MLB Power Rankings: Week 8
12 - San Francisco Giants (26-21)
(PR: 11)
The Giants had a roller coaster week, taking 2 of 3 from the Mets with some exciting games, then lost 2 of 3 on the road in Cincinnati. The pitching that was this team’s strength last season has been…let’s be honest, pretty awful. They rank 25th in ERA, 24th in WHIP, and 27th in BAA. The fact they have a winning record with those stats is incredible.
11 - Tampa Bay Rays (28-20)
(PR: 9)
The Rays are holding strong and continue to play their brand of baseball. They are so consistent and should maintain a wild card spot all season. I don’t think they’re good enough to win the division but they can compete with anyone come postseason time.
10 - Toronto Blue Jays (27-20)
(PR: 12)
The Blue Jays got a big 4-game series sweep of the Angels and enter the week on a 5-game winning streak. They showed signs of the team we expected them to be but they’ll need to play like that more consistently to earn a higher spot on this rankings.
9 - Los Angeles Angels (27-22)
(PR: 6)
Not a great week for the Angels, ending the week on a 5-game losing streak at the hands of the Rangers and Blue Jays. It won’t get much easier this week and they travel to New York to play the Yankees. Hopefully it’s just a rough patch and they can bounce back soon.
8 - St. Louis Cardinals (27-21)
(PR: 8)
The Cardinals got a hard fought series split with the team they’re chasing in the division, the Brewers. They will need to find a way to win those series but the Cardinals find themselves in a good spot. Paul Goldschmidt is playing out of his mind right now and is willing this team to victory.
7 - Minnesota Twins (30-20)
(PR: 10)
Week by week I am believing more in this team. With how pitiful the White Sox have been, the Twins have emerged as top dogs in the AL Central, currently holding a 5 game lead. This team can hit as good as anyone in the league led by Byron Buxton (11 HRs), Jorge Polanco (26 RBIs), and vastly underrated Luis Arraez (.351 ERA).
6 - San Diego Padres (30-18)
(PR: 5)
The Padres continue to stay within striking distance of the Dodgers for the division lead with stellar starting pitching and incredible play from Manny Machado. They have a challenging schedule coming up with their next three series against the Cardinals, Brewers, and Mets.
5 - Milwaukee Brewers (32-18)
(PR: 7)
The Brewers split an important divisional series with the Cardinals last weekend and hold on to their 4 game lead. Corbin Burnes continues to be one of the nastiest pitchers in all of baseball. As I’ve mentioned in previous weeks, this offense is really coming together too which is gonna make them a true contender.
4 - Houston Astros (31-18)
(PR: 3)
The offense has been surprisingly bad this season and with how bad it has been you wouldn’t expect them to be in first place with a 4.5 game lead. That’s all due to their incredible pitching staff led by Justin Verlander.
3 - New York Mets (33-17)
(PR: 4)
The Mets continue to expand their dominance over the NL East entering this week with a 9.5 game lead over the second place Braves. What’s really made this season impressive so far is their pitching depth, which has really been tested because of injuries. They’ll travel to Los Angeles this weekend for what should be an exciting matchup with the Dodgers.
2 - New York Yankees (33-15)
(PR: 1)
The Yankees drop one spot in the rankings simply because they have slowed down just a bit after a few very good weeks. That’s not to take away from how great this team is. They have a 5.5 game lead in arguably the best division in baseball - that says a lot.
1 - Los Angeles Dodgers (33-15)
(PR: 2)
The Dodgers are rolling. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise for most people but they regain the top spot in this week’s power rankings after a couple of weeks at #2. LA ranks 1st in all of baseball in runs, on-base%, slugging%, ERA, and run differential. When Tyler Anderson is your best pitcher (6-0, 2.90) with a team this stacked with talent, the rest of the league is in trouble.