There has been quite a shakeup in the SAN Major League Baseball power rankings, what a difference a month makes. Some key trade deadline moves and a few prominent winning streaks led to several changes in the top 10.
Which team is the new No. 1?
The Milwaukee Brewers have never had a summer like this one in their 70 years of playing baseball. The Crew had a losing record on May 24 and since then have become just the third team with multiple 11-game win streaks in a season in the last 90 years. They have put all the pieces together, winning 27 of their last 31 games. With the best record in baseball at 76-44, they’re a virtual lock for the postseason. Wednesday, they won their 12th straight game and scored double-digit runs for the fourth time in August. Pitcher Brandon Woodruff tried to describe the feeling.
“We’re putting it together, all facets, it doesn’t matter if we get down early or what it is, we know our offense can generate some runs,” Woodruff said. “We’ve been throwing the ball well and, yeah, it’s fun.”
Which teams are chasing the Brewers?
The Philadelphia Phillies are just plugging along at number two, getting their offense from Kyle Schwarber, who is second in the National League with 42 homers. They also have lights out starting pitching with Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez, both in the top five in ERA in the NL.
The Toronto Blue Jays come in at number three on our list. The first team in the American League to 70 wins, they have cooled off since winning 8 of 9 to start the second half, but still lead the AL East by 4.5 games.
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After dropping out of the rankings eight weeks ago, the Seattle Mariners are back. They have won 10 of their last 12 games. The trade deadline additions of Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor have taken the pressure off MVP candidate Cal Raleigh. With one of the top rotations in baseball, starter Bryan Woo thinks the M’s could be a tough out come October.
“Coming out of the deadline and realizing what a special group we have in this locker room,” Woo said. “Not just the talent on the field but in the locker room as well, everyone is gelling really well. Obviously, it’s great, you want to continue to stack wins and be in a position where at the end of September we’re in a good spot and playing our best baseball.”
What happened to the Tigers, Dodgers and Cubs?
Next up are two teams that are still winning but have not played their best lately. The Detroit Tigers took a dive out of the All-Star break after being the best team in baseball during the first half. They are just now starting to get their mojo back, it seems.
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The Milwaukee Brewers are on track to win over 100 games. The only time they’ve finished with the best record in baseball was 1982, which also coincided with their only appearance in the World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting healthier with Blake Snell looking like his Cy Young self in his return to the rotation. Shohei Ohtani leads the NL with 43 homers, and though it’s been a rollercoaster of a season, it’s now a two-horse race in the NL West.
The Chicago Cubs have been steady with a run differential of +116, good for second in the league. Ranking above them in that category, and in the NL Central, are the Brewers. Mark your calendars, Chicago hosts Milwaukee in a rare five-game series starting with a doubleheader Monday at Wrigley Field.
How did the trade deadline shake things up?
The Houston Astros got old friend Carlos Correa back at the trade deadline, but they are still in jeopardy of losing their AL West lead to the red-hot Mariners, a lead they’ve had since June 3rd. There’s no panic, however, 68 wins is nothing to complain about at this stage.
No complaints from the San Diego Padres either. They were at the tail end of our top 10 a month ago. General Manager A.J. Preller got aggressive at the trade deadline, bringing five players, including closer Mason Miller and former Orioles Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn. The Padres are now in first place in the NL West after a 14 to 2 run. On Friday, they start a weekend series with the rival Dodgers.
The Cleveland Guardians, who were sellers at the deadline, round out the top 10. They have a 22-9 record since July 7th and are just a game and a half out of the wild card. Manager Stephen Vogt said it’s just a matter of trusting each other.
“This group of guys is really confident in each other right now,” Vogt said. “They know if they don’t get the job done, the guy behind them will. If they leave a runner on, they know the guy coming in is going to strand them. So they’re really a close-knit group. We’ve gotten even closer over this last month.”
Two notable absences from the rankings, the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, have been on the list all season but have both fallen on hard times and long losing streaks. However, as the latest rankings illustrate, all it takes is one month to turn things around.
