September MLB Team Power Rankings: Dodgers on top as Ohtani pushes for 50/50 season

Last month’s No. 1, the Guardians, have slid all the way down to No. 6 in this month’s Power Rankings. In other words, there’s lots of jockeying for position down the home stretch, with no clear dominant team leading the way. We saw the example in last year’s World Series between the Diamondbacks and the Rangers, but this year it truly feels like **any** team who makes the playoffs could walk away as champions.

Let’s get to the rankings.

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SEPTEMBER MLB TEAM POWER RANKINGS

Note: Odds and statistics are from the morning of Tuesday, September 3rd

1) Los Angeles Dodgers

Last month: No. 5

Odds to win the World Series: +310

Despite a rotation which could be best described as patchwork, the Dodgers own the best record in all of baseball. That being said, they aren’t on pace to win 100 games, which speaks to the general parity in MLB at the moment. Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be a stabilizing force for the rotation if all continues to go well on his minor league rehab assignment. The cool thing about Shohei Ohtani right now is that he’s starting a new club on a regular basis. He’s already surpassed the 40/40 mark and just recently became the first ever 44/44 player, so now the only question is whether he can set a new bar with the 50-50 club. The next few weeks are going to be fun.

2) New York Yankees

Last month: No. 4

Odds to win the World Series: +550

Simply put, Aaron Judge is having one of the best seasons in modern times. He’s already at 51 homers in the early days of August while hitting .326/.459/.711 with 124 RBI and 106 runs scored. It’s probably going to be a challenge for him to catch Bobby Witt Jr. for the AL batting crown, but it’s a breathtaking season either way. While it will be fun to track Judge’s chances for another 60-homer campaign, the Yankees still have the American League East title to worry about. Fortunately, it looks like Gerrit Cole’s calf cramp on Monday isn’t a long-term concern. And while Yankees fans are clamoring for Jasson Dominguez’s potential to lengthen the lineup, it appears the club wants to give Alex Verdugo more time to bounce back at the plate.

3) Philadelphia Phillies

Last month: No. 2

Odds to win the World Series: +600

The Braves had a chance to make things interesting in the NL East this past weekend, but the Phillies were able to take two out of three from their division rivals, including Nick Castellanos’ walk-off hit on Sunday. Now they are sporting a seven-game lead with 25 games to go. Coming off a dominant August, Zack Wheeler appears to be the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award, but Bryce Harper’s power has gone missing amid nagging wrist and elbow injuries. He’s gone without a homer in 20 straight games.

4) Milwaukee Brewers

Last month: No. 6

Odds to win the World Series: +1300

Continue to underestimate the Brewers at your own peril. Not only do the Brewers hold the largest division lead in all of baseball, they also have the largest run differential in the majors. Willy Adames has helped build that lofty number with his penchant for three-run homers. Celebrating his 29th birthday, Adames homered in his fifth straight game on Monday and put up his 13th three-run homer of the season in the process. He’s now tied with Ken Griffey Jr. (1996) for the most three-run home runs ever in a season.

5) Baltimore Orioles

Last month: No. 3

Odds to win the World Series: +800

The Orioles are limping into the stretch run and have effectively been a .500 team since early June, but they became the first team in the AL to reach 80 victories on Monday, just hours before the Yankees did the same. It sets the stage for what should be a fun and nerve-wracking September. Gunnar Henderson slugged his 34th home run during Monday’s win over the White Sox, tying Cal Ripken Jr. and Miguel Tejada for the most in a single season by an Orioles shortstop.

6) Cleveland Guardians

Last month: No. 1

Odds to win the World Series: +1200

August was not kind to the Guardians, who lost seven in a row at one point and nearly gave away their lead in the AL Central. The situation has stabilized in recent days, as they’ve won four of their last five. Alex Cobb threw a gem in his return from the injured list Sunday against the Royals while September call-up Kyle Manzardo connected for his first two MLB homers. Gavin Williams followed that up with a gem on Monday, so things are looking up for the rotation. Matthew Boyd has been a notable success story of late.

