A good starting point would be the first 5 teams out:
1.
Blue Jays:lost games in remarkable fashion despite a remarkable roster.
Only two series wins in August with another bad 2-4 week.
They’re too good to be sloppy.
Diamondbacks:lost 9 straight to start August only to go 12-3 in the next 15.
It’s been a bizarre stretch but they’re surging at the right time.
Cubs:consistently the most unlucky team by Run Differential compared to W-L record.
They’ve scored the 5th most runs in MLB but remain steadily behind the Brewers despite a 5-2 week.
Today begins a 3-game home-series with Milwaukee that will drastically influence where this goes.
Giants:horrible run for almost 3 weeks.
Then you look at the schedule over that time.
They’ve gone 5-10 in this stretch and have cupcakes coming in September.
Red Sox:probably the hardest team to figure out in MLB.
They’re 8-1 against the Yankees but 1-7 against the Rays and 20-26 against the National League.
The lineup can bang, scoring more runs than the Orioles and Phillies for reference.
But sometimes it doesn’t do shit.
Even so, my baseball instinct gravitates to Boston’s resiliency.
They drop 2 in Houston then win 2 to stave off a nose dive before Mookie’s homecoming.
And despite being 3-5 in August rubber matches, they’re still in the hunt.
–
Maybe next week for these 5.
For now, they’re outside because the other 9 teams are simply better right now.
It’s a fluid situation so remember this is a snapshot at this moment.
But same time, the Orioles have repeatedly reminded me at every moment this year to NOT doubt them.
They win and win and win regardless of what I’ve thought.
And now with a titanic disruption to the pitching staff, I’m re-inclined(?)
to ride out their goodwill.
But the playoffs is where this will really hurt the Orioles because Cano/Bautista were looking like a 9-out tandem.
That sucks but they’re still 3 until they show otherwise.
- The Braves and Dodgers are miles and light years ahead of everyone else at this point.
That’s a good thing to remember when looking at your club.
- Klemmer wanted the Mariners at 3.
Maybe the hardest we’ve thought all year.
Great turnaround for a franchise that couldn’t stomach a .500 season after last year’s dramatics.
- Rangers nose dive sucks but that’s gonna happen.
They’re still a good team just enduring a bad stretch.
We can move them down without a drastic overreaction.
- The Brewers are playing perfect Craig Counsell baseball.
They don’t hit.
They don’t hit for power.
They don’t score and they’re not sexy, but they just keep grinding out good baseball.
- Craig Counsell will not be managing the Brewers next year.
Strong hunch so enjoy this last run while it’s possible for you to Brewers fans.
- Last thing on Counsell that deserves attention.
Point remains that those are amazing influences.
- Many should prefer to avoid the Phillies in the playoffs.
They’re red hot this week going 5-1 and outscoring the Cardinals 22-3 in a 3 game series.
It’s getting to be that time in Philly.
you’re able to feel it.
There’s another 3 starts of 3 earned runs and a 5-1 strikeout:walk ratio in 70.2 innings.
It’s been done before.
- We’re waiting for the Rays to fall apart.
It would appear that will come later in the season, if not at all.
How they do this with a majority of their starting pitchers out is a remarkable feat.
So remarkable that I am having an impossible time understanding it.
These are the MLB Power Rankings 1-9 effective August 28th.
Five weeks left in the season and the tightest playoff picture I can remember.
For that I would like to thank Theo Epstein.
Everything he’s done out of the commissioner’s office has worked and the game’s only getting better.
