Welcome to the Rotoworld MLB Power Rankings, a weekly feature that will run every Tuesday through the end of the 2019 regular season. These rankings are not fantasy-driven in any way, though I will include nuggets of more abstract fantasy advice here and there inside the individual team write-ups. Who’s hot, who’s not -- that sort of thing. Send any and all complaints to me on Twitter: @drewsilv. Please believe me when I tell you that I do not hate your team.
1. Houston Astros
Record: 73-40
Last Week: 2
The Astros made the biggest deadline-day splash, landing veteran starter Zack Greinke from the Diamondbacks just before the clock struck 4:00 p.m. ET last Wednesday. Greinke is 35 years old and owed around $80 million, but the D-backs are covering some of that and he had pitched to a sharp 2.90 ERA, 0.945 WHIP, and 135/21 K/BB ratio in 146 innings this season with Arizona. He’ll make his Astros debut on Tuesday night against the visiting Rockies. Houston also acquired Aaron Sanchez from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline and he fired six terrific innings as part of a combined no-hitter Saturday versus the Mariners.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 75-40
Last Week: 1
The Dodgers would have been wise to add a high-leverage reliever at the July 31 trade deadline, and there were reports that they did try hard for Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez. But nothing wound up getting done, and they’ll push forward with the same core that has guided this team to the best record in baseball as of August 6. There is one newcomer in Los Angeles, as top pitching prospect Dustin May was called up to make his MLB debut last Friday versus the Padres and is lined up to work Wednesday’s series finale against the Cardinals. May, 21, was sporting a 3.38 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 110/29 K/BB ratio in 106 2/3 innings this year in the minors.
3. New York Yankees
Record: 73-39
Last Week: 3
Injuries continue to attempt to wreak havoc on the Yankees. Edwin Encarnacion suffered a fractured right wrist on Saturday when he was hit by a pitch and Aaron Hicks was diagnosed Sunday with a flexor strain in his right arm. Those two have joined a lengthy injured list already populated by Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, Luke Voit, Miguel Andujar, Luis Severino, Dellin Betances, and CC Sabathia, among several others. And yet the Yankees swept a four-game weekend series against the rival Red Sox and pushed their winning streak to six games with a 9-6 defeat of the Orioles on Monday. They are nine games up on first place in the AL East.
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4. Minnesota Twins
Record: 70-42
Last Week: 4
There was some panic in the Twin Cities in mid-July as this team fell into a couple of short losing streaks and the Indians began closing what had been a wide gap on first place in the American League Central standings. But the Twins beat a very good Braves team on Monday night, after sweeping a three-game weekend series against Kansas City. They’ve won four straight and eight of their last 10, and they have a 98.9 percent chance to make the postseason, per FanGraphs’ MLB Playoff Odds. The deadline-day addition of reliever Sam Dyson could prove to be a blunder -- he’s on the IL after struggling mightily in his first two appearances with Minnesota -- but Sergio Romo has been a solid bullpen pickup.
5. Cleveland Indians
Record: 66-46
Last Week: 5
It never made much sense that the Indians would trade Trevor Bauer in the middle of a pennant race, until it was announced what they were getting in return. Yasiel Puig is a perfect lightning-in-a-bottle rental who can fill a big hole in the corner outfield before likely departing via free agency this winter. Franmil Reyes is actually the headliner here for Cleveland, as a cost-controlled 24-year-old who looks the part of a great long-term DH. Reyes, listed at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, posted an .831 OPS (122 OPS+) with 43 home runs over his 190 total games with San Diego, mostly at age 22-23. The Indians also got young left-handed starters Scott Moss and Logan Allen, along with 19-year-old Victor Nova.
6. Atlanta Braves
Record: 66-48
Last Week: 6
The Braves beefed up their bullpen last Wednesday and look primed to win the National League East. One quick note: Waiver trades are no longer allowed -- the July 31 deadline is a hard deadline -- but waiver claims are still fair game and Atlanta lost Kevin Gausman to the Reds in that fashion on Monday. It’s an odd end to a relationship that began in such a promising way, as Gausman delivered a 2.87 ERA over his final 59 2/3 innings down the stretch last year after the Braves acquired him from the Orioles. He’s battled plantar fasciitis this season and had struggled to a 6.19 ERA in 16 starts. Mike Foltynewicz will take his rotation spot after a nice run at Triple-A Gwinnett.
7. Oakland Athletics
Record: 64-49
Last Week: 8
Tanner Roark was acquired from the Reds at the July 31 trade deadline and looked sharp in his Oakland debut Sunday versus the Cardinals, working five innings of one-run ball as the Athletics swept the rare two-game weekend series. The A’s couldn’t fully handle the Cardinals’ rival on Monday, falling 6-5 to the Cubs, but they have rattled off a 28-13 record since June 17 and are a half-game back of the Rays for the second American League Wild Card spot as of Tuesday afternoon. They are 2 1/2 games back of the Indians for the top American League Wild Card spot. More second-half magic from this low-payroll club.
