MLB Power Rankings: From the best to the worst after the MLB trade deadline

MLB Power Rankings: 5. Tampa Bay Rays

Getting Aaron Civale and his team control from the Guardians was another shrewd move from a franchise that seems to find a way to win deals. The Rays and Guardians will reacquaint themselves with each other this week in St. Petersburg after the St. Louis Cardinals pay a three-game visit. It feels like a week when the Rays could get back on track in the win column.

MLB Power Rankings: 4. Texas Rangers

Texas won all six games of its first homestand of August, but lost Josh Jung to a thumb fracture on Sunday. What type of impact that has on the Rangers will be seen this week when Texas takes to the road to face Oakland and San Francisco in a Bay Area two-step. The AL West race between the Astros and Rangers (and maybe even the Mariners) is going to be fun to watch.

MLB Power Rankings: 3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Just when San Diego got a little bit of momentum, here come the Dodgers down Interstate 5 to win the two games of the first three in the four-game set to remind San Diego that absolutely nothing will come easy in the NL West with Los Angeles at the top. The trade deadline was busy, but it will be the impact of Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly that will prove just how successful the moves were for the Dodgers.

MLB Power Rankings: 2. Baltimore Orioles

If Jack Flaherty can be the starting pitcher the Orioles need him to be, Baltimore could be a very dangerous team as October draws near. The young players on Baltimore’s roster are believing in themselves, which is a good thing considering the nine-game stretch staring the Orioles in the face (three at home against Houston before three in Seattle and three in San Diego).

MLB Power Rankings: 1. Atlanta Braves

A series loss to the Cubs at Wrigley over the weekend isn’t that big of a deal, but the Braves are 10-10 in the second half of the season. It feels like more of a dip in the road than something to be worried about, but we’ll know more after Atlanta has eight games over the week in Pittsburgh and Queens against the Mets. Those are winnable games, especially for a team that still looks like the favorite in the National League to reach the World Series.