MLB Power Rankings

30. Texas Rangers (45-69)

The injury riddled Rangers are tied for the title of worst team in baseball.
Even after winning their last two games with relative ease, they still have a dismal
17-40 record since June 1
st
. They still have a top 15 all-around offense, but their
pitching cant seem to keep up with opposing offenses. Their bullpen took a major
hit with the trade of Joakim Soria to Detroit and the starting staff still has a
combined ERA of 5.04 which is second-worst in the game.




29. Houston Astros (47-68)
The Astros boast the second-worst record in the game and this is a surprise
they arent the worst team in August. They are a sub-par offense except when it
comes to the long-ball or stealing bases. The team has gone 7-10 since its offense
lost a big piece in George Springer, who had 20 homers. Theyve also been
without Dexter Fowler since June 27, luckily hell be back tomorrow in Oklahoma
City for a rehab Game. Their starting rotation has been below-average, but their
bullpen has been atrocious this year. They have the 22
nd
worst rotation ERA in the
game with 4.09 and the worst bullpen ERA with 5.04. All around, this isnt
unexpected from a team coming off 3 straight 100 loss seasons.


28. Colorado Rockies (45-69)
The Rockies, surprisingly were in the playoff race earlier this year. Their
pitching was bad, but their offense was and still is incredible. However, since May,
they Rockies pitching has been so bad, not even the best offense can score
enough to win games. They have the worst starting rotation in the game and the
2
nd
worst bullpen in the game. Their rotation has a combined ERA of 5.07 and
their bullpen has an ERA of 4.76. The Rockies have also had their fair share of big
injuries. Cuddyer has only played in 31 games this year and Tulowitzki has been
gone since July 20. Brett Anderson has only pitched 43.1 innings and Chatwood
hasnt seen the field since April and might not see it next year either. Without
Tulowitzki, theyve been 5-12, however, he wouldnt probably wouldnt make
much of a difference because their pitchers have allowed 72 runs in those 17
games.




27. Arizona Diamondbacks (49-66)
The Diamondbacks arent just a dirty team, theyre also a bad team that
lost their main offensive weapon. The Dbacks are 14
th
in the league in team
batting average, but they lost Paul Goldschmidt so expect that number to drop
fast. They also traded a good hitter in Martin Prado. They also traded Brandon
McCarthy who is shining with the Yankees. Their rotation is the 4th worst in
baseball and their bullpen is the 7
th
worst. Another thing wrong with the Dbacks is
their manager. Kirk Gibson has helped run that team into the ground. He also
prevented McCarthy from throwing his cutter, which seems to work for him in
New York. GM Kevin Towers doesnt help the teams ranking on this list trading a
big part of his offense for a 24 year old prospect that is in Double-A. Good work
fellas.


26. Chicago Cubs (49-64)
The Cubs are a team in the rebuilding stages, so this record is not
unexpected. Theo Epstein did a good job milking prospects out of the As for Jeff
Samardzija, but that doesnt help their power rankings for this year. A team that
has won 7 of their last 10 games, against the Rockies, still has the 4
th
worst
offense in the game, even with elite SS prospect Javier Baez now up and raking.
They now have 10
th
worst rotation ERA in the game after trading Hammel and
Samardzija. Jake Arrieta had an ERA of 2.11 before Wednesday where he allowed
9 ER. Now he has a 2.80 ERA. He is still the best full-year starter on the Cubs by
far, however, Kyle Hendricks has come up and done extremely well posting a 2.10
ERA in 34.1 innings. They bullpen ranks 18
th
in baseball with a 3.63 ERA, but if you
take off 3 guys who have inflated ERA theyre a lot better. This team could be #1
in the Power Rankings for 2017.



25. Boston Red Sox (50-64)
The defending World Series Champions have one of the worst records, go
figure. The Sox traded away a lot of players, but they got so much young talent,
its hard to criticize the trade. Sure they traded away of their rotation and their
set-up man, but they got a major-league ready reliever and multiple prospects.
They also acquired Yoenis Cespedes and Allen Craig, two good power hitting
righties. They also got Joe Kelly who has a good track record in St. Louis and can
help a depleted rotation. The team is still the 7
th
worst offense in the game, which
got better though. They also have the 7
th
worst starting rotation ERA with 4.15
and are 13
th
in bullpen ERA with 3.49. Their young starters also have not been
getting it done for the Sox.



