MLB Power Rankings Week 19: Yankees, Mets, Padres, D-Backs soar as Braves, Mariners fall

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Who is the best team in MLB? Teams have now played nearly 120 games as we approach the middle of August with the MLB playoff race heating up. Weeks after the MLB trade deadline, we now have an opportunity to use our MLB power rankings to look at the worst and best MLB teams right now.

As always, our MLB power rankings factor in injuries, week-long performances and how the team has fared this month. With that said, let’s dive in and examine all 30 teams. We’ll have analysis of the 10 worst MLB teams on Saturday.

MLB power rankings: Worst MLB teams

30. Chicago White Sox (30)

The Chicago White Sox are the worst team in MLB. They also made the entire baseball world feel a lot older in 2024 by hiring Grady Sizemore as interim manager. While Pedro Grifol doesn’t deserve even half the blame for what’s happened to Chicago, he never made anything better during his time at the helm. Granted, we also wouldn’t wish working with this organization on Sizemore either.

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29. Colorado Rockies (27)

Ryan McMahon (.194/.323/.306) and Elias Diaz (.191/.232/245) have been awful at the plate this summer. For Diaz’ it’s a blow to his earning potential in free agency this winter while McMahon is just coming down to earth. It’s a bad outcome for the Colorado Rockies, though, who had opportunities tot rade both players and refused. Oh well, it’s not like the Rockies are years away from contention and in need of quality prospects. Oh.

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28. Miami Marlins (29)

Since executing their plan to near perfection at the MLB trade deadline, the Miami Marlins have kept wracking up the losses. In short, mission accomplished. The good news is that the young bats are getting chances to prove themselves right now and those opportunities will keep coming for the likes of Kyle Stowers and the Marlins top prospects. It won’t be a fun next two years, but at least there’s hope for the future.

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27. Oakland Athletics (28)

Our hope for the Oakland Athletics is simple. Brent Rooker continues to stay hot through September, finishing with a career-best season before turning 30 years old in November. Then, the Athletics front office flips the All-Star bat for some quality prospects near the majors who can get some time in the Athletics lineup next season. Given what happened at the trade deadline, however, our hopes are low for the A’s doing that.

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26. Los Angeles Angels (27)

The one thing the Los Angeles Angels can feel excellent about coming out of this season is Zach Neto. A first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Neto has already turned into an above-average starter at shortstop. Furthermore, the 23-year-old is slashing .310/.395/.549 since July 1 with 6 homers, 10 steals and he’s making highlight plays at shortstop. The Angels have something, it’s just a shame it didn’t come earlier in Mike Trout’s career.

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25. Washington Nationals (25)

Luis Garcia Jr (.364/.404/.626) has been on a tear in the last 30 games. It also comes at a time when James Wood is showing some real promise, as evidenced by his 11.5 percent walk rate with 6 steals, 4 home runs and a 124 wRC+. If CJ Abrams could just return to his production from earlier in the year, the Nationals lineup would have a young core that could do some real damage in 2025.

24. Toronto Blue Jays (24)

The best thing to happen for the Toronto Blue Jays this season is Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s return to stardom. He posted just a .788 OPS in 2023 with an .818 OPS the season before. This season, he is slashing .322/.394/.548 and his OPS since July 1 ins 1.194. Best of all, he’s made it clear he wants to sign a contract extension.

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23. Detroit Tigers (19)

We certainly don’t fault the Detroit Tigers for keeping Tarik Skubal, as he could be moved this winter for the same trade value if not higher. The Tigers front office might also be feeling good about next season because Parker Meadows (1.229 OPS), Riley Greene (.894 OPS) and Colt Keith (.282/.355/.516) have been outstanding at the plate this summer. Maybe, just maybe, the Tigers can challenge for a WC spot next year.

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22. Cincinnati Reds (20)

The Cincinnati Reds front office probably deserves more criticism for not selling off a lot more talent at the trade deadline. This team has really collapsed since a promising start early in 2024 and the most glaring holes on the roster were never really addressed. Moving forward, Cincinnati just has to hope that Noelvi Marte (.545 OPS) eventually figures things out at the plate.

21. Texas Rangers (15)

Max Scherzer is back on the injured list and the Texas Rangers’ season certainly seems over. The Rangers lineup (20th in runs scored, batting average and OBP) fell well short of expectations this year. Texas needed it to survive the pitching injuries and we see how that went. It will be very interesting to see how ownership lets the Rangers front office handle things this winter.

