MLB Power Rankings: Yankees are brilliant, Mariners are resilient

5) MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves did what a team like the Mariners hope to accomplish. Close to the National League East’s top spot yet settling for second-place at the All-Star break, they have to feel confident about where they are right now.

The Braves are absolutely one of the best teams in baseball. They might only get better with the team’s offense heating up and space to add more at the trade deadline. Their weakness might be some questions about the starting rotation. Atlanta would be wise to look to buy an ace over the next two weeks to thwart those doubts.

4) MLB Power Rankings: New York Mets

Those who believed the New York Mets would fall from the top spot in the division will be disappointed to see them end the first half still there. The Braves almost caught them but some big wins against Atlanta last week helped fight them off.

The Mets should be getting Jacob deGrom back to join a rotation that has lived up to expectations. The offense, while missing power, still finds ways to score runs. The Mets are going to make the playoffs this season. All we have to wonder is if it will be as a division winner or with a wild card spot.

3) MLB Power Rankings: Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have as much of a chance as anyone to win the World Series. Justin Verlander is a bottle of wine and very much in the Cy Young conversation. Will his arm ever let him retire?

The Astros have continually managed to put together great rosters even while letting players like George Springer and Carlos Correa walk away. This year’s club feels just as dangerous as any. Consider their number three spot at the midway point a challenge for them.

2) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers

The best team in the National League in almost every way possible, the Los Angeles Dodgers get a well-deserved number two ranking this week. They can pitch. They can hit. The things Verlander is doing for the Astros are being done by Clayton Kershaw, too. What year is this?

The Dodgers are without a doubt the greatest foe for every National League team. The Mets, Braves, and Padres are the most powerful ones behind them but the distance is rather great. Los Angeles finished the first half with the second-best run differential in MLB. Our number one team is the only one that did better.

1) MLB Power Rankings: New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are feeling like an immovable object. Although the Dodgers and Astros have crept up and are close to catching them for the number one spot, it’s going to take a lot of sustained success for them to remove the Yankees from number one.

The Yankees continue to handle their business this season with everything from blowout victories against the Red Sox to wins because their pitching staff is so deep the opponent cannot help but drown in it during a three-game series.