7) Houston Astros

Last month: No. 14

Odds to make the playoffs: -4000

Odds to win the World Series: +800

Yordan Alvarez is officially Yordan Alvarez again. The 27-year-old is hitting .387 with 10 home runs and a 1.235 OPS over his last 25 games. The average has been there most of the year, but the power has gone in waves. Before his two-homer game on Sunday, he hadn’t homered at Minute Maid Park since June 22. Still, he’s finding his form at the right time. The same goes for the Astros, who went 18-10 in August and might be getting both Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker back soon.

8) San Diego Padres

Last month: No. 13

Odds to make the playoffs: -2500

Odds to win the World Series: +1600

The Padres just keep rolling, and now they have some reinforcements. Fernando Tatís Jr. made his return from the injured list on Monday after missing more than two months with a stress reaction in his right femur. And the rotation is set to get a boost as well, as Yu Darvish will make his return on Wednesday against the Tigers. Darvish originally went down in late May with a groin strain before missing additional time due to a personal matter.

9) Kansas City Royals

Last month: No. 7

Odds to make the playoffs: -500

Odds to win the World Series: +2500

Life comes at you fast. The Royals were recently on the cusp of chasing down the Guardians, and now they are just hoping to hold on to a Wild Card spot. Entering action on Tuesday, the club was riding a six-game losing streak which coincides with the Royals also losing first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino due to a broken thumb. It’s a massive blow to the lineup, though the Royals are hoping that new additions Tommy Pham, Robbie Grossman, and Yuli Gurriel can help keep them afloat.

10) Arizona Diamondbacks

Last month: No. 11

Odds to make the playoffs: -700

Odds to win the World Series: +2200

Well, the D-Backs couldn’t stay hot forever. Still, it happened at an inopportune time for Arizona, as they lost two out of three to the Wild Card-chasing Mets and the first-place Dodgers. Arizona’s starting pitchers have combined for a 6.94 ERA during this recent stretch. Better results are needed, but it’s been nice to see Corbin Carroll’s resurgence as the lineup tries to get by without Ketel Marte, Gabriel Moreno, and now Lourdes Gurriel. He took NL Player of the Month honors for August after launching 11 home runs with a 1.042 OPS and 30 runs scored.

11) Atlanta Braves

Last month: No. 9

Odds to make the playoffs: -330

Odds to win the World Series: +1900

How much could the Braves use the 2023 version of Matt Olson right now? With some key pillars missing from the Braves’ lineup, Olson has shown signs of late with 10 homers and a .271/.351/.610 batting line over his last 31 games. Perhaps the biggest issue for the Braves is finding that igniter at the top of the lineup. For better or worse, Jarred Kelenic, Jorge Soler, Whit Merrifield, and Michael Harris II have all occupied the leadoff spot since Ronald Acuña tore his ACL in June. Harris is getting another chance this week with Merrifield coming back down to Earth.

12) Minnesota Twins

Last month: No. 7

Odds to make the playoffs: -1800

Odds to win the World Series: +1600

On Saturday, the nadir for the Twins. They got shellacked 15-0 at the hands of the Blue Jays for their ninth loss in their last 12 games. On Sunday, they trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the eighth inning before Royce Lewis delivered a clutch go-ahead three-run homer which stood up for the victory. It was much-needed for Lewis, who had fallen on hard times in recent weeks. Byron Buxton is doing his best to make his way back from his hip injury, but Carlos Correa’s timetable is uncertain as he progresses from plantar fasciitis in his right heel.

13) New York Mets

Last month: No. 12

Odds to make the playoffs: +150

Odds to win the World Series: +7500

Francisco Lindor is doing his best to will the Mets to the postseason. And it just might work. Setting the tone at the top of the lineup, Lindor will a bring a career-best 31-game on-base streak and a 13-game hitting streak into Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox. It has been a remarkable turnaround for Lindor since he made his move to the leadoff spot in mid-May, one which has launched him into the conversation for the National League MVP Award. Going by fWAR, Lindor actually leads Shohei Ohtani at the moment. This isn’t to say that Lindor will win the award, but he’s getting it done every day for the Mets both at the plate and in the field.

14) Chicago Cubs

Last month: No. 20

Odds to make the playoffs: +1100

Odds to win the World Series: +25000

Say hello to the hottest team in the majors. Largely an afterthought as a contender coming out of the trade deadline, the Cubs have won 16 out of 22 (including a current six-game winning streak) to storm back into Wild Card contention. The bats have done a lot of the heavy lifting of late, piling up 99 runs over their last 10 games. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been one of the club’s heroes during this recent surge. In addition to his excellent defense in center field, he’s hitting .395/.471/.605 over his last 12 games. Can the Cubs finish the job?

