For most of the teams in the league we are about 1/3 of the way through the season and it seems like we now know who is going to fight for a playoff spot and who is not. On top of that we are getting closer and closer to the trade deadline so we will see soon who will be buyers and who will be sellers.
We knew the 60-game schedule was going to create some level of randomness and potentially open the door for some surprises, but no one could have seen the Orioles and Marlins as solid playoff contenders or the Rockies as a top-10 team. But that’s where we are with the midpoint of the season about a week and a half away, truly anything can happen in a shortened season
Much like last week, power rankings reflect reality and not what should have happened. These next couple of weeks will truly show who are contenders and who are pretenders. The Diamondbacks saw the biggest jump this week moving up eight spots to No. 15 and the Tigers saw the biggest drop falling down to No. 22 down 10 spots.
Previous: https://theodsportscolumn.com/mlb-power-rankings/, https://theodsportscolumn.com/mlb-power-rankings-8-3-8-9/
1. Oakland Athletics
2020 Record: 16-6
Prev. Week (1 ⏤)
Over the past two weeks the Athletics have easily been the best team in baseball and it really isn’t close. The A’s are 5-2 in the past week and 9-4 over the past two weeks and it is due to the offense and the pitching both being great (for the most part). Some of their top players are not preforming great as of yet but they are getting a lot of production out of their role players and that is partly why they are so good. The pitching has really struggled recently yet they still sit with the best record in the MLB, if they can do this while struggling then they will be very dangerous when they are all clicking.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
2020 Record: 16-7
Prev. Week (2 —)
Cody Bellinger may be starting to heat up and if that’s the case then it could be over for many teams. Even if he is not though the players around him have been great and are making up for the lack of offensive production from Bellinger. While the offense has been great recently it does not compare to the pitching which has been other worldly. Over the past week the Dodgers have a 2.39 ERA and if this is how they are going to play they may not lose again—kidding. On a serious note though, the Dodgers are exactly who we thought they were and should be up there all year long.
3. New York Yankees
2020 Record: 15-6
Prev. Week (3 ⏤)
Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are both on the IL, yet the Yankees are still one of the best teams in the MLB. That just shows how much depth they truly have on their roster. DJ LeMahieu is looking like the MVP candidate of last season and Gleyber Torres is starting to heat up, and even though Gary Sanchez has not been good they have the talent to work around that. James Paxton has still been struggling but the rest of the staff has been on point and the Yankees should consistently remain in the top 3 of the power rankings.
4. Chicago Cubs
2020 Record: 13-6
Prev. Week (5 ↑1)
Two of the Cubs biggest names are off to a slow start in Javier Baez and Kris Bryant, yet the Cubs still have one of the best records in the league. The offense as a whole have been cold this past week, but their pitching has made up for it with a 3.27 ERA in this past week. The Cubs are 3-3 this past week and once the offense gets going then they will be a big threat, especially if the pitching staff can continue on the trend that they are currently in.
5. Tampa Bay Rays
2020 Record: 14-9
Prev. Week (11 ↑6)
After getting off to a rough start to the season the Rays have completely turned things around after going 6-1 this week and 8-2 over the past 10 games. While the offense may not have big-name players, they have been on fire this past week. That is the weird part with the Rays, the pitching was supposed to be great but the it has been the offense recently who has been great, and the pitching staff has not been. While this shouldn’t last this could be a dangerous combination for them. The pitching should get better but if the offense continues like this then they could pass the Yankees in the division.
6. Minnesota Twins
2020 Record: 14-8
Prev. Week (6 ⏤)
The Twins easily have one of the top offenses in the game, but their pitching staff has suffered injuries and Jose Berrios struggling. Even with Berrios struggling they are still one of the best pitching staffs in the game with a 3.44 ERA, good for 3rd in the MLB. They made up for a rough week where they lost four games in a row this past week when they went 4-2. While some players may not be playing great, one person that they love seeing thrive is Byron Buxton. Buxton was meant to break out one year and right now he is helping the Twins lead the NL Central.
7. Cleveland Indians
2020 Record: 13-9
Prev. Week (7 ⏤)
The Indians are now without Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac for who knows how long. In a way that is what they get for not following protocols, but without them it could be tougher for the team. I see it as a good sign for the Indians that they are more focused on health than winning, but eventually these players will be back up or traded away. The team has gone into a slump on the offensive end, except for Franmil Reyes. While it may not be the deadliest offensive team they need to step up. Shane Bieber is still great on the pitching side, he cannot be the only one though, someone needs to step up.
