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The Major League Baseball as it currently stands, two weeks before the month of September, looks like three elite teams against each other – and all the others.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and New York Yankees are arguably the best baseball teams of the day. The distance that separates them is not great, but the gap between them and the 27 other teams seems a little more considerable.
That's not to say that someone can not be hot in October and erase everything, but if you bet on a global series right now, the smart choice is to combine these three teams.
We will see at least a preview version of the World Series possible this weekend as the Yankees visit the Dodgers for three matches starting Friday in Los Angeles. The Astros hope to beat the Tigers and Angels after a difficult time. last week, they lost five times in a row after reaching the top of the MLB rankings.
Speaking of Power Rankings: I can not keep the # 1 Astros after such a performance, so we have a new # 1 team this week. Below you will see this and how I see the 30 teams.
THE TOP 10
1. New York Yankees (83-42, last week: 3)
Welcome to No. 1, Yankees. The Bombers have won six of their last eight games, including a four-game series against a good Indian team over the weekend. Luis Severino is on his way home, which is probably the biggest question about the Yankees. But it's a team that has proven time and time again this season that she can win, no matter who is injured. If it reaches full capacity in October, pay attention.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (82-44, last week: 2)
People like to joke about the Dodgers who lose the World Series – like the Buffalo Baseball Bills, but you may not want to hit the same lines this year. This Dodgers team is deeper and better prepared for October than we have seen in recent years. Clayton Kershaw is excellent, but he is not the only one. With Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler at his side in the rotation, they are ready to end the jokes.
3. Houston Astros (79-45, last week: 1)
Hard week for the Astros – whose five defeats were beaten by A (OK, good) and White Sox (eek). The Astros are a team that can very well win series of victories, but the opposite is also true, this is what we saw last week. Like everyone else in baseball, they may find ways to win in Detroit.
4. Minnesota Twins (76-48, last week: 5)
The Twins seemed to be wobbling in recent weeks and they needed something to recover as one of the best LA teams. They had it. They won five of six games last week against the Rangers and Brewers, taking the lead in the AL Central and letting the Indians know they did not die.
5. Atlanta Braves (74-52, last week: 6)
The Braves must start the week well with the fact that they took two of the three Dodgers this weekend. L.A. is the team that stops Atlanta from getting to the World Series. Message sent.
6. Cleveland Indians (74-51, last week: 4)
The Indians returned to the league's top league last week after defeating the Twins and found themselves at the top of the AL Central League. But in a week they had to face the Yankees and the Red Sox, things did not continue on the same path. They went 3-4 against Boston and New York. Not the end of the world, but certainly a step backwards.
7. Oakland A's (71-53, last week: 8)
The A who continues to accumulate victories despite a list of players that the baseball opponent does not know very well. It's a familiar story in Oakland. Despite the lack of names, they earned the sixth best EAR baseball standings, winning three of the four Astros games.
8. Tampa Bay Rays (73-52; 7 last week)
The Rays and the A's are very similar and these similarities could cause them to argue for a blank card in the far right. Sitting, the Rays cast better than the A (second best ERA baseball), but their attack (19th points scored) should intensify.
9. Washington Nationals (67-56, last week: 11)
Although the beginning of the season was difficult for the Washington Nationals, they are returning to where many people thought they could be. This is their first time in our Top 10 for months and it's because they have improved steadily. It is not a coincidence. They are 43-23 since June 1 and look like legitimate contenders in the playoffs.
10. Cardinals of St. Louis (65-57, last week: 13)
As always, the BN central deserves an asterisk that basically says: This place is wild and the rankings can change every day. At present, the Cardinals are ahead of the other NL Central Teams in the Power Rankings. They are tied at the top of the division with the Cubs, but the Phillies-swept Cubs give the Cards an edge this week.
NEXT UP
11. Chicago Cubs (66-58; last week: 9) 2-4
12. Boston Red Sox (66-59, last week: 14)
13. Philadelphia Phillies (64-60, last week: 15)
14. New York Mets (64-60; last week: 10) 3-3
15. Milwaukee Brewers (64-60, last week: 12)
It is a good time of year to start thinking about the chances of participating in the playoffs. And some of your fans do not want what will follow, so I apologize in advance. (I do not do it, actually). Defending champion Red Sox is only 7.1%, according to Fangraphs forecasts, while Cubs are the most likely of this group with 75.3%. Spread in the middle are Phillies (9.6%), Brewers (25.2%) and Mets (42.6%).
THIS IS NOT GOOD
16. San Francisco Giants (63-62, last week: 16)
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (62-63; last week, 17)
18. Los Angeles Angels (62-64, last week: 20)
19. Texas Rangers (60-64, last week: 18)
20. San Diego Padres (58-65, last week: 21)
In all honesty, the Giants and Diamondbacks are the only teams here with a chance of the playoffs outside – since the NL wild card race is so mixed up. That does not seem very good, but the Giants and their rollercoaster have started again in the right direction this weekend, having beaten the D-backs in three games out of four. They are above .500 and 3.5 second place joker games.
IT IS PRETTY A LOT
21. Cincinnati Reds (58-65, last week: 19)
22. Colorado Rockies (57-67, last week: 21)
23. Chicago White Sox (55-68; last week: 23)
24. Seattle Mariners (52-73; last week: 25)
25. Toronto Blue Jays (52-75; last week: 24)
The Rockies, which still have nothing significant, have won four straight games, while the Rangers have lost four in a row. The Reds struggled to be had, they were swept by the Nats last week and the Mariners at least beat the Blue Jays and Tigers in consecutive series. The White Sox managed to beat the Astros a few times last week, which is commendable.
THE CAVE
26. Pittsburgh Pirates (51-72, last week: 25)
27. Miami Marlins (45-78, last week: 26)
28. Kansas City Royals (44-80, last week: 27)
29. Baltimore Orioles (39-85, last week: 29)
30. Detroit Tigers (37-84; last week: 30)
The teams here have a 16-game losing streak, including the Orioles, who have lost seven straight games. In other words: they have not won since our last ranking in power and now have the greatest number of defeats in MLB.
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Mike Oz is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Send him an e-mail to [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @mikeoz
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