals (14-25)
After a 2-6 week that included a four-game sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Nationals are now firmly entrenched in the NL East cellar. While the team is struggling, Trea Turner is having a terrific individual season. He's hitting .365/.417/.635 with 22 extra-base hits and currently leads Charlie Blackmon (.347) by a comfortable margin in the NL batting title race.
24. Los Angeles Angels (17-25)
The Angels are playing their best baseball of the season right now with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games, and they closed out last week with a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros. Dylan Bundy turned in his fifth quality start of the season Thursday, and while he may not chase down Shane Bieber in the Cy Young race, he'll show up on plenty of ballots if he can maintain his 2.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and career-high 9.8 K/9.
23. Seattle Mariners (18-22)
The Mariners are 10-3 in their last 13 games and enter the week riding a five-game winning streak. They are just three games behind the Astros for second in the AL West, so a late push for the playoffs is not out of the realm of possibility. Marco Gonzales ranks among the AL leaders in ERA (3.09, eighth) and WHIP (0.92, third) after tossing his second career complete game last week.
22. Detroit Tigers (18-20)
The Tigers have slipped a bit in recent weeks, but they have still far exceeded expectations after losing 114 games a year ago. Rookie left-hander Tarik Skubal had his best start as a big leaguer Saturday, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out six over six strong innings against a dangerous Minnesota Twins lineup.
21. Milwaukee Brewers (18-21)
Still in the hunt in a wide-open NL Central, the Brewers have dealt with an anemic offense for much of the year, ranking near the bottom of the league in team batting average (.219, 28th) and OPS (.689, 26th). At least Keston Hiura had a big week at the plate, going 6-for-19 with four home runs.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Baltimore Orioles (19-21)
The pesky Orioles continue to hang around in the AL East, and they took three of four from the New York Yankees over the weekend. That was no small accomplishment after they went a brutal 2-17 with a minus-68 run differential against the Yankees in 2019. Keegan Akin struck out 14 batters in 9.2 innings while allowing just six hits and two unearned runs in his first two MLB starts last week.
19. New York Mets (19-22)
The Mets snapped a five-game losing streak last week and went on to take two of three from the Phillies over the weekend. Despite sitting in fourth place in the NL East, they are just one game out of a wild-card spot entering play Monday. Seth Lugo has a 1.54 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 15.4 K/9 in three starts since moving into the starting rotation.
18. Cincinnati Reds (18-23)
The Reds continue to tread water on the outskirts of the NL playoff picture with a 7-6 record in their last 13 games. Sonny Gray recorded just two outs in his most recent start, allowing five hits, three walks and six earned runs in the process. His next scheduled start was Sunday, but that was pushed back to give him some extra rest.
17. San Francisco Giants (20-21)
A seven-game winning streak in the middle of August thrust the Giants into the wild-card picture, and they continue to hover around the .500 mark after taking two of three from the D-backs over the weekend. Veterans Trevor Cahill (5 GS, 2.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 20 K, 17.0 IP) and Kevin Gausman (7 GS, 4.43 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 53 K, 40.2 IP) have quietly been excellent additions on affordable one-year deals.
16. Miami Marlins (17-18)
The Marlins lost two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, and they are now 1-5 against them on the year. Luckily, they're finished playing them in 2020. The same is not true of the Phillies, who will head to Miami for seven straight games next week, including a pair of double-headers. Rookies Sixto Sanchez (3 GS, 2.37 ERA, 19 K, 19.0 IP) and Trevor Rogers (3 GS, 3.00 ERA, 21 K, 15.0 IP) continue to impress.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Philadelphia Phillies (19-17)
A 5-2 week that included a four-game sweep of the Nationals sends the Phillies into the upper half of the rankings, and they enter a new week above .500 for the first time all year. Brandon Workman (5/6 SV, 4.32 ERA, 10.8 K/9) has been shaky but effective closing games since coming over from Boston, but the bullpen remains a concern with a 6.57 ERA that ranks 29th in the majors.