24. Minnesota Twins (51-62)
This year so far is a huge step in the right direction for the Twins. They only
won 66 games last year and they already have 51 this year with 49 games left.
This is a team that has the 10th worst offense and that has the 3
rd
worst rotation
ERA of 4.93. However, they have the 10
th
best bullpen ERA of 3.28. The Twins are
7-12 since the All-Star break, and they have without Joe Mauer since July 1
st
. One
of their main bad points this year is Ricky Nolasco who signed a 4 year/$49 million
deal this past offseason and has an ERA of 5.90.


23. Philadelphia Phillies (52-63)
The Philadelphia Phillies are so far having another disappointing season as
they try to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011. They also passed up
multiple chances to dump a couple big contracts for older players in exchange for
prospects. Given Utley and Byrd are doing good, dumping their contracts would
be good for the team. They also can no longer trade Cliff Lee this year as he is
now out for the year with more arm problems. The Phillies rank 26
th
in offense
and have a rotation ERA of 3.98 which is good enough for 20
th
in the game. Their
bullpen ERA is also 3.98 which is the 7
th
worst in the Majors.


22. San Diego Padres (52-61)
Another atrocious offensive year for San Diego. They rank dead last in the
MLB in total offense. Like always, however, their pitching is pretty good. They
rank 8
th
in starters ERA with 3.48 and they have the best bullpen in the game.
They post a 2.38 ERA and an OPP. BA of .210. The Padres could be a definite
division contender if they get some bats in that lineup who can stay healthy. They
made a good trade in trading Street for Lindsey, Alvarez, and Rondon. At least
they have a future.


21. New York Mets (54-61)
The New York Mets are a team that is performing well for losing their ace.
They have the 13
th
best rotation ERA and 7
th
best bullpen ERA. Their hitting,
however, is 2
nd
worst in the game. If they had a better offense, they are legit
contenders in the East. Maybe one or two more good hitters, not great, they can
definitely be a force, especially with that rotation. Jennry Mejia has done
exceptional in the closer role that he was given this May after Kyle Farnsworth
was released. Daniel Murphy was an all-star and is an amazing player, but the big
guy Curtis Granderson is delivering home runs, but not much else.


20. Miami Marlins (55-59)
Much like the Mets, the Marlins lost their ace in Jose Fernandez and have
done surprisingly well. Many people, including myself, thought they would be
horrible. They proved a lot of people wrong. They have 8
th
worst rotation ERA, but
those numbers are inflated with 5 or 6 players with one start and couldnt bring it
down. They are 12
th
in bullpen ERA and they have a good long time closer in Steve
Cishek. They rank 18
th
in offense this year which is another big reason the Marlins
fell out of the #2 spot. This is a young team with the potential to be a top team in
a few years.


19. Tampa Bay Rays (55-59)
The Tampa Bay Rays had 4 straight 90 win seasons heading into this year,
but they have not performed close to that level. They have the 13
th
best offense
in the game, and the 9
th
best starter ERA with 3.68. They have the 17
th
ranked
bullpen with a 3.59. They traded their ace and former Cy Young winner David
Price and got nothing close to what he was worth. They were one of the hottest
teams in the game, but now it seems that they do not believe they are a playoff
team this year.
18. Chicago White Sox (55-61)
Another AL Central team heading down the right path, the White Sox are 8
wins away from tying their win total for last year. Their starters have posted a
4.41 ERA, which is 5
th
worst. Their bullpen isnt much better, posting a 4.53 ERA,
3
rd
worst. Their offense, however, is the 6
th
best. Largely due to rookie pehnom
Jose Abreu. The kid is hitting .303 with 31 HRs and 86 RBI. No doubter for Rookie
of the Year. Where would the White Sox be without him? The answer is a lot
lower on this list.


17. Atlanta Braves (58-56)
The Atlanta Braves have lost 8 straight games and have fallen 4.5 games
behind the Nationals. This is largely in part to the fact that they have the 8
th
worst
offense in baseball and that they strike out too much. Their patchwork rotation is
the 7
th
best in baseball having an ERA of 3.44. They also have the 11
th
best
bullpen, posting a 3.28 ERA. Their offense strikes out the 5
th
most in baseball and
they are the 3
rd
worst team when it comes to scoring. Itll be tough to make the
playoffs if they continue to hit like this.



16. Cleveland Indians (57-58)
After making the playoffs last year, the Indians expected a lot from this
years team. Theyre doing decent, one game under .500. The Indians are doing
well on offense, 12
th
in the Majors. Pitching is another story. They have the 6
th

worst starter ERA, 4.39. Their bullpen, however, is the 6
th
best in the game with a
2.94 ERA. They traded Justin Masterson so they lost their ace from last year along
with Kazmir who went to Oakland. They are in good position to take the 2
nd
Wild
Card spot.

