With the MLB trade deadline in the rearview mirror, this week's MLB power rankings focus on which teams are best suited for a deep postseason run, either this season or in the future.
As expected, it was a wild MLB trade deadline with some surprising moves and a stunning rebuke of the Los Angeles Dodgers by starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (more about that later). So which teams made the biggest moves and positioned themselves for success the rest of the season? That's where this week's MLB power rankings come into play.
30) MLB Power Rankings: New York Mets
Not only did the Mets pull the plug on the 2023 season by jettisoning two of the most notable pitchers in all of MLB, but also having to send money along with both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander was the ultimate gut punch. Perhaps more damning than that were the comments that Scherzer shared from general manager Billy Eppler that indicated the Mets weren't building for next year, but perhaps 2025 or 2026. If you're Shohei Ohtani, those comments make you cross the Mets off any potential destinations next season.
29) MLB Power Rankings: New York Yankees
Let's face it, the Yankees were caught in between reality and what they should be doing, which many people thought should have been selling. A late trade for relief pitcher Keynan Middleton from the Chicago White Sox was the extent of New York's dealings, and that doesn't feel like enough to push the team forward for the rest of 2023 or position them for success in 2024 and beyond. For Yankees fans, Tuesday was a big disappointment … but at least they're not the Mets.
28) MLB Power Rankings: Seattle Mariners
Another season, another time the Mariners sent their closer packing. This time it was Paul Sewald being shipped out in a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Granted, Seattle was able to put things together after trading off Kendall Gravemen to the Houston Astros at the 2021 MLB trade deadline and the AL West is looking tough after moves made by Seattle's division foes, but will any of the three players the Mariners get in return really be difference-makers for a team that needs offensive help? It doesn't seem so.
27) MLB Power Rankings: Detroit Tigers
What in the world happened with Eduardo Rodriguez? Detroit's best trade chip is still with the Tigers after the MLB trade deadline, and our own Mark Powell takes some issues with the lack of movement on the part of Scott Harris. With Rodriguez likely heading to the free agent market after this season, this was the chance to get something from a starting pitcher who was a wanted commodity. Harris and the Tigers failed.
26) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers will very likely be in the postseason (FanGraphs gives them a 96.1 percent chance to get there), but after missing out on targets like Justin Verlander and Rodriguez (who invoked his no-trade clause despite a rumored deal being in place) didn't help a pitching staff that needs some healthy arms. Los Angeles needed to make a big splash at the MLB trade deadline to pass the Atlanta Braves to be the favorites in the NL. That didn't happen.
25) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox
In a crowded AL East, the Red Sox needed something to separate themselves from the pack. They didn't get that at the MLB trade deadline, adding Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Urías. Boston is rolling the dice that the return of Chris Sale and Trevor Story will act like additions at the trade deadline. Now we'll see if it actually has the impact that Chaim Bloom believes it will.
24) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians
FanGraphs says that Cleveland has a 27.0 percent chance to make the postseason, and Cleveland didn't seem to improve those odds with what they did at the trade deadline. When you're swapping Noah Syndergaard for Aaron Civale in your rotation, that's not a good sign, especially when Syndergaard left his first start after getting struck in the leg by a line drive. In a mediocre AL Central, perhaps it's fitting that the defending division champion had a very mediocre trade deadline.
23) MLB Power Rankings: Oakland A's
Granted, there wasn't much for the A's to trade, but what Oakland did ship off (relievers Sam Moll to Cincinnati and infielder Jace Peterson to Arizona) didn't bring back much of a return. The A's weren't heading for the postseason this year, but shouldn't there be some hope of what's to come in 2024? If so, it didn't come from this trade deadline.
22) MLB Power Rankings: Kansas City Royals
Absolutely, the Royals got plenty of prospects back after trading off players such as Scott Barlow, Aroldis Chapman and Ryan Yarbrough, but time will tell if Kansas City really got the value back they should have with a pair of premium relievers available in Barlow and Chapman. And can anyone explain the confusing trade for Taylor Hearn? It felt like some missed opportunities for the Royals and a confusing message coming from JJ Piccolo and crew.
21) MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants
Sure, the Giants could have used another bat with Mike Yastrzemski on the injured list, but is A.J. Pollock really the answer? The slash line production of .173/.225/.323 with five homers in 49 games for Seattle was underwhelming. In a race with plenty of others for an NL Wild Card spot, is anything that San Francisco did at the deadline enough to make a difference in the second half? It doesn't seem like it.
20) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins
Like Cincinnati, Minnesota seemed to shrug and say, "Nah, we're good," when it came to the MLB trade deadline. Outside of swapping Jorge Lopez for Dylan Floro last week, the Twins are exactly the team they were a week ago, and that's a team that isn't exactly running away with the AL Central. Maybe Minnesota's front office knows this team can't compete when it gets to the postseason and didn't want to try to strengthen it by depleting its farm system, but this is a team not built for a deep run in October.
19) MLB Power Rankings: Colorado Rockies
Maybe no team was under the microscope at the MLB trade deadline than the Rockies, a team that has been simply pedestrian in the past when it came to offloading potential trade chips. This year, however, Colorado wisely dealt away veterans on expiring contracts in Mike Moustakas, Randal Grichuk, Brad Hand, Pierce Johnson and C.J. Cron and got seven minor league pitchers back in return. Could the Rockies have done more? Sure, but the fact they did anything feels like a plan is actually coming together in Denver.
18) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs
Jeimer Candelario is now a part of Wrigleyville, and Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman are still with the Cubs. Chicago is banking all of his potential run to the postseason on a pair of acquisitions in Candelario and Jose Cuas, a right-hander coming over for the Royals who may be sent to Triple-A. The Cubs have done fine for themselves in the first half, but it seems like, with Stroman struggling, Chicago put a tepid foot forward in an effort to gain ground in the NL Central and Wild Card.
17) MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals
Washington knew it had one big trade chip in Candelario and tried to see exactly how much they could get for him. Still basking in the glow of the harvest from last year's Juan Soto and Josh Bell trade with the Padres, the Nationals simply had to see what the best offer was to add more to their farm system. A pair of top-20 prospects from the Cubs fit the bill nicely as Washington continues to build toward the future.
16) MLB Power Rankings: Cincinnati Reds
The youth movement is alive and well in Cincinnati and things are gelling well with the younger generation who is taking over the Reds (we see you, Elly De La Cruz) and the treasure that is Joey Votto. It's a great story being written this season in the Queen City, and Cincinnati's front office apparently thought things were fine as they were, bringing in reliever Sam Moll from Oakland as the big acquisition. We'll see if their quiet deadline was the right move.
15) MLB Power Rankings: Miami Marlins
Miami made three trades, and two of them seem to be moves where the Marlins are rolling the dice. Can Josh Bell rediscover his slugging ways as the Marlins fight for a postseason spot? Will Ryan Weathers be able to stick and make an impact in the rotation, something he couldn't do while in San Diego? The acquisition of Jake Burger from the Chicago White Sox was a nice move, but the other two are gambles.
14) MLB Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rays
The trade with Cleveland for Aaron Civale could prove to be a good one for the Rays, but three other minor deals did little to move the needle for the Rays. It was a trade deadline that fit the Rays' personality of staying simple and sticking with the plan. The Rays didn't necessarily improve by a great measure, but this is a team that believes it has enough in house to be a problem in October. We'll see if they're right.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago White Sox
It may seem strange to have the White Sox listed so high after what was a very confusing set of messages during the heart of the trade deadline, but Chicago did get the fourth-ranked prospect from Miami in exchange for Jake Burger and Korey Lee could be part of the catching future after coming over from the Houston Astros. Nick Nastrini is an interesting pitching prospect who was acquired as part of the Joe Kelly-Lance Lynn deal with the Dodgers. All in all, not a bad showing on the South Side.
12) MLB Power Rankings: Baltimore Orioles
Getting Jack Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals will be the move that everyone will point to as to how far the Orioles rotation can carry the team moving forward. Will Baltimore being a true buyer for the first time since the 2018 season pay dividends in Charm City? Flaherty has performed well in July, posting a 3.03 ERA over five outings. Shintaro Fujinami has been serviceable in the bullpen since coming over from the Oakland A's, but his deal pales in comparison to the Flaherty move.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh needed to sell assets at the trade deadline and they did just that, making a flurry of deals to bring in prospects and hopefully build for the future. Perhaps most interesting of all of the returns is left-hander Jackson Wolf, brought over from the San Diego Padres in a five-player deal in the hours just before the trade deadline hit. He and Alfonso Rivas, also brought over in that deal, already have MLB experience and could make an immediate impact in Pittsburgh.
