Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: First-half recap

By Joshua Sadlock

From left, American League players Starlin Castro of the New York Yankees, Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros, and Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians talk before the start of the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 10, 2017, at Marlins Park in Miami. (Patrick Farrell/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)
From left, American League players Starlin Castro of the New York Yankees, Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros, and Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians talk before the start of the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 10, 2017, at Marlins Park in Miami. (Patrick Farrell/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – JULY 09: Oakland fans hold a sign referencing Oakland Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray, who has been drawing interest from other teams ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 9, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 4-0. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – JULY 09: Oakland fans hold a sign referencing Oakland Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray, who has been drawing interest from other teams ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 9, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 4-0. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /
28

San Diego Padres 38-50

Last week: 28
Last rank: 6-4

The Padres were supposed to be awful this year, and that’s exactly what they are as A.J. Preller’s rebuilding process continues. At least they’ve lived up to expectations. San Diego is hitting .227/.294/.383 as a team and has been outscored by over 100 runs in the first half. Their closer has a 5.60 ERA and has taken four losses. Brad Hand, a setup man, leads the team in WAR.

We will know in another two or three years where the Padres are headed, and Wil Myers and Manuel Margot might be the only players currently in the starting lineup that figure into the long-term plan. For the Padres, the second half of 2017 needs to be all about giving playing time to prospects like Carlos Asuaje, who has batted .302 in his first 17 MLB games.

27

Oakland Athletics 39-50

Last week: 4-7
Last rank: 23

While the A’s struggled to a 68-win season in 2015 and a 69-win season in 2016, they still had the feel of a competitive team most nights. Take the 2015 team, which was only outscored by 35 runs the entire year. That’s not the case this year, as the A’s have already been outscored by 88 runs.

Oakland has taken a sizable step back this year, but it comes down to getting their young rotation healthy. Sean Manaea has taken a big step forward, while Sonny Gray looks more like his old self. There are some pieces to get excited about in Oakland, but it may take another year. Whether or not they trade Gray remains to be seen.

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