2023 MLB Power Rankings Week 19: Philadelphia Phillies Make Huge Climb
This week's edition of our weekly MLB power rankings saw the Philadelphia Phillies take a significant step forward. The Fightin' Phils are back in the top-10, after sitting on the edge of the top-10 in our last rankings.
The Phillies weren't the only team to move into the top-10 this week, and the Chicago Cubs reached their highest spot in our rankings all season.
Here's a look at our power rankings for Week 19 of the 2023 Major League Baseball season:
1) Baltimore Orioles (70-42; +75 DIFF, 44-33 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 1 [no movement]) — The Orioles remain at the top of our power rankings for the second straight week. They are 5-1 in the month of August, with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Blue Jays in Toronto.
2) Atlanta Braves (70-39; +163 DIFF, 40-25 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 2 [no movement]) — The Braves remain the class of the National League despite surprisingly dropping a road series to the Cubs over the weekend. The club's ace, Max Fried, is also back. Friday, Fried made his first start since May 5. He allowed three hits, no walks and no runs over six innings, striking out eight.
3) Tampa Bay Rays (68-46; +147 DIFF, 40-35 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 5 [up 2) — Since our last edition of the power rankings were released, the Rays have corrected course, winning three straight series — all on the road — over the Astros, Yankees and Tigers. Starting pitching is going to be a serious concern moving forward, though. With Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs all sidelined for the remainder of the season, injuries are now threatening stars Tyler Glasnow and Shane McClanahan. Glasnow was scratched from his start Sunday due to back spasms, and forearm tightness is threatening to put McClanahan on the shelf for the foreseeable future.
4) Texas Rangers (66-46; +170 DIFF, 33-28 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 4 [no movement]) — The Rangers are legit, and they're pushing all their chips to the center of the table. The club added Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton before the deadline, while parting ways with top outfield prospect Luisangel Acuna. Since the deadline, the Rangers haven't lost, going a perfect 6-0 while sweeping the White Sox and Marlins.
5) Los Angeles Dodgers (64-46; +113 DIFF, 30-30 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 3 [down 2]) — At this point, I see the Dodgers as really the only formidable challenger to the Braves in the National League. Will the additions of veterans Kike Hernandez, Amed Rosario, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Ryan Yarbrough be enough to help the Dodgers regain the throne in the NL?
6) Houston Astros (64-49; +65 DIFF, 28-33 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 6 [no movement]) — Even with the Rangers leading the division by 2.5 games with just under two months remaining in the season, I still favor the Astros to win the AL West for the sixth time in seven years. The in-state rivals have one series remaining, in Texas, the first week of September.
7) Toronto Blue Jays (63-50; +56 DIFF, 36-40 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 9 [up 2]) — The Blue Jays make a small move up in the rankings, primarily because the teams in front of them have played very poorly since our last power rankings were released.
8) Philadelphia Phillies (61-51; +18 DIFF, 36-35 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 11 [up 3]) — The Phillies are now ten games over . 500, and 36-19 since June 2.
9) Seattle Mariners (60-52; +47 DIFF, 30-35 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 18 [up 8]) — All season long, we've been waiting for the team that many of us expected to be the greatest challenger to the Astros in the West, to turn a corner and heat up. That time has come. The M's have won ten of their last 12, with each victory coming against a playoff hopeful (Twins, Diamondbacks, Red Sox and Angels). This weekend, Seattle buried the Angels, taking all four games in Anaheim.
10) San Francisco Giants (61-51; +24 DIFF, 34-27 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 12 [up 3]) — The Giants had an interesting week, sweeping the Diamondbacks, then dropping both games of a two-game set to the MLB-worst A's. One thing that has impressed me about this Giants team, though, is its ability to win games against quality teams. San Francisco is 34-27 against teams with records above .500, and always seems to show up in the games that matter most.
11) Chicago Cubs (58-54; +75 DIFF, 29-36 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 20 [up 9]) — I won't lie. This is the most shocked I've been about anything, all year. I haven't taken this Cubs team seriously since April. A little over a week ago, I penned why I believe the Cubs should be sellers at this year's trade deadline. Perhaps I was dead wrong! Since July 17, the Cubs are 15-4, playing with an inspired confidence. I didn't make much of number of wins they compiled over the White Sox and Cardinals. But taking three of four from the Reds, and two of three from the NL-best Braves, over the past week? Now you have my attention! One would think this team will cool off eventually, but the Cubs' schedule for the remainder of the month is highly favorable. Chicago will play a combined 12 games against the White Sox, Royals, Tigers and Pirates. Up next? The New York Mets, losers of six straight. Only 1.5 games back of the Brewers, the Cubs are very much alive in a weak NL Central division.
12) Minnesota Twins (59-54; +47 DIFF, 29-33 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 10 [down 2]) — The Twins are starting to gain ground on the Guardians. They're now up 4.5 games in the AL Central race.
13) New York Yankees (58-54; +4 DIFF, 37-38 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 16 [up 3]) — We'll give the Yankees this: unlike some of the teams that have been in front of them in past weeks, they haven't been horrible, as of late.
