MLB Power Rankings: Are the Brewers Favorites To Win the World Series?

The Milwaukee Brewers turned the rest of MLB into their own personal stomping ground in the month of August, going 21-6 for a .778 winning percentage to extend their MLB-best home record to 50-17 on the season.

But with Brewers poised atop the NL Central, would you place your bets on them as the favorites for the World Series come October against the likes of the Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees?

Moving into September, who is the best team in baseball, and how does the entire league of 30 teams shake out?

No. 30: Houston Astros

Overall Record: 46-90

August Record: 11-17

The abysmal 2011 season for the Houston Astros has offered little reason for fans in Houston to have any excitement or hope for the 2012 campaign. But the worst is already over in Houston. Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn are both gone, and Wandy Rodriguez will probably be dealt this winter.

But with soon-to-be, second-year coach Brad Mills at the helm, and young rookie prospect J.D. Martinez having a productive August batting .282 with five home runs and an Astros rookie-record 25 RBI, maybe things are beginning to look up in Houston. The silver lining is they have no place to go but up.

No. 29: Minnesota Twins

Overall Record: 56-79

August Record: 6-21

Michael Cuddyer was having a great season before he went down with an injury on August 25. Now the Minnesota Twins' sole bright spot in their order was sidelined again last Saturday and Sunday after the nagging injury. In the past seven days, Cuddyer is batting .067 with zero RBI.

The Twins fell a long way in August. After opting to hang on to all their tradeable pieces at the July 31 deadline in hopes of a possible run at the AL Central crown, they've had a winning percentage of just .222 and have lost 11 games in the standings to the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers.

No. 28: Kansas City Royals

Overall Record: 56-80

August Record: 10-18

It's all smiles in Kansas City after Jeff Francoeur signed for less money to stay in KC earlier last week. And the Royals have a nucleus of young players in Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Aaron Crow who may vault them onto another level in years to come.

But for now, the pitching is still too underdeveloped and the team too young and inconsistent to be making any waves in 2011—or likely 2012 for that matter.

No. 27: Baltimore Orioles

Overall Record: 54-79

August Record: 12-16

At some point, the Baltimore Orioles are going to have to decide whether their young pitching corps of Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton and Jeremy Guthrie are going to be the pitchers of the future—or future busts.

If they turn out to be the latter, the O's ought to think about trading them sooner rather than later because they certainly aren't getting any younger, and with every mediocre season that passes, their trade value enervates.

And with the Mark Reynolds and Derrek Lee experiments officially failed, it may be full-blown rebuilding time in Baltimore.

No. 26: Seattle Mariners

Overall Record: 57-77

August Record: 12-14

Sure, the Seattle Mariners are in last place in arguably the most shallow division in baseball. They also have no players in the Top 20 in any major offensive statistical category in the American League. So what has kept them afloat this year?

Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda.

Pineda will be shut down at some point in September, and that should signal the definitive and merciful end of the Seattle Mariners 2011 season. But they've got a promising future with the young arms in their rotation.

No. 25: Florida Marlins

Overall Record: 60-74

August Record: 7-19

When the Florida Marlins season went; it went quickly.

In the first few months of the 2011 season, the Marlins looked like they had potential to be a late-season sleeper team in the NL. But after a horrendous June when the Marlins went 5-23 (.179 win percentage), they rebounded with a good July, only to follow it up with another terrible month in August.

Since July 31, they've had the second-worst record in MLB and have continued to look young and easily distracted. And when the Marlins demoted Logan Morrison to New Orleans after a very productive rookie campaign, the front office looked like they were losing control quickly.

Couple all this with the fact that just 347 fans came to a home game last week against the Cincinnati Reds? Well...

With so much young, exciting talent bursting from the seams of this team, can the Marlins possibly look any worse?

No. 24: Oakland A's

Overall Record: 60-75

August Record: 11-16

The strength of the Oakland A's for the last number of years has been their tremendous starting rotation.

This year with a serious injury to their front-line ace, Brett Anderson, they have struggled mightily. Even with Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez holding down the middle of their rotation, they've still had a disappointing season.