8. Atlanta Braves
2020 Record: 13-10
Prev. Week (4 ↓4)
Losing almost your entire pitching staff is not an easy task to overcome, but the Braves have the talent to be able to do so. Max Fried has looked great but other people will need to step up on the pitching side for the Braves. Luckily for the Braves, the other teams in the division are struggling as well so they have time to figure out some sort of solution. As of right now they have to rely on the offense, and they have been struggling slightly. The Braves will definitely be buyers come deadline time, but how much are they willing to part with?
9. Colorado Rockies
2020 Record: 13-8
Prev. Week (8 ↓1)
Charlie Blackmon has easily been the story of the Rockies this season, but one that has gone a little under the radar is the pitching staff. On top of all of that Arenado is starting to get hot and you have yourself a dangerous team. While the pitching staff has recently struggled it hopefully will not last. The big thing with the Rockies is that they have the offensive fire power to compete with any team, while the pitching staff has over preformed so far, all they need is a serviceable staff and they could easily be a playoff team.
10. Houston Astros
2020 Record: 11-10
Prev. Week (15 ↑5)
After last week I said that this was a big week for the Astros, and that it was, the Astros now have a positive record after going 5-1 this past week. While the competition may have been weak recently, this is exactly what the Astros needed. While some bats are still struggling, they have shown that they have what it takes to compete. The pitching has looked great recently and if they can keep it up then they do not need a great offense. I still believe the offense will bounce back and if the pitching remains with the offense then watch out.
11. Baltimore Orioles
2020 Record: 12-9
Prev. Week (14 ↑3)
The Orioles continue to surprise everybody, they were supposed to be the worst team in the league and after 1/3 of the season they would currently be in the playoffs. We keep saying it won’t last, yet it continues to so let’s ride with it. Hanser Alberto and Jose Iglesias have been great, and Anthony Santander is tied for the most RBIs in the MLB (exactly what everyone thought). The Orioles are one of the best offensive teams in the league and while the pitching may need some help, the offense has shown the ability to care them. Over the past week the Orioles have posted a 5.73 ERA, about a run more than normal so if they want to compete they could be buyers at the deadline.
12. Milwaukee Brewers
2020 Record: 10-10
Prev. Week (16 ↑4)
Obviously, the biggest concern is with Christian Yelich only batting .194, but honestly the biggest surprise may be how they still have a .500 record with the team playing poorly. Eventually this will come to catch up with them if the trend continues, but the fact they are able to do this says that once they get hot, beware. Over the past week the Brewers are 4-3 and all of their wins have been close victories, this says that the pitching staff has been very good so far. While the pitching has been great, the bats need to wake up soon are they could be sellers at the deadline.
13. Miami Marlins
2020 Record: 9-6
Prev. Week (9 ↓4)
The Marlins were the Cinderella story after coming back from their hiatus and leading the NL East. While they still currently reside in first in the division it seems as though it may not be lasting for much longer. They weren’t bad this past week going 2-3, but the question still remains of how much longer can this last? There is nothing really spectacular about this team other than the fact that they continue to win games. Jesus Aguilar and Brian Anderson are nicely filling the role of the big boppers. The pitching staff has been fantastic this season with Pablo Lopez and Elieser Hernandez all playing great. Don’t expect this to last, but they may have set themselves up to be big sellers at the deadline.
14. Chicago White Sox
2020 Record: 11-11
Prev. Week (13 ↓1)
The White Sox were supposed to be one of the best offensive teams this season, instead they have been the definition of inconsistent. Eloy Jimenez has been great in the past week, but overall the team has not been able to come together and show they are one of the forces in the league consistently. They currently sit in the middle of the pack in ERA at 4.31, 17th in the league, and they also sit in the middle of the pack offensively. By no means are the White Sox bad, but they have so much more potential than what they have been showing.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
2020 Record: 11-11
Prev. Week (23 ↑8)
The Diamondbacks are finally looking like the team they were supposed to be after making the offseason additions of Mad Bum and Starling Marte. The entire offense has exploded recently, and it now looks as though the Diamondbacks are a playoff team. When your offense is hitting like this then your pitching can struggle a little, which they have but the offense has made up for it. However, this cannot be a trend that continues because the offense will not always be like this, the pitching needs to step up and they could potentially be buyers at the deadline.
