We are one week away from playoff baseball. Before the season started it seemed as though we might not ever reach this point, but after a few hiccups to start the season the playoffs are almost here to go along with playoff basketball and hockey.
With the number of teams making it to the playoffs this season there will be a certain level of craziness in the last week of the season, specifically in the NL. Only seven teams have punched their tickets so that means we are still waiting on nine.
Anything can happen over the final week and with a number of playoff spots still up for grabs this week should make for one of the most exciting weeks in baseball in recent history. With that being said in the latest edition of power rankings we have some big risers and some teams that fell after a rough week. There is still a lot up in the air to be decided but let’s get into the final power rankings before the playoffs.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2020 Record: 38-16
Prev. Week (1 ⏤)
The Dodgers have continued to be the best team in baseball, does this really surprise anybody? Well, perhaps it should since Cody Bellinger has been ice cold all season long. While Cody Bellinger may not have played up to his MVP level the Dodgers have locked up a playoff spot and unless they go on a seven-game losing streak it seems like they will be the one seed in the NL. As long as the star players such as Bellinger are back at full production during playoff time then the Dodgers should be World Series favorites.
2. Tampa Bay Rays
2020 Record: 35-19
Prev. Week (3 ↑1)
The Rays started off this season insanely cold, but they have bounced back in a major way and now they are fighting for that number one seed in the AL. The starting pitching still may not be exactly where this team is hoping it would be, but the bullpen has been excellent and has helped carry this team to the AL East division lead. The most pleasant surprise though has to be from Brandon Lowe, Lowe has proved that he is the future second baseman of this team and while they do need some more offensive players to step up if they are going to match some of these other teams they are in a great position to be either a one or two seed.
3. Chicago White Sox
2020 Record: 34-19
Prev. Week (4 ↑1)
At the beginning of the season it looked like the White Sox were going to be a fringe playoff team, now they currently have the two seed and are fighting for the one seed in the AL. Not only have the young players in Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert showed up for the Sox this season but so have Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu. That is just on the offensive end, on the pitching side Lucas Giolito, Dallas Kuechel, Dylan Cease, and Dane Dunning have all looked like a pitching staff for the best team in the Central. If this is the future of the White Sox then the future is extremely bright, right now though the number one seed is in their sights as they race to the playoffs.
4. San Diego Padres
2020 Record: 34-20
Prev. Week (2 ↓2)
San Diego went all in during the trade deadline and while they may still be behind the Dodgers in the division, they are right up there for best team in the NL. The offense is led by the youth movement and Fernando Tatis Jr., but also have the veterans such as Manny Machado, Tommy Pham, and Eric Hosmer to make the offense work. Adding Mike Clevinger to this starting staff only made the team more dangerous and when you take everything from the offense to the pitching into account then the Padres should be right up there when talking about favorites to make it to the World Series right there with the Dodgers.
5. Oakland Athletics
2020 Record: 33-20
Prev. Week (5 ⏤)
Losing Matt Chapman is a big blow, even if they have not felt the full effects of losing a player like Chapman yet. The offense hasn’t been great, Chapman was their best player, but they should still be good enough to fight for that number one spot down the homestretch. It may not happen but unless a major collapse happens, they have already locked up the one seed in the AL West. If there is one area that will need to step up with this weak lineup it is the starting pitching, they have two consistent starters, but it seems like they rely on their bullpen to often. With an offense that cannot score at will, they will need more reliable starting pitching come playoff time.
6. Minnesota Twins
2020 Record: 33-22
Prev. Week (5 ↓1)
The Twins are still fighting for the division win but dropping three out of four to the White Sox made that a whole lot tougher. In five remaining games they have two against the Tigers and three against the Reds, so the division is still in reach, but the gap is narrowing every single day. The offense as a whole still may not be to the level of last season, but to go along with their starting pitching then they could be unstoppable. If this offense can take over completely then they could sneak their way to the division lead and potentially avoid the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.
