MLB Power Rankings by winning percentage against .500 or better teams
By Tim Boyle
20) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs, .419, 13-18
Nobody has a worse record in the National League right now than the Chicago Cubs. Their .423 winning percentage against everyone is almost an exact match to how they’ve done against the .500 or better ball clubs at .419. The Cubs have been a hard team to read all year. They have a +4 run differential which would suggest they’re much closer to .500 than they truly are. Instead, their 22-30 record has made them the worst among the 15 teams in the league.
19) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians, .428, 12-16
This is about where the Cleveland Guardians should be. They’ve gone 12-16 against .500 or better ball clubs. They show flashes of being able to win but are also equally capable of rolling over and letting everyone beat up on them. This year’s Guardians team doesn’t have the same kind of magic past ones have had. A nearly average winning percentage against the “good” teams can be spun positively. Don’t spin it too hard because it’s your record against everyone that matters most.
18) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins, .428, 12-16
Repeat everything said about the Cleveland Guardians except say it about the Minnesota Twins. They win the tie-breaker because of their superior overall record. However, they match their AL Central rivals with a 12-16 record against the winning or even ball clubs. The Guardians can use this as motivation. The Twins are beatable.
17) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Angels, .428, 15-20
This .428 winning percentage sure is popular. Another team with it, the Los Angeles Angels have more wins against .500 or better teams and also more victories overall this season than the Cleveland Guardians or Minnesota Twins. Are they actually any better, though? The Angels play in one of the tougher divisions in baseball and for them to have this record should be taken as a positive.
16) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres, .432, 16-21
Maybe the San Diego Padres aren’t so terribly bad? The .432 winning percentage against teams with a .500 or better record is the leader of the bottom half of baseball. They might share a record with the Cincinnati Reds at 24-29, but are very much still in this thing. Every season seems to have a couple of teams who turn it around in the early part of the summer. The Padres are definitely capable of it.