15) Seattle Mariners

Last month: No. 15

Odds to make the playoffs: +850

Odds to win the World Series: +15000

The Mariners were up by one game over the Astros this time last month, but now they are six back and have a new manager as well. It’s a shame, really, as the Mariners’ starting rotation continues to excel. However, the offense has been a sore spot all season. They hit just .207 as a team in August, easily the worst mark in MLB. A new manager isn’t going to change that. Including a walk-off defeat to the A’s on Monday, each of the Mariners’ last five losses have come by just one run.

16) Boston Red Sox

Last month: No. 10

Odds to make the playoffs: +550

Odds to win the World Series: +18000

The Red Sox did a nice job hanging around in the first half despite some notable injuries, but they are just 17-25 since the All-Star break. They are longshots to secure a Wild Card spot at this time, but Jarren Duran is chasing down history regardless. In fact, he’s already gotten there in one respect, as no player has ever put up his combination of doubles, homers, triples, and stolen bases in a season. Only Shohei Ohtani, Bobby Witt Jr., and Aaron Judge have amassed more total bases this season. He’s going to get some MVP votes, for sure.

17) Detroit Tigers

Last month: No. 22

Odds to make the playoffs: +1100

Odds to win the World Series: +50000

There probably aren’t enough days left on the calendar for Tigers to catch up in the Wild Card race, but they are at least building some optimism going into next year. Including a recent six-game winning streak, Detroit has won 15 out of their last 20 to climb over the .500 mark. The Tigers haven’t finished with a winning record since 2016, so it would be an important step to finish strong. Ace Tarik Skubal recently became the first pitcher in the majors to reach 200 strikeouts this season and he’s trending toward being a unanimous AL Cy Young Award winner.

18) San Francisco Giants

Odds to make the playoffs: +2500

Last month: No. 18

Things were looking up for the Giants after they opted against trading Blake Snell a month ago, but they’ve dropped 12 out of their last 19 games to fall 6.5 games out in the Wild Card race. Still mathematically possible, but just not at all likely. One thing we do know is that both Blake Snell and Matt Chapman are likely to explore the open market this offseason, especially since they can’t be tendered qualifying offers this time around. Maybe one or both stick around, but this could turn out very bad for San Francisco.

19) St. Louis Cardinals

Last month: No. 16

Odds to make the playoffs: +2500

The Cardinals bought some pieces at the trade deadline and found themselves five games behind the Brewers in the NL Central at the start of August. A month later, they are 12 games out in the division and 5.5 games back in the Wild Card race. Gone is Tommy Pham, who was acquired along with Erick Fedde on July 29, and back is Jordan Walker as the club begins to look toward 2025. Walker has muddled through a bitterly disappointing season, but he’s still just 22 years old. The Cardinals will have to hope that his five-hit game against the Yankees on Sunday is a sign of things to come. Walker became the youngest player with a five-hit game for the Cardinals since Rogers Hornsby in 1916.

20) Tampa Bay Rays

Last month: No. 18

Odds to make the playoffs: +2500

Losers of seven out of their last 10, the Rays are on track to finish with their first season under the .500 mark since 2017. It would take a ridiculous September to get them back in the playoff hunt, but there are still plenty of reasons to watch this team. Top prospect Junior Caminero is finally up in the majors while Josh Lowe and Yandy Díaz are looking more like the players they were last year. There’s optimism for the rotation too, as Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs, and Drew Rasmussen have mostly seen good results in their returns from Tommy John surgery. Shane McClanahan should be back next year, so don’t expect the Rays to be out of the mix for long.

21) Toronto Blue Jays

Last month: No. 24

If you want to know how the Blue Jays’ season has gone, take a look at their lineup from Sunday’s game against the Twins.

No Vlad, No Springer, No Varsho, no Kirk, as manager John Schneider mostly played the kids. Two of those players, Joey Loperfido and Addison Barger hit back-to-back homers in a walk-off win over the Angels last week. Meanwhile, second baseman Will Wagner has hit .345 with two homers and six doubles over his first 17 major league games. There’s meaning in these opportunities as the Blue Jays play out the string.

