MLB Power Rankings: Week 20
10 - Cincinnati Reds (69-57)
(PR: NR)
Here comes the big red machine! The Reds have quietly been having a very good second half and have found themselves in a postseason spot entering this week. They have a top 5 offense in baseball led by Joey Votto, Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos. The pitching isn’t amazing but definitely gets the job done. With the Padres in a tailspin, the Reds have a very good chance of making the postseason.
9 - Boston Red Sox (71-55)
(PR: 9)
The Red Sox have been struggling to stay above water during the second half of the season. They got swept by the Yankees last week which is a major blow to confidence. However, they still find themselves in a postseason spot. A potential Red Sox vs. Yankees wild card game would be an incredible show. I’m personally hoping that happens.
8 - Oakland Athletics (70-56)
(PR: 7)
The A’s had a rough week, going 2-5 against the White Sox and Giants. They have a problem with giving up late leads, which is not good when you're fighting for a postseason spot. They failed to take advantage of the Astros losing and still find themselves 3.5 back of the AL West. If the season ended today, they would miss out on the postseason. The A’s still have a good team and will be ready to finish the season strong.
7 - New York Yankees (73-52)
(PR: NR)
This is the first time in a very, very long time I have the Yankees on the power rankings. Their incredible month of August has seen them climb from out of a postseason spot to getting within striking distance of the AL East lead. They have won 9 games in a row, including a huge sweep of the Red Sox last week. The Yankees are finally putting things together after a sluggish first half.
6 - Chicago White Sox (72-54)
(PR: 5)
The White Sox will not be challenged for their lead of the AL Central. However, their place as top dog in the American League is in question. They lost series to the surging Yankees and Rays in the last couple weeks. Those are both teams they have a good chance of facing in the postseason. They have to prove they can beat other good teams for them to climb these rankings.
5 - Houston Astros (73-52)
(PR: 4)
Not much has changed for the Astros during the second half of the season. They continue to lead the league in nearly every hitting category and the pitching has been very solid. They tend to be a very streaky team, last week’s series against the Royals where they lost 3 of 4 then put up 33 runs in 3 games against the Mariners is a perfect example.
4 - Milwaukee Brewers (76-49)
(PR: 6)
Nobody is really talking about the Brewers as serious World Series threats but this is the one team right now that I do NOT want to face in the postseason. I’ve said time and time again how good their pitching is and that continues to hold true and the offense has begun to play more consistently. They are a scary team.
3 - Tampa Bay Rays (77-48)
(PR: 3)
The Rays took a huge series from the White Sox this weekend, possibly solidifying themselves as the team to beat in the American League. Tampa Bay is 2nd in the league in scoring runs and 7th in the league in runs allowed. Another interesting stat that has nothing to do with how good the Rays are but is still worth mentioning - Tyler Glasnow still leads the team in strikeouts despite not throwing a pitch since June 14.
2 - Los Angeles Dodgers (78-47)
(PR: 2)
The Dodgers have had a great month of August including winning 13 of their last 15 games. They were 5 games back of the Giants a couple weeks ago but have trimmed that lead to 2.5 entering this week. On paper, this is the best team in baseball. However, they still remain behind their rivals to the north in the standings but there are still a lot of games left to make a move.
1 - San Francisco Giants (80-44)
(PR: 1)
The Giants are the top dogs once again this week. They took care of business in Oakland last weekend including a huge comeback win after they were down 5-2 in the 8th inning. They have managed to hold their lead in the division with the Dodgers surging. It is clear this team is not going to beat themselves and have pretty much secured a postseason spot at this point.