16. San Diego Padres
2020 Record: 11-12
Prev. Week (10 ↓6)
Fernando Tatis Jr. is looking like a potential MVP, however, the same cannot be said for the rest of his teammates. Not every teammate is supposed to play like an MVP, but the backstop is playing like one of the worst in the league. Between Francisco Mejia and Austin Hedges, the Padres catchers are hitting a collective .087/.149/.188, this needs to change quickly. Over the past week the offense is averaging less than three runs, no wonder they are 2-5 over the past week. Combine that with a 5.74 ERA over the past week and only bad things can happen.
17. Texas Rangers
2020 Record: 10-10
Prev. Week (20 ↑3)
Lance Lynn is looking excellent this season and is showing that he is a Cy Young candidate. He is not the only one doing this though, over the past 10 games the Rangers are 7-3 in large part to their pitching staff. The offense has looked alright, but their biggest bats have been struggling in Joey Gallo and Elvis Andrus. While they have been doing well recently, what are they going to do with Rougned Odor? While Odor’s contract is nowhere near as bad as Chris Davis’s was, Odor got a large contract and has looked bad ever since he got it. While the Rangers have looked good, it has to be in the back of their mind of whether or not it is time to get rid of Odor.
18. Philadelphia Phillies
2020 Record: 8-9
Prev. Week (24 ↑6)
Bryce Harper is playing like a 330-million-dollar man right now and that is exactly what was expected when they signed him. He has already gotten his contract, a player who hasn’t though is J.T. Realmuto and he is extremely deserving of it. The offense is looking like potentially the best in the league with everyone looking very good right now (except Jay Bruce and Scott Kingery). While the offense is looking great the same cannot be said for the pitching staff, specifically the bullpen. While the bullpen has gotten better—I guess— they still have a league worst 8.77 ERA and is the main reason they sit in the position they do. With everything else looking great, expect the Phillies to add to their bullpen before the deadline.
19. Washington Nationals
2020 Record: 8-11
Prev. Week (22 ↑3)
Juan Soto has been on FIRE ever since starting the season after his stint on the IL due to COVID-19. This was to be expected though because Soto looked great last season and proved he was already one of the top hitters in the league. In fact, the offense has looked great over the past week (for the most part). Starlin Castro and Carter Kieboom have been struggling a bit recently but don’t expect that to continue. Pitching on the other hand has been a major letdown. Strasburg is once again on the IL and Corbin and Scherzer have had rough starts so far this season. The Pitching need to step up soon, especially since the Nats cannot keep going at this pace if they hope to make the playoffs.
20. Cincinnati Reds
2020 Record: 9-11
Prev. Week (17 ↓3)
Eugenio Suarez is one of the biggest disappointments of the year so far, only batting .123. Nicholas Castellanos has started to struggle recently even though he has been one of the most consistent hitters on the team. One person that has been dominant though is Jesse Winker, over the past week Winker has a 2.483 OPS with four HRs and five RBIs. The team that was supposed to be feared for the hitting has proved that the hitting is one of its weaker points. Although it is easily possible that things will change, they do not have long to decide whether or not they will be buyers or sellers come the deadline.
21. New York Mets
2020 Record: 9-14
Prev. Week (18 ↓3)
Jacob deGrom can only do so much for a team considering he only pitches once every five games. The pitching staff was already thin after losing Thor for the season and now they have lost Stroman after he opted out late last week. deGrom is now the only reliable arm in that rotation, and someone will need to step up. David Peterson has showed to be that guy so far which is a great start for a rookie, now it is up to one of the veteran guys to step up. Offensively it looks like the lineup as a whole is finally starting to bring it together, now they need some pitchers to step up.
22. Detroit Tigers
2020 Record: 9-10
Prev. Week (12 ↓10)
The Tigers started looking like one of the best teams in the AL Central, this past week though things have changed immensely after going 1-5. To be fair, this is where the Tigers were expected to be coming into the season so anything more than that was exceeding expectations. While the team has been struggling of late, one player that has not is JaCoby Jones. Jones is showing more gap to gap power than ever before with 12 of his 17 hits coming as extra-base hits, if it comes down to selling at the deadline then Jones would be one that could bring great value.
