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You’ll find only one major move up in this week’s edition of the Rotoworld MLB Power Rankings, and that’s the Dodgers leaping the Rockies, Cardinals, and Braves to jump into the No. 8 spot. It coincides with the team’s success in a four-game weekend series in St. Louis and a big win over Colorado on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles is now a half-game ahead of the Rockies for first place in the National League West standings, with just 11 games to play.
Would it surprise anyone if the Dodgers turned their topsy-turvy regular season into a deep playoff run?
1. Boston Red Sox
Record: 103-47
Last Week: 1
The Red Sox have won six of their last seven games and are about to clinch their third straight American League division title. David Price has been tremendous in the second half, boasting a 1.56 ERA and 60/9 K/BB ratio in 57 2/3 innings (nine starts) since the All-Star break. He worked seven scoreless innings last week against the Blue Jays and will take the mound Wednesday for the second of three games against the rival Yankees. Mookie Betts was lifted from Sunday’s series finale against the Mets after experiencing discomfort in his left side on a throw home in the sixth inning, but the MVP candidate is expected to be ready to play Tuesday night in New York.
2. Houston Astros
Record: 94-56
Last Week: 2
The Astros fell 4-1 to the Mariners in Monday night’s series opener at Minute Maid Park, but they are 12-3 in September and appear headed for their second straight American League West division championship. Even with Monday’s loss, Houston is up four games on the Athletics for first place, with 12 games to play. This is a team built for another deep postseason run, between the stellar starting rotation, the deep lineup, the dynamic bullpen, and the comfort the Astros seem to carry into road games. They hold a 52-22 record away from Minute Maid Park this season, which puts them on pace for the third-best road record of any team in the last 100 years.
3. New York Yankees
Record: 91-58
Last Week: 3
The Yankees have lost five of their last seven and are barely clinging to hosting rights for the American League Wild Card Game, but they’re basically assured of a postseason spot and they got good news on the health front Monday with Aaron Judge (wrist) and Aroldis Chapman (knee) both participating in simulated games. Judge took 11 at-bats without issue and could be ready to return to the starting lineup during this week’s three-game series against the rival Red Sox. He was activated from the disabled list Friday but has only been available for pinch-running and defensive duties. Chapman threw 22 pitches and would appear to be on the verge of activation.
4. Oakland Athletics
Record: 90-60
Last Week: 4
The A’s lost two of three to the Rays over the weekend, but they enter play Tuesday trailing the Yankees by just a game-and-a-half for the top American League Wild Card Spot. Matt Chapman has batted .330/.391/.651 in 235 plate appearances since July 21, the highest OPS (1.042) in the American League during that stretch, and he also continues to play elite-level defense at third base. The 25-year-old budding star currently ranks third among all major leaguers in Baseball-Reference’s version of WAR (8.1), behind only Mookie Betts and Mike Trout. Khris Davis is tops on the MLB leaderboard in home runs (43) and second in RBI (115).
5. Chicago Cubs
Record: 88-62
Last Week: 5
The Cubs put together an impressive all-around performance in a big 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday night. National League MVP candidate Javier Baez hit a two-run homer in the top of the sixth, Kris Bryant went deep for the first time since July 20 in the top of the eighth, and Kyle Hendricks carried a one-hit shutout into the ninth. Baez now has 32 home runs and 105 RBI in 147 games this season. Bryant is beginning to look like himself again after battling shoulder issues for two months. Chicago will need more of what Hendricks did Monday, as closer Pedro Strop is out for the remainder of the regular season due to a hamstring strain.
6. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 86-65
Last Week: 6
Christian Yelich hit for the cycle against the Reds on Monday for the second time in three weeks. It was part of an 8-0 victory for Milwaukee, and a continuation of a brilliant second-half run that could lead Yelich to his first National League MVP. Yelich is just the fifth player in MLB history with multiple cycles in one season, joining Long John Reilly (1883), Tip O’Neill (1887), Babe Herman (1931), and Aaron Hill (2012). And he is the first player in MLB history to hit multiple cycles against the same team in the same season. The 26-year-old outfielder is batting .360/.420/.734 with 20 home runs and 50 RBI over his last 54 games dating back to July 15.
