In this week's Major League Baseball Power Rankings, the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers continue to occupy the top and bottom spots. The Los Angeles Angels, owners of the best record in baseball by percentage points over the Athletics, are the closest they have been to dethroning the Athletics. The San Francisco Giants have leapfrogged the St. Louis Cardinals into the top 10 at #10.
At the top: The Oakland Athletics remain the top team in the rankings but no longer own the best record in baseball. The Athletics have been struggling to score runs consistently and talk has turned to the trade of Yoenis Cespedes as a reason why. The Athletics went 1-6 over the last week, losing three of four to the hot Kansas City Royals and suffering a three game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. Unless the Athletics turn things around quickly, there will be a new team at the top spot for the first time in quite awhile.
Biggest rise: The Atlanta Braves made the biggest jump upwards in the rankings this week, rising four spots to #12. The Braves battled the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers and AL West leading Athletics last week. They dropped three of four to the Dodgers then swept a three game series from the Athletics. The Braves have moved to within 1 1/2 games of the wild card leading Cardinals and Giants.
Biggest Fall: The Toronto Blue Jays took the biggest fall in the rankings, falling five spots to #16, their lowest placing in the power rankings this year. The Blue Jays were 1-5 on their road trip last week, suffering a three game sweep by the Seattle Mariners and dropping two of three against the Chicago White Sox. The Blue Jays have fallen into third place, 7 1/2 games behind AL East leading Baltimore Orioles and four games out of the wild card race. The once great story of the surprising Blue Jays has turned sour.
At the bottom: The Rangers remain the #30 team in the rankings for another week. Three of the Rangers five losses last week were by one run.
Rank | Last Week | Team | Record | L10 |
1 | 1 | Oakland Athletics | 73-51 | 3-7 |
2 | 2 | Los Angeles Angels | 72-50 | 5-5 |
3 | 5 | Washington Nationals | 69-53 | 8-2 |
4 | 3 | Baltimore Orioles | 70-52 | 6-4 |
5 | 7 | Milwaukee Brewers | 70-55 | 7-3 |
6 | 4 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 70-56 | 4-6 |
7 | 9 | Seattle Mariners | 67-56 | 8-2 |
8 | 8 | Kansas City Royals | 68-55 | 8-2 |
9 | 6 | Detroit Tigers | 66-56 | 4-6 |
10 | 12 | San Francisco Giants | 65-58 | 4-6 |
11 | 10 | St. Louis Cardinals | 66-57 | 5-5 |
12 | 16 | Atlanta Braves | 64-60 | 6-4 |
13 | 13 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 64-60 | 3-7 |
14 | 14 | New York Yankees | 63-59 | 5-5 |
15 | 17 | Cleveland Indians | 62-61 | 5-5 |
16 | 11 | Toronto Blue Jays | 64-61 | 3-7 |
17 | 18 | Tampa Bay Rays | 61-63 | 6-4 |
18 | 15 | Cincinnati Reds | 61-63 | 3-7 |
19 | 19 | Miami Marlins | 62-62 | 7-3 |
20 | 20 | New York Mets | 59-66 | 5-5 |
21 | 21 | San Diego Padres | 58-65 | 6-4 |
22 | 22 | Chicago White Sox | 59-65 | 4-6 |
23 | 23 | Minnesota Twins | 55-67 | 4-6 |
24 | 24 | Boston Red Sox | 56-67 | 6-4 |
25 | 26 | Chicago Cubs | 53-70 | 4-6 |
26 | 25 | Philadelphia Phillies | 54-70 | 3-7 |
27 | 27 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 53-71 | 4-6 |
28 | 28 | Houston Astros | 52-73 | 5-5 |
29 | 29 | Colorado Rockies | 49-75 | 4-6 |
30 | 30 | Texas Rangers | 48-76 | 3-7 |