MLB power rankings: Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers flex National League muscles
By Kevin Henry
Our latest MLB power rankings make it feel like we are heading towards an Atlanta Braves-Los Angeles Dodgers showdown for the National League crown.
The Dodgers are on an eight-game winning streak while the Braves showed their old NL East rivals, the New York Mets, just how potent their offense can be by scoring 27 runs on Saturday to sweep a double-header with a statement.
In the American League, does the postseason run through the West or can the Tampa Bay Rays finish the season as strong as they started it?
Sure, it’s just mid-August, but there are plenty of storylines to follow in this week’s MLB power rankings.
MLB Power Rankings: 30. Oakland Athletics
The A’s have been outscored this season by 284 runs. That includes a one-run loss to Washington on Sunday when the Nationals scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth to earn an 8-7 win and a series sweep. Losing a game when the other team scores its final four runs with two outs in the final frame feels like something that is just so Oakland this season, one of the many reasons why the A’s are 33-85.
MLB Power Rankings: 29. Kansas City Royals
The only other team besides Oakland to lose 80 games already this season, Kansas City hosts Seattle for four games this week before heading to Wrigley Field to meet the Cubs for a weekend set. With both opponents in playoff-seeking mode, the Royals are simply trying to play spoiler for the rest of the season while its young core continues to grow. That includes Maikel Garcia, who left Friday’s game with “left upper body discomfort” and has a 15-game hitting streak in place, tying David DeJesus for the longest franchise hit streak for a rookie.
MLB Power Rankings: 28. Colorado Rockies
Will this be the season the Rockies post their first 100-loss season in franchise history? Sitting at 45-73 after a four-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers in Los Angeles that capped a 3-7 road trip through St. Louis, Milwaukee and the City of Angels, it’s certainly possible. At least young players like Nolan Jones and Ezequiel Tovar are giving Rockies fans hope for the future.
MLB Power Rankings: 27. Washington Nationals
Talk about an up-and-down span of games for the Nationals. Washington swept Cincinnati at home in a three-game set, then lost three of four games in Philadelphia before coming back home to sweep Oakland. After an off day on Monday, Washington hosts Boston and the Phillies to close out the week. Can the Nationals keep that late-inning magic from Sunday going?
MLB Power Rankings: 26. Chicago White Sox
Swept at home by the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, Chicago now hits the road for five games. Well, “road” if you include a pair of games on the North Side against the Cubs during the middle of the week before heading to Denver for a weekend set against the Rockies. With Tim Anderson appealing his suspension from last week’s fight against the Cleveland Guardians, we will see what the week holds for both Anderson and his team.