7. Cleveland Indians
Record: 83-66
Last Week: 7
Cleveland officially clinched its third straight AL Central title on Saturday, after a 15-0 blowout of the Tigers. The Indians never really had a sweat to claim that crown, as they’re the only team in the division with a winning record and positive run differential -- and it’s been that way since mid-April. Now the Tribe have to figure out what they’re going to get from Trevor Bauer (leg) in the postseason. He is set to face live hitters on Tuesday and could be activated off the disabled list this weekend, possibly pitching in a relief role initially. The right-hander had a 2.22 ERA and 214 strikeouts in 166 innings (25 starts) when he suffered a fractured right fibula on August 11.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 83-68
Last Week: 11
The Dodgers took three of four from the Cardinals over the weekend in St. Louis and beat up on the visiting Rockies on Monday night in Los Angeles to reclaim the top spot in the National League West standings. They’ve spent only 26 days in first place this year, but this talent-filled club will be aiming to keep the pedal to the metal now with just 11 games left to play. Walker Buehler has quickly emerged as a co-ace to Clayton Kershaw, boasting a 2.88 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 131/31 K/BB ratio in 118 2/3 total innings this season. The 24-year-old former first-round has been especially great lately, with a 1.75 ERA over his last nine starts dating back to July 31.
9. Atlanta Braves
Record: 83-67
Last Week: 8
The Braves had rattled off six straight wins before dropping the final two games of their three-game weekend series against the Nationals and falling 11-6 to the visiting Cardinals in Monday night’s series opener at SunTrust Park. Mike Foltynewicz struggled mightily in that loss to St. Louis, allowing six earned runs on five hits and four walks over just 4 2/3 innings. And the bullpen again struggled to get batters out. But with the Phillies continuing their late-season fade, it looks like Atlanta will claim its first National League East division championship since 2013. The club is up 6 1/2 games on first place entering play on Tuesday, with just 12 games to go.
10. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 83-68
Last Week: 9
The Cardinals lost the first three games of their four-game weekend series against the visiting Dodgers before rallying behind a vintage Adam Wainwright performance on Sunday night to earn a 5-0 victory and avoid what would have been a devastating sweep. St. Louis then brought out the lumber in Monday night’s series opener at Atlanta’s SunTrust Park, cranking four home runs and five doubles in an 11-6 rout of the Braves. Entering play on Tuesday, the Cardinals sit a half-game up on the Rockies for the second National League Wild Card spot with 11 games to play. Eight of those games will be against contending teams (2 @ ATL, 3 vs. MIL, 3 @ CHC).
11. Colorado Rockies
Record: 82-68
Last Week: 10
The Rockies dropped two of three to the Giants over the weekend in San Francisco and fell 8-2 to the Dodgers in Monday night’s big series opener in Los Angeles. As it stands here on Tuesday afternoon, Colorado is a half-game behind the Dodgers for first place in the National League West standings and a half-game back of the Cardinals in the hunt for the second National League Wild Card spot. Jon Gray got lit up again in that loss to LA on Monday, yielding six earned runs in just two innings. He now has a 7.54 ERA over his last five starts. And the Rockies might have just lost star shortstop Trevor Story, who was removed from Monday’s game with a right elbow injury.
12. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 83-66
Last Week: 12
The Rays are 12-3 in September, after going 17-12 in August. It’s been a fantastic second-half run, and they’d be in prime position for a postseason spot if they played in a different league or even just a different division. Blake Snell will carry a 2.03 ERA and an MLB-leading 19 wins into his next start Tuesday night against the Rangers. He’ll be looking to become the first 20-game winner in Tampa Bay since David Price in 2012. Tommy Pham is working on a 19-game on-base streak and has slashed .306/.404/.510 in 114 total plate appearances since the Rays acquired him from the Cardinals on July 31. He suddenly looks a lot more like the player he was in 2017.
13. Seattle Mariners
Record: 83-67
Last Week: 13
Seattle has won four of its last five games, including a 4-1 victory over the Astros on Monday night in which Daniel Vogelbach hit a pinch-hit grand slam and star closer Edwin Diaz notched his 56th save of the season. But this push is too little too late for the Mariners, who sit 11 games back of Houston for first place in the American League West standings and seven games back of the Athletics for the second American League Wild Card spot entering play on Tuesday. James Paxton hasn’t pitched since September 7 due to a combination of the flu and pneumonia, and it’s unclear when the 29-year-old left-hander might be ready to slide back into the starting rotation.
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 78-73
Last Week: 14
It’s probably time to write the obituary for the 2018 edition Diamondbacks, who have lost three straight games and eight of their last 10 to fall five games out in both the NL West and NL Wild Card races. This team spent 125 days in first place this year, but the bullpen has crumbled in the second half and the lineup has looked shallower at times than it should. A.J. Pollock provided the only run of the game for Arizona in Monday night’s 5-1 loss to the Cubs, hitting a solo shot off Kyle Hendricks in the bottom of the ninth inning. Patrick Corbin pitched well in that one until the Cubs’ three-run top of the sixth. Pollock and Corbin will both be free agents this winter.
15. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 76-73
Last Week: 15
The Phillies took two of three from the Marlins over the weekend to win a series for the first time since sweeping a four-game set from Miami at the beginning of August. Philly is 11-8 against the Fish this season and a combined 19-29 against the other three National League East teams. That includes a 9-4 loss to the Mets on Monday night in which Jake Arrieta surrendered four runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings. The veteran right-hander, signed to a three-year, $75 million free agent contract in March, posted a 3.23 ERA across 103 innings (18 starts) in the first half of the season. Since the All-Star break, he holds a 4.67 ERA in 61 2/3 frames.
16. Washington Nationals
Record: 76-75
Last Week: 16
Max Scherzer had his worst outing of the year last Friday against the Braves, allowing a season-high six earned runs over a season-low four innings as part of a 10-5 loss to Atlanta. The ace right-hander still boasts an incredible 2.53 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 277/49 K/BB ratio across 206 2/3 total innings for Washington in 2018, but that one dud could cost him his third straight National League Cy Young Award given the case Jacob deGrom continues to make in Queens. Juan Soto is putting together a remarkable push for National League Rookie of the Year honors at age 19, but the teenage sensation will probably fall just short to Ronald Acuna of the Braves.
17. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 75-74
Last Week: 17
Probably the biggest headline for the Pirates over the last week was the announcement Friday that Gregory Polanco needed a labrum repair in his left shoulder and will require at least 7-9 months of recovery time. It’s a near certainty that he be unavailable for the start of the 2019 regular season, and there is a good possibility that he winds up missing much of the first half. Polanco put in a ton of work this winter to make his body more durable and he posted career-best numbers in a lot of categories while healthy, including home runs (23) and OPS (.839). But we still haven’t seen the 27-year-old at his full potential, and the wait will have to continue.
18. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 74-76
Last Week: 18
The Angels announced earlier this month that Shohei Ohtani has new damage in his right ulnar collateral ligament and will likely need Tommy John surgery, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact offensively. He’s batting .346/.433/.750 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI over his last 35 games (26 starts) dating back to August 3 as he tries to muscle away American League Rookie of the Year honors from Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres of the Yankees. Ohtani might not pitch again until 2020, but four doctors told Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports that the 24-year-old two-way star should be able to serve as the Angels’ regular designated hitter throughout 2019.
19. New York Mets
Record: 70-80
Last Week: 20
The Mets dropped two of three this weekend against the Red Sox, the team with the best record in the major leagues, but they rebounded for a decisive 9-4 victory over the Phillies on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park and are now 31-25 since the All-Star break. Michael Conforto was the star of that victory at Philadelphia, going 3-for-5 with a two-run single, an RBI double, and a three-run homer. The 25-year-old outfielder is up to seven home runs and 22 RBI in 16 games since the calendar flipped to September. And how about rookie infielder Jeff McNeil? He went 3-for-5 on Monday and is batting .335 with an .878 OPS over his first 179 major league at-bats.
20. San Francisco Giants
Record: 71-80
Last Week: 19
The Giants finally halted their 67-year-worst losing streak at 11 games last Friday with a 2-0 victory over the Rockies, as Chris Stratton delivered the first shutout by a Giants pitcher since Jeff Samardzija in August 2017. Madison Bumgarner then turned in six scoreless innings on Saturday as part of a 3-0 defeat of Colorado. That was a big rebound for Bumgarner, who struggled in two straight outings to open the month of September. The 29-year-old ace has posted a 3.14 ERA in 117 2/3 innings after missing the first two months of the 2018 regular season due to a fractured pinkie on his throwing hand. He holds a bargain $12 million club option for 2019.
21. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 68-82
Last Week: 21
The Blue Jays won the final two games of their three-game weekend series against the Yankees before blanking the Orioles 5-0 on Monday night at Camden Yards, with Ryan Borucki yielding just three hits and a walk over eight scoreless innings. There have been a couple of bad blowups for Borucki since he joined Toronto’s starting corps in late June, but the 24-year-old left-hander holds a promising 3.86 ERA in 15 starts overall and he should have a spot in the Opening Day rotation for 2019. Rowdy Tellez is also making a strong case for a roster spot next spring. The 23-year-old rookie has batted .400 with a 1.153 OPS through his first 11 major league games.
22. Minnesota Twins
Record: 69-81
Last Week: 22
The season is probably over for Eddie Rosario, who departed Monday night’s series opener against the Tigers after aggravating a left quad injury that has bothered him since August. The 26-year-old outfielder has been the Twins’ most valuable position player in 2018 and it isn’t particularly close. And that remains true despite his somewhat sluggish second half. Rosario went into the All-Star break with a .311/.353/.537 batting line, 19 home runs, 60 RBI, six stolen bases, and 64 runs scored in 93 games. Since then, he has batted just .240/.262/.361 with five homers and 17 RBI in 45 games. Though of course the quad issue deserves some blame.
23. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 64-87
Last Week: 23
The Reds have lost four of their last five games are in serious danger of finishing with fewer than 70 wins for the fourth consecutive year. That’s despite a breakout season from 27-year-old third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who holds a .902 OPS with 32 home runs and 101 RBI in 132 games. He signed a seven-year, $66 million contract extension with Cincinnati during spring training that should prove to be extremely team-friendly. Joey Votto’s remaining five years, $132 million might be an issue. The 35-year-old first baseman has just 12 home runs and an .851 OPS in 135 games this season. Outside of an injury-shortened 2014, he’s never hit for such little power.
24. Texas Rangers
Record: 64-86
Last Week: 24
The Rangers nearly got no-hit by a collection of Angels relievers last Tuesday and they were held to just two infield singles by Tyler Glasnow and the Rays bullpen in a 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday night. The offense has hit a collective late-season slump and the Rangers don’t have the rotation or bullpen arms to compensate, which explains this team’s 6-14 record since August 25. Rangers starting pitchers have registered a combined 5.40 ERA this season, which ranks 29th among all major league teams, ahead of only the Orioles. Rangers starters are dead-last in strikeouts, notching only 555 of them in 794 innings. That works out to a 6.29 K/9.
25. Detroit Tigers
Record: 61-89
Last Week: 25
The Tigers watched the Indians celebrate a third straight American League Central division title on Saturday in Cleveland, following a 15-0 blowout. Detroit, meanwhile, is headed for its second consecutive 90-plus-loss campaign. Michael Fulmer, long floated as a good trade chip, was diagnosed Monday with meniscus damage in his right knee and could undergo surgery after seeking a second opinion this week from Dr. James Andrews. The 25-year-old right-hander put up a 3.45 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over his first 323 2/3 major league innings between 2016-2017, but he cratered this season to the tune of a 4.69 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 132 1/3 frames.
26. Miami Marlins
Record: 59-91
Last Week: 26
As the Marlins look ahead to the future, they have to be excited about what they’ve seen so far from 23-year-old right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Acquired from the Cardinals over the offseason as part of the four-player return package for outfielder Marcell Ozuna, the hard-throwing top pitching prospect has gone 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over his first three major league starts, striking out 14 batters in 19 innings. Alcantara will match up against Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals on Tuesday night in Miami as the Fish attempt to rattle off three consecutive victories for the first time since winning four straight between July 14-July 21.
27. San Diego Padres
Record: 57-88
Last Week: 27
The Padres have been out of the hunt all year, really since going 0-3 in March, but Francisco Mejia has offered a glimpse of a potentially bright future since his promotion from Triple-A El Paso on September 4. The 22-year-old top prospect, acquired from the Indians on July 19 as part of the Brad Hand trade, drew his first start with the Padres on September 6 against the Reds and homered in his first two plate appearances, becoming the first Padres rookie to accomplish that feat. Mejia then hit a walk-off grand slam Sunday versus the Rangers for his third major league home run. He’s sporting a .930 OPS through his first 31 plate appearances with San Diego.
28. Chicago White Sox
Record: 59-90
Last Week: 28
The White Sox snapped a seven-game losing streak last Wednesday night in Kansas City as Tim Anderson slugged a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 12th inning. It was the 19th home run of the season for Anderson, who is batting just .247 with a .288 on-base percentage but has still provided useful fantasy production via high-level counting stats across four different standard scoring categories. Anderson has already set career highs in stolen bases (26), RBI (62), and runs scored (74), and the 25-year-old shortstop has a good shot at his first 20-homer campaign. He signed a six-year, $25 million contract extension with the Pale Hose in March 2017.
29. Kansas City Royals
Record: 52-98
Last Week: 29
The Royals are shockingly 12-7 since August 28 and can avoid the worst record in franchise history with five wins in their last 12 games. Kansas City finished 56-106 in 2005. The better results lately are due in large part to better pitching, which is often the case, but don’t overlook the incredible contributions of youngsters Adalberto Mondesi and Ryan O’Hearn. Mondesi, 23, is batting .290 with a whopping 25 stolen bases in 63 games since his promotion from Triple-A Omaha in mid-June. Ryan O’Hearn doubled and homered on Monday night against the Pirates and holds a 1.037 OPS with 11 home runs and 27 RBI over his first 36 big league games.
30. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 43-107
Last Week: 30
Baltimore got blanked 5-0 by the Blue Jays and Ryan Borucki on Monday night at Camden Yards in front of an announced crowd of 8,198. It was the 107th loss of the season for the Orioles, tying a club record. And they have 12 games remaining to set the all-time franchise mark for futility. It was also the 15th time the O’s had been shut out this year, and the third shutout on their current homestead. This team has a -255 run differential, by far the worst in the major leagues. Orioles general manager Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter are in the final weeks of their contracts, and it would come as no surprise if ownership opted to clean house this offseason.