For September—and going into next season—they'll need a significant offensive overhaul to make any impact in the AL West, even with their young players Jemile Weeks and Brandon Allen showing lots of potential for the future.

No. 23: San Diego Padres

Overall Record: 60-75

August Record: 13-13

For as little as has been made about the San Diego Padres this year, they have quietly put together a better-than-I-would-have-thought kind of season and will continue to grow next season.

In the San Diego rotation, Tim Stauffer has been their surprising ace this year (8-11, 3.76 ERA) with Mat Latos having an off year. But Latos should be better next year, and if he and Stauffer can maintain some consistency, they may end up as one of the better one-two pitching combinations in the league.

So while this season is definitely over for the Padres (and has seemed to be for most of the summer) the future may be bright in San Diego if their young circle of players, headed up by Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Blanks, can develop any of the potential it has shown this year.

No. 22: Chicago Cubs

Overall Record: 58-77

August Record: 15-12

While overall the month of August has been generous to the Chicago Cubs, the general disarray of their franchise off the field (overpaying for do-nothing players like Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano, the firing of GM Jim Hendry and the vacillating of star players from trading block to lineup) has to catch up with the team on-field at some point. Right?

Or has it already?

All I know is things look like they could get worse for the Cubbies before they get any better. I wonder how long before Cubs fans start saying (again): we should've hired Ryne Sandburg!

No. 21: Pittsburgh Pirates

Overall Record: 62-73

August Record: 8-21

Not being any sort of Pittsburgh Pirates fan for any part of my life, it still pains me to put the Pirates this low on the list this year.

With as much energy and drama as this young team brought to the NL Central pennant chase in July, you can't help but feel bad they have fallen so far in August. They own a miserable .276 win percentage and the second-worst run differential in August.

Nonetheless, Pittsburgh has a reason to be excited about the improving core of players they've gathered in 2011, and, if they could strengthen their rotation by placing more solid starting pitchers around Kevin Correia and Charlie Morton, they might be in playoff contention in 2012.

No. 20: New York Mets

Overall Record: 64-69

August Record: 9-16

With the way the 2011 New York Mets season has spiralled out of control, I'm sure most Mets fans will remember this as the season that "could have been." For now, those talks will have to be tabled along with the talks about "what if" their three star players (Reyes, Wright, Davis) hadn't been injured for a major part of the season.

They are good questions but have no answers as Jose Reyes may be playing his last few games in a Mets uniform this month, Carlos Beltran is in San Francisco, and David Wright's future in Queens is uncertain.

A good last month of the season would see no other players landing on the DL and a couple of strong starts from the always-injured Johan Santana, who may be a problem in years to come if he can no longer be effective after (often troublesome) shoulder surgery.

No. 19: Washington Nationals

Overall Record: 63-70

August Record: 12-14

The incredible upside for the Washington Nationals far outweighs any arbitrary MLB Power Rankings list that any Internet hack—like myself—can create. They are literally filled to the brim with potential stars, and Nats fans are just waiting for the day when Bryce Harper breaks into MLB.

On September 6, the Nationals plan for Stephen Strasburg to make his first MLB start since Tommy John surgery, even though he has struggled in rehab starts for the Nats' minor-league affiliates. Still, the game Strasburg pitches will probably be the last time I'll want to check out a Nats game this year.

Now, next year? That's a different story.

No. 18: Los Angeles Dodgers

Overall Record: 63-70

August Record: 15-11

The more I see the Los Angeles Dodgers, their NL MVP candidate Matt Kemp, and NL Cy Young candidate, Clayton Kershaw, the more I think to myself: wow, Frank McCourt really screwed the Dodgers, didn't he?

Well, the Dodgers have nothing left to play for in September—except pride. 

Oh, and here's to both Kemp and Kershaw to win their respective NL awards. Nothing would be greater for Dodger fans than to have something to cheer about this season.

No. 17: Colorado Rockies

Overall Record: 64-72

August Record: 13-14

Going into July, the Colorado Rockies had two huge questions to answer if they were going to make a late-season pennant chase:

1) Who is going to play third base? And...

2) After Ubaldo, who is going to hold down the starting rotation?

