We Power Rank The 9 Best Teams In MLB
It's Monday which means fresh Power Rankings from the panel. You can find the full show above and the abbreviated summary here:
Not a big moving week, but still enough to warrant general & insightful observations:
- The Astros jump to 4 after re-establishing a lights out 1-2 punch with Verlander and Valdez. The lineups been generally underwhelming through the first 2/3 of the season but Alvarez is back and looks outstanding going 13 for 36 in 10 games with 4 homers and a 1.179 OPS. They were good enough without him for 6 weeks. They're only moving forward.
- The Dodgers just need to show the starting pitching can hang. They've been much better in August after a downright brutal July. The offense has carried them. They're certainly elite in most respects. But a choice between a solid lineup or good pitching staff will always go towards a pitching staff. So for that reason, they're top-5 but a shade behind the Astros right now.
- The Cubs probably should be higher than 9 based on how hot they're playing. But they're not hot enough to go above the top 6 teams, and we're maybe a week away from that argument for the Blue Jays and Phillies. Maybe not the best division in in NL Central history, but who doesn't love a 3-team race heading into mid-August?
- The Braves lineup is staggering. Everyone hits 25 homers. They're on pace for 33.3 at each spot in the batting order and more importantly: Max Fried looked to be in peak condition, his 1st start off the IL this weekend. That's insane for a guy rumored to be out for the year with forearm/elbow issues. Just like the Astros with Alvarez - the Braves get significantly better in the 2nd half without having to move someone at the trade deadline. There should be a name for these kind of IL returns. I don't have one now but let me think on it.
- Rangers are still en fuego and they're doing it without their AS catcher Jonah Heim. He's out with a left wrist tendon thing, but just started resuming baseball activities this weekend which is a fancy way of saying he played catch. Maybe even a light jog. He'll be ready for playoffs, probably. But also appears he'll have a hard time catching every game and that could be a problem down the road, and maybe the only one we consider with Texas.
- People forget Jacob deGrom is their roster
- Corey Seager is smashing MLB in WAR per game. He's 5-12 with 3 HR's in his first 4 games off the IL. The Rangers are 4-0 in those games.
- Normally I'd oppose this, but an ALCS and NLCS that featured 3 of our top 5 teams this week would be ideal. Notwithstanding my own personal interests, I'd love to see the competition play out.
- More on the White Sox debacle later. We talk Tim Anderson off the top and obviously it's just an awful look all the way around. From the footwork to the fall to everything leading up. The fact we got clubhouse bombshells dropping 24 hours later is enough for most fans to just walk into Lake Michigan.
- Go listen to this week's show. It's by far our best list to date.
- Orioles are good.