MLB Power Rankings: Easy street for the Astros, a tough road for Phillies
By Tim Boyle
This week’s MLB Power Rankings takes a closer look exclusively at the 12 teams currently lined up to appear in this year’s postseason.
Only three games remain on the MLB schedule. If not for the delayed start to the season, the playoffs would have been next up on everyone’s schedule. This week’s MLB Power Rankings is a little different from the ones over the past several months. There is no mention of the Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, or even the Minnesota Twins whose collapse should keep them up at night.
Instead, this week’s MLB Power Rankings will focus on the twelve teams headed to the postseason. All but one spot has been secured. Which of these teams should feel good about themselves and which might be out of action quickly?
Twelve teams will enter. Only one will come out on top. This is the first playoff edition of the MLB Power Rankings and who has the easiest path to a championship based on seeding and also how good they truly are.
12) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies now just need one win or a loss by the Milwaukee Brewers to clinch a playoff berth. They’ll crawl to the finish line, most likely because the Brewers will not sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks in their final three games.
Until the Phillies won on Sunday and the Brewers took a loss against the Miami Marlins, this was a virtual tie. Because Philadelphia did take the season series against Milwaukee, they held the tie-breaker. Regardless of how flawed they remain, it’s the Phillies who narrowly make this list.
With the third wild card spot now in their sights, it means a trip to face the St. Louis Cardinals to kick off their first trip to the playoffs since 2011. Barely across the finish line, they will need to play spoiler all October-long.
11) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres
Does anyone actually think the San Diego Padres are as good as the other teams in the National League playoff picture? Aside from the Phillies or Brewers, one would need an incredible imagination to see the Padres going far. They can possibly steal away the first round from the Atlanta Braves or New York Mets—whichever they end up facing. However, the gauntlet will eventually catch up with this flawed team.
It’s not for a lack of trying. This is a team that brought in the biggest trade deadline addition of all, Juan Soto. He has been relatively silent since joining the ball club. They weren’t quite able to sustain themselves as any true threat to capture a championship.
The Padres could, however, be built better for the postseason. Some talented veteran arms can carry them. All they’ll need to do is asking for a little more help from their hitters. That includes Soto.