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MLB Power Rankings: Week 21

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With a little over a month to go before the MLB regular season wraps up, we are now able to separate contenders from hopefuls and pretenders. In what has been an exciting season, we have seen surprise performances and one of the most thrilling trade deadlines in recent memory. As always, my power rankings are meant to not only reflect current records, but rest-of-season outlook as well as each team’s pitching and hitting.

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Team Previous Record Last 10
1. Houston Astros 1 80-46 4-6 Still the betting favorites to win it all due to their stellar starting pitching, the Astros’ grasp on the top spot is tenuous.
2. New York Yankees 3 83-43 7-3 The Yankees remain one of the very best teams in baseball. Having taken over the MLB lead in wins, New York has a strong argument for the top spot.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers 2 82-44 6-4 The Dodgers have started to show some signs of vulnerability. They are still one of baseball’s elite teams, but they’ve lost to Arizona and Miami. Losers of three of their last four, the Dodgers need to find their killer instinct before the playoffs begin.
4. Cleveland Indians 4 74-51 5-5 Cleveland is one of the hottest teams in baseball. It loaded up on talent at the trade deadline and appears poised for a postseason berth. The Indians could make some major noise with a relatively easy schedule ahead.
5. Tampa Bay Rays 6 73-53 7-3 The Rays remain in the wild-card mix thanks to some stellar pitching. Second in terms of team ERA, they have overcome a middle-of-the-pack offense.
6. Minnesota Twins 5 76-49 6-4 The Twins can feel the heat from Cleveland after losing their most recent series against them. They continue to hit home runs at a historic rate and as such are one of the most exciting offenses in baseball.
7. Washington Nationals 7 68-56 7-3 Despite heating up, Washington has been unable to catch a consistent Atlanta team. Washington appears to be the superiorly talented team and should make the playoffs barring a complete meltdown.
8. Atlanta Braves 8 74-52 6-4 Atlanta has had a truly impressive season. The Braves still have some warts as far as their bullpen is concerned, but they have remained atop the NL East. All but certain to make the playoffs, Atlanta could shock some teams who are not in top form.
9. Milwaukee Brewers 9 64-61 5-5 Still one of the strongest teams in the National League, Milwaukee will need to remain healthy to realize its potential. The Brewers must improve on the road if they are to have postseason success.
10. Oakland Athletics 10 71-53 6-4 The Athletics have had an up and down season but are currently in the midst of an extended upswing. They are one of only eight teams with more than 70 wins on the season.
11. Boston Red Sox 11 67-59 7-3 Now on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, the Red Sox have been a major disappointment this season. They have shown flashes of the defending World Series champs we know them to be but have been far too inconsistent. At times, they have been downright bad, and they must now make up a wide wild-card gap without Chris Sale.
12. Chicago Cubs 13 66-58 4-6 The Cubs have fallen out of first place in the NL Central and may be in some trouble as far as the postseason is concerned. They have the schedule to retake the division lead, but they may fall out of the playoffs altogether.
13. Philadelphia Phillies 12 64-60 5-5 In the wild-card hunt, the Phillies need to find a spark on offense. They are in the middle of a heated battle as one of three teams from the NL East vying to make the playoffs.
14. St. Louis Cardinals 14 66-57 8-2 The Cardinals narrowly sit atop the NL Central. With Milwaukee and Chicago nipping at their heels, the fate of the season will be decided by the 13 remaining games they have against those two teams.
15. New York Mets 19 64-60 6-4 After making some head-scratching moves at the deadline by becoming buyers instead of the sellers, the Mets have impressed. They have made a serious push to place themselves firmly in the wild-card mix.
16. Los Angeles Angels 16 62-65 6-4 The Angels have scored a top-tier 5.06 runs per game on the season. Unfortunately, they are one of only five teams allowing more than five runs per contest.
17. San Francisco Giants 18 63-62 7-3 San Francisco shocked the baseball world with its recent string of success before the trade deadline. The Giants face a tough battle for a wild-card spot due to their rough remaining schedule.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks 17 63-63 4-6 Arizona should be a much better team based on its run differential. It is one of only two teams not above .500 with a positive margin. The D-Backs can still make a playoff push, but they do not have the talent to make much noise in the postseason.
19. Texas Rangers 15 61-64 2-8 The Rangers have likely eliminated themselves from playoff contention by dropping 14 of their last 17. It is a lot easier to get cold than it is to get hot, and the Rangers are now on the outside looking in.
20. Cincinnati Reds 20 58-66 3-7 The Reds have impressed at times this season. Their pitching staff seems playoff-ready, but as has been the case for much of the season, they simply do not score enough runs. A team in the top 10 of team ERA should be better, which provides hope for Reds fans looking toward the future.
21. San Diego Padres 21 59-65 6-4 When you talk about teams with bright futures, the Padres are always near the top of the list. They have been much too inconsistent this season but have a wealth of exciting talent. They could be a fixture in the upper teens as soon as next season.
22. Colorado Rockies 22 57-68 5-5 Winners of four of their last five, the Rockies are still last in the NL West. They have faltered due to inconsistency this season and look all but certain to miss the playoffs.
23. Chicago White Sox 23 56-68 5-5 As echoed here before, the White Sox appear to have a promising future. They have been poor this season but are far from one of the league’s worst. They will need to improve on both sides of the ball to take the next step in their team development.
24. Toronto Blue Jays 24 52-75 5-5 A much more motivated team since their deadline deals, the Blue Jays are still one of the worst teams in the league. They are likely at least two years away from making any serious noise.
25. Miami Marlins 26 45-78 3-7 The Marlins have amassed some impressive young talent, but they have yet to put it all together on the diamond. No longer the laughing stock of the league, the future is bright.
26. Pittsburgh Pirates 24 51-73 3-7 Losers of 28 of 35 since the All-Star break, the Pirates have seen their season fall apart. They have shown some flashes but will need to address their pitching staff this offseason.
27. Seattle Mariners 27 53-73 5-5 The Mariners have been a disaster following their hot start to the season. They have routinely looked like one of the worst teams in baseball despite scoring 4.9 runs scored per game.
28. Kansas City Royals 28 45-80 4-6 The Royals have been plain bad this season. They have MLB’s fourth-worst mark in runs per game. They also struggle with their pitching, giving up a whopping 5.2 runs per contest.
29. Baltimore Orioles 29 39-86 1-9 Like the Orioles used to do with the Marlins, Baltimore fans are counting their lucky stars that Detroit has a baseball team. One of the absolute worst teams in the majors, the Orioles are a mess from management down. Only the Tigers prevent them from living in the league’s cellar.
30. Detroit Tigers 30 37-85 3-7 The worst team in baseball, Detroit has still been relatively disappointing despite not having high expectations coming into the season. There are very few bright spots on the Tigers.

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Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive, and follow him @FantasyContext.