Account
MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After 2021 Trade Deadline
August 3, 2021MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After 2021 Trade Deadline
Welcome to our first updated MLB power rankings since a wild trade deadline came and went.
Along with the usual shuffling based on last week's performance, this week's rankings will also take into account what teams did at the deadline. If a team sold aggressively, it took a nose dive, while contenders who plugged holes on their roster with impact additions were given an additional boost.
However, on-field performance is still the driving force in where a team ranks.
If a team is winning, it will climb the rankings. If a team is losing, a slide is inevitable. The beauty of this exercise is that it's a fluid process and things will continue to change.
Statistics and analysis reflect action through Sunday's games. Records include Monday's results. Check out last week's power rankings here.
Nos. 30-26
30. Arizona Diamondbacks (33-74)
Previous Rank: 30
The D-backs are on pace for 112 losses, and they were shut out for the 11th time this season in a 13-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Center fielder Ketel Marte returned from a strained left hamstring on Sunday after missing 27 games, and he's hitting .367/.414/.547 in 152 plate appearances. Will he be an offseason trade chip?
29. Texas Rangers (39-67)
Previous Rank: 29
With Joey Gallo, Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy all sent packing at the deadline, the Rangers have all but cemented a last-place finish in the AL West standings. They did well to bring back right-hander Spencer Howard in their deal with the Phillies, and they went the quantity route in the Joey Gallo deal by picking up four mid-level prospects from the Yankees system.
28. Baltimore Orioles (38-67)
Previous Rank: 28
Can we talk about Matt Harvey? After struggling to a 7.70 ERA through his first 18 starts, he has been lights out in his last three starts. The 32-year-old has rattled off a career-high 18.1 straight scoreless innings, allowing just 10 hits and one walk for a 0.60 WHIP during that span. That might be more surprising than the Cedric Mullins breakout.
27. Minnesota Twins (44-62)
Previous Rank: 26
The Twins made one of the biggest moves of the deadline when they sent two-time All-Star Jose Berrios to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for top prospects Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson. Buster Olney of ESPN reported a few weeks ago that Minnesota was unlikely to trade any controllable asset, but after the Max Scherzer domino fell on Thursday, interest in Berrios peaked, and the offer from Toronto was too good to pass up. What does that mean for the Twins' 2022 plans?
26. Pittsburgh Pirates (40-66)
Previous Rank: 27
As expected, the Pirates flipped Adam Frazier, Tyler Anderson and Richard Rodriguez leading up to the deadline, and the final two months will be all about in-house talent evaluation. Controllable right-hander Bryse Wilson was acquired in the Rodriguez trade with the Braves, and he'll immediately slide into the MLB rotation.
Nos. 25-21
25. Washington Nationals (49-57)
Previous Rank: 22
The Nationals pulled the plug on the 2021 season in a big way, trading Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Brad Hand, Daniel Hudson, Jon Lester, Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison before the deadline. That leaves Juan Soto and Victor Robles as the long-term building blocks, while prospects Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray, who were acquired in the Scherzer/Turner deal, also have cornerstone potential.
24. Chicago Cubs (51-56)
Previous Rank: 20
Speaking of fire sales, the Cubs roster is now unrecognizable. Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera, Trevor Williams, Jake Marisnick, Andrew Chafin and Joc Pederson were all casualties of a massive July sell-off that will see the team enter a retooling period. Will they try to extend catcher Willson Contreras, or will he be the next to go?
23. Miami Marlins (45-61)
Previous Rank: 23
The Marlins managed to land controllable left-hander Jesus Luzardo from Oakland in exchange for two months of Starling Marte, adding to what is already a wealth of young pitching talent. They moved a few other short-term pieces but did nothing to change their outlook as a team on the rise with a dynamic young core.
22. Colorado Rockies (46-60)
Previous Rank: 25
There's a good chance the Rockies are going to avoid 100 losses now after holding onto Trevor Story and Jon Gray at the deadline. That's every team's goal, right? Mediocrity with no hope of contention and no long-term plan? Gray is an extension candidate, so there was some logic in holding onto him, but the fact that Story is simply going to walk for a compensatory pick is yet another glaring failure by a bumbling front office.
