MLB Power Ranking After the Trade Deadline

The San Diego Padres woke up in July after teetering on being a .500 team for most of the season. They’ve re-opened the NL West battle, and while I expect LA to walk away victorious (again), I can’t count the Padres out in October. Their bullpen is wicked with Tanner Scott there, they rank 5th in wRC+ as an offense, and their rotation has found themselves with Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Matt Waldron in the rotation. If Yu Darvish can come back, he’ll be perfect for this roster. 

I have no idea how the Atlanta Braves have stayed afloat for this long, but they’re the top NL Wild Card team right now. They are without their best starter and best position player, but they’re seemingly getting the gang back together from 2021. Injured Acuna? Jorge Soler at the trade deadline? Seems perfect for the Braves, who have underperformed all season and even briefly sat in third place behind the OMG Mets.

With how good the Guardians are, it’s easy to forget that the Minnesota Twins are one of the best teams in the American League as well. They’re in third place, but that offense and bullpen are on-point, and the rotation is no slouch either. Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober can form a fearsome trio, and they finally got some postseason experience (and a series win) last year. They’re star-studded and deep, but it just feels like they need to get hot come October.

Who would have thought that the Kansas City Royals would be on this list in August? They were supposed to absolutely suck, but this team/roster is really strong. Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best players on planet Earth and could win the AL MVP, Lugo-Singer-Wacha-Ragans is one of the best rotations in baseball, and their offense is top 10 in run scoring despite a below-average wRC+. Where have we seen the story of a Wild Card KC team overperforming and win the AL Pennant before?

Jackson Chourio is finally becoming the player we all envisioned he could be, and while Christian Yelich being out is a huge blow, he should be back before the end of the season. Their deadline wasn’t all too inspiring but their bullpen is the textbook definition of electric and their offense can put up a lot of runs. Their rotation has some serious questions though, enough to make you wonder if they really have a shot at a title.

I’d argue the Los Angeles Dodgers had the best deadline among buyers this season, acquiring Jack Flaherty, Michael Kopech, and Tommy Edman to shore up the roster. I have my concerns with acquiring Edman but his defense and versatility are valuable, my biggest question lies with a pitching staff that just hasn’t been all that impressive this season. Can this current group stay healthy and get them to the promised land? Who knows, but they’ll have two dominant reinforcements on the way with Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the way eventually.

Are they the most talented team in baseball? I’m not sure, but they hold the best record in the sport at 66-42 and have corrected themselves after a bit of a slide. Some will credit their weak division for their success, but two other teams in their division are on this very list. Their dynamite bullpen makes up for what is a lackluster roster, and when they have a lead, you know they’re going to hang on.

Technically, in first place, because of their head-to-head record, the Baltimore Orioles have hit a lull, but perhaps they can salvage a series against the Guardians and go on a run again. Their offense is still incredible, Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez are an excellent 1-2 punch, and their bullpen got some high-octane fliers in Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto. The problem? They didn’t add a single player with an OPS+ or ERA+ better than 100. 

The Yankees rattled off five wins in a row to get out of a slump that they seemed knee-deep in just a week ago. The bullpen has improved with guys like Michael Tonkin and Jake Cousins emerging out of nowhere to join Luke Weaver and Tommy Kahnle in middle relief. Luis Gil has found a new slider that’s helped him dominate and Carlos Rodon made two excellent starts in a row. Jazz Chisholm has sparked an offense that’s been dormant in key spots, but the problem with them is their pitching staff lacks depth and their roster has serious injury questions.