14) Milwaukee Brewers (60-53; -8 DIFF, 32-33 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 7 [down 7]) — With the Cubs and Reds duking it out for four games this week, the Brewers had a great opportunity to expand their lead in the NL Central. The Brewers disappointingly went 3-4 against the Nationals and Pirates. They lead both teams by 1.5 games in the NL Central.
15) Cincinnati Reds (59-55; -29 DIFF, 34-35 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 8 [down 7]) — The Reds take a dip in this week's rankings, as they enter the new week on a six-game losing streak. The club was swept by the Nationals over the weekend.
16) Boston Red Sox (57-54; +26 DIFF, 38-33 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 14 [down 2]) — The Red Sox are 1-7 over their last eight games. After dropping Saturday's game 5-4 to the Blue Jays, Boston manager Alex Cora said it was "one of the worst days here in this organization."
17) Miami Marlins (58-55; -37 DIFF, 26-35 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 17 [no movement]) — The lackluster performance from the Diamondbacks, Padres, Reds and Marlins in the immediate aftermath of the trade deadline makes a compelling argument to ditch the 12-team playoff expansion, which was introduced last season. If the National League playoffs started tomorrow, there wouldn't be enough very good teams in the postseason field.
18) Los Angeles Angels (56-57; +11 DIFF, 31-41 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 15 [down 3) — A week ago, the Angels were feeling good. The club had a 56-51 record and had not only kept Shohei Ohtani, but acquired one of the best arms available at the trade deadline, in the form of Lucas Giolito. The Halos have since dropped six straight, and now find themselves seven games out of a playoff spot. Life comes at you fast.
19) San Diego Padres (55-57; +52 DIFF, 30-32 vs. >.500. LAST WEEK: no. 21 [down 2]) — We're still waiting for the Padres to flip a switch and go on a run. The M's finally started cooking last week; maybe this will be the Padres' week.
20) Arizona Diamondbacks (57-56; -18 DIFF, 26-38 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 13 [down 7]) — Not long ago, the Diamondbacks were the darlings of the National League. At one point they were 16 games over .500, with a four-game lead in the NL West. The Snakes have lost 22 of their last 29 games, and would now miss the playoffs if the season ended today.
21) Cleveland Guardians (54-58; -4 DIFF, 25-31 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 19 [down 2]) — My preseason pick to win the American League is running out of time. I thought that perhaps, given their weak division, they would figure things out and heat up in time for the postseason. The Guardians are now 4.5 games back of the Twins in the AL Central, with a critical stretch coming up. Their next nine games will be against the Blue Jays, Rays and Reds. Perhaps Jose Ramirez' knocking Tim Anderson on his keister will light the spark the Guardians need to return to the postseason. A benches-clearing incident can bring a team together. If Jose's punch to Anderson's face fails to get this team going, nothing will.
22) Pittsburgh Pirates (50-61; -78 DIFF, 25-45 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 26 [down 4]) — As far as non-contenders go, the Pirates have played decently as of late. The Buccos are 7-5 over their last 12, with series wins over the Phillies and Padres. Derek Shelton's club is positioning itself well to play the role of spoiler to playoff hopefuls in the final months of the season.
23) Washington Nationals (49-63; -83 DIFF, 28-39 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 25 [up 2]) — One word to describe the Nats? Pesky. Just like gnats, they just won't go away. Washington went 5-1 over the past week, with series victories over the Brewers and Reds.
24) Detroit Tigers (49-62; -105 DIFF, 23-40 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 23 [down 1]) — I'm not sure if the Tigers should be offended or honored that Eduardo Rodriguez used his no-trade clause to block a trade to the Dodgers last week. I'm sure all of us would choose Detroit over Los Angeles, too.
25) St. Louis Cardinals (49-64; -28 DIFF, 33-44 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 24 [down 1]) — The Cardinals did something they rarely do last week: they sold at the trade deadline. The Redbirds are in the tank.
26) New York Mets (50-61; -35 DIFF, 29-38 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 22 [down 4]) — The Mets are 0-6 since they unloaded Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the trade deadline. It's a new season, and I expect them to continue to crater over the season's final two months.
27) Kansas City Royals (36-77; -162 DIFF, 16-47 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 29 [no movement]) — How about the Royals? The club entered Saturday on a seven-game win-streak, having swept the Mets and Twins.
28) Colorado Rockies (44-67; -158 DIFF, 20-41 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 27 [down 1]) — The Rockies remain the team to lose to in the National League — is that the inverse of being the team to beat? Well, whatever that is, that's the best way to describe Colorado's baseball club this season.
29) Chicago White Sox (45-68; -94 DIFF, 22-45 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 28 [down 1]) — The Royals will likely be back in our second-worst spot next week, but we'll let them enjoy this hot stretch for what it's worth.
30) Oakland Athletics (28-74; -258 DIFF, 19-59 vs. >.500, LAST WEEK: no. 30 [no movement]) — As always, it's time to check in on the A's, and see what record they are on pace for, at this point in the season. The A's are currently on pace to finish the season 44-118, just narrowly edging out the Tigers' all-time worst 43-win 2003 season.
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