MLB Power Rankings: Wild Card races tightening
By Sean Sears
24. San Diego Padres, 69-83, 4th in the NL West (ranked 21st last week)
Losers in seven of their last 10 games, the Padres were eliminated from the postseason last week and now have the chance to play spoiler to the Brewers and the Diamondbacks this week. With no Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres are a different team even with a superstar like Manny Machado healthy and playing every day. Machado’s actually having a rough month at the plate, batting .140 with 10 strikeouts since September 1.
Top position player prospect, OF Taylor Trammell, smashed a grand slam with his team down two runs to eventually win the game, 5-3. Trammell is going to be special. Chris Paddack is also getting shut down for the season, which comes as no surprise since the Padres have been monitoring his innings totals all season.
23. Seattle Mariners, 64-88, last in the AL West (ranked 24th last week)
A .500 record over this last 10 games, the Mariners are one of the more strange teams in baseball this season. They have tons of power throughout their lineup, two of the best base stealers in the game in Mallex Smith and Dee Gordon, but flawed in so many other ways.
Seattle’s pitching staff that had been constructed around Felix Hernandez for years imploded this season. King Felix’s days of reign in the Pacific Northwest look to be over, but guys like Marco Gonzales, Justus Sheffield and Erik Swanson have promise. If one of those arms can take the next step in their development the Mariners and GM Jerry Dipoto can put together a bullpen in the offseason, the Mariners have the offense to make things interesting.