It’s time to take another look at the MLB Top 10 power rankings. There’s a little shakeup at the lower end of the list this week with a few new teams that haven’t seen this list yet this season. With my ranking, I am taking into consideration the potential of teams over the course of the season, along with the current value of teams, with more emphasis on current value. Let me know how much you agree/disagree.

10. Oakland Athletics (46-39)

Last Week: NR

Enter the first team who hasn’t been featured on this list yet this season: the Oakland Athletics. The A’s had a great year last year, but have taken a little step back from where they were a year ago. Still, they have been playing great ball lately and are right back into the conversation of one of the better teams in the West. They are just a half game back of the 2nd AL Wild Card spot behind their divisional rival, the Texas Rangers.

9. Texas Rangers (46-38)

Last Week: NR

Here is the second team that hasn’t been featured in this ranking yet this season. It’s time to stop ignoring the Rangers as they’ve been putting together a solid season. Several weeks they just missed the 10th spot in my power ranking. To be honest, I kept waiting for the Rangers to slowly become less and less relevant this year, but so far they continue to prove me wrong. If there is one thing to know about this team, it is that they can really hit it. They are tied for 7th in the majors in runs scored on the season.

8. Milwaukee Brewers (45-39)

Last Week: NR

The Brewers are back in the ranking this week, taking the spot from the scuffling Cardinals. That division is so crazy, those teams seem to flip flop almost every week for a spot on this list. We know good and well what the Brewers are capable of, and I don’t think they’ve lived up to their potential yet this season, even though they’re tied with the Cubs atop the Central. The reason the Cubs are ahead of them on this list is because the Brewers have a -4 run differential on the season, while the Cubs post a +64. To me, that is a pretty telling stat.

7. Chicago Cubs (45-39)

Last Week: 8

So here are those Cubbies, who are tied with the Brewers at the top of the Central. The Cubs haven’t been playing so great lately, at 4-6 in their last 10, but “streaky” always seems to describe this team. And when they get hot, they can really go on a run. As a Braves fan, I watched this week’s Braves-Cubs series in Chicago and it had the feeling of a playoff series with two really good teams. The series was split, by the way, 2-2. And Craig Kimbrel is finally a part of the bullpen, which should help tremendously.

6. Tampa Bay Rays (48-36)

Last Week: 7

Back up a spot from a week ago are the Rays. Currently they are 7 games back in the East from the Yankees and 4 games up on the 3rd place Red Sox. Slowing down from their torrid start to the season, the Rays are still playing very well, but get overshadowed by the Yankees causing them to fly under the radar. They still have a great defense and have given up the least amount of runs in the majors (300), 11 runs better than…you guessed it (or probably didn’t), the Cincinnati Reds. Also watch out for Blake Snell, who seemed to break out of his slump yesterday with a 12 K, 0 BB game yesterday.

5. Atlanta Braves (50-35)

Last Week: 5

The top five will remain unchanged from last week and I don’t think anyone can really argue against that. The Braves have been holding steady as a really dangerous team, winning 21 games in the month of June. Their lineup has been clicking for a while now and it’s been fun to watch. Acuna has been doing his thing in the leadoff spot like he did last year, Swanson has been a very nice surprise this year and fits in nice in the 2-spot, Freddie Freeman is Freddie Freeman, Donaldson has been hitting better, Markakis is consistent like always, Albies has been on a tear recently, and Riley is still swatting home runs. Their lineup is a deep one, with several good bench bats, which is always useful in the playoffs.

4. Houston Astros (53-32)

Last Week: 4

At 5-5 in their last 10, the Astros haven’t done anything to jump any higher on the list. The top four teams have been the same for a long time now, each being so good that moving up or down on the list usually only means one spot, and depends on recent play. The Astros currently lead the division by 6.5 games over the Rangers. Out of the top four teams, they have the lowest run differential at +84, so using the word “lowest” just seems weird.

3. Minnesota Twins (53-30)

Last Week: 2

The Twins drop a spot this week because like the Astros, they’ve been playing .500-ball lately and the Yankees have been on fire. At this point in the season everyone is well aware of the Twins’ offensive power, having scored 474 runs on the season (5.7/game). The crazy thing is, they’ve actually been surpassed in that category by two teams, the Yankees (476) and the Rockies (475). The Twins still have a comfortable lead in the Central right now, 8 games up on the Indians. They’ve been so good this year that the AL Central hasn’t been interesting.

2. New York Yankees (54-28)

Last Week: 3

The Yankees have been the hottest team in the past week, but I’m not ready to give them the top spot just yet. They’re coming off a very successful trip to London, where they erupted for 29 runs in two games against the Red Sox. Boston scored 21 runs themselves, so there must’ve been something in the water there. Either way, it’s safe to say the Yankees’ offensive power will continue here back in the states. Their lineup is just too good not to produce big-time numbers. They will be without Giancarlo Stanton until around August, even though he just came back from a lengthy injury, but they’ve proved they don’t need him in the lineup.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (57-29)

Last Week: 1

The Dodgers have made themselves comfortable in the #1 spot of my power rankings. As good as they continue to be, I don’t see how anyone could argue they’re not the best team in baseball. Their lineup hits it just as good as anyone’s and their staff is just as good as anyone’s. That’s why they have the best run differential in baseball at +128, 15 runs better than the second-best Twins. I love watching this Dodger team play because they are so good in so many areas. And they also seem to be on a mission this season after losing back-to-back World Series, like they should be. I can’t really put my finger on it, but this team just has that intangible “extra” that I don’t think any other team has.

Garett

MLB Top 10 Power Rankings