7. New York Yankees
2020 Record: 31-22
Prev. Week (10 ↑3)
The Yankees have been ridiculously good over the past week and even with the injuries they have clinched a playoff spot, now they are looking to win that division. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are back and just in time for the playoffs. Their lineup may not be quite back at full strength, but they are closer and closer every day, now the starting pitching needs to step up. They have struggled with their starting pitching all season long, but they have been able to rely on their bullpen, if their starters can carry some of the load now then the division is in reach and they are easily up there when talking about World Series favorites.
8. Chicago Cubs
2020 Record: 31-22
Prev. Week (8 ⏤)
The Cubs have the lead in the NL Central and with the Cardinals, Reds, and Brewers all playing each other this last week, this lead should remain until season’s end. As long as they can at least tie their series against Pittsburgh then that should happen. The best news for them is that their bullpen has slowly been getting better all season long, if they can continue to get better than there could be a deep playoff run that we see from this team since the playoff spot is all but locked up.
9. Atlanta Braves
2020 Record: 31-22
Prev. Week (7 ↓2)
It looks like it is a little late for any NL East team to overtake the Braves atop the division. The Braves have held the division lead for over a month and they will start off the week playing against the current two seed Marlins, this series will end up determining the division winner and the potential second place team. As long as Atlanta doesn’t get swept then their chances to win are pretty strong and their pitching staff has been getting a little healthier which should help immensely. The Braves seemed locked for the playoffs, the only question is what seed will they be in?
10. Cleveland Indians
2020 Record: 29-24
Prev. Week (9 ↓1)
The top three teams from the AL Central are ridiculously good and all three of them will end up making the playoffs, the only question is who will win the division and who will come in second and third. The Indians cooled off big time in the middle of this month, losing eight straight games and taking them out of first place. They have a chance to make up for that as the play the Pirates in the final three games, but they need to get past the White Sox first in a four-game series so the third-place spot could be very foreseeable.
11. Philadelphia Phillies
2020 Record: 27-26
Prev. Week (13 ↑2)
In their last 15 games the Phillies have a 6-9 record and they are closely inching their way to not making the playoffs. Some good news for them is that catcher J.T. Realmuto could return soon and help them in the final push. This would be huge for the team as Realmuto has been one of their best players all season long. In order to make the playoffs they have to get past the Nationals and Rays and although the Nationals may be out of the race you can bet they would love to play spoiler, nothing is going to come easy over this final week.
12. Houston Astros,
2020 Record: 27-26
Prev. Week (12 ⏤)
The news that Justin Verlander is out for the rest of the season is not going to make a run deep in the playoffs any easier. Luckily, there should be no issue getting into the playoffs. While it may not have been the season that was projected, the young pitching on the team has been able to help keep this team in it all year long. Now is time for the lineup to step up, by names alone they still have one of the most dangerous lineups, if they can get the normal production out of these guys which they will need to go along with the pitching then a deep playoff run could be seen.
13. Miami Marlins
2020 Record: 28-25
Prev. Week (14 ↑1)
If there was one thing that almost nobody predicted before the season started it would have that the Marlins, Orioles, Tigers, or Pirates would make the playoffs. Well, one of those things could easily happen, the Marlins currently sit in second in their division, so the playoffs are guaranteed. If only things were that easy. The NL is a race for the wild card spots right now and with Philadelphia right in their rear view for the second spot they could be in the wild card hunt soon. Nothing is going to be easy over this next week as they face the Braves and Yankees, their hitting will need to show up to help their pitching since these are two of the best offenses in the league.
14. Cincinnati Reds
2020 Record: 27-27
Prev. Week (18 ↑4)
The Reds were a favorite underdog team to choose to make the playoffs before the season started, while the season may have started off rough, they have been all in this past week. A 6-1 week currently puts them in the playoffs, and they start this next week with the Brewers in a three-game series which could determine if the Reds will see the playoffs. There are some injuries that they will have to overcome in order to make it to the playoffs, but if they ride this momentum that they currently have into the next week then the playoffs should be a given.
15. St. Louis Cardinals
2020 Record: 26-24
Prev. Week (16 ↑1)
After having a rough start to the season due to the COVID-19 outbreak the Cardinals have bounced back in a mighty way and are on the right path to the playoffs. They will most likely be the only team that does not play the full 60 games, but they will be playing as many as possible with eight games during the final week. A series win against the Royals in the first series could determine whether or not the playoffs will be seen, if not they will have to leave it up to the five-game series against the Brewers to end the season. They currently sit in second place in the division and a .500 stint to end the season should be enough to see the playoffs.
