Usually released on Sundays, I waited a day later this week to reveal my Top 10 MLB Power Ranking. Things are shaping up to be really fun these last two months of the regular season, and I especially look forward to the NL Central race and the NL Wildcard race. There’s still plenty of baseball left, but here’s how things look 12 days into the month of August. 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.

First Two Out: St. Louis Cardinals & Washington Nationals

10. Chicago Cubs (64-54)

Last Week: 10

Hanging on to the 10th spot for another week are the Chicago Cubs. They still lead the NL Central over the Cardinals, Brewers, and Reds, who are all within five games, but are just two up on the Redbirds. It’s been an exciting division to watch all year long and it will only gain excitement as the season winds down. It’s hard telling who will come out on top.

9. New York Mets (61-57)

Last Week: NR

Who are these New York Mets and where did they come from? Ever since their head scratching trade deadline moves, they have been on an absolute tear and are just a game out of the wild card. They have won 15 of their last 17 games and are now a serious contender after many Mets fans had given up on them. I wanted to put them a few spots higher, but I want to see if they can keep this pace up for another week. They have a big series against the Braves Tuesday-Thursday, which should be pretty telling.

8. Oakland Athletics (67-51)

Last Week: 8

Also retaining their spot from last week are the A’s. They have had a really good season so far, but are still 10 games back in the West because of the Astros’ dominance. But the A’s shouldn’t be overshadowed because if they find themselves in the wild card game in October, they will be a very tough out. Currently, they are just a game and a half outside of the wild card.

7. Minnesota Twins (71-47)

Last Week: 4

What was once a dominating season has turned very interesting for the Twins. At one time they were up around 10 or 11 games on the Indians in the Central, but are now tied with their division rivals. I cannot wait to watch this race till the end, but the Twins have been trending in the wrong direction while the Indians have been trending in the right one. Losing Nelson Cruz is definitely a huge blow for this team, too. He was the hottest hitter in the game for a recent stretch and now possibly done for the season with a wrist injury.

6. Atlanta Braves (70-50)

Last Week: 5

Nobody can argue with Atlanta’s powerful lineup. They have so many run producers they could be a scary team to face in October. But the problem lies within the bullpen, as it has all season long. Even after making what seemed like satisfactory trade deadline moves to fix their bullpen woes, they are still struggling and causing a lot of concern among Braves fans. If they were more reliable, the Braves would be higher on this list. Currently they have a 6.5 game lead in the NL East over Washington.

5. Tampa Bay Rays (69-50)

Last Week: 7

After falling all the way to #9 a few weeks back, the Rays have started working their way towards the top again. They have been in the top 10 all season long and have a team nobody wants to see in October. It all starts with defense with the Rays, who have given up the least amount of runs in the American League. That stat did include the entire MLB for almost all season, but the Dodgers have now surpassed them. I’m also awaiting Blake Snell’s return to this already solid rotation as well.

4. Cleveland Indians (71-47)

Last Week: 6

The Indians are tied atop the AL Central with the Twins, but as I stated in the Twins’ section, the Indians are the team trending in the right direction. They are 21-9 since the All-Star break and have made the division race one of the most interesting ones to watch in baseball. At one time I thought the Central was a wrap, but now I would be surprised if the Indians don’t take it. Their offense has come along and the defense has as well, only giving up three more runs on the season than the Rays, whose defense I’ve raved about all year long.

3. New York Yankees (77-41)

Last Week: 3

Here we go with the same exact top three again. All three of these teams are consistent, and they are consistently good. The Yankees are 8-2 in their last ten and have a +153 run differential on the season. They have an 8.5 game lead in the East over the Rays, and unless they choke, should cruise to a division championship. It seems them and the Astros are on the fast track to face each other in the ALCS in October.

2. Houston Astros (77-41)

Last Week: 2

Like the Yankees, the Astros are 77-41 and 8-2 in their last 10 games. I’m really running out of stuff to say about these top three teams because they just keep winning, winning, winning. Like I said, I fully expect to see an Astros-Yankees ALCS in the playoffs. As to which team wins, I would have to lean Astros because of their purely dominant pitching.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (79-41)

Last Week: 1

Once again, the Dodgers claim the top spot in my ranking. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have an MLB-best +192 run differential across the season. In my opinion, they have all the necessary ingredients to win a World Series. They have hitting, pitching, depth, a good mix of youth and veteran leadership, and the desire to prove they can win it all after losing in the World Series the last two years. I still stand by my prediction that the Dodgers will win it all this year.

Garett

MLB Top 10 Power Ranking