15. Cincinnati Reds (59-56)
The Reds are another Ohio team looking to make the Postseason again. A
team that won 90 games last year and still finished 3
rd
, the Reds are just hoping
for a chance to take the 2
nd
Wild Card. This is a team with an outstanding rotation
led by Johnny Cueto. They rank 2
nd
in the game, posting a 3.24 ERA. Their bullpen,
on the other hand, is 22
nd
in the Major Leagues with a 3.73 ERA. Their offense
ranks 34
th
in the league, much like last year. However, the main difference is
inability to get on base. Ranking 8
th
best in OBP last year, the Reds have the 3
rd

worst OBP this year. Of course, Votto has only played 62 games this year and
Phillips hasnt played since July 10
th
. They also lost leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo in
free agency, so its been tough to plate runners without his .423 OBP.




14. Pittsburgh Pirates (61-53)
After failing to make the playoff for 21 years, the Pirates finally made it last
year. They seem primed to go this year right? Wrong. Enter the dirty
Diamondbacks who retaliated for no real reason, other than someone got hit on
accident. They broke MVP candidate Andrew McCutchens rib. However, he still
hasnt been placed on the DL. Theyre still only .5 game back for the 2
nd
Wild Card,
but itll be hard to get farther that. With McCutchen, they ranked 8
th
in baseball in
offense, lets see how long they keep that rank. Their rotation ranks 16
th
in the
game with a 3.81 ERA. Their bullpen ranks 14
th
with an ERA of 3.50. This is a
decent pitching team without its offensive star. If they somehow make the
playoffs, wish them luck. Theyll need it.





13. New York Yankees (60-54)
The Yankees have done well with what theyve been given. Theyve lost a
lot of starters including veteran CC Sabathia and Rookie Masahiro Tanaka.
Brandon McCarthy has been outstanding since being traded from Arizona, largely
to the fact that hes been throwing his cutter again. All that taken in, the Yankees
rank 17
th
in starting rotation and 21
st
in bullpen. ERAs of 3.89 and 3.65
respectively. After spending collectively over $300 Million on hitters this past
offseason, they rank 15
th
in offense. They still have a good chance of making the
postseason if Tanaka comes back and can repeat what he was doing before his
injury.


12. Kansas City Royals (60-53)
The Royals had their 2
nd
winning season since 1994 last year, and this year
looks to be their third. They have a .5 game lead for the 2
nd
Wild Card and a good
chance of making the playoff for the first time since 1985. Their starters ERA is
3.78, good for 14
th
in the MLB. Their bullpen ranks 9
th
with a 3.28 ERA. Their
offense is once again good, as it ranks 4
th
in the game right now. Currently on a 4
game winning streak, they hope to extend their Wild Card lead as they face the
Giants in interleague play.


11. Toronto Blue Jays (61-55)
Much like the Royals, the Blue Jays have a chance to end their playoff
drought. They are currently .5 game back for the 2
nd
Wild Card and 5 games back
in the East. The Jays rank 19
th
in roation ERA with 3.95 and 25
th
in bullpen ERA
with 4.36 Their offense, as expected, ranks 3
rd
and is the reason the Jays even
have this chance to end their 20 year playoff drought. they begin a series with the
Blue Jays today as they hope to overtake the Royals in the Wild Card.
10. Seattle Mariners (60-54)
The Mariners have not made the playoffs since the 2001 season when they
won 116 games. While they wont win 116 games, they have a good chance of
going to the playoffs. They are on a 3 game winning streak and only .5 games back
of the 2
nd
Wild Card. Their 22
nd
ranked offense got a big boost with the acquisition
of Austin Jackson and maybe Chris Denorfia if he can turn his season around.
Their rotation led by King Felix is ranked 5
th
with an ERA of 3.36. Their bullpen is
unbelievable. They are ranked 1st in all of baseball, but I rank them second. With
an ERA of 2.36 and an Opp. BA of .214, theyre second only to the Padres. This is a
team expect to win the 2
nd
Wild Card spot and give the Angels a run for their
money in that one game playoff.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (61-52)
The Cardinals have not missed the playoffs since 2010, and they dont
expect to miss it this year either. Currently leading the 1
st
Wild Card spot and only
1 game back in the division, the Cards are primed for another postseason run.
They are ranked 17
th
in offense, but they lost Allen Craig, however, they are still a
good enough team to win without him. Their rotation ranks 6
th
in baseball,
posting an ERA of 3.41. Their bullpen, however, ranks 16
th
with a 3.53 ERA. This is
a team that will not only make the playoffs, but make a run for the pennant.