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20. Pittsburgh Pirates (18)

The Bryan De La Cruz trade (.118/.143/.118) hasn’t quite worked out for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but there’s now only one thing that matters. With the Pirates having fallen out of the playoff picture, the focus moving forward should be on Paul Skenes and Jared Jones staying healthy for 2025. Give the fans at PNC Park a few more starts from the duo, but the primary objective should be having them available for 2025.

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MLB power rankings Week 19:

19. Tampa Bay Rays (23)

The biggest winners of the MLB trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays are also still finding ways to win on the field. Christopher Morel (.673 OPS) hasn’t provided much to the Rays lineup, but Tampa Bay has the lowest ERA (2.96) in the majors since the All-Star Break. Credit goes to Taj Bradley, Zack Littell, Shane Baz and breakout arm Edwin Uceta. We don’t expect the Rays to make a Wild Card push, but there’s no doubt the club’s future is very promising.

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18. Chicago Cubs (21)

The Chicago Cubs have a pulse, although, it is faint. Chicago boasts a winning record since the All-Star Break and the pitching (3.46 ERA) is coming through at a critical time. However, the Cubs lineup (.676 OPS) continues to struggle coming out of the break. In related news, Isaac Paredes is 5-for-33 with a .519 OPS and more strikeouts (six) than RBI (five) since landing in Chicago.

17. San Francisco Giants (22)

We’re not especially convinced that the San Francisco Giants have turned things around. The 10-3 record since July 25 is nice. Then you remember San Francisco did that against some of the worst MLB teams in 2024 and it instantly becomes less credible. On the bright side, the Giants schedule in the weeks ahead features the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Oakland A’s and Chicago White Sox. So maybe, by good fortune, they can keep climbing the MLB standings.

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16. Atlanta Braves (8)

It feels like we’re approaching that time when the Atlanta Braves’ season has to be declared over. The Braves have the 11th-worst record in baseball since May 1 and they are in the same company as the Los Angeles Angels and Miami Marlins since July 1. In short, the Braves just aren’t very good. Barring a miraculous turnaround, Atlanta’s steady descent down the MLB power rankings will continue.

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15. St. Louis Cardinals (16)

The St. Louis Cardinals are back to treading water, posting a 16-17 record since the start of July. Pitching (4.58 ERA) is an obvious problem, but it’s also impossible to ignore a Cardinals lineup that ranks 17th in OPS (.727) during that stretch. One thing is clear, Paul Goldschmidt can’t return in 2025 and it might be wise for St. Louis to look around this offseason to see what takers there are for Nolan Arenado.

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14. Seattle Mariners (7)

Back down to earth comes the Seattle Mariners lineup. Randy Arozarena (.872 OPS) isn’t the problem. Instead, a Mariners lineup that ranks 25th in OPS since the All-Star Break and that has been even worse in August (.646 OPS) can thank the likes of Jorge Polanco (.417 OPS), Dylan Moore (.283 OPS) and Justin Turner (.653 OPS) or the recent woes. On the bright side, Julio Rodriguez (ankle) is at least on the way back but he probably won’t rejoin Seattle for a few weeks.

13. Houston Astros (9)

There is something positive for the Houston Astros, even as they descended down our MLB power rankings. Justin Verlander is beginning a rehab start, meaning the three-time Cy Young Award winner could be just a few weeks away from rejoining the Astros rotation. Now for the bad news. Kyle Tucker (shin) still isn’t even allowed to sprint and the Astros lineup returned from the All-Star Break slashing .244/.305/.386. Until everyone is healthy, Houston won’t look like one of the best MLB teams.

12. Boston Red Sox (12)

We’ll start with the good news, James Paxton (4.35 ERA) has been just as effective as a back-end starter as the last time he pitched for the Boston Red Sox. Alarmingly, he is one of the bright spots for a team with a 6.02 ERA in its last 18 games. We still like the Red Sox lineup, but it’s tough to win games when your starters cough up runs early and then your bullpen coughs up leads.

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11. Minnesota Twins (10)

It’s difficult to buy into the Minnesota Twins right now. We’ll start with the 25-34 record versus winning teams (MLB.com) an immediate sign that this club might struggle if it plays in October. Of course, there’s reason to believe there won’t be playoff baseball in Minnesota because this team is barely playing .500 ball (9-8) since the All-Star Break and its pitching staff (4.59 ERA in the last 151 IP) has proven it can’t be relied on.

Best MLB teams

10. New York Mets (13)

Since moving Francisco Lindor to the leadoff spot in the New York Mets lineup, he is slashing .292/.367/.512 with an .879 OPS. Over that same span, New York boasts a 41-30 record and the Mets lineup has the third-highest OPS (.789) in the majors. We also must highlight that New York has the second-best record in baseball since June 1 (37-21) and the second-most wins since July 1 (21). That’s why the Mets are one of the best MLB teams right now.