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8. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 65-49
Last Week: 9
The Rays’ pitching staff suffered another blow on Monday afternoon, as Yonny Chirinos was placed on the injured list due to inflammation in his right thumb. He’ll be shut down for at least two weeks and could very well miss the rest of August. Tampa Bay is already without Blake Snell (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (forearm), whose timelines also point toward September. Yet this team somehow carried a six-game winning streak into play on Monday night, before falling 2-0 to the Blue Jays. The schedule is rather favorable over the next three weeks: 1 vs. TOR, 3 @ SEA, 3 @ SD, 3 vs. DET, 3 vs. SEA, 4 @ BAL. Maybe they can survive.
9. Chicago Cubs
Record: 61-51
Last Week: 11
The Cubs’ road woes continued at the end of July, as they went 3-6 on a nine-game road trip to San Francisco, Milwaukee, and St. Louis. But they returned home this past weekend and got back into their comfort zone, sweeping a three-game series against the Brewers and taking Monday’s series opener against the Athletics by a score of 6-5. The Cubs are 40-18 this year at Wrigley Field and 21-33 everywhere else, and they are set to embark on a 10-game road trip this Thursday. Time to flip the script? Yu Darvish has flipped something, as he’s rocking a 2.17 ERA and 38/2 K/BB ratio over his last five starts covering 29 innings.
10. Washington Nationals
Record: 59-53
Last Week: 10
The Nationals have cooled off somewhat, after roaring through much of June and July, and are currently tied with the Phillies for both second place in the NL East and the top National League Wild Card spot. Max Scherzer was eligible to return from the injured list on Monday, but he’s not throwing off a mound just yet and figures to miss at least another week, possibly two. The ace right-hander has made one start since July 6 due to a lingering upper-back strain. The Nats did well to acquire three different relievers at the trade deadline, but one of them -- Roenis Elias -- has already joined Scherzer on the IL because of a hamstring strain.
11. Boston Red Sox
Record: 60-55
Last Week: 7
The Red Sox finally snapped their season-threatening eight-game losing streak on Monday night with a 7-5 victory over the lowly Royals. All eight of those losses came against the two teams that the Red Sox are staring up at in the American League East standings, the Yankees and Rays. Boston is now also 5 1/2 games back in the American League Wild Card chase, even after Monday’s win. Chris Sale and David Price have combined to allow 25 earned runs over their last 16 innings, if you’re trying to diagnose what’s wrong here. And trade acquisition Andrew Cashner was lit up for seven runs in 5 2/3 innings in his last start.
12. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 59-53
Last Week: 14
Jason Vargas was acquired from the division-rival Mets last Monday and pitched well in his Phillies debut Friday versus the White Sox, scattering two runs over 6 1/3 innings. That trade wasn’t a headline-grabber, but Vargas owns a respectable 3.93 ERA and 1.25 WHIP on the season and he fills a hole for Philadelphia as a veteran innings-eater. Corey Dickerson was a nice under-the-radar deadline-week addition from the Pirates. The 30-year-old outfielder hit an RBI single and a two-run homer in his second game with the Phillies on Sunday and is slashing .313/.369/.560 across 149 total plate appearances this year.
13. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 58-53
Last Week: 12
The Cardinals flew out to the West Coast on a high last Friday, after taking two of three from the rival Cubs, but they got swept in a two-game weekend set in Oakland and were then embarrassed in a 9-0 defeat at Dodger Stadium on Monday night. Michael Wacha started that game in Los Angeles and surrendered six earned runs on seven hits and two walks over just 3 2/3 innings as his season ERA jumped to 5.54. St. Louis should have acquired a starting pitcher at the trade deadline to fill the spot that has been bouncing between Wacha and Daniel Ponce de Leon. All the Cardinals really did on July 31 was dump Jedd Gyorko‘s salary.
14. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 58-56
Last Week: 13
Milwaukee dropped two of three to the Athletics last week before getting swept by the Cubs in a three-game weekend series at Wrigley Field. They rebounded for a 9-7 win on Monday, against a lesser opponent in the Pirates. Pitching injuries have caught up to the Brewers, who have Jhoulys Chacin (lat), Zach Davies (back), Brandon Woodruff (oblique), and Jimmy Nelson (elbow) all sitting on the injured list. The offense is humming along, but did the front office do enough on the pitching end at the trade deadline? Jake Faria, Jordan Lyles, Drew Pomeranz, and Ray Black represent quantity, but not necessarily quality.
15. New York Mets
Record: 57-56
Last Week: 21
There was some head-scratching when the Mets acquired Marcus Stroman last Sunday, but they’ve won seven of their last eight since making that move and 11 of their last 12 dating back to July 25. Sweeping a doubleheader Monday against the Marlins launched the Mets back over the .500 mark for the first time since May 2, and they’re suddenly just two games back of the second NL Wild Card. Noah Syndergaard, rumored to be a trade candidate in the weeks leading up to the deadline, was just named National League Player of the Week for July 29-August 4 after allowing just one earned run and striking out 14 batters over a pair of starts against the White Sox and Pirates.