16. Milwaukee Brewers
2020 Record: 26-26
Prev. Week (17 ↑1)
The National League is loaded with potential playoff teams right now and all of them are on the up and up right now which makes it tougher for the Brewers. While the other teams are hot so are the Brewers which increases their odds. As cliché as it sounds, these next eight games are going to decide if they make the playoffs or not. They start out with a three-game series against the current eight seed Reds and end the season with five games against the Cardinals who own the second division spot. The pitching has been stepping up over the past week, if the lineup can help add to that then the Brewers could find themselves in the playoffs.
17. Toronto Blue Jays
2020 Record: 27-26
Prev. Week (11 ↓6)
A brutal week where the Blue Jays went 1-6 sent the Blue Jays plummeting in the rankings. Luckily, they ended the week on a win so they could ride that momentum going forward while they are still in a playoff push. The good thing for them is that they have a four-game lead over the Mariners, so over the last seven games all they need to do is win four (assuming the Mariners don’t lose), that should be easy enough. They also have the advantage of playing the remainder of the season at home. Things are looking good for the Blue Jays playoff chances even after a rough week.
18. San Francisco Giants
2020 Record: 26-26
Prev. Week (15 ↓3)
The Giants are just outside of the playoff picture right now and they have every chance to make the playoffs as long as things go right for them over the next week. There is every shot that things go right for them as they have had one of the most surprising offenses this season, but they don’t have the easiest schedule moving forward. They have a four-game series upcoming with the Rockies, but they end the season with a four-game series against the Padres and that could be what decides it. The Giants need to do whatever they can to sweep the Rockies and make the playoff positioning a whole lot easier on themselves.
19. New York Mets
2020 Record: 24-29
Prev. Week (19 ⏤)
The Mets are still fighting for a playoff spot in the surprisingly close NL East. As of right now the Phillies have one wild card spot lined up and it is possible that four teams end up making it out of the NL East this season. However, the Mets still need help on the pitching side from their starters other than Jacob deGrom. David Peterson has been good, and deGrom has been great, but the main reason this team still stands a chance is because of their lineup. Over the last week, if playoffs are still a goal then the starters need to step up and allow their offense to not have to score five or more to win the game.
20. Los Angeles Angels
2020 Record: 23-31
Prev. Week (23 ↑3)
Let’s look at the checklist for the Angels this season, get another star surrounding Mike Trout this season, add to the pitching staff, get Shohei Ohtani back and healthy, and make the playoffs. Three of these four things were done and then Ohtani suffered and injury so he would no longer pitch, this shouldn’t have put this team in the current position that they are in though. For as much as the Angels in the offseason it just seems that they will always waste Mike Trout’s talent. Even adding Anthony Rendon was not enough, what will it take. This lineup needs people outside of these two to step up looking towards next season.
21. Seattle Mariners
2020 Record: 23-30
Prev. Week (20 ↓1)
While the Mariners as a team may not have had the same team success as some of their individual players have had, finishing third in the division is not bad at all. This is a weak division, but they will take third place, especially with the young talent they have looking forward to. The playoffs are still a possibility, but even without the playoffs this season can be seen as a good season. Kyle Young, Justin Dunn, Justus Sheffield, Dylan Moore have all made good improvements after making their debuts last season. If they can improve going into next season, then this is a young team who should have the playoffs in their sights.
22. Detroit Tigers
2020 Record: 22-30
Prev. Week (24 ↑2)
The Tigers may not be a playoff team, but they are doing exactly what they need to do, they brought their young prospects up and they are giving them time to grow and learn. The young pitchers in Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal have not had the best appearances this season but they have MLB experience and should only build on this over the offseason going into next season. The Tigers have done much better than they could have this season but the main focus going into this season was getting the young guys reps, now they have the reps and we will have to see how they take it before next season starts.
