MLB Power Rankings: Mets keep on rolling, Twins looking limp
By Tim Boyle
20) MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers
Here’s the best way to spin the Texas Rangers season: it was never about 2022. Although they were active in free agency and willing to spend, the plan was never to actually win this year. That’s the plan next season. And if it doesn’t work then, the same could be said for 2024.
The Rangers are a very incomplete club who have actually started to get some production from Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Minus healthy and reliable starting pitching, they were doomed to be an average club at best. They aren’t at their best either.
19) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks
Pitching performances from guys like Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen have kept the Arizona Diamondbacks far more relevant than they should be. Even Madison Bumgarner and Zach Davies have done well enough to give the Diamondbacks a respectable enough record.
Minus the bats and a bullpen with a lot of issues, they find themselves constantly in a spot like this one in the MLB Power Rankings. Never meant to contend this season anyway, fans don’t need to get too upset. As long as the air conditioning works in Arizona, it’s a win.
18) MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are going to regret not selling Joc Pederson and Carlos Rodon at the trade deadline even for a lesser haul than they wanted. They’ve been limping for weeks and don’t appear equipped to pull off a magic trick this season.
The Giants feel like a combination of two teams: this year’s Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. In common with the Red Sox are how far they’ve fallen. With the Rays, they never seemed all that serious of contenders. Wouldn’t you know, those are the next two teams on this list.
17) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox
We’ve already seen this Boston Red Sox team surprise us in 2022. Do they have another major turnaround left in them? Now having to overcome a strange Chris Sale injury, the Red Sox feel like a team that would have served themselves better to trade away a few pieces earlier this month.
The Red Sox should play a factor in the postseason race because of all of the wild card contenders within their own division. Maybe they spoil a few hopes and dreams of their American League East rivals and even a couple of others. Expecting anything more than this would be foolish.
16) MLB Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rays
The most untraditional of baseball teams, the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t playing so well. It could just be a couple of “off-days” for them. However, if you’ve followed them closely, you might also believe they were never all that great to begin with.
The Rays didn’t make any major trade deadline splashes, but that was expected. They do things differently. Manager Kevin Cash can’t afford to make a single mistake with this team. They aren’t out of the hunt yet, but they feel a lot weaker than many of the other wild card contenders who have played much better in recent weeks.