Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: Here come the Cubs

By Joshua Sadlock

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 17: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after hitting a solo homer in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on July 17, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 17: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after hitting a solo homer in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on July 17, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 20: Jonathan Schoop #6 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates after the Orioles defeated the Texas Rangers 9-7 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 20, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 20: Jonathan Schoop #6 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates after the Orioles defeated the Texas Rangers 9-7 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 20, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
16

Baltimore Orioles 46-49

Last week: 4-3
Last rank: 20

All the rumors and chatter swirling about the Orioles auctioning off All-Star closer Zach Britton and All-Star setup men Brad Brach and Darren O’Day may have lit a fire under the Orioles. After getting swept by the Chicago Cubs to start the second half, the Orioles lineup and starting rotation have responded by outscoring the Rangers 34-11 to sweep a four-game series (still not quite as embarrassing as losing a single game 30-3, but it’s a start).

Lost in all of the hand wringing over Manny Machado’s slump and the terrible starting pitching is the fact that Caleb Joseph, yes, the guy who drove in zero runs in 141 plate appearances last year, is batting .299/.329/.461 with 11 doubles, four homers and 19 RBI in 54 games. Joseph has also gotten much more out of the pitching staff than Welington Castillo. It may be time to consider letting him start every day.

15

Pittsburgh Pirates 48-48

Last week: 6-1
Last rank: 19

A strong week to start the second half should give the Pirates front office pause when they consider breaking down their roster and going into a heavy rebuilding phase. Having been without Starling Marte for half the season because of a PED suspension, it’s impossible to have a real feel for how good the current team is.

The worst place in the world for a small-market team like the Pirates to be is .500 with an All-Star like Andrew McCutchen approaching free agency. The center fielder will make or break the Pirates going forward, but there’s no reason to believe the Pirates would have no shot at re-signing him if they just buck up and spend the money to keep the most beloved player since Roberto Clemente in Pittsburgh.

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