MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers leaving little doubt, Giants aren’t so big
By Tim Boyle
10) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox
Finishing off the American League East wild card contenders, the Boston Red Sox finish narrowly ahead of the Rays and Blue Jays. This does come with a warning, though. With an IL filled with starting pitchers, it could be only a matter of time before the Red Sox get lost in the laundry.
Boston face a tough road ahead. They play the Rays next and they never take it easy on their biggest rivals. Boston may need to be the first team to make a big trade for a starting pitcher. Otherwise, they could find themselves back where they were at the end of April.
9) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies
Here they come. The Philadelphia Phillies are red hot. Do they have enough to win a World Series? Not quite yet. Upgrade the rotation and maybe add a center fielder and this team feels built for a run.
In the absence of Bryce Harper, others have stepped up in a major way. Kyle Schwarber had his legendary June but first baseman Rhys Hoskins has also helped to carry the offense. The Phillies are greatly flawed. They are also built to outpitch their opponents every so often and bash home runs versus them on the other days. In the warmer summer months, this formula can work.
8) MLB Power Rankings: Milwaukee Brewers
The National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers aren’t a particularly dangerous team. Their offense is still putrid at times with the best hitter being first baseman Rowdy Tellez. They need to find offense at this year’s trade deadline. We should expect them to accomplish this.
The Brewers are finally a little less injured which should help them. Starting pitching and bullpen depth was their strength last year and is once again in 2022. Keeping the opponent off the scoreboard is the only chance they have at going far. As much as the Cardinals have struggled at times this year, they are much closer to the Brewers than fans in Milwaukee and beyond would like to admit.
7) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are the better version of the Brewers. They’re getting a lot of offense from Manny Machado but not much from anyone else. Wasn’t the DH in the National League supposed to help teams score runs? This hasn’t been the case. They’re going to be in the market to add at least one major home run hitter before the trade deadline.
The Padres do get the luckiest spot on this week’s MLB Power Rankings because of their pitching. Depth and talent in the rotation helps give them this honor. It wouldn’t be so outrageous for them to even trade one of their starters to help improve the offense. They will need to be careful, though. Murphy’s Law seems to find a way to sneak in. During a time period where pitchers do tend to run out of gas and make a visit to the IL, it could be beneficial to trade parts from the farm system rather than big league pieces.
6) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins
Do the Minnesota Twins scare anyone? They are more well-balanced than teams like the Padres who own a better record. A comfortable lead in the American League Central also gives them some added bonus points in the MLB Power Rankings. They just have to be sure not to coast at any point.
From the pleasant surprise of Luis Arraez to the smart buy of Sonny Gray, the Twins have had a lot go their way in the face of adversity. They were surprisingly aggressive in the winter when they acquired Carlos Correa. They shouldn’t stop there. The Twins should be the ever-present “mystery” team this summer when it comes to trade rumors involving big-name players. Find a reliable closer, add a bat, and maybe take on a starting pitcher upgrade—that could be a winning plan.