22) Cincinnati Reds

Last month: No. 21

With 61 steals across 137 games, Elly De La Cruz is literally running away with the stolen base crown. Assuming he keeps up this pace, he’ll be the first Reds player to lead the majors in stolen bases since Bobby Tolan did it in 1970. And while there’s been a lot of talk about Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor near the top of the leaderboard in fWAR among position players, De La Cruz currently finds himself in the No. 3 spot. He’s doing his part even though the Reds’ season hasn’t gone according to plan.

23) Pittsburgh Pirates

Last month: No. 17

Oneil Cruz’s bat caught fire in August, but his continued defensive struggles saw him get moved to center field last week. At 6-foot-7, Cruz became the tallest shortstop in MLB history when he made his debut with the Pirates in 2021, but his -8 defensive runs saved this season is third-worst among qualified shortstops. He was caught off guard by the decision, but it should still be fun to see how his freakish athleticism plays in center field.

24) Texas Rangers

Last month: No. 19

The Rangers have played better recently, but it’s mostly too little too late. On the bright side, Jacob deGrom continues to make his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner has allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and just one walk across his first three minor league rehab starts. He’s slated to pitch next on Saturday and it’s possible that outing could be in the majors. Stay tuned.

25) Washington Nationals

Last month: No. 25

If you are a Nationals fan, you can squint and start to see the pieces fall into place. James Wood has been impressive during his first test in the majors and now 2023 first-round pick Dylan Crews has joined him. Crews wasn’t putting up the same gaudy numbers that Wood was in the minors prior to his call-up, but he’s hit the ground running anyway, reaching base in five out of his first seven games in the majors to go along with two homers and two doubles.

The vibes are good for the Nationals, even in a blowout loss against the Cubs on Sunday. Darren Baker got his first major league hit with his legendary father, Dusty Baker, in attendance. We’ve come a long way from the 2002 World Series, folks.

26) Oakland Athletics

Last month: No. 27

Welcome to The Lawrence Butler Show. After hitting .179 through the end of June, the 24-year-old has emerged as a surprise power source for Oakland, hitting .325 with 18 home runs, 45 RBI, and 43 runs scored over his last 52 games. Only five players (including his teammate Brent Rooker, along with Yordan Alvarez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bobby Witt Jr., and Aaron Judge) have a higher OPS than Butler during that time. This team still has a lot of work to do, but they aren’t pushovers.

27) Los Angeles Angels

Last month: No. 26

The Angels are no strangers to aggressive promotions, and the latest was prospect right-hander Caden Dana who made his major league debut on Sunday against the Mariners. The 20-year-old proved that he was ready for the assignment, allowing just two runs over six innings with four strikeouts as part of a 3-2 victory. In doing so, he became the youngest pitcher for the Angels to win a game since Frank Tanana in 1973. Zach Neto also recently became the first Angels infielder to join the 20/20 club, so at least there’s some excitement in what has otherwise been another disappointing year.

28) Colorado Rockies

Last month: No. 28

The Rockies are very much playing out the string, but Brendan Rodgers is finishing on a positive note. After amassing just seven homers through the end of July, he turned things in August by slashing .330/.364/.573 with six homers and 16 RBI. Despite being only 28 years old, he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the team. He’s set to become a free agent after next season, so it will be interesting see if the Rockies deal him this winter, or…just keep being the Rockies.

29) Miami Marlins

Last month: No. 29

It’s nice to see the Marlins’ trade deadline acquisitions already bearing fruit. Connor Norby has been especially impressive, hitting .313 (15-for-48) with three homers and six doubles through 12 games. Assuming health, the Marlins’ pitching staff should be dangerous again soon. It’s bolstering the lineup that will get them back in the mix for playoff contention for the long term.

30) Chicago White Sox

Last month: No. 30

The White Sox have already set a new franchise record for losses in a season. Now, the only question is whether they’ll actually surpass the 1962 Mets for the most losses ever (120) in MLB. It looks like a collision course with history. At 31-108, the White Sox would have to go 11-12 to avoid 121 losses. Riding an 11-game losing streak at the moment, they could actually blow that number away.