MLB Power Rankings: NL Central has MLB's three best teams

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The Cubs are having their best season in years and enter the week with their magic number for clinching a wild card berth at five. But unless something changes with this weekend's critical series against Pittsburgh, they're the third-best team in the National League Central -- which is far less a knock against the Cubs and more a compliment to baseball's best division. It's certainly led to an interesting wild card race, much better than the mediocre hellscape of the race for the American League's No. 2 wild card spot.

With that comes another week of MLB Power Rankings from CSNChicago.com's Tony Andracki and JJ Stankevitz. Stay with us every Monday from here through October for a fresh set of rankings.

Stay tuned for updated rankings every Monday throughout the 2015 campaign. Here's where we're at so far: Preseason rankings | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22

Rank Team
Last Week Comment
1 1

Looks like the young Cubs are getting under their skin...

2   3

Survived a late-season lull and now look to be charging toward closing out the No. 1 wild card spot.

3 5

Had a chance to sweep Cardinals in each of last two series - would've represented a four-game swing in the division and Cubs would've been just two back right now.

4   3

 They're three wins away from eclipsing their 2014 total and there's panic in Kansas City over a mediocre September. #BaseballTown

5 4

Can effectively clinch their first division crown since 1993 with a huge three-game home series against the Yankees starting Monday night.

6 7

Cubs were really hoping the Dodgers could take care of some business behind Greinke, Kershaw at home against the Pirates, but it didn't work out that way.

7 6

This Matt Harvey stuff is stealing attention away from the Mets' incredible turnaround.

8 8

If they don't win this three-game series at Rogers Centre, should probably start aligning their rotation for the wild card game.

9 9

They're 30-17 since Aug. 1 and could lock up the division with a series win in Houston this weekend.

10 10

How strange is this: They have the most home wins (50) and fewest road wins (29) of any American League team.

11 11

Bad injury news continues with Brandon Belt's concussion and reports Joe Panik is going to be shut down for the season.

12 14

 Bryce Harper is awesome, but this team is just not going to make the playoffs. Matt Williams may only have two weeks left as a big-league manager.

13 13

They're within striking distance (2.5 games) of Houston entering a make-or-break three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

14 14

Dropped three of four to the Angels over the weekend, but it seems like every time this team is counted out, they come right back.

15 15

Four games back with 13 to play is a tall order.

16 20

They're 12-6 in September. Where was this when it mattered?

17 16

Lost in their September collapse is Chris Davis' huge rebound season: .264/.360/.558, 43 home runs, 4.7 WAR.

18 19

It's kind of a shame we won't see David Ortiz (.270/.353/.544, 35 HR) in the playoffs for the second straight year.

19 18

Kevin Kiermaier has 8.7 WAR in 250 career games. Defense has real value, folks.

20 17

Paul Goldschmidt since Aug. 1: .244 average, six homers, .799 OPS.

21 21

Jose Abreu worked through some Year 2 turbulence to have a nice season that keeps him on his same career trajectory, which is very good.

22 22 Can an aging, veteran team make one more run next year or is it too late for this group?
23 23

Let's stay positive here: Matt Kemp homered again Sunday.

24 26

Sadly, their highlight of the season came in spring training when Will Ferrell debuted for them.

25 25

Jose Fernandez since returning from biceps injury: 15 K, only 2 ER in 10.2 IP.

26 27

Joey Votto: 1.018 OPS, but "he doesn't get paid millions of dollars to walk!" Right, Reds Twitter?

27 24

Just stay home, Matt

28 28

The Jose Reyes experiment (.261 AVG, .675 OPS) isn't working out so hot, eh?'

29 30

They swept the Phillies with three straight 2-1 victories. Doesn't mean anything, just kinda cool, ya know?

30 29

Not sure we've ever seen a player benched for "pouting" before.

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