Dodgers Remain Top Team in Baseball Power Rankings

The Major League Baseball season feels as though it’s even shorter than the abbreviated season already is. The postseason is nearly upon us with the first game slated for Sept. 29. MLB

While that means there is still plenty of time for the top teams to jockey for position in the final standings, it also means there isn’t much time left for those who are on the playoff bubble at this point in the season.

This season will also feature a one-time-only expanded playoff format with 16 teams getting the nod to try and fight for a chance at the World Series. The top two teams in each division will be combined with the two non-division winners with the best records in each league to make up the eight-team playoffs for both the American and National leagues.

Below we’ve assembled our top-10 list of the MLB Power Rankings, which start with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top spot and the New York Yankees holding on tightly at No. 10 with hopes of not slipping off the list completely. .

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Odds to win World Series: +320

Oddsmakers and baseball fans seem to all agree: The Dodgers are the team to watch right now. Despite the fact that last week wasn’t the hottest for Los Angeles (they went 2-3 with losses to the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Astros), the team has all the tools needed to earn themselves a World Series title this season. Mookie Betts is playing some of the best baseball of his career, and Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw are having terrific outings on the mound. The Dodgers stand at the top of the power rankings because everyone on their team is synced up and ready to win a title.

1. Tampa Bay Rays

Odds to win World Series: +600

Last week the Rays split their game, 3-3, and had a little trouble handling the Washington Nationals along the way. But that’s not a reason to see this team slip in the power rankings, and oddsmakers seem to agree as Tampa Bay continues to be one of the favorites for a World Series run. Things are looking really solid for a run in the postseason for the Rays, who just got Charlie Morton back following his shoulder injury. Expect more wins to come their way now that Tampa Bay’s rotation is once again complete, especially since the schedule over the next couple of weeks doesn’t see them playing any real tough teams.

1. San Diego Padres

Odds to win World Series: +1200

It’s always great when your favorite team gets hot at the right time, so Padres fans must be really enjoying the show right now. Last week, San Diego went 5-0, defeating the Athletics (who are No. 4 in this week’s power rankings), the Rockies and the Giants. The team features one of the best ERAs in MLB right now, they’ve shored up some of the weaker points on their roster, and the continued improvement of the bullpen means that the Padres may prove to be a smart bet for players who take a chance on them at their current odds.

1. Oakland Athletics

Odds to win World Series: +1200

Busy weeks can be draining to teams, especially so late in the season. But when you go 6-2 over last week’s opponents, it sure helps keep a team energized despite all the work they’ve been putting in. The A’s are going to be relying on a solid pitching staff to keep their wins coming in through the remainder of the season, and the return of shortstop Marcus Semien to the lineup sure has to boost the confidence for this squad. The team is hoping pitcher A.J. Puk also comes back in time for the postseason, but improvements in the bullpen have already been helping Oakland keep their momentum this season.

1. Minnesota Twins

Odds to win World Series: +1200

Last week’s start was a rough one for the Twins as they dropped a game to the struggling Detroit Tigers, and allowed 10 runs in the process. Thankfully for Minnesota fans, the team turned things around to finish the week with a 4-2 mark with a revenge win over Detroit and victories against the Cardinals and the Indians (who are No. 8 on our list this week). The wins have definitely helped the Twins in their hunt to unseat the White Sox as the top team in the AL Central. With time running out and trailing by 1.5 games, this race could end up being very interesting.

1. Chicago White Sox

Odds to win World Series: +1200

Despite leading in the AL Central by 1.5 games, the White Sox still trail the Minnesota Twins in our power rankings. Why? Well, when you drop a three-game series against the team that is right behind you in the MLB standings, you don’t paint a pretty picture for the way you’re going to end the season. Thankfully for Sox fans, the team went 4-1 last week and managed to stay ahead of their division rivals. Of course, that might all change this week as the two teams will go head-to-head in a four-game set. Even if they do miss out on the division championship, the White Sox could still make a run in the postseason, especially with their ability to score runs as a breakneck pace, and a bullpen that has been improving practically every week.

1. Chicago Cubs

Odds to win World Series: +1400

The Chicago Cubs will be headed to the postseason this year and, barring some major missteps, are going to take home the NL Central crown. They should be extremely thankful for starting the season with a 13-3 run, especially since it’s going to take a turnaround from their 4-3 showing last week in order to convince anyone they can contend for the World Series title. If the Cubs can play well in the final games and keep their lead in the standings, they’ll at least have momentum in their favor when they run into some very tough teams in the playoffs.

1. Cleveland Indians

Odds to win World Series: +1800

We want to love the Indians. No, really, we do. But they can’t play baseball like they did last week, going 2-5 with losses to the struggling Royals and, more importantly, the resurging Minnesota Twins (who are ranked No. 5 on this list). It’s going to take some darn good play to earn a berth to the postseason, but even if they do there are issues with the lineup and the pitching rotation struggles just a little too often to give us much confidence in their title chances. But when things are going right? Well, you just can’t count Cleveland out.

1. Atlanta Braves

Odds to win World Series: +1200

Do the Atlanta Braves have what it takes to win a World Series this year? They might, but there seems to be a gap in their pitching rotation that leaves us with a lot more questions than answers. However, you can’t be first in the NL East without having a significant amount of talent, and the ability to score 29 runs (!) in a single game last week shows that they can be incredibly dangerous. Hopefully that run-scoring ability can keep them alive in the playoffs, because a bad night could put them in a perilous position.

1. New York Yankees

Odds to win World Series: +700

The New York Yankees continue to slide in just about every power ranking list across the country, and that’s not because of a lack of talent on the roster, but rather a consistent run of injuries that has hampered them throughout the season. Last week showed just how inconsistent, but still dangerous, the Yankees can be. They lost the first three games they played to the Orioles and twice to the Blue Jays. They ended it with four straight wins with one over the Blue Jays and three against the Orioles. You just never know which team is going to show up, which makes them a very interesting team to watch in the final weeks of the regular season.