9. Kansas City Royals (14)

It’s Bobby Witt Jr’s world and the Kansas City Royals are just happy to live in it. The 24-year-old is demonstrating this season why he might be the best player in baseball. Witt Jr. owns a .451/.482/.784 slash line (Baseball Reference) with a 1.266 OPS and 8 home runs from July 7 to August 7. In related news, Kansas City is 16-9 during that stretch. The Royals will go as far as Witt’s bat, defense and speed take them.

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8. Arizona Diamondbacks (17)

The Arizona Diamondbacks are starting to resemble the team that tore through the postseason last year and won the National League. Arizona has the best record in baseball since July 1 (22-10) and that’s with a staff ERA of 4.16. Going back even further, this team is 38-21 (first in MLB) since June 1 and that’s despite a 4.65 ERA. All of this is to say the Diamondbacks lineup – .820 OPS since June 1 (second) – led by Ketel Marte (1.057 OPS), Josh Bell (1.037), Joc Pederson (.913 OPS) and Eugenio Suarez (.861 OPS) have catapulted the D-Backs up the MLB power rankings today.

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7. Cleveland Guardians (5)

The Cleveland Guardians were destined for a drop in the latest MLB power rankings after their recent woes. Since July 1, the Guardians are tied with the ikes of the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels with only 15 wins since July 1. In August, the Guardians have been one of the worst MLB teams. If Cleveland can’t get things right against the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, there becomes a very real chance the Guardians lose control of the AL Central.

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6. San Diego Padres (11)

The San Diego Padres have the second-best record in MLB (18-10) since July 1 and they have been even better (14-3) since coming out of the All-Star Break. Even with starters still missing, San Diego’s pitching (3.00 ERA in 153 IP) is thriving as of late. Meanwhile, the Padres lineup (.810 OPS, fourth in MLB) is on a tear. We’ll remind you this team moved on from both Blake Snell and Juan Soto during the offseason. Kudos to the Padres’ organization for still performing like one of the best MLB teams after losing a Cy Young winner and MVP bat.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (6)

Aaron Civale is performing just as poorly for the Milwaukee Brewers (5.40 ERA) as he did in a Tampa Bay Rays uniform. To make matters worse, Frankie Montas hasn’t been any better Despite that, Milwaukee keeps finding ways to win. The Brewers lineup (.800 OPS, sixth in MLB) deserves credit for the success since the All-Star Break, but 34-year-old starting pitcher Colin Rea (2 ER allowed in last 17.1 IP) is also coming through.

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4. Los Angeles Dodgers (2)

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ matchups against two of the best MLB teams right now – Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres – ended in series defeats. Fortunately, help is on the horizon. Tommy Edman and Max Muncy are starting rehab assignments over the weekend, while Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto take steps toward returning. If the Dodgers roster can ever stay healthy at the same time, Los Angeles can easily claim the No. 1 spot in our MLB power rankings by September.

3. Baltimore Orioles (1)

It’s only a two-game sample size but Trevor Rogers, one of the Baltimore Orioles’ big MLB trade deadline acquisitions, has been even worse (6.75 ERA, 1.93 WHIP) than he was with the Miami Marlins. Fortunately, Zach Eflin (3.65 ERA) is pitching much better. The Orioles are playing .500 baseball since the All-Star Break, in large part because the pitchers hold an abysmal 4.97 ERA in the last 174 innings. Perhaps it might’ve been wise for this World Series contender to move some of the Orioles top prospects considering several of those prospects are blocked from the majors by young stars.

2. New York Yankees (4)

The New York Yankees have been playing better baseball as of late, posting a winning record since the All-Star Break after slumping right before it. It’s coming at a time when the Yankees pitching staff (4.99 ERA) has really let this team down. The group worth highlighting is the Yankees lineup, which has the third-highest OPS (.861) with the fifth-most runs scored (106) since the All-Star Break.

1. Philadelphia Phillies (3)

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in baseball, but the gap isn’t nearly as wide as it used to be. Since July 1, the Phillies are tied for the fifth-fewest wins (14) in MLB per FanGraphs. Life hasn’t been much better in August, but there is hope following a much-needed series victory over the Dodgers. Fortunately for Philadelphia, several of the other best MLB teams are slumping right now. The other fortunate news, Ranger Suarez (back) is taking big steps toward rejoining the Phillies rotation.

Feedback can be sent on Twitter to @Matt_Sportsnaut

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