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MLB Power Rankings: Rested and refreshed out of the All-Star break, which teams are poised for a playoff push?
MLB Power Rankings: Rested and refreshed out of the All-Star break, which teams are poised for a playoff push?
Sometimes you just need a little break.
The Detroit Tigers limped into the All-Star break, losing four straight games for the first time this season. Still, they were well-represented at the All-Star Game and rightfully so, as they brought the best record in baseball into the break. This is the first time they’ve had the top record at the break since 2006. They remain on pace for their best record since that magical season that was 1984.
The Los Angeles Dodgers just went through their longest losing streak since 2017, but they closed the break with two wins and sit in first by 5 ½ games with the best record in the National League.
The Toronto Blue Jays were the hottest team in baseball and had a 3 ½-game lead in the AL East, only to end the first half with losses in three of their last four games — and those came against the A’s and White Sox. Still, they remain in first place and you can’t ask much more than that, especially considering they were once eight games out.
I correctly put the Houston Astros first in the official Power Rankings last week, but they rewarded me by losing five of six, all at home, heading into the break.
The Phillies also lost four of six to finish the first half. The Cubs had lost three of four, but closed with two wins. The Yankees answered their six-game losing streak with a five-game winning streak, only to drop their last two games.
If you’re counting, that’s every first-place team and one second-place team that all struggled, to some extent, late in the first half.
Again, sometimes you just need a little break. So many good teams limped into the All-Star break, but they’ll all come back fresh and relaxed on Friday.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Was Zach McKinstry the most unlikely All-Star? If we exclude the token “every team gets a rep” guys, I think so. | 2 | 59-38 |
2 |
|
If someone told you during spring training that a member of the Dodgers would be leading the NL in batting average and on-base percentage, how many guesses would it have taken before you got to Will Smith? Four? | — | 58-39 |
3 |
|
This is the Cubs’ best record at the All-Star break since … yep. 2016! | 1 | 57-39 |
4 |
|
The Brewers most certainly did NOT struggle in closing the first half. They won seven straight, including a sweep of the mighty Dodgers. They are now only one game back of the Cubs in the NL Central. | 4 | 56-40 |
5 |
|
Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez are returning soon, so the rich get richer here. | 4 | 56-40 |
6 |
|
No Phillies player has gotten to 200 hits in a season since Jimmy Rollins in 2007. Trea Turner is on pace for 189. Maybe he picks up the pace and gets there. | 1 | 55-41 |
7 |
|
Remember when the Jays swept the Yankees in four games at home? It just happened not too long ago. They get three more against the Yankees at home next week. The Jays are 32-16 at home, too. | 1 | 55-41 |
8 |
|
Pop quiz, hot shot: Who leads the Mets in WAR? He wasn’t an All-Star. It is Juan Soto! | 1 | 55-42 |
9 |
|
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is an incredibly fun player, one of MLB’s best ambassadors of good vibes. But he really shouldn’t have been in the Home Run Derby. Oh well. | — | 53-43 |
10 |
|
A 10-game winning streak and only three games out. My “Red Sox win the AL East” preseason prediction lives! | 5 | 53-45 |
11 |
|
It’s tough to open the second half with a 10-game road trip, but the first two stops are D.C. and Miami, so maybe they can take advantage of inferior competition. | 3 | 52-44 |
12 |
|
Cal Raleigh was the star of All-Star week and rightfully so. Hopefully he hits 60 bombs. That would be all kinds of cool. | 1 | 51-45 |
13 |
|
Rafael Devers is hitting .202 with a .326 slugging percentage since the trade. Maybe he should’ve just moved to first base in Boston? | — | 52-45 |
14 |
|
This is remarkable. The Reds still haven’t been more than four games away from .500 all season. They feel very inconsistent, but through this lens, they are the most consistent team in baseball. | 2 | 50-47 |
15 |
|
What a great showcase the Home Run Derby was for Junior Caminero, an emerging superstar. | 5 | 50-47 |
16 |
|
They’ve lost eight of 12. | 4 | 51-46 |
17 |
|
Remember how bad Marcus Semien was for the first few months? In his last 40 games, he’s hitting .321/.388/.571. | — | 48-49 |
18 |
|
The Twins have now won three straight series and two of those came against good teams in the Cubs and Rays. Maybe there’s hope here after all. | 1 | 47-49 |
19 |
|
The Angels are only four games out of a playoff spot. They definitely don’t feel like a contender, but you never know. | 1 | 47-49 |
20 |
|
The Royals are 8-4 this month. They are yet another team that doesn’t feel very good but is right within range of a playoff spot. | 1 | 47-50 |
21 |
|
Eugenio Suárez now has 31 bombs. He’s a free agent after the year and the Diamondbacks are likely going to be far enough back to sell. A bunch of teams need a third baseman. It should be a fun bidding war. | 3 | 47-50 |
22 |
|
They followed that back-breaking 10-game losing streak with wins in six of their last seven games. | 2 | 46-49 |
23 |
|
You know who was really nice and fun at media day for the All-Star Game? Kyle Stowers. And why shouldn’t he be? He capped off his great first half with a three-homer game on Sunday. | — | 44-51 |
24 |
|
That’s now six starts of Trevor Rogers with a 1.53 ERA. Is that trade salvageable? Probably not, but there are good signs for Rogers right now and the Orioles will certainly take it. | 2 | 43-52 |
25 |
|
Marcell Ozuna will be traded, right? He’s a free agent after this season and the Braves aren’t going anywhere this year. | — | 42-53 |
26 |
|
Rookie Nick Kurtz didn’t homer through his first 16 games. Since then, though, he has 17 home runs in 42 games. | 2 | 41-57 |
27 |
|
During the Home Run Derby, I couldn’t help but wonder what could be done with Oneil Cruz, if only he played for a competent organization. | 1 | 39-58 |
28 |
|
They’ve lost eight of nine, but at least they had the No. 1 draft pick! | 1 | 38-58 |
29 |
|
They are on pace to win 53 games and that would, hilariously, be a 12-game improvement. | — | 32-65 |
30 |
|
The White Sox last season were the worst team in modern MLB history. They finished with a -306 run differential. The Rockies right now are at -253. | — | 22-74 |
MLB