10) MLB Power Rankings: Toronto Blue Jays
Acquiring Jordan Hicks and Paul DeJong from the St. Louis Cardinals were good moves, but the DeJong acquisition is a bit tarnished since it was made after Bo Bichette suffered a knee injury that could slow him over the next few days. Hicks will add to a Toronto bullpen that needs some additional swagger, but can the Jays actually get over the hump and get into the postseason in an AL logjam?
9) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies
Michael Lorenzen was one of the starting pitching gems that could be mined at the trade deadline, and the Phillies were the ones who had the right price tag in the eyes of the Detroit Tigers. Giving away fifth-ranked prospect Hao-Yu Lee was a moderate price to pay, but if Lorenzen can merge in with Philadelphia's current rotation and pitch at the All-Star caliber he was showing in Detroit, the price will be worth it.
8) MLB Power Rankings: Milwaukee Brewers
Andrew Chafin will be a nice addition to the Milwaukee bullpen, and Mark Canha has a chance to make an impact for the Brewers as well. Like their rivals in Cincinnati, the Brewers have already proven they could play solid baseball with the team they already have in house. However, these two moves can certainly help strengthen areas for the Brewers as Milwaukee tries to distance themselves in an NL Central there for the taking.
7) MLB Power Rankings: Houston Astros
When you have an 85.1 percent chance to make the postseason (per FanGraphs), you know you already have a solid team. Adding Justin Verlander to the front and Kendall Graveman in the bullpen is a plus, and the Astros are getting healthy at the right time as well with Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez being activated in the past week. Once again, the Astros are a scary matchup for any team once October begins.
6) MLB Power Rankings: St. Louis Cardinals
Once the Cardinals finally decided they were going to be sellers, they embraced it with open arms. A last-minute deal with the Orioles for Jack Flaherty that landed three prospects in St. Louis, including two in the top 20, will be a very interesting one to watch grow. Deals with Texas and Toronto netted prospects as well, but how many of these prospects will impact the team in 2024? That remains to be seen. St. Louis will have to rebuild through free agency and hope the fire sale was worth it.
5) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona said it wanted to strength the back end of its bullpen and got the closer they wanted in Paul Sewald, plus new right-handed reliever Peter Strzelecki is heading to Triple-A and will be ready as a reinforcement when needed. Tommy Pham coming over from the Mets brings depth for the Diamondbacks as does utility infielder Jace Peterson from Oakland. With Arizona stumbling in recent games, can a fresh influx of talent turn things around?
4) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres
A.J. Preller had us all guessing up until the final hours of the MLB trade deadline before he finally pulled off deals to land Scott Barlow from the Kansas City Royals and Rich Hill and Ji-man Choi from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hill could be an answer for San Diego's back end of the rotation and, if Choi can add some offensive pop at designated hitter, Pittsburgh could solve a pair of Padres problems. Still, this talented team needs to play up to its potential or all of the trades Preller could have made wouldn't have mattered.
3) MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves
Baseball's best team got better in the bullpen with Brad Hand and Pierce Johnson coming over in separate deals from the Colorado Rockies. With A.J. Minter being activated, Atlanta's bullpen is looking stout heading into the postseason. With a wide lead in the NL East, the Braves can focus on health and finding the right combination in the late innings with their new bullpen pieces. Atlanta is well positioned to return to the Fall Classic.
2) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Angels
If the Angels were trying to show Shohei Ohtani they were serious about winning, they did just that by transforming their roster, both at the plate and on the mound. From Lucas Giolito to Randal Grichuk, there are plenty of new faces for manager Phil Nevin. All seven players acquired by the Angels are free agents at the end of the season, proving that Los Angeles is in win-now mode. Will we actually see Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the postseason?
1) MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers
Wow, will this race in the American League West be fun to watch over the next two months. Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery transform a Rangers rotation that already had its strengths (and injury concerns as well) while Austin Hedges could provide some insurance with Jonah Heim's injury. Giving up Luisangel Acuña was a big ask, but the Rangers feel like the time is now. Getting Scherzer for next season as well is a big plus (as is having the Mets pay a considerable amount of the future Hall of Famer's salary).