21. Kansas City Royals (45-59)
Previous Rank: 24
The Royals flipped a pair of expiring contracts in Danny Duffy and Jorge Soler, but other than that, it was a quiet deadline. The team played .500 baseball in July with a 12-12 record, and a second-place finish in the AL Central standings is not out of the question if the Royals get hot down the stretch. Will we see Bobby Witt Jr. before the season is over?
Nos. 20-16
20. Los Angeles Angels (52-54)
Previous Rank: 17
Despite hovering around the .500 mark without Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon in the lineup, the Angels decided to sell at the deadline. They flipped starter Andrew Heaney and veteran reliever Tony Watson, bringing back controllable lefty reliever Sam Selman and a pair of quality pitching prospects in Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero. Their postseason drought will likely continue.
19. Detroit Tigers (51-57)
Previous Rank: 21
"We have no pressure at all to make any trades," Tigers general manager Al Avila told reporters July 20. "We're not rebuilding anymore. We're building." That's exactly how things played out, and the only move the team made was sending reliever Daniel Norris to the Milwaukee Brewers. With a 42-33 record since May 7, this team is making a run at a winning record, and the young roster is just scratching the surface of its potential.
18. Cleveland (52-51)
Previous Rank: 16
With a 9-15 record and minus-23 run differential in July, Cleveland opted to trade a few smaller pieces at the deadline rather than try to make a run at the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. It flipped second baseman Cesar Hernandez, outfielders Eddie Rosario and Jordan Luplow and reliever Phil Maton and added a new center fielder in Myles Straw.
17. St. Louis Cardinals (53-52)
Previous Rank: 18
With lefties J.A. Happ (38 years old) and Jon Lester (37) added at the trade deadline, Kwang Hyun Kim is now the baby of the Cardinals rotation at 33 years old. If nothing else, that duo will absorb innings down the stretch to help keep the team from taxing its young arms. St. Louis still looks like the third-best team in the division, though.
16. Philadelphia Phillies (53-53)
Previous Rank: 15
The Phillies bolstered their starting rotation and bullpen by acquiring Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy from the Rangers, but it came at a steep cost, including young right-hander Spencer Howard. They moved left-hander Ranger Suarez into the starting rotation after he posted a 1.12 ERA in 40.1 innings out of the bullpen and were just 3.5 games back in the NL East entering Monday.
Nos. 15-11
15. Atlanta Braves (52-54)
Previous Rank: 19
After trading for Joc Pederson and Stephen Vogt in mid-July, the Braves addressed their glaring need in the outfield by acquiring Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario in a trio of deadline day deals. They also bolstered the relief corps by adding Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez, who will slot in to the eighth-inning role. Despite all the injuries, this team is going for it, and it's not out of the NL East race by any means.
14. Toronto Blue Jays (54-49)
Previous Rank: 14
The Blue Jays paid a steep price to acquire Jose Berrios from the Twins, but he joined Hyun Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray atop the starting rotation for the stretch run. They also addressed their bullpen with the additions of Brad Hand and Joakim Soria, who will help Jordan Romano slam the door in the late innings. They entered the week with momentum after a three-game sweep of the Royals.
13. Seattle Mariners (57-50)
Previous Rank: 9
The Mariners added veteran starter Tyler Anderson, late-inning reliever Diego Castillo and second baseman Abraham Toro as they push toward their first postseason berth since 2001. The 24-year-old Toro was 9-for-18 with three doubles and two home runs in his first five games with the team. Series losses to the Houston Astros and Rangers were a blow, but there's still plenty of time to climb the standings.
12. New York Mets (55-50)
Previous Rank: 10
The flashy addition of Javier Baez grabbed headlines, but the Mets failed to address their need for starting pitching depth beyond picking up Trevor Williams as a throw-in. July 23 addition Rich Hill has not been throwing well of late, Carlos Carrasco is still building up his arm, Taijuan Walker has a 15.43 ERA in three starts since the All-Star break, and Jacob deGrom is sidelined until at least September. The Phillies and Braves are closing fast.