23. Kansas City Royals
2020 Record: 9-13
Prev. Week (27 ↑4)
Jorge Soler has been in a massive slump recently and as one of the top run producers that is never a good thing. Luckily, they have been getting production out of Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield, however, if they continue this losing trend this could be the year that one or possibly both of them get traded. Overall, the pitching has not been bad especially from rookie Brady Singer, then you have Brad Keller who has looked fantastic. However, with the trade deadline coming up soon the Royals need to turn it around on the offensive end quickly or they could be sellers come the 31st.
24. Toronto Blue Jays
2020 Record: 7-11
Prev. Week (26 ↑2)
Bo Bichette looks to have lived up so far to all the hype that he was given entering the majors. While he has lived up to the hype, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has gotten off to an extremely unlucky start, he ranks as one of the best at hitting the ball hard, but it just does not seem to be finding the gaps right now. That should change and it is a good sign he is hitting the ball hard, and once the balls start to find gaps, he should be back to being a threat once again. The Jays actually have one of the best pitching staffs in the league, but have tough luck in close games, sitting at 5-9 in games separated by three runs or less. While having a negative record, the Jays actually sit in a good position, now they just need to find a way to win the close games.
25. Los Angeles Angels
2020 Record: 7-15
Prev. Week (28 ↑3)
When we talk about disappointing teams in the 2020 season you have to mention the Angels. After adding Anthony Rendon, it seemed like they were legitimate playoff contenders, especially with the expanded playoff. As of right now it has been the complete opposite. While Rendon may not have the best average on the team (.203) he is heating over the past week up and is one of the best offensive players on the team, 3rd in RBI, and 2nd in OPS. Dylan Bundy has easily been the biggest surprise of the team, surely a candidate for Cy Young right now, but the pitching staff as a whole need to step up to help match the offensive power they have.
26. San Francisco Giants
2020 Record: 8-15
Prev. Week (21 ↓5)
The Giants were looking like a surprise team during the first two weeks of the season, but they seem to have fallen back down to earth. In their last 10 games they are 2-8 and the trend seems like it may continue as their hitting has gone downhill and their pitching has had a 7.17 ERA, up about 1.5 compared to their season 5.69 ERA. While Donovan Solano has had a breakout season thus far—still batting over .400—he has cooled down which was expected and hit .235 over this past week. Since the Giants are cooling down overall, expect them to be sellers come August 31st (trade deadline).
27. Boston Red Sox
2020 Record: 6-16
Prev. Week (25 ↓2)
The Red Sox weakest point coming into this season was the pitching staff, but even though it was weak, nobody expected them to be this bad. Coming into the season it seemed as if the Red Sox could be a potential playoff team with the prowess of their lineup, but you can pretty much kiss that dream goodbye. The Red Sox easily have the worst ERA in the league at a staggering 6.15, however, their bullpen is a little better than their overall at 5.44. While we can point out the negatives with this team, let’s look at a positive in Phillips Valdez. Valdez is now in his second season and he has looked fantastic as of right now, only allowing one earned run in 13.1 innings.
28. Seattle Mariners
2020 Record: 7-1
Prev. Week (29 ↑1)
While as a team the Mariners may be struggling, they have certain pieces that are exceeding expectations given to them going into this season. J.P Crawford is looking like the player he was thought to be coming up in the Phillies system and Kyle Lewis is in the running for AL rookie of the year right now. On top of that you have Dylan Moore who is showing that he has power with his bat and Kyle Seager is back and healthy while also having one of his best offensive seasons. Unfortunately, the pitching is what is stopping this team from being a playoff team as they currently rank 29th at a 5.6 ERA.
29. Pittsburgh Pirates
2020 Record: 4-14
Prev. Week (29 ↑1)
Phillip Evans was one of the few bright spots for the Pirates this year and then unfortunately got injured and is now out for the rest of the season. This seems to be the luck of the Pirates this year. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) for the Pirates, they were only able to play two games this past week after the series against St. Louis got postponed and the final two games against the Reds got postponed. Erik Gonzales has stepped up as the breakout player so far this season with a .907 OPS, but other than him the Pirates have nothing going for them. They have a league worst OPS and the 27th ranked ERA, basically the perfect combination for the #1 overall pick.
Unranked: St. Louis Cardinals
2020 Record: 4-
Prev. Week (19)
The Cardinals have finally started playing again for the first time since July 29th. It honestly just feels a little unfair to legitimately rank them due to the number of games they have played compared to all the other teams. Most of the other teams have played about 20 games with the Marlins having the fewest of all other teams at 15. The fact that they have played less than half of the games as almost every other team due to positive COVID-19 results makes it nearly impossible to fairly judge.