23. Kansas City Royals
2020 Record: 21-32
Prev. Week (25 ↑2)
The Royals are 7-3 in their past 10 games, but it is already too little too late. Even if the Royals end up winning out, they will be hard pressed to see the playoffs, while they may not see the playoffs, they have to be pleased with the pitching in their future. Now they need to work on the offensive side, there are players who can do something offensively, but they are to inconsistent to be relied on. The remainder of this season should be seen as an opportunity to everyone as a “tryout” for next season and if they can’t cut it then they may not be on the team next season.
24. Colorado Rockies
2020 Record: 23-29
Prev. Week (21 ↓3)
The pitching has been dreadful in the month of September. In 17 games this month the Rockies have held opponents to three runs or less only five times, that is never going to cut it no matter how good your offense is. Colorado pitching has always been inconsistent, but this was looking like the season everything turned around, that did not turn out to be the case and the offense has not been good enough to stay in games. To be fair they have had a really tough road these past six games playing the Dodgers and the Athletics, things are looking easier though facing the Giants and the Diamondbacks to finish the season and if they can win out or close to it then there is still a chance to see the playoffs.
25. Baltimore Orioles
2020 Record: 23-31
Prev. Week (22 ↓3)
No matter what the Orioles seem to do they just cannot find way to win lately. If the pitching is good then the offense fails to provide run support, and if the offense provides runs then the pitching allows more then they can score. None of this is good and there is a reason they fell to where they currently are. The season may have started off as a surprise but with the young talent of this team the question was, can they sustain this? They have not been able to sustain the play, but pitcher John Means has had two straight very good starts, the Orioles future is dependent on him as their ace and if this is what they will see then they should be just fine.
26. Washington Nationals
2020 Record: 20-32
Prev. Week (26 ⏤)
How the mighty have fallen. Ironically the Nationals matched their 19-31 record from last season, however, in this shortened season they cannot be propelled to be a playoff team and the chance for a back-to-back is virtually over. The Nationals are focused on their future with Trea Turner and Juan Soto leading the charge, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t want to end the season on a bad note. If they could win a couple of their last games then it could possibly be enough to sneak into the playoffs, not likely to happen but if they sneak in then who knows what they could accomplish.
27. Arizona Diamondbacks
2020 Record: 20-34
Prev. Week (27 ⏤)
No matter what happens the remainder of the season this will always be seen as a disappointing season. The main goal for the season after adding numerous pieces was to make the postseason as a wild card team, well that did not happen, and they were forced to trade pieces. The biggest question this team will have to answer entering the offseason is, what is going to happen with Madison Bumgarner? Out of every player who has underperformed on this team, Bumgarner has been the most disappointing. After giving a five-year contract he will remain on the team, but they need to figure something out unless a rebuild is in place.
28. Boston Red Sox
2020 Record: 20-34
Prev. Week (29 ↑1)
The playoffs will be out of reach for the second straight season after winning the World Series in 2018. Lack of pitching was always going to be the downfall of this team, but when the team can’t hit to go along with the pitching then there is big trouble. That’s what the Red Sox have dealt with all season, the good news for them is that they are about to start a series against a team almost as poor as them in the Baltimore Orioles. Let’s see if potential free agent J.D. Martinez can increase his value by having some good final games after a rough season.
29. Texas Rangers
2020 Record: 19-34
Prev. Week (28 ↓1)
The best thing to happen in Arlington this baseball season will be the World Series, however, the Rangers won’t even be close to the World Series because they are not a good team. Entering the month of September, they still had a chance to be a playoff team, but over the past month they are 7-13, now they are just looking forward to next season. There is really nothing that can be done to make this season a success, the pitching outside of Lynn has been bad, the hitting has been bad, wait for Kluber to return and start on a high note.
30: Pittsburgh Pirates
2020 Record: 15-38
Prev. Week (30 ⏤)
Can you get much worse than the Pirates? If there is any good news then it is that they cannot possible be the worst team in the modern era via win percentage, at worst the Pirates would have a .250 percentage if they lost every game for the rest of the season, that is .15 points better than the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics. While that is going for them if they can’t find another win then they will be the worst in the 21st century (.265, 2003 Tigers). The time to look forward to next season happened long ago, while they are looking forward, end this season on a good note.