11. Cincinnati Reds (56-50)
Previous Rank: 12
The Reds are 7-3 in their last 10 games and averaged 6.1 runs per game during that stretch. They went 5-2 with series wins over the Cubs and Mets on last week's road trip, and they are just four games back in the wild-card standings. While they didn't do anything on deadline day, they added Mychal Givens, Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson earlier in the week to provide some much needed bullpen support.
Nos. 10-6
10. New York Yankees (56-49)
Previous Rank: 13
Despite an up-and-down season, the Yankees were aggressive buyers at the deadline. They added lefty sluggers Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo; starter Andrew Heaney, who will provide welcome depth at the back of the rotation; and Clay Holmes and Joely Rodriguez, who will lengthen the bullpen. They also went 5-1 last week with a series win over the Tampa Bay Rays. That was enough for them to jump back into the top 10.
9. Oakland Athletics (60-47)
Previous Rank: 11
The Athletics' big move of the deadline was flipping talented left-hander Jesus Luzardo to the Marlins for rental center fielder Starling Marte, but they also added quality depth pieces in Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison and Andrew Chafin. Another late-inning reliever would have been nice, but this team is ready to push the Astros for the AL West title.
8. San Diego Padres (61-47)
Previous Rank: 8
The Padres whiffed on Joey Gallo, Max Scherzer and Jose Berrios but landed Adam Frazier, Daniel Hudson and Jake Marisnick as their deadline additions. With Chris Paddack sidelined with a strained left oblique and Dinelson Lamet's status up in the air, they could have used another starter. Now it's up to Blake Snell to pitch to his potential and Ryan Weathers to bounce back from the worst outing of his career (4 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K on Friday).
7. Boston Red Sox (63-44)
Previous Rank: 3
With a chance to claim AL East supremacy, the Red Sox were swept by the Rays over the weekend. They appear to be putting all their eggs in the Chris Sale basket since they didn't make a move for starting pitching at the deadline, and they are also banking on Kyle Schwarber's ability to learn how to play first base once he returns from a strained right hamstring.
6. Houston Astros (64-42)
Previous Rank: 4
The Astros added Kendall Graveman, Yimi Garcia, Phil Maton and Rafael Montero to a bullpen that ranks 16th in the majors with a 4.11 ERA. They shipped out infielder Abraham Toro and center fielder Myles Straw in the process, and they failed to add any starting pitching depth, but this still looks like the team to beat in the AL West.
Nos. 5-1
5. Chicago White Sox (62-44)
Previous Rank: 7
The White Sox addressed their hole at second base with the addition of steady veteran Cesar Hernandez and added a quality setup reliever in Ryan Tepera before swinging a blockbuster deal for eight-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel. Slugger Eloy Jimenez is back in the lineup, Luis Robert is on the rehab trail, and catcher Yasmani Grandal is progressing after knee surgery. They are still chasing the Rays in these rankings, but this could be the team to beat in the American League.
4. Milwaukee Brewers (64-43)
Previous Rank: 5
The Brewers have three straight series wins and a 7-2 record in their last nine games with a plus-32 run differential during that span. The May and early July pickups of Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez helped bolster their offensive attack, and they added All-Star infielder Eduardo Escobar and relievers Daniel Norris and John Curtiss at the deadline.
3. Tampa Bay Rays (64-43)
Previous Rank: 2
After stumbling to a 12-14 record in June, the Rays went 16-8 with a plus-36 run differential in July to reestablish themselves as one of the American League favorites. Veteran slugger Nelson Cruz was the big pickup of trade season, while they also added relievers JT Chargois and DJ Johnson and outfielder Jordan Luplow. They didn't make much noise, but this group—which just swept the Red Sox—is for real.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (64-43)
Previous Rank: 6
The Dodgers made the biggest splash of the trade deadline with a blockbuster deal to acquire Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, and they also made an under-the-radar move to acquire the injured Danny Duffy from the Royals for a player to be named. A series loss to the rival San Francisco Giants kept them from moving into the No. 1 spot, and those two will battle it out the rest of the way.