8. San Francisco Giants (62-53)
The Giants are an odd story. Once holding the second best record in
baseball, they are now 3.5 games back in the NL West. They have not played well
since Angel Pagan got hurt, as they did last year, and theyve been without
Brandon Belt multiple times this year. They have the worst collection of second
basemen in baseball and Mike Morse also fell off the face of the planet. The
Giants acquired Jake Peavy to replace Matt Cain who will miss the rest of the
year, and he has pitched ok. Their offense as a whole actually fell off the planet as
theyre now ranked 25
th
. Their pitching staff is still 11
th
in baseball with a 3.72
ERA, and their bullpen is outstanding posting a 2.61 ERA, good for 3
rd
in the game.
The Giants have the 2
nd
Wild Card spot as of now, and they hope to keep it.

7. Detroit Tigers (62-50)
Much like last year, the Tigers lead the AL Central, but have a disappointing
total lead. They are 2.5 games up on the Royals. Their bugaboo once again is their
bullpen. It is ranked 27
th
with a 4.51 ERA. Their rotation, however, is 10
th
with a
3.71 ERA and their offense is the 2
nd
best in baseball. The addition of David Price
gives the Tigers an outstanding rotation that is to be feared by all. There are a
definite title threat, even with bullpen troubles.



6. Washington Nationals (62-51)
Capitalizing on the Braves 8 game losing streak, the Nats have taken a 4.5
game lead in the NL East. A team that had 98 wins in 2012, but only 86 last year,
the Nationals seem to have this NL East right now. They rank 3
rd
in starting
pitching and 5
th
in bullpen pitching. Their outstanding pitching is coupled with
decent offense, as the Nats rank 17
th
. This teams pitching could be just good
enough to carry them deep into the postseason.




5. Milwaukee Brewers (63-52)
The Brewers are a team no one thought would be this good. They are 1
st
in
the NL Central and looking to go to the playoffs for the 3
rd
time since joining the
National League in 1998. A team ranked 17
th
in starting pitching and 19
th
in
bullpen, the Brewers use their 12
th
overall offense to win many games. They use
the long ball a lot to their advantage; theyre tied for 5
th
in home runs. They are
being chased steadily by the Cardinals, but they remain 1
st
.

4. Baltimore Orioles (65-49)
The Baltimore Orioles have many things go right for them this year. They
are ranked 10
th
in offense and first in home runs. They also have a decent pitching
staff, ranked 17
th
. They also have the 8
th
best bullpen that only got better with
the acquisition of Andrew Miller. They also capitalized on the other Eastern teams
when they had big injuries. The Os seem to be running away with the division
right now. In fact, they have the biggest divisional lead in the game right now, and
they hope to keep it that way.



3. Los Angeles Dodgers (66-50)
The scorching hot Dodgers have won 10 of their last 13 games and have
taken a 3.5 game divisional lead over the Giants. Headlined by the best starting
rotation in baseball and the 10
th
best offense, the Dodgers have good resources to
head back to the NLCS. Their bullpen has stabilized as they are now 17
th
. Once
again a top 10 offense and a phenomenal pitching team, the Dodgers are the
most feared team in the National League.


2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (67-47)
The 2
nd
best team in baseball, the Angels have hit a bit of a cold stretch.
They have lost 3 straight, and 6 of their last 10. They have the 5
th
best offense in
baseball that could get better if Hamilton can get hot again. Their starting
pitching, thats ranked 16
th
, has fared well, except Wilson, and their 15
th
best
bullpen has been really good since Frieri got traded. Frieri is actually the reason
the Angels are not first in the AL West right now. Maybe that can change with the
As offense losing Cespedes.



1. Oakland Athletics (70-44)
The As have the best record in baseball, but arent the best team. They are
still winning, Ill give them that. However, they dont have a good offense. A great
run differential doesnt mean much when you look at the As without Cespedes.
They have scored 22 runs in 7 games, but 8 of them came in 1 game, they also
scored multiple runs of errors in that one game. They rank 7
th
in OBP and 16
th
in
BA, but those will drop significantly without Cespedes. Their rotation is 3
rd
in the
game and their bullpen is 4
th
, but good pitching wont always win you games. In
my opinion, the As will not win the division, but for now they hold a 3 game lead
over the Angels. If you take away your cleanup hitter, you cant expect to score
many runs.