After two months, the answer is still nobody and nobody. With two of the best players in the National League on the squad (Troy Tulowitzski and Carlos Gonzalez), it's still no wonder they haven't been able to take off this year.

...eh, maybe next year.

No. 16: Chicago White Sox

Overall Record: 68-65

August Record: 16-11

Besides their August record, not much has gone right for the Chicago White Sox this year. Despite all their on and off-field distractions (Adam Dunn's struggles and Ozzie Guillen's tumultuous tenure as White Sox manager seemingly coming to an end), the White Sox are just five games out of first place in the AL Central.

Perhaps the most talked-about September call-up Dayan Viciedo is the White Sox's last glimmer of hope to capture the divisional title, but they may have too much working against them at this point.

No. 15: Toronto Blue Jays

Overall Record: 67-68

August Record: 12-15

It's a shame the Toronto Blue Jays' season has been over for so long. It would be great to see their entertaining lineup in a meaningful game—something nobody has seen in a long time.

Or maybe they should see what they can do about moving divisions. If the Blue Jays were in any division but the AL East, they may have been in the thick of the pennant chase today.

The Blue Jays' most intriguing storyline going into September? Is Jose Bautista the AL's MVP? If it's not Justin Verlander, I take Bautista.

No. 14: Cleveland Indians

Overall Record: 67-65

August Record: 14-13

The Cleveland Indians confuse me. If you look at them from a certain angle, their roster looks like a top-tier playoff contender's. From another, they look like cellar dwellers. The problem: lack of consistency and lots of unrealized potential.

Just 5.5 games back of the division-leading Detroit Tigers, the Indians need to make their move, and they need to make it now. But with prevailing injuries to all three of their outfield starters and with Ubaldo Jimenez pitching like... well... like he has pitched all year, the Indians are fading fast.

Well, at least Carlos Santana's bat has finally come to life. Rejoice Fantasy owners!

No. 13: San Francisco Giants

Overall Record: 71-64

August Record: 10-17

It's difficult to make the argument that the San Francisco Giants, losers of three straight, have underachieved in August. Certainly, everybody knows the Giants' strength is their pitching and that they have struggled with prevailing injuries.

But their offensive ranks in team runs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all tell a cohesive story of offensive impotence. The Giants rank respectively in those categories: 30th, 29th, 29th and 28th.

No. 12: Cincinnati Reds

Overall Record: 67-68

August Record: 14-13

The roller coaster ride that has been the Cincinnati Reds' 2011 season took a major upswing this weekend when they swept the Washington Nationals. And then they promptly followed that by losing two straight to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Even while Joey Votto heats up, putting together another MVP-caliber season (.323/.438/.551), their hopes for a NL Central title are all but dashed as the Milwaukee Brewers continue to dominate the division.

No. 11: St. Louis Cardinals

Overall Record: 71-64

August Record: 14-13

Although the St. Louis Cardinals appeared to gain some traction when Albert Pujols came back from injury and promptly started raking in early July, they have petered into September with a 14-13 record in August.

And with the team's MVP this season, Lance Berkman, cleared through waivers and ostensibly all but out-of-town, the Cards have appeared to close up shop this season.

No. 10: Los Angeles Angels

Overall Record: 73-62

August Record: 13-12

When Los Angeles Angels' manager Mike Scioscia moved both Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver up one day, so they could pitch on three days' rest against the Texas Rangers, it confirmed the sort of desperation fans suspected the Angels are feeling right now.

Despite all the great things Jered Weaver and company have accomplished this season, the fact of the matter is the Angels have lost four of the last six games to the division-leading Texas Rangers, and that may be all she wrote.

No. 9: Arizona Diamondbacks

Overall Record: 77-59

August Record: 17-10

The Arizona Diamondbacks are the winners of seven straight games, but in August, they have a run-differential of just +7. Strong starting pitching has anchored them through the past seven games, but the small run-differential may suggest that come October, the D-Backs may be shown an early exit when put up against the best the NL has to offer.

No. 8: Tampa Bay Rays

Overall Record: 73-61

August Record: 17-10

Rookie sensation Desmond Jennings had led the resurgent Rays to a brilliant August despite losing the last two games of the month. In the last 31 days, he hit .346 with seven home runs and nine stolen bases.