1. San Francisco Giants (67-39)
Previous Rank: 1
With series wins over the Dodgers and Astros last week, the Giants' case for hanging on to the No. 1 spot was an obvious one. They added slugger Kris Bryant and reliever Tony Watson at the deadline to bolster their upstart roster for the stretch run, but Kevin Gausman (11.2 IP, 8.49 ERA over last three starts) and Anthony DeSclafani (14.2 IP, 6.14 ERA) need to right the ship.
Complete Rankings
Complete Rankings
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Chicago White Sox
6. Houston Astros
7. Boston Red Sox
8. San Diego Padres
9. Oakland Athletics
10. New York Yankees
11. Cincinnati Reds
12. New York Mets
13. Seattle Mariners
14. Toronto Blue Jays
15. Atlanta Braves
16. Philadelphia Phillies
17. St. Louis Cardinals
18. Cleveland
19. Detroit Tigers
20. Los Angeles Angels
21. Kansas City Royals
22. Colorado Rockies
23. Miami Marlins
24. Chicago Cubs
25. Washington Nationals
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
27. Minnesota Twins
28. Baltimore Orioles
29. Texas Rangers
30. Arizona Diamondbacks
Highlight of the Week: Wildest. Trade Deadline. Ever.
This is my 10th year covering baseball full-time and my 32nd year on this planet, and I've never seen anything like the 2021 MLB trade deadline.
There is always a long list of players rumored to be available in trade talks, and a few of the big names usually find new homes before the deadline passes.
This year, the cupboard was picked clean.
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com (via the Elias Sports Bureau), a record 10 players were traded in the same season they were named to the All-Star team: Kris Bryant, Nelson Cruz, Eduardo Escobar, Adam Frazier, Joey Gallo, Kyle Gibson, Craig Kimbrel, Max Scherzer, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner.
Add to that previous All-Stars Jose Berrios, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, and you have a landscape-altering deadline.
All told, there were 32 trades in the two days leading up to the deadline, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, and more than 80 players changed teams.
The Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals burned things to the ground, several top-100 prospects switched teams, and the deck was reshuffled for the final two months of the season.
What a deadline!
Team of the Week
C Eric Haase, DET
(7-for-25, 2 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI)
1B Joey Votto, CIN
(9-for-24, 7 HR, 11 RBI)
2B Brendan Rodgers, COL
(9-for-29, 4 HR, 6 RBI)
3B Austin Riley, ATL
(11-for-29, 5 HR, 13 RBI)
SS Kyle Farmer, CIN
(15-for-31, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
OF Rafael Ortega, CHC
(11-for-24, 2 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI)
OF George Springer, TOR
(10-for-25, 5 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
OF AJ Pollock, LAD
(13-for-25, 4 2B, 4 RBI)
DH Miguel Cabrera, DET
(9-for-19, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
SP Joe Musgrove, SD
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K)
SP Cal Quantrill, CLE
(2 GS, 2 ND, 12.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 11 K)
SP Brett Anderson, MIL
(2 GS, 2 W, 11.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
SP Frankie Montas, OAK
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K)
SP Julio Urias, LAD
(2 GS, W, ND, 10.2 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K)
RP Aroldis Chapman, NYY
(4 G, 4/4 SV, 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
Award Rankings
AL MVP
1. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
3. Rafael Devers, BOS
NL MVP
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
2. Max Muncy, LAD
3. Bryce Harper, PHI
AL Cy Young
1. Lance Lynn, CWS
2. Carlos Rodon, CWS
3. Robbie Ray, TOR
NL Cy Young
1. Jacob deGrom, NYM
2. Corbin Burnes, MIL
3. Walker Buehler, LAD
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Adolis Garcia, TEX
2. Casey Mize, DET
3. Randy Arozarena, TB
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Trevor Rogers, MIA
2. Jonathan India, CIN
3. Patrick Wisdom, CHC
Stats courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.