14. Colorado Rockies (20-20)
The Rockies secured a series win and moved back to .500 on the year with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball. Catching the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West won't be easy, so one of the two wild cards seem like their best path to the postseason. They currently hold a half-game lead over the Marlins for the No. 1 wild-card spot.
13. New York Yankees (21-19)
With a 2-6 record last week and a 5-13 record in their last 18 games, the Yankees have slipped to third in the AL East standings and are in serious danger of dropping below .500. The roster simply hasn't been able to overcome a rash of injuries to key players they way they did a year ago, and the 10 games they have left against the second-place Blue Jays could ultimately determine their season.
12. Chicago Cubs (23-18)
The Cubs dropped three of four to the rival St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, and the two teams meet for the final time on Monday. That's provides an interesting dynamic to the NL Central title race. Yu Darvish twirled another gem on Thursday, allowing just one hit over seven innings while striking out 11.
11. St. Louis Cardinals (17-15)
With a 6-2 record in their last eight games, the Cardinals are now just 1.5 games back in the NL Central race and 2.5 games up for the second slot in the division standings. The team will play 28 games in the next 21 days to close out the regular season. Signed to a one-year, $2 million contract during the offseason, Brad Miller is hitting .307/.436/.600 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 94 plate appearances.
Nos. 10-6
5 of 10
10. Toronto Blue Jays (22-18)
The Blue Jays have vaulted up the standings with a 15-7 record in their last 22 games, and they now hold a one-game lead over the Yankees for second place in the AL East. That said, they were dealt a significant blow over the weekend when Teoscar Hernandez suffered a rib injury that will cause him to miss "serious time." The 27-year-old is hitting .308/.358/.637 with 14 home runs on the year.
9. Houston Astros (21-19)
The Astros have a 16-6 record at Minute Maid Park this year, compared to a 5-13 record on the road. They will play 14 of their final 20 games away from home, so they will need to reverse that trend if they hope to be playing in October. Where would this team be without Cristian Javier (4-1, 3.35 ERA, 37.2 IP) and Framber Valdez (3-3, 3.61 ERA, 52.1 IP) stepping up in the rotation?
8. Minnesota Twins (25-17)
The Twins snapped a six-game losing streak on Tuesday and rattled off five straight wins before losing on Sunday, putting them right back in the thick of a tight AL Central race with the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians. They play those two teams seven times in seven days from Sept. 11 to Sept. 17, and that will go a long way in determining where they finish in the standings.
7. Oakland Athletics (23-14)
The Athletics finally returned to action on Friday, playing their first game since the previous Saturday amid after a positive COVID-19 test. They have two more off days and four double-headers the rest of the way, so it's going to be a grind trying to hold onto the top spot in the AL West standings.
6. Cleveland Indians (25-15)
With four straight series wins, the Indians are now just a half game behind the White Sox in the AL Central race. Franmil Reyes went 10-for-22 with four doubles and one home run last week, and he's now hitting .315/.377/.538 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBI. He's been the clear leader of an offense that ranks 25th in the majors with a .689 OPS.
Nos. 5-1
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5. Atlanta Braves (24-16)
The Braves went 5-2 last week to maintain a three-game lead in the NL East standings. Top pitching prospect Ian Anderson has provided a huge boost to the starting rotation, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in 12 innings in his first two MLB starts. Josh Tomlin also turned in a quality start on Sunday, and the cobbled together rotation behind Max Fried has not imploded yet.
4. Chicago White Sox (26-15)
After dropping two of three to the Twins, the White Sox rebounded to sweep a four-game series with the Royals. Veteran Dallas Keuchel lowered his ERA to 2.19 (second in AL) with two more strong starts last week, and a rotation of Lucas Giolito, Keuchel, Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning could cause some serious problems in October with a loaded offense backing it.
3. San Diego Padres (25-17)
A weekend series win over the Athletics is enough to jump the Padres up to No. 3 in this week, and they could be the team that finally shakes things up after several weeks of the same two teams locked into the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. Mike Clevinger allowed seven hits and two earned runs over six innings in his Padres debut, while fellow deadline pickups Trevor Rosenthal and Dan Altavilla combined for four scoreless innings in four relief appearances.