In spite of all that, they still trail the wild-card leading Yankees by 8.5 games, so their brilliant late-summer play will probably be all for naught.

No. 7: Detroit Tigers

Overall Record: 74-61

August Record: 17-10

Buster Olney tweeted something fascinating last week. He wrote, "The Tigers are 21-8 in Verlander's 29 starts. In all other games, they are 52-51."

It's too bad Justin Verlander can't start all of the Tigers' games.

While Olney's tweet speaks volumes for the value of Justin Verlander, it also shows that without him, the Tigers are no better than a mediocre team. The chances of a deep run for the Detroit Tigers in September and beyond hinges dramatically on the play of Justin Verlander.

No. 6: Texas Rangers

Overall Record: 77-59

August Record: 16-11

Over the last few weeks, much has been made of the tiring Texas Rangers' starting rotation—for good reason. They have no proven, front-line starters aside from C.J. Wilson, a converted closer, and before this season No. 2 and 3 starters Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando were essentially no-namers.

While the Rangers probably have enough firepower to stave off the Angels for the AL West division, it doesn't bode well for their chances come October. Luckily, they've got Josh Hamilton who has recently looked more and more like the defending AL MVP he ought to resemble.

No. 5: Atlanta Braves

Overall Record: 79-55

August Record: 16-9

There isn't much downside when you look at the Atlanta Braves these days. They probably have the most well-rounded starting rotation and the most dominant bullpen going into September. The O'Flaherty/Venters/Kimbrel combination is unlike any bullpen trio I have seen in years.

If their offense can hang with the likes of the heavy-handed AL teams, they may be able to take their season all the way to the World Series.

No. 4: New York Yankees

Overall Record: 81-52

August Record: 17-10

In an important series this week, the New York Yankees take on the Red Sox to help determine AL East supremacy. While the Yankees may win the series, there's no denying that, holistically, the Yankees are not as good as the Boston Red Sox.

There are overarching questions about the health and effectiveness of their starting rotation. Beyond CC Sabathia, the Yankees have relied on aging veterans (Garcia and Colon) and unproven rookies (Nova) all year long to get them wins. Eventually, that strategy has to catch up with them.

No. 3: Milwaukee Brewers

Overall Record: 81-55

August Record: 21-6

Do not let anyone fool you into thinking the Milwaukee Brewers are Johnny-come-latelys or just the latest fad. They have a very good starting rotation with three front-line pitchers that will give any lineup headaches (Gallardo, Marcum, Greinke), a dynamic bullpen and the best 3-4 hitting combination in MLB with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

Some of the questionable supporting cast in Milwaukee is the reason the Brewers aren't sitting atop the MLB power rankings, but that doesn't mean they can't win the World Series. They are a team built for the postseason, and expect them to show up strong in September as a prelude to a deep run in October.

No. 2: Boston Red Sox

Overall Record: 82-52

August Record: 16-12

On paper, the Boston Red Sox are the best team in baseball. They've got an All-Star at practically every position on the field, a dynamic and useful bench, top-tier starting pitching, a ton of quality arms in their bullpen and not many key injuries headed into September.

The Red Sox's biggest question mark for September will be the back end of their pitching rotation which lacks depth due to some inconsistent pitching and injuries. Still, the Red Sox shouldn't worry too much; they have three possible MVP candidates in their starting lineup and match up extremely well with any team in MLB—quite a turn-around when you consider their slow start in April.

But none of us are really surprised, are we?

No. 1: Philadelphia Phillies

Overall Record: 85-46

August Record: 17-7

The Philadelphia Phillies have led a charmed life ever since Cliff Lee shocked the baseball world by signing with them this past offseason. Since then, they have done nothing but make fantastic front office moves, dealing at the deadline for Hunter Pence who, rather than Carlos Beltran, has been on a tear (.326/.400/.526) since being traded in July.

Oh yeah, and their pitching is absolutely nauseating for opposing lineups. Can you imagine having to face Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in six out of seven games? It's a daunting prospect for any lineup on the planet.

And while there may be some lingering questions about the health of Hamels and the consistency of their hitting, the Phillies are in prime position for another World Series run in 2011.