2. Tampa Bay Rays (28-13)
The Rays have not lost consecutive games since they dropped five straight from July 29 to Aug. 2. Since that brief bump in the road, they've gone 23-7 with a plus-34 run differential in their last 30 games. With closer Nick Anderson and outfielder Austin Meadows both returning from the injured list last week, they are poised to continue pushing for the best record in the American League.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (30-12)
A loss on Sunday night marked just the third time all year that the Dodgers have dropped consecutive games. They rank fourth in the majors in OPS (.808) and second in team ERA (2.88), which speaks to how well-rounded and deep their roster is this year. They're the team to beat.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. San Diego Padres
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Atlanta Braves
6. Cleveland Indians
7. Oakland Athletics
8. Minnesota Twins
9. Houston Astros
10. Toronto Blue Jays
11. St. Louis Cardinals
12. Chicago Cubs
13. New York Yankees
14. Colorado Rockies
15. Philadelphia Phillies
16. Miami Marlins
17. San Francisco Giants
18. Cincinnati Reds
19. New York Mets
20. Baltimore Orioles
21. Milwaukee Brewers
22. Detroit Tigers
23. Seattle Mariners
24. Los Angeles Angels
25. Washington Nationals
26. Arizona Diamondbacks
27. Kansas City Royals
28. Texas Rangers
29. Boston Red Sox
30. Pittsburgh Pirates
Highlight of the Week: Clayton Kershaw's 2,500th Strikeout
8 of 10After posting an ERA over 3.00 for the first time since his rookie season last year, Clayton Kershaw is once again pitching at an elite level.
The 32-year-old is 5-1 with a 1.50 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 36 innings, falling just short of qualifying for the ERA leaderboard after missing the first nine games of the season.
He allowed just one hit over six shutout innings in his most recent outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, and he made history in the process.
When Nick Ahmed swung through one of his signature curveballs in the second inning for strike three, it marked the 2,500th strikeout of Kershaw's impressive career.
At 32 years and 168 days old, Kershaw was the third-youngest player to reach that milestone, behind only Nolan Ryan (31 years, 101 days) and Walter Johnson (31 years, 197 days), according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
"I don't ever want to discredit any of the stuff that's happening because it is cool. It really is," Kershaw told reporters. "It's just hard for me to think about it, honestly, or wrap my head around being associated with names like that and getting to see your name on different types of leaderboards. It's just hard to grasp really."
He now sits 39th on the all-time strikeout list, two behind Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson.
Team of the Week
9 of 10
C Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs
(9-for-19, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 6 R)
1B Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies
(7-for-21, 2 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
2B Keston Hiura, Milwaukee Brewers
(6-for-19, 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R)
3B Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds
(8-for-19, 2 2B, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 6 R)
SS Trea Turner, Washington Nationals
(12-for-30, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R)
OF Adam Duvall, Atlanta Braves
(8-for-24, 2 2B, 5 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R)
OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
(8-for-20, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 9 R)
OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
(10-for-24, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R)
DH Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves
(10-for-23, 3 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R)
SP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
(1 GS, W, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 9 ER, 3 BB, 9 K)
SP Marco Gonzales, Seattle Mariners
(1 GS, W, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K)
SP Yu Darvish, Chicago Cubs
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)
SP Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks
(1 GS, ND, 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
SP Keegan Akin, Baltimore Orioles
(2 GS, 2 ND, 9.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 6 BB, 14 K)
RP Devin Williams, Milwaukee Brewers
(3 G, W, HLD, 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
Award Rankings
10 of 10
AL MVP
1. Jose Abreu, CWS
2. Mike Trout, LAA
3. Shane Bieber, CLE
NL MVP
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
2. Mookie Betts, LAD
3. Marcell Ozuna, ATL
AL Cy Young
1. Shane Bieber, CLE
2. Kenta Maeda, MIN
3. Dylan Bundy, LAA
NL Cy Young
1. Yu Darvish, CHC
2. Jacob deGrom, NYM
3. Max Fried, ATL
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Kyle Lewis, SEA
2. Luis Robert, CWS
3. James Karinchak, CLE
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.
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